What a wonderful song that is.
Oh, spread the tidings round wherever man is found, wherever
human hearts and human woes abound. You don't have to go very far.
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound, the comfort
has come. At line three, lo, the great king of kings, with
healing in his wings, to every captive soul a full deliverance
brings, and through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings,
the comforter's gone. That's beautiful. Turn with me, if you would, to
Acts chapter one, back to Acts chapter one. I have something that I enjoyed
studying very much. And I hope and pray that we will
all enjoy hearing it very much. We are going to think on, for
just a moment, the day that our Lord returns. The day that He returns. What
a day, glorious day that will be. the day that He returns. Let's begin reading here in verse
one. It says, the former treaty have
I made, O Theophilus, and that name means friend of God. He's saying that's who I'm speaking
to, the friend of God. The former treaty have I made,
O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until
the day in which He was taken up after that he through the
Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had
chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion
by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and being assembled
together with them commanded them that they should not depart
from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which,
saith he, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with
water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many
days hence. When they therefore were come
together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this
time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them,
it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the
father hath put in his own power. but you shall receive power after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And you shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and
unto the uttermost part of the earth. Now our Lord's work that
he came to do was finished. At this moment, it was finished.
He came to accomplish the salvation of his people and he had accomplished
it. It was finished. Turn back about
two pages to John 19. John 19, verse 28, it says, after
this, Jesus, knowing that all things
were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full
of vinegar and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon
hyssop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received
the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. And at that moment, God the Father
said, I am satisfied. I'm satisfied. And the veil in
the temple was rent in twain. What a glorious thing that is.
God's people were accepted back into the presence of God. in
and through the sacrifice of the blood of Christ, the beloved,
accepted in the beloved. They buried our Lord for three
days. They buried him for three days
to prove that he did indeed die to put away our sins. He did
die to put away our sins. After three days, God raised
him from the dead to prove that the sins of His people truly
were gone. Truly gone. And after His resurrection,
He appeared to His disciples for 40 days. And during that 40 days, He was
teaching them. He was instructing them. He was
opening their understanding to the Scriptures. He went through
all the scriptures and he started opening up their understanding
to the scriptures. And how glorious must that have
been? On that last day, he led them
out to Bethany to a place called the Mount of Olives. And he blessed
them there. He prayed for them. He prayed
for them. And while he was blessing them,
his feet lifted up off the ground. And it says, he was parted from
them and they watched him as he was taken up into heaven.
And this is what it says back in Acts chapter one. If you turn
back over to Acts, it says in Acts chapter one, verse nine, when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out
of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, which also said, ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you
have seen him go into heaven. This same Jesus, they said, this
same Jesus is going to come back just like you've seen him go.
They watched, they watched all of it. They beheld it just looking
up into heaven. And they said, he's gonna come
back just like you've seen him go. There is going to come a
day when this earth will see him again. And that's an amazing
thought to me. There is going to come a day.
It is going to come a day. It's when we don't expect it
at all. You talk about least expect it
when you're not expecting it at all. There is going to come
a day when this earth will see him again. On an exact predetermined
day, this same Jesus is gonna come just like he went, exactly
like he went. From the scriptures, I want us
to see a few things about the day and about the event. And after gazing upon these things,
that's what it said the disciples did, they were gazing up into
heaven. After gazing on these things,
I pray we go home with the same response they had. Joy, ultimate
joy. The first thing I want us to
see is on that day, he will descend himself. Just like he himself was the
one who ascended. He won't send somebody else back
down. He's not going to send a servant
in his place. The very one who loved us, the
very one who suffered for us, the very one who bled for us
and washed us in that blood, washed our sins in his own blood. He himself. We'll descend back
down to gather all of his people to himself. Let me show you that
in John 14. John 14, verse one, our Lord
said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again. and receive you unto myself,
that where I am, there you may be also." He said, I will come
myself to receive you. I will be the one. If you watch
me ascend up into heaven to go prepare a place for you, if you
see that, then you will also see me. I'll be the one who comes
back to receive you to myself. In just a moment, we're gonna
read 1 Thessalonians 4, which says, the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven. The Lord himself. So that's the
first thing. He himself will come again. This same Jesus. All right, now here's the second
thing. This same Jesus. will come again. This very same
Jesus, He is going to come back in the very same flesh that He
went up in. The very same flesh, the very
same body, the very same man. Turn with me over to Luke 24. Luke 24, when you get there,
hold your place in Luke 24 and turn to John 20. Hold your place in Luke and let's
look at John 20, verse 24. But Thomas, one of the 12, called
Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples
therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto
them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand
into his side, I will not believe. You know, we get on to Thomas
for that. We do, we get on to him. We give Thomas a pretty
hard time for that. But I believe every child of
God will say that. I believe every child of God.
