People Who Were Ready for Christ's Coming - Part 1 — Zac Poonen

Readiness for the Coming of Christ

We've been thinking in these days about being ready for the coming of Christ and that's what I want to share on this morning as well. Not in any theoretical way but intensely practical way so that we are actually ready.

I probably mentioned this before that when I was a young Christian and I didn't know much about the scriptures. I used to be in an assembly where our study of the coming of Christ mainly consisted of charts and you know study of what they thought was prophecy about what would happen when.

It was all very fascinating and very intellectually stimulating but it didn't help us any of us in our daily life or in our home life. And I saw that when as I grew up and I learned to study the scriptures for myself I found that even though these things are mentioned in scripture it's very difficult to be dogmatic about exactly what means what but one thing we can be sure of is how we ourselves can be ready for the coming of Christ that there's no doubt and whenever Jesus spoke about his own return people are the disciples asked him once when he when is your coming he mentioned certain signs etc.

But then he always told them about their personal life he said don't be deceived be ready be ready make sure that your hearts are not weighted down. And we saw also that there's a lot of similarity between those who were prepared for the first coming of Christ second coming of Christ.

So I wanted to look at as few people in the Old Testament in the beginning of the New Testament who knew and were ready for the first coming of Christ. There's certain things we can learn from them which can enable us to check up whether we ourselves are in that category.

You know that when Jesus came more than 99 of people in Israel who had studied the scriptures who knew that the Messiah would be coming didn't know he had come. They just didn't know. And these are not.

We're not talking about the non-jewish people who didn't have the scriptures who didn't know about the coming of the Messiah. In fact if they had studied scripture carefully not only was it written in Micah chapter 5 that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

In Daniel chapter 9 there were details given concerning exactly when the Messiah would be crucified or killed cut off a particular time from the return of the Israelites to Jerusalem from Babylon so they could even know approximately the period when he would be coming but nobody was bothered.

It's very similar to Christians today. We talk a lot about the coming of the Lord. But I believe the vast majority of believers are not ready. I mean for example if there's one human being one human being whom you have not forgiven on the face of the earth I don't care what type of believer you call yourself you are not ready for the coming of Christ.

You will not meet him when he comes. I'll tell you that right now. If you have Mike you're making no effort to give back money that you have cheated other people off. Don't fool yourself. If you're ready for the coming of Christ you can know all the doctrines theories and etc.

She are not ready. It's like that with many other things. The Bible says you should not let you let the Sun set with anger in your heart. Do you go to sleep every night with things settled between your husband your wife.

These are the things that keep us ready for Christ's coming. So that's what we proclaim. Well as you know the first person whom who knew that Jesus was going to come was Mary. When the angel appeared to her in Luke chapter 1.

Mary and God's Surprising Call

And I like the message translation here. In Luke chapter 1 and verse 28 an angel appeared to Mary who was a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph. The Virgin's name was Mary. And the Living Bible says Mary God's got a surprise for you.

I tell you God is a God of surprises for his people. He has pleasant surprises for his children. He's a God who's waiting around the corner with a surprise gift. Zephaniah 317 says he silently plans in love for his children.

You know how sometimes children silently plan a birthday party for their dad or mom or dad and mom plan some surprise for their children. God is like that God's a loving father. Mary God's got a surprise for you.

It's a good surprise. It's the most wonderful thing that you can ever think of. And I've thought why did God choose Mary in those days. I think girls would get married when they're 18 or 19 young girl.

She wasn't 50 years old or something. She was a young girl about 18 or 19 engaged to be married and from a very simple poor family in a village which didn't even have a good name. Nazareth as far as we read in scripture didn't have very good reputation.

I don't know why. Because Nathaniel one said can any good thing come out of Nazareth. So here was a young girl and remember that the promise of the Messiah was way back in the Old Testament from I mean God told Adam and Eve the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head.

So I can imagine that nobody knew when exactly he would come. But I can imagine that a lot of young girls wish that they would be the mother of the Messiah. A lot of young girls oh if I could be the mother of the Messiah how wonderful it would be.

