I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of
Mark chapter 13 as we continue to delve into the longest
recorded answer that the Lord Jesus gives to any question that
he received. Remember, it was the Lord's
shocking comment about the coming destruction of the temple
in Jerusalem that prompted the disciples to inquire about the
timing of such an inconceivable event.
And more than that, also ask about His coming and the end of
the age. And thus far, you and I have
collectively examined the multiple signs leading up to the
coming of Christ. And these were known as birth
pains. And following the birth pains,
Jesus highlights one major sign and spends the most time
discussing it. And it's called and known as the
abomination of desolation. And we paused there and
meditated on what the implications and even what that
really is. And finally, if you recall, we
took a whole Sunday to discuss the events surrounding the
actual day when Christ comes. So not just the things leading
up to it, not just the one major sign, but also the moment.
The moment the Lord Jesus cracks through the skies and what that
will be like. But Christ is not finished yet.
As comprehensive as this discourse may be, there is still
more that He desires to convey to us.
There are more insights He longs to unfold for His people, and
that's what you and I are going to discover in three or four
verses here in Mark 13. Beginning in verse 28, we're
going to assess what the Spirit of God longs to reveal in these
verses. Let's read together, shall we?
From the fig tree, learn its lesson.
As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves,
you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these
things taking place, you know that He is near at the very
gates. Truly, I say to you, this
generation will not pass away until all these things take
place. Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away. If you've been with us long
enough and you know that it is the habit of this pulpit for
thoughts from a section of Scripture to be organized under
some headings. And the reason that is done is
to provide a helpful format that would make the truths that you
hear a little bit more memorable.
And it's going to be no different today what we read in
these verses. I want to group under three
things. And these three things, if you
remember them, I'm sure will help you recall the things under
them. So if anybody asks you today
what you learned at church, the church that you go to that
starts at 1:00 PM, you can tell them that you came to God's Word
and mark and understood #1 the certainty of Christ's coming #2
the watchfulness for His coming, and #3 the delight of His
coming. And I want to speak to you first
about the certainty of His coming.
I'm not sure if you picked up on it already, but Christ's summary
of His prophetic timetable exudes absolute assurance and
confidence. Look back at these verses with
me. You see here that He gives
language for us to realize that what He had just finished
explaining can be guaranteed. Looking at a verse 28, He says
here at the end of it, you know that summer is near.
Verse 29, when you see these things taking place, you know
that he is near. And then in verse 30 he says
that this generation will not pass away until all these things
take place. Then he echoes it here by saying
in verse 31, but my words will not pass away.
This generation will not pass away.
My words will not pass away. Before that he says, you know,
you know. And So what he wants to instill
in you and I right off the bat in this section at least, is for
you to be absolutely confident because he's communicating that
these events are unchangeable. They are set, they are
determined, they will take place.
No one or anything else can be able, can be able to alter what
he has already declared, decreed.
It is set. And that is supposed to be
imparted in us because it's supposed to create an unshakable
expectation for his return. And that is done by the
strategic teaching. And I want you to consider a few
things that he provides for you to know for certainty this is
going to take place. He gives this lesson about a fig
tree. It it seems very
straightforward. And it is.
And this is not the only time that Jesus used a fig tree to
illustrate a spiritual point. You've been with us.
I hope throughout this study or just two chapters ago, Jesus
curses a fruitless fig tree, and we unpacked that because we
wanted to determine that Christ wasn't operating because he was
in a bad mood. He did this as a symbolic act of
judgement that in the same way this fruit tree was cursed
because of the lack of evidence and the thing that it's supposed
to contain and carry was not there.
It paralleled the bankrupt system of Israel in the
religious practice, the charade, the spiritual charade was
pictured in this fruitless victory from a distance.
You saw leaves when when you got close, there wasn't the fruit.
And so that cursing took place in between Jesus speaking about
the temple and its activities and the religious leaders that
fell so very short of what God demanded of them.
And So what people tend to do is because that miracle, the only
miracle really that Christ performed, recorded, at least
that was a miracle of judgement. OK, well, if the fig tree there
represents Israel, then surely when we come here, the fig tree
also represents Israel. And the way they look at this is
Mark 11 speaks about the fig tree being Israel's destruction.
