The 2nd Coming Of Christ - Revelation 22:6-21

We concluded our series in Revelation chapter

Revelation 12 · chapter mention

12. And the last message really focused on the

church waiting between the Advents. The first

Advent or coming of Christ and the second Advent

or coming of Christ. But we also find ourselves

at a particular juncture in time. with the entire

new year ahead of us. So I had a really hard

time moving on from this series without preaching

one more concluding sermon on the second coming

of the Lord Jesus. But I think it's also appropriate

that we focus on that as we have a new year ahead

of us. There are many things which we don't know.

about the future. Right, brothers and sisters?

There are many uncertainties. And there are many

things that we can be distracted in about what

is coming or what is not coming. But we do know

one thing for sure. And that is that the Lord

Jesus Christ will return one day. So I think

it's appropriate that we spend time in this text

and we conclude. In the book of Revelation. That's

what this chapter in chapter 22 is preeminently

about. The return of the Lord Jesus. The second

advent of Christ. The parousia of the Lord. The

return of the Lord. In the Old Testament it was

referred to as the day of the Lord. The time

when Christ will come. Now, when we speak of

the second coming, it's important that we define

our terms. That we define what it is we're talking

about exactly. So when we say the second coming,

or the return of the Lord Jesus, what exactly

are we referring to? What is the book of Revelation?

What is the Bible talking about it? Because it

is an essential doctrine. To be a Christian.

This is actually one of the dividing points between

heresy and orthodoxy. If a person denies the

physical, bodily, personal return of Christ,

they fall into heterodoxy and heresy. They cannot

be called a Christian at that point in time.

Why is this doctrine so vitally essential and

what is it? so that we know what to look for

and what not to look for. Well, when we talk

about the second coming of Christ, we're talking

about the personal, visible, bodily, glorious,

sudden return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The

one who was caught up to God, who exalted and

ascended and was enthroned at the right hand,

who was ruling and reigning, He will come personally

himself. He will not send a representative. He

will not send somebody instead. The Lord Jesus

Christ himself will personally return into history,

into the world. And he will come in a visible

or physical nature or fashion. It will not be

a phantom. It will not be a personal experience.

Christ will physically and visibly enter into

the world once again. And he will come bodily.

If we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ bodily

ascended in the book of Acts, that he bodily

ascended to the right hand of the Father, we

must also believe that he will bodily return

to this world with his glorified body. in glorified

form. And he will come, as we've mentioned so

many times throughout this series, not as the

babe born in Bethlehem, but he will come in glory

and power. The book of 2 Thessalonians talks

about he will come with his angels of fire. The

entire world will stop and know. That history

has ended. And that Christ has come. It will

be known by every single human being. It will

be universal in the world in that great day.

And it will be sudden. It will not be something

that's gradual. And we can look up at a telescope.

No, it will take place suddenly. Only the Father

knows the hour, the day, and the time. He will

come like a thief in the night. This is what

we're talking about when we speak of the second

coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The personal,

visible, bodily, glorious, and sudden return

of the Lord Jesus into this world. Chapter 22

is expanding this doctrine. And it's talking

about and explaining this doctrine of the second

coming. Now, chapter 22 of Revelation does this

in several ways. And we're going to consider

it in the following four ways. We're going to

consider that this glorious reality, the second

coming, is announced. Or proclaimed, we could

say. We're going to consider that the second

coming is announced as a certain reality. Something

that is sure. It is fixed. It is certain to take

place. And this is how Revelation 22 describes

it and puts it forth. But we'll also consider

that the second coming is announced with warnings.

And not just with warnings, we'll also see that

it's announced with invitations for a response

to this reality and to this truth. So first,

let's consider the fact that this glorious reality

is announced in Revelation chapter 22. Notice

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

in verse 7, 12, and 20 in particular. we read

these words. And behold, I am coming quickly.

Then we read again in verse 12. Behold, I am

coming quickly. And we read yet again in verse

20. Yes, I am coming quickly. In each of these,

we find, The announcement. The proclamation.

The assertion. That Jesus Christ is coming back.

That Jesus Christ will return. He will enter

into human history. That will be the next great

redemptive event and act which takes place. In

the world. It's also significant. That it is

the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Who is making

this announcement. Notice in verse 7. I am coming

quickly. Who is announcing this brothers and

sisters? The risen Lord Jesus himself. The risen

Lord Jesus is saying personally. I am coming

quickly. And who is the Lord Jesus presented

as in and throughout this text? What do we read

throughout this? He says in verse 13, I am the

Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,

the beginning and the end. We read in verse 16,

I am the root and the descendant of David, the

bright morning star. He is the divine Messiah

who is both God and man. So what we have here

is a divine testimony to the reality and the

fact that he is coming back. Now, this announcement

is also said to be something that is taking place.

