Hans R. Waldvogel emphasizes the significance of the three appearances of Jesus Christ: His first appearance to take away sin through His sacrifice, His ongoing presence as our High Priest in heaven, and His promised return for those who look for Him. He stresses the necessity of true repentance and the transformative power of accepting Jesus as Savior, which leads to a life of holiness and righteousness. Waldvogel warns against complacency in faith, urging believers to remain vigilant and committed to their salvation, as the reality of judgment awaits all. He concludes with the hope of Christ's return, encouraging the congregation to comfort one another with the promise of eternal life.

You know, the secret of successful advertising is repetition. And so, I might be repeating something here when I talk about three appearances of Jesus Christ. Here we have it. It was necessary that the pattern of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the truth, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others, for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this to judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Here we have a wonderful savior who, when he begins a good work, is going to finish it. Thank God. If you can say tonight that he has begun a good work in me, then you may have this great confidence. And the Bible says if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end. People say once saved always saved. Listen brother and sister, if you're once saved, you better stay saved. You can, thank God, and the only way to stay saved is to, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so to walk in him. But thank what a wonderful savior God almighty has provided for me. I always say I was converted twice, once to the church, the Baptist church, and I meant it. I did the best I knew how. I did what I was taught. But then the time came when I was converted to the shepherd and bishop of my soul, and everything changed. Thank God. When Jesus Christ really united me to himself, and I became one with him, then I first found out what salvation really meant. First of all, he required from me deep holy ghost repentance. I used to be scared of that word repentance. Maybe you are, but now it's shown like a star of the first magnitude. Repentance means he's throwing out the lifeline, and you grab it, and he'll pull you out of the water where you're drowning, and set your feet upon the solid rock, and establish your goings. Thank God he saw me plunged in deep distress. I was a minister son, but I was stuck in the mud just the same. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, Jesus says, and is enmity against God. And I was taught to the tune of Hickory Stick to be a good boy, but mine was a lonesome job, for one thing, and it was difficult. But thank God, when I found out that God had provided for me a savior, who not only saved me from hell, but saved me from sin. Oh, thank God, I said, my Lord, you knew just the kind of a savior I had to have. I need it. Thank God in here, he tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, to judgment. And scientists are trying to lengthen this life on earth. Did you notice what they're trying to do? When you get old, they're going to freeze you, and keep you in the freezer for a thousand years, and then after a while, thaw you out, and you'll still be the old fool. Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh, and is enmity against God. My goodness, that's as far as science gets you. That's why the Bible says it's science falsely so-called. They're not able to do the very thing that humanity needs, but God has provided for us a savior, who appeared in these last days to do for us the only thing that is necessary, thank God, to take away our sin. And if it were only death, and were the punishment of sin, it wouldn't be so bad. But after this, the judgment, and we know the Bible tells us what that judgment consists of. Jesus Christ lifts the veil of eternity, and he shows us, he tells us a parable, or rather a story of two men. One a rich man, a good man, a church member, undoubtedly an elder, or a deacon in the church. His name engraved in gold on the walls of that church, because he was a rich man. And when the collection basket came around, plunk, plunk, he put a lot of money in there. And yet the Bible says that his doorsteps, there was a poor beggar named Lazarus, and he was so poor, and nobody cared about him. And the rich man didn't care about him either, but God cared about him. A poor man, but rich in faith. Praise God, he had opened his heart, and received salvation in his heart, and both of these men died. And then everything changed. Lazarus, the poor man, was carried of the angels into heaven, into the bosom of Abraham. And oh, what a change had come over that poor beggar. Now no more a beggar, it is sown in weakness, and raised in power. It is sown a natural body, and raised a spiritual body. It is sown in corruption, and raised in incorruption. Thank God. And all that because Jesus Christ appeared in these last days to take away the sin of many, he says here, of all those that come unto him. And that's why the call of the gospel goes out. God commanding all men everywhere to repent, because he has provided a savior that says, no man has a right to live in sin. You have no right to continue in sin. If you do, you choose sin instead of Jesus Christ. You love sin instead of righteousness. You crucify the Son of God afresh. Oh, and I found out I didn't have to be a sinner any longer. I didn't have to follow the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Even though I was a young man that was tempted in all points, like other young men were tempted. I found out that Jesus Christ had power, not only to forgive my sins, but to cleanse me from all unrighteousness, to break these chains that bind men and women today. It's a strange thing. Men will confess it. The thing that bothers me is the way men plunge into hell, into the grasp of the devil. I used to think it was bad enough when men were addicted to tobacco, but today women are worse. How is it? Why is it? What is it? It isn't because tobacco tastes good. There's nobody that loves the first smoke. It's because the devil beckons to them, and they haven't got the fear of God in their hearts, or else they would. Oh, I found out that Jesus Christ is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you spotless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. I was among boys, and they said, oh, here comes a Sunday school boy. We'll soon make him like the rest of us. And you know, it wasn't long before they were afraid of me. They got out of my way. They