At the end of the tribulation, we can learn principles of encouragement for all of us here today. And in these truths that are presented here, we see the importance of not living for the world, but of living for eternity. Matthew chapter 24, beginning in verse 32 through verse 51. Now, learn a parable of the fig tree. When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, but know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But, and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and point him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Father, help us to face soberly the truths of this text today. cause us to submit ourselves to our eternal responsibilities rather than simply living for the pleasures of this day. Help us, Lord, to understand that this passage clearly teaches each of us today that eternity is more important than time and may we use what limited time we have to prepare ourselves and others for eternity. In Jesus name, Amen. One of the questions that occurs in the mind of Christian people particularly Bible believing Christians. May I use the word fundamentalist today? We would include ourselves in that term, of course. Is that people sometimes wonder why those who don't take the same approach to the Bible that we do seem to succeed so well in this world? Why is it that New Evangelicals seem to be so happy? And why is it that churches who don't hold the standards that we hold dear seem to have happy, joyful, giving, serving people? We make that contrast in our minds, although it's not always legitimate to do so. But our young people become enamored of the more contemporary styles of worship today. And sometimes we say, well, you know, I know that that's not the kind of church I'd like for them to be in. But, you know, I'm really glad they're going to church. And we have that kind of an attitude. And we wonder, is there something that we're missing? What's wrong with us that so many alternatives today to Bible believing Christianity seem to be so desirable to so many people? And how is it that so many people can succeed in the world and have nice things and have influence? And aren't they still Christians? I mean, don't they go to church? And why do we have to be so rigid and so different? And aren't we, by being so rigid and so different, just promoting a culture? And aren't we actually tending to drive away our young people by not offering some of the things that the other churches are offering? Now, you can't tell me that there aren't people in this room who had those conversations or who fought that way. Now, let's ask ourselves something. Are we missing something? I mean, the truth of the matter is, if our young people do not adopt our values. They don't learn in our churches how to make it in life. In other words, the kids that grow up in a church like this. that don't become serious for God, do not then generally go out to become happy compromisers. You understand what I'm saying? They end up in tragedy, rebellion, difficulty, and great turmoil in their lives. Now, why is that? I think there's a reason, and I think we can find it in this text. And to put it simply, here it is. If you and I believe what we say we believe, we have to live as though it were true. And if we do not live as though it were true, it's rather foolish to say we believe it. And our problem is our position as far as doctrine is concerned, and our living as far as practical things are concerned, do not always line up And I think sometimes we give people the impression that our position as separatist Baptist people is somehow the merit of our favor with God. Rather than realizing that the blood of Christ provides our merit with God and that the things that we do are to make it possible for us to have the ministry that we're supposed to have in this world. Many fundamental Bible believing Baptist people today even here in this church, are content to have the right creed, but they live as though they're frustrated that they don't get to enjoy the things that all the others in the world are enjoying. And if you don't think our young people pick up on that philosophy, you're mistaken. They say, well, Mom and Dad, I just don't understand why you make yourself so miserable. I don't understand why you have all these rules and regulations. I mean, if we're here on a mission, what is that mission? Is our mission just to not be like the world? Is that it? So many fundamental Baptists are like surgeons who scrub and never perform surgery. And of course, the other crowd are those who perform the surgery and never scrub. may infect and kill their patients as a result. Folks, separation and standards are to the ministry what sterility is to surgery. Our problem is not that we don't keep ourselves clean. It's that we don't do anything except parade around the hospital and talk about how clean we are. You understand what I'm saying? And if we don't have a mission in life that we have prepared for, The people that we have influence over, particularly our children, are going to say, what's the point? You go to that church because that's what you enjoy. You like that kind of music. You like that kind of preaching. You like the way people dress. I mean, sometimes I would be reading big, thick books of subjects that were interesting to me, history or or other things. My kids would often accuse me of reading the dictionary when they were growing up. I didn't actually read the dictionary, but there would be times when I'd look up a word and I'd get fascinated and turn to other words and they would tease me about it. One time I was reading a very thick book and one of my