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Sermons from 1 John |
HOW DO YOU WANT TO MEET HIM? |
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Throughout time, many have made predictions that later were proven to be false and, in some cases, embarrassingly false. For example:
There is one prediction I can assure you that is true and will come to pass. Jesus will come again just as He predicted. He said in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Jesus promised that He would come again, and just as He predicted, He will come again. As one fellow said, "You can put that in your pipe and smoke it." “He will come again” ought to be the cry of every believer. “Even so come, Lord Jesus,” ought to be the prayer of every believer. “Perhaps Today,” ought to be the concern of every believer. Jesus said in Mark 13:33, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." He also said in Mark 13:35, "Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning." On a Jewish clock, midnight was 12:00 am, morning was 3:00 am, and morning was 6:00 am. Jesus was saying that He could come at anytime. Therefore, we were to be watching and waiting for Him to return at anytime. When we think about being ready for the Lord's return we are mindful there is a need for sinners to be ready. If a person is unsaved, they live with the risk of being left behind when Jesus returns. I personally believe that the return of Jesus is drawing nigh, therefore the risk is greater than it has ever been. Each day a person lives without being saved, they are taking a great gamble with their eternal soul. There is also the need for saints to be ready. The need is not salvation, for that has already been settled. What is the need for saints to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ? As we continue in 1 John, we see that John’s thoughts are on saints being ready for the Lord’s return. Let's notice his words and learn how the saint needs to be ready for Christ's return. First, think with me of: 1. OUR ANTICIPATION OF THE LORD’S RETURN John says, “He shall appear” and speaks of “His coming.” As we look at His return in the Bible we see that we are love His appearing. We read in 2 Timothy 4:8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Secondly, we are to look for His appearing. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:28, "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Thirdly, we are to long for His appearing. We read in 2 Peter 3:12, "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" The words "hasting unto" speak of longing for His return. As believers we are live with the anticipation that Jesus is soon to return. Notice how John speaks of the coming of the Lord. First, he speaks of: A) The Realness Of His Coming John says, “He shall appear.” The word “appear” means to, "manifest, be revealed, to render apparent." At the hour of His return, Jesus will make Himself known to every believer. "He" will be seen by those who are saved. He will not send another to take the believer out of this world, but will literally, physically, come Himself. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven…” The Lord will come personally. In our earlier studies we noticed how John spoke of how he had seen and touched the Lord (Cp. 1 John 1:1,3). We that are living on this earth at the present have not had this privilege. But one day we will! He will come personally, revealing Himself, and we shall see Him! There is no doubt in John's mind that He will come again. He says, "He shall appear." Just as He came the first time, He will come again. As sure as any promise in the Bible, Jesus "shall" come again. John also speaks of: B) The Nearness Of His Coming John not only says "He shall appear," but he also speaks of “His coming.” The word "coming" literally means, “a being near.” When you think of this nearness, you think of a prophetic nearness. A careful and honest study of the Bible will lead one to believe that prophetically, the return of Jesus must be near. Secondly, there is a personal nearness. We will be in the presence of the Lord Jesus. I believe it was this nearness John had in mind when he spoke of the Lord's coming. We will see Him and be in His presence. As believers, we can enjoy a closeness of His presence today. But when He returns, we will actually dwell in His presence for all eternity. John says 1 John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." At that day we will look upon His face, the One who saved us by His grace! Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." What a glorious day it will be for the child of God. To know that we will see Him and will live eternally in His presence ought to fill our hearts with anticipation. Secondly, notice that John speaks of: 2. OUR EXAMINATION AT THE LORD’S RETURN At His coming, every believer will stand before the Lord and give a account of their life and service. We read in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. We also read in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Several years ago, while in Italy, the pastor I was with carried me to the ruins of Pompeii. While there I saw the arena where the Roman games were held. On one side of the arena, in the center, was a small platform. In the days of the games, this was called the "Bema." This is where the judge would stand and give out the awards to the winners of the games. When Paul speaks of the Judgment Seat of Christ, he was using the picture of the "Bema." There