But there was only one whom God chose. Now I want to speak especially to young sisters first because Mary was a young sister. If you were living in Israel 2 ,000 years ago you think you would have been chosen.

That's the thing you need to ask yourself. The values you have which God sees the longing you have in your heart which God sees the way you conduct yourself especially with men. The way you behave in college in office.

Would God pick on you and say that's the type of girl I want to be the mother of my son. That's a very good question to ask yourself. If I had a daughter that's what I would have told her right from the time she could understand.

Compare yourself with Mary. I sometimes fear that Protestants have reacted against the Roman Catholic worship of Mary to the extent that they've just thrown her overboard and feel that. It's not good to think too much about her character.

No we don't worship her. But it's very rare to find an 18 19 year old gold girl in Scripture who could. Whom God Almighty could pick searching all over Israel with all these people longing to be the mother of the Messiah that God picks on one.

There's no partiality with God. No when he picks on someone to serve him and he doesn't pick on you that could be a reason. Maybe he's seen something in that person he never saw in you. Not. Cleverness.

I don't think Mary was the cleverest. I don't think she came first in her class. I don't think she was the prettiest. No God wasn't conducting a beauty contest. What do you think he looked for in Mary.

Inner Adornment and the Character God Values

You know the Bible tells us if you compare Scripture with Scripture the Bible says there's something in women that God looks for which is very precious in his eyes. You read it in 1 Peter and chapter 3.

1 Peter chapter 3 it speaks of an eternal imperishable quality. Of course it's a great quality to be found in men too. But especially in women where he's talking about women in 1 Peter chapter 3 he says don't let your at verse 3.

1 Peter 3 verse 3 don't let your adornment be external. You know with your hair and jewelry and dress. You know hair and jewelry and dress are very important for a lot of women. It was true 2 ,000 years ago.

It's true today. But the Bible says don't let your adornment be that primarily but an inner thing. Your adornment should be hidden. He's not saying that you shouldn't comb your hair or you shouldn't wear any you know expensive clothes.

I think most of us have clothes that are far more expensive than what poor people in the villages have. And we're not here to be legalists to make rules on that. But I would say this that do you place more value on the state of your spirit than on your clothes.

Then you're okay. You know when you are careful about the selection of your shoes and your clothes and careful about the way you make yourself attractive with your hair and all. That's okay. But are you as careful with your spirit.

Do you spend as much time before God as you do with making up your face. That's a pretty searching question. And that will reveal to you what your true values are. Nobody knows that. But you. And then you ask yourself you think Mary was spending so much time more time.

I'm sure that Mary was neatly dressed. I'm sure she combed her hair she wore decent clothes and etc. But I think God was more important to her than all these things. And then compare yourself and ask yourself dear young sisters are you ready for the coming of the Lord.

Yeah was one of those young women was ready. God saw those the type of young girls God wants in the last days. I believe all women married and unmarried must be neatly dressed. They must be attractive.

And because God's made us to be like that. I don't believe in being shabby or ugly or and anything that helps you in that is okay. But make your inner adornment more important. Then ask yourself are you more like Mary.

Or are you more like one of these models that appear on television or in the newspaper advertisements. Who do you seek to fashion yourself after you can be religious. You may be very good at singing. And there are people who are choir leaders women in different churches who have a lot of prominence.

I don't think my God would have chosen any of them. But here it says 1 Peter 3 the imperishable quality verse 4 of a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God. I believe that's what Mary had.

It's always been precious in God's eyes throughout the centuries. I think when he made Eve he wanted Eve to have this precious quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. Quiet spirit doesn't mean she never talks.

There's some people some women who don't talk who don't have a gentle spirit or a quiet spirit. They're pretty agitated. They just have the ability they're good at yoga. To keep it all inside doesn't mean a thing.

I'm talking about a spirit that's at rest in God a meek and a quiet spirit. I would urge you to value that God has got many pleasant surprises for such young girls. You'll be ready for the coming of Christ.

And you know she had this. She was given a promise which of course no other woman can ever had get that she was going to be the mother of Messiah. And she was a simple girl. She said how can this be. I mean I've never known any man.

