How to be found when Christ Returns
Introduction: During the busy Christmas season, it is easy to lose sight of what Christmas is all about, which we will get into in the weeks to come. We have family gatherings here and there and we have Christmas parties at our work places. There are gifts to buy, parties to plan, food to prepare, there are pretty lights and fun things to do, but it can be exhausting. And yet Christians persevere in doing all their Christmas duties every year. But when it comes to the true meaning of Christmas, the one place you would expect Christians to be, it seems is the last place you will find them - in Church. One of the things prophesied in the last days is a walking away from God and we see lately a desire to give up, the temptation to abandon the faith, to walk away from church. In communist Cuba the Christian church is now thriving. One pastor said about their congregation: "these people come to church completely exhausted and yet they want to stay here for hours." That is both amazing and inspiring.
It is understandable to get weary or tired. We are only human after all. It is natural for the body to get weak from exhaustion. But God knows what we all go through. C.S. Lewis said "God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them."
In the 10th chapter of the book of Hebrews we read about a call to Persevere. The author of Hebrews is unknown, there is some who believe it was Peter, but most scholars believe that it was the apostle Paul. Either way, the apostle who wrote the letter made it clear who Jesus was. He is the author and perfector of our faith. And here in verses 19-21 the apostle makes it clear that Jesus is superior to all the Old Testament priests and prophets and in fact, he is the high priest of Christianity. And as such we should draw close to him in faith and hold unswervingly to the hope we have in him, thinking of ways to motivate each other to put our faith and love in action.
Transition: Christ will return soon and when he does the apostle calls us to three different persevering actions when he does, First,
I. A call to be found watching for God
The first perseverance of action the apostle calls us to is church attendance.
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." v.25
The first five words of verse 25 is almost a textbook definition of perseverance. "Let us not give up" We should put all of our energy and effort to finishing what we started, instead of folding our cards because we feel that God dealt us a bad hand in life. The apostle makes it clear that some people regardless of how much you implore them to persevere they don't have the spiritual stamina to do so and they fall away from church. In John 6:66 the apostle says some many of his disciples "... turned back and followed him no longer." Apostasy is the saddest state there is - it is eternal suicide, those who commit suicide do so to escape the pain of life. Apostasy offers no escape but guarantees eternal pain.
The apostle calls for perseverance in church attendance especially as you see the Day approaching. "The Day" is a clear reference to the rapture. The word "see" in the greek is 'blepo'' which means more than to merely look at something, it means to be watchful or to perceive something spiritual from something physical.
I admit I get angry when I hear Hollywood actors mock the rapture doctrine. But there is a part of me that is grateful because I always enjoy seeing the Bible validated in real time. Peter prophesies that many will scoff at Christians for believing in the rapture so when you hear others mock the rapture remember they are fulfilling scripture as they do so. Matthew 24:10 prophesies that many will fall away from the faith, and the author of Hebrews wants to encourage us not to give up meeting together during the most tempting time to fall away.
In Matthew 24, 2 Timothy 3, & various parts of Revelation we read that there are indeed certain signs that tell us that the rapture is approaching. In the centuries that came before us, there was little said about eschatology (the study of end times) in comparison to our time. Prophesies still needed to be fulfilled. After all there was no reborn Israel. There was not a plethora of false doctrine, false prophets, and false Christ's as there is today. There was no way to know if there was famine, pestilence, earthquakes other than if it happened in your immediate area, but God knew there would be the invention of television, radio, and internet we know instantly and can see these things immediately where the ancient church and previous generations before us never could. Although we don't know the day or the hour, numerous prophesies are being fulfilled (almost daily) so we know that "The Day" is indeed approaching, and we should persevere in meeting together and fulfilling our obligations to Christ while we still have time to fulfill them. That is how we want to be found when he returns.
"It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. ..." -Luke 12:37
God bless those of you who are hopefully and anxiously awaiting the return of the Lord, that is how we want to be found.
Transition: We want to be found watching for God and secondly we also want to be found walking with God when he returns
II. A call to be found walking with God
"If we deliberately (intentionally, consciously, on purpose) keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." v. 26, 27
This text has discouraged many gracious souls who have been convicted that their sin after salvation is impardonable. That is not the point of this passage at all. The fact that they would think so puts them in a better standing with God than those to whom it was aimed.
Charles Spurgeon said "Your faith, then, in the Lord Jesus Christ is NOT a matter of “if” and “but,” you stake your salvation on it. I can truly say that if what I preach is not true, I am a lost man. I have invested all that I have in Christ. If this boat sinks I drown, for I cannot swim, and I know no other life-boat."
To walk with God means that you put your full trust in him, it also means that you strive against sin, you crucify the flesh, you pick up your cross and you follow Christ wherever he leads you, because he is the unbreakable rock and unsinkable ship that you put your hope and faith in.
Unfortunately, what we see the enemy promoting today is a very clever doctrine of "hyper-grace". The enemy is most successful in promoting evil when he does so under the name of something good. Under the name of "tolerance" he has promoted "intolerance" Under the banner of "inclusion" he divides. Under the label of love he promotes homosexuality. Under the name "hyper-grace", there is no need for transformation, there is no need for regeneration, there is no need for repentance, there is no need for sanctification, there is no need for holiness, and there is no repudiation of wickedness and no hatred of sin whatsoever, even though it drove our savior to the cross.
