1 Thessalonians 4, beginning in verse 13. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive who are left until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord Therefore, encourage one another with these words. Now, concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, there is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers. For that day, to surprise you like a thief, you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then, let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober. having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up. just as you are doing. May the Lord speak to us all in His Word. Amen. We've been busy in the last four weeks talking about the first advent of Christ. We forget that the Bible really speaks of multiple advents of Christ. That might surprise you. We could even speak, as one does, of three advents of Christ. The first being the Incarnation, the Son of God coming to earth. And that's what we celebrate at Christmas. We picked a day out of all the days of the year, December 25th, and we picked that kind of at the heart of the darkness of the season and said, in the midst of that, that is a good date to celebrate the coming of light into the world. And that's the day Christians celebrate the first Advent, the Incarnation of Christ. And we often speak of the second Advent being the return of Christ. But there's a second advent that we could also speak of spiritually, theologically, before we get to the return of Christ. We could speak of the coming of Christ to a heart, to a mind, your spiritual reception of Christ as Savior and Lord, that point of conversion, that point of transformation, When Christ not only comes into the world, but he comes into your world, he comes into your heart. We could call that an advent of our God. And we'll talk about that just briefly at the end of the sermon. But the third advent, not the incarnation and not necessarily your conversion, the second coming of Christ is what we want to talk about this morning. Because Christ is coming back. For thousands of years, the Jews were promised a Savior, and they waited and waited and waited. They watched for signs. They listened to prophets. They saw prophecies unfold and predictions come true until that night in Bethlehem. But the Bible also speaks of Christ's second coming to earth, and it is far different than the first coming to earth. It's the same Jesus. but he will not come veiled in humility to a stable in Bethlehem, but he will appear in the sky to be seen by all men, surrounded by a great heavenly host, blazing in glory to be seen. And every eye will see and every knee will bow. That second coming of Jesus Christ is something we must never put far out of mind. we ought to remember it and be prepared for it. And having a Sunday that falls on the very last day of the year I thought was a good occasion as well to remind ourselves that there will not always be a new year. One day there will be a last year and eternity itself will begin. So let me take us into the first point that will be helpful to address the subject of the second coming. Where and how is it taught in the Bible? The Bible asserts a second advent. The Bible teaches this very clearly. Before I get into my three points from the New Testament, let me give you a footnote. The Old Testament also teaches a second coming of Christ. very quickly just show you that because when Christ came into the world the first time, many who were expecting him to physically put down his enemies, to crush the wicked empires, to bring peace on earth, the lion lying down with the lamb and all those other messianic hopes, many people at that time were looking at the Bible prophecies about the second coming and wanting that at the first appearing of Christ. They were confusing the two. Because in the Old Testament there are prophecies that speak of the Second Coming and the prosperity and peace that Christ will bring when He is made known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He puts away the sheep and the goats and everything is the way it should be at the end of time. The Old Testament people that were looking for a physical conquest of their enemies and didn't see that in Jesus the first time. They were looking ahead, really, to the Second Advent. They were mixing the prophecies and the comings. But the New Testament most clearly unfolds for us the return of Christ as a doctrine. And let's first look at some of the parables of Jesus to see that that is taught. And then we'll move on to some other teachings of Jesus. The parables are somewhat difficult things sometimes to unfold because we don't often speak in parables. We're very much a straightforward proposition type culture. You don't understand that a parable is a story that tries to convey or illustrate a point of truth. Not all the details in a parable are important, but the main point certainly is. One of the first parables that teaches us about the return of Christ is found in Matthew 13, the parable of the wheat and the tares. We're going to do some Bible turning tonight, so keep your fingers nimble. The parable of the wheat and the tares, or you could call it the weeds in the field, I suppose. The wheat and the tares in Matthew 13. Let me read the beginning of verse 24. I'll call up the verse numbers as we gather together this parable. The parable begins in verse 24. He put another parable before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. The servants of the master of the house came and said to him, Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no, lest in gathering the weeds, you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. And at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned. But gather the wheat into my barn." And down in verse 36, the parable begins its explanation. Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field. He answered. The one who sows the good seed is the son of man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." There is taught in this parable the nature of the church growing in the world. God's children, those who are followers of Christ, born of the Spirit. And it reminds us that there will come an end. An end to the age. And the Son of Man will see that there is a harvest. And there will be a separation of the wheat and the weeds. A similar parallel is also found in Matthew 13, beginning in verse 47. The same chapter, verse 47, the parable of the net. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and set down and sorted the good into the containers, but threw away the bad. So what will be at the close of the age? The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Bible speaks of the gospel age, and there will be a close to it, and there will be a separation. Now, one thing that is not yet prominent in the parables is the identity of the one who will bring all the closing into effect. He has his servants doing the reaping and his servants doing the sorting. But in other parables of Jesus, it begins to be more clear. Turn with me to Luke's Gospel, chapter 19. This one, the central character, represents the Lord Jesus Christ who will return. In Luke chapter 19, there's this parable. It involves an amount of money called a mina. The ten minas beginning in verse 11. As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said, therefore, a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas and said to them, engage in business until I come. But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, we do not want this man to reign over us. When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him saying, Lord, your mina has made 10 minas more. And he said to him, well done, good servant. Because you've been faithful and of very little, you shall have authority over 10 cities. And the second came saying, Lord, your mina has made five minas. And he said to him, you are to be over five cities. Then came another, saying, Lord, here is your miner, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief. For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. He, the Lord, said to him, I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. then why did he not put my money in the bank? And at my coming I might have collected it with interest. And he said to those who stood by, take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten. And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas. I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me. Through this parable, you can see that there will come a time of accounting when the Lord, the Master, the One who has the Kingdom, returns. There's a similar parable to this in Matthew 25 called the parable of talents. We won't read through it, but there's a similar accounting, a personal accounting to the Lord. Matthew 25 does also tell us about the parable of the ten virgins. And there in that parable, they're waiting for the bridegroom to come, the wedding to begin with his arrival. And those that were attendant had their lamps. And the arrival was late in the evening, and some who had not attended their lamps had no oil. When the cry went up, here is the bridegroom, they were unprepared, and they missed out. The Lord himself alludes to his return in his parables, trying to warn us and to equip us to be ready for that day. Does the Lord ever speak directly about His return? Yes, He does. He gives us some direct discourse about His second coming. Through these parables you can see the picture of what will happen in the end, but Jesus also spoke directly of His own return. Let me take you first to John 14. The first few verses of John 14 speak of Our Lord's going away into heaven in His return. And these things He spoke to them on that night in which He was betrayed. John 14 verse 1, Let your hearts not be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also." John 14, 3. I will come again. The Lord is explicit. Trying to give His disciples comfort at the time of His pardons. The major teaching of our Lord at the end times and on His return is in a place called the Olivet Discourse. Beginning in Matthew 24 and carrying over to Matthew 25 where some of those parables are that we mentioned. In Matthew 24, we see that the Lord's teaching begins with this simple question in verse 3. As He came and sat on the Mount of Olives, that's why it's called the Olivet Discourse. He's on the Mount of Olives. those final days of his time with his disciples, they came to him privately saying, tell us, when will these things be? About the last days. When will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the close of the age? That initial question brings forth Christ's response. They asked the question because they had been learning the parables. They asked the question because they understood the teaching. I will return for you. I will come again. And they want to know when. They want to put it in their planner. They want to be ready. I'm sure we would ask the exact same question. Jesus answered them in the chapter Unfolds. He begins to tell them about many imitators and false Christs who will come. The fact that others will appear and say, I'm Jesus who's returned, tells us implicitly that the first Christians expected the return of Christ. When you get down to verse 30 of chapter 24 of Matthew, you see explicitly from the lips of Jesus, then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." He speaks, not in a