The Parable about the End

If you had your Bible, turn me to Luke chapter 21. Luke chapter 21, we're going to look at the parable about the end.

Luke chapter 21, we are studying what is commonly called the Olivet Discourse. It's a discourse given by our Lord on the Mount of Olives to His disciples. Christ is the one who introduces us to His return. If there's anybody who can be an expert upon his coming again, it would be Jesus Christ our Lord. And so he introduces us to the topic of his return. And goes into great de concerning what's going to happen when he comes back again. And as we look in Luke chapter 21, this morning I want to point out three things to you.

Number one, I want to point out to you that this is a sermon we need to listen to. Because there is a, number two, a Savior we need to look for.

And then we're going to look at a story we need to learn from. And that's the parable about the end. But we need to understand that this is a sermon we need to listen to. We need to listen to it because it's Jesus who speaks about his return. As you recall, on the Mount of Trans in Luke's Gospel, the ninth chapter, the voice came from heaven. Peter, James, and John were able to hear it. This is my beloved son. Listen to him. When Jesus speaks, we need to listen.

We need to be hearers of the word. We need to be doers of the word. And how you do the word is a great judge on how you have heard the word. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says this: Ecclesiastes chapter 5: Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen.

You are here today to listen. You are here today to listen to the words of God. If I was just to sit here and just read to you the Bible, that would be more than enough for you. At least it should be. Because you've drawn near to listen, to hear what God has to say. That's why, over in Luke's Gospel in Luke chapter 8. The Lord said this about the parable of the sower and the soil. Luke chapter 8, he said, He who has ears to hear, verse 8. Let him hear. Those words are repeated in the book of Revelation, Revelation 2 and 3, to the seven churches.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Let him listen. It says over in verse number 18, Therefore, take care how you listen.

For whoever has to him shall more be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has, shall be taken away from him. Verse 21, my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. In other words, Christ says, those who know me are Are characterized by the fact that they listen, they hear my words, and they do my words.

This certainly is a sermon we need to listen to. We need to draw near to God and hear what He has to say. It says over in Luke 11, verse number 28. Christ said these words: Luke 11, verse number 28. And it came about, verse 27 says, And it came about while he said these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you in the breast at which you nursed. But he said, On the contrary, Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it. Blessed are those who are willing listeners to hear what the Word of God says.

If you were to go back to the book of Proverbs, the Proverbs are replete with instructions about listening to the word of the Lord. The question comes to us: are we here to listen to what God has to say? This is a sermon that we need to listen to. For three reasons. Number one, because of the question.

The question that was asked. The reason Jesus goes into this long discourse is because there was a question that was asked by the disciples. What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? And they asked the question, and Jesus said in Isaiah chapter 45, verse number 11. Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker, ask me about the things to come. Ask me, go ahead. And that's what they do. Jesus never gets tired of us asking him questions because he's going to give us the answer through his word He's already spoken the answer.

And therefore, we are to listen to what he says in his word. These men, these disciples. Have come to Jesus and they ask a question about the end of the age. They want to know the answer, they want to understand what's going to happen. He's going to die. He is going to rise again. He is going to come again. They want to know when all these things are going to take place. So, it's a sermon we need to listen to because of the question that was asked. Number two, it's a sermon we need to listen to because of the revelation that we receive.

The Lord God reveals to us His truth. In this revelation, we need to understand. Our Lord is revealing to his men things concerning the end. He tells them about the messianic. Deception that's going to come. He tells them about the military dissension that's going to rise. He tells them about the monumental devastation that's going to take place. Now, if you still have your chart, maybe you don't, you should, because we made it big enough for you to keep in your Bible, right? We want you to have it in your Bible so you can always be able to refer to it when we talk about the return of the king.

And so when the somebody took my my little pointer thing Somebody stole it. Oh, no, there it is. My wife found it. Thank you, dear. You're the best. And anyway, the point being is that during this tribulation, there's going to be. Things that happen in the church age, but he's specifically talking about the end of the age. He's talking about the times that are going to happen in tribulation. If you read Revel 6 to 19, You will see that in Revelation 6 and 19, these seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls all parallel what Jesus says in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, Luke 21, commonly called the Olive Discourse.

