Hebrews chapter 9, we'll bring
a message from verse 24, verse 26, and verse 28. Let's read
these verses again. Hebrews 9, talking about our
great high priest. For Christ did not enter into
the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true,
but the Lord Jesus Christ entered into heaven itself, Now to appear
in the presence of God for us. Now think about it. Underscore
that word now. Now. Now to appear in the presence
of God for us. We can only pray unto God and
worship unto our God seeing that he ever lived to make intercession
for us right now. Now he appears in the presence
of God for us. Think about it. What a privilege
we have. Our mediator, our representative,
our righteousness appears in the presence of God for us. Now here's the second appearance,
verse 26. For then must he have often suffered
since the foundation of the world. But he offered one sacrifice
for sin. But now once in the end of the
age, that word world can be rendered end of the age, hath he appeared
in the past. He appears right now in the presence. He appeared in the past. He hath
appeared to put away sin. To put away sin. Sin, pretty difficult to put
away. The blood of bulls and goats could not put away sin.
Our works, our puny efforts, our goodness, our righteousness,
our supposed keeping of the law could never put away sin. He
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself with his own blood. He obtained eternal redemption
for us. Verse 28. And here's the future appearance.
This is what we have to look forward to. The Lord Jesus Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many. And unto them that look for him
shall he appear. Shall he appear. The second time. He's talking about his second
advent. His second return. His return,
rather. His second appearing. without
sin unto salvation." In these three verses are mentioned three
different, distinct, separate, personal appearances of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, no better way to end 2015
and begin a new year than by preaching the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's how we started, January
2015, preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by
the grace of God, and by the purpose of God, we are determined
to keep on preaching Christ and Him crucified through the end
of 2016, maybe next December. By the Lord's grace, we can look
forward to 2017. You see, this ministry is all
about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not about
making people feel better. It's not about trying to help
people in different situations. Our ministry is about preaching
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of Christ
is the power of God unto salvation. That's what the gospel of Christ
is. The gospel of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the only
way God can justly save sinners and not compromise His holy character. The only way He can be a just
God and Savior is through the Lord Jesus Christ in Him crucified. No better way and no better book
to preach the gospel from than the book of Hebrews. I love the
book of Hebrews. We've studied completely through
the book of Hebrews at least three times and I've preached
from it many times. You remember the key word that's
found in the book of Hebrews? that describes the gospel, our
Lord, His sacrifice, and the covenant of grace is the word
better. Better. Christ is better. Everything
about Him is better. And the word means He's superior. He's more glorious than everything. He's better than the angels,
chapter 1. He's better than Aaron. and the
Old Testament priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is called
the surety of a better covenant. We have in the Lord Jesus Christ
a better hope. It's a living hope. It's a good
hope through grace. We have in the Lord Jesus Christ
a better sacrifice, don't we? The blood of bulls and goats
never took away one sin. His blood sacrifice put away
all our sin. Now from these three verses here
in Hebrews 9, I want us to consider the Lord Jesus Christ appearing
unto His people. He is our mediator, He is our
advocate, He is our intercessor, He is our surety, and He is our
Savior and the only sacrifice for our sin. I'm interested in
Him, in Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I want to first of all consider
verse 26 and talk about His His past appearance. The middle
part of verse 26. But now once in the end of the
age, end of the world, hath the Lord Jesus Christ appeared, He
came for a certain reason. He hath appeared to put away
sin, the sin of His people, by the sacrifice of Himself. We read about this personal appearance
of the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh as the God-Man Mediator. Now, first of all is this, who
appeared? Who has appeared for us? Who
has appeared for us? He has appeared. Well, who is this talking about?
