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I'll Be Back
John 13:31-14:6
Skip Heitzig

John 13 (NKJV™)
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
32 "If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
33 "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you.
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward."
37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake."
38 Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
John 14 (NKJV™)
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 "And where I go you know, and the way you know."
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Rediscovering Our Foundations

A little boy was trying desperately to tell his friends about what Jesus' return would be like. He described Jesus' coming in glory as being "greater than Superman, Batman, and the Power Rangers put together!" Of course even that would be an understatement. Jesus came here 2000 years ago and then left; but He promised to return. What will it be like? What difference should it make to us right here, right now?

We live in an age where truth has become a relative term. But the Bible leaves no room for doubt when it comes to the absolute nature of truth. Unfortunately, our culture is vastly biblically illiterate. In this series, Pastor Skip Heitzig gets back to the roots of our faith, looking at what the Bible has to say about God, Christ, the Trinity, mankind, the church, heaven, and hell. Learn to stand on a firm foundation in the midst of an unstable culture.

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Outline

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  1. The Trouble over His Coming
  2. The Timing of His Coming
  3. The Triumph of His Coming
  4. The Tragedy of His Coming

Transcript

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Good evening. We are winding down our series on "Rediscovering Our Foundations," and I know you are thinking it's about time.

There are a few Scriptures I need you to turn to in advance tonight. The first is in John chapter 14. You should turn there. The second is in 1 Thessalonians 4. You should mark that. And the third is in Matthew chapter 24. If you could put a marker there as well, it'll just easier when it comes time to turn to it. And there are things you need to read. That's why I'm having your turn to all three of them tonight. John 14, where we camp. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and Matthew chapter 24.

Can you imagine the changes that the world has in store? Can you imagine a world without any war, a world in total peace, absolute utopia? Can you picture a world where justice always prevails, where righteousness is always the rule, where everything is always fair? Can you imagine a world where the health of the populace is such that if a person dies at age 100 he is said to be a child dying prematurely? Can you imagine a world where children can play in snake pits, and the snakes are friendly, and the children are friendly? Can you picture a world where the food is so abundant that even though the earth is filled with a huge population, there is an abundant, more than adequate supply? Can you conceive of a world where all politicians in charge are saints, where all those who enforce the law are also saints? Can you imagine a world ruled by one person with a perfect mind, a perfect will, and perfect wisdom? We don't have to imagine it, because that is exactly the world that is described in the Scripture when Jesus Christ comes back to rule and to reign. Talk about change. It's so foreign that now we have to imagine it, but one day we won't imagine it.

There were two converts who came from the jungles of the South Pacific to the United States for the first time. They went to a missionary conference. They had never seen America, and you can imagine what they thought when they saw New York City with all of its lights, and cars, and buildings. Their jaws dropped every time they turned their head and looked at anything.

And one day walking into a large building in downtown New York City, they saw something they had never seen before. Two metal doors opened laterally looking like they opened into the wall. And they noticed two large, rather large elderly ladies walk into these doors, and the doors shut behind them, and they looked above the doors and saw a dial sweep to the right. And after a period of time sweep all the way back to the left. And they just stood there as those doors then opened again, and two young, beautiful ladies walked out. They looked at each other, and one said to his friend, "Oh, man, we've got to bring our wives back to ride in that machine."

We're, we're all going to ride in a machine where the Bible says we will all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The coming of Christ is the culmination of Christian hope. It's the fulfillment and the culmination of all of the hope, of all of the saints, of all of the ages. When he comes back, all of the prayers we have prayed will be answered, Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That's when that prayer will be answered.

The second coming of Christ is the theme of some of the greatest songs of the church. You know them. For instance, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Julia Ward Howe had the second coming in mind when she wrote, "Mine eyes of seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." Isaac Watts had the coming of Christ, the second coming in mind, not Christmas, not Bethlehem, when he wrote, "Joy to the World, the Lord is come." It was the theme of the song by Stewart Cline, "How Great Thou Art." "When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation and take me home, what joy will fill my heart." What a great old hymn. And no wonder, because as we mentioned last week, the second coming is mentioned so frequently in the Scripture. For every time the first coming is alluded to, the second coming is alluded to eight times. For every time the atonement of Christ is mentioned or alluded to, the second coming is mentioned or alluded to twice. Jesus personally referred to his coming 21 times. 50 times in the New Testament we are told to be ready for it.

Question. Are you? Are you ready for him to come back? When you think of the Lord coming back at any moment, do you go, "Uh oh," or do you go, "Oh, oh."

