The Predictions about the End, Part 3

I can't think of a better topic to talk about today as we prepare our hearts for the Lord's table than the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord.

It was the Apostle Paul who said in 1 Corinthians 11:2 that as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. We live in anticipation of what the Lord is about to do. We live in anticipation based on what He said in the past. What he said in the present, and what he said about the future. We live in anticipation because of what he said in the past. I've told you this before, but maybe you've forgotten that the very first prophecy given by man to man Was not about the first coming of the Messiah.

The very first prophecy given. From God to man. Genesis 3:15 was a prophecy about the arrival of the Messiah, Messiah, who would crush the serpent's head. But the very first prophecy from man to man was not about the first coming.

It was about the second coming. How do we know that? Well, the book of Jude tells us, verse number 14, what it says. And about these also Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came. With many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds. which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. That prophecy by Enoch was the first prophecy from man to man, and it was about the second coming of the Messiah, not his first coming.

He's coming to execute judgment, and he says. The Lord came. Maybe your text says the Lord cometh. Well, properly translated as the New American Standard does. The Lord came. It's spoken as if it has already happened because it is a sure event, it's going to take place. So we live in anticipation based on what was said in the past by Enoch as he prophesied concerning the second coming of the Messiah to execute judgment upon all.

The ungodly. Number two, we live in anticipation because of what he said in the present. That's over in Revelation chapter 1, verse number 1. It says, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his bonds, the things which must shortly take place. And he sent and communicated it by his angel to the bonds John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear. The words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is next.

Maybe your translation says near. Proper translation would be: the time is next. This is next on the agenda. What the Lord God said to the Apostle John is recorded for us to read about. the arrival of the Messiah and the blessing attached to that. There is a great blessing for those who read the words of this prophecy, who hear the words of this prophecy, and who heed the words of this prophecy. If you're here today and you come to hear the words about the prophecy of the second coming, you are blessed.

If you read about the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, you are blessed. But if you do the words of the prophecy, Concerning the Messiah, you are blessed. In fact, at the end of Revelation, Revelation chapter 22. These words are spoken. Revelation chapter 22, verse number 7. And behold, I come quickly, blessed is he. Who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book? Again, a blessing. So, the book of Revelation all centered around the arrival of the Messiah the second time.

Is booke with blessing concerning reading, hearing, and heating, and ends with reading, hearing, and Heeding the words of God. The blessing comes to those who understand the second coming of the Messiah.

And then you have to realize that in the future, The blessing that's going to be for Israel, and what God is going to do in their lives. That God has a special place for them. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122, verse number 6, because we pray that during the time of the arrival of the Messiah. There will be peace in Jerusalem. And we know that there's not peace even as we speak today. There's that war that's going on as Israel is going to attack. Hamas in the Gaza Strip to destroy all those tunnels that are there because they want peace in their land.

They want peace in their city. But we also know what's going to happen when the Messiah comes again. And over in Zach chapter 12, these words are spoken in verse number 10. And I, says the Lord God Jehovah, will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on me whom they have pierced. The question comes, when did Is pierce the Lord God Jehovah? God is a spirit. A spirit cannot be pierced. So you ask a Jew, how in the world can you pierce the Lord God Jehovah?

Because he says, You will look on me in whom you have pierced. And then it says, And they will mourn for him. Who's that? That's the son. They will mourn for him because the son is God, as one who mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him, like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. And in verse number one of chapter 13, in that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for imp.

You have to understand that the 12th article of the Jewish Creed reads as follows: I belie with a perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. And though he tarry, I will wait daily for his coming. An Orthodox Jew will quote that every single day. He is waiting eagerly, anticipating the arrival of the Messiah. Now we know that the Messiah is going to come a second time.

He's already been here. But when we look at Zach 12, verse number 10, we know they will look on him and whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him.

They will mourn for him as they mourn. Over the loss of an only son, and God will open up a fountain of blessing, and they will. Respond. It says in verse 7 of chapter 13, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd. That's God's shepherd, the Lord God of Israel's shepherd. All the shepherds of Israel had done a pathetic job of representing the Holy God to their people. And the Lord God says, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd and against the man.

