Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU190008A
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00:01 Music...
00:30 Hello and welcome to the 3ABN Australia Homecoming 2019. 00:36 We're at Wahroonga Seventh-day Adventist Church, 00:40 Sydney, Australia 00:41 and it's good to see you folk here. 00:44 It most certainly is, 00:46 we're going to have a lovely program this morning together 00:49 so we hope that you're all blessed. 00:51 What's the special item, who's singing that? 00:54 The special item is by Rosemary and she's going to be singing, 00:57 "I have fixed my mind on another time. " 01:00 And the Speaker? 01:02 And the Speaker is Pastor David McKibben 01:05 and his sermon title is, "The Ultimate Rescue" 01:08 pause... 01:10 and we have a text as well. 01:11 That's right. 01:13 Let's share that, the text that he has is 01:14 from Titus 2:11-13 01:17 and it reads, "For the grace of God 01:20 that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men 01:24 teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 01:29 we should live soberly, 01:31 righteously and godly in this present world 01:35 looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing 01:40 of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. " 01:44 Let's just bow our heads for a moment. 01:47 "Our gracious and heavenly Father, 01:49 we thank you for the love that you have shown to us 01:52 by giving us Jesus Christ to save us. 01:55 We pray you'll be with our Speaker and our Singer 01:58 that they will uplift and hold Jesus at the highest level, 02:03 I pray in Jesus' name, amen. " 02:05 Amen. 02:09 Pause... 02:18 Music... 02:26 I have fixed my mind 02:30 on another time, 02:35 On another time 02:39 And here I mean to stand until 02:47 God gives me more light 02:54 And that is today, today 03:00 Today until He comes 03:06 I have fixed my mind 03:11 on another time 03:16 On another time 03:21 Music... 03:25 I have set my course on the narrow way, 03:31 on the narrow way 03:37 For I know the time is close at hand 03:44 For which I watch and pray 03:51 And that is today, today 03:58 Today until He comes 04:02 I have set my course 04:06 on the narrow way, 04:12 on the narrow way 04:17 Even so Lord come quickly 04:24 This is my fervent prayer 04:31 For I've caught a Glimpse of glory 04:37 And I'm longing to be there 04:45 Music... 04:58 When shall the Son of Man appear 05:05 The trumpet sound its blast 05:10 And Christ descend in glorious fire 05:17 with all the saints amassed 05:23 We'll rise with those who sleep no more 05:30 To meet Him in the air 05:36 When shall the Son of Man appear, 05:45 The Son of Man appear 05:53 Even so Lord come quickly 06:00 This is my fervent prayer 06:07 For I've caught a Glimpse of glory 06:14 And I'm longing to be there 06:21 For I've caught 06:25 a Glimpse of glory 06:30 And I'm longing 06:35 to 06:39 be there. 06:47 I have fixed my mind 06:50 on another time 06:57 on another 07:04 time. 07:14 Mmmm... 07:22 Pause... 07:31 Well, good morning every one, 07:33 and it's really great to be with you, 07:35 thank you for being here this morning 07:37 and to those of you who are watching wherever you are, 07:40 thank you for joining us, it's good to be with you as well 07:44 and a big thank you to Rosemary for that beautiful piece. 07:48 It never... it never fails to inspire and move me 07:52 when I hear it... 07:54 a beautiful song of faith... of courage... 07:58 of expectation and thank you Rosemary for that... 08:01 for that beautiful piece. 08:03 Pause... 08:05 I appreciate the prayer that has been offered 08:08 but before we look at God's Word together, 08:11 I'd like to invite you to bow your heads 08:13 in a brief moment of prayer, 08:15 let us pray together. 08:17 Pause... 08:19 "Heavenly Father, 08:21 we bow our heads and our hearts 08:24 in Your presence. 08:26 May Your Word be our rule, 08:29 may the Holy Spirit be our Guide and Teacher 08:34 and may Your greater glory and honor be our supreme concern 08:39 and we ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. " 08:44 Pause... 08:47 The truth about Jesus' return in glory 08:52 is one of the fundamental teachings in the Bible. 08:56 In actual fact, there are over 1,800 verses in the Scriptures 09:04 that touch upon the return of Jesus. 09:07 If you combine all the references 09:10 to the "Day of the Lord," 09:11 in the Old Testament 09:12 to those verses in the New Testament 09:15 which speak of the return of Jesus, 09:18 you have a total of over 1,800. 09:21 Now, with that volume of Scriptural testimony 09:27 to the return of Jesus, 09:29 it's a very difficult teaching to ignore. 09:32 And over the... the centuries... 09:35 Christianity in the men has not ignored this tremendous truth. 09:41 For example, the great Protestant Reformer, 09:45 John Calvin, who carried out most of his ministry 09:49 in the Swiss City of Geneva, 09:51 once said, "We must hunger after Christ 09:54 until the dawning of that great day 09:57 when our Lord will fully manifest the glory 10:01 of His kingdom. " 10:02 And then, we have John Wesley, 10:05 the Founder of Methodism 10:07 who declared, "The Spirit and the heart of the true believer 10:11 says with earnest desire, 'Come, Lord Jesus. '" 10:15 And so, in the men, 10:17 Christianity has not ignored this tremendous truth. 