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     1. Three Appearings   (26:55)
     2. Christ is Coming   (3:05)

Hebrews 9:23-28.  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  ²⁴For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: ²⁵Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; ²⁶For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  ²⁷And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ²⁸So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Luke 16:19-31.  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. ²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. ²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ³⁰And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. ³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

You know, the secret of successful advertising is repetition, and so I might be repeating something here when I talk about three appearances of Jesus Christ.  Here we have it: “It was necessary that the pattern of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Here we have a wonderful Savior who when He begins a good work is going to finish it, thank God!  If you can say tonight that “He has begun a good work in me,” then you may have this great confidence.  And the Bible says, “If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end.”  People say, “Once saved, always saved.”  Listen, brother and sister: if you’re once saved, you better stay saved.  You can, thank God!  And the only way to stay saved is to “as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so to walk in Him.”  But think, (…) what a wonderful Savior God Almighty has provided for me.  I always say I was converted twice: once to the church—that Baptist church, and I meant it.  I did the best I knew how.  I did what I was taught.  But then the time came when I was converted to “the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul,” and everything changed, thank God!

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He tells us that “it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the Judgment.”  And scientists are trying to lengthen this life on earth.  Did you notice what they’re trying to do?  When you get old, they’re going to freeze you and keep you in the freezer for a thousand years, and then after a while thaw you out.  And you’ll still be the old fool.  “Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh” and is “enmity against God.”  My goodness, that’s as far as science gets you!  That’s why the Bible says it’s “science falsely so called.”

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Jesus Christ appeared in these last days to take away the sin of many.  He says here, “of all those that come unto Him.”  And that’s why the call of the Gospel goes out, God “commanding all men everywhere to repent”.  Because He has provided a Savior that saves, no man has a right to live in sin.  You have no right to continue in sin.  If you do, you choose sin instead of Jesus Christ.  You love sin instead of righteousness.  You “crucify the Son of God afresh.”  Oh, when I found out I didn’t have to be a sinner any longer!  I didn’t have to follow “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” even though I was a young man that was tempted in all points like other young men were tempted.  I found out that Jesus Christ had power not only to forgive my sins, but “to cleanse me from all unrighteousness”—to break these chains that bind men and women today.

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“God was in Christ,” and “He was made sin for us.”  That’s why I say nobody needs to sin, and nobody has a right to sin.  And maybe you say, “Well, I never set fire to anybody’s house, and I never killed anybody.”  But beloved, we’re all sin from top to bottom.  The Bible says there is not a sound spot in us from the top of our heads to the sole of our feet.  And when you recognize that, then you’ll recognize the necessity of a Savior like Jesus Christ.  Then you’ll realize that no religion can save you, no church can save you, but Jesus Christ alone, thank God!  And “God spared not His own Son, but gave Him” that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

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Thank God, He “appeared to take away sin.”  It is a great fact, and “whosoever will may come,” and “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”  Beloved, that’s the work of the blood of Jesus Christ, not to cover you with a hypocritical religion, but to dig deep into your soul—thank God—to make repentance effective, to deliver you from iniquity, from sin, from every defilement wherewith thy soul has been defiled.

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Beloved, how we need a resurrected, ascended Savior!  How we need that constant contact with heaven!  “Our conversation is in heaven,” He tells us.  That’s where we live.  That’s where we can live.  That’s where we must live, thank God!  Jesus Christ has made it possible for you and for me not only to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, but to “walk in newness of life”—glory to God!—to “walk in the Spirit,” to “walk even as He walked,” because Jesus Christ never forgets, never forsakes, thank God!

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Do you know that He’s purchased your body?  We heard about it this morning: “This is your reasonable service, that you present your bodies.”  I was so thankful when as a young man I recognized that Jesus Christ purchased my body.  I belong to Him.  That solved all my questions about courtship, about marriage, about earthly things—just solved it for ever.

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Do you know, you teenagers, it’s as easy for you to be holy as it is for an old man like Peter or Paul?  And it’s as deeply requested of all of us to be “sanctified and meet for the Master’s use.”  And how is that done?  Why, it’s done by the Holy Ghost.

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Has He come to you?  Has He knocked at your heart?  Has He offered Himself to you?  Has your heart become hungry for Him, longing for your heavenly Bridegroom?  That’s why we need this Savior who appears three times.  First of all, “to take away sin,” thank God!  He did that.  And number two, now to pour out His Holy Spirit and take control of my whole being.  And number three—and that’s the most wonderful: Beloved, “this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not get ahead of those that are fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself”—I like that: Jesus Himself—“shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God.  And the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

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Comments on tobacco.    (from 7:44)

An illustration of shining as a light in the world.  “I was among boys, and they said, ‘Oh, here comes a Sunday School boy.  We’ll soon make him like the rest of us.’  And you know, it wasn’t long before they were afraid of me.  They got out of my way.  They said, ‘When we come near you, we hear a sermon or a song.’  Well, that was my business: to shine!”    (from 8:32)

Comment on the hardening of Germany.  “All of Germany was in great despair, and at that time the hearts were open to God.  But if you go to Germany today, and you find the cities built up modern style, and people making a lot of money, you can preach all you want.  Their hearts have been hardened against the fear of God.”    (from 15:14)

Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned, a hymn by Samuel Stennett, 1787.

He saw me plunged in deep distress
And flew to my relief;
For me He bore the shameful cross
And carried all my grief.

My Savior, a hymn by Charles M. Fillmore, 1902.

Tho’ I’ve often been unworthy,
He has constant been, and true;
Tho’ I wronged Him, He forgave me
When I would my vows renew;
Tho’ I spurned Him, He with kindness
My rebellious heart did woo.

Moment by Moment, a hymn by Daniel W. Whittle, 1893:

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

I Belong to the King, a hymn by Ida L. Reed, 1896.

I belong to the King; I’m a child of His love,
I shall dwell in His palace so fair,
For He tells of its bliss in yon heaven above,
And His children in splendor shall share.

I belong to the King, and His promise is sure:
That we all shall be gathered at last
In His kingdom above, by life’s waters so pure,
When this life with its trials is past.

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