She kept herself pure and said how can this be. See what the Holy Spirit what the angel said the Holy Spirit will come upon you. Dear young girls seek for that. We can't have Christ. You can't have Christ physically born through you.

That's already done. But you can. Christ can be born in you in your character. Paul when writing to the Galatians he said I'm like a mother in travail until Christ is formed in you. So it's right for us to use that expression spiritually as well that like the body of Jesus was physically formed in Mary's womb that the character of Christ can be formed in your heart.

How will that be. It's not going to be by your determination or your gritting your teeth. It's going to be when the Holy Spirit you allow the Holy Spirit to come and fill you take control of you completely and you say to him Lord get rid of from my life everything that displeases you anything in my life that's more valuable than Jesus.

I lay on the altar. Yeah. God can do amazing things. He wants young girls in these days to be ready for his coming. And when he has found such young girls very often if it is his will he will also have some young man ready to marry.

Joseph's Righteousness and Refusal to Disgrace Mary

He had Joseph ready to marry Joe to Mary she was. He wasn't a very rich man or a clever man. He was just a carpenter. I mean socially economically equal to Mary. And that's usually how God does it. God usually unites people who are more or less on the same level economically educationally socially etc.

But the thing I appreciate about Joseph I'm a thing that strikes me. Isn't. That's the second person we see was ready who knew about the coming of Christ. And we looked at Mary. Let's look at Joseph in Matthew chapter 1 it says here the first thing mentioned about Joseph in the New Testament is I like that the Holy Spirit says verse 19 he was a righteous man.

Matthew 1 19 he was a righteous man. Now I want to speak to young men. That's what must be said about you. If you want to be ready for the coming of the Lord that the Holy Spirit can look at you and say not.

You're a clever man. Do you want that reputation. Do you want a reputation in the church that you're a clever man. You want a reputation that you're a great preacher. Joseph. I don't think he could preach better than most of us here.

Many of you are better preachers than Joseph. And if you know more of the scriptures than Joseph but he was a righteous man. The Holy Spirit says first person mentioned in the New Testament is a righteous man.

Long for that. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will be satisfied. They'll be filled. And if you're not more righteous and more holy today the reason is that God saw you didn't desire to be more righteous or holy.

All of us are going to be as holy as we want to be. If I'm not more holy today it's because God seen that I'm not so desirous to be more holy. Every one of us will acquire as much holiness as we passionately desire because of God's Word.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They'll be filled. You know you go to the petrol station petrol bunk and ask them to give you five liters. They'll give you five liters. You want to pay only for that.

You go and say I want 20 liters. Okay then you put your 20 liters in your car. Somebody else says go and fill her up. He gets filled up. It's like that you get from God. You say Lord I'm willing to pay the price only for five liters.

Okay you get five liters. That's all you have. And somebody else says Lord fill me up. I'm willing to pay the price. I know it's gonna cost a lot but I'm willing to pay the price. Jesus said sit down and count the cost.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They'll be filled. I'll tell you this. That's why I say we're all filled according to how much we were willing to pay the price. If you're not more righteous you don't overcome certain sins in your life.

Still it's because deep down you're not willing to pay the price to overcome that anger or that lust or something else. Joseph was a righteous man according to his level in the Old Covenant. Now I want you to notice the context in which he says he was a righteous man.

It says here in verse 18 that before he was married to Mary he discovered that she was pregnant. I don't know how he discovered it. Maybe he just observed. And after a few months after the baby was beginning to be formed in her womb he discovered him.

This girl I'm engaged to is pregnant now. You know whenever we hear or observe according to our understanding we use when we see something or hear something we all have a tendency like the children of Adam to judge according to what our eyes have seen and our ears have heard some.

It is worse than that we go by hearsay some information that came second hand or third hand or 50th hand. We heard it and usually twisted and warped by the time that information came to us we believe it.

And if we are stupid people we will be the 51st person to go and tell somebody else that. And that's how a lot of believers are. But some others are a little better. They say I heard it with my own ears or I saw it with my own eyes.

