Review; Observations; Applications

The point: Feel the pressure of the biblical witness concerning the 'how and what' of the Lord's return as you consider how this truth should influence your life.

Martin's 88-year-old mother's words, 'A job worth doing is worth doing well. A job worth starting is worth completing,' prodded him to finish the sermon series, illustrating personal integrity and commitment.

I must confess that, first of all, even thinking about returning to and completing the series was a bit discouraging to me. I felt we'd been out of it, for so long, it would be difficult to get back in the flow of it. But my mother's words rang in my ears. A job worth doing is worth doing well.

2:51 - 3:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin uses an analogy of a scenic train ride in Wales to illustrate the purpose of the review: providing 'Polaroid images' of the journey thus far for those who have joined the…

An extended analogy of a scenic train ride in Wales, where some passengers board mid-journey, is used to explain the purpose of the sermon's review: providing 'Polaroid images' of previous sermons for new listeners to understand the series' progression.

my mind went back to an incident many years ago when with my family, we were privileged to spend some weeks in the United Kingdom during the summer in a pulpit exchange. And part of that time we spent in Wales, and I can remember, and we still have some lovely slides to capture those memories of the experience of going to a certain place in Wales where I was born, where they had a steam engine that pulled some cars through a very beautiful and scenic part of that section of Wales. Now I want you to imagine with me that some of us got on the train at the beginning point and we saw all the vario...

4:36 - 5:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the accompaniments of Christ's return are clearly revealed and manifold, but not in a meticulous, sequential order. He uses the analogy of a pie with slices…

The illustration of a pie with major slices is used to explain that prophecy reveals broad categories of events rather than meticulous, numerically aligned details, helping listeners understand the nature of biblical prophecy regarding Christ's return.

These are the events in this order, this way, everything precise. But we must think rather in terms of a circle. I've used the illustration of a pie with some major slices. You see, the great purpose of prophecy is not to give us pre-written history in all of its details.

21:17 - 21:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the accompaniments of Christ's return are clearly revealed and manifold, but not in a meticulous, sequential order. He uses the analogy of a pie with slices…

A quotation from New Testament scholar Ritterbos is used to support the idea that prophetic pronouncements are 'flashing prophetic warnings' illuminating the future, not a systematic, piece-by-piece doctrine, comforting Martin in his approach to the accompaniments of Christ's return.

But they are not set before us in this kind of a sequence that all of us would like to have, but which would not be to our profit. And in doing a lot of collateral reading, in recent days, I was very comforted when I found myself in good company with one of the outstanding New Testament scholars of the past generation, a man by the name of Ritterbos. And writing on this very thing, listen to what Ritterbos says. How much we have to do here with realities, the presentation of which in a great many respects bears a fragmentary and inadequate character, is evident surely from the impossibility of...

23:02 - 23:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the present physical creation will undergo a radical renovation, becoming the new heavens and new earth, a fit dwelling for glorified saints. He uses the…

Martin uses the analogy of the Twin Towers (updated to Empire State Building and Chrysler Building after 9/11) to highlight 2 Peter 3 and Romans 8 as the two most imposing and central passages concerning the renovation of the created order at Christ's return.

And can you remember the analogy I used when I was trying to tell you what scriptures clearly teach this? Can you remember? I do. The two Sundays before September the 11th the two Lord's days before September 11th that I preached I said look over the landscape of scripture there are many imposing beautiful buildings of God's words telling us what Christ will do at his return.

38:09 - 38:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the present physical creation will undergo a radical renovation, becoming the new heavens and new earth, a fit dwelling for glorified saints. He uses the…

A newspaper article by Tom Spears describing the Milky Way galaxy's collision with a supercluster in 10 billion years is quoted to contrast secular views of the universe's end with the biblical truth of God's redemptive work in the created order, emphasizing God's sovereignty.

I read from this article I want to repeat not all of it but part of it this was in the newspaper over the Labor Day weekend Earth and all our neighborhood the Milky Way galaxy home to a few hundred billion suns are going on a long trip with nothing but trouble at the end nothing but trouble at the end our whole spiral galaxy is being pulled toward the constellation Virgo where a super cluster of more than a thousand galaxies each with billions of stars like our sun are waiting when we get there

40:52 - 41:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Prepare for potential persecution and martyrdom, understanding that if you are not prepared for martyrdom, you are not prepared for usefulness in God's kingdom.

The example of Sudanese teenagers willing to be burned alive rather than deny Christ illustrates the power of confidence in Christ's return and the glorified body, serving as a challenge for listeners to cultivate similar loyalty.

who have a hunger for God who have reality in their souls who are not content with mediocrity and I have to answer he's either preparing you for martyrdom or for great usefulness in his kingdom and if you're not prepared for martyrdom you're not prepared for usefulness and if that's so and I'm not prophesying I'm saying if that's so then do you see why this truth must become part and parcel of the very texture of your soul what enables teenagers in the Sudan this very day to be willing to be thrown

48:55 - 49:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask yourself if Christ is so real and precious that you would not hesitate to confess him even under threat of death, and guard against subtle creeping worldliness that makes being 'absent from the body, present with Chr…

Martin describes a 'sanctified fantasy' of being confronted by an armed man demanding denial of Christ, prompting listeners to self-examine their attachment to this world versus their desire to be with Christ.

I ask myself that question I fantasize what I would do sitting at my desk in my quiet secluded protected study if my study door burst open there a man with a mask stood with a weapon of destruction said I hear you're a professing Christian yes sir you say you believe the Bible yes sir are you prepared to say you believe that Christ is the only way of salvation before you answer sir let me tell you if you say yes my trigger finger squeezes

50:20 - 51:05 Read in full sermon