What man? Not a normal man, but a mighty man, the God man. My associate. In Hebrew, it's my equal. There's going to be a man who's going to be the equal of me. And how can you be the equal of God unless you are God? The shepherd of God is God. And it says these words. Declares the Lord of hosts, strike the shepherd, and the sheep may scatter, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. And it will come about in all the land, declares the Lord, that two parts in it will be cut off and perish, but the third will be left in.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested.

They will call on my name, and I will answer them, and I will say, They are my people, and they will say, The Lord is my God. We live in anticipation of the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the arrival the second time of the Messiah.

Listen to what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. The Thessalonian church was a church that anticipated the arrival of the Messiah. It says in verse 9 of 1 Thessalonians 1: For they themselves rep about us what kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven. Whom he raised from the dead, that is Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. The church at Thessalonic was it was a church that lived in anticipation.

The word wait means to wait with anticipation, to wait eagerly, to wait with excitement. There's something they look forward to and that was the arrival of their Messiah the second time.

They lived in anticipation. In fact, every chapter closes with something about the arrival of the Messiah. It says in chapter 2, verse number 19: For who is our hope, or? Or joy or crown of exaltation? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Chapter three, it says. So that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints. Chapter 4 closes with that long exhortation about the translation of the church into glory and how we are to comfort one another with these words because we're going into the presence of God.

In chapter 5, verse number 23, it says, Now may the God of peace him sanctify you entirely and preserve you completely without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful as he who calls you, who also will bring it to pass. We live in anticipation. The question comes for me and for you is: how come I don't live? In anticipation. Just let me throw something out for you as food for thought.

When we gather together in the month of December, there is a celebration. There is a celebration of the first ad, the first coming of the Messiah.

How you view and understand that celebration determines your anticipation of the second advent. Your celebration of the first Advent and what it means when we partake of the Lord's table and celebrate his coming, what he did when he arrived.

Your celebration of the first Advent determines your anticipation for the second Advent. And your anticipation for the second advent determines your motivation in every event through life.

So if you're not motivated, the greatest cure for lethargy, the greatest cure for apathy, is the second coming of the Messiah.

If you're a boring person, if you're a depressed person, if you're a dry person, the problem is not your anticipation, it's the celebration of the first Advent.

It all stems back to the arrival of the Messiah and what that means to us today. And how we understand that when he came, he came to die for you and me. He died for you and me on that cross. He bore your sin in his body, my sin in his body. He rose again, the victor over sin and Satan and death. He's coming again. So we live in celebration of the first ad, which allows us to live in anticipation of the second ad, which allows us to live.

In motivation through every event that we face, because we know that Jesus is coming again. And that's what the church of Th, that's how they live their lives. They li as if he was coming today. Listen, a worship church is a waiting church. You worship excited when you wait expectantly. If you're not waiting for Christ expectantly, that you are expecting to come at any moment, your worship will be dull. It will be dry. But for those in Thess, their worship was exciting. They were a worship church because they waited expectantly.

For the coming of the Messiah. That's why over in the book of Hebrews, the 10th chapter, it says this: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promises is faithful. And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. And all the more, as you see the day drawing near, why do we want you to come to church? Why do we want you to come and worship God? Because there is a stimulation that happens.

We move one another, we encourage one another, we excite one another about love and good deeds. We gather together to worship the king because in the worship of the king we stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Folks, this is crucial. That's why we encourage you not to miss church. Because when we gather together, it's a time for us as a body to worship the king and to honor the king and to look forward to his arrival again. That's why every first Sunday of the month we gather around the Lord's table because we proclaim his death until he comes.

We are living in anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah. And therefore, we look back in celebration of all that he did when he came the first time.

He died for you and me. And so we live in anticipation. And we are right in the midst of a study in Luke chapter 21 where the disciples would come and they would ask Christ a question: What will be the sign of the end of the age? When will these things take place? And Christ begins to go into this long answer, the longest answer he gives to any question ever asked him, because it is the most important answer to any question ever asked him. Because it all centers around his kingdom. It all centers around the consummation of the age.

