Verse 11, the Lord thunders at
the head of his army. His forces are beyond number,
and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord
is great. It is dreadful who can endure
it. Now, we get into some politics. Joel 2, verse 28. And afterward, I will pour out
my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see
visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour
out my spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun
will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. For on Mount
Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has
said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls. Well, now let's
go to Acts. Has that day come to pass of
which Joel speaks? Then Peter stood up with the
11, raised his voice, and addressed the crowd. Fellow Jews and all
you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you. Listen
carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk as you
suppose. It's only 9 in the morning. No, this is what was spoken of
by the prophet Joel. In the last days, God says, I
will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters
will prophesy, and your young men will see visions. And your
old men will dream dreams even on my servants, both men and
women. I will pour out my spirit in those days and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven
above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows
of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious
day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved. Almost word for word. Peter says, this is fulfilled
today in your ears and under your eyes. That's what he said. He says fulfilled. Was it? Yes. Yes, it was fulfilled. Unfortunately, We don't go far enough. We are
living today in the day of the Lord. It's in the day of His
sovereignty. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. I am the way, the only way, not
a way, but the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto
the Father but by me. This is the day of the Lord.
If anyone, it doesn't matter whether it's me or whether it's
someone else, if anyone is ever to receive life, it must be by and through the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Must be. This is his day. Somebody said, well, I don't believe that
at all. That can't be. Well, let's look and see if it
is. Whether it is or whether it isn't. After Jesus said this, John 17,
he looked toward heavens and prayed. Now, this is the Lord's
prayer. There isn't any other one. There's a disciple's prayer. But this, this is the Lord's
prayer. Here's what he prayed. Father, the time has come. Glorify
your son that your son may glorify you. Now listen. For you granted
him authority over all people. Thou has given him power over
all flesh. That's what your book says. Thou
has given him power over all flesh. That he might give eternal
life to all men. Now I didn't want that says. That he might give eternal life
to all those that you have given him. They are those who have eternal
life. To as many as the Father has
given him. We're still talking about the
day of the Lord. Now, this is eternal life, that
they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you
have sent. I have brought you glory on earth
by completing the work you gave me to do. What was the work he
gave him to do? To redeem the people that were
given to him. thereby establishing on earth
a people of God in the flesh a people of God a people of God
who lived and moved naturally as naturally as Adam lived and
moved in the same fashion and in the same manner outside the
garden you see God was not going to
limit himself to a people who had to live in
a garden, but he chose out of the nations
of the world a people outside of the garden, outside of the
ideal circumstances. How often do you have an ideal
day? Yeah, I've had a few, but I've
lived longer than you have. But how often is there an ideal
day? Very few. Very few. And apart from Christ, I dare
say there's none. It is not possible for Adam's
son or Adam's daughter to have one day of joy in this world. Oh, they may laugh a lot. Now,
you talk about whistling in the cemetery. That's it. That's it. They may
laugh. Isn't this a good time? You know,
what is a Strohs commercial? Somebody out fishing, you know,
and they got a big string of fish and they build up a fire and
they fry those fish there, Walter, and they bring out the cooler
full of Strohs and they say, it can't get any better than
this. Let me tell you, it can. It can. But that's what they say. It
can't get any better than this. Yes, it can. This idea, this idea that God
has Boy, can I get into trouble tonight.
That God has chosen a people who are little, well, not so
little sometimes, but who are in the flesh, but it is angelic
flesh. That you kind of walk around,
you know, you ever get an itch on your back and you got to go
up against something and scratch it like that. Well, they sort
of rub their wing knots like that, you know. They get to itching
from growth and they got to rub them like they're about ready
to sprout. God doesn't choose his people
out of that crowd. He doesn't do it. The Lord Jesus Christ never saved
a good man or a woman. Not the first one. Not the first. I've said it for years, that
religious societies today, I said it at Shady Spring, it fell on
deaf ears, but religious societies, MACs, socials, I'm a foot tall,
are now composed of good people who meet every Sunday to congratulate
each other on how good they are. That's it. That's it. Those are the churches
of today. Well, you oughtn't to be that
hard on people. Well, I'm not near as hard on them as the Lord
Jesus was. Not near. What I ought to do
is to plait me up a scourge and drive them out. This idea that Christianity is
analogous to goodness is nonsense unless it's the goodness of God
manifested in Jesus Christ. That's the only thing the day
of the Lord is going to recognize. The only thing. All the rest
of it that I've read to you tonight has been judgment, darkness,
and terror. When's that going to happen?
