Sermon Transcript

0:00:14.0

I want to invite you to go back in your mind’s eye 2000 years ago.  Imagine that you’re in the city of Jerusalem, actually just outside the ancient holy city.  You’re standing on a mountainous area known as the Mount of Olives.  And you’re standing there with Jesus and His disciples.  It’s about 40 days after His resurrection.  You’ve been hearing that He was raised from the dead and has appeared in many places.  We refer to those as the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, and there were many of them.  Not just to a person here or a person there.  There was one time up to 500 people that say Him, the scripture says.  The last post-resurrection appearance of Jesus actually happened just prior to what we know as His ascension, when He ascended back to the Father.  You’re there with the disciples, imagine.  And the disciples have one more question as they're standing there with Jesus.  They asked Him, “Lord, is this the time You’re going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  You see, several days earlier at the beginning or maybe the midpoint of holy week, three or four of the disciples stood with Jesus right there in that same spot on the Mount of Olives.  And they were asking Him questions about the end of the age and, you know, prophecy questions.  And He delivered His Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24 and 25.  But they still had some lingering questions.  “Is this the time?  Now that You’ve risen from the dead, is this time You’re gonna restore the kingdom to Israel?”  And you know what Jesus said to them?  And I’m paraphrasing here, but you can read about it in Acts 1.  He said, “Guys, don’t bother yourself with that right now.”  “It’s not for you to know the times and the seasons that the Father has appointed by His authority,” I think are the exact words in your Bible.  In other words, there are some things that will remain a mystery.  And then Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “In the meantime, while the Father is taking care of this, all right…you just let Him do that.  In the meantime, you shall be My witnesses.  I want you to wait right here in Jerusalem.  Wait for the coming Holy Spirit.  And when He comes, then you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.”  And then something else happened.  Acts 1 tells us that a cloud formed around Jesus, and it lifted Him into the sky.  We know this as His ascension.  And as He ascended into heaven, the Bible says two men stood by them, that is the disciples, in white robes, probably angels, heavenly visitors.  And they said these words to the disciples.  “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?”  Can you just see them with their jaws dropped to the ground?  Where did He go?  Where did He go?  “This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”  This is just one of many, many places in the Bible, both Old and New Testament, that predict what we call the second coming of Jesus Christ.  The second coming of Jesus Christ, His glorious appearing, is the most anticipated event in Bible prophecy.  Can I say that again?  It is the most anticipated event in Bible prophecy, certainly from the standpoint of the Church.  From this moment in Acts 1 moving forward, the most anticipated event in Bible prophecy.  Yes, even more anticipated than the rapture of the Church.  Because with the rapture, He comes for us and in the twinkling of an eye we’re gone.  But at His second coming we come with Him.  When He came the first time, He came as a servant, as a sacrifice for our sins, and as our Savior.  The second time He comes will be as a warrior, a judge, and a king.

0:04:29.8

And the second coming of Jesus Christ is the most talked-about, the most predicted, the most anticipated event in Bible prophecy.  And quite frankly, when it comes to a study of the book of Revelation, everything leading up to chapter 19, which gives us the most detailed description of the second coming of Jesus Christ, everything up to that point is prelude.  Because the main character of the book of Revelation is Jesus, and the main event that we’re all waiting for and anticipating and saying, “Even so, come,” it’s the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  So we have come to Revelation 19.  And this is such an important event that even the apostle Paul in Titus 2:13 says, “Waiting for our,”—listen to this—“our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”  The apostle Paul called the second coming of Jesus Christ the blessed hope of the Church above any other event in Bible prophecy.  There’s no other event that captures the idea of a blessed hope more than the second coming of Jesus Christ.  Somebody once said man can live about 40 days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only about one second without hope.  And we live in a fallen, sinful world that sometimes can plunge us into despair.  The hope for the Church of Jesus Christ, the blessed hope of the Church, is that Jesus is coming again.  And we need to talk about that and detail that in the book of Revelation.  Again, everything leading up to Revelation 19 is prelude.  And even leading up to verses 11 through 16, which is the most detailed description of the second coming of Jesus Christ found anywhere in the Bible—although it’s detailed in many, many places, but this one being the most detailed description—the verses leading up to verse 11 are prelude.  And that prelude highlights a couple of things for us.