It all centers around why there's a story to begin with. There's a story because there's an end to the story. And the end of the story is where we're going. That's what we anticipate. And that's where we need to live our lives in anticipation of the arrival. Of the Messiah of Israel. 1 Corinthians 1: says, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Awaiting eagerly. That's the way the early church was marked. 1 Corinthians 16, 22, Maranatha, translated, oh Lord, come. Why? Because they lived in anticipation of the Lord Himself coming.

In Philippians chapter 3, verse number 20, it says, verse 20 is, for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an eagerness. There is an expectancy. There is an anticipation that marked the early church that we have to ask ourselves: why is it That the modern-day church in the 21st century doesn't live in anticipation, doesn't eagerly await the arrival of the Messiah. Isn't coming together to gather to one another as the day draws near to stimulate one another to love and good deeds because Jesus is coming again.

It is the cure to our lethargy. It is the cure to our apathy. It's what moves us off of the dime. It's what moves us into ministry. It's what keeps us excited in our marriages. It's what keeps us going from day to day that Jesus. Is coming again, and that's how the early church lived. That's why, when they went through all the persecution they went through, and folks, we know nothing. Of the persecution of the early church. We'll talk about this as we go through Luke chapter 21, about the persecution that's going to come upon the church as the day of Christ draws near.

But we understand nothing. As to what the early church understood concerning persecution. But that's what caused them to live in anticipation. Jesus was coming again. He was coming again. That's why over in First, I'm sorry, Second Thessalonians.

Chapter 1. Paul says this, verse 5: This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed. From heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. That's why the Lord God would say. To his men on the eve of the crucifixion, he would say, Let not your heart be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me. For in my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. And I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and I will receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Those were the words of comfort that Christ gave to the troubled souls of the apostles. Because those are really, truly the only words that bring comfort. There is a dwelling place in the house of God that He's prepared for you and for me.

And he's coming to take us home to be with him in that place. That's the comfort for the troubled soul. Listen, you can try to find your comfort someplace else, you're not going to find it. It's only in the scriptures. That's why the Bible says in Psalm 97 that when my anxious thoughts overwhelm me, thy consolations delight my soul.

When I am so overwhelmed by all the things round about me, there's one thing that delights my soul. That's the consolations, the encouragement that God gives through His Word. And what's that ultimate encouragement? That Jesus is com again. We live for that. And that's why this passage of Luke 21 is so crucial to us. It's so important for us to understand. It's so important for us to grasp. Because the early church lived in anticipation. They eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Messiah. They waited expectantly for the imminent return of Jesus Christ our Lord.

And that's what needs to govern our lives. That's what causes us to live for the glory of the king. Listen, if you live in anticipation of the second ad, it's because you understand the celebration of the first ad.

You do. You get it. You get why Jesus came. You understand your sinful life. You understand that He redeemed you from your sin. And now you can't wait to be with Him forever. That's why Paul said in 2 Timothy chapter 4, we. Long for the coming of the king because of the crown of righteousness that we will receive. There's a longing for him. There's a loving of him. There's a living for him. It's all about the believer who understands why it is Jesus came the first time.

That's why I can't think of a better message to introduce to us the Lord's table than this one. Because unless you understand the celebration of the first Advent, you will not live in anticipation of the second Advent.

And if you do not live. In anticipation of the second advent, there will be no motivation for you to live in every event.

This is the way it works. It 's the way God designed it. We look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord. And so, in our study of Luke 21, we've given you a broad spectrum. We've tried to help you understand what's going on so that you are able to understand as we go through word by word and verse by verse. What Jesus says to his men concerning the end of the age, and what will be the sign of his presence among them?

They want to know the answer, they want to be able to grasp the answer. And so, in our effort to answer as Jesus answers, we are giving you a broad spectrum. We told you two weeks ago that the person of God demands that He come again. The person of God. We looked at the tidings of the Father. That's the Old Testament. We looked at the teachings of the Son. That's in the Gospels. And then we looked at the The testimony of the Spirit in the epistles. So the tri nature of God all agrees. That's why the person of God demands that He comes again.

