The Days will Come

Bible Reading

Table Talk Discourse Continues

Started with a dinner with a Pharisee in ch 14

Jesus addresses Pharisees and disciples

In chapter 17 we heard Jesus calling us to a new way of life / repentance & forgiveness

We have heard of the 10 Lepers and the unprofitable servant

We have learned of a faith that was a seed -

Now a demand of the Pharisees shifts the discussion - but it is not off topic just the natural progression

Luke 17:20–37 (KJV 1900)

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

32 Remember Lot’s wife.

33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Sermon Introduction

Chase praying for Tyler at the wedding rehearsal. Surely Lord come quickly..

Teaching of the second coming should be heard in our prayers, our foyer discussions, and in our planning meetings. It should be that real to us.

We need a paradigm shifting in our thinking. We can live as if this world is all there is, or we can view our earthly existence as a brief pilgrimage designed to prepare us for eternity.

Three dominate worldviews

Ultimate reality is material and that everything in the universe is the impersonal product of time and chance. There are variations of this view, but it is best known as naturalism, atheism, and humanism.

Ultimate reality is not material but spiritual. However, this spiritual agent is not a personal being but the “all-that-is.” Variations of this view include pantheism and the New Age movement.

The Christian world view, distinguishes between the creation and the Creator and declares that ultimate reality is an infinite, intelligent, and personal Being. We believe that this personal God has decisively revealed himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ and one day he will return to rule and reign.

Today’s passage we see 3 things about the Kingdom

You will not miss when it comes

You will not understand this event if you do not understand the cross

You will ready for this event if you are clinging to this world

How did we get to this topic?

Luke 17:20-21 “20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God (1) cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, (2) the kingdom of God is within you.”

This was a logical question to ask, for He had been preaching for quite some time that the kingdom was at hand.

Jesus had just taught about a new way of life (repenting and forgiving one another), He has told the story of the unprofitable servant, and He just healed 10 lepers.

I do not know what was motivated the Pharisees to ask the question, but we can see the logic behind it.

Jesus responded to the question in two ways.

He said that the Pharisees would not be able to tell of the coming of the kingdom through their observations.

He told them that the kingdom was in their midst.

Kings and Kingdoms

The topic of the kingdom and King is foreign to us.  We've never had a king in the United States of America.  In fact, we were born in a revolution against a king.

The kingdom is such a critical aspect of biblical teaching. 

God is presented as a King who rules over a kingdom. 

They misunderstood the purpose of His first coming.

There are two realms to this kingdoms. 

There is the material kingdom. / They got this. They tried on a number of occasions to force Him to be a King, didn't they?  And he had to prevent that from happening.

There is the spiritual kingdom. 

He is King over both domains.

He rules one by creation. He rules another by recreation, through revelation.

What is the Kingdom like?

Many Parables are given in Matthew that help us see.

We have looked at two recently in Luke.

Luke 13:18-19 “18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.”

Universal. It will take over the whole universe at its culmination. / Also, seen in parable of the leaven bread.

Gradual.

The kingdom will not come like a prefabricated home. Rather, it spreads progressively, as the Son in heaven sends his Spirit to prepare his people for his place

“Look, I begin with a spiritual kingdom in the heart which is now realized and it expands and moves and becomes greater and greater until one day it will cover the whole earth in the millennial glory when Christ comes to reign!”

There is no equal. However, maybe this earthly example will help.

The 4-square mile (10-square kilometer) heavily guarded strip on the banks of the Tigris River in Iraq was known as “Little America” or the Green Zone

We're fellow workers for the kingdom.

Col 4:11 “11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.”

We're in the kingdom.

We preach the kingdom. It's all about the kingdom.  So we are a part of this expanding spiritual kingdom.

This passage is not chronological but it speaks to the nature of Christ’s return.

Let me give a brief summation of the passage

“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.

They will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.

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.

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 will it 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.

In that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women working together. One will be taken and the other left.’

They said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the birds will gather.’”

Today’s passage we see 3 things about the Kingdom

You will not miss when it comes

You will not understand this event if you do not understand the cross

You will ready for this event if you are clinging to this world

You will not miss when it comes

It will not be something hidden that we need to look for.

Luke 17:23-24 “23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

J.F. Rutherford, who succeeded Charles Russell as president of the Watch Tower Society (JW), predicted that the Millennium would begin in 1914, 1917, and then 1925, and that biblical figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would be resurrected as "princes". The Watch Tower Society bought property and built a house, Beth Sarim, in California for their return

You will not need a decoder ring to figure out that it ha come. Luke 17:24 “24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.”

Signs in the sky are to awaken every one

Not just for select group of professing believers

It will not be in a small meeting in an apartment in Brooklyn

It will be unmistakable

Luke 17:26 “26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.”