parable. He speaks directly. He uses the name for himself, Son of Man. But he says, at that time when these things happen, the nations will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. And by the way, the clouds of heaven aren't Clumio, Clumino, whatever the name of those big puffy clouds are. Nimbus clouds? Where's a science teacher when I need one? And it's not the cirrus clouds that are up high. The clouds that the Bible speaks of with the second coming of Christ, the radiant glory, the Shekinah glory that once filled the temple. Do you remember that language when the Shekinah filled the temple and it was like clouds of glory? That's what we'll attend. the second coming of Christ. The Olivet Discourse continues. There's a little bit more information here in verse 36. Jesus reminds us, "...but concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father only." So He says, I am coming. There will be some signs of the times and it will be a sure deal, but you don't know the day and you don't know the hour. And finally, from Matthew 25, verse 31, there was the ongoing assumption from this Olivet Discourse. In verse 35, when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another. When the Second Coming happens, these things will also happen. It is implicit there, as Jesus teaches further, not only that he's coming back, but what will happen then. There will be a time of judgment. So from the life of Jesus, his parables, and from his discourse in John and in Matthew, we see him teaching the return of the Son of Man. He will come again. And further in the New Testament, we could look at all the apostolic teaching, the letters of the Bible. Why are we taking great pains to show you all these different Scriptures? Well, because we often marginalize the Second Coming of Christ. We think the most important thing is simply the Gospel, simply the commands of how to live and what to do, what not to do. We forget that so much of that takes its significance from the fact that Christ is coming again. It is a motivational factor. Why should I strive to rediscover holiness? Why should I be praying for the lost? Well, there's going to be a day when you won't be able to change their destiny when Christ appears in the sky. We need to understand how important it is throughout the whole of the Bible that we keep that future coming of Christ in mind. So let me walk you through a little bit of the Gospels. Let me walk you through maybe six or seven verses from the letters and we'll build the case. The rest of the Bible say much about the second coming of Christ. Yes, it did. And if you can't write to keep up with me, I can certainly give you the references. We begin in the book of Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 1 verse 11 is where we're headed. After Dr. Luke gives his introduction in verses 1 through 5, it begins to talk about the ascension of Christ. Let me begin in verse 9. When He, Jesus, had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into the heaven as He went, behold, two men, these are angels, two men stood by them in white robes and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven. Acts 1.11 Just as Jesus had a bodily ascension into heaven, so too He will come back. He will be visible. You'll be able to trace His trajectory in the sky. It might be a little harder to look at with all the glory of heaven fresh upon Him and a great host round about Him in the clouds of glory, but it will be like his ascension, his return. Let's turn to some of the letters. 1 Corinthians 4. Dr. Luke speaks of the Second Coming. So does Paul as he writes to the Corinthians. In the midst of chapter 4, we pull out verse 5. He's telling them to behave in a particular way. He says, "...do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God." Paul understands that the final judgment comes from God. When Christ returns will be a day of judgment. Paul's assuming that in 1 Corinthians 4, verse 5. Let's turn to Paul's writing to the Thessalonians, our text from the beginning of the message, 1 Thessalonians 4. This isn't the first in the list of epistles in the Bible, is it? There's Romans and then Corinthians. But 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians were two of the earliest letters that Paul had actually written. So in terms of date, these are some of the first things that Paul wrote. And in 1 Thessalonians 4.16, we read this. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. Christ will return. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 2 You yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The question being addressed here in 1 and 2 Thessalonians was this. We have become Christians, Paul, and yet some of us have died and the Lord said He was coming back. He'll come for me if I'm alive, but what about my brothers and sisters in Christ if they've died and Christ returns? Are they going to get left behind? There's a good book title for you, huh? This is a whole different matter. These early Christians were concerned. We've got dear sister here and dear brother in Christ there and they've passed away. We've buried them, Paul. And Christ doesn't return. What if He comes tomorrow? And they, dare I say it, they missed the boat. They were worried. They were concerned. And Paul says no. Don't worry about it. If someone who is a Christian has fallen asleep, and that's a euphemism. You know what a euphemism is? If you don't know, ask your parents. It's a nice way of saying that someone has died. And they're laid in the grave like we might lay someone in a bed. And it's used particularly when Christians speak in the Bible because we know that they're going to get up someday from that bed. But Paul says, those who sleep will rise first at the second coming. They will arise first, so don't worry about them. They will not miss Jesus when he comes again. That is so exciting. And he speaks comfort to them, both in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. Let's look at a verse or two, 2 Thessalonians, just a page away. Chapter 1, verse 7. As we continue to see that the apostles taught the second coming of Christ. Thessalonians 1, 7 uses the phrase, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. And again in chapter 1, verse 10, when he comes on that day. They speak with a certainty. Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 2.1, not concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me tell you more about it, Paul says. It's going to happen. Let's be ready. Then if you turn past Timothy to Titus, Paul's letter to Titus, a wonderful passage. And I encourage you, if you're not sure what spiritually you might read on this last day of the year, as you approach New Year's Eve, if you're looking for a place in the Bible to read, I would read through 1 and 2 Thessalonians. It's a great place in the Bible to gain perspective, or read through Titus. In Titus 2, verse 13, Paul is speaking to Titus and says that those who are living in this present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2.13 speaks of the second coming of Christ. And by the way, this is a good verse to underline, too, because the Bible calls Jesus God in this verse. So if you ever run up to a Jehovah Witness and say, Jesus isn't Jehovah, Jesus isn't God, well, there are plenty of verses, and this is one of the most explicit in the Greek. Don't let them do any dancing around. It's plain. Paul calls Jesus God in this verse. Okay, a couple more verses on the Second Coming. Hebrews 9. Notice that many of the words for His coming, it's either His coming or His appearing. That's what we have here in Hebrews 9, verse 28. So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. So here what's great about Hebrews 9.28 is it speaks of both comings. The first coming of Christ was to lay down his life as a sacrifice for sin for his people, the good shepherd. The second coming does not have the same purpose. It is to come for those who already have faith in Christ. It's not a second chance. to trust Christ. When He appears in the clouds, there isn't going to be a sermon, there isn't going to be a call to repent and believe. He's going to appear and He's going to say, get over there or get over here. I hate to be that blunt, but that's a summary of what the Bible teaches. You can't wait and say, oh, when He comes, I'll flip to this passage and know what to do. It will be too late. That day is a day of judgment. A day of welcome for His own, but a day of judgment for those who are not His own. Those goats are not going to stay in the flock. It's just the sheep. The weeds are going to get pulled up and burned. They're not going to be changed into wheat. This is the Gospel age, my friend. The door is wide open in this season. But on that day, it will close. If you're not familiar with the parable of the ten virgins, the five that don't get in, don't get in. The door is closed and will not be opened. That's the way the Bible speaks. Is God being fair? My friends, we've had two thousand years of gospel. The message has come to you how many times? Those of you who know, how many times have they heard this message? Perhaps you won't be alive when Christ comes. Perhaps you will go to Him first. Will you be ready? When your death comes, that's the end of your opportunity. We've seen some deaths in the news recently. A couple of American people that are well-known, President Ford. Who's the other guy? James Brown. He's a character. He had a profession of faith in Christ of some sort. President Ford was a praying, God-fearing man. That's very clear from his life. I don't know all his theology. Then there was another death in Baghdad just hours ago. And if you're one of these internet people, you can find some video of those last hours and see what happened. I can't translate what was read, but it didn't look pleasant. A man crying out as a noose is placed around his neck, trusting in Muhammad. He will stand and give an account to his maker. Whether Christ returns or takes us home, that day is a day of judgment. A few other verses. We've shown you how Paul writes of the Second Coming of Christ. Dr. Luke mentions it. And the writer of Hebrews, who we're not sure who the writer of Hebrews is. He mentions the Second Coming. So does James, and so does Peter, and so does John. Let's finish the case, the evidence. Let's put it before us. First, James chapter 5 verse 8. James 5 verse 8. You also be patient, writes James, the brother of our Lord. Be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." James believed it. James used the reality of the return of Christ to instruct other believers, to encourage them to patience, to preparation. Peter also speaks of the return of the Lord in 1 Peter 5, verse 4. He's been speaking to the elders to shepherd the flock of God that's in their care to do it kindly. Peter knew a lot about that. Jesus commissioned him to feed his lambs. Chapter 5, verse 4, he says, when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Paul exhorts leaders to lead in a certain way because the number one leader of the church, the great shepherd, the chief shepherd will return. And you want to be. in His favor when He comes. You want to have done a good job. So, Peter explicitly knows of the return of Christ. Even in 2 Peter 3.10, you read a reference as Peter writes in 2 Peter 3.10, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved in the earth, and the works that are done in them will be exposed. The return of Christ is the end of this age and the dawning of the new heavens and the new earth. And yes, John's letters in the book of Revelation teach about the second coming. 