Jesus told a story, or parable, in Matthew 25 that illustrates what His Second Coming will be like. One of His main points was that there comes a time when it’s too late to prepare; too late to get ready.
Matthew 25:10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.”
The door was shut. Can you appreciate the finality in those words? There comes a time when it is too late to find eternal life. Some people have trouble believing that a gracious God would make deadlines, but Jesus talked repeatedly of them. The Lord talked repeatedly of the unbridgeable chasm between heaven and hell. The finality of it all is awesome!
Doesn’t life itself testify to the fact of deadlines? Husbands or wives can betray their marriage commitment and perhaps be forgiven by their spouse. But if that husband or wife repeatedly breaches trust, there will come a time when it’s too late to repair. It’s too late to reclaim it. It is gone!
Or picture a parent and child. The parent says, “One day when my business responsibilities lighten-up, I’m really going to spend some quality time with my kid. One of these days we’ll go hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, etc. Just let me get the business on a little better footing.” But there comes a time when it’s too late; when that child has structured his world not to include a meaningful relationship with the parent. And often the parent can’t go back then and build it.
Life witnesses to the fact that there are deadlines. Jesus taught that today is always the proper time to claim the gift of eternal life. God respects our right to say no to His offer of eternal life. He also respects our right to say, “Not yet.” But beware. One can wait until it’s too late.
Insight for the Journey 
I am so grateful that I am married to a man who lives what he preaches! Thank you for loving us like Jesus. We understand more of who He is because of you and how you live daily! I am grateful beyond words that our kids know, next to your relationship with Jesus and me, nothing will ever be more important to you than your relationship with them. How blessed we are!
Pastor Rex,
Thank you for mentioning your blog on Saturday evening, I didn’t know you had one. My comment is a tangent from your post, so please forgive me for that:
” … The Lord talked repeatedly of the unbridgeable chasm between heaven and hell. …”
Psalms 139:8 says (NIV), “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
When this passage refers to the depths (sheol?), would that be a “hell on earth” type of reference? Like, “even if I turn from you, you are still there.”? If the reference was to actual hell … then that would seem to contradict.
Kris
ps … I’m taking your picture next wednesday, see you then 🙂
You’ve managed to shock me twice these past two weeks.
On Saturday, 11/4/07, did you mention that there are levels of reward in heaven? I can understand why you would hesitate to mention it, as the focus from grace by faith might be perverted to grace through work. It still is an interesting concept. Does Billy Graham get a better job in heaven than you or I?
What will Heaven look like? Aside from meeting Jesus, the no pain or suffering, streets paved with gold, lofty clouds and blue skies, & the glorified body, what else is there.
I’m judged, I get into heaven (assume I’m sure of my salvation), what’s next? What do we do for the next eternity or two? We will certainly praise God, but will we work? play? go hiking? sleep?
Just curious. Great series.
Steve
Pastor Rex – The Thessalonian journey that you are sharing with us has been very insightful. Is it at all possible for the website team to get the message online any sooner? See you next weekend.
Re-reading Mere Christianity lately, and
C.S. Lewis’ comments reminded me of you sermon and blog post. I like this part the best.
” … I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly … in our world realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time we discover which side we have really have chosen”
Mere Christianity
Book 2
Chapter 5
Last Paragraph
Deadlines, Choices, and Responsibilities- I’ve been thinking along those lines myself, lately, and I hear those themes echoed in your post here. Sobering reality.
Rex, I can’t think of a better person, than you, to preach on one of the most difficult topics in Scripture and one of the most debated in the Church today. (Most people don’t even want to spell the word “eschatology” much less learn about it!)
But this series is as invigorating and thought provoking as your series on 1 Corinthians was.