It's talking about our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ
is described in chapter 1 of Hebrews, turn over there. Who
is this one who comes to put away our sin that appeared for
that purpose to put away our sin? Who is this one who has
appeared for us? Hebrews chapter 1, look at verse
1, God who in sundry times Diver's manner spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he 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, being
made so much better than the angels." Who is this one? He's
fully and totally and completely God. Stay right here in Hebrews
1. And yet, God, who inhabits eternity,
inhabited a body of a real man. Look what it says in verse 6,
Hebrews 1. Again, when He bringeth in the
first begotten into the world, He saith, Let all the angels
of God worship Him. He must be God. He thought it
not robbery to be equal with God, we read a moment ago. And
of the angels, he saith, who maketh his angels, spirits, and
his ministers a flame of fire? But unto the Son, he saith, thy
throne, O God, is for ever and ever a scepter of righteousness,
is a scepter of thy kingdom. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ
who laid down his life for us? He's fully and totally and completely
eternal God. The Eternal One came to redeem
His people. Now, look at Hebrews chapter
2. But we also see that He's a full and complete real man. Hebrews 2 verse 9. We call Him
the Lord Jesus, the God-Man Mediator. But we see Jesus, who was made
a little lower than the angels, For the suffering of death, crowned
with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should take
death for every, and the word man is not in the original, for
the whole, for everyone for whom he represents. Now, if you look
at verse 14, in Hebrews 2 verse 14, For as much then as his children
are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that
had power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Verse 17, wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like
unto his brethren, that he might be merciful. faithful high priests
and things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the
sins of the people. So He is fully and totally God,
and yet when He was manifested and appeared to put away our
sin, He was a real man. God and man in one blessed person. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. We beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Who appeared to put away our
sin? God. The God-man. Who is the Lord
Jesus Christ? Look down here in Hebrews chapter
3 verse 1. He's our Great High Priest. We
need someone to represent us before God. We need a mediator. an advocate, an intercessor.
Who is this one that come to put away our sin? He's our great
High Priest. Hebrews 3 verse 1. Wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
Apostle, High Priest of our profession, who is he? The Lord Jesus Christ. Now the book of Hebrews has a
lot to say about this one who is our great High Priest. Look
at chapter 4 verse 14. Chapter 4, verse 14, Hebrews,
saying then that we have a great high priest that has 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. He had no sin, knew no sin, and
did no sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace. Now how can we do that apart
from Christ our Great High Priest? We can. That we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. Do you see your need
of the Lord Jesus Christ as a God-man mediator who is our Great High
Priest to represent you before God? Look over at Hebrews chapter
7. Talking about the one who came
and appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 7 verse 22, By so much with Jesus, the Lord Jesus, may
the surety of a better testament. And they truly were many preached,
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, because he continueth ever, he has an unchangeable
priesthood. Wherefore, he's able also to
save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing that
he ever lives to make intercession for us. Remember, he appears
for us right now. For such a high priest became
us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin, made higher
than the heaven. That's the high priest we need.
That's the God-man mediator that we need. and he hath appeared
for us." This is the one who came. This is the one who was
sent. He's no amateur, no rookie. He's
the one sent of God to accomplish God's purpose in our salvation. Now, the second thing I want
to consider is this. What did he accomplish? We see
the one who hath appeared. What did he appear to do? What
did he come to do? To put away sin. to put away
sin, all the sin of God's people. He appeared to put away sin,
not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with His own blood. Look back at chapter 9, verse
11. But Christ, being come a high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy
place, now, not the holy place made with hands, but into heaven
itself, to appear in the presence of God for us. And He did so
because He obtained, past tense, obtained, When He appeared, He
obtained eternal redemption for us. That's the eternal salvation
we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. He appeared to put away sin.
It says over here, by the sacrifice of Himself, in Hebrews chapter
10 verse 4, It is not possible that the blood of goats, bulls
and goats, should take away sin. Wherefore, when He cometh into
the world, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body
hast thou prepared me." He bare our sin in His own body on the
tree. He put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. We are not redeemed with corruptible
things, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now turn to Hebrews chapter 10
for a moment. And look at verse 10. Hebrews
10. Now, not that we ever set one
scripture against another, but in Hebrews chapter 9 and Hebrews
chapter 10 are two of the most outstanding chapters to reveal
unto us the gospel of God. Hebrews 10.10, how effectual
is the blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Did His blood
sacrifice actually put away all the sin of God's people? Or did
he just put a down payment toward that end? Look what it says right
here. Verse 10, By the witch will we
are offered, by the witch will we are sanctified. He taketh
away the first and he may establish a second. By the witch will,
God's will, we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. You see, Christ is our sanctification. Every priest standed daily ministering,
offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which could never
take away sin. Every year there was a day of
atonement. Every morning there was a sacrifice.
