Oblivious

In the May 1984 National Geographic color photos and drawings showed the swift and terrible destruction that wiped out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden; the residents were killed while in their routine: men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, and slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and super heated gasses. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day.

The saddest part is that these people did not have to die. Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers’ record--weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to the Vesuvius warning!

There are similar "rumblings" in our world: warfare, earthquakes, the nuclear threat, economic woes, breakdown of the family and moral standards. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming Day of Judgment. People need not be caught unprepared. God warns and provides an escape to those who will heed the rumblings.

In the same manner that the explosion of Mount Vesuvius occurred, the return of Christ will also be sure and is imminent. Are you preparing for the return of Christ? He is coming again as sure as we are here today! Don’t be like the people in the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. Don’t be like the people who watched Noah build and heard him preach for 100 years before the flood. Don’t be like the people of Lot’s day who were unwarned. Don’t be oblivious to the certain judgement that is coming.

People Were Busy With The Tyranny Of The Immediate

Luke 17:26–27 (KJV)

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

They did eat, they drank...

Luke 17:28 (KJV)

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank...

Finding food and Drink

Enjoying food and drink

Day to day tasks that make life go on

People Were Busy With Their Families

Luke 17:27 (KJV)

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.

Finding a wife

Planning Weddings

Having Kids

Raising kids

Long term plans around a family legacy

This was said about Noah’s day while they were very violent. But that is not the lead here… they were busy with normal things.

People Ignored The Warnings

Genesis 5:32 KJV

And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 7:6 KJV

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

2 Peter 2:5 (KJV)

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;

Noah witnessed to his generation in the years preceding the Flood (2 Peter 2:5), but his preaching did not convert them. Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives—only eight people—were saved from destruction because they entered the ark. Peter saw this as an illustration of the salvation Christians have through faith in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18–22).

11 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 246). Victor Books.

People Were Busy Making an Investing Money.

Luke 17:28 KJV

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

This was said of Sodom and Gomorrah.

They were not just rapists and perverts, they were business folks just like everyone else.

Genesis 13:13 KJV

But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

They bought

They Sold

They Planted - looking ahead to harvest. Taking harvest time for granted.

They builded. They were making long term financial plans.

Matthew 6:25 KJV

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Believers Failed to Warn Others

Genesis 19:12–14 KJV

And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

People Were Caught Off Guard When Judgment Came.

Luke 17:27 (KJV)

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.

Luke 17:29 KJV

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

The Days of Noah, Lot, and Christ become THE DAY OF RECKONING

James 4:13–17 KJV

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Tomorrow is not guaranteed

Your life is a vapour

God can change things in an instant

1 Corinthians 15:52 KJV

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Your Boasting will be silenced.

Genesis 19:26 KJV

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Deuteronomy 6:10–12 KJV

And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Revelation 1:7 KJV

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Luke 17:30–33 KJV

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 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. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

If You Know better do better.

James 4:16–17 KJV

But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Philippians 3:7 KJV

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

The days of Judgement for Noah’s time, Lot’s Time, and the return of Christ was and will be full of people oblivious to what was about to happen. We have God’s word. We do not have to face this unaware of what will happen.

In the days of the pioneers, when men saw that a prairie fire was coming, what would they do? Since not even the fastest of horses could outrun it, the pioneers took a match and burned the grass in a designated area around them. Then they would take their stand in the burned area and be safe from the threatening prairie fire. As the roar of the flames approached, they would not be afraid. Even as the ocean of fire surged around them there was no fear, because fire had already passed over the place where they stood.

When the judgment of God comes to sweep men and women into hell for eternity, there is one spot that is safe. Nearly two thousand years ago the wrath of God was poured on Calvary. There the Son of God took the wrath that should have fallen on us. Now, if we take our stand by the cross, we are safe for time and eternity.