Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Collierville First Baptist Church
[01:00:02;14 - 01:00:03;22]
Well, Amen, Amen.
[01:00:07;28 - 01:00:14;22]
What a morning. My goodness, to hear these kids sing and worship the Lord.
[01:00:15;37 - 01:00:20;34]
Do you realize that we're training up the next generation of Christ worshippers?
[01:00:22;56 - 01:00:23;06]
Amen.
[01:00:26;27 - 01:00:33;01]
I thank the Lord for Joshua. I thank the Lord for all the volunteers who work with our kids, our students.
[01:00:34;51 - 01:00:40;30]
My goodness, what a blessing. So I want you to take your Bible today,
[01:00:41;51 - 01:00:48;55]
and I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 24. It should automatically fall open to that,
[01:00:50;03 - 01:01:03;39]
because we're going verse by verse through Matthew 24 and Matthew 25. We're looking today at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[01:01:04;48 - 01:01:07;52]
Now we've seen some amazing things in our lives.
[01:01:09;29 - 01:01:13;18]
We've seen a meteor shower on a dark night.
[01:01:15;22 - 01:01:21;44]
We've seen a snow-capped mountain against the backdrop of the setting sun.
[01:01:23;22 - 01:01:39;02]
We've seen inventions that boggle the mind. The other day I was watching a news report, and they had flying drones with men racing around on a flying drone. I thought of the Jetsons.
[01:01:40;37 - 01:01:45;38]
Now you've got to be pretty old to know what I'm talking about. These young folks don't have a clue what I just said.
[01:01:49;52 - 01:02:02;12]
But I want to tell you, you've never seen anything that can remotely compare to the moment that Jesus, the Son of God, comes again.
[01:02:04;25 - 01:02:09;08]
The Bible refers to this as the second coming.
[01:02:10;22 - 01:02:13;05]
In Daniel chapter 7, verse 13 and 14,
[01:02:14;31 - 01:02:16;51]
he wrote, "I kept looking in the night visions,
[01:02:18;25 - 01:02:22;38]
and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man was coming,
[01:02:23;39 - 01:02:29;14]
and he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him.
[01:02:30;22 - 01:02:33;26]
And to him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom,
[01:02:34;39 - 01:02:40;30]
that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve him.
[01:02:41;32 - 01:02:46;50]
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away.
[01:02:47;51 - 01:02:51;57]
And his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed."
[01:02:53;08 - 01:03:01;31]
In Hebrews chapter 9, verse 27 and 28, the Bible says, "And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once,
[01:03:02;40 - 01:03:10;18]
and after this comes the judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
[01:03:11;33 - 01:03:25;13]
will appear a second time without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him." When Jesus comes again, he's not coming to deal with our sin problem.
[01:03:26;27 - 01:03:44;12]
He's coming to rule and reign forever and ever. In Revelation 22, 20, Jesus said this, "Yes, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."
[01:03:46;01 - 01:03:49;02]
The second coming means different things to different people.
[01:03:50;29 - 01:03:55;40]
For some, the second coming is a reason to scoff at the Bible.
[01:03:57;10 - 01:03:59;35]
It's a reason to mock believers.
[01:04:01;21 - 01:04:04;21]
It is a reason to reject the church.
[01:04:05;44 - 01:04:14;37]
For others, the doctrine of the second coming provides a reason to be filled with hope, to study Bible prophecy,
[01:04:15;56 - 01:04:19;02]
and to live for Jesus right this moment.
[01:04:20;25 - 01:04:26;23]
For several weeks, we've been immersed in this study of Matthew 24 and 25.
[01:04:27;53 - 01:04:30;16]
During the last sermon, last week,
[01:04:31;20 - 01:04:36;30]
we looked at a graphic description of the abomination of desolation
[01:04:37;52 - 01:04:41;56]
that occurs about three and a half years before Christ comes again.
[01:04:43;13 - 01:04:52;32]
We looked at a graphic description of the Antichrist himself and the Great Tribulation.
[01:04:54;28 - 01:05:08;41]
Now, during that time, people will be subjected to the unbridled evil of the powers of darkness and the judgment of God on a Christ-rejecting world.
[01:05:10;29 - 01:05:15;43]
False prophets and false Christ will use every trick in the book
[01:05:16;54 - 01:05:21;12]
to lead people astray today and in the future.