10:21 However, there have been some who have put this teaching 10:26 of the return of Jesus, 10:28 somewhere in the dim and distant future. 10:31 For example, the great British poet, Lord Alfred Tennyson, 10:36 referred to the second coming as that far-off-divine event 10:41 and in the Anglican Prayer Book, of 1662... 10:47 now, Thomas Cranmer the first Protestant Archbishop 10:50 of Canterbury had a tremendous influence 10:53 upon Anglican worshippers that developed 10:56 and his hymn can be seen in the Anglican Prayer Book 10:59 but in the Anglican Prayer Book there are directions 11:03 on how to find the date of Easter for 500 years 11:07 up to the year AD 2199. 11:10 An act of Parliament at Westminster in the year 1732 11:18 provided for the American Episcopal Prayer Book 11:22 to enable its readers to calculate the church calendar 11:26 as far ahead as A.D. 8,500. 11:30 The late John Stott who was a great proclaimer 11:35 of the return of Jesus, 11:37 says that such provisions do not exactly encourage members 11:42 to live in lively expectation of the Lord's return. 11:47 But before we smile at the expense of the Anglicans... 11:52 and please be assured, I'm not having a go 11:55 at our fellow believers in the Anglican tradition, 11:58 but before we smile at their expense, 12:01 there are probably some questions 12:04 that we need to ask ourselves. 12:06 How lively is our expectation of the return of Jesus? 12:13 Is it real for us? 12:16 Is it a driving force in our lives? 12:20 Is it an integral part of our lives 12:24 or just an item of doctrine that we adhere to? 12:29 Have we become too comfortable with the world that we live in? 12:34 I think as we have already established, 12:37 the return of Jesus is a fundamental teaching 12:43 of Scripture. 12:44 I think it's well presented in one of the hymns in our hymnal. 12:50 This is the three-fold truth on which our faith depends 12:55 and with a joyful cry, worship begins and ends. 12:59 Christ has died... Christ has risen... 13:03 Christ will come again. 13:05 And so, this morning, 13:08 I want to look at aspects of the blessed hope 13:11 of the church. 13:13 We're looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing 13:16 of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ... " 13:20 it's the blessed hope of the church. 13:23 It is, if you like, the ultimate rescue. 13:27 And there are three major points 13:30 that I would like to make this morning. 13:32 First of all, the coming of Jesus will be a PERSONAL coming. 13:37 It will be a PERSONAL coming. 13:41 The ascension of Jesus 13:44 signaled the end of His earthly ministry. 13:48 For 40 days after His resurrection, 13:50 He appeared to His followers on a number of occasions. 13:53 He gave them the promise of the Holy Spirit, 13:56 and then, He was lifted up before their very eyes 14:00 into heaven 14:01 and as he disappeared from their sight, 14:04 two men in white... and we understand them to be angels 14:08 gave these words of promise and assurance. 14:11 Acts 1 and verse 11, 14:14 "Why do you stand here looking into the sky? 14:18 This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, 14:24 will come back in the same way 14:27 you have seen him go into heaven. " 14:29 Notice it says, "This same Jesus... " 14:34 This same Jesus who healed the sick... 14:38 who gave hearing to the deaf... 14:41 sight to the blind... 14:43 mobility to the lame... 14:44 the same Jesus Who is the friend of little children... 14:48 this same Jesus Who reached out to the despised 14:52 and the broken in Society, 14:54 it is this same Jesus Who will return in glory. 15:00 Pause... 15:01 The same thought is expressed by the Apostle Paul 15:05 in 1st Thessalonians 4 and verse 16, 15:09 where he declares, 15:11 "For the Lord Himself 15:13 will descend from heaven with a shout... " 15:16 this same Jesus... the Lord Himself 15:22 will descend. 15:23 Now, when great international gatherings take place 15:29 at various places around the world, 15:31 invariably, one of the people who is invited 15:34 is the United States President. 15:36 Though sometimes he will attend, 15:39 given the importance and significance 15:42 of that particular Convention, 15:44 but sometimes he will send the Vice President 15:47 or some other member of his administration in his place. 15:51 The same is true of the British Monarchy. 15:54 The Queen will often send someone in her place, 15:59 now, she enjoys good health but she is a lady in her 90s 16:03 and increasingly over the last few years 16:06 she has sent members of her family in her place 16:09 at various gatherings around the world, 16:11 particularly in those countries 16:12 that make up the British Commonwealth. 16:15 For example, it was Prince Charles 16:17 who performed the opening ceremony 16:19 at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast 16:22 last time around. 