boys came up to me and said, Dad, do you enjoy boring yourself? And I said, this book is not boring. Sure would be boring to me. You know, and that's the same attitude sometimes that people have about the way we live as Christians. You do that because that's what you enjoy. And you know what? Listen to me. If we come to a church like this because this is what we enjoy, they're going to pick up the philosophy that you go to church to enjoy it. And they'll go find one they enjoy. We've got to communicate that this church should be not about what we enjoy, but about what God requires. And the focus should be on our responsibilities to God and what He demands of us and obedience and submission to Him. And if that's true, then some things are going to have to change. They're going to have to change about us and our burden for this world. We're going to have to live as though eternity were more important than time. So let's look at the text with those thoughts in mind. Remember, you can't live for the present. You've got to live for the future. And if you just adopt the truth so you can enjoy your life for today, you're going to ensure failure both today and in the future. Eternity is more important than time, and there are three reasons in our text why you must believe that truth, that eternity is more important than time. The first is in this first few verses. Now, you may have paragraph divisions in your text just like I do, and I don't necessarily agree with those paragraph breaks that the people have supplied for us. I think the first paragraph is verse 32 through 36. I don't think it stops in verse 35. So, verses 32 through 36 teach us that Israel's survival is a scriptural certainty that you can actually see today. And that's one of the reasons that you must believe the Bible prophecies about the future. So, Israel's survival, a scriptural certainty that you can see today, provides for us a context in understanding the importance of eternity. Verses 32 and 33 tell us about the signs of the second coming. Now, let me explain again, for those of you who may have just joined us. We've been studying the Gospel of Matthew now for quite some time, looking through it verse by verse. This particular passage in what we call the Olivet Discourse, or the last great sermon that Christ preached here in the book of Matthew from the Mount of Olives, the week of the crucifixion, is a prophetic passage. And this chapter talks about the second coming. Now, when we talk about the second coming, we're not talking about the rapture of the church, the second coming, or it's also called the revelation in the Bible. occurs at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. When the Lord comes at the rapture, he will come for his bride, the church. He will not come to the earth. He will come above the earth. We will rise and meet him, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we shall all be glorified and go to be with him forever. During that period called Daniel's seventieth week, or the tribulation period, broken into two periods of three and a half years, here on earth There were some other things taking place in heaven, the marriage supper, the judgment seat of Christ and a time of blessedness and rewards for the first three and a half years here on earth. There will be the contract between the Antichrist and the nation of Israel, and there will be relative peace while he consolidates his power. But midway through the tribulation period, he will then set up an idol of himself for worship in the temple of the Jews. cut off their temple worship. As Daniel says, the sacrifice and oblation shall cease. And then Antichrist will become the tyrant that he would have to be. And for three and a half years, great suffering and tribulation will settle in on this earth. And many people will lose their lives, but many others will turn to Christ. And at the end of that great suffering, that great tribulation, the last half of that seven year period of time, the Lord Jesus will come back. And he will touch down right there where he's delivering the sermon on the Mount of Olives. And then the battle of Armageddon will occur and the enemies of Christ will be destroyed and the millennial kingdom will be set up shortly thereafter. So the second coming of Christ refers to the revelation of Christ in our purposes here today. It actually is the two part return of the Lord in the end times. But this chapter here does not talk about the rapture. It talks about the revelation. This is a prophecy to the Jews. Now, there are some things in the verses we've read today that sound very much like the rapture, and many people teach the rapture from this portion of Scripture. But if we do that, we make some mistakes that we have to be very, very careful about, because then we believe some things that the Bible doesn't actually teach, such as the fact that there are signs of the rapture. And you've often heard people present messages where they take certain indicators As signs of the rapture, well, we have signs of revelation, but not signs of the rapture. The rapture of the church is imminent. It could occur at any moment. It is the next thing on God's prophetic calendar. Nothing has to happen for the rapture to occur. And you will often hear people say, well, the only thing that has to happen before the rapture is the following. And then they try to show you from the newspaper how it's very close. Because that's about to happen. No, the rapture could occur during this message. It could occur at any moment. Everything that has to happen before the rapture has happened. But there are some things that