Mark 13, as you just read, speaks about the blossoming or
the rebirth or the reviving the restoration of the nation of
Israel. So how does this work?
It, it sounds exciting, but here's the the the thought that
when you see Israel restored, reinstated, that is the sign for
you that the summer is near. And people don't debate that
what Jesus said about Jerusalem in his lifetime, about the
destruction of the temple took place in 70 AD.
And those who would say that Israel is also being represented
in Mark 13 would say that the recent reviving of the Jewish
state is the fulfilment of Jesus prediction here and again, that
that may sound profound and may even cause sensationalism, but
you have to continue with that logic.
You have to be consistent with your argument if you're going to
say that. So here's what that means.
If Mark 13, where Jesus has learned from the fig, treats
lesson as soon as his branch becomes tender, puts out its
leaves, speaking about the blossoming of the people, the
Jewish people, then you also have to say that that is going
to be the sign that the summer, which is a picture of Christ's
return is near. And if you're going to say that
that is the sign, some would go as far to say when Jesus said
truly, I say to you in verse 30, this generation will not pass
away until all these things take place.
The generation that Jesus is speaking about is the one that
will be alive to witness, to witness the regathering of the
people of Israel and then flourishing again.
And if that's the case, then some would argue they did.
I think they're changing their mind now that the generation
that witnesses that will also be the generation that will welcome
the return of Christ. And so they would say, well,
yeah, a generation is 40 years, but he didn't come back, did he?
So oh, no, no, no, no, a generation's 80 years.
OK. Well, how long are you going to
keep this up? Is Jesus speaking about Israel
here when identifying the fig tree and learning from it?
I would say no. And there's one simple reason
for that because of Luke. So turn to Luke 21 and the
parallel account and I believe here is where we get our
clarification. Luke 21 verse 29 And he told
them a parable. Luke says it's a parable and he
told them a parable. Look at the fig tree.
You see that and all the trees, as soon as they come out and
leave, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is
already near. So Luke records Christ not only
referring to the fig tree, but all trees that shed their leaves
on an annual basis. And so that pretty much dispels
the notion that the fig tree represents the nation of Israel
because Christ is not singling out one tree.
He's speaking about a wide spectrum of them.
And so with that being understood, we have to then ask,
what is Christ trying to convey when pointing our attention to
the fig tree? But in Luke's version, to most
trees, it's actually very simple.
There's no a code to crack. There's no allegory to apply.
Here's what Christ is trying to communicate.
In the same way none of us question that the summer will
follow the springtime, we should be equally convinced that the
coming of the Son of Man will follow the signs that he just
finished explaining. It's plain.
It's it's very clear. And here's what he's trying to
awaken in US. In the same way, there is no
doubt but absolute confidence you have concerning seasonal
change that should echo your unwavering anticipation of the
Lord Jesus Christ bringing the full manifestation of His
Kingdom. But that's not all that Christ
has to offer to fortify our faith about this truth that He
is coming back. Yes, he says look to the trees.
When you see the tree in your front yard or in your
neighbourhood and it begins to have colour and the branches
begin to soften and things begin to transpire, you don't question
that change is arriving. You know it.
I want you to have that same unshakable confidence about my
return. But he goes beyond that.
He has more to offer us to make this certainty of confidence for
you and me. Go back to Mark 13, verse 31.
He says heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away. And this is something profound
for any mere man to make. This is bold, but we know that
Christ is no mere man, and so for him to speak in this fashion
is strategic because he understands his immediate
audience and hopefully the audience of our time who are
familiar with the entirety of the word of God.
But let's just take it from the vantage point of the disciples
who heard Christ saying heaven and over the pass away.
But my words will not pass away. It would ring a familiar bell
with what they've known from the Hebrew Scriptures, because this
kind of statement is a prerogative that God alone has.
