Text: Luke 12:35-44; 17:22-32
INTRODUCTION:
1) These were what pretenders
said:
Through the years, quite a few people have predicted the return of Jesus or the
end of the world at a specific time. In 2011, an American radio preacher
stirred up the interest of the mainstream media with his prediction that Jesus
would return on May 21. Earlier this year, some people predicted that the world
would come to an end on December 21, 2012 because of the Mayan apocalypse.
2) This was what Jesus had said: Anyone who knows the Bible
well knew that those advance warning or prediction weren¡¯t accurate because
Jesus himself said His return would be ¡°at an hour you do not expect.¡± (Luke
12:40) He also said, ¡°No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels
in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.¡± (Matt 24:36) Historically, people
tried to tie catastrophic disasters such as the super storms in the past or
huge earthquake and tsunami in Japan 2 years ago to the end-day of the world
and the return of Jesus Christ. Again and again, all had been proven as fake
and joking. Yet people will continue to predict and some will continue to
believe.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE RETURN OF JESUS:
1) Because this world is not
forever:
¡°Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.¡± (Matt
24:35) These are words from the mouth of Jesus. In comparing the everlasting
nature of his words, he used something everyone believes to be everlasting, the
heaven and the earth, but they are no match with the words of our Lord. When
Jesus included both heaven and earth in this sentence, it leaves no guessing if
it is only the earth will not last, but neither will the heaven. Nothing will
last.
2) Jesus promised he would
return:
¡°And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be
with me.¡± (John 14:3)Again, these are words of Jesus¡¯ mouth, his own words and
promise to his disciples 2,000 years ago and to us today. If you can¡¯t believe
promises of others because of their failure in the past, you can put your faith
in Jesus and his promise because he has never failed anyone anything. When he
said he would return, he will return. You can trust his promise.
3) Because there is a judgment
day: ¡°All
the nation (people) will be gathered before him, and he will separate the
people one from another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. He
will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say
to those on his right: Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Then
he will say to those on his left: Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his messengers.¡± (Matt 25:32-34, 41) No
one likes to see a judgment day, particularly the evil and the wicked. But
there will be one at the end time when Jesus will return to judge the world.
4) Because of a New World order: ¡°Then I saw a new heaven
and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth has passed away and
there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her
husband.¡± (Rev. 21:1-2) We have heard for many years some people are looking
for a New World order in earth through some political organization like the
United Nations. They hope that this New World order will bring peace and
prosperity for all people. Some tried to create this by promoting education;
others by technology or military. But all have brought the world into more
chaos. God has prepared a New World order when Jesus comes back at the end time
to replace the Old World and all the defects with it. By then, the Lamb of God,
the Christ, will be the King of all kings and Lord of all lords forever. When
the new comes, the old much go.
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO ON THIS? (Luke 17:22-32)
1) There will be lots of
speculations:
¡°Men will tell you: ¡°There He is!¡± or ¡°Here He is!¡± Do not go running after
them.¡± (17:23) This is exactly what
we have seen and heard throughout history: Many false prophets, preachers or
pretenders will tell the world when the Lord will come and where. Many people,
including some truly dedicated but ignorant Christians will be lured into doing
some ridiculous things. Some of these false preachers did this because they
were fear mongers, for the sake of scaring people. Others did this to promote
themselves as cult leaders for unseemly purposes. Still others who speculated
because they did not truly believe the words of Christ. All of them are leading
people away from God.
2) Some don¡¯t care about the
end-time:
¡°Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be the days of the Son of
Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to
the day Noah entered the ark, then the flood came and destroyed them all.¡±
(17:26-27) Most people, including some Christians, do not care or take the
end-time seriously. All they care is enjoy life to the best of their ability.
Jesus used ¡°eating, drinking and marrying¡± to describe ¡°the joy of life¡± in
this world. These people don¡¯t care if there is an end-time. If it comes then
it comes. I enjoy life while I can before that day.
