Turn then, if you would, to Luke chapter 21. If you need a Bible, raise your hand. The ushers will make sure that you receive one. And you'll remember from our last time in Luke that Jesus is in the week of his passion. So he's somewhere early in the week and he's interacting around the temple. He dealt with the hypocrisy, as we saw last time, of the scribes. And then, by contrast, the widow and her offering. We come now to the rest of chapter 21. This is the larger section than we've Usually been taking but it really all comes together as one piece. So we're going to read all of this together and it shows Jesus Long-range plan for his kingdom, which is of course a very good thing for us to think about as we think about the Lord's ministry in the nations Let's go to the Lord in prayer before we read Lord we thank you that your word does not pass away. And Lord, we thank you that though heaven and earth will pass away, your words will not. So we thank you that these words that are given to us are more sure than the ground we are standing on and the chairs on which we are seated. We pray now, Lord, that you would give us grace to hear that enduring word from you, our living God. And we pray this in Jesus' name, amen. This is God's word, Luke chapter 21, beginning in verse five. And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings. He said, as for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. And they asked him, teacher, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? And he said, see that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name saying, I am he and the time is at hand. Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once. Then he said to them, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and pestilences, and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be brought up, you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance, you will gain your lives. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, For these are days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days. For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars and on the earth the stress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves. People fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now, when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. And he told them a parable. Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth, but stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the son of man. And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the Mount called Olivet. And early in the morning, all the people came to him in the temple to hear him. Thus ends this reading of God's word, and we pray that he would write it on our hearts today and forever. Well, this is a passage that deals with what we call eschatology, which is a big word for the study of last things. What is going to happen at the end? And sometimes this is a scary subject for people, but it's helpful for us to see that we deal with the subject of eschatology or last things all the time. So for instance, there have probably been many times when you have been at a meal in someone else's home and the hostess says to you, we're going to have pie and ice cream for dessert. Now she's telling you about last things. But she's not just telling you about last things so that you'll have some idea of what is coming. She's telling you about last things because it will have some bearing on the present. You have the meat and the potatoes and the rolls and the salad, and what's she telling you? She's telling you that what is going to come ought to impact the way in which you live right now, bite by bite. And so it is with Jesus, whenever he tells us about the things that are going to come, he always does so because he's seeking to influence the way that we live now. And it's true for everyone in the world. What you believe about the future will significantly impact and direct the way that you live in the present. And so in our passage here, Jesus in verse five, here's some people speaking about the temple and how it's adorned with noble stones and offerings. And they're just having this wonderful architectural tour, right? They're sort of soaking all this in and they've lost sight of what Jesus has really come to do in the world. And so Jesus rebukes them by telling them the things that are going to happen. And what Jesus would have for us here today, like those people of old, is he wants you and me to understand his promises regarding the future of his kingdom so that you can live today in a manner consistent with the purposes of his kingdom. So we need to understand the things that are going to happen about his kingdom and in his kingdom for the purpose of living in harmony today with his kingdom purposes and So as we think about that as we say, okay, it makes sense, but a couple of questions are then raised in our minds one of which is well, what are these future promises and And then secondly, so how should we live? And so that's what we want to look at here, first of all, is what is the future of Jesus' kingdom? And then secondly, how is it that we should then live? Well, Jesus has heard this comment from these people who were looking at this temple that had been built by Herod, beautiful temple, and Jesus comes with these startling words. He says in verse six, as for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. Here's this gorgeous building in which God had promised he's going to meet with his people, and through all the ages of the Old Testament, the people had expected that this is where the most significant stuff of life happens. And