 With that said, I'm going to take you into our study Mark chapter 13 verses 32 through 37 Beginning at verse 32 Jesus said but of that day and hour no one knows Not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father Take heed and watch and pray for you do not know when the time is it is like a man going to a far country Who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to each his work and Commanded the doorkeeper to watch Watch therefore for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening at midnight at the coin of the rooster Or in the morning Let's coming suddenly he finds you sleeping and What I say to you I say to all watch and So let me give to you as I normally do a synopsis an introduction a review so we can come to this passage with understanding we've been studying chapter 13 and we've been studying Jesus's answer that had been asked to him by his men as Jesus and his men were leaving the temple his men had noted the beauty of the temple in verse 1 of Chapter 13 they had said teacher Behold or see what manner of stones and buildings are here. I Mentioned this to you, but the temple was the center of Jewish life as a building. It was incredibly beautiful At this time construction had been going on as they were rebuilding the temple It had actually been worked on And additional buildings had been added and repairs had been made over the span of 46 years and so because of this It was magnificent to look upon it was breathtaking and because it was Jesus's disciples called his attention to it And his response must have absolutely surprised them because in verse 2 he had said do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down So his response provoked the disciples to ask well, when will these things be what will be the sign when all these things will be Fulfilled so the entire 13th chapter of mark is really the answer to those questions So as we've been going through the chapter, I've noted with you how that Jesus outlined the conditions concerning his coming There's going to be a period of general tribulation that occurs during what is called the church age the age that we're in now But after the rapture of the church the tribulation will begin with escalating judgments for the first three and a half years The abomination of desolation will occur in the middle of the tribulation and then the great tribulation ensues from that point And at the conclusion of the seven-year period Jesus will return so in our last study we saw how Jesus spoke concerning his second coming He had said be ready to those who are alive in those days when they saw these things He was speaking of those who were going through the tribulation and it would would endure and come to the end of it And so he had said to them be ready in verse 28 He said that summer is near in other words when these things take place his return will be soon in Verse 31 he had made it clear that his return was certain and it was guaranteed by the word of God Like it says in the book of Isaiah 40 verse 8 how the grass withers the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever For us these words are instructive They're to inspire dedication and and faith it gives us hope in the midst of so much evil that we live in in our world every day For those who are alive when these things are occurring his words are supposed to inspire Urgency with so much deception and judgment there to be on the alert So as we look at these verses Jesus uses the word watch four times in verse 33 notice He says take heed and watch in verse 34 the man commanded the doorkeeper to watch in verse 35 Watch therefore and in verse 37. He closes by saying watch And so Jesus is speaking concerning the conditions prior to his second coming and the conditions that are leading up to it And so as he's continuing and teaching in verse 32 He says but of that day and hour no one knows not even the angels in heaven nor the Son But only the Father The exact moment of his return in other words is unknown to man or to angels No one can predict the date of his return. Why because his date is not revealed in Scripture There will be visible signs that his return is approaching But those signs should be causing people to be prepared for his return But the precise moment is something he says that only the Father knows Notice verse 32 how he says of that day and hour no one knows in spite of that in spite of Jesus pointing that out no one knows people still try to guess the date I Could give you so many examples But a couple of them come to mind and I'll share these with you because there have been various Individuals who've actually written books. They've written books trying to guess when this is going to happen All the way back in 1988 before many of you were born There was a guy named Edgar Weisenand and he wrote a book. It was called 88 reasons why the rapture will be in 1988 He said Jesus would return between September 11th and September 13th during Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year Well when it didn't happen the next year he wrote another book 89 reasons Jesus will return in 1989 There's a fellow some of you perhaps has heard have heard his name his name is Harold Camping and Harold Camping wrote a book saying that Jesus would return in 1994 he repeatedly said he was 99 percent sure Jesus would return in 1994 but obviously was wrong You see every time something like this happens It undermines the credibility of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it also undermines the faith of innocent and trusting believers the Apostle Paul when he was writing to the Church of Rome in Chapter 16 verses 17 and 18 said this he said to the the leadership there I urge you brothers and sisters to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are Contrary to the teaching you have learned keep away from them for such people are not serving our Lord Christ But their own appetites by smooth talk and flattery. They deceive the minds of naive people Those who are are Innocent those who have a naivete those of who are just wanting to believe in that and