Directly addresses the promise of Christ's return, emphasizing that "I will come again" (John 14:3) is a central truth for believers. It refutes common misconceptions about the timing and manner of Christ's coming, such as setting dates or equating His return with Pentecost or conversion. The core message highlights the fourfold purpose of Christ's return for believers: to raise, remove, reunite, and reward them, drawing from passages like 1 Thessalonians 4. The sermon concludes by urging believers to live in anticipation of this imminent return, which motivates witness and joy, and to prepare for the rewards at the judgment seat of Christ.
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the Gospel of John and the Fourteenth Chapter? No, before we turn to the Fourteenth Chapter, I wonder if you'd turn with me into the Eleventh Chapter. The Eleventh Chapter of the Gospel of John, please. Some time ago now, I was going through the Gospel of John again, and as I went through it, I was somewhat stuck. And I'd like to share with you something that was a real sure to me that morning in my own quiet time. A real thrill. I was reminded of it, and our brother Mr. Miller pointed out that he had one of these very wonderful books of Mr. Vine. And as I was going through the eleventh chapter of John, I came across verse thirty-three.
And when Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And was troubled. And I noticed that this was a slightly different word than the word that usually translated trouble. And not being a Greek student, only just as it were in some small measure playing at things. I went to Mr. Vine and I opened him up and I found that the word troubled here, Mr. Vine suggests it's a word associated with the shaking of the body. The shaking of the body. He was troubled. And I read on and I thought, well, The depths of the sorrow of our Lord.
That had affected his body. But then I came to the twelfth chapter. And you know I began to start to say hallelujah. For as I came into the twelfth chapter. I looked and I saw in the eleventh chapter that he was troubled with body. And in verse twenty seventh of the twelve. Now is my soul trouble. Now is my soul trouble. And then I went on into the thirteenth chapter. And I read in the thirteenth chapter verse twenty one. And when Jesus had thus said he was troubled in spirit, troubled in body, troubled in soul, troubled in spirit.
But you know what happened? I paid for the fourteenth chapter. Oh, hallelujah. Oh, bless God. He was troubled in body. He was troubled in soul. He was troubled in spirit. And he said, Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God? You believe also in me? My father's house were many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.
And that's what I want to talk about this morning. I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. I have a strong conviction in my heart that there should never be a period of conferencing like this, unless at some time we have brought before us the wondrous, blessed truth that Jesus Christ is coming again. Amen. And this morning as I opened my eyes and just thought of the day, I thought, well, maybe the Lord would have me think with you again. Remind you, not tell you, for I have nothing to tell you. Just remind you of the things that are surely believed amongst us, that we might hear him say, let not your hearts be troubled.
As we look at this tremendous subject, I must begin by asking your indulgence asking your indulgence, as I do remind you of things you know. It is not my purpose this morning to take up the political affairs of this scene and draw from them an illustration of the great truths of the Word of God. I am sure that this would be heartwarming. I am sure that it would make us realize that the coming of the Lord draws nigh. It is not my purpose to take the twenty-fourth of Matthew and find in it those great truths of things which must surely come to pass. But I just want to talk with you about the simple fact of the promise of Jesus, that if I go, I will come again.
I want to talk to you first about some of the mistakes concerning his coming. And they are innumerable. I want to talk to you not only of the mistakes of his coming, but I want to talk to you about the message of his coming. I want us to see what will happen when Christ returns, what is the message that has been given us in the word of God concerning the fulfillment of this problem. First of all, let's look at some of the mistakes concerning the coming of the Lord. The tragedy is this, that they do fall mainly into two distinct parts. There are mistakes concerning the moment of His coming, and there are mistakes concerning the manner of His coming.
Now the mistakes concerning the moment of his coming, we are all so familiar with. There are men and women who have set the moment of his return. They have made a mistake concerning the moment of his return in the fact they have fixed it. You know as well as I know that there are large companies of folk today who are setting a definite year for the return of Jesus Christ. And over the past years how many times that have been folk have arisen and have dared to say that Christ was coming at a certain time, at a certain place, We all know this, and it has turned the whole truth of the turn of the Lord, in the eyes of millions of men of the world, into a subject of laughter. But never let us forget that we were told to expect such things.
Why, the Lord Himself, blessed be His name, in that great thirty-sixth verse of the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, dared to say that of that day knoweth no man, not even the angels in heaven. No man knows the day or the hour. And whenever you find a man who makes a mistake and says that the Lord is coming at such a time, don't believe it. The Bible says no man knows the hour. No man. And then they make a mistake not only concerning the moment of his return inasmuch as they have fixed that moment as the day yet to come, but they've made a mistake after the moment inasmuch as they have said that it has already passed.
