In the book of Revelation, chapter
three, we have another couple of verses we'd like to look at
with regard to the church at Philadelphia. Now, as we go through
the book of Revelation, and I'm just reminded this constantly,
and remind myself, we're not looking for speculation. We're not looking for speculation
about Christ, about future things. We're looking for, and as that
song we just sang, we're looking for the Lamb of God in this book. The Lord Jesus Christ is referred
to as the Lamb more times than all the other books combined.
Now if we go to the types and the shadows and the pictures
in the Old Testament, every sacrifice they made they were pointing
to Christ. But when we look at that subject of Lamb, the Lamb
of God, the Lamb of the Lord Jesus as the Lord Jesus, we find
here more than anywhere else. Now in these chapters we've noticed
in chapter two and chapter three that the Lord was privileged. The Lord was privileged to share
with us and with those separate churches his glory statements
about himself. We call them his credentials
and they are vast and they are glorious and they are the encouragement
of all the church. his credentials as he speaks
about himself. Now, he's the only one that truly
we don't mind bragging about himself. He's the only one we
don't mind him saying who he is and what he's about and how
great and how grand he is. We don't mind hearing about him
as the Lord God Almighty. We don't mind hearing about him
as our Redeemer. We don't mind even as we read here in the third
chapter and there in verse seven, the scriptures say, he that is
holy, we don't mind that at all. God's people just delight in
the fact that he is holy. Now we are called upon to be
as holy as he is holy, and I'm thankful he takes care of that
for us. We'll never attain it on our own, but he takes care
of it for us. And then he goes into the next verse, he that
is true. Well, the scriptures say, David said, in my haste,
all men are liars. I like what we have heard. He could have said that walking
away too. You know, we deal with that in ourselves. and in other
people, but to deal with the Lord Jesus Christ to find out
that he is true. And when he shares his word with
us, we never have to question it. We never have to wonder,
now is that true? We can always take it to the
bank. And then we find in there he
has the key of David. Now he is David's son, but he
is also, David was a type of the Lord Jesus. David in the
Old Testament was set apart. He was tending his father's sheep. And I like that aspect as we
look at the Lord Jesus, for it is he that tends his father's
sheep. And he was made king before he
began to reign. I like that aspect about him
too. He was declared king in the foundation of the world and
by his resurrection he's declared to be him, declared to be king.
And then we find he has the ability of opening and no man shutteth
and shutteth and no man openeth. So in that verse of scripture
we find Christ's credentials. In the next verse, verse 8, we
find Christ's knowledge. He knows all things. I know what
you're going through. And beside that, he knew what
they were going through because it was he that deposited them
there. If there was a temple of Satan,
it was there by divine appointment and God's people were there.
He places us in our bounds and we cannot go any further. He
places us where we are. We are where we are by divine
appointment. And if God permits us to move,
it is by divine appointment. And if he holds us where we are,
it's by God's divine appointment. He's the one that has established
our bounds and we cannot pass. He has done that with every human
being that has ever lived. We may think we have liberty
in doing it, but I love to find out that God is so involved with
His people that even the place they live in has been set appointed
by Almighty God, that it is His purpose of grace. Here he is. This is his knowledge. He knows
all things. He knows what was going on there.
And he has a door that no man can shut, and a door, and he
opens, and no man can shut, and he closes, and no man can open.
He knows their strength. It's a little. It's his strength
given to them. And then they have not denied
his name. I know that, I love reading about
that with regard to the Lord. And then we find in the verse
nine, this is Christ setting. He said, behold, I will make
them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are
not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come
and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee.
So where they were was divinely appointed, the opposition. Isn't that interesting? The opposition
that they faced was also divinely appointed, and it continues to
this day. He knows our frame. He knows
all about us. He knows his purpose of grace.
