Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox
Series Code: TOTE
Program Code: TOTE000015
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00:02 Can you believe it?
00:05 Can you build your faith on it? 00:08 The promises of God's Word are sure! 00:12 They do not fail! 00:17 This book has stood the test of time. 00:32 Our heavenly father. 00:38 just want to take this opportunity to thank you 00:41 for Your Word that gives us insight, 00:47 helps us understand where we are. 00:51 Lord, may we not get so busy, 00:57 so wrapped up in things of this world, 01:00 that we don't have time to slow down our lives 01:04 and to spend time with You. 01:07 Give us understanding tonight 01:10 that we may see and clearly understand 01:14 the events that are before us. 01:17 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen. 01:29 A lot of individuals thought that something dramatic, 01:35 something unbelievable, 01:39 was going to take place... 01:41 was going to happen at the close of 2000. 01:47 As Pastor Melashenko mentioned 01:50 Y2K... they thought this was sure to bring an end, 01:55 bring catastrophe, many things would happen. 01:58 That it would usher in a millennium. 02:02 Other people said: "No... really, the millennium 02:06 doesn't really begin until 2001. " 02:10 And so there's a lot of people saying: "No, it really doesn't 02:13 start until 2001. " And so there's some people 02:16 who still think that come the end of this year 02:19 that there's going to be dramatic things that are 02:21 going to happen. There's other people that say 02:24 "No, you can't really go by that. You've got to go by 02:28 the Jewish calendar. 02:30 You can't go by our calendar; you've got to go by 02:32 the Jewish calendar, and there's a number of years left 02:34 on the Jewish calendar. " So you find there's a lot of 02:37 different ideas about the millennium. 02:40 What you and I need to understand is we need to 02:43 understand what God's Word says. 02:46 That's what we need to understand. 02:47 We need to understand exactly where we are. 02:50 And by understanding what God's Word says 02:54 you and I without question can rest our faith. 03:00 Told you before - told you the other night - 03:03 you do not... you do not build 03:08 your faith on a church. 03:10 You build your faith on the Word of God. 03:14 By the Word of God... that I know and understand. 03:18 That's why the scripture has this to say to us here 03:21 in II Peter first chapter verse 19: 03:39 So the scripture says if there's anything that's sure, 03:43 anything that we can count on, 03:45 it's the Word of God. 03:47 We can count on it. And so tonight 03:49 what we need to do is find out just exactly 03:52 what does God's Word say about this thousand years. 03:57 That's what we need to find out tonight. 03:59 Known as the millennium... no such word in scripture 04:04 as "the millennium. " 04:05 Just the Latin word that means thousand years. 04:08 But there's certain things that you and I need to establish 04:12 as we look at it tonight. 04:14 One thing that we need to establish is: 04:19 When is the thousand years going to start? 04:21 Will the scripture tell me exactly when that 1,000 years 04:25 starts? Will it tell me when that 04:28 thousand years is going to come to an end? 04:31 I was visiting with a lady and we were talking about this 04:34 1,000 years and she told me... She said: "Oh, we already live 04:37 during that thousand years. " 04:39 And I said: "You mean the 1,000 years has already started? " 04:42 And she said: "That's right. " 04:44 And I said: "Well my Bible tells me that the devil is 04:47 chained during that 1,000 years. " 04:49 And she said: "Oh, that's right; he's chained up. " 04:52 And I said: "If he is it's on a rubber chain 04:55 'cause he gets around to me quite often. " 04:57 So what you and I need to know 04:59 is: when does that 1,000 years start? 05:02 When does it end? We need to understand 05:05 what's happening during that 1,000 years. 05:07 Why does God say there's a thousand years? 05:10 What's going to go on during that thousand years? 05:13 We need to establish tonight 05:14 where are the righteous going to be. 05:16 Where are all the saints going to be during this 1,000 years? 05:19 Where are the wicked going to be during the 1,000 years? 