Participants:
Series Code: TMC
Program Code: TMC000015A
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00:14 Let's welcome Myrna Matthews- Haynes and Adrian Westney.
05:26 Over the last few years I have had the opportunity 05:30 of becoming acquainted with a very special person. 05:34 This individual is one that as I have become acquainted with him 05:41 I really have become very much aware of his sincerity 05:46 of his love for the Lord Jesus Christ. 05:49 And an individual that's willing to lay it all down 05:55 for Jesus Christ. 05:57 An individual that's willing to put Christ 06:01 over and above everything else. 06:05 And as a result of that 06:08 I have really appreciated very much 06:11 his friendship, the opportunity to get acquainted with him. 06:15 This individual has written ten #1 hits. 06:21 When he gave his heart to the Lord 06:24 he decided that he would just concentrate on songs 06:27 that would uplift humanity and Jesus Christ. 06:31 Tonight he's going to sing a song that he's written himself. 06:35 It's entitled: Lord, Help Me Slow Down This Life Of Mine. 06:39 Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like for you to welcome 06:42 Mr. Roy Drusky of the Grand Ole Opry. 07:03 Lord, help me slow down 07:07 this life of mine. 07:11 Help me make better use 07:15 of precious time. 07:20 Let me taste the grapes 07:23 but make me tend the vine... 07:28 Lord, help me slow down 07:32 this life of mine. 07:37 Help me find my purpose 07:41 in this world today. 07:45 Help me help the stranger 07:49 who's lost along the way. 07:54 Someone really needs me... 07:58 make me take the time. 08:02 Lord, help me slow down 08:06 this life of mine. 08:11 Lord, help me slow down 08:15 this life of mine. 08:19 Help me make better use 08:23 of precious time. 08:27 Let me taste the grapes 08:32 but make me tend the vine... 08:36 Lord, help me slow down 08:40 this life of mine. 08:53 Lord, help me slow down 08:57 this life of mine. 09:02 Help me make better use 09:06 of precious time. 09:10 Let me taste the grapes 09:14 but make me tend the vine... 09:19 Lord, help me slow down 09:23 this life of mine... 09:27 Lord, help me slow down 09:31 this life of mine. 09:53 Our heavenly Father, 09:57 just want to take this opportunity to thank you 10:00 for Your Word that gives us insight... 10:05 helps us understand where we are. 10:09 Lord, may we not get so busy 10:16 and so wrapped up in the things of this world 10:20 that we don't have time to slow down our lives 10:23 and to spend time with You. 10:26 Give us understanding tonight 10:29 that we may see and clearly understand 10:33 the events that are before us. 10:36 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen. 10:48 A lot of individuals 10:51 thought that something dramatic, something 10:56 unbelievable was going to take place, 11:00 was going to happen at the close of 2000. 11:06 As Pastor Melashenko mentioned 11:09 Y2K... they thought this was 11:12 sure to bring it in, bring catastrophe... 11:15 many things would happen. 11:17 That it would usher in a millennium. 11:21 Other people said: "Nah... really the millennium 11:24 doesn't really begin until 2001. " 11:29 And so there's a lot of people saying: "No, it really doesn't 11:32 start until 2001. " And so there's some people that still 11:35 think that come the end of this year 11:38 that there's going to be dramatic things that are 11:40 going to happen. There's other people that say: 11:43 "No... you can't really go by that... 11:46 you've gotta go by the Jewish calendar. 11:48 You can't go by our calendar; 11:50 you've gotta go by the Jewish calendar 11:51 and there's a number of years left on the Jewish calendar. " 11:54 So you find there's a lot of different ideas 11:57 about the millennium. 11:59 What you and I need to understand 12:01 is we need to understand what God's Word says. 12:05 That's what we need to understand. 12:06 We need to understand exactly where we are. 12:09 And by understanding what God's Word says 12:12 you and I without question can rest our faith. 12:19 Told you before, told you the other night: 12:21 you do not... you do not build 12:27 your faith on a church. 12:29 You build your faith on the Word of God. 12:33 It's by the Word of God that I know and understand. 