Learn From The Fig Tree | Mark 13:28-31 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

I invite you to turn with me in your bibles to the gospel of Mark chapter 13 as we continue to delve into the longest recorded answer that the Lord Jesus gives to any question that he received. Remember, it was the Lord's shocking comment about the coming destruction of the temple in Jerusalem that prompted the disciples to inquire about the timing of such an inconceivable event, and more than that, also ask about His coming and the end of the age. And thus far, you and I have collectively examined the multiple signs leading up to the coming of Christ, and these were known as birth pains. And following the birth pains, Jesus highlights one major sign and spends the most time discussing it, and it's called and known as the abomination of desolation. We pause there and meditate it on what the implications and even what that really is.

And finally, if you recall, we took a whole Sunday to discuss the events surrounding the actual day when Christ comes. So not just the things leading up to it, not just the one major sign, but also the moment. The moment the Lord Jesus cracks through the skies and what that will be like. But Christ is not finished yet. As comprehensive as this discourse may be, there is still more that he desires to convey to us.

There are more insights he longs to unfold for his people, and that's what you and I are going to discover in three or four verses here in Mark 13 beginning in verse 28. We're gonna assess what the spirit of God longs to reveal in these verses. Let's read together, shall we? From the fig tree, learn its lesson. As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

So also when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. If you've been with us long enough and you know that it is the habit of this pulpit for thoughts from a section of scripture to be organized under some headings. And the reason that is done is to provide a helpful format that would make the truths that you hear a little bit more memorable, and it's gonna be no different today.

What we read in these verses, I want to group under three things, and these three things, if you remember them, I'm sure will help you recall the things under them. So if anybody asks you today what you learned at church, the church that you go to that starts at 1PM, you can tell them that you came to God's word in Mark and understood, number one, the certainty of Christ's coming. Number two, the watchfulness for his coming. And number three, the delight of his coming. And I wanna speak to you first about the certainty of His coming.

I'm not sure if you picked up on it already, but Christ's summary of His prophetic timetable exudes absolute assurance and confidence. Look back at these verses with me. You see here that he gives language for us to realize that what he had just finished explaining can be guaranteed. Looking at verse 28, He says here at the end of it, you know that summer is near. Verse 29, when you see these things taking place, you know that He is near.

And then in verse 30, he says that this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Then he echoes it here by saying in verse 31, but my words will not pass away. This generation will not pass away. My words will not pass away. Before that he says, you know you know.

And so what he wants to instill in you and I, right off the bat, in this section at least, is for you to be absolutely confident. Cause he's communicating that these events are unchangeable. They are set. They are determined. They will take place.

No one or anything else can be able can be able to alter what he has already declared. It is set. And that is supposed to be imparted in us because it's supposed to create an unshakable expectation for his return. And that is done by this strategic teaching. And I want you to consider a few things that he provides for you to know for certainty this is going to take place.

He gives this lesson about a fig tree. It seems very straightforward, and it is. And this is not the only time that Jesus used a fig tree to illustrate a spiritual point. You've been with us, I hope, throughout this study where just two chapters ago, Jesus curses a fruitless fig tree. And we unpacked that because we wanted to determine that Christ wasn't operating because he was in a bad mood.

He did this as a symbolic act of judgment. That in the same way, this fruit tree was cursed because of the lack of evidence and the thing that it's supposed to contain and carry was not there. It paralleled the bankrupt system of Israel in the religious practice. The charade, the spiritual charade was pictured in this fruitless fig tree. From a distance, you saw leaves, and when you got close, there wasn't the fruit.

And so that cursing took place in between Jesus speaking about the temple and its activities and the religious leaders that fell so very short of what God demanded of them. And so what people tend to do is because that miracle, the only miracle really that Christ performed, recorded at least, that was a miracle of judgment. Okay, well if the fig tree there represents Israel, then surely when we come here, the fig tree also represents Israel. And the way they look at this is Mark 11 speaks about the fig tree being Israel's destruction. Mark 13, as you just read, speaks about the blossoming or the rebirth or the reviving, the restoration of the nation of Israel.

So how does this work? It it sounds exciting, but here's the the the thought. That when you see Israel restored, reinstated, that is the sign for you that the summer is near. And people don't debate that what Jesus said about Jerusalem in his lifetime, about the destruction of the temple, took place in seventy AD. And those who would say that Israel is also being represented in Mark 13 would say that the recent reviving of the Jewish state is the fulfillment of Jesus's prediction here.

