It's a good one. One of our ladies
in here requests that every time we take requests. Turn with me
now to Matthew 24, the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24. Let's read a few verses here
in Matthew 24. if you notice, spoke of Noah,
the preacher of righteousness, and spoke of the flood. Matthew 24, look at verses 35
through 39. Our Lord is speaking and says,
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour. Now
he's speaking to his disciples who asked him when the end of
the world would be. And he says, Of that day and
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my
Father only. But, now here he gives a clue
or a sign, but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the
coming of the Son of Man be. For, as in the days that were
before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day, the very 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." Now, most of the men who I have confidence
in that they are true preachers of the gospel, most of these
preacher brethren that I know believe with me, or I believe
with them, that we are in the very last of the last days. that our Lord's return is imminent
and soon. Based on, not just based on our
feelings, but based upon God's Word, so many things our Lord
said here in this chapter and many, many other places. Too
many for us to look at them now. Based upon God's Word, which
clearly reveals the time or the season or the era in which he
will return. 2 Timothy chapter 3, in particular,
is a clear description of our day more than any other, which
he calls the last days. All of God's word gives clear
descriptions of the days immediately preceding our Lord's return. As we looked at around the turn
of the millennium, remember everybody, whether they admitted it or not,
everyone was a little fearful just because of whatever. A little fearful when the millennium
turned, Y2K, all of that, you know, everyone, whether they
would admit it or not, were a little Well, unsure what was going to
happen. Well, and remember, I told you that I guarantee it would
not be at midnight on January 1st, year 2000. I knew that much. Why? Because
that's when everybody was looking for it. And our Lord said, at
a time when you think not, so shall the coming of the Son of
Man be. Over and over again, it says
that in Scripture. like a thief in the night when people aren't
expecting him. And so we concluded it would
be much, a little later down the road because people would
get back into their day-to-day routines and forget all about
Y2K. And as time went on, completely
forget about it. And if you'll notice with me,
even religion today doesn't speak much about the Lord's return
at all. even religion. But he tells us, believers, he
tells believers, you watch. Let us not sleep as do others,
but watch. He said, that day will not overtake
us, he told the Thessalonians, as it does some. The two principle
signs, two signs, principle signs, which reveal clearly the Lord's
imminent return. Two signs. Number one, and the
Lord deals with this throughout this chapter. Number one is apostasy,
or that is a falling away, or that is a leaving
the faith, leaving the truth. That's what Paul said in 1 Timothy
4. In the latter days some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits. doctrines
of devils and so forth. Apostasy, turning from the truth.
Paul said in 2 Timothy, he said in the last days, men will turn away their ears
from the truth unto fables. Apostasy, departure from the
truth. Our Lord said this. Let's look
at a few verses. Verse 5 here in this chapter. Verse 5, our Lord said in chapter
24, verse 5, Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. That is, these preachers, these
false prophets, are not saying that they're the Christ, but
they're coming in the name of Jesus, saying that he is the
Christ. You see that? And that's what
everybody says. You don't hear anybody. rejecting that he's a scribe.
Look, even perverse religions like Mormonism are building a
huge temple in our city, per pagan religion. But they don't deny that Jesus
is a scribe. They all say it. He said, Many
will come in my name. Many. Look down in verse 11.
