Well, it's a great joy for us this weekend as we gather to open God's word together. So please open your copy of scripture to Luke chapter 17 as we continue on with our study through this absolutely amazing gospel. Luke chapter 17. As you're turning there, have you ever noticed some people like to use humor in book titles and author names? I came across a few of these. Yesterday, there's this book called I Need Insurance, and the author's name is Justin Case. Think about it. Another book is called Songs from South Pacific, and this is a dual author, Sam and Janet Evening. You didn't get that one, Some Enchanted Evening. Okay, I'm gonna help you out here a little bit. You gotta work with me, wake up. Another book title was The Excitement of Trees, written by a man named I Am Bored. I like that one. Another book, Daddy, Are We There Yet? With the author being miles away. I like this one, I Lost My Balance. This has two authors to it as well. I Lost My Balance by Eileen Dover and Paul Down. I like that one, yes, yeah. And then one more, Things to Cook Meat in, that book was written by Stew Potts. And trust me, there were 50 other ones, and I'm gonna stop there. When it comes to book titles, it's fun to have fun, and author names, too. When it comes to sermon series titles, though, the goal isn't to be clever. The goal is to be clear. Our current study, which is going to go into at least parts of three years, is through the Gospel of Luke. And the title I've given this series is a very specific and purposeful title. We have been calling this series, The Son of Man is Here. for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Son of Man is a title that Jesus takes to himself and it shows up often in this third gospel. So I wanted that in the title. But the last part of that title is the Son of Man is here. And that here is here has carried with it really intentionally three thrusts, if you will. He's here in the sense that This gospel, as we've traced through it, has announced that God has come to man. All that was prophesied of the coming Messiah is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. So in a very real sense, the Son of Man that we read about in Daniel's prophecy, He's here. He came to earth and we're seeing it unfold a chapter and a verse at a time. And so the invitation has come to Him. But it's not just a title that points out his incarnation, it's also a title, the Son of Man is here to point out the importance of inspiration. He's here in the sense that he's unfolded in the pages of this Gospel. We read in the opening verses of this Gospel, and studied when we started this series, how Luke has done intense interviewing, intense research, and what he has laid out here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is our way to get to know Jesus, through His Word, and through this account. So, not only is the Son of Man here in the sense of the incarnation, He came, just as prophesied, but he's also here in this amazing book. But there's a third nuance to this title, The Son of Man is Here, and it's to say that he is here as we read of the Messiah that came, as we learn of him in this gospel, then we lift our eyes up to Calvary Baptist Church in Ypsilanti in 2021, and we agree that this Son of Man is here. He indwells his people that are redeemed, that gather together every single week here at Calvary Baptist Church. He's here. We read that the Son of Man walks in the midst of the local churches in Revelation. This Son of Man that we've learned about and are learning about, well, he's here. He's here with us. That's what's been behind this series title. But as I think of the Son of Man being here, in all of these senses. As we come to our text this morning, the Son of Man is emphasizing yet once again during his first coming, listen, that he's also gonna come back. This wasn't one and done for Jesus. My apologies to Duke University's basketball program. He's coming back. And he didn't just mention it a few times in this gospel, as we'll see. I want to hover carefully over verses 20 to the end of this chapter, Luke chapter 17, and just hold on to your seat. Hold on your seat, because our text today finds the Son of Man again emphasizing during his first coming that he's going to come back. Now, this is going to deal with prophecy this morning. And every time we've been coming to this gospel in our weekly studies, I've emphasized how important it is to use the right keys. If you don't use the right keys of interpretation, you can go off the rails with any text, but especially prophecy texts. So there are three keys I want you to keep in your hand as we go through this text this morning. First, of course, is a key that we're used to using in Luke. It's the key of audience. It's so important that you always pay attention and note who Jesus is talking to and when that changes. In verse 20 and verse 21, he's talking to the Pharisees. In verse 22 to the end of the chapter, he changes audiences. He's talking to his disciples. That's very important to note. So always remember the key of audience. But there's another key I want to spend just a moment on here, a few moments in the introduction. But it's so important for you to understand what we're going to read and study in this chapter. You have to have in your hand the key of context. Do not just land in Luke chapter 17 verses 20 and the rest of the chapter and say, I'm going to interpret this text isolated from what's come before it and what's going to come after it. Not just near, but also from a distance. Not just near context, but what came really earlier in the Gospel of Luke and what's coming towards the end of the Gospel of Luke. Context is everything. When I say that this is a text dealing with prophecy, Our ears perk right up. But what we might not realize is that prophecy has been present all through this gospel so far. I want you to hold your finger here because I want your eyes to see in your copy of scripture what we're going to read today has been something he's been talking a lot about the whole time. For example, going backwards in the Gospel, in chapter 16, just look at chapter 