He's talking to them about the things concerning the end. He tells them, This is how you know. And then he says, Listen, there's going to be strong persecution that's going to arise. It's going to happen to you. And those things did happen to the apostles, and there was much war and rumors of wars. There have been famines in the land, there have been earthquakes in the land, but that's not specifically what Jesus is speaking of. He's speaking of this time right here, the tribulational period, when all these things will begin to escalate.

And then he says, in verse number 20 of Luke chapter 21, very important words. He says, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize her desolation is at hand. These are the days of vengeance. So he refers to something very specific. We know that because in Matthew's account, it talks to us about the abomination of desolation. That was spoken of by Daniel the prophet in Daniel:. So we know that it's a particular event that Jesus is referring to. You're going to see all these things happening, and they're going to happen right here in the first part of the tribulation.

But then, right in the middle, there's going to be this abomination of desolation. It's going to be the days of vengeance that escalate. In the latter half of the tribulation. That's why he says: when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you got to go. You got to run. You need to flee. You got to get out of there. And so he tells them. And then he says: he talks about the moon going dark, the sun losing its light, and the sun of man coming. This is the sign. This is the sign. There's going to be a certain event that's going to tell you you're near the end, and there's going to be that sign of the Son of Man coming in all of his glory.

It's going to tell you this is the end that's going to happen at the end of the tribulation. Need to be aware of that. When the moon goes dark and the stars begin to fall, lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth near. Okay? So we study this, we listen to this sermon because there was a question that was asked. And Christ has already said, You want to know things about the end? Ask me. They ask. So he tells them. If he's speaking, we need to listen.

And then the revelation that's going to occur, he reveals to us everything we need to know. Do we know every particular Situation that's going to happen at the end. No. But we know everything we need to know based on what he's told us. He's not telling us these things to confuse us. He's not telling us these things to mess with our minds. He's telling us these things so we know the end. He wants us to be able to comprehend the events surrounding the coming of the king. So there's a revelation that we receive.

That's why we need to listen. And thirdly, we need to listen to the sermon simply because. Of the satisfaction that's achieved. Do you know That there is much satisfaction in knowing everything on that chart. Most people don't understand that. That's why, over in the book of Revelation, these words are spoken. Revelation chapter 1, verse number 1: The revelation of Jesus Christ. That's how it begins. The apocalypsis, the unveiling, the unmasking. It's a word used 18 times in the New Testament. The very first time it's used.

It's used of Simeon when he holds the Messiah in his hands and says that there's a light of revelation that's been given to the Gentiles. There's been an unmasking of the light. There's been an unveiling of the light. Everything that we've hoped for, everything that we've longed for, now can be clearly seen. In other words, That which has been veiled has now been made visible. That's what the apocalypsis means. And so here. The book of Revelation begins. This is the revelation, the unveiling of Jesus Christ in all of his splendor, in all of his glory, everything in this.

Bible, all 66 books are a revelation of the Christ, but there is one particular book that unveils his glory and splendor, unlike all the other books, it's called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It's the consummation of the age. It's everything that we are hoping for, everything that we are looking for. And so the book of Revel is that which describes it for us. And that's why. Satan has confused you about the end times and the book of Revelation and said to you, It's hard to understand. You don't need to read that book.

Because if you read it, You're going to see the glory of the Christ. And when you see the glory of the Christ, you turn from your sin and follow the King. But it says the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his bonds the things which must shortly take place. And he sent and communicated it by his angel to the bonds John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written.

In it for the time is next, or the time is near. This is the next time. This is the time that's coming upon us. And blessed is all those who hear and read and understand and Observe the prophecies of this book. A blessing comes. And the same blessing comes at the end in Revelation chapter 22, verse number 7. And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. Again, the book is bracketed by blessing because everything within the book provides blessing to those who hear it, to those who read it.

So, we need to understand that when you come and you listen to this sermon, you're going to receive a blessing. It's going to bless your socks off. It's going to help you understand the character and nature of the king, the sovereign God, who rules the universe, who has a plan, and that plan is right on schedule and is going to be accomplished. In his time for his purposes and his glory. So it's a sermon we certainly need to listen to simply because of the question. That's been asked because the revelation that we receive because of the satisfaction.

