My heart has been overflowing with excitement for many weeks now to get to this part of our text. It has had a marvelous impact on me. I want men and women and children to enter the kingdom. to abide in the kingdom, to abide in Christ. I want everyone here, listen, to not only have Jesus as their Savior, but have Him as their Lord. It's interesting as I discuss with many of you the desire that you have for the end times. And I'm glad last week was helpful. I actually had one congregant, a rather witty one. He came up to me and he said, pastor, you forgot a major position. And I'm scrolling through the files in my synapses. And I said, well, what is it? He said, it's the IDC JWR position. I'm thinking, is that Latin? What is that? And I said, I give up. I've never heard of it. What is the I-D-C-J-W-R eschatological position? He said, it stands for I don't care, Jesus will return. Jesus will return. He will. But the question really is this. Will there be signs? in certain events that occur before he returns? That is the question, isn't it? The answer is yes. We don't belong to the night, but we belong to the what? And those who live in the day see. We see. Unfortunately, though, the details of the seeing and of the day won't be until Luke chapter 21, which will probably be in about 10 years from now. Please turn to Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17. I'll be reading verses 20 through verse 37. This is part two, and the title of the message is The Days and the Day of the King and His Kingdom. Luke chapter 17, verse 20. Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, look, here it is, or there, behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. He said to his disciples, the days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, look there. Or, look here, do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. So, will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who's on the housetop with his goods in the house not come down to take them away, and likewise, let the one who's in the field not turn back. Remember, Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, But whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night, there will be two in one bed. One will be taken, and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken, and the other left. They said to him, where, Lord? He said to them, where are the corpses? There the vultures will gather. We're gonna have a brief review of last week. We will spend the majority of our time examining verses 26 through verse 37. Point number one, it was the question of the Pharisees. The question of the Pharisees. Just like the previous account, we are not informed, at least through Luke, the exact location of the engagement that Jesus has first with the Pharisees and then with his disciples. Presumably, It took place within the same timeframe with what we saw two weeks ago concerning Jesus cleansing 10 lepers. Now notice in verse 20, as we saw last week, the Pharisees want to know what? When, right? They want to know when the kingdom of God would come. When. What do they believe? They believe three things. First, The Messiah would come after the manner of King David, a conquering Messiah. Second, they believed that there would be hardships, persecutions, challenging times before the Messiah came. And third, that there would be astrological signs in the heavens that that works in a concomitant way. We saw that last week. Concomitant manner is a way in which the physical represents the spiritual. This is what they were expecting. And Jesus does not answer the question of the when in verse 20 or verse 21, because Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. Jesus' kingdom is wrought when men and women and children come to God in Christ in total and utter bankruptcy, realizing that they have nothing to offer God but their sin alone. And in faith alone, in Christ alone, the greatest exchange in the universe is made. It is called the double imputation. In faith alone, Christ takes upon himself the sins of the sinner and transfers to that sinner his righteousness. So the unworthy becomes worthy by grace alone. Oh, they missed that. They missed that kingdom. And friend, that is the kingdom that all of us must share, right? It is a kingdom that all of us must beg and plead and urge men and women and children to enter in. And you come in through Christ alone. And so Jesus kind of pushes back on their prevalent theology and he's telling them, listen, the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, at least ways that you think you can observe it. And second, which we saw last week, is the inauguration of the kingdom. This is in verse 21. Nor will they say, look, here it is. We're there. Behold, the kingdom of God is where? In where? The midst of you. Do you see that? The Greek can refer to within their grasp, within their reach. Jesus is not saying that the kingdom of God is inside of us. You realize that. You enter the kingdom of God. Yes, one mark of entering the kingdom is not only the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, not only the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Holy Spirit. That is evidence that you have entered. And part of that is not only the entering in, but the abiding in, isn't it? The abiding in Christ. And it changes you, doesn't