Understanding the Coming of the Lord

[Background music: Choral singing] [Speaker 1] We take more difficult times ahead. But at the same time, we also look at God. God's word is really bright. The scriptures say that He is abundantly able to keep those who trust in Him. My encouragement to us this evening in the midst of all that we are experiencing as a nation is that the Bible says, say unto the righteous that it shall be well with you. I am quoting the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 3. Isaiah 3. When things get tough, when everything looks... I want to read something from the book of Isaiah from verse one. Just a word before we go into discipleship class proper this evening. [Speaker 2] For behold, the Lord, the God of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store. The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water. The mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder. The captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the skillful artisan, and the expert enchanter. I will give children to be their princes and babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor. The child will be insolent towards the elder and the base towards the honorable. When a man takes hold of his brother in the house of his father saying, "You have clothing, for you can be our ruler and let this ruin be upon your power." In that day he will protest saying, "I cannot cure your ills, for in my house is neither food nor clothing. Do not make me the ruler of the people." For Jerusalem stumbled and Judah is falling because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of His glory. The look on their countenance witnesses against them. They declare their sin as Sodom. They do not hide it. Woe to their soul, for they have brought evil upon themselves. [Speaker 1] However, in the midst of all of that, verse 10, the Bible says, "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them." It shall be well with the righteous in the land. It doesn't matter how things turn, it doesn't matter how it goes. The Psalmist said in Psalm 46 verse 1, he said, "God is our shelter and refuge." He said, "in the time of trouble." So there is a time of trouble and God is a specialist. God knows how to be there for His people in the time of trouble. But he says in verse 11, say, "Woe to the wicked. It shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him." So I know that it will not be well with the wicked in this land. I know it will not be well with the wicked for every man whose outlook to life is not guided by the fear of God, every man who has not submitted to the principles of the Kingdom of God, the Bible says it will not be well with them. But are you that young woman, young man, are you that individual anywhere you are connecting with us this evening? I just want to announce to you in the midst of all that is happening that number one, it will be well with the righteous in this land. It will be well with the righteous. And number two, I also want to remind you that our God is a God of refuge. I read that Psalm 46 from verse one. God is our refuge and strength. We may look weak. We may look as if we are vulnerable. It may look as if the enemy can just easily finish us. But I announce to you that God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble. If there is trouble, God is present. God is present in your trouble. Anywhere there is trouble for the believers, God is present. He said, "God is a present help in trouble." So what should be our attitude? Therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed. The earth is not yet removed. The earth is only going through a troublous time. The earth is going through a difficult time. It has not been removed. The Bible says even if the earth is removed, God controls the whole universe. If it happens that the earth is wiped out, it happens that some things are coming down to wipe out the earth, God is still a present help. He said, "Therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling, God is our refuge. Our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Can we pray this evening? Can we talk to the Lord? Our Father, we thank You again for another time in Your presence. We thank You as we come into the scriptures to fellowship with scriptures. We bless Your holy name our God. We pray that Lord, God Almighty, You will meet us where we need You most in the name of Jesus Christ. We pray for our brethren who are physically here, we pray for our brethren who are connecting with us online from different parts of the globe. We pray Lord our God that as we fellowship together this evening, Lord God, let Your Spirit work within us, among us in the name of Jesus. Lord God, satisfy our desire out of the abundance of Your riches in glory in the name of Jesus. Oh Lord, bless Your people. Grant seed to the sower, let there be bread for the eaters in the name of Jesus. Thank You immortal Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We thank God for the time of prayer last week. We were able to spend time to pray and fellowship one with another. Today we want to move on and also last week we thank God that we were able to finish up with the Beatitudes. We were able to conclude it. So we are through, we were able to conclude each of the Beatitudes that Jesus raised in Matthew chapter 5. Today we want to look at something and I just want to share a burden with you. A burden and the burden is around understanding is coming. Understanding is coming. It's just a burden I will share today. I hope to conclude it today. Understanding is coming or understanding the coming of the Lord or considering the manner of His coming, how we ought to live. Considering the manner of His coming, how we ought to live. We will begin to understand the manner of His coming. How does that affect how we ought to live? So we are looking at this understanding the coming of the Lord or understanding this manner of His coming, particularly how we ought to live. And we will still be looking at the book of Matthew but this time we will be going to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew 24. So many things were said by the Lord in Matthew 24. These were also the direct word of Jesus Christ. [Speaker 2] In Matthew 24 from verse one, the Bible says then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you see all these things? Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down." [Speaker 1] When this thing took place in AD 70 under Titus, Titus attacked Jerusalem and this temple, what they did was that even to the foundation, the foundation was uprooted. They uprooted the foundation, even the foundation stone, one was not on another. After that they heaped up the land and then pushed to salt it because of the anger of the Roman soldiers. Now Jesus said that and then the Bible says as now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? Number two, what will be the sign of Your coming? And number three, and of the end of the age?" Of course in response to these questions, Jesus began to say a lot of things. These were also the direct word of Jesus Christ. [Speaker 2] Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and of rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the earth as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come. Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever read let him understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of the house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days. And pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time. No, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you look, here is Christ, or there, do not believe it. For many false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive if it were possible even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you look, He is in the desert, do not go out. Look, He is in the inner room, do not believe. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will gather together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds from one end to the other." [Speaker 1] Then when He was through with that He now began with trying to give a parable to explain what would give the disciples understanding. [Speaker 2] He said, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and put forth leaves, you know that the summer is near. So you also, when you see these things, know that it is near at the doors. Assuredly I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away but My word will by no means pass away. But of the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also shall be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them away, so also shall be the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." [Speaker 1] That is where I want to stop with the reading. And first what I said is that I want to share a burden with us that I hope I should be able to conclude in this one meeting. If I cannot conclude it in this one meeting, I would see how I continue next Monday by the providence of God. If you look at this reading, I don't want to bother us with the different, different interpretations that have been given to these passages and other passages. There have been several interpretations about the coming of the Lord as to when it will be, when it will not be. And today we can speak of about three different categories of positions. Three different categories. The first position are the pre-tribulationists. These are believers who believe that anytime the rapture will take place and will be taken away and that taking away will be ever before there will be anything like the manifestation of the man of sin, the Antichrist. That there will be no tribulation. That is pre-tribulationist. Then we have the other set of people who felt no, looking at this story, no. We are going to be part of the tribulation to some extent. That it is in the midst of the tribulation, the tribulation will be shortened somehow and then we will now go. There's the third school that says no, from what you have seen in all of these passages, it is as if we'll be around till the end of the whole tribulation because Jesus said after all the tribulation. Different interpretations. That is not what I am interested in looking at. That is not the direction I am going this evening. And the reason why I don't want to bother myself about that is very simple. Number one, if the Bible says without holiness no man will see the Lord, is that not true? So if a man is living correctly, watching and waiting, whether the Lord come pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, what is important is for him to be ready. Is that not true? That is what is important. So as to who is right, whether pre, whether mid, whether post, I don't think it calls for any division. I don't think it calls for it. If He comes pre, we will all agree those who are standing for pre are correct. If we are waiting and waiting and we don't see Him come and we see the man of sin, we say okay brethren it's like we are not correct, it's like we'll be here for a while. If we are here for a while and we go, we say oh the mid are correct. And if we find that we are here before the Lord comes, we are here till the end of the whole thing and then we go, then oh brethren it's like you people are the correct... Are you understanding what I'm trying to bring out? So I don't think there is a need to begin to argue these positions personally. I don't think so. So that is not the... I did not read all of that thing because I want to bother you with all of that. What I want to share with you is just a burden about this manner of His coming. And where I want to begin with is where the Lord began to give the parable. Where began to give the parable, He said now learn this from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and put forth leaf, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you begin to see these things, know that it is near at the door. So one thing that we can talk about about this manner of Jesus coming or of our Lord's coming is that for people who are walking with the Lord, why they may not be able to say this is the exact day or time, there will be enough signs, there will be enough indication for them to know it is about to happen. Is that not true? Now I want to liken it to what Jesus said in that should be John chapter 16. Is it 16 where he was talking about likening the troubles of the disciples to birth pain? That a woman is in labor, when a woman is in labor but at the end of the labor when the child is born, her sorrow is over. Now when a woman is pregnant, month one, month two, month three, month four, we'll be noticing changes in the woman, particularly the stomach region will be getting bigger and bigger. The size will be expanding. And then we'll be able to see okay in about nine months' time. And when you look at okay nine months' time, the birth of the child will be very soon. But nobody can tell exactly when the first stage of labor will begin. That is the contraction of the