I want to, and I need to see those prints in his hands. I
need to feel that. wound in his side. Our Lord warned
us, he said, many faults Christ will come to you saying, I'm
the Christ. But if he doesn't have Prince
in his hands, and if he doesn't have a wound in his side, Thomas said, I need to see those.
All of God's people need to see those. If you can't see where
blood and water flowed out for his people. Verse 26, it says, and after
eight days again, his disciples were within and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being
shut and stood in the midst and said, peace be unto you. Then
saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands. and reach hither thy hand and
thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said
unto him, my Lord and my God, now I know, now I know. All right, now flip over to Luke
24. This is Luke's account of the
same moment. Our Lord said in verse 39, Behold my hands and my feet,
that it is I myself, handle me and see. For a spirit hath not
flesh and bones as you see me have." Flesh and bones. This
same Jesus, in his same flesh, And in His same character, the
same nature that He took upon Himself, Hebrews 2 says, He did
not take on Him the nature of angels. He took on Him the seed
of Abraham flesh. And that's how He's coming back.
He has not changed from that moment. The one that they loved
so much, and we by faith love so much, He has not changed from
what he was when he ascended. He said, I am the Lord and I
change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob
are not concerned. The third thing that I want us
to see is concerning the actual day itself that the Lord returns.
What type of day will it be? What type of day is that going
to be when he returns? It's going to be a cloudy day.
In the same way that it says He ascended up and a cloud received
Him out of their sight. In that same way, that's how
He's coming back down. Go with me over to Revelation
chapter 1. Revelation one, speaking of the
Lord Jesus Christ, verse seven says, behold, he cometh with clouds. That's how he's coming. You know
how sometimes the day starts off beautiful and then all of
a sudden it's overcast and you're like, oh man, the clouds rolled
in. Well, one of these days we're
not going to be saying that. Behold, he cometh with clouds
and every eye shall see him. And they also, which pierced
him, even the very ones who pierced him will see him. They're going
to see those cars too. They're going to see the very
same. They're going to know that's the one I pierced. that there are gonna
be scars of judgment. Verse seven goes on to say, they
also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him, even so, amen. On the day of Christ's return,
it's gonna be a day of judgment for every soul that he didn't
bear those scars for. It's gonna be a day of destruction.
But for God's people, those who are truly looking for Him, and
we are, we're looking for Him, we're waiting for Him. To all
those who truly long for His return, it's only going to be
a day of glory. It's only gonna be a day of glory.
Absolute glory. It's gonna be a day of honor.
It's gonna be a day of majesty. The same way that He ascended
up, that's how He will come back
down. How did He ascend up? You know,
we say that our Lord died, He was buried, He rose again, and
He ascended up to heaven. He ascended up to His Father.