And again, that, that may sound profound and may even cause sensationalism, but you have to continue with that logic. You have to be consistent with your argument if you're gonna say that. So here's what that means. If Mark 13 where Jesus has learned from the fig tree's lesson, as soon as this branch becomes tender, puts out its leaves, speaking about the blossoming of the people, the Jewish people, then you also have to say that that is gonna be the sign. That the summer, which is a picture of Christ's return, is near.

And if you're gonna say that that is the sign, some would go as far to say when Jesus said, truly I say to you in verse 30, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. The generation that Jesus is speaking about is the one that will be alive to witness. To witness the regathering of the people of Israel, and then flourishing again. And if that's the case, then some would argue, they did, I think they're changing their mind now, that the generation that witnesses that will also be the generation that will welcome the return of Christ. And so they would say, well, yeah, that generation is forty years.

But, he didn't come back, did he? So, oh no no no no, a generation's eighty years. Okay. How long are you gonna keep this up? Is Jesus speaking about Israel here when identifying the fig tree and learning from it?

I would say no. And there's one simple reason for that, because of Luke. So turn to Luke 21 and the parallel account and I believe here is where we get our clarification. Luke 21 verse 29. And he told them a parable.

Luke says it's a parable. And he told them a parable. Look at the fig tree. You see that? And all the trees.

As soon as they come out and leave, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So Luke records Christ not only referring to the fig tree, but all trees that shed their leaves on an annual basis. And so that pretty much dispels the notion that the fig tree represents the nation of Israel because Christ is not singling out one tree. He's speaking about a wide spectrum of them. And so with that being understood, we have to then ask, what is Christ trying to convey when pointing our attention to the fig tree, but in Luke's version, to most trees?

It's actually very simple. There's no a code to crack. There's no allegory to apply. Here's what Christ is trying to communicate. In the same way, none of us question that the summer will follow the springtime.

We should be equally convinced that the coming of the Son of Man will follow the signs that he just finished explaining. It's plain. It's it's very clear. And here's what he's trying to awaken in us. In the same way, there is no doubt but absolute confidence you have concerning seasonal change.

That should echo your unwavering anticipation of the Lord Jesus Christ bringing the full manifestation of his kingdom. But that's not all that Christ has to offer to fortify our faith about this truth that he is coming back. Yes. He says, look to the trees. When you see the tree in your front yard or in your neighborhood and it begins to have color and the the branches begin to soften and things begin to transpire, you don't question that change is arriving.

You know it. I want you to have that same unshakable confidence about my return. But he goes beyond that. He has more to offer us to make this certainty a confidence for you and me. Go back to Mark 13 verse 31.

He says heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. And this is something profound for any mere man to make. This is bold, but we know that Christ is no mere man. And so for him to speak in this fashion is strategic because he understands his immediate audience and hopefully the audience of our time who are familiar with the entirety of the word of God. But let's just take it from the vantage point of the disciples who heard Christ saying, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

It would ring a familiar bell with what they've known from the Hebrew scriptures. Because this kind of statement is a prerogative that God alone has. This kind of declaration is dedicated only to the God of the Old Testament. And you know that passage very well I hope. It's in Isaiah 40 verse eight where the prophet says very clearly the grass withers, the flower fades, but what?

But the word of our God will stand forever. Do you understand what's happening here? Here you have the prophet declaring the exclusive trustworthiness and the indestructible witness of God's word. And yet Jesus of Nazareth comes along now, and he equates his words to be on the same level as God's. Remember what he says in Mark thirteen thirty one, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words, my words will not pass away.

How can you say that, Jesus of Nazareth? It's only God's word that will stand forever, and the skeptic will deem this to be blasphemous. But the believing will recognize that we have yet another golden nugget shining the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. That this is Christ claiming by quoting what belongs to God alone to say my words are God's words. Unshakeable, eternal, immovable.

Yes. Isaiah said that the word of our God will stand forever and I'm telling you my words will also stand forever. Even if the whole universe collapses, my word will remain. So what what does this have to do with our certainty of the truth of the second coming? When Jesus taught about it, he wants to understand God is talking about it.

God Almighty is conveying this. God Almighty is teaching this. God Almighty is convincing you of this. If you believe God for who he is, if you are firm in your trust in him, then you can absolutely trust what Jesus says concerning these signs, the abomination of desolation, his physical and bodily return, it will happen because God said it would happen. But we're not just discussing the certainty of his coming, we're discussing also the watchfulness for his coming.