It was Arnold Swartzenager who sort of immortalized that term didn't he in "The Terminator," "I'll be back." But it was Jesus who said it first to a group of very troubled disciples one night at the Last Supper in the upper room. Let's read the text together, the first six verses of chapter 14. Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.

And Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't where you are going, and how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no one comes to the Father except through me."

It's pretty obvious that these disciples were troubled that night. They were troubled over something Jesus had said. And the context tells us why they were troubled. If they weren't troubled, Jesus wouldn't have said, Let not your heart be troubled. But because it was he said this, and the context tells us why. It was trouble over his coming.

Now, if you would go back to chapter 13, verse 33, you'll discover why. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, where I am going you cannot come, so now I say to you.

Verse 36, Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?"

Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you shall follow me afterward."

Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now. I will lay down my life for your sake."

Keep a finger there, and turn the page to the right. Look at chapter 16, verse 5. But now I go away to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, "Where are you going?" Of course, Peter did, but the rest didn't. But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled, or gripped, your heart.

They're troubled. They are worried. They are upset. Why? Over the second coming of Christ. Well, you say, "Why would they be upset about that?" For obvious reasons. You can't come twice unless you leave once. Right? "You keep talking about coming back. That means you're leaving." And Jesus said, Sorrow has filled your heart.

Now why were they sorrowful over this? There's two reasons I want to give you. And I want to apply it to us tonight. Number one is spiritual ignorance, spiritual ignorance. During Jesus' life on earth, the disciples were absolutely unaware that there would be two comings of a Messiah. They expected the Messiah was going to come and set up shop, right? Going to take over. Going to rule from Jerusalem. That's what they expected. The whole idea of one coming, then leaving, then coming back was foreign to their minds. It wasn't until Jesus died, rose, and ascended into heaven, and the Spirit of God moved in these authors that they got it.

You'll remember how after Jesus rose from the dead and was with the disciples that they said to him, Lord, it's now the time. Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel. Okay, the atonement, cool. But you're alive again. Is this when you're going to set up shop. Jesus' answer probably discouraged them a bit at first. He said, "It's not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own charge." Then he ascended into heaven. They watched him leave, physically, so much so that an angel had to interrupt there. He said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand there gazing up into heaven. Don't you know this same Jesus who left will come in like manner?
Spiritual ignorance is still a common problem. And this is what it will produce. Spiritual ignorance will produce either fanaticism or fear. We've all met fanatics over the second coming. They read prophecy into every single news article. Even comic strips have a prophetic significance to some. They're fanatical. They have this fanatical intensity about them, and they will set dates that don't come to pass. Others are afraid. They're fearful of the future. They're afraid that they missed the rapture.

When I first heard about the rapture, I honestly thought it was bogus. I thought it was nuts. When I first heard, they said, "the rapture."

"What is that?"

You know, I grew up in the church. I never heard of the rapture. Then I read the New Testament text on it. I read other literature on it, and I could see it in the Scripture. I got excited about it, but I was still sort of ignorant how it all worked, you know. I was the kind of kid who in my class would pray that the Lord would come before the test. I thought it was sort of convenient if he would come before a date with a certain girl or some big event. If he would just come, it would solve all the problems.

As time went on, I started getting scared over the thought if Jesus comes back in my lifetime, what if I don't get taken? That fear was reinforced when I went to a Bible study one night with my Bible in hand, knocked on the door of the home where the study wad, nobody answered, knocked again, nobody answered, opened the front door, saw Bibles lying all around in a circle. Saw coats, and notebooks, and pens, and shoes, and I was scared. And it wasn't a joke they were playing. It was sort of the Lord using it, however. They were out in the backyard looking up, seeing an airplane do stunts at the exact time I was at the front door.

Now today, I am not fanatical over it, and I'm not fearful because of it. I'm greatly comforted when I think of the coming of Christ. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said, Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

Spiritual ignorance is one thing. There's something else. Personal indifference. These are the people who really are apathetic. They don't care one way or the other. "Jesus comes, cool. If he doesn't, I don't care."

If you would look at our text when Jesus says in verse 4, Where I go you know, and the way you know.

And Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you're going, and how can we know the way?"

Now, I can just picture all of the other disciples as they're listening to Jesus up to this point. And Jesus says, "Now where I'm going you know."

And they're all going, "Yep, we know." Of course, they don't.

"And how to get there you know."

"Yep."

"Yep."

"Yep."

Thomas is so honest, isn't he? He's the apostle from Missouri, he's called. The "Show me" state. He just kind of butts in and goes, "Hey, now wait a minute. We don't know where you're going. And if we don't know where you're going how can we know how to get there?" And just the, the way he's saying it, as well as the words he chooses, it's sort of like, "What's the point of it all?"