0:06:44.2

First of all, there’s a great cause for celebration in heaven, beginning in verses 1 through 5.  Let me read them for us.  Revelation 19 beginning in verse 1 John says, “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah!  Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’  Once more they cried out, ‘Hallelujah!’”  Say that word with me.  “‘Hallelujah!  The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.’  And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen.”  Here is it again.  Say it with me.  “‘Hallelujah!’  And from the throne came a voice saying, ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.’”  A cause for a great celebration going on in heaven.  John sees it.  He writes it down for us.  I just read it for you.  And if I were to go on and read verse 6, we would have read four separate times that the word “hallelujah” is sung.  It means “praise the Lord”.  It’s the only time in the New Testament that the word “hallelujah” appears, and it appears four times in the first six verses of Revelation 19.  Why?  Because there is a cause for a great celebration in heaven.  They are celebrating, first of all, the vindication of God’s righteousness and holiness.  Because there are references in those verses I just read to the beast and the false prophet and the evil world system that they have developed, that all of that has gone up in smoke.  Babylon the great has been destroyed.  And you say, “Well, how can heaven, how can Christians rejoice when human beings are destroyed on earth?”  Listen, friends, we’re living in that time known as the age of grace, the age of the Church.  And this is a gracious time where God is gracious to us.  The rain falls on the just and the unjust.  But there is coming a day.  There is coming a day, the great and terrible day of the Lord, the scripture says, when God will change His disposition toward us on this earth.  And you can be rescued from that through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And the Church as I understand, is translated from this earth, raptured out of this earth.  And then all hell breaks out on this earth for seven years, culminating in the return of Jesus Christ to vindicate the righteousness and the holiness and the justice of God, who has been patient and long-suffering ever since man fell in the Garden of Eden.  There’s also great cause for celebration because of the anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ.  Now, nobody knows the day or the hour of the return of Christ.  Jesus made that clear.  Only the Father knows.  It’s a closely held secret, and there is no leakage in heaven.  There are no loose lips in heaven, because only the Father knows the day or the hour.  Not even Jesus knows.  The angels don’t know.  Some Bible teacher that you’re listening to right now or some other place doesn't even know.  And if he does suggest or she suggests that she does know, it’s a false prophet.  I’ll just say it.  Because Jesus says nobody knows the day or the hour.  So don’t waste your time with calculations and all that kind of garbage.  But there is great cause for celebration, not only because of the vindication of the righteousness and holiness and justice of God, but also because of the anticipation of the coming of Jesus.

0:10:37.8

The second thing that we see in these opening verses is a reminder of the significance of marriage.  Let’s read on in verse 6.  “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,”—here it is again.  Say it with me—“‘Hallelujah!  For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,’”—now, listen to this—“‘for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.”  What in the world does marriage have to do with the second coming of Jesus Christ?  Well, friends, the meaning of marriage is far deeper and more significant than our culture understands.  And the meaning and significance of marriage is far deeper, quite frankly, than what most Christians understand.  You see, God created marriage.  He created it all the way back in the Garden of Eden.  And because God created marriage, He alone defines it.  And He alone uses it as a picture all throughout the Bible of a spiritual reality.  You see, your marriage and my marriage has a much deeper meaning than just our personal pleasure.  And the sooner we understand that, the quicker we will quit messing with marriage.  I lived in Texas for a number of years, 20 to be exact.  My wife grew up in Texas.  Our kids were born in Houston, Texas.  You drive the freeways in Texas you’ll see signs that say “Don’t mess with Texas”. All right?  It’s kind of an anti-littering thing, but it’s a great phrase.  “Don’t mess with Texas.”  Well, let me tell you something.  Don’t mess with marriage.  Don’t mess with marriage.  God created it.  God defines it.  And it has a much more significant and deeper meaning than any of us really think about or understand, starting with the fact that the Church in the New Testament is called the bride of Christ.  We sang about it a few minutes ago.  “Like a bride waiting for her groom, we’re the Church ready for You.”  Do you know that Jesus is like a heavenly groom who is coming back to marry His bride.  Don’t mess with marriage.  There is a spiritual significance to it and a deep spiritual meaning to it that goes way beyond just the human interaction.  And your marriage and my marriage is a picture of this reality.  Now, the devil knows the Bible better than most Christians do, and he knows that the marriage of the Lamb and the marriage supper of the Lamb is happening just prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ.  Don’t think for one moment that the devil doesn't want to mess with marriage in our culture.  To mess up our understanding of it and to play around with the deep significance and meaning of it.  That’s exactly what he’s doing.  This is a spiritual battle in our culture.  See beyond what you can see with the human eyes and see beyond the veil and see the spiritual battle that’s going on right at the marriage altar in our culture today.

