1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,600 Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. 2 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,720 How do we know where to find answers to the toughest questions in life? 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:22,160 While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search and how do we discover 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,160 this truth? 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:30,280 Today, in this teaching podcast, John Metter, lead pastor of Cross City Church, takes a 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:41,880 specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth for the life we're searching for. 7 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,360 Well we're ready to begin our Great Expectations series. 8 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,400 I hope you're ready and I want you to take your Bibles and turn to Titus chapter 2 today. 9 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:54,840 We're going to begin by talking about the why and who of prophecy. 10 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,120 Now the first thing you may think of when you hear me ask you to take your Bibles and 11 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,880 turn to Titus is, is that really a prophetic passage? 12 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,640 Does that really deal with like the end of Christ, the end times, the last days? 13 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,600 Does it deal with the rapture? 14 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,880 Does it deal with the triumphant return of Christ? 15 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,120 And the answer is no, it's just a basic text about salvation. 16 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:21,080 But in it, we are brought to an understanding of prophecy in a huge way. 17 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,360 So the why and who of prophecy, by the way, I hope you're with us this whole series. 18 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,520 It'll be for the next six or eight, nine weeks I think it is. 19 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,940 And we're going to enjoy touching on every aspect of the end times. 20 00:01:31,940 --> 00:01:34,360 How many of you believe that we might be in the end times? 21 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:35,360 Just say amen. 22 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,060 Raise your hands, say amen. 23 00:01:37,060 --> 00:01:38,920 How many of you hope we're in the end times? 24 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,840 I kind of hope that, right? 25 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:45,040 And so we have a lot of expectations, but I want to talk to you about the great expectations 26 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,360 that scripture points us to today when it comes to the return of Christ. 27 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:50,360 Let's stand together. 28 00:01:50,360 --> 00:02:00,680 I'm going to read a passage, Titus chapter two, verse 11, 12, 13 and 14. 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:07,240 The Bible says, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing 30 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:14,480 us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly 31 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:15,760 in the present age. 32 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:21,920 It goes on and says, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great 33 00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:28,400 God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed 34 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:34,400 and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. 35 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,480 Keep your Bible open to that passage in Titus two. 36 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,680 We're going to walk all the way through those verses over these next few moments. 37 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:45,200 Father, in Jesus name, my prayer is that you will bless this series and this message today. 38 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:51,880 Father, I pray that you would help us know what to look for and what to be excited about, 39 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,640 what to be anxious and expecting for. 40 00:02:54,640 --> 00:03:00,200 Father, I pray that you would quicken in our hearts the desire for Christ's return and 41 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,640 understanding all the signs of the times that we're seeing today. 42 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:07,520 Holy Spirit, illumine this text to help us live the life you've called us to live. 43 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,120 I ask it in Jesus name. 44 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,560 All God's people said, amen. 45 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,800 Please be seated if you would. 46 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:21,360 If you could know the future of the world, would it help you in living life as you move 47 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:22,360 into the future? 48 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:27,120 If you could know what the future held, wouldn't it help you during those uncertain times where 49 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:28,600 you're wondering, well, what's next? 50 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,720 What could possibly happen next? 51 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:32,480 What kind of things am I going to have to deal with? 52 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,880 What kind of suffering am I going to have to undergo in the days ahead? 53 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,840 When you think about world events, maybe like me, you look at those things and say, is the 54 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,320 world completely out of control? 55 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,160 How many of you think sometimes it feels like the world is completely out of control? 56 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,360 I'm happy to tell you today, it's not completely out of control. 57 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:56,400 There is a God who sits on the throne and he does talk about the appearance of these 58 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:01,000 last days and these final times before the end time. 59 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,520 And we have some things to look at, some things to look forward to, and things that reassure 60 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,600 us as we go through these times. 61 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,360 Now many of you may know by now because I've shared it a couple of times that I am a new 62 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,640 WNBA basketball fan. 63 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:17,080 I'm a Caitlin Clark fan. 64 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:18,800 I've watched her at Iowa. 65 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,400 She graduated, she was drafted, and Indiana Fevers, the team she plays with, and I've 66 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:24,400 enjoyed watching her. 67 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,200 I haven't missed a game all year long. 68 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,480 My wife and I enjoy watching her play. 69 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:33,440 I don't know what it is, her joy for the game, her passion, her great shootings, logo three-point 70 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,720 shots, something I could never master as a basketball player in college, nor would my 71 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,040 coach want me to try the logo three-point shot. 72 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,600 But I've enjoyed watching her. 73 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:47,200 I rarely miss a game, but one game I was tied up doing something else and I couldn't watch. 74 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:52,000 And so I had this app called Score, and on this app I can tell who's ahead, who's behind. 75 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,400 I can tell all the data about the game. 76 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,000 And so I kind of watched that app while I was at this other activity that I was involved 77 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,720 with, and I would keep picking every once in a while, and I found out that at the end 78 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,280 of the day, the Indiana Fever won, Caitlin Clark had a great game. 79 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:10,000 And then I went home and watched it on TV. 80 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,720 And when I watched it on TV, I realized that there was a huge battle throughout the whole 81 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:14,720 game. 82 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,560 The first half of the game was awful for the Indiana Fever. 