are unfolding before the second coming. And that's what we see here in this chapter. And the signs of the second coming are based on the witness of the survival of Israel. See what it says. Now learn a parable of the fig tree. And of course, the fig tree in many places in the Old Testament. Jeremiah chapter 24 and Joel chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, Hosea chapter 9, verse 10. We'll not take the time this morning to look at all those passages, but there are numbers of Old Testament passages that use the fig tree as an illustration of Israel. And the fig tree, if you've ever had one, we used to have one in our yard. I love to have the fresh figs from the tree and it's a delicious fruit. But you'll know that the fig tree puts forth leaves and fruit at the same time. Many trees, of course, the hardwood fruit trees and things will produce their leaves and then their fruit. But the fig tree is more of a bush like tree and it produces rapid growth and fruit and leaves at the same time. So when he says when the branches yet tender, speaking of the new growth that occurs in the springtime and put a fourth leaf, you know that summer is nigh because that occurs in the springtime. Spring seems to have come so quickly this year. The leaves just appeared and that fresh bright green color that we see for a few weeks in late March and April has now passed and the leaves are mature and we know that summer is going to be here next month. And spring is still going on. That's exactly what he's telling us here. You can tell when you see those things happening that that summer is very, very near. And what he means by that, likewise, you when you shall see all these things, know that it's near even at the doors. And of course, what he's talking about there are those things described in verses four through twenty eight. The disciples had asked him the question and said, what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? And then the Lord said, take heed that no man deceive you. There will be many Christ that come. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There will be all these other things and persecutions. And then, he says, in verse 15, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, he's talking about the great tribulation. And when those things begin to unfold, you'll know that the coming of the Lord is very, very near. So, see those signs of the coming at the end of the tribulation period. When you see these things coming to pass, or see all these things, know that it's near. And really, the word it there, it's very much like the phrase that we read in the book of Romans. The Holy Spirit itself makes an intersection for the saints. And we always are very careful to say, well now, the Holy Spirit is not an it, he's a he. Well, this is also the word he. that he is near, even at the doors. It's a masculine pronoun. And the idea is that the coming of Christ is very near when these things begin to unfold. But we don't believe that those things precede the rapture clearly because they're taking place during the tribulation. So the fig trees renewal is the illustration. But Israel's revival is the actuality. What he's talking about here is that Israel will survive. It will be a nation. And at this point, It will be turning from the Antichrist to Jesus Christ and looking for his coming. And those things are the signs. But then the certainty of this survival, of course, is based on God's word. And this is what you and I need to take confidence in. It tells us here in verses 34 and following. Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Now, those who do not take the same position that we would take on the interpretation of Bible prophecy interpret that phrase generation differently. Some believe that the destruction of Jerusalem under the Roman general Titus fulfilled this entire prophecy. Well, the only problem with that, of course, is if it fulfilled it, where is Jesus? Because Jesus' second coming is in connection with everything that's described here. And they have to allegorize or spiritualize all those prophecies and make the coming of Christ something other than literal. And that, of course, is not a proper way to interpret Scripture at all. So this is not talking about A.D. 70, even though that may have been a precursor for illustration purposes through history of the coming of the Lord. And when they say this generation shall not pass, many commentators who take that position will say it was only about 40 years from the time Christ spoke those words until the destruction of Jerusalem, which is one generation. And therefore, that generation didn't pass. Others will take this to say the generation that was alive when Israel was founded as a nation in 1948. Is the generation that will not pass away? Well, if a generation is 40 years in the Bible, that would have been nineteen eighty eight. And that's why one fellow wrote a book a few years back, called 88 Reasons Why Christ Will Come in 1988. And I guess he sold a lot of books, but some people may still have them. he didn't come back in 1988. I think he even revised it and then wrote a book called Why He's Actually Coming in 1989. But date setting schemes are always an embarrassment to the people who, I mean, eventually they're embarrassments to the people who try to do those things. The word generation I believe is referring to the Jewish race. In other words, the Jews will not cease to exist. The Jews will survive. They will be here and the end time prophecies will be fulfilled literally and actually concerning the nation of Israel. This generation, this nation of people, this