it? Changes you and so Jesus is telling the Pharisees the kingdom of God is within your grasp He's speaking of himself, isn't he? They don't get it Now technically if you were to survey the Old Testament you would learn that the kingdom of God is actually mentioned multiple times in the Old Testament But with the coming of the incarnate son, the kingdom of God is energized and it works in a unique currency now through the incarnation and the subsequent redemption that is wrought by Christ on the cross and the subsequent role of the Holy Spirit. That is, those who enter the kingdom of God is a regenerated community, who love one another and who are sanctified, set apart and growing in grace. The kingdom of God is God's rule and reign, listen, in his people. And we saw last week But no politician, no king, no Congress, no Senate, no one can usher in the kingdom of God by human means. You must be born from where? Above. It is a work of God only, and you cannot expedite it. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. Point number three was the caution to Jesus' disciples. So the Pharisees asked a question, when? Jesus answered it. Kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, at least how you expect. And Jesus uses the question of the Pharisees of the when to address his disciples. Please look at verse 22. And he said to who? The disciples. The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. You see it. So while there is the current day of the Son of Man that they're living in, there will be future days and a future day of the Son of Man that they will not see it. You're gonna desire to see Jesus' kingdom come. Pray to that end. Is that your prayer? Your kingdom come. Jesus' kingdom coming is the regeneration of men and women and children. And we are to work to that end. You are to labor to that end. Point number four is the presentation and the future revelation of the Son of Man. This is in verse 24. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in what? And what? You see that. So they're living in the days of the Son of Man. They're gonna want to see a future days of the Son of Man that they will not see, but then the Son of Man will return in whose day? His day. Do you see it? His day. That day will be like lightning. Lightning is a common theme in scripture of a theophany. The lightning refers to the rapture. Immediate, fills the sky. And this will only happen though once this generation rejects the Son of Man. Please look at verse 25. Before the Son of Man's day, singular, First, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Do you see it? What is this generation? Well, there's been many this generations throughout all of scripture and all of history, hasn't there? This generation, as a matter of fact, if you were to trace this generation through the Old Testament into the new, there is a common golden thread and it is this, dullness and hardness of heart. This generation. There was a this generation as the Israelites left Egypt. There was the this generation prior to the captivities, there was the this generation in the first century, and then there is this generation even today. Dullness and hardness of heart. And one element of this generation is an inability to discern the times. Minds are dull. Dull. And so Jesus here in verse 25 is describing his passion, his suffering, and the cross. I had a congregant ask me, and I appreciated what he said. He asked me last week, he says, how do I get wisdom? How do I get discernment? How do I understand the end times? How do I get it? Where do I look? How do I get there? Perhaps you're wondering that. Want the bad news? I'll tell you the bad news. Are you ready? There's no equation. There's no equation. There's no quick fix. There's no microwavable dinner. There's no set it and forget it. It is not easy, it's hard, very hard. It will require you much. It cannot be discerned in a day, in a week, or in a month. It is discerned through months and years of searching and wrestling and finding. Do you understand that? It's almost like a snowball effect with wet snow Start small That's theology Increases as your understanding of scripture grows you start to see the picture don't you? Do you search for wisdom? Does your internet history Testify to that. Your TV shows, say amen to that. Do your hobbies give you a high five, so to speak? I want you to think on just your phone alone. How much time you waste. How many hours scrolling and flinging and watching. How much meddling in the affairs of others that have no bearing on your sanctification. Let's just start this week. Think of the nights, the days, at it, where you are. Do the math. It's one day, times that by seven, times that by 365, and times that by four decades. You see? Many here like the idea of knowing God. but few are willing to do what is necessary to find it. You see? Now, there are gonna be two responses to this. For some of you, you're under conviction now, and you know that you've been wasting a lot of time. I'm not talking about rest. I'm talking about wasting of time. And if you're in Christ, he will convict you where you are on where exactly you're wasting it. So two responses, response number one, you're convicted and amen pastor, I'm wasting time and you're gonna go home tonight and do the same thing. You'll waste more. The second