1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,320 Take your Bible and turn with me to the 5th chapter of First 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:08,280 Thessalonians as we continue to look at this marvelous book and 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:13,120 this great passage in verses 1 to 11 of chapter 5 concerning 4 00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:18,280 the coming of our Lord and what it means to the model life, the 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,600 the life that truly exemplifies Christ. 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:26,120 In chapter 4 and chapter 5 of First Thessalonians, talk to us 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,480 about what that life looks like. It is a life of abstinence 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,720 versus 1 to 8 of chapter 4. It's a life of aspiration. 9 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:41,240 Verses 9 to 12 of chapter 4, it's a it's a life of 10 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:48,000 anticipation, verses 13 to 18 as to the coming of our Lord for 11 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,280 his church. It's a life of alertness, alert 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:57,240 to the day of the Lord in the coming judgment upon the world. 13 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:04,160 The model life is consumed with the coming of Christ and how we 14 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:09,680 live in anticipation of the day of Christ, which is the rapture 15 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,440 of the church and the reward for the believer. 16 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,640 And we live alert to the day of the Lord, which truly is the 17 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:23,600 revelation of Christ and his retribution upon unbelievers and 18 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,800 his redemption of Israel. It's so important to understand 19 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:34,680 these, these subjects because it, it motivates us, it 20 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:39,400 stimulates us, it encourages us, it it moves us to action. 21 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,200 And it's chapter 5, verses 1 to 11. 22 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,160 He's specifically talking about the day of the Lord. 23 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,320 And so he reminds them of a, of a couple of things. 24 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,120 He reminds them of, of the time and ethics. 25 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,720 And no one knows the day or the hour. 26 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,960 He reminds him of the term the the day of the Lord. 27 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,240 He reminds him of the thief that comes suddenly. 28 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,720 He reminds them of of the terror that will come upon the 29 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,919 unbeliever. Look at it with me, if you will, 30 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,920 verse 1 of chapter 5. Now as to the times and epics, 31 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:17,960 brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 32 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,040 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord 33 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,840 will come just like a thief in the night, while they are saying 34 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,120 peace and safety, then destruction will come upon them 35 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:33,320 suddenly, like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they 36 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,600 will not escape. But everything about this day of 37 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,880 the Lord sent us around the thrill of the day of the Lord. 38 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,640 And the Bible says in verse #4 But you, brethren, are not in 39 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,160 darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief. 40 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,240 For you are all sons of light and sons of day. 41 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,360 We are not of the night nor of darkness. 42 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,560 So then let's not sleep as others do, but let us be alert, 43 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:10,720 awake, completely aware and sober. 44 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,320 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who 45 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,200 get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we are of the day and 46 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,040 let us be sober, have you put on the breastplate of faith and 47 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,680 love as a helmet? The hope of salvation for God 48 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:31,440 has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation 49 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,040 through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the thrill of the day of 50 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,640 the Lord who died for us, so that whether we are awake or 51 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,080 asleep, we will live together with Him. 52 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,400 Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just 53 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:52,040 as you also are doing. Here's the thrill of this day 54 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,680 that that you are to encourage one another and build up one 55 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,120 another just as as you are doing. 56 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,760 But as I thought about that, I thought about the fact that that 57 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:09,240 why is it there is this absence in the church today of this 58 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:15,920 anticipation of the day of Christ and why is it there is 59 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,560 this absence of alertness to the day of the Lord? 60 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:28,240 Why is it there isn't this thrill to encourage one another 61 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,600 and build up one another as you see this day approaching? 62 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:39,920 Why is it there there is this sort of stagnation in the church 63 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:46,920 about the coming of the King. So I thought about that and I 64 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:52,000 and I thought, you know, that the 21st century isn't really 65 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,000 much different than the 1st century. 66 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:03,320 In other words, what we anticipate around the second 67 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:11,560 coming of Christ in the 21st century is a lot like how they 68 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:16,160 anticipated the first coming of Christ in the 1st century. 69 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,320 As I thought about that, I thought, you know, it would be 70 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:24,720 good for us to understand what is it about my life that that is 71 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,560 not so thrilled about the day of the Lord and the day of Christ? 72 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:37,080 Why is it I come to church and I don't live in anticipation of 73 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,520 this? I'm not alert to this? 74 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:47,360 Why is it off somewhere else in the far corners of my mind, if 75 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:55,440 at all there? Why is it my life is as dull as 76 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,560 it is? So I begin to think about that 77 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:06,240 and begin to realize that Solomon said there's nothing new 78 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,400 under the sun. So the way it was in the 1st 79 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:15,000 century is the same way way it is in the 21st century. 80 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:22,040 So let me explain to you the way it was in the 1st century and 81 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:28,080 why is it Israel did not live in anticipation of the first coming 82 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:37,240 and why they were not alert to the day of the Lord? 83 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,400 They should have been, but they weren't. 84 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:52,120 We should be, but we're not, and that's because there's nothing 85 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,680 new under the sun. So I thought that it would be 86 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:03,800 good for us to compare the 1st century with the 21st century. 87 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:12,080 And there are several reasons why those in Israel we're not 88 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,240 anticipating nor alert to the coming of the Messiah. 89 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:27,320 The very first reason was apathy, apathy, this complacency 90 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:34,000 about the coming of the Messiah. And if you're a Jew in the 1st 91 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,400 century and you're going to the synagogue every Sabbath, and 92 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,440 some would go every day to the synagogue to to learn, to read, 93 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,800 to hear. The Old Testament would be 94 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:52,520 filled with prophecies and predictions and promises around 95 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:59,320 the arrival of the Messiah. And so they would hear and know 96 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,560 from the very beginning in Genesis 315 that the seed of a 97 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:11,600 woman, excuse me, would come and crush the serpent's head, that 98 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,840 this Messiah would be born of a virgin. 