He said, Many false prophets shall rise,
and shall deceive many, many false prophets. Verse 24, There
shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show
great signs and wonders. False Christs, our Lord surely
is speaking of one like Mohammed, Buddha, people like that, isn't
it? and shall show great signs and
wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect." Our Lord calls his people in this chapter, the
elect. So apostasy is a sign. The second
sign, look at verse 12, "...because iniquity shall abound, the love
of many shall wax cold." Here is the second sure sign and evidence. Number one, apostasy, turning
from the truth, I mean the truth, unto all sorts of stuff. And
the second principle sign is iniquity amounts. That the whole
earth is full of, like Noah's day, full of filth, just a filthy
place. Now, you know it's so. When I get up or whenever any
preacher gets up and talks about, preaches man as he's declared
from the scriptures, as a vile creature. The half's not been
told. The clear picture has not been
shown. But you know, you see it. The wickedness and the lewdness
and uncleanness. Now, it's no different today
than it has been in any generation. It's wickedness and corruption
has been in every generation, but it's never been so widespread. It's never been promoted like
it is. It's never been boasted of and
even forced on people. It's absolutely the agenda of
Hollywood out there to force people into thinking that all
this What is evil is good, and what is good is evil. That's
what our Lord said in the revelation. It's promoted and lauded, and
anyone with any sense whatsoever of modesty or decency, and you
know I'm not saying we're better people than anybody, but anyone
with any sense of modesty or values at all. is highly offended
on every hand, no matter where you look or where you turn. It
doesn't matter what you pick up, what magazine, what periodical,
what you hear on the radio or what you, whenever you turn your
TV on, you're offended by something. There's something that assaults
your eyes and your ears and grieves you, vexes you. Like it said,
of lots was, in seeing and hearing, was vexed every day. with a conversation,
or that is a lifestyle, of this work. It's never been like it is now.
Never. Someone recommended a movie to
me not long ago, and the way they recommended it was, there
aren't too many bad scenes in it. And you look and you see these
things and it just, oh man. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming
back to this earth according to his word. These are not the words of some
doomed, long-bearded, doomsday prophet standing on the street
corner of New York City with a sign in his hand. This is the
word of the Son of God. But that's what people have made
it out to be, some words of a fanatic, a wild, crazy, doomsday fellow
with a long beard, you know, prepare to meet thy God. No,
these are the words of God. He said, verse 30 and 31, Then
shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. Then shall
all the tribes of the earth mourn. They shall see the Son of Man.
Coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, verse
31, he shall send his angel with a great sound of a trumpet. They
shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one
end of heaven to the other. Well, when? When is this going
to be? When? Well, he said in verse
36, no man knows the day and hour. Isn't that what he said? That's what he said. Now, you
immediately know a false prophet when he predicts it. Right. And there have been men
do that. And people just listen to them
and they sell their all earthly goods and move to caves and become,
you know. And stock up and so forth at
the words of that immediately tells you that they're not gods,
that they're false prophets. People follow them anyway. and
keep following them when they turn out to be wrong. That's
how ignorant human beings are. Well, when, though? When? Well, here's the clue of
clues. Our Lord gives the clue, the
surest, clearest evidence, right here. He says in verse 36, But
of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only. But, now, he says. Here's a clue. As the days of Noah were, so
shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Read on. As the days of Noah.
For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating
and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day, I
mean the day, that Noah entered into the ark. The day that he
entered into the ark. They didn't have a clue. They
didn't have a clue. In the very day, and knew not,
verse 39, knew not, weren't even suspecting. What does that tell
you? That when all these preachers
talk about things in the heavens and things, calamities, things
that will make everybody sit up and take notice, no, no, no,
that's not going to happen. That's not going to happen. Do not until the day the flood
came. The very day. And it swept them
all away. This world was so wicked. God
said there's one thing to do with it. Wash it away. Wash his pills away. Well, all right. As in the days
of Noah. Let's go back and look at those
days. All right. Genesis chapter 6.
As in the days of Noah. Here's the clearest sign, a clue
to us of our Lord's imminent return, as in the days of Noah.
