The Coming Day
My oldest daughter is getting married in a couple of months. She’s all excited and her fiancé is excited too. When we talk about the coming day, the big day, we all know which day we are talking about. We are looking forward to the coming day, the wedding day.
But in the Bible the prophet Malachi talks about a coming day and it isn’t a day for unbelievers to look forward to. It is not going to be like a wedding day or a great feast. No, the coming day that Malachi talks about is a day to be dreaded; if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior.
For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch (Malachi 4:1).
Do You Hear The Warning?
Oh folks, are you hearing the warning tonight? Are you listening? The coming day is the second coming of Jesus and it’s a day of punishment for unbelievers. If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, then on that great and terrible day of the Lord, you are being compared to stubble and Hell is being described as a burning oven. Your future does not bode well for you.
Some people worry about the weather, their next meal or where they are going to sleep tonight, or work tomorrow, but do you give a second thought about where you will spend eternity? Don’t stumble and bumble through life and end up stubble that burns forever and ever. This is more important than any other earthly concerns. You have an eternal soul and your soul will spend everlasting life in the presence of our Lord or you will suffer His righteous wrath for all eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone.
Wheat And The Weeds
Please listen to a parable Jesus told in Matthew 13:24-30: Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the weeds also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? from whence then hath it weeds? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Do you want us to go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while you gather up the weeds, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Explanation Of The Parable
Then Jesus explains the parable in Matthew 13:38-42: The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the weeds are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
As therefore the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Malachi talks about stubble being burned in the oven and Jesus talks about all those that offend, those who do iniquity, shall be cast in the furnace of fire where there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is serious tonight. Hell is hot on your heels and many of you don’t even know it or you don’t care. You are just lollygagging through life not worrying about where you are headed, where you are really headed, for all eternity. You aren’t worried about what really matters, what’s most important.
Jesus Is Coming Back
Jesus came the first time as a Lamb to the slaughter. He died in the place of guilty sinners who repent from their sins and surrender their life to Him. Oh, but He’s coming back the second time as the Lion of Judah.
Listen to another description of the second coming in Revelation 6:12-17: And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Cry Out For Rocks To Fall On Them
Even kings and mighty men will cry out for rocks to fall on them to hide them from the wrath of the Jesus. His day of wrath is coming, who can stand it? Answer: absolutely no one, no king nor mighty man nor average person. You will not be able to stand before Jesus Christ at His next coming. You have no chance under your own power.
Jesus is coming again. Are you ready? Are you sure? But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:8-10). Folks, please listen up. The earth is going to be burned up. Jesus is coming back with vengeance. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay (Romans 12:19). Jesus is coming back full of the fury of God over sinful men and women.
Righteous Judgment
If you continue going through life rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, you will suffer God’s righteous anger over your sins for all eternity. You will have no excuses and no one to blame on Judgment Day. We came out here tonight to share the Gospel with you and yet you reject it. You mock God. You scoff at His only begotten Son. Worst of all, you say no God, we will not have this man reign over us.
Well guess what, God still commands you to repent. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Jesus said unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).
Lay Down Your Rebellion
God commands you to lay down your rebellion against Him. Repent from your sins and surrender your life to Jesus. Do not stiffen your neck. Don’t harden your heart toward God. The day is coming. Revelation 14 tells about the day of wrath and says that the blood will flow as high as the horses’ bridals. This is serious. This is not a game. It’s not something to laugh about. Jesus Christ is coming again and he’s coming with a vengeance, with righteous vengeance.
Acts 3:18-23 states: But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Folks, this is very clear. Those of us who have repented and put our faith in Jesus, will be refreshed, renewed when we get to Heaven. Oh but those who die in their rebellion against God, who die as unrepentant sinners, will be destroyed, they will perish.
Perishing Isn’t Annihilation
But please note that when Jesus talks about people perishing, He isn’t talking about annihilation. Jesus describes perishing as the second death, the never-ending death. You will wish for death, feel like you are dying, want to die, even beg to die, cry out for the rocks to fall on you, but you will not die. Instead, you will suffer God’s righteous vengeance over your sins forever and ever.
You will weep and gnash your teeth. You will be tormented day and night and you will get no rest. The physical pain and mental anguish will be unbearable, yet, you will have no way of escape.
I believe you will see over and over again in your mind every single time that you refused a tract. You will hear repeatedly, endlessly every sermon, every plea to repent from your sins and to trust Jesus. Every time you mocked God. Yes, every single time that you said no to God and yes to your own sinful way. This torment will be every bit as unbearable as the physical torments of the lake of fire and brimstone.
Surrender Fully And Completely
Don’t do it. Don’t continue rejecting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Recognize that you are a sinner. Cry out for God to have mercy on you. Throw down your rebellion against God and surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus Christ our Lord. Come to Jesus and be saved.
Join those of us who are saved, who are looking for our Lord to return. We are ready. Oh, but if you have not repented from your sins and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, I assure you that you are not ready. Oh, you should dread that terrible day like you’ve never dreaded anything else in your life.
You are not ready for the day of vengeance of the Lord and you really aren’t ready for the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. But that is a place reserved for all unrepentant sinners, for all liars (Revelation 21:8). Don’t foolishly die in your sins without surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. Repent and believe the Gospel. Do this today and be saved; be ready, really ready for the coming day.
(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, Mo on July 20, 2018)