He is a wonderful Savior. Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy
6 verse 13, I'm giving you a charge, this solemn command, in the very
sight of God, the one who quickens, gives life to all things. And before Christ, Jesus, who
before Pontius Pilate, witnessed a good confession that you keep
this commandment. And there's a lot of commandments
in First Timothy, a whole lot. It begins with the charge to
preach no other doctrine. And he goes on and on. And he
says, you keep commandment, whatever I've said, without spot. It's not to be altered in any
way, unrebukable, above censure or reproach until the appearing
of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to talk some tonight about
the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I can't see him
unless he appears to me. I can't hear his voice. unless
he causes me to hear his voice. And I want him to appear to us
tonight. Now, the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the epiphany, that's where we get that word epiphany
from, the uncovering, the shining forth, the showing of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Now he is physically in heaven
right now. There's a man in glory right now. We can't see. But do you know that he's going
to return? He's going to appear. And we will see him, every eye
shall see him. He says, behold, I come quickly,
and our response is even so, come Lord Jesus. Now people get
wrapped up in when he'll return. I have no idea when he'll return.
But I'd whole lots rather be wrapped up in who is returning. Even so, come Lord Jesus. He's the Lord. I love to say
that. He's the Lord. He's Jesus. He's the Savior. He's the Christ. He's God's anointed prophet.
He's God's anointed priest. He's God's anointed king. He's
the Lord Jesus Christ. But isn't it special? when we
can say, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now he's the Christ, he's the
Savior, he's the Lord, whether I see it, acknowledge it or not,
but what a blessed thing it is for him to be my Lord. my savior, my prophet, my priest
representing me before God, my king ruling and reigning in me. John said, behold, he cometh
with the clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which
pierced him and all of the kindreds of the earth shall wail because
of him. Now, when he returns in this
second advent, not everybody's going to rejoice. As a matter
of fact, there will be people saying rocks and mountains fall
on us and cover us and hide us from the face of him. who sits
on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. Just that the wrath
of the lamb. We don't think of the lamb as
being wrathful. And yet we read of that scripture,
the wrath of the lamb. He said in Matthew chapter 24,
verse 30, and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in
heaven. And then shall all the tribes mourn and they shall see
the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. Now it will be a joyous sight
to many, and it will be a not joyous sight to others. As the lightning cometh out of
the east and shineth even under the west, so also shall the coming
of the Son of Man be. It's what both Peter and Paul
call the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus
Christ. You keep this commandment without
spot, unrebukable until his appearing. Now I want to talk about the
appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now here he's talking about his
second advent, but let's think about what all the scripture
says about his appearing. Now here's the first scripture
I want to read from Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3. His first
appearing is the Lord hath appeared of old to me. That's mysterious, isn't it?
Before I was ever born, before I had any existence, the Lord
hath appeared of old to me, saying, behold, I have loved you with
an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Now this is mysterious, but somehow
God's elect have always been in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
they have always had personality. I don't understand this because
I'm not conscious of anything before 9-9-59. I'm conscious
of nothing. But the Lord said regarding all
these people, before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. That's what he appeared to me.
before of old I've appeared to thee. Do you know the Lord appeared
to me before I had any existence? And you know how he did it? He
did it as my surety, as my great surety. This is the glorious
covenant of grace. And he said regarding all of
God's people, I will be surety for him. Just like Judah said
that for Benjamin, I will be surety for him. of my hand shalt
thou require of him. If I bring him not unto thee
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. Now, Christ made an appearing
before his father as my surety, and he appeared to me after guaranteeing. I was saved when he became my
surety. Now, do I understand that? No.
Can I grasp it intellectually? No. Do I believe it? With all my heart. I've always been in the Beloved. He stood as my surety. He appeared before the Father
as my surety, and then He appeared to me. Now, the only reason I
know that is because the Bible says it. I don't know from my
experience. I don't understand it, but I
believe it. He said He appeared of old to me, saying, Behold,
I have loved you with an everlasting love, a love that had no beginning. However old the Lord is, that's
how long he's loved me. And that's true of all of his
people. What a glorious, glorious appearing before time began. At that time, the father completely
trusted the salvation of all of his chosen to his son. And I think of the Lord appearing
before the father and saying, I'll save him. Behold I and the
children which thou has given me. What a glorious appearing. Now, before his physical appearing,
we have many in the Old Testament, they call them theophanies. That's
a big word for a pre-incarnate appearing. I think of him appearing,
first of all, to our first parents. After they had sinned against
God and Yet in his presence we read of the voice of God walking
in the cool of the evening. Who is that but the Lord Jesus
Christ? And at that time he preached the gospel to them. He slew a
lamb at that time and covered them. They saw the first shedding
of blood and they heard the gospel. The seed of woman shall crush
the serpent's hand. He appeared to Abraham. Behold
Abraham, I am your shield and your exceeding great reward.
