We concluded our series in Revelation chapter
12. And the last message really focused on the
church waiting between the Advents. The first
Advent or coming of Christ and the second Advent
or coming of Christ. But we also find ourselves
at a particular juncture in time. with the entire
new year ahead of us. So I had a really hard
time moving on from this series without preaching
one more concluding sermon on the second coming
of the Lord Jesus. But I think it's also appropriate
that we focus on that as we have a new year ahead
of us. There are many things which we don't know.
about the future. Right, brothers and sisters?
There are many uncertainties. And there are many
things that we can be distracted in about what
is coming or what is not coming. But we do know
one thing for sure. And that is that the Lord
Jesus Christ will return one day. So I think
it's appropriate that we spend time in this text
and we conclude. In the book of Revelation. That's
what this chapter in chapter 22 is preeminently
about. The return of the Lord Jesus. The second
advent of Christ. The parousia of the Lord. The
return of the Lord. In the Old Testament it was
referred to as the day of the Lord. The time
when Christ will come. Now, when we speak of
the second coming, it's important that we define
our terms. That we define what it is we're talking
about exactly. So when we say the second coming,
or the return of the Lord Jesus, what exactly
are we referring to? What is the book of Revelation?
What is the Bible talking about it? Because it
is an essential doctrine. To be a Christian.
This is actually one of the dividing points between
heresy and orthodoxy. If a person denies the
physical, bodily, personal return of Christ,
they fall into heterodoxy and heresy. They cannot
be called a Christian at that point in time.
Why is this doctrine so vitally essential and
what is it? so that we know what to look for
and what not to look for. Well, when we talk
about the second coming of Christ, we're talking
about the personal, visible, bodily, glorious,
sudden return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The
one who was caught up to God, who exalted and
ascended and was enthroned at the right hand,
who was ruling and reigning, He will come personally
himself. He will not send a representative. He
will not send somebody instead. The Lord Jesus
Christ himself will personally return into history,
into the world. And he will come in a visible
or physical nature or fashion. It will not be
a phantom. It will not be a personal experience.
Christ will physically and visibly enter into
the world once again. And he will come bodily.
If we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ bodily
ascended in the book of Acts, that he bodily
ascended to the right hand of the Father, we
must also believe that he will bodily return
to this world with his glorified body. in glorified
form. And he will come, as we've mentioned so
many times throughout this series, not as the
babe born in Bethlehem, but he will come in glory
and power. The book of 2 Thessalonians talks
about he will come with his angels of fire. The
entire world will stop and know. That history
has ended. And that Christ has come. It will
be known by every single human being. It will
be universal in the world in that great day.
And it will be sudden. It will not be something
that's gradual. And we can look up at a telescope.
No, it will take place suddenly. Only the Father
knows the hour, the day, and the time. He will
come like a thief in the night. This is what
we're talking about when we speak of the second
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The personal,
visible, bodily, glorious, and sudden return
of the Lord Jesus into this world. Chapter 22
is expanding this doctrine. And it's talking
about and explaining this doctrine of the second
coming. Now, chapter 22 of Revelation does this
in several ways. And we're going to consider
it in the following four ways. We're going to
consider that this glorious reality, the second
coming, is announced. Or proclaimed, we could
say. We're going to consider that the second
coming is announced as a certain reality. Something
that is sure. It is fixed. It is certain to take
place. And this is how Revelation 22 describes
it and puts it forth. But we'll also consider
that the second coming is announced with warnings.
And not just with warnings, we'll also see that
it's announced with invitations for a response
to this reality and to this truth. So first,
let's consider the fact that this glorious reality
is announced in Revelation chapter 22. Notice
in verse 7, 12, and 20 in particular. we read
these words. And behold, I am coming quickly.
Then we read again in verse 12. Behold, I am
coming quickly. And we read yet again in verse
20. Yes, I am coming quickly. In each of these,
we find, The announcement. The proclamation.
The assertion. That Jesus Christ is coming back.
That Jesus Christ will return. He will enter
into human history. That will be the next great
redemptive event and act which takes place. In
the world. It's also significant. That it is
the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Who is making
this announcement. Notice in verse 7. I am coming
quickly. Who is announcing this brothers and
sisters? The risen Lord Jesus himself. The risen
Lord Jesus is saying personally. I am coming
quickly. And who is the Lord Jesus presented
as in and throughout this text? What do we read
throughout this? He says in verse 13, I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end. We read in verse 16,
I am the root and the descendant of David, the
bright morning star. He is the divine Messiah
who is both God and man. So what we have here
is a divine testimony to the reality and the
fact that he is coming back. Now, this announcement
is also said to be something that is taking place.