This kind of declaration is dedicated only to the God of the
Old Testament. And you know that passage very
well. I hope it's an Isaiah 40, verse
8, where the prophet says very clearly, the grass Withers, the
flower fades, but what? But the word of our God will
stand forever. Do you understand what's
happening here? Here you have the prophet
declaring the exclusive trustworthiness and the
indestructible witness of God's Word, and yet Jesus of Nazareth
comes along now, and he equates his words to be on the same
level as God's. Remember what he says in Mark
1331. Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words, my words will not pass away.
How can you say that Jesus of Nazareth, it's only God's word
that will stand forever, and the skeptic will deem this to be
blasphemous, but the believing will recognize that we have yet
another golden nugget shining, the deity of the Lord Jesus
Christ. That this is Christ claiming by
quoting what belongs to God alone to say my words are God's
words, unshakable, eternal, immovable.
Yes, Isaiah said that the word of our God will stand forever.
And I'm telling you my words will also stand forever.
Even if the whole universe collapses, my word will remain.
So what it what does this have to do with our certainty of the
truth of the second coming? When Jesus taught about it, he
wants to understand God is talking about it.
God Almighty is conveying this. God Almighty is teaching this.
God Almighty is convincing you of this.
If you believe God for who He is, if you are firm in your
trust in Him, then you can absolutely trust what Jesus says
concerning these signs. The abomination of desolation,
His physical and bodily return. It will happen because God said
it would happen. But we're not just discussing
the certainty of His coming. We're discussing also the
watchfulness for His coming. This is not just analogy.
This is not just parabolic teaching to challenge and build
our faith about this particular truth.
There is personal application laid out for us here.
And you might be wondering where is the instruction in this
section? And I'll tell you that I believe
it's in verse 29. It's implied, he says in verse
29. So also when you see these
things taking place, so Jesus Christ expects his people to be
alert, watchful, mindful of the very things that he said would
precede his return. And what's important about this
is clarifying that Jesus is functioning as a prophet in this
prophetic declaration. Because when Christ says when
you see these things taking place, some would limit this
application to the 12 who heard Christ in the immediate sense.
What do I mean by that? They would say in the argument
that what Jesus taught on that Mount of Olives concerning his
return, remember we talked about this more than once, was all
fulfilled in 70 AD Everything, not just some things, all of it
was fulfilled. And they would use this as a
proof text because Jesus says when you see these things, when
you disciples implying that it's going to happen in your
lifetime, it's going to happen in this generation.
And so they say, see, Christ does not have a future people in
mind. But again, it's not a foreign
concept for someone in the office of a prophet to speak
about a future people not yet realized or future events yet
not not manifested, but is directly addressing Him as
though He was there. Even sometimes in the Old
Testament you'll see them speaking in the second person.
Let me give you one example of that in Isaiah 33.
Again, I want to make the case here that as Christ is
prophesying, He is also speaking about a future people.
And in Isaiah 33 verse 17, here's the prophet speaking
about something not yet realized, but is communicated as
though He is facing it head on. He says in Isaiah 33, verse 17,
your eyes will behold the king in his beauty.
They will see a land that stretches afar.
Your heart will muse on the terror.
Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed the
tribute? Where is he who counted the
towers? You will see no more the
insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you
cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot
understand. He he's speaking about the
people being set free from the oppression of their neighbouring
nations. Behold Zion, the city of our
appointed feast. Your eyes will see Jerusalem and
untroubled habitation in a movable tent whose stakes will
never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
Like many prophecies, there's a partial fulfillment there, but
its ultimate fulfilment is when the King, the King of kings and
his true beauty will make his way into the city and your eyes
will see that king. This is nowhere near Isaiah's
time, but as a prophet as one said, as though he was being
transported to that time and is speaking to that people.
And in like manner, when Christ says when you see these things
taking place, yes, He is addressing the disciples, but He
is also expanding it to those who would be alive to witness
the escalating signs of His return and the implications of
that. Every believer in every age is
called to properly discern and responsibly respond to the
warnings Christ said to be aware of.