That can be achieved when you sit and read and understand the greatness of the king. But not only is this a sermon we listen to, it's also a discourse on the The Savior, the Son, the one we need to look for. The one we need to look for. We need to live our lives in anticipation. The greatest motivating factor in a person's life is anticipation. We anticipate something. We live in the anticipation of the arrival of the king. The Bible says over in 1 Corinthians 1:7, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It says over in Hebrews 9:2. Christ shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him.

James 5 says, Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Behold, the judge is standing right at the door. Peter says in 1 Peter:, Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is our anticipation. Listen, my whole life is built around anticipation. Yesterday, this past weekend, we had the glorious opportunity of putting up all of our Christmas decorations in our house. Now, before you send me off to the funny farm and say my pastor's wack, you need to understand something.

When the weather turns, it gets a little chilly. We got to do something about that, right? Because there's going be 100 by the end of the week. But we live in anticipation. And so we, you know, we get out the trees and we go to Hobby Lobby and go to Home Depot and buy some more stuff. And I'm there with my wife yesterday. I got the cart going. I, honey. We could use this and we could put this up. She goes, Well, if you have a vision for it, honey, and you want to buy it, you go right ahead. And I'm like, okay, I'll take this, and I'll take that and I'll take this and I'll take that.

And because I live in anticipation. I do. You go to my office. It's all about anticipation. It's all about Christmas. People think I'm crazy. Listen, the answer is simple. If there is no birth, There is no life. There's no life, there's no death. If there's no death and resurrection, there's no life for you and me. And without that life, there is no hope. My hope is built on what took place 2,000 years ago, which leads me to everything that's going to happen right here. That's my hope. That should be all of our hope.

We should live in anticipation of the glorious kingdom of God. And so, without Christmas, without the life of Christ, without God becoming man and dying for our sin, rising again, we have no life. We have no hope. We live in anticipation of the great and glorious appearing of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. That's our anticipation. And so there's a Savior we look for because of its anticipation. Because that anticipation provides for us motivation. Motivation. It causes us to live for Christ.

That's why Paul could say, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain. In the Lord, right? Over in 2 Timothy chapter 4, listen to what Paul says to Timothy. Verse 1: I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead. By his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. Here's your motivation, Timothy. The judge is going to come. His kingdom is going to come. And because his kingdom is going to come, you need to preach the word.

You need to understand that. Listen, I said something last week that my daughter asked me about when we were going for one of our walks, and it was posed to her by another person in our church. When I said last week, you know, when right before the tribulation begins and the Antichrist signs a covenant with Israel for one week. There's going to be the rapture of the church, the church taking up into glory. And I said last week that when the last person in the church age is saved, Christ is going to take us on.

Of course, my daughter has been raised in my family, so she comes home and she goes, Okay, Dad, give me chapter and verse for that. Do you have chapter and verse for that? I said, No. I don't. But listen to me very carefully. Okay? Why are we here? Are we here to worship? Nope. Do we worship? Yes. But are we here to worship? No. Because when we get to heaven, what are we going to do? We're going to worship. And guess what? It'll be perfect worship. There'll be no selfish motives. There'll be no sinful attitudes.

It will be perfect worship, right? And when we get to heaven, the worship of God will be so pure and so clean, it will be anything beyond anything we can ever imagine, right? So we're not here to worship. We not here to worship. Are we here to work? Nope. No. We're here to serve? Nope. We're not. Why? Because when we get to heaven, we're going to serve Him doing His will, and we'll serve Him perfectly. All of our service and all of our work for Christ right now can be selfishly motivated. It can be stemmed from a heart that's impure.

But we still have to serve because we're required to serve. We're required to honor the Lord and use our gifts for his glory and for his kingdom. So we worship God, we work for God, but none of that is why we are here. Why are we here? We are here for one reason and one reason only Only, and that is to preach the word. No other reason. You're not here to make money, not here to have a family, not here to get married, not here to retire. You're here for one reason, one reason only, to preach the word.

That's it. That's the only reason Jesus leaves us. Why would he leave us here after he saved us? When ultimately we're going to go to heaven, right? Ultimately, we're going go to the new heaven and the new earth. Hopefully, we're going go to heaven. Come back with him, but we're going to go to glory. Everything is about going to heaven. I prepared a place for you. If I've gone and prepared a place for you, I will come again. I will receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also. Right?