now Jesus is telling them that not one stone is going to be left upon another. In their own minds, they could only conceive of the notion that that must mean this is the end of the world, what Jesus is talking about. And so look at their response here in verse seven. And they asked him, teacher, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? Now, again, we get a little confused about these kinds of things on a daily basis ourselves. Jesus is telling what's going to happen and Jesus is actually going to now clarify two key historical events that are going to come about in the future. And they're gonna look a little bit alike, but they're gonna be very different and he doesn't want us to be confused. Now again, this happens around the dinner table, right? You've got some people who have grown up and fruit salad is the dessert. And then you have other homes where fruit salad is just part of the regular meal. And it's just one salad option that's on the table. And so what happens when you have some of these people getting together for a meal is there's fruit salad on the table and there are some people as they're passing all the other things, they finally get the fruit salad and it's in their hands and the big question running through their minds right then is, is this the end or isn't it? Is this dessert that they just put on the table, or am I supposed to take it now and put it on my plate and in my dish and eat it as part of the salad? And the confusion is sometimes discernible just looking at people. They're wondering, what do I do? And the hostess then, of course in this particular case, gets to say, oh don't worry, that's not for dessert, it's just a precursor. You see, it's a little taste now of what is going to come, and what is going to come is going to be far more intense. More chocolate, more whipped cream, more sugar, more sweetness. Yeah, what you've got is real, but you ain't seen nothing yet. So we deal with this. This is how eschatology works in our own lives in these little things. And so Jesus is getting ready to tell us about the fruit salad and then what is to come with these two key events. And the first of these is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And then the second is his coming at the end of the age. and the one is a precursor, it's a foreshadowing of the other, and both reveal what he intends to do in his kingdom. Now Jesus is looking forward to an event that's going to be about 40 years later, the destruction of Jerusalem, and then another event that is farther off in the distance, and the specific timing is not told. And there's a purpose for each of these that influence the way that we live now. So I want you to see, first of all, that Jesus promises that the future of his kingdom includes the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And we'll look at what the reason for that action is as we unpack this passage. So just briefly, we'll look at this. You see in verse eight, he says to his disciples, see that you aren't led astray. Many are going to come in my name saying, I am he. That's just the word for I am in the Old Testament. Saying, I'm God, I'm the Christ, I'm here. And people are going to try to lead you astray. You're going to hear of wars and tumults, and people are going to be telling you all about blood moons and all of these kinds of things. But he says, don't worry, these things have to happen, they will happen. You can go back and look at the historical record. They did happen and they have happened. But he says the end will not be at once in verse 9. And he goes on then to describe what's going to happen leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. He says nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. You're gonna have earthquakes, famines, pestilences, terrors, great signs from heaven. And again, you can look back at things that happened in those years between Jesus speaking these words and the destruction of Jerusalem, and you see people like the Egyptian who's mentioned by Paul in Acts chapter 21, who tried to lead a group of people astray. Secular history tells us about other people like Theodos who tried to lead a group of people astray and there were other intensifying of these kinds of revolts leading up to the year 70 AD. But Jesus says in verse 12, but before all this, they're gonna lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. So Jesus is saying, I'm going to go to the cross just like I've been telling you. I'm going to die for the sins of my people. I'm going to be that final sacrifice and you need to trust in me for the forgiveness of your sins. And you're going to stand amazed when I am raised from the dead on the third day. He's been promising all of this all along. And their temptation might be to think, well, this is it. Jesus has ascended into heaven and the end is going to happen just immediately. And Jesus is graciously telling them, when bad things happen all around you, don't worry. It's not an indication that I'm off the throne or that I'm not sovereign. It's actually an indication that everything is going just according to plan. And the same thing is true for us today. We see all of these things around us, all of these troubling events, kings and governors who don't really like the authority and the reign of Jesus. And that's just a reminder that Jesus is most definitely on the throne. And it's a great comfort to the people of God. But he says, look, in verse 13, this will be your opportunity to bear witness. And this is the record of the book of Acts. We see Jesus, of course, first of all, standing before Pilate. You see people like Peter