And our Lord said they will be eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage. Now, he's not condemning eating
and drinking in marriage, is he? You know that. Certainly
not. What is he saying? That everything
likely will go on as usual, that everybody's going to be doing
what they normally do, and eating and drinking. That's talking
about a lot of eating and drinking and marrying. Those are prosperous
times. And you'll hear people talk about
worldwide dearth and this and that and the other. The Scriptures
doesn't teach that. Our Lord didn't say that, did
he? It's going to be prosperous times. The time when people aren't
thinking of the return of the Lord or thinking about eternity
and all that is when they've got a lot. They've got a lot
of stuff. where they have all that they
could wish. They're not thinking about dying
or returning to God at all. So it's a prosperous time. Here
in Genesis chapter 6, I hope you'll notice with me the similarities
in the day right before the flood and now. Chapter 6, verse 1,
It came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the
earth, and daughters were born unto them. Speaking of, there are two generations
or two sets of people that he is going to deal with here in
Genesis 6. Verse 2, he says, "...the sons
of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and they
took wives." men began to multiply and the
daughters of men, he's talking about the unbelieving world.
He's talking about the descendants of Cain. Here in this chapter
we're going to see he deals with two men, Cain and Seth, or his
son Enos, and two sets of types of people that come from these
two men. He calls these descendants of
Cain, the men of the world, and it says daughters were born unto
them. Notice with me, our Lord gives
special attention to these women, their beauty. They were noted,
these daughters of men, or that is, women of the world is what
they were. Daughters of these men of the
world were noted because of their Beauty, outward beauty, was a
day of beautiful women, noted for their sensuality and immodesty and their vanity, noted for that.
On every hand, they were just flaunting their beauty and so
forth. Sons of Cain, chapter 4. Go back
there and we'll see these sons of Cain is who he's talking about.
Chapter 4, verse 16. It says, Cain went out from the
presence of the Lord. Now, that's significant. Cain
was raised like Abel unto the truth. He was raised unto the
truth. His daddy, Adam, taught them
the truth, right? But Cain rejected it. And the
first murder and persecution and murder was committed over
the truth. Cain killed his brother because
of the truth, because he didn't like the fact that God didn't
accept his offering, but accepted that old bloody sacrifice. And
he killed his brother. He hated the truth. And he hated
his brother for telling him. And it says he went out from
the presence of the Lord. That's apostasy. He left the truth,
rejected it. I won't have that. And he left. Went out. And the Lord reprobate. On down, he's talking about these
descendants of Cain. Cain knew his wife. Verse 17,
she conceived and bare Enoch. That's not the one who walked
with God. It's another one. Chenuk is really
his name. And verse 18, Enoch was born
such and such. And on down, verse 19, Lamech.
Now look at verse 19. Lambeck took unto him two wives.
This is when polygamy started. Multiple wives. This started
with Cain's descendants. One wife, you know, wasn't enough.
They were so full of lust and so forth, they
had more than one wife. And on and on it went until it
just kept going. And Cain's descendants were without
God, wicked, vile, violent, known for that. Anything and everything
goes. But they were not ignorant savages,
as historians would make us think that men were back then, you
know, prehistoric man. Look at chapter 4, verse 20.
Look at these people. They were not base or ignorant
savages. Verse 20, Ada bare Jabil, he
was a father of such dwelling tents, and of such as had cattle.
They were farmers, cattlemen. Verse 21, his brother's name
was Jubal. He was the father of all such
as handled the harp and the organ. They were musicians, skilled
musicians. I mean skilled musicians back
then. Verse 22, Zillah, she bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every
artificer in brass and They were artists in various
metal works and so forth, artisans. Verse 23, but they were violent,
fierce men. Verse 23, Lamech said unto his
wives, Adel and Zillah, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech,
hearken unto my speech, I have killed a man, and I am going
to be in trouble. Well, back in chapter six, now,
go back there. Chapter six, as we noted, the
daughters of these men, this is who he's talking about, these
descendants of Cain, were so beautiful, known for their beauty
and their sensuality and their vanity and, you know, sexy women,
beautiful everywhere. Now, let me just stop right there
and give a word to all the females in here, young and God Almighty's Word teaches shamefacedness
and sobriety. Modesty is God's rule. We live in Egypt. We are living
in Egypt. A wicked, filthy place. Don't look like them. Don't act
like them. Don't follow them. You'll go
down with them. Now, somewhere between the Amish
and the Egyptians is the way that we should look. Nobody's telling you to wear
a bonnet and dresses to your ankles and to your wrists. But somewhere between that absolute
modesty and absolute wicked, open shamelessness is the right
way to be. Right? I think we know. Don't look like the Egyptians.
