Introduction to Hebrews — Martin Geehan

The Second Coming as the Great Theme of Scripture

I would like to, if I might this morning, continue some themes that I have been speaking to you on, especially in reference to the second coming of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ. The second coming is the great doctrine of Scripture outside of the atonement.

The atonement is number one because the atonement is that which will privilege us to take part in the second coming. But the second coming of Christ is by far mentioned more times than the atonement. It is said by those who do counting that every twenty-four verses in the Bible mentions the second coming of Jesus Christ.

So this becomes the great theme of Scripture, and yet, of course, it is neglected by most churches. It is neglected by, naturally, the modernist churches. They have nothing to do with the second coming of Christ.

They would pass it all aside and they never would read the book of Revelation, although the book of Revelation in the first chapter tells us that those shall be blessed who read just read the book. I challenge Christians to take hold of that promise that is given, that whosoever reads that book shall be wonderfully blessed.

Hebrews 1 and the Hope of Christ’s Kingdom

And so, beloved, when I think of that second coming of Christ just as an off start, a start from the side, for I am using Hebrews 1, the tenth to the twelfth verses, as the off beginnings, in other words, this area where it speaks about the creation and then the final folding up of the earth, taking in all of man's history in three verses, I am referring back now to the second coming of Christ, which is most important, because this is going to bring us into the great kingdom of God for all eternity.

This is that which you and I long for if we are really born-again Christians. Let me tell you, every born-again Christian is yearning for the coming of Jesus Christ, and you can judge about your new birth.

Well, this is the great cry of the church. The early church was all wrapped up in the coming of Jesus Christ. They yearned for the coming of the Lord Jesus. It was so important to them that Christ was coming soon.

And as a matter of fact, when you get to the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, the first verse tells us, God hath spoken unto us. This is, remember now, when Paul wrote the book of Hebrews back around 75 A .D., anywhere between 69 and 75.

But when he wrote that, he said, God hath spoken unto us in these last days. Now we're in the last days. From that day on, it's been the last days. It is a period of great culmination, the period of all of the solidification of all the prophetic utterances, so that the time would come when the true Christian would be able to say, I can discern the signs of the times because I know what the seasons are.

And God says, if I know the seasons, I ought to be able to see the signs of the times. And you hardly have to get beyond your daily newspaper to recognize that Christ is coming soon. Everything you read, you read about the Church, its corrupt condition.

You read about Israel back in the land. You hear great politicians and statesmen say, Vietnam is not our problem, it's Israel and the Arabs. That's our problem. While the cauldron is boiling, and I think God is keeping our eyes off that, and getting the world involved with Vietnam, which means nothing.

Prophecy, Communism, and the Church’s Mission

I believe that the preaching against Communism is a fruitless venture. Let the politicians take care of this. This is not my job from this pulpit. I could preach ten sermons on Communism and I hear them on television, I hear them on radio.

This is not the salvation of souls. The prime concern of the Church of Jesus Christ is the salvation of souls. And I believe that while we're preaching on Communism in Russia, we are bucking our heads against a prophetic wall that can't be broken.

The powers of the Northern Confederacy are set by God to descend upon Israel. And you can preach and you can teach about Communism, and we've got to beat it, and you're not going to beat it. Why? Because it's in God's prophetic plan that the powers of the Northern Confederacy shall descend upon Jerusalem to take a spoil, and then God says, and then shall my wrath come up in my eyes, and I will send a fire from heaven and devour them and deliver my people.

So why should we waste our time preaching against Communism? If I bring Russia into the picture, it's not because it's Communistic, it's because it's Russia. It's because I feel that prophecy has clear references to Russia.

I'm not going to go into that now. I will go into it, but it has clear reference to Russia. And there's not a bit of doubt that the future, already predetermined by God, young people, old people, older ones, why do I pray as I pray, God, put a passion in this people's hearts?

The Urgency of Prayer in the Last Days

The time is short, and here we claim to be born again. We never acted. We have families that have problems. We have families that have problems between husbands and wives, families that have problems between them and their children, unsaved loss.

They never get to a prayer meeting and have never prayed with their brethren or opened their hearts and say, pray for my son. Instead, they hold that silent little secret in their hearts, and they've got a myriad of brethren and sisters who could pray their hearts out with them, and there's no yearning, no passion.

It's as though we've got a lifetime. We're going to die and go to the grave, and maybe the kids will get saved in our death. Well, maybe they will. Maybe you'll live that long. I don't know. I couldn't help but think when I went down the other day to see Barbara Fritchison's father had died, and I tell you, I missed them.

