In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of the coming of Jesus and the signs that will precede it. He references the scripture in Matthew 24, where Jesus compares his coming to the days of Noah. The preacher emphasizes that just as people were going about their daily lives before the flood, unaware of the impending judgment, so will it be when Jesus returns. He warns the audience to be ready and vigilant, as the coming of the Son of Man will be unexpected and sudden.

This message is one of the Times Square Church Pulpit Series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing World Challenge, P.O. Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771, or calling 903-963-8626. None of these messages are copyrighted, and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends. Are you ready for the coming of Jesus? Are you ready for the coming of Jesus? Turn to Matthew 24, please. 24th chapter of Matthew. Starting to read at verse 37. Now, you're going to need your Bibles. Keep them on your laps. Open at Matthew 24, and we'll keep coming back to that through the course of the message this morning. Starting to read at verse 37. Now as, but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. There shall be two in the field, one shall be taken the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, one shall be taken the other left. Watch therefore, for you know not the hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good men of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore, be also ready, for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh, who then is faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily, I send you that he shall make him ruler of all his goods. But, and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Heavenly Father, there is something stirring in the hearts of your beloved, a cry that goes out, Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Lord, in this church we will preach of your coming. We will look for your coming. We will yearn for your coming, because we know it's about to happen. Lord, let this be a church in the middle of modern Babylon that has a cry in their heart, Come Lord Jesus. Let us be an expectant people. Let us be yearning and looking at all times. Lord, I pray for your unction anointing on the word that you planted in my heart. My God, that nobody leave this church today without a new appreciation, a new expectation of the coming of Jesus Christ at any moment. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. I got a letter from a sister in Louisiana this past week, and she said, Pastor Dave, last Sunday our pastor gave an opportunity for testimonies of what God had done this past week for the people. His own five-year-old son stood up and said, I had a dream last night. Jesus came to me and said, He's coming very soon. You see, the Spirit of God said He'd even speak through children to remind us of His glorious truths. The truth is this generation knows less about the coming of the Lord than any past generation. This generation is least expectant of the coming of the Lord. It is seldom preached in American pulpits. It's seldom preached anywhere on the face of the earth today that Jesus Christ is coming very soon. See, we've settled in a comfortable lifestyle. We are living in the most prosperous time in the history of the world, they tell us now. And in the history of America we are now enjoying, they tell us, the most prosperous, most blessed time in history. And the coming of the Lord would be very disruptive for many people of their good life. And it seems even Christians today are focused on the concept of just keep the good times rolling on. Very little thought about the coming of Jesus. I've heard Christians literally mock the message of the anytime return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Literally mock it. The new doctrine is that He is not coming for many thousands of years because He is giving us time to evangelize the world and bring Christ back as King and then He will come at that time. This is what is happening now. I see this apathy. When I was a young Christian, when I was a boy, my father was a preacher, my grandfather was a preacher, we had camp meetings. They had tents and they had some acreage and they'd put up the tent in the tabernacle and for two weeks, three times a day they had services. But almost every night there was a message on the coming of the Lord. We expected Him at any moment. There was an expectancy. I expected Jesus, all my growing up years, I expected Jesus to come at any moment. It was not a fear, but it was an expectancy, even when I was a child. Now a lot of times it was preached through fear, but that was not the real message. Peter said, In the last days mockers will come with their mockings, following after their own lust and saying, Where is the sign of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation. But the day of the Lord will come, Peter said, as a thief in the night, into which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. The earth also and the works therein shall be burned up. Let me tell you why Jesus has not come yet. Let me tell you why He's so patient. It's the same reason that He's not judged America yet. It's the same reason the stock market has not collapsed as yet, as I preach today. Because He is merciful. He is long-suffering. He's not willing that any should perish. I'm amazed at His patience with America. His long-suffering. My long-suffering ended long ago. My patience ended long ago. I can't understand with all of the moral landslide in America and all that's happening why