Back to the Future (Part 3)

As surely as the water gathers behind of them the day of judgment is coming in one day it will be revealed. In fact, that's the message that the sermon that the apostle Paul preached to the Athenians on Mars Hill from acts chapter 17 is the very core of the Christian gospel is what Christianity is all about and he said to them in acts 17. He said the time of ignorance God has overlooked, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent. For he has appointed a day. He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man who is appointed in order to prove that this is the man who's going to be the judge of the world. He raised him from the dead.

In fact, Jesus said that the father judges no one, but the son will be the judge. The very Savior who died on the cross and rose again is going to be the judge who sits on the high bench on the last day will be looking at the signs of the return of Christ. We look today, probably to the clearest and the most detailed sign of the return of Christ. I want you to turn with me please to Matthew chapter 24, beginning in verse 29 in these few verses the Lord Jesus Christ delineate for us what we going to see happening to the cosmos. What is going to happen globally is a regard be global catastrophe, and there can be little doubt that soon after that is returned to take his bride home is returned to take his children to heaven is around the corner and I was thinking throughout the week.

The whole world celebrate Christmas almost not like the whole world of the home. Everybody loves to celebrate Christmas or everybody likes a baby and then how the focus narrows and fewer and fewer still truly celebrate the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as our only hope for eternal life. And then, fewer and fewer and fewer still truly look forward to the day of his return. It's amazing to me.

So many Christians so engrossed in this life and the troubles of this life and the challenges of his life. So many Christians are so bogged down with the problems of this life that they don't even want to think of the return of Christ being around the corner. Although they may give you some sort of a pseudo-spiritualist to the Christian reasons as to why they don't want to think about it, but in reality they don't want to think of his return.

Many people do not want to think of the day of judgment. Matthew 24, 29 to 31 says that he shall return immediately when you see catastrophic events. Look at the verses again.

In fact, you cannot help if you follow signs like I do interested in reading about what's happening in the world that those verses in days gone by. Drew a lot of penises and they drew a lot of ridicule on the part of the scoffers mission in the past.

If you if you read little bit of history and yet today these cosmic signs that were prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ, our daily being affirmed and confirmed by many other reputable scientists today. Jesus said that immediately before my return.

The son is going to darken and the moon will not give its light is that the stars literally will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

What was thought of to be an impossibility. Only a generation ago. Today many are scientists and now confirming and reputable science are affirming that this day is coming in Luke chapter 21 verses 25 and 26 Jesus said on the earth.

Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and the passing of the sea man will faint from terror apprehensive of what is coming on the world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Listen carefully place those events those calamitous events that people literally will die when they see them there will die of fright. That's what faith means that there will be so frightened by them that they will literally die on the spot visit during that time the heaven will shake by the Lord Jesus Christ. You say how come because Hebrews chapter 1 verse three tells us that Jesus is the one who holds all things. That's all the galaxies and all the planets and all the stars. He holds all things in the universe by his power and the power of his word, he sustains the entire universe by his power, he upholds the best all of the stars in the galaxies through his power, but on that day when he even for a nanosecond takes his hand off the sustaining power the stars and the galaxies would be careening helter-skelter.

Why, because all the stable reference points all the natural focus will be suspended for the moment of his return. I wanted to hear me right. The earth is held together by the power of God. And when that power is withheld even for a nanosecond there would be hundreds, possibly thousands of tsunamis hundreds, possibly thousands of earthquakes all taking place all at the same time. In fact what Jesus is talking about here. Why the sort of inconceivable although those of us who watch the tsunami few years ago can begin to comprehend the little bit of it but is probably going to be far greater than we can imagine, but that's not all. The truth is this Jesus in Matthew 24, 29, is affirming and confirming the word of God is, he doesn't always tell you interpret the Scripture by the Scripture.

Don't just take a verse and run with it because that's how people get into trouble. Interpret the Bible by the Bible and you see if you read the Scripture carefully you'll find that 700 years before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ Isaiah in chapter 13 verse 10 said the following. He said on that day the stars in the heaven and the constellations will not show the light of the rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, the beloved.

