WAKE UP! JESUS IS COMING!
Rom. 13:11-14
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. I heard about these two men, Archie & Jack, who’d debated their whole lives whether Jesus was white or whether He was black. Archie was sure He was white and Jack was sure He was black.
2. As fate would have it, they died on the same day and rushed to the pearly gates and asked St. Peter, “Please tell us, we’ve been arguing our whole lives: is Jesus white or is He black?” About that time Jesus stepped up and said, “Buenos Dias!”
B. TEXT:
Rom. 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
C. ILLUS. IT’S HARD TO WAKE SOME PEOPLE
1. My niece Missy had a hard time waking up when she was a college student. In some of her first jobs her mom had to spray her with water in the face to awaken her.
2. When she got on her own, she turned on as many as 6 alarm clocks, but still would sleep through them. So her Dad got her an alarm similar to a CAR ALARM, so that if she slept through the 6 alarm clocks, it would wake her up. But after a while she got used to it started to sleep through it. So finally her Dad got her an INDUSTRIAL YARD BUZZER like they used in giant plants to signal workers over a large space. When that went off, she reportedly ran screaming through her apartment to unplug it! (CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING ONE OF HER NEIGHBORS?) MAYBE WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO WAKE US OUT OF OUR LETHARGY!
D. THESIS
1. We’re looking at NINE SIGNS OF THE SOON COMING OF JESUS that have never happened before. These are signs that, if we’re not braindead, ought to be like flashing lights or sirens wailing – warning us to “all-hands-on-deck” readiness for the Second Coming.
2. The title of this message is “Wake Up! Jesus is Coming!” Let’s look at the 9 signs, chronologically...
I. 1948 ISRAEL REBORN AS A NATION
1. In 1948, after over 2,577 years without a country, Israel was again “born” as a nation. “In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of His people” Isa. 11:11.
2. Even as Israel declared its statehood on May 14, 1948, five mechanized Arab armies invaded. The Jews had only 35,000 fighting men, no air force and only six tanks.
3. The Egyptian army alone had 40,000 soldiers, 135 tanks, heavy guns and an air force of over 60 planes, including Spitfires and bombers. The Jordanians had the Arab Legion, trained by the British and led by an Englishman, Sir John Bagot Glubb, along with 48 British officers.
4. Yet, against all odds, the Jewish fighters won against five nations! Several other wars have been won since then, just as miraculously!
II. 1965 CHINA: 200 MILLION MAN ARMY
1. Here’s another huge sign that we’re in the End-times. Never has there been an Asian superpower who could field and move an army of 200 Million – until NOW!]
2. “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates … that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared. And the number of the army … [was] two hundred million” (Rev. 16:12; 9:16).
3. Could China field an army of 200 Million? Time Magazine, May 21, 1965 [p. 35], quoted China as saying they could field an army of that size then! “To back up Lo’s bluster, Red China passed the word that its 200 million-man (and woman) militias had gone into serious training.”
4. Certainly, now, with 1.3 billion citizens, they could field an army of that size! They NOW have the largest standing army in the world and the second largest Navy.
5. China’s Belt & Road Initiative, begun in 2013, has set up bases and personnel in more than 150 countries. They have “police stations” in many countries, including the USA, to safeguard Chinese citizens who visit there.
III. 1967 JERUSALEM RETAKEN
1. In 1967, during war, Jerusalem was retaken and at last became a Jewish city again. Jesus said, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down... until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). We must be nearing the “end of the times of the Gentiles!”
2. The Bible predicted, thousands of years ago, that the end time events would revolve around Jerusalem. Not San Francisco. Not Los Angeles. Not Moscow. Not Paris.
3. But Jerusalem, this tiny little city, in this tiny sliver of land, will play a key role in the events of the last days. In Zech. 12:3, God says, “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” Jesus said that Jerusalem is a key to the return of Christ.
4. In 2 Thess. 2:4 Paul states that the Antichrist will go into the (rebuilt) Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself God.
IV. 1969 KARAKORAM HWY, HIMALAYAS
1. HOW WILL CHINA BE ABLE TO MOVE 200 MILLION PEOPLE? Obviously there must be more than ships and planes for them to move to the Middle East. There is now an overland route.
2. China National Highway 314 (also called the Karakoram Highway) goes from China, through the Himalaya Mountains, and into Pakistan. It's called the “8th Wonder of the World” and 1,000 workers died building it!
3. This road is a major key in the movement of troops from China to the Middle East. Millions will need to travel this road and cross the Euphrates River in Iraq (Rev. 9:13-16; 16:12).
V. 1980 RUSSIA IDENTIFIES AS THE BEAR
1. Russia began to be identified as a Bear as early as the 16th century and on Maps from 1700- present. In the 20th century the Bear representation was taken up by Russians themselves, as their mascot at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
2. Daniel 7:5 - "And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh."
3. The Bear has devoured much flesh in the 20th Century! It’s trying to devour Ukraine right now. This Bear co-exists with the Antichrist’s kingdom (Dan. 7:5,7,12), which speaks of the nearness of the end. Russia is also called King of the North in Dan. 11:40.
