The promise of Christ's second coming, emphasizing its prominence in Scripture and its importance for believers. It highlights Jesus' words in John 14:1-3, where He comforts His disciples by promising to prepare a place for them in His Father's house and to return to receive them. The message distinguishes between Christ coming *for* His saints and coming *with* them, detailing the rapture described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The core lesson is that the truth of Christ's return should be a constant hope and comfort, encouraging believers to be ready and to long for His appearing, assuring them they will be forever with the Lord and be made like Him.
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Good morning and what a joy it is to hear that blessed message. It is well with my soul. And what a blessing it is when one can truly say, it is well with my soul. I don't know how you feel in your body, but I trust it is well with your soul. That is the most important factor. For you know, I'm not going to take this body to heaven. I'm going to have to leave this body down here.
It is appointed unto men once to die, the word of God says, and after this the judgment. And what a joy it is to be ready for that coming day of which we have been singing. the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder if any of you ever noted, I just mentioned it before reading this scripture today, but I wonder if you've ever noted the words of the beloved Apostle Peter, which he wrote in Second Peter chapter three. And I believe in verse four.
He made a reference a prophetic reference, saying, in the last days, stop and think for just a moment. The last days, last days of what? The last days of Christianity. In the last days, coppers shall arise. saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they are from the beginning of creation.
And the beloved apostle Peter prophesied in the closing days of Christianity, there would be men who would scoff, ridicule the truth and the teachings and the preaching of the second coming of Christ. My beloved, I don't know whether you think or whether you know or whether you ever consider, as we all should be doing. There will be the closing days of Christianity. Let me commend to you the reading of Second Timothy chapter three, where Paul makes eighteen or nineteen words of description regarding the character of the last days.
And may I say, when you read those words, those conditions are all here now. Let me commend to you the thought. Are we in the last days, the closing days of Christianity? And how will they close? Well, let me turn to the word of God. When Peter said, In the last days, coffers shall come. say where is the promise of his coming. We've got it. Let me turn to John chapter fourteen with you. We've got it in the word of God. My beloved, let me say this.
You never learned about the second coming of Christ by going to school or to college. You never heard about the Lord Jesus coming to save your soul and dying on the cross until you heard it from the Bible. May I say again, I cherish the fact that this Bible is the word of the living God. And even from the word of God, we have, as Peter declared, the promise of his coming.
John chapter fourteen. Let me read the opening verses only. I'm sure that many fellow believers enjoy the reading of John's Gospel. And particularly you can enjoy chapters thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen. John's Gospel is divided into two great sections, the first twelve chapters, and then the reigning part, the other section. But when you come to chapter thirteen, the Lord Jesus is alone in the upper room with his disciples, and you can read the upper room discourse and the events that took place before he went to Gethsemane and Calvary.
Most blessed chapters they are. And you have particularly, if I may make reference to the fact. Let me read the words in chapter fourteen, first of all. Verses one down through three. When the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions or abiding places. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself.
That where I am, there ye may be also. At the end of chapter twelve, the Lord Jesus surprised his disciples by telling them he was going away back to the Father and they would see him no more on the earth. And their heart were filled with sorrow when they heard such a message. What would they do without him? But as you come into chapter fourteen, he comforts their soft hearts.
He speaks words of comfort and encouragement for their souls to enjoy. Why exact them from the earth? My beloved, in what words he speaks? Let me quote them again. Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God. Believe also in me. In my father's house or many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto my son. That where I am, There ye may be also. My beloved, he's coming again, as we have been singing, and enjoying it. And in the blessed message of our brethren, the last verse, we join together with them. He's coming again. Oh joy, oh delight. Should we go without dying? No sickness, no sadness, no dread, and no crying. Corn up in the clouds, with our Lord into glory when Jesus receives his own.
And well might we say, Oh Lord Jesus, how long? How long ere we shout what the glad Son? Christ returneth. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. My beloved, do you know that in your New Testament, just the New Testament, Three hundred and eighteen times the second coming of Christ is referred to. On an average of once in every twenty-five verses. It has a very prominent place.
And my beloved, let me say to every believer in the Lord Jesus, The truth of the Lord's return should have a very prominent place in your heart and in your mind and in your life. And what a joy it is to read it from his own words. Listen, let me take his own words and prove to you why I know the reality of his second coming. That he is coming again. Listen to his words again. As he declares, let not your heart be troubled.
And now listen what he says. You believe in God. I believe in God. May I say very frankly, I don't very much that those who ridicule the coming of the Lord ever believed in God, as they ought to. but I believe in God and that's one fact that encourages me to believe in the reality of his coming but then the Lord went on and added believe also in me I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior the day came in my history when as the poor guilty sinner I face the reality of eternity and the need of being saved and trusted the Lord Jesus Christ at his foretoning death upon the cross of Calvary.
All the joy of knowing, let me quote the words of the old hymn, all the love that drew salvation's plan, all the grace that brought it down to man. all the mighty gulf that God is spanned. Where? At Calvary. I believe the Lord Jesus died at Calvary to save my soul. That's one proof. I'm sure of his coming. His words are true. But then also, not only I believe in God, not only that I believe in Christ, I believe in the Word of God.
