WATCHFUL AND PREPARED FOR THE COMING BACK OF
THE LORD
Preface
Preface Our attitude towards the second coming of our Lord Jesus is the key to determine if we will receive a reward. In the books of Gospel, Jesus illustrates the two types of attitude of waiting for the coming of the Lord with many parables: either “watch and prepare” or “neglect and slight”, such as the parables of the ten Virgins, the ten Minas (good servant versus wicked servant) and the Talents. He made it clear that only "good and faithful servant" can come and share his master’s happiness. (Matthew 25:21). Nevertheless, the servant who received one talent protested, “ Master, I knew that you are a hard man....” His thought only proves his distrust to his master, then, how should his master share his happiness with him? (Matthew 25:23) This booklet has collected all the ideas from the bible for the article of how we should prepare ourselves for the second coming of the Lord Jesus and how watchful the end time believers should be. There are also clear teachings on ‘the good and faithful servants’. When the Lord Jesus applauded the servant who had gained five bags of gold more, He said unto him, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21). In the world, we always think we have sacrificed and done a lot for the Lord, however, comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us, they are just ‘not much things’. Let us all look forward to the ‘many things’, many far more glorious things, to be assigned to us by our Master!
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Contents
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord....................................................... 3 Do you have a part of the awards?........................... 19 Can you stand before the Judgement?.................... 27 How to find favor and "get saved"?.......................... 35 Do you want to be beaten?....................................... 39 Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! . .............. 43
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord A. Be a watchful and prepared one “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:37-44) “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have
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them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:35-40)
1. The Lord will suddenly come back (i) You do not know on what day your Lord will come.(Matthew 24:42, Luke 12:40). (ii) The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him(Matthew 24:44, Luke 12:40).
2. “When” the Lord comes back, He will take with Him away those: (1) who are watchful; (2) who have prepared themselves 3. So, you have to "Watch", and you have to "prepare yourselves" (1)That means: you have to be "watchful" always, to be “sober” always, to wait for the coming of the Lord. (2)That means: you also have to "get ready" soon,and be able to be confident and unashamed to meet the Lord.
1. How to be watchful (1) Don’t fall in deep sleep “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6) (2) Pray always The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
mind so that you may pray. (1 Peter 4:7) Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. (Mark 13:33) “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18) 2. How does one prepare himself (1) Start now "to serve faithfully”, ”to love the co-workers dearly”, ”not to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Matthew 24:45-51) (2) Start now "to pay the price of preparing oil" (Matthew 25:1-13) That is, to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit,to be full of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) (3) Start now "to release your gifts” (Matthew 25:14-30) That is, to use your gifts, to exert your gifts, you must not stifle and waste your gifts. (4) Start now "to walk in righteousness” (Matthew 25:1430) It means to wear the fine linen which is bright and clean. (Revelation 19:7-8). Christians cannot only wear the “robe of righteousness”, which is Christ, our righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30). (5) Start now "to pursue Holiness” For without Holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14). John the Apostle teaches us that all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)
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(6) Start now "to pursue for being mature” The " wedding of the Lamb" has come, The Lord is coming to take the bride, the church, so the saints’ lives have to be mature and grown up. (See Song of Songs 8:8)
B. The differences between the Good and Faithful Servant and the Wicked Servant "The first parable" the Lord used to illustrate “being watchful and prepared” – only to be watchful and prepared makes people faithful, not to gratify the desires of their flesh. ‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 24:45-51) ‘Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.’ (Luke 12:41-48)
1. Faithful servants (1) refer to the labors who are assigned by the Lord or the leaders of the churches. (2) they are faithful servants who give the saints their spiritual food at the proper time. When the Lord comes back, He will have them reign with him for a thousand years.
2. Wicked servants They think in their hearts ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and they then: (1) take advantage of their fellow servants; (2) gratify the desires of their flesh, and to eat and drink with drunkards. When the Lord comes back, He will punish them heavily, and will appoint him his portion with the unfaithful. He will not have them reign with him for a thousand years, but will have them repent of their wickedness for a thousand years instead.
