Acts chapter 1, we'll try to
bring the message today from verse 9, verse 10, and verse
11, these three verses. I'm taking the title for the
message from what is said in verse 11. These two messengers
from heaven said to those men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? They just stood there and watched
the Lord of glory in His body ascend to heaven. This same Jesus
which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like
manner as you have seen Him go into heaven. Now the title of
the message is taken from that verse These three words, this
same Jesus, not another, this same Lord Jesus Christ. These two messengers that were
sent from heaven declared the message of God for us to know
after the Lord ascended and returned from where he came. They said
he's coming back. He came from the throne of God.
went back to the throne of God, but this same Savior, who was
God our Savior, is coming once again. He said there in like
manner, as you have seen him go, so shall he come. Now, how did he come the first
time? He came as king. Remember? They asked, where is
he that is born king? He came as king, lived as king
of kings, Lord of lords. He demonstrated that. He died
as the king. Remember they put a sign over
his head, this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. He came as
king, lived as king, died as king, and my friend, make sure
you know this, he's coming back as king of kings and lord of
lords. All men in that day will own
him, crown him, and confess that he is lord. to the glory of God
the Father. Turn just one page, chapter 2,
this is Peter preaching to those at the day of Pentecost, verse
36, therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that
this same Jesus, this same Jesus, whom you crucified Both Lord and Christ. He is the Lord. He is the Christ
of God, the anointed God in all of his office, prophet, priest,
and king. Now the Lord Jesus Christ came
to this sinful world the first time God incarnate for the express
purpose to redeem his elect from all their sin and to glorify
God in the process. Remember another messenger from
heaven called his name Jesus. Why? Because he shall save his
people from their sin. He is the savior of his people. Our Lord said in John chapter
10, that the good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. He said, no man takes my life
from me. I have the power to lay it down.
I have the power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father. He is that good shepherd of the
sheep. David said, the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. He appeared once in the end of
the age as a good shepherd to put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Secondly, he came as the great
shepherd of the sheep. He came to establish for them
an everlasting righteousness by honoring the law of God for
us and bringing in an everlasting righteousness according to that
eternal covenant of grace as the great shepherd of the sheep,
the God of peace. brought again from the dead,
that Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great Shepherd of the sheep,
who purchased us with His own blood." We studied that in our
Bible study this morning. You know more your own, you're
bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and
in your soul, which belong to Him. He bought us with his own
blood. The Lord Jesus Christ as the
good shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep, having finished
the work the Father gave him to accomplish, He went back to
the throne of glory and he sat down. Remember what he said on
Calvary's tree, it is finished. When he had by himself purged
our sin, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. There
the God-man mediator occupies the throne of God for us right
now, having finished the work. What do you do when the work
is finished? You sit down. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
seated in the heavenlies, there interceding for us. So He is
the Good Shepherd. He is the Great Shepherd of the
sheep, who brought us with His own blood according to the everlasting,
eternal covenant of grace that's ordered in all things and is
sure. And then we read also of Him
who is called the Chief Shepherd. The chief shepherd of the sheep
who is coming again. 1 Peter 5, here's what we read. When the chief shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away."
This same Jesus, He is coming back one day soon. Now, what a glorious day that
will be for every believer, but what a terrible day that will
be for those who believe not the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, if you want to turn with
me, you can, but this is 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Verse 7, to you who are troubled
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels, 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 7, with his mighty angels
in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, that
obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord
and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified
in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because
their testimony among you was believed in that day. He that
believeth on the Son hath life, he that believeth not the Son,
the wrath of God abides. When the Lord Jesus Christ, the
God-man, walked among men, His purpose was to finish the work
the Father gave Him to do. He said that often. He said that
often, I came to finish the work. Having successfully finished
the work of redemption for us, after being raised from the dead,
He instructed those apostles for 40 days, and then He ascended
to the throne of glory. If you look up in chapter 1 of
Acts at verse 3, to whom also he showed himself alive after
his passion, after his suffering, by many infallible proofs, being
seen of them forty days, and speaking of things pertaining
to the kingdom of God." Before his death, he talked about the
kingdom of God. After his glorious resurrection,
he talked about the kingdom of God. we have just one message. In like manner, when the Lord
Jesus Christ instructed his apostles, stayed with them 40 days, he
ascended to the right hand of God, having finished the work
the Father gave him to do. The right hand of God is a place
of love, a place of power, a place of acceptance. In like manner,
when the Lord Jesus Christ has called out all the elect of God,
And when the gospel shall be preached in all the world, the
Lord said this, the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
in all the world for a witness unto all nations, then, what? The end will come. Then cometh the end. When his
work in glory is complete, I mean that His work of being the Mediator,
one God, one Mediator. The work of being our Advocate.
