Well, I invite you to turn back to the other side of your bulletin and you will find our scripture passage for this afternoon. As many of you know, on Wednesday afternoons we have been going through the Gospel of Luke and now we find ourselves approaching the end of the Gospel of Luke and here in chapter 17 we find important words which the Lord Jesus Christ says to us. And so we will read Luke chapter 17 beginning in verse 20 to the end of the chapter. Verse 20 says, 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. For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. And he said to 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. And 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 will it 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 is 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. And they said to him, where, Lord? He said to them, where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." Well, as we've noted, we continue on in our study of Luke's gospel, approaching the end of Luke's gospel, and we've seen as we've gone through much of what the Lord Jesus Christ has to say to us as His church. We've seen him proclaim the Gospel, and here we come to verses which give to us difficult things to understand, as the Bible so often does and as Jesus so often does in the Gospels. And yet, these verses address important questions and give important answers for us about how we are to think about the Lord Jesus Christ. how we're to think about his kingdom, his coming, his day, and how it should influence our lives. So as we approach the text and deal with maybe some difficult and hard to understand verses, we ought to do so with faith, understanding that what the Lord Jesus says is important for us, even today as Christians. As we notice, as we go through the text, we find really two sections of the passage that we're considering this afternoon. In the first section, really in verses 20 and 21, we find Jesus addressing his enemies, the Pharisees, continually. We find another interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees. And then in verses 22 to 37, we find Jesus particularly addressing his friends. His followers and His disciples. And so as we look at these two sections, we want to see what Jesus says first about the Kingdom of God, and secondly about the days, or day, of the Son of Man. First we want to look at the Kingdom of God, and second, the days of the Son of Man. And so first we see Jesus interacting with the Pharisees and speaking about the kingdom of God in verses 20 and 21. And the answer which Jesus here gives in our verses is brought about by a question which the Pharisees ask. We find it there in verse 20. They ask when the kingdom of God would come. And I think it's not immediately obvious whether this is a hostile question or a genuine question which the Pharisees are asking. I think it would be right for us to think of this as a hostile question because we don't find too many instances in the Scriptures and in the Gospels in which Jesus is having genuine and sincere interactions with the Pharisees. So often they're seeking to ask difficult questions to try to trap the Lord Jesus Christ. to try to make him seem foolish to those around him, to make him trip up in what he says. But we don't know if this is a genuine question or a hostile question. Whether the Pharisees are seeking to get Jesus to say something about a difficult topic, or whether they're genuinely interested in when the Kingdom of God would come. But regardless, we find it an important question, and a question which would have been on the minds of Jesus' hearers. As we read through the Gospels, we see that at the center of Jesus's message is the kingdom of God. He's constantly preaching about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, declaring that it's at hand, that the kingdom of God is coming now. So the question arises in the Pharisees' minds. We see later in the scriptures it arises in the apostles' minds, and it might arise in our mind. When does the kingdom of God come? When will it come? And particularly, it seems that the Pharisees are asking for the particular signs which will come when this kingdom arrives. What are the things that we should be looking for? What are the signs that are going to accompany this great kingdom coming? And Jesus really gives two answers, or a two-fold answer to this question of the Pharisees. First, he gives a negative answer. The way in which the kingdom will not come, or is not coming. And secondly, he gives the positive answer. Notice the negative answer he gives in verse 20. He answers this question of the Pharisees by saying, the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, in ways that can be observed. It could be translated in ways with observation. It's a difficult word that Jesus uses here, a rare word. It speaks of observation, observing signs, of even sort of spying on something. But I think the point which Jesus is trying to make to the Pharisees and to us is a point about the nature of his kingdom that is coming. And that is that it is a spiritual kingdom. It is a different kingdom. It's not like the kingdoms of this world. And it doesn't come like we would expect the kingdoms of this world to come. It has a different character. And so it has a different establishment. Jesus says this very clearly in a famous passage, which I'm sure many of us are familiar with, in his passion as he's being questioned by Pontius Pilate about who he is. and the