[01:05:23;42 - 01:05:35;18]
Knowing what the Bible teaches will arm dads and moms, boys and girls with spiritual discernment they desperately need now and in the future.
[01:05:37;42 - 01:05:41;01]
Here are the words of Jesus on this matter of His second coming.
[01:05:42;19 - 01:05:46;07]
He said in Matthew 24, verses 26 to 28,
[01:05:47;33 - 01:05:53;39]
"So if they say to you, behold, is in the wilderness, do not go out." He's talking about false prophets.
[01:05:55;01 - 01:06:07;02]
If a false prophet comes to you and says, well, Christ is in Australia or Christ is in Europe, Christ is here, Christ is there, don't pay any attention to that.
[01:06:08;13 - 01:06:12;15]
Do not pay any attention to that. Reject it outright.
[01:06:13;42 - 01:06:17;47]
He said, "Do not go out. Behold, these inner room do not believe them.
[01:06:18;56 - 01:06:24;30]
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west,
[01:06:26;06 - 01:06:28;12]
so will the coming of the Son of man be.
[01:06:29;22 - 01:06:34;03]
Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."
[01:06:35;19 - 01:06:38;16]
Listen, when Jesus comes again, I want you to know this now.
[01:06:39;35 - 01:06:49;49]
Everyone will know it. I don't care where they live. I don't care what side of the globe they live on. Everyone will know it when Jesus comes again.
[01:06:50;53 - 01:06:58;30]
In Revelation 1, 7, the Bible says, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds." Listen to this.
[01:06:59;35 - 01:07:02;25]
"And every eye will see Him."
[01:07:04;16 - 01:07:17;13]
Every eye will see Him. Even those who pierced Him, the Romans that pierced Him will see Jesus come. Even those dead and alive will see Jesus when He comes.
[01:07:18;24 - 01:07:24;26]
"And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him, so it is to be. Amen."
[01:07:26;08 - 01:07:36;38]
Now, to illustrate how obvious His return would be, Jesus used the example of vultures circling over a dead carcass.
[01:07:37;54 - 01:07:48;01]
Now, look. You and I have been driving down the road, and we've seen vultures circling around, and they get closer and closer and closer.
[01:07:49;21 - 01:08:12;15]
Or we're driving down the road, and this vulture is standing out in the middle of the road eating a dead carcass, and it looks like you're going to stand there until you flatten him. But he flies off, and then he comes right back. And when you see vultures circling high in the air, you know that there's a dead carcass down below.
[01:08:13;38 - 01:08:24;06]
And just as that is true, when Christ comes, everybody will see Him and know that He has come in glory.
[01:08:26;11 - 01:08:32;30]
As I've studied our Lord's prophecy here in Matthew 24 and 25, and believe me, I've studied a lot.
[01:08:33;43 - 01:08:39;56]
It's become apparent that the second coming of Jesus will be the climax of human history.
[01:08:41;12 - 01:08:45;33]
This world, as we know it, will come to an end.
[01:08:46;49 - 01:09:04;49]
The things that we take for granted in this world, the things that we enjoy in this world, will suddenly be gone. And we will enter a new age, the age of the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[01:09:05;58 - 01:09:14;04]
The kingdom He inaugurated with His first coming will be consummated in His second coming.
[01:09:15;39 - 01:09:19;29]
Now, I've got one thought I want to drill in your mind and heart.
[01:09:20;30 - 01:09:21;14]
Here it is.
[01:09:22;19 - 01:09:26;34]
The King is coming. The King is coming.
[01:09:28;18 - 01:09:35;19]
You say, "Oh, pastor, I've heard that all my life, and He still hasn't come."
[01:09:36;33 - 01:09:38;04]
Well, Peter talked about that.
[01:09:39;15 - 01:09:43;42]
Peter said with the Lord, "A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day."
[01:09:44;54 - 01:09:50;09]
I'm telling you, count on it. One day, the King is going to come,
[01:09:51;20 - 01:09:55;07]
and He's going to rule and reign and set up His kingdom forever.
[01:09:56;55 - 01:10:06;19]
Now, I want us to look at three aspects of the second coming of Christ. Number one, the presentation of the King.
[01:10:07;30 - 01:10:09;57]
Look at Matthew 24, 29.
[01:10:11;43 - 01:10:14;50]
"But immediately after the tribulation of those days,
[01:10:16;12 - 01:10:21;16]
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
[01:10:22;51 - 01:10:29;12]
and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
[01:10:30;38 - 01:10:43;23]
I tell you, Hollywood could not make a presentation of a very important person better than what we just read about here in verse 29.