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C. The Difference between Wise Virgins and Foolish Virgins "The second parable” the Lord used to illustrate “being watchful and prepared” – only the watchful and prepared people may attend “the wedding of the Lamb”. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:113)
1. Wise Virgins (1) They pay price to prepare oil in jars along with their lamps on. (2) “Oil” is a sign of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 1:9, Isaiah 61:1). It
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
means that we have to pursue to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, be full of the Holy Spirit. (3) When the Lord comes back, they will attend “the wedding of the Lamb”, and share the Lord’s happiness in the One Thousand Year Kingdom.
2. Foolish Virgins (1) They have their lamps on without paying price to prepare oil in jars. It means that they only receive “the Holy Spirit of life” at the time they got saved. (See Acts 2:38), without the pursuit of being filled with the Holy Spirit always, in other words, they are not full of the Holy Spirit. (2) When the Lord comes back, they can have no part in “the wedding of the Lamb” and to share the Lord’s happiness in the One Thousand Year Kingdom. (3) Nobody knows when the Lord will come back, so, we need to “be ready” and to “be alert always”.
D. Good and Faithful Servants vs. Wicked and Lazy Servants "The third parable” the Lord used to illustrate “being watchful and prepared” – be a good and faithful servant who can give account. “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man
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who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matthew 25:1430) “While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
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Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”(Luke 19:11-27)
1. The Lord will come and settle accounts (1) Every believer has to give accounts to the Lord. (2) The world who reject Jesus will be judged and perish.
2. The servants who will be claimed by the Lord as good and faithful (1) are those who receive 5 bags or 2 bags of gold. (2) for they use their gifts, and do the best with their gifts, so they gained five bags or two bags more. (3) it means that they are ready and have been watching and wait for the coming back of their master, they can give accounts to the master at any time. (4) they will reign with the Lord in the one thousand year kingdom, and will share the Lord’s happiness, and will have a part in the wedding of the Lamb
3. The servants who will be rebuked by the Lord as wicked and lazy (1) are those who receive 1 bag of gold but have their gifts buried, without using and giving full play to their gifts. i) They don’t preach
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
the gospel, ii) they don’t take part in any service in church, iii) they don’t visit believers... (2) it means that they have not been watching and are not ready for giving accounts to the master at any time. (3) they will not reign with the Lord in the one thousand year kingdom, and will not have a part in the wedding of the Lamb, sharing the Lord’s happiness. They will be taken away from the face of their master and be thrown outside into the darkness, where they will regret, and will be put to shame and disgrace for a thousand years.
4. The world who refuse the Lord to be their King will be judged and sent to hell.
E. Be Someone who is Alert and Wait on the Coming of the Lord “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:33-37)
1. Here it tells us to watch, it means to pray, because only prayers lead us to watch.
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2. Here it also tells us the reason why we have to watch and pray: (1) because we do not know the day and the hour when the Lord will come back. (2) because this is the Lord’s command: “Be...”! (3) because this is said to “everyone”.
F. The World have to Kindly Treat the Christians and Fear the Lord during the Tribulation “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
1. When the Lord Jesus comes to the earth, He will sit on His glorious throne and judge “all the nations”. Since all the Christians will have been raptured, “all the nations” refers to the unbelievers who will be still living on the earth. 2. “all the nations” who will be still living on the earth will be separated into two groups of people:. (1) The Sheep
i) will be put on the right side of the throne. ii) will be put into the one thousand year kingdom to be citizens of nations. iii) reason: they had kindly treated the Christians. (2) The Goats
i) will be put on the left side of the throne. ii) will be put into the lake of fie (the hell).
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iii) reason: they had wickedly treated the Christians.