charges which the Jews have made against him, he says, we find this interaction between Jesus and Pilate in John chapter 18 verses 33 to 36. And there it records that Pilate entered the headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered, do you say this of your own accord or did others say it to you about me? Pilate answered, am I a Jew? Your own nation and chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? Jesus answered him, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this world." See, this is, I think, the point which is in the background of what Jesus says here. His kingdom is not of this world. It's not going to come as the Pharisees would expect, as we would expect in the world around us. It doesn't come like other kingdoms. And of course this question has great significance for the Pharisees, for the Jews of their day, but also for us as Christians, especially for the Jews of their day though. We know that there was great expectation around a coming kingdom. We have the promises of the scriptures that the Jews would have had and expected. Promises like in 2 Samuel chapter 7, in which God promises to David that a son of David would reign with an eternal kingdom and an eternal throne. And so there is great expectation around when this kingdom would come. And we find throughout the scriptures, especially in the Gospels and Acts, that with this great expectation there were great misunderstandings about the nature of this kingdom and how it would come. The Pharisees had wrong expectations, wrong assumptions. And Jesus here speaks of his heavenly and spiritual kingdom and seeks to show them that it doesn't advance and is not established as they think it might be. We often think about the empires, the kingdoms of this world in the past and even presently, and I think so often we have a fascination about how they come, how they come about, how people rise to power and then fall from power. podcasts, documentaries, TV shows, all these different things in which we look at and think about how these kingdoms of this world, the great men, the great kingdoms come about. What are the signs that happen? And so often there are similar things that come about. Men gaining armies around them, nations gaining power, conquering enemy and rival nations around them. There are all these things that usually accompany a coming kingdom. And Jesus says, his kingdom is different. We're not to be looking for those things. The Pharisees were not to be looking for those things. Matthew Henry, I think, helpfully summarizes this. And he says that this kingdom, Jesus's kingdom, has not external show as other kingdoms have, the advancements and revolutions of which are taken notice of by the nations of the earth and fill the newspapers. See, Jesus is seeking to show the Pharisees that they had wrong expectations about who the Messiah would be and what his kingdom would be. And I think if we think about the Lord Jesus Christ and his life on earth, his incarnation, we would see that what Jesus says here about his kingdom is played out throughout his whole life and ministry on earth. J.C. Ryle, one of the great Bible commentators, I think helpfully summarizes this again. He says, the expression which our Lord here uses describes exactly the beginning of his spiritual kingdom. It began in a manner at Bethlehem without the knowledge of the great, the rich, and the wise. It appeared suddenly in the temple at Jerusalem, and no one but Simeon and Anna recognized its king. It was received 30 years after by none but a few fishermen and publicans in Galilee. The rulers and Pharisees had no eyes to see it. The king came to his own, and his own received him not." And so we see the wrong expectations, the misunderstandings, and therefore the Pharisees and so many of that generation missing the kingdom when it came. Notice what Jesus says, the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, look here is or there. They won't be able to point to the regular signs, the regular things that we would think about when a great king and a kingdom comes. But how does this kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ come? Or when will it come? To answer the question of the Pharisees. Well, notice what he says in verse 21. He says, they will not say, look here it is or there, for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. Again, we have some difficulties of understanding exactly what Jesus says here. There are different interpretations of what Jesus is seeking to say. It could be that Jesus is saying that the kingdom of God is in you, that it's an internal thing in your heart, or that it's in front of you, it's something that you can grasp, it's attainable. And while those things are certainly true, I think what Jesus is here saying is not just that the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom that's in you or that it's being proclaimed to you and is before you, but what Jesus is seeking to say is that the kingdom of God has come because he has come. The kingdom is in your midst because Jesus himself is before you. Christ himself is the kingdom, we might say. He is its king. He is the one who administers its spiritual blessings, who calls his people to himself and brings them out of the world. He builds his kingdom. He administers his kingdom. He reigns over his kingdom. So Jesus Christ is showing to them that they've misunderstood, that while they have looked for signs of a great kingdom all around them, they've missed the coming of