Participants: Charissa Fong
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000016
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00:26 OK. Tonight's subject: When Will Jesus Return?
00:30 This is one of my most favorite subjects. 00:33 And so before we begin I invite you to bow your heads 00:36 with me for an added word of prayer. 00:38 Father in heaven, we thank you for bringing us here again 00:42 tonight. And as we open the Word of Holy Scripture 00:45 we pray that Your Holy Spirit will be present 00:48 and will be our silent teacher tonight. 00:50 May we hear the Word, may we understand, 00:53 and may we be willing to be ready for Jesus when He comes 00:56 is my prayer in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. 01:00 Jesus and His disciples had just had a very busy week. 01:06 Having left Jericho, they had come to Jerusalem. 01:10 And when they did come, the Bible tells us that Jesus 01:14 entered Jerusalem as a King riding on the back of a donkey. 01:19 All too soon the Passover arrived, and Jesus found Himself 01:23 in an upper room with His disciples. 01:26 And as Jesus looked around in the upper room 01:29 and He looked at the faces of those whom He had come to 01:32 consider as His closest friends, 01:35 His dearest companions, the Bible tells us... 01:38 Well the Bible doesn't tell us but I imagine 01:41 that at that moment He became concerned for them. 01:44 Because He knew that the shadow of the cross 01:47 was already falling upon Him. 01:49 He knew that the scenes which were about to unfold 01:52 would shake their faith to the core. 01:55 And so the Bible tells us He turns to them 01:58 and He says these words in John chapter 13 verses 33-35. 02:31 Now when He said this the look on their faces 02:35 must have been pathetic beyond description. 02:37 They had given up everything to follow Jesus 02:41 and now suddenly He was telling them that He was going someplace 02:46 that they couldn't go. 02:47 Now when Jesus had fed the 5,000 and the crowds who had 02:51 followed Him... they thought "Let's make Him King... " 02:54 and Jesus said: "No, no, no. I didn't come to be 02:56 that kind of a King... " many people had stopped 02:59 following Jesus. But the 12... well they had continued 03:03 to be faithful even though they, too, thought Jesus could 03:06 be a good King like they wanted Him to be. 03:09 So where on earth was He going? 03:11 And Peter with that reputation for saying the things 03:14 that everybody else wanted to ask 03:16 he asked the question the rest of them would have said. 03:24 And Jesus, seeing the obvious fear on their faces, 03:28 He then answers Peter's question 03:31 with words which have since become the great consolation 03:35 for the friends of Jesus Christ 03:37 in John 14:1-3... notice the words of Jesus. 03:42 He says: 03:45 I love that beginning. 04:02 "I go to prepare a place for the Americans... " 04:07 Are you happy with that, are you? 04:09 You like that translation? 04:24 Friend, Jesus says "I am going to die. " 04:27 "I am going to rest in a cold tomb but I will rise 04:32 on the third day. And when I rise on the third day 04:35 after a period of time I'm going to ascend into heaven 04:38 BUT I will come back. " 04:42 And friends, Jesus says "I am going to prepare mansions 04:46 for you. " Now have you ever been invited to somebody's 04:49 house? Maybe you can think back to your childhood when you were 04:52 sleeping over at other people's places and they offered you 04:55 a bed. They said: "You can sleep in this bed. " 04:58 Friends, when Jesus says "Come to My house" 05:00 He offers us mansions. Can you believe it? 05:04 I just think that's absolutely wonderful. 05:06 And how this promise of Jesus' soon return, 05:10 of His return, must have comforted the disciples' hearts. 05:14 They didn't fully understand how Jesus was going to go, 05:18 but the very fact that He said He would be back 05:21 gave them great hope. And friends, the return of Jesus 05:25 is the most talked-about event in all the Bible. 05:30 Approximately one in every 25 verses in the New Testament 05:34 have something to do with the return of Jesus Christ. 05:38 And theologians tell us that for every prophecy in the Bible 05:43 concerning Christ's first coming 05:46 there are about eight concerning His second. 05:49 Friends, the return of Jesus is the theme of the Bible. 05:53 Enoch preached it the Bible tells us in Jude 14. 06:09 David... he believed it with all his heart. 06:17 Paul... he believed it and in his letter to Titus 06:20 this is what he says. He refers to it as "the blessed hope. " 06:30 And friend, the very last chapter of the Bible 06:34 three times we are told... Jesus tells us "I am coming quickly. " 06:39 "I am coming quickly... " and the second last verse of that 06:42 chapter... it shouts to us of Christ's return. The Bible says 06:47 in Revelation 22 and verse 20: 07:06 The return of Jesus is the final apocalyptic message 07:11 of the Bible: He is coming. And this was the hope 07:16 that Jesus wanted to leave with His disciples. 