Don't act like the Egyptians. Don't follow the Egyptians. Now, the sons of God were the
descendants of Seth. Chapter 4 says in verse 25 and
26, Adam knew his wife again, after Abel was killed. Adam knew
his wife again. Verse 25, And she bare a son,
and called his name Seth, that is, appointed. For God said,
She hath appointed me, another see. I don't ordain me another
seed, instead of Abel. And Seth had a son named Enos. And then, verse 26, began men
to call upon the name of the Lord. These descendants of Seth. The other son. These men began
to call on the name of the Lord, seek the Lord. These were God's
people. God has not left himself without
people. He has elected in every generation. And these were them. All right, they were godly men.
Chapter 5, I've got to hurry. Chapter 5, verse, well, on and
on it talks about various men. It gives names like, down in
verse 21, Enoch. Verse 22, Enoch walked with God. Verse 24, Enoch walked with God. He was not, God just took him.
God just took him out of that vile place. Come on, you're coming
with me. You're leaving this filthy place.
Enoch walked with God. Methuselah, Lamech, there were
other men, walked with God. Verse 28, Lamech, he lived 182
years and begat a son and called his name Noah. Noah. And Noah was one of God's
ordained or appointed ones to find grace in the eyes of the
Lord. Noah, sons of God, believers.
Now, you can count on it. that these believers, every one
of them, worshiped God in spirit and in truth, rejoiced in God's
Christ or God's salvation through the blood of a lamb, God's lamb. Yes, sir. They knew the truth.
They lived 900 years. They knew the truth. Yes, they
did. Much better than we give them
credit for. And they had no confidence in
the flesh, and they walked with God. They listened, they believed
God's word. As little as they had of it,
they believed it. Chapter 6 says in verse 2
and 3, God's sons saw the daughters of men, that they were fair,
and they took them wives of all which they had. These sons of
God, these believers, began to intermarry with unbelievers. That's what we're talking about. And our Lord said in verse 3,
My spirit shall not always strive with man. Or in our language, I'm not going
to put up with man any much longer. My spirit. How does God's spirit
strive with man? Well, God Almighty writes his
law on the tables of the heart. Men and women everywhere know
and discern between good and evil. Yes, they can. Conscience,
the conscience strives with even the natural man. But what does
the natural man do? He sears his conscience. He rejects
his conscience. He tries to block his conscience.
God Almighty strives with man through his Word, through the
preaching of the Word. Preachers. God has not left himself
without a preacher in every generation. Preachers, faithful preachers
to their generation, preaching the Word of God. I mean, the
true Word of God. Not, God loves you. Noah didn't tell everybody back
then, God loves you. He's warning that wicked world
that God's going to kill you if you don't get in this ark,
that there's one way out, because God's going to wipe this mess
out, up, because it's vile before Him. God is holy and just, and
He's had all He can stand of this place, and He's going to
wipe it out. That was the message of Noah,
the message of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and on and on. Ezekiel? Anybody
that's read the Bible knows that's so. And the faithful preacher
today is saying the same thing, not telling a wicked world that,
smile, God loves you. That's what the false prophets
do. And all over this land right now, as I speak, they're standing
up right now telling everybody how much God loves them and needs
them, and has a wonderful plan for their life. And that's a
lie. Noah stood up and preached righteousness. God's righteousness. Did you
notice that in 2 Peter 2? He says he's a preacher of righteousness. God saw the wickedness of man,
it says. He said, I'm going to put up
with him much longer. Look down at verse 6. Our Lord, it says, repented the
Lord, he made man on the earth. He grieved him at his heart.