Every evening there was a sacrifice. Their sacrifices never put away
sin. Many sacrifices. I mean millions
and millions of blood sacrifices. But this man, after he'd offered
one sacrifice for sins, Forever sat down on the right hand of
God. Now why did he sit down? He was
done, finished. He said, it is finished. From
henceforth expect until his enemies be made his footstool, for by
one offering he hath perfected forever them, them that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also
is a witness to us, for after that he has said before, this
is a covenant, that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord, I'll put my laws into their hearts, in their minds
will I write them, and their sins and their iniquities will
I remember no more." God said that the blood sacrifice of the
Lord Jesus Christ so affectionately put away all the sin of God's
people that they no longer exist. He cannot remember them because
they don't exist. He put them away by the sacrifice
of himself. Now, we see who died. We see what he accomplished. Now thirdly, who did the Lord
Jesus Christ represent as the great high priest? The high priest
of God represented a people. Who did the high priest represent
in the tabernacle of old on the day of atonement? Whom did he
represent? He represented Israel, didn't
he? He represented those twelve tribes as a representative man. He didn't represent the Malakites,
the Hittites, the Jebusites, and all the otherites. He represented
Israel. And that is a picture and type
of the Lord Jesus Christ representing His spiritual Israel, His people. The Lord Jesus Christ as our
great High Priest brought in everlasting righteousness. The
Lord Jesus Christ is a fulfillment of that Old Testament type and
picture. It says down here in Hebrews
9 verse 28, look at that carefully. So Christ once offered to bear
the sins of many, many. Who are the many here? You remember
Hebrews or rather Acts chapter 13 verse 48? As many as were
ordained to eternal life, believed the gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ,
made one sacrifice and accomplished and put away the sins of many. Who are the many? His people,
those for whom He represents. He did not die for all the sins
of all men without exception. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
His people. He gave Himself a ransom, it
says in Matthew 20, 28, He gave Himself a ransom for many. In
Ephesians chapter 5, We see and read that the Lord Jesus Christ
loved the church and gave Himself for it, His bride. In John chapter
10, the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for the sheep.
The angel from heaven declared, as recorded in Matthew 1, He
shall save His people from their sin. And then Paul's last words
to the elders at Ephesus in Acts chapter 20 said, the Lord Jesus
Christ purchased the church with his own blood. Now, for whom
did the Lord Jesus Christ die? He died for his bride, his sheep,
his church, his people. Isaiah 53 said, for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. It is not a true statement to
say that the Lord Jesus Christ died for all of the sins of all
men everywhere. That's just not so. He died a
particular death for a particular people and he made an effectual
atonement for them. Now why make that an issue? It's
a big issue. Because if the Lord Jesus Christ
died for all the sins of all men, and yet some perish in hell
anyway, what does his death really have to do with salvation? It
must depend upon something else. But if we'll just take the Scripture
and read it. Now look back at Hebrews chapter
2 again, verse 9. And let's see if we can learn
something here. Now, oftentimes when we talk
about the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, oftentimes
this Scripture is brought up right here. Well, it says that
the Lord Jesus Christ tasted death for every man. Well, who is the every man here
in the content of what's being said? And in the original, the
word man is not there. And it's really saying that He
tasted death for the whole, for the whole of His people. Because
if you read the next verses, it describes who the Every One
is. For it became Him, verse 10,
for whom are all things, by whom are all things, in bringing many
sons unto glory. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all one, for which cause he is
not ashamed to call them brethren. So whom did the Lord Jesus Christ
die for? He died for His sons. He died
for those that are sanctified. He died for those who were set
apart in that covenant of grace. He's not ashamed to call them
My family. Brethren, read on verse 12, saying,
I will declare Thy name unto My brethren in the midst of the
church. He purchased a church with His
own blood. And again, I will put my trust
in him, and again, behold, I and the children..." That's for whom
he died. He died for his children. "...behold,
I and the children which God hath given me. All that the Father
giveth to me shall come to me, and those that come to me I will
in no wise cast out. There is none in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died. There cannot be. He paid their
debt and set them free. He justified us with His own
blood. That's why He appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Those who preach a universal
amnesty or universal redemption and say that Christ tried to
put away sin or that He attempted to put away sin, they're nothing
but false prophets. Let's just be honest. It's time
for honest preaching, isn't it? And true preaching. He died for
His people, His church. He appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself. So Christ once offered to bear
the sin of many, His people, His bride, His church. Okay,
now here's the second appearance that we read about in Hebrews
9. Turn back over there. Hebrews 9, 24. For Christ didn't
enter into the holy places made with hands, which are figures
of the true, but in the heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us." Now let's go back and re-read Hebrews
1 again. Turn back over there. It says
here, When the Lord Jesus Christ, in verse 3, when He by Himself
purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high. When He came forth from the grave
that third day, bodily resurrected in a glorified body, He stayed
among men for forty days, giving evidence that God really did