I'm trusting this minister Well, well Paul says be aware of them note them mark them stay away from them Why because they're deceiving and undermining the faith of those who are weak or still immature? That kind of a thing can undermine our expectation that he's actually going to return So it has to it has to be dealt with because it undermines faith and and therefore must be avoided You see the church has been instructed to live as if Jesus is returning even today We're supposed to live as if he's coming today various scriptures reveal that Jesus can come at any moment Paul when he was writing to Corinthians in 1st Corinthians 729 said it like this He said this I say brethren the time is short in 1st Corinthians 10 verse 11 All these things happen to them as examples. They were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come Philippians 4 verse 5 let your gentleness be known to all men the Lord he says is at hand So the understanding that the time is short the Lord is at hand is actually to encourage us to live for Christ to encourage believers in Jesus to live a holy life and so Jesus is speaking about that, but he makes the clear in verse 32 again of that day and hour No one knows so don't be predicting dates. Don't be undermining people's faith He continues and he says neither the angels of heaven. No one knows neither the angels of heaven Now that's a significant thing for him to say because angels are heavily involved in the second coming of Jesus They return with him according to Matthew 1627 there it says the son of man is going to come in his father's glory with his angels and then he'll reward each person according to what he's done in Matthew 2531 when the son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of His glory angels are involved They return with him and not only that but they're used to separate the saved from the unsaved according to Matthew Verses 39 through 42 Jesus said the harvest is the end of the age the harvesters are angels as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire So will be at the end of the age the son of man will send out his angels And they will weed out his kingdom out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil They will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth These angels as scripture says are heavily involved and yet they do not know when this is going to take place They don't know the exact time. It's interesting how in verse 32. He said no one knows Including the son of man including himself Now this was spoken in view of his human nature It speaks of the fact that he voluntarily restricted his divine prerogatives Jesus had self-imposed restrictions on his human knowledge in John 15 verse 15 He said it like this. He said everything that I learned from my father. I have made known to you So Paul spoke of that in Philippians 2 5 through 7 when he said let this mind be in you Which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation Taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of man So during his incarnation the father alone has Unrestricted divine omniscience total knowledge Jesus lift limited his omniscience to what the father had revealed to him and in doing so He was submitting himself to his father's will and John 12 49 he said I've never spoken on my own initiative or authority But the father himself who sent me has given me a commandment regarding what to say and what to speak what to say and What to speak what to speak means and how to say it? But he said I didn't do this on my own initiative or authority, but the father gave me a commandment So when Jesus was resurrected he resumed his position in Matthew 28 18 It says Jesus came to them and said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me So his return is according to his father's timetable and plan. It wasn't disclosed to angels He wasn't disclosed to himself in Deuteronomy 29 29 It says the secret things belong to the Lord our God But the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may follow all the words of this law There are secret things that are held back by the father and there are things that are revealed and that's why in verse 32 He says only the father Speaking of knowing the exact moment that he'll send his son again. That's intended to keep his disciples serving and waiting expectantly Zechariah 14 5 through 7 in the Old Testament says it like this Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with him on that day There will be no light no cold or frost it will be a unique day with that daytime or nighttime a day Known to the Lord and so that is something that the father knows We're presently living in a general period that precedes his return the blossoming of the fig tree appears to have occurred when when the nation of Israel was reborn But with that said there remain specific events that are waiting We are waiting to transpire that would include the rapture of the church as well as a seven-year tribulation period So the signs that we've been looking at as we went through chapter 13 and all of those things are Indicating is to indicate to us the nearness of his return now. Why weren't we told the precise moment? I think part of the reason may be because we would be tempted to put off coming to faith in Christ to the last moment If I knew he was coming on such and so a date I could be tempted to just continue living in the world and then to just say well, he's coming back April, Trout or whatever I better get right with God now he wants us to be in a state of anticipation and There are those who would say well, you know, I'm gonna wait until the tribulation See what's really going on in that. Well, there's no guarantee that they could even make it through the tribulation There's going to be a lot of martyrs during that time and a lot of death and and all of that And so we aren't told the precise moment so we can live as if it's today Salvation isn't something by the way that you delay receiving Salvation is something you should receive immediately You don't wait till the last second. I Have never met anybody and