05:23 Those are things that we simply need to establish 05:26 in understanding what the Bible says about the 1,000 years. 05:30 So with that, let's take a look at Revelation the 20th chapter 05:34 that mentions the 1,000 years, and we're going to read 05:37 several verses to see what God's Word has to say about it. 05:41 Revelation 20 verse 1: 06:41 So here it talks about a thousand years. 06:44 Tells us that the devil's going to be bound during that 06:47 thousand years. That the saints are going to 06:49 live and reign for 1,000 years 06:51 and that judgment was committed to them. 06:54 Now here in Revelation 20 verse 6 06:57 it tells us where this thousand years starts. 07:00 So watch carefully: 07:18 So it tells us very clearly 07:20 that this 1,000 years is going to begin with a resurrection. 07:25 That is how the millennium or the thousand years 07:28 is going to start is with the resurrection. 07:31 "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the 07:34 first resurrection. " So it tells us 07:37 that the thousand years begins with the first resurrection 07:41 and that it will end - this thousand years will come 07:44 to an end - also with a resurrection. 07:48 Now let's take a look at the scripture and watch as it 07:51 puts it together for us. 08:11 That's the first resurrection. 08:13 "The dead in Christ will rise first. " 08:16 That's the first resurrection. 08:18 Then if we take a look at Revelation 20 verse 5 it says: 08:30 Now if I have all the righteous 08:33 being resurrected in the first resurrection 08:36 and it says "but the rest of the dead did not live again 08:39 until the thousand years were finished" 08:41 then that has to be the second resurrection 08:43 or it is referred to in scripture as the 08:46 "resurrection of condemnation. " 08:49 You with me? 08:50 Following me? Let's look at another text. 08:52 It puts it all together for us. 09:10 That's the first resurrection. 09:12 All those that have done good to the resurrection of life. 09:16 Watch as it continues: 09:23 That is the second resurrection. Those two resurrections 09:27 are separated by 1,000 years. 09:31 OK? That's simply what the scripture tells us 09:35 about these thousand years. So what we need to do now 09:38 is we need to find out what happens at the beginning. 09:42 What are the events that all take place here 09:45 at the beginning? 09:47 Well, to begin with, Jesus is going to come. 09:51 Right? 09:52 Has to come because that's what causes the resurrection 09:56 of the righteous. So Jesus has to come back 09:59 as it says here in I Thessalonians 4:16. 10:15 So all those people down through the ages 10:18 who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, 10:21 they have looked forward to the day when He's going to come back 10:24 they're going to be resurrected from the grave. 10:26 They're going to come up out of the grave. 10:28 Scripture describes it with these words: 10:51 So all those people that have died in the hope of Christ 10:55 accepting Him as their Savior 10:57 those people are going to come out of the grave immortal. 11:00 Changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. 11:06 They will put on immortality. 11:19 Marvelous promise! 11:21 So when Jesus comes, He calls all those that have died 11:26 in faith from the grave. They come out of that grave 11:29 immortal. Never, never, never, friend, to die. 11:36 Just think... scripture says that when they come forth 11:40 from the grave there won't be any more sorrow. 11:45 There won't be any more pain. 11:49 There won't be any more sickness. 11:51 There won't be any more death. 11:53 All those things will be passed away 11:58 never to be again. 12:00 Marvelous promise that God gives. 12:03 Also it tells us that with Jesus' coming 12:08 and the resurrection of the righteous 12:12 it tells us that something's going to happen to the people 12:15 who are living on the earth. 12:17 Those that are living on the earth when Jesus comes... 12:20 the scripture says that they're going to be caught up 12:23 with those people that have been resurrected 12:26 to meet the Lord in the air. 12:29 So they're going to have the privilege of seeing Jesus 12:32 as He comes in the clouds of heaven. 12:34 And it says this is what will happen to them: 12:49 So all those people who are alive 12:52 waiting for Jesus to come 12:55 they're going to see Him come in the clouds of heaven 12:57 and in a moment - in a moment - they're going to be changed. 