And there are large companies of men today who are there to tell us that Jesus Christ came. Some tell us he came in nineteen fourteen. Some tell us he came in nineteen seventeen. Some tell us he's already come. And how many of us remember the hoardings being marked with great slogans. Thousands now living will never die. The men of the Strait. And it wasn't that they made the mistake about the day of his coming in the future, but they made a mistake in as much as they said that he's already come when Jesus dared to say in the twenty-third verse of that twenty-fourth of Matthew, if any man shall say, lo, here is Christ, believe him not.
Don't believe him. And Jesus has made this definite mistake. Now if there are mistakes concerning the moment of his coming, there are innumerable mistakes concerning the manner of his coming. For instance, there are great companies of men, and I'm sorry to say that some of them are those that are in the family of God. Now, don't forget that. Well, then, let me just emphasize one thing. Life is not light. There are thousands of men and women who have life, but because of our failure to teach the truth, they've not light. I believe there are thousands of men and women who have been born into the family of God.
They've life, but the tragedy is their light concerning such things as we're considering because of our failure is so, so very, very little. And there are many men and women who have dared to tell us that they believe that Jesus spoke the truth when he said, if I go, I will come again. But you see, he came at Pentecost. Oh yes, when the Spirit of God came, then Christ fulfilled his promise. He came at Pentecost. I think this is answered very simply, don't you? I think it does us good just to remind ourselves that after the day of Pentecost there are one hundred and twenty mentions of the coming of Jesus Christ.
You don't talk about someone coming when they've already come. After the day of Pentecost there are one hundred and twenty mentions of the coming of Jesus Christ. And I go to the last book and the last chapter of the Bible and you can't go beyond that. And I hear the statement of the Blessed risen Christ, surely I come. Quickly. There are those that have made a mistake not only concerning the manner of his coming in as much as they have suggested that Pentecost was his coming, but there are those that have suggested that indeed conversion was his coming. Oh, we sing with the children into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus, coming today.
And how many men and women have said? Jesus said, if I go, I will come again. And I bowed my knee, and I opened my heart to him. And he knocked, and I opened my heart, and he said, I will come in. And conversion is the coming of the Lord. Well, thank God that's true. But it's not the coming of the Lord of the fourteenth of John. For you will remember indeed the statement of the apostle when he went to the church at Thessalonica, and he said, Ye turn to God from idols. And if that's not conversion, tell me what is. and they proved it to serve the true and living God. Ah, but to wait for his son from heaven. Conversion of the coming of the Lord. You wouldn't deny that the church at Thessalonica was a church indeed.
You wouldn't deny that they had opened their lives to Christ. They deceived him. They turned to God from idols. They served the true and living God. And they were waiting for his son from heaven. So conversion is not the coming of the Lord. Then of course there are those, and don't misunderstand me, if I'm opening up old wounds, oh please, I don't intend to. But there are those that tell us the coming of the Lord is death. How many times have I gone into a home where bereavement is being seen and found? And I don't go in when someone says to me, oh, Mr. Ford, the Lord came for him. I don't grab my finger at them and say, oh, your theology. Of course I don't.
I understand what they mean. And I sympathize, and I trust that the grave side, or the chapel, I'll seek indeed to emphasize the truth of the Bible concerning the matter, in such a way that comfort may be brought to them. But death isn't the coming of the Lord. For if it is, what do you do with one Thessalonians for? For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and people die? No, a death in Christ your eyes. And we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together. No, no, death isn't the coming of the Lord. Oh, there are mistakes concerning His coming. There are mistakes concerning the moment of His coming.
There are mistakes concerning the manner of His coming. So let us look at the message of His coming. Let us see this morning exactly what the Word of God has to say. And let our hearts be warmed by His Word to the Spirit. that we might go from this place, saying, perhaps today. And you know I was most interested, away yonder in Tasmania. I got into the car of a dear friend of mine who originated from England, and as I sat next to him his car, my eyes almost popped on my head. For on the dashboard of his car, this is what he had, a little printed slip.
Please note. the driver of this car may suddenly disappear. He told me that that gave him more opportunity of witnessing the people he gave lips to than anything that he'd ever had on his car. You know, brethren, sister, he's coming. And this surely should be one of the motivations of our witness for him. This should be one of the motivations of our joy and our happiness in this scene that before long we'll be with him.
Ah, that before long there may be left behind those that they'll never have a chance to speak to of Jesus again. I believe that one of the laxidical things that has come to the Church of God has come because we have forgotten. that Jesus Christ may come perhaps today and we have become laxadaisical in our witness laxadaisical in our living because we have forgotten he said if I go I will come again now when he comes let's look at the message of his coming now I point out to you very simply that there are four things going to happen when Jesus comes first of all he's coming to raise the believer and then he is coming to remove the believer.