G. Be a People who will Produce its Fruit” “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:3343)
1. This is a parable said to the Israelites (Matthew21:45 )
How to be watchful and prepared for the second coming of the Lord
2. Israelites were the vineyard God planted (Isaiah 5:1-2), they were also the tenants of the vineyard. 3. God expected them to produce good fruit, that is good performance, good witness, so God’s heart might be fully satisfied. 4. God sent His servants – the prophets in the old testament were sent to the Israelites. 5. As a result, those prophets were killed by Israelites one after one. 6. At last, God sent His only begotten Son whom He loves to them – they crucified Him on the cross, they rejected the Christ of God. 7. Therefore, God abandoned them and had chosen the Church of God instead, the tenants who will yields their fruit in season. 8. Hence, today’s churches have to be able to produce fruit. Each christian not only has to have good performance and testimonies, but also has to win souls by preaching the gospel, being a witness of the Lord, producing fruit of gospel for God. (John 15:5-6)
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Do you have a part of the awards?
Do you have a part of the awards? “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) “The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small....” (Revelation 11:18)
A. Incorrect Concept The main reason why some of today’s Christians do not love the Lord, do not make any effort, refuse to suffer, will not commit themselves, and do not live for the Lord is that: They have a wrong thinking, an incorrect concept. They think that the future of all believers will be the same in the end. They will all receive the same grace of the Lord, will share the same heavenly blessings, and will have the glory together, that is the forgiveness of sins, entering into the glory of God instead of going to hell, and reigning with the Lord forevermore. So, they may think: it doesn’t matter even if I do not love the Lord; it is not a big deal even if I do not make any effort; it does not make any difference even if I refuse to suffer for the Lord; no commitment to the Lord is nothing; then, there is certainly no problem with not living for the Lord. As a result, why do I have to be such a dedicated christian who loves the Lord, presses on for the Lord, suffers for the Lord, sacrifices for the Lord, and lives for the Lord?
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They think that it is the best idea to be the rich man on earth and Lazarus in the future, having enjoyed all the luxury and splendorous lifestyle and the fleeting pleasures of sin on earth, and also to enjoy the blessings and pleasures and eternal honor in heaven. In that way, they will possess the earth and own the heaven. Actually, this could not be more wrong, they were deceived by Satan’s schemes. For if a man wants to own the heavenly things, he has to let go the earthly ones; if a man wants to get hold of the earthly things, he will lose the heavenly. You cannot eat the cake and have it. (See 1 John 2:15-17; Luke 16:19-25)
B. There will be “Rewards” and “Punishments” (1) It is clearly revealed in the bible. The bible clearly tells us that there will be rewards and punishment in the future. i) All those who do good will be rewarded “because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:8)
ii) All those who do wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which they have done “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” (Colossians 3:25)
iii) Those who have God be the source, means and content of their lives and ministries will be rewarded “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
Do you have a part of the awards?
test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)
iv) Those who do not do what the Lord wants will be beaten. “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:47-48)
(2) Paul’s example and exhortation i) Paul – pressed on to press on to get the prize all his life. “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
ii) Paul also encouraged Christians to press on racing on the heavenly path, to get their prizes. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)
(3) Why are there rewards and punishments? Because our God is a righteous God, He cannot be unrighteous, neither can He be unjust, nor can He be unfair. He cannot declare the guilty guiltless (Exodus 34:7), also, He cannot declare the guiltless guilty. Therefore, He cannot treat the righteous and the wicked the
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same (Genesis 18:25). In the same way, God cannot treat the bad Christians and the good Christians the same. The Lord who will judge the whole world has to do righteousness, being fair in meting out rewards or punishments; rewarding the good ones while giving due punishment to the bad one. So, the Lord will reward and will punish.
C. The “Consequence in the Future” of each Christian will vary (1) Various glory (1 Corinthians 15:41) i) In the future, some Christians will have glory splendorous as a sun, it will be so glorious. ii) some will have glory splendorous as a moon, comparatively less glorious. iii) T he others will have glor y splendorous as a star, comparatively a bit tiny glorious. iv) The difference comes from the measure of their “Spiritual Life Levels” attained by the efforts they make for the Lord on earth. So, those who do not make effort to know the Lord, to experience the Lord, their spiritual lives must be immature, naturally the splendor of their glory in the future will be less. (2) Different authorities (Luke 19:17-19) i) In the future, some Christians will have the authority to take charge of ten cities. ii) some will take charge of five cities only. iii) some will even have no authority to take charge of none city.
