Are You Prepared? (CC)

LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT RECORDED FOR US BY THE PROPHET MALACHI, WHERE WE READ FROM CHAPTER 3, THE FIRST THREE VERSES: "I WILL SEND MY MESSENGER, WHO WILL PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE ME. THEN SUDDENLY THE LORD YOU ARE SEEKING WILL COME TO HIS TEMPLE; THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT, WHOM YOU DESIRE, WILL COME," SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY. BUT WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? WHO CAN STAND WHEN HE APPEARS? FOR HE WILL BE LIKE A REFINER'S FIRE OR A LAUNDERER'S SOAP. HE WILL SIT AS A REFINER AND PURIFIER OF SILVER; HE WILL PURIFY THE LEVITES AND REFINE THEM LIKE GOLD AND SILVER. THEN THE LORD WILL HAVE MEN WHO WILL BRING OFFERINGS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD. LET US PRAY: GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT. AMEN. [TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA, INC.] DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST: WHO COULD ENDURE THE DAY OF THE LORD'S COMING? WHO CAN STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD? INTERESTING QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE PRESENTED WITH THIS MORNING. WHETHER IT BE IN THE TEXT THAT WE JUST READ, OR IN OUR PSALM FOR THIS MORNING. IT REALLY IS AN INTERESTING WAY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THE LORD'S COMING. THE LORD PREDICTED THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS GOING TO BE THE MESSIAH, WAS GOING TO COME INTO THIS WORLD TO BE ITS SAVIOR. THE PROPHET MALACHI REMINDS US AT ZION: TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR CHRIST TO COME. TO PREPARE PEOPLES' HEARTS. HOW DID HE DO THAT? HE WENT AROUND PREACHING THE WORD. HE WENT THROUGHOUT THE REGION OF THE JORDAN, OUR GOSPEL LESSON TOLD US. TEACHING PEOPLE CONCERNING CHRIST. PREACHING A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE ... SO THAT PEOPLES' HEARTS WOULD BE PREPARED TO RECEIVE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. TO REALIZE THAT CHRIST CAME AND ACCOMPLISHED HIS GOAL. AND THAT HE IS GOING TO COME NOW AS KING OF KINGS WHEN HE RETURNS TO TAKE US TO BE WITH HIM IN GLORY. BUT HOW ARE WE RIGHTLY PREPARED? WHAT STEPS ARE YOU TAKING IN ORDER TO BE READY WHEN CHRIST COMES TO CALL YOU HOME? OR [WHEN HE COMES] TO END THIS WORLD? BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO? OR IS IT LIKE WHAT OCCURRED THIS PAST WEEK IN SAN BERNARDINO? NOT GONNA HAPPEN AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. I'M NOT GONNA THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS. I'M NOT GOING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO IF I'M IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION. BUT SINCE THAT TIME HOW MANY THINGS HAVE WE HEARD ABOUT HOW TO BE PREPARED FOR AN EVENT LIKE THAT? ALWAYS TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT TO BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. MAKE SURE WHEN YOU GO IN A BUILDING YOU TAKE NOTE OF WHERE THE EXITS ARE AND HOW TO GET OUT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS HOW TO USE YOUR BELT TO BLOCK A DOOR THAT HAS A HINGE FROM BEING OPENED. SIMPLE LITTLE THING: TEACHING US TO BE PREPARED. BUT WILL WE BE THINKING ABOUT IT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS? OR WILL OUR HUMAN NATURE KICK IN AND SAY: NOPE! DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME. IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN TO ME; I'M NOT GONNA WORRY ABOUT IT. WHAT REALLY ARE THE CHANCES OF ME BEING IN THAT SITUATION? THE CHANCES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN THE SITUATION FACING YOUR LORD AT SOME POINT AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE IS 100 PER CENT. EACH OF US WILL BE CALLED BEFORE HIM TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT. TO SPEAK OF OUR FAITH. TO HEAR THE CHARGES THAT ARE BROUGHT AGAINST US FOR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT ARE AGAINST GOD'S WILL. FOR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEGLECTED TO DO. ALL OF OUR WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE FOR THE TIMES THAT WE JUST SAID: I'M NOT GOING TO DO WHAT I KNOW I SHOULD DO. I'M GOING TO DO WHAT I WANT. ALL THE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE HURT OR HARMED PEOPLE WITHOUT OUR EVEN KNOWING THAT WE'VE DONE IT. ALL OF THE TIMES THAT WE HAVE NOT TRUSTED GOD AND WE TURN TO HIM WITH ANGRY FISTS YELLING AND CLAIMING HE'S THE ONE WHO'S AT FAULT. HE'S THE REASON FOR ALL OF THIS. ALL OF THIS DIFFICULTY IN MY LIFE. INSTEAD OF CALMLY TRUSTING AND RESTING IN HIS BLESSINGS. WE WILL STAND BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY LORD. SO WE GO BACK TO THAT QUESTION: WHO CAN STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD? WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE TREMENDOUS. IT IS GOING TO BE LIKE A REFINER'S FIRE. OR A LAUNDERER'S SOAP. I READ THIS PASSAGE AND I THINK OF TWO THINGS. BOTH OF THEM INVOLVING MY PARENTS. MY DAD MADE LEAD SINKERS SO THAT HE COULD GO FISHING WITH THEM ALL THE TIME AND HE HAD THIS POT THAT HE WOULD MELT METAL DOWN IN. AND IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS HE ALWAYS REMINDED US TO STAY AWAY FROM ... BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT! IT WOULD BURN US TERRIBLY. IT WAS FASCINATING TO WATCH IT BUBBLE. THAT'S HOW THE IMPURITIES WOULD BURN AWAY TO GET WHAT HE WANTED. THE OTHER PICTURE'S OF MY MOTHER. AND THE LAUNDRY. AND A BAR OF FELS NAPTHA SOAP. BECAUSE IF THERE EVER WAS SOME STAIN THAT WOULDN'T COME OUT SHE'D RUB IT WITH THE SOAP I STILL DON'T LIKE THE SMELL OF. BUT I'D KNOW IT WHEREVER IT IS AND SHE WOULD TAKE THAT BROWN BAR OF SOAP AND JUST GRIND ON WHATEVER STAIN IT WAS ... AND IT ALWAYS CAME OUT. AND IN MY MIND, I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW THAT BROWN THING, THAT LITTLE, THAT BROWN FILM ON THAT STAIN ON THAT PIECE OF CLOTHING WOULD JUST MAKE IT DISAPPEAR. THE SAME THING IS TRUE OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE BY PURIFYING US FROM OUR SIN. HE HAS REMOVED ALL OF THE IMPURITY, THE PUNISHMENT OF OUR SIN, HE HAS TAKEN THOSE SIN-STAINED GARMENTS AND WASHED THEM IN HIS BLOOD. AND MADE THEM WHITE AS SNOW AND THAT IN MY MIND DOESN'T MAKE SENSE VERY MUCH EITHER. BUT HE DID THAT OUT OF LOVE FOR US SO THAT WE COULD BE HIS OWN. AND LIVE WITH HIM IN HIS KINGDOM. HE PURCHASED US WITH THAT BLOOD! AND HE IS COMING TO GIVE US WHAT HE HAS PROMISED. ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS NAME. AND THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, EVEN STAND AND LOOK UP AND BE WATCHFUL FOR THAT LAST DAY IS RESTING ON THE WORK THAT CHRIST HAS DONE. BELIEVING AND TRUSTING IN HIS FORGIVENESS. BECAUSE WE MIGHT THINK IT WOULD BE EASY AND SO WONDERFUL TO STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND WHEN THAT MOMENT OCCURS ... WHEN GOD IS BEFORE US IN HIS COMPLETE HOLINESS ... THE ONE THING THAT WE WILL TRULY RECOGNIZE IS OUR UTTER CORRUPTION; OUR UTTER SINFULNESS. AND WE HAVE NOTHING TO PLEAD. WE HAVE NOTHING IN OURSELVES THAT IS GOING TO MAKE GOD LOVE US. THAT IS MAKE GOD, MAKING GOD GOING TO SAY: LOOK, YOU'RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, SO I'M JUST GONNA LET YOU IN. YOU HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL ALL YOUR LIFE SO YOU DESERVE THIS. THE ONLY THING THAT'S GOING TO MATTER IS IF WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. AND TRUST AND RELY ON HIS WORK. THAT IS WHAT WE HOLD TO; THAT IS OUR FIRM FOUNDATION. AND ON THE BASIS OF THAT, GOD GRACIOUSLY OPENS THE DOORS OF HEAVEN TO US AND SAYS: COME IN! COME TO ME, YOU WHO ARE BLESSED BY MY FATHER. WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THAT DAY. WHAT MEASURES DO YOU TAKE DAILY TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO YOUR LORD? OUR SINFUL NATURE NEEDS THAT DAILY REMINDER OF WHO IS THE ONE WHO IS IN CONTROL. BECAUSE WE KNOW WE COULD TAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE EVERY PREPARATION NOT TO PUT OURSELVES INTO A PLACE OR POSITION WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE ATTACKED AND SHOT UP. AND WE CAN DIE IN THE CAR ON THE WAY TO WORK. WE CAN DIE IN OUR SLEEP. WE'RE NOT GOING TO AVOID THAT FINAL EVENT. SO IT IS TIME FOR US TO BE PREPARED. TO BE PREPARED WITH THE ONE THING THAT HAS NEVER CHANGED. THE ONE THING THAT NEVER WILL CHANGE. TO BE IN THE WORD. TO STUDY GOD'S WORD. TO HEAR GOD'S WORD. TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAKE THAT A PART OF OUR LIFE. TO PUT IT INTO PRACTICE IN OUR LIFE AND TO LIVE OUR FAITH ACCORDING TO WHAT THAT WORD SAYS. THE WORD IS UNCHANGING. GOD IS UNCHANGING. HIS LOVE IS EVERLASTING. JOHN THE BAPTIST CAME TO PREPARE HEARTS TO RECEIVE CHRIST. TO BE FOCUSED ON THE ONE WHO HAS FORGIVEN OUR SINS. TO MAKE THAT OUR TOP PRIORITY. TO MAKE THAT A PART OF OUR DAILY ROUTINE. TO KNOW THAT WHENEVER IT HAPPENS, HOWEVER IT HAPPENS, WE ARE READY! WE'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT CALL OF OUR GOD TO GO HOME; TO GO TO HEAVEN. TO STAND IN HIS PRESENCE AND LOVINGLY LOOK AT HIM AND SAY: I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR ALL OF MY SINS. THEY HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS WORK. I KNOW AND TRUST THAT YOU ARE A GOD OF YOUR WORD AND HE WILL GIVE ME ETERNAL LIFE. DON'T PUT IT OFF TILL TOMORROW. DON'T THINK THAT YOU HAVE MORE PRESSING THINGS TO DO AND PREPARE FOR. BE READY FOR CHRIST'S RETURN. AMEN. LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING, KEEP YOUR HEARTS AMD YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES, IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.