07:19 Human promises and pledges often fail us, don't they? 07:23 I mean, most of us make New Year's resolutions 07:25 we can't keep for more than a week. 07:27 But friends, when God makes a promise 07:31 He makes it because He intends to keep it. 07:36 Ah, you missed a good "Amen" spot. 07:38 When God makes a promise He makes it 07:40 because He intends to keep it. Amen? Amen. 07:43 Why... how do I know this? Because the Bible tells me 07:46 in Numbers chapter 23 verse 19: 07:55 On the 11th of March 1942 07:58 the Pacific theater of war was threatening and bleak. 08:03 One island after another was being buffeted into submission 08:07 and the enemy was marching then to the Philippines. 08:11 Surrender seemed inevitable. 08:14 It was at this moment that General Douglas MacArthur 08:17 he had only three words for his comrades as he hopped 08:21 into an escape boat destined for Australia. 08:25 He said: "I shall return. " 08:28 Upon arriving in the port of Adelaide at the age of 62 08:32 just 9 days later, he again reminded the people 08:36 of his promise. He said: "I came through 08:38 and I shall return. " 08:41 Two and a half years later - 08:45 on October 20, 1944, to be exact - 08:49 General Douglas Macarthur... he found his feet on Philippine 08:53 soil at last. And he made this victorious announcement 08:57 "This is the voice of freedom. General MacArthur speaking. 09:02 People of the Philippines: I have returned. " 09:05 Friends, MacArthur... regardless of what happened to him 09:10 he was determined to make good on his promise. 09:13 And friends, if MacArthur, a mere man, 09:16 a mere general, can make his promise good 09:19 then don't you think when Jesus says "I will return" 09:22 He can and He will? Of course He can. 09:25 And so friends, the disciples knew He was going 09:29 but how was He going to come back? 09:32 Well, to answer this question we need to turn to another chapter 09:35 of Jesus' life here on this earth. 09:38 In fact, just after the resurrection, 09:41 40 days later, the Bible tells us that Jesus and His disciples 09:46 they made their way to the Mount of Olives. 09:49 And when they got there, after a brief word of encouragement, 09:52 Jesus' last words to His disciples 09:55 the Bible tells us that something happened. 09:58 And let's notice what happens in Acts chapter 1:9-11. 10:08 Notice all the visual words in these verses. 10:42 Friends, when the disciples heard these words 10:45 from the angel's lips, as they began putting the puzzle pieces 10:49 together in their heads they realized 10:52 that what the angels were saying was simply this: 10:55 Jesus was going to return exactly the same way 11:00 He had left. In other words, His return would not be 11:04 some magical apparition. 11:06 It would not be in the form of some spiritual concept. 11:10 No. He would literally physically return 11:13 just as they had literally physically seen Him go up. 11:17 And notice: if we are going to build this as a theological 11:20 argument we need to get passages from the rest of the Bible 11:23 to support it. The Bible does. 11:25 In Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7 we are told: 11:37 So friends, the return of Jesus is going to be visible. 11:41 And I think that's good news. 11:43 Will we be able to hear Jesus when He comes? 11:47 Oh, you'd better believe it. 11:50 Notice what the Bible says in I Thessalonians chapter 4 11:54 and verse 16: 12:15 Friends, this verse has to be one of the loudest verses 12:19 in all the Bible. And I used to learn how to play the piano... 12:24 I used to have piano lessons. 12:26 And every time I went to see my dear piano teacher... 12:29 She was a seasoned musician; she had done all her lessons and 12:33 she was really good. And every time I went to play my pieces 12:36 for her I would sit there at that piano and I would 12:39 fumble my way through them making all these mistakes. 12:42 And she would get kind of frustrated and she'd say 12:45 things like: "Oh, I'm on the war path today. " 12:48 She would say: "Get it right or I'll blow up! " 12:51 And I remember because I was young. I actually believed 12:54 she might explode some day. 12:56 But she did say to me one day... She said: 13:00 "Charissa, if Mozart could hear that he'd turn in his grave. " 13:04 And you know, I've never forgotten that because 13:07 you know what? When Jesus comes back 13:09 for the friends of Jesus, they're going to do more than 13:12 turn in their graves. The Bible tells us 13:15 they're going to hear the voice of their Savior, their Redeemer, 13:18 and they're going to rise from the dead. 13:21 And I just think that that is a wonderful thought. 13:24 Just think of it... All the great Bible greats: Noah 13:28 and Peter and Paul and Esther. 13:31 All of those who were faithful to Jesus... they're going to 13:35 rise and they're going to be caught up to meet Him 13:38 in the air. And families are going to be reunited 13:42 in the air... those who have been separated by death. 13:45 What a wonderful wonderful thing that God is telling us here. 13:49 And friend, you couldn't miss it if you tried. 13:53 The Bible tells us in Matthew 24 verse 27: 14:08 It's not going to be a matter of: "Did you hear that? " 14:13 Or: "What was that noise? " 14:15 Friends, it's going to be bigger and better and louder than 14:18 Ben Hur and it's going to make the New Year's Eve celebrations 14:22 on Sydney Harbor look absolutely primitive. 14:25 It is going to be the greatest event the world... 