Longing for His Return, Part 4

Introduction: The Communion and Christ's Return

0:01 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday evening, July 1st, 2001, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now will you turn with me to Philippians chapter 2, and follow, please, as I read in your hearing, Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 through 11. And where the Apostle writes, if there is this or that, it's not the if of doubt, but we could say since, and if indeed there is, then. So think of that as I begin the reading of this portion of the word, Philippians 2 and verse 1.

0:44 If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, make full my joy that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, doing nothing through faction or through vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, each counting other better than himself, not looking each of you on his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. Have this mind in you.

1:27 Which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death. Yea, the death of the Christ. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name,

2:08 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Lord. And to the glory of God the Father. Now let us again pray and ask the help of God as we come to the preaching of his word. Our Father, we again bow in your holy presence, because in spite of the blinding influence of the pride and selfishness of our hearts,

2:52 many of us have at least begun to learn that without your grace, we can do nothing of any profit to our souls, so we pray that in mercy you would come to the one who seeks to open up your word, and point to the coming glory of the Lord Jesus, that you would descend in power upon this gathering of your people, and of those who are not your people, that each of us will be very conscious of having dealings with you, the living and the true God. Come, Lord, and minister to us, we pray, in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Amen.

3:34 Now each of you sitting here this evening is aware by now that the culmination of our evening hour of worship will be our partaking of the bread and of the fruit of the vine set before us here on the communion table. And as we are partaking of this supper of remembrance, we will no doubt have read in our hearing, as we almost always do, the familiar words, of 1 Corinthians 11, verses 23 to 26. And the concluding words of that section of Holy Scripture

4:16 in which the Apostle reminds the Corinthians of what he had received from the Lord are those words to which Pastor Barker has already made reference. As oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show forth, literally you do preach forth, the Lord's death until he come. You do preach the Lord's death until he come. And these words underscore the fact that the sacrificial death of Jesus is central to our remembrance of him at his table.

4:58 He says, do this in remembrance of me, but it is not our Lord Jesus in generic remembrance, but it is remembrance of him and his sacrificial death on behalf of sinners. But even though the central focus is the preaching forth of his death, the loving remembrance of him who died for us, we are also instructed in these words that we are to remember his death in the light of the fact that he is, the Christ, the coming one. That we are to preach forth his death

5:41 by eating this bread and drinking the cup until he come. So that there is not only the look backward to the reality of his sufferings, the look upward in loving remembrance and communion with him, but the look forward to the time when all that he died to purchase for his people will be realized in there, as his experience as his redeemed ones. Last Lord's Day, I began a brief series of messages on this subject of the return of Christ in New Testament belief and experience.

Recap: Why Believers Long for Christ's Return

6:23 And in the three messages that have already been preached, taking our basic perspective from Acts 1-11, in which the angels announced to the eleven apostles the certainty of the return of Christ, return of Jesus and the pattern or the paradigm of his return, we then looked at six texts of scripture which clearly, explicitly teach that in the life and faith of apostolic Christianity, the communities of believers formed under apostolic preaching and labor, blessed by the

7:02 Spirit, this belief in and this consciousness of the return of Christ was a fundamental and basic element of ordinary Christian experience. Well, having established that fact from these six texts of scripture, we then began this morning to raise and answer the question, why do true

7:32 state, why do they eagerly await, earnestly desire, and love the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? And we, from the scriptures, addressed two strands of the biblical answer to that question. God's true people, in any kind of spiritual health, eagerly await, earnestly desire, and love the return of Christ. Because they long to experience the complete salvation for which they and the created order

8:12 have been predestined. As sin radically affected mankind and the created order, so redemptive grace wonderfully transforms both man the sinner and the created order that has been cursed for man's sake. And then we saw secondly this morning that this longing and yearning for Christ's return is because true believers in a healthy state long to see the ultimate defeat of all of the enemies of Christ and of his people. Now tonight, in the more abbreviated time allotted for a communion

Third Reason: Longing for Public Acknowledgment of Christ's Identity

8:53 meditation, we shall consider but one more strand of the biblical answer to that question, why do true believers, in spiritual health, eagerly await, earnestly desire, and love the return of Christ? And the third strand of the answer that comes to us from the scriptures is this, true believers who are in a healthy spiritual state eagerly await, earnestly desire, and love the return of Christ because they long to see the Antichrist's return. Then we shall consider but one more strand of the biblical answer to that question, why do true believers in a healthy spiritual state long to see the ultimate defeat of all of the enemies of Christ?