Every believer in every age is called to properly discern and
responsibly respond to the warnings that Christ said to be
watchful of that means. And that includes you shunning
away forced interpretations of world events like many crazy
Youtubers and podcasts do, lest you succumb to illegitimate
fears. But it primarily means that you
and I are called to be ready when abnormal shakings or shifts
take place before us. What's so amazing about this is
that when you actually read the New Testament carefully on more
than one occasion, you get the impression that even at that
time the leaders of the church interpreted certain things and
prepared the Church of their time for the potential arrival
of the king. And I want to prove that to you
in one place. And I really would want you to
see with your own eyes in First Corinthians Chapter 7, beginning
in verse 26, there was this sense of how Christ and his
glorious and triumphant establishment of the Kingdom
could happen. And yet at the same time, the
Saint Paul, who's going to give these instructions also
clarified to people who falsely viewed certain things or heard
some crazy teachings about the return of Christ, says, listen.
We read it at one point in Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
Listen, listen, listen. You can't be afraid of this
because this needs to happen. This needs to happen.
Go back to work. But notice what he says to these
Corinthian believers in First Corinthians Chapter 7, verse 26.
I, I'm going to read a few verses, so follow along with me.
This is important to see it holistically.
I think that in view of the present distress, it is good for
a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife?
Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife?
Do not seek a wife, but if you do not marry, if you do marry,
rather you have not sinned. And if a betrothed woman
marries, she has not sinned Yet those who marry will have
worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.
This is what I mean, brothers. The appointed time has grown
very short. From now on let those who have
wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as
though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though
they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had
no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they
had no dealings with it. For the present form of this
world is passing away Now. I heard somebody preach from
this text before and exhorted the people as though Paul's
radical commands here apply for all people at all times.
Let me make this point still that I do believe that there are
wonderful principles specifically about developing an
eternal perspective as Christians.
I believe that's being promoted here and you can teach that, but
I believe the proper way also to frame what Paul is saying here
is how he sets it up in verse 26.
Looking at it verse 26 carefully.
He says, I think that in view of the present distress, a lot of
First Corinthians 7 speaks about marriage.
And if you don't view Paul's instructions and insights and
commands about marriage from this filter, that there was this
present distress that the Corinthian church was
experiencing, you might, you might develop extreme
understandings of what marriage is and what it isn't.
Something was happening in the day of the Corinthian church
when Paul wrote to them. What it is, it's not given to
us. Some believe that it was
growing, life altering, dangerous persecution against
Christians and it was encroaching upon the Corinthian
church. Others believe this present
distress might have been a crippling famine that was
striking at the nerve of the economy of the Corinthians.
It's not made clear, but whatever it is, Paul saw it as a
way to stimulate the believers to a certain way of life, to
encourage them to view it in a certain manner, and then to stir
them in a certain direction. What's significant about this
present distress is how he elaborates on it in verse 29.
Look at verse 29. Now, this is what I mean,
brothers, the appointed time has grown very short.
So there's this present distress.
And as Paul is now continuing on that thought, he's saying,
listen, listen, listen. I'm trying to get you to
understand that the appointed time has grown very short.
In other words, these perilous times reflect what the Word of
God tells us to be mindful of as we approach the end of all
things. And some would deem Paul as a
false prophet because he's way off.
It's been 2000 years, but Paul is not predicting anything.
He's not setting dates. All he's doing is what Jesus
commanded believers to do, to be mindful, to be watchable, to be
alert, to see what you need to see and to interpret them
responsibly and to discern and to see.
What does this ask of me? And in this case, the apostle
was looking what was happening in his day and used it to cause
the Corinthian believers to reconsider their priorities and
to reposition themselves to be the most effective for the
Kingdom of God in that very season.
So doesn't that make sense? Now he goes, I think that in
view of this present distress, whatever it was, evidently it
was, it was burdensome enough and dangerous enough for him to
say, if you've been considering marriage, I would probably put a
pause on that. Why?
Because persecution is a lot harder to handle when you have
wife and children. So Paul's not speaking here
generally about, you know, I know marriage is good, but if
you can choose not to get married, don't get married.
See if you have to understand the context or you're going to
give terrible counsel to people, Say no because of what's
happening around us. I perceive that the appointed
time is growing very short. So let's, let's perk up here.