14:29 No, sorry, let me rephrase that... 14:31 the universe has ever seen. 14:34 But friends, if the dead are raised then what about 14:37 the living? What about those who are still alive? 14:40 What happens to them? 14:42 Well for the friends of Jesus, for those who have encountered 14:47 Him and believed in Him as a result of that encounter 14:51 in this life, the Bible has more good news for you and I tonight. 14:56 In I Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 17 the Bible says: 15:12 Talk about a family reunion up there in the sky. 15:16 What a wonderful day: to be caught up and to meet your 15:20 loved ones again. To be reunited with your family members 15:23 again. And then best of all to look straight into love's 15:28 shining face... to behold the beautiful face of Jesus Christ. 15:34 Philippians tells us in Philippians 3:20-21 15:56 More good news. Not only will we be caught up 16:00 but the Bible tells us that we are going to be given new, 16:04 perfect bodies. No more aches; no more pains. 16:07 We're all going to look a good 21! 16:10 Notice what else the Bible says in I Corinthians 15:51. 16:22 What's that "twinkling of an eye? " 16:24 It's like saying in the blinking of an eye. 16:26 That's how God will change us. 16:28 And what more news? What news could be more welcome than that? 16:32 Jesus goes on. This just keeps getting better and better 16:35 tonight. The Bible tells us in Matthew chapter 25 and verse 31: 16:51 This will be an event that CNN will not be able to break 16:56 to you. It's going to be glorious and you couldn't 16:59 miss it if you tried. Because Jesus isn't returning to this 17:03 planet as a lowly babe in Bethlehem. 17:06 No... this time He is returning as the King of Kings, 17:10 the Lord of Lords. And according to the text we just read 17:14 He is coming back with all the angels of heaven. 17:18 Wow! Now how many angels are there in heaven? 17:22 We don't really know, but according to the book of Daniel 17:26 in Daniel chapter 7 and verse 10... it's not on the 17:28 screen, you can just make a mental note... 17:31 But in Daniel 7:10 we know that from that text 17:35 there must be at least 100 million of them. 17:39 So can you imagine that? Just looking up into the sky 17:42 seeing it filled with angels, and there in the center of them 17:47 all is your Redeemer, your Savior, 17:50 your forever Friend, Jesus Christ. 17:55 Friends, the Bible is emphatic: Jesus is coming back. 18:00 His return will mark the very climax of earth's history. 18:03 It will not be secret. 18:06 It will not be imaginative. It will not be figurative. 18:10 It will be literal. 18:11 So the next logical question we have to answer tonight 18:15 is when will this glorious event take place? 18:19 And how soon are we to the second coming of Jesus? 18:23 Could it happen in your lifetime and mine? 18:26 Again, to answer this question we need to go back to the Bible. 18:30 Because one day the disciples took Jesus on a tour of 18:34 Jerusalem, and as they were walking through Jerusalem 18:37 they came and they stopped to marvel at the temple there. 18:41 It had just been rebuilt by the Roman government 18:45 and it was one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture 18:48 in the then-known world. And as the disciples and Jesus 18:52 were gazing at this beautiful building, the Bible tells us 18:55 that Jesus had something to say to His disciples 18:58 that literally shocked them. 19:01 He said to them in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 2, He said: 19:18 Now this was the greatest building to the Jewish nation, 19:24 and yet Jesus predicted that this beautiful building 19:28 was going to be utterly destroyed. 19:31 And the disciples were naturally shocked. 19:34 It would be like you and I standing at the foot of the 19:37 Harbor Bridge marveling at its architecture 19:40 and then someone standing beside you and saying: "Oh, 19:42 by the way in a few months that bridge is just going to 19:46 collapse. " It would be absolutely shocking 19:48 when you think about it like that. 19:50 And so when they went up to the Mount of Olives 19:52 they all had these questions on their mind. 19:55 "Why would Jesus say something like that? " 19:57 And so they asked Jesus the question we all would have 20:00 asked Him: 20:11 You see, to the disciples if the temple was destroyed 20:15 it had to be equated with the return of Jesus 20:18 and the end of the world... because they just couldn't see 20:21 it happening any other way. 20:23 And so really when they asked Jesus this question 20:26 they were asking Him a loaded one... there were two questions 20:29 in one rolled into this question. 20:31 First question: when would Jerusalem be destroyed? 20:35 And second question: when would Jesus come again? 20:38 What would mark the signs of the end of the world? 20:41 And so Jesus in His response... He cleverly outlined 20:46 and answers both of those questions by describing a series 20:51 of signs that would indicate the nearness of His coming. 20:55 And He indicated that these signs would be seen 20:58 in the scientific, economic, political, and religious world 21:03 and they would show us that His coming was eminent. 21:06 Now signs are very important, aren't they? 21:10 They're very important. 