Will You Be Left Behind?

Introduction

If you have you Bibles, take them and find Luke 17:20.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Will You Be Left Behind?”

 

We return to Luke’s gospel this morning, and let me remind you where we are, and where we’ve been.  Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem.  See Luke 17:11.

 

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

 

However, please remember, He isn’t on a pleasure trip. He is on His way to die.  He is on way to the cross to die for us.

 

The last time we were in Luke 17, Jesus healed ten lepers.  However, if you remember, only one returned to thank Him.  Now, He is going to answer some questions for the Pharisees and His disciples.

 

Today, I want you to see two truths about the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is Christ, and the kingdom of God is coming.

 

We have seen Jesus talk about the kingdom of God on multiple occasions, and He spoken about the kingdom of God in multiple ways.  First, the kingdom of God has referred to heaven.

 

The kingdom of God has also referred to God’s will and plan working out in the lives of His followers.  That would be you and me.

 

Jesus has also referred to the kingdom of God as Himself.  He is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God can refer to His kingdom that will come on earth.  In other words, the kingdom of God is also Jesus’ reign on earth.

 

 

1. The Kingdom of God is Christ, Luke 17:20-21.

20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” 

 

In verse 20, the Pharisees asked Jesus about when the kingdom of God.  They were expecting a military Messiah.

 

His response was that they wouldn’t see signs of His coming.  However, that wasn’t because there wouldn’t be signs.  That is because they had wrong expectations.

 

The end of verse 21 says that the kingdom of God was within them.  However, in the language of the NT, the end of verse 21 actually says the kingdom of God was in their midst.

 

In other words, the kingdom of God was standing in front of them.  Brothers and sisters, that is the gospel.

 

Knowing the world was in need of a Savior, God sent His one and only Son.  We celebrate that at Christmas.  His name is Jesus.

 

He came to earth and lived a sinless, perfect life.  He then died on the cross in our place and for our sin.  To authenticate and affirm everything He had said and did, He was resurrected from the grave and ascended to heaven to be with His Father.

 

If you have never accepted Him as Lord and Savior of your life, that is my invitation to you this morning and this Christmas.  The kingdom of God in your midst, and Jesus wants to have a personal, saving relationship with you today.

 

You will never earn heaven and eternal life on your own.  You can’t do with your morality or ingenuity or generosity.  You can have heaven, eternal life, and forgiveness of sins today by admitting that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, repenting of our sin, and calling on Him today to save you.

 

 

2. The Kingdom of God is Coming, Luke 17:22-37.

22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  31 “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”  37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”  So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

 

In verse 22, Jesus turned His attention of His disciples.  He was speaking to us.

 

Starting in verse 22 and through the end of the chapter, Jesus used His favor title for Himself.  He called Himself the “Son of Man,” and He spoke of His Second Coming or His return or the kingdom of God to come.

 

First, He said it would not be seen by everyone.  In other words, some would die and not be alive when He returned again for the second time.  That includes approximately 2,000 years of His followers.

 

Second, His coming would be obvious to all of those who were alive at the time.  It would be so obvious like that of lightening in the sky.  Matthew 24:29-30 give us some descriptions.

 

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

 

Third, His coming will be after suffering and rejection in verse 25.  Remember, He was on His way to Jerusalem.  His trip would end in suffering and death on the cross for our sins.

 

Fourth, His coming will be an act of judgement. In verses 26-30, He reminded us of two Old Testament examples of judgment.

 

First, remember Noah.  Noah preached and warned, but the people ate, drank and were married.  None of that is wrong, but they didn’t listen to Noah.

 

Consequently, when the flood came, Noah and his family were saved.  However, the rest were destroyed. See Genesis 7:21-23.

 

21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.

 

Also, don’t forget about Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. They also carried on with their daily lives without any regard for God.

 

What was their fate?  Fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.  The only survivors were most of Lot’s family.  The day when Jesus returns will be similar.

 

Fifth, Jesus’ coming will be unexpected.  Look at verses 31-36.

 

Jesus gave four scenarios. When Jesus comes unexpectedly, you can’t gather all your goods.  It will simply be time to go.

 

Don’t be like Lot’s wife who missed out.  You can’t have this life and life and heaven.

 

Beginning in verse 24, two men will be sleeping.  One will be taken.  The other left behind.

 

Two women will be working.  One will be taken.  The other left behind.

 

Two men will be in the field.  One will be taken.  The other left behind.

 

The question is whether the one taken is saved or is it the one left behind.  With the context of Noah and Lot in the previous verses, they were taken or saved.  Those left behind were destroyed.

 

My question for you is this.  When Jesus comes, will you be left behind for the judgement? 

 

I hope not.  I pray not. I’m offering the invitation today to be saved by Jesus and not left behind, but the decision has to be made by you.

 

Our text ends by giving us a gruesome picture of judgement. Look at verse 37.

 

The bodies left behind will be spiritually dead.  They will encounter God’s judgement for rejecting His Son.

 

Consequently, the eagles or your Bible may say vultures will be circling.  This will be a sure sign of spiritual death.

 

 

Conclusion

The kingdom of God is Christ, and He is coming.  Will you be left behind?  If not, are you warning and inviting your spouse, coworker, and neighbor to be saved by Jesus?