He appeared to Jacob. He appeared to Isaac. He appeared
to Moses in the bush that could not be consumed. We could see
the gospel there. Christ couldn't be consumed by
the wrath of God. He appeared to Solomon. He appeared to Joshua as the
captain of the Lord of hosts. So many appearances in the Old
Testament to his saints before he became flesh. But about 2000
years ago, somewhere in that area, the word was made flesh
and he made his appearance here on earth as the word made flesh. Would you turn with me to Luke
chapter one? I love that scripture. The word
was made flesh and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. Luke chapter one. Verse 34, then said Mary unto
the angel, how should this be seeing? I know not a man. And
the angel answered and said unto her, the holy ghost shall come
upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore, also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. And look in Luke chapter two,
beginning in verse nine. And lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about
them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And
this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men. Now for 33 years, he appeared
before his father. He lived before his father in
absolute perfection. He could say, I do always those
things that please the father. And the writer to the Hebrews
says in Hebrews chapter nine, verse 26, but now once in the
end of the world, hath he appeared, this is talking about his first
appearing, his own incarnation, hath he appeared to put away
sin. by the sacrifice of himself. That's what he came to do. He
came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Where'd it go? If
he put it away, it's gone wherever, you know where it says he separated
our sins from us as far as the east is from the west? Now that's
where they're at. Where's that? Nobody knows. He
put them away. That's what he came to do in
his incarnation. He worked out a perfect righteousness,
and in His death, He put away our sins. If you looked at Him
hanging on the cross, and He was lifeless, or appeared to
be lifeless, there was a reason He appeared to be lifeless. He
was lifeless. He died. The Son of God died.
And that's one of the, there's another one of those mysterious
things that I just can't get a hold of, how that the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died! And there's only one reason
for death. sin, and he put away sin. He came to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. Now, they lay him in the grave
for three days, but he was raised from the dead. And the scripture
says in Mark 16, 9, he first appeared to Mary Magdalene. That's
the first person he appeared to. I believe I know why. I believe Mary was waiting for
him to come out of the grave. She remembered what the Lord
said, and she was waiting for him to come out of the grave.
He first appeared to her, and if you read in 1 Corinthians
chapter 15, he made six different appearances after his resurrection.
And he names them all, but I think one of the most special appearances
is in John chapter 21, where we read that Peter said, I'm
going fishing. Now, what did he mean by that?
Did it just mean I'm going fishing, like say somebody likes to go
fishing, going fishing? I don't believe so. I believe he meant
I'm going back to the way it was. I don't know what's going
on. I'm going back to the way it
was, what I used to do. I'm going back to my old way
of living. And several of the disciples said, we're going fishing
with you. We're going back with you. So off they go, fishing,
back to my old way of life. And they didn't catch anything. And then someone on the shore
said, children, have you any meat? Have you got anything out
of this? And they said, no. He said, cast
your net on the right side. You'll bring in a great haul.
And all of a sudden John said, it's the Lord. It's the word. You know what the scripture says
at the first of that chapter? It says Jesus showed himself
to them again. Again. He manifested himself. He appeared to them again. Do
you know the Lord appears to us again and again and again
in our waywardness? Peter was wayward. He was straying
off and he was leading others astray. I was talking to Don
Fortner and we were talking about sheep. And he made this statement. He said, I don't know if you've
ever been around sheep, but let me tell you something about sheep.
He said they smell bad. They're dumb. And the only thing
they're good at is straying. Peter strays off, but the Lord
appears to him again. And so finally, after these appearings,
he ascends back to his father. And the writer to the Hebrews
tells us, for Christ is not entered into the holy place made with
hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven
itself now to appear. There's that word to appear in
the presence of God for us. There's somebody appearing in
the very presence of God for me right now. My redeemer, my
great high And I love to think of his intercession. There's
so many glorious scriptures regarding this, but these things write
unto you, John said, that you sin not. Make it your ambition
to never sin again. Somebody says, we can't do that.
