>>"The Lord is my strength and shield", Psalm 28:7. Who is your strength and shield on this wonders Lord's Day? It is my hope in prayer that it is our Almighty God. And we are excited to have you with us today as we break the living word of God. And we're certainly glad that you have chosen to give this day and this time to your creator, so that together we might worship and praise his holy name. As we come together this morning, it is my hope and prayer that we will each participate and do our own part to make this time acceptable before the throne of God, as a collective offering of those who love God and who are willing to submit their own sacrifices before his perfect throne. So at this time, as we turn our full attention to the reason that we have gathered, let's approach our Father's throne in prayer. Our God and Father in heaven, we are thankful so much for this day, another day of life. We're thankful for your great many blessings, for we know that everything physically and spiritually has come from you. And Father, we ask that at this time that we might give ourselves fully to the focus that is before us of you, and your wonder, and your majesty. May we give everything in spirit and truth during this period of time to you as worship, acceptable worship, according to your perfect will as faithful children. And Father, we also ask that you'll help us to live every day, so that someday when you return to judge us, that we will receive that promised reward to the faithful where we will live forever with you, eternally in heaven. And Father, we know that these great blessings are only possible through the greatest of all gifts that your son gave, Jesus Christ. And Father, we thank you for your grace, your love, and your mercy. And in Jesus name, we pray, amen. Sometimes it's hard to know which way to go in life. This morning, we want to begin with a song which tells us the right way to go, and who to focus on to make sure that we're always headed in the right direction. So won't you join in and participate with the congregation at this time, as we sing together, "I'll Live For Him".

>>One of the beautiful things about the Old and New Testaments is the fact that they are so unified. I love to hear the prophecies given throughout the mouth of the prophets of God in the Old Testament. And then I love to see how they're fulfilled in many places throughout the New Testament. With this in mind, I'm reminded of something which Moses commanded Israel in Deuteronomy 6:5, There we read, "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength." No doubt, Moses was here commanding them to put God first and to give him their very best in all things. So what about us today? Well, you'll not be surprised, but we find familiar and very similar words that Jesus spoke himself to those of his day. In fact, in Matthew 22:36, we see that Jesus is asked a question. The question is, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Now, here is the response of our Lord. "And Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." You see here and notice that Jesus spoke of a great commandment, a commandment that we see was really true from the very beginning, to put God first and to love him with our all. Do you love your Creator in this way? And are you fully expressing that love to God with your whole person, as is said here, with your heart, your soul, and your mind? Are they completely in tune with what God requires? Do what it takes today, if not, that you might make sure that you are right with your God, because the blessings you'll receive from him today, as well as the eternal blessings of heaven depend on it. Are you right with God this morning? In just a few minutes it will be time to begin our main study of the day and our topic this morning will, again, deal with our series entitled, He Preached Jesus to Them. The specific discussion of the morning is Jesus will return for the faithful. So please continue with us this morning, and at the appropriate time, I will be returning to lead this discussion from God's word. Now let's join together in the next song in the morning, the name of the hymn, "The Steadfast Love of the Lord".

>>We thank you again so much this day for continuing with us that we might go into the word of God, consider another lesson together concerning Jesus, and the reality that Jesus is such a wondrous and gracious savior. One who loves us and bears forth so many characteristics. And so, as we understand who Jesus is, and the fact that when Jesus was preached, that these things were known to men, these were the attracts, these were the things that made people want to know, and to follow, and to obey him. And so why wouldn't we want to preach the whole of Jesus today, that people might truly understand, as God, just how special and precious our Lord Jesus Christ and savior is. As we continue our study this day, we build on what we were looking at last week. You might recall with me that we were considering together the idea of judgment, specifically in the sense of Jesus himself being the judge, and the reality that the judgment day would take place. But in case you missed last week, we certainly want to review just a few things to remind you of what we want to consider even today, which is more along the focus of Jesus returning specifically for the faithful. He will come back in that day. Now we looked at several verses last week that helped us with that discussion. We looked there first of all at Hebrews 9:27, that spoke about the fact that it is appointed unto man once to die. We also looked at the fact there in 2 Timothy 4:1, where Timothy was told by Paul that Jesus Christ was coming back to judge the living and the dead. And so as we begin to look at all those factors and how they come together, we know there is a judgment, that judgment seat that Christ has itself, 2 Corinthians 5:10. And that judgment seat is something that he will sit on and judge all men, whether they've done good things or bad things. So we've seen so many verses together and we looked at the text there in Romans 2 about God's judgment and how God will apply that judgment and that wrath upon the wicked, and as well the righteous and proper judgment also on the faithful, by giving them the reward that they desire and that they have need of. But what, again, we would like to look at and continue with