It's going to happen when Christ returns. Well, will it happen
at the beginning of the tribulation? Brother, I don't know and I don't
care. It'll happen when he comes. These things we read are the
beginnings of solace when he comes. Now, it's not going to,
you know, I, you and I, many long years
ago, heard Helen Hayes' father preach. He was a preacher. His
name was MacArthur. Old man, man. You know who Helen Hayes
was, I take it. Okay, he is. He was a preacher,
and he got up and he told this story. He said he was a member
of the Reformed Church. Now, what Reformed Church? I
don't know. There's only about 30. But I suppose reformed Presbyterian,
he's named MacArthur. But he said that the old men
used to come in and they'd smoke them crooked stem pipes. And
they'd stand on the church steps and puff on them crooked stem
pipes. And when the sexton would ring the last bell, they'd knock
them out on their heel. And they'd come in and there
was a coat rack and a shelf in the church and he said, he was
a little kid then, he said they'd lay their crooked stem pipes
and their hat up on that shelf. Get ready to load her up again
when they left. And they'd come on in the church and he said,
they talk about the coming of Christ and he said, all I could
think of were all those hats and those pipes come raining
down, you know, rattling all over everywhere. He said to me,
that was the second coming. Big catastrophe. Big uproar. Well, I watched last
night, a little while, I watched that thing called War on Channel
9. Do you know how many people were
killed in Tokyo with our, not Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Tokyo,
by our bombing raids? Do you know how many? three and
a half million in Tokyo alone. We bombed, of course, Germany
had been bombing London for a long time. I have a point to make. Germany had been bombing London. Some 30,000 were killed in the
London Blitz, 30,000 people. The United Forces of the American
Bomber Squadrons and the RAF took off one night and bombed
Hamburg, Germany. In one hour and a half, 70,000
people died, women, children, babies, and men. It took them
three weeks to gather up their dead. One man said that the roar of
the flames and the wind generated by the flames sounded like all
the devils in hell laughing. The town was leveled. 70,000
in an hour and a half. We'd almost think that was Armageddon,
wouldn't we? If that happened to us, wouldn't
we? We'd think this is the end of all things. But it wasn't.
The day of the Lord is going to be more terrifying than that
for those outside of Christ. It's going to be so terrifying
that they cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them
and hide them from the face of God in his righteousness. That's what's going to happen. Now all
of this religious conjecture as to what will the people think
after the church has been caught away? Who cares? Do you really believe that blood
will run bridle-deep to horses in the streets of Rome? I don't
know. Well, does the Bible say that?
I don't know if it says that or not. You see, you come along and you
find this crowd that spiritualizes everything. And then you come
along and you find this crowd that literalizes everything.
And they get to heaven, they're going to walk on streets of gold. They're going through gates of
peril. They're going to wear a crown. Reminds me of the old
Negro spiritual. You got shoes, I got shoes, all
God's children got shoes. When they get to heaven, I'm
going to put on my shoes, going to walk all over God's heaven. Same thing.
Same thing. And I'm still talking about the
right thing. Look what he says. I have revealed you to those
whom you gave me out of the world. In other words, the children
of God know God. How? Through the revelation of
Jesus Christ. He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father also. No other way. They knew from
before I gave them the words you gave me and they have accepted
them. That's a good point. They knew with certainty that
I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for
them. I am not praying for the world. Boy, I used to have things at
that Holiness Institute I attended way back in the Cro-Magnon times. Boy, I'm telling you, that was
the most abominable thing. Oh, they called it Mission Band,
wasn't it? You know what they called it?