21:12 I don't know about you but I really enjoy looking 21:15 in real estate. I love looking in new houses and just seeing 21:19 how people live in other houses. 21:22 And not so long ago, my family... we put our house 21:27 on the market. And when we did, of course, 21:30 we had to look for another house. 21:31 And so my mum and I got on the Internet, 21:34 Googled some houses, and we found this really nice house 21:37 and it wasn't too far from where we were staying. 21:41 So we had some spare time that afternoon, 21:44 jumped in the car, and drove to this place where the house 21:47 was supposed to be for sale. 21:49 When we got to the place where we thought it was 21:52 there was no sign outside the house that we were expecting 21:56 to be for sale. But that's OK, we could do our own inspection. 22:00 And so we got out of the car and we both walked to the 22:03 front of the house and we peered in through the window 22:06 at the front of the house. And as we were peering in 22:08 the window, yes, oh, a nice staircase, yes... 22:11 I noticed an apple on the floor and I said: "Mum, 22:15 there's an apple on the floor. " 22:18 And without missing a beat she said: "Oh, don't worry, dear, 22:20 the workmen must have left it there. " 22:22 Sorry... I thought: "That's OK. " 22:25 So we opened the side gate and we went round the back 22:27 to look at the house from the back, you know? 22:30 See what else we could see. 22:32 And so we got to the back window and both of us, 22:34 faces on the glass, were looking in. 22:37 We could see a few more things. 22:39 There were flowers on the table. 22:41 There were dishes on the sink. 22:42 There was detergent there on the counter as well. 22:45 And needless to say, we both got out of there quick smart. 22:48 I'm glad the person wasn't home because they would have had 22:51 a rude shock seeing two strangers peering in 22:54 their back window. 22:56 But friends, had we taken the absence of a sign 23:00 as a sign that that house wasn't for sale 23:04 it would have saved us a lot of trouble. 23:06 And so friends, Jesus... He wants you and I to know 23:09 when He's coming. So He tells us a series of signs 23:12 to save us a lot of trouble. 23:14 Notice what the Bible says... what He tells His disciples 23:18 in Matthew chapter 24 verses 4 and 5. He says: 23:35 Friends, Jesus knew that before He returned 23:38 Satan would try to impersonate His return. 23:42 And by the way, for every truth of God 23:45 Satan has a counterfeit. 23:47 But according to Jesus, you know, they may talk like Jesus 23:51 talks. They may have a soft, melodious voice 23:55 like you and I might imagine Jesus to have. 23:57 They may wear clothes that He might have worn. 24:01 They may do things that you think Jesus might do. 24:04 They may quote a whole lot of scriptures, but according 24:07 to Jesus He said: "Have nothing to do with them 24:10 because they are an imposter, they're not the real Jesus. " 24:15 And that is why it is so important for you and I 24:18 to understand how Jesus will come. 24:21 Because Satan cannot impersonate the true coming of Jesus Christ. 24:26 He cannot come back to this earth with all the angels 24:29 of heaven, can he? No, he couldn't do it. 24:32 Friends, that's why we must know how Jesus is coming. 24:35 Jesus isn't going to come in some remote location 24:38 or step off some space ship. The Bible tells us 24:41 in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 26: 24:57 And friend, no one is going to come up to you, tap you on the 25:01 shoulder and say: "By the way, I'm a false prophet. " 25:05 No one's going to do that. 25:06 And so if you think about this: 25:08 imagine a cry went up in Taree... 25:11 "Jesus has come to Taree. " 25:14 Or "Jesus has appeared in Sydney 25:18 or Rome or New York City or He's in China; He's in Hong Kong. " 25:23 Suppose a cry like that went out 25:25 and people everywhere all over the world were called 25:28 "Come to Christ. " Would you go? 25:32 Well it would be very tempting, wouldn't it? Because 25:35 when people flock to one location it's this herd 25:38 mentality. Everybody wants to have a look. 25:40 I know that because whenever there are bush fires 25:43 down where we used to live people would come 25:46 and come to have a look at the fires. 25:48 And the same way, if you're in the shops 25:50 and you're walking past in the shop 25:52 and you see someone looking in the window and they're just 25:54 staring, the natural, knee-jerk reaction is to stop and see 25:58 what they're having a look at. It would be very difficult 26:01 to not go. But friend, Jesus said: 26:04 "Have nothing to do with it. " 26:05 In Revelation chapter 16 verse 14 He says... Why? 26:14 And friend, as I said before, signs are really important 26:18 so that you know who you're looking out for. 26:20 Not that long ago I was invited by a Chinese church 26:25 in Queensland to come and speak for a camp 26:27 that they were running. 26:29 And so I was communicating with the organizer on the e-mail 26:33 and their name was Frances. And so Frances and I were 26:36 sending back e-mails. And I thought: "Oh, it's really good 26:39 working with such an organized young lady. " 26:41 And I flew to Brisbane, and when I got to the Brisbane 26:44 airport my phone rang so I answered it. 26:46 I said: "Oh, Frances, hi. How are you? I'm here. " 26:49 And this male voice answered the phone. 