said, when we come near you, we hear a sermon or a song. Well, that was my business to shine. God says, shine as sons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. And that happens when you really repent, and you accept Jesus Christ as the king and master of your life. That's salvation. But the rich man died also, and he found himself in hell. Now, the Lord doesn't tell us the process by which he went to hell. He doesn't tell us how many flower pieces there were in the funeral parlor when that rich man was laid out, and everybody came and how what a good man he was. And all the flowers filled the place naturally. He had been a rich man. He was able to do things for people, and yet his soul was baking in hell. Beloved, don't be mistaken about it. The reason people say they've written. One woman wrote me a letter in Wuppertal. She says, you talk about hell. I've quit believing in hell for a long time. Why? Because she doesn't believe in the Savior. Beloved, when you discover what sin has done to you, you'll also discover what sin cost my Savior. How that God spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. Oh my Lord and my God, there was no way of salvation. Jesus says, no man cometh unto the Father. In other words, no man can be saved but by me. And when he talked to those disciples on the way to Emmaus, they said, ought not Christ to have suffered these things? He had to suffer these things. He had to. Not only though he was God, Philippians 2 tells us, though he was God, yet he humbled himself and became obedient unto death. My Lord Jesus, my Lord Jesus, who can understand such a mystery that you had to appear in his last time for Lazarus's and for the Waldvogels, thank God, and all sinners, thank God. But he did, thank God. He humbled himself and he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross and more than that. God was in Christ and he was made sin for us. That's why I say, nobody needs to sin and nobody has a right to sin. And maybe you say, well I never set fire to anybody's house and I never killed anybody. But beloved, we're all sin from top to bottom. The Bible says there's not a sound spot in us from the top of our heads to the sole of our feet. And when you recognize that, then you recognize the necessity of a savior like Jesus Christ. Then you'll realize that no religion can save you. No church can save you. But Jesus Christ alone, thank God, and God spared not his own son but gave him that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I'm going to stop a moment. I'm going to ask Jesus Christ to reveal himself to our hearts. Dear Lord Jesus, because you loved us with such an everlasting love, we pray that at this moment thou will stretch forth thy nail-pierced hand and thou will lift some soul out of the mighty clay and thou will let thy living word create that look of life and that look of faith and make them to see the crucified Lamb of God. Because it is appointed unto man once to die and that rich man didn't know why he was in torment. But he saw Lazarus. He saw Abraham. He called him father Abraham. That proves to me there was a good church member. Called him father. He called for a drop of water and when that was denied him, then he began to pray for his brothers. He says they're just like I. They're on the way to this horrible place and they don't know it. And when I think of that, I always ask the people. I've spoken at funerals. Is someone in hell praying for you? Why this rich man? He had kept them out of the kingdom of God and now realizing what he had done. Maybe somebody has kept you from going through with God. Maybe there was a time when you were ready to repent and ready to give your heart to God and the world and the flesh of the devil came in and tempted you away from the lovership of Jesus Christ. Tempted you back into the world how many have started out following Jesus and because iniquity abounded, their love is waxed cold and today they're hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. What a dreadful thing. And maybe someone, some relative, some friend of yours, some love affair, some business affair, pleasure, all these things, room and time for earthly pleasure, but for Christ to crucify not a spot where he can enter in the heart for which he died. Somebody praying for you down in hell and asking God. God and here is the answer of heaven. They've got the Bible. Let them pay attention to the gospel. Let them look into this wonderful book. Let them hear and heed the invitation of God to repent and to be cleansed from their unrighteousness and to be saved. And if they don't pay attention to that, the rich man said, if someone rose from the dead, if some ghost came around after midnight and with a hollow voice call them to repentance, they would repent and God says, no, they wouldn't. No, beloved, if they don't heed the call of God and the voice of God that comes to us in this marvelous book, they won't repent even though one rose from the dead. We saw that in Germany when we first began to evangelize cities in Germany, people came by the hundreds to surrender to God. During the first three weeks, a number of people had to be pulled out of the river that flowed right alongside the tent because they wanted to commit suicide. They were despairing. All of Germany was in great despair and at that time the hearts were open to God. But if you go to Germany today and you find the cities built up modern style and people making a lot of money, you can preach all you want. Their hearts have been hardened against the fear of God and they they drag each other into sin. And I'm so thankful for the Bible that doesn't fool us at all. Jesus Christ doesn't fool us. He tells us what that judgment is like. And here they've got the Bible. But thank God he appeared to take away sin. It is a great fact and whosoever will may come and though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Beloved, that's the work of the blood of Jesus Christ. Not to cover you with a hypocritical religion, but to dig deep into your soul. Thank God to make repentance effective, to deliver you from iniquity, from sin, from every defilement wherewith thy soul has been defiled. Oh Jesus, I love you. Though I've often been unworthy, he has constant been and true. Though I've sinned, yet he forgave me when I would my vows renew. Oh, I love him. And then he talks about appearing for us in heaven and that's what he's doing right now. That's why we feel his presence. Oh, he's got a mighty arm. He is the lamb of God in the midst of the throne and from him come forth the seven spirits of God into all the earth and wherever you are, you can touch him. You can touch the hem of his garment