First Thessalonians chapter number four and we're going to look at a helicopter view of the end times a helicopter view of the end times And we have a lot we'd like to say tonight, but we'll be considerate for the most part of the time that's ahead of us. But we're gonna look at a helicopter view of the end times. I don't know about y'all, but I'm interested in the events of the end times. I'm interested about Jesus Christ coming back, and that hope of Him coming back is a transforming hope, because every man that hath this hope purifieth himself, even as he is pure. If you know and believe that Jesus is gonna come back, we're all gonna live differently. That's what's gonna happen. And so we're gonna put this on our hearts and mind. This is not a start of a series or nothing. It's just kind of our Sunday night. We've been kind of peculiar on Sunday evenings with different things and teaching and practical things and so forth and so on. And I hope that it's been a help to you. We've looked at what an independent Baptist church is. We've looked at how to witness and how to keep a prayer list, how to study the Bible, different things like that. And that's just a few things that we've studied. But tonight we're gonna look at a helicopter view of the end times. Chapter number 4 verse 13, but I would not have you to be ignorant brethren. Brother J. Vernon McGee said the biggest church there is is the ignorant Baptist Church. And you know many times many times Paul did have to say I don't want you to be ignorant and the only way that we stay ignorant is not to read the Bible. And he said but I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep. Those that have died in Christ, that's the term used for asleep. Those that have died in Christ, those that are saved but died in Christ, that's the term asleep. that ye sorrow that even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. And 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 them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall ascend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an 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." Dear Lord, I pray that you'd help us tonight as we labor in the word of God and in the doctrine of the second coming of your son. Well, I pray we'd be clear. We do not want to be confusing and speak high and speak past the people. We have no desire to do that. We want to be plain and easily understood by the help of your spirit. And I pray we'd gain knowledge and understanding about the end times. And by the end of this little time together in the word of God, we'd be looking for you to come. And we'd be hopeful. And it'd change our lives. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Hold your place, please, and turn with me to Luke 17. Luke 17 and verse number 34. Luke 17 and 34. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding. One shall be taken and the other left. Two men shall be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left When Jesus comes back, there'll be two people doing something one will be gone one will stay here There'll be two men in an automobile One will check right out of that automobile and if he was driving that car gonna run off the road That'll put things in picture won't it They'll be church houses and maybe half the church will go with Jesus in the clouds and the other half that's just a bunch of players they might just say sitting right down there. That's the truth. It was not J Vernon McGee but J Harold Smith that said always preach the gospel in your Baptist churches because I'm convinced that half of them are lost on their way to hell just playing church. One will be gone and one will stay. Jesus cuts it down the middle. The wife might still be keeping house, but the husband might see Jesus or vice versa. Maybe 10 will be working at the factory, five will go to heaven, and five will stay down when Jesus comes again. First Peter chapter three, turn there. First Peter. It's actually second Peter. Second Peter three. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. It says that also in 2 Thessalonians. It's coming as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. What manner of persons ought you all to be in all holy conversation in godliness? Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of the Lord wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Nevertheless, we according to his promise look for the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Wherefore beloved seen that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Revelation 1 and verse 7 Revelation 1 and verse 7 Excuse me, as you're turning there, turn to 1 John 3. As you're turning there, 1 John 3, verse 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Now go to Revelation 1-7. This is the very reason why I don't prefer to have you to look on a screen. Because I like to hear the Bible turn, and it's good for you to know where to turn in your Bible as well. And I didn't cast judgment upon everybody. I used the word kindly as I could. This is why I'd prefer for you to learn to turn in your Bible yourself. We're losing something, folks. We're losing something. And it's important to learn how to navigate through your Bible. Revelation 1 in verse number 7, Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all the kindred of the earth shall wail, wail because of him. Even so, amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Now, we've read five or six different passages of scripture. We're gonna return to the first one in 1 Thessalonians 4 later. You can hold your place there, but we're gonna be in Revelation for a little while, and then we're gonna turn back to 1 Thessalonians 4. Now, as you read all those passages of scriptures, and we could read so many more on the second coming, you'll have to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in