9:33 They long to see the public and universal acknowledgement of the true identity and position of the Lord Jesus Christ. They love His return because they long to see the public and universal acknowledgement of the true identity and position, that is, the official position in which the Lord Jesus is at this moment. They long that this will be publicly and universally acknowledged.

Christ's Present Identity and Position: Biblical Evidence

10:10 Now, as I attempt to pick up and in a relatively few minutes, a brief time, open up the biblical truth relative to this issue, let me begin with asking this very simple question of you. What is the true identity and official position of the Lord Jesus Christ right now as we sit here? In this place tonight, what is the present personal identity and official position of Jesus of Nazareth? Well, we could look at many scriptures in seeking to see if the answer we are framing in our minds is the biblical answer.

10:52 I direct you to but three passages. The first is in Acts chapter 2.

11:00 In Acts chapter 2, we have this distillation of Peter's sermon given on the day of Pentecost. The risen Christ has sent forth the Holy Spirit according to His promise, and there have been these unusual manifestations of the Spirit's presence in power, causing a disturbance there in Jerusalem as people are gathered from all points of the compass for this national feast, and some say that they are drunk with wine, and there is discussion about what is going on. And in verse 14, it says,

11:37 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke forth unto them, saying, You men of Judea and all that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. I love the straightforward, no-nonsense, authoritative declaration of Peter. He stands up, he lifts up his voice, and he says, Listen to my words. And then he begins,

12:07 He begins to explain what has happened, and he roots it in Old Testament prophetic scriptures, and then as we come over into verse 24, there is reference to the fact that the Jesus who was delivered up by God's determinate counsel, whom they slew, God has raised him up, and he said this perfectly accords with the prophetic utterance of David, recorded in Psalm 16, a prophecy that speaks of Messiah. Messiah being raised from the dead, verse 31, he foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, of the Messiah, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

12:53 Now we come to the heart of the passage that I want us to consider as we think of this question. Why do believers yearn for the coming of Christ? And the answer that I've given this third strand, because they long...

13:07 For the public and universal manifestation of his true identity and his official position. Well, what is that essential identity and that official position? Listen to Peter as he answers our question. This Jesus, verse 32, did God raise up, whereof we are all witnesses.

13:30 Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted. And having received...

13:37 To the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this which you see and hear. For David ascended not into the heavens, but he said himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies the footstool of your feet. Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him, both Lord and Christ, this Jesus, whom you crucified. Peter brings this part of the sermon to a very laser-like burning focus and says,

14:20 You people must know who Jesus of Nazareth is. He had already declared that Jesus of Nazareth had been validated as God's messenger by his mighty works. He fits the prophetic utterances. It is concerning Messiah that his flesh would not see corruption.

14:43 That can't refer to David because he said his sepulcher is with us to this day. It refers to Messiah and Jesus perfectly fits that prediction of messianic resurrection. And therefore you people need to know what your eyes cannot see. That in the immediate presence of God, there is one who has been exalted to his right hand, to the place of authority and of power, and has been officially installed as the messianic king.

15:21 God has constituted him Lord. That does not mean that Jesus who was man or something a little less than God is elevated to godhood. No, he is speaking of his official position, of his, his identity as the messianic sovereign who is seated at the right hand of the father. And his first act of messianic kingship was sending the Holy Spirit down upon his people according to his own promise.

15:56 So Peter is bold to assert to all who can hear his uplifted voice that the present position and identity of Jesus, of Nazareth, is that of Lord and Christ, Lord and Messiah, the very Jesus whom he says you crucified. And it was the spirit taking this truth home to their hearts that became the occasion of this paroxysm of conviction that caused them to cry out in the midst of Peter's preaching, brethren, what shall we do? And Peter gives, the gospel directive,

16:38 and then he completes his sermon according to verse 40. Now then, what is the heart of Peter's declaration? His declaration is that Jesus right now, not in some future millennial reign, right now, he is Lord and he is Christ. He is messianic king to whom has been delivered, as he said, at the end of Matthew's gospel, all authority in heaven and upon earth has been delivered, handed over to me.

17:19 So what is his true, present, personal identity and official position? He is Lord and he is Christ. Second passage, Ephesians chapter one, Ephesians chapter one in the first of two, two lengthy and profound prayers that Paul prays for the Ephesians. In the first of these prayers in chapter one in verse 15, Paul writes for this cause I also having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus, which is among you and the love you show to all the saints,

17:59 cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers. And then he says that the central burden of his prayer for the Ephesians, who are continually manifesting the fruits of grace, things that bring gladness to his heart and cause him to give thanks. The central burden of his prayer is for an ongoing work of spiritual illumination. Look at verse 17.

