If we were to undertake a very close study of God’s Word, we might look at the book of Acts, and we might look at the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts, and we might look at that as if it’s the hub of the Bible, because everything before the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts points to the foundation of Christ’s church, and because everything after it points back to the beginning of His church. In a very real sense, that’s true. If Acts, chapter 2, is the hub of the Bible, it also true, then, that there is a central character in the Bible, and that character is Jesus Christ.
Reading the Old Testament, we see that the central theme of those books is the fact that Christ is coming. Everything in the Old Testament either talks of His coming in prophetic terms, or it foreshadows His coming in the revelation of the acts of worship under the Law of Moses.
Christ is coming! What a glorious theme that is! And, indeed, after the closing of the Old Testament books with the book of Malachi, the next four hundred or so years were ones of great anticipation on the part of the Jews. They knew, based upon what they’d read, that the Messiah was coming. And the longer time went on with no further revelation from God, the greater was their anticipation of this major event in the history of the world.
The Gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all have as their theme the fact that Christ is here. The evidence presented by each of these inspired writers bears witness to the fact that the Man named Jesus was indeed the Messiah of prophecy. His sinless life, the miracles He performed, the things that He taught, His sacrifice for our sins, His death, burial and resurrection from the dead—all of these facts fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. Christ is coming…Christ is here.
When we read the first two chapters of the book of Acts, we see the beginning of the church, which Jesus promised to build, in Matthew 16, verse 18. We see how it started on the Day of Pentecost, and we read of how one might become a member of that church of Christ. Reading further in the book of Acts, we discover other things about the church, and we are privileged to witness many conversions to Christ and to His church.
Reading the remainder of the New Testament, we might notice that there’s also a major theme revealed there for us. In all of the instructions given to us by the inspired writers of the many letters to individuals and to churches, there is an underlying fact upon which all of these things are based—Christ is coming again! Throughout these epistles we read exhortations, encouragements, warnings, rebukes and instructions, all of which would be meaningless…without our understanding that Christ IS coming back some day.
The inspired writers are most interested in encouraging Christians to be faithful to Christ and to His revealed faith—His Word. And why should one be faithful? Because…Christ…is…coming…again! Christ is indeed coming again. Jesus is coming back some day. Acts 1, and verse 11, records for us the Words of God’s angels on the day in which Jesus ascended back to the Father. They said that “…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” “…this…same…Jesus…” Jesus Christ, the Messiah, will some day return in the clouds in the same manner in which a cloud received Him so that He was no longer seen by His apostles.
This same Jesus, according to the apostles’ Words on the Day of Pentecost, is at this…very…moment…sitting at the right hand of God, Acts 2, and verse 33 [“Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”]. Regarding that fact, the apostle Peter wrote that Jesus has “…gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him” 1 Peter, chapter 3, verse 22. Jesus, then, is sitting at the right hand of God, and the fact that angels and authorities and powers have been made His subjects indicates to us, and to the world, that this very same Jesus is now ruling and reigning by the authority of the Father.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church, expanded on this when he explained what God did for us in the exercise of His mighty power, “Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His Own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all” Ephesians, chapter 1, verses 20 through 23.
God set this same Jesus at His Own right hand in heaven. He set Him there with the intent that Christ should rule over all principality, all power, all might, all dominion and indeed over everything that exists in the world, and specifically over two distinct things—over “every name that is named” and“over His church.” Christ, then, is now…NOW…ruling over the affairs of men, and He is most especially ruling over His church, that church which was begun on the Day of Pentecost some two thousand years ago.
Paul, in one of his letters to the Corinthian church of Christ, revealed the fact which is denied by so many in the world today. Speaking of the time of the end, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 24, “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” Notice very carefully that Paul said that when the end comes, Jesus will deliver up “the kingdom to God, even the Father.” When we read that Jesus is reigning at the right hand of God, and when we further read that He will deliver up the kingdom at the end, it has to be seen—it must be seen—that Jesus is, even now, reigning over a kingdom.