the study of these passages, but you're gonna find that there are two events. It is evident that these two events, they are different. There are two stages of the second coming of Jesus Christ. It's two R's. The rapture and the revelation. Say that together. The rapture and the revelation. In the rapture, Jesus comes for the saints. In the revelation, the rapture is at Revelation 4. The revelation is Revelation 20. In the rapture, He comes for the saints. In the revelation, He comes with the saints. That's where people get it mixed up. They'll take you to a passage of scripture, and with a little bit of discernment, you should know the difference. The rapture, He comes for the saints. At the revelation, He comes with the saints. Okay? I see some people jotting some things down, so I'll try to be slow. In the rapture, He comes in the clouds. In the revelation, He comes to the earth. His feet touch the ground. His feet don't touch the ground, do they, Brother Jeff, when He comes in the rapture? We're gonna meet Him in the clouds! And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Boy, I tell you what I was planning on teaching, but I feel a preaching storm coming on. Hallelujah, praise God. We're gonna meet Him in the clouds, friend. Get it right, in the rapture, He's not hitting the ground. He's gonna be in the clouds. But in the revelation, He's coming back. and his feet are gonna touch the ground just like he walked on this earth at his first coming. There's actually three comings of Jesus Christ. The first coming, virgin born, son of God, sinless, lamb of God, slain for the sins of the whole world before the foundation of the world. That's his first coming. Yeah, there is a second coming, but in that second coming, he doesn't come quite all the way down to the earth. He comes to the clouds. And then in the third coming, he comes to the earth. The rapture, the revelation. At the rapture there's going to be a gathering. A gathering. There's going to be a gathering of those that are asleep in Christ. It's going to be a gathering of their bodies and their spirit back together. And there's going to be a gathering at the rapture of the living and the dead. And we could be the generation. We could be the generation that doesn't die. that meets the Lord in the air with those that are dead in Christ. That's the rapture. Now at the Revelation as well there's a gathering. It's a gathering at the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation chapter number 20. It's the millennial reign of Christ for a thousand years. You can read all about it in Revelation 20. At the rapture he comes as a thief in the night. thief in the night suddenly you know Jesus when he says thief as a thief in the night Jesus has a way of just speaking so commonly that everybody can understand it right I mean he spoke of sparrows he spoke of seeds he spoke of light he spoke of salt he spoke of bread he spoke of a hen and her chickens we should all know about that around our house But he says he's going to come as a thief in the night, just suddenly. No warning at all. When the thief comes into your house, you don't know when the thief's coming. That's how the Lord's going to come back. He's going to come back as a thief in the night. He's going to come back suddenly. 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse number 3 says there's going to be sudden destruction. Now listen, friend. When Jesus comes back, there's going to be sudden destruction. You think about all those that are saved in whatever they're doing and they're just gone. You talk about utter chaos, a pilot that's saved and knows the Lord, suddenly gone. What's going to happen to that plane? Think of automobiles riding up and down 75 and 40 and gone. sudden destruction Every child of God instantly and simultaneously all at the same time gone it's not gonna be one second here one second because last time I checked it's gonna be in a Twinkling of an eye try that a real quick. That's pretty quick that quick dome Fox News to CNN will have the time of their life Trying to figure all that out everybody will be watching the news trying to figure it out. I Sudden destruction as a thief in the night. Now in Revelation, as you look there in Revelation, I want you to turn there, I want you to see some things here and this gives us a helicopter view of the end times and then we'll come back to 1 Thessalonians. I just want to get your appetite here for the things of God regarding the end times. If you want to know a chart a biblical chart of revelation, if you will, chart. The chart's in verse number 19 of chapter 1. Right? The things which thou hast seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. That's the division. The things which you have seen is in verses 1 through 20. The things that are are the churches, the seven churches in chapter two and three. And the things that are here after is chapter four through the end of the book. That's how it's divided there. So verse number 19 is like an outline of the book. You really need to know that. Things the house seen, that's the first chapter through verse 20. And then the things which are, that's the letters to the seven churches, chapter two through three. And then the things that'll be here after, that's chapter four all the way to the end of the book. The book of the Revelation is a book of sevens. It's a book of sevens. I really wanna preach through the book of Revelation. Because I know it'd be good for me. I know it'd help me. It'd challenge me. I think it helped the church. You pray with me about that. I don't think it'll be anytime soon because you'd be foolish just to dive into something like that. But I thought about when I preached through the book of Revelation, preaching it in the four sevens. The seven churches and then the three seven judgments. There's 