18:25 This is the central burden of my prayer. Paul says that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. Having the eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know. You see the emphasis upon spiritual illumination.

18:48 He's not asking God that they would be given this overwhelming baptism of feeling. He is not asking that they would have angelic visitations and see visions. No, he is praying that God would give a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. The knowledge of himself, that the eyes of the heart would be enlightened that they may know certain things.

19:17 And then he identifies three things that he trusts will flow out of the answer to this central position. Oh God, bless the Ephesian Christians with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of yourself that their hearts will be enlightened, that they will grow in the understanding, And then he mentions three specific areas in which he prays this will be true. First of all, that they may know what is the hope of his calling. That they may have a settled understanding of and conviction concerning the hope of their calling.

19:58 That is the certainty of the return of the Lord Jesus. And all that will be brought to them at his return. He's praying that they may come to this deep, settled, inward understanding and grasp upon the hope of his calling. Secondly, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

20:22 Now he's praying that they will understand all that God has as his inheritance in the saints. Not the saints' inheritance in him, but his inheritance in the saints.

20:36 He'll understand who and what they are to God and to Christ as their inheritance. But then thirdly, verse 19, and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us were to believe. He's praying that God will illuminate their minds and hearts that they may know the exceeding greatness of God's power towards believers. And then he's going...

21:06 He's going to open up the measure or the standard of that power. What is the measure of this exceeding greatness of his power? Paul says, I'll answer you. It is the exceeding greatness of his power according to...

21:24 This is the standard against which it is measured. According to that working of the strength of his might which he wrought in Christ. When he raised...

21:36 When he raised him from the dead, made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world or age, but also in that which is to come. And he put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him to be head over all things. And he put all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all and in all. What is Christ's present official position?

22:19 He is in a position that Paul here describes of being seated at the right hand in the heavenlies. He is seated in the place of ascendancy and power. And then he delineates what that...

22:36 That power is far above all rule. Whatever rule is found in God's universe, Christ is presently in a place far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but in the age to come. And he put, not he shall put, he has already put all things in subjection under him. His feet.

23:07 And already given him head over all things to the church. That is, he is sovereign Lord of the entire created order with a peculiar reference to the calling and preservation and ultimate glorification of the church, his bride, for which he gave his precious blood and which he is determined to present to himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. But that it should be...

23:36 Be holy and without blemish. Jesus of Nazareth is right now in the heavenlies, seated at God's right hand. He is in the position of being far above all existing powers and authorities. All things are presently under his feet.

23:59 And he is head over all things to the church. That's his present personal identity. And official position right now. We've seen it from Acts 2, Ephesians 1, and then this condensed statement in 1 Peter chapter 3.

24:16 In 1 Peter chapter 3.

24:21 Having mentioned that it is through the resurrection of Christ that we come to a good conscience toward God. He then goes on to say in 1 Peter 3.22. Having mentioned the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

24:39 Who? That is, Jesus Christ is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. Now we could turn as well to that marvelous vision of Revelation 5. And were there not the time constraints of our communion meditation, I would turn there with you.

25:06 But I commend it to you, that wonderful picture. Of weeping in heaven because no one is found worthy to break open the seals of God's decrees. Out of which flow human history moving to the consummation of redemption. Until the seer sees one standing as a lamb that had been slain.

25:29 And he is then identified as the one worthy to be the sovereign Lord and unfolder of the sealed decrees of the almighty God. And he is worshiped by all of the beings in heaven. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive blessing and glory and honor and power. And there we see again Christ's present personal identity and official position.

25:58 According then to these and other clear passages. He is right now the exalted God-man. The messianic king reigning and governing all creation and all creatures. In carrying out his father's purposes of grace and of judgment.

26:15 And 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that when he has completed everything connected with his messianic rule and the accomplishment of redemption. There will be a giving up of that administrative position and role. And all that that signifies I could not begin to say that I understand. But it is clear that Christ.

26:40 His position is one in which he is firmly fixed. And in which he will accomplish all that has been assigned to him by his father. Now that's his true position. Now let me ask you the second question.