I've been around for a while now. I have never met anybody who's come to faith in Christ I have never met anybody Who's ever told me perhaps you're in this room right now or watching, but I have never met anyone who has said to me I wish I would have waited longer I've just never met anybody who has ever said oh, I got saved too early. There was a lot of sinning I never got to enjoy I've never met anybody like that. I the only thing I've ever heard when people leave and speak in that way I've heard them say I wish I would have given my heart to Christ sooner. I Would have saved myself to be honest with you so much pain I would have saved my parents so much pain I would have saved my brother and my sister so much pain I would have saved the the people who are my friends so much pain that I brought into their life and so much hurt That I've that I brought into the lives of those that I said I cared about no I have for many years. I have said to myself would to God I would have come to faith sooner So I've never met anybody who has ever said I wish I would have waited a little bit longer in Second Corinthians chapter 6 verse 2. He says in the time of my favor. I heard you in the day of salvation I helped you I Tell you now is the time of God's favor now is the day of salvation For those who are putting it off those who are waiting now is the day not next week not next month not next year It's now and that's what the Apostle Paul pointed out and that's what God has said to us So if you've come to faith in Christ, it means that we're to be living in anticipation of the return of Christ And again, we should be hoping that it's even today in Romans 13 12 The night is nearly over the day has drawn near So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light in second Corinthians 7 verse 1 And therefore beloved since we have these promises Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God We should be prepared and living in anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ hoping that it would even be today in the sense for us of the rapture and obviously those who are going through the tribulation They'll be living in anticipation of seeing him And so he says again in verse 32 of that day and hour no one knows Not even Harold camping not even the angels in heaven nor the son But only the father verse 33 he goes on to say take heed watch and pray for you do not know When the time is Notice how he says take heed watch and pray So he's issuing a command to followers. He's he's speaking to Christians take heed In other words be alert watch be ready for action. Pray depend on God When the Lord comes the ungodly will be forever swept away They will never again have the possibility of receiving Jesus Christ When you die unsaved you go into eternity unsaved there is no place in them in between your death and Standing before God where you are given a second chance Nowhere in scripture does it ever teach that you have an opportunity once you've died To come to faith in God nowhere. There are people who will say well Everybody eventually is going to stand before God and go to heaven There are teachings that that everybody is going to be saved But the Bible doesn't teach that man has invented that and So he tells believers he says take heed when he speaks of that he's speaking of being on the alert be on your guard Be discerning in other words. This requires personal attention It's your responsibility to be on the alert. This is necessary now. It will be necessary during the tribulation Now he's already spoken of taking heed in verse 5 when he had said take heed that no one deceives you Take heed speaks of personal responsibility. Well, I'm supposed to remain in the position of taking heed That's a responsibility of every believer during every age We're to exercise discernment to protect ourselves from deception and this discernment this alertness being awake Well, that comes from the Spirit of God and that comes from God's word In 1st John chapter 4 verse 1 John said dear friends do not believe every spirit tests the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world during the Tribulation there is the false prophet and many false prophets even today Many false prophets have gone out into the world denying Jesus Christ who bought us Denying that God took upon himself human flesh Denying the need for the cross or salvation by faith in him There are many false prophets who've gone out into the world and are deceiving many to this day That's why he says test the spirit you test the spirits through the discernment of the spirit But you also test the spirits by the word of God in 1st Thessalonians 5 20 and 21 He says do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all hold on to what is good So you test them by the word of God You see at that time during the tribulation when so much is going on Deception will be rampant. So it's important to stay alert to be awake to watch Now in verse 33 when he says to us watch the word watch speaks of staying awake It speaks of being on the alert. It speaks of being prepared for action The word watch is actually saying be sleepless. Don't go to sleep. I had a stand watch Every military veteran in this room probably knows exactly what that is I had to stand watch when I was in the army. They have you standing watch. You have to remain alert They'd get you up it for us if for me They woke me up at three in the morning and then they gave me a little an axe handle And I walked around the barracks and walked in certain perimeter I had to do that to be on the alert in case somebody would come on Come on Fort Orden and and Rob and that they would do that sometimes and and all of that We were told certain commands. You have to say certain things stop, you know, halt who goes there Identify yourself those kinds of things. I still remember I would for some reason this just came to mind So I'll tell you I got an old mind. It kind of hey remember that so anyway, I was I was in bed and I was at Fort Ord and we had to sleep with the windows open because of meningitis and So it was cold and but