Let's sober ourselves. Don't, don't let your family
life completely consume you. Don't let your emotional state
paralyze you. Don't let your interactions in
the business world distract you. See what's happening around us
and let that sanctify you. That's all that he's doing here.
And I believe what Paul is doing here, it should be no different
for you and I, that yes, we should always be ready for what
can happen. But understand that there, there
is a sensitivity that you and I have to develop to give
ourselves even more when times call for it.
What's a modern day example? Oh, I don't know, the world
shutting down for a few years. I remember that this text came
to mind when we were told to shelter in place for two weeks
and my concern was with all that's happening.
Are Christians more concerned that they can't go to their
favorite restaurant or travel to their yearly destination choice
of vacation? Or is the church strategizing
now because the battlefield has shifted dramatically?
I think that's a clear example for modern day application
concerning what Paul is doing here and I'm not, I'm not sure
on the other side of it if believers really took advantage
and seize the opportunity. Many churches are seeing less
attendance than ever. I believe Paul, if he lived in
our day would say hey wake up, don't you see what's happening
around us? This is abnormal.
If anything it rings true to what Christ said would take
place. These birth pains intensifying,
get your prayer life intact. Get serious about holiness.
If if you've been lately distracted by the the tricks and
the trinkets of the world, get rid of it.
And what's amazing here is that Paul's not even speaking about
this sin here. He's speaking about good things,
but he's trying to cause him to get a sharper eternal
perspective with current events. And so you have some Christians
who when they look out, they, they, they want to dismiss
everything. You have others who they make
everything something properly discerning, responsibly
responding. We have to be watchful.
Christ demands out of us, but not just watchful.
We're not just talking about the certainty of these things.
We're not just talking about our call of what we need to do
during these things, but there is something that maybe we've
overlooked. I want to talk to you lastly
about the delight of His coming Look back on Mark 13, verse 29.
So also when you see these things taking place, you know
that He is near. You know that He is near at the
very gates. This would have meant a lot to
the apostles who were suffering from a great misunderstanding of
how this whole thing works. Jesus being the Messiah, him
ushering in that Davidic Kingdom.
And Christ is aware of that. And he's also aware that in just
a few short moments, the same apostles who hoped that Christ
would overthrow the Romans and raise up what the prophets have
promised are going to see their Christ taken from them and put
to death. And so the Lord throughout this
discourse is emphasizing over, and he's trying to compound this
reality. And then look, what you're about
to witness is not going to be the final story.
Me, me dying on a cross is not the period mark to God's
redemptive purpose on the earth and for human history.
There is another part to this. I'm trying to get you to
understand it and be prepared for what's about to transpire.
And more than that, I believe what Christ is teaching here is
supposed to instill a hope that yes, He would die, but He would
also resurrect and right before their eyes ascend.
And even what you read in verse 29 is supposed to comfort them
and helping them realize this is not the last time that we're
going to see Him or be near him. Because look what the Lord says
again. He says when you see these
things taking place, you know that He is near.
He makes it so personal. He could have said, you know,
that judgement is near. He could have said, you know,
like Luke, the Kingdom of God is near, but he doesn't say that.
He says, you know, that he is near.
And when we consider this in a broader way, you realize that a
lot of the times when the New Testament teaches about the end
of the world in so many places, that highlights the personal
appearing of Christ as the centerpiece of it, of the
ultimate expectation. In other words, the end goal of
the end times is Christ. In fact, the very book that
provides the most detailed, frightening script about the
final chapter of human history ends on that very note.
So you read in that book about disasters and death tolls of
unimaginable magnitude, demonic invasions and cosmic meltdowns
and incomparable martyrdom. And then when you come to the
final closing remarks, you read this Revelation 22 and verse 17.
The Spirit and the Bride say come and let the one who hears
say come and let the one who is thirsty come.
Let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
You can do a whole conference on this one verse.
It is jam packed with jewels. But let me make a few comments.