He knows that, and he says, let me put it this way, as the scriptures
do, he will not allow us to be tested or tempted more than we're
able. That's his promise. So he knows
we're here by divine appointment. Then it tells us in verse 10,
uh, because thou has kept the word of my patience. That's just
the, that's another word for the gospel. And we looked at
that as we went through that verse of scripture, how patient
God was with our first parents, how patient he was with the world
in the days of Noah. He had every right to send a
flood, but he didn't have to put anybody on that arc. with
our first parents. He had every right to judge this
earth, but he had every right to judge them too. And we just
follow him through the scriptures, how patient he has been with
people, how patient he was with us. And that's the gospel. Oh,
his everlasting purpose of grace and the gospel to his people
has been patient. If he could have wrapped up Solitarsis
before he ever allowed him to get to the road to Damascus,
But he was patient, and at the appointed time, and that's what
the Apostle Paul was led to write, in the fullness of time. At the
right time, God appeared unto me. At the right time, he appeared
unto me. And then, we find here, and we'd
like to spend some time on verse 11. It says, behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown. Now, there is, we find in the
scriptures that there's a number of Christ's coming. Now, two
real significant ones, that's when he came as the gospel, born
of a virgin, and we're anticipating, we are waiting, we're at the
edge of our seat, if you please, Christ at his second coming.
But I want to share some things about the coming of Christ throughout
the scriptures on the behalf of his people. Christ came in
creation. he came. When he declares unto
us that God created the heavens and the earth and he says it
was by the word of his power that he created. He created all
things and by the word of his power he created man, by the
word of his power he put breath of life into him, by the word
of his power he created a wife for him and on and on it goes.
He appeared in creation And he has made it quite evident. The
scriptures declare over and over again that it was God that created
the heavens and the earth. And then we find that his coming
in the gospel and very early in the recorded word of God,
we find the Lord Jesus coming down in the gospel. He came to
Adam and to Eve just after they fell. Now, he was not trying
to find out where they were. He wanted them to know where
they were. When he said, Adam, where art thou? He was not looking
for information. He knew where they were, but
he wanted them to know where they were. Now, he came in the
gospel to them because it tells us, and if you turn with me over
to the book of Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, and also in that
same chapter verse 21, I want to share with you that the Lord
Jesus came to these people in the gospel and he has throughout
all ages, in every age, every century, in every decade, in
every lustrum. I like that. That's five years.
He has come. He has always come. He has come
year by year since he created mankind. He has been coming with
the gospel. And here in the book of Genesis
chapter 3 and verse 15, we read these words about the Lord Jesus
and It says here, and I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed, and it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel. So the promise here
that the seed of the woman would take care of all the effects
of the fall, and all the effects of Satan, and all the effects
of sin, and all the effects here was promised very early here,
right after the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Now, I
didn't say Adam and Eve. I said Adam. When Eve ate that
forbidden fruit, the sun was not darkened, the earth didn't
fold up, there wasn't a voice from heaven, it would have not
been a fall except Adam ate of that forbidden fruit. Now that
happened. Now notice here, now same chapter,
chapter three and verse 21, how favored God was when he came
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the person of his
son, in the person of the Godhead, he came, and it says there, and
unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of
skins and clothed them. Now we need that covering and
it is he alone that can cover us. They came with fig leaves
and before he could cover them with a covering that would be
acceptable in his sight, we find he had to strip them of that
fig leaf religion and that fig leaf covering. God Almighty will
strip all his people of all their self-righteousness and all their
works and all their ability to appear before God. He will strip
them and then he'll clothe them. We find in the prayer of Hannah,
he kills and then he makes alive. So he stripped them of their
fig leaves and then he clothed them. Now, the clothing that
he gave to them could only be given to them after the animal
had lost its life. The innocent died for the guilty
so that a covering could be made. Now, that's the gospel. That's
substitution. That's God's grace to us. He gave himself the innocent
to die in the place of the guilty, and in so doing, he gives his
covering, his righteousness to his people, and we can stand
before God without reservation. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ has
come in the gospel and he has come in redemption when his name,
we find his name was announced in the book of Matthew chapter
1 and verse 23. It says, thou shall call his
name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. He
came to do his redemptive work. He came born of a virgin. He
came born in Bethlehem. He came laid in a manger. He
came as promised by all the Old Testament prophets. He came to
redeem his people, to save his people from their sins. He came
in a definite, definite ministry at that time. Everything he did
led up to Golgotha. Every word he spoke led up to
Golgotha. He had never, and he would never,
leave the trail that he was on from his, well, from before the
foundation of the world, but in this life, from the cradle
to the cross. He never took a crooked path. He never stepped aside. He never
went away. In fact, the Old Testament prophet
said he set his face as it were a flint to Jerusalem. It was
a drawn line and he followed it. Now, I heard one time that
they're gonna make our cars, they're gonna make them have
some kind of apparatus, and they're gonna put it out in the highway,
and our cars would follow that line in the highway, and we'd
have to dial in where we wanted to go, and it would be safe,
and people could travel, and there wouldn't be any accidents
and all that stuff. Well, it hasn't happened yet.