we have had to have the windows open I still remember I was I was in my bunk and I heard a guy right out my window right outside when my windows saying Halt who goes there? Then I heard this guy say ah shut up He says identify yourself. That's what we were taught now. This guy's in basic training He says identify yourself and the guy says something back to him And so the guy who was given the commands hit the guy he hit the guy who was talking back to him He hit him with the axe handle. He hit him. I could hear a boom Then all of a sudden I hear ow ow ow ow Well the guy he had hit took the axe handle from him and beat him up outside my window I don't know why I'm telling you about anyway We we had to stand guard and it can be dangerous. You have to be alert I saw the guy the next day. He had his head wrapped up with bandages. He got There was a guy by the name of lieutenant Kelly. Some of you may remember that name it was associated with what is called the melee massacre where he had ordered his troops to massacre a particular village and It was a it's a war crime and he was he was in jail. He was jailed Fort Benning in Fort Benning, Georgia when I went to jump school part of what I had to do with some of the people is We had to guard the place that that Lieutenant Kelly was at we walked guard there. We guarded the perimeter You're you're told to be on the alert to be sleepless Because if you go to sleep and the enemy is coming or approaching He can devise that the enemy can devastate Your camp There's there's many stories of when that happened again during Vietnam when When they allowed the enemy combatants that allowed the American who was to be on watch They watched him as he went to sleep he fell asleep on guard and then they came in and killed all of his friends It's a very serious thing when you're told to be on the alert Beyond watch because danger is is approaching and so when Jesus is speaking in this way He's saying stay awake stay alert be prepared for action Be sleepless. He also goes on in verse 33 and he says pray depend on God maintain your fellowship seek the Lord for guidance as It says in Ephesians 6 18 Pray in the spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and petition to this end Stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints Why is that verse 33 because you do not know when the time is? To be alert to watch and pray Requires faith and patience. He's coming, but he's coming in his own time He has not given us the exact moment therefore. We should be prepared as if he's coming at any moment We patiently wait for him The Apostle Peter in 2nd Peter 3 8 and 9 said it like this He said do not forget this one thing dear friends with the Lord today is like a thousand years and a thousand years Are like a day the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness He's patient with you not wanting anyone to perish But everyone to come to repentance So to illustrate this Jesus tells a story He says in verse 34 it is like a man Going to a far country who left his house and and gave authority to his servants and to each his work And he commanded the doorkeeper to watch and So This rich man as we read he left his home and he was traveling But he left his home and entrusted his his servants to care for his home Now he fully expects them to perform the duties. He's entrusted to them He travels abroad, but he doesn't tell them when he's going to return Now the master we know in this story is Jesus who will soon be crucified His disciples are to carry on his work as he has gone until he returns So as believers were to be busy serving knowing that he will return So the church is to be in the state of readiness were to be awaiting him were to be watchful And and it's going to be a while before he returns and distractions will come Distractions happen our our lives are caught up with distractions And it's it just takes small things to awaken us to the reality of that. I'm watching a baseball game yesterday They call it a baseball game In my beloved Dodgers Oh No, no, no, no John would you please escort And and they lose It's a game But I didn't even want I didn't watch it past the seventh inning. I said I don't want to do this and Marie's just sitting there, you know, she usually goes to sleep anyway, but I'll wake her up and say I'm upset and I'll go back to sleep But you know how easy it is to be distracted It is it's easy. It's easy to be distracted. It's not like I'm supposed to be sitting there. Jesus. Are you coming right now? I'm not saying that it's just that I can I am my joy My happiness can be affected by the smallest things and the Lord has been trying to teach me to keep my eyes riveted on the eternal things And that's the way it's supposed to be right. So I'm supposed to be in the state of readiness I'm supposed to keep my mind on the things that ultimately really matter and it is going to be a while Until he returns and distractions. Yes, they come but notice in verse 34. He gave authority So the work that is done is through the authority of Jesus and and it's not authority We've assumed for our selves The work that is performed is what is revealing that we are his servants and notice in verse 34 How it says he gave authority and to each his work in other words Each servant has work to do. He's commanding the church to be busy serving him Until he returns like it says in 1st Peter 4 verse 10 as each one has received a gift Minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God as Everyone as each one has received a gift. I was sharing with the first service this I'll repeat the same sentiment with you When you got saved when you got saved not only did you receive salvation? But when the Holy Spirit has indwelt to God is also given to you spiritual gifts Not only one gift, but most often you have what is called a gift mix meaning there are more than one gift There there's more than one gift that that the Lord has bestowed on you But every every believer has at least one gift at least one gift at least one There are various gifts various kinds of ways that the gifts function