25 August 2013
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Luke 17:20-35
Luke 17:20-35 (NIV)
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God
would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom
of God
21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,'
because the 22 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
23 Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them.
24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.
25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 "It was the same in the days of
29 But the day Lot left
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
31 On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
32 Remember
33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.
-- over the
last several weeks, the topic du jour seemed to center on the state of this
world, especially the state of the economy and the war drums beating in Syria,
Israel, and Iran -- and when I look back over my journal and the sermons I have
preached, as well as the social media postings on Facebook and Twitter, it
really seems that there is a concern in the air -- a concern over the state of
our country and our world -- and a general despair over the future for
ourselves and our families
-- we've
talked about this several times -- both in my messages here at Koinonia and in
our Bible studies -- and this morning I find myself led back to this topic once
again through our daily Bible readings for this week-- I had a guy in my office one time call me the "doom and gloom prophet" because I would pass on news of negative issues that could affect our economy and our jobs -- but it's not just me -- others are sensing this mood in our world today
-- Listen
to this description of the times:
-- "It
is a gloomy moment in the history of our country -- Not in the lifetime of most
men has there been so much grave and deep apprehension -- never has the future
seemed so incalculable as at this time -- "The domestic economic situation is in chaos -- Our dollar is weak throughout the world -- Prices are so high as to be utterly impossible -- The political cauldron seethes and bubbles with uncertainty -- Russia hangs, as usual, like a cloud, dark and silent, upon the horizon -- It is a solemn moment -- Of our troubles no man can see the end."
-- Interestingly, that quote was not from a recent news article -- that quote actually came from an article that appeared in Harper’s Magazine on October 10, 18471
-- what we
are going through now, as difficult as it may seem to us, is not unusual --
times have always been tough -- wars and rumors of war have always occurred --
economic crises have always existed -- doom and gloom and despair in regards to
the future have always been common complaints -- it is the nature of man
-- but this
passage points us to a different place -- it provides hope in the midst of
hopelessness -- it promises deliverance in the midst of despair as we read the
teachings of Jesus on the Kingdom of God and the Day of the Lord-- over the past couple of weeks, I've had several discussions about the Day of the Lord --- it came up in Bible study and it came up at our Sunday night services -- so when our daily readings for this week included this passage from Luke on this subject, I thought this would be a good time to take a moment and see what Jesus had to say about the times we live in and the times we long for
-- more
than anything in the world, I do not want to come across as someone who stands
on the sideline holding a sign that says, "The End is Near" -- I
don't want to be the one who is thought of as nothing but a prophet of doom and
gloom -- instead I want to be known as the one who speaks truth into this world
and who points out the light to those in darkness -- a shining city on a hill
-- a lamp illuminating the path to a better future in Jesus
-- that is
the reason I enjoy teaching prophecy and end times theology -- not so we can just
learn more about what is going to happen -- not so we possess knowledge of the
future -- that is not the purpose of prophecy -- the prophetic passages in the
Bible were not given for us to just learn and retain for ourselves -- they were
not given for us to predict the future and sit around and debate over who might
be the antichrist-- prophecy, such as that found in this passage, was given to spur us to action -- it was given to lead us into wisdom -- so our goal in this passage is not just to learn what will happen in the future, but to know what to do with this knowledge -- to align our lives with the purposes of Christ -- and to share the message of hope and deliverance amidst the prophesied coming wrath and destruction
-- so with that said, let's turn to this passage in Luke and let's see what Jesus has to say about our day and the promise of the day to come
II. Scripture Lesson (Luke 17:20-35)
-- look
back with me at verse 20 -21
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God
would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom
of God
21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,'
because the
-- Luke
tells us the occasion of the teaching from Jesus in this passage occurred when
the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him about the coming of the Kingdom of God
-- from the
very beginning, the message of Jesus and John the Baptist before Him was
"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand" -- and so we see the
Pharisees coming and saying, "You've been saying this for some time --
you've been promising the Kingdom of God is coming -- when will it happen? --
why hasn't it happened yet if you are the Messiah?"-- don't misunderstand the question from the Pharisees -- it was not a genuine quest for knowledge, but yet another attack on Jesus' authority and teaching
-- "If this Kingdom is coming through you, then where is it? -- When is this going to happen?"