0:14:31.9

What’s all this business about the marriage of the Lamb?  John mentions it in verse 7.  “For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”  Well, we need to understand ancient wedding customs as the disciples and people in the 1^st century did.  Those wedding customs are little bit different than our customs today.  But there were three stages to an ancient wedding.  The first was when the parents of the bride and groom arranged the marriage.  I know we don’t have arranged marriages in our culture, but they did back then and for their own reason and perhaps good reasons.  But they arranged the wedding, sometimes at birth.  And when the time came for the wedding, the parents of the groom paid a dowry to the parents of the bride.  Now, I was thinking about that the other day.  I have a daughter.  And I wouldn’t mind getting a little “ching ching” when wedding time comes.  That would be all right.  It’d help me pay for the wedding, right?  Well, that’s the way they did it back then.  They arranged the marriage, and it put the bride and groom in what’s called the betrothal period.  It was more legal than an engagement.  There was no sexual relations during the betrothal.  And during that time and up to a year, the groom would actually go back to where he grew up, to his father’s house. And he’d build on some rooms.  He’d engage in a construction project because that’s where he and his new bride were going live in their father’s house.  You know, today we say, “Oh no, no boomerangs.  All right?  You go make it on your own out there.”  But back in this time, he’d go back.  He’d build these rooms.  And the bride and her bride attendants knew that at some time in the future, maybe up to a year later, the groom and his groomsmen would come back to get his bride.  It would always happen at a midnight hour.  And they would come back.  It was called the midnight torch parade.  They would come back to where the bride was.  They’d have their torches.  The groom was coming back to get her bride to take her back to her father’s house.  And they’d have the wedding celebration.  And then the third stage was the wedding supper that followed.

0:16:55.6

That’s the picture Jesus has in mind here.  This is the wedding of the Lamb, the wedding supper of the Lamb.  It’s the same imagery Jesus had in mind on the night before He was crucified when He’s in the upper room with His disciples.  And He says to them, “Let not your heart be troubled, guys.  You believe in God.  Believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions.”  He’s talking like a heavenly groom.  “In my Father’s house are many mansions.  I go to prepare a place for you.”  Yeah, the little boy who grew up in a carpenter’s house went back to his Father’s house.  And he’s adding rooms onto his Father’s house.  “I go to prepare a place for you, and my Father’s house has many rooms.  I go there to prepare a place so that where I am there you may be also.  Because one day I’m coming back to get you,” He says.  Again, don’t mess with marriage.  Marriage is God’s idea, and it has a deeper spiritual significance than any of us could possibly imagine.  And it shouldn’t surprise us that as we come to the end of the age, to Revelation 19, just prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ, marriage is at the center of this.  The spiritual picture that it is.

0:18:10.9

Hold your place in Revelation 19 and go with me to Ephesians 5 real quickly.  Real quickly, because we’re gonna have to hustle today.  One of the most detailed sections of scripture in the New Testament that talks about your marriage and my marriage, husbands and wives, and how we make this thing called marriage work is found in Ephesians 5.  And sometimes you wonder.  Is Paul talking about a real marriage between a husband and wife, or is he talking about this mystery, this mystery about the bride of Christ and the Church?  Listen.  He says in verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy (0:19:00.0) and without blemish.  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.”  He’s talking about real husbands, real wives.  And then he says, “Just as Christ does the church.”  He can’t get very far away from the spiritual reality of marriage even as he is instructing husbands and wives.  “Husbands, love your wives, and, wives, respect our husbands.  Do all of this as Christ loved the Church and as a picture of that.”  Don’t mess with marriage.  Don’t mess with marriage.