Whether it ever happens, I don't know. But I can say this about
the Lord Jesus. He was on the path that was decreed
before the foundation of the world and he never left it. When he walked on water, he never
left the path of redemption. to be our Redeemer. He came in
redemption. Isaiah chapter 53 declares this
about the Lord Jesus. He came, bore our sorrows, bore
our grief, bore our sin, bore it all. He is the Redeemer that
came to redeem His people. Now, if you would turn with me
to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1, we read this
about the Lord Jesus with regard to Him coming in redemption.
1 Peter 1 and verse 19, the Lord Jesus, he came in creation. He
came in the gospel as he appeared unto Adam and Eve and said, there's
gonna be a real savior coming to make right what happened here
today. And he demonstrated that by covering
our first parents with the skins of animals. And I can't help
but believe They were skins of sheep, lambs. Now, all the other types point
in that direction. All right. And then he came in
redemption. call his name Jesus, for he shall
save his people from their sins." And then in 1 Peter 1, verse
19, it says, verse 18 and 19, for as much as you know that
you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain conversation or your manner of life, the way you live,
received by tradition from your fathers, He's making a statement
here with regard to religion, to Judaism, to whatever religion
we're in. We don't get it that way, but
we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot. Now that's how he comes in redemption.
He comes with his own blood. He will accept no other. He comes
with his works. He will accept no other. He will
come with his righteousness. He will accept no other. He will
only accept what he has, and that's all the Father will accept.
And then we find that the Lord Jesus Christ comes in regeneration. He told Nicodemus in John chapter
3, he must be born again. Now, right there in First Peter
chapter 1 verse 23, we read these words about that saying, he comes
in regeneration. It's an act of God, it's a miracle.
This is the new creation. He came in creation and that's
just a picture of what he does in the second creation or the
new creation. This new creation in Christ Jesus,
he tells us that his people are the new creation in Christ Jesus.
We're created by God. He gives us of himself. Now,
here in 1 Peter 1, verse 23, it says, being born again, verse
23, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word
of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Now, if we have a religious
profession, that's corruptible seed. If we have regeneration,
that's incorruptible seed. If we've done it, it's corruptible
seed. If he's done it, it's incorruptible seed. It has to be of God. It
can't be of us. It must be incorruptible seed. And it is given as God gives
it through the preaching of the gospel. There is some way, a
miracle, that God uses the gospel and his Holy Spirit in a miraculous
way to create life in the people, in his dead, in trespasses and
sinned people. It's a miracle. He does it, it's
incorruptible. We do it, it's corruptible. If
we do it, it's of the flesh. If he does it, it's divine. So
we just have to say, you must be born again. It must be from
above. It must be of God. It cannot
be from us. A decision won't do it. It must
be a new creation. And then we find that the Lord
Jesus, he comes in comfort. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. I love this
verse of scripture because the Lord Jesus reminds us of this
dear fact. of the accomplishment of his
redemption. He reminds us. And in so doing,
he comforts his people. He said, this is the preacher's
responsibility to the church of the living God, declaring
to them, comfort ye, comfort ye my people. How do we do that?