raise Him from the dead. He delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification. And 40 days later, they watched
Him ascend into the heavens, and He sat down on the right
hand of the throne of God. Right now, He intercedes for
us. Look at Hebrews 8. Hebrews chapter 8. Look at verse
1. We read many times in the Word
of God that the Lord Jesus Christ sat down on the right hand of
the throne of the majesty on high. Hebrews 8 verse 1, Now
the thing which we have spoken, this is the sum, which we have
such a high priest who was set on the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens. If you look again across the
page in Hebrews 6, verse 18, that by two immutable things
in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong
consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope
that's set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the
veil. Whether the forerunner is for
us entered, even Jesus made the high priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. He appears in the presence of
God for us right now. The right hand of the majesty
on high as our mediator, as our intercessor, as our sacrifice
for sin. Turn over here to Revelation
5 for just a moment. John received this revelation
of Christ in Revelation 5, verse 5. It's all about the Lamb. 21, 22, 23 times, all through
the Revelation, we read about the Lamb, the Lamb, the Lamb
of God. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away our sin. One of the elders, verse 5, says
to me, Weep not, behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root
of David, He prevailed to open the book, to loose the seals,
to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst
of the elders, stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, having
seven horns, seven eyes, all power, all knowing, which are
the seven spirits everywhere present, of God sent forth into
all the earth. There He appears. as the surety,
as the mediator, as the Lamb of God, as the sacrifice for
our sin, now to appear in the presence of God for us. The forerunner is entered in
and He occupies the throne, and you know what? We're seated in
Him, in the heavenlies, in Christ. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2.
You see, the Lord Jesus Christ came as a representative man,
died as a representative man, ascended as a representative
man, and is seated, and we're seated in the heavenlies in Christ. 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 you saved, raised us up together,
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace
and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are
you saved." You see, In the representative man, our union with him and being
one with him, what's true of the head is true of the body.
Where the head is, that's where the body is. He ever lives to intercede for
us right now. Upon the ground and merit of
His successful atonement for our sin, our Savior enters into
the very presence of God for us, and He occupies the throne
of God for us, to appear in the presence of God for us. Not only
that, He not only appears for us, He presents us to the Father. Turn to Colossians. How does
He present us to the Father? Colossians chapter 1. Now I'm
a vile sinner in myself, guilty, vile, and wretched, but in the
Lord Jesus Christ. He presents us to the Father,
look at it says here, Colossians chapter 1, For it pleased the
Father, verse 19, that in Him should all fullness dwell, having
made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile
all things unto Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometimes
alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
He reconciled, now watch this, in the body of His flesh through
death, to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in His sight." He
appears for us and then He presents us to the Father. Holy, unblameable,
unreprovable. Turn to the book of Jude, right
over there before the Revelation. Jude, just one chapter, verse
24. Jude, the book of Jude, verse
24-25, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and
to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and forever. Christ has not entered into the
holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true,
but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God
for you right now. You know, He's always appeared
for us and that eternal covenant When He came, when He went back,
He's always represented us. God has always loved us, viewed
us, seen us, justified us in Christ. Always, always, always,
always. Now, lastly is this. He hath appeared, He does appear,
And then in verse 28, Hebrews 9, 28. So Christ 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. There's the future
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything God does, He does
by His wise, unchanging, eternal purpose. Verse 27, As it is appointed,
the Lord Jesus Christ died the appointed death, and at the appointed
time He shall appear again to take us home to glory. So too
the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to those that
look for Him, We're looking for Him. You know why? Turn back
to Revelation chapter 1 this time. We look for Him, looking
for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ. And here's why. Here's why we
look for Him. Verse 5 says, Revelation 1 verse
5, Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto our God, and
his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Behold,
he cometh. He cometh. And every eye shall
see him, and they also which pierced him, and all the kingdoms
of the earth shall wail because of him. I am Alpha, Omega, the
beginning, the ending, saith the Lord, which is, which was,
and is to come, the Almighty. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming
back again. Every chapter in 1 Thessalonians
talks about the coming of our blessed Lord. And some think
that first epistle to the Thessalonians is the first letter that Paul
wrote to the church. Behold, the Lord is coming. He
shall appear again. Turn to Colossians chapter 3
this time. Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. The Lord Himself... Now you turn
to Colossians chapter 3, let me just read you this. 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, and meet
the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words,
Now, Colossians chapter 3. Now, get a hold of this now.
