WEBVTT 00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:05.400 This is your daily reminder. God has not run 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:09.199 out of mercy, not for you, not today. Welcome 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.419 to the New Mercies Podcast. Welcome back Monday, 00:00:12.820 --> 00:00:16.339 March the 9th. And our reading plan today takes 00:00:16.339 --> 00:00:19.539 us back once again to Luke 21. I know you think, 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:21.500 I've been in Luke 21 already a couple times. 00:00:21.660 --> 00:00:23.420 There's a lot of end time stuff. What's going 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:26.460 on? I want to encourage you today, read it, fresh 00:00:26.460 --> 00:00:30.379 eyes, fresh ears. Yesterday, Sunday, I preached 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:34.420 this text. Now here's the funny thing. So I don't 00:00:34.420 --> 00:00:36.200 know if you realize what I do whenever I record 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.359 these episodes, but I have recorded this days 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:43.780 before I preach that sermon. It's kind of strange, 00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:46.000 I know. But I want to share with you something 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.000 today that I don't think is going to be in the 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.000 sermon, but I don't really know for sure. So 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.619 if it was, maybe you need to hear it twice. Here's 00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:55.780 what I'll say about our text today. Luke 21, 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:58.039 again, a big chapter, a lot of stuff going on, 00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:01.460 some things that would happen pretty close to 00:01:01.460 --> 00:01:03.740 when Jesus said it, some things that would take 00:01:03.740 --> 00:01:07.379 place many, many, many, many years later in his 00:01:07.379 --> 00:01:10.560 prophetic word. And so I want to share something 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:14.370 today that is... Out of Luke 21, found down lower 00:01:14.370 --> 00:01:16.290 than we were, a little further down than we were 00:01:16.290 --> 00:01:20.250 on Friday. We talked about on Friday the wars, 00:01:20.310 --> 00:01:21.870 the persecutions, how he was going to give us 00:01:21.870 --> 00:01:23.829 the words to say and when to say it and how we 00:01:23.829 --> 00:01:26.250 got to depend on him, right? I want to read to 00:01:26.250 --> 00:01:28.049 you just a couple of verses down further than 00:01:28.049 --> 00:01:29.969 that. Down in verse number 25 is where I'm going 00:01:29.969 --> 00:01:32.170 to start. And as we do that today, I want to 00:01:32.170 --> 00:01:33.909 encourage you. Listen, fresh ears, fresh eyes. 00:01:33.989 --> 00:01:36.430 I promise you new mercies are available today. 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:38.500 Just because you're reading the same chapter 00:01:38.500 --> 00:01:40.280 doesn't mean there's not something new that God 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:42.299 can bring out. It may not be a life -altering 00:01:42.299 --> 00:01:44.620 Bible study. It may not be one of those moments 00:01:44.620 --> 00:01:46.780 where you say, I just experienced all kinds, 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:49.980 everything makes sense now. I get it all. Maybe 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:51.739 that's not one of those moments today. Maybe 00:01:51.739 --> 00:01:54.060 it is. Maybe it is. What a moment, though, when 00:01:54.060 --> 00:01:56.420 you get in His Word, you hear from the author. 00:01:56.739 --> 00:01:59.159 So let's pray and say, God, I want you to speak 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.519 to me today through your Word. Give me fresh 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:04.120 eyes, fresh ears. Let me see and hear from you 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:06.670 today. Here's what the Lord is telling me today 00:02:06.670 --> 00:02:10.870 about this text. Luke 21, down in verse number 00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:13.969 25. And there will be signs in the sun and moon 00:02:13.969 --> 00:02:17.189 and stars and on the earth, distress of nations 00:02:17.189 --> 00:02:19.610 and perplexity because of the roaring of the 00:02:19.610 --> 00:02:22.469 sea and the waves, people fainting with fear 00:02:22.469 --> 00:02:25.430 with foreboding of what is coming on the world. 