13:02 Just like that, their body's going to be changed. 13:04 They'll become immortal, and with those that have been 13:07 resurrected they will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord. 13:13 Marvelous promise to each one of you. 13:17 Let me tell you: I don't care tonight... 13:20 I don't care where you've been. 13:23 I don't care what you've done. 13:26 The Lord Jesus Christ promises to you 13:29 that you can have that privilege of being among those 13:34 that will see Jesus come or among those that will be 13:36 resurrected from the grave. You can have that privilege 13:39 by accepting Him. 13:41 That's a promise that He gives 13:43 to every one of you here tonight. 13:45 What about those people that are living... 13:48 the wicked that are living when Jesus comes? 13:53 The wicked that are dead? What? 13:58 They're not disturbed because it says 14:00 "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years 14:03 were finished. " So they're not bothered. 14:05 When Jesus comes and He shouts and His words roll through 14:09 this earth like peals of thunder 14:11 and all the dead in Jesus Christ in their grave, they hear that 14:15 voice and they come out... 14:17 the wicked don't hear that. 14:19 They don't hear it; they're not disturbed. 14:22 But the scripture tells us about the wicked that are living 14:25 here on the earth... what will happen to them. 14:58 So it says when He comes back 15:00 He's going to come back in flaming fire 15:02 taking vengeance on those who have not served Him, 15:06 have not accepted Him, have not followed Him. 15:09 In fact, the Bible goes on and describes it with these words: 15:23 So it says they will be destroyed. 15:25 It tells us how they're going to react 15:29 here in Revelation the 6th chapter and verse 14. 15:35 It describes it with these words: 16:10 Now I've run onto some people who tell me that when Jesus 16:13 comes people aren't going to know it. 16:19 They say that the righteous are going to kind of be just 16:23 whisked out of here and the wicked are going to 16:26 look around and say "Where did everybody go? " 16:28 Dear friends, let me ask you something: 16:31 if mountains start moving 16:34 and islands start disappearing 16:37 and the heavens split and roll back like a scroll, 16:41 do you think you'll know something's going on? 16:44 I think I would... I think I would notice 16:47 something was taking place. 16:48 'Cause it says that they will literally cry 16:51 for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them, 16:53 hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne 16:57 coming back. It says that all the wicked 17:01 will be destroyed. Will be destroyed at the coming 17:06 of Jesus Christ. They will be slain; they will fall; 17:09 they'll be destroyed. 17:10 Now let me ask you something tonight: 17:13 if when Jesus comes 17:16 and all the righteous that are dead are resurrected 17:19 and all the righteous that are living are caught up with Him... 17:22 caught up into the air and taken to heaven, 17:25 and all the wicked who are dead are not disturbed 17:30 and the wicked that are living are slain, 17:32 then let me ask you: "Who's left? " 17:36 Nobody. Listen to this scripture: 18:03 So it say that bound the devil for a thousand years. 18:07 Now said he had a great chain in his hand 18:11 and he bound the devil for a thousand years. 18:13 Do you think a chain could hold the devil? 18:15 Huh? 18:17 Why I can read to you where Christ and the disciples went 18:20 over to the shore of the Gadarenes and talked about these 18:22 two men come running out of the tombs. 18:24 The scripture said they had been bound with chains 18:27 and had broken them asunder. 18:29 Now if chains won't hold a man 18:31 they certainly wouldn't hold the devil, would they? 18:34 So what does it mean when it says "He had a great chain 18:36 in his hand and he bound the devil for1,000 years? " 18:40 Well, have you ever had somebody come over to your house 18:43 and said: "Go to town with me. " And you'd say: 18:46 "Well I really would like to but I'm tied down. " 18:49 What did you mean? 18:51 Well you meant circumstances didn't permit you to go. 18:55 The circumstances have bound the devil; that's what's bound him. 18:58 The righteous are in heaven; the wicked are dead. 19:01 The devil is bound for 1,000 years. 