Jesus hasn't come and why He hasn't slapped us for our bloodshed, for our militant homosexuality, with our godlessness, and with now the wild raping. My God, how could you endure this when I cry in my heart and yet the Lord says very clearly, the Lord is not slack concerning His promises, but He's long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that we should all come to repentance. We've been so grieved by the wickedness in our age. We've been so satiated in our minds with all the reports of evil, the things that are so incomprehensible, how a little 12-year-old boy can go in with no explanation, oh, and shoot his teacher. All the bloodshed in our schools and the insanity, absolute insanity, that we see all around us. We're satiated in our minds and we see all of these signs. There's something in our hearts that cries, oh God, when will there be justice? When will you bring them before the judgment seat? When will you deal with all the abortion doctors who just absolutely suck the life out of the womb with their machinery? When will you deal with this absolute godlessness? And there's something in the heart of the Christian of such grief and such crying out, when will you justify your holiness before this multitude? When will we see them kneel before the throne? When will we see them come to the judgment, oh God? But the Lord is saying, no, I don't care who it is. It can be an abortion doctor that has murdered 10,000 babies just like the Jewish doctor here in New York. God convicted him and now he's preaching against abortion. Listen, my friend, God is able to heal any manasseh who shed blood more than anyone in history. He is able to save to the uttermost and the Lord is praising now that we should not give up on anybody. We should not give up on anyone. We can hate their sin, but we never hate the homosexual, we never hate the murderer, we never hate the person. I need more amends than that. Right now he's not thinking of judgment, he's thinking of mercy. We're not to look upon the coming of the Lord as a day of vengeance only upon wicked sinners. The coming of the Lord, that's not the focus of the Christian, according to the Scripture. The Bible warns you and me that we have enough work on our hands to take care of ourselves. What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conduct and godliness? Beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you might be found in him in peace without spot and blameless. You and I can sit around and we can look for the signs of the time, we look at Israel for signs of the time, we look at the moral landslide and the signs of the time, we look at headlines and the signs of the time. The Lord says look in your own heart for the signs of the time. Be sure that you're diligent, be sure that you are keeping the word of God. Paul said, so then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Now you can be sure that God's going to judge the wicked. There's no question about that. The word of the Lord is true. He said the books are going to be open and every man shall be judged out of those things written in the book. And there's a payday coming. There's certainly a payday coming. And folks, you and I will not be there gloating when they come to the judgment and fall before his face. We'll be so rejoicing in our own eternal salvation and we will glorify him in his justice and his holiness. But God is saying to us, shall not God avenge his own elect which cry night and day unto him that we bear along with them? He said, I'll do that. I'm going to deal with that. But he said, nevertheless, when I come, will I find faith in the earth? Now that's an awful broad and frightening statement. The Lord himself says, will I find faith on the earth when I return, when I come? Here's the greatest concern the Lord has as far as I see it. When he comes, he's not going to be focused on avengement. He's going to be searching for a people who are walking in faith to expect him. Jesus is coming, the Bible says, for a people who look for his appearance. He's coming for a people who are preparing. They're getting their robes spotless through trust and faith and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. They're every day waking up saying, is this the day that the Lord comes? They're not focused on the things of the world. They're not wrapped up in the things of this world. There's a cry in their heart birthed by the Holy Spirit. If there's a cry in my heart, a hunger for the coming of the Lord, it's not just something I've learned from childhood. That could wear off. But what I have in my heart about the coming of the Lord is something that I hear every time I go to prayer now. Every time I seek his face, the Lord says, wean yourself from the things of the world. Don't let the things of this world take your heart. Look up and rejoice because your redemption is drawing nigh. And the closer we get to his coming, the more he's going to waken our spirits. The more he's going to prepare us in a wooing and drawing through the Holy Spirit. Though we don't know the very moment, the day and the hour. Jesus said of that day and hour, knoweth no man, nor not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Then Jesus said, but, but, you don't know the time. But he said, I'm going to describe to you certain manners of conduct in your society. And when you recognize these kinds of conduct, you'll know that it's right at the door. And he gave us a whole history. He talks about how he judged the world in the times of Noah when the vileness, the wickedness was so great, he could not endure it any further. In Matthew 24, if you have that in your lap, look with me at verse 38. Sorry, at verse 38. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving marriage until the day that Noah entered in the ark and knew not until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Now skip over to Luke, if you will, please. Luke, the 17th chapter. 17th chapter of Luke, starting at verse 28. Likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. In the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them. Even thus shall it be in the days when the Son of Man is revealed. Now look at me, please. I've not named one sin in all of this. There's not one sin mentioned. It's not a sin to marry. It's not a sin to eat and drink appropriate liquids. There's no sin in building, planting, getting engaged. I've not named one sin. And yet he says, as it was in the days of Noah, eating, drinking, married, given in marriage, days of Lot, buying, selling, planting, building. In fact, you and I are commissioned by the Lord to tarry until He comes. A man who doesn't provide for his own household is worse than an infidel. We're to prepare and save for your children. You're to build houses for your children and coverings and you're to provide. You can't do that unless you're building and planting and buying and selling. I intend right after this meeting to go out and eat and drink cranberry juice. I'm going to eat and drink. I've built, I've planted, I've sold. That is not what the Lord is trying to say. He's trying to show the ordinariness, the everyday happening. He said it's going to be on a just an ordinary day when nobody's expecting it. He says, for example, in Tokyo it'll be the middle of the night. Here in 14 hours later from Tokyo or so, or 15 hours, it's going to be daylight. He said some are going to be working at the mill, they're going to be sleeping on one side of the earth. It'll be another night. Everybody will say goodnight, see you in the morning. And in the day here in New York everybody will be rushing to their jobs. Ordinary day there'll be no warning, there'll be no trumpet sound. The Lord could have given us the date. He could have told us the time and the hour. But you know what would have happened. Everybody would have lived like the devil and said, well I'm about 75, I'll repent. Not knowing that they'd be so hard by then, they couldn't repent. Everybody would wait and say, there's no hurry. No folks, the Lord didn't give us time or date so there would be a holy motivation. A holy motivation, he said, to be ready at any moment. To be expected. He said, I'm coming as a thief in the night. As it was then, it was an ordinary day. The sun was shining, nobody thought about the stock market's going to give its report. They're going to be running around, screaming on the market floors. It's going to be an ordinary day. It may be raining, it may be shining, I don't know, but there will be no warning. Suddenly, the scripture says, he's coming as a thief in the night. So shall it be in the day when the son of man is revealed. You see, the scripture says, because sentence against the evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is fully set in them to do evil. You see, I've prophesied now for over 25, almost 30 years now, about what is coming to America. I've prophesied it in books and cried it everywhere until I said, Lord, I just don't feel like crying anymore because nobody wants to hear it. But you see, because the judgment doesn't come speedily, because it's not executed speedily, the hearts of men is set on doing evil. Oh brother, sister, it is coming, believe me, it is coming. Think of what's happening in our land today, a frenzy of buying, selling, eating, drinking, building, all of that, yes. But even among Christian warnings of judgment and proclamations of the coming of the Lord only reach the deaf ear. A Christian lady wrote to me, she was friends of an elderly Jewish woman. This elderly Jewish woman had evidently survived the Holocaust, and she said to this woman who wrote to me, she said, when I look at America today, I see exactly what happened just before we were railroaded to the concentration camps. She said, Hitler was making anti-Semitic remarks, and nobody paid any attention. They said it couldn't happen in Germany because we're a powerful educated society. It couldn't happen. But there were warnings. I mean, there were written warnings. There were dire warnings from pulpits all across Germany, newspapers. There were warnings, and nobody paid attention. And they were, this woman said, she remembers the parties that lasted up to the very night that Hitler made his proclamation against the Jews. Just 30 days before they were being railroaded into those cars headed for the gas chambers. And this woman said that the talk in the rail cars and the talk of the people as they were marching to the concentration camps, they said, I can't believe it. Just a few weeks ago, we were in our tuxedos, and we were in our cocktail dresses, and we were eating and drinking, and everything was fine. We were prosperous. And now, what happened? How could it have happened? So suddenly, she said, when I think of America, that's what I think about what it was like in Germany at that time, when people had been warned and warned, and they danced the nights away, ate and were drunken, not believing a word of it, saying the prosperity and the good times will last forever. But now, folks, the cry I believe is going to be heard more and more in the true church of Jesus Christ. The Lord is coming. Jesus is coming. Get ready. Get prepared. He's telling us that just like in Noah's time and Lot's time, they're going to ignore the call. He