Do you know Jesus was even better than that says about Jesus in Isaiah chapter 11 a wonderful verse which I would recommend all of you who want to follow Jesus seek to follow. I'm not saying this as one who has never made a mistake in this area.

I've made numerous mistakes in this area but I've learned a lesson Isaiah 11 and speaking about the prophecy of the Spirit resting upon Jesus in verse 2 and he would fear the Lord. And one of the marks of the fear of the Lord in verse 3 how do we know whether you reverence God or not.

Here's a good test. He would never judge by what his eyes saw or make a decision by what his ears heard. But with righteousness he would judge. We can judge by what our eyes see and our ears hear. That's one way of judgment.

The whole race of Adam does it like that I said some are worse than that. They go by hearsay. But Jesus would judge with righteousness and say yeah. I saw that I heard it. But it may not be exactly as I saw.

May not be exactly as I heard. There may be another reason which I don't understand. You know that our eyes deceive us. Do you know that our senses are deceiving us all the time. We don't even realize it.

Have you heard the story of the two little boys who were watching the sunset. And one boy the older boy the clever one 10 years old. They're usually quite clever when they're 10 said to his four-year-old younger brother see the Sun was there in the East.

Now it's here in the West. The Sun has moved. And the little boy said no. You remember what daddy told us. And the Sun doesn't move. It's the earth under our feet that's moving. And the older boy the clever one the ten-year-old he said no.

I saw with my own eyes the Sun's here now and I never felt the earth moving under my feet. I believe what I see. The four-year-old said I believe daddy you know who was wise. Listen to your heavenly father.

He's always right. Don't judge by what your eyes see or your ears hear. But Joseph he was not in that level yet. The Holy Spirit hadn't come upon him like it comes upon us. So you couldn't blame him for judging.

This girl is pregnant. There's only one way that women get pregnant from the time of Eve. That's when they have had a relationship with a man. But it's an absolute scandal. You know in the Old Testament.

I don't know whether you know the rule the law was if a woman was engaged becomes pregnant. She has to be killed. That was a law the law of Moses. That's the way God kept Israel pure in those days. She has to be killed.

You got to bring her to the elders talk about her. Joseph didn't do that. He had something of the Spirit of Christ. Who when a woman caught in adultery was brought before her him. He said no don't. Whoever's without sin.

Throw the first stone. Here was a woman whom Joseph thought had been in adultery brought before him. And he wouldn't throw a stone. That's why he's called a righteous man. When you don't throw stones at people being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her.

What's the mark of a righteous man. First mention of a righteous man in the New Testament. What is the mark of that man. He does not want to disgrace other people. He does not want to expose other people's sins.

Covering Sin, Guarding Speech, and Treating Others Well

Love covers a multitude of sins. Joseph did it before that verse was written in 1 Peter 4. Wonderful. And he wanted to send her away secretly. He said well okay maybe she slipped up. Remember he's got no idea.

This is the Holy Spirit. He's okay. Maybe she slipped up. I always knew she was a good girl. I've known her for some time and she's really God-fearing. I don't know maybe she was raped or I don't know what happened.

But I don't want to disgrace her. I want to cover up the whole thing and send her away secretly so nobody knows about it. I don't feel it's right for me to marry her. But maybe somebody else can. It's okay.

Maybe the man who had a relationship with her. Maybe she can go marry him because this is not my child. You see the mark of the first righteous man mentioned in the New Testament. And that's a good thing for all of us men and women to ask ourselves.

Is this how we behave when we hear what we think. Is the truth about somebody else something evil. You know we have a nature that would rather spread bad things we hear about other people than good things we hear about other people.

That's part of Adam's nature. Jesus has come to change all that. He's come to change all that so that we'd rather speak about the good things that we hear about other people. What does it mean to turn the world upside down.

Like we read in Acts 17. Christ has come to turn actually the world right side up. The world is already upside down. Right side up means that we behave the opposite way that everybody else behaves. Everybody else is gonna spread bad stories of others.

We're gonna spread good stories about others. And of course as we long as we live in this world we will hear a lot of evil things. We will see a lot of evil things. And we just let it die with us. It's good to be like that.

