LUKE 21:28-38 HOW TO RESPOND TO THE SIGNS2014 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Luke 21:28-38 How To Respond To The Signs

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2014.

We're finishing off this morning, Luke chapter 21, and finishing off a section which began in verses 4 and 5 with the disciples pointing out the huge stones that were part of the temple. And Jesus, as they're admiring these stones, Jesus says, you know, those aren't going to be around for very much longer. They're going to be cast down, each one off of the other. There will not be two standing on top of each other any longer.

And that prophecy of the temple destruction piqued their curiosity. And so later on, they asked Jesus and they say, when is that going to happen? What are going to be the signs that the temple is about to be destroyed and that the end of the world is about to come? They kind of, you know, linked in their minds. If that temple, which is huge and beautiful, is going to be destroyed, that's probably the end of the world too.

And so they're thinking about end times. They're saying, what is the sign of those times? What is the sign that these things are about to come? And we've spent the past two weeks looking at the signs that Jesus was giving his disciples.

Signs that, as we saw, they are parallel in that they were foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, and yet those same signs are the foretelling of the end times and what we refer to as the tribulation period. And so we can see that the destruction of the temple was fulfilled exactly the way that Jesus said it would be, and in the same way, we see those signs continuing and increasing, and we can know that Jesus...

talked about the destruction that would come in the tribulation and leading up to his return, that those things will be fulfilled as well. And so as we've been talking about these different signs and reflecting on how we're seeing those things at play in the world around us, today Jesus finishes off this section and he tells us here how to respond to the signs.

So we've been looking at what the signs are, but now what should be our response as we see these signs come to pass? As we see the signs increase, as we see the signs around us, what should we be doing? Well, Jesus here will give us four things that we should do in response of the signs of the times, the signs that we see going on around us.

The first thing he tells us to do is in verse 28. And here we see he says, look up and lift up your head. Look at verse 28 with me once again. It says, now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near.

And so Jesus now is saying, okay, so here's the things that are going to be happening. Here's what's going to be going on. Here's the signs I want you to look for. And when they begin to happen,

there's going to be a beginning of these things. So it's not going to be all at once, but there's going to be these signs and you'll see the beginning stages of these signs. Now, what are the signs? Just as a quick recap, here's the different signs we looked at over the past two weeks. Jesus told us that we should expect

direct deceivers. That is, there will be those who proclaim a false Messiah, false saviors, false ways to enter into the kingdom of God. Things that lead people away from faith in God and faith in Jesus Christ.

There will be all kinds of deception going on, Jesus says. And so that is something, of course, we have been seeing and continue to see. There is a lot of deception happening in the world around us. A lot of people are being led astray and away from a relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ. They're being kept from that with these deceptions. He also told us to expect wars.

And that is something we continue to see. It's something that the world has always seen. And yet there is an increase and an intensity in the things that are happening all around the world. There's battles and conflicts, wars and rumors of wars, just like Jesus said there would be.

He also told us to expect disasters. I thought it was interesting, right? We've been studying these end times prophecies and one of the indications is the earthquakes in various places. And we got a little bit, you know, shaken up this week to remind us that we are living in the last days. To remind us that, hey, these are signs of the times and so we need to be ready for Jesus to return. We need to look up and lift up our heads.

He said, expect persecutions. This is something that we don't experience a whole lot of here, you know, in our culture, in our community. But around the world, there is great persecution against Christians and against those who believe in Jesus Christ. There is, you know, I shared an article, I think last week or the week before, that more people have died for their faith in Jesus Christ in this opportunity

uh, century than all the previous centuries before us. That, that we are increasing in persecutions and more people are dying for the faith. I don't know if this counts, but on Thursday we had our flashlight fellowship over at Cardenas. And so we were going around the parking lot offering to pray for people. And we do this, you know, a couple times a month usually. And it was the first time ever in, in doing this over the past few months

someone actually cussed at me and swore and I didn't even get an opportunity to pray for them. And so I don't know if that counts as persecution. I really don't think so. But kind of felt like it at the moment. But we're to expect these things. That's going to happen. And we see even our own nation turning against the things of God, the things of Jesus Christ.

He said, "...expect Jerusalem to be destroyed," which it was exactly the way that he said it would be. He said, "...expect Jerusalem to be trampled." And so after the destruction, we have seen the Gentiles trampling Jerusalem, and there is still the division of Jerusalem and the conflict over and around the things of Jerusalem.

