Luke 21:25-38 Ready For His Return

Intro: Today I am going to open our Study by mentioning two words / A) Now when these two words flow from my lips I want you to note your

reaction to these two words (READY) - TAX TIME !!!!

B) Now Your reaction to those two words was probably one the following

1) Some of you might have thought – OH NO!!!! Why did you have

to remind me – I can’t believe it is that time again

C) I came here to hear a Bible study – not to be reminded of the IRS /

 

Others of you might have thought – NO PROBLEM – In fact I am anxiously awaiting my RETURN –

  1. That is my vacation money / I filed months ago / as soon as my W-2 came !! READY & WAITING
  2. Now a Third reaction might have been – Oh I am just making it by the skin of my teeth –
  1. In fact I was just adding up the figures last night & I think I am going to make the deadline
  1. Then Lastly maybe there are some who / thought I am definitely going to file for an EXTENTION – NO way I am going to Be ready !!!!
  2. Your Reaction might have been one of those 4 responses!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Now I have 2 more words for you to CONSIDER - Once again I want you to Check Your Reaction / ( READY) CHRIST RETURN

  1. Now in some of your minds you are maybe thinking – WAIT I am not ready for this / didn’t know one of those CHURCHES

B) I didn’t come here to be told that I need to be ready for the Return of

Christ - I came here to feel good

    1. That is how some people respond to the subject of the return of Christ !! / Some Ignore it all together / Scoffers Where Promise …

But others think – FAR OUT – I CAN’T WAIT !!!!! I am READY & anxiously awaiting the RETURN of my Lord /

  1. Your Hearts Leapt – ANTICIPATION & AN EXCITEMENT !!!!
  2. But perhaps others were thinking – I am trying my hardest to be ready for that day – but it is a STRUGGLE –
  1. Living in this Place is tough / Difficult – constantly being Challenged about my faith
  1. Then maybe there are some – Who would even think – I will just ask for an Extension – I am not ready now – But just give me a little more time
  1. Let me take care of a few more things that I need to take care of / just let me do a few more things that I want to do / then get READY

 

Now in the part of Luke 21 that we are looking at today that is exactly what Jesus is talking about – HIS RETURN !!!!/ Believers attitude

  1. We noted in our study on Wed. how in the First part of Luke 21 Jesus is Prophesying Concerning the Invasion of… & Destruction of TEMPLE
  2. That would take place in A.D. 70 / He mentions in v. 12-19 How the Church would be PERSECUTED / seen in Acts /
  1. Also have seen in early Church History / in first 3 centuries of the Church over 6 million Christians were Martyred
  1. But that Initial persecution during the time of the Early Church would be followed by the Invasion Of Jerusalem & Destruction of the Temple
  1. Which took place in A.D. 70

 

At that Point Just as Jesus Prophesied the nation would become scattered & would cease to exist as the people were scattered all over –

  1. And things remained that way – for almost 2 thousand yrs until May 15th 1948 – Israel was Reborn
  2. Now that was a Significant event on the Prophetic Calendar – signaling that we are living in the Last days
  1. But in v. 24 Jesus mentions another significant event on the Prophetic

Calendar -

24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

  1. In this Prophecy Jesus was describing how Jerusalem would be under the Control of Gentile Nations for a specific period of time
  1. Began in 607 B.C. and proceeded all the way until – June 8th 1967 during the six day war the Jews captured control of Jerusalem
  1. The times of the Gentiles were over !!!!! -

 

Well it was at that point in His message that Jesus begins talking about HIS SECOND COMING /

  1. After the times of Gentiles over – the 2nd coming will take place
  2. What Jesus describes here are events that No one in this room is going to want to WITNESS – OR EXPERIENCE
  1. Want View from the Heavenly GRANDSTANDS !!!/ Read v.25-27

Jesus says that there will be Cataclysmic Cosmic events that will precede His Second Coming/ Prophets described

Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give

their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will

not cause its light to shine.

Isa 30: 26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the LORD binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound.

  1. In those last days, when the Lord deals with the nation of Israel, these

    2. things will be seen in the heavens.