99 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:20,840 Isaiah 714. This Messiah would be called 100 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:25,400 wonderful counselor, mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting 101 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,560 Father, and the government would rest upon his shoulders. 102 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:34,919 This was the promise Abraham had been given, a promise about a 103 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:38,880 seed that would bless the nations of the world. 104 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,160 The prophet Isaiah would speak about the suffering of this 105 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:49,920 Messiah, and through that suffering would come men's 106 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,800 redemption and they would hear these things. 107 00:08:54,800 --> 00:09:04,680 But but there was this, this apathy, this indifference, this 108 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:10,520 non interest about the coming of their Messiah. 109 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:18,320 After all, it had been 400 years since the prophet has spoken. 110 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,480 After the prophet Malachi, there was silence. 111 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,440 There was no Angel from heaven coming to make an announcement. 112 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,400 There was no prophet speaking about the arrival of the 113 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,840 Messiah. The Lord was not speaking from 114 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:38,560 heaven. There was silence and Israel had 115 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:41,720 come back from captivity and they had begun to to build the 116 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,480 walls around the city and begun to rebuild the temple and 117 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,120 anticipation of Messiah. But there was nothing but 118 00:09:51,120 --> 00:10:00,840 silence and Israel became more and more apathetic to the 119 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,680 arrival of the Messiah. Ezekiel had seen the glory of 120 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:09,760 the Lord depart. He had seen it leave the temple, 121 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:14,080 crossover the Kidron Valley, ascend up the Mount of Olives 122 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,720 and disappear. And the prophet Haggai chapter 2 123 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,720 would speak of the fact that one day the glory of the Lord was 124 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:27,360 going to return to the temple. And you think that Israel would 125 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,440 be living in anticipation and completely alert to the arrival 126 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:38,080 of the Messiah? But when he came, hardly anybody 127 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:45,280 noticed. And John would say, And the 128 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:50,840 glory of the Lord tabernacled among us, we beheld the beauty 129 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,000 of the Lord, we beheld the glory of the Lord. 130 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:59,200 And on the on the day of his, of his birth, the angels came and 131 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:03,840 and said as the glory of the Lord would shine all around the 132 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:13,880 shepherds, the Messiah had come. And yet outside of very few 133 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,440 handful of people, nobody really cared. 134 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,280 There was Zacharias and Elizabeth. 135 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:29,560 That's because for, after 400 years, the Angel Gabriel spoke 136 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:35,080 to Zacharias as he was doing his priestly duties and told him 137 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,200 that his wife would have a son who would be the, the forerunner 138 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:42,280 to the Messiah. So he and Elizabeth are 139 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,880 ecstatic. Mary has the Angel Gabriel come 140 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,520 to her and announce to her that she will be the, the mother of 141 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,560 the Messiah. So Mary and Joseph know about 142 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:55,280 this and they're ecstatic. They're anticipating the arrival 143 00:11:55,280 --> 00:12:01,360 of the Messiah. The there's, there's, there's 144 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:07,360 Anna, who was married for just seven years. 145 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,720 And so most Jewish girls were betrothed at the age of 13. 146 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:15,920 And she would have been married around that time. 147 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,760 And she was married to her husband, Luke, 2, tells us, for 148 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,600 seven years. So at the age of 20, her husband 149 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:26,240 dies and she remains a widow for 84 years. 150 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:35,240 But Anna was looking for the redemption of Jerusalem, Luke 2 151 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:40,800 tells us. And so she was in the temple day 152 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:50,800 and night, fasting and praying for 84 years because she longed 153 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,080 for the arrival of the Messiah. She lived in anticipation. 154 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:59,000 She was completely alert to what the prophet said about the 155 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,240 Messiah, and she could not wait for him to come. 156 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:10,480 If you're a widow today, you probably haven't been a widow 157 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:16,800 for 84 years. But learn the lesson of Anna. 158 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:25,400 Her hope was resting in the arrival of her Messiah before 159 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,800 she is mentioned. Luke 2 there, Simeon, he's an 160 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:32,040 old man, he's up in years. He's a righteous and devout man. 161 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,040 He's been looking for the consolation of Israel, the light 162 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:41,480 of revelation to the Gentiles, and he's in the temple. 163 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,240 And he, he was given this promise by the Lord that that 164 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:51,880 he's not going to die until he sees the Lord's Messiah. 165 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:59,040 So he's living in anticipation of the Lord's Messiah every day. 166 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:03,040 He's looking, he's longing, he's waiting, he's anticipating. 167 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:12,880 And for years he's waited until one day Mary and Joseph come and 168 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:17,640 bring the baby Jesus to the temple, and Simeon beholds him 169 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,880 and holds him in his arms and rejoices at the arrival of the 170 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:29,280 Messiah. There were the magi, first 171 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:36,040 Gentile converts, the magi. They, they lived in anticipation 172 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:39,840 that they were, they were longing. 173 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,960 They they weren't apathetic to the arrival of the Messiah. 174 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,840 It's been passed down from generation since the the time of 175 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,920 Daniel by their parents about the star that would come. 176 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,640 They should follow that star because Daniel told them about 177 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:00,800 the prophecy of Numbers 24 verse #17 that a star will rise, that 178 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,640 a Jacob and a scepter will be in his hand. 179 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,480 This will be the king of the Jews. 180 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:16,720 So the Magi would, would, would, would get on their Persian 181 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:22,480 steeds and make that 700 mile journey to Jerusalem, arrive in 182 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,200 the city and say, where is he who was born king of the Jews? 183 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:30,680 And everybody's like, who? What are you talking about? 184 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,240 The Magi anticipated, but Jerusalem did not. 185 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,280 And Jerusalem had all the prophecies, all the promises, 186 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:47,160 but here come these magi. And and you would think that 187 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,360 when the Magi would arrive in Jerusalem, and Matthew 2 tells 188 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:56,120 us that Herod was terrified and the whole city was in fear. 189 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,800 Why? Because it wasn't 3 Magi on the 190 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,200 backside of camels riding into Jerusalem. 