Then he also said, expect signs in the sun, the moon, the stars, and the sea. And it seems like these things are specifically things that will be happening during the tribulation period.

And then ultimately he says, expect me to return. And so these are the signs. He said these things are going to be happening. Now the way the Bible describes these things, we're going to see the beginnings of them. And then the full fulfillment of these things will be during the tribulation period. That's when all of these things will be in full force. The deceivers, the wars, the disasters, the persecutions, infighting.

It's going to be much more intense during that seven-year tribulation period, but we'll begin to see the signs of those things ahead of time. It'll kind of build up to that final judgment that will be poured out upon the earth. Paul the Apostle uses the idea of labor pains as an illustration of these things.

He tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 3, he says, So he says, look, talking about the end times and the signs that lead up to it,

He says, look, these things are going to come like labor pains. Now, labor pains, I think you're probably familiar. I'm not personally familiar, but I've heard stories, okay? Labor pains don't happen just at the final moment when the baby is born. But the labor pains begin hours and hours before. And it begins to build up. And at first, they're far apart, right?

But then as it gets closer to the actual birth, the pains, the contractions get closer together and get more intense. And so the doctor will tell you, well, when they're this far apart, when they last this long, then that's when it's time to head to the hospital because the baby's about to be born.

And that's the idea, that's the visual that Paul gives us so that we could understand the signs of the end times will also be like that. At first they're kind of spread out here and there, but then as we get closer and closer to the end, they're going to be closer together, they're going to be more intense, and you can recognize we're about to enter in to this final judgment period.

And so as we look around, looking at these signs that Jesus told us to look for, we can see these kinds of things are going on. We can see these signs at work. We can see what we might refer to as the beginnings of these things. Now, the thing that we don't know is how far along are we? So...

When is the birth going to happen? When is the tribulation going to begin? That is a date that's unknown. And so we can look around and see that we're getting closer and closer and closer, but we don't know how close we are. And so things could get a lot worse and we could be here for a lot longer, or it could all start very quickly, even as we are sitting in service this morning. But everything is prepared. Things are ready. The signs are there.

The time is uncertain. But Jesus doesn't want us to be caught up with the time. Instead, he just says, look up and lift up your head. When you see the beginnings of these signs, you see the pains start to show and they start to be closer together, they start to increase, then here's what I want you to do. Look up and lift up your heads.

I think this is interesting because, you know, some people do look down when they hear about the signs of the times. That is that there's a kind of a fear or oppression or depression or anxiety or worry and their head drops. Because as we see these things, we know it's just the beginnings. The worst is yet to come.

And so there's this heaviness that some people experience. And Jesus says, look, I don't want you to go through that. I don't want you to be that way. Here's what you need to do. Here's how you should respond. You hear about wars and rumors of wars. Don't drop your head. No, look up and lift up your head. The idea of looking up is setting your eyes on the things above.

Setting your mind on things above like Paul told the Colossians. That's what we need to do is we need to look up. Not to be fixated on the things of this life because that will be depressing. And there will be great destruction here on the earth. And so we must not be too consumed and attached to this world. Because it's not going to last. Jesus says no when you see these signs you see the increase you see the beginnings.

Then look up. Set your mind on things above and lift up your heads. I thought it was interesting. He kind of separated that. So look up. Just use your eyeballs. Okay, just look up. And then lift up your heads. You have both steps to take. Now the idea of looking up, again, is setting your mind on things above. But lifting up your head, it's a phrase that's used to describe a confidence and a joy.

It's a phrase that's used to describe this, well, I'm not being pushed down. I'm not being oppressed. I'm not depressed. I'm not overwhelmed. I'm looking forward. I have this boldness. I'm able to lift up my head. Jesus says, look up and lift up your head. Now, how could we have this kind of confidence and joy and be able to walk around with our heads high and

When we see these signs and know what is about to take place, when we see these signs and know that they're just the beginnings and things are going to get worse, how can we have this kind of confidence and boldness and joy? Well, Jesus ends the verse saying, because your redemption draws near. Here's why. Here's why we can look up and lift up our heads. Because

Our redemption is close. When we see these signs, the beginnings of them, we can recognize we're going to be with the Lord very soon. You can lift up your head because eternity is near. The Apostle Peter, as he was writing his letter, 1 Peter 1, verse 13 says,

He told us something along the same lines. He said, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Here's what Peter says. Okay, we're living in the last days, so be sober, prepare your mind, and here's what you need to do. Rest your hope fully upon

on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. That is, your hope needs to be placed firmly on that future. Now, if your hope is in this life, then you are going to be dropping your head. You are going to be looking down. You are going to be upset and oppressed and depressed and anxious and worried whenever you see the signs of the times. Because your hope is in this life and this life is coming to an end.