kind of person will realize that they need to do some serious and major renovations. and they're gonna redeem the time. They're gonna make sure that the time and the energy is now funneled, listen, to knowing God's word. You know the old way doesn't satisfy, right? How often have you gone to receive sustenance from this stream, or that stream, or this, or that, and it is muddied water that does not satisfy. So what will you do? Blessed is the man or woman who finds a treasure in a field, and he does whatever he can do, listen, to buy it. He'll sell whatever he needs, He'll give up whatever he needs because he must have the treasure in the field. And when he purchased it, listen, he hides it in his heart because he has the treasure. This describes a man or woman who has worked so hard to have this, to have this truth, He's worked so hard to have it. He's labored for it, and he's got it, and he's not forgetting it. It is in his heart. He or she will not forget it. It's there. And one thing is true, and I've seen this about God, he honors those who diligently seek him. And he will honor you. I promise, friend, he will do it. He rewards those who diligently seek him. man or woman who has come to that point, not that we have arrived, but that the foundation is laid. When the foundation is laid, that man or woman can read widely because the foundation is there. When you have the foundation, when you know what you believe, why you believe it, you can discern error, can't you? What's the point? It's very simple. You can have wisdom, but it will cost you much. But you don't actually give anything up, do you? It's not loss, it is gain. And those of you who have labored to know, when you find out and when you discover it, there's nothing like it, is it? It's like the lights have gone on. You've been walking in the light, It's amazing, you get it, but you must seek and you must find. Musician knows the quality of an instrument often just by hearing, pressing, strumming. Mechanic knows the difference between the quality of the tools merely by picking it up. Doctors, nurses, and medical physicians know the health of the body merely by looking at the charts. An engineer can look at the building specs and know whether the foundation is sound. And a farmer can look at his crops, even from far away, and know the health of it. A man or woman of discernment knows the difference, listen, between monopoly money and real money. Anyone tries to sell you something? Or saying, come here, look at this. Hey, follow that. Look at this. Look at this equation. Follow this. Isn't this interesting? Look at this addition. Look at that. Look at this math. Look at these numbers. And you just see it as monopoly money. Why? Because you have the real thing here. You have it here, so you see it. You see it. You see the real thing, and what is false is laid beside it. If you don't have the foundation, you will be led astray. I can give you all I can Sunday morning. I will do the best I can, but at the end of the day, you need to do the work. And that's the difference between the two kinds of people here. Some will come under conviction, they'll feel bad about it, they see they need to amend their ways, but nothing will change. And others will change their ways now. So the question is this, which one are you? God promises in Proverbs 4, 7, though it will cost you everything. Get understanding. Get it. Find it. Do what you must to get it. And when you find it, hold it. Hide it. Don't lose it. And now you got the real thing. May God give us discernment. What is the point? It is this. Find it. Find it. It will cost you much. And when you find it, there will be joy. Point number five, I want us to look at the separation of the second coming of the Son of Man. I'm going to read verses 27 through 37. And I would like you to pay attention to the difference between the days and the day. This is marvelous. Oh, friend, please. Oh, look at this. The days and the day. Verse 28, verse 26. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the Day, when lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. So it will be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed, on that day. Let the one who is on the housetop with his goods in the house not come down to take them away. And likewise, let the one who's in the field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife." Jesus here uses two Old Testament illustrations. Do you see it? One is Noah, and the other is who? Lots Noah and lots and the reason Jesus includes this illustration is Because he wants to show us listen the suddenness the decisiveness the absolute manner of his second coming And his disciples would have known this First, let us look at verse 26, just as it was in the days of who? Noah, there was the day. Do you see it? Days, the day, emphatic, the day. Now, technically, the days of Noah was marked by wickedness, by evil. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Violence filled the earth. But listen, the wickedness was not Jesus's main thrust. These two illustrations, it's not necessarily wickedness that he's driving home. Noah was a herald of righteousness. He was a preacher of righteousness. And he warned people about the impending judgment, didn't he? There was first the sign of his judgment. Friend, what was the sign of the judgment? It was the construction of what? Of the ark, wasn't it? Was that not a sign? And second was the verbal warning that judgment was coming. I wonder what people who lived around the vicinity thought of Noah when they saw him building this ark. They may have never seen anything like that before. Noah, what are you building? An ark? What's that for? For rain. Oh, what's that? For a flood. What's that? Day after day, week after week, it probably took Noah about a year, maybe a little longer to build the ark. But then, not only do they see the ark, but then Mr. Pagan notices a pair of horses walk across their lawn. And then bears, and then squirrels, and other animals. He sees animals that he never even seen before. A deer, a moose, elk, or whatever the original kind was, all entering the ark. No one responded. And then, the day. The day came. Notice what they were doing. Verse 27. They were what? Eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage. Just the normal routine of life. Just kind of, you know, same old, same old. Just doing their thing. Just living, so to speak. And then the day came. Did you know that there are oceans beneath the ocean? Oh yeah, oceans beneath the oceans now, even today. Before the flood, there were many oceans beneath the ocean and crust. And the fountains of the deep burst open. Oh my, that day was a horrible day. It was horrible for those who did not enter the ark. Judgment came, and only eight survived. The second illustration here is in the day of Lot. Notice please in verse 28, likewise, Notice the plurality, just as it was in the what? Days, do you see that? The days of Lot, verse 29, but on what? The day, it is the emphatic, the day. So there were days and there was the day. So just as in the days of Noah, so was in the days of Lot. Sodom was marked by great sinners and great wickedness. And during the days of Noah in Genesis 6, it was marked by great wickedness, but great wickedness and sin is not the main point of Jesus. Please, please friend, look at verse 28. They were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. Do you see that? Very similar to the description of during Noah's day. They're just doing their thing. Lot is mentioned as a righteous man. The sign of the judgment would have been really the warnings of the angel and especially Lot's warning to his sons. And none of them listened to him. Only Lot and his two daughters left, right? Oh, and his wife, which we'll get to in a second. But judgment came upon at least four cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim. And if you actually look at the account in Genesis chapter 19, The cross references of Deuteronomy 29 23 and a Hosea chapter 11 verse 8 which I don't want you to do right now Table that for later But if you were to look at the cross references You would know that at least four cities were destroyed along with all of the grass and the greenery around it It was fire and brimstone All of them died But the three And notice verse 30, so will it be on what? The day, notice how emphatic it is. There was the days of Noah, the day, the days of Lot, the day, the days of the son of man, the day. Do you see it? What is Jesus saying? And this is where we're gonna get very personal. During the days of Noah and Lot, men and women were so preoccupied about the everyday things that they didn't care to be bothered with matters of faith and repentance. They're like those who refused to enter the banquet. Now, please turn back a couple pages to chapter 14. Listen to the excuses, Luke 14 verse 16. And again, this is what I love about the themes within Luke alone. 14 verse 16, he said to him, a man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, come, everything's ready. But they all alike began to make what? Excuses. The first said to him, I bought a field and I have to go out and see it. Please have me excused. Another said, I bought five yoken of oxen and I go to examine them. Please have me excused. Another said, I've married a wife and therefore I can't come. The servant came and reported these things to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. And the servant said, sir, what you've commanded has been done and there's still room. And the master said to the servant, go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. Turn back to chapter 17, please. I hope you see the theme. Do you see the theme? The people during the days of Noah and Lot, listen, they didn't want to be bothered. They're just doing their thing. They're coming, they're going. It is the insouciance of many. You know, as a pastor, you hear all kinds of things. I've had people visit here. Tell me. You guys are too serious at Crossway about the Bible. There's too much Bible at Crossway. I mean, what else would we study? Right? What else would we talk about? You're not coming here to hear Fox News or CNN or CNBC or whatever news outlet. You're coming here to hear of a different news. A news that can be trusted, a news that is approved and that has truthfulness in it. I mean, what else would we gather for? I've had men and women, parents, tell me that their children are too busy with sports and they can't commit to a local church. I've had men and women tell me that they started a business or they have a business to deal with and you know, they won't be at church for a long time. They