Well, read with me here in the book of Isaiah chapter 40, and
there beginning with verse 1. This is the declaration, comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Now, what are we to
do? How can I comfort you? How can
you comfort me? Well, it's certainly not in the
things that we're going to be accomplishing. There's only one
comfort, true comfort, and that is that God reveals to us through
the gospel that our sins are forgiven. Notice this, verse 2, speak ye
comfortably to Jerusalem. Now we're going to find out in
the next verse, verse 12 over there, that new Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem in the Old Testament
is a type of new Jerusalem. New Jerusalem is the anti-type.
Old Jerusalem, we're going to see in the book of Galatians,
Jerusalem which now is down here, it genders strife. Jerusalem
from above gives life. Now that's what the Bible has
to say. Now notice this. He speak comfortably to spiritual
Israel. In Romans chapter two, we just
love that verse of scripture. What is a Jew? It's not one outward
in the flesh, circumcised in the flesh. It is one inward. It's a new creation. It's a Jew
God creates a relationship with God and he calls it his spiritual
Israel. All right, now notice here, speaking
comfortably to Jerusalem and crying to her, what? Comfort,
oh, her warfare is accomplished. I have heard, I wasn't around
at the time, but I have heard, I've seen pictures. A picture
tells a thousand words. I have seen pictures of what
people did when they heard that World War II was over. They were ecstatic. The soldiers
are coming home. Oh, just ecstatic. And here,
the warfare has ended. Is it less for God's people to
be ecstatic when they find out that the warfare that's been
going on between their soul and God is over, accomplished in
the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ? He says that your
iniquity is pardoned. My goodness, to have a pardon
for our sin, for our iniquity. It's no wonder when we hear the
gospel, we just say yea and amen. Can't boast in it, can't boast
of what I've done, but I sure do love to hear what God's done
for me. The warfare is over, iniquity
is forgiven because of the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. Where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. We had a lot against us, but
the payment was double of that. And so, he comes in comfort every
time we think of the gospel, every time we read of the gospel,
every time we hear the gospel. God is comforting his people
and he comes to us and comforts us. Oh, and trials and tests. Give me news about my Savior
and the gospel. What has he done? You know, when
we get into molly grubs is when we think about what we've done. When we get down, we're thinking
about what we've done. When we are flying, we're on the mountaintop,
is when we think about what he's done. He's done. All right. So he's come. He's
come in comfort. Now, we've said all that to say
this. He is coming the second time. Now, I used to say the
second coming of Christ, and I try not to anymore. Because
when we hear people use that term, and we say it, we often
tie it to signs. But I want to get in the habit
of saying, Christ at his second coming. It isn't tied to signs. The world is looking after signs.
And you know what the Bible says? A wicked and adulterous generation
seek after a sign. That's what it says. God has
never asked His people. In fact, we read over there in
the book of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, it says, but of the
times and the seasons I have no need to write to you. My goodness,
that's not the issue. The issue is the Lord Jesus Christ
is coming back. He is coming back as He promised,
and He's coming back as He promised when He promised. Now, let's
look at a few verses. I just love this verse over the
book of Job. A lot of scholars feel that Job
was probably the first book written, even before the book of Genesis.
It goes way back. Now, here in the book of Job,
we have this wonderful old brother. Now, he went through some trials
and tests, and he had friends like sometimes we have friends.
They are no good. So let's go find our brothers
and sisters in Christ. They'll comfort us. They'll point
us to Christ. But these guys, they were a noisome
pestilence, three of them. And one of them finally got through.
Job said, when God came to him, and he says, where were you when
I started the eagle flying? Where were you when I created
the heavens and the earth? You know what that did to Job? Made
him feel about that tall. And he said, I've heard of you
with the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth you. I repent in sackcloth and ashes.
