INTRO.- The day will come. Consider this day, the day of birth. Perhaps your first baby.
ILL.- A man called 911, saying, "My wife is pregnant, and her contractions are only two minutes apart!"
"Is this her first child?" the doctor queries.
"No, of course not!" the man shouts. "This is her husband!"
When that first baby is about to come into the world both mom and dad are nervous. DO YOU REMEMBER?
ILL.- A lady named Barbara Sweed said: One of my husband’s colleagues at General Electric was taking Lamaze classes with his wife in preparation for the birth of their baby. The first evening, couples were asked to introduce themselves and state their occupations. A banker, a lawyer and a psychologist spoke up, and our factory-worker friend began to feel intimidated.
Finally his turn came. Rising to his feet, he said, "Hi! I’m Bill." Looking down at his pregnant wife, he quipped, "I work at GE, and I bring good things to life!"
ILL.- A lady named Billie L. Stahl wrote: Our three small children and I met my husband, a mail carrier, on his route for lunch at a fast-food restaurant. As we waited in line, he put our nine-month-old daughter in his mail bag. She stood up in the pouch and giggled, to the delight of some watching patrons. Carrying our tray to a table, my husband turned to one onlooker and said, "And all this time you thought the stork delivered them!"
That first birth can be something of a startling and shocking time, can it not? Especially, in the days BEFORE ultra-sound when you had no idea whether you were going to get a boy, a girl or maybe even twins like my mother did in Dec. of 1944.
And that surprising time is similar to the day of the Lord, that is, the day when the Lord will come back. It will be startling and shocking to everyone. And totally humbling. Even though we’ve been warned that day will come it will shock all people!
PROP.- Our text tells us specifically how that day will come and to whom.
1- The day will come surprisingly to some
2- The day will come rejoicingly to others
3- The day will come lovingly to God
I. THE DAY WILL COME SURPRISINGLY TO SOME
1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
ILL.- Gene Hunter of Ohio said: There is a full-length mirror in my police station’s weight room, where some officers spend hours flexing their muscles. One day a prankster posted this sign: "Caution: Objects in this mirror may be smaller than they appear."
The idea or principle is this: Most people are not nearly as big as they think they are, spiritually speaking. They are not nearly as big in being a good person as they think they are! Many people have the mistaken idea that if they do just a little good in life then that qualifies them to go to heaven.
ILL.- Here, for example, is the way many people may think. You all know Jerry Lewis, the comedian, who is now 82 years old. The Jerry Lewis telethon for Muscular Dystrophy has been going since 1966. That’s 42 years. His efforts have helped raise about $2 billion dollars for MD.
Here’s the deal: I think many people in our world and particularly in the entertainment industry just think that Jerry Lewis is some kind of saint for what he’s done and if anybody deserves to go to heaven then it’s Jerry Lewis. WRONG!
That’s not how the deal works. That’s not how God works! That’s not His plan. He gets the glory, not us!
Ephesians 2:8-10 "8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
We are not saved by our good works, but if we are saved then we should do good works. ARE YOU NOT MOTIVATED TO DO GOOD IN THIS WORLD? If not, then you need to examine your faith and your conversion!
Jerry Lewis, himself, may some day be shocked to find out that he is not nearly as big in God’s eyes as he thinks he is. And so will many other people.
1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Why will the day of the Lord, the coming of the Lord be a big surprise to some people but not all people? It will be a huge surprise to those who don’t know the Lord or those who are not in Christ. Even many who believe in God, but not Christ, will be surprised.
ILL.- Back when I was a student at Ozark Bible College many college professors had a sign over their doors or on their desks, which read, "PERHAPS TODAY." Do you care to guess the meaning?
And perhaps we need to emphasize again and again to one another the fact that the Lord could come back today! We should not be surprised but those outside of Christ will be surprised!
What does this mean? What should we do? We should be witnessing for Christ and trying to lead as many people as possible to Christ so they won’t be surprised and suffer when the Lord comes back. THE LORD WANTS ALL MEN TO BE SAVED.
A day of reckoning is coming. And it will be a big surprise to multitudes of people.
II. THE DAY WILL COME REJOICINGLY TO OTHERS
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
ILL.- A preacher once told a congregation that as a child he used to have a terrible time with car sickness. He would travel for 20 miles and throw up. He soon developed an inferiority complex from his childhood because his parents would apologize for him whenever they ride with someone else.
