The significance of Christ's cross as the pivotal point of God's plan for all of time, from eternity past to the future. It explains the concept of 'Advent' as a coming or arrival, distinguishing between Christ's first Advent at Bethlehem and His future second Advent. The message highlights the ascension of Jesus from the Mount of Olives, as recorded in Acts chapter one, and the subsequent descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, marking the birth of the church. This orderly progression of events underscores God's divine timing and plan, emphasizing that Pentecost, the fiftieth day after the resurrection, is the church's birthday.
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We've had a passage down in Lyman. That's a new one for at least the last few years, isn't it? No, we made a grand tour of Lyman today, and I don't make fun of Lyman, believe me. There are smaller places in Texas even, even in Texas, and there are smaller places even in Colorado. So I'm used to that. And by the way, I got to go to Atlantic today, where I told you that that's I had been before many years ago, but I think it's changed some too, like Leo there. It's more handsome also, because it's grown. I'll tell you, I didn't recognize anything. You know, Harold would say something and I'd go, you know, and finally, though, he struck the chord because we went by the fairgrounds and I said, I know that.
I remember that, you know, like a little kid. And I really did. I remember going there to that conference many years ago. So we did a little sightseeing. Glad for that. And glad, by the way, it thrills me to see some in here tonight. It's an encouragement to me, and I am desperately going to try to keep my promise that I made to everyone this morning. For those of you who weren't here, I said I'd only go thirty-five minutes. So I'm going to try to hold to that, and we'll get right along with it shortly. Don't get him too big. He means because he can't understand me to begin with, and when I go to talking fast, he really doesn't understand me. Well, oh well, I'll slow down as much as I possibly can, because, you know, I get excited, believe it or not, even at a hundred and nine.
I get excited when I go to thinking about the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and all that he has in store for every child of his. So I can't help but get a little bit excited about that, and so you just bear with me. Tonight I want you to turn to the Book of Acts again. to the book of Acts in the first chapter. While you're turning there, Acts chapter one, let me say, I didn't know what my wife was going to sing. I didn't even know she was going to sing. But I'm so happy to see that we're still in somewhat of an agreement of spirit because she couldn't have chosen more appropriate hymn for my opening remarks.
Because now that you have the Book of Acts in your hand there, and it's open, I want to back away a moment and look at the chart and remind us. As I did this morning, that at the center of this chart stands a very peculiar object, one of ridicule, one that you and I would not ordinarily want to be identified with. Identification is very important to young people today. You realize that? It's important that they are identified correctly. They want to do it because the other one does it and the other one does it because the other one does it. It's kind of a chain reaction. So identification is very important. If you know, I'm thankful to God that I'm identified with this being called the cross, and above all were the ones who hung on that center tree, the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Because let me tell you, apart from the cross being here, as far as I'm concerned, there would be no reason to time. You know why? I'd blow my brains out. You say, uh-oh, we don't like that kind of a preacher. What hope would you have apart from the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ? What would be the use of living? There would be no hope. Why not get it over with, as they say. And so I am so thankful that I can identify tonight with what stands in the center of this cross as the hub of the wheel, let me remind you again, for which all is connected, everything that happens from in the Old Testament period, even in the eternity past, everything that's going to happen from the day that you and I live in forward, what has happened from the cross to the day in which you and I live in, all is connected inseparably to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross.
So tonight I'm thankful to say at the very center of God's plan for time stands the cross of Christ. Because let me remind you, this chart beginning over here at this blue half globe and going to this other half globe is nothing but God's picture of time. what's going to happen in time. And as I reminded you this morning, I don't know of a person that's honest who does not want to know what's going to happen next. Now, tomorrow night I'm going to tell you what's going to happen next.