So, if that's the case, if that's where we're going to go, why do we stay here? What good reason do you and I have to stay here after we're saved? One, and that's to preach the word. To tell people about the saving grace of Jesus Christ our Lord. So they in turn will hear, because faith cometh by hearing, hearing by a word about the Christ. Romans 10, verse number 13. So we're here to preach the word. Now, if we're here to preach the word, okay, and the Lord knows who's going to be saved in the church age, all those church age saints.

And we know that he's ascended up into glory. He's gone up there and he goes, I go to prepare a place for you. Okay? So he's in the process, whatever that means for the Lord God of the universe, to prepare a place. For you, okay, I will come again and receive you unto myself. So the preparation, that place. Is going to be completed when the last soul is saved. And when the last soul is saved in the church age, okay, the church goes to gl. Goes to glory because the bride will be complete. Right now, the bride is incomplete.

The bride is not complete yet. The bride is not finished yet because the Lord is still building his church. He builds it through those of us who share the gospel and preach the gospel. That's how the church is built. And so, as we continue to preach the gospel and souls get saved. The church age in the church age these 2,000 plus years. What happens then is that the bride is being completed. And when that last person is saved, and that completes the church age, that completes the bride of Christ.

The bridegroom is going to come and receive the bride or take the bride home to show the bride to his Father. Can't show the bride until the last soul of the church is saved because the church is the bride. And that's when we go home to meet the Lord. And so none of us knows when that is. None of us knows. We have no idea who that last person is who's going to be saved. Only the Lord knows. Because then the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, it says, the restrainer, okay, will be removed, not that the Spirit of God is.

Going to be gone from the earth because the Spirit of God is omnip. He's everywhere. But the Old Testament then, or the tribulation, will be like it was in the Old Testament. People will be saved like they were in the Old Testament, still by By grace through faith in Christ alone. Yes, always the same in both Old Testament and New Testament, but the indwelling Spirit of God will not be that. Not be there like it was in the Old Testament. Okay, so that's how you know that. And so we need to come understand that this is our anticipation, this is our motivation.

We are motivated to share the gospel. We are motivated to look for the coming of the Christ. We live in anticipation of everything He's going to do. And this is what moves us. That is the purifying factor of the coming of Christ. It moves us to action. It moves us to share Christ because this is the consummation of the age. All this is. We're going to, Christ is going to come again. There's going to be His great kingdom. It's going to be a thousand years. How do we know that? Revelation 20 says six times it's going to be a thousand years.

We know the length of that kingdom. And then Satan will be bound during that whole time. He'll be loosed. He'll have the great white throne judgment. And then those who don't know Christ will be thrown into the lake of fire and will go off into the new heaven and the new earth. This is the consummation of the age. This is what we look for. We are looking for a Savior who is going to do everything He's promised. And that's what we trust Him to do. And so there is a sermon we need to listen to, a savior we need to look for, and lastly, there's a st we need to learn from.

And that's a story. In Luke chapter 21, in verses 29 to 33. Let me read it to you. It's a very simple story. Okay? It is not an allegory, nor is it mystical. It is a literal story, an allegory, an illustration. That Jesus gives to his men. He says, he told them a parable. Behold, the fig tree and all the trees, as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it. And know for yourselves that summer is now near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass a. Christ gives an illustration. He gives an application and he gives a confirmation. Okay? First of all, he begins with an illustration.

Now this is a very simple parable. You would be surprised on how many commentators have taken this parable and misinterpreted it. It's unbelievable. But it's a very straightforward, simple story that Christ gives. It says very simply, Behold the fig tree and all the trees. Why is that important? Because a number of years ago, Hal Lindsey wrote a book. Said that the fig tree was Israel. He's wrong. Okay? He's dead wrong. He's dead wrong on a lot of issues, but he's really wrong on that one. Okay? He used Israel as an illustration of the fig tree.

That's what the fig tree is for. But it says the fig trees and all the trees, not just the fig tree, but all the trees. They're all the same Okay, because it's a simple story. It's not about Israel. It's a story that relays a very simple, basic truth. It says, Behold the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. Now, how hard is that to understand? That's very simple. When you see the leaves on the tree, you know, guess what?