83 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,360 Caitlin Clark did so badly, and I thought, what's going on? 84 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:22,960 I know we're going to win the game in the end. 85 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,600 I know she's going to have 25 points at the end. 86 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,080 And then I just kind of hung in there, and the third quarter and the fourth quarter were 87 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:33,640 phenomenal, but knowing the score at the end of the game, before I watched the game, helped 88 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,480 me get all the way through the game. 89 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:37,600 You know where I'm going with this, right? 90 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,320 It's important for you to know the end game so you can make it through the entirety of 91 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,440 life and all that life throws at you. 92 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:50,240 And I have to tell you today, I think life's throwing a lot of stuff at us. 93 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,320 I think if you look at the world today, you have reason to be discouraged. 94 00:05:54,320 --> 00:06:00,200 A person facing death can be discouraged until they remember that Jesus promises an eternal 95 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:05,080 life on the other side of death, and then you can make it through that time. 96 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,840 It helps us know there's a reward for those that stay faithful and steadfast and serve 97 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:14,000 God all the way through their lifetime, even though it's not the easiest thing to do. 98 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,200 You can endure because there's reward. 99 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,960 It helps you to know that in the end, Jesus wins when you deal with evil, and it looks 100 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,920 like evil is going to overcome the world, but then you remember, oh no, in the end, 101 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:30,480 Jesus comes back and he restores everything as it should be. 102 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:35,200 That's why the Bible gives us prophecy to help us know what the end's going to be like. 103 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:40,920 In fact, knowing about the return of Christ can help you navigate life in a way few other 104 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:41,920 things can do. 105 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,300 So as we look at the text today, we're going to find out first of all the why of prophecy 106 00:06:46,300 --> 00:06:48,980 and the who of prophecy. 107 00:06:48,980 --> 00:06:52,060 You know, whenever we talk about the why of prophecy and the who of prophecy and the when 108 00:06:52,060 --> 00:06:56,120 of prophecy, people want to know what are the dates that Jesus is coming back in. 109 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,540 People have always put dates out there. 110 00:06:59,540 --> 00:07:03,560 Back in the 80s, I was pastoring a church in Oklahoma, first pastorate, and the first 111 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:09,600 church I'd ever led in, and a book came out called 88 Reasons that Jesus Christ is Coming 112 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,600 Back in 1988 by Edgar Huisnacht. 113 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,720 Many of you remember that book. 114 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:19,400 And everybody bought the book because 88 was a tough year and we were looking at all he 115 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,520 said about the 88 reasons Jesus is coming back in 1988. 116 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:28,900 And as the year went on, September, October, November, finally December, we realized Jesus 117 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:33,080 is not coming back in 1988. 118 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:34,980 So much for that. 119 00:07:34,980 --> 00:07:39,780 And then the first week of January, Edward Huisnacht writes another book called 89 Reasons 120 00:07:39,780 --> 00:07:42,600 He's Coming Back in 1989. 121 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:47,160 And nobody bought that book. 122 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:48,900 You'll never know the day. 123 00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:50,440 You'll never know the time. 124 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:56,460 Jesus himself says, no man knows the hour, only the Father who has set the hour. 125 00:07:56,460 --> 00:07:57,620 But here's what we can do. 126 00:07:57,620 --> 00:08:01,880 We can know the why of biblical prophecy and how it impacts us. 127 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,740 And I want to talk to you about that for just a few moments. 128 00:08:05,740 --> 00:08:11,440 This unusual passage is a salvation text, but it involves the fulfillment of Old Testament 129 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,360 prophecy about the first coming of Christ. 130 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:19,640 And it points to the other prophecies about the second coming of Christ, all buried there 131 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,720 in Titus chapter two, 11 through 14. 132 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,780 So let me give you some reasons that prophecy is so important. 133 00:08:25,780 --> 00:08:30,480 Here's why we're studying prophecy, which is the foretelling of Christ coming both the 134 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,740 first time and in his return. 135 00:08:33,740 --> 00:08:37,920 First of all, prophecy anchors us in scripture. 136 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,000 Paul opens his text up by saying, for the grace of God has appeared. 137 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:47,160 And that word's going to be very important as we study prophecy, because this word simply 138 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,000 means Jesus always was. 139 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:55,400 John 1.1 says in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, the word was God. 140 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,480 And it talks about Jesus Christ being the creator of heaven and earth. 141 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:06,520 Jesus always has been, but he appeared when he was born of a virgin and put in a manger. 142 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,000 You know, he lived a life, he died on the cross. 143 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,120 And Paul describes all that as the grace of God has appeared. 144 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:19,640 And in that he's saying, you didn't know it, but God knew it and sent him and prophesied 145 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,600 that he would come at the appropriate time. 146 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,000 Now when it comes to Christmas time, we talk all about the Old Testament prophecies of 147 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,560 Christ, how they point to Jesus the Messiah. 148 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:35,720 For example, it's Micah, the Old Testament prophet that prophesies that the Messiah 149 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:40,400 would be born in a city called Bethlehem, which is not a city at all, but just a small, 150 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,800 little insignificant village. 151 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,280 And no other prophecy would ever point out that. 152 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,120 No other person could ever predict that. 153 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,400 But Micah said, by the word of the Lord, that the Messiah would be born there. 154 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,280 Matthew validates that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 155 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:02,600 And the fulfillment of that Old Testament prophecy gives us courage to believe all the 156 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,400 prophecies of the Bible. 157 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,200 Peter said it like this in 2 Peter. 158 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:12,320 This is the passage that everybody needs to know, spend a little time on. 159 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,480 He says, but know this, first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's 160 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,400 own interpretation. 