12:37 That's why the Scripture has this to say to us 12:40 here in II Peter first chapter verse 19: 12:58 So the Scripture says if there's anything that's sure, 13:02 anything that we can count on, 13:04 it's the Word of God. 13:06 We can count on it. So tonight 13:08 what we need to do is find out just exactly 13:11 what does God's Word say about this thousand years. 13:16 That's what we need to find out tonight. 13:18 Known as the millennium. No such word in Scripture 13:22 as the millennium... just a Latin word that means 13:26 thousand years. But there's certain things 13:29 that you and I need to establish as we look at it tonight. 13:33 One thing that we need to establish is: 13:38 When is the thousand years going to start? 13:40 Will the Scripture tell me exactly when that 1,000 years 13:44 starts? Will it tell me when that 1,000 years 13:48 is going to come to an end? 13:50 I was visiting with a lady, and 13:52 we were talking about this 1,000 years. 13:54 She told me, she said: "Oh, we already live 13:56 during that 1,000 years. " 13:58 And I said: "You mean the 1,000 years has already started? " 14:01 She said: "That's right. " 14:03 And I said: "Well my Bible tells me 14:05 that the devil is chained during that 1,000 years. " 14:08 And she said: "Oh, that's right! He's chained up. " 14:11 And I said: "If it is he's on a rubber chain 14:14 'cause he gets around to me quite often. " 14:15 You know? See? So what you and I need to know 14:18 is when does that 1,000 years start? 14:21 When does it end? We need to understand 14:23 what's happening during that 1,000 years. 14:26 Why does God say there's a thousand years? 14:28 What going to go on during that 1,000 years? 14:31 We need to establish tonight where are the righteous 14:34 going to be? Where are all the saints going to be 14:37 during this thousand years? 14:38 Where are the wicked going to be during the 1,000 years? 14:41 Those are things that we simply need to establish 14:45 in understanding what the Bible says about the 1,000 years. 14:49 So with that, let's take a look at Revelation the 20th chapter 14:53 that mentions the 1,000 years. 14:55 And we're going to read several verses, 14:57 see what God's Word has to say about it. 14:59 Revelation 20 verse 1: 16:00 So here it talks about 1,000 years. 16:03 Tells us that the devil's going to be bound during that 16:06 thousand years. That the saints are going to live and reign 16:09 for 1,000 years and that judgment was committed to them. 16:13 Now here in Revelation 20 verse 6 16:16 it tells us where this 1,000 years starts 16:19 so watch carefully: 16:37 So it tells us very clearly 16:39 that this 1,000 years is going to begin with a resurrection. 16:44 That is how the millennium or the thousand years 16:47 is going to start is with a resurrection. 16:50 "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the? 16:53 first resurrection. " So it tells us 16:56 that the 1,000 years begins with the first resurrection 16:59 and that it will end... this 1,000 years will come to an end 17:04 also with a resurrection. 17:07 Now let's take a look at the Scripture and watch 17:09 as it puts it together for us. 17:29 That's the first resurrection. 17:35 That's the first resurrection. 17:36 Then if we take a look at Revelation 20 verse 5 17:40 it says: 17:49 Now if I have all the righteous 17:52 being resurrected in the first resurrection 17:55 and it says: "But the rest of the dead did not live again 17:58 until the thousand years were finished" 18:00 then that has to be the second resurrection 18:02 or it is referred to in Scripture as the 18:05 resurrection of condemnation. 18:07 You with me? Follow me? 18:09 Let's look at another text that puts it all together for us. 18:29 That's the first resurrection. 18:30 "All those that have done good to the resurrection of life. " 18:35 Watch as it continues: 18:42 That is the second resurrection. 18:44 Those two resurrections are separated by 1,000 years. 18:50 OK? That's simply what the Scripture tells us 18:53 about these thousand years. 18:55 So what we need to do now 18:57 is we need to find out what happens at the beginning. 19:01 What are the events that all take place here 19:04 at the beginning? 19:06 Well, to begin with Jesus is going to come. 19:09 Right? Has to come 19:12 because that's what causes the resurrection of the righteous. 19:16 So Jesus has to come back 19:18 as it says here in I Thessalonians 4:16: 19:34 So all those people down through the ages 19:36 who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior 19:40 they have looked forward to the day when He's going to come back 19:42 they're going to be resurrected from the grave. 