I was there for an hour and a half, and unfortunately I didn't get to see them, but I did get to talk to the brother. I think God intended I should talk with the brother, and I tell you, my heart rejoiced because his father died, and that morning he got saved.

The preacher led him to Jesus. That dad had prayed all his life, and when I let him talk, and all he talked to me about was Jesus and how wonderful it was to know him as Savior, and he didn't know it.

I knew that he'd just come, and I was rejoicing in Christ and thinking of that father who had prayed and prayed and borne a great witness for the Lord Jesus, and I said to him, Tom, why not take up your father's life?

A few tears came, and he said, I'm going to do all that I can to do it. So pray for him. Pray for him, but I can't help but think that these are the things, beloved, if you really believe that Christ is coming soon, that all of the signs point to his coming, if you have burdens, if you have needs, if you have family, and is there any family that doesn't have needs, that doesn't have loved ones outside of Jesus Christ, that doesn't have a need in their own little family life?

Your life is secret to God in many ways, but oh, you have brothers and sisters that you should be sharing some of your burdens with, and you should be praying with mothers for the children and husbands and fathers and all of this.

Why do we have a prayer meeting but for this reason? God has said, Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. And I want to tell you, he didn't mean Sunday morning worship.

He meant prayer first, because when the disciples met in the early church, it says they went from house to house and prayed, prayed and broke bread together. So, beloved, if we recognize these things, we should truly be yearning that we might please God in every way we can in these last days.

And what I say for parents, I say for young people, I'm glad that I have so many young people who come out to prayer meetings. It's a thrill to my heart. I want you to know that, young people. You thrill my heart to come out to prayer meetings.

My wife can tell you that. When I'm on the way home in the car, I think the first thing I mention is, Isn't it great to see the young people? So come, come, pray together, yearn together. Christ is coming soon.

Holiness and Separation from Worldly Influences

Every sign points to it. And I just want to read this portion, have a few words with you from the epistle of Paul to Timothy, where I would remind you, over in 1 John, the third chapter, I'm going to read the first three verses.

This is the area that tells you why your life should be lived godly right now as never before. Listen, you should be separated from the world, beloved. You should be separated from all the alcohol that's ever been put in it.

And you know me, I never preach on these things. I never go into long extensions. But beloved, I am saying that this is a day for purity as never before. Separate yourself from anything that would not please the Holy Spirit.

And I can assure you, I remember the man I dealt with on this. And when I said it to him, he was horrified. But since then, there's been a changed life. When he said to me, I enjoy my drinking. And I said to him, I tell you this, are you born again?

He said, I am. I said, I tell you this. Here's what I want you to do. The next time you go to take a drink, I said, does the Holy Spirit dwell in you? He said, yes, the Holy Spirit dwells in me. I said, the next time you want to drink, does he really dwell in you?

He said, yes, he dwells in me. I said, then you have to say to him, Holy Spirit, do you want a drink? And I said, if the Holy Spirit says yes, go right ahead. And that's the true test. Not preaching on drinking.

It's not being those who are part of a temperance league. I'm not concerned with this. It's knowing who you are, that you are a son of God. You have joined yourself to the most holy thing of all, to our Lord Jesus Christ, to that Holy One.

You are joined to him. And now it is Christ in you, your hope on glory. And so our bodies, what does Paul say? What? Know you not that your body is the temple of God? I didn't tell you the other part, I said to him.

I said, I'll tell you what I want you to do. Next Sunday, I want you to bring a bottle of beer into the congregation. And I want you to sit down in the front pew. And while I'm preaching, I want you to drink it.

Oh, he says, that's sacrilegious. I said, is it? I said, let me tell you something. This brick and this stone is not the temple of God. You are. You tell me that you wouldn't do it here, and yet into the temple of God?

You would do this? He said, I'm horrified. Don't say another word. That man is here this morning. And that man is one of the best witnesses there is for Jesus Christ. Just a matter of comprehension. It's a matter of understanding.

Living as Sons and Daughters of God

It's a matter of knowing who you are. Are you a child of God? Are you really? Are you really a son of God? Are you? Then let's live like the sons of God. Let's live like the sons of God. Why, you're chasing your children for little things.