16:24 So, here we have great leaders 16:27 who send someone else in their place. 16:30 But when it comes to that event 16:33 which will mark the end of history as we know it, 16:37 Jesus is going to come Himself. 16:40 He's not going to send a Deputy. 16:43 Now, the angels have been involved in major events 16:48 of salvation's history. 16:50 They have been involved in significant events 16:56 down through the ages, 16:58 they're going to be involved in the return of Jesus, 17:00 but they're going to accompany Him... 17:02 not to take his place. 17:05 Jesus Himself is going to come in glory. 17:10 One of the major words used to describe the coming of Jesus 17:16 is a Greek word, Parousia 17:18 and it conveys that idea of a royal visit. 17:22 The coming of Jesus is going to be literal and personal... 17:27 not spiritual 17:28 and that same aspect of the personal coming of Jesus, 17:33 is found in one of the most beautiful promises 17:36 found in Scripture. 17:38 John chapter 14 and verses 1 to 3. 17:42 Very beautiful words. 17:44 Jesus said to His disciples, 17:47 "Do not let your hearts be troubled: 17:50 you believe in God, believe also in me. 17:53 My Father's house has many rooms: 17:56 if that were not so, would I have told you 17:59 that I'm going there to prepare a place for you 18:01 and if I go and prepare a place for you, 18:04 I will come back and take you to be with me 18:08 that you also may be where I am. " 18:11 You see that even though this is going to be a tremendous event, 18:16 the personal dimension is very much to the forefront. 18:21 It is Jesus' desire that you and me and our loved ones, 18:26 and indeed our fellow human beings 18:29 should live with Him in heaven for eternity. 18:33 That's His desire. 18:34 That's His longing. 18:36 One of the great names of Jesus is God with us... Emmanuel 18:41 and that will become an eternal reality when He comes. 18:47 Pause... 18:49 And so, the second coming... it's a tremendous event 18:54 but it's essentially the return of a Friend. 18:58 It's going to be a truly climactic event but ultimately 19:03 it's about the return of a Friend. 19:06 As one Christian commentator said, 19:08 "We're not just looking for something to happen, 19:11 we are looking for someone to come. " 19:15 And so, the coming of Jesus will be personal. 19:21 That's one of the very clear teachings of Scripture. 19:27 However, the Bible goes on to sound a note of warning. 19:32 Jesus repeatedly warned against the appearance of false Christs. 19:39 "Take head that no man deceive you. 19:43 For many shall come in my name saying, 'I am Christ... ' 19:47 and shall deceive many. " 19:49 Later on He declared, 19:52 "For false Christs and false prophets will appear 19:54 and perform great signs and miracles 19:57 to deceive even the elect... 19:59 if that were possible. " 20:01 And that deception would even extend 20:05 to the manner of His coming. 20:08 "Therefore, if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' 20:12 do not go out... 20:14 or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. " 20:19 And the ultimate false Christ will be Anti-Christ. 20:27 The Antichrist is a very loaded term. 20:31 Pause... 20:33 Antichrist actually means to be against Christ 20:38 or to take the place of Christ. 20:42 It has those two meanings 20:44 and in John... the first letter of John... 20:48 he tells his readers 20:51 that Antichrists have already appeared. 20:53 Even in the Apostolic Age, there were Antichrists... 20:57 and note... plural... 20:58 Antichrist is not just restricted to one person 21:02 or one organization. 21:04 Antichrist stands for any person or any organization 21:09 that is against Jesus 21:11 and that dares to take the place of Jesus 21:13 and Antichrist is described in many different ways 21:18 in the Scripture. 21:19 Antichrist is described as the Little Horn in Daniel chapter 7, 21:25 he is described as the beast that emerges from the sea 21:29 in Revelation 13, 21:31 and then he is described as the "man of sin" 21:35 and the "man of lawlessness" 21:39 in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. 21:42 Notice these words of warning, sounded by the Apostle Paul 21:48 in the 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians. 21:52 2nd Thessalonians 2 and verse 3, 21:56 "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, 22:00 for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs 22:06 and the man of lawlessness is revealed. " 22:10 And then he goes on to describe 22:12 what the "man of lawlessness" is going to do, 22:16 verse 4, "He will oppose and will exalt himself 22:20 over everything that is called God or is worshiped 22:24 so that he sets himself up in God's temple 22:27 proclaiming himself to be God. " 22:30 Now, that is the... that is the spirit of Antichrist. 22:34 Against Christ... and daring to take the place of Christ, 22:39 and the ultimate manifestation of Antichrist will take place 22:43 just before Jesus returns 22:46 pause... 22:48 and it's going to be a very powerful delusion. 22:51 If you read on in this passage in 2nd Thessalonians, 22:55 you'll find that the power of Jesus 22:58 will be displayed in miracles, signs and wonders. 