People Who Were Ready for Christ's Coming: Part 4 — Zac Poonen

The Remnant Prepared for Christ’s Coming

We have been looking at some of the people who knew about the first coming of Christ when 99 .9 of Israel was ignorant even though they had the Word of God. And even though I suppose every Saturday in the synagogue they spoke about the coming of the Messiah it was only a routine announcement.

Nobody was in touch with God to know when he was coming or that he had already come. But there were a few we could call them a remnant. The Bible speaks about a remnant and in the last days we're living in there will also be a remnant.

The vast majority of Christians talk about the coming of the Lord they won't be ready. But if we can look at the reasons why some of these people were ready for the first coming and were part of that remnant we can be a part of the remnant in our time for Christ's second coming.

And we looked at Joseph and Mary first of all young people very young but whom God chose to reveal Christ was coming. Zacharias and Elizabeth the very old couple teaching us it doesn't matter whether you're young or old to whom also the Lord revealed through the birth of their son John the Baptist that he'd be the forerunner of the Messiah.

And to Simeon and Anna a very very old devoted servants of God. One was a widow and one was a like a prophet who were anointed with the Spirit were waiting eagerly. The shepherds who were probably illiterate poor simple people not scholars were also knew about the coming of the Lord.

In fact they were the first ones to see Jesus after Joseph and Mary were in the manger. And then surprisingly we saw last time non-jewish people God-fearing non-jewish people were seeking God who knew more about the coming of Christ than the scholars who studied the Bible in Israel teaching us that we're going to get a lot of surprises when Christ comes again that we seen these in the Gospels about the Roman centurion who had more faith than everybody in Israel.

Jesus himself certified that we see about the Syrophoenician the Canaanite woman out in Tyre and Sidon whom Jesus praised for her faith. And Jesus himself said in his first sermon in the synagogue there were many lepers in Israel but none of them were cured.

It was a non Jewish Naaman who got cured. He said there were many poor widows in Israel in the time of Elijah but God didn't send his servant to any of them but to a non-jewish widow in Zarephath. And that's what made the Jewish people furious in that synagogue.

They wanted to kill him because they thought how in the world can God accept anybody other than Jews. You think a lot of Christians like that I'll tell you we're gonna get a lot of surprises. Those three wise men they came from Persia.

They never knew anything about the Bible or the Old Testament or law of Moses or anything. But they knew that there was a God in the heavens. Romans 1 says that the Sun and the stars declare that there is a God.

And there's another thing that all those people had that was a conscience. And Romans 2 tells us how God will judge people by their conscience. And I'll tell you something among believers among born-again believers I have met many of them live less by their conscience than non-christians I have met.

Do you think God would be so unrighteous to take these so-called believers just because they come to a church and said the magic words Lord Jesus I believe in you and don't live by their conscience. Live in sin.

They live in adultery. They live in pornography. They live in internet pornography. And they think I'll go to heaven because I accepted Jesus. If anybody's sitting like that over here I want to tell you in Jesus name you are deceiving yourself.

And if God takes you to heaven and sends that God-fearing non-christian to hell he'd had to be very unjust. And that's what the message of the three wise men teaches. That's what the message of the Roman centurion the Syrophoenician woman and the Gospels teachers.

And that's what the message of the Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 teaches us. He prayed. Now many of us think because we haven't read the Bible properly that if a non-christian prays God doesn't hear him.

I want you to read your Bible properly. Turn to Acts chapter 10. Here was a non-christian a man who knew nothing about salvation who didn't even pray in the name of Jesus. But it says in row acts 10 verse 1.

He was a devout man one who feared God. Can we say about non-christians. There are people who fear God with all his family. Do you know that there are non-christian men who bring up their sons and daughters in a more God-fearing way than the shameful way that many believers bring them up.

The shameful way that young believing women dress these days following the fashions of the models and the film stars. And there are God-fearing Hindus whose girls are dressed ten times more modestly than these so-called believers.

