Let's open our Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel according to Luke in the New Testament. We've been away for a couple of weeks with other messages, the Reformation Sunday message and one before that, but we're back to Luke and we're in chapter 21. We'll conclude the chapter today. And we have to remember where we're at. So just a quick reminder, we're nearing the end. Jesus' ministry in Galilee and Judea is wrapping up because he has come into Jerusalem. There was that triumphal entry in chapter 19, and so he's been at work the final week of his life before the cross. He's in Jerusalem, staying just outside the city, teaching and saying many things. on this last week of teaching. So that's where we're at. It's a serious time. And we'll see in the scriptures before us today, a very serious tone reminding his hearers then and today that all those things he said about the future and judgment, not just upon Jerusalem, but coming judgment upon the world should sober us and affect the way we live. There's a quick introduction, I hope. So we're starting in chapter 22, where we left off, and we're at verse 29. And he, Jesus, told them, his disciples, 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 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 far we read in God's good and holy word, may he bless it to all who hear, believe, and obey it, amen. Christians, discipleship demands active efforts. Discipleship is not a passive status. I am a Christian disciple. I am following Christ. There needs to be that ongoing activity of a Christian. If we hear what Jesus has said and we believe what Jesus has said, we need to obey it. We need to let his words shape our lives. God's kingdom into which we've entered by faith, it's ruled by King Jesus and the King is coming again. That's what he had been teaching earlier in the chapter when he says, you'll know when you see these things, the signs of the ends of time, the wars and the afflictions and the persecutions and all those things that step up, you'll know that the king is about to return. In the meanwhile, the gospel calls believers to be on guard, to be watchful, and awake, two key words for today. There are many deceptive pleasures and cares in this life which can get in the way and block our focus, distract us and derail us. But we need to maintain our focus if we hear Jesus, if we believe him and take his words as truth. A couple years ago, a Tennessee pastor wrote an article and it's online and he had a great statement about what Christians are called to do in light of this text. He said, being spiritually asleep means living as though God doesn't exist. Well, waking up spiritually means realizing there is a God to whom you'll give an account of your life. There you have it. You're either asleep, spiritually, and the alarm bells that Jesus rings, or the existence of God just isn't affecting you, or you are awake, you've heard, you know he's coming again, he's going to hold us accountable. Have we followed him, have we believed in him, or are we still on our own in our sins? It's really important. Are you awake or asleep? And if you say you're awake in Jesus, are you watchful? That's what we'll find today in today's text. So let's take a look. We want to start with the signs and certainties because Jesus takes this little parable of the fig tree to make his first point. Before he gives us the commands about watchfulness, he makes a point. What is the point? Well, let's take a look. He talks about signs and then certainties. What's the sign, the sure sign of summer that he gives? This is one of his shortest parables, isn't it? He says, look at this fig tree. And what is a parable? It's an analogy. You lay two things side by side. What do they have in common? They were probably just walking by a tree and it happened to be a fig tree. So Jesus pointed. You see the fig tree and you know, it's true of all figs. When you see the buds, the leaves, the leaves budding, you know that the season is changing and summers are coming, very obvious. And by analogy, when we see the things he had listed about the end times, when we see those coming, we'll know that the end is near and Christ's return is near. It's an analogy. So we ought to be able to understand and perceive from what Jesus has taught, the certainty of the things that will come. Then in verse 35, excuse me, in verse 32, Jesus makes this statement, having taught about this fig tree that is all important, the lesson that we should learn. Verse 32, truly I say to you, so he's saying very clearly, this is an important statement of truth. This generation will not pass away until all this has taken place. We can understand the sentence. It's not a complicated sentence, but for hundreds of years, people have debated what exactly does Jesus mean? Who is this generation? So let's take a minute to talk about that. Was Jesus referring to the people that were standing around him, Peter, James, and John, the other disciples, and the second tier of Christian followers? You know, there were like 100 in the upper room. So was he talking about these disciples alive when he spoke those words? Some were younger, they might live 20, 30, 40 years more? Is that what he was talking about? the end and the judgment and the return of Christ and his kingdom didn't come during their lifetime. So he's not referring to the physical generation that was immediately around him. We know that's not what he would have meant. So some people deal with this by playing with the verb tense. So when it says, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place, they change it to say, until these things have started to take place. Well, then you're just changing the words of the Bible. And yes, certain things happened. Back in AD 70, Jerusalem was destroyed. That was one of the signs Jesus mentioned as a foreshadowing of