Mission Band. And I went to a couple, but that
was enough for me. I think that's what's on my knees
now, them two that I went to. You talk about paralysis now,
you kneel down somewhere for three hours and stay in one position
and listen to 40 people pray for the world. I mean by name. Every country. You soon take the cure. That'll
turn you into a Calvinism quicker than anything I know. I went back one other time. Yeah,
well, they got to saying I was lost because I didn't come, see.
Second time I went, they said I got saved, so I stayed away
after that. Anyhow, there are people who believe this. I mean,
you talk about sincerity, nobody can stay on their prayer bones
that long on those hard floors. I'm serious, we're sincere. They
would sincerely stay there thinking that they were obedient to God
and doing God's will and God heard their prayers no more
than he heard the prayers of the Pharisee when the publican
went up to the temple to pray. Pitiful. Pitiful. Of course I
told him that. I gained a lot of popularity
that way too. But he did not pray for the world. Why? This world is under judgment. I wonder how many grace preachers
today are preaching true scriptural reprobation. That God has reprobated
the world. I pray not for the world. Why? Because the world's condemned.
Upon the world, this judgment that we read about is going to
fall. It falls now. in minor doses. He who now letteth will let until
he be taken out of the way. The Holy Spirit now hinders the
rise of unrighteousness and ungodliness, but he's going to be taken out
of the way. When's he going to be taken out
of the way? When Christ comes. And then the hounds of hell are
going to be unleashed and judgment falls on an earth that is right.
I mean there will be no question who is this that cometh from
Basra with his garments stained in blood. This is he who comes
from what? Treading the winepress of the
wrath of God with the blood of the ungodly staining his garments.
This is Christ. Let's not have this gentle Jesus
meek and mild look upon a little child. Let's think of The mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. I tell you, he bears not the
scepter in vain. His rod is a rod of judgment,
and his arm is yet mighty to save. Mighty to save. Let's listen to this now. Malachi 3. See, I will send, and I'm done
then. I will send my messenger who
will prepare the way before me. Who is this? John the Baptist. This is John, but listen. Then
suddenly the Lord you're seeking will come to his temple. The
messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come, says the
Lord Almighty. There's a great span of time,
but between C, I will send my messenger who will prepare the
way of before me. And then suddenly the Lord you're
seeking will come to his temple. I said, well, that was Christ
in his first coming. Let me ask you something. Did he come to
his temple in his first coming? He did not. He came meek, lowly,
riding the foal of an ass. Every man's hand was turned against
him. And what does he say in the Psalms
through the mouth of David? Mine own familiar friend hath
lifted up his heel against me. He said, the foxes have holes
and the birds have nests, but the son of man hath not a place
to lay his head. He did not come into his temple as the messenger
of the covenant. Well, but he went to the synagogue.
Yes, he went to the synagogues. And what happened? They picked
up stones to stone him. look at verse 2 he says the messenger
of the covenant whom you desire will come says the Lord Almighty
verse 1 verse 2 but who can endure the day of his coming is this when John the Baptist
looked upon him and said behold the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world no But who can endure the day of
his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like
a refiner's fire and a launderer or a fuller's soap. He will sit
as a refiner and purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites
and refine them like gold. Then the Lord will have men who
will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and
Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord as in the days gone
by, as in former years. That has not happened. That has
not happened. So I will come near to you for
judgment. I will be quick to testify against
sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers
of their wages. I'd like to be there then. Who
oppress widows and the fatherless and deprive aliens of justice.