You see that? Now, our Lord is not a man, the
scripture says, that he should repent. Repent means change your
mind or change your ways. That's what repent means. Our
Lord is not a man that he should repent. He's using this language. He's using this language. be fed up with. It's like saying, I wish you'd
never been born. That's what he said. I wish I'd
never made this mess, and I'm going to wipe it out. That's what he said. As in the
days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man. As in the
days of Noah, our Lord said, Well, nobody's thinking that
the Lord's going to destroy this place, because the preachers
are telling them different, how much God loves them. And our
Lord said, as in the days of Noah, they knew none of it. Evil men and seducers, hirelings.
Well, look at chapter 6, verse 4. There were giants in the earth,
as in the days of Noah. There were giants in the earth.
In those days, sons of God came in unto the daughters of men.
He's not talking about angels co-mingling with women on earth. That's ridiculous. That's how
ignorant some of these preachers are. Now, I was talking about
these believing men went into the unbelieving women, and they
had children. And they became mighty men, men
of old, men of renown, mighty men, giants, not only for their
size, he notes that, but they were huge men back then, huge. We have, you know, the stories
of Gath, Goliath, and the various ones that, huge men, giant, gigantic
men. Now listen carefully, as in the
days of Noah. Huge men, big men, not only noted for their size,
but for their attitude. Huge men, in-your-face bullies,
you know, flaunting their size and so forth. Powerful men, rich
men, mighty men, etc. Mighty men, that is, warriors,
ruthless, bloody tyrants, hard men, men of renown, or that is,
they were notorious, well-known everywhere, not for their good
deeds, but for their bad deeds. No, and admired for it. Wicked men, the more vile the
better, and people admired them for their wickedness. Because
all this sounded real familiar, as in the days of Noah, notoriously
wicked. Verse 5, And God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuance. Just as David wrote in Psalm
14, the Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men,
the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. I mean, really
seek the true God. And he said, they are all gone
aside. They are all together become filthy. The word is stinking
to God. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. Wickedness was great. God saw
that. Only evil continually. Listen
to what Matthew Poole said about this verse. Matthew Poole, one
of the old commentators, a true preacher in his day back in the
1700s. He said this, Man is perpetually doing and thinking
evil. His heart, his soul, his body
is completely given over to flesh, sin, wickedness to do anything
and everything. that comes to mind. And as God said, I've had it,
and I'm going to wipe it out. That's what God's Word says,
as in the days of Noah. I will destroy man, verse 7,
whom I have created from the face of their man and beast.
It repenteth me that I have made them. But. Verse 8. But Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. Noah. Here's a man living in
the midst of this wicked place named Noah. And he found grace. in the eyes of the Lord. This
doesn't mean that Noah was better than anybody else. No, it's by
grace are you saved through faith. And that's not of yourselves,
it's the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Noah found grace, the reason
Noah was The Son of God was because God sovereignly, graciously revealed
himself to Noah. This is sovereign grace. Noah
found grace. Grace is a gift. By grace are
you saved. It's a gift bestowed upon you.
God was gracious to him. God revealed himself to him,
the true God. In the midst of a generation
of people, very few knew God. How did this one man know God?
And so many didn't. Well, God revealed himself to
him. As God said through Paul, God
hath revealed these things unto us by his Spirit. It's a revelation. God hath abounded toward us in
wisdom and proofs, having made known unto us the mystery of
his will. No, it was a sinner like everybody
else, but God. whose rich in mercy and grace,
for his great love wherewith he loved Noah, and chose him,
having foreknown him, predestinated him, called him by his grace,
justified him, and glorified him to believe the truth." He
does the same thing with all of his chosen. Noah found grace. Grace, what is this grace? Noah
found grace. Grace is eternal grace. There's
grace before grace. That God Almighty, before the
world began, our Lord said this, gave Him a people, gave Christ
a people, chose a people, were chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy without blame before
Him in love, having predestinated us under the adoption of children.