19:45 They're going to come up out of the grave. 19:47 Scripture describes it with these points, these words: 20:09 So all those people that have died in the hope 20:13 of Christ accepting Him as their Savior: 20:16 those people are going to come out of the grave immortal. 20:20 Changed in a moment... in the twinkling of an eye. 20:25 They will put on immortality. 20:38 Marvelous promise! 20:39 So when Jesus comes 20:41 He calls all those that have died in faith from the grave. 20:46 They come out of that grave immortal 20:49 never, never, never, friend, to die. 20:54 Just think... 20:57 The Scripture says that when they come forth from the grave 21:01 there won't be any more sorrow, 21:04 there won't be any more pain, 21:07 there won't be any more sickness, 21:10 there won't be any more death... 21:12 all those things will have passed away 21:16 never to be again. 21:19 Marvelous promise that God gives. 21:22 Also it tells us 21:24 that with Jesus' coming 21:27 and the resurrection of the righteous 21:31 it tells us that something's going to happen to the people 21:33 who are living on the earth. 21:36 Those that are living on the earth when Jesus comes 21:39 the Scripture says that they're going to be caught up 21:42 with those people who have been resurrected 21:45 to meet the Lord in the air. 21:47 So they're going to have the privilege of seeing Jesus 21:50 as He comes in the clouds of heaven. 21:53 And it says this is what will happen to them: 22:08 So all those people who are alive 22:11 waiting for Jesus to come 22:14 they're going to see Him come in the clouds of heaven 22:16 and in a moment... in a moment they're going to be changed. 22:20 Just like that their bodies are going to be changed. 22:23 They'll become immortal, and with those that have been 22:26 resurrected they will be caught up in the air 22:29 to meet the Lord. Amen! 22:31 Marvelous promise to each one of you. 22:35 Let me tell you: I don't care tonight... 22:39 I don't care where you've been, 22:42 I don't care what you've done, 22:45 the Lord Jesus Christ promises to you 22:48 that you can have that privilege 22:51 of being among those that will see Jesus come 22:54 or among those that will be resurrected from the grave. 22:57 You can have that privilege by accepting Him. 22:59 That's a promise 23:01 that He gives to every one of you here tonight. 23:04 What about those people that are living... 23:07 the wicked that are living when Jesus comes? 23:12 The wicked that are dead... what? 23:16 They're not disturbed 23:18 'cause it says: "the rest of the dead lived not again 23:21 until the thousand years were finished. " 23:22 So they're not bothered. 23:24 When Jesus comes and He shouts 23:27 and His words roll through this earth like peals of thunder 23:30 and all the dead in Jesus Christ that are in their grave 23:33 they hear that voice and they come out. 23:36 The wicked don't hear that. 23:38 They don't hear it... they're not disturbed. 23:41 But the Scripture tells us about the wicked that are living 23:44 here on the earth, what will happen to them. 24:17 So it says when He comes back He's going to come back 24:19 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those 24:23 that have not served Him, have not accepted Him, 24:26 have not followed Him. 24:28 In fact, the Bible goes on and describes it 24:32 with these words: 24:42 So it says they will be destroyed. 24:44 It tells us how they're going to react. 24:48 Here in Revelation the 6th chapter and verse 14 24:54 it describes it with these words: 25:29 Now I run onto some people that tell me that when Jesus 25:32 comes people aren't going to know it. 25:38 They say that the righteous are going to kind of be just 25:42 whisked out of here. And the wicked are going to look 25:45 around and say: "Where did everybody go? " 25:47 Dear friends, let me ask you something: 25:50 if mountains start moving 25:53 and islands start disappearing 25:56 and the heavens split and rolls back like a scroll, 25:59 do you think you'll know something's going on? 26:03 I think I would. I think I would know 26:05 that something was taking place. 26:07 'Cause it says that they will literally cry 26:10 for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them, 26:12 hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne 26:16 coming back. It says that all the wicked 26:20 will be destroyed... will be destroyed at the coming 26:25 of Jesus Christ. They will be slain. 