This sermon emphasizes the imminent return of the Lord Jesus, urging believers to be prepared and vigilant for His coming. It delves into the story of creation, the fall of man, and the purpose of defeating God's enemy to bring glory to God. The importance of standing with God against the enemy within us is highlighted, calling for self-examination and surrender to God's will in anticipation of His return.

Will you please turn to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 4. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 4. Ye have not resisted until blood wrestling against sin. Let's turn to 1 Peter again. Chapter 1. Verse 18. Knowing that ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible things, such as silver or gold, from your vain conservation handed down from your fathers, but by precious blood as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot. The blood of Christ, foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but who hath been manifested at the end of times for your sakes. Who by him you believe in God, who has raised him from among the dead, and giving him glory, that your faith and hope should be in God. Chapter 18-21. Let us pray. Dear Lord, we praise you and thank you wholeheartedly. In your sovereignty grace, you grant us this opportunity to gather together in thy name. We praise you, because you have promised us, no matter where two or three gather together in your name, you will be among us. May we know you are here. May you give us a godly heart towards you. May all of us be humble before you. We open our hearts. May you enlighten us. Get us get rid of all of uncleanness. May we quietly listen to your words. May your word be upon all the good soil. May we build fruit hundredfold so we can give glory unto God. We wholeheartedly commit this time into your hand. May you bless this moment and use this moment. May your name be glorified. May all your children be blessed. We commit this time into thy hand. May you blessed. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You speak English. I speak English. Sorry. I'm supposed to speak in English. We thank God for gathering us together this morning. I often think it is the most blessed thing. That we may gather together in his presence. We do not know how much time we still have. But we are conscious that our Lord is coming soon. He may come at any moment. He may come when we are meeting here. He may come this afternoon. Nobody knows. Only God knows. But we are pretty sure that brothers and sisters we are living in the last days. These are amazing days. Because our Lord may come at any moment. I want to emphasize our Lord may come at any moment. If it is will for him to come this morning he may. If it is will that he will still wait we know that it is his long patience. When he was on earth before he left he told his disciples that he is coming. He is coming to receive them to himself. So from the first century onward those who love God are waiting for his return. Now we are living at the beginning of the 21st century. Now we are living at the beginning of the 21st century. Our Lord is still waiting. He is waiting for us because we are not ready. I remember the story of my great-grandfather. When he was a young man he was a careless young man. He loved the world. He loved dancing. But on the day that he was to be married he suddenly remembered this is the day of my marriage. It is an important day. So he went to the field to pray. And as he prayed he was so burdened that he prayed on and on and on. He forgot the time. When he finished praying he suddenly remembered this is the time of his wedding. His bride and the friends were waiting waiting for him to come. They wondered where he was. So he hurried to the church building. And there he was married. That evening before they went to bed he asked his wife to kneel down and pray. His wife was really surprised. She said, I didn't know that I married a Methodist. But anyway he was forced to kneel on her knees. And Hassan Taylor's great-grandfather led in prayer. From that day onward they began to serve God for four generations to Hassan Taylor that family served God. And we also know that Hassan Taylor served God. I know his third generation. When I was in Chongqing I saw him on the street. Shouting the gospel to the people. He loved the Lord. And for generation after generation that family served God. So brothers and sisters it is an important lesson to us. If we and our family serve God we will give them a good example that our children will follow. But if we do not have a good example how can we expect our children to follow us? So dear brothers and sisters we are living at the end. The Lord may come at any moment. While we are meeting here he may come. Hopefully he did. And then hopefully this auditorium will be emptied. Because by his grace we have all been raptured to the third heaven. This is our expectation. So we gather here this morning with expectation. We are waiting for the imminent return of our Lord Jesus. The problem is are we ready? Brothers and sisters think seriously. This is not a light thing. If the Lord should come this morning are we ready? Shall we be raptured to the third heaven to receive him? Who to us if we are left behind? Brothers and sisters this is as urgent as it is. We cannot afford to be careless anymore. There is no more time for us. We have to be prepared. Do you think the Lord will not come this morning? I believe he can. Even in the first century before he left he promised his disciples that he will come back to receive them to himself. We know that these people in the first century they are waiting for the Lord's return. Their hope was not careless. Because the Lord can return in the first century if his church is ready. The problem is not with him. The problem is with us. Because of his long suffering he did not want anyone to perish. He was all to be saved. So he is waiting for us. Brothers and sisters this morning I want to impress you upon this point. We are living at a very thrilling moment. What can be more thrilling than the coming of the Lord? If the Lord should come now are we ready for him? This is something we need to exercise ourselves. We