191 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:08,360 It was hundreds of kingmakers on the back of Persian steeds 192 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,800 coming into Jerusalem. They were kingmakers. 193 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,440 There were hundreds of them, and all of their entourage was 194 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:21,000 following them. And they come riding into 195 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:25,120 Jerusalem saying where is he who was born king of the Jews? 196 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,760 And all Jerusalem is in fear and terrified. 197 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:37,880 But they were apathetic. Do you think that any of the 198 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:39,080 nasty? What are you talking about? 199 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:41,880 Let us follow you. Where you going? 200 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:49,920 We want to be and see this king. But no one did because apathy 201 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:56,160 and complacency rule of the day. They just weren't interested 202 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,560 anymore. It had been too long. 203 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:03,200 They'd waited and waited and waited and nothing had come. 204 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:10,560 So whether it's the Magi who ride into the city of Jerusalem 205 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,000 announcing that there's a king and want to know where he is, or 206 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,520 whether it's Simeon or Anna Zacharias or Elizabeth or Mary 207 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:25,440 or Joseph or the shepherds, the shepherds went proclaiming 208 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,400 everywhere about what they had heard and what they had seen. 209 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:33,320 But do you think anybody said, hey, the Messiah, where is he? 210 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:44,760 We want to see him. No, apathy ruled the day and so 211 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:52,680 there were just a few who lived in anticipation and were alert 212 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,760 to his arrival in. The same is true today. 213 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,400 Most people just are not interested. 214 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:08,560 They don't care that much. After all, it's been 2000 years 215 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:16,600 since he came the first time and so many years have have passed 216 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,160 since his arrival and his announcement that he's coming 217 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,200 again. In spite of the fact that there 218 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,640 is. There is more said about his 219 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,360 second coming than his first coming in the Bible and that one 220 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:31,120 out of every 25 verses speaks of His second coming in the New 221 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:35,240 Testament and every New Testament book except for two 222 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,680 Philemon, the third John, speak of the second coming of the 223 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,320 Messiah. We live in apathy and we're not 224 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:52,400 interested in his arrival. How sad Peter would say it this 225 00:18:52,400 --> 00:19:02,160 way in second Peter chapter 3, verse one. 226 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,280 This is now, beloved, the second letter I'm writing to you in 227 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:15,000 which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder. 228 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:21,040 Peter was a master of reiteration of the same thing. 229 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:27,360 He was a master of reminding people of the same thing over 230 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:33,800 and over and over again. He says, I, I want to stir up 231 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:38,120 your sincere mind. I want to remove from you the 232 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:42,160 complacency. I want to remove from you the 233 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:48,040 apathy, and I want to revolutionize the way you think 234 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:53,440 about the day of the Lord. So I'm going to stir up your 235 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:57,960 sincere mind by by way of reminder, because when I 236 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,920 reiterate this truth to you, it is going to give you a renewed 237 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,800 conviction. It is going to give you what you 238 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,040 need to disturb you on and spur you on. 239 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:14,120 So I'm going to write this to you by way of reminder so that 240 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:19,480 you don't forget. Peter was a master at this. 241 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:25,720 In fact, if you go over to to chapter one of second Peter, he 242 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,120 says this verse 12. Therefore, I will always be 243 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:34,600 ready to remind you of these things, even though you already 244 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,640 know them and have been established in the truth which 245 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:45,440 is present with you. I love that verse people say you 246 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,720 review so much week after week after week. 247 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,120 Of course I do. Peter did. 248 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:56,120 And if Peter did, and he was a great apostle and preacher, I'm 249 00:20:56,120 --> 00:21:00,720 going to follow his example. So he says, I'm going to stir 250 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,600 you up by way of reminder. I know you know the truth. 251 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,240 I know you've been established in the truth, but but you need 252 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:12,200 to be reminded. And they said this in verse 13. 253 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:17,040 I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to 254 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:24,520 stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the lane aside of 255 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:29,080 my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ 256 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:33,240 has made clear to me. In other words, I'm I'm going to 257 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:39,200 die. My time is short, and if my time 258 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:40,320 is short, you know what I'm going to do. 259 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,560 I'm just going to keep reminding you over and over and over again 260 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:48,960 the same thing why tells you. And I will also be diligent that 261 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:53,880 at any time after my departure, you will be able to call these 262 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:59,440 things to mind. One day I'm going to be gone. 263 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:06,640 One day I'm going to die. If the Lord tarries, I'm going 264 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:12,280 to go home to be with the Lord. And I want you to be constantly 265 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:16,920 reminded over and over and over again of the truths that have 266 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:22,680 been established in your heart so that when I'm with the Lord, 267 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,640 you will say, our pastor used to always tell us this. 268 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,000 He used to remind us of this over and over and over again 269 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,400 because one day I won't be here to remind you any longer. 270 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:38,880 So I'm just going to keep reiterating the same thing over 271 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:44,560 and over and over again. Go back to second Peter, chapter 272 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,080 3. Peter says This is now, beloved. 273 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,320 The second letter I'm writing to you in which I am stirring you 274 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,240 up, string your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should 275 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:00,440 remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets 276 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,000 and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your 277 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,680 apostles. I'm going to remind you what the 278 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,600 prophet said. I'm going to remind you what the 279 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,880 apostle said. I'm going to keep reminding you 280 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,360 over and over and over again so that you never forget. 