This is not just analogy. This is not just parabolic teaching to challenge and build our faith about this particular truth. There is personal application laid out for us here. And you might be wondering where is the instruction in this section? And I'll tell you, but I believe it's in verse 29.

It's implied. He says in verse 29, so also when you see these things taking place. So Jesus Christ expects His people to be alert, watchful, mindful of the very things that He said would precede His return. And what's important about this is clarifying that Jesus is functioning as a prophet in this prophetic declaration. Because when Christ says when you see these things taking place, some would limit this application to the 12 who heard Christ in the immediate sense.

What do I mean by that? They would say in their argument that what Jesus taught on that Mount Of Olives concerning his return, remember we talked about this more than once, was all fulfilled in seventy AD. Everything. Not just some things, all of it was fulfilled. And they would use this as a proof text because Jesus says, when you see these things, when you disciples, implying that it's gonna happen in your lifetime, it's gonna happen in this generation.

And so they say, see, Christ does not have a future people in mind. But again, it's not a foreign concept for someone in the office of a prophet to speak about a future people not yet realized or future events not manifested, but is directly addressing him as though he was there. Even sometimes in the Old Testament, you'll see them speaking in the second person. Let me give you one example of that in Isaiah 33. Again, I wanna make the case here that as Christ is prophesying, he is also speaking about a future people.

And in Isaiah 33 verse 17, here's the prophet speaking about something not yet realized but is communicated as though he is facing it head on. He says in Isaiah 33 verse 17, your eyes will behold the king and his beauty. They will see a land that stretches afar. Your heart will muse on the terror. Where is he who counted?

Where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers? You will see no more the insolent people. The people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend. Stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.

He he's speaking about the people being set free from the oppression of their neighboring nations. Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feast. Your eyes will see Jerusalem and untroubled habitation and immovable tent whose stakes will never be plucked up nor will any of its cords be broken. Like many prophecies, there's a partial fulfillment there, but its ultimate fulfillment is when the king, the king of kings in his true beauty will make his way into the city and your eyes will see that king. This is nowhere near Isaiah's time but as a prophet, as one said, as though he was being transported to that time and is speaking to that people.

And in like manner when Christ says, when you see these things taking place, yes he is addressing the disciples but he is also expanding it to those who would be alive to witness the escalating signs of his return. And the implications of that? Every believer in every age is called to properly discern and responsibly respond to the warnings Christ said to be aware of. Every believer in every age is called to properly discern and responsibly respond to the warnings that Christ said to be watchful of. That means and that includes you shunning away forced interpretations of world events like many crazy YouTubers and podcasts do, lest you succumb to illegitimate fears.

But it primarily means that you and I are called to be ready when abnormal shakings or shifts take place before us. What's so amazing about this is that when you actually read the New Testament carefully on more than one occasion, you get the impression that even at that time, the leaders of the church interpreted certain things and prepared the church of their time for the potential arrival of the king. And I wanna prove that to you in one place, and I really would want you to see with your own eyes in first Corinthians chapter seven beginning in verse 26. There was this sense of how Christ and his glorious and triumphant establishment of the kingdom could happen. And yet at the same time, the saint Paul who's gonna give these instructions also clarified to people who falsely viewed certain things or heard some crazy teachings about the return of Christ.

He says, listen. We read it at one point in second Thessalonians chapter two. Listen. Listen. Listen.

You can't be afraid of this because this needs to happen. This needs to happen. Go back to work. But notice what he says to these Corinthian believers in first Corinthians chapter seven verse 26. I I'm gonna read a few verses, so follow along with me.

This is important to see it holistically. I think that in view of the present distress, it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife?

Do not seek a wife. But if you do not marry if you do marry rather, you have not sinned. And if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean brothers.

The appointed time has grown very short. From now on. Let those who have wives live as though they had none and those who mourn as though they were not mourning and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing and those who buy as though they had no goods and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it, for the present form of this world is passing away. Now I heard somebody preach from this text before and exhorted the people as though Paul's radical commands here apply for all people at all times. Let me make this point still, that I do believe that there are wonderful principles specifically about developing an eternal perspective as Christians.