    1) The suns heat will be intensified

    Rev 16:8-9 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and

    power was given to him to scorch men with fire.9 And men were scorched

    with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over

    these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

  2. These things will happen IN THE HEAVENS during what is known as the Great Tribulation

 

Jesus also mentions that there will be DISTRESS of NATIONS

A) We are seeing that TODAY

B) EVERY nation of the world is in distress.

There is war and military unrest in many places on the globe – problems w/ Crime / Drugs / Increase in Violence / Sexual Immorality

C) Our nation is Sure in DISTRESS

 

We are in a state of ECONOMIC DISTRESS that is beyond

Comprehension As our government refuses to manage it’s spending

  1. We are currently over 5 ½ TRILLION dollars in debt / now that is hard to fathom – so think of it this way

  2. U.S. national debt Clock – 3/11/ 99 4: 00pm we were 5 trillion / 624bill. / 369mill./ 843 thousand 4hundred & 18 dollars & 46 cents

  1. Get this : The debt increases 275 million dollars a day –

  1. Put it another way /The Estimated Population of the U.S. is 271million 781thous./ which means that each Citizens share of the debt is 20,694.49

  1. I don’t know about you – but I don’t have 20 grand sitting around

  1. So We are in ECONOMIC distress –

But we are also in Social Distress

  1. We are losing the war on drugs / We are losing the fight against violent crime

Every eight seconds during the school day one child drops out. One child runs away from home every 26 seconds. One child is abused or neglected every 47 seconds. A teenager has a baby every 67 seconds. A minor is arrested on a drug charge every seven minutes. One child is hurt or killed by a gun every 36 minutes.

B) We are in a state of MORAL distress

On any given day in America 8,400 teens become sexually active/ 1,115 teenagers have abortions / 3,000 teens get pregnant / & 480 teenagers get a sexually transmitted disease

This Year over 1million teenage girls will become Pregnant / 40% of those pregnancies will end in abortion ! / And 60% of those same girls will become pregnant again in 2yrs. /

If the present trend Continues 40% of today’s 14 yr. Old girls will become pregnant before the age of 20

C)There are over 50 known sexually transmitted Diseases/ Each day

33,000 Americans get at least one of these diseases

    1. And ( 66%) or close to 22,000 of those people are between the ages of 15-25

 

D) Economic Distress / Social Distress/ Moral Distress

E) And Though we are the strongest nation in the world, these Problems are UNSOLVABLE to our GOVT.

  1. And According to the Bible things are only going to get worse

Jesus said in Matt. 24 that these TYPES of signs would be the Beginning of Birth pangs the end is yet to come .

  1. When you see these kinds of things happening & when you see them increasing in frequency & Intensity Know this the end is near !

  2. But guys understand that the Distress that is going to Happen during the Tribulation is going to be even Worse .

  1. Crime / Wars/ Wickedness / Ungodliness/ will be at astronomical Proportions / but then all these Cataclysmic things happening

  1. According to Rev. 6 these things will result in the loss of a forth of the earth’s population – today would = 1 Billion 250 million People .

  1. People cry out –for the Mts. To fall on us … Lamb / Why anyone would take a chance on Being here I have No Idea !!!!

 

So Question to answer is How can a person avoid being here : look at verse 28

  1. "Now when these things BEGIN to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Now the REDEMPTION SPEAKS OF A RELEASE

  1. REDEMPTION IS FOR THE REDEEMED !!!! – Who are the Redeemed / it is those who have put their faith & Trust in finished work of Christ

  1. Trusting in what He did on the Cross & given Hearts to Him.

  1. Now a Key word in that passage is the word Begin / When you see these things Beginning to Happen

  2. When You hear of the Sun’s OZONE LAYER – DEPLEETING / when you hear that MAJOR Earthquakes are growing in Intensity & frequency

  1. When You hear of Wars starting – and Violence Increasing / When You hear of Sexual Immorality on the Rise

  1. All things that are Grieving – Jesus says – Don’t hang your Head – Don’t get Discouraged – Don’t Look down but – Look up – why ?

