Times of Visitation

Introduction: The Tears of the Savior and Jerusalem's Visitation

0:03 And when he drew nigh, speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, he saw the city, that is, the city of Jerusalem, and wept over it, saying, If thou hast known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the day shall come upon thee when thine enemies shall cast a bank about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side, that is, they will besiege the city, and shall dash thee to the ground and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. The focus of our study tonight will be upon the last phrase of that 44th verse. Thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. But in order to catch the thrust of those sobering words of our Lord, take note of the immediate context in which they were spoken.

1:17 It's the context of the tears of the Savior. To my knowledge, there are only two instances in all of the Gospel records where it is explicitly stated that our Lord shed tears, that he visibly wept. It does not mean it's the only time he wept, for he was called a man of sorrows and grief. And no doubt many a place in Palestine could bear witness to the weeping of Christ.

1:46 Parts of the earth stained with the tears of a compassionate and a suffering Savior. And yet we have the instance of him weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, and this instance of his weeping over the impenitence and unbelief of the city of Jerusalem. When he drew nigh, he saw the city, and he saw the city, and he wept over it. And these were tears not of frustration, but of genuine love and compassion.

2:19 And I have no sympathy for those who try to protect the biblical doctrine of the peculiar and distinguishing love of God and of Christ to the elect, and in so protecting it, bleed a passage like this of all of its obvious plain sense, namely, that there is a kind of love and pity, which Jesus Christ and the Father have to all men,

2:46 as well as that peculiar and distinguishing love to his elect. And anyone who denies either is going to blink at many portions of Scripture and end up having to twist many others. The issue that should settle it once for all is the command of Christ in the last part of the fifth chapter of Matthew, where he says to his disciples, Love your enemies, do good to those that treat you wrongly, and with that, you may be the sons of your Father, for he sends his reign upon the just and the unjust. In other words, the Lord is saying, Be like God.

3:20 He has love and compassion and shows kindness even to his enemies. You be like him. And so we see in our Lord here something of that general love and pity of God to all men, for the Scripture tells us, He that hath seen Christ hath seen the Father. It's the very nature and character of God which is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The Provocation of Jesus's Tears: Missed Blessings and Incurred Judgment

3:45 And so we behold the Son of God moved with genuine compassion and pity, not tears of frustration, but tears of pity, and tears provoked by two considerations. Notice them. The first one in verse 42. He wept over it, saying, This is what was in his mind as he wept.

4:05 This is what broke his heart. If thou hadst known in this day, even thou the things which belong to thy peace, but now are hid from thine eyes. His tears are provoked in the first place by the consideration of all that Jerusalem missed.

4:24 He says, Oh, if you only knew the things that would have been your possession, but now they're hid from your eyes.

4:34 Tears provoked at the thought of all that they missed, of the privileges and blessings of grace. And then in the second place, tears in the light of what they incurred, and brought upon themselves of judgment. Verse 43 and 44. For the day shall come upon thee when thine enemy shall cast up a bank about thee and compass thee, dash thee to the ground, not one stone left upon another.

5:00 You have this two-fold emphasis that I have brought out and sought to bring into focus in our studies on the doctrine of hell. That God's judgment comes with a privative sense. He withholds certain things. Depart from me.

5:13 That's the privative aspect. The privative aspect of the judgment of hell. Then there is the positive into everlasting fire. You have it here.

5:20 It's a theme that runs all the way through Scripture. As our Lord draws near the city and He thinks what that city could have been. A veritable heaven on earth in the light of all of its privilege. The great history, the great historical sweep of all the privileges of the covenant people.

5:37 The Scriptures, the prophets, the sacrificial system, the tabernacle, the temple, the priesthood. All of these blessings. And as He contemplates what they should have meant when He, the fulfillment of all the types and shadows appears on the scene and is able to say the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel.

5:57 As He thinks of what that city could have been. His heart is broken. His heart is broken at the thought of what they've missed. Then when He contemplates by the eye of prophetic knowledge what shall happen when the armies of Rome will encompass that city and wreck, havoc upon that city with a vengeance.

6:17 His heart is more deeply broken not only at what they missed but at what they will incur in the judgment of God. Now, the latter part of verse 44 tells us the reason for this. Why did they not enter into these privileges? Why will judgment come breaking upon their heads?

6:39 Our Lord tells us because. A word of reason. Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. The reason for judgment was that they failed to recognize their time of visitation.