And then we told you that the purposes of God determine when he comes again. The purposes of God determine when he comes again. And we gave you three. Aspects: There was the rapture of the church, there was the retribution upon the nations, and there was the redemption of Israel. Okay? So the purposes of God determine when He comes again. There's going to be the rapture of the church, there's going to be retribution upon the nations of the world, and there is going to be the redemption of Israel because that's exactly as God promised it.

Purpose of God. That's the plan of God. So, to understand all those things helps you come to grips with the fact that Jesus is coming again. We live in anticipation of those things. So the person of God demands he returns. The purposes of God determine when he returns. And then the priority of God will deliver his return. That's point number three.

We haven't covered that one yet. The priority of God delivers his return, and that falls into three categories as well. Number one, the vindication and exaltation of his son.

The vindication and exaltation of the Son. You need to understand this because the world, the last time the world saw Christ, they saw him hanging on a tree. Beaten, bloodied beyond recognition. But that's not the end of the story. That's just the beginning of the end. And the Lord God of Israel is going to make sure that the world sees his Son in all of his splendor and all of his glory. So there's the vindication and the exaltation of the Son of God. He will be seen in all of his splendor. Let me show you how that's explained in the scripture.

Go back with me to Psalm 22 for a moment. Psalm 22. In Psalm 22, we have a prophecy concerning the death of the Messiah. It says in verse number 16, For dogs have surrounded me, a band of evild has encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me. They divide my garments among them. And for my clothing, they cast lots. That all happened at the first arrival of the Messiah when he was crucified at the base of Mount Calvary.

Then it says in verse number 27, these words: All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he rules over the nations. That hasn't happened yet, but it will. And all throughout the Old Testament, you have a combination of the first coming and the second coming.

Yes, the Son was given. Yes, the child is born. But the government is yet to be upon his shoulders. But it will happen. Isaiah 61 tells us that he came to proclaim the favorable year of our Lord. He came to release the prisoners from their captivity. But the day of vengeance has yet to appear, and yet it will come. It will happen exactly as was prophesied because the sun will be vindicated. The sun will be exalted. Let me show you how this happens in the New Testament.

In the book of Matthew, Christ is before Caiaphas. We'll cover this at great length when we look at the trials of Jesus.

In verse 57, it says, And those who had seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. And they gathered together, and it says in verse number 6: They spat in his face and beat him with their fists. And others slapped him and said, Prophesy to us, you Christ, who is the one who hits you? That's how the world remembers the Messiah. But remember what he said to Caiaphas. He said, The high priest said to him in verse number 63, I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.

And Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself. Nevertheless, I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. You will see this. This will happen. It was a promise of the Messiah. Go back with me to Revelation chapter one. Revelation chapter 1, verse number 7. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, amen. L, the coming of Christ will be visible, will be vengeful, and will be victorious.

That's what Revelation 1:7 tells us. Every eye will see him. Because as the light shines from the lightning goes from the east to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. The book of Luke and Matthew and Mark all tell us about how the glory of the Lord will appear and every eye will see him. That's why he says in Luke chapter 21, listen, don't be misled by those who say, I am. I am the Messiah. Don't be misled by those people. Don't be misled by those who say, There is the Christ. Oh, there he is.

Because you don't have to wonder whether or not. I'm here because every eye will see me. It will be extremely visible. Not only will it be visible, it will be vengeful. It will be vengeful. But it will ultimately be victorious because I am the over. So we live in anticipation. Because when Christ comes back again in all of his splendor, in all of his glory, in all of his beauty, in all of his brightness, It will be to set up his kingdom. So everybody will know that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

And Paul said, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Taken right from Isaiah chapter 45. Where the Lord God Jehovah says, every knee will bow to me. Because it will. See, that's how that's that's That's the priority of God. That everybody sees Christ for who he really is. That everybody understands who Christ really is. And therefore, the vindication and the exaltation of the Son is a priority. Listen, the destruction and annihilation of Satan is also his priority.