You know in my position as an elder in a church there are many many people who've come and told me things. Not even my wife will hear about it. Not even my fellow elders will hear about it. It dies with me and not only dies with me.

I asked the Lord Lord. I know I can't forget this thing I heard by tomorrow. But in a couple of years can you take it out of my memory as well or let it sink so low in my memory that I won't even know what this person came and told me.

I won't remember it. And many a time I found God's answered my prayer. Somebody comes and tells me brother Zack you remember. I told you that two or three years ago I said did you. I don't even remember it.

I said Lord you answered my prayer. You know why. Because if I don't keep my mind pure I won't be able to receive God's Word. And that's so important for me because the Bible says man shall live by the Word of God.

And in my position it's also important for other people to whom I have to give that word. So I don't know about you. But I've got to keep my mind absolutely pure. And I'll tell you this keep your mind pure too.

You can bless the people who come to your home. You can bless the people you talk to in your office with a word from God the word in season. This is how we're going to be ready for the coming of Christ.

We're talking about people who knew about the first coming of Christ. We're people talking about people to whom God speaks and reveals himself. We're talking about people to whom for whom God has pleasant surprises around the corner.

I want to be one of those. He was a righteous man. He didn't want to disgrace her. Will you pray a little prayer. I'm not asking you to take a decision. You can take a decision. You've taken many decisions in your life and which you have never kept resolutions etc.

It's much better instead of taking a decision to pray a prayer. Lord help me never to disgrace anybody by my words by my gossip. If I gossip something let it be something good about someone. I've spent enough years gossiping bad things.

Now let me put something on the other side of the balance which is so heavily tilted in the wrong direction right now let me put some good gossip on the other side of the balance so that I can make up for all the years where I have been spreading bad things not wanting to disgrace her and trying to hide up.

Hide the whole thing God wants to reveal reveal its let him do it. That's been my position even concerning people whom we've had to discipline in this church in the past. It's fortunately it's only been two or three in 33 years.

But I wouldn't tell people about the reason fully even when they have accused me of being hard towards them. I told them I'm a Christian and I will not disgrace you. I will not hurt your family. No I'm a Christian.

Even if you don't behave like a Christian I'm still a Christian. So I tell you God's blessed me because God treats us as we treat other people. Please remember this. God will treat you the way you treat others.

And God's been very good to me. I want to be very good to others. He is hidden my sins. I want to hide the sins of others. Hasn't he hidden your sins. My brother sister things that you did in your life which you'd be ashamed of.

Other people knew about how God is that he's hidden it all be like that to others. Yeah. And to such a person it says the angel appeared in a dream. The Lord of the angel of the Lord verse 20 appeared in a dream and said Joseph don't be afraid because it's not as you thought.

This is of the Holy Spirit. I know it's never happened before. It was the first time in history it's happened. But it has happened the most unbelievable thing. Joseph had to believe it because God told him now.

Waiting Before Acting and Receiving God's Guidance

Wasn't it good that he didn't put her away. Wasn't it good that he thought about it that he didn't immediately act. Oh how many mistakes we have made when we think something immediately go and do something instead of waiting.

It's a good thing. Joseph waited. It's it says here that you know this is something the Lord spoke to me once when I was reading Matthew chapter 5 chapter 1 I think it's a living Bible or somewhere where it says.

Or even in the message Bible it says he was trying to he was trying to figure a way out. It says verse 20. He had considered this. He was trying to figure out. Now how shall I cover this whole thing up.

And how shall I put away Mary with least exposure. With zero exposure. And he was he was thinking about that and thinking about that and thinking about doing good to Mary and went to sleep. And he had a dream.

And what the Lord spoke to me is in those last moments before you go to bed what are you thinking about. Think about doing good to somebody. Then you'll have some good dreams. Like Joseph had a good dream.

I really spoke to my heart because I know in my past years how my foolishness I'm just like you being a child of Adam with a flesh like anybody else's many a time we lie down in bed. And before we go to bed we're not thinking good thoughts about somebody else.