No newscaster had to say, “It's raining,” when Noah's flood came. No newscaster in Sodom and Gomorrah had to say, “It's raining fire and brimstone.” Everybody knew.

You will not understand this event if you do not understand the cross

Luke 17:25 “25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.”

We can understand and we are blessed if we do.

The book of Revelation begins with a very, very simple, unmistakable sentence. Rev 1:3 “3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

I am grateful to have a childhood pastor who took time to explain to me about the Gospel. I am thankful he did not stop there. He reminded me, through sermons and conversations, that Jesus would return one day to rule and reign.

We do not know the day.

Luke 12:40 “40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”

Why would the Lord do that?  Why would He want us to think it could happen at any moment?

This truth has a sanctifying effect in our lives. 1 John 3:3 “3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

When will Jesus come?

Without the cross, the coming of the King and Judge is not good news

Not until after He has suffered. Luke 17:25 “25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.”

Suffering and rejection. His coming will be delayed by His suffering, but also by, notice this “ be rejected of this generation.”

This is a very important issue in eschatology.  Jesus cannot return until Israel's rejection ends.

This is the message preached in Acts

Acts 3:18-19 “18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

The kingdom cannot come until Israel believes. 

We are not saying, "We are waiting for the salvation of Israel then Jesus comes?" 

The rapture of the church comes first. We're caught up to be with the Lord in the air.

You will not be ready if you are clinging to this world

The Bible ends with these words

Rev 22:20 “20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Could you say this is your prayer today?

This will reveal the hearts of men.

Luke 17:32-33 “32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

God will deliver the godly from this coming day of judgment.

2 Peter 2:4-9 “4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”

Whoever tried to keep his life by going back for his good will lose it.

Luke 17:31 “31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.”

When Jesus comes on that day His coming will disclose where people's hearts are.

Most people think the world exists to fulfill them so they can find their satisfaction, their fulfillment, their purpose, their place, to be all they can be.

Churches often erroneous teach that if they haven't found it already, then Jesus will help you find it. 

This is one reason why 85 percent of Americans say they are evangelicals.  They're happy to have Jesus find their place for them. 

The gospel then becomes about what Jesus will do to fulfill you as the center of your universe, so that the well-being of the sinner becomes the end and the goal of God's plan.

Spurgeon remembered a further tragedy regarding Lot’s wife: she almost made it. “Doom befell her at the gates of Zoar. Oh, if I must be damned, let it be with the mass of the ungodly, having always been one of them; but to get up to the very gates of heaven, and to perish there, will be a most awful thing!” (Spurgeon)

This should matter to us because we desire this day

Luke 17:22 “22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.”

Richard Baxter in his commentary on this makes strong statement. “The believer prizes heaven above this world. The unbeliever prizes heaven only over hell. To the ungodly, there is nothing that seems more desirable than this world, and therefore he only chooses heaven over hell but not heaven over this world. And therefore he will not have heaven upon such a choice.”

This is not primarily about us escaping this world but it is about Jesus receiving the glory He deserves.

Picture of the rapture as kid brought fear and fascination.

The Second Coming is about Christ, it's about His glory and His honor and it's about the end of sin and the beginning of righteousness.  That's why we long for it.

John 17 this gives us a perspective that may help us. 

Jesus is having a conversation, really a prayer with the Father here.

Jesus prays the time He will glorify the Father. John 17:1 “1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”

Go down to verse 24 and see why. John 17:24 “24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

We long for the Second Coming because we want to see the glory of Christ manifest!

Psalm 96:8 “8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his courts.”

Where that which is ripe for judgment is present, there also will the judgment take place.

Luke 17:37 “37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.”

Some wonder if the conditions are ready in the present day for this revelation of Jesus, both in delivering His people and judgment upon a world that rejects Him. We may say this with some confidence: The Bible describes certain political, economic, spiritual, social, and military characteristics regarding what the world will be like before His return. It is fair to say that the conditions exist today, and the stage is set.

When you're talking about the Second Coming, you're talking about something that must happen. 

The promise of God demands it. 

The teaching of Jesus demands it. 

The Word of the Spirit demands it. 

The plan for the church demands it. 

The future of Israel demands it. 

The corruption of the world demands it. 

The destruction of Satan demands it.

Most importantly vindication and exaltation of Jesus Christ demands it. 

22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

We look for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His church in which we're taken out before all of this even begins.  And if you're Christ's, that is your blessed hope.

Conclusion

We pray that sinners would be warned, carefully warned today about what is to come. 

Jesus has the right to be glorified.

Jesus the right to be honored. 

Jesus has endured enough shame at the hands of sinners who have rejected Him.

Could you join me in praying “surely Lord come quickly?”