26:27 They will fall... they'll be destroyed. 26:29 Now let me ask you something tonight: 26:32 if when Jesus comes 26:35 and all the righteous that are dead are resurrected 26:38 and all the righteous that are living are caught up with Him... 26:41 caught up into the air and taken to heaven... 26:44 and all the wicked who are dead are not disturbed 26:49 and the wicked that are living are slain, 26:51 then let me ask you: "Who's left? " 26:55 Nobody! Listen to the Scripture: 26:57 Revelation 20 verse 10: 27:21 So it says that bound the devil for a thousand years. 27:27 Now said he had a great chain in his hand 27:30 and he bound the devil for a thousand years. 27:32 Do you think a chain would hold the devil? 27:35 Huh? 27:36 Why I can read to you where Christ and the disciples 27:39 went over the shore of the Gadarenes. And it talks about 27:41 these two men come running out of the tombs. 27:43 The Scripture says they had been bound with chains 27:46 and had broken them asunder. 27:48 Now if chains won't hold a man 27:50 they certainly wouldn't hold the devil, would they? 27:53 So what does it mean when it says he had a great chain 27:55 in his hand and he bound the devil for a thousand years? 27:59 Well, have you ever had somebody come over to your house 28:02 and said: "Go to town with me. " 28:05 And you would say: "Well, I really would like to 28:07 but I'm tied down. " 28:08 What did you mean? 28:10 Well you meant circumstances didn't permit you to go. 28:13 The circumstances have bound the devil... 28:16 that's what's bound him. 28:17 The righteous are in heaven; 28:19 the wicked are dead; 28:20 the devil is bound for 1,000 years. 28:24 That's what happens here. 28:25 So five events... five events take place 28:29 at the beginning of the thousand years. 28:31 These are the five events: 29:01 Now what's going to happen here on earth? 29:05 What's going to take place during this thousand years? 29:07 And why are the righteous 29:09 going to spend 1,000 years up in heaven? 29:12 Well let's look and see what the Scripture has to tell us. 29:19 God gives him... God gives him 1,000 years 29:24 to think over all the sin, 29:27 all the crime, all the degradation 29:30 and all the things that he has done as part of his punishment. 29:34 A thousand years to think over what he has done. 29:39 What's the earth like? 29:41 What's the condition of the earth during this 1,000 years? 29:58 Says the Lord is going to make this earth empty. 30:03 Righteous are in heaven; wicked are dead. 30:06 The earth is empty. 30:08 All right. Distorts it's surface. 30:20 So it says the whole land is going to be absolutely empty. 30:24 There won't be anybody here. 30:26 The devil is given that as part of his punishment. 30:30 In fact, this is what it says will happen to the wicked: 30:52 So it says that the coming of Jesus... 30:54 that He will come as a consuming fire. 30:58 It says the wicked will fall to the ground. 31:00 They won't be gathered; they won't be lamented; 31:03 they won't be buried. 31:05 Fall right there. 31:07 That's what's going to happen to them. The earth is going 31:09 to be desolate during this thousand years. 31:12 Now if the wicked are dead 31:15 and they don't know anything, 31:18 what are the righteous going to be doing? 31:21 And why would they spend 1,000 years up in heaven? 31:26 What's the purpose of this? 31:29 Well, Revelation 20 verse 6 gives you an idea. Watch: 31:40 So it says the righteous are going to go to heaven. 31:43 They're going to live and reign with Him there for 1,000 years. 31:47 What are they going to be doing during that 1,000 years? 31:50 Verse 4 of the 20th chapter says: 32:00 Hmm. The righteous during that thousand years 32:05 are going to be given what? Huh? 32:09 Judgment. 32:11 When are the righteous given judgment, folks? 32:14 Come on. During the thousand years. 32:17 I just wanted to get that clear because I run onto some saints 32:20 that think judgment's been given to them now. 32:22 No... not now... during the thousand years. 32:25 I even have some people say: "Well, I'm not judging... 32:28 I'm just a fruit inspector. " 32:29 No, you're not even a fruit inspector, you know. 32:31 That's God's responsibility. 32:34 Judgment is given to them during the thousand years. 32:36 Who are they going to judge? 