-- interestingly, Jesus answers their question of "when" with the answer of "where" -- the Kingdom of God is already here, He says -- it is not a specific time -- it is not a specific place -- it is within you and among you -- the Kingdom of God is where I am
-- the term Jesus uses here for kingdom is "reign," not "realm" -- it refers to His rule in the life of a believer instead of a definite place -- Jesus is saying we carry the kingdom within us when we let Him rule in our lives
-- it's like an aircraft carrier -- when we send an aircraft carrier somewhere in the world, it carries with it the presence and power of the United States -- the aircraft carrier becomes the place where the reign and rule of the United States is present -- the power and presence -- the kingdom, if you will -- of the United States of America exists within the sphere of influence of that aircraft carrier, even though it may be distant from our actual shores
-- so in other to the question, "when is the Kingdom of God coming," Jesus responds by saying, "The Kingdom of God is located where I rule" -- in other words Jesus is saying, "The Kingdom of God is here now, but it's not within you -- it is only within those who believe in Me and trust in My name"
-- does that describe you? -- does that describe your life and your behavior and your actions? -- can you say that Jesus rules in your life wherever you go?
-- verse
22-25
22 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming
when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not
see it.
23 Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not
go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.
25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
-- after
Jesus responds to the Pharisees, He turns to His disciples and speaks to them
privately about these things -- it is likely they were confused by His answer to
the Pharisees because they, like all Jews of their day, were looking for the
coming of the Messiah who would usher in a literal Kingdom of God -- someone
who would restore the throne of David and lead Israel back to it's previous
power and position as a ruling nation
-- Jesus
tells them to not misunderstand what He was saying -- yes, the Kingdom of God
was present within them -- yes, the Kingdom of God was with them -- they were
living in the kingdom when they were living in a right relationship with Him --
when they believed and trusted in Him and expressed their faith with all their
hearts and mind and strength-- but, Jesus said, there will come a day -- a specific day -- when the Kingdom of God will be made manifest -- when all that you dream of will come to pass and I will be established on My throne
-- it won't come in the way you expect it, so don't listen to people who tell you the Kingdom of God has come -- don't chase after false kingdoms or false kings -- until that day -- until the day of My return -- know the Kingdom of God lives within you
-- and don't worry -- when I return, it will not be hidden -- you will know -- everyone will know -- every eye will see My return -- when I return, I will be as visible as lightning that flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other
-- Jesus tells them this day is coming, but not yet -- this day will not come until He suffers and dies -- until He is rejected by this generation -- Jesus must first prepare for His coming through His atoning death on the cross -- but at some point in the future, He will return, and they need to be ready
-- earlier this week, I looked up how to know for sure how far you are from a lightning strike -- with all the thunderstorms that have been going around, I wanted to make sure that everyone in my office knew what to do when lightning was coming on them
-- as a kid, I had been taught that every second was one mile, but I knew that wasn't right -- so I went to NOAA's page, and looked it up -- you actually count the seconds between when you see a flash of lightning and hear the thunder and divide that by 5 in order to get the distance in miles
-- NOAA says you are in danger anytime you see lightning or hear thunder -- they tell you to follow the 30-30 rule if you want to be safe during a thunderstorm -- if you can hear thunder within 30 seconds of a flash of lightning, NOAA says to get indoors -- and then to wait 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning to go back outside
-- that's really what Jesus is saying here -- you're already in danger -- the thunder of the cross is a warning that the day of My return is near -- and if you wait to see the lightning of My return and you're not ready -- if the Kingdom of God is not within you -- if you are not in a right relationship with Me when the lightning of my return flashes, then it is too late
-- Scripture calls this day of lightning -- the day of Christ's return -- the "Day of the Lord" -- it is also known as the second coming of Christ or the judgment of Christ -- this phrase, or some reference to this phrase, is found in almost every book of prophecy in the Bible -- this is the culmination of the message of Christ and our blessed hope in Him
-- Paul and Peter and John all talked about preparing for the Day of the Lord -- Zechariah used this term 17 times in his book of prophecy
-- the Day of the Lord is the day when Jesus returns to separate the wicked from the just -- to judge the sinners -- and to set up His kingdom forever
-- but when will that day be? -- verse 26-35
26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it
be in the days of the Son of Man.
