All right, turn with me over
to 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. We just looked
at our Lord's prophecy of the destruction of the temple, the
destruction of Jerusalem. And we know that it all came
to pass exactly like He said it would. And he gave to us that first
prophecy in Mark 13 to prove to us his second prophecy in
Mark 13, which is his return. Our brother just read about it,
his return. And the same thing that he had
to say about the first prophecy. Destruction is coming. Isn't
that what he was saying? Destruction is coming. The same
thing he had to say about the first prophecy, he has to say
about the second prophecy. Destruction is coming. It's coming. Here's the message of both. Okay,
here's the message. We saw the history just a minute
ago. Here's the message of both. There is a mountain. There's a mountain. All of that
destruction, all of that doom, all of that horror. Here's the good news. There's
a mountain. There is a mountain. That's what
he was telling them. It's coming. There's a mountain. There's a mountain. That mountain
is Jesus Christ. That mountain is Jesus Christ. Now, here is the message this
morning. Right here in 1 John 5 verse
12 says, He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. Jesus Christ is coming back. And like I told you just a minute
ago, it's it's through studying this more real to me, I believe,
than it was before. Jesus Christ is coming back and
none of us should be shocked when we see him. And we will
see him. None of us should be shocked
when we see him and we're going to see him. Turn over about two
pages to Revelation chapter one. And look with me at verse seven. Behold. He cometh with clouds. And every eye shall see him. And they also which pierced him,
even the ones who physically pierced him on that cross, they're
going to see him too. And all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen. Let's not be shocked. Let's just
not be shocked when all of the sudden there he is. All of a
sudden, there He is. Jesus Christ is coming back. The Son of God is coming back. When He does, all souls are going
to stand before Him, and they're going to be divided into two
different groups. Those that hath the Son, and
those that hath not the Son. And our Lord has plainly told
us in our, in our text, in either case, what is going to happen.
So go with me now over to Mark 13. Mark 13 verse 24 says. But in those days after that
tribulation, after the destruction of the temple, that utter desolation
of Jerusalem, the prophecy that was immediately going to come. But in those days after that
tribulation, the sun shall be darkened. We wake up every single
morning and there's the sun. Or if we happen to beat it in
any minute, here comes the sun. Okay, that same sun is going
to be darkened. Everything he said that was going
to happen to Jerusalem, he said, Jerusalem's going to be plowed
like a field. What happened to Jerusalem? It was plowed like
a field. All right. The sun shall be darkened. The moon shall not give her light
and the stars of heaven shall fall. And the powers that are
in heaven shall be shaken. In the same exact way that he
said armies are going to come, you're going to see armies come
into Jerusalem. They're going to utterly, utterly
destroy it. They're going to slaughter you.
In the exact same way that he said that, and it all came to
pass, he now says this. In the exact same way that he
said Noah, build an ark. Build an arc. I'm going to destroy
this earth with a flood. And every single word of that
came to pass. He now says this now turn with me over to second
Thessalonians chapter one. Second Thessalonians one. Verse seven says, and to you
who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. That's how he's going to be revealed
that day. Every eye is going to see him
and they're going to wail because of him. He's going to be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance
on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of His power. That is what will happen to every
soul that hath not the Son of God. We need Christ, don't we? We need Christ, don't we? The
reality of that is gonna be shocking. It's just gonna be shocking.
Every soul that has not fled to the mountain, there's a mountain.
Thank God there's a mountain. And every soul that has not fled
to the mountain, this is what will happen. That's what's waiting
on them. Go with me over to 2 Peter 3. 2 Peter 3 verse 1 says, this second
epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both which I stir
up your pure minds by way of remembrance. Paul said, I want
them to stir up some remembrance here. Verse two, that you may
be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy
prophets and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord
and Savior, Knowing this first, that there shall come in the
last days scoffers walking after their own lust and saying, where
is the promise of his coming? He said he was coming back. Where
is it? Where is he? Where is the promise of his coming?
For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant
of, that by the word of God the heavens which were of old and
the earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby
the world that then was being overflowed with water perished."