23:03 The power of Antichrist will also be displayed 23:08 in miracles, signs and wonders 23:11 but the important difference is, 23:13 that they will be designed to deceive... 23:16 to lead people astray... 23:18 they will be counterfeit 23:20 and, of course, the danger of a counterfeit is 23:23 that it's very close to the genuine, 23:26 it's very close to the original 23:28 and in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, 23:32 the coming of Jesus is presented as being personal 23:36 and public and powerful 23:38 but the coming of Antichrist will also be personal, 23:44 public and powerful. 23:46 Pause... 23:47 And many people will be led astray 23:51 and ultimately, they'll be led astray for this reason, 23:57 2nd Thessalonians 2 and verse 10. 24:02 "They perish because they refused to love the truth 24:09 and so be saved. " 24:11 Pause... 24:13 And that brings me to the... the second 24:17 very important and fundamental point 24:20 regarding the coming of Jesus. 24:23 It will be a POWERFUL coming... 24:27 the coming of Jesus will be a majestic, 24:32 magnificent event. 24:34 Jesus didn't speak much about the timing of His coming. 24:39 He just set a boundary... 24:41 no man... not... not even the angels 24:45 know the hour when the Son of Man is going to return. 24:48 He set a very clear boundary, 24:50 He didn't talk much about the timing 24:52 but He did talk quite a bit about the manner 24:57 in which He would return 24:58 and again He... He sounded those notes of warning, 25:02 "Don't be deceived, don't be led astray. " 25:05 And what does the Bible tell us 25:08 about the manner of Jesus' return? 25:11 Well, it's going to be a visible coming 25:14 and we have that beautiful comparison 25:18 that's found in Matthew 24 and verse 27. 25:21 "For as the lightning comes from the east 25:25 and flashes to the west, 25:27 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. " 25:31 The coming of Jesus will be as vivid and dramatic 25:36 as a lightning storm. 25:38 Now, here in Australia, 25:39 we can have some tremendous lightning storms. 25:41 In a storm there can be 1,000s of lightning strikes 25:47 and anyone who's around 25:49 knows that there's a lightning storm taking place 25:51 and in the same way, 25:53 everyone who is alive will... at that time 25:57 will be aware that Jesus has come. 25:59 His coming will be visible. 26:01 His coming will also be audible. 26:05 1st Thessalonians 4 and verse 16, 26:09 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 26:12 with a shout, 26:13 with the voice on an archangel, 26:16 and with the trumpet of God. " 26:18 Pause... 26:21 There you have three signs... a shout... 26:24 not a conversational tone of voice... 26:27 a shout... 26:29 pause... 26:30 the voice of the archangel... 26:31 and that voice is going to be so powerful, 26:34 it's quite literally going to raise the dead... 26:37 the dead in Christ... 26:38 and a trumpet... 26:41 Now, a trumpet is a very nice instrument 26:44 but it's not the sort of instrument 26:48 that you use to get someone off to sleep. 26:50 Audience: Laughter. 26:51 In ancient times, that was used as a call to arms... 26:56 a call to assemble in the Bible faith... 26:59 so, here you have these three signs. 27:02 A shout... 27:03 the voice of the archangel... 27:05 the trumpet of God... 27:06 and together they proclaim that Jesus has come. 27:10 It's going to be an audible coming. 27:12 Pause... 27:15 It's also going to be a glorious coming. 27:19 According to Matthew 24, 27:22 Jesus is going to come with clouds, with power, with glory, 27:27 He's going to come with the angelic host. 27:30 Pause... 27:32 When the son of man comes in His glory, 27:36 all the holy angels will be with Him... 27:39 the entire heavenly host. 27:42 Well, think about this, 27:45 remember the events of the resurrection morning? 27:49 the calm... the peace of that Sunday morning 27:53 was disturbed by a violent earthquake, 27:57 and an angel appeared 27:59 and the power... the glory of that angel was such 28:04 that the guard of Roman soldiers around the tomb 28:07 fell to the ground as if they were dead men. 28:11 That was just one angel 28:14 and the impact that it had 28:16 on those battle-hardened-Roman soldiers. 28:19 Just imagine what it's going to be like when Jesus comes... 28:24 that the whole sky is going to be filled with angels. 28:27 As far as the eye can see, 28:30 it's going to be filled with the glory of angels. 28:31 What a spectacle that's going to be! 28:35 Pause... 28:37 And so... in summary... 28:41 the coming of Jesus is going to be visible, 28:44 it's going to be audible, 28:46 it's going to be glorious, 28:47 it's going to be vivid, 28:48 it's going to be spectacular, 28:50 it's going to be a truly powerful and awesome event. 28:53 Pause... 28:56 That's a very clear teaching of Scripture 28:59 and that serves as a safeguard against deception 29:02 on a number of levels. 29:04 Pause... 