So tonight I chose verses 11 through 13 of Psalm 40. Beginning at verse 11, withhold not thou tender mercies from me, O Lord, let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me. I want that to sink in. Listen to what it says in verse 12. For innumerable evils have compassed me about. And we know that's talking about the evils that come from within, because the very next words are mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of mine head, therefore my heart faileth me.

Be pleased. May it please you, Lord, Thy will be done. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me.

I've titled tonight's study, Watch Therefore. And I open with these verses from Luke chapter 12. Oh, excuse me. Verse 34, where we read, For where your treasure is, There will your heart be also. Where your treasure is, where you look to, that's where your heart is. If your heart is for gold, you're going to be looking for gold. I remember the movie The Lord of the Rings. Remember that little gold ring and all the precious Precious was the gold ring. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In verse 37 of that same chapter, we read, Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find

Now, look with me if you would at our text in Matthew chapter 24, beginning at verse 36. But of that day, speaking of verse 35, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. But of that day, the day of his return, and the hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels. Not only do men not know it, not even the angels of heaven know it, but my Father only.

Verse 37, but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Remember how the days of Noah were? He worked for years, years and years and years, building that ark. And then one day, all those years that he said it's gonna rain. And then one day it started to rain. As the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

Verse 38, for as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then shall two be in the field, and one shall be taken in the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken in the other left.

And here's where we take our text for tonight, verse 20, 42. Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, but know this, that if the good man of the house had known and would watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant? Whom is the Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Verse 46, blessed is that servant whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunken, The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

" Now, let's go to our handout again. First full paragraph, and we've already read that part where our subject tonight is found in verse 42, watch therefore. It is our responsibility to be always watchful, ready for and anticipating the Lord's coming. He seldom mentions His second coming without urging us to be watchful. He knows the slothfulness of our nature. He knows how quickly we forget the most solemn things. He knows how worldly-minded we are by nature. He knows how constantly Satan seeks to sift us and with what cunning devices. Therefore, He arms us with heart-searching exhortations to be awake and alert.

Listen to these words, 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 6. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. Behold, I come quickly, it says in Revelation 3.11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man taketh take thy crown.

Brother Don Fortner wrote this, he says, We will be wise, like the spouse in the Song of Solomon, to rise up early, shake off all carnal security, determine not to be slothful and sluggish, and stand watchful over our souls, that we may be prepared at any moment to meet the Lord and Master, our Lord and Master. We do not know, we cannot even guess in what watch the earth's long night Christ will come. But we do know that He may come at any moment. Therefore, we ought to be as watchful as if we knew that Christ would come tonight, ever standing on the tiptoe of expectation, as it says in Titus 2.13, looking for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Page 2. and watchfulness our Lord commands is in the prospect of His Second Coming and to even man's departure out of life, whether it be of death or the Day of Judgment, is being one with Christ. This is what He wants us to be watchful for, to be one. Whether it be death or the Day of Judgment, what He's telling us to be watchful for is, are we in Christ? Are we in union with Him by grace?

I want to stress this. Are we in His grace? Not are we in because of something we have done, but are we in His grace in the knowledge of Him? Are we in His grace? Are we born again by His Spirit? Not by something we have done, but by His Spirit. Are we washed in His blood? are we robed in His righteousness, ready to exercise of faith and hope for the expectation of His coming.

They, and only they, are ready who live by faith in Christ, and they are always ready. Do you understand that, folks? This is not a letter of warning that we can fall from His grace. We can't. He keeps us by His grace. He keeps us by His power, as it says in 1 Peter 1, verse 5. So those who belong to Him, those He died for, will be ready. How will they be ready? They will be in His faith. They will be washed in His blood. They will stand born again by His Spirit. They will be robed in His righteousness.

Whether the Lord comes tonight or tomorrow in the day, we shall arise at the joyful call and we shall meet the Lord in the air and shall be forever in his presence. Listen to verse 46 again. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. It's trusting in the Lord. That's as simple as it is.

Third paragraph, quote by Charles Spurgeon, Oh, to be ready for His appearing, watching and waiting for Him as servants whose Lord has long been away from them, and who may return at any hour. This will not make us neglect our daily calling. On the contrary, we shall be all the more diligent in attending to our earthly duties, because our hearts are at rest about our heavenly treasures. He's coming again, and he's coming again with glory. Are you ready?