But if your hope is fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, then these signs will cause you to lift up your head because your hope is in Him. Your hope is in eternity and you're looking forward to that day. And so that's what Jesus wants us to do.

He says, as you see these things, yeah, there's some tragic things and it's not that we rejoice in, you know, people suffering. We rejoice in disasters. No, not at all. But we rejoice in that these things indicate that our redemption draws near. That we're going to be united with Jesus very soon. So look up and lift up your head.

Well, the next thing that Jesus tells us to do in response to the signs that we see around us is he says that we need to know the kingdom is near. That's found in verses 29 through 33. Jesus goes on here to give us an illustration to help us understand what he wants us to do with these signs. Look at verse 29. He says, "...then he spoke to them a parable, look at the fig tree and all the trees."

When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. Here Jesus gives us the illustration of a tree. Now some people at this point will kind of focus on the fig tree and point out, and I'm sure you've heard or looked at these things and understood that the fig tree often is a representation of Israel in the scriptures.

And so then they, you know, try to use this to time the things that Jesus is talking about. And I'll show you that in just a little bit further. But I would say that this isn't really Jesus trying to call out Israel specifically because he says, look at the fig tree and all the trees. So it's not necessarily Israel that he's trying to focus on here. He's

Using the fig tree as one example of all the kinds of trees and the way that they behave. So the point is, this illustration Jesus is giving, is that you can look at a tree and understand by its condition the season that we're about to head into. The changes that trees go through indicate what season it is. For example, a very simple one, what happens to trees in the fall?

Well, we know the leaves fall, right? They fall off, they change colors, they fall. And that's an indication that, hey, we're heading into winter because the leaves are falling off the trees. And so you can look at the condition of the tree and know the season that is about to come. Then in the spring, you can see the flowers bloom. And as the flowers bloom, if it's a fruit tree, then, you know, the fruit will begin to bud again.

And then the fruit will begin to grow. But as you see the flowers blossom, as you see the bud begin to grow, then you know we're almost into summer because of this condition of the tree. So it flowers, it blooms, and then the fruit buds, and then the fruit grows. And so you can see the condition or the season that we're about to enter into by the condition of the tree. Verse 31. Verse 31.

So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. And so here Jesus says, okay, so that's an illustration. Look at a tree. You recognize the season that we're in by the way that the tree is. He says, now in the same way, when you see these signs that he's been talking about, then you know that the kingdom of God is near.

So you're seeing these signs. It's the blooming of the tree. It's the budding of the tree. The fruit is beginning to grow. And so you know the kingdom of God is at hand. The beginnings of these signs are like flowers or the buds on a fruit tree. And so you can tell, you can know that we are close to the kingdom of God. Verse 32.

Now, here's another place where people kind of focus on one thing, and I think we get maybe a little bit too occupied with this.

the idea of a generation here because, well, there's several ways to understand that and different Bible teachers and scholars have understood it, interpreted it, and taught it different ways throughout the years. Some will say that a generation is 40 years and it's that, you know, specific set amount of time, that's it, 40 years, that's a generation. Others would suggest, no, a generation is the whole multitude of people living at the same time. That's a generation of people.

Others would say that, well, generation, it also could speak of a race. And so Jesus here is talking about, you know, the Jewish people and they will continue until the end. But there's this wrestling with, you know, how to understand verse 32 because he says the generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. And so what is that generation? When does it begin and when does it end?

It was a while back. You might remember. Maybe you don't. Back in 1988, there was a book that came out. Well, it was really a couple years before that that it came out. 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. Remember that? I don't know. I hope you were there because you might have missed the rapture if not.

Apparently not, right? But they came to this conclusion because Israel became a nation again in 1948. Now here's a quick look at the prophetic timeline we've been looking at for the past couple of weeks. So you have the 69 weeks. Those have already been fulfilled.