32:39 Who will they judge during this thousand years? 32:49 OK? 32:55 OK, so it says they're going to judge the world. 32:59 That we'll even judge angels. 33:01 Why is judgment going to be given to the righteous? 33:05 Have you ever thought about that? 33:08 Hmm? Have you ever given any thought to that? 33:12 Well, let's say... 33:17 let's say you get to heaven 33:20 and you look around and somebody you knew 33:23 who you thought was a Christian 33:25 is not there. 33:27 What are you going to do? 33:30 Are you going to go through eternity saying 33:33 "Wonder where John is. " 33:36 "Strange... I thought he would have been here. " 33:40 "I wonder why John didn't make it. " 33:44 "Oh, I'd better keep my mouth shut. " 33:47 "Better not say anything. " 33:49 "Strange that John didn't make it. " 33:51 Now let me tell you something: 33:53 God doesn't intend 33:56 for you to get 10,000 years into eternity 33:59 and all of a sudden yell: "Hey! Where's John? " 34:04 No... that's not going to happen. 34:06 So God is going to open up the books. 34:10 That's why the books are kept up in heaven, folks. 34:13 He's going to open up the books 34:14 and He's going to let you look at them 34:16 and He's going to let you be absolutely convinced 34:19 in your heart and in your soul 34:21 that God did everything that He could 34:23 to save every last soul. 34:26 Let me tell you something tonight: 34:29 if you don't make it into heaven it won't be God's fault. 34:33 God's not trying tonight to keep you out of heaven. 34:36 God's trying to get you INTO heaven. 34:40 So He's going to open up the books. 34:42 The righteous are going to go through it 34:44 and they're going to be absolutely convinced 34:46 in their heart and in their soul 34:47 that God did everything He could to save every person. 34:52 Now, we come down to the end of the thousand years. 34:56 Something begins to happen 34:58 'cause it tells us that up in heaven 35:01 there's a city called the New Jerusalem 35:04 that Jesus has made. 35:17 So all of a sudden at the end of this thousand years 35:19 down comes the New Jerusalem. 35:22 Now the righteous, folks... 35:24 the righteous were taken to heaven at the beginning 35:26 of the thousand years and they have spent 1,000 years 35:30 in the New Jerusalem. 35:32 But now it's coming back to this earth. 35:38 Beautiful city! 35:39 Beyond description! 35:42 And it tells us exactly where it's going to settle. 35:46 Did you know that? 36:29 So it says here that all the righteous that have been 36:32 up there in heaven with Him 36:33 they're going to come back. That New Jerusalem is going to 36:37 touch... His feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives. 36:42 It's going to split; going to become a huge plain 36:45 and that's where the New Jeru- salem is going to come to rest. 36:51 I was over in Israel. 36:55 Had gone over to the Dome of the Rock. 37:00 Top of Mount Moriah. 37:03 And there on the Dome of the Rock, there on the top 37:07 is the Dome of the Rock which is a Muslim shrine. 37:11 There's nothing in that shrine, folks, except a rock. 37:15 That rock is very very... how should I say? 37:20 sacred in a sense to Jews and to Muslims and to Christians. 37:27 You see, they believe 37:29 that it was upon that rock 37:32 that Abraham was going to offer Isaac. 37:36 The Muslim believes it was on that rock that 37:39 Abraham was going to offer Ishmael. 37:43 The Christians believe it was on that rock 37:46 where Abraham was going to offer Isaac. 37:49 They also believe that that rock was the threshing floor 37:53 of Nathan the Jebusite. And they believe it was on that 37:56 rock where the temple altar of sacrifice was. 38:01 So that rock is very very special to them. 38:04 And so I had gone there, and I was just inside 38:07 the shrine looking when this guide that I became very well 38:12 acquainted with - a Jew - came up to me and he said: 38:15 "Would you like to see something? " 38:16 And I said: "Sure. " 38:18 And so he took me around to the other side of it 38:21 and here he opened a door, here he turned on a light, 38:23 and here was a stairway going down under the rock. 38:26 He walked down the stairway and I followed him. 38:29 Got down there and I realized now 38:32 that this rock I had been looking at 38:33 now was the ceiling of this room. 38:36 And there was nobody in there but the guide and myself. 