VI. 1995 TECHNOLOGY FOR 666
1. Only in the last few years have computers, the Internet, satellites, cameras, scanners, and microchips reached the level of sophistication necessary to enable the Mark of the Beast to be implemented (Rev. 13:16-17).
2. We are moving to a cashless society and soon to embedded chips. The chips could store our financial data connected to our biometrics – so we can’t be robbed. The chips can also include our medical history in case of emergency. It all makes sense.
3. Rev. 11:7-10 describes how the whole world will simultaneously see the Two Witnesses be slain on the streets of Jerusalem and throw a worldwide party (since they blame them for the plagues).
4. How could such a large & widespread audience view this? Now we know – cameras linked to satellites, the Internet and beamed into homes and offices everywhere in real time. This could never have happened until our day.
VII. 1998 EUROPEAN UNION FORMED
1. Daniel 2:31-35 outlines the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, of empires that would dominate the Middle East from 500 B.C. until the coming of the Lord Jesus to set up His Kingdom. The order is: Babylon, Medes & Persians, the Greeks, and finally the Roman Empire. The statue’s 2 legs represent the Western & Eastern divisions of the Roman Empire that lasted until approx. 1400 A.D.
2. The re-unification of Europe (EU) was the founding of a new empire. It is represented by the “feet of iron & clay” (2:41-43). It doesn’t have the strength of the Roman Empire, but is the logical heir and final extension of Rome. At the time the Antichrist takes power it will only have 10 subsets. Dan. 7:24 describes 10 Kings ruling before Antichrist takes power.
VIII. 2023 JEWISH MIGRATION TO ISRAEL
1. Rising anti-Semitism is prompting Jews around the world to show increased interest in moving to Israel. Since the October 7 attack, there has been a 142% increase in applications for “Aliyah” or “Rising,” the Jewish term for migration. [“What is Aliyah...” northjersey.com]
2. Antisemitic incidents in the US reached record high last year, up 140% from 2022, ADL says. [CNN, 4/16/24]. All this is pushing the Jews to consider returning to their own land, where they can be safe.
3. The USA has been home for about 55% of Jews worldwide. Prophetically, the LAND of Israel is spoken of as the home of the Jews. What would induce them to leave cozy America? Antisemitism like we see occurring now!
IX. 2025 WORLD-WIDE EVANGELISM
1. The Lord Jesus prophesied in Matt. 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
2. There are 7,151 different languages in the world. Getting the Bible into these languages has been a huge barrier to the church. Just 3 years ago there were still 1,892 languages left to translate. But as of November, 2024, there are only 985 languages remaining. Computer technology has aided in these breakthroughs. [Decision Mag., Nov. 24; p. 52]
3. Experts expect that with the aid of technology, the remaining languages will receive translations of the Gospel within the next year or two! The Gospel disseminated to every tribe and people is NOW within our grasp! Once they have received an adequate witness of Christ, Jesus could come at any moment!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. While a student at Bucknell University, James Middleton was invited to speak at a church in New Columbia, Pennsylvania. The night before, he set the alarm for ample time to dress, eat, and arrive at the church ahead of schedule.
2. “My roommate came in late that night and turned off my alarm clock. To my chagrin, I woke up an hour later than I planned. By the time I reached the church I was 35 minutes late for the service.”
3. When I finally got up to announce my scripture, I was embarrassed to read Rom. 13:11, “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep!” I had done the very thing I was preaching against! 7,700, #5769
B. THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS IS AN IMPORTANT DOCTRINE FOR CHRISTIANS BECAUSE:
1. IT’S A KEY TO HISTORY. We are moving toward the final consummation.
2. IT’S THE HOPE OF THE CHURCH. Tit. 2:13, “13 Looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Jesus’ coming is our hope that we might be delivered from this evil world!
3. IT IS INCENTIVE FOR HOLY LIVING. 1 John 3:2-3, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when CHRIST APPEARS, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is. 3 All who have THIS HOPE in Him PURIFY THEMSELVES, just as He is pure.” Our certainty that Jesus is coming causes us to purify our lives from sinful behavior so that we’re acceptable to Him at His coming.
4. IT STIMULATES TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE. Like the Parables of the Talents & Minas, we, as stewards of God’s blessings, should be diligent about doing all we can to win and disciple souls, and to advance the work of the Church in this world. Jesus is building His Church; we should helping in that endeavor!
C. THE CALL
1. Do you need to wake up to the soon coming of Jesus? Are you living like Jesus may never come?
2. Are you being diligent about working for Christ so that you’ll be unashamed to stand before Him?
3. Do any of us need to make a new commitment to Christ? He said He’ll come in an hour we DON’T look for Him. It will NOT GO WELL with servants who aren’t working for Him.
4. How many would say, “Include me in your prayers?” Let’s pray!
