The Second Coming of Christ — David Wilkerson

The Apostasy Concerning Christ's Return

Probably one of the greatest tragedies in Christianity today, I believe, is the apostasy concerning the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I honestly believe that those among us here who are really looking for his coming and yearning for it, would be absolutely shocked at the masses in Christianity today who no longer believe in the coming of the Lord.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

Paul says more than once to Timothy, be sober, be sober, be sober, the end of the world is coming. Dear Lord, if he was coming 2 ,000 years ago, where are we tonight?

Makes me wonder if he's coming for those who are not expecting him. He said, for those who look for him shall he appear the second time without sin under salvation.

Readiness for Christ's Imminent Return

Come on, there's not much time left. I'm going into his eternal presence forever. So what if I suffer a little? What if I'm not light?

This is a motivation to holiness. It's a motivation to keeping focused on Jesus Christ, no matter what happens in your day and age. And we have a whole army of ministers in the pulpit today, creatures of peace, saying, Relax, you're okay, I'm okay, relax.

Because iniquity shall abound the love of many, so ask God. But he that endureth unto the end shall be saved, shall be saved. Who then is a faithful and wise servant? Who then is a faithful and wise servant?

Whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.

The Unfaithful Servant and Spiritual Complacency

The Bible says he began to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken. Now this servant is not eating and drinking Christ anymore. He's not into the word. He's bored with the word of God now.

He doesn't want to hear anything about the coming of the Lord because it's going to ruin his lifestyle now. Because you see, the world is creeping in, the spirit of the age is creeping in, this man's thinking is changing completely.

I've got all the time in the world. You know, a lot of Christians today are living for the devil and saying, Well, he's not coming right now anyhow, but if I get sick and before I die, I'll repent. Chances are you won't get that chance.

Are you as much in love with Jesus this morning while I'm talking to you as you were a year ago? Are you as hungry for the word of God? Or have you put Jesus on the backside of your mind? He's back here somewhere and you say, Oh yeah, I believe him, I trust him.

But you know, I've got all these things to do. I've got things in my life. And the only reason you would do that is because you really don't believe Jesus is coming soon. If you really believe Jesus is coming at any moment and you believe what he said, be ye ready.

You see, when you're not eating and feasting on Christ, you don't expect his return. You turn to the world. You turn to its filth.

Rejecting Worldly Pollution and Moral Compromise

It's time for us to love purity and stop loving the pollution that comes through the airwaves of television and radio and the smut that's being printed in magazines and books. We need to sober up and realize that God is active to save.

And by default, he is also active to judge and that there are souls perishing,.

Eating and drinking with the drunken. It means that you're eating the same food, drinking the same food that's intoxicated the world. They are intoxicated now with sports and entertainment. And not one thought of spending an hour alone with Jesus in the world.

There's nothing filthier than soap operas. Nothing. Nudity, filth, adultery, fornication. And I'm going to look you right in the eye and tell you that if you're sitting there when Jesus comes and you're watching that film, how do you expect to come out of that cesspool suddenly into the arms of Jesus?

Come on now. How do you sit there and watch those talk shows that are nothing but slop from the very pits? Absolute filth. What are you eating and drinking from that computer? Come on, what are you eating and drinking?

Who told you it's all right to slip out occasionally and go nightclubbing? Who told you that? Did that come from God? Here are your father the devil in the lust of your father you're doing. And if you can't handle it now and this gets a hold of you, no angel, nobody is going to ever break it from you.

If you start eating and drinking with the drunken, you will not make it. I say it again, you will not make it.

Sobriety, Reality, and the Coming Judgment

To be in love with the appearing is to have a sense of reality. What do I mean by reality? The judgments of God that are here and that are coming upon the earth in mass. And then the eternal judgment of God.

Most Christians are not in touch with reality.

They're not sober. There has to be a cry in you so that your children hear it. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

So the church needs a sense of sobriety. That things are not going to continue on the way they are.

If you don't have this truth burning and alive, a flame in your hearts and all, Jesus, I believe that you can come at any moment. I want to be prepared. Oh, God, by your Holy Spirit, enable me. Give me power to live for you.

The Judgment Seat of Christ and Eternal Accountability

Folks, we're going to go to the judgment seat of Christ. We're going to stand before him as believers. Some of you are going to be damned. You're not going to be saved. Lord's going to bind your hand and foot and cast into outer darkness for an eternity.

And your hell is going to be so much more terrifying than the heathen. Because the Bible says, to whom much is given, much is expected. Sadly, some of you who can look at Brother Carter, you can look at me, you say, I love my pastors.

I love these men. You're still going to hell. You're going to die and go to hell. Because you have never fully yielded. You're still not, you don't even pick this up at home. You're not into it. You never get alone with him and seek him.

You're not eating and drinking. Christ, you've not become that faithful, wise servant. You still speak doubt. You speak on belief. If you loved him and you believe he's coming, you'll run to him. The Bible says absolutely, the law is meant to bring you to such a state of helplessness and terror that you're driven to Christ and his mercy.

Conviction of Sin and Running to Mercy

And preaching like this is intended to become a law to you that exposes your laziness, exposes everything that's unlike Jesus in you to produce a holy terror that you would say, I will run to his mercy.

His mercy is for those only who have already been convicted of their sins and admit I've sinned and know that their sins are going to damn them. And once you know that, you run to Jesus and that's when his mercy is given to you.

He floods you. That's when the peace, that's when the miracle happens. And that's why there's not much conviction in the church anymore. That's why people are not really turning to the Lord with all their heart because the law of the Lord has not been laid down as a mirror to convict them of their sins.

There has to be conviction. And if you're here this morning and you're convicted, there's something turning and twisting in your heart. This wasn't to be cute this morning. This is to tell you if you've been sitting there drinking schmuck, lay it down.

I'm telling you, you're going to go to hell.

A Final Plea for Repentance and Faithfulness

Folks, this is not a game. It's your eternal soul.

And I will not stand before my maker. I'll not stand before my blessed Jesus. I tell you, I will not. And have anybody's blood on my hands. When I stand there and you there beside me, I'll let you know in all love.

Sunday morning, I preached about his coming. I talked about that stuff you were drinking. It was going to damn you. I prayed that you would turn. I begged you. I pleaded. I did everything. I used God's hand.

I used his law. I used his mercy. Oh, Brother Dave, those are old-fashioned, older techniques from a century ago. No. I don't care what anybody calls it. I'm after your soul. Are you ready to meet him now?