I still want to stop there for just a minute, because I thought about that. Are you ready? As I was putting this together, I'm thinking, you know, the world, they want to ask you, are you ready? Have you done what you need to do to be ready? That's not what he's talking about here at all. He says, are you ready? Are you ready in his righteousness? Are you ready in faith in him? Is he made you ready? That's what I'm asking you. Are you ready? Are you ready now to meet the Son of God in judgment? What an awesome thought that is! Yet it is a thought that I pray will never cease to rouse our hearts with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Examine yourselves. This is that verse that I was thinking of here. Examine yourselves. Are you ready? Examine yourselves. Am I in the faith? That's what the word says. It says, examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13, 5. It doesn't say examine yourselves, are you doing enough good? It doesn't say examine yourselves, are you following, you know, Brother Gabe Stonerker and I were talking about this the other day. Every single thing that the Bible demands of mankind, everything, Even the good that we should be doing now that we know the Lord, we won't do perfectly until we stand with God in heaven. When I get to glory, when the Lord comes a second time, everything that He demands of me, I shall do perfectly. For now, I'm going to trust in the Lord who did it perfectly for me. That's what this is talking about. Are you ready? Examine yourselves. We are ready only if we are in Christ. Born of Him are you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, but of God, in other words.

Look at the last paragraph of page two. Finally, brethren, and this is just the start, we'll go over into page three reading it. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. That's what looking to the Lord Jesus in His second coming is. It's rejoicing in Him, trusting in Him. His Word is perfect and shall be done. Trust, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, writes Paul, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.

Page 3. Now before we go on to page 3, I want to point this out because it's being brought to my attention once again, not by the same person, but by another. that I'm just flopping around on top of the pond. I'm not diving deep enough into God's Word. In the recent weeks, I've been preaching on the subject of, what's the difference? And I made somebody very unhappy that I didn't bring out that we do do good works. that they didn't speak of how we follow God's word. We get baptized because he tells us to get baptized. Abraham, Abraham slept with his wife even though it was long past any time she could have a child because God told him to. God told him he would have a child. He acted upon what God had promised.

Now, why doesn't John go around talking about these things? And I brought this out very clearly in one of my messages. The Lord tells us plainly, don't let the left hand tell what the right hand is doing. No, tell about what Christ has done. I was told to my face that it's my job to tell you about all the things of the Bible, all the things that Abraham did. No, my job is to tell you about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's my job. If that's not being a pastor, well, then I'm not a pastor. But that's what I was told. That's what I agreed to do. That's what the Lord has laid on my heart to do. That's my job, is to point people to Christ. If you need something more, I suggest you go somewhere else. That's what I'm going to say about that. And that's what Paul is writing right here. That's what he's saying right there on page two. He's saying, finally, brother, rejoice in the Lord to write the same thing to you. To me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. And then he goes on to talk about beware of dogs and so on and so on.

So back at page three at the top there. Though I might also have the confidence in the flesh. This is Paul speaking. And he had all kinds of confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. as touching of the law a Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless. But what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ." All those works that he did, all the good things that he did were nothing but works. And he counted them lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done that I may win Christ and be found in Him.

Remember what I told you a moment ago? What's the key to being ready? It's to be in Christ. And Christ, gay being in Christ, and that's something we can do. It's against our nature. It's enmity against the natural man. And be found in him not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, believing in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by Christ. face, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings be made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead." That's Philippians 3 verse 1 through 11.

This is how we spend our time, watching for his return. Consider with me these inspired words of the Apostle Paul to the saints at Philippi. Rejoice in the Lord. We're back in our handout mid-page. Rejoice in the Lord. Folks, is Christ Jesus not our chief joy? I've talked many times with you about what it's going to be like to be in heaven. Well, who cares what it's like to be in heaven as long as it's where Christ is. If it's where Christ is, that's going to be fantastic no matter what it is. It'll be everything. We'll know everything. We'll know everything that He does. What a wonder it's going to be in heaven as long as we're with Christ. Isn't He not our joy, our chief joy, in the greatness of His person? Is it not a great joy that God was manifest in the flesh, that God became man, that a body was prepared, the very God manifest in the flesh? Is He not our chief joy in His incarnation becoming bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh? Is He not our chief joy in the sufficiency of His righteousness and atonement? Is He not our chief joy in the comforts of His providence and purpose? Is He not our chief joy in the glory of His intercession and His return?