161 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:23,320 For no prophecy was ever made or given by the act of human will. 162 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:28,200 That is, the Bible was not written by men who just decided to write this or that, but 163 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,840 rather men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 164 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,720 In other words, what we have in the scripture is inspired by God. 165 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:40,800 The Old Testament prophecies as well as the New Testament words regarding Jesus Christ, 166 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:45,200 all given by God, all these things should give us confidence in the scriptures. 167 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,280 That is, when you open the Bible, you can know that they are reliable and helping you 168 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:53,600 with everything you need in life, including the return of Christ. 169 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,320 Now if you ask me if I want to build my life on solid ground or shaky ground, I'm going 170 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:58,320 to answer this way. 171 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,600 I'm going to say I want to build my life on solid ground, so I'm going to build my life 172 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:03,600 on the Bible. 173 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,240 I'm going to build my life on the Bible because it's God's word to us. 174 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,360 Every time I look at prophecy, it reaffirms that. 175 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:15,960 It anchors me in that understanding that everything prophecy says about Jesus' second coming is 176 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:22,400 going to happen because everything it said about His first coming absolutely happened. 177 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,800 It anchors us in scripture. 178 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:30,720 Basically, prophecy challenges us to resist worldly living. 179 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,240 If we know something is going to happen in the sense of Christ's return, we're going 180 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:36,760 to live like we know that. 181 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,520 Paul says this in verse 12. 182 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:45,160 He's bringing salvation, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to 183 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:50,640 live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. 184 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,520 You say, what is worldly living? 185 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,200 Well, look at the world. 186 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,200 That's worldly living. 187 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,200 Worldly living is living as though there is no God in your past. 188 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,080 There is no God in your present. 189 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,240 There is no God in the future. 190 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,360 You do know, don't you, that the world has their own answer to how we got there, their 191 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,800 origins without God. 192 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,800 They have their own definition of gender without God. 193 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,960 They have their own definition of mental health without God. 194 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,920 They have their own definition of marriage and family without God. 195 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,080 And they have their own definition of future without God. 196 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,960 And the outcome is disastrous. 197 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,160 If you want to know what the outcome of all that thinking is, look at what we have now. 198 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:34,160 It's disastrous. 199 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:40,280 But what Paul says in this passage is that the salvation that we have in Jesus and all 200 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:46,080 the words that point to him instruct us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and live 201 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:52,520 sensibly and righteously and godly in the present age. 202 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:58,000 Paul says there's an age in which you live and that age will be for as long as your life 203 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,600 on this planet until this future age comes when Christ comes back. 204 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,920 Live as though you know he's coming back. 205 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:11,120 It was John that wrote these words, beloved, now we are the children of God and it's not 206 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,980 appeared as yet what we will be. 207 00:13:13,980 --> 00:13:18,880 We know that when he appears we will become just like him because we will see him just 208 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:20,440 as he is. 209 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,120 And that is what he says next. 210 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:27,600 And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as he is pure. 211 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,840 John says if you're looking for Jesus Christ to come back, if you're one of those that 212 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:37,600 love his appearing, then you're also going to live as though you know he's coming back. 213 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:38,600 He's your master. 214 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,780 He's coming back and you're going to want to be found living like he wants you to live 215 00:13:42,780 --> 00:13:44,280 while you're on this planet. 216 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:49,680 And if you remember all the promises of his return, you're going to live resisting worldly 217 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:50,680 living. 218 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:53,960 It helps you live the way you're called to live. 219 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,840 Prophecy also points us to the future. 220 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,920 It gets to our mind not so much on the past but for what's ahead. 221 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:05,960 The last part of that verse 13 says looking for the blessed hope and appearing of Jesus 222 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:06,960 Christ. 223 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:14,360 The many of us are so entangled by the past, past regret, past disappointments, past events 224 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:16,040 that have happened to us. 225 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:20,120 Everywhere there's hurt and division because of things in the past, all kinds of suffering 226 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,160 and catastrophe because of things that are already happening or are happening right now. 227 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:30,960 Do you ever look at the degradation of society, at the disasters and the cataclysmic events 228 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:34,880 going on around us and say how long Lord? 229 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:39,000 Do you ever look at the direction some people take about their lives and how messed up their 230 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,400 lives are and say how long Lord? 231 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,400 How long is it going to continue like that? 232 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:45,520 Well prophecy does this. 233 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,780 It says to us it won't always be that way. 234 00:14:48,780 --> 00:14:54,560 We are to look for the future where he brings the fullness of hope to us, a transformation 235 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:58,960 to everything in our lives and everything on this planet. 236 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,360 Paul says this in Romans 8 and I love this verse because when times are tough, I read 237 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,280 this one. 238 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,840 He says for I consider that the sufferings of this present time, now if you're suffering 239 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,800 for something, if you're going through hardship and difficulty right now, this really helps 240 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,000 you. 241 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,840 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the 242 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,160 glory that is to be revealed to us. 243 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,560 That's Romans 8 verse 18. 