What I find so striking is how the identity we are left with to
make note of concerning the people of God in the final part
of the final chapter of the Bible that deals with the church
and how she relates to these things is the picture of a
bride. You know, the Scriptures
provides many, many metaphors and comparisons of what the
church is, what the people of God are like ambassadors, a
priesthood, a pillar, an army, and yet how the Holy Spirit ends
off out of out of the great Bank of things that the Spirit
ascribes to the people of God is a bride.
Why? I believe because he wants to
highlight the relational reality of our faith.
Please, please don't limit the picture of Christ being our
bridegroom and the Church being His bride to denote the covenant
keeping commitment between two parties.
I hope nobody got married here force forcibly.
I hope nobody got married here reluctantly.
A true bride will have a throbbing love for her
bridegroom, and you have to include that in the imagery of
us being the bride of Christ. There's affection there, there's
feeling there. It's not just a contract that's
part of it, but there's something deeper going on.
People I know, Christians that are afraid of emotion.
They think emotions are sin. I'm persuaded that every part of
us should be consecrated unto God, including what I feel.
I don't go by my feelings, I don't serve God based on how I
feel. But boy do I desire for my
feelings to be holy and set apart unto Him.
And I believe the Holy Spirit helps us love, love the Son of
God. And so the the Spirit and the
Bride say come. And I think that's a strategic
placement there because when the church is in unison with the
spirit, when the Spirit is actually working in the church,
that relational reality will be heightened.
And not just that relational reality, but that heart cry
where the church says come, it's strengthened.
Now beware of the temptation to step away from this and use this
as a marker to examine the church at large and to evaluate
her spiritual health in this regard.
Don't take this truth and say, does the church I go to teach or
believe or even behave with that relational component of our
faith? Why don't you and I ask
ourselves if it's real first in us before we think it's real in
somebody else? Because the same John who said
he heard the Spirit and the bride say come says something
from his own bosom a few verses later.
So look at verse 20 of Revelation 22 and notice what
John himself says. He who testifies to these things
says, surely I'm coming soon. Amen.
He can't help it, come, Lord Jesus.
So the church doesn't just gather because we hold to a
certain creed. Statement of faiths are
important, pure, precise theology is good.
It's necessary, non negotiable. But more than that, deeper than
that, the Church is a collection of people who on an individual
basis have this heart cry and gather to share in that holy
affection. And here's what else moves me so
deeply is that this is what the Lord wants from his people.
Can you imagine a bridegroom knowing full well that his bride
to be is not excited for that day?
It's devastating. That'd be devastating for us on
a human level and so much this Christ yearn for this to be true
in his people that he actually has reserved the reward for them
that would operate in that way. You remember Paul in his final
letter in second Timothy four, he says in verse 8, henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord,
the righteous judge will award me on that day.
And he doesn't end there. He goes and not only for me, but
also for those who have loved my appearing Christ appearing.
So there is an actual reward reserved for those who who feel
ably, who genuinely, who intimately yearn for the return
of Christ. We don't hear of this often.
We often associate the the teaching, the doctrine and the
theology of the end times with judgement, wrath, and us being
scooped up to heaven and trying to understand the timetable of
things. That's all wonderful.
But even at the end of the book that has the most detail
concerning that truth, we have this invitation, we have this
plea almost from the Spirit and the Bride come Lord Jesus.
It boils down to that, you know, if I'm studying about the end
times and it's not causing me to respond in that way, maybe I'm
studying wrong. If all I'm doing is stuffing my
head and not allowing those truths to move my heart, maybe
I'm not studying the way Christ designed me to study it.
Because in the very same book that says here it is, here's
here's just a highlight reel of what's to come.
Again, I want to emphasize this over and over.
You sign off on that letter with this beautiful picture of a
bride yearning for her bridegroom to arrive.
Can I ask you a question? I'm not here to, I'm not here to
condemn. I have no intention of
condemning anybody. But I have a duty to challenge.
And the preacher should challenge himself before he gets
up on any pulpit to challenge anybody.
Is that notion real for you? Is there any part of you that
actually is excited for the return of Christ?
If you're fearful you're not getting it right.
If if you're just excited about debate because your school of
thought concerning eschatology seems to be more probable than
the next, you're probably not doing it right.