I've seen my Lord." Now, notice what he has to say here, though,
in Job chapter 19. This is such a comfort. My goodness. This old man, so many hundreds
and hundreds of years ago, in the land of Uz, My goodness, long time ago. And this man writes about his
conviction about the Lord Jesus. Here in Job chapter 19, he writes
this, and people since this time have found comfort in these words
of brother Job about knowing that his redeemer lives. This
is before he came the first time. He's writing these words by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And these words say this, Job
chapter 19 verse 25, the scriptures share this, for I know, I love
that. And he could only know it as
it was revealed to him. I know my Redeemer liveth." Oh, that comforts you, comforts
you, my people. Job is comforting me, I'll tell
you. I know my Redeemer liveth. And he goes on to share with
us here. Job 19, verse 25, I know that
my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth. And though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I
shall see for myself. And my eyes shall behold him,
not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Now, Job
never saw the Lord with his physical eyes, but he is promised by the
Holy Spirit that he shall. And every believer is promised
the same thing. We shall see him with our eyes. We see through a glass darkly
now. We see him by faith now, but then face to face. So Job
shares with us this wonderful thought about the Lord Jesus
coming the second time. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Acts. The book of Acts, the Lord Jesus, after his
crucifixion, he spent about 40 days on this earth, and at the
right moment, at the right place, he ascended back to the Father.
I like what he had to say in his great high priestly prayer.
Father, restore unto me the joy that I had with thee before the
world began. My goodness. The Lord God Almighty,
praying to the Lord God Almighty, he gave up the glory that he
had with the Father before the world was for his coming as a
Redeemer. Now, he is anticipating, even
in his great high priestly prayer, even before his crucifixion,
he is anticipating the time, if I can use that, about the
Lord, his time that he was going to return. And the scriptures
tell us he was going to sit down at the right hand of the Father.
Now, as a priest, The Old Testament priests never, ever, ever once
got to sit down. Now, well, they'd go home and
sit in their recliner, I'm sure. But as a priest, they never got
to sit down because their work was never finished. But as the
Lord Jesus, he was going to sit down because he had said on the
cross, it is finished. Redemption is complete, and I
can sit. Work is done. That's why it's
foolish on the part of you and I to try to approach God on our
own works because he's already done it. His work is finished,
he got to sit down. Now notice here, Acts chapter
one, verse 11. On his ascension day, he goes
back. And I'm sure that you and I would
be just amazed as these disciples were, in awe as these disciples
were. My goodness. We're in awe when
he comes to visit us in redemption. We're in awe when he comes to
visit us in regeneration. We're in awe. But to have him
ascend back to the Father, knowing that the work was complete, he
was going to sit down at the right hand of the Father. And
here in the book of Acts, it gives us this promise. Verse
11. Acts chapter 1, verse 11. Which
also said, these two men stood by them in white apparel. Why,
ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This
same Jesus. I like that. This same Jesus. Our Redeemer. A friend that sticketh
closer than a brother. The Son of God, Lord God Almighty. This same Jesus. which is taken
up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you
have seen him go. What a promise. What a promise. The Lord Jesus Christ at his
second coming. Now, there's a lot said in the
Bible about him coming back. I'd like you to read with me
in the book of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians, chapter
1. The Lord Jesus is described many
times in the scripture. Well, it's going to be quickly. It's going to be in a moment
and a twinkling of an eye. It's going to be at the last
trump. There's a lot of descriptions in the Bible. And all of the
old fathers just step back 200 years. all of the old preachers. You just do some research. You'll
find out that there was not one of them ever believed in a silent
secret coming and then a final coming. He's coming back the
second time. There's not gonna be seven years
in between. There's going to be coming back. My goodness,
and it's for the glory of God. Here in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse
10, we read these words about the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And to wait, now this whole 1
Thessalonians 1, what a comment is made here with regard to these
people Verse four, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God,
for our gospel came not unto you in word only. Oh, that's
just such good words. comments about these people.