27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in
marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed
them all. 28 "It was the same in the days of
29 But the day Lot left
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
31 On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
32 Remember
33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.
-- when Dr.
Horatius Bonar, the great Scottish hymn writer, would close his curtains at
night to prepare for bed, he would proclaim, "Perhaps tonight, Lord!"
-- and then in the morning, when he opened those curtains and looked out on a
new day, he would proclaim, "Perhaps today, Lord!" -- that's the same
attitude we need
-- Jesus
tells us here that the Day of the Lord will come when no one expects it -- He
will return as a thief in the night -- people will be going about their daily
lives -- eating, drinking, marrying, being given in marriage -- when all of a
sudden, the end will come-- He says the timing of the Day of the Lord will be just like that of Noah and Lot -- it will be a time of wickedness and moral depravity -- a time when people live their lives with a total disregard of the Lord -- in Noah and Lot's day, most of the people around them were oblivious to the coming of destruction and deliverance -- even when Noah and Lot warned them, they scoffed at the warning
-- but Noah and Lot were prepared -- they had the Kingdom of God within their hearts -- they had heard the thunder and were aware of the danger and lived with one eye to the heavens -- and while those around them perished in their unbelief, Noah and Lot were saved
-- Jesus warned His disciples that some would be left -- that some would be taken to judgment while others were saved through their faith -- two people will be in bed -- one taken and one left -- two women will be grinding grain -- one taken and one left
-- Jesus says don't let it be you -- be ready -- and watch for His coming -- Jesus' message here is don't give up hope and don't lose heart when it seems as if the times are growing worse -- when it seems as if His return is not going to happen -- Jesus says, "Don't look back -- don't return to your old ways -- don't follow the path of the Pharisees -- but trust in Me and My word -- trust that I will return as I say"
III. Closing
-- several
years ago, National Geographic Magazine had an article that showed the
devastation of the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. -- the article had
photographs and drawings that vividly demonstrated how swift the destruction
fell on the people in the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum -- the explosion of the volcano was so sudden, the residents of those towns were killed while they were going about their normal routines -- men and women were at the market -- the rich in their luxurious baths -- the slaves working in the fields and in their master's homes -- and all of them died in an instant amidst volcanic ash and superheated gasses -- you can just imagine the panic and chaos of that day -- the hopelessness those people felt in the moments before their deaths when they realized it was too late
-- the saddest part is these people did not have to die -- scientists confirm what the ancient Roman writers recorded -- weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion -- there was an ominous plume of smoke clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption -- but no one paid any attention
-- if the people of Pompeii had only heeded the warning signs -- if they had only gotten ready and prepared for the impending disaster, many would not have lost their lives
-- that is
the purpose of prophecy -- God gave us passages such as this in the Book of
Luke to make us aware of the impending danger for us and those around us -- we
hear the thunder of warning every day -- war and rumors of war -- earthquakes
-- floods -- natural disasters -- economic woes -- the breakdown of the family
and moral standards -- apostasy in the pews
-- and
while these have been with us since before the time of Christ, the extent and
magnitude of these rumblings grow ever and ever more violent and frequent -- we
need to be ready -- and we need to pass on the word of God to others to warn
them -- the Day of the Lord is coming -- it might be today -- it might be tomorrow -- it might be a century from now -- we don't know -- but Jesus tells us to be prepared and to tell others about the danger as well -- God promises an escape from judgment and a life in His kingdom to those who turn to Him for salvation
-- so as we close, let's take a moment to reflect on our lives and where we are with Christ -- I believe everyone here knows Jesus, but where is your gaze? -- are you looking forward to Him or are you looking back like
-- and let's think about those around us who are oblivious to the danger -- even if we come across as prophets of doom and gloom, let's pass the word to them and let's pray for them -- that they might come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and be rescued from the impending judgment on the Day of the Lord
-- let us
pray
1Pastor Steven Cole, "The Present and Future Kingdom
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