It so happened that his grandma lived 100 miles from home, and the trips to grandma’s were always terrible. But once arrived, he would take off his shoes and roam around the beautiful country. Grandma would bake the most delicious baked goodies and always say “yes.” While at grandma’s he would thoroughly enjoy himself.
And also while at grandma’s, the preacher concluded, he had forgotten all about the car-sick trip going there.
Rev. 21:4 “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes...for the former things are passed away."
Rom. 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
II Cor. 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
The return of Christ will come rejoicingly to us who are in Christ because the ride on this earth will be over (no matter how bad or sickening it was) and all will be wonderful in heaven with the Lord!
ILL.- An 85-year-old couple, having been married almost 60 years, died in a car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years mainly due to her interest in health food, and exercise.
When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they "oohed and aahed" the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "It’s free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven."
Next they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges everyday and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth. The old man asked, "What are the green fees?" Peter’s reply, "This is heaven, you play for free."
Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out. "How much to eat?" asked the old man. "Don’t you understand yet? This is heaven, it is free!" Peter replied with some exasperation. "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?" the old man asked timidly. Peter lectured, "That’s the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven."
With that the old man became upset. Peter tried to calm him down, asking him what was wrong. The old man looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault! If it weren’t for your blasted oat bran muffins, I could have been here ten years ago!"
Brothers and sisters, the truth of the matter is that heaven will be better than we have ever imagined. We want to believe this and should believe this, but most of us are not in a hurry to get there. However, we will go there either at death or the return of Jesus.
I Cor. 2:9 "As it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
PRAISE HIS NAME! Rejoice because your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. YOU HAVE YOUR RESERVATION. Now let’s live like it! Let’s rejoice and live for Christ!
III. THE DAY WILL COME LOVINGLY TO GOD
9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. And I think it will be a very good "togetherness."
ILL.- When I was a kid I lived probably no more than 10 miles from both of my grandma’s and one grandpa. I never knew my dad’s father. He died before I was born. I would like to have known him but I didn’t. However, I sure loved living near my grandma’s! Grandma Sadie Shepherd wasn’t much of a talker but she could sure cook and make the best homemade rolls! Yummy.
And grandma Alma Jones, whom we called Muddy, was ever so good to us. She stayed a widow after her second husband died and would have us kids over one at a time to stay the night. We’d be treated well since we were her only grandkids.
As I got older grandma Muddy was especially nice to me. How so? She let me drive her old 1953 Mercury. She took me to boxing matches. She took me to see my one and only professional wrestling match and I saw Gorgeous George. And she took me to see John F. Kennedy at the Joplin, MO, airport when he was campaigning for the presidency. That was probably 1960 because Kennedy became the President in Jan. of 1961.
All three of us Shepherd kids we were always well received, loved and hugged by our grandparents. THEY LOVED US AND WE LOVED THEM.
And just a week ago (Oct. 6-9) 2008 I went to see my grandchildren: Hope age 8, Caleb age 5 and baby Hayden age 17 months. And every time I get to see those kids I just want to squeeze them and kiss them and spend time with them, play with them, talk to them, and pray with them. And those are sweet, precious times.
Holly would say to 17 month old Hayden, "Give papa a kiss." And she would learn my way with her lips squeezed together and say, "mmmmm." How sweet! How wonderful! How loving!
Now just how do you think God our father feels about us when it comes to joining Him in heaven? Don’t you think there is that kind of loving affection that He wants to demonstrate to us? To be hugged and loved by God! That’s beyond our comprehension but it may be exactly like that and better!
ILL.- An old man over ninety years of age was asked by his preacher this question: “My dear aged friend, do you love Jesus?” His deeply-furrowed face was lit up with a smile that sixty-seven years of discipleship had imparted, and, grasping the preacher’s hand with both of his, said: “Oh! I can tell you something better than that.” The preacher asked him, “What is that?” “Oh Sir, it is that He loves me.”
I think God our Father loves us far more than we know or can ever imagine! And when Jesus returns we will experience that love!
CONCLUSION---------------------------
ILL.- When I was just a small kid I always looked forward to Christmas and you know why. What a great time it was! Gifts, great joy, great meal, etc. Everybody seemed so happy at that time. Now that I’m older I no older feel that joy and excitement. It’s almost non-existent. And that’s somewhat sad. But worse yet is this: Is this how we feel about the return of the Lord? There is no excitement or joy in our hearts? No looking forward to that great day? If so, then what has happened to our faith?
Rev. 21:3-4 "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
I’d have enough trouble, sickness, aches, pains, and heartaches in this life. I’m ready for something better, aren’t you?