16. Remember what we saw in verses 19 through 30? This was the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And it was really a warning and an invitation to the Pharisees to come to faith while there's time. Because there's a real place of eternal damnation and suffering that's coming. And we even get to interview a man who's there in this parable. That's prophecy. That's coming. Now, go back a little further. Go back to chapter 16, verse 9. We found a phrase, as Jesus was talking on how to be a wise steward with what God's given you in this life, and he mentions this, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness so that when it fails, they will receive you into eternal dwellings. Now we did an exposition through that text, but I need you to remember something, that's prophecy. there are eternal dwellings coming for the disciple of Jesus Christ and how they use what God's blessed them with in this life to invest in the gospel and to invest in heaven so to speak there will be some that will be in heaven because of your investment and they will welcome you this is all true and that was prophecy I want you to go back to chapter 14 and again I'm just giving you a sampling of all the prophecy you've studied, you might not have realized it already. Chapter 14, verse 14. Well, let's go to verse 13. He's talking about When you throw a dinner or celebration, bring those who can't pay you back. In verse 13, when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. By the way, these were categories that the Pharisees had nothing to do with, even if they were Jews. Those were outcasts. Those were unclean people. And Jesus is challenging that in verse 14. And you'll be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you. And I want you to look at this next phrase. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. There is a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous in the future. Jesus mentions the one aspect of it here. That was prophecy. The resurrection of the righteous. Go back to chapter 13. Look at verses 34 and 35. This is Jesus sharing His heart for the Jewish nation. The one that is rejecting Him, yet the one He continues to extend mercy to. Hear His heart here weep for Jerusalem. Verse 34, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you would not have it. Behold, your house is left to you desolate, and I say to you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. There's prophecy again. There's a time coming when Jesus is coming back, and there will be believing Jews who welcome him. That time is still coming. As we do this quick sweep and sampling backwards, stay here in chapter 33 and look at verse 22. And he was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching and proceeding on his way to Jerusalem. And someone said to him, Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? It sounds like it by the way you're preaching, Jesus. And so he goes on to give a parable of a wedding in a house where the door is shut and they stand outside and say, Lord open up to us. It's not a wedding. It's people who are locked out of the house of the master. And it's an illustration where Jesus says in verse 27, I don't know where you are from. But pay attention to verse 28. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You say, what place? The end of verse 27. Depart from me, evildoers. There's going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth, especially when you, Pharisees, see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. And they will come from east and west and from north and south and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God, and behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." This is prophecy that's looking forward to a feast and a future expression of the kingdom of heaven. It's prophecy. He's been talking in these terms all along. Stay in verse, chapter 13, look at verse 9. We read of the fig tree that wouldn't bear fruit, representing the nation of Israel. And at the end of this illustration, verse 9, Jesus in the parable says, if it bears fruit, if this fig tree, if this nation bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, cut it down. That's prophecy of what will happen to unbelieving Jews, unbelieving Israel, and anyone who rejects Jesus. But there's more. We can go back further. In chapter 12, verses 35 to 48, I won't take time to read it. I want your eyes to see it. But you have this Contexts where Jesus says, be dressed in readiness. In other words, live this life with an awareness and an urgency that you will be held accountable. And that the Son of Man, verse 40, is coming at an hour that you do not expect. That's prophecy. You know, we could go back to chapter 11. Again, just sampling it. Verse 2. This is the Lord's Prayer. Remember how it starts out? When you pray, say, Father, hallowed be your name. And look at the next phrase, your kingdom come. Now, this has a near context of your kingdom come. May you regenerate people and open the eyes of their heart to see the kingdom of God, to see the king and reign in their hearts as the church is built, as the kingdom is built. But there's also a far context. Bring your kingdom and your reign in heaven. visibly to the earth. Even in the Lord's Prayer, there's prophecy. We can go back further. Remember what happened in chapter 9, verse 28? The Mount of Transfiguration. Who appeared with him? Moses and Elijah. What were they talking about? Luke tells us that they were talking about his soon departure from Jerusalem, literally. His exodus from Jerusalem. And there Jesus stands talking to Moses and Elijah, who will be part of a future prophetic event. We could go back to chapter 9, verse 28, where the demons are crying out to Jesus, do not send us yet to the abyss. What does that mean? There's an abyss where the demons will be taken permanently. When does that happen? It's yet future. Even the demons are used to disclose to us, and God uses even their rebellion in their speech to point to a sure future that they are well aware of. But you know what? We can go all the way back to the beginning of this gospel, to a young teenage girl named Mary, chapter 1. And during what we call the Magnificat, verses 46 to 55, right in the heart of the Magnificat, there's a prophecy. A prophecy of how the old and how the old guard of religion, how the lofty, arrogant ones will be humbled. Look at verses 52 and 53. God does this every single day, but there's still yet something future where the great reversal, listen, will finally be permanent. See, can we go back any further? We're kind of hitting the wall at the beginning of Luke. Yeah, one more. Let's hear what Gabriel has to say in chapter 1 as he announces to Mary. Verse 30, the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus. Listen to this. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. That's Daniel language. And the Lord God will give him, listen, the throne of his father David. Now you've read through Luke all the way before. Jesus doesn't get David's throne in this Luke or in any of the other three Gospels. It's yet future. Verse 33, "...and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end." Folks, we've hit the wall, and we haven't even covered all of them. But all through this gospel, as Jesus has been preaching the kingdom of God in the sense of, come to Him as King, He's also been preaching the urgency of that response, because there is a literal earthly kingdom coming, and destinies will be fixed when it shows up. You better be ready. He's been telling us through this gospel the whole way. We're going to hear more of prophecy in chapter 19 verses 11 through 27. And then we're really going to get in the weeds in chapter 20 verses 9 and following. And we're going to get information on what I believe is the great tribulation that's coming. In chapters 20 and 21. This is one of your keys. I wanted to take a little time on that this morning to remind you, we're not just starting to get to prophecy here on Luke right now. It's been going on the whole time. And that's important to remember. Because as our Lord has been appealing to prophecy and giving prophecy, if you will, in what we've been studying, there's been a consistency to it. There's been a consistency of warning the Jews, especially of warning the religious establishment, that they must repent. They must come to Him as their Savior. If they don't, they will meet Him as judge. You go back later and look at these prophetic passages I've mentioned, and you'll see that common theme. He's consistent. He's consistently addressing especially the Jewish nation that's rejecting him. So key one is audience. Key two is context. And there's a third key, and it's a reminder. This is important when it comes to eschatology, the study of end times. And the reminder is this. Please get this. Not every prophetic text in the Bible contains a full treatment of the topic. You say, well, that's obvious. Well, it's not always obvious to people. Sometimes they are so excited about prophecy that they will press every detail into every prophetic text. No, we just need to see what the text is telling us in this location. It'll fit a bigger picture with the other passages of Scripture. But I want to know, what is the goal of Jesus in this text? Why is Luke including it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? What's the main deal? You have to have these three keys or you'll go off the rails. But here's the promise. With these three keys, as you come into this text, it's going to be really clear that the Son of Man's next coming is a reality that believers must desire and the wicked must fear. They must fear. It's a simple outline, just two points. The first part of the outline is about a question, and the second part of the outline is about instruction. That's it. Just two points. Let's look at the question first. And I want you to see in verses 20 through 21, an insincere question from his rejecters. An insincere question from his rejecters. Look at chapter 17, verse 20. Keep your keys in your hand. Well, I almost read you out of chapter 11. Let's get the same chapter as you. 17 verses 20 and 21. Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them and he said, the kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed. That's one Greek word, signs to be observed. We'll talk about that. Nor will they say, look, here it is. or there it is, or literally, nor will they say look, here, or there. For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. This is an insincere question from his rejectors. And I want to know right off the bat, since when did they want to hear what Jesus had to say about eschatology? I mean, since when have they treated him with respect? And since when do they want to give weight to his words? They've been rejecting him the whole journey. They've been nipping at his heels incessantly. Not just on the way to Jerusalem, but all that time in Galilee. Since when have they swung around? This isn't a sincere question, that if he gives a certain answer that they don't agree with, then they're going to repent and follow him. It's not a sincere question. So I want to know two things. I want to know, number one, what are they asking? And number two, what are they missing? First of all, what are they asking? Let me just tell you that when the Pharisees were asking Jesus this question, or even when the Pharisees were discussing this topic of the coming kingdom and the coming Messiah amongst themselves, the whole discussion was charged with some themes. You say, what are they asking? Well, first of all, they assumed a cosmic show was coming. One that would show up in the skies when Messiah comes and brings his kingdom and sets this whole deal right. It's going to be quite a show. Get a good, comfortable chair and watch it. You're going to see it slowly unfolding, and then it's going to be all in the heavens, and stuff's going to happen on the earth, and the whole deal will be like a spectacle. You say, where did they get this? Well, hold your finger here, and they leaned heavily on a particular Old Testament text, and it's the prophet Joel. I bet you I can find it before you do, right? There. Joel, especially the chapter two