Summer is right around the corner. Spring is present, summer is right around the corner, the fruit comes, harvest is there. That refers in scripture to judgment as well as blessing. It's a very simple story. That's all it is. He's already said, He's already said in verse 28: when these things begin to take place, straighten up, lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. It's nearer than it's ever been before. And then he says, Behold, the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves.

That summer is now near. That is not hard to understand at all. That's very simple to grasp. Remember, Jesus isn't in seminary talking to young men who want to be theologians. He's talking to simple fishermen. People like you and me, simplistic people who are not here to try to be anything more than what we are. These are what these men were. They were just simple fishermen. So he's not trying to give them some deep theological lesson that will transform the way they start their churches and the kingdom of God.

No, it's a very simple, bas st. It's an illustration. The parables are. Remember, parables Christ took every day, every less, okay, that everybody was familiar with, that he was speaking to. And drew from them parallels to help them see heaven and its glory. That's all he did. And so he tells them: here's the story. Build the fig tree. People don't know what fig trees are. And yes, the fig tree is used as an illustration in the book of Joel, in the book of Hosea, in the book of Matthew. Earlier in Matthew, he uses the fig tree to talk about the bare of the disciples' lives.

He talks about the fig tree as an illustration of the patriarchs in the Old Testament. It 's used on various occasions to illustrate whatever that person is speaking about. Christ happens to use it here along with all the other trees. So you know that the fig tree isn't representative of one particular thing, but it's representative of an entire story. Therefore, you see the leaves. You know, spring has sprung and summer is near. He's trying to help them understand how quick they are to the end. And then he says these words.

Here's the app: even so, you too, when you see these things happening. Now, the question is: who is the you? Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. What's the kingdom of God? Well, the kingdom of God is a place where the king rules. In Mark's account, it says the king is right at the door. Now, you can't have a kingdom unless you have a king. And everything is about the kingdom of God, where Israel has the fulfillment of Dav promise and Abrahamic promise.

And the new covenant, that what Jeremiah speaks about, everything is about the coming kingdom of God. When Christ came, he came to preach about the kingdom. Oh, by the way, I have keys to the kingdom. Do you have the keys to the kingdom? You should. You should. In Matthew chapter 16, Christ said to Peter, I've given you the keys. To the kingdom of heaven. What are the keys to the kingdom? It's based on the confession of who Jesus Christ is. Who do men say that I am? If you confess that Jesus is the Son of God and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

We have the keys to the kingdom. Because Christ gave them to Peter. Peter passed them down from one generation to the next through the word of the Lord that helps them understand that. Confession of Christ as Savior, as Lord, as Messiah, as God is the key to getting into the kingdom. Christ says these words, verse number 31, even so you too, when you see what?

These things, what things? What things? What things he's just been speaking about. Okay? In particular, yes, you're going to see the famines, you're going to see the earthquakes, you going to see the military dissension, you're going to see a mass defection, all Okay, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that our destination is at hand. We know what that means because we read Matthew's account in Matthew chapter 24. It's the abomination of desolation.

When you see that, okay? So, whoever the you is is going to see that happen. Okay, make sense? Whoever the you is is going to see this happen. By the way, that's not going to be you and me, it's going to be who's ever alive at that time in the tribulation. When you see these things happening, he then says this: Recognize that the kingdom of God is near. It's coming, it's next, it's right there. Truly I say to you, now that's a unique word, truly. Am. So now you hear it, truly, truly. The King James version says, Verily, verily I say unto you, Am, Am.

Okay? It's used 76 times. At the front of a sentence, it's used 48 times at the back of a sentence. Okay? Now, note this. Every time it's used at the front of a sentence, it's only used by Christ. But every time it's used at the end, it's never said by Christ, but only those who hear his words and respond to what has been said. Isn't that unique? Every time it's used at the front, 76 times in the New Testament, it's used by Jesus Christ Himself. Because He says, Listen, truly I say to you. Stand up, take note, get this.