But if you allow these truths to get you to a place where it
incites worship and adoration, and even as you see these things
taking place, listen, I don't know about you.
In the past few years, I've desired heaven more than any
time in my life. I haven't lived very long, but I
know where my citizenship lies. And I'm really, really looking
forward to meeting the one I've been preaching about.
You're saying, brother, that sounds great.
That sounds so spiritual. But I have to honestly say, as I
put my hand on that pulse, I believe I have accurate theology
and I love the word of God. I love serving God.
But this idea of Christ returning and me being with him
without filter, I'm not sure if that's something I've ever
meditated on. You know what's so encouraging
about when we read here, the Spirit and the Bride say come.
The Spirit without any spoilage, without any interruption,
without any split devotion, constantly yearns for that.
He wants Christ to be glorified. And the same Spirit who cries
that can help you cry, that he can make it happen in your life.
He can make it real for you. You even see it back in
Revelation 2217. It says here the Spirit and the
Bride say come, and let those who hear say come.
So there's even an invitation for people to make that same
appeal, to make that same cry. So here you're hearing the
Spirit and the bride say, come, I'm asking you now to make that
same cry. And, and now it shifts because
some see this as one call that the spirit and the bride.
They're not necessarily saying come, Lord Jesus, they're
telling the unbelieving to come. I, I don't see it that way.
I believe that there's, there's a two fold thing happening here.
And the first part you have the spirit of the bride saying come
toward the Lord. And I believe because John says
it himself. So it connects well.
But then in the second part he says, and let those who is
thirsty come, and let the one who desires take the water of
life without price. So it goes from an upward call
to a horizontal call. And that is the duty of the
church, that from the place of adoration or worship toward the
Lord. Now she can turn over to the
world and say, now would you want this?
I'm inviting you to this. I'm asking you to come to
experience this. To come to the experience what?
Remember the language of bride. So when he says, and let the one
who is thirsty come. Thirsty for what?
What is what is he?
What is he invoking here? What is he trying to help people
identify in the bankruptcy of their own soul?
What are you supposed to thirst for?
Well, I believe that context is clear.
The spirit and the bride, the spirit and the bride.
What is a bride? Do you know it's not a contract,
it's a relationship. So when he says that the one who
who's thirsty come. Do you thirst for a relationship
with God? He's inviting you into that
place, He's drawing you into that place and it's free and
it's overwhelmingly glorious and it's available to anybody who
would hear it and say I will accept it.
I will accept it. That's the delight of this whole
thing. Christ tells his disciples.
When you see these things, know that he is near.
It's all getting ready. We're going to we're going to
have a reunion and nothing will ever interrupt it again.
I'm at the very gates. And so you learned today with me
the certainty of His coming. We learned today about the
watchfulness for His coming. And I believe that in these days
ahead, watchfulness is going to be necessary.
Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep, Don't you dare fall
asleep with what's happening around our world.
Be more on fire for Christ than ever, would you?
And the delight, the delight of His coming.
He is coming and you and I are going to behold them together.
I can't wait. Let's pray and thank Him for
that. Lord, we thank You that we
learned something from a tree, that there's certainty that
there is a call to watch. And more than that, there's
something to enjoy. Lord, if we have lost that sweet
spot of relating to You, intimately, singing to You,
pouring our hearts to You, reflecting on You, even yearning
for you, would Your Holy Spirit help us?
Would Your Holy Spirit help us come to that place where as a
bridegroom, you see what You desire from Your bride?
And as days advance and years and memories and
responsibilities accumulate, Lord, help us never lose, never
lose that place. Strengthen it in our hearts,
Lord and Lord, with marriage and business and family and events
and memories and experiences. We pray like what Paul asked of
the Corinthian church, that we would never lose sight of what's
most important. We would never, we would never
fail to frame everything that we experience here on this earth
with what is to come and who is the one who gave it all to begin
with. So lo, we ask even now in the
closing times of this service that your Holy Spirit would woo
us once again and tenderize our hearts once again and help us
create that actual craving for that which the blood of Jesus
purchased our eternal home with Him.