This is so clear as to be irrefutable. If Jesus, if Christ is to deliver the kingdom over which He reigns to God, the Father, some day, then it must be seen that He must have a kingdom to deliver up! Christ is reigning, even now, and according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 25, “He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet”…and yes…Jesus Christ does have enemies. And if we read further in Paul’s words to the Corinthian church, we find out that there is one last enemy that has to be destroyed—which must be destroyed—by Jesus before He will cease in His reign, and that enemy is death, verse 26 [of 1 Corinthians 15—“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”].
Now, Paul does not leave us in ignorance about the circumstances surrounding the time when death will be defeated and when Jesus will deliver up the kingdom to the Father. If you would read with me his words in 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, beginning in verse 50 [through verse 55], Paul wrote, “50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
When will death be “swallowed up,”or, destroyed, “in victory”? When Christians, before [being] clothed in immortality [when still mortal], will then be changed, having been raised incorruptible, having put on immortality—when the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible, THEN will death be destroyed in victory. Now, Paul tells us in no…uncertain terms…when…that…will…be—“at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound…” When will we hear that last trump, Paul? [Paul answers,] “For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord,” 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 15 through 17.
The trump of God will sound. Death will be swallowed in victory. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself will descend from His heavenly throne. Yes, Jesus is coming back!
The New Testament writers were very specific in their descriptions of what will happen on that day when Christ returns. We’ve already seen several things that will happen on that day. And, let’s read a few other descriptions of the Lord’s return:
Jesus Himself said, “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. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” John 14, verses 2 and 3.
2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verses 7 through 10 gives us a description of the Lord coming and taking vengeance in flaming fire “on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” [“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; 10 When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our Testimony among you was believed) in that day.”].
Luke wrote in Luke, chapter 21, verses 27 and 28, the Words of Jesus: “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
Mark 13, beginning in verse 26 [through verse 27], “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”
We also read where Jesus, when He comes, will divide the sheep from the goats, Matthew, chapter 25, verses 31 through 34 [“When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: 32 And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: 33 And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…” Then again, in verse 41 and 46, Jesus is very clear. He says, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…” [verse 41]. He talks of those who will go into eternal reward, and also those who will go into eternal punishment [“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” [verse 46].
In John, chapter 5, verses 28 and 29, we read some very significant passages of Scripture: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
Then, we read the words of Peter in 2 Peter 3, and verse 10, where he says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
Then, in Revelation, chapter 20, verses 11 through 15, we read a description of the great white throne, and the Judgment Day, and the books that are opened and the Lamb’s book of life, wherein those who will receive that eternal reward may find their names written. [“And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”]
When that trumpet finally sounds, with the voice of the archangel, Christ will make a second appearance to mankind. He will appear in the clouds with power and glory, along with His angels. He will come as a thief in the night, and that doesn’t mean that He will come in secret, as some of the novels that have been put out recently maintain. That means that no one will be able to predict His coming—the time of His coming. It will happen without warning.
All who are in the grave will hear His voice. This is not going to be any secret, quiet appearance of Jesus Christ the second time. All will hear the trump of God. All will hear the voice of the archangel. All will hear the voice of Jesus, the returning Christ. According to the writers of the New Testament, this is the sequence of events that we might look forward to:
The trump will sound. Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout. Those who have died in Christ, who died while still faithful Christians, will rise first from Hades, the hidden realm of the dead.
But these are not the only ones who will rise from the grave; those who did not die in Christ will also be raised at the same time. Remember the Words of Jesus? He said, “For THE hour is coming, in the which ALL that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
“ALL that are in the graves shall come forth,” and there’s a purpose for this, and it’s clear. Those who have done good—those who have died IN Christ—for this is the clear meaning of the term “those who have done good”—those will already have their names recorded in the figurative “book of life.” And they will rise to meet the Lord in the air—those who are dead AND those who remain on the earth. Christ’s elect are those both living and dead who are IN Christ. His elect are those who are IN Christ when He returns, and these will all be gathered together by His angles to meet the Lord in the air, and according to the inspired Words of Scripture, “so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
What a glorious thing to anticipate! We will be raised to meet Him in the clouds, and we will not ever return to this earth again. Well, why not? Because we will be in the air, on the way to heaven, and then in heaven—that’s how we will forever be with the Lord.