21 judgments. And so we'd preach through the seven churches, take a little break, a refrain. We'd take a break. That's for choir practice right there if you're in choir. Take a little break. And then come back to seven more, then seven more, and take a break in between the sevens. Because I'm telling you, the book of Revelation is pretty heavy. And it can get, because of its heaviness, it can, the Lord knows my heart, it can get a little monotonous at times. But we can take a break and then come back. But it is divided in the sevens. The first sevens is the church age. You're gonna find the things that are is chapters two through three. It's the letters to the seven churches. Very applicable, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And all those churches have a message for us today. Many people believe, I don't make much emphasis of it personally, I think they might have a leg to stand on, many people believe those churches represent a church Age or church time period that we've lived through and I can see that but I don't think that's the main emphasis The main emphasis is each church has a message even for us still today But that's in chapter 2 through 3 the church age chapter 2 through 3 and then all of a sudden if you're looking in your Bible here All of a sudden church is over After this I looked in verse 4 and behold a door was open in the heaven and the first voice which I heard was it were as a Trumpet talking with me which said come up hither What's that? That's the rapture friend. That's when Jesus says come up hither. I Let's meet up in the clouds. That's not Jesus coming back to the earth. That's Jesus calling the church away and calling the dead in Christ up, those that are asleep in Jesus, and we meet them in the clouds. So you say, where is, where is the rapture? It's tucked away in the white pages between chapter 3 and chapter 4. It's right there. Right there in it, in chapter 4. Right there it happens. After this. After the church age. After this. After the church has gone out of here. We meet him in heaven. The rapture is found there in between chapter 3 and chapter 4. Beginning of chapter 4 is the rapture. Jesus Christ comes for the church and that's when we have the judgment seat of Christ. Two other things that people get really confused as they get the rapture and the revelation confused, but what else do they get confused? They get the judgment seat of Christ confused and the great white throne judgment. The judgment seat of Christ, which is spoken of in 1 Corinthians chapter number 3, is going to be right here in Revelation 4 and the great white throne judgment is in Revelation 27 through 14. That's the great white throne judgment. Will the believers be at the great white throne judgment? No, they will not be there. The judgment seat of Christ is for the believers. We will not even be judged for our sins, brothers and sisters, because our sins were all paid for at the cross of Calvary. We'll just be judged for our what? For our works, whether they be good or bad. What do you mean good or bad works? Good or bad motive. Whether they be pure under the Lord. Whether what we did for the Lord was just to get patted on the back or whether what we did for the Lord, we did it for the Lord and for His love for us. Do you realize how awesome it is that believers will not be judged for their sins? They're remembered against us no more. Is God a liar? He's the truth. He's not gonna bring one of your sins back up against you no more. You better at least smile, but you better say amen to that. That's wonderful, isn't it? I know I'm a sinner and I'm a great one, but he's not gonna bring one back up against me. Because they're all in the blood of Calvary. Hallelujah. We're not gonna be judged for our sins. We're gonna be judged for our works at the judgment seat of Christ. That's in Revelation 4, the great white throne judgment. That's where he'll cast people into the lake of fire. Revelation 20, 7 through 14. And then as you travel through the book of Revelation, you have these 21 judgments. Now the church is gone, right? Church is out of here. Bible-believing people believe. that the church will not face the tribulation. People that believe the Bible literally cannot come up with anything else than that the church will not face any of the 21 judgments. We have escaped from the wrath, we have been delivered, excuse me, we have been delivered from the wrath to come 1 Thessalonians 1.10. We've been delivered from it. We will not face any of the 21 judgments. The world will have to go through it. But we will not face it, because the church is out of here. After this I looked, chapter 4, the church is gone. And you have these seven seals in chapter 6, you turn your page, in chapter 6 through Chapter 8, verse 5, you have the seven seals. The white horse, conquering power. The red horse, war and bloodshed. The black horse, famine. The pale horse, pestilence and death. Souls under the altar, martyrs. Worldwide, worldwide death and change going on. All the seven seals here are mentioned in chapter 6, 1 through 8, 5. And then you have the seven trumpets. Let's go to one here just to get just a glimpse of this. Let's go to chapter 9 and verse 13. And the six angels sounded and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar. Which is before God saying to the sixth angel with had that trumpet. We're in the seven trumpets right now. This is the sixth trumpet. Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed which were prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year for to slay the third part of men. For the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand. And I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them having breastplates of fire, and janketh, and brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and brimstone. And by these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power was in their mouth, and in their tails. For their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they did hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, remember a third of them were killed, yet repented not of their works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood. which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk." Now there's some things that are hard to understand in Revelation, I'd agree with that, but I think everybody understands what just happened. A third of mankind that was living died at one time. We read of that in chapter number 9 and verse number 18. That's the sixth trumpet and then you move forward you have the two witnesses here in chapter number 11 moving into chapter number 12 and you have some events take place before you have the other seven and the beast from the earth the beast from the sea Satan's fall from heaven and all that going on and then you turn to the last seven so we have the last seven judgments and that begins in chapter 15 in verse number 1 It's the seven bowls, you can read all about them. In short, in short, in short order really, chapter 15, short chapter, and chapter 16 speaks of the last seven judgments. ugly and painful sores, sea turned into blood, rivers and streams of water become blood, sun scorches the people with fire, darkness, the Euphrates River dries up into a tremendous earthquake in Armageddon. It's the earth's worst days that they've ever seen. And then you get to Revelation chapter number 20. This is where you come to the revelation of Jesus Christ. The rapture obviously has already taken place in chapter 4 and you come to the thousand year reign of Christ and all the saints coming back with him. It's a period of peace and righteousness which will last for a millennial. In chapter 20 in verse number 1, And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon and that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years and cast him into a bottomless pit, shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled. And after that, he must be loosed a little season. And then you have a new heaven and a new earth come down in chapter 21 and chapter 22. And before that, the great white throne judgment. And you can read all about it. I encourage you to do just that. Now friends, what's that all mean to us? It means that we have little time to serve the Lord. And what we do for Christ, we must do now because Jesus is coming soon. There's nothing on the prophetic timetable to come to pass. Everything set Jesus come back right now. There's nothing that needs to take place Jesus come back right now Turn with me to first Thessalonians chapter number four in verse number 13 First Thessalonians chapter number four in verse number 13. I Want to show you something that should comfort your hearts because that's what Jesus said Jesus said this would comfort our hearts. He said to comfort one another with these words If you don't know the Lord tonight You better get saved tonight Because you don't have any comfort of anything that we're talking about right now that I'm fixing to talk about. You have no comfort. You have no hope. You're just full of sorrow. If you don't know the Lord and you're just part of church and part of just checking off a box, I love you and I pray for you because you don't want to go through. If he'd come back right now, you'd go through all 21 of those judgments. First Thessalonians, chapter number four. Find your place there. And look there in chapter number four, and I want us to look in verse number 16. This is the rapture of the church. This is when Christ comes back. He says in verse 13, I don't want you to be ignorant concerning those which are asleep. And then he gives us the knowledge. He doesn't want us to be ignorant. And then he gives us the knowledge of it. And this is so comforting in verse number 16. For the Lord himself shall ascend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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 the Lord. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. I want you to notice a few things in this text of scripture real briefly, but jot them down in your Bible or maybe on your notes. The first thing I notice is the return. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. The Lord Himself. We believe because the Bible just said so we believe in the literal return of Jesus Christ the literal bodily Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's gonna come in his literal body the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. He's gonna descend from heaven That's the first that's the first part. He's coming. That's his return and then What's the next thing? The Lord himself shall ascend from heaven and there's going to be a shout. Then there's going to be the voice of the archangel and then the trump of God. There's going to be three sounds. So what's it going to sound like? Well, you're going to know it when you hear it. I guarantee you that. It's going to wake the dead. Boy, it's going to be loud. It's like something you've never heard before. Now, I'm just kidding around here. I was able to golf the other day, and I had this message on my mind. I was able to golf the other day, and there was this big old boy that we were golfing with. Never met him in my life. He had to be 325 pounds. And, man, he would swing that thing just as hard as he could. And, man, when he hit it, it sounded like a cannon going off. And I don't know why, but he got it. If he ever made contact, it was 300 yards, easy. I mean, he could hit that ball. one out of ten times it landed in the fairway but you know when you're playing basketball it don't matter everybody else get in the fairway and you suck it man but anyways one he hit out of the sand he was in the