said, if you want to see the sign, oh, you look around, see how my message is being ignored. Just look at the stupor and the hearts and the minds and the blindness of the people. You want a sign? That's your sign. Just as in Noah, and just as then, it was that premeditated turning off of the message of Noah. The premeditated turning off of the testimony of Lot, the righteous man in the midst of that city. And the premeditated warning of angels, just before the moment came. And now we have that premeditated rejection. Folks, I know in my heart that the majority of Christians today that have turned off this message at one time had it burning in their heart that Jesus was coming. And they have turned it off. Absolutely turned it off. As somebody that's sitting in this church this morning, you have totally turned off this idea of his coming. You bought into a doctrine that it's thousands of years away. Jesus spoke of a great and sudden disappearance of people from the earth. Go back to Luke 17 for just a moment. Luke 17 chapter and let's start at verse 34. 17 chapter starting at verse 34. I tell you in that night there'll be two men in a bed one taken, the other left. Two women shall be grinding together, one shall be taken, the other left. Two men shall be in the field, the one taken, the other left. And they answered and said, Where, Lord? In other words, where are they going? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is tethered with eagles be gathered together. Now, folks, look at me, please. There are a number of theologians that interpret this that those who are taken are taken to judgment. They're the sinners, the wicked, being taken to judgment. The others remain on this earth to bring forth the kingdom. I disagree completely. I disagree. Where are they taken, the disciples asked. He said, Wheresoever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Christ is the head, we are his body. We're going to be gathered together, be united with the head. The Bible says, They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles. Where the eagles are gathered together. The Lord said to Israel, I bore you on eagle wings. In other words, I carried you. And he's going to carry us on eagle wings. The scripture says He shall send his angels. He shall gather together his elect. He shall gather together. Where shall they be gathered? They shall be gathered together from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians. I want to nail it down so there's no question about it in your mind from now on. 1 Thessalonians. Anybody tries to shake you from this truth? 1 Thessalonians starting at verse 34 chapter chapter 4 1 Thessalonians verses 16 and 18 16 and 17 through 18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with voice of the archangel and from the trump of God. Doesn't that excite you? And the dead in Christ arise first. Then we which are alive and remain What? Who are taken? Who are caught up? The righteous. We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Glory be to God. Folks, we're leaving town. We're leaving town. He said everything the scripture says about that hour is going to happen. We shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpets of sound. The dead should be raised incorruptible and we shall all be changed. Folks, this body that I have is going to go into the ground or Jesus will come and take it away but the body that's coming up out is a new body. The body has been resurrected when Jesus comes. I don't know how it happens but in a moment of time I get a new body. Not the corruptible body but a new body. A new body. Now some of you really No, I'm not going to say that. I need a new body. I'm going to ask you again. Are you really ready for the coming of the Lord? Are you sure you're fully prepared for that moment that he comes suddenly? Now most of you say absolutely Pastor Dave. I know I'm sprinkled with the blood. I know I'm redeemed. I'm walking in faith. I love the Lord. I'm not living in sin. I'm trusting the covenant promises of God. Yes, I am ready. Now I say the same thing. Yes, I am ready. I'm ready to go. Jesus come quickly. But then I read some of you folks No way would I ever try to make you doubt you're being prepared for the coming of the Lord. We're to live in faith. But there's some things here that we need to look at very seriously. The Lord makes very, very clear to us. Matthew 24 again. I hope you're there in Matthew 24. Therefore be ye ready. But then he says but know this but know this I'm looking for this scripture where it says verse 43 verse 42 but watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come but know this Now folks look at me please. When the Lord says but know this he's emphasizing it. He's saying I want you ready but here's something you've got to know. Here's something you have to deal with. Here's some truth I'm going to give you. Here's some things that I'm telling you. What has to happen if you're ready. If you're going to be prepared my way you've got to know this. But know this. And I came up against that this past week. And I couldn't shake it off but know this. Know this. David you say you're ready but there's some things I want you to know. You've got to know. Look at it. You've read it a thousand times and you've skipped over it but look at it. And I want you to consider it with me very very cautiously now. Jesus comes forth with a description now of those who are truly prepared with this awful warning. Verse 45 Verse 44. There be also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing. We find here a ruler of a household. Now look at me please. That ruler of the