These people that God had placed in this place to hear the gospel
and God had regenerated them by his power, by a divine appointment
before the foundation of the world. And he completes this
whole statement by saying this, and this is what the church does.
Not only the church at Thessalonica and all the saints sit there,
but this is what the church does, to wait for his son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us
from the wrath to come. to wait for him, anticipatory
wait. Now I'll get a call here pretty
soon that I need to go get a checkup with a dentist. That's not an
anticipatory call. Now I get a call, let's go to
dinner. Now that's an anticipatory call. Now, to wait for his son from
heaven. Turn with me, if you would, to
Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1. He's coming. He's coming. Now, no man knows
the day nor the hour, and he didn't ask us to watch for signs.
I was informed that there was a certain event that took place
in 1948 as one of the signs that we can watch. Well, there was
an event that took place in 1620 that has about as much impact
as 1948. That's when the pilgrims came
to America. When they were tired of religious
persecution in Europe, they came to America, sad to say, They
were very intolerant of other people's beliefs even here, you
know. But that's about as much significance. When God's people
are moving around. Now whatever happened in 1948
over there in Palestine, The Bible tells us very clearly
that the Old Testament Israel was a type of the church in the
New Testament. And the New Testament tells us
almost word for word, you are a holy nation, a peculiar people
for my glory. And you go over to the book of
Exodus and it tells that about Israel. Well, you go over to
the Old Testament, it tells us about Jews. You go to the Romans
chapter two and it tells us what a New Testament Jew is. one that
has been regenerated. We just have to keep in mind
there was the old covenant But there has been an everlasting
covenant, the new covenant if you please, that has been placed
over them all. Nobody was ever saved by the
old covenant, but people have been always saved by the benefits
of the everlasting or the new covenant. This is my blood, the
blood of the new covenant which is shed for you. That's what
he shared with his disciples. This is the effects of the new
covenant. The Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit in covenant mercy made an agreement among themselves
on the behalf of His people, and we're the recipients. Get the mail. The gospel come
to me and said, you have eternal life. And I says, oh, amen. Amen. That's the benefits of
the everlasting covenant. forgiveness of sin, and eternal
life with God. Now notice here in verse 7 of
chapter 1, the scriptures share this. Behold, he cometh with
clouds, and every eye shall see him. And they also which pierced
him. Now when we went over this some
time ago, There's only one group that knows what it was to pierce
the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's his church. Other people could
care less. The world could care less, but
the church recognizes the cost of our redemption. and look on
him whom they pierced." We caused the Lord Jesus Christ to go to
the cross. Our sin caused the Lord Jesus
Christ to go to the cross. He is the substitute for his
people. But every eye shall see him,
and they also which pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him, even so, amen. Let it be, let it happen. He says here, even so, I come
quickly. And John says, come quickly,
Lord Jesus. Turn with me, if you would, back
to the book of 1 Thessalonians again, chapter four. And we read
here with regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every
eye shall see him. That's what the Bible tells us.
Those that pierced him. It's going to be a glorious return.
It's going to be noisy. It's going to be the voice of
the archangel and the trump of God. And there won't be one question
about whether it's here or not. Now, he says in his own ministry,
he says there are going to be many in the last days that say,
I'm Christ, I'm Christ, I'm Christ. Don't believe him. You know how
in the world to tell the difference between the Christ and those
other Christs? If it's the last day and he's
here, we're going to be in the air. We won't have to worry about
whether this is one or not. If he said, and I'm not in the
air, that's not one. He's coming back. He's coming
back to receive his own unto himself. And when he does that,
his own will be in the air in their resurrected glory. And
they won't have to wonder one wit. I wonder if this is the
resurrection. No, they'll be in his face, saying,
worthy is the lamb that was slain. All right, 1 Thessalonians 4,
verse 13, the scriptures say this. But I would not have you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. Now, if you read
what is said with regard to Stephen, You'll find out it is okay for
Christians, for believers, to mourn. That's what they did with
Stephen. That's what they did with John.