It's true. He feared God with all his household. Even though he did not have the Bible. He didn't have any knowledge of the true God. And he gave alms to the poor people and prayed to God continually.

This is a non-christian. How many of you pray to God continually. How many of you get in the Holy Spirit record. There's a Holy Spirit record by the way there was a non-christian man who prayed to God continually.

Many of you are believers. My dear brothers and sisters. How many of you. But can you the Holy Spirit write down. There's a man. There's a woman who prays to God continually. There's a man. There's a woman who with his whole household fears God.

He had sons and daughters and I'm sure he brought them up modestly even though he was a Roman soldier. A well-paid Roman soldier. And the angel came to him and said to him. Now listen to this verse 4.

He said what is it Lord. Your prayers and the money you've given to poor beggars have ascended as a memorial before God. Was that a devil who told him that. Or was it an angel from God who said Cornelius you never prayed in the name of Jesus.

God heard your prayer because he saw in your ignorance your sincerity. Many who have. Do you know that all of us are going to be judged by the amount of knowledge we have. That's why I've often said to people who come to this church if you're not serious about following Jesus you better not come to this church because every time you hear a message your responsibility increases.

Your condemnation increases. When you hear the highest truths of God here you have the potential to rise much higher or sink much lower. Others who live in systems where the Christian systems and non-christian systems where they don't hear the truth at all they don't have the potential to rise very high.

And they don't have the potential to sink very low. But here in our midst you have the potential to rise the highest and to sink the lowest. It's like that when you're standing just one foot off the ground you don't rise very high.

If you fall down you don't get hurt. But if you go into a ten-story building you're pretty high. When you fall you kill yourself. That's the difference. Many of us don't realize that. We think ah it's a great place to be great church.

We hear so many wonderful truths. We're challenged stirred. You don't realize every single time you hear the Word of God every single week you come here your responsibility increases. And here's a man who knew so little I want God to say to me Lord.

I hope you'll say about me what you said about Cornelius a non-christian. Your prayers have come before God as a memorial. Your prayers have brought you to God's attention. The message Bible translated.

Your prayers have brought you to God's attention. I believe that I also believe there's no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. I believe there's no way of salvation except through Jesus Christ.

I believe there's no other name given under heaven among men except the name of Jesus by which anyone can be saved. Because Christ alone died for the world. Christ alone rose from the dead. And anyone who's saved and enters heaven whoever he is of whatever religion will enter there on the basis of Christ's death and resurrection.

But what I'm saying is there are many people who know about that death and resurrection who will not be there. Many who think they are born again who will not be there. And many who have never heard. We may get a few surprises.

We don't know exactly how God's gonna do it. And I don't profess to have all the answers. But I know from the message of those three wise men. Then there was certain people. It's not just the shepherds and not just the Simeon's and the Anna's and the God-fearing Jews who were ready.

There were non-jewish people also were part of that remnant whom God saw who recognized think of this for example which even so many so-called Christians don't understand today. We read about them in Matthew chapter 2 that when these wise men came to the house they saw Mary and they saw Jesus.

Verse 11. Matthew 2 verse 11 they saw Mary and they saw Jesus and they fell to the ground and they worshipped only Jesus. There are Christians today who don't do that. They worship both Mary and Jesus.

These men were wise and they were non-jewish people. They didn't have a Bible. But I tell you they have a knowledge of God. When you have a knowledge of God you know more than those who just know the Bible.

You can study the Bible like a book of chemistry or geography or history won't enable you to know God. These people knew God. How do they know. This is the one must be worshipped. Non-christian religions very often give a big place to the mother mother of God.

John the Baptist and a Life That Makes Others Rejoice

These were non-christians but they knew whom to worship only Jesus. I tell you these examples humble us. I want to see one more example now someone who was ready who knew by the coming of Christ and that's John the Baptist.

Just let's look at him because he is another of those people who knew Christ is coming. He was part of that remnant and just wanted to say a few things about him from Luke chapter 1. First of all where the angel spoke to Zacharias and Elizabeth concerning his birth.