Do you have a part of the awards?
iv) So, different christian will receive different levels of authority, depending on how faithfully and diligently they serve the Lord on earth. (3) Different positions (Revelation 3:21) i) Christians who are victorious will sit with the Lord Jesus Christ “on His Throne” ii) Defeated Christians cannot sit with the Lord Jesus Christ “on His Throne”, they do not deserve it. iii) Even though the defeated Christians will enter into “the new heaven and the new earth” and will reign for ever and ever (Revelation 22:5), they will not reign with the Lord and the victorious Christians in that “One Thousand Year Kingdom”. (See Matthew 25:30) iv) Thus it can be seen that the difference between the positions of victorious Christians and those of the defeated ones are so big.
D. “Sorts” of Christians will be different (1) Good [the righteous] and evil people [the wicked] will be distinct from each other. (Malachi 3:18, Colossians 3:25, Revelation 19:7-9) (2) those who serve God and those who don’t will be distinct from each other. (Malachi 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:58) (3) the faithful servants and the wicked servants will be distinct
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from each other. (Matthew 24:45-51) (4) those who are watchful and prepared and those who are not watchful and prepared will be distinct from each other. (Matthew 25:1-13) (5) the good and faithful servants and the wicked and lazy servants will be distinct from each other. (Matthew 25:14-30) (6) the victorious believers and the defeated believers will be distinct from each other. (Revelation 2:1-3:14-30)
E. The Time and Venue of God’s Judgement (1) Time of the Judgement: when the Lord comes back. (2) Venue of the Judgement: at the judgment seat of Christ. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
When the Lord comes the second time, on His way in the air, He will first raise all the dead in Christ who will gave glorious bodies, and will also catch those believers who are still alive and are left up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). God will set up a judgement seat in the air called the “God’s judgment seat”( Romans 14) or the “judgment seat of Christ”. For the Lord will judge all the Christians, who are deserved of awards and who are deserved of punishments.
Do you have a part of the awards?
F. God will Award with “Crowns” God will award the saints who love the Lord and are victorious with different sorts of crowns. (1) “crown of rejoicing” will be awarded to the believers who zealously preach the gospel to win souls (Philippians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). (2) The “crown of righteousness” will be awarded to the believers who love the Lord and fight bravely for the Lord’s coming back, and observe the Lord’s truth and press on to run the race. (2 Timothy 4:7-8). (3) “Eternal crown” will be awarded to the believers who press on to seek for the Lord, practice self-discipline in everything, observe the laws in all aspects. (1 Corinthians 9:25). (4) The “crown of glory” will be awarded to the believers who labor, tend and watch over the saints according to the will of God. (1 Peter 5:1-4). (5) The “crown of life” will be awarded to the believers who persevere under trial or who are faithful to the Lord, even to the point of death. (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10).
G. God will Award with “the Thousand Year Kingdom” (1) With “crown of rejoicing”, God will award the victors through
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the ages and have them “reign with Christ a thousand years”, because they loved the Lord, labored for the Lord, sacrificed for the Lord, observed the will of God, died for the Lord and answered the calls of the Lord. (Matthew 7:21, Revelation 2:26, Revelation 20:4). (2) Those defeated Christians who do not love the Lord will be taken away from the face of the Lord, they will have no part in the glory for a period of time, they will weep and regret in the dark for a thousand years. (Matthew 25:30), not ten years, not fifty, not a hundred either, but a thousand year long. Because of the enlightenment consciousness of judgement before the “the judgment seat of Christ”, Paul and his co-workers made it their goal to please the Lord(2 Corinthians 5:9-10). God exactly is a righteous God, people can do nothing but to fear Him. May the Lord help us all see the coming judgement that we will fear God, and will have a part in God’s awards when the Lord comes back.