We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
When His work of intercession is done, He ever lives to intercede
for us. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him, saying He ever lived to intercede
for us. The Lord Jesus Christ, this same Jesus, the God-man
Mediator, will come again in like manner. This is not a matter
of speculation on our part, nor our opinion on this matter. This
is the very promise of the Word of God. The Lord's coming back. Turn to John 14. Back just a
few pages. John 14. Peter had messed up
so bad. Peter had more faults than most
dogs have fleas. Peter denied the Lord and said,
I don't know him. But notice, the Lord doesn't
call him a big dummy. You big dummy, you're so dumb,
Peter. Look what the Lord says in John 14, verse 1. After the Lord said, you're going
to deny me three times, but he says this, let not your heart
be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's
house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
You're talking about going to the cross to make atonement for
our sin, that we might be with him forever without sin. And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. That's
His promise. I believe His Word, don't you?
Now, look back to our text, verse 9. And when He had spoken these
things, forty days He lived among them, speaking the things pertaining
to the kingdom of God. And while they beheld, He was
taken up. Now, where is up? Up is up. The only thing I know. And a
cloud, where are the clouds? Well, sometimes they're around
us here in the fog, but most of the time the clouds are in
the heavens. And a cloud received him out
of sight. Now, when the Lord had spoken
these things pertaining to the kingdom of God, when He had instructed
them, He was taken up. Now, let's look at a couple of
scriptures, turn back to Luke 24, when we finished up our study
in the book of Luke, verse 50, Luke 24, verse 50. And he led
them out as far as Bethany. He lifted up his hands and blessed
them. And it came to pass, while he
blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. Now, find Mark 16. We have just a little bit more
information given here in Mark 16 verse 19. Mark 16, 19. So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right
hand of God. Now it's just not that you send
it up in a cloud and disappear it out of their sight. But he
sat down on the right hand of God. And they went forth, preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them, confirming the word
with signs following. And then he says, Amen. Carried up to the throne of God. Now hold your place in Acts chapter
1. I want you to find the book of
Hebrews. In the book of Hebrews, it mentions several times, turn
first of all to chapter one, Hebrews chapter one, verse one, God who in sunbury
times and divers manner spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by a
son whom he appointed heir of all things, by whom he also made
the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, the express image
of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right
hand of the majesty on high." Now, stay right here in the book
of Hebrews and find chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 14, seeing
then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, find grace
to help in our time of need. Turn a page, find Hebrews 8 verse
1. Now the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such a great high priest
who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty
in the heaven. Chapter 6, verse 18. Chapter 6, Hebrews
6. By two immutable things in which
it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation
who have led for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that set before
us, which hope we have as the anchor of the soul, both sure
and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, Hebrews
6, verse 20, whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus
made a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12. You see the Word of God over
and over and over again tells us that the Lord died for our
sin according to Scripture, was buried And the third day he rose
again, delivered for our offenses, raised again for our justification,
besented the glory, occupies the throne of God for us. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising his shame,
and he is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. There, right now, he intercedes
for us to enable us to worship the true and living God. Now, we cannot make too much
of his enthronement, for it declares that our salvation is certain
and sure and complete. His ascension to the throne of
glory is a guarantee of ours. He came as a public man. The old timers called this federal
headship. He came as a representative man,
as a federal head representing his people. He lived as a representative
man. For by one man's disobedience,
Adam is also considered a federal head of his race. By one man's
disobedience, many were made sinners. By the obedience of
another, that's the federal headship of Christ, shall many be made
righteous. He lived as our federal head,
as a representative man, died as our sin-bearing substitute
in our room and in our stead. And you know what the Word of
God teaches? We're so much one with Him that when He died, we
died. Crucified with Christ. Galatians 2.20, God made Him
sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. And when He was raised from the
dead as our federal head, what He did, we did. Where He went, we went with Him. When he came out of the tomb,
we came out with him. His resurrection is a guarantee
of our resurrection. He said, because I live, you
shall live also. And he went to glory, as we read
just a moment ago in Hebrews 6. When he went to glory, he
went there as a representative man, as a federal head, as our
forerunner, and we in him being one with him, this blessed inseparable
union with him, what he did and where he went, we went with him. Right now, you're looking at
a sinner that's already seated in the heavenlies in Christ.