  1. Your Redemption Draws Near !!!!

What is our Redemption – Turn to 1 Thes. 4 :13 –18

  1. Therefore – Comfort one another w/ these words

  2. When we see all these things BEGINNING TO HAPPEN why should we look up – Because it reminds us that He is coming to get us

  1. The Growing Intensity & Frequency of these things / THE

INCREASED BIRTH PANGS tells us it is just around the corner

  1. Now don’t misunderstand me on this / As believers we are to have the heart of our Lord who grieves over the Sins of our Nation

  1. But not to the Point that it would lead us to depression & inactivity

  1. The increase of these things should produce in us an Urgency & an excitement/ – House is on fire going to burn / get people out !!!!!

  1. That should cause us to PRAY HARDER / WITNESS STRONGER

C)Because although we know we are going to be taken out – we want to take

as many People w/ us as Possible !!!!! BACK TO LUKE

Now at this point Jesus TELLS an Interesting Parable/ v.29-33

  1. So Jesus says Look at the Fig tree - ( Took head turn ) pointing to a Fig tree in View from the Temple Mt.
  2. 3 Trees – in OT was a symbol of the Nation of Israel –/ Olive tree (Jer.11) The VINE Isa. 5 / and the FIG TREE

    3. Hosea 9: 10 "I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season.

    Joel 1: 6 For a nation has come up against My land, Strong, and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has the fangs of a fierce lion. 7 He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree;

    Jer.8: 13 "I will surely consume them," says the LORD. "No grapes shall be on the vine, Nor figs on the fig tree, And the leaf shall fade; And the things I have given them shall pass away from them."' "
  3. So here is Jesus a Jew talking to Jews about a Fig Tree / what are they going to be thinking about – obviously – their Nation – Israel

 

Jesus says learn a lesson from the fig tree – when you see it begin to Blossom Know that the Kingdom of God is near !!!!

  1. Israel Blossomed in 1948 – when it was reborn – continued to flourish every since then
  2. 1967 recaptured Jerusalem - / 1989 – they planted 175 million trees – become a leading exporter of fruit to the world
  1. Early 1990’s w/ the collapse of the Former Soviet Union – resulted in several hundred thousand Jews returning to Home land

C) Guys The Fig tree is Blossoming !!!!

 

Now there are those who say wait Jesus said Look at the fig tree & all the Trees – more simplistic interpretation.

  1. They suggest that Jesus is simply stating – Look at the trees when they start to Blossom you know that summer is near
  2. You can tell that summer is getting closer by the signs on the trees & so too you can tell that the time of My return is getting by the signs you see
  3. I am not opposed to that view point – but I believe that Because we are told that Jesus was speaking here in a Parable that this has more meaning
  1. Parable is an EARTHLY STORY W/ A HEAVENLY MEANING

Deeper meaning than just sign from nature

  1. Again Jesus is a Jew/ here talking to Jews who knew that God often referred to Israel as His FIG TREE
  1. To me it is Obvious He is speaking of the Rebirth of Israel - / but what do the other trees represent ?

 

Good Question several possibilities / One is that it could refer to the growth is other nations / growth in Development & Population

  1. I tend to think Jesus is speaking about – Nationalism in general - There is going to be many more nations – that come on seen
  1. That has surely happened especially recently – w/ Collapse of the former Soviet Union
  1. Watch the Trees but especially the Fig tree / for when it blossoms Know this that the Generation that sees these things not pass away
  1. Until all these things have taken place
  1. Wait do you mean that the Generation that – saw the Rebirth of the Nation Israel is going to be the Last Generation before Christ Return?
  1. Yes I believe that is exactly what Jesus is saying here!!!
  1. But here is the Problem – we don’t know what a Biblical Gen. Is .

is it 40 yrs / 70yrs / 100 yrs – Know one is sure

  1. Makes sense because Jesus said that Know man Knows the day or the Hour of the coming of the Son of Man .

 

That is why this Prophecy is not meant to get us prognosticating about days months & yrs – but to wake us up to reality – TIME IS SHORT

  1. That we are definitely living in the Last days / We are definitely Living during a time that according to the signs is closer than ever to His Return
  2. And w/ that in Mind – Jesus ends this Sermon – By telling us How we should be Living What our Attitude should be
  1. So that if He were to come today/ tomorrow or 15 yrs from now I know that I would be ready Note v.34-38

 

Jesus begins by saying take Heed to Your selves

A) TAKE HEED = to hold the mind towards, pay attention to, be cautious about, beware, have regard.