That's what they did with all believers. They mourned. But
he says, don't mourn as those who have no hope. Then he goes
on to say here, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him. And you know, there's some very
inglorious deaths that God's people have met God with. But he is so powerful, he's able
to take all that, whatever happened to them, and bring them back
into their form. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain at the coming
of the Lord shall not prevent, and that word should be precede
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, and I think that is going to be more
than thunder, shout, the voice of the archangel 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, because of this, comfort
one another with these words. Now I wanna read verse one of
chapter five. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have
no need that I write unto you. We don't need that information.
It's not necessary. God's people will be watching.
They'll be waiting. They'll be anticipating. They'll
be looking forward to. And it won't be because of some
sign or some event that took place. It won't be because of
floods in the middle of the Midwest. It won't be because of war in
the Middle East. It will be because Christ came
back. You know what is the key to his coming? I got an email
one time. This person told me that they're
just about ready to put those chips in your hand and you won't
be able to buy or sell without them. And this is going to be
a sign of the coming of the Lord. And I wrote back and I said this,
if that's a sign of the coming of the Lord, if that means that
the Lord's gonna come back quicker, let's stand in line. Let's get
them. My goodness sakes, let's do whatever
we can to get the Lord back here quicker. Now, if it's a fearful
thing for the Lord to come back, I can understand people being
wary about it. You know, they'll talk about
signs and all these things and be scared to death about the
coming of the Lord when the Lord himself told the apostle Paul
right to the church at Thessalonica and say, wherefore comfort one
another with these words? It's not a fearful thing unless
you have No relationship with God. But if you have a relationship
with God, and He is your Lord and Savior, my goodness, I would
just about give anything to have some dead, Apostle Paul walk
through the door, wouldn't you? My goodness, Paul come up here
and preach a sermon like you did there, and nobody got worried
about it, and the guy got so tired he fell asleep, but he
didn't worry about it. Preach an eight-hour sermon, and we'll
sit here and listen to you. But the Lord Jesus Christ, can we
imagine? No believer, no believer is saying,
wait a little longer, sweet Jesus. Not one, not one. Now, those
who say they are Jews and are not, they can sing that song,
wait a little longer, sweet Jesus. But the church is saying, even
so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. That's what the church is saying.
And they've said it since he went back. And even Job said
that. Come quickly. All right. And then it goes, as we read
there, but of the times and the seasons. Now, a couple more verses.
If you turn with me to the book of Matthew chapter 24. Matthew
chapter 24. This is the apex of the gospel. This is the finality of redemption. The Lord Jesus coming back for
his people. Every eye shall see him. Every
heart will just talk about magnetism. We're gonna be drawn to him. We're gonna be caught up in the
air. There won't be anything holding
his people back. Now notice here in the book of
Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24 verse 30,
We read these things. Now, there's a lot of things,
chapter 24, there's a lot of things mentioned in chapter 24.
It's mentioning the fall of Jerusalem in 8070. Please be careful. Don't get those events messed
up with the coming of the Lord. The Jews told Pilate. let his blood be on us and our
children. And we have no king but Caesar. And that's just the fulfillment
of that. This is the covenant that I will
make with the House of Israel after those days. And he goes
on and talks about that and he says, national Israel, I regarded
them not. They couldn't keep the law, which
we all know he knew, but I regarded him not. That old economy is
over with, finished, done, and buried. But the new economy,
the Lord Jesus, his new covenant, is in full swing. One thing preventing
his coming right now, and we'll get to that in just a moment,
and it's not a sign. It's not a sign. It's not the
building of a temple. It's not rocks being shipped
from Little Rock, Arkansas. They got plenty of rock over
there. I heard the other day they're down there under the
dome of the rock building the temple and it's going to come
up through, oh my goodness, the money that's wasted, the breath
that's wasted. When the Lord said himself, every
eye shall see him, and only an evil and adulterous generation
seeks after a sign. Now, Matthew 24, verse 30, the
scriptures share this. And then shall appear the sign
of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes
of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he
shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds, and from
one end of heaven to the other, not one shall I lose. That's
what he said. He's angels, his servants, his
messengers. Go gather them up. Now, turn
with me, if you would, to the book of Hebrews chapter nine,
Hebrews chapter nine, as we look at this wonderful, wonderful
summation of the gospel, the promise of Christ coming the
second time. Hebrews chapter nine, verse 28,
the scriptures share this, so Christ, was once offered to bear
the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time without sin unto salvation. He's gonna give us the eye to
look, the eye to wait, the eye to look for him. Now, 2 Peter
chapter three, 2 Peter chapter three. Would you turn there with
me? This is, I believe this is it,
the verse, 2 Peter chapter 3. Okay, second Peter chapter 3
verse 10, but the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in
the night in the which the heaven shall pass away with great noise.