You say, preacher, you're crazy. Okay. I wanna be crazy for Christ's
sake. I wanna be a fool for Christ's
sake. I believe what he says in his word. Turn to Ephesians
chapter two. You see, we are one with him.
I in them, thou in me, that we may be made perfect in one. Ephesians
2 verse 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened
us together with Christ, by grace are ye saved, raised us up together,
together, made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, quickened
together with Him, raised up together in Him, made to sit
together in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ right now."
You get a hold of that. Seated in Christ right now. Now, look back to the book of
Acts chapter 1 again, verse 10 and 11. These two men said to
the men of Galilee, the eleven, why do you stand gazing like
you do? You know, that had to be an amazing
sight. They had never seen anything
like this before. A man, a real man of flesh and bones, they
were looking at him one day and all of a sudden, whoo, there
he goes, gone. It had to be an amazing sight. No wonder they were gazing up
into heaven. But the messenger from heaven
said, he's coming back, this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as you've
seen him go up into heaven. These two men in white apparel
declared the message of God. Now these two angels, I think,
probably are the same two angels, who were hovering around the
resurrection scene, his grave, of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
they said, why do you seek the living among the dead? He's not
here, he's risen! It's not two men. Same two angels
of God, excuse me, same two messengers of God, not men, same two angels
of God. He calls them two men here. They
look like men, but they were servants of God, angels of God.
And although we do not know the time of his coming, for no man
knows, not even the angels in heaven, the Lord says at times
and seasons, you have no need that I write unto you, but his
coming is imminent. It is about to happen, and the
very day that you think not, the Son of Man is coming. He's
coming. I want you to turn and read this
with me. I quote it often, but it might be good for you to read
it and underline it, underscore it. The Lord Jesus Christ is
a faithful witness, Revelation 1 verse 5. He's the first begotten
of the dead. And the prince of the kings of
the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sin
in his own blood, hath made us kings and priests unto God and
his father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. And
behold, behold, he cometh, he cometh. with clouds, and every eye shall
see him, and they also which pierced him. And all the kingdoms
of the earth shall wail because of him, even so. Amen. Behold, he cometh. Now, what
does that mean? I'll tell you what it means.
It means he's on his way. He's coming. He is coming again. Behold, he cometh. Now, we do
know Several things will take place upon his second coming.
His second coming will be public, nothing secret. We don't believe
in this thing that people talk about the secret rapture. There's
nothing secret about the trump of God shall sound. What's secret
about that? Every eye shall see him and those
who don't know him will wail. There is no such thing as a secret
rapture. The Lord is going to take his
people out when he comes. His second coming will be public,
personal, and bodily. It will be a glorious day of
his returning. The Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an 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 comfort one another
with these words." Now that's comforting to me. The Lord is
coming back for His people. It will be a sudden coming without
warning. If you want to find 1 Thessalonians
5 verse 1, the times and seasons, brother, you have no need to
write under you. For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so cometh as the thief and the night. 1
Thessalonians 5 verse 3, For when they shall say, Peace and
safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon
a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren,
are not in darkness, that they should overtake you as the thief.