What is a Day or Time of Visitation?

6:59 To think our way through the implications of this phrase of scripture I shall ask three questions and attempt to answer them. First of all, what is a day or a time of visitation? Secondly, how can we recognize the presence of God? Of a time of visitation?

7:17 And thirdly, what should we do in a time of visitation? The first question then, what is a day or a time of visitation? Our Lord weeps as He contemplates these matters and He says the reason for all of this is you did not know the time of your visitation. Well, in the case of Jerusalem and its inhabitants the issue is very clear.

7:44 For centuries this people had been surrounded with undisciplined usual and peculiar privileges. You read about them in Romans where Paul after proving both Jew and Gentile under sin says what advantage does the Jew have? He says much in every way. To them were committed the oracles of God, the covenants, the adoption.

8:02 All of these privileges that they in a peculiar way had and everything that was characteristic of the nation found its fullest expression in the city of Jerusalem. It was there that the temple was built. It was there that the king reigned. It was there that you had as it were the center of that whole theocracy when God ruled over the nation and made known his mind and his will through his servants the kings and the prophets.

8:30 But all of that in type and shadow came to its culmination in the days of John the Baptist when he appeared on the scene and said the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And shortly thereafter the Lord Jesus himself came preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is drawing nigh. And so for Jerusalem to have a time of visitation meant that in the Lord Jesus they saw the most wonderful miracles that had ever been accomplished, the most wonderful preaching and teaching that had ever been heard for they said of him no man ever spake as he spake.

9:09 They wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. The Father spoke from heaven and said this is my son, hear him. So that for Jerusalem the day of visitation was the unusual opportunities that came in the person and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now as a general principle a day of visitation is and I read now from Bishop Ryle's comment on this passage there seems to be no doubt that churches, nations and even individuals are sometimes visited with special manifestations of God's presence.

9:50 And that their neglect of such manifestations is the turning point in their spiritual ruin. Why this should take place in some cases and not in others we cannot tell. Facts, plain facts in history and biography appear to prove that it is so. The last day will show the world that there were seasons in the lives of many who died in sin when God drew very near to them, when conscience was peculiarly alive, when there seemed to be but a steady, a step between them and salvation.

10:23 Those seasons will probably prove to have been what our Lord calls their day of visitation. And the neglect of such seasons will probably be at last one of the heaviest charges against their souls. What is a day of visitation? Well, in the case of Jerusalem it is clear.

10:43 And I believe it is also clear as we think through the principles of Scripture and see them illustrated in the history of the Church a day of visitation is a time when in the life of an individual, a church, a community, yea, a very nation, God brings unusual spiritual pressures and influences to bear upon the individual, the church, the community, or the nation, making real to them these very eternal realities. This was the case of those cities mentioned in our study this morning. Why was their judgment so heavy? Matthew 11, 22 and 24.

11:22 Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Why? Because you've had a day of visitation.

11:28 I've sent my servants to you. I've performed my miracles in your midst. I've preached the truth not in type and shadow but in clear pronouncement. And you've faced all of this and you've turned in impenitence.

11:40 Woe unto you! More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for you. The day of their visitation came and passed. Such was the case for Herod when John the Baptist preached to him and his mind was obviously disturbed and agitated but loving his lust and his paramour more than the truth John preached he was willing to cut off his head.

12:05 Such was the case when Felix trembled at the preaching of Paul. Times when the reality of heavenly issues come into sharp focus. Men turn their backs upon them and when they do then the sobering words of Proverbs chapter 1 come to pass. And I know a few words in scripture more sobering than these.

12:26 I read now Proverbs 1 beginning at verse 24. Because I have called and ye have refused. I have stretched out my hand and no man hath regarded but ye have said it not all my counsel and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh in the day of your calamity.

12:45 I will mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as a storm and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind. When your distress and anguish come upon you then will they call upon me but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

Clarifications and Cautions Regarding Visitation

13:10 They would none of my counsel and despised all my reproof. What is a day of visitation? That day when God draws near with unusual spiritual pressures and influences and for men to fail to recognize it is to seal themselves up to this terrible judgment that Jerusalem experienced and that we read of in Proverbs 1. Now let me say by way of caution and qualification this is not to say that Christ is frustrated and defeated.

13:47 I didn't say that. I have not relinquished my firm conviction of a passage like John 17 where this same Christ who weeps over Jerusalem says Father I finished the work you gave me to do. I have given eternal life to as many as you gave me. He wasn't frustrated.