[01:10:44;50 - 01:10:52;19]
Do you long to understand the truth about the second coming of Christ and the end of the world?
[01:10:53;50 - 01:11:06;27]
In Matthew 24, verses 29 to 31, Jesus prophesied about the most dramatic event in all of human history, His own second coming.
[01:11:12;05 - 01:11:14;41]
Will you trust the validity of Jesus' words?
[01:11:16;53 - 01:11:18;02]
Some people don't.
[01:11:19;37 - 01:11:27;21]
I want to remind you that Jesus did a lot of prophesying about things that would happen in the future.
[01:11:28;45 - 01:11:34;55]
He prophesied that Peter would deny Him three times. And guess what? Peter denied Him three times.
[01:11:36;22 - 01:11:51;59]
He prophesied that the disciples would desert Him when He was arrested. In fact, that was a prophecy located in the Old Testament, and Jesus affirmed that prophecy. And guess what? When He was arrested, they deserted Him.
[01:11:53;22 - 01:11:56;19]
He prophesied that Judas would betray Him.
[01:11:57;30 - 01:12:00;05]
And guess what? Judas betrayed Him.
[01:12:01;08 - 01:12:03;48]
He prophesied His own death on the cross.
[01:12:04;55 - 01:12:08;41]
And guess what? He died on the cross for the sin of the world.
[01:12:09;46 - 01:12:16;39]
He prophesied His own resurrection from the dead. And guess what? Three days after He died, He was resurrected from the dead.
[01:12:18;01 - 01:12:31;21]
He prophesied His ascension back to heaven. And guess what? After 40 days, spending time with the disciples, teaching them about the kingdom, He ascended back to heaven in their own sight.
[01:12:33;05 - 01:12:37;24]
I could go on and on. I trust that you see my point.
[01:12:38;26 - 01:12:50;38]
If Jesus is right, and He is, about every prophecy He's ever made, why wouldn't He be right concerning the prophecy of His own Second Coming?
[01:12:53;48 - 01:13:06;11]
To me, it would be absolutely foolish for anybody within the sound of my voice to reject the prophecy of Jesus' own words about His Second Coming.
[01:13:08;23 - 01:13:11;24]
Now, as we look at how the King is presented,
[01:13:13;15 - 01:13:19;05]
I want you to pay close attention to the sequence. There's a sequence to His coming.
[01:13:20;32 - 01:13:25;02]
First, the seven years of tribulation must occur.
[01:13:26;53 - 01:13:33;00]
This divine judgment upon the human race will consist of seven seal judgment,
[01:13:34;20 - 01:13:39;36]
seven trumpet judgments, and seven bowl judgments.
[01:13:41;14 - 01:13:43;19]
They're all described in the book of Revelation.
[01:13:45;02 - 01:14:01;07]
Our minds cannot grasp the unprecedented evil that will be unleashed during this period of time called the tribulation, especially the last three and a half years of tribulation, which is called the great tribulation.
[01:14:02;53 - 01:14:07;11]
Again, Jesus prophesied this turn of events.
[01:14:09;09 - 01:14:14;53]
Now, the wrath of God will be poured out on those who have rejected Jesus Christ.
[01:14:16;47 - 01:14:17;35]
Are you a believer?
[01:14:18;51 - 01:14:25;17]
You say, "Pastor, am I going to be under the wrath of God?" No, you will not. You will not.
[01:14:26;22 - 01:14:42;10]
The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verses 9 and 10, "For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had with you, how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,
[01:14:43;22 - 01:14:56;25]
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead," that is Jesus, listen, "who rescues us from the wrath to come."
[01:14:57;51 - 01:15:01;01]
Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 9 to 11,
[01:15:02;55 - 01:15:05;03]
"For God has not destined us for wrath."
[01:15:06;03 - 01:15:06;48]
You see that?
[01:15:07;50 - 01:15:13;08]
"For God has not destined us for wrath." He's destined us for life.
[01:15:14;54 - 01:15:21;24]
Life with Him in heaven, life on the new heavens and the new earth that He will create one day.
[01:15:22;54 - 01:15:37;52]
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
[01:15:39;12 - 01:15:47;01]
Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another just as you also are doing."
[01:15:48;14 - 01:15:54;28]
So this is a sequence that leads to the second coming of Christ.