26:52 That was shock #1. 26:53 He said: "I'm in the car park. If you just come out 26:57 you'll see me. " I said: "Oh, how'm I supposed to know 26:59 what you look like? " He said: "Oh, I'm in a Ford 27:02 Falcon and it's white. " 27:04 As if I know what a Ford Falcon looks like. 27:07 So I walked out into the car park 27:10 and, of course, what do I see? Cars everywhere. 27:13 I said: "Francis, I can't see you. " He said: 27:16 "I'm the Ford Falcon with the ladder on the top. " 27:19 Well that helped a little bit more. 27:20 And I kept looking and I just couldn't see him. 27:23 And then suddenly I heard this voice that I'd heard 27:26 on the phone. And I spun around and there was Francis. 27:29 Now I had thought that he was going to be Asian 27:32 because I was going to speak for an Asian church camp. 27:35 And he was an Aussie. And so, friends, it helps 27:38 to know who you're looking out for, doesn't it? 27:40 It helps to know the signs 'cause you could just end up 27:43 going with the wrong person. 27:44 And so that was a really good experience for me to learn that. 27:48 In Matthew chapter 24 27:50 and verse 7, Jesus... He goes on and He says: 28:07 Now friends, there have always been wars, 28:11 but the 20th century was the bloodiest century 28:16 of mankind's history. World War I 28:20 saw 20 million people sacrificed on the altar of war. 28:25 World War II saw an additional 50 million people 28:29 slaughtered as the result of war. 28:32 And following the Cold War the world now trembles 28:35 at the thought of weapons of mass destruction 28:38 falling into the hands of terrorists and rogue nations. 28:43 The danger of war still hangs constantly over the Middle East 28:47 and the Bible says in I Thessalonians 5:3 28:58 Oh yes, everybody talks of peace, 29:01 but according to the Bible it's just really talk. 29:04 Broadcasting from Hiroshima in 1945 29:07 after the dropping of that atomic bomb, 29:10 William Ripley... he was reporting and he said this: 29:13 "I am standing on the place where the end of the world 29:17 began. " I wonder what he would say today if he could see 29:21 the unprecedented nuclear proliferation 29:24 that we today witness in countries around us. 29:27 Jesus goes on in that same verse... in verse 7. He said: 29:34 Now there have always been famines. I recognize that. 29:38 But friend, tonight did you know that half the world 29:41 goes to bed hungry every night? 29:44 In fact, the experts tell us that 25,000 people 29:48 a day... that's 9 million people a year... 29:51 they die as a result of hunger. 29:54 Those numbers... they just boggle the mind. 29:57 You and I can't begin to comprehend what that really 30:00 means in terms of the degree of pain that is experienced. 30:04 And so to handle numbers like that we resort to this thing 30:07 called massification: we just lump them all into a statistic 30:11 and that's how we deal with it. 30:12 But you and I... we should never forget that those huge numbers 30:16 every integer that makes them up represents an individual 30:20 like you and me. Jesus goes on. 30:23 I've been talking about famines. 30:25 He also talks about other things in Matthew chapter 24 verse 7. 30:30 He says: 30:35 Now there have always been diseases. I recognize that. 30:40 But never have we had so many diseases happening on the scale 30:45 and intensity which we see them around us in our world today. 30:49 I mean, do I even need to mention: 30:58 Do I even need to mention those? 31:00 No, I didn't think so because listen: 31:02 even our computers are coming down with viruses. 31:05 Insects are developing immunities to these deadly 31:10 pesticides... so much so that we now have these things called 31:14 superbugs. You just can't destroy them with the same 31:17 things you used to use. 31:18 Cancer with approximately 100 different strains 31:22 is spreading like an epidemic destroying infants 31:26 as well as the aged. According to the World Health Organization 31:30 they estimate that we have approximately - and I believe 31:34 the number has probably risen since this statistic - 31:37 we have approximately 40 million cases of HIV in our world today. 31:43 Whole countries... whole nations will be wiped out 31:48 if something isn't done to stop it. 31:51 The Bible also mentions in that same verse 31:54 earthquakes. Yes I know, there have always been earthquakes. 32:00 But today, friends, we have over 4,000 seismograph stations - 32:05 seismograph stations - around the world that record 32:08 somewhere between 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes every year. 32:12 And according to the record, they believe that 32:15 we have approximately 6,000 major earthquakes every year. 32:20 And this year alone you and I know that to be a fact, 32:23 don't we? We have seen it in the news. We hear of Haiti 32:26 and Indonesia and Chile. 