244 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:26,480 That's the triumphant passage by the way. 245 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,920 Chapter 8 is amazing in Romans 8. 246 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,080 And what Paul says is no matter how rough it gets in life, no matter how hard your suffering 247 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:38,000 is, no matter what you may be going through physically or financially or whatever it may 248 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,440 be, relationally, whatever you're going through, what you're going through right now, as bad 249 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:48,000 as it possibly can be, it's not even worthy to be compared with the glories that this 250 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,880 next life, that your future life will have. 251 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,680 Listen, let me tell you something today. 252 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:59,180 You'll never ever have the kind of blessing you hope to have until Jesus Christ comes 253 00:15:59,180 --> 00:16:00,180 back. 254 00:16:00,180 --> 00:16:02,040 Your best life will not be now. 255 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:03,220 You can live a great life now. 256 00:16:03,220 --> 00:16:06,280 You can live a life that is blessed in so many ways right now. 257 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,560 You can live for the Lord in a way where He will give you favor, no question about it. 258 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:15,440 But your best life, your very best life is not now, it's future. 259 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:16,440 It's future. 260 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,760 As I want to read about prophecy, we think about the future. 261 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:25,360 It gets our mind on the things that are to come. 262 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:26,360 I like to say it this way. 263 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,800 The Christian, and this is challenging by the way, the Christian must have one eye on 264 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,720 the present and the other eye on the future coming of the Lord. 265 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:40,040 I mean, I've got to keep my eyes open to what's around me, but I also have to keep in mind 266 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:41,920 He's coming back. 267 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:42,920 He's coming back. 268 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:49,160 Am I living now in such a way that recognizes that He's coming back? 269 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,520 Warren Worsby said it like this, there are two stakes in a Christian's life. 270 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:57,480 One stake is at the cross and we always look back to the cross as that moment where we 271 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,280 became right with God. 272 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:01,600 The other stake is His return. 273 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,560 And here's the Christian in the middle of those two places looking back at what He's 274 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,960 done for us, looking ahead at what He will do for us. 275 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:13,360 And we're living in this present moment, standing on that foundation, but looking for that future 276 00:17:13,360 --> 00:17:14,980 coming. 277 00:17:14,980 --> 00:17:16,800 That's what we want you to do. 278 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:23,480 Paul says, I want you to look ahead and have your eyes on the things above, not just here, 279 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:24,560 but there. 280 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,800 And then let me give you one other principle that I think prophecy does. 281 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:29,160 Prophecy promotes witnessing. 282 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:34,400 It helps us tell others that they need to come to Christ. 283 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:40,240 In verse 13, Paul goes on and says, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus 284 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:41,760 Christ. 285 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,560 Now he's referring to Christ's second coming and he's saying, I want you to live in such 286 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,200 a way where you understand He's coming back. 287 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,840 And I would ask you the question today that's very important, and that is, what's the difference 288 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:56,360 between the first appearing of Jesus and the next appearing of Jesus? 289 00:17:56,360 --> 00:18:01,160 In the first one, He came in humility and He came to serve. 290 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:05,840 And the second, according to this text, He's coming in glory. 291 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,080 He's coming in a very different way. 292 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,360 He's coming in glory to transform us. 293 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:16,080 And when He appears again, there will no longer be any opportunities to lead other people 294 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:17,080 to Jesus. 295 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:19,240 Now is the time for that to take place. 296 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,140 If you have loved ones, family members that don't know Christ, now is the time to talk 297 00:18:23,140 --> 00:18:25,140 to them about coming to Christ. 298 00:18:25,140 --> 00:18:29,840 Because when Jesus Christ comes back, He's coming back for those of us who do believe 299 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:34,200 and others will be left behind as harsh as that may seem. 300 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:39,300 Knowing about the return of Christ makes you able and hopefully more willing to share the 301 00:18:39,300 --> 00:18:41,920 gospel of Jesus with other people. 302 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:47,120 As I studied this prophecy over these last few weeks, it moves my heart. 303 00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:51,840 It makes me think of people I need to be talking to, people I need to be pointing out the fact 304 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:53,440 that Jesus is coming back someday. 305 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,600 You won't have forever to think about this, to process this. 306 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,720 He's coming back and the offer is for you now. 307 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,000 Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 11, Paul, he said it this way, therefore, knowing the 308 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:09,600 fear of the Lord, we persuade men. 309 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,960 Who needs to know in your life? 310 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,920 Tell them before Christ comes back. 311 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,880 So about that little bit about the what of prophecy, but I want you to look today at 312 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,360 the who of prophecy. 313 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:29,080 Because the who of prophecy helps us know exactly what the expectation should be for 314 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:31,600 Christ's return. 315 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:36,680 Knowing about great expectations, my very first Dallas Cowboys football game was the 316 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:37,680 time of great expectation. 317 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:42,040 I'll have to tell you the date of it and it'll kind of help set the scene. 318 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:44,360 The Dallas Cowboys were still playing in the Super Bowl. 319 00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:47,760 I mean, I'm sorry, they're never playing in the Super Bowl. 320 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:48,760 Excuse me. 321 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:55,040 The Dallas Cowboys were playing in the Cotton Bowl and it was 1970, December 26, 1970. 322 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:56,320 I was 12 years old. 323 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:01,840 My dad got tickets to the Dallas Cowboys versus Detroit Lions in 1970 playoff game. 324 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,760 Now, we lived in a small town in Oklahoma, so real Oklahoma. 