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LOJ #187: ‘When Jesus Comes Back: Pt. 3’

Andover Baptist Church-June 16th, 2013

Opening

A. Text for today is Luke 17:31-37 and our sermon is titled When

Jesus Comes Back

B. Scripture NET:

1. Recap: Luke 17:20-30

"20 Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so He answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” 22 Then 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. 23 Then people will say to you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.24 For just like the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day.25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage—right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”

2. Today’s Text: Luke 17:31-37

"31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, with his goods in the house, must not come down to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife!33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. "34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.35 There will be two women grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37 Then the disciples said to Him, “Where, Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body is, there the vultures will gather.”

C. Children’s Sermon (SLIDE)

1. Do you think that everyone will go to heaven?

2. No. Not everyone will go to heaven.

3. The only way a person can go to heaven is if they ask

Jesus to forgive them for the bad things they have done

and they make Jesus the most important One in their

life.

4. Asking that of Jesus is the most important thing we can

ever do

5. Should we tell others about Jesus? Why?

6. That’s right we should tell others about Jesus because

we want them to know about Him so that they can

choose to go to heaven too!

D. Introduction (SLIDE)

1. This man is Dmitry Itskov. Russian tycoon and former

media mogul.

 

2. He started a project called the 2045 Project

3. Dmitry claims that he would use this project personally

to quote, ‘for spiritual self-improvement, for the

spiritual practice that could allow me to expand my

consciousness.’ 

4. If that didn’t raise the discernment hairs on the back of

your neck maybe this next quote will, ‘My vision is to

use the robot as a full-body prosthesis for the human

brain, to enable people to live longer.’

a. Here is his plan (SLIDE)

b. He believes that between 2015-2020 that a robot

will be controlled via someone's mind (that’s not

too creepy, I control my phone through my voice)

(Ask my iPhone: Am I right?)

 

c. From 2020-2025 there will be robots that will be

able to have transplanted human brains in them to

continue human consciousness after death

 

d. From 2030 to 2035 the brain will no longer be

necessary as a person's consciousness will be

downloaded upon death to a robot

 

e. In 2040-2045 this will all be accomplished in a hologram

f. The schematics they released on it really creeps

me out. The next three images are disturbing, I

warn you in advance (Slides x2…Tim, Brian

and Richard)

g. These pictures are silly, but so too is the belief

that we can live eternally without God

5. 2045 Project? No how about the Lot’s Wife Project 

 

a. Wow! The desire to stay in this world, to be

attached to it is not only futile but sinful!

b. The human condition and this world cannot find

fulfillment outside of Christ Jesus  

c. Friends if you want true eternal life, it’s not

putting your brain in robot but in giving your

soul to Jesus 

Sermon

READ: Luke 17:31-33 (Scripture slide)

"31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, with his goods in the house, must not come down to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife!33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it."

A. "On that day"

 

1. This is the day of days, the king of days, the day that

Jesus Christ comes back

2. As Christians we are to live in true reality

a. Some of you may ask, what do you mean James?

b. Any of you ever watched the movie The Matrix?

1. In that movie mankind has been over

taken by a world run by technology

2. Put into comas mankind is feed the

illusion that they are living in a world

that revolves around them

3. A small percentage have come to

realization that mankind is in bondage

and they begin trying to wake their

fellow man to the reality

c. The god of this world, the evil one, Satan has led

a mass delusion that there is no need for God and

that since He does not exist there will never be a

time we are responsible to God

d. But ‘On that day’ there will be a reckoning and

each and every person of accountable age will be

held responsible to Him

 e. You and I are called to live with ‘that day’ at the

forefront of our mind, living lives in which we

are prepared and one in which we are actively

working to see others get prepared as well

B. Jesus gives us three different examples in three different

settings all with the same meaning

1. The first two are lumped together: ‘anyone who is on the

roof, with his goods in the house, must not come down to

take them away and likewise the person in the field must

not turn back’

a. The term ‘anyone’ shows us that all people,

without exclusion, has this applied to them 

  b. The first example is that of a person on the roof

of their home

1. I don’t know about this for sure but this

person was probably a married man

Proverbs 25:24 ‘It is better to live on a corner of the housetop than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.’

2. Amen guys? Go ahead and laugh it’s

Father’s day right

3. Actually being on your rooftop in that

day and age was a natural thing unlike

ours

a. Roofs were usually flat and were

places one would go to relax (like

our front and back porches)

b. You would use a staircase or a

ladder to get up there from the

outside of your house

c. There was no direct way into the

house from the roof or vice versa

4. So the picture here is an individual on the

roof and they see a disaster about to

overtake the city

a. Maybe an approaching enemy in

the distance

b. They are close enough that all he

can do is flee, no time to prepare

c. Either this person is going to run

down off the roof and flee out of

the city

d. Or they are going to run along the

tops of the roofs (would be close

enough likely to do) and over the

wall and out of the city

c. The second example is that of a person doing

field work

1. Like the person on the roof they notice

either a disaster or an enemy approaching

2. Again there is no time to run into the city

and prepare

3. Whatever the approaching danger is it is

evident that it is so great it would be

futile to make a stand within the city

even

d. These two examples tell us a few things about the

return of Jesus 

 

1. When the world sees Him, it will be too

late to prepare ourselves for Him

a. None of the property: neither our

homes or the contents in them can

help us 

b. There will be no time to go grab

your ‘Jesus Came Back’ Disaster

Kit

2. There will be no stopping it

3. Nothing you own on that day will be of

any value 

 

2. The third example is that of a woman who was married

to a man named Lot 

a. Jesus is quite emphatic we should, ‘Remember

Lot’s wife!’