29:06 As we've said, Jesus warned about the emergence 29:09 of false Christs, 29:10 and He said that if anyone should come in the desert 29:14 or some remote place, 29:15 and say that he is Christ... not to go after him 29:18 because when Jesus returns a second time, 29:23 He's not actually going to touch the earth. 29:25 Audience: Amen. 29:28 Now, when He came the first time, 29:29 He walked the roads and tracks of Galilee and Samaria and Judea 29:33 but when he returns, 29:36 he's actually going to meet His followers in the skies. 29:40 He's not actually going to appear on this earth. 29:43 Pause... 29:46 Another contrast between His first coming and His return, 29:49 is that His return will certainly not be a secret event. 29:55 The first time, Jesus came very quietly. 29:59 We don't even know the year that Jesus was born in, 30:04 let alone the death. 30:05 We do know that it was sometime before 4 BC., 30:09 because that was the year in which King Herod died 30:12 but we don't actually know the year. 30:15 and He came quietly. 30:17 You know, the words of the carol are so true, 30:22 "How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given. " 30:26 It came so quietly, hardly anyone knew. 30:30 In actual fact, there were probably more animal witnesses 30:34 to the birth of Jesus than human witnesses. 30:36 Pause... 30:39 But it's going to be different when Jesus returns. 30:42 His return, as we have seen, is going to be SPECTACULAR 30:47 and it's also going to be sudden. 30:50 The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 30:55 Now, that is not to say that it's going to be quiet 30:59 or secretive, 31:00 but it's going to be sudden and unexpected 31:05 sadly for those who are unprepared... 31:09 though perhaps even those who are prepared will be amazed 31:12 when it actually happens. 31:13 Let me try and illustrate, 31:16 these are the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii 31:22 south of Rome 31:24 and this... this as you can see 31:29 Mount Vesuvius is in the background. 31:32 Pause... 31:35 Pompeii had been ravaged by a terrible earthquake 31:39 in the year AD 62. 31:42 There was another earthquake a few years later 31:44 and in the years that followed, 31:46 there were a number of minor tremors 31:49 but people weren't concerned about the fact 31:53 that they were building in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. 31:55 It was believed it was an extinct volcano, 31:58 it hadn't erupted for many years, 32:00 and so, people weren't concerned 32:02 and so, when it came to August the 24th, A.D. 79, 32:10 that day dawned just like any other day. 32:13 It's a beautiful day in late summer 32:16 and the streets were full of people 32:18 going about their business. 32:19 It was a day like any other day 32:23 but it proved to be a day of disaster for Pompeii 32:29 because around about lunch time that day, 32:34 there was a mighty explosion. 32:37 Mount Vesuvius erupted. 32:41 Clouds of poisonous gas of sulfur filled the air. 32:46 Clouds of pumice and volcanic ash 32:51 obscured the light of the sun 32:53 and it's been calculated 32:56 the thermal energy a 100,000 times what was... 32:59 descended on Japan at the end of the 2nd World War was ejected 33:08 and then a torrent of lava poured forth from the mountain 33:13 and completely engulfed 33:15 the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. 33:18 In fact, they engulfed them so completely, 33:21 that those two cities lay under layers of lava 33:26 for over 1,500 years. 33:28 It's only been in recent centuries 33:32 that they have been excavated. 33:33 Pause... 33:35 And a few years ago, I had the experience... 33:37 very eerie... sobering experience, 33:40 of walking through the streets of Pompeii. 33:44 These streets would have been filled with people 33:48 on that fateful day going about their business... 33:51 business as usual... 33:53 they... they actually... 33:56 they actually perished as they were going about their business. 34:02 It was a day like any other day but it came so suddenly 34:08 and that gives us a... an idea 34:12 of what the return of Jesus is going to be like. 34:15 It's not going to be a secret coming, 34:17 but it's going to be sudden 34:19 and it's going to be powerful 34:21 and it's going to be a truly climactic event 34:24 that will bring down the curtain on earth's history. 34:28 It also will be a climactic event in terms of purpose. 34:33 My third point... "The coming of Jesus 34:37 will be PURPOSEFUL." 34:39 It will be a deeply significant event on many levels. 34:43 Jesus is coming about to bring resolution. 34:47 We find this reflected in Hebrews 9 and verse 28. 34:53 So, Christ will appear a second time, 34:56 not to bear sin, 34:58 but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. " 35:03 The return of Jesus is the grand culmination 35:07 of the Plan of Salvation. 35:09 That's... George Eldon Ladd was a Biblical Scholar, 35:15 great believer in the return of Jesus 35:17 and he said this, "The second coming of Jesus 35:21 is an absolutely indispensable doctrine 35:24 in the Biblical teaching of redemption. 35:27 Apart from His glorious return, 35:29 God's work will forever be incomplete. 