If you miss everything else, don't miss this. Truly, truly, I say unto you. You need to get this. This gener, what generation? The generation who sees these things. This gener will not pass away until all these things take place. All what things? All the things that you are seeing. This gener. We'll see these things and we'll live to see it. Can't be the disciples. They're dead. Right? Can't be them. Some say, well, Christ, and this is what the all-millen use. They use this as. A proof for 70 A that everything that Christ is talking about happened in 70 A.

That's just the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life. And most people are all millennial, but they use this to prove that. That this generation, the disciples and those living at that time, okay, which in 70 A, that would be that generation. But the problem with that is, it says, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by the nations, plur. In 70 AD, how many nations surrounded Israel? Jerusalem. One Rome. So it can't be that. Can't be 70 A. And the Son of Man did not come in great power and glory in 70 A.

The sky did not become dark, and as the lightning flashes from one end to the other, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be, and everybody will see him. Nobody saw Christ in 70 A. But they use these events to prove what took place in 70 A when Rome surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed Jerusalem to prove their point. They 're dead wrong. Absolutely dead wrong. And so Jesus says, Look, I'm going to give you an illustration.

It's not hard to figure it out. You can tell it to your kids, they're going to get it. If kids get it, why can't theologians get it? And so he gives it to him and says, Here's the deal. When you see the leaves, see the leaves, summer is coming. What's next? Okay? With summer comes fruit. With fruit comes the harvest. That's what's going to take place. Then he says, so you. You, when you see these things happening, okay? What things? These are the leaves on the trees. These things that you see, the abomination of desolation, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, okay, the intensity.

Of the earthquakes and famines and all those things just growing beyond proportion you're reading in Revelation 6 to 19. You see all those things. Those who see those things are this gener. It will not pass away until everything takes place. There will be people who die in the tribulation. Yes, there will be. Okay? This generation is speaking generically, but there will be people who die. We've already seen that. But they're going to see the coming of the Son of Man. They're going to see it. Here's the confirmation.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Christ says, Look, let me confirm everything for you.

Heaven and earth is going to pass away. It's going to pass away right here, right after the kingdom is over. Okay? One day when I do a new chart, I'm going to give the destruction of the heaven and the earth. It flees away. It says in Revelation 20 that heaven and earth flee from his presence. If God is omnip, Okay, he's everywhere at once, and there's not a place he isn't. For heaven and earth to flee from his presence means they must go out of existence. Makes sense? Sure it does. And so heaven and earth will will flee out of its presence.

2 Peter 3 verses 10, 11 and 12 talking about how this present universe will implode and melt and just Be incinerated and be gone. Okay? Happens at the end of Revelation chapter 20, and the earth is gone. Only thing left is the great white throne judgment. And there you'll have all the unsaved who are resurrected before the throne of God, and none of the saved will be there. Only the resurrected unsaved will be there. And they will be judged. The books will be opened. And they will be judged, and they will be cast into the lake of fire.

There'll be a new heaven and new earth. Christ says, Heaven and earth are going to pass away. They are. There's nothing you can do to stop that. It's all going to be destroyed. Everything is going to be obliterated. All of it. It's all going to be gone. But my words will never pass away because they are the living word of God. They are the true word of God. They are the eternal wor of God. Peter would say in 1 Peter chapter 1, the grass fades away, the flowers, flowers die, but the word of God abides forever.

It is the living and abiding wor of God. This is the parable about the end. About the end. What are the implications? Four things. Number one, are or have you been washed from your iniquity?

Have you been washed from your iniquity? We have the blessing of living in the church age. The tribulation is not here. It will one day be here. We will not be here. We've talked to you about this over the time as to why the church won't be here. We've given you several illustrations of that. We've got a three-tape series on that to explain it to you in great detail: why the church will be. Raptured, we translate it into glory before the tribulation happens. But the question comes: have you been washed from your iniquity?

Have you been saved from your sins? Remember Revelation chapter 2? It says this. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the c. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers, the immoral person, the murderer, the id, and everyone who loves and practices lying. The Lord God says, Blessed are those whose robes have been washed.

How are your robes washed? They're washed in the blood of the Lamb, right? We are born again by the precious blood of the Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1, verses 18 and 19. It's not with silver and gold that we're redeemed, but by the precious blood of the Lamb. It's symbolism from the Old Testament, where the Lord God would speak of Israel having their garments cleaned. That they might be washed, that they might be able to experience the garments of God, clean garments. Have you been washed from your iniquity?