And then he is coming to reunite the believer. Blessed be God, then he is coming to reward the believer. First he's coming to raise the believer. One Thessalonians four says, The dead in Christ shall rise first. But isn't it wonderful to know that Christ is in us? But I say, isn't it wonderful to know that we're in Christ? all the wonder of it all to know that the man or the woman that trusts the Lord Jesus is in Christ and I never want us to forget that when death comes we are still in Christ but there is coming a day when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout I'm glad of that the voice of the Archangel I'm glad of that the Trump of God I'm glad of that for have you noticed those three things The voice, first of all, the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.
His sheep hear his voice. When Christ comes, it will affect the church. The voice of the archangel. Whenever the voice of the archangel is spoken of, it is associated with Israel. That when Jesus Christ comes back, not only will his church know it, but Israel will know it. And the truth of God, the Gentile, the world at large, will know it. When he comes back, blessed be his name, first he's coming with a shout and his own folk will know it, the church will know it, the dead in Christ shall rise first. And I'm so glad of that. I'm glad that when one stands by the side of a grave to commit to that earth the remains of someone that's once loved, I'm glad that I'm able to stand there and I must confess that again and again I felt I'd love just to roll up my sleeve and shake my fist and say to death, just you wait.
for hallelujah one day that last enemy to be destroyed will be dead one day it'll be completely destroyed and for believer so under the thought the dead in Christ shall wiser so he's coming to raise the believer would you notice he's coming not only to raise the believer but to remove the believer for the dead in Christ shall wiser and we were to alive and remain I rather like the we don't you Seems to me that the Apostle Paul was linting himself with those that were there alive. He wasn't looking forward to a great long period before Christ came. He was expecting him then, and we which are alive would remain.
Oh, in the mercy of God, that time of his return has been put off because there are perishing men and women around us, and God's love is for all men. And he's extending the day of grace in his mercy. that I want to live as though he may return today, that I may be linked with the we, we which are alive and remain. Or he's coming to raise the believer, but he's coming to remove the believer. That those that love him at that moment when he comes, oh, blessed be his name, caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. When one thinks of the fact that he's coming to raise the believer, I'm not unmindful of the fact that death, the penalty of it, sins. And I see that death is the penalty of sin, but when Christ comes in a real sense, the Lord will bring deliverance from it.
I am not unmindful indeed that death is painful, but the Lord's return is not painful, it's delightful. I am not unmindful of the fact that death, it leaves a man looking down, weeping, but when Christ comes it leaves the man looking up rejoicing. coming to raise the believer but he's coming to remove them now I don't know why it is we've heard a lot about books today and I confessed to you the other day I don't read very many books but when I was first converted there was placed in my hand a little paperback book of one of the greatest men if not the greatest man I ever knew HP Barker HP Barker wrote a lot of books this little thing on the Holy Spirit is still one of the finest things that ever has been written.
But he wrote another one, Coming Twice. As far as I know, it's not in print today. When it was given me, it cost one in six months. How late is it? Well, I'm just asking about fifteen cents. About fifteen cents. And it was a book. Now, I'm not speaking about the content of the book. It was the finest thing that, as far as I'm concerned, has ever been written on the coming of the Lord. H.P. Barker's coming twice. I don't know why it hasn't been printed. I only know it was the most wonderful thing. And Mr. Barnes published it at that point. And it was the jacket on it that I was interested in.
It showed a great magnet flying towards that magnet. It showed a representation of men and women coming to us. And I need not remind you that when the Lord comes, he's going to catch to be with him, his own. It has well been said that just as a magnet draws to itself the same thing as it is made of, a magnet will never draw brass to itself, but iron. So in that day Christ will only draw to himself, may I say it reverently, that which is made of the same stuff as he's made of. Having been born from the barn, having received the life of Christ, in that day he's going to catch us to be with him.
He's coming to remove us. He's coming not only to raise the saints. He's coming not only to remove the saints. But isn't this wonderful? He's coming to rewrite the saints. For the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together. Hallelujah. Oh, bless God. He's going to reunite us. I'm glad of that. I don't just want to play on emotion here. But I know this, it touches emotion. Just a few months ago, we stood by the grave and saw the last remains of the mother put under the song. She'd been with us a long time. We'd had her for any nine years. And as we stood there, she was only a wee little lady.
My mum didn't stand any higher than this. I used to look at her and say, Mum, you used to... There's me. Oh, my. Just a wee jot of a lady was my mum. far as I know she was the first person I led to Christ after I trusted the faith and we stood by the grave and we saw our Lord under and the brother must tell for he was the second person I led to the Lord we turned away from the grave and I slipped my arm and his and I said Bill it's till he come till he come till he come there that marks the little resting place in the mum we've got the text till he come he's coming and we're going to be reunited And you may come to me and ask me about knowing one another in eternity.