Notice that the Lord Jesus Christ, says, I am
coming quickly. He doesn't simply say, I will
come. I'm going to come. No, it's in the present
progressive form. I am. It's something that's
taking place and progressively taking place and
will culminate. And it will take place in the
future as well. So we can understand this a little
bit better when we also see that it is described,
this announcement of his return, as imminent.
He says, quickly. Or we could say that the time
is at hand. It is near. It is close. Or immediate
would be another way of saying it. Now, we think
about that, and there may be some conflict in
our hearts, in our minds, when we hear those
words, because some of us are thinking, well,
don't certain things have to take place before
Christ returns? Don't certain things have to
occur before He comes? Yes, they do. The fact
that he says he is coming and he is going to
come, don't contradict one another, brothers
and sisters. When Christ says, I am coming, that
does not preclude or do away with the fact that
his coming is prepared and brought about by certain
realities. It doesn't mean that nothing has to
take place prior to... his return. So what are
some of the things that must take place to bring
about the coming of Christ? Or we could say the
preparatory events leading up to the return of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, first we know that
the gospel must be preached to all the nations,
to all the people groups. Throughout the world.
We read in Matthew chapter 24 verse 14. This
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the
whole world. As a testimony to all the nations.
And then the end will come. Once the gospel has
been proclaimed to all the nations. Then the
end will come. We know from the book of Revelation
that the church must pass through the tribulation
or this age, this period, these thousand years,
these days of trial in this desert wilderness
as Revelation 12 presents it. And we know from
2 Thessalonians that the... Mystery of iniquity
or the mystery of lawlessness must be completed.
And the man of lawlessness must be exalted and
manifested and revealed in time and in history.
We read in 2 Thessalonians 2, starting in verse
3, Let no one in any way deceive you. For it
will not come unless the apostasy comes first.
And the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son
of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself
above every so -called god or object of worship.
So that he takes his seat. And the temple of
God displaying himself as being God. Do not remember.
Do you not remember that while I was still with
you, I was telling you these things. And you
know what restrains him now. So that in his time,
he will be revealed. Meaning he will be made
known. So there's this idea of mystery, but then
this idea of revelation that he's talking about.
something that's generally been hidden, something
that has generally not been known to the world,
that will be made manifest and revealed to everybody.
It will no longer be a mystery. Then we read
in verse 7, For the mystery of lawlessness is
already at work. Only he who now restrains will
do so until he is taken out of the way. Then
that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord
will slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring
to an end by the appearance of his coming. That
is, the one whose coming is in accord with the
activity of Satan, which all power and signs
and false wonders, and with all the deception
of wickedness for those who perish, because they
did not receive the love of the truth. so as
to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon
them a deluding influence so that they will believe
what is false, in order that they may be judged
who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure
in wickedness. The mystery of iniquity, the mystery
of lawlessness, must have its course in this
world, and the man of lawlessness must be manifested
and made known to the world. Prior to the return
of Jesus Christ. Now there's one more thing in
the midst of all of that. That must occur. That
must take place prior to the Lord Jesus. That
prepares for his coming. And that is that all
the elect must be gathered in. All the church
must be saved by Christ. the gospel, brothers
and sisters. So Christ's imminent return does
not go contrary to events which prepare and actually
bring about his return. So we see that this glorious
reality is announced by the Lord Jesus himself.
But we also have to consider that the second
coming is announced as a certain reality. Now,
when we think about the credibility of a person
and the fact that they say something, we think
of individuals, oh, they're credible, I'd take
them at their word. They're credible, I'd take
them at their word. But who is the most credible
individual? Who is the most credible? man, the
Lord Jesus Christ. So when the Lord Jesus says,
I am coming quickly, he is being absolutely truthful.
If a person denies or rejects or argues about
the second coming of Christ, Do you know who
they're wrangling about words with? Do you know
who they're arguing with? Do you know who they're
fighting against? The risen and reigning Lord
Jesus Christ Himself. Christ Himself bears witness
to the reality and fact that He will return to
this world. And even more than this, we see that
it is a certain reality, not just because the
living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, declares
it and bears witness to it, but it is a certain
reality because the Word of God bears witness
to this grand and glorious reality. Look at verse
6 of Revelation 22. Verse 6 says this, And he
said to me, these words are faithful and true.