And that's in Luke chapter 1. And the Lord the angel told Zacharias in verse 14. You'll have a lot of joy and gladness. And many will rejoice at his birth. Many will rejoice that such a person was born.

Don't you think you should be one like that. All of you all you and I that many people in the world should praise God that such a person like you was born on this earth to be a blessing to them to be a witness for God.

You know that possibility exists for all of us. Many rejoice at his birth. There was another baby born around the same time. He was named Judas Iscariot. Born around the same time. Maybe a few years later Jesus said about him about his birth.

It were better for that man if he was never born. See the contrast. Is it possible that Jesus can say about some people. It is better for that person if he was never born. He was such a nuisance. He created so many problems for so many people.

He harassed his wife continuously. She nagged her husband continued as better. Such people were not even born. They claim to be Christians. Where there was such poor witnesses for me. In their place of work in their college in their home with their neighbors with their relatives.

It was better. The person was not even born. At least my name would not have been so disgraced. Is that you or are you this one. Many will rejoice that such a man such a woman was born on this earth. And that his life.

He may not have been very popular. He may not have made a lot of money. His name may have not have come in the newspapers. He may not have been famous or whatever it is. But he was a witness for Christ and a blessing that puts us all at equal levels.

You don't have to have a degree or a qualification or money or anything. Pray this prayer Lord. How many things in my life I've messed up. But at least from now on I want many to rejoice that a man or a woman such as me was born onto this earth and he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

That's the only place where you need to be great. Make that your ambition. Don't seek to be great in the church. Don't seek to be great in the world. Don't seek to be great among your friends or your relatives or your neighbors or any such thing.

Have one passion to be great in the sight of the Lord. The world has seen great rulers like Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaohs and all who were great in the sight of men. Where are they today. Seek to be great in the sight of the Lord.

And your name will last forever and ever. Like the names of Abraham and Moses and David and Peter and Paul and John. Ordinary people farmers and fishermen seek to be great in the sight of the Lord. You know if you want to be a part of the remnant when it's ready for the coming of Christ you got to have some of these principles Lord.

I want to be great in your sight. That means more to me than anything else on the face of this earth. I don't care. And I'll tell you if you say that if you pray that prayer to God he will test you in different situations to see whether you're seeking to be great in the eyes of your boss by telling a lie by compromising by signing false statements or whether you want to be great in the sight of the Lord.

And if necessary be willing to lose your job because you refuse to tell a lie or refuse to compromise or refuse to do something wrong. Yeah you'll be tested. It's great to be signed in the Lord. He will not drink wine or liquor.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Well at his mother's womb there's a man who lives lived a very simple life. And I believe godly men always live very simple lives. It's one of the things I've noticed of almost all the godly men I've met in my life.

They live in simplicity. They don't spend too much on themselves. I don't mean they live in dress like beggars and go around and ragged torn clothes. That would be a hint to everybody. Give me some money.

So I'm not asking you to dress like that. Dress decently but don't don't follow the fashions of the world. Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And you will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

He will turn people to the Lord. Imagine if you can be one like that it says about John the Baptist in another place which is I've shown. I've told you that before that can be said about you and me at the end of our life and be really wonderful.

It's related to this passage he will turn many to the Lord their God. In John's Gospel chapter 1 these words Luke 1 John 1 says about disciples of John the Baptist. John the Baptist said in verse 35 36 he looked at Jesus and he said there is the Lamb of God.

Look care behold means look carefully at him. That's the Lamb of God. And this is the sentence I was thinking of the two disciples heard John speak and they followed Jesus. They didn't follow John. They hard heard John speak and they didn't follow John.

They followed Jesus. If that can be said of your life man young man young woman older man older woman that when people hear you speak they follow Jesus a little closer not you. Because you push them off.

You don't let them follow you. You don't let them cling to you. You shove them off then you're part of the remnant because you don't want a following. When I was a young man I read a piece of poetry I carried around with me.

I have never forgotten it. It says about a person holding a flaming torch to a beautiful painting of Jesus. And it says that as people looked at that painting they couldn't see the hand that held the flaming torch.