Now that's three times out of three that we read that he's
going to come with great noise. Not secret, but noisy. Voice
of the Archangel Trump of God. In the which the heaven shall
pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, and 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 ye to be in
all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for and hastening unto
the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on
fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat. Nevertheless, we according to his promise, Look
for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be
diligent that you may be found in him in peace, without spot,
and blameless, and account." Now, there's only one reason
in this world that Jesus Christ has not come back at 755 on July
9th, 2008. One reason. It's in this verse. Only one reason. The long-suffering
of our Lord is salvation. You know what that one reason
is? The last sheep hasn't been saved. That's the only reason
Jesus Christ has not come back at 756 on July 9th, 2008. Now when that
happens, and we don't know where they are, who they are, at what
time it will happen. But when that happens, even as
our beloved Paul also according to the wisdom, giveth unto you,
hath written unto you, the long suffering of our Lord is salvation.
He's waiting until the last. Now he has every reason in this
world to wrap it up. Man, sin is rampant. He's lifted his hands up a little
bit and look what's happened. Now we can go through history
and he's raised his hands and mankind has gone berserk. And by his grace he drops them
for a season and there seems to be some restraint. And he
raises his hands and we can just see. Now it's not the devil,
it's natural man's tendency to sin. It's just an exercise of
sin. We never have seen anybody that
has sinned as much as they could have. God has restrained them.
But we just see it. Now, God is long-suffering because
if in the days of Jerusalem, when we read in the scriptures,
if God had not had an interest in Saul of Tarsus and had come
back, he'd have never been saved. I mean, he was a rascal. But
he saved him by his grace. And there's a bunch of rascals
out there now. We just look at them, we see them, we know, we
can see our own face in their face. We know what they are,
because we've been there. But the last one that God chose
before the foundation of the world at the appointed time is
saved. And you're going to hear thunder.
Voice of the Archangel, Trump of God, great noise, fervent
heat. It's going to happen instantaneously. It's going to happen. Now we
find a type of that. There was a man that hung on
the cross that was saved his very last day on this earth. And that day, Jesus told him,
today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And the day is coming
when the antitype is going to be fulfilled, and that is the
last sheep is saved, and it's over. He's had about 13 seconds
to be a Christian on this earth, and he'll be in the face of the
Lord Jesus. Now come, even so come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly,
Lord Jesus. That's the church's prayer. Come
quickly, Lord Jesus. We would never sing. Oh, just
amazing what people will put into a song. Wait a little longer,
sweet Jesus. No, I got, I got family that
needs to be saved. Well, they're, they're telling
me that if they work hard enough, they could get the job done,
but they're not working hard enough because they're singing a stupid
song. But wait, no, come, come Lord Jesus. You have come in
creation. You have come in redemption.
You have come in regeneration. You have come in comfort. Now
we're anticipating the time when you'll come back the second time
and wrap this up and we could sit at your feet and do what
is written in the book of Revelation. Let's sing. Worthy is the lamb
that was slain. Let's sing. Let's sing.