sand and I don't know you might know But when he hit it out of that sound, it made a different sound. It sounded like a gun going off. And he hit that ball up against that sound. And it sounded like a little bit like glass a little bit, that club going through there and then hitting that ball. And I thought of the sound. And I know where it's nowhere to be compared to, but I thought about that sound. And the way we were in a little nook, and there was trees all around it, it just, boom, really loud. And I thought about the sound that's going to be heard across the whole world when Jesus comes back. Sound and then suddenly everybody's gonna be gone and gonna be with the Lord in the air And those that don't know Christ gonna be what? left behind They'll be two one will be left and one will be in the air So I think this is just a story I think it's a figment of your imagination I think somebody taught you too much when you were growing up. This is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's coming again. There's going to be a return. The Lord Himself shall descend. And don't worry about the sounds and don't worry about the signs. Worry about the Lord's coming back and when He comes back there's no more time after that. That's it. By the way on signs, on the signs. I don't have this in my notes so you pray for me. There are no signs for the rapture. There aren't. All the signs are for the revelation. The signs of the times, that's for the revelation. That's that 21 judgments, right? That's the 21 judgments, that's the signs. But if we can already see the signs, we know the rapture's just right here. You understand what I'm saying? He doesn't promise any signs. I don't think he's promising any signs for the rapture. I think when he's talking about the signs, he's talking about the revelation of Jesus Christ in Revelation 20. But I just believe, and I'm not looking for the signs, but I can open up my eyes and definitely see the signs. Signs of the times are everywhere, but that's not even referring to the rapture in Revelation 4 That's referring to over here in Revelation 20 But I can still see him and if you'd open up one half one half of your eye in spiritual vision You'd see him too Return then we have another turn. Let's get back to the text first Thessalonians for the Lord should ascend from heaven you've got the three sounds in verse 16 and The last phrase of verse 16 and the dead in Christ shall rise first. That's the resurrection The dead in Christ shall rise first Not only a return but number two a resurrection the dead in Christ all those that we planted in the ground Like putting a seed in the ground, they're all gonna rise back up. The dead in Christ shall rise first. You know the old word for cemetery? Do you know the old word for cemetery actually means hotel? It does. Look it up. That's what it really derives from is hotel. It's a place, it's just a resting place. Why? Because people used to believe the Bible. People are sleeping in Jesus. That's the imagery behind a child of God when he dies, he's just going to sleep for a little while in a temporary place. Not his home. Hey, for the child of God, Riverside's not his home. That's not his permanent home. That's just his hotel. He's just gonna sleep there for a little while, and then when Jesus comes back, when he comes back, when he descends, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and they'll be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. So I not only see a return in the text, I not only see a resurrection, but now we get a little further. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together. There's a rapture. A rapture. So you got a resurrection. Then you got a rapture. And the saints are coming up too. So you got a resurrection and a rapture. We're gonna be caught up, caught up. That's where you get the word rapture. Did you know the word rapture's not in the Bible? The word itself, rapture, is a very biblical term, a very, excuse me, a religious term, nothing wrong with it, but you don't find the word rapture in the Bible. But that's where we get the word rapture is from the word caught up. It's better to say the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. But that's where you get the word rapture. Caught up. We'll be caught up. Caught up, and what's the next word? Caught up what? Together with them. We got a return, a resurrection, a rapture, caught up together with them. Number four, a reunion. A reunion. Caught up together with them in the clouds. All with them. Who's the them? Together. Together with who? All the dead in Christ. So if Jesus were to come back tonight, or come back in our lifetime, we would not have to die and we'd meet our loved ones in the air. And as some of the songs say, they might be light to you and you might think, oh, no. How about that song the Inspirations sing? Steppin' on the clouds, we'll see Jesus rise to meet Him in the air. And that sounds a little light, but I tell you, Fred, it might seem light to you. That's true. Yeah, it might have a little little jump to it a little jazz to it. You understand what I'm saying? But if Jesus were to come back tonight We're gonna be stepping on the clouds with Jesus and stepping on the clouds with our loved ones who have died in Jesus Hallelujah, that's not just a story. That's the truth We're going to have a meeting a meeting in the air and the sweet sweet by and by oh Yes And we'll be meeting up with all the Old Testament saints in the clouds, in the clouds. We'll be meeting up with Paul. We'll be meeting up with Timothy. We'll be meeting up with them preachers that you love in the clouds. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. There's a reunion, a return, a resurrection, a rapture, a reunion. Meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words because of what I just said. There's another R, a rest. If you know the Lord, doesn't that bring rest to your heart? If you got a loved one that you know died in Jesus, doesn't that bring rest to your heart that you'll see him again? Who knows you've got a loved one that died in Jesus and was saved. Look at those hands. Keep them up. Look at those hands. Doesn't it give you a rest to know? That's why Jesus said, wherefore comfort one another with these words. It gives us a rest. We know we're going to see Him again. But I tell you what, if I tell you right now these words, the words of God, the words of Christ, and you don't know Him, and you don't have assurance that if you died today, you're going to heaven, you cannot taste the sweetness of what I just preached. You don't have any idea, but you can tonight. Today's the day of salvation. I didn't intend to preach a gospel evangelistic crusade message tonight. I intended to teach the people of God, right? Let me tell you something. I'm here for the sole purpose to see people get saved. I remember when my brother-in-law got saved. He was teaching me in Sunday school. And my dad was preaching on the qualifications of a pastor. And my brother-in-law walked down that aisle crying like a baby. He said, I'm tired of it. I'm just not a Christian. I need to get saved. And he had children already. And he was teaching the teen class. I'm telling you what if God working in your heart and speaking you said I don't want to go through it and I'm I just I just don't know for sure if I'm saved and I don't want to go through those judgments and I don't want to go to hell I want to know for sure when Jesus if Jesus were to come back right now make sure I'm meeting him in the clouds I've got loved ones I think I'm gonna meet one day but I don't know for sure if I'm saved I'm telling you right now I love you in the Lord and you I want to tell you the truth you better repent before Jesus comes back turn to Jesus that's all you got to do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ If that's you, I tell you, be comforted that Jesus is your hope, but you gotta come to him. But if you're saved, doesn't that give you a rest? It's so sweet to know Jesus. You know, my mama ain't getting younger. My daddy ain't getting younger. And I love him. You know how I cope with all that? The best is yet to come. Whatever happens, if I pick up the phone one day and daddy has to call me or mama has to call me or brother and sister have to call me and say, They passed in their sleep. That'd be hard, but it really wouldn't be that bad, because I'd know they're not suffering anymore, and they're going to the place they've preached about all their life, and they've sung about all their life, and they're having the best time ever. What's that song the Inspirations sing about heaven? Oh my, my mind right now before you cannot remember what I'm thinking about. No, brother, and you know them all, I'm sure. Mike Holcomb sings the lead. My goodness. I sing the song. If you only knew. If you only knew. We're having a big celebration. If you only knew. If we only knew how much they're enjoying the presence of God right now. If we only knew. Who's got one there right now? Say Amen. If you only knew what they're experiencing. They're saying right now, don't grieve for me. Don't weep for me. I'm having a great big celebration with Jesus. Rest in that, have comfort in that. But if you don't know him tonight, come to Jesus. That's the only message I've got for you. Come to him, stop playing games, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Every head bowed, every eye closed. Let's stand together. Say, I know the Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know for sure if I died today, I'd go to heaven. Why don't you pick your hand up? And when it's up right there and lifted up to the sky, say, thank you, Lord, for saving me. Say it out loud right now. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Oh, man, isn't it sweet to know the Lord? Oh, what comfort it is, what joy it is, what rest it is. Know if Jesus were to come back right now, you're going to meet your loved ones in the air. You're also going to meet Him in the air. but do you know him? Maybe it's hard for you to pick up your hand. You say, I need to be saved. I'm not really trying to single anybody out, but I hope the spirit of God might be. Say, preacher, I need to be saved. Is there anybody like to pick up their hand and say, preacher, I need to be saved, I'm tired of it. Anybody? Want to make sure It's the most important thing. Man gained the whole world, loses his own soul. What profit is it? Man gained the whole world, loses his own soul. Lord, thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. Thank You for saving us. Thank You for the comfort of Your coming, the rest and the joy that we have from it. Lord, I pray we'd have this hope in our hearts and purify, You'd purify us by it. That's what You said would happen if we would keep our eyes upon the sky looking for you to come. Lord, help us to be a church that rejoices that you might come back any moment. May we not be a worldly church, a filthy church, because our minds are just entrapped in this old sinful world, but may we be looking for you to come any moment. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Maybe you know how to come and pray as she plays. Maybe you like to pray about anything. Maybe you've got a loved one that you're concerned about. Maybe you'd like to come pray for them. Maybe you'd like to just live a better life in the light of His coming. There'll be a day when we can't witness any longer. There'll be a day when we can't evangelize any longer. There'll be a day when we can't work and serve any longer. Our work will be done. And what we've done for Christ is our opportunity's over. Today is opportunity. Talk to the Lord about it.