He ascended up to sit on His throne. How did He ascend up? Turn over to Psalm 47. Psalm 47 verse five, it says,
God is gone up with a shout. The Lord with the sound of a
trumpet. Can you imagine the scene in
heaven when he ascended? Can you imagine the scene in
heaven when he ascended back up? He ascended back up with
a shout, to a shout. Can you imagine how excited and
happy and glad heaven was to see Him walk in? The announcement of His ascension,
that same announcement, that same way, that's how He's coming
back down. Hold your place right here. Stay
right here in Psalm 47 and turn over to 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 13. It says, but I would not have
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto
you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with
the Lord the same way that he went up. That's how he's coming
back down. He himself is coming. He's coming
in the same flesh. He's coming in the same character,
the same nature that he ascended up in. He's coming back with
clouds, just like he went up with clouds. He's coming back
with the announcement shout of the archangel and with the trumpet
of God. And the same way that the saints
in heaven received him when he ascended, the saints on earth
will have the same response when he descends. It's gonna be the
same reaction, the same reaction that was there, that'll be the
same reaction that was here. What was the reaction? We've
already seen it, but what was it? Flip back to Psalm 47. You're
holding your place in Psalm 47. Verse one says, oh, clap your hands, all ye people. Shout unto God with the voice
of triumph. Oh, clap your hands. I wanna
be a part of that. I wanna be a part of that. I wanna
be a part of a holy, assembly of saints who are not trying
to bring attention to themselves at all, as their hearts are crying,
not unto us, not unto us, not unto us, wholly clapping and
shouting with the voice of triumph. Look at Psalm 24. This is His
ascension. When He ascended up, this is
the ascension. Psalm 24, verse 3, Who shall
ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy
place? He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor
sworn deceitfully, that's Christ. He shall receive the blessing
from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of His salvation. That's what he ascended and that's
what he declared the accomplishment of his people for. Everything
he had accomplished for them. Because of that, this is how
he was received. Because he had such clean hands
and such a pure heart. Everything was so perfect and
everything that he accomplished. Because of that, this is how
he was received when he ascended on high. Look at verse seven. And I can hear this, I can hear
Michael the Archangel crying this, okay? Verse seven, lift
up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting
doors, and the King of glory shall come in. And Michael asked
all of heaven, who is this King of glory? And all of heaven cries,
the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. And Michael cries, lift up your
heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? And all of heaven cries, the
Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. In the same way that applause,
absolute applause and glory met him at his ascension, applause
and glory will meet him at his return. Look with me at Isaiah
55. Now this right here is the moment
that He returns to gather all of His people to Himself. All
right? This is the moment. We're talking
about the day He returns. Here it is. As those people are
being caught up in the air, we just read in 1 Thessalonians
4, the Lord's going to descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God. The dead
in Christ are going to rise and we're all going to meet Him in
the air. Here it is, as His people are being caught up into the
air with Him, leaving this earth to dwell with Him forever in
glory, this is what's gonna happen. Isaiah 55 verse 12, for you shall
go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and
the hills shall break forth before you into singing. I think about
whenever our Lord was riding into Jerusalem and they were
throwing palms in His way and their coats in His way, crying,
Hosanna to the Son of David. And the Pharisees were so upset,
telling the Lord, you tell your people to hush. It's too loud,
it's obnoxious. He said it wouldn't do any good.
If they hold their peace, the stones will cry out. All the rocks will start crying,
Hosanna to the Son of David. Well, verse 12 says, you shall
go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and
the hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the
trees of the field are gonna clap their hands. Well done. Well done. Everything is gonna cry unto
Him. It's all unto Him. Everything
is gonna cry, well done. The whole creation is groaning,
waiting for the redemption. And when it comes, all of creation
is gonna cry, well done. Well done. And then forever,
with this same Lord Jesus Christ, verse 13 says, instead of the
thorn shall come up the fir tree. and instead of the briar shall
come up the myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a
name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Now,
after seeing what the disciples saw in his ascension, and after
hearing what they heard about His return. This was the response
that the disciples had to all of it. If God has given us a
heart for Christ, if He has given us a heart for Christ, I believe
we're going to say this is our response too. Look one more time
at Luke 24. Luke 24, verse 50, it says, And he led them out as far as
to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And
it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them
and carried up into heaven, and they worshiped him. and returned to Jerusalem with
great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing
God. Amen. That was their response. Great joy. Great joy. And they were continually in
the temple. Praising and blessing God. Amen. Our Lord said, watch and wait. That's what he said and that's
what we're doing. He said, watch therefore, for
you know not what hour your Lord doth come. It could be any time
now. Could be any time. The end of
this book, the very end of this book says, come quickly, Lord. That's how this whole book ends.
Come quickly, Lord. And that's what we cry. Come
quickly, Lord. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen. All right. Pray that you come and lead us
in a closing hymn.