00:02:25.629 --> 00:02:28.210 For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 00:02:28.939 --> 00:02:32.719 And then they will see the Son of Man coming 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:36.340 in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when 00:02:36.340 --> 00:02:38.319 these things begin to take place, straighten 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.960 up, raise your heads, because your redemption 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:44.900 is drawing near. This is one of those moments, 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.680 you know, I wish I could hear Jesus' voice as 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:52.780 he's saying it. I hear it, I watch it, I read 00:02:52.780 --> 00:02:55.939 it, and I think the heavens are going to show 00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:58.759 signs. The sun, the moon, the stars, things are 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.340 going to be shaken. He made it all. He can shake 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:03.979 it all, right? He made everything. He can shake 00:03:03.979 --> 00:03:06.620 everything. This is going to announce the coming 00:03:06.620 --> 00:03:10.560 of the Lord back again. This is a powerful moment. 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:13.159 And here's what I love, how Jesus explains this. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:16.460 When that happens, you're going to see the Son 00:03:16.460 --> 00:03:19.300 of Man coming in the clouds. He's going to show 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:21.780 up in a cloud. When was he in a cloud before? 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:24.560 Let's go back to the Exodus. Let's go back to 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:27.879 leading the whole Israelite people by a cloud 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:31.680 by day. by night and he's protected them from 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.699 the Pharaoh and the Egyptian army and he's this 00:03:34.699 --> 00:03:37.800 powerful cloud that it's had dropped on Sinai 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:41.879 and had spoken to Moses and had filled the tabernacle 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.379 and this is the one who's coming I love the thought 00:03:45.379 --> 00:03:48.259 of Jesus coming back and returning and watching 00:03:48.259 --> 00:03:51.319 that happen in the sky there's gonna be no doubt 00:03:51.319 --> 00:03:56.189 who he is It says the world is even going to 00:03:56.189 --> 00:03:57.870 say something's coming, something's happening, 00:03:57.930 --> 00:04:00.469 something's different today. And then they're 00:04:00.469 --> 00:04:04.050 going to see the Son of Man, a title that is 00:04:04.050 --> 00:04:07.289 used to Jesus 80 times in the New Testament, 00:04:07.469 --> 00:04:11.310 and again in Revelation even at the end of the 00:04:11.310 --> 00:04:14.289 New Testament. Like 80 times this title is used 00:04:14.289 --> 00:04:17.899 for Jesus. He's the Son of Man. And when he returns, 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:22.279 we're going to have no doubt who he is. The last 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:25.040 verse in that little section, he says, straighten 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:26.860 up and raise your head. That word raise your 00:04:26.860 --> 00:04:30.100 head is in the original language. It's an extension 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:33.899 or a stretching of the neck specifically. And 00:04:33.899 --> 00:04:36.160 so what it means is as everybody is hunkering 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.360 down. Right? Here it is. Picture this. He says 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:41.620 in there that the people are fainting with fear, 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:43.980 foreboding what's coming on the world. They see 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:46.240 all these things going on. Well, that is a term 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:49.519 of crouching, right? bent down, crouching. They 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:51.019 don't want to know what's coming up. But he says, 00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:54.100 for you, straighten up and raise your neck. Raise 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:57.079 your head. You don't cower down. You know that 00:04:57.079 --> 00:04:59.860 you're on my side. So I want you to be looking 00:04:59.860 --> 00:05:02.959 to the sky. As I said before, one of the greats, 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:05.480 Mr. Vance Havner, once said, I'm no longer looking 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:08.100 at signs. I'm now listening for a trumpet. I'm 00:05:08.100 --> 00:05:10.759 now looking up ready for his return. That's what 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:14.740 I'm waiting on now. I think about every moment 00:05:14.740 --> 00:05:16.720 that the world doesn't understand. There's more 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.519 chaos. more confusion in the world. And I know 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:22.139 that God is not confused at all. He's not falling 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:24.579 off his throne. He's not pacing the floor of 00:05:24.579 --> 00:05:26.720 heaven. What am I going to do now that this nation 