And I only know this. Look, Brother, I can't show you a passage in verse that tells me I'm going to know them a month. I can't tell you a passage in verse that tells me I'm going to know you folk when I get the glory, but I can show you a passage in verse that tells me I'm going to know Moses, and I'm going to know Elijah, and I've never seen them in my life. Why, if I know them, I'm the feeling I'm going to know the folk I knew. Oh, listen. Called up together. Called up together. but when he comes he's coming not only blessed be his name to raise the believer not only to remove the believer not only to reunite us caught up together either be some things to be told then but to reward us I sometimes hear even Christians talk about he's gone to his reward ah bless God the reward is going to be a bad day at the judgment day he's coming and he's going to reward us I wonder if I may be permitted.
I don't wish to take more time than I should this morning. But I wonder if I'd be permitted, for the sake of my younger friends, just to go through very, very quickly and briefly an outline of God's plan of faith. You know, the Word of God has much to say about day. We are living in this day of salvation. The day of salvation will come to its close. And there will be ushered in at the rapture of the church. There will be ushered in two days. the day of Christ and whenever the day of Christ is spoken of in Scripture without exception it is occupied with heaven not earth where in heaven is the day of Christ on earth is the day of Jacob's troubles and the day of Christ starts with the rapture of the church it continues with the judgment seat of Christ then it goes on the marriage supper of the lamb the presentation to the father And this is all during the day of Christ.
This is all in heaven. On earth there is the day of Jacob's trouble. And the day of Christ and the day of Jacob's trouble comes to its close with the day of the Lord. That day which lasts for a thousand years, beginning with the battle of Armageddon, for it starts with judgment, and it finishes with the great white throne, and it finishes with judgment. And then there is ushered in, following the day of Christ in heaven and the day of Jacob's trouble on earth. They've ushered in the day of the Lord, that great millennial reign. And it comes to its close as they've ushered in the great day of our God. Oh, what a day that'll be. The great day of our God.
You know, I don't often speak about the eternal state. And if you'd like me to talk about the eternal state, do you know where I go? I go to the Book of Genesis. Because the Book of Genesis had more to tell us about the eternal state than any other part in the Bible. What was God's original program which seems somehow to be fought it with sin? It will be fulfilled. And all that God had promised from man of blessed be his name here fulfilling, in that eternal state when Christ will present all to the Father, that everything will be found in God. Oh, this is God's purpose. He is coming to reward. And at the day of the day of Christ, when the judgment seat of Christ is set up.
And please, please, don't you ever think the judgment seat of Christ has anything to do with sin? It doesn't! Sin was dealt with at Calvary. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin. The judgment seat of Christ is the time of the giving out of the rewards. Every man shall receive praise of God. I wonder how much praise you'll have there. I wonder how big you'll be in eternity. For I'm persuaded of this you know that in eternity all, all men without exception, in eternity all men will understand as fully as they can the wonders of Christ. But it just does depend a little bit on how big our capacity will be in that day.
What sort of capacity are we building? But in that day we will have, or we will all fully understand Christ as far as we can understand him. but some will have a bigger capacity to understand. Oh, in that day when he gives out the reward, he's coming. Please God, you and I shall receive praise of God. I want just to draw to a close by reminding you of something else. But the coming of the Lord, the second coming, is as we know in two parts. It's the rapture and the revelation. And when Christ returns then at the end of the day of Christ, to set up the great day of the Lord, there are four things that will happen for Israel.
He is coming for the church to raise the believer, to remove the believer, to reunite the believer, to reward the believer. But when he comes, there are four things for Israel. He's coming first to rescue Israel. Zechariah fourteen. He is coming secondly to redeem Israel. He is coming thirdly to reposition Israel. And hallelujah, he is coming fourthly to reign through Israel. Oh, I do not believe that God has finished with his earthly people. I do not believe that God has finished with those that he called his own.
He has given to you and me as he's gone out into the Gentiles the wonderful blessing, the glory of blessing of being the bride of Christ, the body of Christ and Israel's never that. Our position is much greater. But remember, whenever you come across these people who speak about all a millennial, millennialism as you've got it, pardon me, would you never forget the great statement of the second chapter of Luke? The message that was given concerning the Christ that he should be great. And in that great thirty-second verse it says, And he shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and ever and ever.
And that his kingdom shall there be no end. Now never in the church of God has Jesus reigned on the throne of his father David. Never in the church of God has he reigned over the house of Jacob. But he will do. He will do for the promise is sure. But today you and I look forward to the return of Christ, to the rapture. For brethren, sisters, I don't understand all it means. But we shall reign with him. We shall reign with him. are he coming please God that our hearts may be thrilled again in the very simple statement of things surely believed amongst us I trust that our hearts