Notice that the Lord Jesus Christ, says, I am

coming quickly. He doesn't simply say, I will

come. I'm going to come. No, it's in the present

progressive form. I am. It's something that's

taking place and progressively taking place and

will culminate. And it will take place in the

future as well. So we can understand this a little

bit better when we also see that it is described,

this announcement of his return, as imminent.

He says, quickly. Or we could say that the time

is at hand. It is near. It is close. Or immediate

would be another way of saying it. Now, we think

about that, and there may be some conflict in

our hearts, in our minds, when we hear those

words, because some of us are thinking, well,

don't certain things have to take place before

Christ returns? Don't certain things have to

occur before He comes? Yes, they do. The fact

that he says he is coming and he is going to

come, don't contradict one another, brothers

and sisters. When Christ says, I am coming, that

does not preclude or do away with the fact that

his coming is prepared and brought about by certain

realities. It doesn't mean that nothing has to

take place prior to... his return. So what are

some of the things that must take place to bring

about the coming of Christ? Or we could say the

preparatory events leading up to the return of

the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, first we know that

the gospel must be preached to all the nations,

to all the people groups. Throughout the world.

We read in Matthew chapter 24 verse 14. This

Matthew 24:14

gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the

whole world. As a testimony to all the nations.

And then the end will come. Once the gospel has

been proclaimed to all the nations. Then the

end will come. We know from the book of Revelation

that the church must pass through the tribulation

or this age, this period, these thousand years,

these days of trial in this desert wilderness

as Revelation 12 presents it. And we know from

2 Thessalonians that the... Mystery of iniquity

or the mystery of lawlessness must be completed.

And the man of lawlessness must be exalted and

manifested and revealed in time and in history.

We read in 2 Thessalonians 2, starting in verse

3, Let no one in any way deceive you. For it

will not come unless the apostasy comes first.

And the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son

of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself

above every so -called god or object of worship.

So that he takes his seat. And the temple of

God displaying himself as being God. Do not remember.

Do you not remember that while I was still with

you, I was telling you these things. And you

know what restrains him now. So that in his time,

he will be revealed. Meaning he will be made

known. So there's this idea of mystery, but then

this idea of revelation that he's talking about.

something that's generally been hidden, something

that has generally not been known to the world,

that will be made manifest and revealed to everybody.

It will no longer be a mystery. Then we read

in verse 7, For the mystery of lawlessness is

already at work. Only he who now restrains will

do so until he is taken out of the way. Then

that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord

will slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring

to an end by the appearance of his coming. That

is, the one whose coming is in accord with the

activity of Satan, which all power and signs

and false wonders, and with all the deception

of wickedness for those who perish, because they

did not receive the love of the truth. so as

to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon

them a deluding influence so that they will believe

what is false, in order that they may be judged

who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure

in wickedness. The mystery of iniquity, the mystery

of lawlessness, must have its course in this

world, and the man of lawlessness must be manifested

and made known to the world. Prior to the return

of Jesus Christ. Now there's one more thing in

the midst of all of that. That must occur. That

must take place prior to the Lord Jesus. That

prepares for his coming. And that is that all

the elect must be gathered in. All the church

must be saved by Christ. the gospel, brothers

and sisters. So Christ's imminent return does

not go contrary to events which prepare and actually

bring about his return. So we see that this glorious

reality is announced by the Lord Jesus himself.

But we also have to consider that the second

coming is announced as a certain reality. Now,

when we think about the credibility of a person

and the fact that they say something, we think

of individuals, oh, they're credible, I'd take

them at their word. They're credible, I'd take

them at their word. But who is the most credible

individual? Who is the most credible? man, the

Lord Jesus Christ. So when the Lord Jesus says,

I am coming quickly, he is being absolutely truthful.

If a person denies or rejects or argues about

the second coming of Christ, Do you know who

they're wrangling about words with? Do you know

who they're arguing with? Do you know who they're

fighting against? The risen and reigning Lord

Jesus Christ Himself. Christ Himself bears witness

to the reality and fact that He will return to

this world. And even more than this, we see that

it is a certain reality, not just because the

living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, declares

it and bears witness to it, but it is a certain

reality because the Word of God bears witness

to this grand and glorious reality. Look at verse

6 of Revelation 22. Verse 6 says this, And he

said to me, these words are faithful and true.