The World's Regard for Christ: Despised and Marginalized

26:54 How is he regarded by the rank and file of men and women and boys and girls right now? Your neighbors. For some of you in your very homes. What is the estimation of the true personal identity?

27:11 And official position of Jesus of Nazareth. He is still despised and rejected.

27:19 Men see no beauty in him that they should desire him. He is ignored and marginalized by the so-called intellectuals. You have men with brilliant minds and prestigious and impressive academic credentials. Who bend all of their God-given faculties to marginalize Christ.

27:41 And to drive him out of his place. And to drive him out of his place. And to drive him out of his place. And to drive him out of his place.

27:43 And to drive him out of his place. And to drive him out of his creation. Scripture says that in him all things were created. And for him.

27:50 And they say we'll have nothing of creation. Period. Let a creation by. Let alone a creation by the eternal word.

27:58 All made by him. And for him. No. He is ignored.

28:03 He is marginalized. He is the object of the concerted efforts to get rid of him. Psalm 2. Why do the nations rage?

28:12 And the peoples imagine a vain thing. The kings and the rulers conspire together. And what is the common denominator of their coalition?

28:22 Let us break their bands and cast their bands. Break the bands and cast the cords. What is it? My mind is mixing the two.

28:34 Let us.

28:37 Yes, it's Psalm 2 and verse 3. Let us break their bonds asunder. Cast away their cords from us. And in the first open.

28:46 In opposition to the preaching of the gospel in Jerusalem. When two of the Lord's servants are apprehended and warned to shut up and stop preaching. And they go back to their own company and have a prayer meeting. This very psalm comes forward in their prayers.

29:01 And they said, Lord, look on what's happening. This is the same spirit that resulted in the death of our Savior. The great ones of the earth are conspiring to get rid of the constraints of the reign and the rule of Jesus. That's how he's regarded.

When Will This End? Conversion and Christ's Return

29:20 And then we ask the question, when will all this end?

29:24 Well, thank God it ends every time any sinner gets truly converted.

29:29 Any time any sinner is truly converted. Any time the Holy Spirit, through the word, brings a sinner into saving union with Christ. That sinner gladly acknowledges his true personal identity and his official position. That sinner is now glad.

29:49 Glad to be found. Bowed at the footstool of King Jesus. That sinner is glad to acknowledge that in the God-man, now glorified at the right hand of the Father, is all that he needs for his salvation. And he entrusts himself to this divine human Savior.

30:11 He embraces him, not only as his only hope of forgiveness and salvation, but as his sovereign and his Lord. To wield the scepter of his grace and government in his life. And we bless God that it ends every time a sinner is truly converted. That's a good way to ask yourself, am I converted?

30:33 Ask yourself this question. Do I embrace from the heart Jesus of Nazareth in terms of who he really is? And what God has delivered unto him? Am I glad that he is who he says?

30:51 Because he is? Because he is that to me. So it ends when any sinner, by the Spirit of God, is brought to repentance and faith. And in those times and seasons when God has put forth his Spirit in unusual concentrations of his power in a given locality, commonly called a season of awakening.

31:14 Some use the term revival. Then you see something of even little pockets of humanity, corporately, in their own personal and social life, manifesting the fact that Jesus is Lord and sovereign and governor. And that his scepter is welcomed in ways that give a little taste of what it will be like when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. But for the most part, he's ignored.

31:51 He's marginalized. His claims are treated with indifference and with open hostility. And nobody can love the Christ revealed in Scripture and revealed to the believing heart and be indifferent to a climate where Jesus is marginalized. The child of God longs that people will see him for who he is and will bow before him in the light of who he is.

The Universal Confession at Christ's Return

32:26 And that will not come openly, publicly, and universally until he comes. But when he comes, now we come to the passage with which I began tonight, Philippians chapter 2. Paul says that because the Lord Jesus was willing to become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, God has already, verse 9, highly exalted him. Not he shall highly exalt him.

32:58 He's already done it. Given unto him the name which is above every name, with this end in view, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and every tongue confess what is true right now. But denied, ignored, treated with indifference. But a moment is coming in human history when every single tongue shall confess and every single knee shall bow

33:38 and acknowledge that he is precisely what God says he is and that he is in precisely the position in which God has placed him. And that's one of the reasons why true believers who are in any state of spiritual health eagerly await and long for and love the appearing of Christ because we long that he shall be publicly and universally acknowledged for who and what he really is.