14:08 You see some will take a text like this in Luke and say aha see Jesus weeps he wanted to save them they wouldn't use their free will therefore Jesus Christ has set his heart to save everybody but he can't save anybody unless they choose him therefore and you draw all kinds of conclusions. Now don't you do that. Don't you do that. Don't you do that.

14:27 You're not warranted in doing it. Others take John 17 they say see Jesus said I'm not frustrated I gave eternal life to all that I really desired to give it to therefore that can't mean what it says in Luke. He really wasn't shedding tears of compassion they were tears for something else and then you got to explain it away. When will we learn just to take the Bible in its plain and obvious sense?

14:47 Don't you be an explainer just be a believer and a proclaimer. Not an explainer just a believer and a proclaimer. This is not to say Christ is frustrated. I am not saying in the second place that there are only certain times when gospel invitations are valid and claimable.

15:08 No the scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 6 1 and 2 in the acceptable time I have called to thee behold now is the day of salvation today if you hear his voice Hebrews 3 I am not saying there are only certain times I was brought up in a church or something that resembled a church they didn't even call themselves a church it was a salvation army and they had decision days in the salvation army and four times a year there were decision days and you could get saved on those days. Those were decision Sundays. They have them in some of the old Mennonite churches as well. Well I am not saying that they are right in so doing that there are certain decision days and only on those days are the promises valid come unto me him that comes I will in no way I am not saying that at all. Nor am I saying that we here at the Trinity Church are necessarily in the midst of such a day though as I have prayerfully considered this matter I feel we may be in the midst of a day of visitation.

16:11 But as a pastor I receive in the course of two weeks a letter from someone who says their heart has been pierced and they have been seeking Christ earnestly fervently and believe possibly the Lord has brought them into salvation when I receive reports from others of children that are awakened and disturbed when I receive phone calls from others saying that Christ has been unusually precious in the midst of the assembly I have to interpret these things when I get more such feedback in two weeks than I normally get sometimes in six months the Lord is telling me something as your pastor when I have sensed in the preaching of the word an unusual penetration an unusual unction an unusual enlargement of my own heart I believe God is telling us something though I would not claim to infer fallibility I do believe that we are in the midst of at least the dawning of a little day of visitation now if there is such a thing as a day of visitation as seen in the history of the nation of Israel and particularly the city of Jerusalem if we find this concept throughout scripture and confirmed in the history of the church then the second question is a most practical one to us how may we recognize such a day of visitation either individually corporately as a church or as a nation how can we recognize such a day for you see the curse came upon Jerusalem that she didn't

How to Recognize a Day of Visitation

17:38 recognize her day thou knewest the day or the time of thy visitation it came it was among you and it went and you never knew it what a terrible thing may God help us that we shall know what a day of visitation is and recognize it in our own hearts in our own assembly may I suggest four things that characterize a time a day of God's visitation to the individual some of these are more individualistic some of them are more corporate but I believe the principles apply in each case first of all when the word comes with unusual power the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2 1 I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of men's wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and the power that your faith should not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Paul says in another place the kingdom of God is not in word but in power and when the word comes with unusual power the kingdom of God is drawing nigh God is giving us a day of visitation when we find that our ears are unusually sensitive to the word and when that word comes with a life giving quality that is more than normal more than usual

19:07 this is a day of visitation for what was the mark of both the ministry of John and of Jesus anointed preaching John filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb and John came to the wilderness of Judea preaching and there was such power attending that preaching that the multitudes of Jerusalem flocked to hear him he had no advanced man he had no commitment planning for two and three years this great campaign getting all the civic officials to cooperate getting all this kind of machinery that would get the average modern evangelist a crowd without one wattage of Holy Ghost power from the standpoint of pure business principles that work in the realm of business you don't need the Holy Ghost or a day of visitation in modern evangelism John had none of that and as I've been reading through the gospel of Mark I've been struck with this with our Lord he goes into a house and it says when it was noised abroad that he was there couldn't contain it why? because he preached with such power he worked with such unique power that people were drawn under the circle of that influence when the word comes with unusual power this is a day of God's visitation and I confess to you this is a mystery to me as a preacher there are times when as Christ's servant as far as I know I am not walking any more or less carefully before God I am not any more