[01:15:55;34 - 01:15:59;23]
If you're a believer, you will be delivered from the wrath to come.
[01:16:00;30 - 01:16:09;11]
But now listen, there's something else you got to pay attention to here. It's not only the sequence, it's the scene, the scene.
[01:16:10;16 - 01:16:25;19]
Now Luke recorded this occurrence even more vividly. Look at verse 29 again, "But immediately after the tribulation of those days," that's what we've been talking about, "the sun will be darkened,
[01:16:26;54 - 01:16:33;58]
and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky,
[01:16:35;36 - 01:16:38;22]
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
[01:16:40;31 - 01:16:52;12]
What a scene. Now, Luke in his gospel recorded even more detail for us. I'm going to read it for you, Luke 21, verses 25 through 26.
[01:16:55;02 - 01:17:01;09]
Luke wrote, "There will be signs in sun, moon, and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations.
[01:17:03;21 - 01:17:17;50]
In perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men feigning from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
[01:17:20;25 - 01:17:27;47]
Think of the cosmic disturbances that will take place when the king is presented.
[01:17:29;16 - 01:17:30;35]
The sun will be darkened.
[01:17:32;15 - 01:17:36;18]
The moon will turn blood red, it says, in different parts of the Bible.
[01:17:37;43 - 01:17:39;55]
Meteors will crash through the atmosphere.
[01:17:41;09 - 01:18:11;56]
Earthquakes will rock the world. Volcanoes will belch forth their hot lava and ash. Tidal waves will inundate the coastal cities. The whole earth, the whole earth will shake like a child with a high fever. In Isaiah 13, verse 10, the prophet wrote, "For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light,
[01:18:12;57 - 01:18:34;39]
and the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light." In Joel 2, verse 30 and 31, "I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes."
[01:18:36;29 - 01:18:40;42]
Can you imagine living during that time? Now, I'm going to tell you what I believe.
[01:18:42;26 - 01:18:47;31]
I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. I don't believe we'll be here during the tribulation.
[01:18:48;43 - 01:18:54;12]
Now, I can't be as dogmatic about that as I can the blood atonement of Christ on the cross.
[01:18:55;22 - 01:19:13;26]
There are some who believe in the post-tribulation rapture of the church or some who believe in the mid-tribulation rapture of the church. But I believe that the body of Christ, the church itself, the bride of Christ will be raptured before the tribulation.
[01:19:16;46 - 01:19:18;20]
I want you to listen to me very carefully.
[01:19:20;00 - 01:19:25;31]
"For those who are living on the earth, as God gets ready to present the king,
[01:19:26;48 - 01:19:28;16]
fear will grip their hearts.
[01:19:29;38 - 01:19:36;13]
Every eye, every eye of every person on this planet will be focused on the heaven. CNN will be there.
[01:19:37;21 - 01:19:38;31]
Fox will be there."
[01:19:39;30 - 01:19:43;03]
I don't know if MSNBC will be there or not. I don't know.
[01:19:45;16 - 01:19:54;31]
Listen, there are over 50 biblical references that compel us to be ready for the second coming of Christ.
[01:19:55;45 - 01:19:57;38]
The king is coming. He's coming.
[01:19:59;28 - 01:20:02;24]
Jesus described the future in graphic detail.
[01:20:04;05 - 01:20:08;13]
First, he focused on the presentation of the king right here in verse 29.
[01:20:09;48 - 01:20:15;45]
But then, number two, he focused on the revelation of the Lord Jesus the king,
[01:20:16;53 - 01:20:18;16]
the revelation of the king.
[01:20:19;28 - 01:20:22;40]
To the world today, Jesus is just a great teacher.
[01:20:23;54 - 01:20:25;48]
He's a moral reformer.
[01:20:26;52 - 01:20:29;51]
He's a social justice hero.
[01:20:31;52 - 01:20:38;20]
Kennedy's last encounter with Jesus was 2,000 years ago at a bloodstained cross.
[01:20:42;52 - 01:20:46;13]
And yes, the world scoffs at the idea of his imminent return.
[01:20:47;25 - 01:20:52;06]
One day, all the scoffing will come to an abrupt end.
[01:20:53;21 - 01:20:57;47]
The king of kings and the Lord of lords will come.
[01:20:59;50 - 01:21:02;19]
Now, the king will come visually.
