The Lord's coming

Please turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 13, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye saw or not, even as others that have no hope. For if or since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus or through Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then 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. Now I'm going to read a few more scriptures. John chapter 14 first.

I don't intend to be here very long at all, but won't need too much time. John 14 verse 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also. Now Romans chapter 8 verse 22.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and surveilleth in pain until now. And not only they, but also but ourselves also, which have the first fruit of the Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body.

Now 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 please. Verse 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we shall be accepted of him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one that may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad or good or worthless. Now one final reading Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it unto himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Now we know that God will bless his word with what we have already heard. Now of course you know from what we have read we're going to speak of a little bit of what we call the rapture. The Lord's coming for the saints and we've been reminded that that could take place at any moment and I'm sure we will all concur with what has been said about it in the meeting.

But I wonder what you're thinking about it when you think about the Lord's coming. Some might think about their aches and their pains and the things that they're going to not need when they get home to heaven. They're thinking about ourselves, what it's going to be like for us when the Lord comes.

You know a lot of things we have here we're not going to need when we get in heaven. Things that are very important to us now that we think are going to be great. You know I was I was thinking you know years ago when I was a boy I came through an air raid over in the United Kingdom and there was one man was trying to get his wife out of the house and into the air raid shelter and she was delaying and he kept calling her Maggie he said come on what's keeping you and she said I'm looking for my teeth.

He said what do you think they're dropping sandwiches? Well you won't need to be looking for her teeth. Surely when it comes to the Lord's coming we're not thinking about I won't need my pacemaker and I won't need my hip. I still have my own hips by the way.

But whatever it is you have you won't need your walker and all that. But I was thinking just recently what's it going to mean to the Lord? Sometimes we're all occupied with ourselves. What's it what's it going to mean to me? Everything doesn't center around me and it certainly doesn't center around you either.

But I thought about the Lord and we read there in John 14 that he's coming to receive us. And we think of the disciples and how they had been with them those years and they certainly enjoyed this company. It must have been wonderful to be with the Lord.

Well now he's going to be taken from them. He's going to Calvary and he's going to go back into heaven and they wouldn't understand what but you know I'm sure they really were hoping he would come back in their time. But I'll tell you something.

The Lord was looking down on them and the Lord saw them and he sees us too. I know he says there's a day coming when I'm going to receive them back. There's a day coming not so much when we're going to be received and be with him that's good.

But he says there's a day coming when I'm going to be able to receive all these loved ones back. Doesn't matter really how we have lived our lives if we're really sheltered under the blood. Amazing isn't it? And the Lord's looking forward to that day.

I'm going to receive you. Not going to be an archangel, not going to be any vice regent or any representative. The Lord says I love you so much that I'm going to come for you by myself.

Now we come to the next scripture. We read there in Romans he's coming to redeem us. Coming to redeem our bodies.

Now again we could be occupied with ourselves. We're part of a groaning creation and so on. It's all going to be.

But I wonder you know when the Lord looks down upon us. Even a number like this in the meeting. I wonder what he thinks.

He could say well there's so-and-so over there. They have failed me a few times. There's somebody else and they're one of those Sunday morning only occasionally's or whatever you want to say.

Frank Pearson used to say a man was away for three months and he came back. He said you wouldn't believe it. He gave out a hymn.

I'm but a stranger here. Well anyhow I hope you're not going to be. But the Lord could look around and say there's he's not here.

And there's somebody else they're half asleep. And then but the Lord says they're going to be a day when they're all going to be changed. When their bodies are going to be redeemed.

And there'll be no more failure. And I'm sure the Lord will appreciate that. Think of it we're sort of a motley crew really.

Aren't we? We don't have very much to brag about. Nothing really. Nothing to boast about.

But the Lord says there's a day coming. When I am going to change their bodies and they're all going to be perfect. What a glorious hope that is.

And then when we come to 2nd Corinthians. We speaking about the judgment seat of Christ. To be with Christ which is far better.

And then maybe you think about the judgment seat of Christ. And you think well you know I don't know what it's going to be like. He used to tell us it's not going to be a Sunday school picnic.

But you know how does the Lord look at that? Does He say I'm going to get them all here and I'm going to really go after them and tell them all where they failed and all that? No He says. He said I'm going to I'm going to come. I'm going to take them so I can reward them.

You know every believer will have a reward. Yeah I think we'll have a reward just by being in an assembly. And having a heart for the things of God.

We don't have to do very much just to be pleasing to the Lord. So that's what conferences are all about. So that we're going to be more pleasing to the Lord.

And He's looking forward to that day. Not so much you know people say I'll get things straightened out. Don't you believe it? The judgment seat of Christ isn't a place to get things straightened out.

But it's a place with His reward. I don't know how much a reward I'll get. If I get a little one I'll tell you I'll be really happy.

What a wonderful thing for the Lord. He said they're all coming. Go on to bring them all.

Doesn't matter whether they're in the gospel hall or any other hall or whatever church they were. Some people are in places where you wouldn't really want to be. But He said there's a day coming.

I'm going to reward them all. They've had a testimony for me down here. Even though they've failed there's going to be a reward.

Then we come to Ephesians. Again it's the same idea. He's coming to present us.

Well I tell you that'd be something. Coming to present us unto Himself. Without spot, without wrinkle, without any such thing.

My what a glorious day that will be for Him. He's looking forward to the marriage. Hope we're looking forward to as people hear the conference going to be married next week.

I'm sure they're looking forward to it, both of them. But think of the Lord. Think how much it cost.

The merchantman, you remember he sold all that he had to obtain the pearl of great price. The Lord Jesus went even farther than that. Didn't give all that he had, he gave himself.

Under the waves and the billows of the wrath of God. To get that pearl of great price. I remember years ago, some of you wouldn't remember Mr. Mail.

A German man that preached the gospel in Michigan. And the first time I ever heard him preach. A tall man.

He preached on the pearl of great price. He loved it. And he was dramatic.

He went down. Talking about the diver. Went down under the waves and the billows.

When he was finished, there was a Scotsman beside me, Mr. Calderhead. One of the preachers from Ohio. I said, wasn't that wonderful? He said, it should be.

He's got that pearl polished away so much. There's hardly anything left of it. But what he was saying was he loved it.

Do we love it? To think that he went to the depths. The lowest depths and the darkness and the deeps. So that he might bring you and present you to him.

Without spot or wrinkle. Some old brides maybe have wrinkles now. Some young ones maybe have spots.

But I'll tell you, here's one. It doesn't matter how long we're going to be the bride. Without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

Presented to him. My what a day that will be for the Lord. So I hope that this will encourage us really to live for him and to look forward to that day.

The Lord is coming. Do we really believe it? And I hope when you're thinking about it, don't just think about yourself. We're so self-centered in so many ways.

Even in our worship sometimes. Think of the Lord. Think of what things mean to him.

You go to the end of Revelation. You know no death, no suffering, no tears. Oh you say that'll be great for me.

I think it'll be great for the Lord. No suffering. Sufferings all over for him.

The Lord knew what it was to shed tears. The Lord knew what it was to be hungry and to be thirsty. So may the Lord help us as a result of our coming together.

Leaving the place. Not to be just occupied with ourselves. It's not all about me.

It's not all about you. But it's all about him.