race, the Jewish people will survive. It shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Why? Because these are prophecies about the Jewish nation. And there have been times, both at the destruction of Jerusalem and in the wars with the Turks, as they were called at that time, and even under the Holocaust of the Nazis during the Second World War, and even under the intention of the Arab world today, there are times when the annihilation of the Jewish people seems to be a certain thing. But you can rest assured, regardless of what political machinations occur, the Jews will survive. Why? Because God said they would. And that's the basis of it right there. And the reason that we must believe this is because that's the same authority on which we place our faith in the second coming of Christ. The Hebrew race will survive and the word of God will survive. Verse 35 says, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. Now, when he says heaven and earth shall pass away, remember what he had just said back here in verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the power of the heavens shall be shaken." That's a literal statement. This creation as we know it is going to pass away and be judged by God. But God's word is not going to pass away. And God's word said the Jews are going to survive, and that's what he means. Though the whole creation be chastened and changed, God's chosen people will remain and they will turn to Christ and they will enter into the millennium. And that's the promise that he made. And the Jewish leaders, these apostles, listening to that statement. Some people believe it referred to those apostles themselves. The Lord did not return and he did not set up his kingdom and all those apostles died. And another reason that we know the early church did not believe it was referring to the generation of the apostles is because they still look for the imminent return of Christ, even after the apostles were gone. So they believe this was talking about the Jewish race as well. But the word will outlive the creation. The word of God is forever settled in heaven, the psalmist tells us. And it will not be destroyed. And you and I ought to put our confidence in the Word of God. Now, remember, I said at the beginning of the message today that we have to live our lives in the context of eternity and not be distracted by doing simply what pleases us. Why? Because everything that men enjoy in this world is simply transient. But God's Word is eternal. And you and I, if we're going to live our lives in the context of eternity, must live biblically. And you can't say that you believe this chapter or any other chapter of the Bible and not take this seriously. When you come to a chapter like this, I don't see how you can say, well, wasn't church nice today? And then go live your life on your terms on Monday. Because if you come here on Sunday and hear this passage of Scripture, You've got to be different on Monday. And if you're not, you have to ask yourself whether you really believe this or whether you're just saying it because all of your friends do. Are you with me? Now, what does he say? Though there are recognizable signs, there is no revealed schedule. You'll see the signs, but it's going to come so suddenly you're going to be surprised. Verse 36, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only. In the parallel passage in Mark 13 and verse 32, it says, no, not the son, but my father only. What does that mean? Does that mean that Christ was not omniscient? No, it means that that particular attribute of his deity was not one of the prerogatives that he sought to use. in order to honor the father's sovereignty in the second coming. He had all the attributes of God, but he thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. It was made in the likeness of men. So the New Testament says no, not the sun. It doesn't mean he doesn't know everything. It means that he chose to submit to the father's sovereign will in the timing of his return. So although there is recognizable signs, There's no reveal schedule, but make no mistake about it. Israel will survive. These prophecies about Israel will be fulfilled. Jesus is coming of that. You can be sure because he said it in his word and his word is eternally settled. Now, that's the doctrinal foundation on which the message is based today. It's the doctrinal foundation on which the words of admonition of our Lord are given in these next few verses. My friends, you have got to make up your mind today about whether you believe that or not. Now, if you believe it, then you have to answer the question, how can you possibly live as though it were not true? You say, well, I've made my preparation. I'm ready. I'm ready for the coming of the Lord. Are you really? What did the Lord say you and I are responsible to do? Oh, we're waiting for the coming of the Lord. We're supposed to use our lives helping other people get ready, and that, I believe, is the great indictment of many fundamental Baptist churches today. How can you and I be content to be ready for the coming of the Lord and at the same time be so careless about helping others prepare for the coming of the Lord? That's why many times our children don't take it seriously. That's why our young people are more interested in enjoying church, because that's what we've taught them is what it's all about. Church is fun. Church is something we enjoy. Church is what Christians who can't do other fun things do. And since we've given up so much and given our lives to church, then church should be fun. I read a book one time by a teacher, a public