325 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:09,700 The whole town's population was 700 people, right? 326 00:20:09,700 --> 00:20:13,360 There was a high school football team and they played on a football field that I think 327 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:14,360 never got mowed. 328 00:20:14,360 --> 00:20:16,520 I mean, it wasn't a great field. 329 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,240 We sat in wooden stadium seats that bent when people sat on them. 330 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,400 That's the kind of kind of football team we had, the kind of football field we had in 331 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:24,520 high school. 332 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:30,000 And there was never more than 250 people in the stands watching the football game. 333 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,880 The uniforms of our football team didn't match hardly at all. 334 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,080 I mean, basically the same color, but they weren't all the same color pants and so forth 335 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:38,080 and so on. 336 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:44,120 So going to the Dallas Cowboys football game, which I'd only seen on black and white TV, 337 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:49,440 some of you can't remember that, black and white TV, and I had huge expectations and 338 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,760 it was met at every turn. 339 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,320 I mean, there were 70,000 people in the stands and I had never seen that many people in one 340 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:57,800 place in my whole life. 341 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,200 The hot dogs were to die for. 342 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,280 The popcorn was amazing. 343 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,520 The football uniforms were incredibly coordinated. 344 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,180 I mean, it was beautiful silver and blue like I'd never seen before in my life. 345 00:21:10,180 --> 00:21:12,560 It was an amazing and amazing experience. 346 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,960 We had end zone seats, which normally are not great seats, but in this particular day, 347 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,640 there was a safety at the end of the game in the end zone right there. 348 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,800 I could smell the football player for this 12 year old boy. 349 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,760 It was great expectations, absolutely fulfilled. 350 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:33,120 Now the Dallas Cowboys won that game by a grand score of five to nothing. 351 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:40,240 It is now called the worst playoff football game in history, but my expectations were 352 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,440 met because I was just a little kid. 353 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,480 I've never seen anything like that. 354 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,640 Now why am I telling you about that? 355 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:51,360 Because I want everything that you think of when it comes to the return of Christ to be 356 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:52,360 a great expectation. 357 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:58,800 And I'm going to tell you this, he will not disappoint you when he comes. 358 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,480 You will not be disappointed in the way he comes. 359 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,720 You will not be disappointed in the time that he comes. 360 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,500 You won't be disappointed in the glory with which he comes. 361 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:13,240 You need to have great expectations about the future times, the end time and not frightening 362 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:15,840 expectations, not panicky expectations. 363 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:20,240 You don't need to be anxious about the things that are coming because he will fulfill every 364 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:24,720 great expectation you can ever possibly imagine. 365 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:29,640 But you have to focus on the who and not the what. 366 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,640 Now there are all kinds of things that are going to be happening as we talk about the 367 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,000 last days and the end times. 368 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,160 I believe we're living in the last days, but the end times will not be initiated until 369 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:41,240 the rapture of the church. 370 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,280 And I'll tell you more about that in just a few moments. 371 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,200 We'll have a message where we focus on just the rapture of the church. 372 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,920 But these are the kind of things that we'll be talking about. 373 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,400 For example, we'll be talking about the church and Israel. 374 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,080 What's the difference between the church and Israel? 375 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,900 There's a huge distinction in biblical prophecy. 376 00:22:56,900 --> 00:23:01,340 How God deals with the church, how God deals with Israel are two different things. 377 00:23:01,340 --> 00:23:06,920 But we do want to know what is the significance of what's happening in the nation of Israel 378 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,360 right now with end times? 379 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:10,360 We'll talk about that. 380 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:12,080 We'll talk about rebuilding the temple. 381 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,120 You know the temple needs to be rebuilt. 382 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:17,280 And Israel, into Jerusalem, we'll talk about the Antichrist. 383 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:21,320 We'll talk about the great tribulation, that seven years of tribulation. 384 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:26,060 We'll talk about the triumphant return of Christ, where we returned in glory. 385 00:23:26,060 --> 00:23:28,400 We'll talk about the Battle of Armageddon. 386 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,360 We'll talk about the millennium period, a thousand years the Bible speaks of. 387 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:34,360 We'll speak of the great white throne judgment. 388 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:38,320 We'll also speak of eternity in heaven and what it means to see the new heaven and the 389 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:39,320 new earth. 390 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,160 All those things are going to be part of what we're talking about. 391 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:49,240 But the what of the return of Christ does not need to be able to be stronger for you. 392 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:54,880 It doesn't need to take your attention away from the who of prophecy. 393 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,320 And the who of prophecy is Jesus. 394 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:00,920 It's Jesus. 395 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:05,240 I want you to keep your eyes on what the scripture says about Jesus. 396 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:11,640 Now as we walk through this, I need to tell you that we are coming from a perspective 397 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,800 of dispensational premillennialism. 398 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:17,800 Dispensational premillennialism. 399 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,960 Now some of you are thinking now, where did you take that left turn? 400 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,360 I mean, what's that technical term you're talking about? 401 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:28,680 Dispensational premillennialism describes my view of scripture when it comes to the 402 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:29,680 return of Christ. 403 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,920 And my view of scripture has to do with the fact that the next event to take place will 404 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,640 be the rapture of the church by Jesus Christ. 405 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:39,320 He will appear and rapture the church. 