His Appearing

[0:00] I trust I'm speaking to those who love His appearing.

[0:16] From 11 through 14, it says, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

[1:10] Maranatha, the Lord is coming. We're closing in on an event that is so stupendous that it will stop time and it will beckon us into eternity.

[1:23] The coming of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. The big event of our Saviour's return to planet Earth. It's our hope as believers and it's the damnation of those who are lost.

[1:41] His appearing is the blessed hope of the church. The believers show hope. And as God's people, we've got a tremendous certainty about this hope of deliverance from this present evil world.

[1:56] In Galatians 1, verse 4 it says, Who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father.

[2:10] There's a glorious hope of deliverance from judgment to come. As we read in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 10, where it says, And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

[2:29] We have an assurance of God saving us from destruction, from death, the deliverance from wrath, from His judgment.

[2:40] It's been venced at the cross for us that believe. There's a wonderful peace and assurance of complete certainty of our salvation.

[2:51] 1 John 3, verses 2 to 3, we see the promises of God. In 1 John 3, it says, Beloved, now are we the sons of God.

[3:03] And it doth 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.

[3:20] And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. We can have this blessed hope in us. We can know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him.

[3:35] Every one of us that hath this hope in Him, this blessed hope, it's ever closer, ever closer. And the signs are abounding all about us.

[3:46] We see the signs of His soon coming. It's ever closer. As we see the world we're living in. The church scene. Days of apostasy. We're seeing perils.

[3:58] We're seeing persecution, as was talked about. Of wars. Of terrible times. Of the last days. Where we see men as lovers of pleasure. And oftentimes sinful pleasure, more than lovers of God.

[4:12] These are signs for us. Signs for you, believer. That we can lift up our heads. Our redemption draweth nigh. Times when they will turn away their ears from the truth and be turned to fables.

[4:26] Times where there will be disobedience to parents. A breakdown of home. Of moral standards. An abounding of people unthankful.

[4:37] Unholy. How commonplace it is now. When you scarcely get a word of thanks at the shop. If you give them something. To buy a product. It's almost exceptional service.

[4:48] When someone would say thank you. I was blown away when someone said sir to me at the shops recently. I thought it must be my grey hair. I'm starting to look a bit more worthy of being called a sir.

[4:59] But it's an unthankful world, isn't it? An unholy world. A people having a form of godliness and yet denying the power thereof.

[5:10] We see Israel in constant turmoil and the world in financial meltdown and crisis. Unrest on many fronts. The signs are abounding, brothers and sisters, of the coming of our Saviour.

[5:25] It's coming closer. And all the while there's a kind of hypnosis going on. I know just earlier we were watching something that was exposing Hollywood and was referring to the subtle way that a TV screen acts somewhat like a hypnotist as far as how it numbs people and switches people into this mindless receptive state.

[5:54] And who knows what we're getting fed through the TV tube half the time. Even through Hollywood superheroes and the kind of movie world that people live in as if real life is more of a reality TV show or something like that.

[6:13] And there is an end time storm approaching and many people are lulled into a sense of euphoria or of ignorance that abounds today.

[6:24] Yet this storm that is coming is almost upon us. I would tender that we could see the likelihood that even some that are here today might see that very event of our Lord's return as much as we're not setting dates.

[6:42] But we know that given such a world state, there's many in our world today, they're asking, is there any hope? Is there any hope? If such things are coming upon us, is there any hope for us?

[6:57] And we that know the Saviour, who know our great God and Saviour, know there is enormous hope. Enormous hope.

[7:07] Eternal, everlasting, living hope. And we can face the future with optimism. Even though we might see the world shaking under our feet, we know that we have a certainty of a Saviour who is coming for us to take us unto himself.

[7:26] Of a promise that he says that, I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to receive you unto myself.

[7:37] There's a wonderful optimism, a wonderful certainty that we can face the future with. Because his appearing will be for us a time of reward, a time of rejoicing.

[7:51] And as we read in 2 Timothy 4 verse 8, Paul writes to Timothy and says of his soon home going, and he says, And henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day.

[8:09] And not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing. Unto all them that love his appearing, they will be a wonderful welcome.

[8:21] And there's many prophecies through the word of God that encourage our hearts of this blessed hope, this blessed, assured, joyful certainty of our Lord's return.

[8:34] In both the Old and the New Testaments, we see many prophecies that our Lord will come and return, not just as the lowly king on a donkey, as it were, but as the all-conquering, victorious, rightful heir and ruler of planet Earth.

[8:54] And in the Old Testament, we see there's some 1,845 references to the Second Coming. There's 17 Old Testament books that speak of the Lord's return prominently.