38:39 And he said to me, he said: 38:41 "What do you see? " 38:44 I looked around and I said: "Just a vacant room. " 38:47 I said: "That's all I see. " 38:48 He said: "You need to look a little closer. " 38:51 So I tried to look closer, but I couldn't figure out 38:54 what he was talking about. 38:56 Finally he said: "Let me show you. " 38:57 And he went over to the edge of it and he pointed up 38:59 to the ceiling. He said: "You see that crack? " 39:02 Followed it clear across the room. 39:06 He said: "We've only had one earthquake here. " 39:12 And he said: "That took place in 31 AD. " 39:18 And he picked up a Bible and turned over to Matthew 39:20 the 27th chapter and read verse 51 39:23 where it says that when Jesus died 39:25 the earth quaked and the rocks split. 39:29 And he said: "That earthquake split this rock. " 39:32 Well, there wasn't anybody down there but me and this guide 39:35 who was a Jew. And I thought: "This is a good 39:38 time to ask him a question. " 39:40 And so I said to him... I said: 39:42 "Are you going to re-build the temple? " 39:45 "Oh, " he said, "absolutely! " 39:47 And I said: "I don't understand. " 39:50 I said: "Next to Mecca this is probably the most sacred 39:53 spot to the Muslim. All you and I would have to do 39:57 is do one thing to this to deface it or destroy it 40:02 and we'd be in trouble. We'd be in the biggest war 40:04 you've ever seen. " 40:06 He said: "Oh, we aren't going to do that. " 40:09 Then he picked up his Bible 40:12 and turned over to Zechariah that I just read to you 40:15 to the 14th chapter. 40:17 And he read that text to me that we just read, see. 40:20 And he said: "Oh... " he said: 40:22 "the Messiah's coming back. 40:24 His feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives. " 40:26 He said: "You see that crack? " 40:28 He said: "That didn't just crack that rock. " 40:30 He said: "That's a fault line. " 40:32 He said: "It not only runs through here. 40:33 It crosses the Valley of Jehosephat 40:35 and it splits the Mount of Olives in two. " 40:37 And he said: "When the Messiah comes back 40:40 His feet will touch this. " And he said: "It'll split 40:43 this place wide open. " And he said: "Then we will 40:45 re-build the temple. " 40:49 And I said: "I have one problem with that. " 40:52 And he said: "What's your problem with that? " 40:54 And I said: "The problem I'm having with that is you 40:57 tell me that that rock there was split at the crucifixion 41:00 of Jesus Christ. " 41:04 And he looked at me and I said: 41:07 "And I believe He's the One coming back. " 41:10 And he turned and walked up the steps. 41:14 You see... But what I'm trying to get across to you tonight 41:18 as far as I can tell that rock split. 41:21 That mountain has a fault line 41:23 right through it waiting... waiting 41:26 for the feet of Jesus Christ. 41:28 When it comes it's going to split 41:31 and that New Jerusalem that Jesus made 41:33 is going to come and it's going to settle 41:35 right here on this old earth. 41:38 What about the dead? 41:41 What about all the wicked that have been dead? 41:45 The Scripture says this about them: 41:54 Hmm... didn't live again until the 1,000 years were finished. 41:58 Oh, friend, let me tell you something: 41:59 there's so much difference between those two resurrections! 42:03 The resurrection of the righteous... 42:06 Over here I read to you it says that when they come 42:08 forth they are changed in a moment, in the twinkling 42:11 of an eye. It says that this mortal must put on? 42:14 immortality. It means that if that person was blind 42:18 when he died he comes out seeing. 42:20 It means if he went into that grave with one arm missing 42:23 he comes out with both arms. 42:25 It means if he went into that grave crippled 42:27 he comes out whole! 42:29 Do you understand that? 42:31 That is not promised on this resurrection of the wicked. 42:36 If that person's blind and they don't know Jesus Christ 42:39 and they died blind they come out blind. 42:43 They come out just like they went in. 42:46 Nothing's promised here... no change. 42:49 No immortality. 42:51 Are you telling me tonight... 42:53 are you telling me tonight that you'll give that up 42:56 for this old world? 42:58 That you'll give it up? No way... no way. 43:05 They come forth from the grave thick as the sands of the sea. 43:11 Enoch, 7th from Adam, prophesied about it. 43:49 And so it says He's coming back to execute judgment. 