What words, brothers and sisters? The words of
this prophecy. The book of Revelation, chapter
22. The entirety of the word of God. And all
of its truths and all of its doctrines that it
puts forth. So here we have, remarkably, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Bearing witness to the Word
of God. He is confirming, validating, authenticating
the veracity and the truthfulness and the accuracy
and the steadfastness and the fixedness, the
sure nature of the Word of God by bearing witness
to it as the risen Lord Jesus. So in a nutshell,
Why must we believe in the second coming of Christ?
Why must we embrace this doctrine? Why must all
men believe in this grand and glorious reality,
even though we may not understand all the ins
and outs of it? Even though we may not comprehend...
physically and naturally, how all these things
will occur, even though we may not understand
all the day, the time, the hour, the method it
comes about. Why must we accept it? Because it's
in the Word of God. Because the Word of God proclaims
it and puts it forward, brothers and sisters.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself recognizes this
in the text. We live in a day and age where many
modern believers are eager to do away with the
written word. And just give us Jesus and his
resurrection. We've heard this from men such
as Andy Stanley and many other progressive and
liberal believers, professing believers. Just
give me Jesus and His work, but we don't need
the written Word. But what is the Lord Jesus
Christ doing right here? What is the risen Word
doing right here? He is bearing witness to His
written Word, brothers and sisters. But we also
must understand, brothers and sisters, we ought
never to pin our faith on methods or men, or
apologetics, or anything else vaguely similar.
They're all insufficient. The Word of God must
be believed. When Christ proclaims the second
coming, His return in the Word, He's not putting
it out there for discussion. He's not laying
it out for the people to intellectually spar
and argue about whether it's true or whether
it's wrong. No, he's declaring it, brothers and
sisters. He's proclaiming this reality. There's
a great danger. And apologetics have a place,
brothers and sisters. They do. Demonstrating
the reasonableness and the commendableness of
apologetics. to the unbeliever, it has a place.
But we have to understand something. Man's problem
is not that he does not have enough information.
Man's problem is not that he does not understand
all the intricacies and the consistencies and
the logicalness of the Word of God. Man's problem,
at the heart of it, is his nature. It's his sin.
It's not as though a man can put all these puzzle
pieces together and all of a sudden now he can
believe because he knows the information and
the consistency of the Christian faith. No. At
some point in time, a person must say, this is
what the Word of God says. This is what the Gospel
says. You either believe it or you don't. Accept
it or reject it. What is their need? Their need
is for the power of God. to intervene in their
life and to give them a new nature, to cause
them to be born again, to divinely work to give
them faith and repentance, to work in their heart
and their mind, to change them from the inside
out. At some point in time, brothers and sisters,
there is the danger of throwing pearls before
swine. Proclaim the Word and call for men to
believe it. To turn from their sin. And if you're
here today, and you think that you can come to
Christ through your own intellect, your own intellectual
powers, by reasoning your way to Christianity,
you are wrong. You are dead wrong. Because your
issue is your sin nature and your pride and your
arrogance and your love for your sin. You ultimately
don't want God. You want your sin. So you don't
have to understand everything, brothers and sisters.
You just have to submit to it. You just have
to give yourself to that reality and ask the
Lord for help in those things. This reality of
the second coming is certain. And fixed because
Christ bears witness to it. The word of God bears
witness to it. But it's also certain in this
way. In that it's final. We see in verses 11
through 15 the finality of the second coming.
Listen to what we read. Let the one who does
wrong still do wrong. And the one who is filthy
still be filthy. And let the one who is righteous
still practice righteousness. And the one who
is holy still keep himself holy. What do we find
in verse 11, ultimately, brothers and sisters?
We find the future fate and condition of those
at the return. of the Lord Jesus. Men will remain
and continue in the condition and state at which
they are found at the return of Jesus Christ.