I believe that the Word of God teaches in many places that he's coming again. And may I remind you, you read Matthew's Gospel particularly on the loan, if you will. And you'll find again and again the Lord Jesus makes reference to his second coming to the earth as he is coming. But now let me say something very precious. Which I hope you'll understand. There are two phases to his coming back. He is coming. Now listen carefully. He is coming for his saints. Get the talk.
It's coming for them. And second, he's coming with them. Did you ever noted that, know that distinction? The teaching of the second coming of Christ? He comes for his people. Let me quote the words that the Apostle Jude wrote, saying that Enoch, the seventh of man, and prophesied saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. And again, In the book of the Revelation chapter nineteen, you'll read of him coming out of heaven with holy angels and saints of God when he comes back to the earth.
When he comes back to the earth, he's coming publicly for everyone to see him and know that he's coming to the earth. But then before he does that, he's coming for his people. the church. My beloved, did you ever notice the Apostle Paul again and again refers to the hope of the church? And what is the hope of the church? My beloved, the hope of the church is the coming of the Lord for them. And the beloved Apostle Paul, by God's grace, has given us an illness and has given us the exact words of how it will take place.
Can I say that again? I have in the word of God the exact manner in which and by which the Lord Jesus will gather his church. Not his earthly people, Israel, but his church. And may I confess to you and emphasize to you, don't forget the difference between Israel and the church. We're not living in the days of the Old Testament. We're living in the days of the New Testament. And as we well know, it's the church age.
And may I say this, no Old Testament saint belongs to the church. If you know your Bible, It's only a New Testament church. And what a joy to know. And let me say it frankly. The day I received, and the moment I received the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I was in the church. Now, wait a minute. What is the church? Forget the building. Forget the organizations.
Forget the denominations. The church is composed and comprised according to the Word of God of all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you're a member of that church. It's called in the Word of God the body of Christ. By one spirit, wrote the Apostle Paul. In First Corinthians chapter twelve and verse thirteen, by one Spirit have we all who believe on the Lord Jesus been baptized into the body of Christ?
My beloved, let me say this. The moment you took the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit put you into the body of Christ. You may join some earthly organization and some earthly testimony, but let me say this, the moment you trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit puts you into the body of Christ, which is the church. Now let me bring before you what the Apostle Paul tells in the description of how the Lord will get the church. It's written in the Word of God.
We were thinking about him, but thank God it's written in the book. Let me quote and read, if I may, the first epistle of Thessalonians chapter four, beginning with verse thirteen, which the beloved apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. And on what occasion, why did he write these words? Listen to the reason that he wrote them. As you may read the epistle in the early chapters, they had trusted the Lord Jesus as their Savior. They were looking for the Lord to come, for the Apostle Paul taught them that he was coming again.
Then in chapter four, he comforts their heart because they were sorry. Why were they sorrowful? Some of their fellow believers had died. It was the beginning of the church. It was the first Gentile testimony in Thessalonica of believers in the Lord Jesus. And they were all looking forward to the coming of the Lord, as Paul saw it. But some passed away in death, and then the others who remained wondered, well, if the Lord comes, how can they meet the Lord?
They're dead. And the dear apostle Paul writes, and let me read his words. First Thessalonians chapter four, beginning at verse thirteen. But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are rustly, as others who have no hope. Now I know what the apostle writes. I don't want you to be ignorant of those who have died. I don't want you to know something very precious. When he speaks of their death, he talks of them and writes of them as sleeping and not being asleep.
And my beloved, let me say this. It will comfort you, Amy. When death comes for you and me, the Lord's going to put us to sleep. The brother and sister that dies in the Lord, they sleep. God calls it sleep. They're very much alive on the other side in their soul. Their soul has gone to be with Christ, which is far better, but they're asleep. Now listen to the words that Paul goes on to say, I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep.
you're worrying where will they be when the Lord comes listen for I for I say unto you not to sorrow as those who have no hope for if and you could transfer you can translate that word into the meaning of the word since since we believe that Jesus died and rose again Then also with sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Listen. We sang it.
He's coming again. And let me say that he's going to bring every dead believer with him. That belongs to the church. From the beginning of Pentecost down to the day and the moment it happens. What? My beloved, let me say this faithfully. I don't know all the membership of the church, and I wouldn't try to guess. Who can count them? The majority, if you want my humble opinion, the majority must be already in heaven after nearly nineteen hundred years.
And how many there are on the earth? I don't know. May I ask the question, are you one of those that are on the earth belonging to the church of our Lord Jesus Christ? For when the Lord comes, the dead in Christ shall rise first. And then note, then, immediately, we shall rely on and remain. The dead are raised first. The living. Then we are changed. And as the apostle writes to the Corinthians, in a moment, I in the twinkle of an eye, as he wrote to the Thessalonians, the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be, note the word, caught up together. And the word could be snatched up together. To meet the Lord where? In the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore come for one another with these words. The beloved apostle Paul describes how it will take place. And it's in the word of God. And then may scoff and say where is the promise of his promise? It's written in the word of God. May I say again lovingly. You never get this in your school books.