1 John 2, verse 28. He's writing to believers and calls them little children. He was pretty old. St. John wrote, And now, little children, abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink back from him in shame at his coming. Oh, what a powerful verse. He's coming. Abide in Him now. Trust in Him. Depend on His grace. Strive for holiness. Walk in step with the Spirit. Do all of that so that when He does appear, you'll have confidence and not shrink back in shame. As a father of seven children, I've caught most of them at one time or another with their hand in the cookie jar. You can see it in their eyes like a deer caught in the headlights. How did you know? A parent's ears can hear the cookie jar. They're caught and they're ashamed at my appearance because they didn't ask. Would you want to be one of the professing children of God? To have the glory of Christ break into the day and catch you doing what you're doing? or not doing what you should be. God sees all that we're doing all the time. But we sometimes tune that out. But one day there'll be a glory and a spotlight. If every eye can see Him, He'll see us on that day and at His appearing, what will you be doing? What will you be looking at on the computer? What will you be thinking about? Will you be daydreaming? Will you be devising ways to serve and satisfy the idols of your own heart? Or will you be faithful? to Christ at that hour, prepared, savoring His Word, trusting His Word, praising Him. Will He show up and say, oh, you know, I didn't have my quiet times this week, it's not a good week. Whatever. We want not to be ashamed. So John writes, as a parent to spiritual children, chapter 3, verse 2, he also makes reference, when He appears, we shall be like Him. It's not if, but when He appears. In the very first and last chapters of the book of Revelation, you can tell we're done with our survey when we get to Revelation. The first chapter and the last chapter both speak of the second coming of Christ. Revelation 1 verse 7. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so, amen. He is coming. Everybody's going to see Him, whether they want to or not. In the very last chapter of the book of Revelation, chapter 22, in verse 20, right near the very end, We read these words. He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming soon. Amen! Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! I am coming soon. Friends, do you now have a fresh picture of how important it is to be looking for the return of Christ? not to be trying to set the day and the hour, not to draw charts and just study it, but to know it and to be oriented around it, that you be not ashamed on that day. The Bible speaks. Jesus speaks. His servants speak about the second coming of Christ. Let me give you a few words about when it will happen and what it will be like. We're convinced that it's going to happen. Here's the when and the what. And I've already said that no one knows the exact day but God alone. Consider the following signs. The Bible gives some signs. Here's four. Number one, it will happen after the increase of iniquity and tribulation. Matthew 24 speaks of that. The increase of tribulation. There will be hard times at the end. Secondly, it will happen after the spread of the Gospel to all nations. Matthew 24, verse 14. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. Matthew 24, verse 14. The Gospel going to all nations? That job is almost done. Not quite, but almost. We have people in Papua New Guinea, in far-off places, translating the Bible so that they can preach Jesus Christ. And the nations here doesn't just refer to our 250-so geopolitical groupings, but the people groups, the language groups, of which there are thousands. There are Christians, missiologists who count those. And we're closing in on speaking to every tribe and tongue about the gospel. It's an exciting work, and I think it will be done. in my lifetime. Well, if I live a little longer. It's close to being done. A third event that the Scriptures tell us about, it comes from Romans 11.25, the call of God to the Gentiles. In 11.25 of Romans, it speaks of this phrase, all Israel will be saved. We don't have time to unfold it, but I believe it speaks of a revival among ethnic Jews. It's not speaking of spiritual Israel at that point, I don't think. We will actually see a revival. People of Jewish heritage will convert and understand Jesus as their Messiah. And we'll see a fullness of that, unlike any revival we've seen yet. So we're watching and praying for that. And a fourth sign to consider as to when the return of Christ will happen. That is the fourth one. First one was iniquity and tribulation. Second, the spread of the gospel to all nations. Third, the calling of God to Gentiles. That's Romans 11.25. Romans 11.26 is the conversion of the full number of Israel. You can read other books. I commend to you a work by Anthony Hockma about the Bible in the future. He has eight different signs. He groups them as to evidence of God's grace, the proclamation of the gospel, the salvation of the Jews, He has some signs under the title, Opposition to God, Tribulation, Apostasy, and the Antichrist Appearing. He also speaks of signs of judgments, wars, earthquakes, and famine. There are signs that point to that day, but we don't know the exact day. And these are events that happen between the first advent and the second advent. So it's a big space of time. But these signs could be accomplished. in our lifetime. What will the Second Coming be like when that day dawns, Pastor? What will happen? The Bible's information is very clear on several points. When Christ's return, it will be first personal, and then visible. Personal. Acts 1.11, we spoke of that. He will come back even as you saw Him go. With your eyes, you saw a body go into the heavens. into the sky, with your eyes you will see a body come back. It's personal. It will be the body of Jesus Christ. So it's personal and it's visible. 