You will either be in Christ or you will be outside
of Christ. When he returns, that is not the day
that you will be able to repent. At that point
in time, it will be Too late. If you are outside
of Christ and living in sin, unrepentant, living
for self, rejecting the gospel, when the Lord
Jesus Christ returns, there's no going back,
brothers and sisters. There's no do -overs at
that point in time. Your fate is fixed from there
on out. But we also see in this, That all humanity
will be separated and divided into two groups
of people. The Bible is very discriminatory in
a sense. It's very distinguishing. It's very
divisive in some ways, isn't it? And what will
the Lord Jesus Christ say? ultimately do and
bring about a division in all humanity. What
do we read in verses 14 and 15? Blessed are those
who wash their robes, so that they may have the
right to the tree of life and may enter by the
gates into the city. Outside are the dogs. and
the sorcerers, and the immoral persons, and the
murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who
loves and practices lying. Those who know Christ,
who are in Christ, who have been born again,
who are growing in holiness and godliness, will
dwell with Christ, brothers and sisters, at His
return. They will enjoy the new heavens and the
new earth because they've been given the robes
of righteousness. That are Christ himself. But.
There is another group. That will be separated.
From the saints of God. That will be separated.
From Christ. Those who are outside of Christ.
And living and dwelling in their sin. Those who
have never turned from their sin. And trusted
in the Lord Jesus Christ. And those who have
never loved. and eagerly expected and waited
and looked for his blessed appearing. One group
will be abundantly blessed. They will be with
God in Christ for eternity. One group will go
on to experience eternal judgment and curse for
all. All humanity will be divided. And every
human being, every man, every woman, and every
child will fall into one of two groups. Every
person in this room will either be found with
Christ or they will be outside with the dogs.
They will be unclean and in their sin. They will
have no holiness and they will be given over
completely to the wicked desires of their own
heart for all eternity under the wrath of God.
Because they've rejected Jesus Christ and the
gospel and because they have broken the law of
God and they have condemned themselves time and
time again. All men will fall into one of two
groups. And this is final. And certain. Christ
is not returning. For second chances. Brothers
and sisters. Christ is not coming back. For the
forgiveness of sins. What does he say in verse
12. Behold I am coming quickly. And my reward.
Is with me. To render to every man. According
to what he has done. He's not coming for the
forgiveness of sins this time. He's not coming
for the atonement of sin. Brothers and sisters,
He's coming to reward men according to their
works, whether they're in Christ, whether they're
depending on their own righteousness before a
holy and a righteous God. That is the fate of
every single human being on the planet today.
throughout history and throughout the world to
come, throughout the history of the world to
come. Should this not create a little bit of
urgency in our hearts and our minds as believers?
Should this not create a little bit of urgency
in your lives now, even today, even this week?
To think about that which is to come? To think
about that which is truly meaningful in life?
There are so many uncertainties in this world.
There are so many things that are changing. There
are so many things that are fluctuating. There
are so many things that may not come about tomorrow.
And there are other things that will come about
tomorrow because they are uncertain, brothers
and sisters. Don't give up your soul for uncertainties.
Don't forsake eternal life because you've been
distracted by the things of this world. Because
you love fleeting pleasure in life. Because you
love pride and exalting yourself and being a
judge over God and determining whether He is
real or He is not. Brothers and sisters, be urgent
in your living as Christians and be urgent unbeliever
in pursuing and praying for grace and seeking
Christ. Put yourself under the Word. Put yourself
in the earshot of godly believers. Pray and ask
God for grace. Turn from your sin. Determine
to give up your sin. Determine to pursue Christ.
Live for Him even if you fail time and time again.
Put yourself in a place where God saves you,
brothers and sisters. Expose yourself to the
means of grace as often as you can. And do everything
you can to seek out Christ, even as an unbelieving
man or woman, young or old. There ought to be
urgency in our living. If we give our lives for
things that pass away, if we give our lives for
fleeting pleasures when we know that eternal
life is coming and the age to come will not end,
brothers and sisters, should we not prepare our
souls for eternity? Should we not prepare our
very beings for that which will be eternal and
that which will last forever? Should we not read
the scriptures as if Christ were coming back
an hour from now? Should we not love our brethren
as if Christ would return tonight? Should we
not give ourselves to the local church as if
Christ were coming at any single moment? Brothers
and sisters, live now as if Christ were coming
now. In this moment, live fully as a believer
for the Lord Jesus Christ. And consider the state
of your soul, unbeliever, now and today. Don't
put it off. The second coming, because it is
certain and fixed, ought to have an effect on
your life now. Here, in this place, in this day.
at this time. Now, inevitably, a reality such
as this, that is so life -changing, comes with
warnings. It brings about caution with it when
something like this is proclaimed. Now, the text
shows us and gives us several warnings. That
come. As this glorious reality is announced.