household. When we talk about this. Paul talked about the household of faith. He was first talking to pastors who are rulers as scripture said over the household of faith. That's pastors who have a congregation. So those to whom we preach. He's made us rulers. He said obey those who have the rule over you and I'll show you further on that that we're to honor those who have the rule over us. He said I'm a pastor. I'm a ruler over a household of God under his authority. As a parent you are a ruler over your household. Every father in this house. You have been mandated by God to be a ruler of your household. Every single mother. There's no father in your house. You have been appointed. You have been made ruler of your house. There's no one else. It's you. This is the end of side one. You may now turn the tape. The children. You're responsible. And the Lord's talking about his coming now. And he said I'm going to bless those rulers. Those parents. Those mothers. Those fathers. Who give their children meat in due season. Meat is the word of God. It is the Holy Bible. It is the truth. The due season is before they get hardened. In the right time. When it's still effective. When they're still tender. The Lord said and I'll tell you the Lord is so concerned about this that he said if you'll do this I'll make you ruler of all my goods. Now folks when God says I'm going to make you ruler over all my goods. All the wealth the Father's given me. I'm going to make you ruler over all of that. He's saying that to parents. Then you better believe that he's trying to say something awful powerful to us. If you will not give in to the spirit of this age you will not let your kids intimidate you. We are letting our kids rule the household. Unlimited access to the internet. Don't ever trust anybody under 16. Oh I trust my kids. God help you. God help you. We are letting our kids. I don't want to lose my kids. I have more parents. I can't judge my boy and my girl because they'll just yell and scream at me. I'm afraid to leave house and they'll leave home and I'll lose them. Better they leave house. You stand on the word and God said I'll honor you. You let your teenage boy run around with a half naked hussy. Wears nothing but outer clothes. You let your boy you let your girl go with boys if you haven't even interviewed. I've been so sick in my heart from hearing from people from all over the United States in their pitiful letters. The kids are 16 years old. I got my grandson's yearbook. He's 15. And I looked at the signatures at the end. 15 year old girl's writing in my grandson's yearbook. I hope your summer's filled with sex and drugs and alcohol. And all sexual innuendos filled. And a note from a little girl. I want to sleep with you. 15 years old. And I said where are the parents? Folks, when you allow your children to bring in dirty movies, you're poisoning their meat. You're serving poisoned meat. You're poisoning, killing your kids. God help that your kids should go to hell under your watch. That they should miss the coming of the Lord because of our own compromise. Lord said I made you ruler of your house. Let them scream. If necessary, let them leave. But in love and patience and kindness abide by the living word of God. Let this book cover your home. My daughters will tell you when one was 18 years old and wouldn't obey what the Lord had laid down and I had given it to them lovingly and kindly and sat down and prayed with them and showed them from the scripture. And when one of my daughters said well I'm going to just steal the car and run away. I said do it and I'll have the cops on you in 3 hours. And she knew I meant it. And my daughter now will hug me and she says dad I thank you for that. And everything you went through I have to go through it now with my kids too. They knew I meant it because they were being governed by this book. And hopefully that's the reason they're serving God today. Now I'm working on my grandkids. That's right. I look at them now and say if you tell me you respect me as a man of God then you go listen to me and we sit down for hours and talk. Straight talk. Like taking out that yearbook and say grandson you tell me what that's all about. Tell me now. Because you know I pray for you every day and I'm not going to let the devil have you. This has to do with pastors and shepherds too. Rulers over the household of God. In due season. Before they get caught up in the false doctrines. If I Pastor Carter and all these pastors that are here on this platform. My son is here. Listen if we are not shut in with God. If we are not setting the example. The scripture says obey them that have the rule over you. Submit yourselves for they watch for your souls. And they must give an account that they may do it with joy and not grief. For that's unprofitable to you. So pray for us. And he says remember them that have a rule over you. Who has spoken unto you the word of God. Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation. He said look at their lives. See if they're living what they preach. And see if they are giving you the pure gospel. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since we've been in this church. Now over 13 years. I don't know of a time that I've stood in this pulpit. Without bringing to this congregation a word from the throne of God. Having sought his face. And having dealt with it here. Folks I have not arrived over the past 13 years. God has tested and tried me more than any time in my life. But I know one thing when we come to this pulpit. I have to give an account. And I know that I have to give an account of what I preached this morning. I have to give an account. And the Lord has made a promise that when he returns he's going to gather every faithful shepherd that have been on their face before God. They may not have lived perfect lives and they've fought battles and they've won battles. And they're still warring against the enemy and the spiritual warfare. But their hearts are set on God. They've hated their sins and they've turned from their iniquities. And they stand before you under the covenant promises of God. And the scripture says when he comes he's going to gather those shepherds together. And he's going to make them ruler over all that he has. I don't know what that means. I'd be so excited just being near him and hugging him. Let him do with me what he pleases. But there's something there that I don't understand. It's beyond my comprehension. But he's saying to pastors stick to the word. You don't need all of the foolishness that's going on today. Stick to the word. The living God. It gets even more serious. We come to a passage of scripture that's really convicting me. But know this. Verse 48. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delays his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants to eat and drink with the drunken. Now listen folks. Luke Luke makes it very clear in the 17th chapter that this is the same servant. Same servant. Who started out right. Who knew in his heart the Lord was coming at any moment. This was the one who was giving meat in due season. But something happened. It was just a change in his doctrine. It was just a change. One doctrinal truth changed. He said in his heart the Lord has delayed his coming. He didn't preach it. He didn't go out in the street. It was a thought. It was a mindset. Something happened. He's not coming in my time. He said in his heart this faithful servant was infected with a doctrinal change. He had a change of thinking whereas he was being prepared. He expected his master at any time. He was motivated to do what was right before his master. And now he is smiting his fellow man. Smiting there in Greek is repeated blows. That doesn't mean with a fist. No, he can smite his wife at the slightest provocation with a divorce charge. He can go to work now and he can curse. He can listen to dirty stories. He can smite on the left to lies and try to climb over other people. He can smite anybody living a godly life because of because he remembers what he was. He can gossip about preachers. He can gossip about everybody. He can live as he pleases because his Lord is not coming. My Lord, he said, isn't coming. It wasn't the Lord he had before. This is a new Lord, a new Christ with a new gospel. Forgive me for getting loud, but I am feeling this so strong in my heart. This is sweeping the country and the world now. A doctrine that he's not coming in my time and it's created looseness in the church. No wonder we have such foolishness in the house of God. Such damnable stuff coming into God's house because people can live like the devil and say, I'm going to heaven because they don't believe Jesus is coming. If you believe Jesus is coming tonight, you wouldn't live like you live now, nor would I. Just a thought. I can go to churches today that wouldn't invite me, but should I sneak into one of these churches and stand in a pulpit and just stand as a prophet and preach Jesus is coming? I've done that a few times in my life. I get up, everybody smile politely, ushers would take me out, and everybody would condescend and say, oh no, no, not in my time, he's not coming. Do you think Christians would be divorcing at the slightest provocation? Do you believe that there would be such wild drinking parties in the house of God? Would you believe now that even in the assemblies of God now and some sections of Canada and even parts of the United States now are asking Sunday night service to be turned into dances? Regular ballroom dancing to attract people. Would they be dancing the night away if they knew Jesus was coming? If they really believed he was coming? They drank with the drunken. What's this drunkenness mean? That's not talking about alcohol. There's all kinds of drunkenness in the Bible. Drunk with his fury, drunk with blood, drunk with his spirit, drunk with but not with wine, drunken with wormwood. You see, the alcohol today, the sedative is prosperity. Prosperity. He said what's going to happen the moment you lose this awareness of his coming? Once you allow that thought to dip your heart, you're going to start smiting. In other words, your life is going out of control because there's no moral compass. There's no moral motivation whatsoever and your life is going to spin out of control. Anything goes. Anything goes. I meet Christians like that. Anything goes. They come to God's house here in Times Square Church and they hear what they call narrow preaching. They call on all kinds of things and they just sit there and smile. Poor deluded people, they don't have freedom now. They call it freedom, the new freedom, the new charismatic freedom. No, no, no, folks. It's the very thing Jesus warned about. You're going to start smiting. You will not deal with any jealousies. You will not deal with covetousness, envy. You will not deal with any of these things. Oh, you might still hate murder and drugs and alcohol perhaps, but you're not going to have any control over these because you won't want control. You don't need control because you have it in your mind just before it all ends. If I see the signs of the time and get just pretty sure that it might happen, then I'll make it right. Then he said eating with the drunken. Folks, this is what God this is