Book of Luke - Ch. 17, Vs. 20-37 (04/18/2004)

Luke 17 and verse 20, and when he was demanded of the

Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation.

Now, not with observation. John, what's that mean?

That it's not something to take the time.

Alright. You know, I see signs, well I don't know where I see signs from, but it's like, now

I'm going to be able to see certain things and say it's going to happen. David, while you're up, turn the window lights on, please.

Alright. You cannot see it coming. Is that a fair statement?

These Pharisees and the Jews in general were looking for what kind of a kingdom?

What? Earthly kingdom. Now, what is a earthly kingdom?

That would do what primarily? Right now.

Right now, get rid of these Romans. The day is coming when we're going to kick you out.

Well, that wasn't exactly true, was it? 21.

Neither shall they say, lo here, or lo there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Now, if they were confused with the last statement, how do you suppose they feel now?

The kingdom of God is within you, inside of you. That didn't make sense at all.

Now, what, see if I can tie this morning's sermon into this, her message in Bible study,

Sunday school. What were these people of the world, why did they not see the kingdom?

I'll put it like that. Russell? Well, who's here?

Joy? Yes. All right.

David, why can't they see? What is it they do see when they look at God?

David, he was darkness to them.

That's an awful position to be in. And he said unto the disciples, the days will come, plural, days will come, when you shall desire to see one of the days of the

Son of Man, and you shall not see it. Now, something

I want you to notice. Any time that Jesus was referring to his death, now there may be exceptions to this, but most of the time, he referred to himself as the

Son of Man. Roger, why did he do that?

Yes. All right.

It's because that's who he was or is on the cross to these people.

He has to die. Christ can't die, God can't die, but the man

Jesus can and did. I doubt if they could understand that.

And they shall say to you, see here or see there, go not after them nor follow them.

Now, today, David, is there a group of people that are claiming that they are

Christ? I'm sure there is because it has been ever since he was on the cross or since he resurrected.

For as the lightning that lighteth out of the one part under heaven shineth unto the other part under heaven, so shall also the

Son of Man be in his day. Again, the Son of Man. Bill, what about this lightning that he is referring to here?

I know he uses it as an example, but what is he saying?

All right. It's unpredictable, especially. It covers a vast area, especially, and you cannot help but see it.

But the first, he must first suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.

John, why did he say this generation? Debbie, could he have been earlier?

Could God have set it to happen? No, could the Lord have set it to happen earlier in his life?

Yes. He couldn't have, and it started with Adam.

Russell, could God have brought the creation into existence at an earlier date?

If God's always helped creation, that means he always helped creation.

Yes. That's the answer.

Then he gives the example, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the

Son of Man. The Son of Man again now, as it was in the days of Noah.

Who's this over here? Rick. Fred? Rick.

Rick. Glad you're here, Rick. Thank you, sir. I'm glad I can't hear.

How was it in the days of Noah?

Wicked. Well, in the days of David.

More wicked than I am.

All right. I think it still does. It sure does. It does, believe me.

It does. So, is today ripe for his return?

My grandfather said the same thing. And it was.

And is. Then he goes on to explain, they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

And they married wives. I think that's an oxymoron, but that beside the point.

He is saying that everything was as normal as it could be until the very instant that the door to the ark was shut.

That's right.

I think each of us in our own way say, yes, that's true. But we really don't live that each day.

We think of it once in a while, some more than others. But I think

I'm going to live forever. But that's not true. We are the same today as it was in the days of Noah.

They did eat, yes. Well, that's true, but that's not the way the old

English words it. But that's a true statement. They did eat, they drank, they married wives.

Same old, same old. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot.

Do you remember him? They did eat, they drank, they bought and sold, they planted, they built.

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

Now, the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, did

Lot go willingly out of Sodom? Did his wife go willingly?

Did Lot get outside of Sodom before it rained? What did the angels tell

Lot in his departure? Just one of you speak.

Don't turn back. All right, don't turn back. But he said something before that.

That's right. He cannot, I cannot bring that judgment until you're out of here.

Very important. 30, even, that's right.

Absolutely. Even this shall be in the day when the

Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be up on the housetop and his stuff in the house.

I like that word stuff. Let him not come down to take it away.

And he that is in the field, let him likewise, period, not turn back.

Let him as in the field not turn back. Now, what is he telling them,

Bill, in this statement? What if he should come at this moment and one of us say, but I've got chores to do first.

I've got to milk the cow. Well, she can't go without milking. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it.

And whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. That seems to contradict itself,

Roger. Explain it. That those of us that have seen that Christ is our

Savior, not the things that we have, we give up these things, that then would mean our

Savior is the greatest. It doesn't matter what kind of personal possessions that man has on him.

KK, is there anything that can save you from this judgment of God?

You're right. Man cannot escape it. I tell you in that night there shall be two men in one bed.

The one shall be taken and the other shall be left.

Two women shall be grinding together and one shall be taken and the other left.

Two men shall be in the field. One shall be taken and the other left. And they answered and said unto him,

Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is thither, will the eagles be gathered together.

Now, it seems to me like that answer doesn't belong here.

Why does it seem that way, David? Well, what does he mean that wherever the body is, there's where the eagles are going to be?

Well, he means what he said when I said it.

All right. We cannot escape it. He is coming.

I don't know when, but I feel sure it's in KK's lifetime, maybe her father and mother's lifetime, maybe in my lifetime.

I don't know. I don't claim to know. I have not looked for a clue in the

Bible because it says there is none. So, that behooves us to live like he's coming the next minute.

But at the same time, we have to act like we're going to live forever. We're about his work here.