I believe that's being promoted here and you can teach that. But I believe the proper way also to frame what Paul is saying here is how he sets it up in verse 26. Looking at a verse 26 carefully, he says, I think that in view of the present distress. A lot of first Corinthians seven speaks about marriage. And if you don't view Paul's instructions and insights and commands about marriage from this filter that there is this present distress that the Corinthian church was experiencing, you might you might develop extreme understandings of what marriage is and what it isn't.

Something was happening in the day of the Corinthian church when Paul wrote to them. What it is, it's not given to us. Some believe that it was growing, life altering, dangerous persecution against Christians, and it was encroaching upon the Corinthian church. Others believe this present distress might have been a crippling famine that was, striking at the nerve of the economy of the Corinthians. It's not made clear.

But whatever it is, Paul saw it as a way to stimulate the believers to a certain way of life. To encourage them to view it in a certain manner and then to stir them in a certain direction. What's significant about this present distress is how he elaborates on it in verse 29. Look at verse 29 now. This is what I mean, brothers.

The appointed time has grown very sure. So there's this present distress. And as Paul is now continuing on that thought, he's saying, listen, listen, listen. I'm trying to get you to understand that the appointed time has grown very short. In other words, these perilous times reflect what the word of God tells us to be mindful of as we approach to the end of all things.

And some would deem Paul as a false prophet because he's way off. It's been two thousand years. But Paul is not predicting anything. He's not setting dates. All he's doing is what Jesus commanded believers to do.

To be mindful, to be watchable, to be alert, and to see what you need to see, and to interpret them responsibly, and to discern, and to see what does this ask of me? And in this case, the apostle was looking what was happening in his day and used it to cause the Corinthian believers to reconsider their priorities. And to reposition themselves to be the most effective for the kingdom of God in that very season. So doesn't that make sense now? He goes, I think that in view of this present distress, whatever it was, evidently, it was it was burdensome enough and dangerous enough for him to say, if you've been considering marriage, I would probably put a pause on that.

Why? Because persecution is a lot harder to handle when you have wife and children. So Paul is not speaking here generally about, you know, I know marriage is good, but if you can choose not to get married, don't get married. See, I have you have to understand the context, or you're gonna give terrible counsel to people. Say no, because of what's happening around us, I perceive that the appointed time is growing very short.

So let's, let's perk up here. Let's sober ourselves. Don't, don't let your family life completely consume you. Don't let your emotional state paralyze you. Don't let your interactions in the business world distract you.

See what's happening around us and let that sanctify you. That's all that he's doing here. And I believe what Paul is doing here, it should be no different for you and I that, yes, we should always be ready for what can happen. But understand that there, there is a sensitivity that you and I have to develop to give ourselves even more when times call for it. What's a modern day example?

Oh, I don't know. The world shutting down for a few years. I remember that this text came to mind when we were told to shelter in place for two weeks. And my concern was with all that's happening, are Christians more concerned that they can't go to their favorite restaurant, Or travel to their yearly destination choice of vacation? Or is the church strategizing now?

Because the battlefield has shifted dramatically. I think that's a clear example for modern day application concerning what Paul is doing here. And I'm not I'm not sure on the other side of it if believers really took advantage and seized the opportunity. Many churches are seeing less attendance than ever. I believe Paul, if he lived in our day, would say, hey, wake up.

Don't you see what's happening around us? This is abnormal. If anything, it rings true to what Christ said would take place. These birth pains intensifying. Get your prayer life intact.

Get serious about holiness. If if if you've been lately distracted by the the tricks and the trinkets of the world, get rid of it. And and what's amazing here is that Paul is not even speaking about this sin here. He's speaking about good things, But he's trying to cause him to get a sharper eternal perspective with current events. And so you have some Christians who, when they look out, they they they wanna dismiss everything.

You have others who they make everything something. Properly discerning, responsibly responding. We have to be watchful. Christ demands that of us. But not just watchful.

We're not just talking about the certainty of these things. We're not just talking about our call of what we need to do during these things, but there is something that maybe we've overlooked. I want to talk to you lastly about the delight of his coming. Look back at Mark 13 verse 29. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near.

You know that he is near at the very gates. This would have meant a lot to the apostles who were suffering from a great misunderstanding of how this whole thing works. Jesus being the Messiah, Him ushering in that Davidic Kingdom And Christ is aware of that. And he's also aware that in just a few short moments, the same apostles who hope that Christ would overthrow the Romans and raise up what the prophets have promised are gonna see their Christ taken from them and put to death. And so the Lord, throughout this discourse, is emphasizing over and he's trying to compound this reality.