of Joel, but as far as the cosmic show, they really leaned on verses 28 to 32. It will come about after this that I will pour out my spirit on all mankind and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. And your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out my spirit in those days. And I, listen to this, I will display wonders in the sky, and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. They were thinking, this is going to be quite a show, and you want to have good seats. And so, can you give us a hint what this is all about? What's your take on this Jesus of Nazareth? They assumed a cosmic show, but they also assumed national revenge. They hated Rome. And when Messiah would come with all this going on in the sky, like a giant horizon to horizon movie screen of something only Hollywood could imagine, it seems. with computer graphics. While they're imagining that, announcing the Messiah coming with his kingdom, they would want to say, go get them, Lord. Go to Rome and conquer Rome and get them off our back. They assumed a national revenge. You say, where did they get that? Man, all through the Old Testament and the prophets, they would get this. But even here in Joel chapter 2, For example, verse 18, then the Lord will be zealous for his land and will have pity on his people. The Lord will answer and say to his people, behold, I'm going to send you grain and blessing and satisfaction and go on and on. But in the context of the coming day of the Lord, it's like the Lord's going to look out for Israel. So they were thinking, this is going to be a cosmic show, this is going to be national revenge, but they also assumed personal honor. Remember back here in Luke, when we look through chapter 14 and verse 15, I read these words, we read these words after Jesus was with Pharisees in fellowship and they were hammering him again. We read this in verse 15, when one of those who were reclining at the table with him heard this, this was a Pharisee, this Pharisee said to him, blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God. The Pharisee's words are loaded. He's meaning like us, the Pharisees. The ones who are zealous to keep the law of God, the Old Testament law, and Moses, and we give wholehearted devotion to that. And won't it just be great someday when the kingdom comes and we're in our places of honor at the table at the feast. So when a Pharisee is asking about, tell us about Messiah bringing his kingdom in. It's just loaded. This is what they're asking. When's the cosmic show and the national revenge and our personal honor? We're even going to read in Luke chapter 18, verse 11, that a Pharisee would pray like this. He would pray to himself. He was glad he wasn't a sinner. They really believe they deserve all this and this honor that's coming. That's what they were asking. But I want to know this. What are they missing? What are they missing? Again, look at our Lord's answer. He answered, this is verse 20 in the middle of the verse. He answered them and said, the kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, look here it is, or there it is, look here or there, for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. They're missing this. That phrase, signs to be observed, as I mentioned, that's one Greek word. And we need to pan back a little bit because it's an interesting Greek word. It's a medical term. Big surprise. This is Luke. And this is the only time it occurs in the New Testament, in the Greek New Testament. So here's old Dr. Luke showing his hand again. This is a word that was used often in the medical world to describe how you study a disease. How you anticipate a disease coming and once it's here, how do you treat it? And then can we watch it go away? It's a focus on a disease. Now I know you can't relate to that in the last year and a half, can you? When it comes to COVID. But this was a medical term used this way. Jesus is saying, look, you guys are looking for a cosmic show and the whole deal. It's not something that you can study, seeing it coming, and then dissect it while it's here. When Messiah shows up with his kingdom on earth, it happens like that. It happens like that. You can't inspect it and dissect it. And I'm captured by that phrase, the kingdom of God, is not something that you point and say, there it is over there, or here it is over here. He says, it's in your midst. Now this is a phrase that gets a lot of conversation in the commentaries. We know what he's not saying. Literally, it means, in you. Okay? It means, just in you. He's not saying that to the Pharisees because he wouldn't say that they're saved. They're not. They reject Christ. So it's important to understand this word can be, and I think it is translated correctly here in the Nazby, in your midst. Or some others choose to show us you can translate it with these words, within your reach. It's here. It's right now. You say, well, what do you mean by that? What do you mean the kingdom of God is within your reach? Remember who he's talking to? The Pharisees. What's he saying to the Pharisees? It's something he's been saying several times in this gospel already, and he's saying it again now, and it's this. The kingdom's king is standing right here with you. The king is in your midst. Jesus is making a claim again that he is the Messiah. And while it's true in the Old Testament points to the Messiah setting up a kingdom in the future, what wasn't clear all the time was that this Messiah, what wasn't clear in the public mind, that the Messiah must first come and suffer. He says the King's here. The Son of Man is here, if I can quote our sermon series. This is what Daniel talked about in Daniel 7, 13 through 14. I kept looking in the night visions and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man was coming. And he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him. And to him, the son of man, was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that all the peoples and nations and men of every language might serve him. And his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away. And