How To Prepare For The Future

Luke: Following Jesus brings focus: How To Prepare for The Future

Text: Luke 21:5-38

MPS: Jesus prepares His people for what is to come and guides them in their next steps.

Intro: If we knew what was coming in life, we would act differently. If we knew what stock was going to skyrocket, then we would buy low and sell high. When significant events are coming in our lives, we prepare for them. We prepare for the birth of a child, investigate new towns and cities before moving to them, and pack up before relocating. The amount of preparation that goes into a wedding is significant, not small; let’s leave that one alone. We prepare for a move beforehand by packing. We prepare for death by establishing a will, and in some cases, prepaying for a funeral. Jesus Christ made an amazingly accurate prediction of a future event—one that three different gospel writers substantiated and later confirmed by non-believing historians. Some try to ignore the scriptures’ teaching concerning the return of Jesus, but one day Jesus will return, and we must prepare.

1. Jesus Prepares His Followers for the Destruction of Jerusalem.
   1. People admired the temple’s beauty and grandeur. During Jesus’ time, the temple underwent a reconstruction that would be completed in AD 63. It included stones 40 feet long, 12 feet high, and 12 feet wide. The gates of the temple were overlaid with gold.
   2. As they were admiring the temple, Jesus makes clear that every piece of the temple will be destroyed. The principle Jesus is teaching is everything around us is temporary.
   3. The people wanted to know when everything would happen. Jesus responds by reminding them not to be led astray. When we get caught up in “when,” we miss the “what” we are to do.
   4. Do not be led astray or go after impostors of Jesus. Impostors of Jesus will come, and society will deteriorate before the end comes.21:8
   5. Jesus warns us not to be afraid of the condition and the culture around us. Wars have been a common occurrence throughout human history.

• In the last 3,421 years of human history, only 268 have seen no wars

1. Biblically, the term “last days” includes every moment from Jesus’ ascension to His second coming.
2. Lk. 21:10-11, Matt. 21:4-8 includes a list of cultural problems that are the beginning of birth pains. The end will not be at once
3. Jesus prepares his followers by notifying them of what is to come. In the following verses, Jesus reveals: massive difficulties, Jerusalem’s destruction, and His second coming.
4. Jesus clearly states the pains His followers will experience 21:12-19.
   1. His followers will experience religious persecution.
      1. When being persecuted and brought before people in authority, you do not need to prepare your speech, as God will give you exactly what you need. If you are a teacher, study. 2 Tim. 2:15
      2. 21:15 is seen in real life through Stephen in Acts 7. Persecution often explodes mission activity. We should be prepared for God to use difficulty to bring about revival in America - why not persecution here?
   2. His followers will experience intense personal hatred.
      1. Family members are already criticizing some of you because of your stance for Jesus.
      2. Not a hair of your head will perish—this does not say that you will not hurt or will not die, but you will never perish. Man can’t take your soul.
      3. Saving faith will not renounce Jesus. Hebrews 3:14 states that those truly saved endure to the end. I do not believe that you can lose your salvation, but not everyone who says they are saved is.
      4. When we stand for Jesus, we will lift up Jesus and the gospel.
      5. “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” Endure - persevere or stand firm.
      6. We’ve undervalued endurance in the Christian life. Some of you are going through some real trials right now. What is God doing in those? Producing endurance. You don't learn endurance when everything goes your way. Sitting on the couch doesn’t create endurance, but rigorous training does.

• Pastor Mark Coleman loves to hike, and he passed on that love to his son, Peter. When Peter was only 5 years old, Coleman planned an easy hike on the northern part of the Appalachian Trail. Coleman would lead them around a mountain to a lake in Vermont, where they would spend the night. He made thorough preparations for the trip, including coaching his son. Over and over, he told him that it would be tough, and it was okay to be tired, but they had to keep on walking. They had to keep on walking.

Unfortunately, the walk was longer and more challenging than expected because Coleman led them over the mountain, not around it. The trail was steep and broken. Little Peter stumbled time after time on loose rocks, but they kept on walking. The hike was a burden, not a joy, but they kept on walking. Peter fell so many times that he ripped the knees of his jeans, but he kept on walking. Finally, after one fall too many, he sat and cried.

As Mark approached him and began to speak, 5-year-old Peter cut him off: "I know, Dad. It's okay to cry, as long as I keep on walking."