35:33 At the center of redemption past is Christ on the cross, 35:40 at the center of redemption future 35:43 is Christ returning in glory... " 35:45 and that's what we remember every time we celebrate 35:51 the Communion Service, 35:52 we look back to what Jesus has done on the cross... 35:54 we look forward to that day when He will return in glory. 35:59 Indeed that night when He shared the last supper 36:02 with His disciples, 36:04 He told them that the next time He would celebrate 36:06 that occasion with them 36:08 would be when He would establish His kingdom 36:10 and so the... 36:13 the return of Jesus is going to bring about resolution 36:17 on a personal level 36:18 and it's also going to bring about resolution 36:21 on a cosmic level. 36:23 The return of Jesus will signal the end of worldly powers 36:29 and the establishment of Jesus' eternal kingdom. 36:32 The rock in the image of Daniel chapter 2, 36:37 represents the return of Jesus. 36:39 You know, we hear a lot about a New World Order, 36:43 but Jesus is going to establish a new order of justice, 36:48 peace and righteousness. 36:50 Pause... 36:52 Daniel 2 and verse 44, 36:54 "And in the days of these kings... " 36:57 and we live in those days... 36:59 "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom 37:03 which shall never be destroyed; 37:04 and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; 37:07 it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, 37:11 and it shall stand forever. " 37:14 And so, will come to pass 37:17 the words of Revelation 11 and verse 15, 37:20 "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord 37:24 and of His Christ, 37:25 and He will reign forever and ever. " 37:28 And that was the inspiration for the Hallelujah Chorus 37:33 in Handel's masterpiece, "The Messiah. " 37:38 So, the coming of Jesus will bring about Resolution. 37:44 It will also bring about Restoration. 37:47 The beauty... the perfection of Eden will be restored 37:53 and all of creation is looking forward to that day. 37:58 In Isaiah chapter 11, we have a beautiful peace... 38:02 a picture of peace and harmony... 38:04 The wolf dwelling with the lamb, 38:07 the leopard with the goat... 38:09 the calf with the lion... 38:12 a little child playing over a snake's den. 38:16 Now, here in Australia, that means a lot, doesn't it? 38:19 We are the home of a lot of venomous snakes, 38:22 you know, it's a beautiful picture of peace and harmony. 38:27 Pause... 38:30 And then, these beautiful words in Revelation 21 and verse 4, 38:35 words that I've often spoken at a graveside, 38:39 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 38:42 and death shall be no more, 38:45 neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, 38:48 nor pain anymore, 38:49 for the former things have passed away. " 38:53 And so the... 38:55 the coming of Jesus will bring about restoration. 38:59 The end of death and suffering and the dark side of nature. 39:04 Pause... 39:07 It will also bring about rescue... 39:09 the ultimate rescue. 39:13 You know, there have been many wonderful rescue efforts 39:15 in history 39:16 but the coming of Jesus will be the ultimate rescue... 39:20 the ultimate deliverance. 39:22 Let me share with you a story. 39:25 One of my Lecturers at Bible College was a Dutchman. 39:30 A very... a very Godly man... not an emotional man... 39:35 he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, 39:36 but a very Godly man 39:38 and one day he was presenting a lecture on the return of Jesus 39:44 and he told about the day that his village in Holland 39:49 was liberated from the Nazis. 39:53 Now, Nazi rule was brutal wherever it exercised authority 40:01 but it was particularly brutal in Holland. 40:03 Just about every country in Europe 40:06 has reason to hang its head in shame 40:08 for the way that they have treated the Jews. 40:11 But the Dutch have more reason than most 40:13 to hold their heads high. 40:15 The Dutch people really did try to protect the Jews 40:19 who lived amongst them 40:21 and they paid a heavy price for that. 40:22 Nazi rule was particularly brutal 40:24 and so, this lecture was talking about the day 40:29 that his village was liberated 40:32 and as he was talking, 40:33 you could see the tears start to form in his eyes 40:36 and remember, he's not an emotional man 40:38 but as he talked about that day, 40:40 and he said it was the Canadians... 40:43 it was the Canadians who actually freed his village, 40:45 the tears started to roll down his cheeks, 40:48 you know, he was talking about something that happened 40:52 about 50 years previously, 40:54 and he... and he... and he... 40:56 and he just spoke to the class and he said, 40:58 "And that's what the coming of Jesus is going to be like. " 41:02 That is going to be earth's deliverance day... 41:05 that's going to be earth's rescue day. 41:08 At long last the dark night of Satan's rule will be over. 41:13 At long last... we'll be free. 41:15 Pause... 41:18 The coming of Jesus is to bring about rescue. 41:21 Pause... 41:24 It's also, to bring about the... the resurrection. 