## When He Shall Appear

## I John 3:1-3

Read Text:

This is speaking of the appearing of Christ in the clouds. It will trigger the Rapture of the saints. Society will be going on as usual and....

(1 COR 15:52) "IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMP: FOR THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, AND THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE, AND WE SHALL BE CHANGED."

(1 TH 4:17) "THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD."

Those without Christ will look around with no understanding as to what has happened. The news media will try to explain our departure as some invasion from another planet, or maybe some other equally ridiculous way. While the world looks for us, we will be with the Lord.

This word "hope" is an interesting word. It doesn't carry the usual meaning of: "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out well." It's not like hoping for a new car for your birthday or a new stereo. It's not like hoping for a raise at work. It's not that kind of hope.

Those who are born again are not going around "hoping" that we will go to heaven; nor is it a situation where "if everything goes right then we will go to heaven." It means: "(to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation or confidence:-- faith, hope." The anticipation; the expectation; the confidence; the faith.

A little girl heard a preacher on the radio say that Jesus may come today. She went upstairs, took a bath, and put on her clean white dress and then stood by the window. Her mother went upstairs and saw her, and ask her, "What are you doing?" "I am waiting for Jesus to come", she replied. If we really believed what this verse means then we would be doing the same thing. We would be getting ourselves ready.

When you were a child maybe your mother had gone somewhere and while she was gone you did something maybe to the radio, the TV, the VCR, maybe a scratch on the dining table. Maybe you broke a window. There was no anticipation or eagerness; there was no expectation of desire for mom to come home. Why? Because you were not ready for her to come. There is only one thing that we need to do in regards to the expectation of the coming of Christ; that is to "purify ourselves." purify means to "make clean".

I. We Should Purify Our Hearts

A. The Heart Is Wicked.

(JER 17:9) "THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED: WHO CAN KNOW IT?"

(PROV 4:23) "KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE; FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE."

1. First it must be cleansed through salvation.

a. Are you ready for Him to come?

b. Have you been saved?

c. Little girl, I don't want people asking me that question.

d. Is their joy in your heart when you think about His return, or is there fear because you know that you aren't saved, and you will go to hell.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS FOR THE CLEANSING POWER? ARE YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB? ARE YOU FULLY TRUSTING IN HIS GRACE THIS HOUR? ARE YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB?

2. Cleansed through sanctification.

a. Sanctification is the growing process after we are saved.

b. It is the time of "going on to perfection" as spoken of in Hebrews.

c. Growth in Christ will produce a clean vessel.

3. Cleansed through the Scriptures.

(EPH 5:26) "THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY AND CLEANSE IT WITH THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD,"

(JOHN 15:3) "NOW YE ARE CLEAN THROUGH THE WORD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO YOU."

a. When we get our hearts exposed to the Word of God then there will be a cleansing take place.

b. It is not that we plan it

c. It is not that we have to activate it.

d. The cleansing just comes from reading and listening to the Word of God.

e. If our hearts are not clean, then we have not been washing it enough with the Word of God.

My mother used to have a thing about cleanliness. She would make us wash up...a bath came once a week, but throughout the week she made us wash.

Afterwards there would be the inspection time. She really prepared me well for my life in bootcamp. I was already used to having inspections. Usually if it wasn't good enough, then she would take over. She would scrub until the skin was raw.

(PSA 139:23) "SEARCH ME, O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART: TRY ME, AND KNOW MY THOUGHTS:"

4. The Word of God will cleanse our hearts.

II. We Should Purify Our Minds

A. In Philippians Paul charges us to keep our minds on the Saviour Jesus Christ.

(PHIL 2:5) "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS:"

1. Have you ever wondered what Jesus thinks about?

2. Have you ever considered what really went through His mind as He was being tried for the crimes He didn't commit?

3. I wonder what He thought about when His own people rejected Him and, cried out, "Crucify Him."

B. If we will focus our minds upon the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for us through the cross, it will purify us.

III. We Should Purify Our Hands.

(JAMES 4:8) "DRAW NIGH TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU. CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, YE SINNERS; AND PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, YE DOUBLE MINDED."

A. Our hands speak of what we do with our lives.

1. Our actions... 2. Our walk... 3. Our work...

B. Our works do not earn us salvation, but they are to glorify God.

1. If you are saved today, Jesus wants you to let your light shine.

2. We are not to become like the world, but we are to be set apart.

3. We are to be different.

C. We are called on to present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice.

(ROM 12:1) "I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YE PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE."

(1 JOHN 3:1-3) "BEHOLD, WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HATH BESTOWED UPON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED THE SONS OF GOD: THEREFORE THE WORLD KNOWETH US NOT, BECAUSE IT KNEW HIM NOT. {2} BELOVED, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: BUT WE KNOW THAT, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS. {3} AND EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM PURIFIETH HIMSELF, EVEN AS HE IS PURE."

Do we have that hope?

Are we looking for Jesus with great expectation?

Are you purifying ourselves?