1. You can tell if someone is a believer by observing their life. A profession of faith may reveal that you have said a sinner’s prayer of salvation, but a changed life that follows Jesus reveals that you are saved.
2. Jesus clearly states destruction coming to Jerusalem.
   1. 21:20-24 Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem on more than one occasion
   2. 19:41-44. 19:44 Jesus explains that the reason this happens is that they have rejected Him.
   3. “These are the days of vengeance” - the rejection of Christ brings about the destruction of Jerusalem and great pain.
   4. In AD 70, Jerusalem was destroyed.
      1. The Roman army surrounded Jerusalem, they took over 100,000 prisoners, they killed over 1 million people, and those who were left turned to cannibalism.
      2. Today, the Temple Mount serves as a reminder of God’s judgment, with a Muslim mosque and an Islamic shrine - the Dome of the Rock. (pic)
   5. Believers in Jerusalem obeyed Jesus’ warning when surrounded, as historian Josephus records, they left the city as “swimmers deserting a sinking ship.”
   6. Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles. Israel experienced the judgment of God. “Until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.” Mk. 13:10 The time of the Gentiles is the spreading of the gospel to every land, nation, and tongue. This time lasts until Jesus comes again.
3. Jesus prepares His people for His return.
   1. There will be signs of His coming in the sun, moon, stars, and the earth, with a roaring of the seas and the waves. 21:25
   2. Massive changes come to society and the earth, creating fear and anxiety among the people.
   3. The problems are universal, and people will faint and even die, not because of what happens but because of the fear of what could happen.
   4. 21:27 “They” - future generation will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud - straighten up, raise your heads, because dread is coming - Nope! Your redemption draws near.
   5. What we have been waiting for is almost here. Every wrong will be made right, and we will be in the presence of God.
   6. Redemption—Jesus redeems you from your sins, making you His people. This use of redemption is not about deliverance from sin but the ultimate redemption when we are redeemed from a fallen world forever.
   7. The one who doesn’t follow Jesus loses everything, and the follower of Jesus gains it all. The worldly persons’ hope perishes, and the believers’ hope becomes realized in the presence of Jesus’ return.
   8. The signs leading up to the return of Jesus are horrendous. The world doesn’t get better, leading to the return of Jesus.
   9. Jesus illustrates with a fig tree.
      1. 21:29-31 Jesus states that you can look at the fig trees’ blossoms and tell that it’s almost summer. We can look around us and see that it is nearly time for His return.
      2. We might say that it can’t get any worse around us? But it can and it will. The craziness of the culture around us is a picture of the tree budding, that Jesus is coming soon.
      3. This generation will not pass away - what does Jesus mean by this generation?
         1. It could reference the fall of Jerusalem, but he refers to more than that in the text.
         2. It is more likely referring to the times of the Gentiles, because the times of the Gentiles finally finish in Jesus’ return. John finishes scripture with the call and hope for Jesus’ soon return. Rev. 22:17-21
4. So What?
   1. Jesus gives commands stated in the present imperative, which means we are to obey them on a daily basis.
      1. 21:34 Watch yourselves!
         1. Pay attention to what is going on in your heart and mind.
         2. Dissipation - anxiety over the ordinary matters of life. If there is an opportunity for you to worry, you take advantage of it.
         3. Be careful that in the middle of your worry and your coping through alcohol, you don’t end up trapped in a place of shame when the day of Jesus’ coming happens.
         4. The coming of Jesus will affect the whole world, but some will live prepared, while others will live for themselves. Do not get trapped by sin and the distractions of life. Heb. 12:1-2
      2. Stay Awake - This doesn’t mean not to sleep, but to live with alertness.
         1. Remain spiritually alert. Focus on the eternal, not the temporary.
         2. Living alertly leads to humble dependence on Jesus. Jesus has already warned us of the difficult times ahead. Live looking for Jesus’ return.

• When our middle son, Ben, was much younger, he had heard more than one sermon about the importance of surrendering our lives to Christ. Ben seemed well-attuned to the heart of God; he was both selfless and kind, in ways it took others a lifetime of sanctification to acquire. My husband and I were disturbed when Ben stubbornly resisted our invitations for him to give his life to Christ. He offered no explanations; he would simply tell us in his preschool English that he wasn't ready. He resisted for several months. Then, one morning as we sat around the kitchen table eating our Cheerios, little Ben announced that he was ready to give his life to Christ. He then got up from the table and went upstairs. My husband and I looked at each other and followed him. We expected to find Ben on his knees in prayer. We didn't. Instead, we found him folding his Star Wars pajamas into his Sesame Street suitcase.

We said, "Ben, what are you doing?" He answered, "Packing."

"Why?" we asked. "To go to heaven," he said.

We then understood why our child hesitated to give his life to Christ. He thought that in so doing, he would have to leave us and take up residence, literally, with Christ in heaven.

We should all possess the faith of little Benjamin: we should have our hearts so fixed on Christ's appearance that the attachments of our earthly life pale in comparison. For we are "aliens and strangers on earth … longing for a better country, a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:13).

1. Pray vigilantly
   1. We should pray that these times don’t affect our hearts and minds. We should pray to be sober-minded and clear-headed and not get caught up in the world’s drunkenness. Titus 2:11-13
   2. We are to seek God’s strength during trials and temptations
   3. How do we have a spiritually clear head? Praying in faith allows us to take God at His word that those in Christ will stand before God because of grace streaming from the cross.
   4. Only one group should be afraid of the second coming of Christ, and that is those who do not know Him. Every believer is called to live simply for Him and obey His commands.
2. Be Strong
   1. Previously, Jesus called for His followers to be strong in their witness for him when facing persecution. Every day, do the right thing and trust the Lord.
   2. Ultimately, all of us will stand before God, but the greater question is, how do we stand in this moment? 1 Cor. 15:58
3. Listen To His Word
   1. Allow God’s word to direct you when facing confusing times. How should we live our lives? Looking to Jesus and living for Jesus

Conclusion:

In his memoir, Everything Sad Is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri tells the gripping story of his mother’s conversion from a devout Muslim background to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. She gave up wealth and social status, eventually being forced to flee from Iran under a death threat. Nayeri writes about one example of her costly faith:

One time, she hung a small cross necklace from the rearview mirror of her car, which was probably a reckless thing to do. My mom was like that. One day after work, she went to her car, and there was a note stuck to the windshield. It said, “Madame Doctor, if we see this cross again, we will kill you.”

To my dad, who is not a Christian, this is the kind of story that proves his point. That my mom was picking a fight. That she could’ve lived quietly and saved everyone the heartaches that would come. If she had kept her head down. If she stopped telling people. If she pretended just a few holidays a year, that nothing had changed. She could still have everything.

My mom took the cross down that day. Then she got a cross so big it blocked half the windshield, and she put it up. Why would anybody live with their head down? Besides, the only way to stop believing something is to deny it yourself. To hide it. To act as if it hasn’t changed your life.

Another way to say it is that everybody is dying and going to die of something. And if you’re not spending your life on the stuff you believe, then what are you even doing? What is the point of the whole thing? It’s a tough question, because most people haven’t picked anything worthwhile.