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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/alex-dryburgh/wake-up-cheer-up-stand-up-caught-up/
Her brother, Bruce, this morning, read from Romans chapter 12. Her brother, Larry, read from Romans 14 and 15, so I better read from Romans chapter 13. One verse from Romans 13, verse 12. Romans 13, verse 12.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Second reading in Philippians chapter 4, Paul's letter to the Philippians, and we're going to read in chapter 4.
Philippians 4 and verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be made known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 1 Peter chapter 4, 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 7. The end of all things is at hand.
Be ye therefore sober, watch unto prayer, and above all things have fervent charity or love amongst yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sin. Final reading in the epistle to James in chapter 5. James chapter 5, verse 8.
Be ye also patient, establish your heart. And the Revised says, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. I'm sure the Lord will bless what we have heard, and also this reading from his good word. The thought in Romans chapter 13 is, wake up.
It is high time to awake out of your sleep. So the thought in Romans chapter 13 is, wake up. The thought in Philippians chapter 4 is, cheer up. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice, cheer up.
I remember listening to the late Arnold Adams and he said this, far too many Christians are enduring their Christianity instead of enjoying their Christianity. I wonder today, dear child of God, are you enduring your Christianity or are you enjoying your Christianity?
Cheer up. When I come to 1 Peter chapter 4, stand up, be sober. The end of all things is at hand, and Peter says, be sober. And then when I come to James chapter 5, the thought is, caught up. The dead in Christ are going to rise first, and we which are alive and remain, we're going to be caught up in clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
So remember, wake up, cheer up, stand up, be sober, and you and I someday we're going to be caught up. Caught up, no wings required. Caught up by love inspired. But again, as I consider those four verses that we have read today, I want you to notice what we've read this afternoon.
First of all, the day is at hand. Secondly, the Lord is at hand. Thirdly, the end of all things is at hand. And then finally, the coming of the Lord is at hand. Let me say this, there's one thing better than knowing doctrine, and we heard it last night at the prayer meeting, and we've heard it already today.
There is one thing better than knowing doctrine. We've to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. And quoted this morning already was the words of the Lord Jesus, if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Now let's think of those four things today very quickly. The day is at hand. What's the day in Romans chapter 13? It's the day of Christ. It's the day when the Lord Jesus will return to take his waiting, watching, working people home.
Now many things mark that day. First of all, it's going to be a day of reunion. Dead saints are going to be raised. Living saints are going to be changed. And together we're going to be caught up in clothes to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
It's going to be a day of reunion. Secondly, it's going to be a day of rejoicing. You remember what the apostle said in the Philippian epistle, was it? That I might rejoice in the day of Christ. That I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.
It's going to be a day of rejoicing. What do we sometimes sing? What a day that will be, when my Savior I shall see. And it's going to be a day of rejoicing. It's going to be a day of happiness for the people of God.
We've heard already twice today. It's going to be a day of review. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ in our true color, not what we think we are, and not what others think we are, but what we really are.
We must all appear, be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ. But then fourthly, it's going to be a day of reward. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge shall give me in that day.
But not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing. The day is at hand. Now the question might be asked, in the light of the day is at hand, what should mark you and I? Listen to what it says.
We've to cast off the works of darkness, and we've to put on the armor of light. Our brother reminded us this morning about Amalek, and I want to speak to every young Christian this afternoon. We have a threefold enemy.
We have the flesh, we have the world, and we have the devil. Let me ask you a question. Did you ever notice in the chapters where we read about the enemy, we read about an armor? Now let's think of three chapters very quickly.
I want you to think of Romans 13. I want you to think of Ephesians chapter 6, and I want you to consider 2 Corinthians 6. Now the question is this, what is the enemy in Romans 13? It's the flesh. Listen to one verse.
The last verse of the chapter says this, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh. But do I read about an armor in Romans 13? Listen to my verse. Cast off the works of darkness, put on the armor of light.
The armor of light. Come now to Ephesians chapter 6. I read about the wiles of the devil. I read about the fiery darks of the wicked one. I read about an evil day. But in Ephesians 6 I read those words, put ye on the whole armor of God.
An armor of light for the flesh. In Romans chapter 13, the whole armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6. But then I come to 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and I read a verse like this. Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
Do I read about an armor in 2 Corinthians 6? Listen to what it says. I read about the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. And I want to speak to every young person in the building today and every older person in the building today.