3) Others believe this world is
forever:
¡°It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying and
selling, planting and building.¡± (17:28) On top of eating and drinking, these
people had more plans: make more money by doing business: building, buying and
selling properties, house or business to make more money. To these people, life
is more than to enjoy, but also to plan, to accumulate, to store up for the
years to come. To them: This is the place they will stay forever. But Jesus
continued to say: ¡°But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from
heaven and destroyed them all.¡± (29) No. This world isn¡¯t going to last forever
no matter where you live or how much you planned. To us Christians, there is an
eternal home with Jesus in heaven. That home is forever.
4) They will lose everything
they have:
¡°On that day, no one who is on his roof of his house, with his goods inside,
should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for
anything. Remember lot¡¯s wife?¡± (17:30-32) Have you seen the pictures of those
who lost everything they have in the flood of Super-storm Sandy and the huge
fire that destroyed over 100 homes in hours during the storm in October this
year? Or the earthquake in Szichuan, China or Japan a
few years back. Many lost everything they worked all life; some even lost their
very life. When lot¡¯s wife left her home in Sodom she left everything there.
Jesus wants us to remember all these as warning signs.
WHAT THE LORD WANTS US TO DO? (Luke 12:35-44)
1) Always be ready for his
coming: ¡°Be
dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning like men waiting for
their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks
they can immediately open the door for him.¡± (12:35-36) Jesus used a familiar
phenomenon to illustrate the importance of being ready for the Lord¡¯s return.
Get dressed and have the lamps burning are steps all servants suppose to do to
meet the master when he comes home. In this parable, Jesus asks that we as his
servants are to prepare for his return just as servants at his time ready for
their masters. Being ready is the key to face that big day. No one may face his
master unprepared when he comes home. Do we have that sense of duty to Jesus?
2) This is good for the
servants:
¡°Blessed are those servants whom the Lord comes shall find watching.¡±
(12:37KJV) Some people feel that being ready to welcome the Lord is too much
for them. They feel it is bothersome, inconvenient or even sacrificial to do
so. Most of these people would rather care their business in life instead of
focusing on waiting for the Lord to come back. But Jesus promised the faithful
who are waiting and watching blessing in his house. He further illustrated the
reward of being faithful in the parable of the talents in Matt 25:21, ¡°Well
done, good and faithful servant! I will put you in charge of many things. Come
and share your master¡¯s happiness.¡± Being ready to welcome the Lord is never a
losing business. Instead it is a much rewarding business than unprepared and
get punished.
3) Time is not a problem to the
faithful:
¡±And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find
them so (faithful), blessed are those servants.¡± (12:38 KJV) Time is not a
problem to the faithful: It doesn¡¯t matter when the Lord may come if you are
ever ready for him. When I was a seminary student in Hong Kong, living in
campus dorms. The dean of students will do unexpected inspection in our dorm
rooms. This is part of the training of self-discipline all seminary students
need to learn. Some students felt very scared because they don¡¯t have the
discipline to keep things in places. Those who always kept their room tidy and
clean never have to worry or be stressful.
4) A command all need to obey: ¡°You also must be ready
because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect him.¡± (12:40)
When Jesus used ¡°must be¡± to start his sentence, he didn¡¯t leave us any choice
or options but to obey without any question or negotiation. If we are not
taking steps to get ready, we are in direct collision with the order of the
Lord. If you are aiming to be in heaven with the Lord, you don¡¯t want to
disobey his order. Do you? So follow his order and be ready to see him.
CONCLUSION:
1) Don¡¯t get misled by lies: Trust what the Lord said
than what false prophet say about the end-days or his return. No one would know
except God himself. All we need to do is getting ready, be watchful and
prepared to meet him when he comes or we go to see him. No one may guarantee
our life in this temporary dwelling. Do not focus all your life about things in
this world. Soon we will move over to be with the Lord. No need to build any
sandcastle.
2) We all have to meet him: All people in this world,
believers or not, will have to meet the Lord when he comes back or if you go
first. So, why not get ready before that day? Jesus has prepared a place for
all of us in heaven, just waiting for you to accept him as your Lord and Savior
by faith. Confess your sins to him and ask for his forgiveness. Then invite him
into your hearts and be Lord of your life. Someday when you need to see him,
you won¡¯t be rejected or left in the darkness.