[01:21:04;09 - 01:21:16;31]
Look at this word here in verse 30. "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see." Underline the word "see" in your Bible.
[01:21:17;59 - 01:21:23;33]
That's a Greek word, the word "see," that means to see with perception.
[01:21:24;55 - 01:21:26;10]
To see with perception.
[01:21:27;16 - 01:21:33;36]
"No one will miss either the sight or the significance of the coming of the king."
[01:21:35;25 - 01:21:41;24]
Can you imagine how those who have rejected Jesus Christ will feel at that moment?
[01:21:43;07 - 01:21:46;45]
So the king will come visually. The king will come powerfully.
[01:21:48;42 - 01:21:52;04]
Notice what the Bible says again in verse 30.
[01:21:53;10 - 01:21:57;08]
"They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power."
[01:21:58;24 - 01:21:58;43]
Power.
[01:22:01;41 - 01:22:03;02]
Omnipotent power.
[01:22:04;48 - 01:22:10;11]
"And the world will see the greatest display of power it's ever seen when Jesus comes again."
[01:22:12;28 - 01:22:16;53]
Notice the Bible says the tribes of the earth will mourn.
[01:22:18;22 - 01:22:37;07]
I got to think, what does that mean? The tribes of the earth will mourn. And I believe the nations of the world, the people groups of the world will mourn because their power and their riches and their glory have come to an end.
[01:22:39;07 - 01:22:42;15]
And they will mourn because they have made themselves enemies of the king.
[01:22:43;51 - 01:22:46;07]
The king will come visually.
[01:22:47;52 - 01:22:49;46]
The king will come powerfully.
[01:22:51;43 - 01:22:55;28]
And the king will come gloriously. Notice verse 30 again.
[01:22:58;28 - 01:23:08;04]
"And they will see with perception the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory."
[01:23:09;33 - 01:23:10;19]
Great glory.
[01:23:11;40 - 01:23:12;27]
Picture the scene.
[01:23:14;17 - 01:23:27;13]
"Against the backdrop of the fading luminaries, the splendor of the king's unveiled glory, Shekinah glory will suddenly flood the universe and all of creation.
[01:23:29;02 - 01:23:32;08]
The world as you and I know it will come to an end."
[01:23:33;27 - 01:23:34;32]
I ask you again.
[01:23:36;05 - 01:23:43;09]
I ask you, you got to really search your heart on this. Are you ready for the king's return? Are you ready?
[01:23:46;04 - 01:23:48;04]
I read about a little girl who went to church.
[01:23:49;48 - 01:23:52;44]
And in her Sunday school class, they talked about the Second Coming.
[01:23:55;50 - 01:24:01;37]
And the little girl went home and was eating lunch with her mom, and she asked the mom,
[01:24:02;40 - 01:24:05;02]
"Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come again?"
[01:24:07;17 - 01:24:09;06]
"Yes, dear, I do," said the mom.
[01:24:11;15 - 01:24:13;05]
"Could he come this week, Mom?"
[01:24:14;54 - 01:24:15;30]
"Yes, he could."
[01:24:17;08 - 01:24:18;50]
"Today?" "Yes, he could, dear."
[01:24:20;20 - 01:24:22;00]
"Could he come in the next hour?"
[01:24:23;13 - 01:24:25;16]
"Yes, dear, he could come in the next hour."
[01:24:26;24 - 01:24:27;22]
"In a few minutes?"
[01:24:28;35 - 01:24:31;09]
"Yes, dear, he could come in the next minute."
[01:24:33;11 - 01:24:36;47]
"Mommy, would you comb my hair?"
[01:24:39;04 - 01:24:41;54]
Now, we laugh at that, and we should. It's funny.
[01:24:43;33 - 01:24:49;42]
But that little girl demonstrates a desire to be ready when the king comes,
[01:24:51;49 - 01:24:53;41]
to be acceptable to the king.
[01:24:55;07 - 01:25:02;21]
Let me ask you, if the king were to come in the next few minutes, would you be acceptable to the king?
[01:25:03;31 - 01:25:04;55]
Are you living for him?
[01:25:06;14 - 01:25:08;55]
Do you love him more than you love life itself?
[01:25:11;35 - 01:25:14;47]
Are you seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness?
[01:25:17;23 - 01:25:20;04]
The king is coming.
[01:25:22;40 - 01:25:29;01]
Jesus described that moment for us. I'm so glad that Jesus did this.