and John and Stephen before the Sanhedrin, and it is their great privilege to declare the resurrected Lord Jesus. You see James standing before Herod and even being beheaded. You see Paul standing before Galileo, and he stands before Felix and Festus, and he longs to go to Rome so that he can have that opportunity to make the glories of Jesus known. And God promises his people, and particularly here, his apostles are going to stand before these kings and governors for his name's sake. So he says, look, settle it beforehand. You're not gonna worry how to answer. I'm gonna give you the answer. You just live as those who are ready. You're gonna be betrayed by people. You're gonna be hated by others. But look at verse 18. Here's the comfort. Great Old Testament language, but not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance, you will gain your lives. It doesn't mean they won't die, but it means they are absolutely secure in God's hands. And so all of this is leading up to the year 70 AD, and here's the promise then in verse 20. Here's what God says is gonna happen. He says, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. And let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. In other words, get out. There's gonna be unspeakable destruction and terror that comes. So just flee Jerusalem, get out of the way. And the historical record is that the Christians in that day did. They fled to the hill country of Pella, and they left Jerusalem and were safe. And then Titus, the governor, I'm sorry, the general from Rome, he came, he surrounded the city, which had been revolting against Rome, and he just squashed it. and all kinds of people who were otherwise innocent, women who were with child, were put to death. And you can read Josephus and you can read other historians like Tacitus who record for us just absolutely gruesome things about people being ripped open. It was a day of great destruction and of mourning. Why would God do this? Why is it that he would take this place where his people were to dwell with him? Why would he destroy this? How could this fit his kingdom purpose? Well, look at verse 24. He says, they will fall by the edge of the sword, speaking of this nation, and will be led captive among all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles. And here's the key at the end, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Jesus had placed that temple there because that was the place he was going to meet with his people. He was building a dwelling place for God. But ultimately that temple was simply a picture of the greater and bigger and more glorious temple that he is about the work of building in the world. And Jesus, in his providence, saw fit to destroy that temple so that the gospel, the good news of Jesus, would go forth to the ends of the earth, so that the promise to Abraham might be fulfilled, that he would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth, and that all of the Gentiles might be folded into the blessing of Israel, the blessing of Abraham. So Jesus does this as a significant event. It's a picture of destruction, yes, but it's also a picture of the gospel. Not just a picture, but it's the impetus behind the gospel, then scattering to the nations. And here we see the scripture being fulfilled. You can go back to Genesis chapter 48 and you see that the blessing that Jacob gives to Ephraim is that it's in Ephraim that the blessing of the nations will be fulfilled. It's going to be brought to fulfillment. The language is essentially identical here. And then you can look at Romans 11, verse 25, and you see that God has cast off Israel in this ethnic sense so that the Gentiles might be brought into Israel's blessing. And this doesn't mean that no one from Israel will be saved, it simply means that in history, those who were in leadership rejected Jesus, and so Jesus causes Jerusalem to be destroyed so that people like you and me might be saved. And so Jesus is saying, look forward to this, it's going to happen. it did so that's the first event it's the destruction of Jerusalem for the expansion of God's kingdom the second thing we see is going to happen is we see that that the Son of Man is going to come again in his glory So we have Jerusalem being destroyed in 70 AD, and then look at verse 25. Jesus shifts in what he's saying, and he says, there are going to be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth, the stresses of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Now notice here, first of all, the expansive nature of this. It's global. He starts with speaking of things in the heavens at the first part of verse 25. Then things on the earth with the roaring of the sea. Things on the earth in verse 26. People fainting from what's coming on the world. And then at the end, back to the heavens. The power of the heavens will be shaken. This is a global cataclysmic event. He's looking forward to this next main event. And look at verse 27. Instead of this people as speaking to Israel, verse 27 says, then they, a different group of people, will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So there's a day coming when Jesus is going to fulfill Daniel chapter 7. Son of Man coming in the clouds with his glory. This reminds us of the language of the smoke on the mountain in Exodus chapter 19 and 20, or Jesus with the cloud there at the Mount of Transfiguration. And of course, the quote here from Daniel chapter 7, this is going to come to pass. And he says that when he comes in his glory and these things take place, straighten up and raise your head because your redemption is drawing near. So