This is important. This is very important. This sense of cosmic catastrophe will not be just a local phenomena here or there that this will affect the entire world is going to affect the universe it will impact the environment and the economy of the entire world begin to collapse. In fact, that is why in Revelation chapter 18 it says that all the great merchants of the world on all business people of the world who are dependent on the trade they going to be morning.

They'll be crying on that day.

These men of great wealth and great power will be weeping those who have worship money and materialism.

There will be weeping and they will be wailing why because their God is dead, that God is let them down. But in verse 30 going to find the greatest and the most exciting sign of all and that is the sign of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus appearing is going to be the supreme and the ultimate sign of all.

At the climax of the blackness of midnight at the apex of the darkness of this cosmic destruction as the world comes under the grip of the Antichrist and as a result of that, they're going to be economic upheavals and social upheavals in physical and emotional, and spiritual upheaval. Jesus will manifest himself in his infinite majesty and glory. Can you imagine that they will try to think of it, just imagine the great day wonderful Davis canopy. Can you imagine the sight of him and his blazing glory. Certainly, it will clarify some people it will do that and will terrify all those who have rebelled against Jesus and will terrify those who have cursed the name of Jesus. They will terrify those who have rejected him as the only way to the father. They will terrify those who have refused to believe in him. There will terrify those who have used his name as a swear word it will terrify those who have persecuted their followers. It will terrify those who are for written his children from naming his name in public, they will morning that will weep and there were way over there soon there will be mighty in the powerful men of the world.

These powerful men and women who have ruled nations there will be hiding in caves and in the midst of rocks. These celebrities and the superstars who spend tens of thousands of dollars on cosmetics. There will be hiding in the rocks. They'll be hiding under the best there will be crying after the rocks cut us leaders of nations who ruled with an iron fist that will be running around crying for the rocks and saying, cover us from the face of humor sits on the throne. And that's why we long to see everyone would have an opportunity to minister to an witness to everyone.

The rub shoulder with Tacoma know the truth of Jesus, so that they can escape the fear of the day they can escape the horrors of the day. The only way that you can have confidence in the day that you have joy in the day and not fear is to know that you have committed your life to Jesus Christ that he is your only Savior, and that you're walking with him day by day in righteousness and serving him and glorifying him and honoring him because the Bible said in acts chapter 1 verse 11 as the disciples saw the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they hung out with love on them and saw his heart for 3 1/3 of her year as they saw him on the day of ascension, literally taking up to heaven in front of their lives with her eyes are popping out of their heads.

It draws are open and they were standing there know what to say. I didn't know what to do, but God knew that is why he sent an angel and here's what the angel said. He said the same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you have seen him go up to heaven.

But listen.

On the day is not uncommon weakness is not going to come in humility because he come already in weakness and humility so that anybody and everybody. Whomsoever can come to him. But when he comes back is gonna come back to those who have already come to him. He will come back in power and great glory. Question, how will he demonstrate that power. How will he manifest this power, that power will be manifested is going to be demonstrated in the shaking of the heavens and throwing out of Satan and all of his demons and protecting his own chosen children and redeeming all of his elect in conquering all of his enemies and restoring the new heaven and the new earth invisibly raining on ruling the universe that everybody can see in destroying the power of sin and radically destroying the power of destructive nature and turning it into DOS all on harmless environment.

In fact, Isaiah prophesied again of the day, and here's what he said is that the wolf on that that would dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie with the kid and the calf with the young lion.

What a day. This can be. What a glorious day he will come with power and glory glory. Christ's power is good be demonstrated when he eliminates all of droughts and all of all the floods in all of starvation from the world Christ's power is gonna be demonstrated when he wipes all the tears and the fallen in the faces of his children because is gonna eliminate sin, and sin is the very cause that cause us to weep over over sin.

Christ's power will be demonstrated over diseases that seem to consume the bodies. Christ's power will eliminate hatred and prejudice and racism in the fear of rejection. Think of the joy of the day.

Think of the privilege for those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ as we witness him as we experience him as will be with him forever.

Think of the joy of seeing him in his full glory, not just a glimpse of it, is the Adam and Eve were only given a glimpse of the glory of God in the Garden of Eden. The people of Israel were given just a glimpse of the glory of God in the wilderness. He couldn't show them his face.