will come a day when every believer will stand before the "Righteous Judge." That will be a day of examination for each believer. The purpose of this examination is to reward the believer for his service on earth. As John thinks about this examination, he thinks of how it will be for each of us and what we will feel at that moment. In his words, we see there are two possible conditions in which we can meet the Lord. First, there is the possibility of: A) Standing Before Him With Excitement John speaks of meeting Him with, “confidence.” The word means to be, "out-spoken, freedom of speech, no sense of restraint." It is descriptive of one not be ashamed or embarrassed. To meet the Lord with confidence means that when we stand before Him, we will be able to look Him in the eye. We will not blush or have to look down, but freely express our praise to Him. To meet the Lord with "confidence" will be an exciting moment, for we will not be restrained or refrain from lifting up our voices in praise and worship to the Lord We see such a demonstration of confidence in Revelation 4:10-11, "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." When you think about meeting the Lord, will that be a glorious moment for you? Or will it be a grievous moment as John describes in the second possibility, which is: B) Standing Before Him With Embarrassment John not speaks of meeting the Lord with "confidence" but also the possibility of meeting Him “ashamed.” The word "ashamed" means to, “feel shame, be disgraced.” Instead of having freedom of speech and being unrestrained, it is possible that we could be embarrassed when we stand before Him. It is possible that we will not be able to look Him in the eye, but have to look down because we are shamed. Why would one be ashamed? The presence of sin can be one reason. If we have lived a life that falls short of His standards for our life and meet Him with unconfessed sin, we will not be able to meet Him with confidence. Instead, we will be ashamed when we stand before him. Another reason we could stand before Him ashamed in the absence of service. This examination is for the purpose of reviewing our work and the motives behind our work. After all He has done for us, how embarrassing it would be to stand before Him and not have lived for Him and served Him. I think of the elders casting their crowns at the feet of Jesus. Imagine a long line leading to the throne of the Lord Jesus. As each one approaches, they take the crowns from off their heads and lay them at His feet, as if to say, "Lord Jesus, you alone are worthy. I take what I have been given and give it back to you in thanksgiving and worship." At the Judgment Seat the believer will be rewarded for their service. Imagine meeting the Lord and receiving no rewards for service. At the hour when believers take their crowns and cast them at His feet, you have to stand in the background because you have nothing to cast at His feet. Would that not be an hour of shame and embarrassment? After all He had done for you, you had done nothing for Him. That would indeed be an embarrassing moment. When Dwight Eisenhower was president, he vacationed in Denver, Colorado. There was in Denver as six-year old boy who had incurable cancer. The boy expressed the wish that he might see the President. Eisenhower heard of the little boy and his request. On a Sunday morning, the presidential limousine pulled up front of a house. The president, with his Secret Service agents, walked up to the door and knocked. The father opened the door and there he stood in blue jeans, an old shirt, and day’s growth of beard. The president spent some time with the little boy. Later in an interview, the father spoke of how embarrassed he was to have met the president the way he had. As we think about the return of Jesus Christ, will that be a glorious or grievous moment for you? I must confess, it is a solemn thought. Understanding the two possible conditions in which a believer can meet the Lord, notice thirdly, that John speaks of: 3. OUR PREPARATION FOR THE LORD’S RETURN In light of the possibility of standing before the Lord embarrassed, John instructs us to be ready. How can we be prepared? Let me give you two words. First, there is the word: A) FAITHFULNESS John tells us to, “abide” (2:24, 27). The word means to, “remain, continue, stay in a fixed state.” The word has the idea of taking up a permanent address. John is telling us to be faithful to God. We are not to be as one who moves from place to place. We are to be as a homeowner living at a permanent address. We are live in constant fellowship with the Lord, allowing nothing to break or hinder that fellowship. As believers, we are to abide in the Word of God. We are live as the Bible tells us to live. Furthermore, we are to abide in the will of God. God's will is to be a priority in our life. In His will, we are to remain and be fixed. The second word is: B) Righteousness We read in verse 29, "If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him." Righteous is both the proof and practice of the life of a believer. He is righteous, and there is to be a reflection in our life of His righteousness. We have been made righteous and there is to be a working out of what has been imparted to us. In short, John says that if we want to meet Him with "confidence," we should serve God and live for Him. After all He has done for us, why would we not want to meet Him in other way? It is certain that we will meet Him for He will come again! |