And then, look, what you're about to witness is not gonna be the final story. Me dying on a cross is not the period mark to God's redemptive purpose on the earth and for human history. There is another part to this. I'm trying to get you to understand and be prepared for what's about to transpire. And more than that, I believe what Christ is teaching here is supposed to instill a hope that, yes, he would die, but he would also resurrect and right before their eyes ascend.

And even what you read in verse 29 is supposed to comfort them and helping them realize this is not the last time that we're gonna see him or be near him. Because look what the Lord says again. He says, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near. He makes it so personal. He could have said, you know that judgment is near.

He could have said, you know like Luke, the kingdom of God is near. But he doesn't say that. He says, you know that he is near. And And when we consider this in a broader way, you realize that a lot of the times when the New Testament teaches about the end of the world, in so many places that highlights the personal appearing of Christ as the centerpiece of it, of the ultimate expectation. In other words, the end goal of the end times is Christ.

In fact, the very book that provides the most detailed frightening script about the final chapter of human history ends on that very note. So you you read in that book about disasters and death tolls of unimaginable magnitude, demonic invasions, and cosmic meltdowns, and incomparable martyrdom. And then when you come to the final closing remarks, you read this. Revelation 22 in verse 17. The spirit and the bride say come.

And let the one who hears say come. And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life without price. You can do a whole conference on this one verse. It is jam packed with jewels.

But let me make a few comments. What I find so striking is how the identity we are left with to make note of concerning the people of God in the final part of the final chapter of the Bible that deals with the church and how she relates to these things is the picture of a bride. You know the scriptures provides many many metaphors and comparisons of what the church is, what the people of God are like. Ambassadors, a priesthood, a pillar, an army, and yet how the Holy Spirit ends off out of out of the great bank of things that the spirit ascribes to the people of God is a bride. Why?

I believe because he wants to highlight the relational reality of our faith. Please, please don't limit the picture of Christ being our bridegroom and the church being his bride to denote the covenant keeping commitment between two parties. I I hope nobody got married here force forcibly. I hope nobody got married here reluctantly. A true bride will have a throbbing love for her bridegroom.

And you have to include that in the imagery of us being the bride of Christ. There's affection there. There's feeling there. It's not just a contract. That's part of it.

But there's something deeper going on. People I know Christians that are afraid of emotion. They think emotions are sin. I'm persuaded that every part of us should be consecrated onto God including what I feel. I don't go by my feelings.

I don't serve God based on how I feel. But boy, do I desire for my feelings to be holy and set apart onto him. And I believe the holy spirit helps us love. Love the son of God. And so the the spirit and the bride say come.

And I think that's a a a strategic placement there because when the church is in unison with the spirit, when the spirit is actually working in the church, that relational reality will be heightened. And not just that relational reality, but that heart cry where the church says, come. It's strengthened. Now, beware of the temptation to step away from this and use this as a marker to examine the church at large and to evaluate her spiritual health in this regard. Don't take this truth and say, does the church I go to teach or believe or even behave with that relational component of our faith?

Why don't you and I ask ourselves if it's real first in us before we think it's real in somebody else? Because the same John who said he heard the spirit and the bride say come says something from his own bosom a few verses later. So look at verse 20 of Revelation 22, and notice what John himself says. He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming soon. Amen.

He can't help it. Come Lord Jesus. So the church doesn't just gather because we hold to a certain creed. Statement of faiths are important. Pure, precise theology is good.

It's necessary, nonnegotiable. But more than that, deeper than that, the church is a collection of people who on an individual basis have this heart cry and gather to share in that holy affection. And, and here's what else moves me so deeply, is that this is what the Lord wants from His people. Can you imagine a bridegroom knowing full well that his bride to be is not excited for that day? It's devastating.

That'd be devastating for us on a human level. And so much does Christ yearn for this to be true in his people, that he actually has reserved the reward for them that would operate in that way. You remember Paul in his final letter in two Timothy four? He says in verse eight, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge will award me on that day, and he doesn't end there. He goes and not only for me, but also for those who have loved my appearing.

Christ's appearing. So there is an actual reward reserved for those who feelably, who genuinely, who intimately yearn for the return of Christ. We don't hear of this often. We often associate the the teaching and the doctrine and the theology of the end times with judgment, wrath, and us being scooped up to heaven, and trying to understand the timetable of things, that's all wonderful. But even at the end of the book that has the most detail concerning that truth, we have this invitation, we have this plea almost from the Spirit and the bride, come Lord Jesus.