Make it your ambition. Make it your goal to never sin
again. Then John says, if any man sin,
and that word if can just as easily be translated when, when
you sin, because you will, when you sin. We have an advocate
with the Father. Jesus Christ, the righteous. Oh, this advocate we have with
the Father. He's unlike any human advocate or lawyer. You know,
here's what our advocate does. Here's what our lawyer does.
He makes us plead guilty. Every time, he makes us plead
guilty. Guilty as charged, and yet in
doing that, he makes us to be justified. What a lawyer. When you sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now, he was my
advocate before the sin. He was my advocate during the
sin, and He's my advocate after the sin. He's always the advocate,
the lawyer of His people. And what a lawyer He is. He's
never lost a case. Hebrews 7.25 says, Wherefore,
He is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by
Him. Now, there's only one way I'm
coming to God. It's by Him. The only way I come into God's
presence is if I'm in Him and He brings me into God's presence.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes through
the Father but by me. And we come into His presence
by Him. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is he that can condemn? It's Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. He's praying for me. And
when he's praying for me, he's not saying, Lord, forgive him
again. I know he didn't know. He just
shows the Father his hands and feet, and nothing else has to
be said. He's my representative, my great intercessor. And then there will be the appearance,
the appearing spoken of in our text where Timothy was commanded
to keep the commandment without spot unrebukeable into the appearing
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And what will he show at that
time? We'll look at this Lord willing
next week, but it says in his times, he shall show, he shall
manifest who is that blessed and only potentate, the King
of Kings. and the Lord of Lords, who only
hath immortality dwelling in the light, which no man can approach
to, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and
power everlasting. Amen. This is what Peter called
the apocalypse, the uncovering, the unveiling of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul called it the glorious appearance
of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, what do you
think about the second coming of Christ? He's going to return again physically. Now, I want to look at a few
scriptures that will tell us what is going to take place when
he returns. Now, as I said, I don't know
when he's going to return. Every generation has thought,
well, this is the time. I'm sure every generation has
thought that. And I think this is the time too, but I don't
know. It might be another thousand years, might be another two hours. I don't know when he's going
to return. But I am thrilled with the thought that he will
return. And I'm going to see. Now, here's
what's going to happen when he returns. First, turn with me
to Colossians chapter 3. If you then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection, your mind
on things above and not on things on the earth, for you are dead. How concerned is Wilma Warder
over the affairs of life right now? She's dead. She's actually alive. She has life now. You know, Lord,
when He talked about dying, He said, when you enter life, that's
life. You're dead. You're dead. And your life is hid with Christ
in God. When Christ, our life, I love
that. Christ, our life. My life, if
you want to read about my history, what I'm really like, the real
me, read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. That's my life before
God. The life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our life is hid with
Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, look at this, then shall you also appear with him
in glory. What's that mean? Exactly what
it says. I don't know how it works, but when he appears, we
shall appear with him in glory. In 2 Timothy chapter 4, 1, we
read, he will appear to judge the quick and the dead. Now Christ,
when he appears, one thing he's going to appear as is as a judge.
He's going to judge the living and he's going to judge the dead.
Now, how's he going to judge the living? He's going to say,
come ye blessed of my father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. Perfectly righteous. You're justified. Come on in.
You know, the scripture says in Matthew chapter 25, when the
son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels
with him, think of that host of angels, all the holy angels.
I don't know how many of them there are, but there's a lot.
And then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before
him should be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And
he'll set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. But he's going to come to judge
the quick, the living, and the dead, those who are dead in sins. I think of that scripture in
Revelation 22, 11. He that's holy, let him be holy
still. He that's righteous, let him
be righteous still. You die holy and righteous, which
is the way every believer dies, you're gonna be raised to be
righteous and holy for eternity. But he that's filthy, let him
be filthy still. And he that's unjust, let him
be unjust still. As you die, that's how you'll
spend eternity. Now Peter said in 1 Peter 5,
4, when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown
of glory that fadeth not away. Now this is the handing out of
the reward to the righteous, the crown of glory. Now this
is glorious. The Lord gives us the reward that he worked out and he treats us as if we did
it. Here it is taught. Well done,
thou good and faithful servant. I can't help but think of Wilma. I had her on my mind a lot. She would say, that's just hard
to get hold of that, that he would actually say to me, well
done, thou good and faithful servant. Yeah, it is hard to
get hold of. Could you imagine the Lord saying that to you? Whatever Christ did, you did.