can't commit to other believers. I've had men and women tell me that they need to have their investment portfolio set before they can then, you know, follow God. You know, at the end of the day, When all the cheap veneer is wiped off. Once the heat of truth melts away the cheap gold tin of the 25 cent necklace. Once the fog clears, once the tire meets the road, the bottom line is that many just don't care about their soul. It's just excuses, and the righteous see right through it. It's just excuses. It's interesting, men and women make time for what's important for them, right? If something is important, you will make time for it, amen? And people who profess to believe in Christ think that just because they say they believe, God won't cast them into hell. I never knew you. I didn't know you. You didn't know me. If you knew me, you'd take up your cross and follow me. How can you say you love me when you don't spend time with me? You don't seek me with all of your heart. You follow this and you follow that. You don't invite me. There's no repentance, there's no turning, there's no confession, there's no growing. You've just flatlined. You say one thing. You call me your Savior, but I'm not your Lord. You don't care about discipleship. Your Bible's only open on Sunday, and you're there, you don't even wanna be there. But it's all the fruit. It's all the fruit of something bigger. You've rejected me and you're ashamed of me. You're obsessed with the world, you're obsessed with your flesh, and you are, listen, you are the child of the devil. You never wanted me and you won't have me. Depart from me to a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. I never wanted you. Jesus is warning about theologians called insouciance. Insouciance just means this, indifference, carelessness. Remember, Jesus is not dealing necessarily with the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. How do we know? Eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, given in marriage. Do you see it? It is someone who's so caught up in the normal routine of life, listen, that they don't care about their soul. They can't be bothered by anything concerning Christ and repentance and growth in grace. And you know what's fascinating too? It is very easy for all of us to see the worldliness in others, isn't it? But how about you? Is there a carelessness in your life? And this is what Jesus is getting at. You need to make sure You love the Lord, and evidence that you love Him is that you spend time with Him, and you want to know Him, and you want to grow in the knowledge of it. And evidence that you've been born from above, listen, is not that you've arrived, it's that you haven't arrived. And that as you grow in grace, in light of the surpassing glory of the goodness and the graciousness of Christ, as he shines light in our lives, we see areas that hasn't been conformed to the image of Christ. And we see it because we're people of the day. And when we see it, when we perceive it, we can do one of two things. We can say, thank you very much for the mental, I'll give you a mental assertion, amen to that, but I'm not changing my ways. Second, there is repentance and a changing of ways. The call here in verse 32 to remember Lot's wife is one of love. The Pharisees, if they were listening, and the disciples would have known what Jesus was talking about. Lot's wife received exceeding grace, didn't she? As a matter of fact, more grace than probably anyone else in Sodom. Why? Because she was married to righteous Lot. Now Lot, that's another time about Lot. Let's just say that him giving his daughters to the men of this city probably wasn't the best thing. But just because he was righteous, just because he was blameless, it doesn't mean that he was sinless. Do you understand? It means that the trajectory of Lot's wife, the trajectory of Lot was one of righteousness. But Lot's wife had received much grace. I mean, Lot was related to Abraham, wasn't he? I mean, how many stories did you hear about the faithfulness of Yahweh, right? How much exceeding grace did she receive? She received warnings, pleadings, but her religion, listen, was a cloak. It was a garment of fig leaves. Oh, let's try a different way. She was around righteousness, but she never partook of it. And the word here, remember, it means more than just think about her. It means action. While she physically departed from Sodom, Sodom never left her heart. She's like the Israelites who longed for the melons and the leeks of Egypt. misplaced values, misplaced commitment. Listen, she looked back, you remember that? She looked back and she was turned into a pillar of what? But the look was more than a glance, it was a gaze. It was a longing. Though she was outside of the city, the city was in her heart. She'd rather have died with Sodom. that live without it, this is what Jesus is getting at. Not only that, but Jesus now is gonna talk about on that day. Please look at verse 34 and verse 35. And please notice the pairs and notice, please, the motif of night and day. Verse 34. I tell you, in that night, there will be two in one bed. One will be taken, and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken, and the other left. Some of you have two men will be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left. You see it? Okay. Let's do this