406 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,960 We'll talk about this and we'll look at the verse that we've just put before you in just 407 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:43,960 a moment. 408 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:48,040 There are others who are godly spiritual people who have different views. 409 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,680 And so I'm not going to demean them in any way. 410 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:55,980 But I do want you to know that all of us who have various views of scripture are looking 411 00:24:55,980 --> 00:25:00,480 for Jesus to come back just in different times in different ways. 412 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:05,240 Bill Anderson was a beloved pastor of his church until his death just recently. 413 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,560 And when I was preaching through 1 Thessalonians a few years ago, we looked at the rapture 414 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,400 of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4. 415 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,440 That next week, Bill called me and said, hey, let's go to lunch, which he never did. 416 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,740 And we went to lunch and we sat down and he said, I want to talk to you about your message 417 00:25:19,740 --> 00:25:21,080 about the rapture of the church. 418 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:22,080 And I said, sure. 419 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,560 And he said, let me give you this book first of all. 420 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:31,720 I wrote it and it tells you everything you got wrong in your message on Sunday. 421 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,760 And I said, OK, Bill, I'll read it. 422 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,460 But the point is, Bill and I had a great relationship. 423 00:25:37,460 --> 00:25:42,560 We differed in what we thought about the return of Christ in the sense of when and where the 424 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:44,240 church's rapture. 425 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,280 But we were both men that were pursuing the truth of God. 426 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:52,480 So I'm going to share with you in a way that makes sense from the scripture today about 427 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:57,440 why you're looking for Jesus himself to come back, why you're looking for the rapture of 428 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:58,440 the church. 429 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:02,160 Now, go back in your text, Titus chapter 2, and I want you to look at verse 13. 430 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,320 I want you to see this. 431 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,040 Jesus will return personally and physically. 432 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,200 He will personally and physically appear. 433 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:16,640 Now, if you're reading Titus chapter 2, Paul is riding to the church and he's saying, I 434 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:21,880 want you to know that the grace of God appeared when Jesus came the first time, but now you're 435 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:28,200 living in this present age in such a way where you're eagerly waiting his next appearing 436 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:33,800 and you are to be looking for his personal, physical appearance. 437 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:40,840 Here's the way he words that, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of Jesus Christ. 438 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:46,760 Now this word appearance is the word epiphany in the Greek, and it only refers to the literal, 439 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,460 personal return of Jesus Christ. 440 00:26:49,460 --> 00:26:53,720 That's always been the focus of prophecy is that Jesus Christ is coming back. 441 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,560 Jesus tells us he's coming back. 442 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:01,400 The angels tell the disciples in Acts chapter 1 that Jesus is coming back. 443 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:06,360 The apostle John says that Jesus is coming back for the church, and Paul says it again 444 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:10,740 all through the scripture that we are to be looking for the return of Christ, the appearance 445 00:27:10,740 --> 00:27:12,000 of Christ. 446 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,360 In other words, you're not looking for the tribulation. 447 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:17,560 You're not looking for God pouring out his wrath on the earth. 448 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:19,600 You're not looking for the millennial period. 449 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,240 You're not looking for the battle of Armageddon. 450 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:23,800 You're not looking for those things. 451 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,600 As believers today, we're looking for Jesus to come back. 452 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,080 It's so simple. 453 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,720 And aren't you glad? 454 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,520 Looking for him to return. 455 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:41,200 Paul said this in 2 Timothy 4, in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness 456 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,760 which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me, but 457 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:50,440 all who have loved his, and here's the word again, appearing. 458 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:57,360 In other words, we are to love and yearn for his appearance, his second time to come to 459 00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:58,360 us. 460 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:00,760 So he will first of all personally and physically appear. 461 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:05,000 Secondly, he will gloriously and powerfully appear. 462 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,600 Now the reason that's important is because of verse 13, the appearing of the glory of 463 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:12,160 our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 464 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:17,320 When he appears, when you see him next, you will see him with the glory and greatness 465 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,400 that you did not get to see when he came the first time. 466 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:25,300 When Jesus came the first time, he came as a suffering servant, Isaiah said. 467 00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:32,000 He came in humility and he came as a sacrifice to die on the cross for us. 468 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,480 And so many people today still have only that view of Jesus. 469 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,340 I hear it all the time. 470 00:28:37,340 --> 00:28:40,760 People say, well Jesus is not that strong of a judge. 471 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:42,800 He's not going to be coming in that glorious way. 472 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,520 He was a humble servant and he was. 473 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,400 But if you only have a gospel view of Jesus, you don't have a complete view of Jesus because 474 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:56,040 the whole Bible talks about not only the gospel, but what he will be like when he comes back. 475 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,720 People see him as meek and gentle and loving and forgiving. 476 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,120 It's all true. 477 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:01,880 But there's another side. 478 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:02,880 Stick with me here. 479 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,980 Part of the gospel is that he came to serve and love and die in our place. 480 00:29:06,980 --> 00:29:10,680 And part of the gospel is that his dead body was laid in a tomb. 481 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,640 And part of the gospel story is that he rose again from the dead. 482 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:20,520 And the gospel story also says he ascended into heaven, but it doesn't end there. 483 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:21,840 It doesn't end there. 484 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,400 He came first as a baby, but he's coming back as a king. 485 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,680 He came first in mercy, but he's coming back as a judge. 