34:20 One author has very perceptively stated it this way. First, the return of Christ will be an event at the close of the present age in which the present splendor, honor and authority that belong to the risen and ascended Lord will be visibly, personally and publicly displayed in his being revealed from heaven. The return of Christ is not, first of all, an event that promises relief and comfort to the beleaguered people of God in this world. It is that, as we saw this morning.

35:01 But it is not that, first of all, this author says. It means, first of all, the revelation of the triumph and consummation of the reign of the mediatorial King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is already, by his Spirit and his Word, bringing all things into subjection to himself. The outstanding and unifying thread in the Biblical terms commonly employed to describe this event —padousia, apokalupsis, epiphania— those are the Biblical terms commonly employed. They focus upon this idea of the revelation

35:44 and the disclosure of who Jesus is and what he has done in all the glory and power conferred upon him at his ascension to the Father's right hand. What is presently only known to believers by faith will then be an object of sight, namely, that God has given Christ a name which is above every name, crowning him with glory and honor at his right hand, and entrusting to him the authority to govern all history in the interest of his church-gathering work. At Christ's return, his present mediatorial reign

36:28 will be concluded, and a public demonstration will be given of his glory and dominion. What is presently concealed, known only to faith on the basis of Scripture, will then be revealed. Both those who love the Lord and long for his appearing and those who are his enemies, even those who pierced him, will see him in all of his splendor and authority in that day. For this reason, it is a profound deviation from Biblical teaching to detract in any way from the truth that Christ's return will be personal and visible,

Communion and Evangelistic Appeal: Bow Now or Later

37:11 a real occurrence marking the end of the present epoch of human history. I didn't want to omit a word. This author has captured the essence of the teaching of the Word of God. And so as we come to the table tonight, we are, by apostolic instruction, to eat this bread, drink of these cups, doing what?

37:41 Proclaiming the Lord's death, proclaiming that our only hope for life and salvation is in Jesus of Nazareth, the one who being in the form of God, thought not that state a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking, as one has quaintly and profoundly stated, subtraction by addition. He emptied taking, taking the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And we remember him. We proclaim that in him and in his death alone, is our hope for life and salvation.

38:24 But while our hearts rejoice in him and his salvation, they are pained. That driving to this place tonight, we passed home after home, where the only God worshipped today sits in the living room, 25 inches or 32 inches, or it's sunk in the ground in the backyard, or it's out at the local park. The day of his triumphant resurrection, the day when he sent his spirit in power as his first official act of messianic kingship, validating his identity. And all of this is passed by as a thing of no account.

39:07 Don't you long for the time when every single knee in every single house you've passed to get here to church tonight will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord. And until he comes, this is why we pray for our unsaved children and loved ones and neighbors. This is why we are enterprising and seeking to seize opportunities to present the gospel with the prayer that the spirit of God will give them eyes to see how much they need the Christ who really is at the right hand of the Father, who has been exalted to this place of authority and of power, and who is able to confer regal grace

39:51 upon the needy, upon the neediest of sinners. This is why to you sinners sitting here tonight who are not in Christ, this is why week after week those of us who stand in this place address you personally. We address your conscience. We address your affections, your understanding.

40:09 We appeal to you. We, in the language of Paul, beseech you in Christ's stead. Be reconciled to God. Why do we do this?

40:20 And young man, why do you sleep? I wait for you young man to awake. The judge is coming. You'll not sleep.

40:42 When he summons you to stand before him your knees will bow and your tongue will confess. Dear children, young people, your knee will bow, your tongue will confess. God has committed himself to it. And while we long that our Lord Jesus will be openly and publicly acknowledged for who he is, we would rather see you bow now while the day of grace is still with us and the door of salvation stands open.

41:22 We plead with you in Christ's stead. Be reconciled to God, the one before whom you must bow. And see and hear him exercise the rights of his messianic kingship as read to us from Matthew 25. Then shall the king sit upon the throne of his glory.

41:47 And you will bow. And you will acknowledge his sovereignty. And when his word says, depart from me, it says, these shall go, these shall go. His word, come, come, come.

42:02 You've resisted. You've treated it with indifference and lightness and jocularity. But when he says to you, depart, you'll obey him. You'll acknowledge his lordship as you sink into everlasting darkness that we don't want to see you.

42:24 Acknowledge it then, but embrace him now. In what better place, in what better setting, when a company of people who have come to see and know him for who he is, lovingly, believingly remember him in the way of his appointment. May God grant that as we eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine, we shall not only proclaim the Lord's death, but remember we do so until he comes.