Are you expecting Jesus to return today?

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship, Scotland.
Sunday 14th January 2007

‘I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, but not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.’
• Are you expecting Jesus to return today?
• Is Jesus coming back for you today?

Let’s look at:
Genesis 7:1
‘Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.’

• Come into the ark, says God

The ark today is the Church, some of you are still outside of the Ark, and you need to come inside!
Not only do you need to come into the church, but your whole household needs to come in too.
Jesus could come back today, and you could be left behind.
Those in the Ark were saved.
All outside the ark perished
When Jesus returns there will be a separation!
Make sure you are in the place safety, the Church, the Ark of God.
Do you believe Jesus is coming today?
• Too early,
• things to happen yet,
• prophecies to be fulfilled,
• People to be saved!
• Mmh!
• I have a lot of things I still want to accomplish before the end!
Well, let’s press on.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew 24:36-44
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40 "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
43 "But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Look at Verse 39
"And did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.’

• They did not know
• Until (it was too late)
• The flood came and took them all away!

You think you are going to escape. They were all taken away by the flood!
They did not know until it arrived.
Some went to the beach one day to swim, and a tsunami came and washed them all away!
Look at verse 40
40 "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
• One will be taken
• One will be left

Look at Verse 41
41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
• One will be taken
• One will be left

Look at Verse 44
"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
• Be ready for Jesus
• Jesus is coming at an hour you do not expect
Are you expecting the Son of Man, to return today?

Let’s look at Hebrews
Hebrews 11; 5-7

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.’

Look at Verse 5
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

• Before he was taken
• He had this testimony
• He pleased God.

What is your testimony today?
Is God pleased with you today?
Do you believe that the Jesus is coming today, for you?

Look at Verse 7
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.’
• Divinely warned of things not yet seen
• Was moved with godly fear
• He prepared an Ark
• The Ark is the Church, what part are you preparing.
• It was prepared For the saving of his household
Divine warning will prepare you for the coming of Jesus, for the separation of one man from man, and woman from woman!
The divine revelation of God tells us that there is a great separation coming, even as we sit here today God is separating the hearts of men and women. Some of you are receiving the word, and others are rejecting it. Separation goes on every day until the end.
Where do you get your information from?
Noah, through divine revelation, saw things that could not be seen any other way.
Divine revelation tells you that you have to be saved
Divine revelation tells you that you have to come into the Ark
Divine revelation tells you that the Church is the Ark of God
This book defines revelation.
Isaiah 8:20
‘To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’
You need to hear Jesus speaking to you
In the midst of your struggles, you need to hear Him.
You need to check it out in this book to make sure you are not off the wall.

God did not spare the ancient world, what makes us any different?
2 Peter 2:4-11
‘For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) --
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment,
10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,
11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.’

Look at Verse 9
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment.

• The Lord Jesus knows how to separate the Godly from unjust

He knows how, He’s an expert in the ways of God and man.

Genesis 6:8-13
‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
13 And God said to Noah, "the end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’

Look at Verse 8
‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
• Have you found grace in the eyes of the LORD?

Look at Verse 9
9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
• Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
• Noah walked with God
• Noah was a Just man
• Noah was perfect in His generation
Where do you stand before God today?
Psalm 33; 18-22
‘Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.
22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.’

Divine revelation tells us that Jesus is about to return, His return is immanent!
Are you in the Ark?
Are you in the Church?
Preparing it for the salvation of your whole household

Look at Verse 21, 22
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.
• Our heart shall rejoice in Jesus
• Because we have trusted in the holy name of Jesus.
22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.’
• Jesus - Let your mercy
• O LORD
• Be upon us
• Just we hope in you.
Proverbs 10:9
‘He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known.’

2 Peter 2:9
‘…then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment…’
• Jesus knows where you are
• And Jesus knows how to separate between the godly and the unjust
• Jesus knows
• His knowledge is perfect
• Jesus makes no mistakes
You may ask this question. ‘if all is well and I have come into the Ark, the Church then why am I like this, why have I all these problems?’
You don’t know what I am going through? I’m pushing forty and full of struggles!
Let’s see what we can do about that!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Genesis 25:20
‘Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.
21 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger."

Look at Verse 21
V21 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

• Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife

How important it is for the man in the marriage to plead with the Lord for his wife!

In this case it was barrenness of the womb, but it could be for any reason.
• The LORD granted his plea

Hallelujah! The LORD granted his plea.

Do you know how to plead with LORD on behalf of your wife?
• Rebekah his wife conceived, she became fruitful.

Conception was the result.
Men, of Glen Aros and men of the Body of Christ
Do you know how to plead with the LORD for the barrenness of the body?
Will the LORD grant your plea for the Body of Christ?

Look at Verse 22
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

• The children struggled together within her
• She said, ‘if all is well…’
• ‘…Why am I like this?

The wife said ‘if all is well…’ then why am I like this?
Good question.
The conception has come, and the barrenness gone, but ‘why am I like this?’
Praise God she knew where to go with her question.
• She went to inquire of the LORD

Conception is a great thing, but then comes the struggle of the children!
• There is much in the womb, in the body of Christ right now.
• There will also be the struggle that comes with the growth.
• As the body of Christ brings fourth the wonders of the Lord Jesus for our generation there will be struggles.
• You will not understand them.
• You will not understand what is going on except you have the divine revelation which comes to you by pleading and enquiring of God.

• Isaac and Rebecca knew where to find the answer to their struggles and difficulties.
• They went to the LORD. Hallelujah!
• Where do you go in your difficulties?

When we go to the Lord Jesus he speaks with such clarity, but oh, how often we go elsewhere.
• The LORD’S answer came with clarity.

Look at Verse 23
23 And the LORD said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”

In the days to come men women will try to understand what is going on in the body of Christ. There will be conflict of opinion.
You need to be men and women of God who have the voice of the LORD.
Decide this day to be a man or woman who will plead and enquire of the LORD Jesus for His understanding of each event that will surely come!

The one event we can all be assured of is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a day that will be!
• In the mean time plead with God
• Enquire of God
• Watch unto prayer
Make sure you are in the ark of God, the Church which he has prepared for his people in this hour.
Outside you will perish
Inside you will be saved from the wrath to come.

2 Chronicles 15:7, 8
"But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!"

‘And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the LORD that was before the vestibule of the LORD.’

My question at the beginning is now pertinent.

Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back?
Are you in the Ark the Church of God?

• Then take courage
• Remove all the abominable idols from your life and the land
• Restore the alter of the Lord Jesus in your heart
• Return to your first love

Matthew 24:44
"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

Rise to the challenge of pleading and seeking the Lord Jesus in this hour, in the hour when He is not expected?

‘By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.’

Help build the Church of God in our generation, Plead with God that her barrenness be finished, and she give birth to many sons and daughters.
Maranatha! Which means ‘the Lord is coming soon?”