So if you want to know what's going to happen next, you're going to have to come tomorrow night. And you're going to have to either prove me wrong or prove me right. So I'm just going to leave you penalized a little bit and hope that that'll draw you and some friends with you because you tell them there's a wild fellow down well brethren would you throw me out of here but let me I'm going to finish my statement tell them there's a wild fellow down there at the lineman gospel hall and he's going to tell you what's going to happen next. Of course I do it a bit with tell me in chief, but I'm going to do that, God willing, tomorrow night, and we'll talk about some very wonderful things. But tonight I feel exercise to take a few moments, remind you of the word Advent. The Lord Jesus Christ came in his first Advent as to David Bethlehem.
You remember that this morning. And I reminded you that an Advent is nothing but a coming or an arrival to the earth. to the earth. That's important for tomorrow night also. It's a coming or a arrival to the earth. We talked about him going to the cross. We talked about his burial. We talked about his resurrection just ever so briefly that he arose the third day. And then this morning I closed with Acts chapter one and let us read again some of those verses that I just simply read to you this morning. Let me ask, don't raise your hands, children. Don't raise your hands. But how many of you went home? I already see some red faces.
How many of you went home and read the verses we read this morning? Well, so anyway, we'll read some of them now. Acts chapter one and again verse eight. But you shall receive power. after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." And when he had spoken these things, that's the Lord Jesus Christ of course, are you following me? This is what the Lord Jesus Christ was telling who. This is kind of a quiz night. His disciples, that's important. to our message tonight but even more so perhaps to our message tomorrow night remember to whom the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking here in Acts chapter one in these particular verses it's important it's another one of the little T H E's that we talked about this morning it's another one of those little V's that we sometimes leave out so pay attention and let's go forward a little bit further here and when you have spoken these things while they be held He was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same... Jesus. Now, that's another key phrase. This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then return day unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. Now, for my purposes tonight, I'm just going to take a few things from these verses.
and then tomorrow night we'll take a few more things. I wonder if you look at verse eleven there, what usually comes to your mind? Well, I'm going to make a bold statement. I would think that most often, to those of you here tonight who are Christians, the rapture comes to mind. We're going to talk about that tomorrow night. but the rapture comes to mind but what what is another little thing remember i started off this morning i want to stir you up to look at some of the little things that you know but maybe you don't really think about it all right the thing before us here is the lord jesus christ on which side of the cross well of course on this side it's after his resurrection and where is he The little mount is called Olivet.
That's where he's at. When this scene takes place, that's important. And he's standing there on this little mount Olivet and is speaking to his disciples. Now, let me go back again. To be an Advent, it simply means his coming or his arrival upon the earth. In verse eleven, we find out that he's coming back. If he's coming back, and I think primarily I would have to say in the light of the Scriptures here, in the setting of Acts chapter one, that we have to think about his second advent, his coming back to the earth.
So if we've had his first, verse eleven would imply to me at least, by him saying that, or by these men saying, these two men in white apparel, by then saying he's coming back again. That's what they're really saying, aren't they? This saying, Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Here is, to me, a mention of his second advent or his second coming or arrival. Again, let me be very elementary. We've had his first, and that was when he was born at Bethlehem. Now he's about to ascend back into heaven, and so therefore, when these two men in white apparel speak of his coming again, I have to think of a second advent for two reasons.
Number one, it plainly says that he's coming again in light manner as you see him go. All right, where did he go from? The Mount of Olives. He went from this scene, this world, into heaven. So if he's coming again, he's going to come from heaven and come into this world again. But when? But when? That's something we'll look at tomorrow night. I'm just trying to penalize you a little bit tonight because I think tomorrow night is going to be a very important night. You all sitting here look at me and you say, well, I know all about the rapture. I know all about this and I know all about that.
But I'm going to be talking more than just the rapture tomorrow night. I'm going to be talking about his second advent. So I'm saying, you mean that's not his second advent? How could the rapture be the second advent? Because to be a true Advent, he must come to the earth. In the rapture, does he come to the earth? Think about that. So I wanted to get you going on that and to get you thinking, because I didn't think you read those verses today. So I hope you'll read them tonight or tomorrow before meeting time. And we're really going to get back into these. Now I'm going to give you some fresh verses and look at something that you haven't thought about, I believe, in a long time. We sang about it this morning.