Now, let’s note one other important fact that we can gain from these verses. When the angels of Christ go to gather the elect from the four winds [Mark 13:27] and from the uttermost parts of the earth, where will these elect be gathered to? “To the uttermost part of heaven.” We WILL…be…going…to…heaven. Jesus said so. Those who have done good will rise to meet Jesus in the air, separated to His right hand, and will receive the reality of that promise that was made so long ago. Jesus will receive us unto Himself, and we will inherit those mansions of divine promise.
But, what of those who have not done good, but instead, have done evil? On that last day, at the trump of God, the wicked dead will also rise, but their resurrection will be one of judgment. Jesus, the Righteous Judge, will separate them from the righteous, as goats are separated from sheep. And these will be judged according to what they have done in their lives upon the earth. Those books that recorded their evil deeds will condemn them to an eternity of everlasting punishment, separated for all time from God and His saints. And Jesus will give them that most dreaded of commands: “Depart from Me into that eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus will take vengeance upon those evildoers with the condemnation of everlasting fire, and there will be no escape from the wrath of God to those who have not lived in Christ, and toward those who have not died in Christ.
When the fate of men has been sealed, when the righteous go into everlasting life and the wicked into everlasting punishment, then it will have come to pass—then it will have come to pass that Jesus will have delivered up the kingdom to the Father. Once this has happened, then the earth and the very universe itself will meet their fate. Peter wrote that “…the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” [2 Peter 3:10]. The heavens, the entire created universe, will be destroyed. It will pass out of existence, accompanied by a great noise. The elements of this universe, the very substance from which it is made, will melt with a fervent heat. The earth, in particular, and everything that’s in it will be destroyed with divine fire. The universe we now know will no longer exist. It will be destroyed. It will be consumed in fire. Even the very elements of which things are made will pass out of existence. There will be nothing left.
Remember, we said that Jesus will meet us in the clouds, that we will meet Him in the air, and that we will be with Him in heaven forever? Now, there are those who teach that Jesus will return to this earth to set up a literal earthly kingdom. And I would ask this question: Where on the earth is this kingdom going to be set up? Jesus will not set foot upon this earth again. Why not? Because it won’t be here.
There is coming one hour in which the dead will hear His voice and rise from the graves. ALL in the graves will come forth unto ONE resurrection. For the good—eternal life. For the wicked—eternal punishment. That is THE END. One hour, one end, one resurrection, one second coming of Jesus, one time when Jesus will deliver up the kingdom to the Father. There will be no more earth on which to set foot upon to set up a kingdom, because that earth will have been burned up.
After the earth, its works, and the very universe itself will be destroyed, then will begin an eternity of punishment for the wicked. But most importantly, and especially for us, then will begin an eternity of heavenly bliss and reward for those who lived in Christ, and for those who died in Christ. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain; for those things will all have passed away.
It’s this thought that brings us to the point of our lesson this morning. When Peter wrote of the things that will happen to the earth, the universe and all material things, he made a great and momentous, for us, observation. He said, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, (here’s the question) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless”2 Peter 3, verses 11 through 14.
As Christians, we do indeed “look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Now, what is this “new heavens and earth”? Well, what it might be like is not explained. Where will they be? We don’t know. Of what will they be composed? We don’t know that, either. God has not revealed these things to us, but He has revealed that righteousness will be there.
We diligently look forward to this new order of things, whatever that might be. The point for us to observe is this: Since the earth, the heavens, and every element which now exists, is going to be burned up some day, then we need to be looking for and hastening to, or earnestly desiring, that coming day of God in which Jesus will come again.
Since we so fervently desire to some day obtain that eternal heavenly reward, since we are so earnestly looking forward to the day when Christ returns to take us home, the question is this: What…kind…of people…should…we be? How should we be living our lives on the earth, while we wait for Jesus to return? As Peter said, “Beloved, seeing that you are so earnestly looking for these things to come to pass, be diligent that you might be found by God in that day to be dwelling in His peace, without being spotted by sin, and being blameless in God’s sight.” [“…beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless”2 Peter 3:14].