281 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:22,280 What about the day of the Lord? Look what He says. 282 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,560 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come 283 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,240 with their mocking, following after their own lust, and 284 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,560 saying, Where was the promise of His coming forever, since the 285 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,800 fathers fell asleep, all continues, just as it was from 286 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,480 the beginning of creation. For when the mountain of Excuse 287 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:41,480 me? For when they maintain this, it 288 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,760 escapes their notice that by the Word of God the heavens existed 289 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:48,040 long ago, and the earth was formed out of water, and by 290 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,760 water through which the world at that time was destroyed, being 291 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,440 flooded with water. But by His Word the present 292 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,200 heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the 293 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,480 day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 294 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,400 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, 295 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,280 that with the Lord one day is like 1000 years, and 1000 years 296 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,240 like one day. The Lord is not slow about His 297 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:18,040 promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not 298 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,520 wishing for any need to perish, but all to come to repentance. 299 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:26,120 This is what I'm going to remind you of about the day of the 300 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:28,240 Lord. It's coming again. 301 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,240 Paul in in first Thessalonians chapter 5 says I I, I don't need 302 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,680 to write anything else to you because I've already said this 303 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,200 to you. But by way of reminder, let me 304 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,440 tell you about the day of the Lord coming like a a thief in 305 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,080 the night and sudden destruction will come up on those who are 306 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,040 saying peace and safety. But know this. 307 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:50,720 You're not of the night. You're of the day I'm going to 308 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,440 remind you of these things. Why? 309 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:57,560 Because all good preachers are into reiteration. 310 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,400 They're into reminding people of that which they know. 311 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,480 Because they know. They know that the only way to 312 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:09,240 destroy the apathy in the lives of people is to keep driving 313 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:14,040 them back to the same truth over and over and over again. 314 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:19,120 They need to hear what the word of the Lord says. 315 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,680 And you would think that Israel would know about their Messiah, 316 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:35,560 but they were apathetic when he arrived and they missed him. 317 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,080 They missed him completely. Why? 318 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,520 The same reason we miss him today. 319 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:51,200 John chapter 5, verse #39 You search the scriptures, he tells 320 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,480 the religious elite, and in them you think that you have eternal 321 00:25:55,480 --> 00:26:02,080 life. But in your searching you missed 322 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:11,320 me, the giver of life. That's why we're apathetic when 323 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,520 we read the scriptures and we're in searching. 324 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:19,000 The scriptures define that which we think we need, but we miss 325 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,760 Jesus. Listen, the scriptures are all 326 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,640 about Christ and if you're looking for something else when 327 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,120 you read the Bible other than the Christ, you will become 328 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:38,680 apathetic in your life because in all reality, you're looking 329 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,560 for things outside of Jesus and Jesus is all you need. 330 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:49,240 And people miss Him. The religious leaders missed him 331 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:57,120 and therefore when he came, there was no longer an 332 00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:01,120 anticipation. No longer were they alert 333 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,880 because of apathy. Let me give you another one. 334 00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:13,600 Wow, time flies. Activity. 335 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:21,280 Not just apathy, but activity. When we become apathetic, we 336 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:26,840 become involved in the, the meaningless and mundane things 337 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:32,040 of, of life. There, there are certain 338 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,720 responsibilities that we have. We have to go to work and we 339 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,240 have to take care of our children and we have to be 340 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:40,560 responsible. We have to pay our bills. 341 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:44,240 Those are things that that we, we do because we're responsible 342 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:46,320 people. But there are activities that we 343 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:51,240 engage in because we're so apathetic that somehow they 344 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:56,440 will, they will fill the void of our, our pathetic lives. 345 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:00,720 If I can say it that way, that's where Solomon was, right? 346 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,880 Solomon would search the ends of the earth with all the money and 347 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:09,120 power and prestige that he had to do and, and, and fill the 348 00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:12,160 void of his life and somehow find meaning and, and 349 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,160 significance in life. Then maybe it's in the gardens I 350 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,200 plan, or maybe it's in the buildings that I build, or maybe 351 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,720 it's in the women that I collect, or, or maybe it's in 352 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,400 the gold and money that I obtained. 353 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,240 Maybe it's in this or maybe it's in that. 354 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:26,960 Maybe there's meaning here. Maybe there's meaning there, but 355 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,720 you know, it's all empty. It's all vain. 356 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,680 There's nothing there. That was his conclusion, 357 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:38,800 realizing that the end is all about fearing God and keep his 358 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,920 keeping his commandments. But he went on a search. 359 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,400 If you're with us for the last 26 weeks on Wednesday night, 360 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:51,080 you're well aware of his empty search for meaning and 361 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,440 significance in life, even though he was the king of 362 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:59,560 Israel. But we involve ourselves in all 363 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:05,480 kinds of activities that really don't mean anything. 364 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:13,440 And Paul would say in Second Timothy chapter, chapter 2, 365 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:17,720 verse #4 I believe it is these words. 366 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:26,640 No good soldier engages himself or entangles himself in the 367 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:31,480 affairs of this life so that he can please his commanding 368 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,840 officer. No good soldier. 369 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,920 We have a lot of soldiers in the Army of God who entangle 370 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,480 themselves in the everyday affairs of the world, but no 371 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:43,200 good soldier is going to do that. 372 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,920 No self respecting soldiers going to do that. 373 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,200 No God fearing soldiers going to do that. 374 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,480 He's not going to engage in all these extracurricular activities 375 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,680 so as to detract from the arrival of the Messiah, 376 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,880 anticipating his coming and living in light of his coming. 