this day is to understand that judgment not only is coming, that it will be upon us, but also what will take place in the very end. When we think about the coming of the Lord, we do have several passages which help us with this discussion. One such passage helps us there in Matthew 24. It speaks about the time that Jesus is coming. And it tells us basically that even Jesus himself does not know, that we all should be watchful, that we all should be ready, because even the master of the house does not know, in the sense of Christ, but the Father himself alone knows. So we've got to be ready, when? Today. That's why there's an urgency in connection to the discussion of judgment and being ready for that judgment. But now in relationship to when it happens, what will take place? As we begin to piece together several different passages from the scripture, it's clear, at least in a way that that helps us to understand in a very general sense of what it is that will happen. And although from a earthly standpoint, we may not fully comprehend all of these things, because of still a lack of full understanding of a fleshly nature or a spiritual nature, the soul itself, and such, well, we still have a good idea, as far as mechanically, we might say, how it will function or work out. We have examples, for instance, like in Luke 16, there in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, we have two individuals who die. One, the rich man who was certainly not right with his God, and according to what we even learned there in the book of Luke, we see that he actually went to a place called torment. And what we also find is that Lazarus had suffered throughout his life. And when he died, we also learned that he went to a place called Abraham's bosom. Now, in connection to that, we know several things. We know that until the final judgment, the final sentence will not be given out. That means until Jesus himself comes back, someone will not be cast eternal into the eternal hell fire or given the eternal sense of heaven. Although that be the case, what it shows us, as we learned last week, is that when someone has been justified within life by their actions and words, when they die, what do we know? We really already know whether they have been found faithful or not, we really already know whether they are acceptable in the sight of God, and whether they'll receive the blessings of God, or whether they have done against the will of God, and therefore they'll receive the wrath of God. And so what this story helps us to understand is that even at that point, they went to, what we refer to, and Jesus himself referred to as the Hadean realm. A place of the soul, we might say, a place that the soul goes until the final judgment to where, as we will see later in Thessalonians, those souls will be brought back, in order that they might be judged before God. And that's why, if you'll remember last week, in 2 Timothy 4:1, it says, "Jesus was coming back to judge the living and the dead." So every soul, every man that has ever lived. As we also think about the concept then, what we know is that when one dies, they go to the Hadean realm. And within that Hadean realm, there are two parts. One is referred to or reflects on the concept of the bosom of Abraham, it's referred to in other places as paradise or a place of perfection. In fact, the more we study about the idea of paradise itself, the more we really see a heavenly realm in and of itself, it's so much like what we would think of as heaven, but not the final sentencing haven't been taking place, that we certainly have not seen the judgment therefore take place. The second thing we find is hell, it is referred to as the concepts that we as well find throughout the gospel accounts, the concepts of fire and brimstone. You might remember with me that the rich man actually had a request of Abraham, that he would allow the beggar to just maybe put his finger into a little water and to cool his tongue, because of the flames, they tormented him. You see, in this realm, we already see the culmination of what we know to be the eternal reward and punishment, and yet someone has already received that in the Hadean realm, the holding place, or the the waiting place of the soul, however you wanna word it, until again, that final judgment, when those things will be secured eternally by the only one who has the power and is able to judge himself. As we think about that, there are two other passages then that really help us in connection to what takes place in that final time and judgment. One of those is found in 1 Corinthians 15. And if you'll turn there, we'll look at a few verses, our time won't permit that we consider the whole passage, but there's an interesting discussion about verses 35 and following, about the two parts of man, again, the physical part and the spiritual part. One made after Adam, flesh, returns to the dust, is not eternal. And the other is of God and from God, and in fact is eternal, the man of God, or the heavenly man as verse 49 says. But then what do we learn? We learn the, really a culmination, of what those final things will be in that judgment scene. Beginning there in verse 50, we first learned that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. So there is no flesh and blood. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, as certainly Jesus always proclaimed and others. It is something that even in that day will be of a different nature. That's why there's a need for us to leave a fleshly body, because we know that our fleshly bodies are temporary and will return to the dust someday. We don't wanna put all our hopes and trust in a body that will not be eternal. We wanna put our hope and trust in something that is eternal, like what? Like heavenly things and the heavenly man. The next thing that we notice here is a description of, really what will take place, beginning there in verse 51. He says, "But I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep", there's that same wording about Jesus judging the living and the dead and what we'll see in Thessalonians, "But we shall all be changed." So there's a need to change from the flesh to what? The spiritual man only. "In the moment of a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." The last trumpet is that concept of Jesus, again, coming in the clouds and the trumpet will