20:36 or less prayerful in my preparation I am not any more or less dependent upon God when I step into this pulpit but when I open my mouth I've moved along through the introduction the review and then something happens something happens my own mind is enlarged my spirit is stretched my tongue is loose and then there's a sense that something settles in to this congregation and everything every eye is transfixed and I sense that people are not only giving me their eyes but their hearts and their ears and there's that peculiar sense God is here other times it never comes I can't explain it the waves of the spirit Jesus said are like the what? like the wind you don't control the wind I don't control the wind but I sure know when God sends a little my way someone asks the old preacher what's unction? he said I don't know what it is but I know what it ain't you don't know you see I knows what it ain't and when God is pleased to grant that unction when the word grips the mind and the heart and the affections that's a day of God's visitation and I believe that's been the case in the past few weeks some of you have borne witness to this in writing by way of others by way of telephone conversations with me by way of conversations at the back you said there's been a peculiar something the word has come same preacher same body Bible

22:05 but there's been something something something there oh my friend that's a day of God's visitation when you find the word coming with unusual power secondly when conscience speaks with unusual clarity and volume this little moral monitor in the soul conscience that little moral arbiter that little referee who says foul or fair inbounds out of bounds that pestilence the little fellow whom we've tried to squelch and stifle no man is ever saved until conscience is awakened to need to guilt to the crime of sin and so when conscience begins to speak with unusual clarity and he begins to point out our sins when he begins to speak with a volume that is almost deafening a volume that follows us into the bedroom and into the place of work and into the school and into the quiet moments before we drift off into sleep when conscience begins to awake from his slumber and speak clearly and powerfully this is indeed a time of visitation as the record of a man an individual who had such a time of visitation you see it in the nation of Israel it would be interesting for you to trace out these principles in the gospels remember Jesus said if I had not come he had no sin

23:34 but now that I've come no coke what did he mean that they weren't sinners oh no they were sinners but he's saying my presence has tuned up conscience volume has clarified conscience voice no silence now he writes with his finger in the ground and conscience thunders and all the accusers walk out you can trace this through the ministry of Christ but you see it here in Paul's ministry before this heathen potentate in Acts chapter 24 and verse 25 this man had a time of visitation and it was a time that came when he has a criminal a captive before him and the captive speaks to his captor verse 24 of Acts 24 but after certain days Felix came with Drusilla his wife who was a Jewess and sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus and as he reasoned of righteousness and self-control and of the judgment to come these are the issues you see that make conscience wake up from his sleep conscience responds to an absolute standard of righteousness conscience is there as God's representative of that standard and so when a man begins to reason of righteousness conscience recognizes that language and he wakes up from his slumber and he begins to thunder self-control the relationship of that standard to my conduct

25:03 in terms of my lust and my passions oh that's conscience's hunting ground and of the judgment to come conscience is God's continual reminder that will stand in his presence even in the heathen we read in Romans 1.32 who knowing the judgment of God you see he was right in the hunting ground of conscience right in the area where conscience does his work and as Paul reasons of these things does Felix scratch his scraggly beard and yawn brush his hair behind his ears and say well that's all nice oh no he had a time of visitation for notice what happened Felix was he trembled clearly he was all the areas of his wheeling and his dealing and his dishonesty and his graft and his immorality and all his other sins conscience thundered conscience gave him a preview of the day of judgment until he trembles and what does he do does he say oh bless God for a day of visitation bless God that he's drawn near now in mercy no no he says go thy way get out of here I gotta get a little wine to make conscience turn down his body I've gotta indulge my appetites to take the edge

26:29 off conscience voice and his day of visitation comes my friend what's the state of your conscience God used circumstances such as the tragedy of Jerry Lee to make the conscience of some of you young people thunder in a way that it hasn't for a long time what if that were you it's conscience speaking some of you does God use the influence of that godly father and mother every time you see them walking strictly before God in the light of his law conscience thundering out saying that's what you ought to be walking before that converted wife or husband you the unconverted spouse does conscience thunder and speak ah my friend when conscience does that's a time of God's visitation time of his visitation when the word comes with unusual power secondly when conscience speaks with unusual clarity and volume thirdly when the word comes when the word comes when the sense of the reality of spiritual things is unusually vivid you see the mark of the man of this world is that he is wedded to his senses 1st John 2 15 to 17 love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man loved the world the love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world what is it the lust of the flesh