Just like God told Daniel the prophet in Daniel chapter 9. We're living currently in what we refer to as the church age. As part of that in the early stages of the church age. Jerusalem was destroyed. But then a significant thing happened in 1948. When Israel who had not had a nation for almost 2,000 years. Came back together in the land that God had given to them. And were reestablished as a nation May 14th 1948.

It's a big deal. It fulfills a bunch of prophecies of the scripture. And many people would look at that and say, okay, 1948...

That's when Israel returned to the land. Again, thinking about the fig tree, you know, as a picture of Israel. And so they said, okay, well, a generation is 40 years. So 1948 plus 40 years, that's 1988. That must be the end because that's when the generation is complete. There were some other reasonings that they had in the book, of course, but that's kind of the basic premise.

And I point that out just to say, look, Jesus, he's not trying to give us a detailed timeline here. That's not what he's trying to do. He's trying to get us to pay attention and know that the kingdom of God is at hand, not to give us an opportunity to specify a day or an hour. In fact, he tells us not to do that because nobody knows the day or the hour.

So the generation probably isn't referring to 40 years, but it might be referring to, you know, a whole multitude of people who were alive because there are people alive today who were alive in 1948. It was 66 years ago. And so, you know, some of you were already old at that time. And now you're really, really old. Right, Harvey? Just kidding. Just teasing.

But the people alive in those days are still alive, right? And so maybe that. But I wouldn't hold on to that too much either because the whole idea here is that this generation, well, it's going to happen in one generation. That is, the end times are going to be fulfilled in one generation. That it's not going to last for, you know, your children's children's children's children. If you're...

in the end time scenario, if you're in the tribulation period, it happens in one generation to a group of people who are alive and yeah, maybe there's a couple who have kids, but it's not a next generation that is raised up during that time. It all happens in one generation. That is all going to be happening quickly is the idea here. He says, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. It's all going to be fulfilled quickly

In one lifetime. That's what Jesus is talking about here. Verse 33. Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will by no means pass away. So here's the thing. Jesus gives this assurance at the end. Because people are going to question this. He says when you see these signs. You can know that the kingdom is near. And when these things start to roll. It's going to happen really quickly. That generation is going to see the fulfillment of all these things soon.

And you can count on this, Jesus says. It's his promise that his words are sure that it will happen exactly the way that he said. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. Jesus is saying my words are more sure than the earth.

The earth will dissolve with fire, but my words will remain. The universe, the heavens there, refer to the stars, the space, the galaxies. And Jesus is saying, my words are more sure than that. More sure than the sun, Jesus' words are true. Jesus' words can be relied upon. And Jesus gives us this because he knows that people are going to question this.

Peter tells us later on in 2 Peter 3, he says, look, in the last days, scoffers are going to come. And they're going to say, where is the promise of his coming? Everything has been continuing on the same way it always has been. Jesus said he was going to come back, but he hasn't come back. And I think he would have come back if he was going to come back. I think it would have happened already. He hasn't come back. He's not coming back. That's what the scoffers will say. But Jesus says, no, I want you to rest assured here.

My word will be fulfilled. It's more sure than the heavens and the earth. It's more sure than anything that we know around us. I mean, we kind of come to count upon the sun rising up the next morning. We kind of expect the stars to be out at night. We kind of expect the world will be here tomorrow. That's not something we really stress about too much. But Jesus says, it's not going to last forever, but my words will.

They're more sure than the world, than the universe. So he wants you to know that the kingdom is near. We don't know the exact timing. We can't say exactly where we are in the process, but we can look around and we can see the season that we're in and the season that we're heading into. We can see that we are closer to eternity than ever before. And so we can recognize the times and the seasons.

But we don't know the specific hour. The Bible tells us that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. It will be a surprise. And it's going to catch people off guard. And that's why Jesus is telling us these things. Because he wants us to be ready. Well, the third thing he tells us to do in response to these signs is in verse 34 and 35. He says, take heed to your heart. You must take heed to your heart. Verse 34 says,

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. He says, take heed to yourself. Take heed to your heart. The word take heed, it means to bring near so that you can pay close attention to it. It's the idea of holding something close so that you can watch it closely.

And Jesus says, this is what I want you to do with your heart, with yourself. That you need to pay close attention to yourself and your condition. As you see these signs going on, you need to pay more attention to your heart. Here Jesus is letting us know that your heart is your responsibility. Your heart is not my responsibility.