the kingdom right before them in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is in your midst. The kingdom is here. Jesus Christ proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand. because He was at hand. And so because they missed and misunderstood who Jesus was, they missed the Kingdom. They couldn't understand because they did not understand the Lord Jesus Christ. And the point which Jesus seeks to make to the Pharisees and to all of us, all people, is that if we wish to know and be a part of the Kingdom of God, If we want to know this kingdom, if we want to be members of this kingdom, we must know, love, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must know who he is. We must see who he is and believe upon him by faith. If we desire to know, see, and enjoy God's kingdom, we must know, see, and enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ. And in some sense, what Jesus says to the Pharisees then is still true in our day amongst us. The kingdom of God is still in our midst because Jesus Christ is proclaimed to us in his word. Jesus Christ has come. He has given to us his word. And when the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed, he is in our midst being spoken of, being proclaimed as the king over his kingdom, the one who brings this kingdom about. And so we ought to heed the rebuke which Jesus gives to the Pharisees, that if we seek to be members or a part of Christ's kingdom in any way apart from believing and knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, we have failed. But here we see, I think, a clear call to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, to know him, to believe in him, to see him in all his glory, and to rejoice in him, walking continually with him. So we see first what Jesus has to say about the coming of his kingdom. that it has come in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. But secondly, we see Jesus move to address his disciples in verses 22 to 37. And here particularly, as Jesus moves to speak to his friends and his followers, he addresses not just the kingdom of God, but he says, the days of the Son of Man. He addresses how we are to think about and live in light of the future days of the Son of Man, and particularly the judgment which will come with the day of the Son of Man. We see judgment spoken of in a number of places in our verses. And as we think about all that Jesus has to say in these verses, I think what Jesus gives to us here are several characteristics about this day or days of the Son of Man which will come, characteristics which we ought to see in these verses, particularly four characteristics that he gives to us. First, I think he shows that the day of the Son of Man or the days of the Son of Man will be unmistakable. They will be clear and unmistakable. So you can look again at verse 22, in which Jesus again addresses the concern that there will be a day in which his disciples will want to see the days of the Son of Man, and they will not see it. And in this time in which they won't see the days of the Son of Man, there will be those who will be trying to draw them away with false claims to those days. So you see in verse 23, it says that many will say, look there or look here. Look over here. Look at this thing. Look at this example. Here will be the Son of Man. He says that there will be many who will come to seek to draw away his disciples to all these different things. But notice what he says in verse 23. Do not go out or follow them. For he says that the day of the Son of Man will not be mysterious, but he says that it will come clearly and unmistakably. 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 his day. I think Jesus uses this image of lightning flashing in the sky to show us, again, this unmistakable nature of his coming. When lightning flashes in the sky, it's hard to miss it, especially the sound of it when we have a lightning and thunderstorm. We've had several in recent days. You hear it. You feel it. But when you see lightning crash across the sky, it's visible to all people. It's clear. This is what Jesus is saying about His coming. The day of the Son of Man will be clear. It will be unmistakable, especially to His people. We can look at verse 37 as well. Verse 37 is a difficult verse with several different interpretations about what exactly Jesus is saying there, but one interpretation which I think is persuasive is that when Jesus speaks about the corpse and the vultures gathering, he speaks about the judgment that will come upon his day and the fact that it will be clear. that the vultures will gather to the corpse, that there will be a clear demonstration of judgment that will happen upon this day. It will be unmistakable. But he also seeks to show us, secondly, the judgment that will come at that day. So you notice in verses 26 through 29, Jesus speaks about and references the days of Noah and of Lot. He speaks about there the judgment and destruction which came upon those people and Noah upon the whole earth. And then he points to, in verses 34 and 35, the particular kind of judgment that will be brought by the Son of Man on His day. Particularly, it's a judgment of discrimination. One will be separated from the other. The line of distinction between God's people and unbelievers will be made clear on that day, he says. He says, two will be in one bed, one will be taken, and the other left. Two women will be grinding together, one will be taken, and the other left. There will be a clear