Personal indifference can lead to apathy eventually, and apathy will lead to non-evangelism. They don't need to. "No need to tell people about Jesus. You got plenty of time. Whatever. It'll all pan out."

Dwight L. Moody wrote these words, "Paul's epistles speak about the return of the Lord 50 times, and yet the church has very little to say about it. Now, I can see a reason for this. The devil doesn't want us to see the truth, for nothing would wake up the church so much. The moment a man takes hold of the truth that Jesus Christ is coming again to receive his followers to himself, the world loses its hold on him. The church," said Moody, "is cold and formal. May God wake it up. And I know of no better way to do that then to get the church to look for the return of the Lord."

Now let's move from the trouble over the coming of the Lord to the timing of his coming. Look at verse 2. And put yourself for a moment in the disciples' sandals. In my Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so I would've told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Now, I've got to say in all fairness and in all honesty, the disciples are listening to this, but they don't fully get it. They don't fully get it. Jesus is speaking about his return for them, right? I'm going to receive you to myself. He's referring to Jesus coming for his church, taking his saints to be with him, not his coming to the earth to set up his kingdom. I'm going to come and receive you to myself.

The second coming, Revelation 19, is when Jesus comes with his saints to set up the kingdom. But what Jesus is speaking about, and again they didn't get it right here, is that he would come for them. He would come and receive them to himself. And Jesus, of course, doesn't explain this to them. They're in no condition to hear it. In fact, in chapter 16, Jesus says, I have many things to tell you, but you can't handle it. You're not ready for it.

But let's talk about timing, shall we? Because we, tonight, have the benefit that the disciples at this point did not have. We have the benefit of the Holy Spirit's revelation through Paul, and Peter, and John after Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.

So I want you to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, a letter that Paul wrote. First Thessalonians 4. It's verse 13, But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren. I've discovered something. That whenever Paul says that, it's because we are. He spoke about spiritual gifts, and he used the same wording. I don't want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. About the coming of Christ I don't want you to be ignorant.

And what are the two areas where the church seems to be most ignorant? Spiritual gifts and his coming. I don't want you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorry as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord. That we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

Every now and then somebody will say, "Well, you know, the word rapture isn't in the Bible. Where do you guys come up with the word rapture?" You're right. The word rapture is not in the Bible. It's not in this text anywhere, but the doctrine sure is.

So where do we get the word rapture? Where does that come from? Well, you notice in verse 17 it says "caught up together." The Greek word is harpadzo. It's translated from Greek into English 13 times in the New Testament. Four times it's translated "to catch up," like it is here. Three times it's translated, "to take by force." Twice "to catch away." Twice it means "to pluck." Once "to catch," and once "to pull."

Now, I want you to listen to that verse, verse 17, in what is called the Wuest translation of the New Testament. Kenneth Wuest, a Greek scholar, took and expanded on the exact wording and syntax in a very colorful way as to make it exact. "We shall be snatched away forcibly, in masses of saints, having the appearance of clouds for a welcome with the Lord in the lower atmosphere." That's the rapture.

Skip, you didn't answer my question. Where did we get the term rapture? From Jerome when he translated this word harpadzo into the Latin Vulgate. The Latin word is rapere or rapto, which means the same thing, "to seize or to carry off by force."

Now, even a casual study of the New Testament, will show that there is a vast difference between the rapture and the second coming. The rapture and the second coming are two different events.

At the rapture, Jesus comes for his church. At the second coming, Jesus comes with his church, Revelation 19. At the rapture, Jesus comes from heaven and goes to the air where we ascend from the earth to meet him in the air. At the second coming, Jesus comes from heaven through the air, and to planet earth, and we are with him. At the rapture of the church, Jesus claims his bride. At the second coming he comes with his bride. At the rapture, the focus is Jesus and the church. At his second coming, the focus is Israel and his kingdom, his millennial kingdom. The rapture is sudden, unpredictable. Jesus talked about no man knows the hour. Paul said, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. In Matthew 24, Jesus referred to it by saying, Therefore, you also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him. However, the second coming will be predictable. As I see it, and not everybody agrees, and that's okay. You can be wrong. That's fine. But there's going to be a rapture. There's going to be seven years of a tribulation period, and then there will be at the end of that blackness the stars will fall from heaven, the sun and the moon will be completely darkened, and the son of man will return.

At the rapture, only believers will see him. It says, We who are alive, in 1 Thessalonians 4, and remain, will be caught up. But at his second coming, every eye will see him.