1 Thessalonians tells us it's visible. Revelation 1.7 tells us it's visible. Everybody's going to be watching. Third, it will be sudden and unexpected. 1 Thessalonians 5 used the phrase what? A thief in the night. If you know what night the thief is coming, you can just wait up with a baseball bat. But we don't know when they're coming. You don't know the exact day of the Lord Jesus Christ's return. It will be sudden. It will be unexpected. And you will be surprised, but the Bible says that you ought not to be ashamed. It will be a pleasant surprise. Not hand in the cookie jar, I hope, but rather doorbell, you've just won Publishers Clearing House. That kind of surprise. Something even better. A surprise without shame. And as one preacher said, many will be surprised, but none will be mistaken. It will be Christ. Another part of the how he will return, it will be personal, visible, sudden. It will be final. There is a teaching, Chileanism, that speaks of a second advent. It involves rapturing out some people. Some stuff happens and he comes back a third time. It doesn't appear to be taught in the Bible. There's no third advent in that way. When he comes, he sits on the throne. When he comes, he judges. When he comes, he separates. But another characteristic will be it will be glorious. It will be personal and visible. It will be glorious. It will be unlike anything a human being's seen before. It will surpass the glory revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration. James Packer tells us, though some of the details Paul gives us have symbolic significance, the trumpet, the clouds, he seems to be speaking literally. And the fact that what he describes is beyond our power to imagine should not stop us from taking him at his words that this is how it will be. Christ will appear. There'll be trumpets. There'll be sound and sight. And oh, what a sight. So friends, prepare yourselves in these four ways. Number one, know that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Know now the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't wait to meet Him on that day. That's not a day for repenting and meeting. That's a day for welcoming Him as Lord. If you are a Christian now, that's the way to be. The best way to prepare is to know Jesus Christ today, without a doubt, that you've been born again, that you know who He is, and that He knows you. Sometimes we're not certain about those things. We've gone to church. We've always loved God. We just don't know absolutely that we're a Christian. You need to speak about that with someone, with a pastor, with an elder, with a parent, with someone who you know is a Christian. Talk to them and say, I just want to be sure. This is what I believe. This is my experience with God. Am I a Christian in your opinion? And then you open the Bible together and find the answer. You can have assurance that you are a Christian. You don't have to be on the fence. You don't have to lose sleep over this, my friends. There are ways to know. The most important thing is to know today. Second way to prepare is to know the truth about His return and be ready. Will you be found faithful at that time? You know He's coming. Don't be caught unawares. Be ready. Number three, know the truth and be encouraged. Some of us that have lived long enough, we've said goodbye to some friends. Some have said goodbye to spouses. This is a world of grief and tears. This world, even as the one hymn we selected, it seems like the wrong is strong and there is no peace on earth. But God can be taken at his word, be encouraged. This world is not all there is. There's a world to come. It's God's house. There's room for all in Christ. Be joyful. Be productive. Be holy. Be encouraged. Somebody said there are two types of Christians. There's the gazers and the goers. The angels in Acts 1 had to rebuke the gazers. Oh, he's looking at us. He's going up that way. They would probably still be there looking into the clouds if somebody hadn't said, OK, you've got a commission. You've got something to do. Be a goer. Be a doer, not just a gazer. And that's not what this message is about, to make us gazers. Finally, be hopeful. Know the truth about the second coming. Be hopeful. The word hope is linked to the second coming of Christ dozens of times. You want to know what hope is about? It's about Jesus coming back. Coming back for his own. My friends, I thank you for your patience, and I trust that God will take this teaching from the Bible and provide for you and your hope and your encouragement and anchor a fact, a hope in Christ's return. Let's pray. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we do thank You for the knowledge of the Gospel, that Your Word opens to us how to be right with You. And we thank You, too, that You have not left us to wander endlessly. that there will be a conclusion to life in this world, and that will come when Christ returns. May we, with much anticipation, with much hope and joy, look for that blessed return of our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose second coming our bodies will be taken up into heaven, tears will be wiped away, and joy will be ours forevermore. Make us ready. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.