Verse 1. If you then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ set us on the right
hand of God. Set your affection, your mind,
your heart, your love, on things above, not on the things of this
earth, for you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ.
In God. Your life is hid with Christ
in God. When Christ, who is our Lord, when Christ our Lord shall
appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory. Think about that. When He shall
appear, we shall appear with Him in glory. Now turn to 1 John. 1 John chapter
3. We shall appear with Him. 1 John 3, verse 1, "...Behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth this
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, Now are we sons of God,
and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that
when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see
Him as He is. He was manifested to take away
our sin, and in Him is no sin. We shall appear with Him, and
be just like Him." You know, that's what predestination is
all about. Being predestinated to be conformed to the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll be just like Him and see
Him as He is. Looking for that blessed hope
and glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. To believers,
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, a glorious, glorious
day. We look forward with great anticipation
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. When is He coming back?
In the hour you think not, the Son of Man cometh. Therefore
be ye ready, for in such an hour as you do not think, the Lord's
coming back. Now there's been many people
down through the years who've made predictions, haven't they?
I remember when I came here in 1994. There was a man out in
California that made a prediction of the Lord's second return,
His second coming, in September of 1994. I could call his name,
but I won't, to save him embarrassment. But he was on CNN, Larry King,
Brother Henry went out and preached, Pastor Mahan went out and preached
a sermon, a Bible conference for him out in California. We
were all in Danville, Kentucky at a Bible conference that Labor
Day weekend when his prediction was supposed to come to pass.
Well, guess what? He proved himself to be a fool.
In the hour you think not, when anybody ever says, well, he's
coming on this date, this date, mark it down, it's not that date.
We're not interested in dates. We're looking for Him who is
coming again. To believers, the coming of the
Lord will be a glorious day. What about to the unbeliever? Every eye will see Him, and they
that pierced Him will wail because of Him. Look at Revelation chapter
6. Revelation chapter 6. To believers,
the coming of the Lord is a glorious day. To behold His second advent
when He comes like lightning from the east to the west. What about the unbeliever? Revelation
6 verse 14. And the heaven departed as a
scroll when it was rolled together, and every mountain and isle were
moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and
great men, and rich men, and cheap captains, and mighty men,
and every bond and free man, hid themselves in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains, and
the rocks, Fall on us. Hide us from the face of him
that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath
is come, who... Now look at that question. Who
shall be able to stand? When the Lord comes back, some
folks are going to have a terrible day of wrath and judgment. Who
shall stand in that day? Let's see if we can find out. Turn to Psalm 24. Who shall stand? in His presence
when the Lord comes back, those found in Him. I want to be found
in Him when the Lord comes back. Where do you want to be found
when the Lord comes back? In Him. In Christ. Who shall ascend to the hill
of the Lord? Psalm 24. Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord? Psalm 24 verse 3. Who shall stand
in His holy place? Same question, isn't it? Who
shall be able to stand? He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor
sworn deceitfully, he shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and
righteousness from the God of his salvation. Now read on. This is the generation of them
that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Remember, he's
the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O ye gates!
Be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors!" The King of Glory is
coming in. Now that's who's going to stand.
You see, He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who has not
lifted up his soul to vanity and sworn deceitfully, that's
describing the Lord Jesus Christ and those in Him. Remember? Lift
up your heads, O ye gates, lift them up, ye everlasting doors,
the King of glory shall come in. Who shall stand? He shall
stand. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of glory, He's coming in. But you know what? Look what it says in the next
verse. Who is this King of Glory? He's the Lord of Hosts. His people
coming in with Him. You see, they're in Him. He is
the King of Glory. He's the Lord of His people.
He died for His people. They're justified in Him and
they're found in Him now and forever.