486 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:33,840 He came first in human form, but he's coming back in glorious form. 487 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,240 Big difference between his first coming and his second coming. 488 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:43,200 So you look for Jesus to come back in all his glory, in all his power. 489 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:48,760 That's something to look forward to, an expectation he's going to fulfill. 490 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:50,520 But here's the clencher here. 491 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,200 This is what moves me. 492 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:57,600 Jesus will lovingly appear for his people. 493 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:05,200 Look in verse 14 of this text we've been reading, Titus 2, after Paul says, look for his, the 494 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:12,480 blessed hope and the appearing of him in glory, he says, who gave himself for us to redeem 495 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:20,040 us from every lawless deed and purify for himself a people for his own possession. 496 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,320 Now I want you to have a heart moment with me for just a second. 497 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,440 This is an intimacy moment. 498 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:31,160 This is a moment where you take personal what these words say right here. 499 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:39,200 Jesus gave himself for you to redeem you from every lawless deed and to purify for himself 500 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:44,880 you as a person for his own possession. 501 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:49,000 I want you to think for just a moment, what's he done for you? 502 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,520 Think about Jesus when he forgave you of sin when you first came and put your faith and 503 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:54,120 trust in him. 504 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:58,960 Think about how he opened the wisdom of scripture to you when you began to read. 505 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:02,240 Think about how he may have surrounded you with people who loved you and encouraged you 506 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,120 and helped you live the Christian life. 507 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:10,480 Think about him a few moments ago when you took the bread and the juice and you said, 508 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,760 Lord forgive me for everything I've done. 509 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:17,360 Fill me with your Holy Spirit in those intimate moments where he actually does that in your 510 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:18,360 life. 511 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,160 Think about him personally investing in your life and the power of the Holy Spirit leading 512 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,680 you and guiding you and convicting you in all the ways he does. 513 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:30,240 Think about Jesus meeting you in your darkest times when you're all by yourself and you 514 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,600 have no clue if anyone else cares about you or loves you. 515 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:38,400 Think about the Jesus who rejoices with you when great things happen in your life and 516 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,880 the one who's your constant prayer presence and yet you've never seen him but on this 517 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:48,200 day you will see him and remember all those things. 518 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,080 Can you imagine that with me for a moment? 519 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:56,720 Can you imagine that? 520 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,920 When you see Jesus you're going to fall in love with him all over again in a way you've 521 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:04,040 never experienced in your life. 522 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:11,200 Think of the wedding picture that Jesus gave the disciples that he helps them understand 523 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,100 how the return of Christ will happen. 524 00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:18,600 He presents himself as the bridegroom that's coming back for the bride who is the church. 525 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,680 Now this is what Jesus told the disciples in John chapter 14 where they were worried 526 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,160 about his death on the cross. 527 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,920 And in John 14 Jesus said, do not let your heart be troubled believe in God, believe 528 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:29,920 also in me. 529 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:35,680 In my father's house are many dwelling places if it were not so I would have told you for 530 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:38,660 I go to prepare a place for you. 531 00:32:38,660 --> 00:32:40,640 We know that's just speaking about heaven. 532 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:47,400 If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that 533 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:51,840 where I am there you may be also. 534 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:53,680 He's referring to his return. 535 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:59,720 I'm going to come back and I'm going to bring you to myself so that where I am there you 536 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,080 are forever. 537 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:06,400 In 1 Thessalonians 4 it says and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 538 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,880 So from that moment on we're forever with him. 539 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,160 Think again of the Jewish wedding analogy. 540 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:18,480 You know the difference between most of the weddings that you see and the Jewish wedding 541 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:24,400 is that in most of the weddings you see everyone waits for the bride to come down the aisle. 542 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:28,640 You've been in weddings, you see everybody on the stage, the preachers there, the groomsmen 543 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,120 are there, the bridesmaids are there, the flower kids are there. 544 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:33,800 Everything is waiting on the bride. 545 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,400 When the bride comes in man it's a glorious moment, it's an awesome moment. 546 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,480 Everybody stands up and looks back to see that bride. 547 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:47,560 Forty-six plus years ago I was married and we were on the stage of a little church in 548 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:48,560 Irving, Texas. 549 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,040 My dad was standing here as the officiant. 550 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,360 He was the one doing the wedding. 551 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,400 Me and my basketball buddies were all standing here as groomsmen. 552 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,600 We averaged 6'5 on our groomsmen group right there. 553 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:07,880 My wife with her maids of honors I think they averaged 5'1 or something like that. 554 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:13,400 It definitely wasn't even but it was something like that, 6'5, 5'1. 555 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:18,840 I remember all of a sudden the doors in the back of the church opened up and we'd been 556 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:24,160 dating for 17 months, my wife and I, but I'd never seen her in this bridal dress. 557 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:28,960 The music was playing, people were standing, I looked down at all and there she came in. 558 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,760 I mean I just about lost it, I really did. 559 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:33,520 I don't think I breathed for a couple of minutes. 560 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:39,200 I was just staring at that hour of that beautiful woman in that glorious white dress and as 561 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:43,120 she came down that aisle the only thing I could think of, finally she's mine. 562 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:45,520 Finally she's mine. 563 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,680 Man that was a great, great day. 564 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:51,880 Finally she's mine. 565 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:53,880 Let me ask you to take that picture for a moment. 