[9:11] In the 260 chapters of our New Testaments, there's 318 references to his Second Coming. One out of 30 verses speak of the Lord Jesus coming again.

[9:26] 23 out of the 27 New Testament books refer to it over and over again and again. It could be that we are the generation that are privileged to see his return.

[9:41] As the Bible says, perilous times will come. Yet our Lord says to you, be not afraid. See that you be not afraid.

[9:52] Even in times of lots of concerns, which is commonplace. You know, the media reports it's commonplace. It's generally all bad news, isn't it?

[10:04] But we know that we can take courage. For us, the Second Coming, it's not a time for fearfulness or trepidation, but it is a source of hope, of blessed hope.

[10:16] And that word blessed, it means joyful. It means it's a joyous occasion. It's something we can prepare for with a glad heart. And could it be today?

[10:28] That even as that thought could be today, could be the day. We're quickly approaching the day. The day when the Lord Jesus will return for his people.

[10:41] And it should motivate us to be prepared. To be prepared for his coming. It should motivate us. An old-time preacher said this. He said, I have felt like working three times as hard since I came to understand that my Lord is coming again.

[10:59] It should motivate us to be a people watching, working, ready. 1 Thessalonians 4.16, those familiar passages of the Lord's coming for his church in the air.

[11:13] It says, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trunk of God.

[11:26] 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.

[11:44] And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. There's comfort there. There's comfort in the scriptures.

[11:55] There's encouragement. There is great consolation in the word of God that we can be comforted by these words. In verse 17 it says, We've got to be caught up, snatched up, taken up.

[12:10] When our Lord comes, he's going to catch away his people to that home with him. He's going to come with the clouds.

[12:21] He's going to come and he's going to shout. And the archangel will lift his voice and there will be the blast of the trumpet. There will be a shout.

[12:32] And this sense of shout is like a military command. I know some, while back now, and I've referred to it sometimes as if it's some great event, but it was only a few months really, that I was in the Army Reserves.

[12:47] And I kind of liked the way the Army Reserves operated. It was an interesting experience. And as much as they punished us, it helped us to get stronger and fitter and disciplined.

[13:01] And I could see the corporals and the sergeants bellowing orders. And I kind of aspired to that kind of thing, but I thought, no, I couldn't get that shouting at people like that.

[13:12] I couldn't handle that. But the officers and the non-commissioned officers, they had to shout as a command, as an authority that they would give to the men that would follow them.

[13:25] Because in the heat of battle, they had to instantly obey. And think of that shout of our Lord as the King of kings, as the commander-in-chief of the host of heaven, of the armies of God, that He has got absolute authority.

[13:46] And that will be a shout that will be resounding throughout the world. A military command as He commands His hosts to assemble, as it were, in the very domain of the enemy, as someone has referred to it.

[14:03] Ephesians 6, verse 12, as we see, that's the domain of the enemy, as it were, in the air. He's going to come for His bride, for His ransom, for His redeem, and He'll invade the devil's very territory, as it were.

[14:17] And He'll stop there and call His bride to come up and meet Him in the air. And there's a day promised in John 5, 25, a day when the death will hear His voice.

[14:28] That voice, that shout, that sound, that authority will be so absolute that the very death will hear that voice. There will be a trumpet sound. And in times of old, the trumpet was used as an announcing of significant events, of significant meetings, of feasts, through the Old Testament, of sacred assemblies.

[14:51] It was also used as a sound of alarm in a time of war. The trumpet was to notify the people to break camp and move. Think of the trumpet, the sound of the trumpet.

[15:05] We'll hear the trump of God and it'll be time to break camp, as it were, on this planet and to move camp, to pull up stakes and to move to that heavenly presence of our Lord and God.

[15:20] And these end time events will be an extraordinary assembly, a signal of our deliverance, a call to move out and a calling of his people to gather, to fall in, as it were, as an army and to prepare to move out.

[15:42] Who will get to go when these events happen? When the shout, when the voice, when the trump, when the call is heard, two groups will be called, the dead in Christ and we which are alive and remain.

[16:06] All believers, those who are saved by the grace of God, we will be caught up together with them in the clouds, with our loved ones who have gone ahead to sleep, they will be awakened and we will meet the Lord in the air.

[16:25] The day of our rapture will also be the day of our reunion when we will meet those, our loved ones who have gone ahead of us, loved ones, spouses, children, parents and loved ones who know the Saviour will meet again in the clouds above this earth.

[16:42] There will be no sadness, no fear, there will be a confidence, an assurance, a receptive welcome, a hug as it were from our Lord.

[16:53] I can imagine that there will be a wonderful reuniting. There will be no sin, no sickness, no sorrow, no disease, no death, no weakness, no pain.