Paul knew that his way of life had assured his obtaining of the crown of righteousness, the symbolic crown of glory that’s figurative of the reward of eternal life. Now, how did Paul do that? Well, he fought a good fight; he finished his course; he kept the faith. Paul said that Jesus, on that day in which Jesus will come again, will give him that eternal reward and that Jesus will also give that eternal reward to them that love His appearing. That eternal reward—that crown of righteousness—is only going to be given to those who love…His…appearing, those who are looking forward diligently, with joy, to the day in which Christ returns to take us to our eternal reward in heaven. [2 Timothy 4:6-8: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”]
Now, the question for each of you—and I include myself in this—is: Do you love His appearing? Are you living your life in such a way that you are demonstrating your love and your joy and your anticipation of Christ’s return?
And one other question must be asked, and this might seem like a silly question, but: Is Jesus real to you? Is He REAL to you? Jesus Christ is a real person. He came to this earth; He died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary; He died for our sins; He was buried; and He did indeed rise from the grave to become “the firstfruits of those who sleep” [1 Corinthians 15:20: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”]. Those…things…really…happened! They are a matter of historical fact. They are REAL historical events.
Let’s observe this morning that, just as Jesus came, died, was buried and was resurrected from the dead, He will be coming again. He IS…coming…back! Is the second coming of Christ real to you? Have you taken it into your thoughts? Have you made it real in your mind? That’s very important. One of the saddest things to observe in this world is a Christian who is living his or her life as if they DO NOT fully believe in the fact of the second coming of Jesus. How else can we explain the actions of those Christians who fall back into lives of sin, who do things contrary to the Word of God, knowing that doing those things is putting them in danger of eternal punishment, yet doing those things in spite of it?
Do you believe that Jesus came to the earth in fulfillment of prophecy? Do you believe that He died for our sins? Do you believe that He was buried? Do you believe that He rose from the grave? Do you believe that He ascended to the Father and is now ruling and reigning at the right hand of God on high? Then why…don’t…you…believe…that…He’s coming again?
Jesus is coming back! His second coming is going to be one in which He will appear as a thief in the night. There will be no warning given, but the sound of the trump of God. And notice that this trump is called the “LAST trump.” This is not a warning call. This is not a wake-up call, in which you can hit the snooze button and ignore it for a while. It’s not some little warning saying, “Okay. All you Christians, who are living lives of sin, and all you other sinners out there, ah, here’s your wake-up call. Jesus is getting ready to come back, you know. We’ll give you about five minutes to repent, to confess your sins, to find somebody who might baptize you into Christ before He comes back. Hurry up! He’s going to be here in a few minutes!” The “last trump” will be just that—THE…LAST…TRUMP! For when it sounds, there will be no more chances for man to come to Christ. There will be no more chances for those who are living sinful lives to repent and return to the Lord. That…will…be…it! The last trump; the voice of the archangel; all will hear His voice, and THAT…WILL…BE…THAT!!
Consider this, if you will. Put yourself in this place: Imagine you’re doing things as you’ve always done. You get up; you go to work; perhaps, if you’re young enough, you go to school. Maybe you have some other things that you’re doing during your daily routine—your daily life. It’s a day like any other day. Perhaps it’s a beautiful day outside. Could be raining; could be snowing. And in the midst of all of your daily regular activities, you…hear…a…sound, a mighty, all-pervasive sound. It’s the sound of a mighty trumpet—a sound unlike any sound you’ve ever heard before. As the sound of its might fades away, there’s another sound. It’s a voice! It’s a mighty voice. And suddenly, you realize that its source is heavenly. It’s the sound of the voice of God’s archangel. Your heart leaps up into your throat!
“The trump of God! The voice of the archangel! Christ is coming back! Today is the day! This day! This hour! This minute! This second! The day of the Lord! It’s true! Christ is coming to judge the world and to take His children home.”