What words, brothers and sisters? The words of

this prophecy. The book of Revelation, chapter

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

22. The entirety of the word of God. And all

of its truths and all of its doctrines that it

puts forth. So here we have, remarkably, the

Lord Jesus Christ. Bearing witness to the Word

of God. He is confirming, validating, authenticating

the veracity and the truthfulness and the accuracy

and the steadfastness and the fixedness, the

sure nature of the Word of God by bearing witness

to it as the risen Lord Jesus. So in a nutshell,

Why must we believe in the second coming of Christ?

Why must we embrace this doctrine? Why must all

men believe in this grand and glorious reality,

even though we may not understand all the ins

and outs of it? Even though we may not comprehend...

physically and naturally, how all these things

will occur, even though we may not understand

all the day, the time, the hour, the method it

comes about. Why must we accept it? Because it's

in the Word of God. Because the Word of God proclaims

it and puts it forward, brothers and sisters.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself recognizes this

in the text. We live in a day and age where many

modern believers are eager to do away with the

written word. And just give us Jesus and his

resurrection. We've heard this from men such

as Andy Stanley and many other progressive and

liberal believers, professing believers. Just

give me Jesus and His work, but we don't need

the written Word. But what is the Lord Jesus

Christ doing right here? What is the risen Word

doing right here? He is bearing witness to His

written Word, brothers and sisters. But we also

must understand, brothers and sisters, we ought

never to pin our faith on methods or men, or

apologetics, or anything else vaguely similar.

They're all insufficient. The Word of God must

be believed. When Christ proclaims the second

coming, His return in the Word, He's not putting

it out there for discussion. He's not laying

it out for the people to intellectually spar

and argue about whether it's true or whether

it's wrong. No, he's declaring it, brothers and

sisters. He's proclaiming this reality. There's

a great danger. And apologetics have a place,

brothers and sisters. They do. Demonstrating

the reasonableness and the commendableness of

apologetics. to the unbeliever, it has a place.

But we have to understand something. Man's problem

is not that he does not have enough information.

Man's problem is not that he does not understand

all the intricacies and the consistencies and

the logicalness of the Word of God. Man's problem,

at the heart of it, is his nature. It's his sin.

It's not as though a man can put all these puzzle

pieces together and all of a sudden now he can

believe because he knows the information and

the consistency of the Christian faith. No. At

some point in time, a person must say, this is

what the Word of God says. This is what the Gospel

says. You either believe it or you don't. Accept

it or reject it. What is their need? Their need

is for the power of God. to intervene in their

life and to give them a new nature, to cause

them to be born again, to divinely work to give

them faith and repentance, to work in their heart

and their mind, to change them from the inside

out. At some point in time, brothers and sisters,

there is the danger of throwing pearls before

swine. Proclaim the Word and call for men to

believe it. To turn from their sin. And if you're

here today, and you think that you can come to

Christ through your own intellect, your own intellectual

powers, by reasoning your way to Christianity,

you are wrong. You are dead wrong. Because your

issue is your sin nature and your pride and your

arrogance and your love for your sin. You ultimately

don't want God. You want your sin. So you don't

have to understand everything, brothers and sisters.

You just have to submit to it. You just have

to give yourself to that reality and ask the

Lord for help in those things. This reality of

the second coming is certain. And fixed because

Christ bears witness to it. The word of God bears

witness to it. But it's also certain in this

way. In that it's final. We see in verses 11

through 15 the finality of the second coming.

Listen to what we read. Let the one who does

wrong still do wrong. And the one who is filthy

still be filthy. And let the one who is righteous

still practice righteousness. And the one who

is holy still keep himself holy. What do we find

in verse 11, ultimately, brothers and sisters?

We find the future fate and condition of those

at the return. of the Lord Jesus. Men will remain

and continue in the condition and state at which

they are found at the return of Jesus Christ.