[01:25:31;26 - 01:25:36;48]
We've seen the presentation of the king, the revelation of the king. Now, I want you to see the stipulation of the king.
[01:25:38;39 - 01:25:40;44]
In Matthew 24, verse 31,
[01:25:42;33 - 01:25:45;48]
"And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet,
[01:25:47;21 - 01:25:50;52]
and they will gather together his elect from the four winds,
[01:25:51;52 - 01:25:53;56]
from one end of the sky to the other."
[01:25:55;59 - 01:25:57;58]
Hear me now, when the king returns,
[01:25:59;18 - 01:26:19;30]
"He will command his angels to blow a great trumpet and gather every single person who's ever believed in him from all corners of the world, gather them together to be a part of his eternal kingdom and to receive his eternal reward.
[01:26:20;46 - 01:26:23;25]
There will be redemption for those who are saved.
[01:26:25;01 - 01:26:38;04]
Every single believer will be ushered into the presence of the Lord. Not one single believer will be lost. Not one single believer will be left behind, not one single believer.
[01:26:39;26 - 01:26:42;16]
Heaven will be their home forever.
[01:26:44;08 - 01:26:46;59]
It will be a part of the new heavens and new earth.
[01:26:48;22 - 01:27:02;22]
They will serve the Lord and reign with him forever. They will share joy inexpressible and full of glory, and they will experience pleasure from the right hand of God forever, according to the Bible.
[01:27:04;43 - 01:27:10;15]
So there's redemption for those who are saved, and there is retribution for those who are lost.
[01:27:11;52 - 01:27:15;10]
In 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verses 7 through 9,
[01:27:17;18 - 01:27:27;47]
"The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire," dealing out retribution to those who do not know God
[01:27:28;54 - 01:27:33;47]
and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
[01:27:35;01 - 01:27:43;09]
"These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power."
[01:27:45;07 - 01:27:51;28]
Listen, "A failure to place your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord
[01:27:53;10 - 01:27:56;54]
will result in the harshest condemnation imaginable."
[01:27:58;50 - 01:28:03;56]
Hell is a real place, ladies and gentlemen. We make jokes about it.
[01:28:05;32 - 01:28:11;38]
Comics tell jokes about it. But I tell you, hell is a real place.
[01:28:12;56 - 01:28:14;20]
It is a place of torment.
[01:28:15;35 - 01:28:19;55]
It is a place of separation from God and everything that's good.
[01:28:21;18 - 01:28:23;43]
It's a place of painful memories.
[01:28:25;12 - 01:28:29;10]
It's a place of sheer, unadulterated evil.
[01:28:30;57 - 01:28:40;35]
I hope and pray that when you die or when the king comes, you will be ushered into his kingdom,
[01:28:43;10 - 01:28:46;09]
that you will experience redemption and not retribution.
[01:28:49;26 - 01:28:51;05]
There's only two ways to go here, folks.
[01:28:53;00 - 01:28:59;04]
You say, "Pastor, is there not a third rail? Is there not something in between?" No, there's not.
[01:29:01;57 - 01:29:04;49]
Either you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior,
[01:29:06;56 - 01:29:14;27]
and you spend eternity with him in heaven. Jesus told his disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled.
[01:29:15;55 - 01:29:35;13]
You believe in God, believe also in me and my father's house or many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself." You hear that? "I will receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also."
[01:29:38;17 - 01:29:39;33]
What a promise.
[01:29:43;32 - 01:29:48;49]
So let me ask you again, are you ready to meet the king?
[01:29:50;47 - 01:29:54;31]
This little girl, she took it seriously.
[01:29:57;12 - 01:29:58;38]
She wanted to comb her hair.
[01:30:00;13 - 01:30:06;08]
If Jesus came in the next minute, she wanted to be presentable to the king.
[01:30:07;53 - 01:30:13;38]
Oh, how I pray that that's your goal, that's your desire.
[01:30:14;50 - 01:30:19;56]
So I ask you, have you been genuinely saved?
[01:30:21;52 - 01:30:25;15]
So many people, so many people, it breaks my heart.
[01:30:26;29 - 01:30:32;02]
So many people are banking on a salvation that has not produced any change in their lives.
[01:30:34;14 - 01:30:40;15]
Now let me tell you something. It may shock you, but I believe this is very biblical.
[01:30:41;32 - 01:30:43;03]
I believe with all my heart.