Oh, it's by grace, you say, in whom we're accepted. It's all
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the Beloved. He hath made us. He chose us. Noah was chosen by God. God was
gracious to Noah in the midst of a perverse generation. God
Almighty was gracious to Noah. How about you? Anybody here?
I was a sodomite. No difference in these. But Paul
found grace in the house of the Lord. But Stan found grace and
that Sherry found grace. Huh? Is this your story? And
they weren't looking for it. It doesn't mean no one was looking
for it. It means one day he woke up and
he found that God is gracious to him. Eternal grace, grace
before grace, restraining grace, predestined, electing grace,
restraining grace, keeping him from going the way of this world,
keeping him from it. Constraining grace. Paul said,
the love of Christ constraineth me. Constraineth us. The goodness
of God leads us to repentance. It's only the goodness of God
that would take an Egyptian, a hell-bound Egyptian, and open
his eyes. A prodigal son opened their eyes
to see, I look like the devil. I'm acting like a monster. And
I'm going the way of all flesh. It takes the absolute power of
God Almighty to open the eyes, the blind eyes, of a wild paleon. That's the only thing that will
do it, the power of God. Constraining grace. Constraint. Bring that article in the bulletin. God Almighty, in His mysterious
ways, brings His people, His elect, to hear the gospel. They're
going to hear it. Our Lord said, My sheep shall
hear my voice. He brings them to hear it, and buddy, in His
good time, like a sword in their heart. God Almighty is regenerating
grace. I mean, a new person is created
under the power of God's Spirit through the preaching of the
gospel. A brand new person who never was there before, who loves
the truth. who hates sin, who loves what he once hated
and hated what he once loved. Now, that takes the power of
God. A wild hellion going the way
of all flesh and God Almighty just quickening him by His Spirit
to where he says, I don't want to go this way. I don't want
that anymore. It turns him 180 degrees. Head
the other way. Like old Moses, when he has come
to years, as Scripture says, refused to be called the son
in favor of the daughter. I refuse. I refuse. I reject
it all. You can have it all. It takes
the power of God's Spirit to make a man reject all the riches
of Egypt, the pleasures of sin for a season, and choose rather
the affliction with the people of God. That's not natural. It's not
of your sense. It's a gift of God's grace. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't
for the grace of God. He wouldn't be, those of you
who believe. Keeping grace. It's grace that
kept Noah. Noah, for 120 years, built that
ark. 120 years. And our Lord said,
everyone that believes the truth is going to be persecuted for
it. Noah, Sarah and Noel was the only one around that believed
the truth. He was. All his neighbors, all
his friends, nobody believed like Noah. Nobody believed like
Noah! Everybody thought Noah thinks
he's right and everybody else is wrong. Everybody said Noah's
preaching something and believing something that no other preacher's
preaching anywhere. He's a fool! He can't be right
and all these people wrong. He can't be right and the whole
world be wrong. Yes, he was. It doesn't matter if the whole
world believes something. That doesn't make it so. As in the
days of Noah. I'm not saying I'm right or any
other man. Say, let God be true in every
man of life. Men aren't telling people what
this book is saying. They're not. You know it. If
you read it, you know it. And every day Noah was preaching. A hundred and twenty years he
preached the same message. What was it? Judgment's coming. Every day. The ark is one way. to escape the wrath and the justice
and the anger of God Almighty against this wicked and filthy
world. There's one place to be. One place. And if you're in that
place, you're safe. One place. It's not by you doing
anything, turning over a leaf on it. You've got to be in this
ark. When that day comes, you'd better
be in that ark, or it's all over for you. I mean, really in that art, not
believing there is an art, not believing in the sufficiency
of the art, you better be found in it. Now, I've believed this all my
life. My parents taught me, but are you in Christ? Is Christ your life? Now, believe what you're saying,
Preacher, and go on and be like the world. No, you don't. No, you don't. You're a liar. Christ is that ark. You know, Noah in preaching You know, nobody likes to be
hated. Nobody likes to say things that offend people. I don't like confrontation, do
you? Everybody wants people to like them. It's just natural,
isn't it? And don't you know, Noah got
People just laughed at him and scoffed at him and mocked him
and rejected what he was saying. So you're too hard. No, you're
too narrow. You're too narrow. You're just too narrow. Say something
positive. You're preaching too negative.
