The Book Of Mark #63

Illus: Listen, when I go down the road and I see a sign that tells me there is a sharp curve up ahead or a steep hill, I find these signs helpful.

But sometimes signs are confusing.

Illus: Two preachers are standing by the side of the road, holding up a sign that reads, “The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!”

One driver said, "Leave us alone you religious nuts!" as he sped by.

From around the curve they heard screeching tires and a big crash. "Do you think," said one clergy to the other, "we should just put up a sign that says, 'BRIDGE OUT' instead?"

It is amazing how many people drive and pay absolutely no attention to road signs.

Illus: A teenager paid no attention to a speed sign. Finally a policeman pulled him over, and the policeman got out of his car and walked to the teenagers car.

• The policeman said, "I've been waiting for you all day."

• The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."

Illus: A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign said, “Low bridge ahead.” Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles.

Finally, a police car comes up. The policeman gets out of his car and walks around to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"

The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."

The Bible gives us some signs so we can know what is ahead. We must need to know what is ahead or the Lord would not tell us. He does not tell us everything, but He does tell us certain things we can expect. These things indicate His soon return.

People have a way of putting things they do not want to think about out of their mind. Sometimes things happen that are so devastating, that we are forced to deal with them for a short time. But as soon as we can, we like to put them out of our mind and go back to doing business as usual.

Illus: Right after 9-11 this nation was unified, but a few years later look how it is divided. After 9-11 we were not Democrats and Republicans, we were just Americans. But after several years, look how divided America has become. Why? Because we want to put 9-11 behind us and go back to business as usual.

The scriptures teach us that there are things that are coming and when these things come, men will not be able to erase them from their minds and go back to doing business as usual.

The scriptures reveal SIGNS to us to let us know when these things would be coming.

Let’s look at-

I. THE SIGNS

Look at verses 28-29, we read, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.”

The Bible says that when the fig tree begins to put forth leaves, we know that summer is near.

WHAT IS CHRIST SAYING? He is saying two things in these two verses:

(1) These people were familiar with fig trees. The Lord is saying that when you see the fig tree bearing leaves you know that summer is near.

(2) The Lord is saying that when you see these signs, you know the coming of the Lord is near.

Even though the Lord gives us these signs, people speed down the road of life as if there is not a thing in this world to be concerned about.

Illus: Let me ask you something. Suppose I came to a road sign and it showed a real sharp curve and said that I am to reduce my speed down to 20 miles and hour. But suppose I said, “I am not going to pay any attention to that sign,” and I go around the curve at 65 miles an hour and flip my car over.

Would you consider me to be wise or foolish? Of course you would think I was foolish!

God’s Word gives us these signs to let us know what is ahead, and to ignore these signs is not a smart thing to do.

Christ said, "KNOW THAT IT [HIS RETURN] IS NIGH" when we see these signs. This is the purpose of this passage. We are to be looking for His return.

Christ is teaching us about His soon return, using the law of CAUSE and EFFECT to keep us from being caught off guard.