school teacher, who made the comment, many people are so thrilled about Sesame Street because it teaches kids to love school. He said, no, Sesame Street teaches kids to want school to be like TV. And the same thing is true of our churches, our Sunday school and all the rest of it. In other words, if we teach our young people The church is supposed to be fun. It ought to be joyful. But sometimes there's work and duty and responsibility involved in life that you make fun by being responsible, responsible people usually enjoy fulfilling their responsibilities, but they have to make themselves do the unpleasant aspects of their responsibilities in order to have the joy. All of you parents know that's true. You didn't have children. because everything about rearing them is fun. The unpleasant aspects of rearing your children makes possible the joy of having children. And the same thing is true of your Christian life. But today we have irresponsible people who don't want to wait for the joy. If they can't have the fun, they're not going to do anything. And this whole entertainment culture that we live in has now convinced some people that church should be entertainment for Christians. Where does service and sacrifice come in? There was a day when people could be called to giving their lives to Christian service and going to very unpleasant places on this earth to win souls for Christ, and people knew that it was a noble character building thing to do, and they took joy from making that sacrifice. But today, there aren't as many people who want to make those kinds of sacrifices. And I don't think we ought to indict the younger generation without accepting the responsibility for having set the standard. You understand what I'm saying? How do we change it? We change it by realizing that the second coming certainly is a scriptural certainty that you will see someday. Yes, the survival of Israel is a scriptural certainty that you can already see today. But the second coming is a scriptural certainty that you will see some day. Verse thirty seven and following makes this clear to us as the days of Noah were now the spelling is the Greek spelling of the word Noah. As it was then, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Now, the judgment that came on the earth in the days of Noah was clearly taught to us in the Old Testament. It says to us there in Genesis six, seven, eight, nine, long in there that the earth was filled with violence and wickedness. And God judged the earth. Now, what were they doing? Well, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. What's wrong with those things? What's wrong with eating? We all have done some eating, probably already today, we'll probably do some more eating today. You have to eat. Eating in and of itself is not a sin. Drinking there does not refer to debauched alcoholic beverage consumption. It refers to just drinking what you need to drink. Is there anything wrong with marrying or giving in marriage? I've just come from a wedding yesterday. It was a wonderful event, a great blessing. It's not wrong to get married or to give your children in marriage. So what's he using this illustration to show us? He's saying that if all you care about are those things which you enjoy in this life, if you live for time and not eternity, if I might use the metaphor, you're going to miss the vote. And that's what happened to everybody except Noah and his wife and their sons and their wives. They missed it. That's the illustration that you and I need to face. It's going to be a time of severe judgment, he tells the Jews. And in principle, you and I must realize that even though we're going to be taken in the rapture and not go through the tribulation period, if we're truly believers. We're going to face judgment to the judgment seat of Christ and give an account and be rewarded or not, based on how we've lived our lives. As at the flood, this is going to be a time of accountability, evil and violence fill the earth today. As at the flood, it's going to be a time of astonishment. It is in verse thirty nine, they knew not until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Now, Noah and his sons had been working on the ark for one hundred years, and during that time. He had been preaching and teaching the truth, but these people were so distracted. They missed destruction and its eminence. That's where the world is today. May I say to you kindly, but clearly that's where most Christians are today. Most Christians are so distracted with the things that interest them. They're not trying to be comfortable and healthy and have all the resources available so that they can help prepare others for the second coming of Christ. They have fallen in love with the comforts of this world. And they think the Lord has delayed his coming. In fact, the truth of the matter is, I know many Christians who hope the Lord won't come soon because things are going too well for them here and now. That's the Christianity that we're giving to the next generation, a kind of Christianity that says, well, someday when we've enjoyed all there is to enjoy here, Then we'll get to go and be with the Lord. Won't that be nice? Sort of like if you finish all of your steak, you can have some dessert. You see? And that kind of philosophy is producing a generation of self-centered, unsacrificial people. taking it for granted and not being willing to go into the ministry or go to the mission field or make the sacrifice. And the results are what we see in our world today. It will not only be a time of severe judgment, it'll be a time of separation and joy. Verse 40 says, then