sound when he comes with his angels. And if you'll notice here, he also mentions here the quickness of this reality, as in the twinkling, the blinking, we might even say of the eye. "For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible." So they will be raised, not in the fleshly, corruptible form, but an incorruptible form. "And then we also shall be changed, so that everyone will stand before God in that eternal nature." Now we need to understand, all men will be turned into this eternal form, because whether you receive reward or punishment, it's for eternity. So you might be able to say, well, all of us are immortal in a sense, that can be good and that can be bad. Because if punishment, and we know that you're going to be changed in a form that certainly is going to allow you to endure that punishment eternally, whereas flesh and blood would be more of a temporary nature. So, verse 54, "In the moment of a twinkling and eye, when those things have taken place, when the corruptible has put on incorruption and the mortal is put on immortality, then the corruptible has put on incorruption, this mortal has put on immortality, then", it says, "Shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory." And so we know there that he goes on to talk about that's what makes us more than victors, that's what makes us to be able to be individuals who have conquered the problems, the sins, the wickedness of this life, and overcome. And Paul uses several of those ideas as well in many of his writings to express the very same thing. The second text we want to look at is 1 Thessalonians 4. And there in 1 Thessalonians 4, we see that the brethren of Thessaloniki were concerned about what was taking place in relationship to the death of their loved ones. And they were wondering, how is it that someone is going to be able to be judged when they are already dead and in the grave. And most of us have experienced death and have seen people who have been buried, and we might have wondered the very same thing, how was this going to be fixed? He says, "Don't be ignorant", verse 13, "Like those who have no hope." Because what do they know? They should have known, And what we know is the resurrection. And so it says, "Don't sorrow as others who have no hope", but their verse 14 continuing, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus." How's that gonna happen? Well, we just read back in 1 Corinthians, that even the dead are going to rise incorruptible. So now notice here, that's what's taking place. "For", verse 15, "This we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means proceed those who are asleep or who have died. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shall with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God", sound familiar? The same things we looked at in 1 Corinthians. "And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord." Do you see the encouragement again, and the connection that we find between the two different passages to help us to have a pretty good idea of what will literally take place in that day, as we are in that spiritual sense then, with those who have already died, judged, taken up by God to heaven, and as we'll see in a moment, given to the Father, and as well, what we also know then, those who are wicked will be punished at that time and cast into eternal hell. We can actually go to the book of Revelation and we can find that not only in chapter 20, but also in chapter 21, those warnings of those who are wicked or those who are not following the will of God. I'd like to end by returning to 1 Corinthians 15 one more time, because what he actually prefaces the discussion of these final things with is what Jesus will finally do or ultimately do, there in chapter 15, and notice with me what it says in verse 23. It ends, verse 23, by saying, when Christ comes or when when the coming of Christ takes place. Now look at verse 24, "Then comes to the end, rather, when he delivers the kingdom of God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule, and authority, and power." And so what do we see? That Jesus then having been given all authority, now being the judge, being at the judgment on the judgment's seat, determining whether good or bad, what one receives based on how they lived, whether they chose to follow him or not, is the one who then will have received us as he has come to judge, and we have all been changed, and the faithful taken back up, and then that faithful kingdom will be delivered back, as it says here, to the Father, where also the Son and the Spirit certainly exist eternally. And yet, what do we know the opposite would be? Those then who have not lived faithfully, having received the wrath of God, will be punished eternally with the devil and his followers, as the book of Revelation clarifies for us. So let me challenge you today to know that these things are true, that they're real, but that you as a faithful child of God will receive that reward, you will receive heaven, you will have the promises that God has given. So let me ask you today, are you going to live in such a way to make sure that you do?

>>Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us today, and what a glorious time we have had before God's thrown itself. You're invited back every first day of the week at 7:30, that we might commit this time of worship to God, and together give him all things as required in spirit and truth. But for now, let me ask if you have any questions or comments about today's lesson? Maybe you'd like a free transcript or a free CD or DVD of the program, or possibly we could assist you with free Bible materials or free Bible correspondence courses? No matter what your need is, please feel free to contact us at the following address. The Living Word, 2540 North Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Missouri, 65803. Many of these items are also available on our website, that address, thelivingwordprogram.com. Or if you prefer, you may call us at 869-2284. How wonderful it is to know that Jesus will return someday for the faithful, what hope and comfort that should give us all in knowing that we will be judged by such a perfect and righteous judge in the end. The one who will receive us and therefore give us the promised rewards. So the question this morning, are you living faithfully for your God today?