377 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,960 No, he wants to please his commanding officer. 378 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,680 He knows his commander is going to come. 379 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,640 He knows about the day of Christ. 380 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,400 He knows about the day of the Lord. 381 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,120 So he lives in anticipation of those days. 382 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:21,120 And yet like the people in the days of Jesus when they gathered 383 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:26,720 together in Bethlehem, because there's been a, a decree set out 384 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:32,280 by, by Caesar Augustus that there would be a census taken. 385 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,320 And so everybody was going back to their their hometown. 386 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,160 That's why Mary and Joseph left Nazareth and and went to 387 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:42,920 Bethlehem when she was nine months pregnant and make that 75 388 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:50,640 mile journey, either walking the backside of a donkey or in a 389 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,200 cart. However, she would make that 390 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:59,320 journey and everybody was busy with all kinds of activities, 391 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:03,760 finding a place to stay, finding food to eat, doing all kinds of 392 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:07,400 things. And here the Messiah would be 393 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:16,960 born in Bethlehem, just like the prophet Micah said, and the 394 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,520 glory of the Lord would shine all around the shepherds that 395 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,560 that's the presence of God manifested in in brilliant 396 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,080 light. Don't you think that's all these 397 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,200 people in Bent Lane would, would at least got a glimpse of the of 398 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,680 the brilliance of the light of the glory of the Lord as it 399 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:35,760 showed around all these shepherds? 400 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,400 Were they, were they at all interested? 401 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:45,440 No, they were busy doing everything else but the one 402 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:50,000 thing they needed to be doing, and that is focusing on the 403 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:55,440 coming of their Messiah. But all of their activities, all 404 00:31:55,440 --> 00:32:00,560 their busyness, all their mundane, meaningless efforts to 405 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,720 fill the void of their lives, to make them somehow satisfied with 406 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:10,080 their everyday, boring, pathetic lives, they missed the arrival 407 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:15,560 of the Messiah. Same as true in the 21st 408 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:19,480 century. We engage in all kinds of 409 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,800 activities. We do this and we do that, and 410 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:27,960 we go here and we go there because we're so apathetic. 411 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,240 We need to somehow fill the emptiness of our lives with 412 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:39,480 something that will give us meaning, happiness, joy. 413 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:45,560 So we go here, we go there, we do this, we do that, and all the 414 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:54,240 time our lives are absent from anticipation and alertness to 415 00:32:54,240 --> 00:33:01,680 the arrival of the Messiah. So whether it be apathy, whether 416 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:10,080 it be activity or, or whether it would be familiarity, that's 417 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,080 another reason we we don't live in anticipation. 418 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,040 I hear this all the time. Well, yeah. 419 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,800 I, I, I've heard about the coming of Jesus. 420 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:26,800 I, I, I know all about that. Do you? 421 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,880 I talk to people all the time. Oh, yeah. 422 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,360 I, I know about that. OK, Explain to me the difference 423 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,840 between the day of Christ, the day of the Lord, and the day of 424 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:35,080 God. And they say what? 425 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,760 And I say, explain to me where, where Jesus is going to return 426 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,680 when he comes. Oh, I know, Zachariah 14, the 427 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:49,080 Mount of Olives wrong. Didn't read Isaiah 63, Isaiah 428 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:53,640 34, You missed it. He will eventually go there, but 429 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:54,720 then he's going to descend there. 430 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,080 So how familiar are you with the coming of the Messiah? 431 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,880 I asked him, Do you know anything about the Battle of 432 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:07,680 Armageddon? Oh, yeah, I know all about that, 433 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:08,960 I said. There is no battle of 434 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:11,600 Armageddon. It's called the Battle of 435 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:14,159 Bosraw. You missed that too. 436 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,920 You see, you're we're not as familiar with the coming of the 437 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:22,400 king as we think we are. But familiarity breeds contempt, 438 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:25,199 does it not? And we think we know enough. 439 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:34,239 Like the days of Jesus in the 1st century, his own brothers 440 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,199 did not believe in him until after the resurrection. 441 00:34:41,639 --> 00:34:47,800 They were so familiar with him in Luke 4 when, when Jesus gets 442 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,960 up and quotes or reads from Isaiah 61 and, and reads about 443 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:56,560 that prophecy and says that today this prophecy is fulfilled 444 00:34:56,679 --> 00:34:59,800 in your hearing. Every rabbi would come and say 445 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:03,120 one day this prophecy will be fulfilled in your hearing. 446 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:08,520 But on this day, Jesus says today, this prophecy is 447 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,400 fulfilled in your hearing because the Spirit of the Lord 448 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:15,680 is upon me, and I've come to proclaim the favorable year of 449 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,560 our Lord. He closed the book and sat down 450 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:22,320 and everybody said, whoa, is this not Josephson? 451 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:27,080 Who is this guy? Does he actually think he's the 452 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:31,400 Messiah? And then he would begin to 453 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:34,160 interpret more and speak more. And they became so angry with 454 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:41,720 them, they wanted to kill him. See, Familiarity hindered their 455 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:47,480 alertness to the coming, the Messiah, their anticipation of 456 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:52,320 His arrival, because they were so familiar with Him. 457 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,920 His own brothers and sisters did not believe in him. 458 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,200 They grew up with him. You would think that they would 459 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:10,880 believe but they didn't until after the resurrection and then 460 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:16,880 James his brother would write about the coming of the Lord in 461 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:21,600 James 5I love what he says. It's so good. 462 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:26,560 He says these words in in the 5th chapter of of James. 463 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,400 He says, therefore be patient, brethren, into the coming of the 464 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:36,120 Lord, be patient. The farmer waits for the 465 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,400 precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it 466 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,200 gets the early and late rains. You too, be patient. 467 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,240 Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 468 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,920 Do not complain. Listen, why do we complain? 