Now, I want you to turn with me to Matthew 24. We won't spend long here, just to read what Jesus said about this. In all fairness, Matthew 24 deserves a set of studies all to its own which we have done, and they're archived, but look at verse 26. Therefore, if they say to you, "Look, he is in the desert," that is he the Christ, "Do not go out," or "Look, he is in the inner rooms, don't believe it." For as lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will also the coming of the son of man be. For wherever the carcass is the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the starts will fall from heaven, the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other.

Now go back to John 14. Let's shift gears for a moment. We talked about the trouble, which is usually spiritual ignorance or indifference over his coming. We talked briefly and, very briefly, about the timing of the event. I want you to notice the triumph of the coming of Christ, because I think really that's the heart of it. And if I go, verse 3, and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also.

Listen, Jesus' coming is not just an event meant to dazzle the saints or at his second coming to dazzle the unbelieving world. It is leading somewhere. It's leading us home. So shall we, Paul said, ever be with the Lord. The triumph of all of this is where it's going to lead. It's going to lead us to heaven, home, the Father's house.

Now, again, Jesus did not explain here to the disciples. He didn't give them an eschatological road map. He gave them enough words to comfort them because their hearts were troubled. But Paul, and Peter, and John, the apostles did expand on this in their writings.

Here's the triumph. This is sort of how it's going to come down. At whatever time the Lord has planned, we don't know, but Jesus is going to come bodily from heaven, he's sitting at the right hand of the Father now, come bodily to the air, to the atmosphere somewhere above the earth. Second, he's going to bring with him all of the souls of those Christians who have died up to that point. They're with him. They're with the Lord. They're in his presence in spirit, not in body. Their body's in the earth decaying, but their soul is with him. And he comes back in the air, in the, the sphere of the earth.

And the question is why? Why would he do that? Why the air of the earth? Simply because there's going to be a resurrection. Their dead bodies in whatever state they're in- freshly dead, mostly dead, really, really dead, disintegrated- will be resurrected. They will be changed, and then those who are alive will also be changed. Why? Simply because we're going to the Father's house, and these bodies can't handle it. And so there needs to be a resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes, Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. No, this mortal must put on immortality, and this corruptible must put on incorruption. So just as those two men said, "We got to get our wives in that machine!" the resurrection machine will so utterly change us physically. That's good news. That is great news. We're going to be changed physically, a metamorphosis.

Now, having said that, once we meet the Lord in that atmosphere, in the air with those departed believers, once we meet, and once they're resurrected, and we who are alive, or they who are alive are instantly changed, then there is this triumphal procession, so to speak, back up to heaven, back up to heaven.
What will happen then? I believe that's when the judgment seat of Christ will happen. What's the judgment seat of Christ? It's not where we get judged for our sins. That happened at the cross. You received Christ, you passed judgment. It's over. But there is a judgment seat Paul spoke about, and the Greek word bema seat speaks of a place where you will get rewarded. See, it's not just heaven. You get other stuff, too. You get rewards for being faithful in using your gifts, your talents, your time, your treasure.

There's several places this is mentioned. 2 Corinthian 5:10 is the one I want to bring to your attention. For we must all appear before the judgment, or bema, reward, seat of Christ. That each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good of bad. During that time, on earth will be a tribulation period that ends with the coming of Christ with us, with the church, who have been with him coming down to the earth where he sets up his kingdom, his millennial kingdom, and then finally the eternal state. So this is where it's all leading. And as one person said, "Who can mind the journey when the road leads home. My Father's house.

What will heaven be like? Well we're going to do a whole separate study on that, but I'll tell you this. It's a place of variety. In my Father's house there are many mansions, rooms, apartments, you might say in modern translation. Lots of places to hang out. I hear people talk about heaven as "Oh, it's going to be very boring, because we're going to sit on clouds in dumb white robes and play harps." Not this boy. Maybe an electric guitar, but not a harp.

No. There's many rooms. I'm going to be snooping around, man. I'm going to go looking around. I've got eternity. I'm going to see what' going on.

When I was in Scotland a couple weeks ago, there was this huge mansion called "The Calendar House" in Falkirk, Scotland.
And we got in just before closing. We didn't have much time, and so a buddy and I just started quickly dashing from room to room, snooping, opening cupboards, looking everywhere we could. Here's this huge aristocratic mansion from the 1700's beautifully preserved. I want to check it out. When I grew up I would always snoop in my parents' drawers. I plan to do the same in heaven.

It's a personalized place. Notice Jesus says, I go to prepare a place for you. Now, I just want you to think about this. Jesus said this to his disciples 2000 years ago. And that's when he left, 2000 years ago. So for the last 2000 years, he's been getting this place ready for you. Imagine what it must look like.

