As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.  Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.  When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
 

SERMON

One of things I would like to do in my retirement is to drive the historic route 66 across America.  I’ve read up on it, and you pass through hundreds of small towns. I’ve watched videos on this very topic.  Diversions of Route 66 and shifts in population had left many of these towns hurting. 

Garages are closed, businesses were boarded up, and playgrounds were overrun with weeds. Almost without fail there was a tiny cinema in the town centre.  The door would be padlocked. The windows had posters saying, "Out of business." Then below it, on the notice board were the words, "Preview of Coming Attractions." This is where the colour posters used to hang -- the ones that made you want to see the film. 

Now the space was simply empty. The sign said "Preview of Coming Attractions" and the space below it was blank. There were no coming attractions, nothing to look forward to at all. Some people think this is the way the world is. As far as a preview of coming attractions, they say it's a blank. Life will all end like a bankrupt cinema -- lights out, litter on the floor, the door locked, people gone -- the end.

But is this the way of the earth? Are there no coming attractions to look forward to with hope? Yes, there are! The way of the world is not the way of the Lord. In the text Jesus Christ himself is talking with his disciples about the future of the great planet earth. You might say Christ is giving his disciples a sneak preview of coming attractions.

The first point Jesus makes in today’s text is that evil is expanding. He says, "You will hear of wars and rumours of wars... and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places... and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray." 

Here in this text the Lord is giving prophecy. He is giving predictions, history written before it happens. The disciples had asked him: "Tell us, when will this be? What will be the sign of your coming?" Jesus told them plainly: "You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes, famines, and pestilences." He also said there would be numerous false prophets who would lead many more astray.

Right here is where reading Jesus' words is like reading today's front-page headlines. The twentieth century was a time of war: World Wars I and II, the Russian Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, Korea, China and Japan, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, San Salvador, Somalia, the Gulf War, Israel, and a host of other wars were fought in that 100 years. More people were killed by war in the last century than in all other wars in all other centuries put together. 

You'd think humankind would be sick and tired of fighting. But, no! There are still so many "rumours of war" that nations are buying arms at an unprecedented rate! Military expenses are often higher than any other item on a nation's budget.

Take a look at earthquakes. In recent years quakes have hit Chile, Haiti, Mexico, California, China, Italy, Turkey, and a host of other places around the globe. Then there is the matter of famine. At least 20,000 people die each day due to starvation. The key word today is shortage. Russian wheat crops often fail. India, Pakistan, African nations, Mexico, South America, and others are often short of food. Over half the world's population goes to bed hungry each night.

In Luke’ Gospel, Christ predicted pestilences as a sign of his coming. This doesn't necessarily mean grasshoppers, mosquitoes, locusts, and the like. It can also mean pollution. The Greek word for pestilence means trouble in the air or little things in the soil. And certainly we have pestilence with us today from influenza and Covid to air pollution.

Christ also predicted false prophets. He said they would come and lead many astray. The last forty years have certainly been a fulfilment of his predictions. Spititualists, astrologists, Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and more; young people and old flocking to their ranks. They are, like Jesus said, being led astray.

Many of you are thinking what I'm thinking. We have always had quakes, famines, wars, pestilences, and false religions. Why get alarmed? Today is no different than the past! 

But Jesus qualified his predictions. The Bible says that these things will come upon the earth like birth pains. They start off slowly and gradually come closer together and become more and more intense. Then comes the actual birth itself. Is this not what we see happening with the things Jesus predicted? Earthquakes are becoming more and more destructive and growing closer and closer together. The same is true of war and famine, false prophets, and pestilence.

Evil is expanding! Christ said it would be so before he returned!

Now this is a horrible point to have to make to you this Sunday morning. It's like saying, "Cheer up! Things are going to get worse!" But we live in a world that is progressing toward evil just like Christ said it would. 