0:19:37.4

He goes on to quote from Genesis.  Verse 34, “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’”  By the way, God’s definition of marriage if one man with one woman who become one flesh for one lifetime.  (0:20:00.0) Verse 32.  “This mystery is profound.”  Do you know your marriage is a mystery?  Yeah, look at your spouse and say, “You’re a mystery to me.”  All right.  You can have that moment.  Paul is talking about a spiritual reality here.  Marriage is a mystery.  It’s a mystery you don’t mess with because it pictures a bride called the Church that’s waiting for her groom to return from his Father’s house to take us back with him.  I’ll just say it again.  Don’t mess with marriage.

0:20:45.4

John goes on in Revelation 19:9.  “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’  And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”  Well, the bride…I mean, who are the invited guests?  Every wedding has invited guests.  The invited guests in verse 9, that’s not the Church.  That’s not the bride of Christ.  But the bride and the groom, they have some invited guests.  Most scholars believe this also includes Israel, converted Israel.  Saints also who come to faith in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period.  And this is also the time when the Old Testament saints are resurrected.  In my book Mysteries of the Afterlife I talk about the seven resurrections of the dead.  There are seven resurrections mentioned throughout the New Testament, different groupings of people.  At the rapture the dead in Christ rise first.  Then “we who are alive and remain are caught up in the air with him.”  Remember those words from 1 Thessalonians 4?  “Dead in Christ” is a reference to the Church age.  That phrase “in Christ” is a technical term that refers to that.  But the dead in Christ do not include David and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Daniel and Samson and all the others that are mentioned in the great hall of faith in the Old Testament.  This is time that they join with the armies of heaven who return with Jesus.  And they’re invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

0:22:21.2

Now we’ve come to Revelation 19:11 and to the most detailed description of the return of Jesus Christ.  Everything up to this point is prelude.  Now we’re here at the main event.  And here is how John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes this most incredible event.  Verse 11, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!  The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.  He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”  When Jesus came the first time, He came as a servant, as a sacrifice for our sins, as a savior.  When He comes a second time, He comes as a warrior, as a judge, and as a king.  And listen to the descriptive words that John uses here.  He comes as a warrior.  He says, “Heaven opened up, and I saw someone sitting on a white horse.”  This is the horse of a commander, of a one who has made conquest over his enemies.  Remember the last time we saw a white horse in the book of Revelation?  It was in Revelation 6 when we talked about the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  And the first horsemen was on a white horse.  This was the Antichrist who emerged on the scene of the world.  In our understanding, you know, good guys ride on white horses.  But in Revelation 6 this was a bad guy disguised as a good guy.  That was the Antichrist.  And the devil is always trying to counterfeit whatever Jesus does.  No, the real good guy on a white horse is in Revelation 19:11.  This is Jesus.  The first time He came, He rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey.  Did He not?  When He comes a second time He is riding on a warrior’s horse.  And John tells us “in righteousness he makes war”.  Does that disturb anybody here that that Jesus, who frolicked in the fields with the lambs and was born in Bethlehem, is a warrior?  When He fights a war it’s a just war.  Make no mistake about that.  It’s the only just war that perhaps has ever been fought on planet earth.  But He comes in righteousness.  In righteousness He makes war.

0:25:36.0

And how does He make war?  What are the weapons of His warfare?  John tells us that He has a sharp sword from His mouth by which He strikes down the nations.  I think it’s interesting that the armies of heaven are clothed in pure white.  Can you imagine putting our military in white battle gear?  It’d get messed up in a second, right?  But the armies of heaven, the saints of God, church age and otherwise, are coming with Jesus.  The armies of heaven, they’re riding on white horses too.  But they never have to shoot an arrow or fire a gun or anything like that because Jesus fights this war with His words.  In the same way that He spoke the worlds into existence and created everything by saying, “Let there be light,” and otherwise, He fights the enemies of the Antichrist and the false prophet with a sword that comes out of His mouth.  One of the names that is mentioned here: He is the Word of God.  He speaks the Word of God and defeats His enemies.  And that’s why the armies of heaven can still walk around in their white garments and not be soiled, as it were.