We're going to talk about a birth date. You think I've lost my mind? But we are going to look at Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two. Verse one, you ought to be close by. Shouldn't have to wait too long. See everybody looking happy, all right. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. We're going to stop right there for just a moment. Because this is a familiar story to all that I see here tonight, or at least I think it is. And let me look at this word Pentecost. This morning we looked at the word Advent. We found out it's not mysterious.
It just means a coming or an arrival. But you know, this word Pentecost seems to have a very strange effect upon some people. Today when you talk about Pentecost, you see eyes roll back and things happen and all kinds of things going on, don't you? Most people think of it like this. Back many, many moons ago, when I was a little fella down in Waco, Texas, I remember walking up a very famous street there called Elm Street. I guess you've got one here. At least I saw it today. This was a big street through a rough part of town. It was called Elm Street. So I was skipping on down the sidewalk just having the greatest time, and I came to this certain doorway or just before I got there and suddenly, boom, out come a body flying out of the doorway.
Hit the sidewalk, went to rolling around and got down in the gutter and then jumped up and started to hollering. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And boy, I started to declare the county because I wondered if that person had suddenly gone berserk or what was the matter. Now I'm not making fun, I'm telling you what went on. And suddenly I got my first acquaintance with the word Pentecost. And that marked me. I wasn't a Christian, but that marked me. Even after I became a Christian, after I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, I still had kind of a funny feeling about Pentecost. And a lot of the world today has a funny feeling about Pentecost. You suddenly got to do strange things, don't you?
Most of the time that's what you think of. But do you know what the word Pentecost means? Fifteenth. That's all that it means. Fifteenth. Why is that so important to us? All right. Look at verse three of chapter one. Keep thinking, why is the word fiftieth or Pentecost so important to me? Now notice we'll break right in. To whom, this is speaking again of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs. Being seen of them, forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Here we have another number, forty. Okay, let's do some arithmetic here. It'll show you how accurate the Scripture is and how God acts in kind, just like the Lord Jesus Christ was born on the... day and the time that God had foreseen and foregained. It didn't just happen. It was done in God's time. Like I told you this morning, sin did not catch God by surprise. All of these things you see on the chart have their time and place because we have a God of order, one who acts in order. Just look at the great universe that he set in to order back in Genesis chapter one.
That's how our astronauts get to the moon. You realize if God had not so ordered everything so orderly, it couldn't be done. You're going to think I'm wild, but I, for a little relaxation, I don't go fishing, but I've been studying celestial navigation. celestial navigation. That's navigating by the stars and other heavenly bodies. And the more I study it, the more I am amazed at how God so set things in an intimate order that we can pinpoint ourselves upon the face of the earth just by the things that He set in order.
That's marvelous to me. That's a mighty God that we have when I think of that. So God is a God of order. And in this he is a God of order because we read that the Lord Jesus Christ rose again on the third day. Then we know that he was a scene of these disciples and he proved himself to be alive by many infallible truths for how long? Forty days. And then what happened? He ascended. We read it in Acts chapter one, didn't we? He ascended back into heaven. That's what the two men in white apparel were talking about. So, for you folks who wouldn't come to the front, I know you're not going to be able to see it probably, but there's a gold arrow pointing upward from the little mouth called Olivet.
It's pointing upward, and from that point on, a gold line ascends up into heaven. That depicts the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ back to heaven. And that was forty days after his resurrection, wasn't it? All right. You also probably, if you're sitting very far back, you can't see there's a blue line right next to that gold line. What do you think that depicts? We read it really, or at least started to read it in Acts chapter two and verse one. That's Pentecost. That's the fiftieth day. Because if we were to read other scriptures, we would find out that ten days later, the Holy Spirit descended on those disciples, gathered there in one place with one accord.