You will either be in Christ or you will be outside

of Christ. When he returns, that is not the day

that you will be able to repent. At that point

in time, it will be Too late. If you are outside

of Christ and living in sin, unrepentant, living

for self, rejecting the gospel, when the Lord

Jesus Christ returns, there's no going back,

brothers and sisters. There's no do -overs at

that point in time. Your fate is fixed from there

on out. But we also see in this, That all humanity

will be separated and divided into two groups

of people. The Bible is very discriminatory in

a sense. It's very distinguishing. It's very

divisive in some ways, isn't it? And what will

the Lord Jesus Christ say? ultimately do and

bring about a division in all humanity. What

do we read in verses 14 and 15? Blessed are those

who wash their robes, so that they may have the

right to the tree of life and may enter by the

gates into the city. Outside are the dogs. and

the sorcerers, and the immoral persons, and the

murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who

loves and practices lying. Those who know Christ,

who are in Christ, who have been born again,

who are growing in holiness and godliness, will

dwell with Christ, brothers and sisters, at His

return. They will enjoy the new heavens and the

new earth because they've been given the robes

of righteousness. That are Christ himself. But.

There is another group. That will be separated.

From the saints of God. That will be separated.

From Christ. Those who are outside of Christ.

And living and dwelling in their sin. Those who

have never turned from their sin. And trusted

in the Lord Jesus Christ. And those who have

never loved. and eagerly expected and waited

and looked for his blessed appearing. One group

will be abundantly blessed. They will be with

God in Christ for eternity. One group will go

on to experience eternal judgment and curse for

all. All humanity will be divided. And every

human being, every man, every woman, and every

child will fall into one of two groups. Every

person in this room will either be found with

Christ or they will be outside with the dogs.

They will be unclean and in their sin. They will

have no holiness and they will be given over

completely to the wicked desires of their own

heart for all eternity under the wrath of God.

Because they've rejected Jesus Christ and the

gospel and because they have broken the law of

God and they have condemned themselves time and

time again. All men will fall into one of two

groups. And this is final. And certain. Christ

is not returning. For second chances. Brothers

and sisters. Christ is not coming back. For the

forgiveness of sins. What does he say in verse

12. Behold I am coming quickly. And my reward.

Is with me. To render to every man. According

to what he has done. He's not coming for the

forgiveness of sins this time. He's not coming

for the atonement of sin. Brothers and sisters,

He's coming to reward men according to their

works, whether they're in Christ, whether they're

depending on their own righteousness before a

holy and a righteous God. That is the fate of

every single human being on the planet today.

throughout history and throughout the world to

come, throughout the history of the world to

come. Should this not create a little bit of

urgency in our hearts and our minds as believers?

Should this not create a little bit of urgency

in your lives now, even today, even this week?

To think about that which is to come? To think

about that which is truly meaningful in life?

There are so many uncertainties in this world.

There are so many things that are changing. There

are so many things that are fluctuating. There

are so many things that may not come about tomorrow.

And there are other things that will come about

tomorrow because they are uncertain, brothers

and sisters. Don't give up your soul for uncertainties.

Don't forsake eternal life because you've been

distracted by the things of this world. Because

you love fleeting pleasure in life. Because you

love pride and exalting yourself and being a

judge over God and determining whether He is

real or He is not. Brothers and sisters, be urgent

in your living as Christians and be urgent unbeliever

in pursuing and praying for grace and seeking

Christ. Put yourself under the Word. Put yourself

in the earshot of godly believers. Pray and ask

God for grace. Turn from your sin. Determine

to give up your sin. Determine to pursue Christ.

Live for Him even if you fail time and time again.

Put yourself in a place where God saves you,

brothers and sisters. Expose yourself to the

means of grace as often as you can. And do everything

you can to seek out Christ, even as an unbelieving

man or woman, young or old. There ought to be

urgency in our living. If we give our lives for

things that pass away, if we give our lives for

fleeting pleasures when we know that eternal

life is coming and the age to come will not end,

brothers and sisters, should we not prepare our

souls for eternity? Should we not prepare our

very beings for that which will be eternal and

that which will last forever? Should we not read

the scriptures as if Christ were coming back

an hour from now? Should we not love our brethren

as if Christ would return tonight? Should we

not give ourselves to the local church as if

Christ were coming at any single moment? Brothers

and sisters, live now as if Christ were coming

now. In this moment, live fully as a believer

for the Lord Jesus Christ. And consider the state

of your soul, unbeliever, now and today. Don't

put it off. The second coming, because it is

certain and fixed, ought to have an effect on

your life now. Here, in this place, in this day.

at this time. Now, inevitably, a reality such

as this, that is so life -changing, comes with

warnings. It brings about caution with it when

something like this is proclaimed. Now, the text

shows us and gives us several warnings. That

come. As this glorious reality is announced.