And from that time I was gripped with the longing to be a preacher like that that I'd hold a light and nobody would see the lamp. That's holding the light. All the hand that's holding the light they would only see Jesus.

You can be like that. We can all be like that. And the second verse said there was this trumpeter who blew the trumpet loud and clear and prepared people for the coming of the Lord. But nobody saw the trumpeter.

He just heard the trumpet voice. That's what John the Baptist was. Somebody asked him what are you. He said I'm just a voice crying in the wilderness. How many of you can honestly say Lord. I'm willing to be just a voice for you.

I just want to be on this earth. A voice and a lamp points people to you. And if they follow you that's my delight. I'll tell you something. Those are the only people whom God will use in these days to build his body.

Faithful Preaching Versus Ear-Tickling Christianity

A lot of things called the church these days which are not the Church of Jesus Christ their congregations congregations that are meant to boost a man's popularity. And so the man's got to be very careful.

And he says things that doesn't offend anybody should never never talk about hell never talk about sins that those people may be engaged in. Never talk about divorce and things like that. How evil that is how divorce equals adultery.

Don't ever talk things like that. That'll drive away people to other churches. I say let them go. We have another type of Christianity these days. Paul predicted in 2nd Timothy 4 that people will accumulate.

Preachers will tickle their ears. It's another word for psychology. Paul mentioned in 2nd Timothy 4 tickling ears psychology making people feel nice when they're living in sin. Telling people they'll go to heaven when they're on their way to hell making them twofold children of hell.

Lots of preaching like that going on today it gets huge crowds. They have plenty of money to go on television. Babylon always has plenty of money. This Jerusalem that's struggling financially but it doesn't matter because the work of Jerusalem is not dependent on money is dependent on the Holy Spirit in Babylon.

Even though the Holy Spirit disappears it won't make any difference. And they'll still continue doing God's work. What they think is God's work. That's the difference. Supposing the Holy Spirit. You know the Holy Spirit came to earth on the day of Pentecost and he comes into us and he wants to fill our lives.

John the Baptist is filled with the spirit from birth. Boy what a way to live. Supposing the Holy Spirit just quietly without making any announcement or noise left the earth and we were back in old covenant times.

My question is would you sense it. Would you sense it when he got up in the morning. Hey something missing. What happened. Oh would you get up in the morning. Carry on with the normal work and come on Sunday to the meetings.

And I think many millions of Sunday services will still continue. Missionary work will continue and requests for money will continue and reports about massive conversions and revivals will still go on.

The Holy Spirit's gone. This is the condition of Christendom today. Don't be a part of it. There were millions of Jews at least hundreds of thousands of them in Israel at that time who didn't have a clue that Jesus had come.

We're not ready for his first coming. There are lots of Christians who won't be ready for the second coming of Christ. And don't think because you come to this church you're going to be ready for the second coming of Christ.

You may not even be born again. You may have come here because your brother was came here or your sister came here or your husband came here or your wife came here. And therefore you also oozed and crept into this church without radical turning from sin and discipleship and being gripped by the calling to be a disciple of Christ.

Fathers, Children, and Preparation for the Lord

Well my duty is only to warn you. I'll tell you what our calling is as a church. Here is Luke chapter 1. He will turn people to the Lord their God. And it says in verse 17. He will go as a forerunner before Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children.

There's going to be a tremendous emphasis on the home in the true Church of God. Relationships between fathers and children. Bonding between fathers and children. And children and fathers in a day when fathers have no time for children they're busy with their work busy with entertainment busy watching television.

They have no time to bond with their children. They're not prepared for the coming of the Lord. But John the Baptist would turn the heart of the fathers back to the children so that the children don't feel lost in a wicked world.

I feel sorry for poor young people who are lost in this wicked world because their parents have no time for them. When I hear a sixteen-year-old turn to her mother and say I have no time to talk to you mom.

You had no time for me when I was five years old. I have no time for you. Now be careful bond with them when they are five years old and six and seven and eight and nine and ten. And they'll be your friends for life.