 

b. If you remember from last week Lot was the guy

who lived with his family in Sodom and was told

to leave before it got destroyed by God for its

rampant evilness  

Genesis 19:17 (NET) “When they had brought them outside, they said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”

 

c. Now Lot and his daughters obeyed and didn't

look back when they had left Sodom

 

d. Unfortunately for her, Lot’s wife didn’t listen

Genesis 19:26 (NET) “But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.”

 

1. Some people laugh at that as if that was

unlikely (let me tell you the God of this

Universe created everything out of

nothing, so I don’t think it would be too

hard for Him to make her into the world

largest Morton salt container)

2. Now Lot’s wife was not just disobedient,

for the Jew’s saw her as an unbeliever

3. Her heart was not with what the Lord

was wanting to do in her life, but in fact

in Sodom 

  e. Lot’s life is like many people, so close to the plan

of God and yet purposefully so far away

1. She believed a lie, and that like is that the

things of this world are more desirable

than the things of God!

2. That lie is the setting in almost every

movie out of Hollywood

3. That lie is the lyrics of almost every

popular song on the radio

4. That lie is the byline on almost every

book, magazine and article

5. That lie is the campaign manager of

almost every politician

6. And that lie sits on pews across the

nation seeking to change churches and

pulpits and hearts

f. I don’t usually like to stray too far from the text at

hand but I believe this to be an important point:

If you have your Bible’s please turn to Revelation

3:14-22  

Revelation 3:14–22 (NET) “14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! 19 All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! 20 Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me. 21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

1. If there ever was a church that Lot’s wife

would feel comfortable in, it is the

church of Laodicea (a church of

compromise between the world and

Christ)

2. Some who believe that the seven

churches listed in Revelation here are the

seven ages of the church throughout

history with the church of the last days

being Laodicea

3. I don’t know if that interpretation is right,

but I do know that no body of believers

should desire themselves to be in the

state Laodicea was in

a. Jesus tells them that they are

merely lukewarm for Him

b. They are not hot towards Jesus in

that they have no real burning

desire to do His will

c. There was no penetrating

conviction to be like Christ

d. They loosely form under the

umbrella of Christianity (like

opening a hot dog stand and not

selling hot dogs)

4. So stands a vast portion of Christians in

this country, possibly even you, who

claim Christ in private but think Him and

His word unworthy of living out in the

public square and in their lives!

5. If that is you mark my words friend if

you continue in that one day you will

find yourself in judgment as Lot’s wife

did

C. Jesus continues with these words, ‘Whoever tries to keep his

life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.’

1. You’ve heard about people like this

a. They run back to get something and a tornado

takes them

b. Or a fire consumes them

c. They lose their life for meaningless stuff and we

think that it is crazy in retrospect

d. And as bad as that is how insane must it be to

cling to the things of this world and in the process

trade up your immortal soul for it? 

 

Luke 9:24–25 (NET) “24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?”

2. Like many people Lot’s wife had her priorities out of

whack as she had the things of this world trumping the

things of God

3. Do not think that God will sit in the backseat of your life

and it be okay with it. Where your heart is where your

treasure is.

1 John 2:15 (NET) “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him”

4. I think one of the litmus tests for how important God is

in your life is church attendance 

a. Some people might laugh and shrug that off, but I

believe it is true

b. We make time for things that matter most to us

c. If you were to be here for every service that is

offered by Andover Baptist it would be roughly 4

hours a week….4 hours

d. Let’s put those numbers into prospective

1. The average American watches 4 ½ of

T.V., not in a week, but in a day

2. Oh and the average Christian read their

Bible for 52 minutes, not a day, but in a

Week

3. The average child and young person

watches 1480 minutes of T.V. a week (do

the math it is over 24 hours)

4. Those same kids watch an average of 55

commercials in a day (over 1200 a year)

e. I ask you…what is more important than your

relationship with God? Well for some people

even commercials!

f. Am I saying that you can’t watch T.V.? No

g. Am I saying you can never miss a service? No if

there is a valid reason that Christ would except

h. Am I saying that I’m concerned about this

church’s relationship with God and the things

that would seek to disrupt it? Absolutely,

positively yes!

i. Again friends you give time to what matters to

you most.

 

1. And people wonder what is wrong with

our culture and our church’s

2. Well what to you expect Christian?

When the average believer spends more

time watching commercials than they

spend in God’s Word!

j. And men spiritually speaking you are responsible

for your families! And so I ask you two

questions:

1. If you treated your boss like you treat

God, would he fire you?

