路加福音21:5-36

恩惠、平安从父神和救主耶稣基督归于你们所有依靠他，盼望他再来的人。阿们。

在英文谚语中有个说法，Things will get worse before they get better.翻译过来就是“事情在好转之前，必先会每况愈下。”主耶稣在今天的福音经文中告诉我们他再来之前，就是末日、末期临到之前，事情会变得越来越糟糕。可以恰当地说，“末日临到之前，主的国完全降临以先，新天新地恢复之前，事情会越来越糟糕。”迷惑人的假先知、冒名顶替基督的人比比皆是，比如国内比较出名的异端团体叫做“东方闪电”，他们的领袖号称自己是基督，甚至是位女性，女基督，真是乱了套。在美国最大的异端群体是犹他州的摩门教，到处都有传教的，勾引人误入歧途等等。还有就是逼迫真基督徒、真教会的，前两周我们也提过，国内的一些教会遭受逼迫，教会领袖被抓，尼日利亚的基督徒被极端穆斯林分子屠杀等等。

除了教会所遭受的假道和邪恶势力的逼迫之外，这世界也会不太平，一直持续下去，甚至越来越厉害。比起二战那种全球性战争的规模，今天似乎和平很多，但谁知道明天会如何呢？大家都知道，一旦再次发生世界级的战争，核武器的使用会带来多少毁灭性的灾难。主耶稣说：“民要攻打民，国要攻打国。你们听见打仗和扰乱的事。”打仗的讯息和要打仗的谣言满天飞，大家已经习以为常，甚至变得麻木了。“地要大大震动，多处必有饥荒、瘟疫，又有可怕的异象和大神迹从天上显现。”

事情在好转之前，必先会每况愈下。但也意味着转机一定会到来。“你们看见这些事渐渐成就，也该晓得神的国近了。”这些都是记号，是路标，是我们快要抵达目的地的里程碑。就像你开车旅行回来，一路上会不停地看见，离Evansville还有200英里，100英里，还有50英里，哪怕天越来越黑，你也不怕，反而越发高兴，因为离家越来越近了，马上就可以放松了，不用再紧绷着弦开车了，不用担心什么了，很快就可以洗个热水澡，享受一个轻松愉快的晚餐了。神的国越来越近了，你知道吗？我们信徒是走在随处有里程碑的天国路途上，哪怕我们周边的环境会让我们越来越有压力，到处是陷阱和深坑，但是我们警醒不倦，鼓足勇气，牢牢抓住主的应许和话语，就不害怕。反而更加有勇气和决心了，我们要走到目的地。

除了假先知和假基督对教会的迷惑之外，世人和基督徒所经历的环境都一样：战争，瘟疫，饥荒，地震海啸等等，但是他们没有主，没有主那永远长存的道——哪怕“天地要废去，祂的话却不能废去”。他们不知道世界有没有尽头，末日，他们不知道有主的再来，他们不知道这世界都会过去，神要将“天地卷起来，像一件外衣，天就挪移，好像书卷被卷起来。”（启示录6:16；希伯来书1:12）。所以许许多多的人浑浑噩噩过一辈子，反正明天要死了，就吃吃喝喝，快快乐乐尽情地享受吧。

而很多基督徒也是这样，就像末日前的狂欢，死刑犯行刑前的美餐那样。反正死后也没有什么留恋和顾虑的了，尽情地把握住当下的时光吧。你知道挪亚进方舟之前的日子，洪水来之前，世人的态度是什么吗？“那时候的人又吃又喝，又娶又嫁。”他们觉得世界虽然有些不太平，但总会一直持续下去。太阳会永远照常升起，月亮永远会微笑着迎接夜晚的人们，湖泊总会有水，江河总不断绝，庄稼总会有收获，饭桌上总会有面包牛奶。

然而基督徒，真正的基督徒明白，总有一天会大变天，因为主耶稣要来，他的审判和国度要完全降临到地上，救赎祂的子民，就是信靠仰望祂的人们。在这地上寄居的日子，见证主道的日子，我们基督徒要有两种正确的态度。