punishment for rejecting the Messiah. But Jesus didn't say that when they started. He's very clear. So what does he mean? How can we find help? What does he mean by this generation? I think the answer isn't that hard. It's just we're not always diligent students of the Bible. The phrase this generation in the gospels on the lips of Jesus has been used a lot, right? You've heard this before. If you go back over the, there's maybe nine different times he's mentioned this in the gospel of Luke alone, it's always to speak of the disbelieving people on the earth. Those who are, rejecting him and demanding signs, right? We could go through the examples. It's always in a negative light. So who is Jesus referring to when he says this generation? It's not the physical existence of these people, but rather the type of person that rejects him. The person who stands there and saying, yeah, well, I need to see more, I need to know more. And that fits the context. The skeptics and the disbelievers are the ones he's speaking of because he says, the things I'm telling you are as obvious as trees budding and summer comes. As you see events in world history increase in the way I've spoken about, you know that what I've said is true and I'll be coming back. So he's saying disbelievers will be around to the very end. and it won't be a happy day when Christ returns for them. This reference by Luke is to unbelievers across time. Dr. Davis says it has a pejorative twist and refers to those who've been, are, or will be light-rejecting, kingdom-opposing, Messiah-spurning people in any physical generation. It's a spiritual type. not a time of people. So that means what Jesus is saying is gonna affect everyone. Nobody's getting out before the end comes. Nobody that is opposing him will be excused from that final judgment. And then notice too, what he says in verse 33, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Again, in this first paragraph, Jesus is referring to time, certain things are going to come, you'll see that they're coming, but the way I've described things, the words I have used, Jesus said, are certain. The statements I give you are truth. Verse 32, truly, verily, I say to you, Jesus is presenting himself as the speaker of truth, as the foreteller of the future. And then what does verse 33 say about his words? Let me just pause. Can you remember what I preached on six weeks ago? Can you remember what I preached on six years ago? It's coming up on 30 years. There's only a handful that were here long enough. What was the very first sermon series here? Nobody remembers my words much, but Jesus just said, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Jesus is claiming to be equal with God and to speak with the authority of the Lord. It's a profound statement of who he is. Jesus is putting his words on a par with God's words. You might remember this statement from Isaiah 40, Isaiah 40 verse eight. You'll recognize it as I read it. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. I think Jesus is basically paraphrasing that and saying, my words will stand forever. And he's equating himself with Jehovah. Jesus does that a lot because it's true. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one, the Christian triune God. There's no being like him. Jesus openly puts his words on a par with the words of God. That might affect the way you read your Bible. You know, when you hear a parable or when Jesus suggests that you do something. It's not like curriculum or that one professor you really loved in college. Yeah, I got to remember that. No, this is the word of God come to us through the son of God. As Hebrews 1 begins, in these last days, God has spoken to us through his son. The pinnacle of God, the creator, speaking to his creation is in Jesus and the words of Jesus. You can find no other truth as powerful as the words of Jesus. You can have favorite authors and favorite books. You can know a lot of facts about this, that, or the other. These words have power and life, and they will never pass away. Why is Jesus laying this whole foundation? He'll soon be gone from the earth. We don't know exactly which day during the week this is, but we know that coming up, he'll have the last supper, he'll be arrested, and on a Friday, he'll be crucified, and on a Sunday, he'll rise again, and then 40 days later, he'll ascend into heaven, he'll be gone. Jesus is speaking to his disciples in a critical time for them. He says, my word is certain, my word is reliable, and time is gonna march on. And you need to know both those things, that my word's trustworthy and the times are coming, the end times. These things match what Jesus had said in the Sermon on the Mount. Some people think, oh, the Sermon on the Mount, that's just all about love and blessing. Well, Jesus said something similar in the Sermon on the Mount that's very authoritarian. In Matthew 5, he said, do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. He's pointing to himself as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. And then he says, Matthew 5 verse 18, for truly I say to you, speaking again as the Lord, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished. We better start listening to Jesus. This is his first main point. He speaks with authority and with certainty. We must live in light of his words. So what's this command that follows? Verse 34. I think there are two major commands. You can see the next two headings. One is about watch yourselves, and then in verse 36, stay awake. I think these are the big takeaways today. So we can talk about watchfulness and wakefulness. You may think it's the same thing, and sometimes I repeat myself when I preach. Sometimes I repeat myself. But I think they're two subtle, distinct, and important commands. So if you're in awe of Jesus and what he says, let's listen to his words. Let's take