We see this in several ways. First we see in

verse 10. That John is warned. And he said to

me. Do not seal up. The words of the prophecy.

Of this book. For the time is near. If you recall.

In Daniel chapter 8. And Daniel chapter 12. Daniel

Daniel 8 · chapter mention Daniel 12 · chapter mention

is specifically told to seal up, to close the

book of prophecy because the time is not near.

While John here is instructed to do the opposite.

Don't conceal it. Write it down. Publish it.

Proclaim it. Propagate this truth. Why? Because

we are in the last days. Christ's coming is at

hand. We are nearer to it. We are in the era

of his return, brothers and sisters. Daniel was

not. We are on this side of the cross. He was

on that side of the cross. So there's warning

against... concealing the truth of Scripture,

but also the book of Revelation in particular.

Now that should give us a little bit of pause

as believers who, at times, probably avoid the

book of Revelation because of its difficulties

and because it's so removed. From our culture

and our world. This book is given to us, brothers

and sisters, that we might understand it. That

we might know it and be blessed by it. We ought

not to conceal it or shut it off or seal it up

or avoid it. We ought to publish the message

of Revelation. To proclaim the reality that Jesus

Christ is coming. Now, it also warns us against

perverting the word of God. We read this in verses

18 through 19. I testify to everyone who hears

the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone

adds to them, God will add to him the plagues

which are written in this book. And if anyone

takes away from the words of the book of this

prophecy, God will take away his part from the

tree of life and from the holy city, which are

written in this book. Peter talks about this

in 2 Peter, about how ungodly and wicked men

distort and manipulate and twist Paul's words.

Scripture. Why? To their own ends. For their

own purposes. For their own gain. For their own

feelings. For their own profit. The church receives

revelation. The Christian has received revelation.

The deposit of revelation in the scriptures.

We receive it. We obey it. We propagate it. We

don't change it. This is the word of God we're

dealing with. This is holy, infallible, inerrant

scripture that has been given to us. It is ours

to preach and teach and instruct and it is ours

to protect and preserve to a degree. But it is

never ours. To change. There is great warning.

And it is very dangerous. For a person. To manipulate.

The words of God. It is a scary thing. To manipulate.

And twist the words of God. There is warning.

And there is a final warning. With regards to

disobedience. To the word of God. We see this

in verses 7 through 8. And behold, I am coming

quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of

the prophecy of this book. I, John, am the one

who heard and saw these things. And when I heard

and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of

the angel. who showed me these things. And listen

to what the angel tells John in verse 9. But

he said to me, Do not do that. I am a fellow

servant of yours, and of your brethren, the prophets,

and of those who heed the words of this book.

Now, Joel Beeky makes a great point with regards

to these verses in particular. He says that the

visions, That John is getting, they're so great

and they're so glorious. And it seems as though

they're impairing his ability to discern what

is the vision and what is reality. And if you

do read these verses closely, Beakey says you'll

notice that there's two voices talking. There's

two individuals talking. There's the angel and

there's Christ at times. And then there's John.

So there's... Multiple things taking place, but

the message is clear. And that's the point, says

Beeky. The message is clear. What is the purpose

of the book of Revelation and all of Scripture?

What is the purpose of Revelation 22? That the

people of God would obey the words of God and

they would be led to worship God. in greater

measure. It is not for the purpose of intellectual

speculation and stimulation. I have sat in many

a table and in many a group of individuals who

love to talk about theology, eschatology, and

doctrine. And there's great debates taking place.

There are great arguments on this side and that

side. And surely there's great intellectual stimulation

and satisfaction that is occurring in certain

individuals. And brothers and sisters, we don't

read the book of Revelation to get lost in things

we cannot fully understand. We read the Word

of God. We read the book of Revelation. Why?

So that we can obey Christ. and we can worship

Him more. That's what we do with Scripture. We

focus on that which is clear, and we obey it,

and we worship God. If your understanding of

the Bible does not produce obedience, and it

does not bring about greater degrees of worship

and prayer in your life, then I would question

whether or not you really understand the Scripture.

In many ways, worship and prayer and obedience

are the measure of a man's understanding of the

Word. Do you know what I mean by that, brothers

and sisters? I mean this. If you're reading the

Word and you're filling your head and you're

grasping information, but that scriptural knowledge

and truth never makes its way to your heart and

changes you and brings about greater desire to

obey Christ and actual obedience to His commands

and requirements and the law of God, if it doesn't

sanctify you, and if it doesn't make you more

worshipful in your heart, then you don't really

grasp and comprehend the reality of the Word.