two in one bed. In the Greek, it's in the masculine form, not to describe two men in the same bed, but two individuals from the same family members in the bed. During this time, children didn't have their own rooms. They didn't have beds like we have today, but they had mats, right? They all slept together. Right now, my sons, one of them, part of the other is still in the phase where, I'll hear, real early in the morning, Though their light is on in their room, though they know they're not allowed to leave the room while the light is on, I hear this. And I hear, Daddy, can I snuggle you? I said, OK. And the reason why is because I don't know the last time that will be, right? There will be a last time for that. There's a last time with my other ones. So I'll gladly break that rule for that. And the reason I say that is because in the Greek it's two masculines and it's the picture of a father with his son. Or of like a mother with her daughter in the same bed or the same mat. And so Jesus here, the reason he mentions two in one bed is because this has to do with family relationships. This is the most intimate setting. Friend, this is your family. This is your husband. This is your wife. This is your child. These are your children. Two in the same bed indicate family. people closest to you. One will be taken and the other left. Friend, does that not change the way we relate to our children? I don't care whether your children are three or whether they're 30. One will be left. So a very simple question for you that you need to answer is this. Do your family members know that you love them and you care for their soul? Have you told them? Have you cut straight with them? One will be taken, the other will be left. If not, what are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? What needs to happen? How long will you kick the can down the road? When will you take that loved one inside and say, I love you, but I'm concerned for you. And if they're professing Christian, I'll get to that in a little bit. But I'm concerned for you. Will you just hear me out? If you can lay your head down at night and you can say, I have done everything with full transparency. My conscience is clear. My head is clear. Oh God, I have done everything I can to show the preciousness of Christ, to beg this loved one to come to Christ and they have rejected it. Oh God, will you do the work? If you have not come to that point, what are you waiting for? Stop making excuses and do it. Not only that, not only are two in one bed, but notice as well in verse 35, there will be two women grinding together. Do you see that? This most likely has to do with work. It has to do with employment. What does it mean? It means that there are people who you work with, people who you labor with, other employers who you get along with. You do the same job as them. There you are, working together. You get along, there's no tension. But the difference is this, they're without Christ. And so you could have all the shared occupations, all the same job, all of the same everything, and you know what will happen? One will be taken. That should change the way we interact with people, doesn't it? It means that your employment is not just about earning money. That's what the world does. I understand the world coming and making money, keeping religion, keeping faith out of it, let people believe what they want. I understand the world to believe that. I understand that. But what makes us separate from the world is when we're on mission. We're on mission, we want to win people to Christ. So, two are grinding together. Two are milling. They're both working the stones. And at some point, we gotta get past talking about sports and politics and hobbies and get to the real thing. Get to the substance. You can use whatever you want as a vehicle to get to the gospel. And it may not happen the first day, it may not happen in a week or a month, but we need to be men and women who are intentional. Listen, about casting the net wide. I understand why an unbeliever wants to make money and leave. But I don't see how any Christian operating in the kingdom of God is content with people in their lives going to hell without their influence in them. So what will you do? God bless you. Verse 37 here. is an interesting one. I think I could preach a whole sermon on verse 37. And they said to him, where, Lord? The Pharisees asked what? When? The disciples learned not to ask that question. So the disciples say, the Pharisees say, when? Jesus doesn't answer that. But then the disciples say, where? Where? Where will all this happen? Look what he says. Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. There are various interpretations of this. Some believe, and this comes back to what I mentioned last week about rabbit trails. We're not going to do that this morning. But there are some who believe that the eagles, and some of you have a subscript of vultures here. Some of you have eagles. Where the corpses, there the vultures are. Some of you have a subscript that say eagles. There are those who hold to a preterist position. They believe that Everything in the book of Revelation has already occurred, including prophecies. They view this as the corpses and the vultures circling around the dead that happened at 70 AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem, 1.1 million. But the assumption is that the disciples would know. that Jesus is referring to the Romans, and guess what emblem the Romans had? The eagle. Now, it is true, it is true that the Romans did sack Jerusalem, and it is true that there are many similarities with this, but what I'm convinced Jesus is getting at is more than the mere occurrence at 70 AD, but he's actually looking in the future. Because vultures and eagles, listen, are birds of omen. They're birds of omen. You know there were corpses after the flood? How many? My research has indicated anywhere between 250 million and 10 billion. I'm a precise guy, what can I say? We don't know how many there were before the flood. And I mean, where do you think all the oil came from that you put in your? I mean, I don't know, billions of years. It's all the people, all the organic matter. You realize that. Both oil and gas are created by hydrocarbons under increased pressure. Rapid burial under bedrock will cause that. I don't know how many corpses there were following the flood once the waters settled, but I'm sure there were vultures and eagles circling the bodies. I'm sure there were vultures and eagles encircling the bodies outside of and within Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim. I'm sure the eagles and the vultures were encircling all of the dead bodies, 1.1 million of them, in and around Jerusalem. But the point is this, vultures and eagles, listen, they encircle their prey, don't they? And what's fascinating about it is that sometimes Vultures, they don't encircle an animal that's dead. They encircle animals that are dying, don't they? A vulture, listen, a vulture leaves when there's movement. You see? No, when there's life. Vultures leave when they misperceive the dead and the living. The point is this, God's judgment will break out inescapably, surprisingly, and abruptly, listen, in the mundane of life. Just the mundane. The second coming will be one of division, one of separation. The righteous will be spared from the wrath of God. Why? Because we are not appointed for wrath. We will be delivered from it. And what's fascinating, now listen to this, we are not told in this text of the ones who are left behind. But whatever it looks like, listen, the vultures are encircling. Look in the air, and you see vultures flying around, and you know something is dead or dying. It is an ominous sign. I want to give you 10 points of application. I had 13. I've made the font a little smaller this week to give you plenty of room to write these. You're welcome, by the way. God's generous with me, so. And these 10 are important, like trying to pick your favorite child. You can't do it, or don't do it. 10 points. First is this. Your effectiveness in the kingdom of God is in proportion to your discernment. Your discernment. Work for the bread that lasts. Work to find it, to seek it out. And when you have it, you don't lose it. Work to that end. Second is this. Encourage each other encourage each other Encourage one another Encourage each other I've seen the grace of God in so many of you here That I could hug you Some of you wouldn't you men wouldn't mind the old brethren kiss great one another And I could honestly say to you you're doing it I Not, you haven't arrived, but you're doing it. You understand what I'm saying, right? You're doing it. The port of your ship, the bow of your ship, is aimed towards the glory of God, and despite the waves, the discouragements, the trials, the testings that's battering all over your boat, your sight is set and you're doing it. You're doing it. Your children are here, those of you who have them. They see you, they hear you, not just Sunday morning, but throughout the week. Some of you have older children who are watching you, who are encouraged by you, and you've had a marvelous impact on them. The older saints here are growing in grace. You're brought under conviction. Your ways are changing. I am seeing Christ formed in you. Continue that. Well done. Continue it. And encourage one another as you see Christ formed in brothers. Number three, your evangelism will fall on hard hearts. Guaranteed. Mark it down. It will fall on hard hearts. All you need to do at the end of the day is you do what you can do and God does what only he can do. If you can lay your head down at night knowing that you've done everything you can, That's the best place to be. But you have to get there, don't you? Number four, make sure your loved ones know that you love them. Talk to them about their soul. I know it's hard, but you need to do it. You need to do it. Number five, your life and your lips must be in harmony. An unsanctified life is a tremendous blight on witness. Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes likens it to fly in the ointment. Number six, be generous toward one another and to others. Look at verse 31, please. On that day, let the one who's on the housetop with his goods in the house not come down and take them away. And likewise, let the one who's in the field not turn back. There is an element of truth in which this was true as the Romans did siege Jerusalem, but it extends beyond that. There has been a motif and a theme in all of Luke's gospel concerning those who are generous. And I'm not saying this as your pastor, I'm saying this as a fellow Christian. Kingdom-minded men and women are generous with one another. They are generous. What does it mean? It means that hands are open. Do you understand that? Hands are open. It's about giving and not receiving. It's about outdoing one another in brotherly affection and love. It is about you outdoing your brother outdoing you. And then when you outdo him, you just rejoice that you can love him more. And so really, church life, as we relate to one another, becomes a humble competition of who could outdo one another without throwing it in your face. Why? Because God outdoes you. You see? You'll never outdo God. So even if you outdo one another, God still humbles you. See how that works? God has bigger hands than you, you know that. I've learned something as I've grown. I have much more to learn. And I don't know how God does it, but he does it. I have learned that for me, the more open my hands are toward him, in giving to him whatever it looks like, to bless others, God in some way winds up putting something in my hand. Now, some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. God, if this is what you would have me do, I think this is what you would have me do. I see a need. I want to be a blessing to others. I want to be a blessing to this church. God, if this is what you would have me to do, I will do it. And here it is, Lord, here it is. And what's fascinating, I've seen this in my life. Brother needs this, sister needs this, and my hands often want to do this, right? No Smeagol ain't welcome here you understand me What when I when I do this God can't put anything in you understand and so those of you, and I think that there are less that actually I Think the number is less But those who truly have a heart disposition of God, this is yours, in amazing ways, God puts stuff in our hands. And I'm convinced that many of us, perhaps most of us, have no clue what that means, because it is this, mine. And when you open up and when you give, expecting nothing in return, God will provide. I have seen it. And those who are like-minded can testify. Let the righteous say so. Number seven, there will be a time when your influence on loved ones cease. Let me say that again. There will be a time when your influence on loved ones cease. Make the best use of the time. Number eight. Stop making excuses for loved ones who profess to know the Lord but are not walking in obedience. I can't tell you how many people I've heard say, well, you know, they're believers. They've done this, they've done that, and I'm still waiting for the but. But they're not walking with the Lord. And I'm thinking to myself, how do you know they're in Christ? Don't you give false assurance. Do you understand? God will honor you, beloved, when the heart is open. Don't make excuses for loved ones, and this is hard to do, who are not walking with the Lord. Be a means of grace. You've done everything you can, but your head down at night, and ask God to do what you can't. Ninth, if you don't have time for God, for your sanctification, for your participation with others. If you're not growing in grace, if you have no desire for the things of God, how can you be assured of your salvation? How? Growth in grace. Number 10, make up your mind right now. Make up your mind right now. Stop delaying. and conform areas in your life that is not reflective of what you know you should be doing. Commit your life to God and he will help you. The message is very clear. Count the cost, follow Him, and trust all your cares, all your concerns, all your worries, everything to God, and abide in Him. God is faithful. He will give you what you need when you need it, how you need it. His arm, beloved, is not too short to save, is it? Let me put it a different way. God's shovel is bigger than yours. And those of you who have tasted and seen in his generosity can testify that God is good all of the time. May we be a people here at Crossway Church who are committed to the kingdom and who want to see men and women come to Christ and grow in that. Let us pray. Father, we are thankful for your word. We are thankful that You are a God who is patient with us and that your Holy Spirit, he who dwells within us, illuminates our minds to see things, to perceive things. And we rejoice that you help us to reorient our lives And we want to love you. We want to love you supremely. We want to be able to say, here's my heart, Lord, take it and seal it, it is yours. Father, if anyone here has given you their mind, but has not given them, not given you their heart, may that be true today. If there's anyone here who has given you their mind and their heart, but not their will, you cause that to happen. And as we sing this last song about yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, may that be true of all of our desire to really give to you full reign and full supremacy over everything. May we look forward to your kingdom's return, but also to the kingdom advancement here. May you make your name known through the work of Christ and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, oh God, conform us to the image of Christ, allow us to see conversions, bring sinners to you, birth men and women into your kingdom, draw them out of darkness into light, open up eyes, and we will give you the praise in Jesus' name, amen. Stand and sing our final song together.