19:05 That's what happens here. 19:06 So five events... five events take place 19:10 at the beginning of the 1,000 years. 19:12 These are the five events: 19:42 Now what's going to happen here on earth? 19:46 What's going to take place during this 1,000 years? 19:49 And why are the righteous going to spend 1,000 years 19:52 up in heaven? Well let's look and see what the scripture 19:55 has to tell us. 20:01 God gives him... God gives him 1,000 years 20:05 to think over all the sin, all the crime, 20:09 all the degradation and all the things that he has done 20:13 as part of his punishment. 20:15 A thousand years to think over what he has done. 20:20 What's the earth like? 20:22 What's the condition of the earth during this 1,000 years? 20:39 Says the Lord is going to make this earth empty. 20:44 The righteous are in heaven; the wicked are dead. 20:47 The earth is empty... all right. Distorts its surface. 21:02 So it says the whole land is going to be absolutely empty. 21:05 There won't be anybody here. 21:07 The devil is given that as part of his punishment. 21:11 In fact, this is what it says will happen to the wicked: 21:33 So it says that the coming of Jesus... 21:36 that He will come as a consuming fire. 21:39 It says the wicked will fall to the ground. 21:41 They won't be gathered; they won't be lamented; 21:44 they won't be buried. 21:46 Fall right there. 21:48 That's what's going to happen to them. 21:50 The earth is going to be desolate 21:52 during this thousand years. 21:54 Now if the wicked are dead 21:56 and they don't know anything 21:59 what are the righteous going to do? 22:02 And why would they spend 1,000 years up in heaven? 22:07 What's the purpose of this? 22:10 Well, Revelation 20 verse 6 gives you an idea. Watch: 22:21 So it says the righteous are going to go to heaven. 22:24 They're going to live and reign with Him there for 1,000 years. 22:28 What are they going to be doing during that 1,000 years? 22:31 Verse 4 of the 20th chapter says: 22:41 Hmmm. The righteous during that 1,000 years 22:46 are going to be given what? Huh? Judgment. 22:51 When are the righteous given judgment, folks? 22:55 Come on. During the 1,000 years. 22:58 I just wanted to get that clear because I run onto some 23:00 saints that think judgment's been given to them now. 23:03 No... not now. During the 1,000 years. 23:06 I even have some people say: "Well I'm not judging. 23:09 I'm just a fruit inspector. " 23:10 No, you're not even a fruit inspector. 23:12 That's God's responsibility. 23:15 Judgment is given to them during the 1,000 years. 23:18 Who are they going to judge? 23:21 Who will they judge during this 1,000 years? 23:36 OK, so it says they're going to judge 23:40 the world; that we'll even judge angels. 23:42 Why... why is judgment going to be given to the righteous? 23:46 Have you ever thought about that? 23:49 Hmmm? Have you ever given any thought to that? 23:54 Well, let's say... 23:58 Let's say you get to heaven 24:01 and you look around and somebody you knew 24:04 who you thought was a Christian 24:06 is not there. 24:08 What are you going to do? 24:11 Are you going to go through eternity saying: 24:14 "I wonder where John is? 24:16 Strange. I thought he would have been here. 24:21 I wonder why John didn't make it? 24:25 Oh, I'd better keep my mouth shut. 24:28 Better not say anything. 24:30 Strange that John didn't make it. " 24:33 Now let me tell you something: 24:35 God doesn't intend for you to get 10,000 years 24:39 into eternity and all of a sudden yell 24:42 "Hey, where's John? " 24:45 No, that's not going to happen. 24:47 So God is going to open up the books. 24:51 That's why the books are kept up in heaven, folks. 24:54 He's going to open up the books and He's going to let you 24:57 look at them and He's going to let you be absolutely convinced 25:01 in your heart and in your soul 25:02 that God did everything that He could to save every last soul. 25:08 Let me tell you something tonight: 25:10 if you don't make it into heaven it won't be God's fault. 25:14 God's not trying tonight to keep you out of heaven. 25:17 God's trying to get you into heaven. 25:21 So He's going to open up the books. 25:23 The righteous are going to go through it 25:25 and they're going to be absolutely convinced in their 25:27 heart and in their soul that God did everything He could 25:30 to save every person. 