his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. Jesus is saying, I'm him. The kingdom is here because the king is talking to you. I'll never forget early on in the pandemic, going into a store with my wife and new to face masks. Real new to face masks. And I think we were at Kroger or something like that. And we get in there, I'm like, man, there's some of the food's rotting in here. And she's like, what? Can you smell that? She's like, no, I don't smell anything rotting. And I walk a little further, I'm like, I'm telling you, either something's rotting or something died. This is awful. And then she knew what was up before I did. She goes, would you like a breath mint? And she was absolutely right. And now I say to her and I say to others after learning this over and over wearing face masks, my dear wife, it wasn't until I was 53 that I realized what I put her through. You know what? Because I try to be a little more pleasant around her with gum or mints now because when she gets close enough, she can pick up on my aroma if I'm not doing well, if you know what I mean. I guess that's one blessing of face masks. But you know what Jesus is saying to these guys, these Pharisees that continue to reject him? You want the kingdom of heaven? You are close enough to me now in this conversation to literally pick up the aroma of heaven. Wafting off of the king. In chapter 10, verses 9 through 11 of Luke, we came across these words. This is when Christ was sending out the 70 disciples. He says, "...Heal those in the city who are sick and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you." And if someone rejects him, he says in verse 11, "...Yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near even to those who reject." In chapter 11, verse 12, Jesus uses this language that if I'm casting out demons, and it's legit, understand that it's the finger of God doing it. So how do we define this then, this whole concept of the kingdom of heaven when the king is already operating and he has a realm? Some people like to use the phrase already and not yet. That's not my preference for a number of reasons we can talk about maybe when we get to chapter 21. I understand what they're saying and in some ways I agree. to parts of that. The kingdom is already here because the king's here and reigning in the hearts of his people, but it's not yet because it won't be fulfilled literally until Jesus comes to earth and sets up a thousand-year reign on earth on a physical throne of David in Israel. So I understand what they're saying, but I prefer to use a different wording. When it comes to the kingdom of God, it's growing now and it gets ground later, okay? It's in the hearts now, and it's growing, Jesus says, like a mustard tree, or an olive tree, or a tree that's, it starts with a mustard seed, and it grows into a huge bush, but it won't be consummated until the throne of David is set up on the soil in Israel. But it's on now. It's growing. Paul says in Romans 14, 17, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Right now. Right now. So these guys are asking the wrong question. Even though God, through Christ, has already been giving all these prophetic passages that we've looked at, they don't get it. And they're still asking the wrong question. They are focused on future honor. Not realizing what really awaits them when Messiah comes to set up his kingdom. And it's not good. It's not good for them. As a matter of fact, in this moment when he says, the king is standing here with you right now, that is another invitation for them to repent and accept the king standing right in their space in that moment. That's an insincere question from his rejecters. I agree with what Matthew Henry said, as God's mercies are new every morning toward his people, so his anger is new every morning against the wicked. He's right. In essence, Jesus is saying with his answer here, receive the king now because you can't even imagine what's coming to you when the king comes back. And that takes us just to the second part. And the second part is simply this. I want you to see timely instruction for his disciples. Timely instruction for his disciples. When it comes to the disciples who heard him answer the Pharisees, he's turning to them now saying, let's talk about that. What happens when the king comes back? What's going to happen to the Jewish state, or the Jewish rejecters, the Jews who will not accept me as their Messiah? What's going to happen with them, and what does it matter to you as disciples? So see what we're seeing already? This is the exact same thing that Jesus has already addressed in previous prophecies. He's not going to address in this text the Great Tribulation. Don't press the rapture into this text. It's not there. It's not there. It's coming, and we're going to get a lot of that in the Olivet Discourse later in this gospel. But I want you to hear the timely instruction for his disciples. In essence, when it comes to disciples, His coming earthly kingdom and judgment can be summarized with five words. Just five words, real quickly. Number one, the word desirable. When it comes to the disciple of Jesus, this kingdom that is coming in the future to the earth and the judgment that will be rendered by the judge immediately is desirable. Look at verses 22 to 24. And he said to the disciples, the days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. In other words, he's saying, things are going to get rough. Things are going to get rough. I've already been telling you that. I've been telling you, you have to deny yourself. I've been telling you, you're going to be persecuted. I've been telling you, it's going to get rough. And the days coming when you can't see me anymore, that you're going to wish I was still hanging out with you, because you need the encouragement. You need the confidence that I'll make things okay. And it won't come. It won't come. You're not going to see, once I go away, you're not going to see me even during the rest of your days. I think there's a hint of not just this coming persecution for disciples, but also that this generation of disciples and apostles will not live