what when the Lord says, now hear this, now know this. He said, if you won't believe that I'm coming, if you don't prepare, you don't have this ever before you. Folks, I hear people say, well, I can't serve God with fear. I'll tell you I fear missing the coming of the Lord. There's a godly fear in my heart. I don't want to be left behind. But most of all, it's a thrill and it's a joy to know and be with Him face to face. But this idea, the Lord says, you're going to start drinking with the drunken. This prosperity is going to get a hold of your heart. You're going to be so wrapped up making money. You're so wrapped up in the stock market. You're going to be so wrapped up in possessions. Now, folks, I'm not trying to put you on a conviction if you're about to buy a new house. You're about to buy a new car. God's not interested in your car. He doesn't care what you drive. If you're paying your tithes and you're giving to God and faithfully giving to the poor and the needy, God's not going to judge you. Now, I'm not trying to judge you or put you under any guilt trip. God forbid. But if your possessions are weighing hold of you and you sit in the house of God like today, right in the message of the coming of the Lord and you're thinking about that car, that furniture, that house, and all the things and it's got hold of you, consumes you, and pushes out, any thought of the coming Lord Jesus Christ. He said, be careful. You wind up drinking with the drunk and you'll get drunken with furniture, drunken with the things of this life, building a bank account and all of these things that are going to grab your heart. And then you don't want Jesus to come because you're so wrapped up, you're so busy doing these things to get security. Everybody's looking for security. Everybody. You know, on college campuses, they say almost the majority of those who are graduating want to retire by the time they're 50. They want to be millionaires by the age of 35. What kind of mindset is that that swept the whole nation? Well, folks, in the middle of all that, the Scripture says Jesus is going to come. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which some coveted after. They've erred from the faith. They pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Keep thou this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the tearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Are you ready? Not until you love his appearance, the Bible says. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give unto me at that day, but not only to me all only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. God Paul said, I've got a crown waiting for me because I love his appearing. I'm ready. And he said, not only for me, but for every one of you who love his appearing. Hallelujah. Be patient now. Establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord. Draweth nigh, James 5, 8. None of them that look for him shall appear the second time without sin. I want to close by a Titus. Go to Titus the second chapter. With this, I close second chapter of Titus. Will you stand? I want those who have the King James to read with me from chapter from verse 11 to verse 14 and verse 15. Are you ready? Read it right out loud in the annex and where are you at in the house for the grace of God that bring us salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority that no man despise thee. Folks, I'm looking for his appearing. I'm loving his appearing. The anticipation and the looking forward is hard in this world, but not of it. Now, believe it or love it. I preached on the coming without trying to work on your emotions. People get scared into religion, get scared off the moment the scare is gone. It doesn't last. I've never believed that you can scare people into the kingdom of God. There is a genuine fear of the Lord, but I've just given you his precious word. I'm asking you as parents, you've given your children meat in due season. Are you giving them the word? Don't expect them to get all the word they need here from this church or any church. You study this, you read it, and you govern your house by this word. That's what he said is necessary. And you young couples get married or anticipating children, set it in your mind now. The Lord's trying to speak to you. I think you and your host are going to be ready for the coming of the Lord. Be sure you're giving meat in time. Make sure the word of the Lord is coming forth in your home. Be sure you're not eating and drinking with the drunken. Not in this age of prosperity. Heavenly Father, I can't make anyone in this congregation look up or rejoice. I can't make anybody yearn for your coming. Holy Spirit, that's your work. Lord Jesus, I preach your word and I'm asking you to honor it. Honor your word. There are people listening to me now that are not ready. They are not ready for your coming. And Jesus, you said, I'm coming in an hour that you think not. He said, I can come at any moment. Lord, there's nothing hinders your coming at this moment. Nothing hinders the twinkling of an eye. We shall all be changed. Hallelujah. Oh, Jesus, even so, come quickly. We long for that day. We yearn for it. Lord, I pray for those Christians who once had that joy. They had that anticipation that now, Lord, it's almost like a dead theology. It's just like a dead doctrine. They can hardly conceive it anymore. God, awaken our hearts. He said, wake up. Wake up. I'm coming. Prepare. Get ready. Hallelujah. For the night is far spent and the day is at hand. If you're here this morning, you say, Pastor David, I have to say before a holy God, I am not ready for His coming. It