Can you stand before the Judgement?
Can you stand before the Judgement? A. There will be judgements “So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” (Romans 2:3) “God is a righteous judge....” (Psalm 7:11)
God is a god of love, He set up the plan of salvation since man had sinned against Him. He personally came in human likeness, He laid down his life and shed His blood for man, suffered for man’s sins, so that whoever believes in Him will receive the forgiveness of his sins and eternal life from God, become a child of God, and will be with Him forever. This is the great love of God. However, on the other hand, God is also a God of righteousness, holiness and glory, if a man refuse to accept the salvation of God, and he himself cannot meet the righteous requirements of God, nor can he satisfy the holiness and glory of God, then he will be judged by God. Since God is righteous, He will judge the wicked and the righteous with His mighty power. So, we all have to realize that There will be Judgements!!!
B. Jesus Christ is the Judge “Moreover, the Father(God) judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son(Jesus Christ)...” (John 5:22) “This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through
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Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” (Romans 2:16) “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)
From above scriptures, we understand that God will not judge Himself, God has appointed Jesus Christ to judge the world, and He has already set the date of Judgement, that is the day when Jesus comes back.
C. People to be Judged 1. the living – God will judge people who are still alive on earth when the Lord of Judgement comes back. “ ...he will judge the peoples with equity” (Psalm 96:10) “...for you rule the peoples with equity....” (Psalm 67:4) “ ...
and my arm will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 51:5)
“...You have come to God, the Judge of all...” (Hebrews 12:23)
2. the dead – one day God will judge all the world who are already dead on earth “ He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42) “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word...” (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
Can you stand before the Judgement?
“ Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) “The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come. The time has
come for judging the dead...” (Revelation 11:18)
3. christians – God will also judge His own people “ For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”” (Hebrews 10:30) “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;” (1 Peter 4:17) “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
4. Isaelites – God will also judge His own people “ May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” (Psalm 72:2) “ ...at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28)
5. angels – God will also judge angels and the host of heaven who betrayed God and sinned “ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;” (2 Peter 2:4) “ And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound
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with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” (Jude 6)
6. the whole world – God will also judge the whole world where we live “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” (Revelation 8:7) “ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (Revelation 8:8-9) “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.” (Revelation 8:10-11) “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died..” (Revelation 16:3) “The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.” (Revelation 16:4) “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.” (Revelation 16:12) “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air...No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. ... Every island fled away and the mountains could not
Can you stand before the Judgement?
be found.” (Revelation 16:17-20)
7. the sun, the moon, the stars – the sun, the moon and the stars will also be judged “The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.” (Revelation 8:12) “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.” (Revelation 16:8)
D. The Day of God’s Judgement is Coming Soon “For,“in just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”” (Hebrews 10:37) “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief...” (2 Peter 3:8-10)
About two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus promised, “Look, I am coming soon!” It is not fulfilled yet, just because of His great love, He is in patient with man, slow in doing His judgement; it is because God wants everyone to repent and believe Jesus is the Lord, and to receive Jesus as his savior, so that he will not perish in hell. Nevertheless, the God who surpasses time and space will not spare and be patient indefinitely, He has set the day for judgement (Acts 17:31). He also reveals that he will delay no more, in just a little
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while, the Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge you and me, the day of the Lord will come like a thief, it will come in a sudden moment. When He comes to judge, can you stand before Him? “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(Revelation 6:15-17) 1. if you are still not a christian You will face the judgement of God, because your sins have not yet bored by Jesus, your sins have not been forgiven yet, you are not justified before God. You are a wicked in God’s sight, just like the ones described in verses 5 and 6 of Psalms chapter one in the bible, “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment. ...the way of the wicked leads to destruction”. Anyone who does not believe in Jesus, he will ultimately perish, the hell will be his ending, he will regret there forever! 2. if you are a christian Even though you will not be judged to hell and perish forever, you will be judged before the “Judgement Seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10, Romans 14:10). Some will stand boldly and receive applause and awards, the others will stand in shame and receive reproach and punishments of the Lord. They cannot stand before the Lord, and will regret unceasingly in weeping and gnashing of teeth. (See 1 John 2:28, Matthew 24:50-51, Matthew 24:30)
Can you stand before the Judgement?