You never get this in your universities and institutions of learning in this world. It's in the Word of God. And my beloved, I doubt if you ever get the Word of God in school. So I do thank God as a young boy. The first half hour of school in my early days was the Bible. and the lessons from the Bible. But, let me say this, the Word of God records how the Lord's going to get his field together. Now, may I raise a question, a very important question.
Are every one of us here ready for it? Oh, Paul writing in the book of Titus said, to chide us. We should be looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God in saving Jesus Christ. Are you looking for those? I don't know. Maybe you don't feel like I do. I don't. I question whether you do, but I will suggest to you if you get to be a hundred and more and have to struggle along, you'll wish the Lord would come today. I wonder how many of us say every day, Lord, come.
I think of the words John the Apostle writes at the end of the Bible. After he finishes the glorious testimony of that book of the Revelation, at the end of it he says, the Spirit and the bride, the Holy Spirit and the Church say, come. And he that hears this, come. And then at the end of the chapter, the close of the Bible, he writes, even so come, Lord Jesus. Do you want him to come? Oh, my beloved, oh, joy, oh delight, should we go without dying?
No sickness, no sadness. no dread and no crying, caught up in the clouds with our Lord into glory when Jesus receives his own. While might we sing, O Lord Jesus, how long? How long ere we shout the glad song, Christ returning? Hallelujah, amen. For listen, when he comes, As Paul writes, then shall we be forever with the Lord.
My beloved is words in John fourteen will be fulfilled. If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself. I want you in heaven with me. Now may I say this, I don't know how hard I'll Earnestly, you may want to go to heaven, but I will say this. The Lord Jesus is very anxious to have you there. And he would rather have his people in heaven, and he will someday, than leave them on the earth. We shall be forever with the Lord. But not only that, let me quote the words of John the Apostle in First John chapter four, or rather chapter three.
where he says in verse two these words we behold one manner of love the father hath bestowed bestowed upon us that we should be called the son or the children of god and it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he appears We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We shall not only be forever with the Lord, let me encourage you with the thought believer, we're going to look like him forever.
We shall all be like him. The beauty of the Lord will be upon us. Well, I want to say this. very frankly what a joy it is to contemplate my portion when he comes let me quote the words of the Savior again the words that he spoke himself let not your heart be troubled and believe you me I think all of us know something about trouble of one form and another But here the Lord Jesus gives us comfort.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. And if you believe in God, praise God that you do. Believe also in me, said the Lord Jesus. And I humbly pray and trust that every one of us here can say, I do believe that Jesus died to save me by going to the cross of Calvary. Believe also in me. In my beloved, listen to his words. In my father's house, heaven above are many mansions, meaning many abiding places.
All the immensity. I can't tell you how big heaven is. I want to tell you, frankly, it's big enough. It's going to hold all the people that are saved from the beginning of Pentecost to the end of the church age. My father's house, many mansions, the immensity of it, room for everyone who will come. If it were not so, said the Lord.
No, Jesus says, I'm going there to prepare a place for you. And that's where he is now. What he is doing now? My beloved, let me say this. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Get the truth. Heaven is a prepared place. for a prepared people. Not everyone in the world is going to heaven. Oh, my beloved, you know as well as I do. There's not only a heaven to gain, there's a hell to avoid.
A lost eternal hell. But oh, the joy of the believer, the Lord Jesus says, I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. And what? Receive you unto myself. I want you with me in heaven above. What a joy to know he wants me there. And what a blessedness to know I will be there. And you know what he adds? If it were not so, I would have told you.
And then he added wonderful words. He said, I'm where I go. You know where I'm going. I told you. And you know the way. Thank God. We know. Thank God. The believer knows the way to heaven. And Jesus himself said, as you well know, in John fourteen six, I am the way, the truth, and the life. To know man cometh unto the Father, except by me and please note Jesus said I am the way not a way let me quote the words of the proverb writer I think in chapter sixteen of the book of Proverbs there is a way that seemeth right unto a man and the end thereof is death what the proverb writer is telling There's many believe they have their own way to heaven.
Wait a minute, says the proverb writer. Your way may end in death, not in heaven. So, my beloved, let me just emphasize, be sure that the Lord Jesus is your way to heaven. For his name's sake. Shall we pray? Oh, our dearly beloved Father, what a joy we've had singing the hymns. of the coming again of our precious Savior. Now, blessed Father, you know every heart that is here. You know whether the Lord Jesus is their Savior.
And we know this. If the Lord were to come before we could close this meeting, He'll take His own out of this meeting here. We'll be gone. caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, above, and then we shall be forever with him. Lord, we humbly pray and earnestly ask, not one person that is gathered here this morning will be missing at that wonderful time when Jesus comes again. Oh, we pray, make the truth real. to every blessed soul in our gathering.
For the glory of our Savior, we ask it. And we ask it in his own precious and worthy name. Amen. Well, thank you for coming.