there are these two main events. And then for clarity, Jesus goes back and teaches us a little bit about each of these. Look at verse 29, he reverts back now to discussing Jerusalem. And how do we know this? He says, well, look at the fig tree. And we've seen Israel compared to the fig tree in many places in the gospels, specifically in Luke 13. So he's now addressing the people of Israel and what's going to happen He said, as soon as you see them come out in leaf, that is the fig tree, you see for yourselves and you know that the summer is already near. You know this, when the leaves come on the fig trees, what's it mean? It means summer's here. And now he's saying, when you see these things coming to Jerusalem, surrounded by armies and so forth, you know that the kingdom of God is near. And then in verse 32, he says, truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. So he's saying that generation, the people who were alive then, they're gonna see that happen with the fig tree or with Israel. But he's saying that the end isn't going to come immediately, like you might be tempted to think. The fruit salad is not everything. There's more to come. And so he says in verse 34 then, projecting to the coming of Jesus, but watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness that cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap, for it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. And then people are going to stand before the son of man. So Jesus is going to come in his glory. And why is he going to do this? It's going to be to establish his kingdom fully. So two events, right? Get this locked in your mind. One is 70 AD where Jesus comes. destroy Jerusalem, to expand his kingdom, and then at some future date that comes just as surely, but without the same specificity of signs, he's going to come in his glory to establish his kingdom fully and finally. That's what we should expect. Now what does this mean then in terms of how we should live? Well, I want you to see five things that flow from this. Jesus has shown us what we can expect. Now, how should we live as a result? The first of these is a word that's given to the disciples specifically, but these things very much apply to us as we see. The things that were leading up to the days of the destruction of Jerusalem, a lot of those continue to be similar in our day and age. So the first thing we're called to do in terms of how we're to live is we're not to be deceived. Look at verse eight. See to it that you are not led astray. And then when there are these people who do come around, look at the end of verse eight. Do not go after them. We're not to be taken off guard and to be misled. So when people start to interpret the signs of the times from their perspective and they say, oh, the end of the world is gonna be on September whatever, 2015, Jesus says, don't listen to them. Now, it's absolutely remarkable that we have people claiming the name of Christ who keep predicting the end of the world. How much more clear can it be? Well, I don't understand, but people keep predicting particular dates to be the end of the world. Jesus says, don't buy the garbage. These are false prophets. So that's our first response is don't be taken off guard. Don't listen to people talking about what's happening in the news as though they know what's going on. Jesus tells you he knows what's going on and he's told you what's going on. This is what you should expect. So don't be deceived. That would be the first application. Second application for us in terms of how we should live is that we should confidently bear witness to Jesus Christ and for his name's sake. We read there in verse 13 that this is the opportunity of the apostles to bear witness in their day. And friends, when we see nation rising against nation, and when we see tumults in the kingdoms of this earth, and when we see persecution, we recognize that this is not something that should just terrify us and leave us pulling our hair out. It's actually our opportunity. And in our day and age in particular, there are two ways in which we have special opportunity to bear witness. One, we have people in our world, here in our nation, who are saying, how can you say that you lay claim to the truth? How can you claim that you have access to exclusive truth? The world hates absolute truth. And when Christians raise this point, you're going to be called narrow-minded and bigoted, and yet Jesus says, when they bring those kinds of accusation, this is actually your big opportunity to make his name famous. So don't miss the opportunity. Don't feel like you have to be well enough prepared. Our preparation is to live as those who are ready, and Jesus promises he's going to give his people the world. A second area in which we're going to be challenged, and we are constantly, is in the area of morality. When you begin to say certain things are morally objectionable, they are not right, they stand against Jesus and the God of the Bible, again, you're going to be called a prude. You're going to be called someone who is narrow-minded. And Jesus says, actually, when these kinds of accusations come, this is your big chance to make the glory of Jesus known. Not by exalting yourself. but by standing on the firm rock of God's word. Jesus tells us we're gonna have these opportunities in the midst of difficulty. Jesus hasn't, as Ligon Duncan says, hasn't invited us to a party, he's invited us to a war. And so when the battle comes, know that you are right where Jesus wants you to be. And I think in our day and age, in our culture, Christians are a little bit tired in some places