Your heart is not your spouse's responsibility. We always, you know, blame other people for the condition of our heart. And, you know, I wasn't this way, but then she did this or he did that. You know, this is the reasons for why we have these issues of our heart. But Jesus is saying, no, you're responsible for your heart. Don't put it off and try to make someone else care for your heart. You're responsible. So draw it near and pay close attention. Take heed.

Keep a close eye on your heart. Why? Well, we know from Jeremiah 17, 9, God tells us there that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. God is telling us, listen, your heart will lead you astray. That's why you need to keep a close eye on it. That's why you need to take heed to your heart. Because if your heart, you just let it do what it wants to do, your heart will

automatically will become weighed down. It will become distracted. It will wander from the things of the Lord. And Jesus gives us a couple examples here. He says it will be weighed down in carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life.

Jesus says, watch out for your heart, that you don't experience this, that your heart doesn't take you there, because that's where your heart's going to want to go. And you, you have to take heed. You have to set some boundaries. You have to make sure that you keep your heart where it needs to be. Otherwise, you'll get caught up with carousing and drunkenness. Now, the word carousing could be better translated hangover. It's the headache, the shooting pain that comes when

After drinking in excess. So watch out that your heart is not weighed down. As a result of overindulging. Drunkenness. And the after effects of that. You could also include in here. Anything that is intoxicating. Anything that is what we would refer to as under the influence. Watch out. Take heed to your heart. Because that stuff weighs you down.

It keeps you in a condition where you are unprepared for the things that are to come. You're not recognizing the signs around you and you're not ready for the Lord to return. But then he also says the cares of this life. It took me back to Luke chapter 8. You might remember there we spent some time in the parable of the soils.

Where Jesus talked about the sower who went out to sow the seed. He cast the seed. And as he's casting out the seed, it's falling on different kinds of soils. You had the path where the seed just fell on the top of it and the birds took off with it. You had the stony ground where the seed landed and sprouted up quickly but it had no roots and so it died whenever there was the heat of the day.

Then you had the thorny soil, which the seed was cast and it fell into the ground. It began to grow, but there was weeds. And the weeds choked out that seed that was planted. And then, of course, you had the good soil, which was good. And it received the seed and it bore fruit. Jesus went on to explain that parable, what it means. He says, the seed is the word of God. The different kinds of soils are different conditions of the heart.

So the hard heart doesn't receive the word. It just sits there and it's taken away. The stony heart, well, it receives the word and responds quickly, but whenever there's any kind of trouble or difficulty or persecution, it falls away. The good soil of the heart receives the word, puts it in practice, lives it out, and produces abundant fruit. But the thorny soil, Jesus said, this represents one who receives the word...

And God begins to do a work. They begin to grow. But then what happens? He says, the cares of this life are those weeds. And they choke out the seed that was sown. And it dies. Because, well, it was consumed by the cares of this life. The cares of this world. Here Jesus is calling us to make sure. Bring your heart near. Check it out. Pay close attention to it.

Do I have thorny soil in my heart? Are the cares of this life choking out the things of God? Are the cares of this life keeping me from what God wants? Am I distracted by this life? Again, we're called to look up. This life is temporary. But we get entangled in this life. And it happens very easily. And that's why he says, take heed to your heart. Because you've got to pay attention.

If you just let your heart do whatever it wants to do, you're going to get entangled with this life. And it's going to choke out the things of God. I've done it. Man, I remember those days of backsliding and kind of coming to my senses long afterwards thinking, how on earth did I get here? I knew better. But when your heart is unchecked, when you're not examining your heart, when you're not taking heed to your heart, it's going to go there.

It's going to go into overindulgence and drunkenness and carousing. It's going to go into the cares of this life and it's going to be consumed by those things and it will push out the things of God, the word of God, what he has said and what he wants to do. So he says, take heed to your heart. But then he also gives a warning at the end of the verse there in verse 34. He says that that day come on you unexpectedly. Unexpectedly.

When your heart is weighed down, you're not ready for Jesus to return. When you're caught up in drunkenness, when you're caught up in the cares of this life, you're unprepared, you're weighed down, and it's going to be unexpected when the Lord returns. Verse 35, for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. And so he says it's going to come as a snare, and people are going to be caught in the trap.

They're going to be thinking, everything's fine, everything's fine, everything's fine, and then bam, the trap. That's how traps work, right? Traps don't work if the prey understands, oh, look at that trap right there. Let me check it out. I don't remember what movie that was, but he's like, don't look at the light, the bug, right? Don't look at the light. It's so beautiful. Bug's life, yeah. It's a trap, but it doesn't work if you know it's a trap, right?