469 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,080 Why do we bellyache? Why do we moan? 470 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:54,920 Because we're not patient until the coming of the Lord. 471 00:36:55,240 --> 00:36:59,120 His arrival is not in our mind. We're not anticipating His 472 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,600 coming again. We can't be patient with anybody 473 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,080 else. We complain about everybody 474 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,200 else. He says do not complain 475 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,600 brethren, against one another so that you yourselves may not be 476 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,080 judged. Behold, the judge is standing 477 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:18,320 right at the door. Stop complaining about your 478 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,760 brother. Don't worry, God will judge. 479 00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:28,040 The judge is right at the door. You be patient unto the coming 480 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:31,600 of the Lord, like the farmer waits for the early and late 481 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:33,520 rains. Be patient. 482 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:41,160 He's coming. But because of apathy, but 483 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:48,200 because of activity, but because of familiarity, the anticipation 484 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:53,880 wanes. We find ourselves more asleep 485 00:37:54,880 --> 00:38:00,400 than alert to the day of the Lord. 486 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,640 There's another reason I got a whole bunch of them. 487 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:09,840 Religiosity. That's a good one. 488 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:16,000 Religiosity. This was the religious elite, 489 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,000 the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. 490 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:25,360 Religion is a good word. We don't like to use it because 491 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:29,720 quote we're Christians, but James uses it. 492 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:37,200 James says it this way. If anyone thinks himself to be 493 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:45,160 religious and yet not bridles his tongue, he deceives himself. 494 00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:51,520 And then he says in verse 27, James one pure religion, pure 495 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:55,000 religion and undefiled before the father exists that you visit 496 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,280 the widows and orphans in their affliction and keep oneself 497 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:02,240 unstained by the world. So James, the brother of our 498 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:09,640 Lord would talk about religion, but it's religiosity that's a 499 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:13,440 killer when it comes to anticipating the return of the 500 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:17,640 king. It's the it's the church 501 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:22,560 attender, the one who involves himself in the rituals of his 502 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:29,880 religion. You see, when we become so 503 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:34,360 familiar with the story, but unfamiliar with the savior of 504 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:41,520 the story, then we engage in religious activities and our 505 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:47,320 religiosity tends to, to, to, to hinder our anticipation of the, 506 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:55,040 of the coming of the Messiah. And even though the scribes and, 507 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:58,640 and, and the Pharisees would, would hear the Magi say where, 508 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:00,520 where is he was born king of the Jews. 509 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,560 And, and they would go and search the Scriptures and know 510 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:08,040 that it was Micah chapter 5, verse #2 they couldn't make the 511 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:12,560 five mile journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see whether or 512 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:18,840 not this had taken place. Why? 513 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:20,360 Because their religion was good enough. 514 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:24,720 The religious status was good enough. 515 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:30,200 And we come to church and, and we sit in church and we sing a 516 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,000 few songs. We, we hear a hear a sermon. 517 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:37,320 We might put a A20 spot in the offering and, and we, we might 518 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:40,160 even engage in some kind of service, but we quickly go home 519 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:43,280 because we're, we're more into the religiosity of our 520 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,280 Christianity than the true relationship we have with the 521 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:48,960 Christ who is the author of Christianity. 522 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:57,120 That's always a problem. We have so many people who come 523 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:03,040 to church that are into religion, but not true and pure 524 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:07,200 and undefiled religion before the Father that are willing to 525 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:09,320 keep themselves unspotted from the world. 526 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:15,840 So whether it be apathy or activity or familiarity or 527 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:20,680 religiosity, there's there's, there's also also jealousy. 528 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:25,440 This is where Herod comes in. King Herod. 529 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:28,960 Where was he who was born king of the Jews? 530 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:31,760 And Herod's like, whoa, there's no other king here but me. 531 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,720 I'm the king. But he wasn't Jewish. 532 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:40,560 He was an Idumean. He was a descendant of Edom, the 533 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,080 Edomites. He wasn't a Jew. 534 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:48,160 And so he, he didn't want a rival to his kingship. 535 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:52,440 That's why he he set out to kill all those two years and, and 536 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:55,920 younger because he was trying to assess when the Magi saw the 537 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:58,760 star and the time it was. So he figured that if I kill 538 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:02,600 everybody two years and younger, all these boys two years and 539 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:06,240 younger, then I can rid myself of any competition. 540 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:12,960 I can still be the king. See, we have people today that 541 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:17,320 that believe that they're own king, their own master, their 542 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:21,600 own ruler of their own lives. And they don't want to give way 543 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:25,920 to to the Messiah. They don't want to subject 544 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:30,560 themselves to the the King of kings and Lord of Lords that 545 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:32,480 they don't want to deny themselves, take up the cross 546 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:36,600 and follow Christ and be subject to another king because they 547 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:38,720 want to rule their own lives. They want to be God of their own 548 00:42:38,720 --> 00:42:45,280 lives. Destroys the anticipation and 549 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,120 the alertness to the arrival of the Messiah. 550 00:42:49,720 --> 00:42:53,360 Idolatry is another. That's Rome. 551 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:57,880 Rome plays a big part in the life of Christ. 552 00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:03,080 It was from Rome came to decree about the census. 553 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:09,120 It was Rome who arrested Jesus. It was Rome who killed Jesus. 554 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:12,840 Rome was involved in the life of Jesus. 555 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:20,880 The Rome was an idolatrous nation and they were into 556 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:24,320 worshipping other gods. Israel worshipped the true God 557 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:27,960 the wrong way and Rome just worshipped the wrong God all the 558 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:31,320 way. That's what they did. 559 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:41,080 And so it's in the 21st century we we can very easily engage in 560 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:46,560 idolatry and not even know it. Paul was saying Colossus 35 that 561 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:53,400 that covetousness is idolatry. In Romans 7 verses 7 and 8, Paul 562 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:59,160 says it was because the law said thou shalt not covet is where I 563 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:05,240 realized that I was a Sinner. He would go through the whole 564 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,960 entire list of the commandments and realize that he was a keeper 565 00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:12,120 of the commandments until he came to the end when it says 566 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:19,480 thou shalt not covet. He realized that in his own 567 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:26,640 life, there were things he he coveted after things he wanted. 