them to heart. First, this call to watchfulness. He says, watch, or be weighed down. There's a consequence here. What does he mean by watch? The Greek word here means to apply your mind to a thing, to give heed, to observe, to consider, to be occupied with that. That's what it means to watch. I was thinking about grandkids, and then I was flipping around to when I was a kid and waiting for my grandparents. I grew up, as I say, with only one relationship with grandparents. My Scottish grandparents, I only saw briefly. So when it came to a visit from my grandparents, Floyd and Olive would drive up from Kenosha to visit us. I would sit for hours in the window in the front of the house. And I'd be watching every car that goes by. Is that a gold AMC Ambassador? Nope. Well, that one's gold, but that's not it. Watch every car as a little kid. I was watchful. I was attending. I was occupied. And when the car slowed down and the turn signal came on, on Elmwood Avenue, and he turns into my driveway, what did I do? I reacted, he came! My watchfulness was rewarded. And I was the first one to say, Grandma and Grandpa are here. Jesus uses this word, this special Greek word for watching with, and engagement. I put here, I think this is the sense, watching on alert mode. Watching on alert mode. You know what an alert is. If you're driving and your GPS says, object in the road ahead, you're not gonna start fiddling with the radio. You're gonna start looking. Something's in the road ahead. Someone reported something in the road ahead. I don't wanna run it over. So you're on alert, you're watching. You're wary because what you're watching for has significance and consequence. So Jesus uses this word. It's used throughout the gospels. Matthew 7, 15, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing. That's this word for watch. Be wary. Size it up. Observe with alert mode active. There's also a use of this word in Acts 16, 14. A woman named Lydia, I think you'll recognize it. And I wanted to cite this example because this was not just watchfulness, but it has life-changing significance. Here's Acts 16, verse 14. One who heard us, Paul was preaching. And every preacher would like to have this happen. He said, one who heard us was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart, and here comes our word, to pay attention to. She was a God-fear, a worshiper of God and God-fear. got her on alert mode, and she's listening to the preacher on alert mode. What is being said? The Lord did this work inside of her, enabled her. He opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul, and she became converted. She was saved that day. Alert mode watchfulness. That's what Jesus calls for here. Watch or be weighed down. The reason he gives here is your hearts would be weighed down. What kind of expression is that? A heavy heart, it doesn't sound like a good thing and it's not. You may know Bible uses this way down language for your eyeballs sometimes. Sorry to get graphic here, but the disciples were supposed to stay up and pray with Jesus and their eyelids became weighed down. Well, what happens if your eyelids become weighed down? You fall asleep. Wait, the eyelids there for a purpose, but if it's weighed down, it's gonna cover the opening and you're not gonna see anything. Everything's okay. I'm just resting my eyes a little. Well, the eyelids weighed down. What happens if your heart is weighed down? The heart was made to motivate us to praise and serve the Lord, to love God, and to love our neighbor. Doesn't that summarize the law and the prophets? But if your heart is weighed down and a little sleepy, and it's just content to kind of take a nap, it's not gonna fulfill its duties to God or to the neighbor. It's a spiritual drowsiness that comes upon your heart, the center of your being, your soul, if you will. This heart way down speaks to impaired functioning. Impaired functioning. Some of us have lost loved ones to congestive heart failure. It's a big time killer in the United States. Sometimes it's genetic, sometimes because people haven't been watchful with their diet or their exercise. And someone battling that disease, that affliction, they have to move slowly and carefully, they're impaired. So Jesus uses this kind of language to speak to his disciples here in Jerusalem before he goes to the cross. And he says, but watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down. He doesn't want us to be impaired and unready. and caught in a trap as we'll see. And he goes on to mention three dangers specifically, I'm not gonna dwell forever on them, but let's mention them. Two that begin with the letter D in English, dissipation and drunkenness. This is a good translation. Although I didn't like the dictionary I clicked on earlier this week to look up dissipation, it said to dissipate. And you click on that and you say, where is this going? What does this word mean? We don't use it very often. I was gonna say unless you're a Mets fan, but no, I don't wanna say that. Dissipate, the root, if you chase it down, at least in English, is to something disappearing, something that's no longer present or available or accessible. And that fits with this context. Dissipation means something is missing. because something else has moved in. So it's typically in concert dissipation and drunkenness, yeah. That's why he lists them together, dissipation and drunkenness. Instead of being filled with the spirit, these people that Jesus is worried about are filled with wine or something else. And what does alcohol do? If it gets the upper hand inside, it begins affecting your cognitive abilities and reason departs. So the effects of the drunkenness is dissipation. Dissipation is kind of like that hangover, the loss of clarity and the loss of comfort and all those things. So Jesus warns us about these conditions. He links the two. And