27:56 the lust of the eyes and the pride of life you see the man of the world is wedded to the realm of things he's going to be wedded to gratify his appetites what he can see and touch no man is saved until that other world which permeates this physical world that world of spiritual reality that world which extends beyond this world and yet permeates this world until that world becomes real to a man he never gets saved never gets saved as long as he's wedded to the world of sense he's not going to be a Christian when he begins to think about heaven that's that true world hell judgment sin guilt the cross salvation you see that's the world of spiritual reality just as real as this temporal world in fact more real for this world is passing away that is eternal Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 we don't look on the things that we see they're temporal we look on the things we can't see they're eternal two worlds intermingled one fused as it were not fused diffused through the other yet the man of this world lives as though there were only one world guilt God Christ heaven hell he lives as though there were no such realities but those are realities and when does he get converted when he begins to get stirred up to those realities and begins to adjust his life

29:26 in the light of them so what is a day of God's visitation when the sense of the reality of that spiritual world becomes unusually vivid the phrase used in Hebrews is this they tasted the powers of the world to come I think that's the most beautiful description of it in all of scripture as I've been preaching on the doctrine of hell in these past weeks some of you who've heard the word hell and have perhaps even given mental assent to the fact of hell have you begun to sense something of the reality of that place and condition of divine retribution in a way you never had before so that you realize it's not just a word in the Bible in a concept of the Bible that's a real thing

30:17 it's a day of the Lord's visitation when there's the sense of the reality of the world and of course this is vividly illustrated in the life of our Lord vividly illustrated in the life and ministry of the apostles but I must hurry to the third indication of the time of visitation I'm sorry a fourth when the provisions and claims of the Savior are unusually clear and clear and winsome what is salvation? well the Bible describes it under many figures it's such a many-sided thing that God doesn't give us just one figure to illustrate it but one of the most vivid and one that communicates to us so really is the concept of marriage the Bible describes a Christian as one who's become married to Christ 2 Corinthians 6 he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord he's called the bridegroom and his church is the bride therefore becoming a Christian is being wooed by Christ and being brought to say and I say it reverently I do to the claims of Christ that you might enter into all the gracious provisions that he himself has and is as the heavenly bridegroom well you see nobody says I do

31:46 until there's a proposal that they think is serious you see my son might come up to one of you young men ladies who's not married and just for kicks say will you marry me well you wouldn't take that proposal seriously at least I hope you wouldn't if you did I might have words with you and with my son no there's got to be the consciousness this is a genuine proposal and when that's so then the individual involved contemplates the issues am I prepared to give up my name my identity in terms of my name am I willing to give up my quote freedoms am I willing to submerge my interest my goals and ambitions with that of another and there's the weighing of the issues involved in that committal unto the marriage relationship but no girl to whom the suitor has become precious finds it difficult if it's someone whose face she can't stand whose mannerisms are distasteful to her whose way of life is unsavory to her she's not going to say I do unless she's just plain loco or just so desperate to have a missus and a ring on her face or a finger she'll do anything to get it well you see I'm saying all of this to illustrate this principle the Lord Jesus is the embodiment of all spiritual beauty he is he's the altogether lovely one the fairest among ten thousand

33:14 and he stands before us in the gospel invitations and says do I dare say it without being irreverent will you be mine and in giving yourself up to me and coming under my lordship will you my rule you then come into all the benefits I've purchased with my blood and I'll smother you with them many of us hear that invitation and we look at him and say who are you to expect such from me give up my identity give up my independence give up my ambitions my plans not on your life so a man you see will never become a Christian a woman will never become a Christian until Christ begins to appear beautiful and his claims begin to appear so reasonable see you're never going to say I do as long as you feel he's unworthy of that kind of submission you won't do it you won't do it it is psychologically impossible to say from the heart I do to Christ until there is some sight of his beauty and the reasonableness and the graciousness of his claims and in a time of visitation the Holy Spirit shines upon the face of Jesus and in a time

34:42 and he seems unusually worthy of what he claims and so when the provisions and claims of the Savior become unusually clear and winsome this is a time of visitation see the illustration of this in that well-known incident in Mark 10 you have it in the other two gospel accounts but I'm deliberately choosing Mark 10 the rich young ruler a man who had every reason to be nothing but a person pure materialist he was wealthy he had the admiration of his friends he was put in places of leadership he had everything that a man of this world who's content to be nothing more of a man of the world had and he should have been content with it but he wasn't and he hears about this one who preaches with unusual power who performs such unusual miracles and so when he comes into that area I read now from verse 17 and following of Mark 10 that he was gone forth into the way there ran one to him and kneeled to him and asked him he saw something unusually winsome in this teacher and he asked him saying what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life you see he's conscious there's another world of reality it's eternal another kind of life other than this material life