And so if you put forty days, that's when he went back to heaven, and ten days later, what do you have? Fifty. Fifty, Pentecost, the fiftieth day. This is something God said in order back in the Old Testament times. It was a feast, but it was just a little foreshadowing of what would really occur fifty days after Christ had been resurrected, ten days after He's gone back to heaven. See how orderly God is? We can know the time. We can know the time. Forty days he showed himself alive. Ten days later to the day, the Holy Spirit descended and we have what?
What, you know, some people, like this morning we sing happy birthday to Leona because, and I'm glad it was her birthday, I got to go out and eat. Aha, I got to go out and eat. Rest out you had to eat at home. But I got to go eat over here to, it's a weird place. there's something that just goes around and around and around they tried to get they got me we up in the top of that thing I don't know this is a wild place but anyway we had a good meal and it's because of her birthday it was her birthday so how sprung I'll tell you I was really amazed the moss flew out when you opened that pocketbook the old moss just come out kind of like mine you know but he did and I was real thrilled and so it was a great time you said what are you getting at well Birthdays are important, aren't they?
Some people ask me, can you tell me the birthday of the church, the birthday of the true church? You know I don't mean a building or a denomination. You know I'm talking about the true church. We won't get into that tonight. But so, do you know what the birthday of the church was? I do. It actually has a beginning, and we can know it, can't we? Certainly we can't. The church's birthday was the day of Pentecost, simply fifty days after Christ arose. Nothing mystical, nothing mysterious. The God of order tells us when the church began. And you know something? We know that it's going to end. We know it's going to end.
Some people don't like to hear that. Some people don't like to hear that the church is going to end, but it is. Let me tell you, let me just give you something to chew on. Now we know the birthday of the church to be their fiftieth day after Christ's resurrection, okay? Ready for a quiz? You know, I like quizzes like this because I'm not very smart. And so I like it when the preacher don't call on anyone, and I certainly don't do that, so don't get frightened. But mentally, let me ask you, are you ready? Was John... Allow me to change his name a little. Was John the baptizer in the church?
Is he in the church? Can we know whether he's in the church? Some people say, well, how do you know? Well, God tells me. Because, you see, I know the birthday of the church. Again, upon the church, here's the birthday of the church. Where was John the baptizer? He was dead. He was dead already. So no matter what they say or anyone might tell you, John the Baptist is not in the church. He's not a part of the bride of Christ. Doesn't mean God doesn't love him. Doesn't mean that he's not going to be in heaven. But it does mean that God has a bride. And, you know, there's a definite time.
And so we can know some of God's plan and some of God's time. We know that that fiftieth day was the birthday of the church, right? So if we know some of these times that God gives to us, we can rightly divide His word, can we? Or can't we? This is important, students of Scripture. Have you ever heard the big word dispensation? That used to... to get me through. I thought, oh boy, that's a fifty-cent word. I don't know what that means. Well, I come to find out that this word dispensation just means a period of time. It can be any length. It can be any number of days or months or weeks or years.
It just simply means a period of time in which God deals with His people upon the earth in after a certain fashion. And so it is, time is important to God. You can rightly divide his words if you better understand this sensation or periods of time and how God deals with people during that certain period of time. For instance, there was no church until when, Pentecost. And that's why Armstrong, and I don't mind calling some names, brethren, Armstrong out on the West Coast and other fellows like him make me sick.
Because they know nothing of rightly dividing the Word of God. They know nothing of the truth of dispensations. They know nothing, but they just kind of wad it all together and hope that it will fit. But we can see right away that John the Baptist was not and is not and never will be in the church. And so it's simply by knowing times and looking into God's word and seeing these little things. I used to think he was in the church. But you see, if we look at the orderliness of God's word and how he breaks down these times, that's where he began so he couldn't be in there too.
All right, I'm making a lot out of this because tomorrow night you're going to have to know this in order to really rightly divide the scriptures we'll be reading. Alright, let me show you something about this chart. Notice I said here the gold arrow pointing upward and then the gold line going upward represents the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ back into heaven. And that the blue line represents the Holy Spirit's descent on the day of Pentecost or the fiftieth day after Christ. resurrection he descended and that's the birthday of the church all right so from this point right here on the chart all the way over if you want to know where christ is at during any dispensation got the big word in other words if you want to know where christ is at during any portion of time From this point on the chart onward to the new heavens and the new earth, look for the gold lines.