32:28 And there are many other earthquakes that don't even 32:30 make the news any more because if they did 32:33 we'd just be listening to the earthquakes and we wouldn't know 32:35 what else is going on around us. 32:38 And so they tell us that in the last 90 years 32:41 1.5 million fatalities have been as a direct result 32:46 of earthquakes. A horrible tsunami... it hit the South 32:50 Pacific, it hit Asia, and instantly 300,000 people 32:55 had their lives just snuffed out. 32:58 It is as if all of nature is shaking in an attempt to 33:02 wake the inhabitants of planet earth to realize that Jesus, 33:06 our Creator, our Redeemer, is almost here 33:09 and time is running out. 33:11 In October of last year I woke up to something that looked 33:16 like this. Did the dust storms reach Taree as well? 33:20 Wasn't that a fascinating day? 33:22 I was... You know, I woke up and I didn't know what was 33:24 going on outside. And my sister... she actually took 33:27 that picture down where we lived 33:29 in the early hours of the morning. 33:32 And people all over Sydney and I suppose all over this side 33:35 of Australia... they were pretty worried, weren't they? 33:38 And I just found some of these comments that people were making 33:42 at the time. They said: 33:52 And another writer wrote in to the ABC. He said: 34:05 Friends, I believe that this sign of a planet out of control 34:09 is also another sign that Jesus is coming soon. 34:12 We can see the signs all around us. 34:15 And Jesus... He continues to describe them. 34:18 He goes on and He says in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 12. 34:22 He talks about a coming persecution for those who 34:26 believe in Jesus. And He says: 34:35 The world is all worried about global warming. 34:37 But God said there will also be a global cooling 34:41 that we need to watch out for as well. 34:43 And so, friends, I'd like you now to notice 34:46 the moral condition of the world at the end of time. 34:49 Notice what the Bible says in II Timothy 3:2-5. 35:25 It would almost appear in this passage 35:29 as though Jesus was reading the headlines of the local newspaper 35:33 and He is summing them up for us. 35:35 I mean, we are living in these times, friends. 35:40 And you and I don't need a theological... theology degree 35:43 to realize that. It's only taken the movies 50 years 35:48 to go from silent to unspeakable. 35:51 And statistics tell us that by the time a child 35:55 reaches the age of 12 they have witnessed 35:59 more than 8,000 televised murders. 36:03 And in addition to that, over 100,000 36:06 televised violent acts. 36:10 It is no wonder our society is slipping into a form 36:13 of social and moral decay. 36:16 Because listen: if, when I was a child, 36:18 I was so impressionable that when I saw the Sound of Music 36:22 and Captain von Trapp whistling for his children 36:25 and I thought my parents should do the same as well. 36:28 Then it is no wonder that when we look at our society today 36:32 children are mimicking what they see on television. 36:36 And by the way, adults do the same as well. 36:39 To illustrate my point a little bit further 36:42 I did some "prac" teaching in a school in western Sydney 36:47 at the end of last year as part of my degree. 36:50 And I got to sit in on one of the worst classes in the school 36:54 so they told me. And when I got in to sit in this class 36:57 I was quite surprised because half the class 37:00 were away because they were on suspension for bad behavior. 37:04 And the half that turned up that day 37:07 had just come off suspension for bad behavior. 37:11 So I think to myself: "What a time in history 37:13 to be studying to be a high school teacher. " 37:16 And friends, the sins that called for the destruction 37:19 of the world in Noah's day... they exist today. 37:23 Notice again Matthew 24:37-39 the Bible says: 37:53 Friends, in Noah's day when Noah gave that warning 37:58 many people rejected what he said. 38:01 They rejected the warning... and when they did 38:04 they sealed their own fate. 38:07 And friends, the same thing can happen to you and I today 38:09 as well. Men and women haven't changed 38:12 with the passing of time. No, we still find it very easy 38:16 to lose ourselves to a thousand different distractions 38:20 and pursuits. And when that happens, it may be 38:23 that you and I can only faintly, very faintly, 38:27 hear the call of God. 38:30 The Bible tells us, too, In Daniel 12:4 38:39 Now this increase in knowledge refers to two kinds 38:43 of increases. The first increase is referring to an increase 38:47 of knowledge in general. 38:49 And friends, we learned that to be the case 38:52 because today astrologers know more about what's above us; 38:55 geologists know more about what's beneath us; 38:58 and biologists know more about what's within us 39:02 than in any other generation we have ever seen 39:04 in human history. Today surgeons perform surgeries 39:08 that medical science didn't even dream of a decade ago. 39:12 And some have estimated that approximately 39:16 80% of all the scientists who have ever lived... 39:20 they are alive today. 39:22 And listen to this... I think this is really fascinating: 39:25 the scientific material that they produce in just 24 hours... 39:30 it is enough to take a person a lifetime to read. 39:35 Isn't that amazing? That's how much knowledge is 39:37 increasing in the area of science. 