When couples build a home, they have, of course, themselves in mind when they build it. They think of, "I want this here and that there. This knickknack, this carpet, that kind of chair." Jesus had you in mind when he prepared the place for you. It'll be personalized.

And finally, notice here. It is a relational place. Jesus doesn't call it heaven. It's called that in other portions of the Bible, but he didn't call it that. He refers to it as my Father's house. And one of the things I contend that will make heaven so great isn't what's there but who's there. Like your home, what makes it precious isn't the cool things you've collected as much as the people who are in it. That's what makes it home. Your Father will be there, your Savior will be there, and all of those relatives and friends who walked with Christ and are now dead. There will be a reunion with them. It's going to be a great house, a place of great relationship, and great joy.

No wonder then, Charles Spurgeon told his young men that he trained for the ministry, "When you talk about heaven, let your face light up with heavenly glory. When you speak about hell, your everyday face will do."

I want to close with the last two verses. I'm calling this the tragedy of his coming. Notice that Jesus in answering Thomas puts it in sort of a negative light when he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

You know what the tragedy is of the second coming? Is not everyone will go to the Father's house. That's the tragedy of it. Not everyone will go to the Father's house, even though the Bible says, God is not willing that any should perish, that all should come to repentance. All don't come to repentance. All don't believe in Christ. All don't follow him. All don't come in repentance. And he says very plainly, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Now that sounds very very dogmatic and very narrow minded doesn't it? Did you notice Jesus did not say, "I am a way." He didn't say, "I speak part of the truth," or "I show the way." He said, I am the way.

Again, Kenneth Wuest in that translation I mentioned, renders it this way, I alone, said Jesus, in contradistinction to all others am the road, the truth, and the life. Hmm. Hmm. Is that what most people think today? Do most people think that way? Oh, no. If you talk to most people, even most church people, they sort of act that no matter how you live on earth, once you die the preacher just says, "They're in heaven now." Isn't that great. They're all in heaven now. You can live like hell on earth, but you can go to heaven when you die.

That's not what Jesus said. Jesus said, Enter in by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go in thereby. Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few find it. You get that? Few. Not most. Not a whole bunch. Few. That's the tragedy of his coming, is that there is a separation and ultimate end at that point.

And that's why, folks, that is why in the book of Acts or in the letters of the apostles, they felt so compelled to get that message across. That's why in Acts chapter 4, Peter said, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Now, unless I am not understanding this at all, that pretty much wipes out any other way to get to heaven, right? Any other belief system: trusting in yourself, in your good works, or in another religious system, or in ceremonies.

You go, "Man, Jesus is pretty narrow."

I guess you can afford to be when you are the truth. Funny thing about truth, isn't it? The truth can afford to be very dogmatic. I had a math teacher who was so narrow minded. She always insisted 2 + 2 = 4. Always. You know, if I'd get it wrong. "Well, couldn't you make an exception once. Maybe it's 6 today, or 5."

"No, it's always 4." No exceptions.

I notice my bank is also very dogmatic every month about what numbers and in what order I put the numbers in the check for the house payment. They're very narrow minded over that.

Jesus is coming. It will be a triumph for some. It will be a tragedy for others. The good news is that Jesus said, I'll be back. The bad news is that Jesus said, I'll be back. It all depends on what side you're on. Now, folks, if there's any trouble at all. If we're troubled about anything at all in regard to Jesus coming, this is where we should be troubled. When he comes, will I be found his? Will I be following him? Will I be ushered into his Father's house or will I not be?

I agree with the little boy who bought a puppy at the pet store, and he wanted the puppy who was wagging its tail and panting. And he said, "Daddy, I want the one with the happy ending." And I look at life, and I watch the roads people go down, and I got to tell you something. I follow the road I follow because I want the one with the happy ending.

"Well, you've given up so much to be a Christian."

"Yeah. Hell." Fiery hell, judgment, a life of no purpose, not knowing my creator, not waking up every morning— the guilt that we used to have, and if you still have, it's time to deal with that at the cross.