B) What are we to take heed to here concerning the Last days

to yourselves –

1) be concerned with your own personal state of heart as it pertains to specific things / that can be a Danger to your Walk – What things

  1. "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch out for those things that will cause your hearts to become weighed down – things like Partying & Drunkenness

  1. Watch Beer Commercials – so in accurate – first make it look Like all the Best looking – people in world Drink Beer

  2. Polled Models in Beer adds – how many actually Drank beer – the Percentage was so small – because said ruined their looks

  1. But they don’t show the aftermath of a night of partying – waking up in middle of night stick head in the Toilet

  1. Having a major Headache the next day - Being Bummed out because the party had to end – you had to return to normal life w/ all its problems

  1. They never show you any of that stuff!!! Nor do they tell you that

(alcoholism) is responsible for: --50 percent of all auto fatalities

--80 percent of all home violence --30 percent of all suicides

--60 percent of all child abuse --65 percent of all drownings

  1. If you are a Christian & you want to be READY FOR THE LORD’S RETURN – don’t get wrapped up in that stuff !!!!

 

This idea of Partying & Drunkenness I think could also apply to that mentality that is so Prevalent in our Culture

A) Always looking for that which is going to give you a "GOOD TIME"

B)Some people live their whole lives searching for new ways in which they

can be entertained –

C) Now I am not suggesting that we shouldn’t Ever look to do things that are

Entertaining – ( Denise & I enjoy – find a good Video to Rent)

  1. But often – Someone recommends a movie – We rent it - & end up turning it off greatly Disappointed by something in it.

D)And even when we do find one – Night to Veg. Rarely feel Rested

afterwards

  1. We also Enjoy going to a good Christian Concert – Both Love Music/ but you can’t become consumed w/ those things

1) What Movie see? What Concert go to ? -

The point is because We are living in the LAST DAYS and the most important thing is the Kingdom of God.

  1. We should NOT get caught up in ANYTHING that will take our hearts away from the Lord and His return.

  2. What ever I am doing it should be something that I would feel good about if the Lord returned at that time

  1. Example - Friday night – We debated about coming to Concert – both Loved Two or More / Like Friday nights / but 6 of last 7 nights

C) So we went to Dinner – used some gift Certificates to Soup Plantation &

Went home & Played Mario Race Cars w/ the Kids

  1. This is where the Lord wanted us tonight

 

But Notice what else Jesus says – He doesn’t just say watch out for Partying mentality or getting caught up in the Entertainment thing

  1. But Also TAKE HEED that you don’t get weighed down by the cares of this Life – so that the Lord’s coming takes you by surprise

  2. This is totally Different – First exhortation was for those who Live to Have Fun – this one is for the Person who LIVES TO WORK

  1. Always worrying wondering How am I going to pay the Bills

  1. It speaks of those DAILY things that can become major Distractions in our Lives

  1. Things Like How am I going to pay the Bills / what if I get sick
  1. How do I look in the Eyes of Others –

1) Things that take our Priority off of Knowing Jesus / trusting Jesus / & serving Jesus & put the Focus on our Selves

 

So Jesus says TAKE HEED that not caught off guard – Snare – Trap

  1. So how can we make sure ready ? Watch & Pray always

  2. The Word watch here literally means to Be Awake – Don’t be caught Sleeping !!!!!

Romans 13: 11 Do this because we live in an important time. It is now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The "night" is almost finished, and the "day" is almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness and take up the weapons used for fighting in the light. 13 Let us live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no sexual sins of any kind, no fighting or jealousy. 14 But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and forget about satisfying your sinful self.

  1. Eph.5: 14 This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. "Be Very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

 

1Thes. 5: So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up

 

36 "Watch therefore, ( BE AWAKE & ON GUARD ) and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

  1. The Escape – be the Rapture - that is our comfort is that for those who are ready there is a way of Escape – Miss all this

B) Are You ready !!!!!

 

Say it again – CHRIST RETURN –

HEART SAY OH NO!!! NOT TODAY

Heart say – FAR OUT – LET’S GO / WAITING & WATCHING

HEART SAY – I hope I’m ready - but I have been struggling

Know this you Won’t be able to say – CAN I FILE AN EXTENTION – SURPRISE & I AM STUCK !!!!