39:40 And some of you here tonight... you may remember the day 39:43 where people traveled by horse and buggy 39:46 and yet you have lived to see man walk on the moon. 39:50 We have gone from fountain pens to e-mail; 39:53 from telegrams to mobile phones; 39:56 and it's all happened in the last 60 years. 39:59 That's how exponentially knowledge has increased. 40:04 My sister and I... we used to be very close. 40:08 We used to talk to each other all the time. 40:10 When I first met her, we had so much to say to each other. 40:14 Whether or not the other sister understood what the other 40:17 sister was saying 'cause we were little at the time 40:19 that's what totally... that's the total of the story... 40:22 But friends today my sister and I... 40:25 we can sit in the same room and we cannot... we might not say 40:29 a word to each other. You know why? 40:31 Because we'll be talking on the computer. 40:33 There's no need to raise your voice when you can type. 40:36 That's another sign of how technology is impacting 40:40 our lives today. But friends, 40:43 Daniel's prophecy also talks about an increase 40:47 of knowledge where it comes to understanding the Word of God. 40:51 In understanding Bible prophecy as it relates 40:54 to His soon return. And for this reason 40:57 Jesus says in Matthew 24:14... He says: 41:16 And friends, of all the signs that you and I have looked at 41:19 tonight, it is this sign that is still awaiting its complete 41:23 fulfillment. The Bible predicts a global, world-wide revival 41:28 that will take place before the return of Jesus. 41:31 And tonight's meeting is part of the fulfillment 41:35 of this prophecy of Jesus Christ. 41:37 The aged apostle John writing from a barren island 41:42 in the Aegean Sea... he adds to this 41:45 and he says in Revelation 14:6, 41:48 And you can see the picture above me here at the front. 41:51 It says: 42:04 Friend, God has a last-day message that will reach 42:09 every nation, kindred, tribe, tongue, and people. 42:12 Why? Because Jesus is coming soon and the world must know 42:17 that He is coming. 42:18 It is a certain message. It is a unique message. 42:22 It is an impressive message. 42:25 And friends, through the medium of satellite technology 42:29 and the Internet and the printed media and other forms of media 42:34 the gospel of Jesus Christ is ricocheting around the globe 42:38 as I speak tonight. It is penetrating Communist Cuba 42:43 and it is going to the very heart of China. 42:46 In Australia there is a spiritual awakening. 42:49 All throughout Africa and Kenya 42:52 and Ghana and Sudan, Christians and people there 42:55 walk into Christian meetings to hear the everlasting gospel 42:59 preached, and people are making their decisions 43:02 for Jesus Christ. It's happening in Central and South America. 43:07 It's happening in Europe; it's happening in the South Pacific. 43:10 And I have a soft spot for the South Pacific because 43:14 my heritage - my family heritage... it goes back to 43:16 Samoa. And I know that the gospel is spreading 43:20 in the islands of the sea. The Holy Spirit is on the move, 43:24 friends. Time is running out. 43:26 The last few grains of sand are falling through. 43:30 Soon the Son of God will pierce the star-studded sky. 43:33 And when He does, the world will encounter Jesus. 43:37 It will be the greatest encounter we have ever seen. 43:41 And tonight I believe that that encounter 43:45 is closer than we think. 43:49 Having concluded His lengthy list of signs 43:53 Jesus then says this in Matthew 24:33. He said: 44:09 Friends, they say confidence is the feeling you have 44:13 before you fully understand the situation. 44:15 But friends, as we fully understand how Jesus is 44:19 coming back and the signs that precede His coming 44:22 it should increase our confidence. 44:25 God doesn't want you and I to see the signs and then 44:28 hang our heads in despair and say: "Oh, no. 44:31 Look at what's happening to the world around me. " 44:33 God wants us to lift up our heads and rejoice 44:36 and be delighted because Jesus is coming. 44:39 We are not waiting for something to happen... 44:42 we are looking for someone to come. 44:45 And friends, since Jesus spoke those words 44:48 to His disciples 2,000 years ago 44:51 time has continued to march on. 44:55 And all of those disciples to whom He first 44:58 gave this glorious message... they now rest in their graves 45:02 and they await the return of Jesus when they will hear 45:06 His words and they will rise from the dead. 45:09 And I wonder... I really do... 45:11 what Peter and Andrew and James, would all think if 45:15 they were living today. If they could see what we see today. 45:18 Because I'm pretty sure that even Thomas 45:21 who is so often remembered for his doubting 45:24 I'm pretty sure that even Thomas would have no doubts 45:28 as to just how close we are to the end of time as well. 45:33 Friend, as I said before, it's closer than we think. 45:36 And in Matthew 24:44 Jesus concludes and He says: 45:49 When the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven 45:52 at that moment when He did start rising up 45:55 I'm sure that a pang of pain must have pierced their hearts. 