We can't do this, no man can do this.
This is something that only you can provoke and we we gladly
yield to Him and ask that you make it true of us.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Amen.
As the praise team comes to lead us in our final moments of
singing, I want to make a brief gospel call.
I want to ask you, if you're a person sitting here today and
you've never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, don't you see
what's happening in this world? I don't want to be a doomsday
preacher and nor do I want to ascribe things to what's
happening that are not appropriate.
All I want to say is, as a general observation, can't you
tell that things are different? And if anything, what Christ had
to say about the culmination of the age makes more sense today
than it ever has. So let me remind you today, in
great love, you're not going to live forever.
Neither am I. And there is a time coming where
God, who made this world, is going to fix this world.
And the one who's going to fix this world in that process of
regeneration has to deal with the cause of the evil in this
world. And Jesus told us that all this
sin that we're trying to figure out and philosophy about it
comes from the heart. And so when the Lord does
return, he's going to judge the wicked.
He's going to clean up house. Evil cannot inhabit his
presence. It cannot remain before him.
He must, in his justice, deal with it.
And if he deals with evil, he's going to deal with you and I.
It's coming. There is a Judgement Day coming
that's not preached much today, but the apostles preached it.
The Bible tells us about it. From old to new, all roads are
leading to Judgement Day. But somewhere along that path,
somewhere along that journey, that humanity is headed towards
God and his love interrupts. He makes himself known in the
person of Jesus Christ, and He pays the debt, the debt that we
just sang about being free from us.
He pays a debt, your debt. And if you receive that payment,
you have the assurance that when God cleans up this universe,
because he's already cleaned your heart through the blood of
His Son, you do not stand on the side of judgement.
You stand on the side of accepted, forgiven, perfectly
kept until all things are said and done.
Here's my I want to be playing. I'm just going to say it
straight. Do you have absolute confidence,
never mind about the last days? Do you have absolute assurance
that you have been forgiven for your sins?
Don't postpone. You're dealing with God if
you're a person here. Even if you're a young person
and you have not settled your account with the Almighty, I
plead with you to realize the great love of God for you by
sending Jesus Christ. He is real.
And if your heart is even pricked a little bit, I would
encourage you to entertain it further and to have a humble
conversation with God during this time of singing and to
receive His forgiveness for you as you realize the great price
that was paid on your behalf. And if you're a person in here
that's doubting it or fighting it or resisting or has questions
about it, give the leaders or maybe a believer that brought
you today the awesome privilege of helping you understand what
the gospel is all about. Talk to them about it.
Time is short. I believe preaching should be
more urgent than ever. I believe confrontational
preaching should be loud and clear in every pulpit in
America. Because if God doesn't have
mercy on America, we're not going to recognize America in a
very short time. So I, I want to do my part.
I'm no politician. I'm no advocate for this or
that. I'm, I'm, I'm just a poor man
who found bread, living bread and want to tell other people
how they can find that same bread.
That's all I am. I'm full, my soul is full.
And I, I want to let you know that you can also be full.
And the only way you can be full is if you eat of him.
In other words, you receive him and it's free.
No price tag, no amount, no effort, no exertion, nothing.
Just humility to say my soul is starving, it is empty, I am
weak, I cannot perform my righteousness to please God.
But if this, if this Jesus you speak about is willing to
receive me as I am, and if I could just fall at his feet,
he'll scoop me up, clothe me with his righteousness and make
me his own. I want this Jesus.
Why would you deny such a gift? Receive it as we sing, Say, what
do I mean? What do I do?
You, you speak to him from your heart under your breath.
You speak to him. You say, Lord, I repent of my
sins. I receive you.
I believe that you did this for me.
And I want to be numbered among the redeemed.
Please, Lord, change me, transform me.
I want to be saved. Please save me.
Please save me and and though you may not have the vocabulary,
if you're convinced that you're a Sinner and Christ as a Savior,
even if your words are few, Christ can understand them and
He'll do a work in your heart. Just be prepared to repent.
May Christ your Lord and Savior and you'll know new life.
Let's stand and worship the Lord together.