It's true. I have four boys who speak to me like a friend. I prayed from their childhood Lord. They are my children one day. I want them to be my brothers in Christ. And they are my brothers in Christ today.

I didn't speak peace peace to them. I didn't follow the principles of psychology and bringing up my children. I followed the principles of Scripture. You read them in Hebrews chapter 12. God disciplines his children because he loves them.

Dear brothers and sisters we want to be a church where fathers and children are bonded together. That's part of the last days church. The hearts of fathers and children are going to be turned to each other.

Children are going to look up to their fathers as heroes. I hope your children do. My children do. They've told me that. And when they have children they say dad if we can bring up our children the way you brought up brought us up that's good enough for us.

Your children can say that to you. I'm not boasting. I'm just saying. I'm just saying I don't want to teach something which I haven't practiced. I'm not ashamed to say follow me as I follow Christ. You should be able to say that too.

We don't want all this false humility which is oh no no don't look at me. Why shouldn't people look at you. You're supposed to be an example. Jesus said you are the light of the world. Matthew 5 16. Didn't you know that.

What do you mean being the light of the world. They don't look at me. Where they supposed to look. Then are they supposed to look at the darkness of the world. Every Christian is supposed to be the light of the world.

Imagine if Jesus went around on earth and said don't look at me he was the light of the world. He said look at me. Then he turned around his disciples and John 9 verse 5 and said as long as I'm in the world I'm the light of the world.

But I'm going. And now Matthew 5 16 you'll be the light of the world 14 to 16. There it's our responsibility. Your family life must be an example to others. Your behavior as a father and mother must be an example to your children.

That's the message on the Baptist. And he's going to turn the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous. There is an attitude of righteous man. And the message of this church the message on the Baptist preparing people for the coming of the Lord turned to the attitude of a righteous man a righteous woman.

I want to ask you do you have the attitude of a righteous person. It's not just I did one righteous thing here or one righteous thing there. The attitude of the righteous that's what I want to have. Attitude of the righteous doesn't mean you won't slip up here.

That we may slip up. I may slip up. But I've got the attitude of the righteous. That means my heart is set on going in a certain direction. And in going in that direction if I slip and fall I get up and continue going in that direction.

Turn the hearts of the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous. And thus make ready a people prepared for the Lord. We want to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. That's why the study of John the Baptist so is so important in his day.

It was one man because entire oh he was under. He was the last prophet under the Old Covenant. And under the Old Covenant God called individuals and Elijah Elisha Jeremiah and Isaiah John the Baptist.

The Church as a Corporate Witness

But as soon as you come to the pages of the New Testament and New Covenant Jesus sent out his disciples two by two. That was not there in the Old Covenant because two becomes a body. You know that you know how a body is formed in a mother's womb.

Two individual dissimilar dissimilar units becoming one. That's a body. That's why Jesus sent out people two by two and not one by one. There was no body in the Old Covenant. You don't need 2 ,000 people for a body you need to but two people who are one.

That's what makes a body in a mother's womb. Two dissimilar units becoming one. The moment they are united is the beginning of a body. They are not united. They'll float around there. There's no body.

You know that. That's how it is. That's how body is built even today. It's so similar to nature in the spiritual realm. Two dissimilar brothers or sisters coming together. Maybe a husband and wife. They come together.

They become one in Christ. Christ becomes their bond. Christ becomes in the center. That's the beginning of a body. And the devil will do everything possible to bring a miscarriage to abortion. Destroy that body.

Whether it's between husband and wife come bring division misunderstanding confusion between them. Don't think just because you don't divorce your wife or husband. You're very spiritual far from it. It's unity the Lord looks for not lack of divorce.

To say that I don't fight with my husband doesn't prove that you're united. No. I don't fight with my wife doesn't prove anything. Oneness is more than saying I don't fight. The millions of people in India about whom I can say I don't fight with them.

So what does it mean. I'm one with them. There are neighbors I've never met. I can say I don't fight with them. Or if I say hi and bye to them on the street I don't fight with them. That's not unity. Unity is where you know each other and you're one.