Some think that if they call themselves Christian then they must be so, and they go on in all their beloved sins just as they did before they asked forgiveness for them. They think: "Now that I have been forgiven I get to sin and sin, thank You Jesus for forgiving my sin because I enjoy sinning so much, I'm glad you allow me to spit in your face, curse your holy name, and endulge in every ungodly act imaginable, and forgive me for it, Hallelujah!"
The apostle gives a clear warning about those who would do such a thing in v. 28 & 29
"Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing, the blood of the covenant that sanctified (set apart) him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" v. 28,29
To reject the law of Moses was a great sin punishable by death. How much greater a sin is it to reject the son of God. He comes in grace, died willingly in your place so that you could escape the wages of sin. To go willfully into sin, after receiving a pardon for it, is insulting the Spirit of Grace. In Romans 6, Paul said "......... should we sin more so that grace may increase? By no means! We have died to sin how can we live in it any longer?"
I don't want to be found a former Christian when Christ comes. I don't want to be found a backslider when he comes. I don't want to be found a hypocrite when he comes. I don't want to be found an apostate when he comes. I don't want to be found in sin when he comes. I want to be found working for and walking with him when he comes, because I know that is the way he wants to find me.
Jesus shared a parable of a servant who begged for a pardon for his debt that he could not pay and when he was pardoned, the first thing he did is immediately demanded payment from some one else. He received grace, but then turned around and insulted the spirit of grace by not appreciating what he had just received.
Today's upside down church seems to think that it is ok to sin, because God's grace will allow you to do so and not be punished for it. I CAN ASSURE YOU: THAT IF YOU DO NOT HATE YOUR OWN SIN - YOU ARE NO CHILD OF JESUS!! The Holy Spirit hates sin therefore when we are filled with His Spirit how can we love sin?
The final warning is given in verses 30, 31
"For we know him who said, it is mine to avenge, I will repay" and again, The Lord will judge his people." "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." v. 30, 31
The apostle gives a warning against apostasy, willfully walking away from God. Note the difference in walking away from God and walking away from church: I have known of people who never walked away from the church but they have turned their back on God a long time ago.
Transition: We want to be found watching for God, walking with God, and finally we want to be found warring for God
III. A call to be found warring for God
Sometimes our best advice and encouragement for the future is to reflect upon the past. Remember If you have suffered so much for the gospel in the past why give up on it now? He calls for them to remember a warring between themselves and the world.
"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated." v. 32, 33
Here is something to be proud of, when we stood our ground during those great spiritual battles! How wonderful it will be to recollect with Jesus at the marriage supper of the lamb of the brothers and sisters who stood side by side and went toe to toe with Satan's hordes and persevered! We did not wilt when all the world was taunting us and insulting us and discouraging us. We stood in solidarity with our Arabic brothers who bravely endured torture, endured pain, and who could forget those 21 in orange jumpsuits on a gray day on the beach who offered their own heads for Jesus. They were sent like sheep to the slaughter but they are the ones who died in victory! The 21 who lost their heads found their savior in glory that day.
To those who are tired and exhausted from the spiritual warfare, The same author of Hebrews wrote "Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:3 remember what Christ has endured and you can be encouraged to endure also.
Our battles may not be so dramatic but they are no less real. If you are real Christians, you will have to endure real trials, real trouble, and cruel insults. In some cases, Christians who would ordinarily rely on their family as a source of comfort, instead find that their faith makes their family a source of sorrow. It is written: “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” The sword of the Spirit, the gospel truth, and even Jesus himself is a sword that divides believing parents from unbelieving children, it separates believing wives from unbelieving husband and father and mother in laws from their children's spouses.
God bless those spiritual warriors who battle the enemy to the very end of their life and can truly say with the apostle "I have fought a good fight!" They fought temptation. They fought ridicule. They fought bitterness. They fought evil. They fought demonic forces of all shapes and sizes their whole life. Finally, The armor of God can be retired on the day he comes for us. But when he comes will he find you wearing it? And if you do wear it, do you wear it for the right reason? We have a name for those who wear an officers uniform without serving in combat it is called stolen valor. Will you be guilty of 'stolen valor' is the armor you wear merely for show? or is it because you are engaged in the war that the captain of your salvation has drafted you in to?
At the end of this life, there will be rewards. (10:35) Saints before us did not mind losing property or possessions because they knew that the real treasure was not on earth it was in heaven. We are each called to store up those treasures, by our faith, our humility, our obedience, our sacrifice, our integrity, and our charity. These things in and of themselves can't bring us one step closer to heaven and they don't earn us salvation, but they do earn us treasure in heaven. The question will be how did you serve once you were saved.
Conclusion: The early church was the most persevering church there was. The anvil broke the hammer by bearing all the blows that the hammer could place upon it. The patience of the saints outlasted than the cruelty of the tyrants. When Jesus said "The gates of hell shall not prevail against his church" he meant it!
When the captain comes to reclaim his troops, the troops should be found at war. we should be found warring against the world, the flesh, and the devil, because we are told in v. 37 "For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay."
When the Father gives the order for his son to get his bride there is no pause, there is no hesitation or hindrance, he will come in a twinkling of an eye, like a thief in the night and we should all be found watching for, walking with, and warring for our All and all: Jesus Christ the Lord.
Amen.