36:11 I want eternal life you see these are indications this was a time of visitation these things were appearing in their reality in some measure and so Jesus begins to deal with him and he answers and says in verse 20 all these things have I observed from my youth and Jesus looking upon him loved him he loved him I believe you have precisely here what you have in the passage from which we're preaching tonight the same love that Jesus showed to that whole population of Jerusalem that general love and pity upon men as creatures of God as creatures that are savable you know where I read that there's love to the fallen angels there is to fallen man he loved him and he says one thing you lack one thing you lack and he presses in to the very sore spot of this man's root of covetousness he knows there's something more than the world of things ah he's fully aware of that he comes saying I want eternal life and he sees in Christ something winsome and he knows that his answers will come there but he doesn't know that Jesus said alright young man here's the issue sell that you have give to the poor thou shalt have treasure in heaven come follow me but his countenance fell at the same and he went away sorrowful

37:39 for he was one that had great possessions ah yes Christ was winsome the world of spiritual reality was unusually vivid but listen here was the crux of the issue it wasn't real enough to obtain the blessings of it on Christ's side on Christ's side so he went away as far as we know this was his day of visitation far as we know judgment followed no record that Jesus ran down the road after no subsequent record of any repentance whereas we do have some indications of a man like Nicodemus later on there was evidence of faith and repentance and others may I submit to you that when the provisions and claims of the Savior are unusually clear and winsome that's your time of visitation beware beware that you do as the rich young woman did so I suggest these four things in answer to the question what is a time a day of visitation it is that time that day that period when in your life individually or in the life of an assembly of God's people the word comes with unusual power conscience speaks with unusual clarity and volume the sense of the reality of the spiritual world unusually vivid and finally

What Believers Should Do in a Time of Visitation

39:08 the provisions and claims of the Savior are unusually clear and winsome remember what Jesus said to one man thou art not what far from the kingdom of heaven well he was just as much lost as the devil technically speaking but Jesus said you're not far you're not far why because he was looking at things in their right light seeing that religion was not just doing this and doing this but involved the heart you see he was beginning to have perception of the core of the real issues and Jesus said you're not far from the kingdom now the third question and this is the crucial issue to us as we sit here tonight what should we do in a time of visitation first of all let me direct my remarks to you who are God's children who have biblical grounds to believe that you are Christians and I use those terms purposely you who have biblical grounds to believe yourselves the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ may I exhort you tonight if indeed this is a time of the Lord's visitation to us as an assembly and if I've wrongly read it and it isn't I pray we shall live through some together and so if this directive does not come as a directive for the immediate situation I trust the Lord and his providence is preparing us for future times in these times of visitation children of God suffer the word of exhortation

40:35 number one give yourselves to prayer as never before if you are not if necessary even to fasting Jesus said in Matthew 11 in verse 12 and this text to me can only be understood in the context of this idea of a day of visitation text that troubled me for years I still don't understand all that it says but I think I have a little light in the light of what we've studied tonight speaking of John the Baptist and the greatness of his ministry our Lord then says even though John was the greatest of the prophets he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he in other words something new in the way of privilege has entered that even makes the humblest saint in the new thing greater than the greatest of the old thing and in that context of the new thing that comes pivotal with the ministry of John verse 12 and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth more violence and men of violence take it by force what does our Lord say the period of John's appearance was the beginning of Jerusalem and Israel's what day of visitation John says the kingdom of heaven is drawing near

42:04 Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is at hand now commensurate with that day of visitation is this strange language about the kingdom of heaven suffering violence and the violent taking it by force what does it mean I think this is the picture when soldiers have been pressing a battle on the outskirts of a city in the old days when they had walled cities and they have pressed the battle to the place where the opposing army in retreat has entered through its own city gates and locked itself behind the walls they are the nearest to victory they're right up to the walls but listen carefully not only are they the nearest to victory they will also face the fiercest opposition they've ever faced for when the enemy is backed into the corner to the last bastion of his strength and bastion of his protection his opposition is the fiercest that's not only true in battle it's true in football you don't hear about thirty yard line stands but everybody's heard about goal line stands you see the team is never closest to the whole object of the game when they get down within that five yard line but when they get down never is the opposition more fierce now listen when was the nation of Israel nearest to the great blessings of mercy and the kingdom of heaven drew near