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:28.579 just rose against this nation? What am I going 00:05:28.579 --> 00:05:30.220 to do now that this corruption is going on in 00:05:30.220 --> 00:05:31.920 this government and this corruption is going 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:33.800 on in this school system and this corruption 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.439 is going on in this family? He's not worried 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.810 at all. He says, I am waiting on the moment where 00:05:39.810 --> 00:05:42.170 the Son of Man will return on a cloud, and I 00:05:42.170 --> 00:05:44.670 want my people to have their necks stretched, 00:05:44.829 --> 00:05:48.089 their eyes up, looking for that day. While the 00:05:48.089 --> 00:05:51.850 world is confused and afraid, I want my people 00:05:51.850 --> 00:05:55.329 to be courageous. That's what I want. He goes 00:05:55.329 --> 00:05:57.990 on, and then right after this, he teaches a parable. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:00.720 How do you teach a parable after that statement? 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.579 The Son of Man will return. Me, that's Jesus. 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:06.699 He's saying, me, I'm going to return in the clouds 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:09.060 and it's going to, everybody's going to be afraid 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:11.980 but my people. They're going to be ready. They're 00:06:11.980 --> 00:06:14.639 going to be arms lifted. They're going to have 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:16.939 their heads straightened. They're going to look 00:06:16.939 --> 00:06:19.060 at me. They're going to look toward me is what's 00:06:19.060 --> 00:06:21.019 going to happen. They're going to be ready for 00:06:21.019 --> 00:06:23.740 the moment because I'm going to bring it all 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:27.160 back around to where it's supposed to be. And 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.399 then he teaches a lesson. He teaches a parable. 00:06:29.459 --> 00:06:31.699 He teaches a parable about trees. What in the 00:06:31.699 --> 00:06:33.899 world? If you read this just one time, it's like, 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:35.959 but then he starts talking about trees. What's 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:38.000 he talking about? There's some deep theological 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.879 truths to the parable, but here's what I want 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:41.579 to share. This is the last line of the parable. 00:06:41.579 --> 00:06:45.199 He says in verse number 33, heaven and earth 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.100 will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:53.879 Jesus's word lasts. It will, it will. The whole 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:56.560 span of time, there's one thing that will remain 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.740 and it's his word. And those of us who have followed 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:02.459 and obeyed and put our faith and trust in his 00:07:02.459 --> 00:07:04.699 word. Who's his word? His word as the person 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:07.560 is Jesus. He's the word. He was with God. He 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:09.680 was with God in the beginning. He is the word. 00:07:09.779 --> 00:07:12.819 He is God. That's who this is. Jesus's word will 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:17.300 not pass away. That means every single note that 00:07:17.300 --> 00:07:21.680 he spoke will come to pass. Things are going 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.100 to pass away. But his word is not going to lose. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:28.620 It's going to win every time. Today, here's my 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:33.160 encouragement to you. Look up. Just look up. 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:36.939 Maybe take a moment. Go outside. Raise your head. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.180 Look up into the sky. There's a moment where 00:07:40.180 --> 00:07:42.730 that sky is going to look very different. I don't 00:07:42.730 --> 00:07:45.230 know when that moment is. Maybe it happened before 00:07:45.230 --> 00:07:49.089 this podcast episode even went live. I don't 00:07:49.089 --> 00:07:51.769 know. What I do know is this. The moment the 00:07:51.769 --> 00:07:54.209 sky rips open, I want to be ready and prepared. 00:07:54.529 --> 00:07:57.370 I want to be prayed up. I want to be active in 00:07:57.370 --> 00:08:00.449 my faith. That's what I want in my life. Prophecy 00:08:00.449 --> 00:08:05.029 should never scare us. It should purify us. Jesus, 00:08:05.050 --> 00:08:07.129 talking about the coming of the Son of Man, should 00:08:07.129 --> 00:08:11.040 not scare us. It should purify us to be ready 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:14.079 and waiting on His return.