May I ask you? 111 How shall you face that soon coming judgement? 222 Can you stand before God’s judgement?
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How to find favor and "get saved"?
How to find favor and "get saved"? A. Call on the Lord Jesus “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:13)
(1) sincerely call on the name of “the Lord Jesus”, call on the Lord Jesus. (2) Just like: “Lord Jesus, please hear my prayer...”
B. Confess all your sins “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14) “ Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
Confess to the Lord that you are “a sinner”, confess your sin of worshipping false gods and confess all other sins, such as lying to others, hatred, stealing, jealousy, fornication, abortion...etc.
C. Repent with a Sincere Heart “ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47)
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“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21)
What it means “to repent” and “to turn around” is saying to God,” now I turn back to you. Before, I was far from you, denied you, walked on my own way, headstrong, but from now on, I will stay away from the way that sinners take, renounce the sins, I will love and fear you with all my heart, and follow your guidance.
D. declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God “ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
(1) you have to declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. 1. Jesus is the “creator” of all things, including you and me. Through him(Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3) 2. Jesus is the Lord of all things, the Lord of you and me. “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36) “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16)
(2) believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God 1. To believe that Jesus was risen from the dead, it means that you believe He is the Son of God.
How to find favor and "get saved"?
“and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:4)
2. Whoever believes Jesus is the Son of God will have eternal life. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
E. Be Baptized (1) Believing in Jesus and getting baptized are two key factors of “getting saved”, like a man has to step out two feet in each move. “ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
(2) Through baptism, we are under the name of the Lord Jesus, people may know that you died with Jesus, were buried and raised from the dead with Him, you are sinless, you are a new creature. “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of
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Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38) “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’” (Acts 22:16) “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4)
An Advice with Love – to attend services often, and to pray always “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ” (Acts 2:41-42) “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)
Do you want to be beaten?
Do you want to be beaten? A. Why shall you be beaten? “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.” (Luke 12:47)
B. The purpose of God for the believers in the last days “What I say to you, I say to everyone (all unbelievers around the world): ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:37)
C. The signs of the last days. “So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.” (Mark 13:23)
Natural calamities, wars, famines, earthquakes, nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, riots, abnormal climate, three holes in the Ozone layer. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:25-27)
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D. Dreams, visions You may read the testimonies noted in the beginning of the book “Unshakable testimonies of the world’s end time”.
E. The Pouring out of the Holy Spirit Nowadays more and more people receive the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18)
F. Will you be able to be awarded? “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” (Matthew 24:45-47)
G. Have you warned others? “When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:18-19)
Do you want to be beaten?
H. Have you diligently studies the terminology about the last days in the Scripture? The Lord’s coming back The judgement To pray To prepare To watch To watch and pray
318 times 318 times 248 times 164 times 31 times 4 times
“To watch” was also translated as “to pay attention to” in the original language. In English bible, it is also translated as “to keep awake”, which means to keep sober mind, to recognize, to realize”.
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Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! A. The Lord’s command “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’”(Matthew 28:18-19) “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’” (Mark 16:15)
(1) Christians must preach the gospel as soon as possible, because it is the Lord's command. (2) The Lord’s words are directive. 1. Whether you like it or not, are willing to or not, we must all preach the gospel and do so quickly. 2. Christians who truly love the Lord will enjoy preaching the gospel and witnessing for the Lord, because the Lord said: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." (John 14:21) 3. A person who does not like to preach the gospel must not have a complete and absolute love for the Lord. (3) Receiver of the Gospel: Nations
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1. Applies to all the people in the world 2. Includes the civilized and the uncivilized, the wise and the foolish, men and women, the good and the bad, adults and children
B. The will of God “[God] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”(1Timothy 2:4) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”(2Peter 3:9)
1. God wants all to be saved, none to perish. 2. Because God is love (1John 4:8), and because God so loved the world (John 3:16) 3. If Christians want to be considerate of God’s will and want to please Him, then we must quickly preach the gospel.