Heavenly Father, what great news when Jesus said to troubled disciples, I'm going to go, but I'm going to come back, and I'm going to receive you to myself. We don't want to be ignorant of these facts, and we want to feel so special that you would consider us to bring us into your Father's house. Because we know that we only really want to bring people home and have them stay at our house when we care about them. And oh how you care for us, Lord. Lord, we know that having Christ is the difference between heaven and hell. And even before the next two studies, Lord, when we look in depth at both of those things, we consider the coming of Christ, what a triumph that will be. What a tragedy that will be for some. We've read the book of revelation, Lord. We know the suffering and pain that will be on the earth, and that many at that time will refuse to turn even though opportunities will still be given. So, Lord, at this period of history, at this time, and at this place we think about our lives. Some of us hear about the return of Christ and we're excited. We think, "Oh, I wish he'd come tonight. I wish he'd come before the school year. I wish he'd come before the end of summer." But others, Lord, in even thinking of the possibility are terrified. Lord, bring them hope. May they come to the only one who is the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus Christ. There is none other. And we pray, Lord, that tonight some more would come. We're praying for them right now, those we've invited, those who are with us. Some have heard the messages of your coming, or the gospel, time and time again, but have never personally responded. We pray that tonight they would.

As we're praying, as our heads are bowed, and you're thinking about your life, your future, your eternity, have you turned to Christ? I know that I'm speaking to some who are very good, conscientious, responsible, we would say loving, some very religious people. Religion won't get you to heaven. Morality won't get you to heaven. A nice disposition won't get you to heaven. Only Christ. And the Bible says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but salvation is a free gift. But you got to receive it.

If as you examine your life right now you can't think back to a time when you said, "I turn my life over to you, God, completely 100%. I repent of my sins and turn my life over to you," then here's your opportunity to come to him, and be forgiven, and find hope. And if you want to do that, you're never forced to do it, but if you want to do that then I want to pray for you before we close. But I got to know who you are. I want you to raise your hand up.