Listen, Satan has free run on the earth. Does he not? He's the prince of the power of the air. The Bible says these words in the book of John, John.

Chapter 12, verse number 31, he's the prince of this world. 2 Corinthians 4, he's the God of this age. 1 John 5:19, the whole world lies in the lap of the evil one. He is the classic usurper. So Christ has to deal with that. And he will. He will. Revelation 5, verse number 1. Revelation 5, verse number 1. And I saw on the right hand of him who sat on the throne a book written inside. And on the back, sealed up with seven seals. Now, you've got to remember that in Roman law, when they sealed something, they would roll it and seal it, roll it again, seal it, roll it again, seal it, roll it again, seal it Seven times.

It was the number of perfection, and that's how they would seal their letters. And so John sees in the right hand of the Lord God of Israel a scroll that's been sealed seven times. With writing on the front and writing on the back. And it says, And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. And I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it.

And one of the elders said to me, Stop weeping. Behold, the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome, so as to open the book and its seven seals. Isn't it interesting that the Bible says, stop weeping, stop worrying, stop being anxious.

Don't do that. Don't do it. Why? Because the answer is the arrival of the king. The king's coming. Don't you cry, John. It's all taken care of. There's only one who's worthy. It's a lion in the tribe of Judah. It's the Son of God. It's the Son of David. That's the one who is worthy. And he is going to come and he is going to defeat Satan. He's first of all going to dis Satan, and then he's going to detain Satan, and then he's going to defeat Satan.

He's going to come and disarm him. Revelation chapter 20 says it this way. And I saw an angel coming down from heaven. Having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who was the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and threw him into the abyss. and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years was completed. After these things he must be released for a short time.

Listen, he was disarmed. At Calvary. He will be detained briefly for a thousand years. But he will be defeated throughout all eternity. For the Bible says in Revel 20, verse number 7: And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released.

From his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war. The number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the bel city. And fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil. Who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

See, God has a plan. In that plan, there's a priority to that plan. There comes the vindication and exaltation of a son, the destruction and annihilation of all of Satan's influence in this world. To throw him into the lake of fire. And there he will be for all eternity. And then, thirdly, there is the expect and the anticipation.

Of the saints. That's a priority to God. God doesn't make a promise and say, you know, I think I changed my mind. I'm not sure I'm going to do it quite like that anymore. God never changes his mind. He doesn't have to change his mind. Because he always knows what he's going to do. He always knows what he's going to do. He's in charge. He doesn't say, you know, I know you guys are expecting me to come back, but you know, I think I'm going do it just a little bit differently than what you thought I was going to do.

I changed my mind. No. God is going to fulfill the expectation and the anticipation. Of the saints. He knows we long for him. That's why I love in Revelation chapter 6. when it talks about the fifth seal. It says in verse number nine, and when he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained. These are martyred souls during the tribulation period. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

That little phrase, those who dwell on the earth, great phrase. It's used ten times in the book of Revelation. Always referring to the unbeliever, never to the believer. They are earth dwellers. All ten times in the book of Revelation, it's a phrase that is used to describe all the unbelievers. Okay? And so these martyr tribulational saints are saying, How long, oh Lord, will you avenge our blood? How long until you come again? How long until it's all taken care of? How long, oh Lord? How long? Because they live.

And anticipation of the glorious kingdom of God ruling over all. They long for the vindication of the sun. They long for the annihilation of Satan's influence. They long for all that. How long, O Lord? And so do we. How long, O Lord, till you come again? That's why, in six times in the book of Revelation, Christ says, behold.

I come quickly because he wants us to live in anticipation of his coming. He wants us to be marked by an eagerness, he wants us to be marked by a longing. That yes, he's coming again and to live expectantly, live anticipating his arrival. And my prayer for you and for me is that that's how we would live our lives every single day. But I'm telling you, it goes back to the celebration of the first Advent.

See, Christmas is not an event you celebrate in December. It's something you celebrate all year long. Every day is Christmas. Every day is a celebration of the first Advent.