25:33 Now, we come down to the end of the 1,000 years. 25:37 Something begins to happen 25:40 'cause it tell us that up in heaven 25:43 there's a city called the New Jerusalem 25:45 that Jesus has made. 25:58 So all of a sudden at the end of this 1,000 years 26:00 down comes the New Jerusalem. 26:03 Now the righteous, folks... the righteous were taken 26:06 to heaven at the beginning of the 1,000 years 26:09 and they have spent 1,000 years in the New Jerusalem. 26:13 But now it's coming back to this earth. 26:19 Beautiful city... beyond description. 26:23 And it tells us exactly where it's going to settle. 26:27 Did you know that? 27:10 So it says here that all the righteous that have been 27:13 up there in heaven with Him they're going to come back. 27:16 That New Jerusalem is going to touch... 27:20 His feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives. 27:23 It's going to split and going to become a huge plain, 27:26 and that's where the New Jerusalem 27:28 is going to come to rest. 27:32 I was over in Israel. 27:37 Had gone over to the Dome of the Rock... 27:41 top of Mount Moriah. 27:44 And there on the Dome of the Rock or there on the top 27:48 is the Dome of the Rock which is a Muslim shrine. 27:52 There's nothing in that shrine, folks, except a rock. 27:56 That rock is very very - how should I say? - 28:01 sacred in a sense to the Jews 28:04 and to Muslims and to Christians. 28:08 You see, they believe that it was upon that rock 28:13 that Abraham was going to offer Isaac. 28:18 The Muslim believes it was on that rock that Abraham 28:20 was going to offer Ishmael. 28:25 The Christians believe it was on that rock where 28:28 Abraham was going to offer Isaac. 28:30 They also believe that that rock was the threshing floor 28:35 of Nathan the Jebusite and they believe it was on that rock 28:38 where the temple altar of sacrifice was. 28:41 So that rock is very very special to them. 28:45 And so I had gone there and I was just inside 28:48 the shrine looking when this guide that I became very well 28:53 acquainted with - a Jew - came up to me and he said: 28:56 "Would you like to see something? " 28:57 And I said: "Sure. " 28:59 And so he took me around 29:01 to the other side of it. And here he opened a door 29:03 and turned on a light, and here was a stairway 29:06 going down under the rock. 29:08 He walked down the stairway and I followed him. 29:10 Got down there, and I realize now that this rock I had been 29:14 looking at now was the ceiling of this room. 29:17 And there was nobody in there but the guide and myself. 29:20 And he said to me... he said: 29:22 "What do you see? " 29:24 I looked around and I said: "Just a vacant room. " 29:28 I said: "That's all I see. " 29:30 He said: "You need to look a little closer. " 29:32 So I tried to look closer but I couldn't figure out 29:35 what he was talking about. 29:37 Finally he said: "Let me show you. " 29:38 And he went over to the edge of it and he pointed up to the 29:40 ceiling and he said: "You see that crack? " 29:42 Followed it clear across the room. 29:47 He said: "We've only had one earthquake here. " 29:53 And he said: "That took place in 31 AD. " 29:59 And he picked up a Bible and he turned over to Matthew 30:02 the 27th chapter and read verse 51 where it says 30:05 that when Jesus died the earth quaked 30:07 and the rocks split. 30:09 And he said: "That earthquake split this rock. " 30:12 Well... there wasn't anybody down there but me and this guide 30:16 who was a Jew. And I thought: "This is a good time 30:19 to ask him a question. " 30:21 And so I said to him... I said: 30:24 "Are you going to re-build the temple? " 30:26 "Oh, " he said, "absolutely. " 30:28 And I said: "I don't understand. " 30:31 I said: "Next to Mecca this is probably the most sacred 30:35 spot to the Muslim. All you and I would have to do 30:39 is do one thing to this to deface it or destroy it 30:43 and we'd be in trouble. We'd be in the biggest war 30:45 you've ever seen. " 30:47 He said: "Oh, we aren't going to do that. " 30:49 Then he picked up his Bible 30:52 and turned over to Zechariah that I just read to you 30:56 to the 14th chapter 30:58 and he read that text to me that we just read, see? 31:01 And he said: "Oh... " he said: "The Messiah's coming back. 31:05 His feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives. " 31:07 He said: "You see that crack? " 31:09 He said: "That didn't just crack that rock. " 31:11 He said: "That's a fault line. " 31:13 He said: "It not only runs through here. It crosses 31:15 the valley of Jehosephat and it splits the Mount of Olives 31:18 in two. " And he said: "When the Messiah comes back 31:21 His feet will touch this" and he said: 31:23 "It'll split this place wide open" 31:25 and he said: "Then we will rebuild the temple. " 31:30 And I said: "I have one problem with that. " 31:33 And he said: "What's your problem with that? " 31:35 And I said: "The problem I'm having with that is 31:38 you tell me that that rock there was split at the crucifixion 31:42 of Jesus Christ. " And he looked at me 31:47 and I said: "And I believe He's the One coming back. " 31:52 And he turned and walked up the steps. 31:55 You see... but what I'm trying to get across to you tonight 31:59 as far as I can tell that rock split, 32:02 that mountain has a fault line right though it 32:05 waiting... waiting for the feet of Jesus Christ. 32:09 When He comes it's going to split 32:12 and that New Jerusalem that Jesus made 32:14 is going to come and it's going to settle right here on this 32:17 old earth. What about the dead? 32:22 What about all the wicked that have been dead? 32:26 Scripture says this about them: 32:37 Didn't live again until the thousand years were finished. 32:39 Oh friend, let me tell you something: there's so much 32:41 difference between those two resurrections. 32:45 The resurrection of the righteous... 32:47 Over here I read to you it says that when they come forth 32:50 they are "changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. " 32:53 It says that "this mortal must put on immortality. " 32:57 It means that if that person was blind when he died 33:00 he comes out seeing! 33:01 It means if he went into that grave with one arm missing 33:05 he comes out with both arms. 33:07 It means if he went into that grave crippled he comes out 33:09 whole. Do you understand that? 33:12 That is not promised on this resurrection of the wicked. 33:17 If that person's blind and they don't know Jesus Christ 33:21 and they died blind they come out blind. 33:24 They come out just like they went in. 33:27 Nothing promised here... no change. 33:30 No immortality. 33:32 Are you telling me tonight? Are you telling me tonight 33:36 that you'll give that up for this old world? 33:39 That you'll give it up? 33:41 No way... no way. 33:46 They come forth from the grave thick as the sands of the sea. 33:53 Enoch - 7th from Adam - prophesied about it. 33:57 Jude the first chapter verse 14. 34:30 So it says He's coming back to execute judgment. 34:35 Well, the devil has been given 1,000 years to think over 34:40 all the trouble and all the crime and everything. 34:43 But all of a sudden, here at the end of the 1,000 years 34:46 all the wicked are resurrected. 34:49 He now has people. 34:52 That's why it says when the thousand years 34:55 have expired, Satan will be released from his prison. 35:00 You see, he's no longer bound because now he has people to 35:03 work with, he has people to tempt. 35:05 He has something to do. 35:07 And let me assure you that during that 1,000 years 35:11 he hasn't been sitting there twiddling his thumbs. 35:14 He has a plan. He knows exactly what he's going to do. 35:18 Watch very carefully because he has a plan. 35:34 So it says that he goes out to deceive 35:37 all the wicked. And he gathers them. 35:39 They're as thick as the sands of the sea. 35:41 And it says here in Revelation 20 verse 9: 35:55 Now why? 35:57 Why would that happen? 35:59 Why don't the wicked just go over on the other side of the 36:02 earth and say "We'll stay over here 36:05 and let the righteous stay over there. 36:07 And we won't bother them and maybe they won't bother us. " 36:11 Why go up and surround the city and try to take it? 36:16 Why do that? 36:19 The devil has a master plan. 36:24 You see, when they came forth from the grave - 36:29 the wicked - they're not immortal. 36:32 They're mortal... they're subject to death. 36:37 Back when God created man in the Garden of Eden 36:40 He put something in the Garden of Eden called 36:43 the Tree of Life. 36:45 Listen to what it says here... Genesis 3:22: 37:08 He said "lest man take... " He put an angel there! 