Additional Messages in this Series

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9/15/2002
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Does the Truth Really Matter?
2 Timothy 4
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Today I begin a new series I am calling Rediscovering Our Foundations. I am concerned about the vast biblical illiteracy that exists in our country in general and in our churches in particular. Truth is commonly seen by our culture as relative and not fixed. Often sentiments such as, "Well, that is your truth, but it's not my truth," are expressed by many. But if truth is absolute, then why not stand up for it? Why be embarrassed about it? What do you really believe about God, the Trinity, Christ, mankind, the church, heaven, and hell?
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9/22/2002
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Is Anybody Up There?
Hebrews 11:1-40;Romans 2:1-29
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We all remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and her three friends come to approach the Great Oz. Out of the corner of their eye they notice a man pulling levers behind a curtain, working the mechanical, smoke-breathing Oz. The man then reacts by announcing, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" But how can they not? The man is the explanation for everything to them. They discovered that Oz didn't really exist! So how do we know that God exists and isn't a fabrication or projection of our own imaginations?
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9/29/2002
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The Bible - From God or From Men? - Part 1
2 Timothy 3:15-17
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In this series, Rediscovering Our Foundations, it's time to consider your own personal foundation. What is the final resting place for your cares, concerns, griefs, surprises and sorrows? Where do you turn for answers to life's deepest questions? What is your authority? How sure are you that the Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God? Can you articulate to others the difference between the Bible and other "sacred" religious works?
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10/6/2002
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The Bible - From God or From Men? - Part 2
2 Timothy 3:15-17
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Last week, we discovered exactly what the designation "Scripture" referred to and how books of the Bible were considered as part of the inspired text. We also learned what inspiration means and how God used humans in His process of having exactly what He wanted written down. But anyone can claim inspiration for their work. Yet how do we know that the Bible is the authentic Word of God? Moreover, how can we share with others its uniqueness so they, too, may listen to its message and apply it?
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10/13/2002
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The God Who Knows It All!
Psalm 139:1-6
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A little boy climbed his neighbor's apple tree when he saw their car leave. He didn't realize that while he was stuffing his pockets full of apples, another neighbor was watching through a pair of binoculars and saw the whole thing! God isn't spying on people, trying to catch them doing something wrong; but God is aware of everything. Such a truth has a profound effect on us: it can either be very comforting or else extremely unsettling.
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10/20/2002
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Are You a Big-Godder or a Little Godder?
Psalm 139:7-24
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11/10/2002
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Wholly Holy!
Skip Heitzig
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In this current series, Rediscovering Our Foundations, we've considered some key attributes of the God we know and love. He is omniscient (knows everything); He is omnipresent (everywhere present); He is omnipotent (operates at full power). But there is another key attribute that is seldom considered, yet is fundamentally key in understanding the Bible—God's holiness. Let's observe one man's encounter with this holy God and what it means to us.
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11/17/2002
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Good Man, Mad Man, Con Man, or God-Man?
Matthew 16:13-17
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No other person from history has generated so much controversy and speculation, as well as written literature, as Jesus Christ. Theologians, philosophers, poets and pundits have all weighed in concerning who Jesus is. What is often forgotten is that Jesus can never be overestimated! John said that the, "world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25) about His accomplishments.
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12/1/2002
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A King Among the Critters
Luke 2:1-7
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In our current series, Rediscovering Our Foundations, we've come to the person of Christ. Last time, we considered His identity; today, we contemplate His nativity. For the next few weeks, we'll look closely at Jesus' birth, His early years, ministry, and death on the cross, which was the very purpose of His birth. It's my hope that we'll all emerge with a fuller understanding of Jesus and a deeper desire to worship and serve Him. Today, let's look at the strange circumstances of His birth.
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12/8/2002
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Jesus - The Boy With a Purpose - Part 1
Luke 2:1-52; Matthew 2:1-23
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Jesus' upbringing and boyhood has been the subject of much speculation and endless controversy throughout the centuries. Myths have developed about Jesus based (interestingly enough) on what isn't written. The Bible gives us five cameo glimpses of Jesus from early boyhood to age 30. We'll look at three of these today and then two more next week. We discover that Jesus' whole life was marked with purpose.
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12/15/2002
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Jesus - The Boy With a Purpose - Part 2
Luke 2-3
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We don't give much thought to Jesus growing up, developing into adolescence and then into manhood. But of course He did. Luke is really the only New Testament author who gives us information about these early years. He speaks generally about Jesus' growth as well as specifically about Jesus' capacity as a young boy of 12. At each stage of His life, Jesus demonstrated He knew His purpose for His life on earth.
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12/22/2002
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A Lamb at the River
Matthew 3:1-17; John 1:1-51
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When Jesus turned 30, He presented Himself to the nation of Israel in public ministry. His first appearance, however, seemed so out of character for the kind of Messiah that people were anticipating. What was He doing getting baptized in a river with everyone else? John was about to find out—and so was everyone else.
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1/12/2003
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The Holy Spirit: Invisible, Personal, Powerful
John 14-16
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Today in our series Rediscovering Our Foundations, we consider the Holy Spirit. Most of us have heard of Him, but who is He exactly? What does He do? How important is the Holy Spirit to your personal life, your family life, your work or your leisure time? Perhaps A.W. Tozer was right when he said, "For multitudes of Christians profess today the Holy Spirit is not a necessity. They have learned to cheer their hearts and warm their hands at other fires." It is my sincere prayer that will change for us in the few weeks ahead.
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1/19/2003
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The Gracious and Holy Hound of Heaven
John 16:5-11
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Having understood Who the Holy Spirit is (Person, not just power; Deity, not just dignitary), we now find out what He does, specifically what He does in the world of unbelievers. Since the greatest gift God ever gave to the world was His only Son (John 3:16), it stands to reason that the greatest sin one can commit is to reject the Son (John 16:9). How does the Holy Spirit both sentence the world as prosecutor and yet lead people away from judgment? And what role do we play in all of this?
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1/26/2003
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I Need Somebody, Help! Not Just Anybody
John 14-16
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To live one's life for God in an ungodly world sounds like mission impossible, right? It would be as if we had to do it without help. But be strengthened by this thought: God never intended for us to do it alone! That's why He has provided His people a Helper, the Holy Spirit. This ever-present divine Person is very busy helping God's people become all He wants them to be.