41:29 The Second Coming is associated with the Resurrection. 41:34 When Jesus had that conversation with Martha, 41:39 in the aftermath of the death of her brother, Lazarus, 41:43 He asked her if she believed, 41:45 and she said that she believed 41:47 that her brother would be raised at the last day. 41:50 There are a couple of times in John chapter 6 41:53 in Jesus' great discourse, after feeding the 5,000 41:57 where he said that His followers would be raised on the last day 42:01 and the last day... the resurrection day... 42:05 the coming of Jesus... they are one and the same day. 42:10 That is the day that the dead in Christ will rise. 42:14 You know, you know, graveyards... 42:18 obviously very sad places 42:21 but they're also quite fascinating places, 42:23 it's very interesting... going around the different headstones 42:28 reading the epitaphs and Scriptures, 42:30 and graveyards are going to be amazing places 42:33 on the day that Jesus comes. 42:35 Places of death will become places of life. 42:39 Places of sorrow will become places of joy. 42:43 Places of separation will become places of reunion 42:48 and that brings me to the final purpose of Jesus' return. 42:53 It is the prelude to a glorious Reunion. 42:58 Again, you see that the personal element 43:03 coming to the fore again and again. 43:04 The coming of Jesus is going to be a climactic event 43:08 but it's going to have a personal impact. 43:10 The coming of Jesus will bring about the promise... 43:14 will fulfill the promise of unbroken and eternal fellowship. 43:18 1st Thessalonians 4 and verse 17... 43:24 "After that, we who are still alive and are left 43:27 will be caught up together with them in the clouds 43:31 to meet the Lord in the air. 43:33 And so we will be with the Lord forever. " 43:37 Loved ones will reunite with each other, 43:42 and together, they will have union with the Lord Jesus Christ 43:47 Who died for them... Who rose again... 43:49 Who's come back to take them home to heaven 43:53 and so, you have all these great things... 43:57 Resolution... 43:59 Restoration... 44:02 Rescue... 44:03 Resurrection... 44:05 Reunion... 44:06 and they're all made possible 44:09 by the return of Jesus Christ in glory. 44:14 It's going to be a truly magnificent occasion. 44:19 What a day that will be! 44:20 Audience: Amen. 44:22 What a day! 44:24 Pause... 44:25 Want to... 44:27 want to close 44:31 by referring to an episode 44:34 in the history of Antarctic exploration. 44:37 When you think of the exploration of the Antarctic, 44:41 you tend to think of people like Roald Amundsen 44:44 who was the first man to reach the South Pole, 44:46 or Robert Scott who died tragically 44:50 in his attempt to reach the South Pole. 44:54 But I would like to talk about an Irishman 44:57 though I am probably to spare my bias a little bit here, 45:01 but I'd like to talk about another Antarctic Explorer, 45:05 Sir Ernest Shackleton. 45:06 He actually came very close to becoming the first man 45:10 to reach the South Pole, 45:11 he actually came within a 100 miles... 45:13 150 kilometers of the South Pole 45:16 a few years before Amundsen actually got there 45:18 but after Amundsen and Scott had got to the South Pole, 45:22 he decided that he would be the first man 45:24 to lead an expedition across the Antarctic Continent 45:29 from coast to coast. 45:30 So, he advertised for people to join him... 45:33 he got a group of men together, 45:36 and in 19... in December 1914, 45:39 they left the tiny island of South Georgia, 45:42 in the South Atlantic... heading for Antarctica. 45:45 well, they got to within 45:48 a day's journey of reaching the Antarctic Continent, 45:51 when their ship... the Endurance got stuck in pack ice, 45:55 in the Weddell Sea. 45:57 It wasn't going forward... it wasn't going back... 46:00 it was stuck... 46:02 and they were stuck there for ten months. 46:04 They played games of soccer on the ice 46:07 to while away the time... 46:09 they had to endure the long months of darkness 46:14 in the Antarctic winter 46:16 and then they heard this cracking sound 46:19 about October 1915... 46:21 and they realized that the ice 46:23 was starting to press in on the ship... 46:25 they were going to lose the ship altogether. 46:27 So, they got all the supplies off the ship 46:29 and there was one almighty crack... November 1915 46:33 and the ship just disappeared into the icy waters 46:35 of the Weddell Sea, 46:37 here they were on the ice, 46:38 lost their ship... 46:40 they've got... they've got the dogs... 46:43 they've got sleds... 46:44 and it was then that they made this very perilous journey 46:48 across ice floes 46:51 and the ice was melting at this time... 46:54 they faced the prospect of death on many occasions, 46:57 but they finally got to Elephant Island... 47:00 pause... 