第一，“一有这些事，你们就当挺身昂首，因为你们得赎的日子近了。”我们是有真正盼望的一群人，主耶稣救我们脱离死亡和罪恶，脱离魔鬼的权势，等候完全得赎的日子，而且那日子是越来越近了，不是遥遥无期。我们离归天家的日子近了，我们进入新天新地的日子越来越近了。哪怕我们累了，疲倦了，就像开车会疲劳，开不动了，但是我们的心要振作起来，“挺身昂首”重新打起精神，我们的永恒的家园已经近在咫尺。我们要知道盼望的所在，并以此安慰自己受惊吓的心。尤其是面对教会所经受的无缘无故的恨、逼迫和杀戮。

第二，“你们要谨慎，恐怕因贪食、醉酒，并今生的思虑累住你们的心，那日子就如同网罗忽然临到你们。”我们还没有完全脱离这取死的身体，有罪的本性，老亚当会时刻纠缠我们，让我们返回老路，跟世人一样浑浑噩噩地过日子。不是这样吗？有多少所谓的基督徒天天想的都是赚钱赚钱，虽然口头不说，但心里那是盼着主耶稣不要来，再迟会儿来——还没享受够今生的成功和富足呢。

我们都应该扪心自问，我有没有准备好今天就见主的面，无论是我离世去天上见主，还是他今天就再来这地上。如果我们满心都是今生和吃喝，都是地上的事，那我们心里就没了主的位置，到时候怎么能坦然地面对主呢？我们所思所行的是否与悔改的心相称，是否可以在主面前站立得住，还是风一吹就倒的朽木，浪一来就毁掉的沙土城堡。我们不能只是口头上说，“主啊，我愿你来。”更是要行为上配得上主的荣耀。先知阿摩司说，你们不要说耶和华的日子，快来吧，因为“想望耶和华日子来到的有祸了！你们为何想望耶和华的日子呢？那日黑暗没有光明。景况好像人躲避狮子又遇见熊。”（阿摩司书5:18）

“你们要时时警醒，常常祈求，使你们能逃避这一切要来的事，得以站立在人子面前。”弟兄姐妹们，我们聚会听道，团契祷告，这一切都是为了预备在座的每一位，包括我自己，能够将来坦然地站在主面前。我们要藉着听道和祷告常常警醒。主的话语指教我们该如何信，盼望的是什么以及当走的路，而祷告则是求主的帮助，我们靠自己不行，我们时刻需要主的帮扶，对付邪情私欲和世界的引诱。保罗在腓立比书2:12-15“你们就当恐惧战兢做成你们得救的工夫。因为你们立志行事都是神在你们心里运行，为要成就他的美意。凡所行的，都不要发怨言，起争论，使你们无可指摘，诚实无伪，在这弯曲悖谬的世代作神无瑕疵的儿女。”奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名。阿们。

Luke 21:5-36 (ESV)

Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to all who rely on Him and wait for His return. Amen.

There is a saying in English: "Things will get worse before they get better." The Lord Jesus, in today's Gospel text, tells us that before His return—that is, before the Last Day and the end of the age—things will get worse and worse. It is appropriate to say, "Before the end comes, before the kingdom of the Lord is fully established, before the new heavens and new earth are restored, things will only get worse."

Deceptive false prophets and people claiming to be Christ abound. For example, a relatively well-known heretical group in China is called "Eastern Lightning" (Quannengshen); their leader claims to be Christ, even a female Christ—what utter chaos! In the United States, one of the largest heretical groups is the Mormons in Utah, who are everywhere proselytizing and leading people astray.

Furthermore, there is the persecution of true Christians and the true Church. We mentioned this in the last couple of weeks: churches in China suffering persecution, church leaders being arrested, Christians in Nigeria being massacred by radical Muslims, and so on.

Signs of the End

Besides the false teachings and the persecution from evil forces that the Church endures, this world will also be unstable, continuously, and perhaps even increasingly so. Compared to the scale of global wars like World War II, today seems much more peaceful, but who knows what tomorrow holds? Everyone knows the devastating disaster that the use of nuclear weapons would bring if a world-level war were to break out again.

The Lord Jesus says, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars." Messages of war and rumors of wars are flying everywhere, and people have grown accustomed to them, even becoming numb. "There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven."

Things will get worse before they get better. But this also means that the turn for the better will surely come. "When you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." These are signs; they are guideposts; they are milestones telling us that we are about to reach our destination.