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2/2/2003
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Brand-Spankin' New Apostles!
Acts 1:1-8
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The legendary missionary to India, William Carey, didn't see obstacles; he saw opportunities. He was the "Let's go for it!" kind of guy. In fact, one of his most famous sayings was, "Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God." Carey did both and saw results! The Holy Spirit can take ordinary men and women and do extraordinary things with them. He is the God who "makes all things new" (Revelation 21:5). Such a truth can only create a sense of wonder and excitement in the heart of a child of God. After all, what new thing could God do through you?
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2/9/2003
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Unholy Responses to the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30
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You might say that we live in the "Age of the Holy Spirit." Jesus promised Him to us after He was done with His own earthly ministry. We have seen that He is very active both in the world among the unconverted and in the church among God's own people. But He has one overriding goal-to bring glory to Jesus Christ in every life. What does that mean to us? It means a total surrendering to Him. As Oswald Chambers said, "The Holy Spirit cannot be located as a guest in a house. He invades everything." But what happens when people don't respond to Him rightly? Then what?
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2/16/2003
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How Can Three Be One?
Matthew 28:16-20
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1+1+1=1. Is this new math? No, it's the doctrine of the Trinity. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. At the very heart of the Judeo-Christian faith is the belief that there is only One God. Yet the Bible clearly teaches the plurality within the Godhead—three persons who are distinct from one another yet perfectly One in essence. What are we to make of all this? Why is it important? And more fundamentally, how should it affect us personally?
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2/23/2003
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The Exceedingly Un-Holy Spirit
1 John 5:19
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Satan, the prince of darkness, has been around a long time. He has studied mankind for thousands of years, marking his strategies according to what he sees in us and what God's plan for the world is. He hates what God loves; he fights what God establishes. And let's remember, he's got help! Other spirit beings have joined his rebellion and control the system known in Scripture as the world. John even said, "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). What should we know about this arch-nemesis of God in order to stand against him?
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3/2/2003
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Touched by an Angel
Luke 1-2
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As even the title suggests, angels have become popular in modern culture. But whether we know it or not, we've all been "touched an angel." Martin Luther helped us to understand their role by remarking, "An angel is a spiritual creature created by God without a body, for the service of Christendom and of the church." He was partially correct, but angels serve an even greater role than being strictly for the church. Their ministry goes beyond us and is principally concerned with the glory and majesty of God.
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3/9/2003
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Man, Has God Got a Plan For You!
Genesis 1-3
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Alexander Pope once remarked that, "the chief study of man is man himself." That may be true, especially in our culture, but this could also be the reason why mankind is so desperate and spiritually thirsty. Looking only to ourselves rather than beyond ourselves can get pretty lonely! But why are we here? What is the purpose of mankind inhabiting this planet? How can I fulfill the God-given destiny that He originally designed for me?
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3/16/2003
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From Creation to Corruption
Genesis 2-3
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How did we, as the human race, get into the colossal mess we find ourselves in? Was it always this way? And what do Adam's actions, acted out so long ago, have to do with us in this modern technologically advanced age? Am I at all responsible? Can the effects ever be undone? Let's look at these issues in the opening chapters of Genesis.
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4/27/2003
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Church-Building 101
Matthew 16:13-20
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The church was God's idea; it was never man's notion. Jesus Christ is the founder, director, architect, owner and builder of the church. But there is an awful lot of confusion about what a church is supposed to look and function like. Today, we look at the first New Testament mention of the church and look at our spiritual origins. As we are Rediscovering Our Foundations, let's also rediscover our spiritual roots as the people of God.
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5/4/2003
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What Jesus Wants His Church to Be - Part 1
John 17
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The church is not a place, but a people (a called-out assembly of people who gather together and whose heartfelt conviction is that Jesus is Lord). Jesus laid claim on the church—it belongs to Him ("I will build My church"). So then, what does He want His church to be like? What should mark us overall? In Jesus' longest recorded prayer before His crucifixion, He prays for four characteristics that are to mark the people of God. Today we look at the first two.
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5/25/2003
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What Jesus Wants His Church to Be - Part 2
John 17
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Church shopping and church hopping have become one of American Christians’ favorite pastimes. We want a church that suits us, helps us, and pleases us. But since Jesus paid for it, it’s His church (Acts 20:28). So what does He want from us? What should the people of God be like? What ingredients and activities ought to be part of our makeup? In this series, Rediscovering our Foundations, we must rediscover the foundational purpose for our existence as His church.
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6/1/2003
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How to Build a Beautiful Body
1 Corinthians 12:3-22
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6/22/2003
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The Last Days
2 Peter 1-3
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On October 30, 1938, the day before Halloween, the novel War of the Worlds was made into a radio broadcast featuring Orson Welles. As millions of Americans were listening, the play was performed so it would sound like a news broadcast about an invasion from Mars. Many thought they were hearing an actual news account of an invasion from Mars and concluded this was the end. Some even committed suicide as their final fatal act! In Rediscovering Our Foundations, what can we know about the last days of this world and what can we do to prepare?
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7/6/2003
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The Burning Question
Revelation 20:11-15
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Hell is an eternal and biblical reality that has been relegated to the junk pile of modern myths. Woody Allen once said that hell is the abode of all people who annoy him. The word hell is used on a daily basis in people's dicey language patterns—usually as a fill-in expletive. Of all the Christian doctrines unfolded in Scripture, hell is the toughest one to handle. Most love the notion of a blissful heaven awaiting them; few cling to the idea of a literal hell to punish the lost.
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7/13/2003
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Heaven: Our Final Frontier
Revelation 21:1-27
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Captain Kirk and his starship Enterprise weekly traversed the galaxies on the famed Star Trek episodes. That was fiction! But one day you will inhabit the recreated millennial earth in a glorified body and then explore the vast kingdoms of heaven in the eternal state. That is reality! It will be so different than what you're used to that it's linguistically impossible to convey its vastness. But there's enough here to whet the appetite for heaven!
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There are 29 additional messages in this series.
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