of hearing other Christians talk about taking political action and so forth, sort of drumming out someone who would be seen as our opponent. And there's probably a lot of truth to that. God doesn't call us to bring about his kingdom through political victories or through victories on the battlefield. But on the other hand, he doesn't simply tell us, well, flee from those kinds of opportunities. Don't engage with kings and those in authority. Just go live quietly in the corner. Paul longed to go to Rome. The disciples longed to have opportunity to speak before the Sanhedrin. And when you have opportunity to speak before leaders, you should, as servants of Jesus, and for his sake, take those opportunities. Not trusting that that's how the kingdom is gonna be brought about by you winning an argument and taking political control. That's not what Jesus is talking about. But he's saying you should not shy away from these opportunities because that is just what they are. And if you do, then what you're ultimately saying is Jesus' name isn't worth being made famous in this particular place. He just wants me to sort of withdraw. No, no, no. When we see these things happening in the world, this is our indication not to withdraw, but to engage for the glory of Jesus' name. And if we miss these opportunities, then Jesus' name becomes less famous. And woe to us if we were to be the cause of that. And Jesus says, look, it's gonna be awful in a lot of ways. You will be betrayed, you will be beaten, you will be deceived, but not a hair is gonna fall from your head. Again, this great Hebrew expression, it means God is gonna care for you and you, by your endurance, you're gonna gain your lives. So we not only are not led astray, but we are actually led to boldly take advantage of every opportunity that we're given. A third assurance for us, or a third way in which we, not assurance, but a third way in which we should live, is we should rest on the abiding word of God. Jesus says, all this is gonna happen with Jerusalem, and we can trust his word, at least partly because we can look back historically and we can see it happened. just like he said. And so in verse 32 and 33, he says, this is going to happen and heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. This becomes the great hope of all the believers through the New Testament age. It's not even their own death and their own resurrection, but the hope of glory for the believer is that Jesus is returning. That's what they bank on, and that's what we bank on as well. So are you trusting God's enduring word? Well, it's a third application here. Fourthly, Jesus becomes even more clear for us in these final verses, 34 through 36. And the fourth thing that we're called to do here is to watch yourselves. Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. This phrase, watch yourselves, is again, echoes all of these Old Testament sentiments. The wording is exactly the same as the people being called to keep themselves, to watch themselves from going on to the mountain when God was revealing himself in his glory there at Sinai. The people were called to take care or to watch themselves that they not break covenant with God in the book of Deuteronomy. You can look at Deuteronomy 4.23 for that. In Deuteronomy 11, verse 16, the people were called to watch themselves so that they not go into idolatry and serving other gods, but to take care. So just as the saints in the Old Testament were called to take care, so saints in the New Testament are called to watch themselves. And he says, watch for two different things here. Watch out for yourselves for two different things. One would be big sins, and the other would be little sins. He says, you don't want your hearts to be weighed down with big sins like dissipation and drunkenness. When people get drunk and they live this kind of life of debauchery, it deadens the heart. People fall prey to the consumption of alcohol. And this happens even with Christians. They begin to focus, you see, on the little things in life. And they begin to become weighed down by these things. And we see it with the sin of drunkenness, right? It deadens the senses. And it causes people to be of no use. But Jesus also says, look out because the cares of this life, the little stuff, The little worries, the respectable sins can do you in just as easily. And look at this wording here. He's after the heart. He says, lest your hearts be weighed down by these things. This is what we've got to watch out for. It's not a matter of external performance. You see, when we begin to focus on external performance, what happens is we begin to take an attitude that says, watch out for each other. In other words, we'll enter a little pact here. You get away with your little sins and I'll make sure others don't find out about it. I'll keep it concealed. We won't watch ourselves, we'll watch out for ourselves. So we keep up a good front. But meanwhile, our hearts are beginning to stray. Jesus says, no, police yourself here in the best sense. Care for one another. Call one another out in your sins, whether great or small, because the cost is too deadly. This word here for weighed down is again a well-known Old Testament word. It is the word for Pharaoh's heart being hardened. Over and over and over again in the Exodus story, we're told that God hardened or he weighed down Pharaoh's heart or that Pharaoh weighed down his own heart. He becomes opposed to God. And Jesus is telling us here, whether your big sins or your little sins, either way you go, those things will cause your heart to be hardened. And as you think about last things