37:12 Put an angel guarding the tree. 37:24 So God made it impossible for man 37:27 to eat of the Tree of Life. 37:31 You know where the Tree of Life is now? 37:34 Hmmm? It's in the New Jerusalem. 37:39 And at the end of the 1,000 years the New Jerusalem 37:42 comes back to this earth. 38:03 The devil convinces the wicked 38:06 that if they can just storm the city, 38:08 get inside, and eat of the Tree of Life 38:11 they'll live... they'll not die. 38:15 So they go up. Great, great masses of humanity 38:20 and they surround the New Jerusalem. 38:23 This is where the scripture says that the Great White Throne 38:28 Judgment takes place. 38:30 You think tonight. All of a sudden 38:34 right there, this particular moment in history or in time 38:38 right there inside the New Jerusalem 38:41 are all the righteous that have ever lived. 38:45 Outside the city are all the wicked that have ever lived. 38:49 So standing there before God now is all mankind. 38:55 And all of a sudden God is lifted up 38:58 and the Great White Throne Judgment takes place. 39:13 Here they stand... all mankind. 39:32 Oh dear friend, tonight 39:33 if your name is in the Book of Life... 39:36 At this point, if your name's in the Book of Life, 39:41 Jesus has already pleaded your case up in heaven 39:46 and you have been marked as having eternal life. 39:51 They read through the books. 39:55 If you have given your heart to Jesus Christ, 39:58 Christ has stood up and said: "Father, I plead My blood 40:01 in behalf of this person. Give them life eternal. " 40:05 And you have come forth from the grave immortal 40:08 as the scripture says. 40:11 The wicked? 40:18 The wicked get up off their knees 40:22 and they try to take the city. 40:37 The wicked go up; they surround the city. 40:40 Fire is rained down out of heaven... devours them. 40:45 That New Jerusalem will ride those flames 40:49 just like the ark rode the flood. 40:52 Because it says that this old earth of ours 40:55 will be burned. It says: 41:06 You see, if you know Jesus Christ tonight as your personal 41:11 Savior, if you've given your heart to Him, 41:15 then you will only die once. 41:18 You may not die at all 41:20 if you live long enough to see Jesus come. 41:23 But if you don't, you will only die once. 41:28 But if you don't accept Jesus Christ, 41:32 you'll die twice 41:34 'cause you will be resurrected in the second resurrection 41:38 and you will be destroyed at the end. 41:42 You will die twice. 41:44 Offers to you tonight life in Jesus Christ. 41:49 This old earth that you and I have lived in 41:52 referred to as being burnt like a lake of fire... 42:04 And the Bible describes this old earth and its condition 42:09 'cause it talks about it here in II Peter 3 verse 12: 42:34 So the old earth's going to be burned, and then 42:37 when it's through burning the Lord Jesus Christ 42:40 is going to make it brand new. 42:43 And so the Bible tells you and I 42:45 that there are things that are waiting for the righteous. 42:49 That you and I have a new world to look forward to. 42:54 Oh, how marvelous it will be! 42:58 Listen... this is what it tells us about it: 43:12 Brand new earth. 43:14 So you find that there are five events 43:17 that close the millennium or the thousand years. 43:20 Those five events are: 43:51 'Cause the scripture says in Matthew 5:5 43:54 "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. " 43:59 So God gives us a marvelous promise. 44:13 Time is here. As a boy as I have mentioned to you 44:19 I was born here. Lived here until I was 9 years of age. 44:25 My parents told me of an incident that happened here 44:29 in Chicago. There was a salesman 44:33 from out of town 44:35 that had come here to Chicago. 44:38 Evidently had had a busy day. 44:43 And he checked into a hotel down on the loop. 44:48 Went to bed tired. 44:51 But about 2 in the morning he was shaken out of sleep 44:56 by the sound of a siren. 44:58 Jumped up to realize that the hotel he was in 45:02 was on fire. 45:08 He could hear the sirens. 