Not only that, Paul rejoices to repeat the gospel to Christ over and over again. For it is necessary, is what he tells us. It keeps our thoughts. Why is it necessary? It keeps our thoughts and hearts on Christ. It takes our thoughts off of, you know, I was trying to explain why we don't look at the works that God gives. Yes, Abraham did what God told him to do. that God tells us to do will come together as the Lord takes us through this world if we look to Christ and look to Him alone. As soon as we stop looking to Christ and start looking at what we're doing, we're going to slowly but surely start to think we're better of ourselves. We're going to slowly and surely start to think, well, that's what I've got to do to be saved. That's my proof that I am saved. I'm not doing it to be saved, but it's proof that I am saved. No, it's not. Jesus Christ and Him crucified is proof that we are saved. His blood shed on that cross is proof that we were saved. We look to that and that alone because we take no confidence in our flesh. It also keeps us from the errors of false teachers.

Oh, folks, I'm telling you, progressive sanctification is that teaching right under the line. It's right under the line of grace and grace alone, because it adds to the grace of God's works by what you do. You get better. You do not get any better. Scriptures are very clear. The only thing good in us is Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Repeating the gospel of Christ in Him crucified, page four, over and over again, it's when the truth is repeated. And if you think about this, this is what's going on in our politics. One side keeps repeating one thing, the other side keep repeating the other thing, and who knows what to believe anymore? I'm serious. Who knows what to believe? When truth is repeated, it guards us against self-righteousness and other errors. It's necessary because false prophets have gone out into the world and the Lord inspires Paul to warn us.

It says in the next verse there, verse 2, beware. Beware to spend our time, in other words, spend our time watching for him in truth, warning us not to fall for dogs or evil workers, or as the apostle Jude puts it, beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend, watch for, beware of, look out for, to contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were beforehold ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I don't know who those men are, neither do you. Some of us brothers and sisters in Christ are very capable of making errors. So I'm not pointing my fingers at anybody saying that they're unsaved, that these are the ones. I'm just telling you that God tells us through the Apostle Jude. There are men who are creeping in to the church, unaware, ordained of old, changing the word of God into lasciviousness. And how do you change the word of God into lasciviousness, wickedness? It's by adding men's works to it. A little leaven has to ruin the whole lump.

Folks, we must stand up. We must stand up for the gospel. And the gospel is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's my message. That's the message God has given me to bring to His people. And I pray that that's the message He'll continue and give me the strength to continue preaching, just as my pastor, Gene Harmon, did for 38 years.

These are the false teachers who impose the works and the ceremonies of the law upon God's people as being necessary to salvation. They say things like, if you don't get baptized, they say things like, if you don't take of the Lord's table, they say things like, if you don't go down and help the poor, if you don't do this, if you don't do that, then you can't be saved. These are false teachers, false preachers. Paul calls them evil workers. because they mislead the people, deceiving them, and perverting the gospel of Christ.

Beware of the circumcisors. In other words, those who mutilate the flesh for sanctifying purposes. Circumcision served its day as a token of the covenant, and it may be recommended as a hygienic measure even, but it has no place or meaning in the covenant of grace. We are the true circumcision is what it says. We are the true circumcision, for we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. We are the circumcision. They have the name, the form, the outward sign, we have in Christ and in the new birth its fulfillment. Everything is fulfilled in Him.

It is the difference between having the Lamb of the Old Testament sacrificed and having Christ, the Lamb of God. True circumcision is having the heart pricked and laid open by the Spirit. True circumcision is the renouncing of our own righteousness and looking to Christ's righteousness. It's called repentance. True circumcision is of the heart, not of the flesh. It is to draw nigh to God with the heart, not with the body. It is to rejoice in our completeness in Christ, having no confidence in carnal in carnal descent, tribe, or family, or ceremonial law.

Page 5. Our salvation and acceptance by God are only in Christ, not in anything connected with the flesh. We worship God in heart and in spirit, and not in outward rituals or ceremonies. We rejoice in Christ in whom we are complete. It says, beware lest any man spoil you through vain philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him." Folks, if the Word of God tells us that we're complete in Him, what do we have to add to that? If there was anything we could add, we wouldn't be complete, would we? "...and ye are complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, and putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead. Colossians 2, 8-12.

We have no confidence in our own fleshly works, nor in anyone else's. In verses 9 through 11 of Philippians 3, the apostle gives us his soul's desire where he says, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain the resurrection of the dead."

Consider with me three points, if you would, that all who belong to Christ seek as we walk in this world.