It boils down to that. You know, if I'm studying about the end times and it's not causing me to respond in that way, maybe I'm studying wrong. If all I'm doing is stuffing my head and not allowing those truths to move my heart, maybe I'm not studying the way Christ designed me to study it. Because in the very same book that says here it is, here's, here's just a highlight reel of what's to come. Again, I wanna emphasize this over and over.

You sign off on that letter with this beautiful picture of her bride yearning for her bridegroom to arrive. Can I ask you a question? I'm not here to I'm not here to condemn. I have no intention of condemning anybody, but I have a duty to challenge, and the preacher should challenge himself before he gets up on any pulpit to challenge anybody. Is that notion, real for you?

Is there any part of you that actually is excited for the return of Christ? If you're fearful, you're not getting it right. If if you're just excited about debate because your school of thought concerning eschatology seems to be more probable than the next, you're probably not doing it right. But if you allow these truths to get you to a place where it incites worship and adoration, And even as you see these things taking place Listen, I don't know about you. In the past few years, I've desired heaven more than at any time in my life.

I haven't lived very long, but I know where my citizenship lies. And, I'm really really looking forward to meeting the one I've been preaching about. You're saying brother that sounds great, that sounds so spiritual, but I have to honestly say as I put my hand on that pulse, I I believe I have accurate theology and I love the word of God, I love serving God, but this idea of Christ returning and me being with him without filter, I'm not sure if that's something I've ever meditated on. You know what's so encouraging about when we read here, the spirit and the bride take them? The spirit without any spoilage, without any interruption, without any split devotion, constantly yearns for that.

He wants Christ to be glorified. And the same spirit who cries that can help you cry that. He can make it happen in your life. He can make it real for you. You even see it back in Revelation twenty two seventeen.

It says here, the spirit and the bride say come, and let those who hear say come. So there's even an invitation for people to make that same appeal, to make that same cry. So here, you're hearing the spirit and the bride say come, I'm asking you now to make that same cry. And and now it shifts because some see this as one call that the spirit and the bride, they're not necessarily saying, come Lord Jesus. They're telling the unbelieving to come.

I I don't see it that way. I believe that there's there's a twofold thing happening here. In the first part, you have the spirit of the bride saying, come toward the Lord. And and I believe because John says it himself, so it connects well. But then in the second part, he says, and let those who who is thirsty come, and let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

So it goes from an upward call to a horizontal call. And that is the duty of the church. That from the place of adoration and worship toward the Lord, now she can turn over to the world and say, now would you want this? I'm inviting you to this. I'm asking you to come to experience this.

To come to experience what? Remember the language of the bride. So when he says, and let the one who is thirsty come. Thirsty for what? Thirsty for what?

What is he what is he what is he invoking here? What is he trying to help people identify in the bankruptcy of their own soul? What are you supposed to thirst for? Well, I believe that context is clear. The spirit and the bride.

The spirit and the bride. What does a bride denote? It's not a contract. It's a relationship. So when he says that the one who who is thirsty come, do you thirst for a relationship with God?

He's inviting you into that place. He's drawing you into that place, and it's free. And it's overwhelmingly glorious. And it's available to anybody who would hear it and say, I will accept it. I will accept it.

That's the delight of this whole thing. Christ tells his disciples, when you see these things, know that he is near. It's all getting ready. We're gonna we're gonna have a reunion and nothing will ever interrupt it again. I'm at the very gates.

And so you learn today with me the certainty of his coming. We learn today about the watchfulness for his coming. And I believe that in these days ahead watchfulness is going to be necessary. Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep.

Don't you dare fall asleep with what's happening around our world. Be more on fire for Christ than ever, would you? And the delight, the delight of his coming. He is coming. And you and I are gonna be holding together.

I can't wait. Let's pray and thank him for that. Lord, we thank you that we learned something from a tree. That there's certainty, that there is a call to watch, And more than that, there's something to enjoy. Lord, if we have lost that sweet spot of relating to you intimately, singing to you, pouring our hearts to you, reflecting on you, even yearning for you, would your Holy Spirit help us?