 

2. If your job, and it is, was to lead your

family in a relationship with God, would

you be pleased with your performance?

 

5. And these questions are for all of you: Do the things of

this world have a hold on you? Are you willing to give

up everything for Jesus?

a. If the first thing that comes to mind when we

think of Jesus coming back today is, 'I wish He

wouldn't I've got things to do' there is a problem!

 

b. How do we explain to our Lord that we don't

have time for Him?

c. How do we rationalize it in our head that we

have more important things to do than spend time

with the Lord Who was butchered on a cross to

pay for our sins?

1. How would you feel, married couples, if

your spouse spent more time with the

neighbor of the opposite sex than you?

That would rile your feathers!

2. Or what if you discovered that your mate

was a prostitute or frequented them? 

3. Friends we commit spiritual adultery

against God, every time we let the

worthless things of this world interfere

with our relationship with Him!

4. Jesus has every right to ask for and

receive our fidelity!

6. Friends if you want eternal life it means giving this life

to Jesus, to abandoning the things of this world and to

making Him Lord of your life

 

Galatians 2:20 (NET) “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

 

  7. How do you get ready for the end? Live for it now!

John 12:25 (NET) “The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life.”

8. Some of you may be thinking is it worth it to give up the

things of this world? Peter had that same question listen

how Jesus answered him, 

Matthew 19:29, 30 (NET) “29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

READ: Luke 17:34-37 (Scripture slide)

"34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.35 There will be two women grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37 Then the disciples said to Him, “Where, Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body is, there the vultures will gather.”

A. Jesus again gives us a couple of examples about what His

return will be like

1. ‘I tell you’ = ‘Listen this is true”

2. Both of these illustrations, sleeping and grinding grain,

were daily activities in their lives

3. The first illustration takes place at night, the other

during the day (when Jesus returns it’s going to be both

somewhere)

4. The first example states, ‘in that night there will be two

people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left’

a. Here is a picture of a couple in bed

b. In the night one is taken to judgment and the

other left 

5. The second example: ‘There will be two women

grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other

left.”

 

a. This would have been done early in the morning

b. It would take two women to use the grinding

stone as one would work the stone and the other

would pour in the grain

c. One was taken the other was left

 

B. When Jesus returns there will be a separation of people

1. Some will be taken in judgment like the people of

Sodom and of Noah’s day

Matthew 13:30 (NET) “Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.” 

 

Matthew 13:41–42 (NET) “41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

2. Those who have relied upon Christ are saved from this

judgment

3. When Jesus comes back there will be division of all

people into two groups: His children and the devil’s

children

4.   Spouses will be separated; friends and co-workers will

be separated: are you ready for that? Are your friends

and family ready for that? Have you attempted to

inform them that they had better be ready for that?

 

C. The disciples want to know more so they ask Jesus a question

1. ‘Where, Lord?’

a. They were wanting to know where those taken

went

b. The one taken from the field, the one taken from

the bed…where did they go?

c. It’s evident by verse 37 that those taken were

taken to judgment

2. Jesus gives them a somewhat cryptic answer: ‘Where

the dead body is, there the vultures will gather.’

a. The ‘dead body’ is the judged here

 

 b. There will be no need to search out to find the

judged of God, it will be evident

 

c. For as vultures circle the dead so will judgment

circle the wicked

d. When Jesus returns you will know what is going

on just as when you see vultures circling you

know what is on the ground

 

e. It may be possible that the world at this point

would be littered with carcasses

1. The vulture here mentioned is the great

vulture

2. And like all birds who love carrion, it

brings many friends to battlefields

 

Ezekiel 39:4–5 (NET) “4 You will fall dead on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the people who are with you. I give you as food to every kind of bird and every wild beast. 5 You will fall dead in the open field; for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.”  

3. And according to Revelation 19:17-21

there will be quite a feast for them as those

who have rebelled against God are judged 

 

Revelation 19:17–21 (NET) “17 Then I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: “Come, gather around for the great banquet of God, 18 to eat your fill of the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of powerful people, the flesh of horses and those who ride them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!” 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 20 Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf—signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur.21 The others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.”

 

D. Friends the fulfillment of the salvation of those who have

accepted Christ is accompanied by the fulfillment of the

world's judgment

Application (slide)

A. Oh like lighting in the sky will be that day!

B. People will cry out in despair at their impending judgment

C. And all people, all over, will all be surprised

D. In that time countless people will go to their graves and have

their own personal day or reckoning with Christ

1. Have you ever stopped and thought how many lasts

have you gone through?

2. Last time you will kiss a loved one, smell a flower, eat

an ice cream cone, laugh? All those will come if they

have not yet

3. The scary one is when will be your lost opportunity to

hear and accept the Gospel?

4. If that is you don’t be like the rich man in Luke 12

 Luke 12:19–20 (NET) “19 And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”

Invitation

Let us sing our last song # ,

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