C. Obligation of the Gospel “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.”(Romans 1:14-15)
1. Paul's teachings show us that Christians owe the world the Gospel, meaning Christians are obligated to preach the gospel to people of the world. If the world does not hear the gospel, we are indebted to them. 2. Secular debt must be repaid. Similarly, the Gospel debt that Christians owe the world must also be repaid. So, Christians must preach the gospel.
Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
D. Guilt to me if I do not preach the Gospel “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:18-19)
1. The world does not know that they have abandoned their God, have drifted away from the God who loves them. Offending the righteous and holy God leads to destruction and eternal degeneration. If Christians do not warn them and preach the gospel to them, God will condemn the Christians for withholding the gospel when the lost souls go to hell. 2. Because God so love the world, He established a plan of salvation: through the death of Jesus, we are reconciled to Him (Colossians 1:22). Man’s sins forgiven through the blood of Jesus ( Ephesus 1:7; Colossians 1:14). Through Jesus’ resurrection from death and his ascent to heaven, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9,13). If Christians do not share this good news with the world, then we have sinned. (2 Kings 7:3-9)
E. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel “Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
(1) The word “woe” in the original Greek text is “Oh!” or “alas!” showing how sad, regrettable and unfortunate it is if Christians
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do not preach the gospel. It also means that it should not be, and will incur God’s blame. (2) Because: 1. We cannot satisfy God's heart today (from God’s side). 2. We cannot get more of God’s love now (God to men). 3. We cannot receive God’s great blessings today (God greatly blesses those who preach the gospel). 4. We cannot receive God's reward in the future. 5. We will be blamed by God in the future.
F. Reward for preaching the Gospel “If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.”(1Corinthians 9:17)
(1) Paul was not ashamed of suffering for the gospel ( 2 Timothy 1:11-12), not only because he knows of the woe of not preaching the gospel, but because he also knows of the reward for preaching the gospel. (2) Paul urges people to always abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that the Christian’s labor is not in vain in the Lord (1Corinthians 15:58). (3) The deeds of the Christian will follow him eternally. (Revelation 14:13). (4) Even now, we are rewarded for preaching the gospel.
Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
1. Nourished and strengthened in body, soul and spirit (John 4:31-34) 2. Rejoicing (John 4:36-37; Psalms 126:5-6) (5) In the day of judgment, we will receive a reward from the Lord for preaching the gospel.
G. The harvest is ripe “Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”(John 4:35)
(1) The state of the world today: 1. Troubling times: full of pain and suffering 2. Fearful times: insecurity abound 3. Lost times: people live a life void of direction and goal 4. Meaningless times: people feel unsatisfied and find no meaning in life. (2) What it means for the world today: 1. The time most in need of the gospel 2. The time most receptive of the gospel 3. The most opportune time to preach the gospel
H. The second coming of the Lord is near “I thank my God every time I remember you... because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
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completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1: 3-6)
(1) Paul's teachings reveal that the gospel will only be preached until “the day of Christ Jesus,” that is the day of the Lord’s second coming. 1. Judgment will begin on the day of the Lord's second coming, when the door of grace and salvation will be closed, never to open again. By that time, it will be too late for people to come to Christ and for Christians to preach the gospel. 2. So we must go quickly to preach the gospel and save souls as long as we can do it now. (2) By the day of the Lord’s coming, man’s heart will be tired of the gospel, nevertheless, we still have to preach the gospel. “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:4-5)
1. The gospel is not an option, it is a decision of life and death. 2. Only insisting on preaching the gospel has the chance to win the lost, if we do not preach the gospel, they will not have even one little chance to get saved. (3) Now is the time to preach the gospel and save souls. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are taken from the New International Version of the Bible.
Watchful in your prayers, Save sinners, Eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:32-44
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