to see the final inauguration of the kingdom of God on earth. He's going to say, you're just going to get crushed, and you're going to want me with you. And that's a good yearning to have, because I just need you to know in those days, I am coming back. I am coming back. He's saying, so be patient. in your persecution, in your struggles, don't lose patience because that might send you into a tailspin of looking for someone or something other than me. Now, go back to verse 23. They will say to you, look there or look here. Do not go away and do not run after them. What's he saying? He's saying this, he's saying, When you're desperate and you need encouragement, you could fall prey to some people either claiming to be a Messiah, and they're way over there, or way over there. Or reports of a Messiah showing up somewhere. Secretly, quietly, in a corner of the globe, he says, don't let your desperation lead to deception. Obviously, these words are not just for them, but through Luke. For us, and disciples of every generation, there are going to be people, as we get closer, I should say deeper into the end times, there's going to be people that claim to be Messiah. You're going to hear it on the news. And due to technology or actual demonic activity and assistance, there will be wonders done. And we're going to hear reports or claims, either the claim from the actual Messiah people, little m, or reports about them. And our curiosity could get stoked up, and we're wondering, is that him? Is he back? And Jesus is saying, don't go for it, because there will be no doubt when I show up next time. See, what do you mean by that? Verse 24, He says, don't let desperation lead to deception. If you're worried about missing my next visit, you don't have to worry, because neither you nor anyone else alive when it happens will miss it. It's like lightning. It'll fill the sky. It'll fill the globe. It'll fill the cosmos. You won't miss it. So look forward to it, because in the darkest moments of your suffering as a disciple of mine in every generation, I'm coming back. I'm going to make things right. So it's desirable. It's interesting that as you read through the book of Revelation, there's little commercials where the Spirit says through John's pen that if you understand this principle, that the Messiah is coming and he's watching over you and will take and will right all the wrongs, this, John writes, is the perseverance of the saints. during the great suffering that will happen, I believe, before the tribulation and escalating multitude times over in the great tribulation for those who come to faith who are not raptured. So it's desirable. Number two, second word, it's justified. The second coming is justified. It's right. It's only right that it happens. Look at verse 25, but first, he talked about in his day at the end of verse 24, that's the coming kingdom when he comes to set up his kingdom on earth and there's an immediate judgment on the wicked. But verse 25 says, but first he, Jesus, Messiah, must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. This has to happen. This has to happen. Jesus has been foretelling his suffering since chapter 5 of Luke. And we even saw it prophesied in the first few chapters as well there at the temple. He told about his upcoming suffering in chapter 9 twice, in chapter 12, in chapter 13. He'll tell of it again in chapter 18. after his resurrection he'll say in Luke chapter 24 to the men on the road to Emmaus he's going to say didn't didn't he tell you he had to suffer and die and rise again and then in the very last chapter of Luke he will say again in chapter 24 verse 7 it was necessary for him to suffer He had to suffer. He's saying it even here. I must suffer and be rejected by this generation. Again, he's talking primarily to the Jews who will reject him, their Messiah. Why? Because it's going to justify his kingship in the future, where he reigns over all. He reigns over those that have come to him for redemption, and he reigns over those who are the rejectors. Paul writes in Philippians 2, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that he's Lord. Colossians 1 verses 15 to 20, he is exalted above everything, even the church. He's the head. He has conquered death. He has provided redemption. Those who accept it will reign with him. Those who reject it will be judged by him. In Revelation chapter 5, there's John's weeping because no one was found worthy to break the seal. And then they said, weep not. There's one who can do it. The lion of the tribe of Judah. And John turned and he looked and he saw a lamb standing, even though it looks like it had been slain. That's Jesus. And he's worthy to undo the seal that will release God's wrath. The passage that Deacon Dave read this morning, 2 Thessalonians 1, he's coming with his angels and flaming fire. It's justified. Jesus even said back in Luke chapter 12, verses 49 to 50, I've come to cast fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is accomplished. He says, I'm ready to come back and do the judging. That's the next trip. This trip is saving. I like what John MacArthur says. He says, are we to think that the last view the world will ever have of Jesus is him hanging on a cross and naked in shame? No, that's not the last look they get. As he inches closer to his exodus from Jerusalem, he sounds like a certain movie star, heading towards apparent defeat, who says, I'll be back. I'll be back. Third word, sudden. The third word is sudden. Look at verses 26 to 30. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying. They were being given in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot. They were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." When he comes to set up his kingdom on the earth. It's sudden. There's a suddenness to it. Now we know that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, and we read about it in Genesis 18 and Genesis 19, they were wicked, they were immoral, but that's not what's being highlighted in this verse, strangely. And we know from Genesis chapter 6, particularly verses 9 through 13, in the days of Noah that the world was wicked. And every intention of the thoughts of man's heart was constantly evil. But that's not what's highlighted in what Jesus says here. In both situations, what's highlighted is that these people, right before they met judgment, were going through the mundane, distracting motions and rhythms of life. Building, and planting, and marrying, and feasting, Kind of like, well, the Pharisees. You see, Jesus is focusing on the disinterest of the lost and the abruptness of the king. When he comes at the end of what I believe is the tribulation, and again, there'll be another battle at the end of the millennium when everything is set up It's going to be suddenly. Mundane life will be interrupted. No one was looking for it. And it won't just be overt hatred of God that's judged, but even more, forgetfulness of God. Fourth word, revealing. Revealing. When Christ comes to set up his kingdom and to judge, it's going to reveal a lot about the hearts of men, listen, that are being judged and that it is worthy of judgment. The wickedness of man. Look at verses 31 to 33. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out. And likewise, the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. And whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. What's he doing here? Well, I want to know this. He gives us three little pictures here. He gives us a picture of a Palestinian house that normally had like a porch on the roof, and sometimes they would sleep on that on cool evenings, and it would have an external staircase, if you will. We have that picture. And then we go back to Lot and his wife. Remember what happened there. She was hesitant to even leave, so the angels grabbed them and took them out of the city. And the angels said, don't look back. What did she do? She looked back. And she was incinerated. She's a pillar of salt, scripture says. And then we have a third thing. We have that whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it. I'm like, wait, that sounds familiar. Yeah, listen to Luke 9, 24. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, he's the one who will save it. So why the review? Why Lot's wife? And why the lesson in architecture right now? To make one point, one common theme, and it's this. It's the common theme of the idolatry of materialism. He's saying it's going to happen so suddenly, it's going to reveal the hearts of those that when they know they're in the moment, even their lost heart will want to go rescue what's down in the house, their possessions. It's like Lot's wife who looked back at everything she left, and she left everything. And it's like I've told you before in Luke chapter 9, Jesus is saying in essence, don't live to save your life. Give up everything. Have a loose grip on everything. Your life's about me. What the common theme here is this, that when God judges those that reject Him, He's judging them for their heart idolatry that will even be manifested in the moment, in the impending judgment that's coming their way. One commentator said, Yahweh's agents, God's agents, or angels, could try to get Mrs. Lott out of Sodom, but they couldn't get Sodom out of Mrs. Lott. That's where her heart was. And it's revealing. This judgment is so revealing. But a fifth word, it's final. It's final. Look at verse 34, I tell you on that night, there will be two in one bed, one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place. And by the way, they didn't grind to make the bread and grind the grain and all the stuff they would use to bake with. They didn't do that at night, nor did they do it in the hottest part of the day. They did it often even before the sun came up or as it's coming up. So there will be two women grinding at the same place. One will be taken and the other will be left. And though verse 36, and you can see in your Bibles, the strongest Greek text that we have, as well as the oldest. Don't contain this verse, but it showed up rather late, but I'm going to read it anyway because it doesn't take away from this point we're making. Two men will be in the field. In other words, working later in the day. One will be taken and the other will be left. You say, what does this mean? Well, he gives three illustrations if we take all three, including verse 36. Not to illustrate particular activity, but listen, different times of the day. You have night, you have the breaking of the day, and you have light in the afternoon, labor. What does that mean? He's saying this, you don't know when the Son of Man's coming. but it will affect the entire global scene simultaneously. For some it'll be evening, for some it'll be early morning, for some it'll be late afternoon, depending on where you are in the globe. But make no mistake about it, when the judge comes, when the king comes, everyone's gonna know about it. And once this happens, listen, your destiny is set. The disciples are really leaning in here. They're really leaning in on this point. Because listen to what they say. Verse 37, in answering, they said to him, where, Lord? Where are they being taken off to? Some people see the rapture here, don't see the rapture here. The one that's taken in each of those scenarios is going off to judgment. And you can tell by the answer of verse 37 when Jesus said, where the body is or where the corpse is, there also the vultures or the birds of prey will be gathered. You say the wicked are the ones taken out for judgment? Yeah, that shouldn't be news to us. In the parable of the tares and the wheat, Jesus said this in Matthew 13, 41 to 42, the son of man will send forth his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It's final. Destinies are set. And Jesus' answer in verse 37 says, you want to know where they're going? They're going to a place of eternal, unending destruction and suffering. How long does it last? Well, as long as someone stays dead. You can tell when there's a dead carcass because the vultures or the birds of prey are circling overhead. He says it's final. You know, I read in Revelation 19. Listen to these words. This is the text that details Armageddon. And I saw heaven open and behold