And then remember that it is God now who is our Father by faith in Jesus Christ. So as I read this, notice what God says here. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

When you read, do you, do you, you know, when I read, I stop and I say, Lord help me to understand. This is a tremendous statement. God help me to understand it. I know my children are my children. I know my son is my son.

I know that it required a birth. I know how I feel about them. I know how I love them. I know how I yearn for them. I know how I pray for them. I know the burdens of my heart, Lord. I keep praying and praying, Lord, Lord, bless the children all day long in my life.

I don't think there's an hour that passes that somewhere I don't say, God bless Donald. God undertake for Donald, undertake for Martha, undertake for Bob and Cheryl, undertake for Lynn and for Jack. Lord, my heart is burdened.

Bless them in a wicked, evil world. Keep them from sin. Is that how you pray? Is it? Mother says, how you pray? Father says, how you pray? This should be the burden of our hearts. Should be always the burden.

Are you interested in the frivolities of life? Here God says, understand who you are. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. You know, now I've taken all that Christ had to say in the Gospels of John.

Now this is the epistle. I'm going to speak of Paul's epistles. But this here is John's epistle, that we should be called the sons of God. He says, can't you see this? What manner of love the Father has for you?

Do you understand this? Mother, Father, do you see it? Young person, do you see it? Have you comprehended it? Can you laugh at all? Can you say, I believe the Bible? And yet not acknowledge this position that God has called you in through faith in Jesus Christ, the cleansing of the blood of the Lamb.

Can you see it? Should not every effort, every passion, every motive be toward Him? In all things He must have what? The preeminence above your business, above your home, above your lawn, above your wife, above your husband.

For any man that loveth his father, his mother, his wife, or husband more than he loveth me, hath no part with me. Oh, God is saying, when you understand and you come to love Christ the way you should love Christ, then you'll begin to really love your wife and your husband like you should love them, and they'll get more love from you than they ever would have gotten before.

Because when you fell in love with Christ, you became capable of loving them as Jesus loved them. Not looking at the floors, not criticizing, not copying, but loving them with the love of Jesus. Do you recognize who you are this morning?

The Present Reality of Being God’s Children

The sons of God. Therefore, the world does not know us. Does the world know you? Is the world well acquainted with you? The world doesn't know us. They can't comprehend why we are the way we are. Why we go to prayer meetings, why we worship, why we pray, why we speak the way we speak, why we bear a witness for Jesus, why we don't tell dirty stories, why we don't laugh, why, why?

The world doesn't know you, he said. He said, they didn't know me. The world knows us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. It's not a future thing. It's now, right now. We're the sons of God.

And it does 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. And every man that hath this hope in him, notice, purifies himself even as he is.

Purification in Hope of Christ’s Return

Now, beloved, the great cry for purity comes on the base of one thing. Christ is coming soon. The cry of God to every one of you here this morning is, Christ is coming soon. My son is coming back. Every man that hath this hope in himself purifieth himself even as he is pure.

We know not what we shall be. We cannot comprehend fully. All we know is, I hath not seen nor ear heard the things that God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.

He's given us a little taste. He's given us descriptions. He says that our vile body shall be changed and we shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body. He says this is what it's going to be. You're going to have eyes that will perfectly see Christ.

You're going to have ears that will be attuned to all the beautiful things of the Spirit. You're going to have bodies fashioned like unto his glorious body. This is what it will be. And yet he says that it is impossible to fully know how glorious this is going to be.

Paul says at one place, I went up into the third heavens and the things I saw were so great that I'm afraid I can't tell any of you. It is forbidden for me. For if I told you, you wouldn't want to stay here for one minute.

You'd earn to get out. I'm telling you it's a purity. Are you impure? Things and lives, is there sin? Have you been driven by some passion that should have been turned to Christ? And you're bound or wrapped up in some relationship that is wrong, sinful, unclean.

If you're saved, you'll forsake it because you'll know Christ is coming. And every man who hath this, not some. May I make this very clear? You know whether you're saved this morning by your attitude on this very thing.

It says everyone that believes that Jesus is coming purifies themselves. You are not saved if you don't believe it. Because God's Word says so. Every man that really has this hope, not just some. Don't you dare say, I'm saved but I can live in sin.

Chastening, Holiness, and the Evidence of Faith

You know how you ought to know that? Because Hebrews tells you very clearly that if you're a son of God, he never lets you get too deep. He says whom the Lord loves, he chastens of a child. So if you're living in sin, you're going right on in it.