because he, hallelujah, didn't stay on the cross, but God raised him from the dead and he has raised us up together with him to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. How many times we've been seated in heavenly places in this meeting? If you've been at all in touch with Jesus Christ, you're in touch with him now because now he appears in the presence of God for us. And why did he have to enter into the holiest of all? That he might be a faithful and a merciful high priest in things pertaining to God and that he might be able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. Not on the cross alone where he shed his blood, but now where he's sending forth the power of the Holy Ghost. Moment by moment I'm kept in his love. Moment by moment I'm life from above and oh how I need a savior like that who appears now in the presence of God for me. You remember after his resurrection he said to Mary, don't hang on to me. I'm going to my father and your father, to my God and your God and verily whatsoever he shall ask the father in my name that will I do. Thank God and the glory which thou has given me he says I've given to them. Beloved how we need a resurrected ascended savior. How we need that constant contact with heaven. Our conversation is in heaven it tells us. That's where we live. That's where we can live. That's where we must live. Thank God Jesus Christ has made it possible for you and for me not only to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, but to walk in newness of life. Glory to God. To walk in the spirit. To walk even as he walked because Jesus Christ never forgets, never forsakes. Thank God. Always within us. Thank God and always he is the mediator between God and man. He lays his right hand upon the father and his other hand upon you and unites God and you. Thank God. And now he tells us that we're looking for the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change this vile body. Oh thank God he's purchased us not with silver nor gold, but with his own precious blood. Do you know that he's purchased your body? We heard about it this morning. This is your reasonable service that you present your bodies. I was so thankful when as a young man I recognized that Jesus Christ purchased my body. I belong to him. That solved all my questions about courtship, about marriage, about earthly things. Just solved it forever. I used to love to sing that song, I belong to the king. I'm a child of his love. I shall dwell in his palace so fair and it tells of its bliss in yon heaven above where his children in splendor shall share. I belong to the king and his promise is true that we all shall be gathered at last in his brightness above by life's water so pure. Beloved that's real. Your spirit, soul and body under his control. Glory to God. The Bible makes that very clear. Tells us that God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and gave him head over all things to the church. Which is his body the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Beloved we need Hebrews and we need Jesus and because we need Jesus God spared not his own son and he says as many as received him. Oh that's what it means to receive him. Not just as the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world but as a Christ who baptizes with the Holy Ghost and who comes to dwell within me and to make me perfect in every good work to do his will. Working in me that which is well pleasing in his sight. And as I look at these teenagers up there. Do you know you teenagers it's as easy for you to be holy as it is for an old man like Peter or Paul. And it's as deeply requested of all of us to be sanctified and meet for the master's use. And how is that done? Why it's done by the Holy Ghost. It's done by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God who created all these things. Now come on believe in me. I'm dwelling within you. I'm in your hearts and as you believe in me I will make you perfect. I will work in you that which is well pleasing in my sight. Oh dear Lord Jesus Christ can you help us all tonight? Can you lift us all into a holier fellowship with yourself? And then that wonderful union with the son of God creates a great cry. Even so come Lord Jesus. Makes you heavenly minded. Oh dear Lord we need that. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The Bible talks about the carnal mind which is enmity against God. You see that ruling the whole world. That's why we have wars and revolutions. That's why we have all this filth flooding the world today. And all this unbelief being spewed out of our schools of learning. That's where it comes from. The carnal mind is being educated. And now God says that we have the mind of Christ. We're transformed by the renewing of our mind. Jesus Christ coming and sanctifying and giving you a heavenly mind. Oh how different it is when you become interested in holiness and righteousness and purity. Glory to God. Beloved Jesus does all that. That's why the Bible says unto them that look for him. And that's the thing we need to do today. To look for him. To long for him. Because he's coming. But he's coming to those that look for him. That are on the lookout for him. And he says there's a thief in the night. He doesn't come with the blaring of trumpets. But he comes silently. Quietly. Sometimes me thinks I hear his footsteps. Stealing down the path of time. And the future dark with shadows. Glows with a light sublime. Long we've waited blessed redeemer. Waited for that first bright ray. And it seems to me we can see it tonight. Has he come to you? Has he knocked at your heart? Has he offered himself to you? Has your heart become hungry for him? Longing for your heavenly right room? That's why we need this savior who appears three times. First of all to take away sin. Thank God he did that. And number two. Now to pour out his holy spirit and take control of my old being. And number three. And that's the most wonderful. Beloved this we say unto you by the word of the lord. That we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the lord. Shall not get ahead of those that are fallen asleep. For the lord himself. I like that. Jesus himself shall descend from heaven. With a shout. With the voice of the archangel. With the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Your sainted father and mother. The saints that have gone from this assembly. They shall rise first. And we who are alive and remain shall be called up together with them in clouds. To meet the lord in the air. And so shall we forever be with the lord. Wherefore scare one another with these words. Oh wait a minute. Comfort one another with these words. That's better.