43:53 Well... the devil has been given a thousand years 43:58 to think over all the trouble and all the crime 44:01 and everything. But all of a sudden 44:03 here at the end of the thousand years 44:05 all of the wicked are resurrected. 44:08 He now has people. 44:11 That's why it says when the thousand years... 44:19 You see, he's no longer bound because now he has people 44:22 to work with... he has people to tempt. 44:24 He has something to do. 44:26 And let me assure you that during that thousand years 44:30 he hasn't been sitting there twiddling his thumbs. 44:33 He has a plan. He knows exactly what he's going to do. 44:37 Watch very carefully because he has a plan. 44:53 So it says that he goes out to deceive 44:56 all the wicked and he gathers them. 44:58 They're as thick as the sands of the sea. And it says 45:01 here in Revelation 20 verse 9: 45:14 Now why? Why would that happen? 45:19 Why don't the wicked just go over on the other side 45:21 of the earth and say: "We'll stay over here 45:23 and let the righteous stay over there. 45:25 And we won't bother them and maybe they won't bother us. " 45:30 Why go up and surround the city and try to take it? 45:35 Why do that? 45:38 The devil has a master plan. 45:43 You see, when they came forth from the grave, 45:48 the wicked, they're not immortal. 45:51 They're mortal... they're subject to death. 45:55 Back when God created man in the Garden of Eden 45:59 He put something in the Garden of Eden called the Tree of Life. 46:03 Listen to what it says here: Genesis 3:22: 46:27 He said: "Lest man take... " He put an angel there. 46:31 Put an angel guarding the tree. 46:42 So God made it impossible 46:45 for man to eat of the Tree of Life. 46:50 You know where the Tree of Life is now? 46:53 Hmm? 46:56 It's in the New Jerusalem. 46:58 And at the end of the thousand years the New Jerusalem 47:00 comes back to this earth. 47:21 The devil convinces the wicked 47:24 that if they can just storm the city, 47:27 get inside and eat of the Tree of Life 47:30 they'll live... they'll not die. 47:33 So they go up - great great masses of humanity - 47:39 and they surround the New Jerusalem. 47:42 This is where the Scripture says that the great white throne 47:47 judgment takes place. 47:49 You think tonight all of a sudden 47:53 right there, this particular moment in history 47:56 or in time, right there inside the New Jerusalem 48:00 are all the righteous that have ever lived. 48:04 Outside the city are all the wicked that have ever lived. 48:08 So standing there before God now is all mankind. 48:14 And all of a sudden God is lifted up 48:17 and the great white throne judgment takes place. 48:32 Here they stand... all mankind. 48:50 So dear friend, tonight 48:52 if your name's in the Book of Life... 48:56 at this point, if your name's in the Book of Life 48:59 Jesus has already pleaded your case 49:04 up in heaven and you have been marked 49:07 as having eternal life. 49:11 They read through the books. 49:14 If you have given your heart to Jesus Christ 49:17 Christ has stood up and said: "Father, I plead My blood 49:20 on behalf of this person. Give them life eternal. " 49:24 And you have come forth from the grave immortal 49:27 as the Scripture says. 49:29 The wicked... 49:36 The wicked get up off their knees 49:41 and they try to take the city. 49:56 The wicked go up... they surround the city. 49:59 Fire is rained down out of heaven; devours them. 50:04 That New Jerusalem will ride those flames 50:08 just like the ark rode the flood. 50:11 Because it says that this old earth of ours 50:15 will be burned. It says: 50:26 You see, if you know Jesus Christ tonight as your 50:30 personal Savior, if you've given your heart to Him, 50:35 then you will only die once. 50:38 You may not die at all 50:39 if you live long enough to see Jesus come. 50:42 But if you don't, you will only die once. 50:47 But if you don't accept Jesus Christ, 50:50 you'll die twice 50:53 'cause you will be resurrected in the second resurrection 50:57 and you will be destroyed at the end. 51:01 You will die twice. 51:03 He offers to you tonight life in Jesus Christ. 51:08 This old earth that you and I have lived in 51:12 is referred to as being burnt like a lake of fire. 51:23 And the Bible describes this old earth and its condition 51:27 'cause it talks about it here in II Peter 3 verse 12: 51:53 So the old earth's going to be burned. 