Various uses is of the gifts in church services or regular daily life But every person has a gift every one of you if you're a believer in Christ has a gift now the question is Do you know what your gift is? Do you know what you're gifted now? There are people who say oh, I'm a teacher. How do you know that? Because I like to talk But when you talk to people listen and do their lives change see so there are things that that help you to understand That as you go through scripture, how do you know your gift? Listen when I first got saved? I I'm brand-new what do I know about spiritual gifts and all of that and I was like two and a half years old in Christ And we were having a fellowship at my at my parents house. I had been in the military. I got out of the army It was during the summer of 1973. So at that time I was probably 20 22 years old or so right in that area 22 and and We invited a group of young adults to come to to my parents home and a young man was there and He and I were speaking in the kitchen and My dad happened to be standing next to me as I was speaking to this young man again I'm 22 less than 23 and He said something and out of just conversation. It was all only Conversation he had said something scripture about the scripture and I said well, that's really not what the Bible says now That wasn't done in an arrogant way or a self-righteous way. It was a conversation See when I got saved I started reading the Bible. I was told to do that and Then as I read the Bible, I I started learning things I actually was buying books that that would help me to understand and all of that I began to speak to to people about Christ and it was just an interest I had on my own I figured if you get saved you ought to know what you believe and it's just that simple It makes sense to me and that's what I was doing And so as I was sharing with this fellow I he had said such and so and I said well, you know the Bible doesn't really say that Because this scripture says this and I quoted a couple scriptures and so he says oh, thanks He said I never knew that and I said yeah, isn't cool. You know it gives a conversation He walks away and my father says to me. I'll never forget this my dad looks at me and my dad says I didn't know you could do that and I said do what? He says I didn't know you could explain the scriptures So people could understand I said really I Didn't either because it wasn't something I was thinking about and so That's when I began to be aware that perhaps I have a gift to teach perhaps Now my mom got sick of my gift of teaching. I have to be honest with you because She she she would ask me questions and and I would give these long answers sound familiar And she say David Can't you give me just a simple answer and I'd say mama the question you're asking isn't simple There's I said the the word of God is is is simple in the sense of being able to understand it easily even a child can But it's not simplistic and what you're asking me to be a simplistic to gel it down to something that really is just superficial I can't do that That's when I began to discover that Maybe Teaching is something I can do. What have you learned about yourself? What is it that you like to do? There's gifts of administration people say man You just how you all the detail detail detail just do it. You may have the gift of administration You may be a person who's just generous you see somebody with the need and and and you're there you have the gift of helps See so read Romans 12 read 1st Peter 4 read 1st Corinthians 12 and 14 Read these passages First and these various places where the spiritual gifts are spoken of and I'm telling you as you seek the Lord in this You'll discover what it is you should do because he's gifted you to do that He's giving you the ability to do that and that's what gives you joy. That's what gives me joy That's why I had somebody approached me in between service and he said, you know, you're not supposed to retire And I said well you want to shut up. What do you mean? He says, you know because ministers never retire and this truth to that my pastor Chuck told me this one time Chuck Smith He said I asked him what do you retire? He says when you get tired of talking about Jesus, which means you don't you never do and so What is your gift because we're to be busy and that's what Jesus is speaking about here by the way That's what he's referring to. He said he gave to his servants authority to his servants and to each one his work commanded the doorkeeper to watch So each of us has been given this ability notice in verse 34. He commanded the doorkeeper to watch The doorkeeper cares for those who are entering in or leaving the house Doorkeepers had responsibility they guarded the door to make sure no enemy would creep in in John 10 verses 1 through 3 We see an example Similar example where it says most assuredly I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door But climbs up some other way the same is a thief and a robber But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hears voice And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out Now in a sense believers are doorkeepers But especially this could refer to the leaders of the congregation in Ephesians 4 11 through 13 he himself gave some to be apostles some prophets some evangelists some pastors and teachers For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God To a perfect or a mature man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ So we've been given Responsibilities apostle-prophet evangelists in our day pastor teacher is given the Responsibility to guard the door to give the word of God properly in first Thessalonians 2 verse 4 as we've been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel Even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts the door keepers Doorkeepers responsibility is to please God to protect the sheep to give those things that that the sheep should hear in order that they're Protected and they can grow and then they're not duped by the deceivers who come in and so he's using an illustration