It works because, hey, it looks beautiful. Everything's fine. And then, boom, the trap. Jesus says, look, if your heart's weighed down, if you're caught up in the cares of this life, that's how the end times are going to come upon you. You're going to be like, everything's fine. Everything's like it was. Everything's okay. We're just continuing on. And then all of a sudden, you're, well, you find yourself in the midst of the great tribulation. You find yourself in the midst of the last days.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 4. He says, you brethren are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief. Jesus gives us the warning here. If your heart's weighed down, it will come up on you unexpectedly. That's how the world is going to experience it. But Paul says, you're not of the darkness. That shouldn't happen to you. If it comes on you unexpectedly,

Well, that's an indication that you're not where you need to be. Your heart is in the wrong place. No, we're children of the day. We need to be prepared, watching, looking at the signs, looking up and lifting up our heads, taking our hearts closer that we might pay attention and say, am I right with God? Am I where he wants me to be? Jesus says, take heed to your heart. Now, how do you do that? How do you take heed to your heart?

It's a little bit difficult because, well, as the Lord told us, our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. So I can ask myself, hey, are you doing okay? Yeah, I'm okay. I can deceive myself. I can be in a world of hurt and convince myself, no, I'm fine. This is where I'm supposed to be. This is what God wants. I'm convinced. And so it can be a little bit tricky. So what do we do then? How do we take heed to our heart? Well, you need to spend some time with somebody who has an accurate perspective.

You need to spend some time with God. The psalmist in Psalm 139 said, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties. I think that's important. Try me and know my anxieties. Because you know when we get anxious? When we're caught up in the cares of this life. But we need to ask God to search our hearts. And we need to let Him override.

So that when our heart is off and we say, no, no, I'm fine. And God says, no, you're not fine. That we listen to him and say, oh, I guess I'm not fine. God says I'm not fine. I'm pretty sure behavior like this is acceptable. I'm pretty sure, you know, I can do this. I'm justified. I have the right. I can do what I want to do. And then God says, no, you can't. Here's what I say. And we need to let God override. How do you take heed to your heart? You take it to the Lord.

And you force your heart to submit. This is what God says. I know you feel this way. I know this is what you think, heart. I know this is what you care about. But here's what God says. And this is what we're going to do. You have to take heed to your heart. It's kind of like, you know, taking heed to a rebellious child. You have a rebellious child right within you. And you got to force that to submit to God. And you do that by spending time with God.

Spending time in the Word. Allowing God to reveal, to bring light into your heart. To bring the truth, to bring perspective. That's the only way that you could ever have an accurate understanding of your heart. By hearing what God says about it. Letting Him declare to you. I can't tell you what's going on in your heart. Nobody else around you can.

I know that we're very convinced that we can. Oh, I know exactly what they were thinking. I know exactly what's going on in their heart. No, no, no, no. We don't. The Bible is very clear. We don't have that capability. God knows the heart. He searches the heart. We look on the outside. We come to our conclusions. We come up with assumptions. But we don't know even our own hearts. So we got to take it to the Lord. And that's why we spend so much time encouraging the body of Christ to

To be spending time in the Word of God. That's why we're doing the Bible in three years. It's not just about getting through the Bible, but it's about spending time daily in the Word of God and allowing God to work in us and to reveal our hearts and to give us the opportunity to submit to Him in those things. Take heed to your heart. As you see the signs going on around us, take heed to your heart. Well, finally, verse 36 says,

He gives us the final thing that we need to do. And that is that we must pray that you be counted worthy to escape. Verse 36 says, Watch therefore 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. So Jesus says, Watch therefore since this judgment is going to come upon the world.

since there will be these signs that precede it, since it's going to come on the world unexpectedly and it's going to be a surprise, watch therefore. The idea here of watching is the idea of someone who's on guard, that you keep yourself awake. When you're on guard, you can't fall asleep. That's not a good thing. You need to stay awake. You need to keep yourself awake, you know. Whatever you need to do, keep yourself awake.

I always share this because I think it's funny. When I was in Bible college and I was having a real hard time staying awake in classes, I would get a cold soda from the vending machine and I would hold it against my eye and it would freak me out. I'd be like, ah! But then I'd be wide awake for a little bit afterwards. I was keeping myself awake. Watch therefore. Keep yourself awake. Don't fall asleep.