a white horse and he who sat on it is called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and wages war And his eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. And he has a name written on him which no one knows except himself. And he is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, I believe that's you, are following him on white horses. And from his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may strike down the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron, and he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." And it says here in this very text, So that you may, he says in verse 17, I saw an angel standing in the sun. And he cried out with a loud voice saying, to all the birds which fly in midheaven, come, assemble for the great supper of God so that you may eat the flesh of the kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free and slave and small and great. It's interesting, our Lord in Luke 17 would use this picture of a bird as well to speak of the same event. I told you to hang on. Some of you have white-knuckled your seat cushion. Just relax right now. I want to bring this in for a parking space. But I told you, I told you that during his first coming, he's the one saying he's coming back. And with keys in your hand now, you understand the reality that believers must desire the coming kingdom expression, but the wicked must fear it. Now a question for you. Do you think that the disciples now are content with the eschatology lesson they got? Are they ready to move on to another topic? Move on to a different subject of theology. Do you think they're content with it? Absolutely not. Because you're going to read this in Luke 21, verse 7. The disciples question him, saying, Teacher, when will these things happen and what will be the sign of these things that are about to take place? Nothing's changed. Even in our generation, when we get a little bit of prophecy, we want more. I want the full picture and there's so much data given in scripture. It's a blessing, a sobering blessing to study prophecy. The study of eschatology often produces a growing curiosity. You want to know what's up with the rapture? What about the two witnesses? Who's the Antichrist? Who's commercial Babylon? What about the trumpets? And what's the unique aspects of the Tribulation that is focused on the Jewish nation? I mean, the time of Jacob's trouble, Jeremiah says, or 144,000 Jews, and a great harvest. I want to know more, and other texts will fill in those blanks. But I want to, right now, as I close, give you a warning about prophecy. And it's this. You don't want the study and the curiosity of prophecy to grow into a paralyzing fixation that stymies your growth today as a worshiper, as a servant, as a witness to the lost, and as a discipler of others. That's not God's will for you to be stymied and paralyzed in your own growth. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, once made this comment, the great doctrine of the second advent has in a sense fallen into disrepute because of this tendency on the part of some to be more interested in the how and the when of the second coming rather than in the fact of the second coming. Now we have, I argue, we have a lot of details about the how and the when. And we're going to see that even in this Gospel of Luke in two chapters, a couple chapters. But I've seen a lot of Christians just get paralyzed and fixated on this, and they stop reaching out to other people. The irony is they stop evangelizing. Our Lord, in Luke 17, is evangelizing. As we obediently look up, and we are to look up and anticipate the coming of Jesus, and I argue still in the rapture of his church, This is something that God will reveal to Paul later, and he'll write in 1 Thessalonians 4, and it gives us light to look back even on some things said in the Gospels. We are to obediently look up, but as we look up, grace always reminds us to continually reach out as well. That's why Paul ends his discussion on eschatology in 1 Corinthians 15 with these words, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, Always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know. Listen, your labor is not in vain in the Lord. I just want to say to you, my friend, if you're here and you don't know Jesus, you know about Him, you might even have a degree from a school that has the word Christian in the name, but you don't know Jesus. You understand, and I'm saying to those in the room with me as well as those who are watching, you understand that this sermon And this text, very well, will be yet one more text and sermon that will ring through your mind for eternity as you are in torment. And explain why you're gnashing your teeth in anger, not just at God, but at the fact that you didn't accept Christ. Despite these warnings, learn from the rich man in hell, in Luke 16. You see, Jesus' answer to the Pharisees and his instruction to the disciples in front of the Pharisees is a mercy and an invitation for you to come to Christ. Do it. And I pray that God will give you eyes to see, faith to believe, and repentance from your sin to accept this King before it's too late. This King, this God. is awesome, and he's coming back, and in a moment we're gonna sing, before we're dismissed, Behold Your God. You will. You'll meet him as your king, or as your judge, and the destiny will be fixed. Lord Jesus, thank you for this time. Thank you for this special weekend. Thank you for an evening, an afternoon, an evening of rest as well, as we will not be gathering again. But Lord, we don't want this message to go into the tomb of time, There's an urgency about it. Because as we look at these other texts, particularly at the end of Luke, we're going to see that this kingdom is very close to coming. If the kingdom and the tribulation are close, then your imminent return for your church is even closer than we realize. Oh, there's an urgency. Move us, Lord. Move us not just to study prophecy. Move us to grow as worshipers. and servants and witnesses and disciples because of prophecy. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.