of the one who is who is there appointed to a task and he's watching Now this is going to be especially true during the tribulation when deception is rampant they have to be on the alert They need to be ready to welcome the master home and therefore verse 35. He says watch Watch therefore for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening at midnight At the groin of the rooster or in the morning. Let's come in suddenly. He finds you sleeping What I say to you I say to all Watch He can come at any time Where to be ready and Where to be awake in? Luke 21 34 through 36 take heed to yourselves Lest your hearts be weighed down with corousing drunkenness Cares of this life and that day come on you unexpectedly For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things That will come to pass and to stand before the Son of man all the way back in 2004 Some of you might remember you're old enough to remember the the tsunami that hit and destroyed much in the east it hit the the land of Thailand and Devastated I had the opportunity of going to Phuket Thailand Right after that had taken place our fellowship Without us receiving an offering You know bypassing a bucket and I still remember saying to the church at that time all the way back in in 04 I said if you want to be of help to minister to these people who have been devastated We went I have pictures of the the the water that rose up over the over eight to ten feet I mean it was devastating I said if you want to be of any help and all then then I'm not receiving an offering but but Anything you designate we will give to them and and about a hundred and almost a hundred and seventy thousand dollars Spontaneously came in from the congregation at that time to minister to those in that kind of need and and so we helped an awful lot This fellowship helped an awful lot Those who had been devastated in this terrible terrible Tsunami and I remember watching a video of a man who was on a on a rooftop You could see the the wave as he's on the rooftop and he's yelling Because what has happened is he is at a vantage point he's up here he can look down and We're there with him if you will in the video We can see the wave that is building and some of you know this already, but a tsunami what happens is the water recedes It comes off of the beach area and it recedes it can go a quarter mile or further out than it normally is and so From his vantage point. He sees this wave that's building now I read an article that says that that that on the open ocean This is hard to believe but that the wave can actually outrun an airplane I mean it's coming in a way that's so devastating None of us have an idea of what that is but what it does is it the wave the water as it's receding all of the Debris and you know the trees and various things that are there under the water It's all being sucked in by this Enormous wave that is growing and so if it hits you it's like you go into you know a blender You're instantly destroyed your body is torn up. It doesn't appear that way We don't know but that's what's happening because there's so much debris There's rocks and branches and everything inside this wave that the second it hits you it obliterates you you're gone Instantly and this man is standing on the rooftop and he's looking out and we're in his vantage point so we can see the wave and He's yelling and screaming for people come off the shore There's a wave you can hear him screaming and there's the the translator is They're they're telling us what he's saying run for your life come off the shore. It's coming It's going to destroy you and there's a man with a basket and he's walking picking up the fish that have been left there Because when the water receded there were fish that remained behind This is a guy who sells fish at a fish market. He's saying what a blessing what a benefit I have all of these fish that I can now sell He's looking at the fish and not the wave and then you have the man up there screaming Run for your life as the wave hits him and he's obliterated for some fish a basket of fish As a pastor I feel that way myself. I have a vantage point through the word of God. It's coming and There are people just picking up the fish People are leaving and they're running to get away from the destruction But this man is there picking up the fish and Jesus says watch He don't know when it's coming But it is as sure as God's word It is coming This will happen But many many pastors myself included can often feel like that man on that roof seeing something and nobody will listen There's a fable a story. It's not in the Bible. It's just an illustration That tells of three Apprentice devils who were coming to earth to finish their apprenticeship and They're talking to Satan the chief of devils About their plans to tempt and to ruin men The first said I will tell them there's no God Satan said that will not delude many for they know that there's a God The second said I will tell them there's no hell and Satan answered you will deceive no one that way Men know even now that there's a hell for sin the third said I Will tell men there's no hurry Ghosts at Satan you will ruin men by the thousands Because the most dangerous of all delusions is that there is plenty of time First Peter 4 7 the end of all things is at hand Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers be serious and watchful in your prayers Behold I stand at the door and knock If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Very often we use that scripture as an appeal for people to come to faith in Christ But the context is dictating that the Lord Jesus Christ is telling the lukewarm church You're not ready. I'm coming suddenly And you're going to discover That you weren't prepared I just say to us as a church and those who are listening Watch Be ready Be prepared He comes in a moment that you don't expect And the rapture is coming soon May may we be prepared to go with the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus is warning believers to remain faithful And expectant Lord I ask that you would work with