He couldn't show him all of his brother would've been burnt even Isaiah when he was privileged to be taken into that the very portals of heaven. He was saw only a glimpse of God's glory. James and John saw a glimpse of Christ's glory on the mount of transfiguration and they said that his face was like the sun and that his word is closed. His garment was as white as light. But when we see him we see him in the fall spectrum of his glory, not just a glimpse of it and then Jesus said the angels will gather all of his faithful children from every corner of the earth so that they might into the heavenly glory and heritage. Jesus, the universe, not just a piece of real estate.

The whole universe verse 32 Jesus said now learn from the parable of the fig tree, I want to stop here for a moment and explain to you what that means, because through the years through history people have Alec arise with the fig tree as they tried to speculate what the fig tree is sin, but the meaning of what Jesus is saying here is far simpler than you really think this is the truth is always simple. Those who play mental gymnastics in an and jump around and give you this and then on Monday they lose me fig trees. What a common site at that time.

Fig trees were everywhere, everybody was familiar with the fig tree as he that's always Jesus spoke from a reference of knowledge. She never told about things that they couldn't comprehend or couldn't get there arms around everyone, including kids they know that when they see the green shoots coming off the fig tree. They note springtime is the springtime.

It means that summer is around the corner.

The summer is not far behind. And whenever you see the green shoots of that fig tree.

He said no that the time is near. Which means summer is soon going to be here, which means that harvest is soon going to be here and harvest in the Old Testament is a time of separation. It represents separation when the harvest the wheat. They separate the wheat from the chaff is going to be a time of separation in the day of the harvest and Jesus is saying here very simply that when you see these cosmic signs. When you see this cosmic catastrophes when you see all these signs in the sky you know that monitor is around the corner when you see these cosmic warnings know that the judgment of the world and my return is just around the corner when you know it's springtime you know that summer can be far behind. When you see the signs. Far from being terrified. You should be rejoicing.

You should be ecstatic.

Why because your day of redemption is drawing near as old means I told you it's simple, it is simpler than you think.

Even so, look at verse 33. Even so, when you see all these signs all these things, recognize that he is near that he is right that the door verse 34.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place while this is very important. What is it mean this generation shall not pass away. He is talking about the generation that is going to see the signs in the sky. The generation that will see the warnings in the sky.

He said that generation that sees all these catastrophes are going to see the return of Christ, the generation is going to see the spring again to see the summer. In fact, some of the Bible. Critics foolishly said look at this. Jesus was just confused look at this. The Bible is contradictory. How can he say this generation shall not pass away and all that first generation that he was talking to God and and and and that is ignorance. That's foolishness.

The construction of the sentence is very clear that he is speaking to the generation that is going to be seeing the shooting stars peacemaking for the generation is going to be CCing the green shoots in the fig tree he is speaking to the generation in the springtime, and therefore his saying this generation that experiences catastrophic cosmic signs generation will not pass away until they see his return. Others have said. Somehow these things may have happened and we just don't know about the in the history did not record this and do some things that Jesus said is gonna happen immediately, like the collapse of Jerusalem and we know in 70 A.D. everywhere.

Jesus spoke happened with meticulous and fulfilled with meticulous details, but there's some things he said I gonna come immediately prior to his return and these things make no mistake about it will happen with meticulous details. Number beloved friend listen to me, this is probably the most important question that you can ask yourself, let me verbalize it for you and the question is this.

Will you be rejoicing on the day overview be among those who mourn and weep and wail and regret. This is our wish. Had I known only you can answer the question only you will you be ecstatic over you. Be terrified. He said God is merciful God is full of grace. He is he is and that is why he's been inviting day after day after day with super radio television, books, magazines through your friends at work people witnessing. He is trying his saying come come because he is a God of mercy, but that they, the daughter of mercy when they ship with your company when you come to him as we pray will you come to him, ask yourself the question, ask yourself the question. If he comes.

If you see the signs right away. We been warned, would you be ready, shall we pray together. Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for salvation.

I thank you that you died on the cross for me and I thank you that you love me enough to welcome me into the very portals of heaven. Thank you father that you've given me an opportunity to repent and turn to you believing that you will forgive all my sins past, present and future.

I think you that my eternal life is secure in your hand, even as my earthly life is secure not present in Jesus name, amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way.

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