But do not fear me, says the Lord Almighty. See, all who do
not fear him are coming under the authority and the power of
this judgment. I'll quote you this. Ellen told
us this morning, or last night, that two brothers drowned in
New River. Yesterday, I think. I think about these things. For them. unless they're in Christ, the
day of the Lord has come. You see, we go out here, we leave
home of a morning, and I think of this often. I used to think
of it a lot more than I do now, because I was leaving a lot more
than I do now. But I pull out the gate and hit
Pluto Road for a week, 1,500, 2,000, 2,200, 2,500 miles. Every week, when I'd turn out
on the road, it was seldom that I didn't wonder, will I turn
back in on Friday night? You see, this is the, this idea
of preserving time. Help me to number my days, so
to apply myself to wisdom, See, it's not wisdom to go out here
and think, well, tomorrow is going to be just like today,
and the next day is going to be just like tomorrow. It's not
going to be. Those young men, 17 and 18 years
old, went to the river to have a good time. And without the state police
and the people are wrong, they could be. But if what happened
is what they say happened, those young men stand before God now. See for them the day of the Lord
has passed. Judgment has come. So there are
three ways. The day of the Lord has come.
This is the day of the Lord because there is salvation in none other.
For there is none other name under heaven whereby we must
be saved. It is the day of the Lord. It
shall be the day of the Lord. when Christ comes. No, I don't
care whether a man wants to, and I mean this, I know what
I believe, and I'm afraid that I'm beyond
convincing of anything else. I'm just afraid of that. I've
never heard an argument yet that could shake me, even make me
doubt, because, not even a smidgen, But it makes little difference
to me, Christ is coming. When he comes, the dead in Christ
shall rise first. We which are alive and remain
shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we
ever be with the Lord. He comes then, how? As in the
day of the Lord. See, the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night to the world. They're not expecting
it. It's a thief. As travail cometh
upon a woman with child and they shall not escape. Judgment time. Payday. Payday. And then it will not
be the lamb nailed to a cross. Then it will be the lamb upon
the white horse who carries the swords of judgment. He, this is that one that comes
from Basra, who treads the winepress of God's wrath. That day also, then there is
that day of the Lord that ungodly and wicked men and women experience
when they go into eternity without Christ. Judgment for them is
instantaneous. As a tree falleth, so shall it
lie. But you know something? Here
it is. I can say this, and I can repeat
this over and over again. But you know, to a reprobate
mind, it's like pouring water on top of this desk. There's
not that much effect. I mean, there's not as much effect
on their mind as it would be to pour water on this desk. Not
that much. It'd at least get wet. There's
no effect on them at all. Why? Because they're reprobate
to every good work. And they are now under the condemnation
of God. Well, you mean there's no hope
of redemption for them? There is none. There is none. Jude speaks of those who were
before ordained unto this condemnation ungodly men. Well now, you must
understand that these ungodly men include ungodly women and
were once ungodly children. Somebody comes up and says, oh
preacher, all children are saved. Nonsense. All men are liars. Boring speaking lies. You don't
have to teach a kid to lie. They start lying as soon as they
start talking. You don't have to teach a kid
to steal. You have to teach them not to. You don't have to teach a kid to
throw temper tantrums. You have to warm their backside
when they do. Say you do that, you get hurt. I told a man in
this church one time, he said to me, he said, I don't know
what I'm going to do with so-and-so. Well, so-and-so is about 10 years
old. I said, what are you saying? He said, I just don't know what
I'm going to do with him. I said, with him? Well, he said,
I do, yeah. He said, you don't hurt him.
You don't hurt him? Hurt him! Well, I can't do that. I said, do you ever get whipped
by God? Well, yes. I said, did it hurt? He said,
you better believe it. Well, I said, as a father pitieth
his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. You better
do your job. That's exactly right. Hurt him. I'd rather suffer a
little hurt on a child now than to suffer the sore displeasure
of God. That's true. I would. I would. Time's up. Our Father, we thank
Thee again this evening for Thy goodness and Thy mercy, truly
only Thy mercy grants us the place that we have
now. Before Thee, we come without
any right to come other than in Christ. We come in His name. How many thousands there are
that believe they pray in the name of Christ and yet pray in
the flesh. We come in his name, claiming
his merit, claiming his righteousness, claiming the faith that he's
given us, coming boldly to the throne of
grace there to find help in time of need. And we're needy people.
We need a sense of thy presence and a sense of grace. Sometimes
we just need saints. We ask that thou would grant
us thy spirit to lead us and to direct us that we might be
obedient to thy way and thy will through Christ our Lord. Amen.