First, we seek that we may win Christ and be found in Him. If we're looking to God and for His second coming, we want to be found in Him. We want to win Christ and find Him, not trusting or having any self-achieve. righteousness in works as deeds, possessing that genuine righteousness of God, which comes through faith in Christ, that holiness and perfect righteousness which He gives to His own.

Listen to these words of Jude 1 verse 24. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless, righteous, before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

Secondly, that I may know Him. I look to Him in His second coming. My desire is that I may know Him more, more about Jesus. May I know more of His love to others show. Oh, folks, as we look upon our Savior, the world will turn strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Isn't that what we're seeing in that hand? I do know Him, but I want to grow in grace and in the knowledge of my Savior. I want to become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him and with the wonders of his person.

Page six. Henry Mahan wrote this. He says, that I may come to know the power flowing from his resurrection and the strength it gives to believers, that I may so know and share his sufferings as to be transformed continually into his likeness, daily dying to the sin of the world. As I speak to those who have many years under their belt, believers who are getting closer and closer and closer, as they know, to that day where they'll go through that doormark death, their greatest joy is that there's a day coming where there'll be no more sin, where they'll be without this body of sin. They've been daily dying to sin for a long time. They're tired of sin.

Thirdly, that I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Paul may be referring here to the resurrection of the body and the likeness of Christ in that great day. Or he might be, because of what it says in the next verse, he might be talking about a moral and spiritual resurrection that lifts us out of the death and the darkness of this world in sin. The very things that lift us up, that we look to our Lord and Savior, who's already been risen from the dead and sitting on His throne, delivering us from that death and darkness.

The world, the flesh, and all this is the third paragraph, page six. The world and the flesh and all of this human life is a valley of death. In Christ there is real life, real love, real holiness. There is communion with God and perfect righteousness. This is what I want. by whatever means it pleases God to bring me to, I want to be like Christ in attitude, I want to be like Christ in spirit, I want to be like Christ in the heart. Calling upon the Father these words, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul lists the armor of God that God has given us to help us carry on, to help us looking to Him till His second coming. The parts of this armor are given in Ephesians chapter 6, and he gives it to us in verse 14-18. Read this with me if you would. Ephesians 6 verse 14, Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherein ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Let's look at those one by one, and we'll bring this to a close after that.

The first one is your lorings gird about with truth. We're back in our handout, second paragraph from the bottom, page six. about you as a strong girdle. Now, women understand what a girdle is. Most men don't. But a girdle is what wraps around the belly. Wrap yourself about with truth. Where are you going to find truth? In His Word. Wrap yourself with truth. The gospel of God's redemptive glory in and through Christ Jesus.

Listen to 1 Peter 1 verse 13. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Notice what the revelation comes through. It comes through Jesus Christ, not through your works. Not through what you feel that you have to do. Not through the results of faith and love of God in you, but through Jesus Christ.

This is the first part of our Armamention, for it is the most important. It is the foundation of all the rest. The truth about God, the truth about myself and my race and Christ and His redemptive works keeps me close to God and defends me against all evil suggestions of Satan which lead to a false hope. What does Satan say? He says, oh look, Abraham, you did what you were supposed to. Aren't you good? Aren't you saved of God because you did what was good? That's what Satan says. No. Abraham was saved because he believed God. And he knew that that faith that he believed with was the gift of God, just as it is for all of us.

Secondly, the breastplate of righteousness. This righteousness cannot be what I have produced, for my righteousness is as filthy rags. I have none to claim of this flesh, for there is none righteous, no, not one. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This must be the righteousness of Christ my Lord. Page 7. It must be His perfect righteousness imputed to me and received by faith. Only then can it repel any accusation or charge which Satan can bring.

Listen to Romans 8 verse 33 and 34. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? How are you going to lay something against us when Christ has already paid for it? Did He not pay for all of our sins on the cross? Is there one that He did not pay for? Well, if He's paid for it all, how are you going to charge me with it? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth. It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Thirdly, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel for peace. Several things could be taught here. A firm-footed stability or a foundation in the gospel of peace. A godly walk that is agreeable to the gospel of peace. A readiness to go forth into the highways and the hedges, declaring the good news of peace through Christ.

Fourth, to take the shield of faith. Satan hurls darts of doubt, fear, depression, weariness, and all manners of questions regarding our spiritual state. I know some of you, and myself as well, have had dealings with these very doubts. We know that Satan throws these darts at us. Well, we can take the shield of faith. Folks, that's something I've told many folks who've come to me and asked me about that very thing. I just don't know if the Lord is, I just don't know if I'm saved. I just, I feel like I don't love the Lord. And my question has always been this. Do you believe he's God? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you believe he saved his people perfectly and that the only righteousness anyone can have is of him? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Folks, that's not natural for men. Only God can give anybody that kind of faith. Isn't that wonderful? That's the shield of faith. It's what we use to block those fiery darts of doubt.