568 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,560 And just because it's the last of the 10 commandments doesn't 569 00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:31,560 mean it's the least of the 10 commandments. 570 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:35,720 It means that it's the root of the sin of all the other reasons 571 00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:40,560 we break the 1st 9 commandments. The reason we murder is because 572 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:42,640 we covet. The reason we lie is because we 573 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:44,760 covet. The reason we commit adultery is 574 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:46,920 because we covet. The reason we have other gods is 575 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:49,920 because we covet. We want something other than the 576 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:52,360 one true God. We want something else to 577 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,480 fulfill the emptiness of our lives, and that becomes 578 00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:58,720 something more important to us than the God of Israel himself. 579 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:03,680 In anything that rises above God in your life is your idol. 580 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:09,480 Is that what you worship? And when you commit covetousness 581 00:45:09,720 --> 00:45:14,600 because you're an idolater, what happens is that this destroys 582 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:18,920 your anticipation and your alertness of the coming Messiah. 583 00:45:26,690 --> 00:45:31,490 Another one is self-sufficiency. I'll end with this one. 584 00:45:33,130 --> 00:45:39,490 Self-sufficiency describes the chief priests, the keepers of 585 00:45:39,490 --> 00:45:42,290 the law, the interpreters of the law, the transcribers of the 586 00:45:42,290 --> 00:45:45,280 law. They live the life of 587 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:50,240 self-sufficiency. Our lives are good enough. 588 00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:54,680 We're OK. My family's good. 589 00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:56,600 My job is good. My health is good. 590 00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:00,160 Everything's good until it's not. 591 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:02,720 But right now, everything's good. 592 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:07,840 I'm self-sufficient. I ruin my own life. 593 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:14,520 I'm good and self-sufficiency is a is a is a killer to a life of 594 00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:17,520 anticipation and alertness to the day of Christ and the day of 595 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:27,000 the Lord just destroys it. Maybe you fall into one or two 596 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:32,360 or even all of those categories. It will be the reason why you 597 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:35,680 sit here today and you think, are you covering First 598 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:40,600 Thessalonians 51 to 11 again? Haven't we heard it enough? 599 00:46:41,720 --> 00:46:44,200 Are you speaking on the coming of Christ again? 600 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:51,400 Yes, and I'm not even done yet. Although this is the 10th week 601 00:46:51,400 --> 00:46:55,000 on chapter 4 verses 1318 to chapter 5, verses 1 to 11. 602 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,920 This is the 10th week of covering that material and we're 603 00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:02,280 just scratching the surface. Just scratching the surface. 604 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:06,200 So let me close with this. If you have your Bible turn to 605 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:09,040 the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi. 606 00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:17,080 Let me close with this. These 6 verses are are just 607 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:29,160 absolutely rich with truth. Malachi is the messenger of God. 608 00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:35,880 Malachi means my messenger, my my Angel, and Malachi is is the 609 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:37,720 last prophet in the Old Testament. 610 00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:46,000 He's going to speak and he ends with the day of the Lord in the 611 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:47,800 coming Messiah. But he but he's speaking to a 612 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:51,760 nation. He he, he speaks the writes 100 613 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:57,680 years after the decree from Cyrus for Israel to go back to 614 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:01,520 their land and to rebuild the walls in the city of Jerusalem. 615 00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:05,480 So it's been 100 years since that decree. 616 00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:09,720 And you know why he writes? It's he writes because of the 617 00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:13,800 apathy and complacency of the nation of Israel. 618 00:48:16,880 --> 00:48:22,720 He's God's messenger and he writes because of the fact that 619 00:48:22,720 --> 00:48:29,840 they are morally corrupt. They'd come back and they had 620 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:34,280 done their duty around the city of Jerusalem, and they sat and 621 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:39,040 waited. And in there they're waiting. 622 00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:46,800 Their anticipation waned. Their anticipation became wet 623 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:52,320 and damp. And so he wants to stir them up. 624 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:58,400 How? By way of reminder to get them 625 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:03,680 to remember. And so he he gives, he gives 626 00:49:03,680 --> 00:49:07,920 this prediction, then he gives this promise, and then he gives 627 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:13,160 this plea. That's how you outline the last 628 00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:18,200 6 verses of Malachi chapter 4. Here's the prediction. 629 00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:21,200 For behold the day. What day is that? 630 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,400 That's the day of the Lord. The day is coming, burning like 631 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:27,400 a furnace, and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be 632 00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:29,960 chaffed. And the day of that is coming. 633 00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:34,760 We'll set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will 634 00:49:34,760 --> 00:49:38,560 leave them neither root nor branch. 635 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:43,640 The day of the Lord is coming. It's coming like a blazing 636 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:48,600 furnace, and everybody's going to be destroyed and be burned 637 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:51,360 up. There's no root left. 638 00:49:52,240 --> 00:49:56,480 This is the prediction by Malachi. 639 00:49:58,240 --> 00:50:02,760 He wants them to understand that this is a guarantee because the 640 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:07,200 Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Armies makes this decree. 641 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,280 Then he gives the promise, the prediction. 642 00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:15,720 Judgement is coming, the promise. 643 00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:22,400 But joy can be yours, he says. But for you who fear my name, 644 00:50:23,280 --> 00:50:27,920 the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, 645 00:50:28,240 --> 00:50:32,160 and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the 646 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:34,480 stall. You will tread down the wicked, 647 00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:39,600 for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day 648 00:50:39,800 --> 00:50:43,480 which I am preparing, says the Lord of Armies. 649 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:47,400 Wow, There's going to be salvation, there's going to be 650 00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:50,600 vindication, there's going to be celebration. 651 00:50:51,000 --> 00:50:54,960 That's the joy that's coming for those of you who fear my name, 652 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:59,360 those of you, those of you who live in the fear of God, because 653 00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:02,560 right now you're not doing that, but because you fear my name, 654 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:05,960 the Son of righteousness. And every rabbi before the time 655 00:51:05,960 --> 00:51:11,040 of Jesus would say the Son is the star of #2417. 656 00:51:11,200 --> 00:51:13,440 And he's called the Son of righteousness because in 657 00:51:13,440 --> 00:51:17,560 Jeremiah 23, five and six, it's the Lord of righteousness who is 658 00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:19,920 the branch, who is the star, who is the Son. 659 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:25,600 So the Son of righteousness is the Messiah in Psalm 8411 says 660 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:30,280 the Lord God of Israel is a sun and a shield. 