0:26:50.3

He is a judge also.  He is faithful and true.  In righteousness He judges.  His eyes are like flames of fire, John says.  And He is the Word of God.  You see, you can either receive Jesus as your savior today or face Him as your judge tomorrow.  You can either receive Jesus as your savior today, or He will do battle against you as a warrior tomorrow.  You can either receive Jesus Christ as your savior today, or one day the Bible says every knee will bow, every tonge will confess that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, because He comes the second time as a warrior, as a judge, and as a king who has many diadems.  Remember the two types of crowns in the Bible?  The stefanos, which was like an Olympic, you know, award for the competitor.  And then the diadem was worn by the ruler.  Jesus comes the second time with many diadems.  Perhaps as many diadems as He has names mentioned of Him in the Bible.

0:28:00.2

And speaking of names, there are three specific names that are mentioned in this description of His second coming.  One, He is the Word of God.  He is also called the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  And then there is a secret name, a name that nobody knows.  Now, remember, God is the great revealer of mysteries and secrets.  And it’s His prerogative to reveal or conceal His mysteries.  And He does that here.  There is a name that nobody knows but Jesus.  And it’s also an indication that there are some aspects of God’s person and His nature that are perhaps beyond human comprehension.  But there is a name that He comes with when He comes a second time that only He and the Father know, and perhaps the Holy Spirit as well.

0:28:45.8

Let’s read on in verse 17 and see what happens.  “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, ‘Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders,”—(coughs) excuse me—“and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.’”  Here Jesus comes to do war.  He’s fighting the battle of Armageddon.  The great nations of the earth have gathered together in the Valley of Jezreel, that battlefield that Napoleon saw as the greatest place to do war.  And the carnage that takes place.  The only way to clean it up is for heaven to say to the birds and fowl of the air, “Come and feast on the flesh of the kings and the warriors who fight against God.”  Verse 19, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.  And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.  These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.  And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”  Again, with His words Jesus fights the battle.  Don’t mess with marriage and don’t mess with the Word of God.  It’s the sword of the spirit, to fight spiritual battles.  And Jesus uses that sword in the war to end all wars.

0:30:43.3

It’s a fascinating scene, is it not?  The blessed hope of the Church.  We’re living in different times.  We live in a lost, sinful, fallen world that sometimes produces despair in our hearts, which makes the hope of the soon return of Jesus Christ even more palpable.  Even so, come.  Please come today, Lord Jesus.  But we wait, do we not?  The disciples waited for the Holy Spirit to come.  The Church was birthed.  And we’ve been waiting for 2000 years for His return.  How do we wait?  You know, it’s amazing when you read through the New Testament, it doesn't take long for the writers of the New Testament on whatever subject their writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to weave it into some anticipation of the second coming of Jesus and apply it to how we live our daily lives an anticipation of it.  Waiting for…we are “like a bride waiting for our groom, we are the Church, ready for You” we sing.  Are you ready, Church?  Are you ready?

0:32:06.0

Here are three ways.  At least three.  We could talk about perhaps 30 ways in the New Testament, but here are three ways to wait for the second coming of Jesus.  Number one, develop the habit of church attendance.  You say, “Oh Pastor, how did we get from the second coming to being in church on Sunday?”  Hebrews 10:25 says this.  “Let’s not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”  What day is he talking about? He’s talking about the great and mighty day of the Lord.  He’s talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ.  As we see that day approaching, what are we supposed to do?  We’re supposed to gather together in worship.  We’re supposed to be the Church, gathered and scattered.  Here is my question for you this morning.  Is being in church on Sunday a priority to you and your family?  Oh, I know you’re here this morning.  It was a priority this morning.  But my question is this.  Is it really, truly a priority for us to be together?  Or do you just kind of fit it into your schedule when you don’t have something better to do on the weekends?  I mean, seriously, friends.  As followers of Jesus Christ who are truly waiting and anticipating the second coming of Jesus Christ…the scripture says, “Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.”  You know, the culture will always find something else to do on Sunday than to be in God’s house.  Have you built a rhythm into your life and into your family life where you think twice about putting anything on your calendar that takes you away from church on Sunday, this church or any other church?  That’s how you wait for the second coming of Christ.  No better way to receive our heavenly groom than to be the Church gathered, the bride of Christ gathered, worshipping Him.  So develop the habit of church attendance.