43:31 in John beginning with John and then in Jesus but commensurate with that drawing near was this opposition of the host of hell hence the stirring up of demonic activity demon activity coming to unusual manifestation in the work of our Lord and following in the ministry of the apostles and our Lord says because of this you have this parallel between the day of visitation and the day of opposition and it's only the violent who sees it by force may I suggest that that's exactly the same with any church with any individual in the time of visitation when your children are nearest the kingdom the powers of hell will be let loose let loose

44:27 in the tentacles of the devil when a church is near and in the midst of the day of visitation that may mean the release of precious souls new dimensions of outreach and penetration into the devil's territory unusual opposition therefore children of God in the time of visitation you must give yourselves to prayer I must give myself to prayer as never before and look upon everything that clogs your own path to the prayer closet as a vicious enemy of the blessings of the day of visitation do you follow me or am I just talking words just a little sin oh is it you know what little sins do little sins put thorns in the path that lead to the prayer closet don't they you don't want to walk that path you know I know I am never more indisposed to pray than when I quote just tolerate the few little sins ever have anybody say with a handful of cinders as they about to throw them in your face and you react this hell oh they're just little cinders little cinders they don't need to be very big on this organ of vision listen the soul that can pray is more sensitive

45:54 than the apple of the eye and a little cinder of uncleanness of pride of bitterness of jealousy of anger the little cinder kills and quenches the desire to pray it's true isn't it so may I urge upon you as I pray as God's people as I exhort my own heart that we give ourselves to prayer as never before and that we violently and viciously deal with anything in our own hearts that would make us ill at ease in the presence of God secondly child of God in the time of visitation be unusually careful not to grieve the spirit in Ephesians 4.30 we have the admonition grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by which you're sealed to the day of redemption and the coming of God the context of that grieving of the spirit is what let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying and grieve not and that it's followed on the other side will let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye tender heart forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you one of the saddest things in the history of God's dealings with men is that when people have come under serious impressions there's a time of visitation when the world

47:21 of spiritual reality draws near when conscience is thundering loudly and clearly the inconsistency of some professing Christian becomes a snare in a stumbling block and the person passes a day of visitation unconverted I am not negating what the Bible teaches that all that the Father giveth me shall come I know those verses as well as anybody in this building I know those verses but I also know that my Bible says roll unto that person who is an occasion of stumbling and let us never allow our confidence in the immutability of God's purposes of election and the certainty of effectual calling to lead us into a path of carelessness for the God who's ordained the end has ordained the means and the Spirit of God works in saving mercy generally in a context where he is honored and he is not grieved do we think in the book of Acts it was the vital piety of the assembled believers that is constantly joined to the vital power of the gospel to conquer the sinners there of one mind one heart great fear comes upon all the Lord adds daily such as should be saved you see that pattern all the way through the book of Acts and all the way through the history of revivals so I exhort you fellow believers

48:49 be unusually careful not to grieve the Spirit never forget the figure huge that the Spirit is that of the form of a dove not an eagle the eagle grasps its praise with its talons and the more it struggles the more the talons dig in it's not so with the dove the dove alights in the place of quietness and rest and when there's ruffling he flies away oh it's just a little gossip a bird of bitterness just a little lie just a little dishonesty the accumulative effect of the little sins of 70 or 80 of God's people is enough to grieve the Holy Spirit ten times over and a grieved spirit becomes a withdrawn spirit and then thirdly the exhortation to you as God's people is be careful to seize opportunities for exhortation and admonition is this a time of visitation when the consciences of our children are unusually sensitive let's not only pray for them walk carefully but since God's ordained the means and the word is his means let's exhort them let's entreat them let's plead with them let's ask them is the Lord dealing what are you saying what are you doing what are you reacting exhort them those of us