Because when God speaks, people obey. When a

holy and a righteous and a good and a faithful

and a redeeming God speaks, brothers and sisters,

and His people really, truly hear them, They

obey and they are brought to a place where they

worship Him and they long for greater communion

with Him. Is the truth affecting change in your

life? Are you praying more as a result of your

study of the Scriptures? Are you worshiping more?

Are you longing more? Are you desiring more?

Are you being transformed as a result of the

Scriptures? It doesn't matter how many books

you've read last year. It doesn't matter how

many books you're going to read this year. If

none of them change you because of the Scriptural

truth, it all amounts to zilch. Brothers and

sisters, if you want to make a New Year's resolution,

If you want to walk into the new year in a godly

fashion that honors Christ, determine this. You

are going to study the scriptures and you are

going to pursue spirit -wrought, grace -driven

sanctification in your life more than ever before.

That you are going to give yourself to obedience

to the word of God regardless of what that means

for your life. Give yourself to that this year,

brothers and sisters. Give up everything else

if you have to just for that. Go all in on that,

brothers and sisters, and you will not be the

same next year that you are now. There's a godly

and holy New Year's resolution. So many things

that we do. myself included, are based on worldly

principles and practices and carnal strength.

Brothers and sisters, we want to be made more

like the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to grow in

holiness and godliness. We want to honor Him

more. That is what we want in our life. Isn't

it, brothers and sisters? Give yourself to the

truth and being changed and affected. Work at

your sanctification. Rest in your justification.

Give yourself to these realities in the coming

year and you will do well in the Lord, brothers

and sisters. Now, just as there are warnings

that are announced with this, There's also invitations

for response. In a way, we could say that John

tells us the responses that he wants. And that

the Lord Jesus Christ himself tells us the response

that he wants from the people of God. We read

this in verse 17. The spirit and the bride say,

come. And let the one who hears say, come. And

let the one who is thirsty, come. Let the one

who wishes take the water of life without cost.

Without cost. There is an invitation for the

church to welcome the return of Christ. And there

is an invitation for the unbeliever. while the

Word is still proclaimed, to come to the Lord

Jesus Christ. I just want to end with a few verses

here. I want to read 2 Thessalonians 1. In a

sense, for the church, this is a call, brothers

and sisters, to cultivate. A heart that loves

and longs and looks for the coming of the Lord

Jesus Christ. We read this in 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. We start reading in verse 5. This

is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment.

so that you will 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 will be revealed

from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming

fire. dealing out retribution to those who do

not know God and to those who do not obey the

gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the

penalty of eternal destruction away from the

presence of the Lord and from the glory of His

power. Now here's what I want us to see in this.

When He comes to be glorified in His saints on

that day and to be marveled at, Among all who

have believed. When Christ returns. Brothers

and sisters. The saints are going to marvel.

At his glory. His greatness. And the reality

of what he is accomplishing. In that moment.

So this is a call to cultivate a heart. Now.

That marvels. At the Lord Jesus Christ. Now.

Cultivate in your heart now what you will be

when Christ returns. We also read in Hebrews

Hebrews 9:28

chapter 9, verse 28, So Christ also, having been

offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear

a second time for salvation without reference

to sin to those who eagerly await Him. So, what

is this a call to cultivate in this case? A heart

that eagerly waits and longs for the return of

the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the first letter

of John, chapter 3. Beloved, now we are children

John 3 · chapter mention

of God, and it has not appeared as yet, What

we will be. We know that when he appears. We

will be like him. Because we will see him just

as he is. And everyone who has this hope. Fixed

on him. Purifies himself. Just as he is pure.

What is this text telling us? That if we love

Christ now. We long for His coming. We will pursue

holiness now in this life to honor Him and to

be more like Him now here in this world as we

look forward to His return. And lastly, and finally,

I want to read 2 Peter 3. Here's what Peter says.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in

this way, what sort of people ought you to be

in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and

hastening the coming of the day of God, because

of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning

and the elements will melt with intense heat.

But according to his promise, we are looking

for new heavens. and a new earth in which righteousness

dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for

these things, be diligent to be found blameless

by Him in peace, spotless and blameless in regard

the patience of our Lord as salvation. Brothers

and sisters, let us live now because of the grace

of God. and the grace of God at work in us. Let

us live looking to the coming of Christ, seeking

to bring Him honor and glory in this life by

means of who we are by His grace.