45:11 He could smell the smoke and all. 45:14 And he grabbed the telephone and by some chance 45:18 was able to get an outside line and called his boss. 45:23 And he told his boss that he was in this hotel, 45:27 it was on fire, and he was going to give him 45:31 a moment-by-moment account of what it was like 45:35 to be in a hotel on fire. 45:38 He said: "This is a chance for me to give a story 45:40 like no one's ever heard. " 45:42 His boss said: "You get out of there and you get out 45:45 of there now. " And he said: "No. " 45:48 He said: "My escape's OK. I've got it all figured out. 45:51 I'm all right. " And he began to describe to him 45:54 about the horrors of a hotel on fire. 45:57 He talked about how the fire evidently had broken out 46:00 on the second floor 46:02 and how the smoke was making its way up the stairways 46:07 and up the elevator shafts and up the laundry chutes. 46:10 He talked about hearing people run down the hall 46:14 screaming and yelling. And he said that there were 46:17 people piled up at the stairway and at the elevator 46:20 shaft where they had run over one another 46:22 trying to get out of the hotel. 46:24 He talked about how the smoke 46:27 was so bad as it went down the halls 46:30 and people were suffocating from the smoke. 46:32 He talked about how the fire, the heat, was sucking the oxygen 46:37 out of the air and how you had to bend over just to be able 46:40 to breathe. Described all of the horrors of a hotel that was 46:44 on fire. Finally the telephone lines were gone. 46:49 And he went over to the window to make his way out on the 46:52 fire escape to take it down to safety. 46:55 Opened the window, only to find out that 46:59 the fire escape was red hot. 47:02 He shouted to the firemen below to stretch out their nets, 47:06 that he was going to jump. 47:08 They stretched out their nets and he jumped... 47:13 but missed the net. 47:16 Dear friend, let me tell you something. 47:17 I run onto a lot of people that think they're going to 47:20 hang onto this old world to the last moment 47:23 and then they're going to jump. 47:25 I have people say: "Oh, not right now. " 47:28 Let me tell you something: the Bible says "today 47:31 is the day. " There's going to be people 47:34 who are going to say: "Oh, the summer is ended, 47:35 the harvest is past, we are not saved. " 47:38 Tonight Jesus is inviting you. 47:41 Accept Him as your Savior. 47:44 Give your heart to Him; prepare for His coming 47:47 as Maddy sings. 47:51 Years have come and years have gone 47:55 since Jesus went away 48:00 leaving us this promise 48:04 that He'd come again 48:08 some day. 48:15 If you would take that white card 48:17 that you receive each evening as you come in... 48:20 If you don't have one, would you please 48:24 hold up your hand. Our ushers will give you one. 48:27 We'd like everybody to have it. 48:30 Three questions I'd like for you to look at with me tonight. 48:34 First question says: 48:40 Dear friend, if you've been with me from night to night 48:43 we've gone down through the prophecies 48:45 and you've seen how we've moved right down to the end 48:47 of time. Certainly in your heart tonight 48:49 you should believe that we're living 48:52 at the time of Christ's return. 48:55 Put a check by #1. 48:57 Second question says: 49:02 Tonight if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior 49:06 I would like to invite you to accept Him. 49:09 Just to reach out in faith tonight 49:11 and accept Him as your personal Savior. 49:13 Put a check by #2 on that card. 49:17 Third question says: 49:23 If you have given your heart to Jesus Christ 49:26 and you need to follow Him in baptism, check that card. 49:30 If you'd like to be re-baptized check that card. 49:34 Take that step following Him in baptism. 49:37 Put your name, your address on it. 49:40 Fill it out as Maddy sings. 49:42 What if this would be the year 49:48 that Jesus comes? 49:53 The year that we've been 49:56 waiting for so long. 50:02 We wouldn't have much time 50:08 to get our 50:10 loved ones won 50:16 if this would be 50:19 the year that Jesus 50:25 comes. 50:31 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 50:34 Father, we thank you so much 50:37 for Jesus, for His love and for His care over our lives. 50:42 We pray that You will bless each one here 50:45 that their hearts may be surrendered to You 50:48 and that they might be among those that will look up 50:53 into the heavens and will say: "Lo, this is our God. 50:57 We have waited for Him and He'll save us. " 51:00 For all the things that You do for each one of us 51:03 we give to You honor and glory and praise in Christ's name. |
Revised 2014-12-17