Hey Rex.. I missed part 3 (I was out of town) but I wanted to comment on your referencing the “imminent” return of Christ. You mentioned Robert Coleman in part 2 as reiterating your point of stressing the imminent return of Christ and it seemed that there was some extra “weight” emphasized there. Before we launch into this, I just want to say that I think this falls in the catagory of “conviction” or “preference” and not absolute. Would you agree? I’m pretty easy going so if you don’t, that’s not going to hurt my feelings or anything. The aspect of the “imminent return” belief that bothers me is that if certain things have to occur before the Lord returns then He is not going to return until those things occur. Now, granted, His return could be imminent at any moment for any one of us if He chooses to call us, but all things being equal, His timing is His own and He says He’s going to do certain things (Rev). He says that He will come like a ‘thief in the night’, but that is to those not watching (Rev 16:5) “but you brothers are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief” (I Thess 5:4 KJV kinda). The way I see it is that the problem is for those w/o oil (Matt 25). The idea of “imminent return” can keep people on their toes and not fall into complacency but over time I’ve seen some of those just fall away. They really weren’t taught to live for the long haul. As Keith Green once said, “Pray for pre [tribulation rapture] but prepare for post”. OK, my can of worms is tipped over. …Dd
Dave, I think Rex covered some of the things you mentioned in the recent part 3 message. He used 1 Thess 5:4 as you suggested, that believers don’t need to be caught by surprise. Also I don’t think “imminent return” was meant to say “any minute now” but more like “any 50 yrs now…” Rex didn’t say that all the signs had been fulfilled, but some signs seem to be accelerating.
I like the quote you gave by Keith Green… I would prefer not around for the tribulation, but I don’t think I have enough reason to expect that Christians would be raptured pre-trib and spared the persecution that so many Christians throughout history have already endured, somehow for the glory of Christ.
Hi Scott. Thanks for your comments. Like you, I have wondered at how we have been spared the persecution that so many Christians, especially those in the 10/40 window endure. And I am not looking for it. Now the rationale that some have used is that the persecution during the great tribulation is to the “nth” degree and therefore can not be compared to what is happening now. To me, martyrdom is just that and nothing less. I also see the martyred saints asking, “how long?” and the Lord giving them a robe and saying “…until [such as] …should be killed as they were should be fulfilled” (Rev 6:11) Barclay gives a great illustration while explaining Mark 14:32-42 where Jesus knows He is facing the cross. He explains how Richard Cameron, the covenanter, while sitting in jail for his rejection of Romanism, is brought the hands and head of his beloved son to dissuade him from his views. “Are these your son’s?” he is asked. “They are…my own dear son’s. It is the Lord. Good is the will of the Lord, who cannot wrong me nor mine, but has made goodness and mercy to follow us all our days.” Here, Cameron could see that he was not first in this path. But more importantly, as Barclay states, “The Cross would lose all its value if it had been easy for Jesus” …and so, in a way, maybe we are back to Tertullian’s “the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church” and great tribulation is always in store, in vogue, for the true believer. ..just wondering. …Dd
Rex,
These Comments are from My Book on the END Times Thought you might like to get a peek at them for further insight if you can use them.
From the Epistle of Barnabas
Although they are not part of the Biblical Cannon of Scriptures
they still hold confirming evidence and conformation of the Scriptures.
Barnabas 15:3
Of the Sabbath He speaketh in the beginning of the creation; And God made the works of His hands in six days, and He ended on the seventh day, and rested on it, and He hallowed it.
Barnabas 15:4
Give heed, children, what this means; He ended in six days. He means this, that in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all things to an end; for the day with Him signifies a thousand years; and this He himself bears me witness, saying; Behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, everything shall come to an end.
Barnabas 15:5
And He rested on the seventh day. this He means; when His Son shall come, and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and the stars, then shall he truly rest on the seventh day.
Barnabas 15:6
Yea and furthermore He saith; Thou shalt hallow it with pure hands and with a pure heart. If therefore a man is able now to hallow the day which God hallowed, though he be pure in heart, we have gone utterly astray.
Barnabas 15:7
But if after all then and not till then shall we truly rest and hallow it, when we shall ourselves be able to do so after being justified and receiving the promise, when iniquity is no more and all things have been made new by the Lord, we shall be able to hallow it then, because we ourselves shall have been hallowed first.
PSALM 90
1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
2 PETER 3
1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
From the Time of ADAM until the Days of NOAH and the FLOOD was
2000 Years or 2 DAYS From the Time of NOAH until the Time of JESUS CHRIST’s Life was 2000 YEARS or 2 DAYS and From the TIME of JESUS CHRIST Until NOW is 2000 YEARS or 2 DAYS
In 6 DAYS GOD DID ALL of His Works and on the 7th DAY GOD RESTED from ALL of HIS Works for 1000 YEARS or 1 DAY.
TIME has a beginning and an END.
Soon if the BIBLE is Correctly pointing to this time the Return of JESUS CHRIST is most Certain to be in our lifetime.
TIME has a
Beginning______________ END.
Please visit http://www.Ari-Jesus-second-coming.com