Have you been saved from your sin? Do you know for certain that if you die tonight, you'd go to heaven? Are you still holding on to your sin? Are you still trying to hide your sin? Are you still in love with your sin? Or have you been washed from your sin? That will tell you whether or not you're ready for the return of the king. Because if you haven't been washed, you're not ready. You'll enter the tribulation, and who knows what's going to happen to you then? Have you been washed from your iniquity?

Number two. Number two, are you worshiping in the body? Hebrews 10, 24 and 25 says that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Why? Because the day of the Lord is drawing near. Okay? And we are to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Those who are ready, listen carefully to what I'm going tell you. Those who are ready for the arrival of the king must worship with the body. They must. They can't live without it. Because you stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

You don't forsake the assem of yourselves together. As some are doing, the writer of Hebrews says. This is what we do this side of eternity. It gives us a little taste of heaven, just a little bit, not much, but a little taste of heaven. But we are to worship in the body. We gather together because God inhabits the praises of His people. And if somebody doesn't want to come to church, they're not ready for the return of the king. They can say whatever they want to say, they are not ready. Because they probably have not been washed from their iniquity.

They probably have not. Because people who have been cleansed want to worship with those of like precious faith. They want to be with those who love the Lord. They want to be with those who honor the Lord. They want to be with them because, hey, we're going to spend eternity together anyway. Let's just get used to being together right now.

And let's worship together. And so there's something about being washed from our iniquity. There's something about worshiping within the body. And then, thirdly, there's something about working in the ministry.

Listen to what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4. Peter says this: The end of all things is at hand. What's the end of all things? Right there on the chart behind me, the one you have in your hand. The end of all things is at hand. Now, Peter was on the Mount of Olives. He listened to the Olive discourse. He listened to the sermon that Jesus gave. He kept looking for the Savior that's going to come. Okay, and now he tells the people he's writing to the end of all things is at hand, it's right around the corner, the consummation of the age is going to happen.

And then he says this: Therefore, because it is, be of sound judgment. Think biblically. Think biblically. Be of sound judgment. Be discerning. How are you discerning? By thinking in a biblical manner. Think biblically. Be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Pray intelligently. You do this so you can pray effectively. How do you know you can pray effectively? If you are discerning, if you're sober-minded, if you are thinking biblically, you can pray effectively. Then he says, above all, keep fervent in your love for one another.

Love fervently. It's a word that means to boil over. It's a word that means to stretch out as far as you possibly can with a great fervency to grasp that object you want to love. Love fervently. Listen, the end of all things is at hand. The consummation of the age is coming. Think. Biblically. Think biblically. Think scripturally. Okay? Pray, therefore, effectively and love fervently. He says this. Because love covers a multitude of sins, be hospitable to one another. Then he has this caveat without complaint.

Love strangers without complaint. Be hospitable without complaining about it. Okay? In other words, you need to show hospitality. Be a lover of strangers. Show hospitality. Love fervently. Pray effectively. Think biblically. And then he says, min supernaturally. He says As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak as it were, the utterances of God. Whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies.

So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Minister supernaturally. Listen, because all this is going to happen, are you washed? From your iniquity? Are you worship in the body? Are you work in the ministry by ser those who are around you? And last, simply put, are you the kind of person who witnesses in your community? Because that's the only reason you're still here. The only reason that you might tell people about what's going to take place.

And how they can be a part of the kingdom of God. You hold the keys to the kingdom. Because in your hand is the revelation of the Christ and what He has said. And so, do you witness in the community? What did Christ say? Acts chapter 1, when they asked him, Are you now going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He said, I need you to be my witnesses. The Holy Spirit's going to come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the world. I need you to witness, to be a martyr for the sake of the gospel.

That's what you're here for. This is the reason I left you here. The question is, how well are you at accomplishing that purpose? Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today a chance to be in your word, a chance to worship you, a chance to honor you. And we pray, Lord, that you go before us, that we might honor you with our lives, with our language, and everything that we have, that you might be glorified. In Jesus' name, amen.