two should be in the field, the one should be taken and the other left. Now, some people say, well, that's the rapture. Two people be working in the field and one will be taken in the rapture and the other left. No, this is not talking about the rapture. Look at verse 30, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away. Who did it take away? Not Noah, not his wife, not their sons, not their wives. They were left. Everybody else was taken away. And so in verse 40, when he says, then two shall be in the field, one shall be taken. Where are they going to be taken? This is talking about being taken to judgment. These are the unrighteous who have rejected Christ, those Jews who have been part of the rebellion, who have not turned to the Lord, who are in the armies of Antichrist, and the rest of the world who are fighting in the battle of Armageddon against Jesus Christ. They'll be taken away to judgment. And those who put their faith in Christ will be left to enter the millennium. That's what he's talking about here. In verse 41, two women should be grinding at the mill, the one should be taken, the other left. The taking in this passage of Scripture is a taking to judgment, not a taking in the rapture. Now, the people who believe it's talking about the rapture do so on the basis of the grammar, because a different word for take is used in verses 40 and 41 than the word for take in verse 39. But they're synonyms and they're used interchangeably in the New Testament. And I think it's clear that this is talking about the coming of the Lord at the end of the tribulation because of the context. How do I think? Why do I know that? Because look at verse 40. What's the very first word then? Now, what does then refer to? It's not talking about the flood. It goes back to the last statement of time, which is in verse 29 immediately after the tribulation of those days. And then he says then. At the end of the tribulation, then shall two be in the field, and two women shall be grinding. This is talking about the end of the tribulation period and the taking away, the taking to judgment. It's going to be a day of accountability and separation. And there's a warning here for all men and women when it says two should be in the field. That's the masculine numeral. Two men is the idea. One man shall be taken. And then it says two women shall be. And notice those are in italics because the two is the feminine numeral. It's referring to two women shall be grinding at the mill and so on. There's a warning for all believers when verse 42 says, watch therefore. In other words, you watch just like they should be watching. You watch, for you know not in what hour your Lord doth come. That applies to all of us. It applies to the Jews during the tribulation. Turn to Christ. You don't want to be taken away to judgment. When you see that happening, know the Messiah is coming. Turn to Him. And there will be some who know this who will turn to Christ then, who've never understood it before. But you know it now. And you might be one of those who's taken in strong delusion if you wait until the tribulation. So turn to Christ today, you don't know when the Lord's coming, even in the rapture, that principle applies to us. Now, the lesson of Noah is that making preparation for yourself and for others is the only way to live with the knowledge of certain judgments. Hear me, the church today is living like Noah building the ark in secret. That's where we are. We're building an ark for our family, but we don't want anybody else to know about it. Can you imagine the mockery and ridicule that Noah faced? as he preached and proclaimed the judgment of God that was coming. There are a number of places that we could turn to, but if you would please look quickly at second Peter chapter two. Second Peter chapter two in verse five says. talking about God, not sparing the angels in verse four, but chaining them in darkness. Those who rebelled with Satan in verse five and spared, not the old world, but saved Noah. Are you there yet? Second Peter, chapter two, verse five, spared, not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person or the eighth generation, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and so on, and delivering Lot and so on. The statement here is that if God didn't spare those, do you think he's going to spare us? Do you think he's going to say, well, you know, America is a really wonderful country, and they've got some nice buildings and some nice roads, and they're really making some nice cars today, and they've got all these groceries that are filled with food, and they've built some wonderful church buildings. You know, and they're nice people. They really are, and they love their country and their flag. You know, and they can be really good people. And I really shouldn't destroy them. And I really shouldn't hold them accountable. And for that matter, it really is a Christian nation. And they love me. And they go to church. And they all have Bibles. And we should just go ahead and start the kingdom and use them. Do you think that's going to happen? Or do you think God's going to keep His Word? Do you think He's going to send His wrath and His judgment on the carnal wickedness and evil in the hearts of men today who have rebelled against God? And we bring our children to church, we send them to Christian school, and we let them listen to this for years and years and years. And they grow up from the time they're babies until they're in or out of college. And then sometimes we wonder, how come they're not taking this seriously? I mean, we're taking it seriously. I mean, we're