Maybe somebody harmed you don't. You think Joseph thought Mary had harmed him cheated on him. What is worse than a woman engaged to be married cheating on your fiancee with another man. And here was this man before the day of Pentecost a man who didn't know the New Testament or any of those things.

Thinking as he went to bed how can I cover this whole thing up. He was a righteous man and such. And he had a dream. A dream where God revealed something to him. And I said Lord I want to have dreams at night.

Dreams of the kingdom dreams where you speak to me. But then if you want dreams like that before you go to bed you have to think good thoughts about others. Take that as a word from the Lord. And if you don't believe me try it out.

Do some homework and see if it works. I tell you it does. What do you gain. What have you gained in all these years of dreaming. When you ever go gone to bed thinking bad thoughts about others you haven't gained much.

Have you. You got only one life. Brother sister coming of the Lord is near. Don't waste it. Let's be ready for the coming of Christ. This is a man to whom God revealed Jesus is gonna be born the Messiah.

You've been waiting for all your life Joseph. He's gonna be born. And he's gonna be born through the woman whom you chose to be your wife. Why did God choose Joseph. Why does God choose young people today.

He sees something in them of uprightness of goodness and righteousness as a result of the whole. In other words they've responded to the Holy Spirit not in their unconverted state. In the unconverted state we are all evil.

We could be as bad as the thief on the cross. It doesn't matter. We could be like prostitute like some prostitutes who are converted. We could be evil in so many ways. But we're cleansed and forgiven.

And God says I don't remember your past anymore. But after we are cleansed and after we have given ourself to Christ how is it then. God's looking for young people who are righteous who treat other people the way God has treated them who are kind and gracious and merciful to others.

And who when they go to bed at night they're thinking of how to do some good to somebody else. What a blessed way to live. Imagine if from today onwards every single night you went to bed thinking about how to do some good to someone.

I tell you between now and the end of this year you'll have some pretty interesting dreams. Mark my word. You'll hear God speaking to you. He will. And it won't be like the dreams that a lot of these false prophets go around saying it'll be God himself.

You know. So that's the second person has a lot we can think about it. But again you find a mention here of the Holy Spirit. That's the point of the number of these cases of people who are ready for the coming of the Lord.

You see a reference to the Holy Spirit. That's what I want you to notice. Mary the Holy Spirit will come upon you here. The angel tells Joseph that this which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

And he's going to save his people from their sins. The first promise in the New Testament was given to Joseph. The first promise in the Bible that somebody would not only forgive your sin but give you victory over sin was given to a young man Joseph who treated other people the way God treated him.

You can hear that word from God. Jesus can save you from your sins when you are like Joseph. And it says here when he got up verse 24 he just did as the Lord commanded him. He said that's fine. I won't ask any more questions.

Lord. I'm not even going to ask Mary how did this all happen. I want to check up. No need to check up. No need to check up anything. He got up and said Mary we're gonna get married. I accept you. Isn't that wonderful.

Zachariah and Elizabeth: Righteousness Across Generations

Now. Another example I want to show you now is of those who were informed about the coming of the Lord. Number three is Zachariah and Elizabeth. In Luke chapter 1 again we read about these. You see these.

They were informed of the that they would have a child and that would be John the Baptist who would be the forerunner for the coming of the Messiah. So they knew the coming of the Messiah is pretty soon.

And it says here that in Luke chapter 1 there was this priest verse 5 named Zacharias and her and his wife is Elizabeth. And again see what it says about them. They were both righteous in the sight of God.

These are the people to whom God spoke and prepared them for the first coming of Christ. And we can learn something from them. These are the type of people whom God will have on earth will be ready and alert for the second coming of Christ.

They were righteous not in the sight of men. Oh that's worthless. Not even righteous in their own eyes. The Pharisees were like that. It says here this wonderful phrase. They were righteous in the sight of God.

I want that to be said about me at a much higher level than Zacharias because he was under the Old Covenant righteous in the sight of God Almighty God my father. Please certify that about me. Pray that prayer.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst. And they'll be walking blamelessly. That doesn't mean they were perfect. Blameless means they were not consciously making a mistake. And there according to the level of light they have which is much less than what we have according to their level of light they got a hundred percent.