Well done. thou good and faithful servant,
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Hebrews 9, 28 says, to them that
look for him, shall he appear without sin. Undo salvation. Now let me show you a couple
of scriptures that will show the power of his appearing. Turn to 1 John chapter 3. I want
you to read this with me. Paul said to Timothy, you keep
this commandment without spot, without any kind of alteration,
unrebukable, above reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ, his physical appearing when he comes with the clouds.
Now look in 1 John chapter 3 verse 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be. I'm saying never believe or hear.
Can you imagine what it's like to be without sin? That's beyond
even, we can't even think that way. But in glory, I won't even
remember what it's like to be a sinner. But we can't fathom that. It
does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he
shall appear, and this is the appearing Paul's talking about,
we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And when I
see him as he is, you know what it's going to do? When I see
him appear and I see him as he is, I'm going to be perfectly
conformed to his image. Now that shows you the power
of his appearance. Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter
2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, beginning
in verse 6. And now you know what withhold
it, that he might be revealed in his time, for the mystery
of iniquity doth already work. He's working now. He was working
then. He's working now. Only he who now letteth will
let. God's letting him work. God is in control of the devil. I'm so thankful for that. The
devil's God's devil, and he can't do anything more than what God
permits him to do. Now, he doesn't completely understand
that. He thinks he's doing things against
the Lord, against his people. He thinks he's getting, but he
can't do anything any more than God permits him and lets him
do. And isn't that wonderful? I'm so thankful for that because
I, I'm like the angel, the Lord rebuked thee. I've heard people,
crazy, whatever, religious people, we rebuke you, Satan. I'm thinking,
do you have any idea what you're saying? You're under his complete
dominion when you say something like that. But let's go on reading. For
the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now
lets will let until he be taken out of the way, and then shall
that wicked be revealed. Now look at this. Whom the Lord
shall consume, with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy
with the brightness of his coming. Even him whose coming is after
the working of Satan, with all powers and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall
send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that
they all might be damned who believe not the truth. but had
pleasure in unrighteousness. But we're bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth." The brightness of his
coming is going to destroy the mystery of iniquity. One final
scripture. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 4. Verse 6, For I am now ready to be offered,
ready to be poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my
departure is at hand. Now, Paul knows he's going to
soon die. Now, if you knew you were going
to die tonight, you may. You may. What would be on your
mind? Well, Paul was ready to die. He said, in verse 7, I fought
a good fight. I finished my course. I've kept
the faith. Well, I want to be able to say
that when I die, don't you? I really do. Now, I know that in the Lord,
I have. I have fought a good fight. He
fought for me. I finished my course because he finished for
me. I've kept the faith because he's faithful. And I want to
say with Paul too, the way Paul, I fought a good fight. I fought
a good fight. I finished my course. I kept
the faith. Henceforth, verse eight, there's
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the the righteous judge
shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but into all
them also that love his appearing. Do you love his appearing? Do you love his appearing? Before time began, as the great
surety He appeared to you. He appeared to his father. Do
you love that? I don't understand it, but I
sure love it. I love his pre-incarnate appearances. I love his appearance to Adam
and Eve after they had destroyed our race. And he comes to them,
the voice of God walking in the cool of the evening. And he takes
away those fig leaves that they had made to cover their shame
and gave them a coat of skin. I love his appearing. I love his appearing when the
word was made flesh and dwelt among us. when he appeared
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. I love his appearing.
I love his appearing right now before the father representing
all of his people as their great high priest and intercessor.
I love his appearing. And I love when he will come and every eye
is going to see him. Everybody's going to know just
who he is. How old that is, I don't know, but everybody's going to
know exactly who he is. And my thought is this, when
he shall come with trumpet sound, you know, there's going to be
a big sound of the trumpet when he comes. That's a glorious thing to think
about. It's powerful, isn't it? When he shall come. Trumpet sound,
oh may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness
alone and faultless to stand before God's holy throne. I love his appearing. You know
what that means? Whatever it is Paul gets, now
Paul is the chief apostle, greatest man to ever live. He was the chief of the apostles. What a special man he is. And
do you know, I'm going to get the same thing Paul got, or gets,
a crown of righteousness, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's not talking about some
kind of special crown where one will get a higher reward or anything
like that. No, that's the righteousness and merits of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Everybody that loves his appearing, they're going
to get that crown. Do you love is appearing? And I tell you when I love is
appearing. The most. When he makes himself
known to me. And says to me, behold, I am
thy salvation. Behold, I come quickly. Even
so. Come Lord Jesus. Let's pray.