[17:04] Revelation 21 verse 4 we will meet the Lord and we will be changed, we will be changed, the dead will be changed and we will be changed. We will have a brand new body that won't have any of those aches and pains anymore and everybody said we will be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye.

[17:26] On that glorious day we will look on our Lord who died for us on the cross. We will see that one, our blessed Saviour who endured countless sufferings to save us who conquered death, hell and the grave and still is that one.

[17:42] In spite of our sins he receives we that are unworthy yet call upon him and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

[17:52] Can you imagine? Can you imagine? We can't. I have not seen nor have the ear heard nor have it entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.

[18:04] Imagine, we can't. Imagine what it would be like to see his face, to hear his voice, to know his touch, to be with the Lord, to bow at his feet in thankfulness, comfort one another with these words.

[18:22] We can know that great assurance, that great hope, that great comfort, that great encouragement. Maranatha, the Lord is coming. He's promised it.

[18:34] He's promised to come and we can comfort our hearts to know that and this joy will overcome all life's sorrows. 1 Peter 1 verse 7 it says, even as we prayed for the persecuted church, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

[19:06] The appearing of Jesus Christ. It's an event that's in God's calendar. We don't know when but we know it's closer every day and God is long-suffering towards us.

[19:19] He's long-suffering to planet Earth. He's still, as it were, waiting till those that will trust Him will enter in. Just as in Noah's day.

[19:30] How long did He wait? 120 years as it was in the days of Noah. He's still waiting and we, likewise, are waiting for His coming. We don't know when but we know we must be ready.

[19:43] We must be ready. Keep watch! Be watchful. Be watching. Pay attention. Stay alert. As it were, as a century on duty.

[19:54] We must not falter or slacken. We must be awake. Be ready. When Christ manifests His presence, when He reveals Himself, what an incentive that is to us to be a prepared people, to be encouraged to holy living, that thought that the glorified Son of God could enter the universe, could enter the atmosphere, as it were, at any moment, and that He could leave the glories of the Father's throne and enter in to planet Earth to take and call His church again unto Himself, to be with Him forever.

[20:39] we ought to be awaiting that time, awaiting that coming. Here's a poem to reflect the thought, I am waiting.

[20:53] I am waiting for the dawning of the bright and blessed day, when the darks and night of sorrow shall have vanished far away, when forever with the Saviour far beyond this veil of tears, I shall swell that song of worship through the everlasting years.

[21:15] I am looking at the brightness, seeing it shineth from afar, of the clear and joyous beaming, of the bright and morning star.

[21:27] Through the dark grey mist of morning do I see its glorious light, then away with every shadow of this sad and weary night.

[21:39] I am waiting for the coming of the Lord who died for me. Oh, his words have thrilled my spirit. I will come again for thee.

[21:50] I can almost hear his footfall on the threshold of the door, and my heart, my heart is longing to be his forevermore.

[22:02] I am waiting. I am waiting. Friends, we ought to be waiting, watching, waiting, working, wakeful, ready.

[22:13] And of course the absolute and only way to be ready is to know him, to be saved. And friends, I urge each one to consider that absolute critical need, that you know him, that you know him, that you know him.

[22:34] And we can only know him by the virtue of his act of dying in our place, that gift of eternal life that he freely extends.

[22:52] And friends, we can only call out for his mercy to receive. Friends, I trust you know him. And friends, the return of our Lord, as believers, it should prompt us to action, to consider our values, our priorities, our lifestyle, to be alert to that great hope that is just around the corner, that comfort in sorrow, that sure purpose that it should prompt us to be a people prepared.

[23:26] dear Christian, the Lord's coming is near, and we ought to consider the reality that it could be perhaps today, perhaps today.

[23:40] Now there was a time when I was so gripped with the thought of perhaps today, that I knew a backsliding couple, and I was prompted to visit them.

[23:54] It was kind of an odd time to call, but in earnestness I visited them to urge them to trust Christ, because friends we don't know how long we have, we don't know how long we have, and we need to make the most of every moment, and live as though it might be today.

[24:15] Is our heart right? Are you ready to meet him? Someone once said, the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. Don't follow your heart, it's deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?

[24:32] The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. Thankfully, we know a wonderful heart doctor who can take a heart that is hard and not tender towards God and transforms it into a heart living, alive, renewed, filled with him, changed.

[25:00] And he can still perform that wonderful heart operation today. Just call on the name of the Lord and thou shalt be saved. He can take that heart of sin, of hardness, and make it a heart tender and softened and receptive to his call.

[25:22] And Revelation 22, it says, He which testifies these things saith, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

[25:39] Amen. Let us pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.