51:55 And then when it's through burning the Lord Jesus Christ 51:59 is going to make it brand new. 52:02 And so the Bible tells you and I 52:04 that there are things that are waiting for the righteous. 52:08 That you and I have a new world to look forward to. 52:13 Oh... how marvelous it will be! 52:17 Listen, this is what it tells us about it: 52:31 Brand new earth. 52:33 So you find that there are five events 52:36 that close the millennium or the thousand years. 52:39 Those five events are: 53:10 'Cause the Scripture says in Matthew 5:5: 53:13 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. " 53:18 So God gives us a marvelous promise. 53:32 Time is here. 53:34 As a boy as I have mentioned to you 53:38 I was born here. Lived here until I was 9 years of age. 53:44 My parents told me of an incident that happened here 53:48 in Chicago. There was a salesman 53:52 from out of town 53:55 that had come here to Chicago. 53:57 Evidently had had a busy day 54:02 and he checked into a hotel down on the Loop. 54:07 Went to bed tired. 54:10 But about 2 in the morning he was shaken out of sleep 54:15 by the sound of a siren. 54:17 He jumped up to realize that the hotel he was in 54:21 was on fire. 54:27 He could hear the sirens. 54:30 He could smell the smoke and all. 54:33 And he grabbed the telephone 54:35 and by some chance was able to get an outside line 54:39 and called his boss. 54:42 And he told his boss 54:44 that he was in this hotel and it was on fire. 54:48 And he was going to give him a moment-by-moment account 54:53 of what it was like to be in a hotel on fire. 54:57 He said: "This is a chance for me to give a story 54:59 like no one's ever heard. " 55:01 His boss said: "You get out of there and you get out of there 55:04 now. " And he said: "No. " 55:07 He said: "My escape's OK; I've got it all figured out. 55:10 I'm all right. " And he began to describe to him 55:13 about the horrors of a hotel on fire. 55:16 He talked about how the fire evidently had broken out 55:19 on the second floor 55:21 and how the smoke was making its way up the stairways 55:26 and up the elevator shafts and up the laundry chutes. 55:29 He talked about hearing people run down the hall 55:33 screaming and yelling. 55:35 He said that there were people piled up at the stairway 55:38 and at the elevator shaft where they had run over one another 55:41 trying to get out of the hotel. 55:44 He talked about how the smoke 55:46 was so bad as it went down the halls 55:49 that people were suffocating from the smoke. 55:52 He talked about how the fire, the heat 55:55 was sucking the oxygen out of the air 55:57 and how you had to bend over just to be able to breathe. 56:00 Described all the horrors of a hotel that was on fire. 56:05 Finally the telephone lines were gone 56:08 and he went over to the window 56:10 to make his way out on the fire escape 56:12 to take down to safety. 56:14 Opened the window only to find out that the fire escape 56:18 was red hot. 56:21 He shouted to the firemen below 56:23 to stretch out their nets... that he was going to jump. 56:27 And they stretched out their nets 56:29 and he jumped but missed the net. 56:35 Dear friend, let me tell you something: 56:36 I run onto a lot of people that think they're going to 56:39 hang on to this old world till the last moment 56:42 and then they're going to jump. 56:44 I have people say: "Oh... not right now. " 56:47 Let me tell you something: the Bible says 56:49 "Today is the day. " 56:52 There's going to be people going to say: 56:53 "Oh the summer is ended, the harvest is past 56:55 and we're not saved. " 56:57 Tonight Jesus is inviting you 57:01 to accept Him as your Savior, 57:03 give your heart to Him, 57:04 prepare for His coming 57:06 as Maddy sings. 57:10 Years have come and years have gone 57:14 since Jesus went away 57:19 leaving us this promise 57:23 that He'd come again 57:26 some day. 57:33 OK... let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 57:35 Father, we thank you so much 57:38 for Jesus, for His love and for His care over our lives. 57:43 We pray that You'll bless each one here 57:46 that their hearts may be surrendered to You 57:49 and that they might be among those 57:53 that will look up into the heavens 57:56 and will say: "Lo, this is our God! 57:59 We've waited for Him and He'll save us. " 58:02 For all the things that You do for each one of us 58:04 we give to You honor and glory and praise. 58:08 In Christ's name, Amen. |
Revised 2019-05-09