And it doesn't affect you. You have the hope of his coming. And you're not so chastened that you're falling on your face before God and pleading for forgiveness? Unsaved in God's eyes. Let's get clear on this.

It doesn't say some people. It says everyone that hath this hope in himself purifies himself even as he is pure. Now you can look at ten translations and they all say the same. God's calling us to purity and cleanness and holiness.

He says be ye holy even as I am holy. God is calling us. He's not saying we'll ever be sinless. He's saying there may be thoughts and it is mostly thought life. Thoughts that go through our imaginations.

But if you're really redeemed, he says, you'll forsake it all. You'll be willing to give it all up and sacrifice it because you comprehend of who Christ is. It's the comprehension of Christ. It's the understanding of Christ.

God, keep me clean. Keep me pure. Let not the devil deceive this people, luring us into fleshly lust that thou hast told us destroy the soul. Keep us pure and clean and holy. Beloved, I want to warn you that Christians are slumbering in the night and they've been wrapped up and torn up by Satan out of family lives and have become involved in things in the world.

Sin’s Unchanging Nature and the Need for Vigilance

And I dread to say it, but I believe much of the present discoveries that men have discovered, and I mention it quickly, such as a pill and all the rest, is making for sin. Because now there is a sense of complete protection.

It's no longer sin. I want to tell you, sin has never changed. Sin never will change. It is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. Jesus can't change. Beloved, the word of God here concerning the second coming in John's epistle says, Now are we the sons of God, and it does 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. And, underline it for me, will you? Every man, every man that hath this hope in himself, get that young person purity.

You'll need strength, let me tell you. Every single one, your fathers, your mothers, all of us, we went through the same trials and the same temptations in the flesh that you are going. You're not one bit of difference.

Man has been man from the beginning. You'll have the same temptations we've all gone through. It's not unusual. God says there's no temptation that has taken you, but it's common to man. And isn't that wonderful to know, fellas and girls?

Your mother, your father went through the same things. In our prudery, we forget this. But I want to tell you that God can purify you and give you strength to win the battles. You have a Christ who says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

You have no strength in yourself, and every single one of you know it, just as we know it as adults. You don't have the strength to avoid one sin in your flesh. Paul says, in my flesh there dwells no good thing.

The power won't keep you. You can't control it. But we have a Christ who gives us strength to overcome sin. And God says, if you have this hope that Jesus is coming, and oh, can I plead with your mothers and fathers and children, please, in Christ's name, remember this.

You'll purify yourself even as He is pure. And I want to say this this morning. Don't let slumber come into your heart when the Word of God is preached. Because Jesus says slumber comes in. And they slumber as those who sleep in the night.

And in such a day as they thought not, Christ came. I'll never forget when I was a boy. I used to go to Mass, you know. And I'll never forget when I was an altar boy. I used to be able to go through all emotions.

Ritual Religion versus Living Faith

I used to be able to take that Bible. This side here, you see, the left side of the altar was the epistle. The right side is for the gospel. And I would go up and take the Bible and come down. Genuflect before the lamp, which was lit, which indicated Christ's presence, was in the tabernacle where the host was.

That's what it means. Christ is only there when the light is lit because the tabernacle had the host in it. And I would bow, and I would bring it over to the right side and put it there. Then the priest would bless it, hold his hands up, and read it toward the altar.

And I remember going through all of the emotions, everything. But, beloved, I want to say something. I never had Jesus in my heart. And I could be there on my knees and even carrying a Bible from the left to the right side.

And I played semi-pro baseball. And right after the Mass, I was going to play. I was going to pitch. And I could remember, as I would walk with a Bible, and I have the Bible in my hands and think, I hope I'm pitching good today.

This is ritual. This is not the dynamic of our Christianity, you see. Our Christianity is crying out to us. Crying out to us. Purify yourselves. Notice what it says. Even as He is. Why? Do you think it's easy for a preacher to preach this?

You wouldn't be preached in one in a hundred pulpits today. But I believe God's called me to preach the truth. And I happen to believe that you want the truth. And as long as Christ gives me breath, I'll preach what His Word has to say.

But God will do the rest in your hearts. Let us pray. Now, Father, we thank Thee for Thy precious Word this morning. Bless it to our hearts. Lord, we pray that we will take it to heart. We remember Thy Word which says, Be not hearers of the Word, only, but be ye doers of the Word.

Now, Father, apply it to all of our hearts together, preacher and people alike. We pray in Christ's precious name. Amen. All right, let us turn to hymnal.