So I have trees in my office, Christmas trees in my office, all decorated. It's a reminder of the birth of Christ. Listen, no birth, no death. No death, no life for you and me. It's a celebration of life. So I live in the celebration of the first ad, which allows me to live in anticipation of the second ad.

Because of what he did, I can't wait till he comes again. That's how I live my life. That's how all of us need to live our lives, which allows us to have the motivation we need for every event in life, no matter what it is. Because our motivation comes not from what we see, but from what we don't see. Our motivation comes from the belief that Jesus is coming again. And that's how we live our lives. And that's why when you look at the end of Revelation, Revelation 22, the invitation is given.

And the incentives for the invitation are also given. This is how the Bible closes, okay? This is how it ends. There is this invitation, verse 17. And the spirit and the bride say, Come, and let the one who hears say, Come, and let the one who is thirsty, come, and let the one who wishes take the water of life. Without cost. That's the invitation. Come. You got to come. You got to give your life to the Messiah. Why? Simply because of the identity of that Messiah. Who he is. It tells us, I Jesus have sent my angel, verse 16, to testify to you these things for the churches.

I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star. That's who I am. He says in verse number 12, Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha, the Omega, the first, the last, the beginning and the end.

That's who I am. I am the eternal God. Based on who I am, I am the Son of God. I am the Son of David. I am the Son of Man. Based on who I am, you need to come, come now.

It's based on the identity of the Christ. It's based, number two, on the exclusivity of heaven because heaven isn't for everybody.

Heaven is an exclusive place. It says in verse number 14: Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Unless your robes have been washed, unless you've been cleansed in the blood of the Lamb. That's why there a celebration of the first Advent.

There has to be a cleansing of our sin. And so those whose robes are washed, they're able to enter into heaven's glory. Then it says, verse 15, out. are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the id and everyone who loves and practic lying. That isn't the characteristic, all the characteristics of those outside of heaven. It's just representative of the sinful characteristics of those outside of heaven. It doesn't mean that your dog's not going to heaven. That's not the answer.

Dogs are a euphemism for homosexuality in the book of Deuteronomy. So, if you go back and you read the book of Deuteronomy, you know that dogs represent homosexual people. And so, now you need to understand that heaven is not for everybody, it's a very exclusive place. Why do you come? You come because of the identity of the Messiah. You come because of the exclusivity of heaven. You come. Thirdly, because of the veracity of scripture, it's absolutely true.

It says, I testify, verse 18, to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues. Which are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of the prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree and from the holy city, which are written in this book. Because of the veracity and the finality of the authority of God's holy word, you need to come. And you need to come now.

The identity of the Messiah, the exclusivity of heaven. The only way you get to heaven is if your robes have been cleansed in the blood of the Lamb. No other way. And because of the fin and the veracity of Scripture. And then fourthly, because of the certainty. Of his return. It says, verse 20: He who testifies these things says, Yes, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Why do you come? Because of the certainty of his return. And lastly, because of the availability. Of his grace. What's it say?

Verse 21: The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen. God's grace has been extended. And therefore, how do you save? By grace through faith in Christ alone. It's the grace of God that saves us. And that's why we come to Christ. That's why we talk about the coming of the King. It's a motivation for responding to the invitation that says, come. You're thirsty? Come. You want salvation? Come. For the Spirit and the bride say, come. You need to come. Stop waiting. Come because the day of Christ draws near.

He is coming again. Maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, maybe soon. That's what the song says. We just never know when he's coming, but he is coming. And we need to live in anticipation of his arrival. That's why I can't think of a better sermon to preach when it comes to the Lord's table than a sermon on the second coming of the king.

Because we proclaim his death until he comes again. Let me pray with you. Father, we thank you for today a chance to be in your word. What a joy it is to celebrate who you are and what you've done. Our prayer is for every person here today. They would know for certain that Jesus Christ is their King, their Lord, their Master. And they would have come because of the availability of grace that's been offered and extended to those. Who needs to experience the mercy of God? Pray this in the name of Christ, our soon com King.

Amen.