That's why I warned you a little closer to the front. Because as we go on tomorrow night, this gold line, as you can see here, is going to become extremely important. Bill, can you, does this fold in the chart really... make it difficult to see what's the okay good good because it's going to be ultra important tomorrow night because we're going to talk about the rapture and i want you to go home tonight and look in your bibles and i want you to get your concordances and i want you to find that word for me and give me the verse i want to see that tomorrow night i'm sure you can do that can't you can you will you won't you But anyway, you looked it up and see if you can find it there.
We'll be talking about the rapture, but we're also going to be talking about his second advent and that they're not the same. The rapture and the second advent are not the same. So think about that a little bit and I believe I'll close with this remark because I may not get to it tomorrow night. I love the study of what most people refer to as prophecy. I like to just think about it's God's plan for time.
I like to know what God is going to do next as much as he's pleased to let me know. And, you know, God lets us know everything we need to know. So I don't need to be like some of these fellows that are always digging in, oh, deeper truth. God knows something deeper. Give me something deeper, bed or bigger, you know. And they're always looking when there's more right on the surface than we'll ever mind. There's nuggets here on the top of the ground that we'll never pick up, and yet we profess that we want deeper truth. But for me, I'm kind of happy to go along and just see God's plan for time, and he's pleased to let us know as we look into and study his word. But, okay, here's the question that people most often ask me today, here lately, that is.
They say, Grimm? What makes you think that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air is so imminent? Oh, I guess it must be that Israel is over there in Lebanon. Must be because they went back to the land in nineteen and forty-eight. Must be because of the world situation. Well, let me tell you, that's good to know. I think every wide-awaited Christian ought to be aware of those things. That's fine. But you know, if I was just a very simple Christian, and knew just some of the things that every Christian ought to know, I wouldn't have to be able to have the latest newspaper to know that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air is imminent.
I wouldn't have to be able to look at world events and put them in their little niches either. You know the thing that makes me know. that the lord jesus christ is coming back in the air more than anything the church the true church all the assemblies of god's people as i look at them because i'm part of it and i see something that's spoken of in the ladder to laodicea i see this lukewarmness and that more than anything in my own life Hey, I'm no different from you.
You pinch me and I'll say, ouch. Don't ever think the preacher is above the audience because he's not. He's, you know, I put my trousers on one leg at a time. This may not be nice, but I put them on one leg at a time just like you do. We're no different who stand behind the platform than you are. We're subject to these failings. And I see within myself at times, more often than I'd like to admit, this lukewarmness about the Lord Jesus Christ. And that more than anything makes me know that His coming in the air is imminent. I used to say, and I'm going to close with this, believe it or not, I used to say His coming is at hand.
I believe a little bit different from that now. I believe His coming is imminent. At hand, you know, that could be close or far. If something is at hand, that doesn't necessarily mean it's six inches away. It could be at the back of the room. It's still at hand. I still could walk and get it. But when I say imminent, I mean it like this. I think if I could get quiet in my heart as I ought to be, and I were reading the Word of God and letting the Spirit of God speak to me as I ought to be, I think if right now I should be still... I could hear the rustle of his garment on the doorstep of heaven.
That's imminent. Because he's on the threshold of stepping out into the air. That's imminent, shall we pray. Gracious God and Heavenly Father, in the lovely name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, our hearts long even so come, Lord Jesus. Father, it's true. All of us got many failings, but even so come, Lord Jesus. Our Heavenly Father, bless thy precious words and guide us and guard us as we return to our homes, we pray, giving thanks in the Lord Jesus Christ's name. Amen. See you tomorrow night, I hope, and I think I kept my word, didn't I?
Got thirty-two minutes. Okay. Come tomorrow night.