not living for the world and we don't go to movies. And I mean, we've made a lot of sacrifices to be good Christian people. Sure, I mean, yeah, you've built the ark, but the only problem is you don't want any of your neighbors to know about it, do you? What am I saying to you, I'm saying that until churches like ours. Get serious about helping other people avoid the destruction that's coming. We can never with credibility truly claim to believe it. You hear what I'm saying to you today? Folks, my dad used to say this to me. Son, I wish I could just open your head up and pour this in it. If there was some way that I could get this in your minds and in your hearts today. If you don't live according to what you say you believe, you deny what you say you believe. And the influence that we're having is that these things don't really matter. Except, of course, for us. And what we're saying is, well, I'm just going to hedge my bet here a little bit. If this is true, I want to be covered. But now that I've got it covered, I'm going to go live like everybody else. You say, well, I don't live like everybody else. I don't play cards and I don't drink. Oh, good for you. Do you think that makes you spiritual? We've got a generation of people who call themselves fundamentalists, who are some of the most proud people on earth. They're proud of what they don't do. Well, you ought to ask yourself whether you can be proud of the fact that you don't care whether anybody but you and the folks that live in your house go to hell or not. When's the last time you passed out a gospel tract? When's the last time you actually gave the gospel to somebody? When's the last time you invited somebody to go to church with you? You know who usually invites the folks to church? New Christians, or folks who just recently found the Bible preaching church. You know why? Because they haven't gotten apathetic and complacent about it yet, and take it for granted. I've said this to you a thousand times, I'll say it again. Christians in this town, and it's not just this town by the way, but Christians in this town are like cats drowning in cream. And folks, we're going to answer for that. And we've got to take this seriously. Here's the final thing. The second coming brings sobering conviction that you must seek in your heart every day of your life. Verse 33 says, know this. If the good man of the house had known what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Look, if you know when the guy, when the burglar's coming, you're going to watch and catch the guy, right? Or you're going to call the police and have him hide out. I mean, you're not going to let somebody come and take your stuff if you know when the guy's showing up. He pulls in a U-Haul truck and, you know, breaks your window and starts hauling your things away. If you know that's going to happen, you're going to prevent that. Well, what's the point? The warning of this truth is simple. The man who knows that he could lose everything is going to take action. By the same token, the man who knows he's going to gain everything should be taking some action. Therefore, be also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man coming. You and I claim to be excited about the rapture. We're going to go to be with the Lord. Let me ask you something. What do you think is going to be one of the first things the Lord wants to know about when you go up to meet him? Do you suppose he's going to ask you someday? I gave you so many opportunities. I gave you the truth. I gave you the Bible. I gave you printing. I gave you computers. I gave you sound systems. I gave you a church. I gave you freedom. I gave you health. I gave you all this stuff. What did you do with it? Did you tell anybody? Where are the people that are supposed to come with you? We're going to be standing there like lot someday when the angel of the Lord says to us, Hast thou any here besides? Is this it? Is this all you brought? And what are you and I going to say? I wonder sometimes if folks are not going to end up like Locke's wife. You won't be salt for me, I'll turn you into salt. You see what I'm saying? You're not going to have to answer for that. Be also ready. How can you say you're ready if you have spent your life avoiding that which He called you and saved you and left you here to do? I understand that. Listen, my kids went through the same thing some of your kids go through. Well, Dad, you know, he calls you to be a preacher, but he didn't call me to be a preacher. You know? Yeah, I understand that. I've had relatives say to me, well, now don't force your kids into ministry. Well, they forced their kids to follow in their footsteps. And I think this thing through, and I come to the conclusion, we ought to stop apologizing for being in the ministry and start letting our young people know that it's the most exciting and thrilling and enjoyable thing that you can possibly do in your life. Because one of these days, whatever the rest of your doing is going to be over. And I will not have done the job I could have done, I know, but I'll be able to stand before the Lord and know that I spent my life doing what everybody's supposed to do. Now, not everybody makes their living at it, but do you understand what I'm saying? This is a great privilege. This is not some burden, something to be embarrassed about. This is something to be joyful about. And if you believe this is true, Then why don't you dedicate your life to it? Whatever you do for a living, go find some way to make your life count for eternity and not just live for time. Not only is the warning of this truth simple, but the wisdom of this truth is serious. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord has made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season? Listen, the Lord has made us masters over his household. of the whole body of Christ, you and I are the ones who claim to believe the book. Aren't we? For us, it's no mere cultural thing. For us, it's not just a club. For us, it's the reality of obeying God. And what's his priority? His priority is that we occupy and help others to prepare and serve as his ambassadors until he comes. The wise servant lives for eternity. He prepares himself and he prepares others. How do I know that's what this text teaches? Because it says to give them meat in due season. To give others what they need to prepare themselves while there is time. That's what this means. And that's what you are supposed to be doing. The wicked servant, though, he lives for today. The Lord's going to make that faithful servant ruler over all his goods in the millennium. But even if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord, delayeth this coming. Listen, here's one of the biggest mistakes that people make today. They think that because the timing is uncertain that the coming is delayed. Not so. He's coming. He delays his coming. He's not coming back. I've got time to do what I want, and I'll clean it up before he gets done. Some of you young people, you've gone through your entire education that way. My teacher will not give a quiz today. He delayeth his coming. My day of reckoning is not here yet. I mean, it's not Doodle Friday. I mean, I got all week. I'll do it Thursday night. Yes, and you'll do it poorly. And then when you have to hand it in, you'll have all kinds of excuses. My daughter, Becky, has a companion dog who picks up papers and pencils when she drops them. She told me the other day, she says, nobody but me can say my dog ate my homework and mean it. But people make those excuses, don't they? You're not going to make those excuses to Christ. You're going to have to give an account. Doctrinal defection always leads to ethical defection. Watch how this works. Look at verse, is it 49? Here's the doctrinal error. My Lord, delay of this coming. Here's the ethical error and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken. Oh, we're real good at criticizing what's wrong with the world, aren't we? We'll smite them in a heartbeat and then we'll drink with the drunkenness of the world. and entertain ourselves with that which we should of war. The Lord of that service will come in a day when you look at not for him and in an hour which he is not aware of. You better be careful where you are in the rapture comes. You better be careful what you're saying or listening to when the rapture comes. You better be careful how you're You see, we're going to change all that, but you're still going to have to answer for it. You understand what I'm saying? That's why we have standards, because the Lord's coming back. Wrong believing always leads to wrong behaving. And the astonishment that follows the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour when he's not aware of. And that astonishment is going to come and there'll be physical punishment and eternal punishment. He shall cut him asunder. That's referring to physical punishment. and appointment portion with the hypocrites, there should be weeping and gnashing of teeth. A person who lives that way is a hypocrite. He makes a profession, but he doesn't live by it. Now, folks, I know I made this real simplistic today. I didn't have it intended to make it simplistic. I tried to make it simple, and it is simple. Here it is, bottom line, in case you haven't understood what I've been saying to you and what I believe this passage says. If you are not trying to help other people prepare for the inevitable. You are a hypocrite. You're a hypocrite and your children know it. Now, they have to decide whether they want to be a hypocrite. Or whether they want to be a real Christian. Now, there aren't any guarantees. Everybody's got to make their own decisions. But my point is this, if you say you believe this and that it's the driving truth of your life and then you live some other way, don't be surprised when they don't take you seriously. If you really believe that imminent destruction or imminent bliss was a reality, you wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it. So you get a decision to make today. Either you believe it or you don't. And I'm not asking anybody here today to act like you believe it. You've been acting too long. If you don't believe it, let's just be honest about it. If you do believe it, let's get grace from God to live like you believe it. Father, help us to live for eternity. We don't know when the thief is coming, but we do know the Lord is coming. And there are so many of us who are not living in the constant expectation of the imminent return of Christ. Truth is, the majority of Christians today do not. Now we have a generation of people who, though they are not aware of how offensive it is to the Lord for them never to show interest in another soul. They themselves get easily offended when all their desires are not met. Father, rebuke us today for our carelessness. Help us to realize that we cannot truly be ready unless we're helping others get ready. And I pray we would be faithful stewards and faithful servants and give meat to those in due season that will never get it without us. Bring us to repentance, I pray. And help us to realize that eternity is more important than time, not just for us, but for everybody. In Jesus' name, amen.