Beloved friends, greetings in the precious name of the Lord Jesus our soon-coming Savior, who's coming back for his redeemed people. We welcome you, and we earnestly plead that you will realize with us the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Time is running short, and the blessed hope of the Church, the true body of Christian believers, that blessed hope of his second coming is at our doors. By the grace and the help of God the Holy Spirit, we commence a special series of messages on the hope of the Church. What is the hope of the Church? Well, what does the Scripture say? First, let me empathically declare that the hope of the Church is not the conversion of the world, for the Gospel of Christ and its salvation has been preached nearly two thousand years, and today Instead of a world believing and receiving its divine message, that message is being rejected, refused, and slandered and abused more than ever before. The rising tide of apostasy, departure from the word of God, is rapidly filling the cup of iniquity for this world. The prophetic words of our Lord Jesus surely come to our minds. They are coming to fulfillment when he said, Nevertheless, When the Son of Man cometh, will he find thee faith on the earth? Luke eighteen in verse eight. The second coming of Christ to the earth will find a world in final rebellion and in satanic denial of both Judaism as well as Christianity. Nowhere in the Word of God can any Bible student or scholar find any evidence of a converted world when Jesus our Lord returns. The word of God plainly declares, apostasy and world wickedness will yet become worse, not improve. And there is no way of stopping it, my friend, whether you pray or whether you fight against it. Evil men shall wax worse and worse. Deceiving and being deceived is the declaration of the Scripture, Second Timothy three and verse thirteen. Now this may sound pessimistic, but let us face it. God's word declares it. Yet what is the responsibility of the preacher? What is the responsibility of the church? What is the responsibility of all believers? Let me suggest two. From the Epistle of Jude, which is next to the last book in the Bible, next to the book of the Revelation, containing the great teaching of Christ's second coming to the earth. The subject matter in the Epistle of Jude is apostasy. departure from the truth, men departing from God's Word, and also coming under destructive judgment. I name only two of Jude's exhortations, though there are many more to be found. But listen to these. First, Jude exhorts that all believers should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered to the saints. Verse three, we should stand up, maintain Our conviction that the Bible, all of it, is the Word of God and to hold to all of its truth. Then the second exhortation we mentioned at the end of the epistle, verses twenty-two and twenty-three. Jude says that we should have, on some, meaning people in the world, we should have compassion upon them, making a distinction. And others say with fire, with fear, rather, snatching them out of the fire. Now these are the first and they are the last strong exhortations of Jude on our responsibility. Others may be found, but note these particularly. In days of apostasy and departure from God and of his word, first, the church should stand firm on the word of God, be faith which has been believed for salvation and teaching. There are souls going to hell, fire. Who need to be saved? Pull them out of the fire, says God, through His servant Jude. Now why such a strong demand? The fact is very simple to realize. For today are there not more souls in the world facing hell than perhaps ever before? You say why? Well, let me be blunt. Let me be truthful. If Christ came today... how many in the world belong to Him. Do you realize that when our Lord Jesus comes, and I quote from Scripture, He is coming, we declare from Scripture He is coming in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. Second Thessalonians chapter one, verses eight and nine. Now my beloved friend, you and I have unsaved loved ones, friends, acquaintances, who have not obeyed God's way of salvation. And such, according to the word of God, they are doomed eternally if Christ comes today in judgment. Now, should we not realize, the church should be seeking to snatch men and women, boys and girls, from that inevitable doom. The Savior is coming back, but he will find when he touches the earth a rejecting, God-hating, Bible-hating, Christ-hating, world at the end. which is to be swept away in judgment, and those who are only His to be spared. Now conclusively, this being true according to the Word of God, why should we not face the solemn reality? This solemn fact, Jesus is coming again not to save the world. When He first came, He declared, I am not come to judge the world, but to save. But when he comes the second time, he is coming to judge. Now time is running very short. Souls are perishing every day. The church needs to preach the near return of our Lord Jesus, because spiritual and moral darkness is spreading all over the world. And the day of God's judgment is very near. My beloved, may I ask the question are you ready to face that day? Do you know in your own soul the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Are you sure that you are not going to hell? But what will happen to the church? That is going to be the theme of our message. What will Christ do with this church? He loved it. He died for it. He promised to come for it. And He will come for it. And the church has a definite, blessed hope. For we who belong to Christ, we are told to be looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, according to to the words of Paul in Titus chapter two and verse thirteen. My beloved friend, we desire by the grace and the help of God to present a series of interesting vital messages concerning the hope of the church. For according to the word of God, the rest of the world out of Christ has no hope. but the church as a blessed hope. And we would earnestly pray and desire that all of our listeners would make sure of possessing confidently this blessed hope in their souls. It will be for you as well as for me an anchor of the soul, while all around us we see apostasy, we see sin, we see increasing lawlessness, and unbelief on every hand. May I be faithful, not only to my God and my Savior whom I serve, and to his word, but to all who listen to the broadcasts of these messages, to declare to you, frankly, faithfully, the coming of the Lord is near. Are you ready to meet him? Please, may I repeat again, When he came the first time, and I quote his blessed words, superlative words, which he said to Nicodemus, in John three, sixteen and seventeen, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world. but that the world through Him might be saved. I ask my listener to particularly note it is about two thousand years ago the Lord Jesus spoke those precious words. How much longer will God in His patience and love continue against this world of rejection? before visiting it with divine judgment. Or may I say with the words of the Apostle James, as you find him in chapter five of his epistle, the judge standeth at the door, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Now may I state again, in the midst of all that coming judgment, in view of all that is yet to take place in drastic, inevitable judgment, and catastrophic judgment. dome that is coming upon the world of the nations, the church has a blessed hope. Oh, that every believer would enjoy in his and her soul and anticipate this blessed hope. But more than that, to you, my friend, who may yet be unsaved, tis our deep and earnest desire, praying by the Holy Spirit, Your own soul will be awakened by conviction through the Spirit to find your need of salvation and turn to the one in whom alone salvation is to be found. For neither is there salvation in any other, but the Lord Jesus Christ, given among the heaven among men, whereby we must be saved. God bless his word, we humbly pray. Shall we pray to God? Father, Jesus is coming again. The world needs to be awakened to the fact. Souls need to be awakened to the fact. He's coming again, not to say, but to judge. And the clouds of divine judgment are coming nearer and becoming darker. Lord, oh, may the blessed hope of the church give joy and encouragement to thy people and strength to live for thy glory. And may sinners find the Lord Jesus before it's too late. We ask him in his blessed, adorable name, and for his glory. Amen.