0:34:24.3

Number two, commit yourself to the Word of God.  Listen to this in 2 Timothy 4.  “I charge you,” Paul says to Timothy, “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom…”  Now, Paul is just warming up to tell him three important words.  And He just layers in some theology there, and he kind of weaves in the appearing of Jesus Christ, His second coming.  And Paul goes on to say, in light of all that, “And by his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word.  Preach it in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with patience and teaching,” he says.  I went to a seminary where I got my Master’s, Dallas Theological Seminary.  And chiseled into stone on the front lawn of the seminary were those three words, “Preach the Word”.  And that engrained in me, you know, a part of my calling.  Preach the Word.  This is not just a word to preachers, although, you know, Paul was giving that to Timothy, who was about to assume the helm at the church at Ephesus.  You know, he says, “Timothy, you know, you could talk about a lot of things.  But above all else, give them the Word of God.”  As we’re waiting for His appearing…he says, “In light of his appearing,” preach the Word.  The other side of that is just be people, as we are here at Atlantic Shores, who are committed to the Word of God.  Is it a priority in your life?  Is this book we call the Bible a priority in your life?  As pastor of this church, you can always count on me to make it apriority to deliver the Word of God.  I’m not an entertainer.  I’m not Dr. Phil, giving good advice, you know, Ron Jones advice.  I’m here to preach the Word of God and to aim it to our lives so that we live out this truth in a very practical kind of way.  Let’s be people of this book.  Let’s commit ourselves to the Word of God.

0:36:38.4

Number three is pursue personal holiness.  And here is what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 3.  “So that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father,” and he could have stopped right there.  But then he adds, “At the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”  When was the last time you took a personal inventory of your spiritual life and dared to ask the question, is there anything in my life that is not rightly related to God?  A habit?  An attitude?  A belief?  Something?  Do you ever dare pray like the psalmist prayed?  “Search me, O God, and know my heart.  Try me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Are you someone who pursues personal holiness, so that when Jesus comes He finds us blameless before Him?  Not perfect.  A blameless person is not a perfect person.  A blameless person is somebody who deals honestly and transparently before the Lord with all of his sins and mistakes.  And in one sense, we are positionally perfect and holy before God.  But is that practically becoming more and more true in your life as you pursue personal holiness.  Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians who had massive questions about the second coming of Christ, he says, “So that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Jesus wants to come for a bride that is pure and blameless and clothed in white garments.  And, yes, there is a sense in which that is positionally true, but let’s make it more practically true in our daily living as we pursue personal holiness.

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You see, the second coming of Jesus Christ or any aspect of Bible prophecy is not just, you know, theory and rhetoric and something you read about in a Bible encyclopedia.  It has real implications for our lives every day as we wait, as we anticipate, as we ready ourselves as a bride waiting for our groom.  “We are the Church, ready for You,” we sing. Let’s live that out in everyday life.  Let’s make sure that’s true of this church and larger as the body of Christ across the world.  Let’s pray together.

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Father, thank You so much for Your Word.  And thank You for the promised hope that is ours as the bride of Christ, knowing that our heavenly groom is preparing to come, waiting for the moment that You say, Father, “Go,” and You release Your Son to come.  We say, “Even so, come Lord Jesus, and come quickly.”  But as we wait, Father, we just ask that You would give us a patience, that You would help us to put into practice the things that we’ve learned today. And if there is anybody here, Father, who has never trusted Jesus as their savior, if they’ve never taken that first step of getting ready, of becoming part of the bride of Christ, I pray that today, right now, would be a day of salvation where another soul is born into the family of God and becomes a part of this bride of Christ.  Do Your work among us, we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

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