drunkenness is overindulgence with alcohol. The Bible says it's okay to have some wine, but drunkenness in the Bible, hear me now, is prohibited. Drunkenness is a sin, even though it's common in our culture and it's comical in our culture. A lot of young men boast about this and there's nothing to boast about here. God just says this is wrong. You endanger yourself, you endanger others. God gave us many good things to enjoy in moderation. Ephesians 5.18 says, do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. But you know, it's not just wine that causes drunkenness, that insobriety, that inebriation, that being under the influence. As we know now, it can be drugs or something else. And the government may say, oh, it's okay to puff on marijuana or to chew it up in tablets or put it in your brownies. We have to be wary. The Bible says no. to any substance where you give yourself over to impairment. These sins steal your joys and they derail your duties. So beware. So those two dangers are listed, but there's one more danger. Did you see it? Did it surprise you? We know those big heavy hitters, dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life. Wait, that sounds like everyday stuff. The cares of this life? Yes, the cares of this life. The big obvious sins that will impair you, but there are other things. It's not just drugs and alcohol that can impair you. Consider how this word is used in Matthew 13. Jesus was giving a parable of the soils, and this is pretty clear. as he describes one situation. As for the seed that was sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word of God, but the cares of the world, same expression, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful. The cares of the world can choke and prohibit your intake of God's word and your obedience of it. So yes, in Luke 21, Jesus warns you, not just about those outward sins, but even the cares of the world that could get in the way. Philip Ryken puts it this way. Jesus points to a broader temptation, which is to fill our lives with so many intoxicating pleasures that we don't have any time left for God. TV, computer games, romance novels, et cetera, et cetera. He says the list is endless. I could make a list and I could take a long time, whether it's sports, watching or pursuing. whether it's fashion, whether it's collecting, whether it's a hobby, whether it's travel, whether it's talking. Many things that are in this life that may otherwise be good and fine can find a way to become intoxicating. We might even use the language of idolatry when they're out of place. and such dangers will destroy your spiritual vigilance. They will weigh down your heart so that you can't love God as you should and love your neighbor and be ready for that day. This is how this section ends, verse 35. Jesus says, for it will come upon all who dwell in the face of the earth, in verse 35. Oh, verse 34, the end of verse 34. And that day will come upon you suddenly like a trap. If the cares get the upper hand, if your heart's weighed down, drunkenness, dissipation, anything gets in the way, you're going to be snared. This is the end that you want to avoid. That day will come and you're busy doing other things. You're not about your master's business. On social media, it's not hard to find a video clip of a person walking around with their cell phone to their face and they bump into a lamppost or they step off the curb or have something scary happen and we kind of chuckle at that. Is it funny or is it foreboding? I bet there might be something in your life that gets right in front of your eyes. and keeps you from seeing what the Lord might want you to do. And you bump into things. Jesus is saying, don't let anything distract you or impair you so that on the last day, you bump into the Lord who calls you to account. Jesus is serious, and he says, my words are really important, so hear them and heed them. Watchfulness, that's the first command. I think we're all ready to be more watchful, but he doesn't end there. He talks about the need for wakefulness, so let's go to that, the final heading. The need for wakefulness, verse 36, but stay awake. Good, we know what it is to stay awake, to watch, to be vigilant. That was a little easier this morning. I may not be a morning person, but today I set my clock back and you have automatic things, so your alarm doesn't go off at the wrong time. Oh, I'm up early. But this need for wakefulness, Jesus is speaking spiritually. So let's ask three questions, when and how and why? He says, stay awake, and he answers the when question at all times. at all times. Does that mean every single minute of the day? Well, if you were in Sunday school a few weeks ago, you know there are two Greek words for time. Do you remember? Chronos, as we have on our chronometer, minute by minute, the minutes, hours, and seconds, and all those. Or the other word, kairos, which means more season, opportunity, a window of opportunity, that sense of time. Which one is here? I'll give you a hint, it's not Cronos. Jesus says, stay awake at all seasons. Not just when there's a weather alert do you look at the sky, you should be glancing up all the time. Jesus wants every season to be flavored with our wakefulness. And you know, here's an implication, you can't just delegate a fixed time for your spiritual duties. You can't just say, oh, I'm gonna do a Kronos thing here and every morning for 15 minutes, I'm gonna read my Bible and pray. And then you close the book and you go on your day. That would be great to be that disciplined and faithful. God will bless that, but don't let it cultivate a mindset that you're not wakeful and watchful later on. Coming home from work and the traffic snarl provokes your spirit. And you start to say, you're imposing on me. Oh, you idiot, why didn't you turn? Why didn't you get out of this lane? We