You know everything. You know all about each other's weaknesses strengths everything. It doesn't make a difference. I recognize I'm imperfect and the other person's imperfect. And God's unites. Two imperfect people together to be a body.

You think that baby that's born out of a mother's womb is perfect. Far from it. It's two imperfect dissimilar units that unite to become one unity. You don't have to be perfect. Perfection is only in heaven.

There's no perfect baby born on the earth. So that's that's what the Lord's looking for. And so in the Old Testament it was an individual as a prophet. In the New Testament it's the church that's going to be the forerunner the real church.

I don't mean everybody who calls himself Church but people who recognize what it is to be the body of Christ. And it says about him that he's going to come now notice this phrase in Luke 1 verse 17. He's going to come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

And that's why Elijah is a very important person to consider in the Old Testament. I want you to turn to the Old Testament the last two verses in the Old Testament Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 and 6 you see something very significant there.

The Lord says I'm going to send Elijah the prophet. The message Bible says to clear the way for the big day of God the decisive judgment day. I'm going to send Elijah the prophet to clear the way or prepare the way for the great day of God the decisive judgment day.

He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children etc. And that is the verse that Gabriel quoted in his prophecy to Zechariah the message he brought from God. This John the Baptist is the one who 350 years ago Malachi spoke about who will come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

So what was he supposed to do. What was spirit and power Elijah supposed to bring. Prepare people for the coming of the Lord. But people asked John the Baptist are you Elijah. He said oh no. And people went.

Okay. We don't know Jim. John may have been humble. He didn't want to claim anything. Are you that prophet who Moses said he'll come. No no no. I'm not. What are you. I'm just a voice. But see what Jesus said about him in Matthew chapter 11.

Jesus tells us something very interesting about this prophecy of Malachi. And what Gabriel said about John the Baptist when people from John the Baptist came to Jesus. You know John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus saying in verse 3 Matthew 11 verse 3.

Are you the expected one. Or should we look for somebody else. And Jesus said go and report to John what you see etc. And finally when they went away Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. This is the type of man who prepares people for the coming of the Lord.

This is the type of church that's going to prepare people from the coming of the Lord. What did you go out in the wilderness to see verse 7. A reed shaken by the wind. The church is never meant to be a reed shaken by the wind.

Unfortunately a lot of churches are like that. Everybody starts falling on the ground and laughing. They also start falling on the ground laughing. Some preacher in America pushes people down to the ground.

They all start pushing people to ground. This is a reed shaken by the wind. Then some strange doctrine comes up there. They follow their strange doctrine. They don't have the Bible. Jesus is not their example.

They're following some Western preacher who thought up some gimmick to gather a crowd. You don't need any gimmick when you have the Holy Spirit in God's Word. If Jesus didn't do it and the Apostles don't do it.

Didn't do it forget it. I don't care which Western preacher does it. If Jesus didn't teach it and the Apostles didn't teach it forget it. I have a fourfold test for all so-called manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Did Jesus do it. Did the Apostles do it. Did the Jesus teach it. Did the Apostles teach it. If it fails on all four counts brother you can have it. I don't want it at all. Protects me from deception. It has protected me from deception for 50 years as a believer.

Okay so here we read. He's not a reed shaken by the wind. He was steady. God wants you to be rock steady. Like unshakable. Like a house that's built on a rock foundation. Like a tree that's got deep roots.

What did you go out to see a man dressed in soft clothing who's always going shopping for clothes. They've got umpteen clothes in their cupboard. But they're still not satisfied. They want to go buy new clothes and clothes and clothes and clothes.

The Lord says there's such people not prophets. Those are kings and palaces who waste their time and don't do it. I'm not at all effective for eternity. Are you like that brother sister always shopping for clothes even though you got plenty stacked up in your cupboard.

Because you want to follow the latest style. You saw some film star some model wearing that and you want to follow that. And you want to go to the hairstylist because you saw some model having that hairstyle.