661 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:37,960 And that's why Jesus said that he was the bright and morning 662 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:41,960 star in Revelation 22. That's why the promise in 663 00:51:41,960 --> 00:51:46,240 Revelation chapter 2 is you will receive the morning star. 664 00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:50,000 That's why Peter calls him the day star that rises in your 665 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,680 hearts. And that's why Zacharias and 666 00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:58,000 Luke chapter one would quote from Malachi chapter 4 about how 667 00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:02,640 the Sun of Righteousness has has arisen and now is here. 668 00:52:05,720 --> 00:52:10,000 This is the joy. Those who fear my name, here's 669 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:13,240 your promise. You'll be vindicated. 670 00:52:14,840 --> 00:52:19,760 You'll be saved, you'll be protected because he'll rise 671 00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:23,840 with with healing in his wings and and wings is a symbol of how 672 00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:27,960 God protects his people, how he shelters them under his mighty 673 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:31,480 wings and protects his own. You'll have protection, you'll 674 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:33,840 have salvation, you'll have vindication. 675 00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:37,240 Why? Because I will have performed my 676 00:52:37,360 --> 00:52:40,840 ultimate destruction upon your enemies. 677 00:52:41,520 --> 00:52:45,560 That's the promise. So now it gets really good. 678 00:52:46,320 --> 00:52:48,960 If that wasn't good enough, now it gets really good. 679 00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:52,920 Listen to this verse 4, remember? 680 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:57,360 There he is good enough for Paul, good enough for Peter, 681 00:52:57,520 --> 00:53:00,080 good enough for Malachi, good enough for me. 682 00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:05,880 Remember, remember what? The law of Moses, my servant, 683 00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:10,040 even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb 684 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:13,800 for all Israel. Listen, you want to receive the 685 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:16,400 joy of the Lord, understand the righteousness of God. 686 00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:19,840 You need to understand this plea. 687 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:26,720 Remember my servant and His submission to my law, because 688 00:53:26,720 --> 00:53:30,680 you are my servant and I want you to submit to my law. 689 00:53:32,720 --> 00:53:38,080 Remember. And then he says, behold, I'm 690 00:53:38,080 --> 00:53:42,080 going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the 691 00:53:42,080 --> 00:53:44,080 great and terrible day of the Lord. 692 00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:47,520 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, 693 00:53:47,960 --> 00:53:52,280 in the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will 694 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:54,800 not come and smite the land with a curse. 695 00:53:55,600 --> 00:54:00,280 Things are going to change when Elijah comes before the great 696 00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:05,120 and terrible day of the Lord. Revelation 11 speaks of two 697 00:54:05,120 --> 00:54:10,480 witnesses, one like Moses, one like Elijah on the mount. 698 00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:14,760 Transfiguration with Jesus was Moses and Elijah. 699 00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:19,120 In Acts chapter one there were two men in white apparel. 700 00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:21,520 They were not angels. There were two men in white 701 00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:27,280 apparel, maybe a definite maybe. One was Moses and one was Elijah 702 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:34,800 because in this text he mentions who Moses and Elijah. 703 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:39,400 Elijah will come before the great and terrible day of the 704 00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:43,360 Lord. Well didn't Jesus say that that 705 00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:47,840 that, that if you had would have received what John said he would 706 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:51,040 have been the Elijah like figure and the Kingdom would have been 707 00:54:51,040 --> 00:54:57,400 restored? Yes, he did say that he did, but 708 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:01,440 they did not receive their Messiah because of their apathy, 709 00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:04,920 because of their activity, because of their religiosity, 710 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:08,480 because of their idolatry, because of their familiarity, 711 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:11,440 because of their jealousy. They did not. 712 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:18,680 But the problematic guy says before the great terrible day of 713 00:55:18,680 --> 00:55:23,680 the Lord is going to be Elijah, who's going to come When he 714 00:55:23,680 --> 00:55:29,160 preaches the hearts of men will be revived, they'll be redeemed, 715 00:55:29,160 --> 00:55:37,360 they'll be changed. So I will not curse the land in 716 00:55:37,360 --> 00:55:43,560 the Old Testament closes. That's 400 years until God 717 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:49,640 speaks again. But I wonder this morning if the 718 00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:56,680 Sun of Righteousness has risen in your heart, if you understand 719 00:55:56,680 --> 00:56:00,280 the beauty of Christ's forgiveness. 720 00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:09,520 Let the Lord Jesus Christ came because it was promised that He 721 00:56:09,520 --> 00:56:13,520 would come. And they came to die because 722 00:56:13,520 --> 00:56:18,160 that was the promise that he would rise again, again, the 723 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:24,760 promise that He might redeem his own, which He has done and is 724 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:28,680 still doing, but he is going to come again. 725 00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:33,800 And the model life man just lives. 726 00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:42,000 This great thrill that it could be today lives in anticipation, 727 00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:50,640 excitement, joy, and celebration because the sun, the day star 728 00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:54,200 has risen in our hearts. We know the Lord, but as the 729 00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:57,760 Bride of Christ, we anticipate the coming of the Bridegroom. 730 00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:03,480 We live this way. That's the model life. 731 00:57:05,080 --> 00:57:07,480 And if you want to live the model life, the Christ like 732 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:11,560 life, it's centers around not just abstinence from sexual 733 00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:15,040 immorality and not just aspiration to loving the 734 00:57:15,040 --> 00:57:18,320 brethren, but it lives to the anticipation of the day of 735 00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:22,800 Christ and the alertness to the day of the Lord and all that 736 00:57:22,800 --> 00:57:29,600 entails because this is the sanctifying event of our lives. 737 00:57:31,040 --> 00:57:34,680 He who has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is 738 00:57:34,680 --> 00:57:43,740 pure. It was Nathan Buznitz who said 739 00:57:43,820 --> 00:57:48,180 the hope of Christ's coming was of paramount importance for the 740 00:57:48,220 --> 00:57:51,580 early church. In fact, it's certainty was so 741 00:57:51,580 --> 00:57:55,540 real that 1st century believers would greet one another with the 742 00:57:55,540 --> 00:58:00,460 term maranatha, meaning the Lord come quickly. 743 00:58:01,780 --> 00:58:06,680 Instead of being frightened by the possibility, they clung to 744 00:58:06,680 --> 00:58:10,880 it as a culmination of everything they believed. 745 00:58:13,400 --> 00:58:17,680 Maranatha, Maranatha, my friends. 746 00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:26,600 My father used to close every card, every letter he wrote with 747 00:58:26,600 --> 00:58:33,480 that phrase. Maranatha our Lord come because 748 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:37,920 my father used to live in anticipation to his coming again 749 00:58:39,480 --> 00:58:43,120 is a rival. I want you to live that way. 750 00:58:44,600 --> 00:58:48,000 I want you to be able to walk into church and say Maranatha 751 00:58:49,680 --> 00:58:57,000 and hear someone say back to you, Maranatha our Lord come, 752 00:58:58,280 --> 00:59:01,280 let's pray. God, Father, we thank you for 753 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:06,000 today. The opportunity you give us, as 754 00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:12,080 brief as it is to study Your word, I pray for everyone in the 755 00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:15,360 room. They would know Christ as the 756 00:59:15,360 --> 00:59:18,960 Lord and Savior. They would have embraced the 757 00:59:18,960 --> 00:59:26,080 stun of righteousness who rises in their hearts, offers them to 758 00:59:26,080 --> 00:59:30,720 protection and salvation so needed in their lives, which 759 00:59:30,760 --> 00:59:34,880 leads to the ultimate satisfaction of every person, or 760 00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:37,080 he who believes in him will never be disappointed. 761 00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:41,720 Peter tells us. So we thank you for this day and 762 00:59:42,600 --> 00:59:47,320 this opportunity once again to be reminded to remember, to stir 763 00:59:47,320 --> 00:59:52,080 up our sincere minds by way of remembrance. 764 00:59:53,880 --> 01:00:00,120 Lord, help us never to forget. Help us not to be so preoccupied 765 01:00:00,120 --> 01:00:03,320 with the everyday events that we've lost. 766 01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:07,400 Focus and touch and preoccupation with your coming 767 01:00:07,400 --> 01:00:11,280 again. Help us to live each day 768 01:00:11,280 --> 01:00:17,800 anticipating, alert to your arrival, until you come again, 769 01:00:18,480 --> 01:00:24,560 as you most surely will. And all God's people said Amen.