Evil is expanding! Jesus said it would. But in the text he also said time is demanding! Jesus said he would come like a thief in the night. He said, "You must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

A small boy was playing on the living room floor near an old grandfather clock. Noon was approaching and when both hands reached twelve, the chimes began to sound. As he always liked to do, the little fellow counted each gong as it sounded. This time, however, something went wrong with the clock's inner mechanism. Instead of stopping at twelve, it kept chiming thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen times. The lad couldn't believe his ears. He jumped to his feet, ran into the lounge and shouted, "Daddy! Daddy! It's later than it's ever been before!"

His words are true of the second coming also. It is late, later than it's ever been before. This is no time to be living without Christ. It is no time to follow Christ in a poor sloppy manner. Yet some of us are living like we have all the time in the world. 

"Wake up," is the call -  "Christ is coming soon and you don't want to be unprepared." We don't have forever! As to the time of Christ's return, let me say this. We do not know when it will be. It may be soon. It may be late. But we know this for sure. It's later than it has ever been before! 

There are some who like to predict the future and give a date to the Lord's return. Believe me! This is a waste of time! It is pure speculation. Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only". In other words, Christ himself does not know when the second coming will take place. God only knows.

The Christian position in regard to the time of the Lord's return is to watch for it expectantly, have hope, and always be ready by living and working faithfully. There is a fine country estate in Italy. It has marble fountains, huge lawns, and manicured gardens. The owner lives in Rome. He has not visited his country estate in over fifteen years. 

Yet every day the gardener does his work. He knows that if the master were to return and find things overgrown he'd be fired. A visitor asked the old gardener, "You keep things like the owner might return tomorrow, don't you?" The gardener said, "Oh, no, sir! I keep things like he might return today!" That is the position of the faithful Christian. Precisely because the Lord might return at any hour we must be ready every hour! Are you ready? Right now? Are you living and working faithfully? Would Christ be happy with your life right now?

Evil is expanding! Time is demanding! And now the text tells us that Christ is commanding. Jesus said, "They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds."

One gets the distinct impression that, though the world looks hopelessly out of control, God himself is still in full control. He is able to predict events before they happen. He will come on the clouds.

If you read Psalm 2 you get the feeling of just how firmly God controls the universe. Though the kings of the earth set themselves, though they throw off the Lordship of Christ, God still rules and overrules. Though the creature strives to be greater than the Creator, the Bible says God laughs! He doesn't feel one bit threatened! He can come back at any time and crush his opposition. 

The psalm ends with the statement, "Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Queen Victoria was one of the few earthly leaders who recognized the Lordship of Christ. She took refuge in him by faith. During her latter years the Queen was heard to say, "Oh, how I wish the Lord might come during my lifetime!" When asked why, her reply was, "I should love to lay my crown at his feet!" 

Few world leaders have that kind of attitude today. Too often they are puffed up with vain conceit. They refuse to recognise God or obey him in their stewardship of power. They set themselves in opposition to the Lord's will. They are unjust and oppressive but the end will bring their downfall. Christ is commanding!

I wonder: Can we not take on the attitude of Queen Victoria? Can we not let God be in our lives right now, as he already is in heaven, and that is as king and Lord forever? 

Why not let him command you? Every Sunday in church we pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It's time to start meaning and living that prayer. Jesus commands in heaven. How about on earth in your life? Is he commanding? If he is, then you can have peace. Like Psalm 2 says, "Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

A ship at sea was weathering a terrific storm. The boat was being tossed about by the waves and the wind. Most of the passengers were panic stricken. Some were seasick. But a little boy was seen playing quietly in the forward chamber. His young face registered none of the fear of the other passengers. "Aren't you scared, little boy?" asked a woman.

"No!" replied the child, confidently.

"And why not?" the woman pursued.

"Because my daddy is the captain of the ship," he said.

The Bible teaches that in the latter times great storms will rock humankind. But Christ is commanding! Our Father is the captain of the ship! He is able to keep until that day what has been entrusted to him. So be at peace. Take refuge in the Lord. Let him command your life and all will be well.

Let us Pray

Father, forgive me for being part of the expanding evil in this world. While there is still time, forgive me of my sins. Be my Saviour. Command in my life! Let me not bury my head like an ostrich and let the world go by. Instead, let me work to make it better until Christ returns to make it the best. In Jesus' name, I ask for it. Amen.