566 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,640 I want you to flip it around. 567 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,440 And I want you to see the church of Jesus Christ looking up that aisle. 568 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,200 I want you to realize that the doors were open. 569 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:08,840 The bridegroom will come in a glorious way and you'll look at him and he'll look at you 570 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:11,800 and you'll say, he's mine. 571 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,480 And he will say, and you are mine. 572 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,480 That's what you're to be looking for. 573 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:23,760 You're to be looking for Christ to come back and when you see him as magnanimous and powerful 574 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:29,160 and beautiful as it is, it will be a loving encounter between you and your Savior. 575 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,840 In fact, you'll need a glorified body at that point because you won't be able to contain 576 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:37,200 all the emotions and all the love and all the joy and all the celebration that will 577 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,800 be happening in your heart when you see that Jesus Christ has come back for you and then 578 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:45,920 you'll be able to understand what it means to say the blessed hope and the appearing 579 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,640 of the glory of Christ Jesus. 580 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:50,720 That's what we're to be looking for. 581 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:56,760 It's good news ahead, great expectations and he will fulfill every part of that expectation. 582 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:01,080 So here's what I want you to know. 583 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:05,120 I want you to know that no matter how tough the world is right now, how deep your grief 584 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,960 might be right now, there's good news in that grief. 585 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,240 Jesus is coming back for you. 586 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:13,960 He will meet you in your worry. 587 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:19,480 He'll meet you in a very confused world and if you believe in Christ, if you trust Him 588 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:25,880 for your salvation, then your future is intertwined with Him completely from that day forward. 589 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,960 From the moment you place your faith with Christ, you are entwined with Him and He's 590 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,560 coming back for you. 591 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:36,640 Man, I can't wait to see Jesus. 592 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:41,960 I can't wait to see the smile on His face, the glory that accompanies Him. 593 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:45,840 I can't wait for Him to settle all the issues on this planet. 594 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:50,240 I can't wait to be in a heaven that He's prepared for all those who have believed in Him. 595 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:54,600 I can't wait for all the pain and the heartbreak and the death and the mourning and the crying 596 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,480 to be done with and to be with Him forever. 597 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:06,520 Jesus is coming back for you and I want you to have great expectations of His return. 598 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:11,800 Let me ask you this today, are you ready for His return? 599 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:16,160 Have you come to the place where you know beyond doubt that you are one of those people 600 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:22,240 that Titus 2 talks about, someone who's been paid for, whose sin has been forgiven, who's 601 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:27,440 been purified because you came to Jesus and trusted what He did on the cross for you? 602 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:32,320 Because if you've never had that moment, you need to take advantage of the opportunity 603 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:35,040 to put your trust in Christ now. 604 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,920 When He comes back, it'll be too late. 605 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:42,080 Put your faith in Him now so that you'll be ready when He returns. 606 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:45,760 In just a moment, I'll have a word of prayer and I'll give you three invitations today 607 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:46,760 as I often do. 608 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:52,080 And one is, if you have questions about your relationship with Christ, we want to help 609 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,380 you by talking with you about that. 610 00:37:54,380 --> 00:37:57,840 We have our decision stations open at both sides of the back of the church. 611 00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:58,840 Just stop by there. 612 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:03,480 There'll be somebody manning those stations who is ready to answer questions to talk to 613 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,640 you about your relationship with Christ. 614 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,880 If you don't know that you have one with Him, by the time you leave today, you can have 615 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:11,880 a relationship with Christ. 616 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:13,560 Sins paid for. 617 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,120 Sure that you're going to have eternity in heaven with Him. 618 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:18,800 That's the first invitation. 619 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:19,800 Don't miss that opportunity. 620 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,680 Secondly, if you're a guest, I'd love to see you in our guest reception room right outside 621 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,840 the center exit doors across the hallway, a glassed-in room. 622 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:31,920 I'll be there and I want to encourage you to come and let me say hi to you today. 623 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,880 Thirdly, bring somebody back with you next week. 624 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,920 If you have any questions about Israel and what God is doing with Israel, we're going 625 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:40,200 to talk about Israel next week. 626 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:43,920 We're going to talk about the covenant of Israel and what that means for us today, what 627 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,800 prophecy means today with these world events that are happening. 628 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:48,980 But come back. 629 00:38:48,980 --> 00:38:51,600 This is as relevant a series as you're going to find. 630 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:54,040 Let's stand together for a word of prayer. 631 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:59,200 Father, I am so grateful for this day and for the promises that you give us. 632 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:04,760 Lord, I ask you that you help make our minds and hearts ready for your return. 633 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:07,600 Lord, in so many ways, we're not ready. 634 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:08,920 We're not thinking of eternity. 635 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:11,320 We're not thinking of your appearing. 636 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:14,240 Lord, help us to do that. 637 00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:20,040 Help us shift gears in our minds, our hearts, to not be focused so much on where we are 638 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:25,640 now, but also to be able to focus on where we will be when you return. 639 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,280 Father, get us ready. 640 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:30,640 Help us share with those that don't know. 641 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:34,000 Help us settle that issue today in our own hearts. 642 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:37,680 Thank you for the privilege of knowing these things in Jesus' name. 643 00:39:37,680 --> 00:40:02,820 Amen.