line of discrimination of judgment. J.C. Ryle refers to this as a day of sifting, a day of sifting. It will be unmistakable. It will be filled with judgment and discrimination. But thirdly, we also see Jesus describe the character of the world on this day. So notice again what he says in 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. Then secondly, in verse 28, he points to another illustration of what these days will be like. In which he says it will be like the days of Lot, in which Lot lived in Sodom, a city notorious for sin and wickedness, and the people were living, not expecting judgment to come, and yet judgment came. And particularly here, Jesus seeks to show us the nature of His judgment again, that it is unexpected for those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and walk with Him. It is unexpected. It comes upon them as they're living and enjoying the pleasures and things of this world, thinking that there is no accountability, that no judgment will come, and yet it comes upon them swiftly, unexpectedly, when they think that there will be no judgment at all. And because of all these things, these characteristics about the day of the Son of Man, we find Jesus give to us, fourthly, a warning or a call for us about how we are to live in light of these characteristics about the day of the Son of Man. Notice he says, particularly in verse 31, 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 is in the field not turn back." You see, what Jesus is saying is that for His people, for us, as we think about the coming judgment of the day of the Son of Man, we ought to learn from this judgment that we should not put our hopes or hold onto too tightly the things of this world. That's exactly the picture that he gives to us in verse 31 of when the days of the Son of Man come that the one who's on the top of his house when it comes, instead of seeing the coming of the Son of the Lord, will of the Son of Man will want to seek to grab the things that he has in his house, the things that he treasures. the possessions that he has. He loves those possessions and so he wants to make sure he can get them before the time is too late. Or the one who's in the field will turn back to the things that are behind them, the things of this world which they desire. And here I think Jesus points to a very clear danger that we have as Christians in this world, and that is the danger of loving this world in such a way that supplants the love of God, the love of Christ in our hearts, and the love of His kingdom, which is a heavenly kingdom. Notice Jesus illustrates this by simply pointing to Lot's wife. Verse 32, remember Lot's wife. Of course, Jesus is assuming that his hearers know the story about Lot and his wife. That God came to Lot and called him to leave Sodom because judgment was coming. He leaves with his wife and his family. And the angel of God told them not to look back when they were leaving. And yet, Lot's wife does look back and is judged and turned into a pillar of salt. And what Jesus says here as he looks to the Old Testament is he looks to Lot's wife as a picture, a warning of what we could do, of having a love for the things of this world, the pleasures of this world. J.C. Ryle describing Lot's wife says that though she fled with him, with Lot, she had left her heart behind her. Her heart was not with God, but her heart was with the things of this world. with the pleasures of Sodom, with all the things it had to offer, with the culture she lived in, the house she lived in, she loved those things more than she loved God. So here we see a clear call, I think, to set our hopes as God's people, our joys, our love upon Christ and His kingdom. upon Christ, his heavenly kingdom, and the things which we receive in the Lord Jesus Christ." We're meant to see ourselves, the Bible tells us, as exiles, as citizens of heaven, awaiting a heavenly kingdom. And that ought to impact the way we think and live even now. The Apostle Paul describes this in Colossians chapter 3, verse 1 and 2. He says, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. I think here Jesus calls us, as his people, to look to himself by faith, to rest in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who brings to us his great kingdom and all its benefits, And that as we rest in Him, we must be people who set our hearts upon Christ rather than the things of this world, who consider Christ and His glory greater wealth than all the treasures of this world which we have around us. We ought to be people who rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ and set our hearts upon Him. And as we seek to do so, let us pray that Christ would give us the power and the strength to do so. Let us pray. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we do give thanks, O Lord, that you are gracious to save for yourself a people, that you call us to yourself, make us members of your kingdom, and grant to us all the blessings and privileges of that kingdom. O Lord, we ask that you would help us now as members of your kingdom, awaiting the full consummation of your kingdom, to set our hearts upon you. that we would set our hearts upon all the things which you give to us, that we would rejoice in them, O Lord, that we would hold loosely to the things of this earth. We know that to do so we need the power of your Spirit, so we ask that you would work within our hearts, powerfully by your Spirit, that we might live in this way. In all this we pray in your name. Amen.