We're going to fall asleep if we just let ourselves do whatever we want to do. No, we need to make sure, are you awake? Are you paying attention? Do you see what's going on around you? Do you see what's happening in the world? Do you see the scriptures being fulfilled? Are you awake? Are you paying attention? Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ? He says, watch, but then also pray. And what does he tell us to pray for?

He says, pray that you may be counted worthy to escape. This is pretty interesting what the Lord says here. Pray always, he says, that you may be counted worthy to escape. The idea of escape, well, the word means to flee away, to seek safety in flight. It's to get out of there. Now, we're looking at this tribulation period, this judgment that's about to come on the earth, and there is an escape.

We refer to it as the rapture of the church. So again, we're in the church age. Israel has been reestablished. At some point in the future, we don't know exactly when, there's going to be seven years of tribulation like the world has never seen before. It's going to be the worst time in all history. And you can read through the book of Revelation. I mean, the things that happen in the tribulation are horrendous. Nobody...

Will want to be in that time. In that day. Nobody will want to experience those things. But Jesus says. Look there is an escape. Now when he says there is an escape. He is not saying. Get out to the mountains. Find a cave. So you can escape. The trouble that is going to come on the world. He is not talking about. You know getting out of town. Or something like that. No the escape he says. You need to be counted worthy. To be part of this escape. And this escape.

causes you to stand before the Son of Man. He's talking about the rapture of the church. There is an event that's going to happen, the Bible declares, where believers in Jesus Christ will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. It will be at a time unannounced. It will be, well, something the world is not expecting. It'll be something that many people are not expecting.

But it's going to happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Our bodies will be changed, we'll be joined with the Lord, and then Paul tells us we'll forever be with the Lord in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. So there is this escape, there is this rapture of the church that is going to happen, but here's what Jesus says, and this I would ask you to consider. He says, pray always that you would be counted worthy to escape. There's a worthiness that must be there.

It means that there's criteria that must be met. It means that some are not worthy and some are worthy. It means that some will be part of the escape and some will not be part of the escape. The word worthy, it means to be deserving. Who deserves to be part of the rapture? I hope you know that none of us do. And so maybe it's a little bit fearful to pray always that you be counted worthy when we know that we don't deserve it.

But like anything else, what God has in store for us comes by faith in Jesus Christ. It comes from a relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ. And as we believe in Jesus, the Bible tells us that He imputes His righteousness to our account. So it's not that I'm deserving, but I've believed in Jesus and He's deserving and I'm included with Him and so I'll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Believing in Jesus is not just something that you do intellectually. You intellectually acknowledge, okay, I acknowledge that Jesus existed. I acknowledge that Jesus died. I acknowledge that Jesus rose again. Believing in Jesus is more than that. Believing in Jesus is turning your life to follow Him, to live for Him, to walk with Him, to give your life to Him.

And so as he says, pray always that you would be counted worthy. It's something we need to consider. Listen, if you're just faking it, you're not worthy. And God's gracious, but why would you want to live under that kind of uncertainty? Because it's certain, Jesus says, it's going to happen. Heaven and earth will pass away. My words won't pass away. The rapture is certain. Is it certain that you're going to be with him? Are you going to be part of that? Are you worthy to escape?

You know, there are going to be many people who go to church who are going to miss out because they're not worthy. And I don't mean that because they made a mistake, but because they're just pretending. They're pretending to be Christian. They're pretending life is right with God. They're pretending. It's not for real. They haven't taken heed to their heart. And so they're far from God. In Luke chapter 12, we spent some time talking about

and being faithful stewards because there Jesus gives the parable of a steward as an illustration of the importance of being ready. He talks about the master entrusting a steward with the responsibility going away and then he's going to return. And the faithful steward will be fulfilling what the master gave him to do. And so when the master returns and finds him doing what he was supposed to be doing, then he's rewarded.

And Jesus relates that to us. He says, you know, hey, I'm going to take care of you. I'll serve you if I come back and find you doing what I've called you to do. But then he also warns about the servant who is entrusted. But then he thinks, ah, my master's delaying his coming. He's not returning for a long time. And so what does he do? He gets caught up in drunkenness, in the cares of this life, in carousing. And Jesus says, the master comes back at a time when that servant is not expecting. And he's judged.