could be that you have never yielded your heart to Christ fully. And some of you have really turned your back on the Lord. You've really turned your back on the Lord. I don't care what kind of doctrine you hide behind. It's impossible according to the word of God for you to live in sin. To live in sin. Knowing it's sin. Comfortable with your sin. And be saved. Don't believe that. Don't believe it at all. I do believe that He gives you the power of your sin if you ask Him for it. And I believe that in your struggle, He's patient with you. Yes, He is. And I'm not one of those who believes that every time you sin, you lose your religion. You lose your salvation. No. Not at all. I'm talking about those who have set their course in sin. They have rejected the Holy Spirit's conviction. They said, I'll live my life my way. Can't do that and be saved. And those who say, Pastor Dave, I don't have that awareness. I did. I'm only speaking to those who did have that awareness. But somewhere along your busy life that has just slipped away. And you say, Holy Spirit, I want you to quicken this truth to my heart. Please don't come unless the Spirit moves you. If the Spirit moves your heart, I want you to come to the front. Up in the balcony, come down the stairs. And come down to any aisle here on the main floor. Just step out of your seat and come and move in close here and I'll pray for you. And we'll ask the Holy Spirit to do work for you here at this altar. Especially those I feel so strong that there are people here now that you were so on fire but something's happened to you. There's a coldness in you. There's a lukewarmness in you. Any time that you should not be lukewarm, you are lukewarm at such a late date. God help you. God convict you. Holy Spirit move upon you. And in the annex, just go forward not to the screen but between the screens and I'll pray for you then and the pastor will be there to give you instructions. Heavenly Father draw those who need to be drawn. Convict those who need to be convicted. Encourage those who need to be encouraged. Lord Jesus I pray for everyone in this building now. No one to leave without the assurance. I am prepared. My robe is not bespotted with the things of this world or the spirit of this age. Lord Jesus, I come. Wherever you sit up in the balcony there are steps on each side. You come down in the aisle as they sing. Do you hear the words of that song? Softly, tenderly. He calls you tenderly. He's a tender Christ. He's a tender Savior. He knows what your battle is. He knows what you're going through. If you just come to Him and lay open your heart. Just lay open your heart with me now. I want you to just look up to Him now and pray this prayer with me now. Jesus, I need you. I know you're not mad at me. I know you love me. You said you're patient because you're not willing that any perish. You don't want me to perish. You don't want me to be lost. Thank you Jesus for loving me. Now Jesus, forgive me. Cleanse me. Purge my heart of anything that's not like you. I trust you Jesus. I'm coming home. I'm coming to your heart. Jesus, you're still good to me. And you love me. And I thank you for that. Now give me power to live for Christ. Holy Spirit, possess me. Take full control. Now let me pray for you. Heavenly Father, it doesn't take long. It's not an involved process to begin to serve you. Lord, you said if you come to me, I'll in no way cast you out. No way would I ever cast you out. I receive you back. Restore you. And give back to you all that the canker worm has eaten. I'll restore it to you. Now Lord Jesus, I ask you to restore hearts and minds here today. Lord, I don't know who these people are that have come forward in the annex and here in the main auditorium. But Lord Jesus, you see every one of them. You know their minds and the hearts and their lives. Oh Holy Spirit, let this be a day they can mark on the calendar. That was the day. This was the day I surrendered all to Jesus. I came not because I was afraid. I came because the Holy Spirit drew me. Christ and His love put His arms around me and brought me to Himself. Would you just in your own words thank Him right now? Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness to me. Thank you Jesus for forgiving me and cleansing me. Thank you Jesus for your goodness to my heart and my life. Hallelujah. Now Lord, keep those that you have drawn. He said that you would keep us from falling. Now unto Him was able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the throne of His glory with exceeding great joy. We commit all of these lives into your hands, into your keeping. In Jesus name. Amen. We may where you're at for just a moment. Now if you're visiting here Times Square Church today for the first time in the annex, if you'll go to room 204, room 204 and here in the auditorium in the balcony you go to exit 8 and 9 downstairs here at the ancillary building. We have a free book for you, one of my books and a free tape, preaching tape and some refreshments and some New Yorkers. Just answer your questions and you'll meet people from all over the world. Immediately after this service, immediately after we dismiss exits 8 and 9 here in the auditorium and room 204 in the annex, our people are there waiting for you right now. Please take one of these preaching tapes. There's no charge. There's no sales pitch. We just love you, want to welcome you to New York City and to Times Square Church. Let's rejoice in the Lord. I want you to turn around, shake hands with as many as you possibly can. Say God love you, God bless you, good to see you. The Lord is good. This is the conclusion of the message.