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.