Would your Holy Spirit help us come to that place where as a bridegroom, you see what you desire from your bride? And as days advance and years and memories and responsibilities accumulate, Lord, help us never lose never lose that place. Strengthen it in our hearts, Lord. And, Lord, with marriage and business and family and events and memories and experiences, We pray like what Paul asked of the Corinthian church that we would never lose sight of what's most important. We would never we would never fail to frame everything that we experience here on this earth with what is to come and who is the one who gave it all to begin with.

So Lord we ask even now in the closing times of this service that your holy spirit would woo us once again and tenderize our hearts once again. And help us create that actual craving for that which the blood of Jesus purchased, our eternal home with Him. We can't do this. No man can do this. This is something that only you can provoke.

And we we gladly yield to Him and ask that you make it true of us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. As the praise team comes to lead us in our final moments of singing, I wanna make a brief gospel call.

I wanna ask you if you're a person sitting here today and you've never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, don't you see what's happening in this world? I don't wanna be a doomsday preacher and nor do I wanna ascribe things to what's happening that are not appropriate. All I wanna say is as a general observation, can't you tell that things are different? And if anything, what Christ had to say about the culmination of the age makes more sense today than it ever has. So let me remind you today in great love, you're not gonna live forever, neither am I.

And there is a time coming where God who made this world is gonna fix this world. And the one who's gonna fix this world in that process of regeneration has to deal with the cause of the evil in this world, and Jesus told us that all this sin that we're trying to figure out and philosophize about comes from the heart. And so when the Lord does return, He's going to judge the wicked. He's going to clean up house. Evil cannot inhabit His presence.

It it cannot remain before Him. He must in His justice deal with it. And if He deals with evil, He's gonna deal with you and I. It's coming. There is a judgment day coming.

That's not preached much today, but the apostles preached it. The Bible tells us about it from old to new. All roads are leading to judgment day. But somewhere along that path, somewhere along that journey that humanity is headed towards, God in his love interrupts. He makes himself known in the person of Jesus Christ and he pays the debt, the debt that we just sang about being free from us.

He pays a debt, your debt. And if you receive that payment, you have the assurance that when God cleans up this universe, because he's already cleaned your heart through the blood of his son, you do not stand on the side of judgment. You stand on the side of accepted, forgiven, perfectly kept until all things are said and done. Here's my I wanna be plain. I'm just gonna say it straight.

Do you have absolute confidence? Never mind about the last days. Do you have absolute assurance that you have been forgiven for your sins? Don't postpone your dealing with God. If you're a person here, even if you're a young person and you have not settled your account with the almighty, I plead with you to realize the great love of God for you by sending Jesus Christ.

He is real. And if your heart is even pricked a little bit, I would encourage you to entertain it further and to have a humble conversation with God during this time of singing and to receive his forgiveness for you as you realize the great price that was paid on your behalf. And if you're a person in here that's doubting it or fighting it or resisting it or has questions about it, give the leaders or maybe a believer that brought you today the awesome privilege of helping you understand what the gospel is all about. Talk to them about it. Time is short.

I believe preaching should be more urgent than ever. I believe confrontational preaching should be loud and clear in every pulpit in America. Because if God doesn't have mercy on America, we're not gonna recognize America in a very short time. So I I wanna do my part. I'm no politician.

I'm no advocate for this or that. I'm I'm I'm just a poor man who found bread, living bread, and wanna tell other people how they can find that same bread. That's all I am. I'm full. My soul is full.

And I I wanna let you know that you can also be full. And the only way you can be full is if you eat of him. In other words, you receive him and it's free. No price tag. No amount.

No effort. No exertion. Nothing. Just humility to say my soul is starving. It is empty.

I am weak. I cannot perform my righteousness to please God. But if this if this Jesus you speak about is willing to receive me as I am, if I could just fall at his feet, he'll scoop me up, clothe me with his righteousness, and make me his own. I want this Jesus. Why would you deny such a gift?

Receive it as we sing. Say, what do I do? You you speak to him from your heart, under your breath. You speak to him. You say, Lord, I repent of my sins.

I receive you. I believe that you did this for me, and I wanna be numbered among the redeemed. Please, Lord, change me and transform me. I wanna be saved. Please save me.

Please save me. And and and though you may not have the vocabulary, if you're convinced that you're a sinner and Christ is the savior, even if your words are few, Christ can understand them and he'll do a work in your heart. Just be prepared to repent. May Christ your lord and savior, and you'll know new life. Let's stand and worship the lord together.