Bramhall, John W: The Coming Of The Lord 21 ~ John 5;22

Beloved radio friends, we greet you in the precious and the worthy name of the Lord Jesus, our Savior. We welcome you to the broadcast today and the consideration which is under study regarding the coming again of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We raise the question to every dear listener, are you prepared to meet the Lord when he comes? We believe with all earnestness in the imminency of his blessed return to the earth. We trust that every listener may know him as their savior and ready to meet him when that blessed event takes place. We have touched upon some very important relative truths regarding the coming of the Lord, but we would like to bring before our hearts this week, by the will of the Lord and through the Holy Spirit, a very solemn consideration relative to what it may mean and will mean to the world at large when our Savior comes again. We must emphasize, and we do emphasize, the coming of the Lord at his second appearing and its distinction from the first time he came into the world. Well, did the beloved Apostle Paul write properly? You have the words in First Timothy chapter one verse fifteen when Paul wrote by divine inspiration that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Thus, the dearly beloved apostle states the purpose of the coming of the Lord Jesus into this world, to be born in the manger of Bethlehem, cradled there in that stable, and become the savior of the world. But, oh my beloved, may I bring the contrast, the solemn and the distinctive contrast between his first coming and his second coming back to the earth. When he comes back again to the earth, it will not be in the blessed privilege of being and coming as a savior, but to judge. Oh, beloved, may I repeat it with emphasis? His second coming is going to be in the appearance and the manifestation, not as the savior of the world, but as the judge of all the earth. This is the declaration of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, coming not to be a redeemer, for that he has done, but he is coming to be the judge of all. Listen to the words that we now quote. They come from the blessed lips of the Son of God himself, as you may read them in John chapter five and verse twenty two. The Lord Jesus telling long ago when he was upon the earth that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. May I re-emphasize those words? I wish, my beloved listener, that you would realize, whether believer or unbeliever, the characteristic feature which will be the Lord's when he comes back to the earth. For there has been entrusted to him by the Father himself the responsibility of all judgment. He will be the judge of all the earth. But let me confirm that further by his own words, again spoken by him in John chapter five and verse twenty seven, where the Spirit of God records and the Savior's words are given. And the Father hath given him, meaning the Son, authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man. Oh, may I point out firmly, convincingly, if I can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the declaration of the Savior that unto him has been entrusted, and with divine authority from the throne of the Father, to be the judge of all. To him has been committed all judgment. To him has been committed all authority to carry out that judgment because he is the Son of Man. May I pause for just a moment with realization, if I can, for mine own self and particularly for my listeners, to realize with you the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ in that aspect of being the judge is one of solemn consideration. My beloved friend, may I say very frankly, believer or unbeliever, we shall face him as such. God willing, later we'll distinctly see what it means for a believer. But oh, may I emphasize, he's coming also to be the judge of all unbelievers. Now I would indeed implore, by his grace, through the spirit, that my fellow traveler to eternity, my friend that is without Christ, will you not contemplate, will you not realize, will you not begin to consider in your mind and in your heart and in your soul? He's coming to be the judge. Now the question rises, if he's coming to be the judge of all, are you prepared to meet him as such? Long ago, the prophet Amos sounded in the day of Israel's declension and depravity as the vessel of the Lord and the spokesman of the Lord to say to Israel, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. So would we be faithful to say to those who are listening without the Savior? Be prepared, get prepared to meet him. He is, by his own declaration, coming to be the judge of all. But then we must go further, for we have apostolic confirmation. We think of the words of Peter, and we quote them from Acts chapter ten in verse forty two. Peter declaring in chapter ten of the book of the Acts, before Cornelius and those who were gathered together in his home, as he presented the Son of God and Jesus Christ the Savior. Peter declared also that it is he wi- which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quick, or the living and the dead. Let me repeat the words. It is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of the living and the dead. We quote again from Peter, the writing of his first epistle, chapter four and five. Very similarly, Peter writes again, we shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead. My beloved, may I emphasize what Peter has declared, that this blessed Savior who died for you upon the cross and is coming again, and of that coming no man knoweth the day nor the hour. He is ready to judge the living and the dead. Now we raise the question, are you ready to meet him? The judge, let me quote the words of James the Apostle. You have them in James chapter five and verse nine saying, Behold, the judge standeth at the door. My beloved, what an exclamation. James saying long ago, what would it mean even now, nearer as we are to that blessed moment when he shall return? But note the position that James declares he takes. He stands at the door. My beloved, if the Lord Jesus Christ is standing at the door of your soul and in the history of this world to become its judge. What will you say when he opens that door of judgment and you face him? Oh, my beloved, if you're not saved, we beg and plead with you by the Lord Jesus Spirit, the Spirit of God, you will be convicted. You will turn to him before it is too late. For said the Lord Jesus, when the Spirit of God is come, he shall convince you of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin because you believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to the Father and you see me no more, and of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. And the devil, who is the god of this age, the devil, who is the prince of the world, the devil whom the scriptures describe as having the world in his power. The Lord Jesus is coming to judge him, but my beloved, he will include you. Are you ready? Ah, but let me go a little further. We have the confirmation not only of Peter, not only of James by the divine spirit, but by the Apostle Paul. I quote the words of dear Paul as he quoted them in and spoke them in the Areopagus on Mars Hill in the city of Athens long ago. Chapter seventeen and verse thirty one of the book of the Acts. God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Now, my beloved, if you read that chapter in the seventeenth of Acts, you will notice that Paul was preaching not to the low graded men, but to the cultured Athenians who were proud of their knowledge, who were proud of their culture, who were proud of their philosophies, but they knew not God. And he reminds them, God hath appointed a day, my beloved, let's remember that. It is a day that has been appointed. How soon? We know not, but in which Christ will judge the world in righteousness, and God says he will judge it by the man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance in raising him from the dead. May I go further to quote the words of Paul? Second Timothy chapter four and verse one. Paul writing to his son Timothy and giving him the charge to preach the word of God. I charge thee, therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. My beloved, take it in. Peter said it. Paul says it. He will both judge the dead, and he will also judge the living. So whether you die, makes no difference. You're going to meet him as the judge. Whether you will be living on the earth when he comes, you will meet him as the judge. And so we declare the absolute certainty that Christ is coming to be the judge. The fact is irrefutable. It is irresistible. It is absolutely and positively true. We have the declaration of the Savior. We've got the divine confirmation of his apostles and the declaration of the Word of God. The coming of the Lord in his second appearing to this earth is distinctly manifesting his character as the judge of all the earth. Beloved, many times we plead with you to receive the Savior. Now we would remind you, if never you've done so, we plead with you. Will you not get ready to meet him? For he's coming as the judge. Oh, that you may be able to say, my sins were borne by Jesus. He bore them on the tree, and God who knew them laid on him, laid them on him, and believing I'm free. Father, speak by the power of the Holy Spirit to every unsaved, and also to thy saints, in Jesus' name, amen.