[01:30:44;43 - 01:30:56;59]
To truly repent of your sin and place your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord means that you will be changed. You'll be changed. You'll have a new life in Christ.
[01:30:58;07 - 01:31:00;38]
The Bible says that over and over again.
[01:31:02;37 - 01:31:16;15]
So I ask you, have you truly repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord? Hey, don't take any chances with a hope so salvation.
[01:31:18;05 - 01:31:19;43]
You need a no-so salvation.
[01:31:21;43 - 01:31:32;15]
Let me tell you, if the king were to come today, I would go and be with him. Not because I'm a pastor, not because my good works have outweighed my bad works,
[01:31:33;45 - 01:31:38;11]
but because I put my faith and trust in him as a 20-year-old at Mississippi State.
[01:31:39;51 - 01:31:45;58]
I've been following him now for 51 years and I wouldn't have it any other way.
[01:31:48;34 - 01:31:55;28]
So today, if you say, "Pastor, I'm not certain about my salvation."
[01:31:57;24 - 01:31:59;08]
Well, today is a day to get certain.
[01:32:00;24 - 01:32:01;46]
You may not have another day.
[01:32:03;01 - 01:32:08;38]
I encourage you. In just a moment, we're going to sing, "The King is Coming."
[01:32:10;23 - 01:32:19;41]
And I want to invite you to leave your seat, come to one of our staff members and tell them that you want to be as ready as that little girl was ready.
[01:32:21;53 - 01:32:22;38]
We'll help you.
[01:32:25;20 - 01:32:29;50]
But I got another question. As a believer, you say, "Pastor, I'm a believer."
[01:32:31;44 - 01:32:35;48]
Is your commitment to Christ evident in the way you live?
[01:32:37;37 - 01:32:38;10]
Is it?
[01:32:40;46 - 01:32:53;00]
Now, remember, I said in an earlier sermon that every time Jesus talked about the Second Coming, he talked about how it connected with our life right here and right now.
[01:32:55;03 - 01:32:56;41]
See, if you really believe he's coming,
[01:32:58;20 - 01:33:12;34]
if you really believe that he is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, if you really believe that, he died on a cross for your sins and was raised from the dead, then it will impact the way you live your life.
[01:33:15;20 - 01:33:18;29]
Give Christ first place in your life as a believer.
[01:33:20;54 - 01:33:27;08]
Make it your goal to live for his glory and for his pleasure.
[01:33:28;27 - 01:33:29;50]
I have one final question.
[01:33:32;13 - 01:33:44;24]
Have you been genuinely saved? Number two, as a believer, is your commitment to Christ evident in the way you live? And number three, are you actively involved in church?
[01:33:46;21 - 01:33:47;55]
Are you actively involved in church?
[01:33:49;13 - 01:33:50;36]
Now, let's be honest.
[01:33:51;45 - 01:34:07;17]
The church is not perfect. If you're looking for a perfect church, you will spend the rest of your life on a search and seeking mission to find the perfect church, and you'll never find it. There's no such thing as a perfect church.
[01:34:08;54 - 01:34:12;03]
But I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what the Bible says about the church.
[01:34:13;19 - 01:34:15;17]
Jesus said the church is his bride.
[01:34:17;22 - 01:34:23;05]
The church is his bride. He loves the church, and he gave himself up for the church.
[01:34:25;13 - 01:34:30;39]
And I want to invite you, if you've not connected with a local church,
[01:34:31;47 - 01:34:38;56]
whether it be this church or another Bible-believing Christ-honoring church, get involved in church.
[01:34:40;57 - 01:34:53;38]
We need each other's encouragement, like Hebrews chapter 10, verse 23, through 25 says, "As the day draws near," and it's drawing near, drawing near.
[01:34:57;51 - 01:35:02;16]
The King is coming. He's coming.
[01:35:04;29 - 01:35:13;28]
Let me pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for the clarity of this text.
[01:35:14;56 - 01:35:16;33]
I thank you, Lord, you're coming.
[01:35:18;41 - 01:35:21;14]
And I pray, Lord, that every one of us will be ready.
[01:35:23;54 - 01:35:28;43]
Lord, have your way in our hearts. Let us sense the urgency of the moment.
[01:35:33;23 - 01:35:34;32]
Lord, we love you.
[01:35:36;42 - 01:35:40;05]
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
[01:35:42;53 - 01:35:46;37]
Amen. Would you stand and let's sing together, and you come as God leads you.