But…you’ve been living your life as if there was plenty of time until Christ came back. Every time you were tempted by the lusts of the world, you put the return of Jesus out of your mind. Given the choice between doing sinful things and restraining yourself from doing those things, you threw a figurative “blanket” over the fact that Jesus is coming back. Now, He has returned, and you…you never got around to repenting of those sins. You never got around to asking for God’s forgiveness. You never got around to giving up completely your old way of life. You never got around to ensuring that you were IN Christ.
And now, the realization hits home: “Jesus doesn’t view me as being in Christ. I’m not a child of God. I’m not one of His sheep. Tragedy of all tragedies, I’m being gathered together by His angels along with all of the other goats of the world! And now, I will have to hear my name and my deeds called out. And I am going to be condemned to an eternity of punishment, separated from God and the saints.”
The tragedy of that is very clear. If you’re a Christian, if you’ve obeyed the Gospel of Christ, then you have a golden opportunity to ensure that you will some day truly receive that eternal reward. If you are a Christian who’s enjoying the fruits of sinful living, then you are indeed staring, right now, into the danger of eternal punishment when Jesus comes again.
Allow me to plead with you this morning. Now, I know for certain that there is every possibility that I will not get to the end of this morning’s lesson. That’s true. It is indeed possible that Jesus will return before this lesson has been concluded. In fact, I want you all to understand something—that this possibility is what underlies the message of every…single…Word recorded in the New Testament for our benefit. It’s God’s desire that each of us live our lives in the knowledge that Jesus may return in the very next moment. Yes, it’s true that He may not return for a long, long time. But it’s also true that there may not be very much time left. Every time we give in to the temptation to commit sin, we are gambling with God. We’ve become, perhaps, the biggest of the “high rollers” under heaven. Shall we gamble with our eternal destiny? Shall we gamble that Jesus does not come in the next few moments, while we are committing sin in the eyes of God?
Let’s close this lesson this morning by reiterating what Paul wrote in Romans 13, verses 11 through 14. He says, “Now it is high time for us to awake out of sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” [“…now it is high time to awake out of sleep:for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”]
Each day we live, each moment of life, brings us one step closer to the day that Jesus will return. The time of salvation, the moment of our eternal reward, is indeed nearer than when we first believed, isn’t it? The day of the Lord, in our thoughts, should always be “at hand.” So, let us, then, cast off the blankets and bed clothes of sin, the works of darkness. It is indeed “high time” for us to wake from sleep.
We cannot afford to put the second coming of Jesus out of our minds for one…single…instant. Let’s “walk honestly,” understanding that the Lord will come again some day—not living lives of sin and denying that fact, but living lives of righteousness, keeping that thought firmly implanted in our minds.
Will Jesus come back in our lifetime? We have no way of knowing. Will He return in our children’s lifetimes, or their children’s lifetimes? We just cannot know, but we can know that He very well could come in the very next instant of time, and we MUST be ready for that return.
If you are a Christian who has put the second coming of Jesus out of your thoughts because of your desire to live a worldly life, we appeal to you this morning to come back to your first love. We love you, and we want you to be with us in heaven on that day in which the Lord comes again to take His elect to their heavenly homes. We appeal to you to make your life right with God and come back to Him before it’s everlastingly too late.
If you’re with us this morning, and you have not yet made the decision to become a Christian, we also appeal to you. The Roman ruler, Felix, after hearing Paul’s preaching concerning righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, sent Paul away, telling him that he would hear more of his words when he had “a more convenient season” Acts 24:25 [“And as he [Paul] reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”]. If you are not a Christian today, please understand that if you, too, are waiting for a “more convenient time” to come to Christ, you have absolutely no guarantee that God will wait for you to have that “more convenient time.” If you are not a Christian, we plead with you this morning to leave your life of sin. We appeal to you not to gamble anymore with your eternal soul. If Christ returns before you take the steps that are necessary to become a Christian, then you will not have another chance. For you, also, the time is at hand. The Lord may come back before you have the time to act on the desire to be saved from your sins. If you would become a Christian this day, we pray that you would repent of your sins, that you would ask Him for forgiveness, and that you would come and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.
Whatever your need might be this morning, if you’re subject to the invitation of our Lord and Savior, we ask you come right now, while we stand and sing.