What Unbelievers Should Do in a Time of Visitation

50:17 who are parents when we sense that through circumstances and the ministry of the word and in our gathered assembly that the Lord is bringing pressure to bear let's as it were draw alongside of what the Lord is doing and be labors together with him then a word to you who are not savingly joined to Christ what's the word what should you do in a day of visitation I love the words of the old writers they said something like this strike in with the work of the spirit now maybe it's just that I've got an ear for old quaint language but to me that's beautiful strike in with the work of the spirit now you say I don't like it it doesn't strike me that way alright then let me give you a biblical expression of it alright you will be satisfied with that I'm sure Luke 14 and verse 24 the Lord Jesus is on a preaching mission and they ask a question that's a very vital question in Luke 13 23 and one said unto him Lord are they few that are saved good question isn't it our Lord doesn't exactly answer it though rather than answer the question of the number that shall be saved our Lord answers with a question or as though the question were asked what is the way into salvation and he says try to enter in by the narrow door for many I say unto you shall seek to enter in

51:46 and shall not be able when once the master of the house is risen up and it's shut the door and ye begin to stand without and knock at the door saying Lord open to us and ye shall answer and say to you I know not whence you are then ye begin to say we did eat and drink in thy presence thou didst teach in our streets and ye shall say I tell you I know not whence you are depart from me ye workers of iniquity there shall be the wailing and the gnashing of teeth see what our Lord is saying don't be occupied with whether it's many or few be occupied with that way of salvation which is not just exposing yourself to privilege and assuming that because you've heard him teach and you've eaten and drunk with him because you've been in the midst of his people the midst of his ordinances the midst of his presence don't assume you're in strive to enter in take every pains to know that you've passed through the narrow gate and oh I say with all of my heart to you young people and adults whoever you be if you're not savingly joined to Jesus Christ strive to enter in don't stifle conscience don't fill your mind with garbage that will tone down his voice view as your mortal enemy any person I don't care if it's your dearest friend anything I don't care if it's your dearest possession anything influence

53:14 no matter how innocent it may be listen to me anything that makes conscience tune down his volume anything that makes Christ any less winsome anything that makes the world of spiritual reality just three degrees more distant look upon it as your most mortal enemy if the Lord has been coming near to some of you in a day of visitation I plead with you strive to enter into the narrow gate allow nothing or no one to stifle the voice of conscience use the available means that God has put at your disposal start reading that book that is Christ revealed start crying to God as never before that he would reveal to you his son and his salvation cast yourself on the offered savior and cling until the Holy Spirit gives the witness of your acceptance seek mercy from the savior until he speaks peace to your heart otherwise it may be written of you as was written of this people thou knewest not the time of thy visitation I confess dear ones that I just wish God would soon release me

54:41 from the kind of preaching I've been doing the past four weeks but I can't I cease to deserve the privilege of being a preacher when I begin to possess the word to give it out at my discretion rather than the word possessing me the essence of the prophetic ministry is the word of the Lord came to me and when it came wherever the word carried the servant of God there he went and I can only say again claiming no infallibility why didn't the Lord give me some light on my next series you were praying I was praying I think I know now why why did the Lord put that tape in my hand back in my vacation after Christmas holidays with the doctrine of hell that provoked me to get into scriptures why all of this I think I read God's guidance hindsight always clearer than foresight is the Lord drawing near in a day of visitation if these are the marks of a day of visitation I think we see some of them if so may we as God's people give ourselves to prayer walk unusually carefully before the Lord be quick to speak to enforce those barbs of conviction and if you're a stranger to grace strike in with the work of the Spirit strive to enter the narrow gate don't don't

56:09 look back in eternity and say oh that was my day of visitation how the word came to me powerfully oh how vivid heaven and hell became oh how winsome Christ appeared I could almost as the rich young ruler run after him saying good master what shall I do but oh I played the fool I let the television I let my friends I let my companions I let my school work I let this or that crowd into my mind and push out the series impressions push out the serious intention what a terrible thing in eternity to bemoan the fact that you knew not the day of your visitation oh how much more blessed through all eternity as a bride who's been married a woman been married for sixty years can look back to the day of her wedding and each time she does draw fresh delight from it go to her closet and open it up and there's that dress all yellowed with time and the veil practically crumbled to her touch through the dryness of age and she relives in her mind the day of her spousal the time when her beloved said will you and she said I will oh how blessed if in eternity some will look back upon these first couple of months of 1970 as the time when the Lord Jesus drew near and cast his mantle

57:37 over you and said will you and you said Lord I will oh may God grant me that in eternity many shall have cause to rejoice again and again and again because this was the time of your visitation the time heeded the time responded to in faith and repentance may God grant that it shall be so for your good and for his glory God is free