Listen to this, faith in God's word. We believe his word. Speaking of Abraham, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. It doesn't say he staggered not, and he went and did this, and he went and did that. No. He was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. Yeah, it's too late. It's too late for me and Sarah to have a child. But God's promised it, so I believe it. Yeah, I get up every morning and face my sins, but God says He'd put them away. I believe His Word.

We have faith in God's purposes. Listen to this from Romans 8, 29 and 30. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. That's a promise. That's a purpose. He predestinated a people to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. Whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

One more, if you would. Faith in Christ's redeeming work. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who will also make an intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress, or persecution, or famine? Folks, if Christ did the work of redemption, can anything separate us? And then Paul goes through an entire list here. He says, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for slaughter. Page 8. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors. through Him that loved us. This is who we're looking to for His return. This is why we're looking to Him with great joy, with rejoicing in our hearts. Even though sin fills this flesh, even though sin plagues this body that I live in, I look to my Savior, the Lord Jesus, and I look for His second coming.

I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate me, us, from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The helmet of salvation. The helmet is a piece of armor for the head, and it protects the head against false doctrines. You know when the Lord says, beware, beware, beware, the men who sneak into churches and turn the word of God into lasciviousness, take the helmet of salvation, the armor. This helmet is the hope of salvation in Christ alone, the salvation of which Christ is the author and the finisher, as we read in 1 Corinthians 1.30. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5, 8 through 9.

Or how about this? But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1.

The sixth one we read about is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The word of God is compared to a sword that has two edges, the law and the gospel. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing ascender of the soul and spirit and the joints and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart." Hebrews 4.12. This sword is all edge. It has no blunt side. One cannot come near the word without its having some effect. It convicts of sin, cutting away the righteous of men. It kills pride, envy, lust, and all sin. It reaches the hidden and secret parts. It is the weapon God uses to defeat all His enemies.

Luke records under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit this account for us. Now look how many times our Lord said to the devil, as it is written, and the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written. There's one. that man shall not live by bread alone, but by the very word of God. And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, page 9. And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written. See how he has responded twice now to Satan. It is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. This is the word, that two-edged sword. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

And he, the devil, brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence. For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, and keep thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou shalt dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt. the Lord thy God." Here the devil is using the Word of God itself to try to tempt the Savior and how does he respond? It is said, it is written, the Word of God. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Seventh one is praying. The last weapon listed here is prayer and it includes all sorts of prayer. Mental, vocal, private, and public. We should live in an attitude of prayer continually. Our prayers must and will be in the Spirit by the assistance of the Spirit of God with a sincere heart for all believers. We will persevere in the prayer regardless of the suggestions of Satan and our own weak hearts. And I give you four verses here. Acts 16, 31, believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved. John 1.12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 6.29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Ephesians 2 verse 8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Look at page 10. How should we be spending our time looking for the second coming of our Lord? Now I want to stop there for just a moment before I read the verses of Hebrews 12, 1-2.

I am being told that I should teach you that spending your time here on earth, you should spend your time doing good works. And I'm here to tell you that if Christ is in you, He will cause you to do the good works that He wants you to do. He will not leave you alone. Even if those good works are to run from Him.

I ask you once again, when Jonah ran from the Lord, was that good works? Do you think Jonah ran from the Lord thinking, I'm doing God's will? No, he ran from the Lord scared. He ran from the Lord because he was afraid. He didn't know what he was doing, but God had a purpose for him to do exactly what he was doing. That you and I would see that salvation is of the Lord. That he would learn to preach that message and that message alone to the Ninevites.

I don't need to tell you how to live. God can do that in His Word plenty of places, and He does it just fine. What I do need to do is point you to Christ. He's coming again soon. Look to Him. Quit looking to the world. Quit looking to the flesh. Look to our Savior.

Look at these verses from Hebrews 12, verse 1 through 2. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I don't know of any better way to point people to Christ than that right there. Looking unto Jesus. I mean, there's all kinds of wonderful verses in Scripture that we can go at and look at that very same thing, but nothing better. Nothing better than that very thing right there. Looking under Christ.

I pray the Lord bless you with tonight's study.