It's like driving home after a long trip: along the way, you constantly see signs—"200 miles to Evansville," "100 miles," "50 miles." Even if the sky gets darker and darker, you are not afraid; instead, you grow happier because you are closer to home. You'll soon be able to relax, you won't need to drive with tense concentration, you won't have anything to worry about, and soon you can take a hot shower and enjoy a peaceful, pleasant dinner.

The Kingdom of God is drawing near, do you know that? As believers, we are traveling on the road to the Heavenly Kingdom, a road marked with milestones everywhere. Even if the environment around us becomes more and more stressful, full of traps and pitfalls, we remain alert and vigilant. We take courage, firmly grasp the Lord's promises and His Word, and we are not afraid. On the contrary, we have more courage and determination to reach our destination.

Two Different Responses

Besides the deception of false prophets and false Christs toward the Church, the world and Christians experience the same environment: wars, pestilences, famines, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. However, unbelievers do not have the Lord; they do not have the Lord's Word that endures forever—even if "Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will not pass away."

They do not know if the world has an end, a "Last Day." They do not know of the Lord's return. They do not know that this world will all pass away, that God will "roll [the heavens] up like a garment, and the heavens will pass away like a scroll being rolled up" (Revelation 6:14; Hebrews 1:12). Therefore, many people live their lives in a haze; they think, "Tomorrow we die, so let us eat and drink, and enjoy life to the fullest."

And many Christians are like this, too, acting like it's a pre-doomsday carnival, or a to-be-hanged man's last meal before execution. They think, "Since there's nothing to regret or worry about after death, let's seize the moment and fully enjoy the present time." Do you know what the attitude of the people was during the days of Noah, before the flood came? "They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage." They felt that although the world was a little unsettled, it would always continue. The sun would always rise as usual, the moon would always smile to greet the people of the night, lakes would always have water, rivers would never cease, crops would always be harvested, and there would always be bread and milk on the table.

Be Watchful and Look Up

However, Christians—true Christians—understand that a great change is coming one day because the Lord Jesus is returning. His judgment and Kingdom are to fully descend upon the earth to redeem His people, those who trust and look up to Him. During our time of dwelling here on earth and witnessing to the Lord's Word, we Christians should have two correct attitudes.

First: "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." We are a people with true hope. The Lord Jesus saved us from death and sin, from the power of the devil, and we await the day of our complete redemption—and that day is drawing nearer, not remaining indefinitely distant. The day of our journey to the heavenly home is near; the day we enter the new heavens and new earth is drawing closer. Even if we feel tired, worn out, like getting fatigued while driving and unable to continue, our hearts must be stirred up. "Straighten up and raise your heads," and be renewed in your spirit. Our eternal home is close at hand. We must know where our hope lies and use this to comfort our startled hearts, especially when facing the Church's unwarranted hatred, persecution, and killing.

Second: "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap." We have not yet completely escaped this body of death and our sinful nature. The Old Adam will constantly entangle us, making us revert to the old ways and live our lives in a daze, just like the world. Isn't that true? How many so-called Christians think about nothing but making money? Though they don't say it aloud, their hearts wish the Lord Jesus would not come, but delay His return—they haven't finished enjoying the success and wealth of this life yet.

We should all ask ourselves, am I ready to meet the Lord today, whether by departing this life to meet Him in heaven or by His return to earth today? If our hearts are full of this life, of eating and drinking, and of earthly matters, then there is no room for the Lord in our hearts. How then can we face the Lord with confidence when He comes? Do our thoughts and actions match a repentant heart? Can we stand firm before the Lord, or are we just rotting wood that falls over with a gust of wind, or a sandcastle destroyed by a single wave? We cannot just say with our lips, "Come, Lord Jesus." We must also live lives worthy of the Lord's glory.

The prophet Amos said, "Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him" (Amos 5:18).

"But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Brothers and sisters, our gathering for worship and hearing the Word, our fellowship and prayer—all of this is preparation for every one of you, including myself, to be able to stand before the Lord with confidence in the future. We must remain watchful through hearing the Word and through prayer. The Lord's Word instructs us on how to believe, what to hope for, and the path we must walk. Prayer, on the other hand, is asking for the Lord's help. We cannot do it on our own. We constantly need the Lord's support to deal with evil desires, lusts, and the temptations of the world.

Paul says in Philippians 2:12-15 (ESV): "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for 1his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation."

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.