and the future of your life and existence, you will meet the same end as Pharaoh, who was drowned in the sea and separated from God, if you allow your hearts to be hardened and to be weighed down through these sins. Are you being weighed down? Is your heart being hardened? My fear is that we're all tempted to this, but that as a church, we may be tempted to this even now. Jesus was speaking against hypocrisy and speaking of the scribes and dealing with the widow, and now he's pointing us in the same sort of direction here. He's saying, don't be a people that watch out for each other, but be a people that watch each other, calling people to holiness and to purity of life and to seeking the Lord. And that brings us then to a fifth way in which we're called to live. It's here in verse 36, to stay awake and pray. Stay awake at all times, verse 36 says, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man. You're to be alert, have your mind sharpened so that when you're looking at the temple, like these disciples of old, you understand that's a picture for the big things Jesus is going to do. That is alertness. And when we see things happening in the world and in our own lives, we ought to have our eye on the ball, as it were, to understand that Jesus is doing big things, and he's called us to be part of it. And we've got to be alert enough to see those. And part of that is going to be praying. Praying that we will have strength to be faithful to the Lord in all of these things. And when we pray, that's an acknowledgment that we all live by grace alone. That in and of ourselves, we're going to sin. And we're going to fall. But we can be forgiven. And in prayer, We are forgiven and we also are then confessing to God that we don't have strength to do this by ourselves. We need your super abounding grace if we're going to endure to the end. And so as the people of God, in both watching ourselves and looking to stay awake, we need to be looking at the table, as it were, thinking about the last things. We had guests in our home this week, and we were eating together, and someone was starting to ask for seconds, and Elizabeth said, now we're gonna have ice cream for dessert. And the person, that held her hand and then said, you know, I think I better hold off then. And that's exactly what Jesus is telling you in this verse. There are better things coming than simply what's in this world. And this may be the time for you in your life to hold your hand up and say, you know what, I'm a little too attached to the things of the present. And I have failed to realize that because Jesus is on the throne now, that the future is now. and that we live in the kingdom of God and we'll see the fullness of it, but it's already here and that our lives should be shaped in the present by what we know of the future and look at what's gonna happen as we follow the Lord and as we rest in His grace. Look at the end of verse 36. You are going to be ready to stand before the Son of Man. And what a dessert course it is going to be, friends. This is parallel to the idea here in verse 28 when he says, you see these things happening, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is near. The idea of standing before the Lord here is not the thought of standing before Him in judgment, but it's the thought of standing before Him to receive His blessing. Because you have known His grace and His glory even in the present age. And so He will, as it were, invite you to that dessert table. When we will be with the Lord forever and His temple will be truly and fully known and seen as He gathers people from every nation on the face of the earth. He gathers his people who are being presently persecuted in far and distant lands and perhaps even in our own. And he gathers these from the four corners of the earth in his glory and he causes all of them to stand before him so that they might receive his blessing both in that moment and forever. So brothers and sisters, let's pay heed to the scripture. Let's know what is coming in terms of the promises of Jesus for his kingdom, so that we can live today in accord with the purposes of his kingdom. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you for this grand scope of all of history that you've given us here in a few moments. We thank you that your word has come true and that it will come true. And we pray that it would come true now in our hearts. And we pray, oh God, that you would give us grace that we might believe these words that will not pass away. And that you'll give us grace to watch ourselves and to live as those who are awake at all times. continually casting ourselves upon you and living as you've called us to live as your servants. Lord, it is my great prayer that in that great day of judgment there would be none who are here who are destroyed as those were in the destruction of Jerusalem and who face your judgment. But Lord, I pray that the hair of every person here would be kept as you would give grace that people would respond to your kingdom call, all ultimately for Jesus' name's sake. And we ask it in His name. Amen. Well, Psalm 145 is a great psalm of God's kingdom. It promises it's going to come. We're going to sing Psalm 145, Selection C now. We've sung A and B already, and now we sing Selection C, which promises that God's going to be with us even in times of hardship. He's going to make his glory known among the nations, and we're going to be singing his praises forever. After we sing this, we'll sing Psalm 89. It's printed in your bulletin, and we'll sing that after the benediction. So please rise as we sing Psalm 145, Selection C.