You are children of the light, children of the day. We are not
the night nor darkness. Let us, therefore, let us not
sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober. Let us be watchful. The Lord
is coming back. Let's look for His soon returning. We look for Him who is coming.
When He returns, this same Lord Jesus Christ, many things will
take place in an instant, in a millisecond. 1,000th of a second. I was thinking
about the funeral message for Brother Henry tomorrow. I've
been asked to bring the message and he assigned for me the text
to preach his funeral message from 2 Timothy 4, verse 6 through
8. And it says in that one verse,
Paul said, the time of my departure is at hand. Remember that verse? The time of my departure is at
hand. He calls it a departure. That's
removing from one place and going to another place. But I thought
about this as an illustration, how to illustrate that. A millisecond. How quick is that? You ever been
in an airport? When you're walking down that
terminal, what are you looking for? You're looking for them
signs. Departure time, arrival time, right? You don't want to
miss your flight. Departure time, arrival time. It'll say departure time, 8 a.m. Arrival time, four hours later,
12 o'clock. With the believer, the flight
he takes when God calls us away, the departure time and the arrival
time is the same time. To be absent from the body is
to be present with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a quick flight.
The departure time and the arrival time is the same time. What a
blessing. No wonder Paul said, to live
is Christ, to die is gain. Now, when the Lord comes back,
several things will take place in a moment. It says in 1 Corinthians
15, a moment in the twinkling of an eye. First of all, there
will be a great resurrection of the just and the unjust. Turn to John chapter 5. There
will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. John chapter 5 verse 28. For
marvel not at this, marvel not at this, for the hour is coming
in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice. and
shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection
of life, they that have done evil unto the resurrection of
damnation." There's going to be a resurrection of the just
and to the unjust. It says in Revelation 22, those
who die in their sin will be raised in their sin and face
God in their sin. He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still. But he that is righteous, Let
it be righteous still, and we know that Christ is our righteousness. Those who die in the Lord shall
be eternally blessed. That's why John writes, blessed
are those who die in the Lord. Secondly, there's going to be
not only a great resurrection, Those who raised up in Christ
shall be ever with the Lord, but there's also going to be
a great separation. Turn to Matthew chapter 25. The great separation. This is going to take place just...
You see with God there is no time, just right now. The eternal
right now. Matthew 25 verse 31, When the
Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all his holy angels
with him. Then shall he sit upon the throne
of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations.
And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd doth
divide his sheep from the goats. He shall set the sheep on his
right hand, and the goats on the left. The king shall say
unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed in my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. Verse 41, the king shall say
to them on the left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Verse 46 of that
chapter says, these shall go away into everlasting punishment,
but the righteous into eternal life. So a great resurrection,
a great separation, and then something else is going to take
place. And I think all this is going to happen simultaneously
that quick. Turn to 2 Peter, 2 Peter chapter
3. There's going to be a great destruction
and then there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. This is 2 Peter chapter 3. Verse 8, Beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years. A thousand years, just a day. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some men count slackness. But His
longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. Notice His longsuffering to usward,
His elect. The day of the Lord will come,
as the thief in the night. in which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with a fervent
heat, the earth also and the works therein shall be burned
up, saying then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner of persons you ought to be in all holy conversation and
godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of
our God, of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, Nevertheless,
we, according to His promise, oh, we look for a new heaven,
new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Righteousness. I know a lot of people in our
society today are so concerned about global warming. Global
warming. I don't believe in global warming.
I don't. I believe in global burning.
He's going to burn this place up. And I saw a new heaven, John
said, and new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
were passed away, and there was no more sea." Now, turn to Revelation. I'll quit here. The last book,
the last chapter, the last few verses, Revelation 22. What do we say about these things?
Here's what the believer says. Revelation 22, he which testifies
these things saith, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus Christ,
come, come.