They've forgotten about the fact that God said, I'm going to destroy
this earth with a flood and he did. Verse 7 says, But the heavens
and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition
of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing. That one day is with the Lord
is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness,
but is long suffering to us word. He's long suffering to his elect,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. in the 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." There will be nothing left. It's all gonna
be burned up. There will be nothing left. There'll
be nothing for man to claim. Everything that man has done
will be gone. It'll all be gone. Everything
he's done. There'll be nothing for man to
show, nothing for him to hold on to, nothing for him to stand
on. Either a soul will have Christ
or he'll have nothing. Christ or nothing. We must have
him. We just must have Him. We must
belong to Him. We must be a chosen recipient
of His mercy and His grace. And this is the reason why. Go
back to the text in Mark 13. Verse 26 says, And then shall
they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power
and glory, And then shall he send his angels and shall gather
together his elect from the four winds from the uttermost part
of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. In the midst
of all this destruction, in the midst of all of this wrath and
all of this judgment, every sinner And this is gonna be so glorious,
just so glorious. Every sinner that God chose to
immerse in the saving blood of Jesus Christ, every sinner who
has been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, every sinner
that Christ literally traded places with, every sinner that
had all of their filthy, unrighteous sin taken off of them and laid
on Christ and every sinner that God chose to take all of his
perfection and lay it on that sinner. Every sinner who has
been redeemed back to God, when Christ comes back in all of this
fire and in all of this vengeance and all of this destruction,
before it happens, he's going to reach down and pluck every
single one out of the fire. He is going to pluck every single
one out of the destruction and He is going to safely place them
in His kingdom. Every single one. Turn with me
to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians 4. Verse 13 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. Wherefore, comfort one another
with these words." That's what's going to happen. There's a mountain. There is a mountain. That mountain
is Jesus Christ. Run to the mountain. Run to the
mountain. We just said it. Don't take anything
with you. Don't take anything with you.
Don't put on your own filthy garment of self-righteousness.
Just run. That's what our Lord said. Just
run while there's time. Flee. Flee to Jesus Christ. Do it today. Do it today. Seek him, seek his blood for
shelter, for safety today. Don't do it tonight. Don't do
it tomorrow, do it today. Let's all renounce our works,
renounce our good deeds, renounce everything we've done, our decisions. Let's put no hope in any of them. Let's believe him. Do you believe
that he's coming back? You believe it's going to be
exactly like he says it's going to be? Do you believe that the
horror of his return is going to be utter destruction for this
world and everything in it? Do you believe there's a mountain?
There's a hiding place, a place of safety? Let's believe his
words. Let's flee in this heart right
here. How do you flee to Christ? How do you flee the wrath to
come? Right here. Out of the heart are the issues
of life. Flee to the blood of Christ alone. The blood of Christ alone. Run
to the mountain. Do it today. Go back with me
to Mark 13. Verse 28 says now. Our Lord said now he's talking
about that first prophecy, the destruction of the temple, the
destruction of Jerusalem. Verse 28. Now learn a parable
of the fig tree. When her branches yet tender
and put it forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So
ye in like manner when you shall see these things come to pass,
know that it is nigh even at the doors. Verily I say unto
you that this generation shall not pass till all these things
be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my words shall not pass away. Jerusalem's desolation happened. It happened and it happened before
that generation passed away. All those men that he was telling
that to, it happened before they passed away. Not one declaration,
not one promise of our Lord is going to go unfulfilled, not
one. He told them, when you see those
armies come in, know that it's time for my promise to be fulfilled. It's time for that prophecy to
be fulfilled. Verse 32, he said, but of that
day, the day of his return, but of that day and that hour knoweth
no man. No, not the angels which are
in heaven, neither the son, but the father. No man knows the
day of his return. Men love to announce the day
of his return. They get back there and they
read, you know, all of these days and these years and these
times, and they think, I've got it figured out. If you hear a
man predict a day, it's not that day. It may be the day before
it, it may be the day after it, but it's not that day. No man
knows the day. No angel knows the day. And he
said, neither the son. Neither the son. Why would he
say that? Isn't he God? Aren't all of his works known
from the beginning? Yes. Yes, they are. But He's proven to us that He
is just as much man as He is God. He is just as much, and
such a small thing for Him to say, says so much. He is just
as much the Redeemer as He is the Punisher. He's coming back
with fire. He's coming back taking vengeance.