We see this in several ways. First we see in
verse 10. That John is warned. And he said to
me. Do not seal up. The words of the prophecy.
Of this book. For the time is near. If you recall.
In Daniel chapter 8. And Daniel chapter 12. Daniel
is specifically told to seal up, to close the
book of prophecy because the time is not near.
While John here is instructed to do the opposite.
Don't conceal it. Write it down. Publish it.
Proclaim it. Propagate this truth. Why? Because
we are in the last days. Christ's coming is at
hand. We are nearer to it. We are in the era
of his return, brothers and sisters. Daniel was
not. We are on this side of the cross. He was
on that side of the cross. So there's warning
against... concealing the truth of Scripture,
but also the book of Revelation in particular.
Now that should give us a little bit of pause
as believers who, at times, probably avoid the
book of Revelation because of its difficulties
and because it's so removed. From our culture
and our world. This book is given to us, brothers
and sisters, that we might understand it. That
we might know it and be blessed by it. We ought
not to conceal it or shut it off or seal it up
or avoid it. We ought to publish the message
of Revelation. To proclaim the reality that Jesus
Christ is coming. Now, it also warns us against
perverting the word of God. We read this in verses
18 through 19. I testify to everyone who hears
the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone
adds to them, God will add to him the plagues
which are written in this book. And if anyone
takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God will take away his part from the
tree of life and from the holy city, which are
written in this book. Peter talks about this
in 2 Peter, about how ungodly and wicked men
distort and manipulate and twist Paul's words.
Scripture. Why? To their own ends. For their
own purposes. For their own gain. For their own
feelings. For their own profit. The church receives
revelation. The Christian has received revelation.
The deposit of revelation in the scriptures.
We receive it. We obey it. We propagate it. We
don't change it. This is the word of God we're
dealing with. This is holy, infallible, inerrant
scripture that has been given to us. It is ours
to preach and teach and instruct and it is ours
to protect and preserve to a degree. But it is
never ours. To change. There is great warning.
And it is very dangerous. For a person. To manipulate.
The words of God. It is a scary thing. To manipulate.
And twist the words of God. There is warning.
And there is a final warning. With regards to
disobedience. To the word of God. We see this
in verses 7 through 8. And behold, I am coming
quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of
the prophecy of this book. I, John, am the one
who heard and saw these things. And when I heard
and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of
the angel. who showed me these things. And listen
to what the angel tells John in verse 9. But
he said to me, Do not do that. I am a fellow
servant of yours, and of your brethren, the prophets,
and of those who heed the words of this book.
Now, Joel Beeky makes a great point with regards
to these verses in particular. He says that the
visions, That John is getting, they're so great
and they're so glorious. And it seems as though
they're impairing his ability to discern what
is the vision and what is reality. And if you
do read these verses closely, Beakey says you'll
notice that there's two voices talking. There's
two individuals talking. There's the angel and
there's Christ at times. And then there's John.
So there's... Multiple things taking place, but
the message is clear. And that's the point, says
Beeky. The message is clear. What is the purpose
of the book of Revelation and all of Scripture?
What is the purpose of Revelation 22? That the
people of God would obey the words of God and
they would be led to worship God. in greater
measure. It is not for the purpose of intellectual
speculation and stimulation. I have sat in many
a table and in many a group of individuals who
love to talk about theology, eschatology, and
doctrine. And there's great debates taking place.
There are great arguments on this side and that
side. And surely there's great intellectual stimulation
and satisfaction that is occurring in certain
individuals. And brothers and sisters, we don't
read the book of Revelation to get lost in things
we cannot fully understand. We read the Word
of God. We read the book of Revelation. Why?
So that we can obey Christ. and we can worship
Him more. That's what we do with Scripture. We
focus on that which is clear, and we obey it,
and we worship God. If your understanding of
the Bible does not produce obedience, and it
does not bring about greater degrees of worship
and prayer in your life, then I would question
whether or not you really understand the Scripture.
In many ways, worship and prayer and obedience
are the measure of a man's understanding of the
Word. Do you know what I mean by that, brothers
and sisters? I mean this. If you're reading the
Word and you're filling your head and you're
grasping information, but that scriptural knowledge
and truth never makes its way to your heart and
changes you and brings about greater desire to
obey Christ and actual obedience to His commands
and requirements and the law of God, if it doesn't
sanctify you, and if it doesn't make you more
worshipful in your heart, then you don't really
grasp and comprehend the reality of the Word.