Because he wasn't ready. He wasn't doing what he was called to do. Jesus says here, pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape. Are you being faithful? Are you being faithful to the Lord? Are you right with him? Are you ready to stand before Jesus Christ? He wants you to be ready. That's why he gave us these signs. And that's why he told us, here's how to respond as you see these signs unfold.

Pray that you may be counted worthy to escape. Verse 37 and 38 give us just a quick overview of the Passion Week. It says, In the daytime he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

During this final week of Christ, he was spending time with the people in Jerusalem. He would go out in the evenings and he would stay the night just across the valley on the Mount of Olives, probably in Bethany, where Mary and Martha and Lazarus were. And then he would come back the next morning and spend the day in Jerusalem, around the temple, teaching the people, spending this final week amongst the people leading up to his crucifixion and then resurrection.

But here in this passage, Jesus tells us, here's how you need to respond. We see the signs. We see the beginning stages. We know the end is near. It could be a thousand years or it could be today. But the end is near. We're going to be in the presence of God very soon. And we see the beginnings of these signs. It's interesting as you look at the things that are happening in the world right now, you can see the alliances that the Bible describes today.

are being forged right now while we watch. Just check out the things that are happening in Russia. And there's an alliance that's happening, alliances that Russia is involved with. Things that not too long ago, you would have thought, man, it would be impossible for these nations to join up. I mean, they're not friends, they don't even like each other. But it's amazing how the world scene is becoming to look more and more like what the Bible says it's going to be.

In Ezekiel 38 and 39, God describes an invasion of Israel that's going to take place. He doesn't give us the exact timing. It's something that could happen before the rapture or after the rapture. We don't know exactly. But it's this invasion that takes place. But what's interesting about it, as it describes the alliances of these nations that gathered together to invade Israel, these alliances are being formed.

They're being joined together and you can see it matching up. The pieces are coming together. And then also as you look at what's happening right now with Russia, the attacks that are going on, the invasion, you know, taking over this part. And the Western powers, the Western alliances are kind of just standing back and saying, excuse me, what do you think you're doing?

There's nothing forceful about it. They're not really serious about it. They're just kind of lightly protesting. And what I find interesting about that is in Ezekiel 38 and 39, as these nations are invading Israel, it talks about this other alliance that just kind of stands back and says, excuse me, what do you think you're doing? It's like we're already playing the part.

We're prepared. Listen, I don't know when the rapture is going to happen. I don't know when the end times are going to come. It could come, you know, in a few lifetimes from now, and that's fine. That's still the fulfilling of God's Word. Things could get a whole lot worse, and it's still the fulfillment of God's Word. But as we see these things align, it could also happen today. Jesus says, as you see these signs, the beginning stages, as you see them flower and bud and begin to grow, you

Look up and lift up your head. Set your eyes on things above. Set your mind on eternity. Put your hope there because the kingdom is near. So take heed to your heart. Pay attention. Where are you at? Where are you at with the Lord? What's your relationship with God like? What's He been speaking to you? Oh, He hasn't been speaking to you? What's wrong? Why aren't you spending time with God? Why aren't you taking heed to your heart? Letting God work in you what He wants to do. And He says, pray. Pray.

that you be counted worthy to escape. Let's do that right now. Lord, I pray for us. Lord, that you would help us to be prepared and ready for your return. Lord, we see the signs in the world around us and it's scary, it's exciting. Lord, we don't know what's about to happen. But Lord, we do know that we can trust in you and your words. And so Lord, help us to set our hope fully

on the grace that You will give to us on the day that You are revealed. Help us, God, to be prepared and ready. Lord, we know we're undeserving. We know we're unworthy. But You've told us that we can be clothed in Your righteousness by believing in You and what You did for us upon the cross. And so, Lord, right now, we just once again, or maybe if it's the first time, Lord, we declare to You, we believe that

In Jesus Christ. And we receive the forgiveness offered to us. As a result of his work upon the cross. Being punished in our place. Receiving the penalty for our sin. And Lord we turn our lives to follow you. To walk with you. Lord because we do want to be counted worthy to escape. We want to have hearts that are not weighed down. But that are lifted up.

We want to have hearts that reflect you. Hearts that are right with you. We want to experience, God, all the blessings and fullness of what you have for us. And so, Lord, help us to turn from the things that are not of you. To turn from the cares of this life and the things that weigh us down. Help us, Lord, to repent. And instead of pursuing those things, help us, God, to pursue you and the things that you've called us to. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.