LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT
METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 13 AUGUST 2023 pm
2 PETER 3 VERSES 1 – 18
Have you ever thought that
one day heaven will be your home? When
God will take every child of his home, when there will be no more tears, no more
separation, no more sickness or sorrow?
There will be nothing to break the heart of man or woman because the
things of today will be passed away. The
greatest event the world is ever likely to see is the coming again of the Lord.
As we watch our television screens and
social media and think of the fires, floods, pestilences going on around the
world, when we see these things are we not mindful of what scripture says? Jesus came the first time as a baby, born in
Bethlehem, grew up and was rejected by men – all of this was fulfilled exactly
as scripture said. Surely if we look at
scripture we can see the references to his Second Coming too – if he came the
first time as the scriptures said surely he will come the second time too. He will come the second time without
sin. When he came the first time he came
to put away sin. When he died on Calvary
he was an offering for sin. This time he
is coming without sin. He came to be the
sin bearer the first time but the second time he will come as the king of
kings. His second coming will be in 2
stages. Firstly, the trumpet will sound,
those who have died in the Lord will rise first to meet him in the air and
those which are alive in the world will also be caught up to join him. When he comes every eye will see him. He will come to stand on the Mount of Olives
in the second stage. Has that any
bearing on you or I tonight? Verse 11 of
our chapter tonight asks “what manner of persons ought ye to be?” Has this any relevance to me tonight Peter
challenges us - lets take a look again at Jesus’ Second Coming.
Firstly, what manner of
person ought he to be – he ought to be saved. That is the most important thing of all. You could have all of this worlds goods yet
not have Jesus Christ. You could still
be left behind when Jesus comes again.
You need to be saved. I want to
challenge you – are you saved tonight?
Are you born again of the Spirit of God?
Have you been to Calvary? Have
you acknowledged you are a sinner, on your way to a lost hell for all
eternity? Are you coming to him
tonight? That is the most important
thing. “What shall it profit a man if he
should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” It is possible for that today. We are living in a day when it is counted old
fashioned to believe that you need to be saved.
Many people believe that because God is a God of love he will let
everyone into heaven but he is also a God of justice. God sent the best he had – his only son, not
to condemn the world but to save men and women.
God is not willing that any should perish but all should come to
repentance. Are you saved tonight? Do you know the Lord as Saviour? Will you rise to meet Christ if he came
tonight? When Jesus comes what will he
find on the earth? Those saved will rise
to meet him in the air. What will be
left behind? He will find religion on earth. Many have that but not salvation. Salvation is only through the forgiveness of
sins and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is
a subject that affects you and I. When Jesus comes and takes the saved home
religion will still be left on this earth.
If Jesus was to come this week there will still be services in churches
all over this world. Preachers will
preach but they have not been saved. I
wonder will you be amongst the congregation?
It was said of Martin Luter in his preaching he stirred the congregation,
he preached as if Christ was crucified today, that he rose from the dead and he
was coming tomorrow. Jesus Christ has
delayed his coming because you are not saved.
He knows that and he is not willing that you should perish. Paul writing to Timothy encourages him to
pray for all men, for kings and those in authority to be saved.
Secondly, he ought to be a
sober person. I am not talking
about being sober in terms of having no alcohol in his system but a lifestyle
that is alive, watching for the coming of the Lord. Are you looking for Christ’s coming
again? Not caught up with affairs of
this world. Yes we have employment, work
to do but always looking for the coming again of the Lord. There is no real warning of this
happening. We can see the signs yes but
he will come as a thief. If a thief rang
me to tell me he would be at my house tonight I would be sitting waiting for
him. The thief makes no forward
planning. He comes at the least expected
time. There will be no warning for it. We are to be waiting for that particular
day. The Thessalonian church went about
their normal lives. They had so much
going for them until Paul came and preached the gospel to them. These Thessalonian believers turned from
their riotous living and served the Lord.
They turned from their idols to serve the living God and watch for his
coming again. When you come to Christ it
should be a genuine repentance and a waiting for Christ to come from
heaven. Matthew 25 tells the story of
the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins. They were
waiting for the groom to come. They had
their lamps filled will oil and burning but 5 didn’t take enough care to have
sufficient oil. They rose at midnight in
a panic. 5 went out to meet their
bridegroom but the other 5 came knocking and pleading to be let in but it was
too late. The believers of God are taken
away and you will be left behind pleading – too late. One day the shout will sound. For many it will be too late. We have to be sober, watchful, making sure we
are saved and ready. “Be ye also ready
for in such an hour as you think not the son of man cometh.” Paul longed for the day when Christ would
come again. “Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give
me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
(2 Timothy 4 verse 8)
Thirdly, be sincere. “in all holy conversation” – the lifestyle
you conduct here on earth, in your family, in your work, in the shopping
centre, on the street. In all my transactions
with fellow man so that he might be stirred up.
In Acts 22 Paul spoke of a man called Ananias. Ananias was told to go and meet him and lay
his hand on him, to tell him what the Lord wanted him to do. Ananias we are told was a sincere man, “a devout
man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt
there”. Paul in Thessalonica worked and witnessed
among them – “how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among
you that believe.” Are you thinking of
the Lord’s coming again? Are you sincere
about it? When the angels came to
destroy Sodom, Lot went into his sons-in-law telling them they had to flee from
the wrath of God on their city. These men
laughed at him – why – because they had never heard him talk like this before.
(Genesis 19 verse 14) He wasn’t
sincere. Are you happy sitting in the
seat of the ungodly as sitting in the prayer meeting?
Fourthly, separated. “in all holy conversation and godliness,
looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.” They had turned from that which they
previously worshipped and came to the Lord.
Paul said of his testimony, he was “separated”. In these days God expects that of us. He is expecting me to be a saved man, that I
should be sober, sincere in all my activities and separated unto the gospel of
Christ. Will you be ready when he comes
again? He is coming to call home every
child of God, every person that has trusted in his saving grace, called on his
wonderful name. What about you? Are you sure tonight?
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