47:04 and Elephant Island is a remote island 47:07 off the Antarctic Continent, 47:09 and so, for the time being they were safe 47:11 but Shackleton knew that he had to do something, 47:16 no one knew where they were... 47:19 obviously, this was the time before mobile phones 47:22 or any modern communication, 47:23 they were so far south 47:25 that there was no prospect of a ship passing by, 47:28 so, he knew that someone had to leave that island 47:33 and get help. 47:35 So, he chose five other men to accompany him on a voyage 47:41 across some of the roughest waters on the planet 47:45 back to the end of South Georgia. 47:47 An incredible journey... 47:51 So, there were... there were three Irishmen, 47:53 an Englishman, a Scotsman, and a New Zealander, 47:56 it seems like a joke but it wasn't a joke. 47:58 Audience: Laughter. 48:00 Introducing there was the Navigator... 48:02 and he did a fantastic job 48:05 they got across 800 miles... 48:07 1,200 kilometers of the roughest seas in the world 48:10 to South Georgia... 48:11 an incredible voyage... 48:12 but they landed on the wrong side of the island 48:16 from the only settlement on the island. 48:18 So, Shackleton chose two men 48:25 to walk with him across the island. 48:28 No sleep for 36 hours... an incredible... 48:33 and again an incredible feat 48:35 and they reached the Whaling Station of Grytviken 48:43 and so, he arranged for help to be sent 48:46 and the first ship couldn't get through because of the ice, 48:53 two other missions failed as well, 48:57 and finally, in August 4, 1916, 49:01 four months after he had left Elephant Island, 49:06 they got through. 49:08 Now, can you imagine how he must have felt 49:11 as they approached Elephant Island. 49:14 Would the men that he had left behind be alive? 49:19 What state of health would they be in? 49:22 Well, the wonderful thing is, that they were all alive. 49:28 This is a picture of them actually saying goodbye 49:33 to Shackleton... 49:35 he actually gave them the promise that he would come back. 49:39 Pause... 49:40 And this is a picture of the rescue from Elephant Island. 49:47 He didn't lose a man. 49:51 They were all returned to safety. 49:55 An incredible rescue... 49:58 and various commentators have said 50:01 that if you're interested in Scientific exploration, 50:04 you went with Scott... 50:06 if you're interested in speed, you went with Amundsen, 50:11 but if you're interested in getting back alive, 50:14 you went with Shackleton 50:16 because in all of his missions, he never lost a person. 50:21 Pause... 50:23 Shackleton said to his men there on Elephant Island, 50:26 "I will come back... " 50:29 and he went through so much in order to keep that promise. 50:35 I know that's a very pale reflection 50:40 of what Jesus has done for us. 50:44 Pause... 50:47 Jesus also promised, "I will come again... " 50:51 and His promise is trustworthy, His promise is true... 50:57 why can we say that? 51:00 Well, He also said, 51:03 "The Son of Man did not come to be served 51:05 but to serve, 51:07 and to give his life as a ransom for many. " 51:10 And that's exactly what He did on the cross. 51:14 When He proclaimed, "It is finished... " 51:17 He finished what He started... 51:20 He did what He said He would do... 51:22 He died for mankind. 51:23 He gave His life as a ransom for many. 51:27 He also said, "I will rise again... " 51:31 and that's exactly what Jesus did. 51:35 On the Sunday morning, 51:38 when His followers went to the tomb, 51:41 the angel told them, "He's not here... He's risen!" 51:46 You and I serve a living Savior, a risen Savior. 51:51 Pause... 51:53 Jesus said... He would die for mankind and He did. 51:56 He said that He would rise again and He has 51:59 and so, we can have every confidence 52:03 that when He said, "I will come again... " 52:05 He will... 52:07 and he so desperately wants to come back 52:11 to take His followers home... 52:14 to end this dark world of sin and suffering, 52:17 and to usher in an eternity 52:20 free of pain and suffering and pain. 52:23 His word is trustworthy 52:27 and so, in the meantime, He calls upon us to watch 52:33 and to wait... 52:34 to work and to witness. 52:37 One person who did that was Lord Shaftesbury 52:41 regarded as one of the greatest Social Reformers 52:45 in British history 52:47 and what drove him in his ministry 52:51 of helping the poor and despised in society, 52:54 was his belief in the return of Jesus. 52:58 That was the driving force in his life 53:02 and one of his favorite verses was Revelation 22 and verse 20, 53:08 it's actually one of the verses on his tombstone. 53:10 "He which testifieth these things saith, 53:14 'Surely I come quickly. ' 53:16 Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. " 53:22 I pray that that would be the prayer of our hearts, 53:26 that that would be our deepest desire, 53:29 that that's what would move us in our everyday lives, 53:33 "Even so, come, Lord Jesus. " 53:37 Let us pray, 53:38 "Father, Who art in heaven, 53:41 we want to thank You for the tremendous hope 53:43 of the return of Your Son and our Savior Jesus. 53:46 We pray that you'd help us to respond in love and gratitude... 53:50 in service and action to what He's done 53:53 and what He's promised 53:54 and help us to live our lives in expectation 53:57 for that great day 53:58 is our prayer in Jesus' name, amen. " 54:02 Audience: Amen. |
Revised 2020-02-06