He's coming back to pluck his own to safety. He's just as much
the justifier as he is the just the judge. Just as much the sacrifice
as he is the one who requires the sacrifice. And he said in
verse 32, but of that day and that hour knoweth no man, know
not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the father. So he said in verse 33, take
ye heed, watch and pray for you know not when the time is. For the son of man is as a man
taking a far journey who left his house and gave authority
to his servants and to every man his work, and commanded the
porter to watch. Watch ye therefore, for you know
not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight,
or at the cock crowing, or in the morning, lest coming suddenly
he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say
unto all, watch. Oh, may I not be sleeping when
he returns. Watch, he said, the day that
he returns, that moment that all eyes see him. That is going
to be his announcement to this world that no more grace will
be given. You know that as soon as everybody
sees him, the moment that every eye sees him, that will be his
announcement to this world that no more mercy will be shown. No more at that exact moment,
mercy is over. Grace is gone. It'll be too late
to flee to the mountain. As of this exact moment in time,
it's 1125, Sunday morning, December the 11th, 2016. As of this exact
moment in time, He has not returned and made that announcement to
this world. What that means is there is plenty of grace to be
had right now. There is plenty of mercy right
now, today. I can say this to every soul
in Kingsport. Plenty of grace can be had right
now, today. There is mercy for you today. Today. Today is the day of salvation. Run to the mountain today. Run today. Run crying, God, be
merciful to me, the sinner, today. Every single one of us in here.
If you have believed on him, do it again today. From the oldest
person in here to the youngest person in here, do it today. Say in your heart, God, be merciful
to me, the sinner. Do it today. Christ is coming
back. He's coming back. There's mercy
today. There's plenty of mercy today.
Unlimited mercy today. May God show it today. Right
now, Lord, I believe you. I believe you right now. I believe
your wrath is coming because of my sin, our sin. That's why
you're coming back in wrath. The sin of this world. I believe
you have provided one way of escape. I believe there's only
one way of escape. Christ my mountain. I believe
you shed his blood for the sin of your elect. I believe that.
I don't need to believe I'm his elect. I just need to believe
he died for every single one of his elect. Lord, let it be
me. But I believe your word. I believe
your word. I believe all of your elect are
going to be saved. So I flee to you. I flee to you. Now I will tell you that only
his elect will watch. Only his elect will run. Only
his elect will believe his word and be saved, only his elect.
How can I know if I'm one of his elect? If I am, God will lay hold of
these eyes and he'll cause them to watch. If I'm one of his elect,
God will lay hold of these feet, right here, these two feet, and
they will run. God will lay hold of this heart
and he will cause that heart to believe him. I believe you. That's what he does for every
single one of his elect. So let's believe. Let's run. Let's watch. And let's do it
today. Now I'm going to close with this.
Go with me to Matthew 24. Matthew 24, look with me at verse
42. This is Matthew's account of
it. Our Lord said, Watch therefore, for you know
not what hour your Lord doth come, but know this. that if the good man of the house
had known in what 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 you think not, the
Son of Man cometh." Now, let me ask every person here this
question. Don't answer it out loud, but
answer it in your heart. Give yourself an answer to this
question. Do you think the Lord Jesus Christ
is coming back today? Do you think the Lord Jesus Christ
is coming back today? I would almost guarantee every
single person in here says, no, I think not. He said, in the day that you
think not, that's when he's coming back. It's going to be on a day
when you believe in your heart. I don't think he's coming today.
I think there's still plenty of time tomorrow. I'll go ahead
and make my plans for tomorrow. I'll buy and sell and get gain.
I'll tear down those barns and I'll build bigger barns. In a
day that you wake up and say to yourself, I don't think Christ
is coming back today. On that day, there he is. There he is. He says to us, he
says to this world, watch. Watch. The warning to this world
is it could literally be any day. That's what I have to say
to everybody. It could be any day. It could actually be today. The glory and the hope for every
believer is It could literally be any day. It could actually
be today. He could come back today. Watch
any day now, literally any day now. We think of his return as
being hundreds of years away, thousands of years away, or even
if I see it in my lifetime, 30 years away. Any day now, any day now, the
Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel and with the trump of God. The dead in Christ,
those believers that we know that have died and we have buried
their physical bodies in the ground, the dead in Christ shall
come out of those graves. They're going to rise before
we're taken up. then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds." If we die
before he returns, we will be the dead in Christ that will
come out of that grave, we'll stand on this earth with whoever
is here, we will all, every eye shall see him, we will all be
carried up into the clouds, to meet him in the air and so shall
we ever be with the Lord. I think that's wonderful. So
he said comfort one another with these words. Watch, it could
be any day. All right, let's all stand together.