have to be watchful and awake at every season. That's pretty simple. That's what Jesus says. Well, how do we do that? Let's read on. Verse 36, but stay awake at all times, praying, 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. Jesus says praying is key to spiritual wakefulness. That is so important, that's the great takeaway here. This Greek word, deomai, 22 times in the New Testament, it means to ask, to request. There are many words for prayer in Greek, that's what I'm saying. This one has the flavor of begging, asking earnestly. So how do you stay awake? You need to have a prayer life that is fierce and begging. This word is used back in Luke 5, 12, While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy, and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. When this word is used, it's most often translated begged. Okay, so how do I stay spiritually awake at all times, so different seasons, I need to beg for God. That means there needs to be an earnestness in my praying. Luke 10, 12 puts it that way. And he said to them, the harvest is plentiful, but the labors are few. Therefore, Deo mai, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. And that's a great example because it says this is an opportune time, pray with earnestness. Do we get that? Do we even ever pray with that kind of earnestness? There's a brother in our fellowship that's often at prayer meetings and he does. He prays for his unsaved loved ones with an earnestness that is often put me to shame. I'm glad the Lord's brought him into our midst. He knows what's at stake, so he prays earnestly. But a lot of us, we've been intoxicated with the pleasures of life. We're not watchful, we're not wakeful. We pray, but not this way. And you know what Jesus is saying here? You could get ensnared. You need to pray this way. Jesus knew what was ahead for Peter. What did Jesus say to Peter? Luke 22, we'll get to it in the sermon soon. Jesus says, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. It's this word. Jesus prayed earnestly for Peter and the devil was rebuffed in the end. That's part of our command from our Lord to pray this way as part of our wakefulness and watchfulness. Why? Why? He gives us two reasons here. He uses this word escape, and then he uses this word being able to stand before the Son of Man. Escape, ooh, that got my attention. I wanna pray so I get out of difficulty. What does he mean by escape? He says, stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape these things. Well, escape is the sense of literally get out of jail, that when Peter gets out of jail, he escapes. This word is used literally, but it's also used figuratively. The judge says, case dismissed. It won't have any hold on you. These end times things that previously we talked about in the chapter, we may not remember them all, we'll have strength. They won't have a hold on us. They won't have a claim on us. We'll be able to get through those days without being pulled in or under. And at the end of those days, when the son of man stands on the earth and calls all to account and every knee bows and every tongue confess, Jesus really is the Lord, Those who are apart from him will be sent away from him. Those who know him will welcome him. To stand before the son of man means you will not be guilty, but you will be exonerated. It's a courtroom type of statement that the verdict is favorable to you. When the Lord returns, will you long for that day and delight to see him? It comes from this kind of prayerfulness, watchfulness, and being right with Jesus. So in closing, let me give you three words. I think I put them already in the outline. Grasp, guard, and get ready. You can see where this is going. Grasp, grasp the reality of Jesus' words. Jesus the Lord speaks with authority. and truthfulness. The things we're learning, the things we're hearing, these word pictures, this represents truth. This is reality. Jesus is Lord, he's coming again, live this way. Trust him. If you don't yet know him, he also said, come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. will give us a lot and it will begin with rest, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, all of it will come to us. The second exhortation in light of these things is to guard yourselves. This is a command for us to be watchful, for you to be awake. You have to take some responsibility for how you're living your Christian life. One way the morning devotions or your daily devotions used to be talked about was the daily watch. Because it had this sense. I don't know what a day brings forth. I'm going to look to the Lord in his word and I'm gonna pray earnestly. Lead me not into temptation. And I'm gonna pray it today. So guard yourselves, guard your hearts and your minds. Guard your hearts and your minds. I wish I could say more, but the final word is get ready. That has a sense of now, get ready now. Don't think of the end times. Yeah, I've studied that and someday I'll probably need that information. It's a get ready now. Jesus speaks in these present imperatives. He says, watch yourselves, stay awake now. because this is coming and it's coming for everybody. The things that Jesus say remind us that if our spirit is described as being asleep, it's like living and ignoring the fact that God exists. But being spiritually awake means you know him and you walk in the light of his word. May he make it so, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do thank you this day for your word. We thank you for the teachings of Jesus, whose words will not pass away. We're thankful for the help of Jesus. He gives us his grace and he gives us his spirit. And we have the help of fellow believers to undertake these duties. Help us in all of them. May we be watchful and awake and find joy and blessing because of it. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.