We're only safe against the flesh if we have on the armor of light. We're only safe against the devil if we have on the whole armor of God. And we're only safe against the world if we have on the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.
So remember, the day is at hand. Now secondly, very quickly, the Lord is at hand. Now I don't know what you believe on that phrase, I'm going to tell you what I believe. The Lord is near. The Lord is close by.
The Lord is at your elbow. Remember that verse in Isaiah? He is near that justifies me. Let's think of this verse now. Let your yieldedness, let your moderation, let your gentleness, let your forbearance, let your forgiving spirit be made known unto all men.
The Lord is at hand. The Lord is standing by. I'm going to take one expression. Let your forgiving spirit be made known unto all men. The Lord is standing by. What's one of the worst things a person could possess?
And if you forget all I say, will you remember this? It's an embittered spirit. Am I speaking to one here this afternoon? And you've got an embittered spirit. It hinders spiritual growth. And it divides the assemblies of God's people, an unforgiving spirit.
Let me say this. We'll only forgive in the measure we keep in mind we have been forgiven. And I could prove that one from the Bible. You remember Colossians 1? Do you remember Colossians 2? Do you remember Colossians 3?
You might say to me this afternoon, what is Colossians 1? Listen to it. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin. I'm forgiven by Christ in Colossians chapter 1. I come to Colossians chapter 2.
I read a verse like this, who forgiveth us all our trespasses. So have you got it? I'm forgiven by God, by Christ in Colossians chapter 1. And I'm forgiven by God in Colossians chapter 2. What do I read in Colossians chapter 3?
We've to forbear one another. And we have to forgive one another, even as Christ in God has forgiven us. So remember the Lord is standing by. Don't have an embittered spirit, but have a forgiving spirit.
The end of all things is at hand. Let me say three things here very quickly. There are people who live in the past, right? There are people that live in the past. There are people that live in the present, and there are people that live for the future.
Now let's think of those three classes of people. There are people that live in the past. What do they speak about? Well, you know what they speak about. They speak about the good old days. And you mark my words, they were good old days.
Days when the power of God was known. Days when the presence and the power of the Spirit of God was known. They were good old days. But you know what marks those people? They are fault finders. Fault finders.
It's easy to find fault. You know, they'll find fault with you and I because they found fault with the Lord Jesus. Remember Martha? Dost thou not care? You remember the disciples? Carest thou not that we perish?
You remember Simon? If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him. For she is a sinner. Man by the name of William Harrison might mean nothing to anyone here today.
But William Harrison once said this. It is given to few men to be true critics. The majority are only fault finders. And it's so easy to find fault. There are people that live in the past. But then secondly, there are people that live in the present.
A farmer from Iowa, I won't mention his name. A farmer from Iowa once said this. There's only one rich farmer and you read about him in the Bible. The rich young farmer. What marked that rich young farmer?
Three things. He thought about time. He never thought about eternity. He thought about his body. He never thought about his soul. He thought about self. And he never thought about God. Listen to what the Lord said about him.
Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. And two shall those things be which thou has provided. If I'm living in the past, I'll be a fault finder. If I'm living for the present, I'll be a fool.
If I'm living for the future, I will be faithful. Now search our hearts this afternoon. Are we living in the past? Are we living in the present? Or are we living for the future? You remember Hebrews chapter 11?
Abraham, listen to what it says. He looked for a city which had foundation, whose builder and maker is God. You remember Moses, the choice he made? Why did Moses make the choice that he did make? He looked to the ultimate, not to the immediate reward.
He looked unto the recompense of reward. But finally, the coming of the Lord is at hand. In the light of the Lord's coming, three things should mark us. We should be patient, we should be pure, and we should be pleasing.
We should be patient. Our brother Bert mentioned James 5, spoke about the husbandmen marked by patience. Then you read about the prophets, you read about their sufferings, you read about their patience.
And then you read about the patience of Job. So in the light of the Lord's coming, be patient, establish your heart. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, we should be patient. Secondly, we should be pure.
He that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. In the light of the Lord's coming, you and I should be pure. When I come to 1 Thessalonians 4, and in the light of the Lord's coming, I should be pleasing.
I should be pleasing Godward. I should be pleasing saintward. I should be pleasing selfward, and I should be pleasing manward. So remember, the day is at hand. The Lord is at hand. The end of all things is at hand, and the coming of the Lord is at hand.