Because when God speaks, people obey. When a
holy and a righteous and a good and a faithful
and a redeeming God speaks, brothers and sisters,
and His people really, truly hear them, They
obey and they are brought to a place where they
worship Him and they long for greater communion
with Him. Is the truth affecting change in your
life? Are you praying more as a result of your
study of the Scriptures? Are you worshiping more?
Are you longing more? Are you desiring more?
Are you being transformed as a result of the
Scriptures? It doesn't matter how many books
you've read last year. It doesn't matter how
many books you're going to read this year. If
none of them change you because of the Scriptural
truth, it all amounts to zilch. Brothers and
sisters, if you want to make a New Year's resolution,
If you want to walk into the new year in a godly
fashion that honors Christ, determine this. You
are going to study the scriptures and you are
going to pursue spirit -wrought, grace -driven
sanctification in your life more than ever before.
That you are going to give yourself to obedience
to the word of God regardless of what that means
for your life. Give yourself to that this year,
brothers and sisters. Give up everything else
if you have to just for that. Go all in on that,
brothers and sisters, and you will not be the
same next year that you are now. There's a godly
and holy New Year's resolution. So many things
that we do. myself included, are based on worldly
principles and practices and carnal strength.
Brothers and sisters, we want to be made more
like the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to grow in
holiness and godliness. We want to honor Him
more. That is what we want in our life. Isn't
it, brothers and sisters? Give yourself to the
truth and being changed and affected. Work at
your sanctification. Rest in your justification.
Give yourself to these realities in the coming
year and you will do well in the Lord, brothers
and sisters. Now, just as there are warnings
that are announced with this, There's also invitations
for response. In a way, we could say that John
tells us the responses that he wants. And that
the Lord Jesus Christ himself tells us the response
that he wants from the people of God. We read
this in verse 17. The spirit and the bride say,
come. And let the one who hears say, come. And
let the one who is thirsty, come. Let the one
who wishes take the water of life without cost.
Without cost. There is an invitation for the
church to welcome the return of Christ. And there
is an invitation for the unbeliever. while the
Word is still proclaimed, to come to the Lord
Jesus Christ. I just want to end with a few verses
here. I want to read 2 Thessalonians 1. In a
sense, for the church, this is a call, brothers
and sisters, to cultivate. A heart that loves
and longs and looks for the coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We read this in 2 Thessalonians
chapter 1. We start reading in verse 5. This
is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment.
so that you will be considered worthy of the
kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
For after all, it is only just for God to repay
with affliction those who afflict you, and to
give relief to you who are afflicted, and to
us as well, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming
fire. dealing out retribution to those who do
not know God and to those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the
penalty of eternal destruction away from the
presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power. Now here's what I want us to see in this.
When He comes to be glorified in His saints on
that day and to be marveled at, Among all who
have believed. When Christ returns. Brothers
and sisters. The saints are going to marvel.
At his glory. His greatness. And the reality
of what he is accomplishing. In that moment.
So this is a call to cultivate a heart. Now.
That marvels. At the Lord Jesus Christ. Now.
Cultivate in your heart now what you will be
when Christ returns. We also read in Hebrews
chapter 9, verse 28, So Christ also, having been
offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear
a second time for salvation without reference
to sin to those who eagerly await Him. So, what
is this a call to cultivate in this case? A heart
that eagerly waits and longs for the return of
the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the first letter
of John, chapter 3. Beloved, now we are children
of God, and it has not appeared as yet, What
we will be. We know that when he appears. We
will be like him. Because we will see him just
as he is. And everyone who has this hope. Fixed
on him. Purifies himself. Just as he is pure.
What is this text telling us? That if we love
Christ now. We long for His coming. We will pursue
holiness now in this life to honor Him and to
be more like Him now here in this world as we
look forward to His return. And lastly, and finally,
I want to read 2 Peter 3. Here's what Peter says.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in
this way, what sort of people ought you to be
in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and
hastening the coming of the day of God, because
of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning
and the elements will melt with intense heat.
But according to his promise, we are looking
for new heavens. and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for
these things, be diligent to be found blameless
by Him in peace, spotless and blameless in regard
the patience of our Lord as salvation. Brothers
and sisters, let us live now because of the grace
of God. and the grace of God at work in us. Let
us live looking to the coming of Christ, seeking
to bring Him honor and glory in this life by
means of who we are by His grace.