Nobody else is preaching like that. Don't you know they said
that to him? And it caused him to stop and
think. Maybe I am. Noah. God said, the end of all
flesh is coming for us. It's real serious, Noah. Your
children have to be in that ark, Noah. If your children aren't in the
ark, Noah, they're not going to be saved. Your wife's got to be in the
ark, Noah. It's that serious. It's coming. A day when you'd
think not. Would you turn with me in closing
2 Peter chapter 3. Let me just read this to you
in closing. All of the apostles wrote this
and told this and warned of this over and over again. All the
apostles. It was their message. It was
their continual message. Paul, Peter, Jude, John, all
of them. James, every one of them. It
was the same message. Noah, same message. Judgment
is coming, Christ is returning, to be found in him. Not having
your own righteousness, a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof. But I mean in him, by faith. 2 Peter 3, Peter writes in verses
10 through 13, The day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night. in which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein
shall be burned up, seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved." What manner of persons ought you to be? Since God looks down from heaven
upon the sons of men to see if there were any that did see,
what manner of persons ought you to be if you really believed
in all holy conversation in Godliness, looking for and hastening, or
that is, wanting it to come, the coming of the day of God,
wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. But it is not
all bleak, and the outlook is not all bleak for God's people. Let me end it on this note. I mean, the picture's a lot blacker
than I've painted it this morning. It's a lot more serious than
I've painted it this morning. Young people, it's a lot worse
than I've tried to make it. It's a lot more serious than
I've tried to make it. But now, for God's people, believers,
that we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. A new heaven, a new earth, and
our Lord in Isaiah 65 talks about it. He says, Oh, rejoice, Jerusalem,
in that which I create. A new heaven and a new earth.
He said, The former earth shall not be remembered or come to
mind. Now, this world is beautiful
if it wasn't for sin. This is God's creation. He made
it, and it made it good, and we enjoy some of it. He said
the former will not be remembered or come to mind. It will be so,
the new one, Barbara, will be so magnificent that the former
won't even remember, won't even come to mind. Wherein dwelleth righteousness.
No possibility, no sin, no corruption, no evil whatsoever. God dwells with them. Adam and
Eve had the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, I believe, in their
midst, walking around with them in the garden, teaching them
of all things, sky for their roof and moss for their carpet. Just a wonderful, wonderful play.
And the Lord Himself dwelled with them. And that's what the
new one's going to be about. Wherein dwelleth righteousness.
And those that love His coming, Those that look for His coming,
those that hate this place, and are vexed with the conversation
of the wicked, like lots, are going to be there. And never
going to be vexed again. Nothing is going to disturb that
peace. Never again. And it's just going to be wonderful.
Just going to be wonderful. That's the reason he said, and
the saint said in the Revelation, even so, come quickly, Lord,
just come quickly. Doesn't mean you can't go ahead
and get married. Doesn't mean you can't go out to eat today
and enjoy it. Doesn't mean that at all. But
what he does say, you watch. That day won't overtake you.
You see the signs and Don't be partakers with them. Don't go
that way. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't
do it. Come down with us. We'll do you
good. Get in the ark. Come on. We're getting in the
ark. Would you, young people? Come on. Don't go the way of
the work. It's going down. It's sinking
short. Why will you die? You don't have
to. There's a door open. The door
of that ark is still open. You come to Christ, and you do
it now. Alright?