46:00 But the angels quickly appeared and they gave them that promise 46:04 "Look He's coming back, and He'll come back 46:06 exactly the same way He left. " 46:08 And friends, how that must have encouraged them. 46:12 The Bible tells us that they went forth and then 10 days 46:15 later there was Pentecost. 46:17 And friend, history tell us that every single one of those 46:21 disciples - bar John who died in exile - but every single one 46:26 of them... they died a martyr's death. 46:29 Why? Because they were convinced, 46:34 they believed with all their heart, 46:36 that Jesus really loved them. 46:38 And He loved them so much so that He was going to keep His 46:41 promise and He was going to come back and take them to His home. 46:46 They held onto that even on pain of death. 46:49 And friend, Jesus had predicted the destruction of Jerusalem. 46:53 And 40 days later the destruction of the temple... 46:56 40 YEARS later... those predictions were fulfilled. 47:01 You can visit the site in Jerusalem today. 47:03 Titus, the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian... 47:07 he captured and razed that city in AD 70. 47:11 Jerusalem was set on fire, and as Jesus said 47:15 not one stone was left upon another of that temple. 47:18 And friends, will we ignore the signs that we see around us 47:23 concerning the return of Christ 47:25 if the signs He said that would happen before the 47:28 destruction of Jerusalem happened as He said? 47:31 The Bible says in II Peter chapter 3 and verse 10 47:41 How many thieves do you know that knock on your door 47:44 and say: "Good morning. Just wanted to let you know 47:46 I'll be dropping by your house tomorrow night 47:48 to steal your plasma television. " 47:50 Hmmm? No thief does that. And friends, 47:52 I think Jesus' coming is sooner than we think, 47:56 but I just think that not too many people are thinking 47:58 about it at all. Why hasn't Jesus returned yet? 48:04 Well friends, there remains one reason 48:06 why Jesus has not yet come. 48:09 And that's because He is waiting for the inhabitants of planet 48:12 earth - that's you and me - to be ready to meet Him. 48:15 The Bible says in II Peter chapter 3 and verse 9 48:34 Friends, the way to heaven is just turn right at Calvary 48:38 and then keep going. 48:40 The key to being ready for Jesus' return 48:43 is to encounter Him today. 48:45 As D. L. Moody said: 48:53 God just doesn't want you to know the signs of His coming. 48:56 He wants you to know Him... to have a relationship with Him. 48:59 Before He comes, He wants you to know Him as your 49:03 personal Savior and forever Friend. 49:06 Because He will come... The story is told 49:09 of a young man who was seeking to win the heart 49:13 of the girl of his dreams. 49:15 And he had been trying for quite some time 49:17 but it just seemed that no matter what he did 49:20 he just couldn't quite get through. 49:22 So one day he had a brilliant idea. 49:24 He thought to himself: "I'll buy her a bunch of roses. " 49:27 And so he did. And one day she opened the door of 49:31 her front... her front door when the doorbell rang... 49:33 and there were these beautiful red roses 49:36 and attached was this note. And she was just shocked! 49:39 I mean, it wasn't her birthday. 49:41 It wasn't Valentines... it wasn't Christmas. 49:43 But there they were... just for her. 49:45 And so she picked them up and she took the envelope 49:49 and opened it and read the letter that was attached. 49:52 And as she read, she read of someone who loved her. 49:55 Someone who admired her... who thought the world of her. 49:58 And it was all very beautiful, but the line that stole 50:02 her heart went something like this: 50:03 "You are someone I would like to get to know better. 50:07 And if someday you might be interested in someone like me 50:11 then I think you are worth waiting for. " 50:14 And friend, like that young man, Jesus loves you. 50:18 Only He's no secret admirer. 50:20 And you know what? The only reason He hasn't come back 50:23 is because He thinks that you are worth waiting for. 50:27 So much so that you're worth coming back for. 50:30 And tonight, maybe He is waiting for you. The Bible says: 50:38 Friend, don't hesitate... don't delay. 50:41 Don't wait... because none of us know if we have tomorrow. 50:45 Tonight would you like to be ready for Jesus to come? 50:48 If that is your desire, would you stand with me 50:51 now and say: "Lord, I want to be ready when Jesus comes. " 50:55 How do we be ready? 50:56 We need to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ 50:59 and then commit our lives to Him. 51:02 Read your Bible. Pray and talk to Him. 51:05 Grow a friendship with Jesus 51:07 and you can be ready to meet Him when He comes. 51:09 Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, 51:12 we thank you, Lord, that You love us enough 51:15 that You're willing to come back for us. 51:17 We thank you, Lord, that You think we're worth waiting for. 51:20 And so Lord tonight, as we see the signs all around us 51:23 shouting at us that Jesus is coming soon, 51:26 I pray, Lord, that You will help us to be ready 51:29 to meet You when You come. As we go from this place 51:32 to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. 51:36 Please, Lord, help us to be faithful to You 51:39 till You come is our prayer tonight in Jesus' name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17