cannot afford to be careless anymore. The Lord is coming. Are we ready? Where are we? If he should come are we ready to go to the third heaven to receive him? Or because we are not ready we will be left behind. This is an important question for each and everyone to answer. Brothers and sisters if the Lord should come this morning and it is very possible are you ready? Is there anything in your life that you still love the world so much that you hope that he will delay his return? The bad servant thinking that his Lord will not return so quickly he began to drink and began to beat his fellow believers. But in his unexpected time his Lord returned. Brothers and sisters this is why I say we are living in a very thrilling time. Are we ready? This is a serious question. And that's the reason why we are gathered together this morning. If you read the Bible the Bible tells us in the beginning God before God there was nothing. God is the beginning. Anyway it may use human expressions to describe what has happened. Of course it all depends upon the Bible. In the beginning God God is the beginning and the Bible tells us God is a triune God. He is three in one. Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and they are completely in harmony with one another. And try to use the human expression. During that time there was a conversation among the Trinity. The Father loved His Son so much. He wanted to create all things for His Son. But being God knowing the end from the beginning He knew that if He should create there will be problems. And sure enough it did happen. So He was wondering what He should do. Then His Son stepped forward and said Father if it is your will to create go ahead I am willing to offer myself to be the Lamb. So in 1 Peter 1 we are told that even before the foundation of the world the Son offered Himself to be the Lamb. And because of this God began to create. We all know in the beginning God didn't create man. God created angels. And among the angels there was one called Lucifer who was a bright and morning star. He was created almost perfect. In Ezekiel 28 there was a description of Him. He was highly gifted. And He was the leading angels. He was the angel that covered the throne of God. And He was supposed to lead the angels to worship God. And in the beginning everything was good. But gradually He began to look into Himself. Brothers and sisters it is always dangerous to look into yourself. To look into yourself without God. And when He looked at Himself He began to be proud of Himself. He was not satisfied with what God had given Him. So in Isaiah chapter 14 we are told He talked to Himself. Five times He said I want to rise up. I want to be equal with God. I want to sit in the counsel of God. He was not satisfied with what God had given Him. And that is always the problem. Always satisfied with what God had given us. God knows best. Whatever He has prepared for each and every one of us is always the best. But Lucifer was not satisfied with what God had done. He said in Isaiah chapter 14 Five times he said I want I want this I want that. I want to be equal with God. He was not satisfied with what God had given Him. And that is always the problem. Brothers and sisters are you satisfied with what God had given you? Are you satisfied with what He had provided your environment? Are we willing to learn the lessons? Or are you not satisfied with what God had provided for you? You want to be higher. And Lucifer five times he said I want to be equal with God. To put it in more detail he wanted the position of God's beloved son. And because of this God would never allow such thing to happen. No one can take the place of his beloved son. So this Lucifer the bright shining star was dismissed from the throne of God. Most likely the earth that we know today belonged to Lucifer's control. So when Lucifer was thrown down the earth entered into emptied and void. And it was covered with water. This was the Ice Age. We do not know the Ice Age continue for how long. But we do know one thing. One day the spirit of God brooded over the empty space. And that is the beginning of the new creation. Now why did God do that? It is easy for God to destroy Lucifer. The breath of his life can completely annihilate him. But God did not do that. Because if he did that he would not give God glory. For a man to beat a baby there was no glory there. So with God even though it was easy for him to destroy Lucifer that is our human thinking. If God destroyed Lucifer then everything would be all right. But God has a higher plan. He wanted to create man a little lower than the angels. The angels are spirits. They can go anywhere. But man has a body. And body is a restriction. In the body we cannot go anywhere. If we are here we cannot be there. We are limited. But God gave man in such a condition. Why? Because it is the glory of God for a lower than the angels to defeat God's enemy the archangel. And this is the reason why man was created. But brothers and sisters God foreknew what will happen. After he had created man he put man in the garden of Eden. It is a garden of pleasure. And in the garden God planted all kinds of fruit trees. Good for food. Because man at that time ate only fruit and not other things. So God made provision for man. And he put man in the garden. And he told man to do two things. One thing is to till the ground to improve what God had created. The other is to guard the garden. It was a garden. There was no wall. So God wanted man to be that wall. Because God knows Satan is outside the wall. He is anxious to get in. So God made man the wall. He was not only to till the ground to improve it. He was to guard the garden as wall. That was God's command to man. Man ought to be a guard. But unfortunately we do not know how. Adam and Eve were separated. Eve wandered towards the middle of the garden. He saw the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It looked beautiful. Its fruit looked tempting. And he was wondering why God didn't allow them to eat that tree. And because man and woman were separated. She did not have the protection of her husband. Her husband knew directly God's command. And she only knew indirectly. So there was not deep in her life. The more he looked at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The more he desired it. And this was not only that. Where was Adam? Adam was supposed to guard the garden. But somehow Adam neglected his responsibility. He allowed Satan to slip into the garden. And Satan used the form of a snake. And began to question Eve. He said, Did God forbid you to eat any fruit in the garden? Of course he knew better. Oh, he said no. God allows to eat all the trees, all the fruits in the garden. Except this tree. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because God knew if they should eat the fruit of that tree, they would die. So God warned them. Eve knew that. But when he looked at this tree, the more he looked at the tree, the more he was attracted to it. Then Satan slipped in. In the form of a serpent. And began to ask Eve a question. Did God forbid you to eat any fruit in the garden? What a blasphemy! Because it means that God warned them to die. Without giving them anything to eat. Of course it was not. So Satan said, God knew that if you eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, you will have knowledge in yourself. You do not depend upon God. The knowledge is yours. God forbid you to eat it because he was jealous of you. And Eve was tempted. He took the fruit and ate it. And not only that, when her husband came, he gave it to her husband to eat. No brothers and sisters. Eve was tempted. But Adam was not. He was fully aware of what had happened. He knew the command of God so clearly. But he had to make a choice. Whether he would choose God or choose his wife. And sad to say, he chose his wife. So Eve ate the fruit deliberately. He knew what he was doing. And in that way, man fell into sin. Brothers and sisters, this is the story in the Garden of Eden. But thank God, he knows everything from the beginning to the end. Thank God, his Son had offered to be the Lamb. So, this fallen situation of the earth lasted for a long time. This was what we call the Ice Age. We do not know how long this age continued. But we do know that it happened thousands of years. Thank God, until one day, the Spirit of God brooded upon the face of the deep. God's Spirit began to work. And in six days, he restored the earth to be habitable. And he put man into it. Hopefully, man will understand. He will cooperate with God. And will be used by God to defeat God's enemy. Brothers and sisters, from one lower than the angels to defeat the one higher as the angels. This was the wisdom of God. So, dear brothers and sisters, we are here, not by chance. God deliberately created us. He created us with a definite purpose. He wanted to use us to defeat his enemy. This will give glory to God. So, this is the purpose of man. This is why we are here. We are to be used of God to defeat the enemy of God that God may get all the glory. Are we doing it? Or do we fall into the trap of God's enemy? Which side are we on? Are we with God, or are we with God's enemy? This is a question we need to decide. Who is on the God's side? Who will step together with God against God's enemy? And be used of God to defeat his enemy for the glory of God. Not for our glory, for the glory of God. How marvelous is God's plan of salvation. Dear brothers and sisters, we are here this morning supposed to be saved by grace, supposed to have the life of Christ in us. Do we realize why we are here? We are here not for ourselves. Don't be selfish. We are here for God. God created us for his purpose. Are we standing with God against God's enemy? Are we standing with God's enemy against God? This is a question before everyone of us. If you are not for God, then you are for the enemy. If you are for God, then you will be used by God to defeat the enemy. The enemy today is not outside of you only. The enemy today is within us. He has already come into our life. So our life has been contaminated. Brothers and sisters, why is it that the Lord did not take us as soon as we are saved? I often think if the Lord should take me as soon as I was saved, how good that will be. That will save me from all the struggle of life. But God has a better plan. He didn't want us to be barely saved. He wanted us to be saved to the uttermost. In Romans chapter 8, we are told whom God has foreknown, He has foredestined that we should be conformed to His own image. Whom He has justified, He has also sanctified that God's will may be done in our lives. Dear brothers and sisters, do you have any such idea? Why is it that God did not rapture me immediately after I was saved? How much better we think it will be for us. But God knows better. After we are saved, He still leave us on earth. Give us opportunity to defeat the enemy in our lives, to glorify God. Brothers and sisters, our enemy is no longer outside. He is also inside within us. He is in our flesh. So the Bible says the Spirit war against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit. Where are you this morning? Are you standing with God against the enemy? Or have you surrendered to the enemy and against God? Which side are you standing? Let us ask ourselves. Oh dear Lord, that all of us here may give ourselves totally over to You. If there is anything in our lives that is not of You, pray that our Spirit will reveal it to us. We are willing to get rid of all these things. We want to be totally Thine. And be prepared for Thy imminent return. The Lord is coming back. Are you ready? May the Lord have mercy upon every one of us. That we give ourselves to Him totally. Ask Him to search our heart to see if there is anything evil in us. And lead us in the way everlasting. May the Lord bless every one of us here. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Thy wonderful salvation. Even before the foundation of the world, Thou has already known us. Whom Thou has known, Thou has called. Whom Thou has called, Thou has sanctified. O dear Lord, we want to give ourselves totally over to You. Only Thy will shall be done in our lives. Reveal Thyself to us. In our daily life, we may learn how to submit to You. Until the day when Thou shall call and we can respond. Hear the cry of our hearts. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.