uterus. When it will start, nobody can tell. That is why even the scan cannot say it will be today or tomorrow. They will say two weeks before or two weeks after. But around the time that the woman will give birth, you can be sure that okay any time from now it will happen. That is what Jesus is trying to tell us. Is that not true? Now in saying that, the Lord now got to verse 36 and 37. He says but of the day and of the hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven but My Father only. He now gave a second explanation. He said but even though we don't know the day and the hour, He said but as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood they were eating, they were drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. This is indicating something to us. It is telling us that even though we don't know the day and the hour, and that there will be several things to indicate that the day is almost here, the Lord is saying that generally people will not make anything out of those things. Are you understanding me? Because he say until the day that Noah entered the ark. It means that even though there will be indications, the Lord will be sending signals, signals that see the woman will soon give birth, the day of the Lord will soon be here, it's about to happen. Even until that day that it will happen, generally people will not make anything special out of those things. There will be so much... people will be at ease generally. They won't be... don't be thinking that even if Jesus is to come tomorrow, the general... no no no. Generally people will just be at ease, eating and drinking and getting ready for their future. People will just, despite all those things indicating that the Lord is coming. Now another thing about this matter of like the days of Noah is that history made us to realize that the building of the ark must be between 40 to 120 years. If it is not 40, it may be 80, it may be 90, it may be 100, it may be 120. That is what history record, that the building of that ark before Noah could singlehandedly finish building that ark. Now I want you to look at something. Let us even take the lowest, let's take 40 years. If a man tells you that rain is about to fall that will destroy the earth and so I am building something so that this rain will not destroy, and that man is on that project, is building that project and is repeating that sentence, keeps saying that thing. After two years will you still be listening to the man? What of after five years? What of after 10 years? Then 20 years. The man is still saying the same thing. The rain is about to fall, the rain will fall, the rain is going to fall, the rain, look that's why I'm building this thing. And the man continued and continued. Please what do you think will be the general attitude of the people around Noah in those days? What likely to be the attitude? Some will see him as abnormal. What's will be the attitude again? They will ignore him. Will they despise him? What I'm also trying to make you see is that the coming of the Son of Man is also a time when men will despise spiritual things. Men will despise truth. Men will despise spiritual realities. Noah was talking about a spiritual reality. Men were busy ignoring. Men were busy despising. I'm talking about the circumstances, the manner of Jesus coming. I mean real spiritual reality. Somebody will be saying look, let us be prayerful, let us... it's as if we are still saying... do you understand me? It will just be a time of making derogatory statement about spiritual realities. There will be so much derogatory statements, so much looking down. It will be going on around. People will not so much value spiritual... I'm talking about realities. What Noah was declaring was a reality. Something that was real, something that was certain, something that was to come but the population was just looking at somebody who was busy doing something very funny, saying something... I'm talking about what will be the general spiritual attitude towards spiritual realities. The manner of Jesus coming. There will be so much... when someone will be declaring truth about God, it will not look like something real. What I'm trying to make you understand is that if you want to understand the manner of Jesus coming, understand that when real things are being declared, they will look so vain and so empty. They will look very vain. They will look very empty. They will look like... let's carry on and go. I'm talking about the coming of the Son of Man. Now look at something again that he said. He said two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other will be left. Please what is this pointing to us? What is it telling us about the manner of Jesus coming? One will be taken and the other will be left. What is it telling you? We are talking about two people. If you look at it say two men will be in the field, two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. What is it telling us? What is it telling us? When you're talking about two, you are talking about a closer fellowship. Is that not true? A closer fellowship. Is that not true? A closer fellowship. It's telling you that even in the closer fellowship, even in the closer fellowship, somebody will be living correctly for Jesus while his seemingly neighbor will not be. Even in the smaller fellowship, don't be thinking that the way the burden of God will be in your heart may be the way your immediate brother will carry the same burden. The brother you are both in the fellowship, the way you will be ah no, the coming of Jesus, the passion and the burden, the things that you see may not be seen by somebody who you define as the closest to you. What I'm trying to say is that I'm trying to describe the manner of Jesus coming. You will be thinking that sometimes everybody who is close to you will share that burden with you. Everybody who is close to you will see what you are seeing. Everyone that you are working with will be able to have the understanding the way you understanding it. But alas, you will be surprised that not everyone, even those who seems to be two working together, they may not be carrying the same thing that you are carrying. They may not. Two people in fellowship, two people working together, two people associating. You may be very very surprised. And it is not a new thing. Is it a new thing? Cain and Abel, they were both worshipping God. When it was time for sacrifice, Abel had a different burden, Cain had a different burden. What was the burden of Abel? To give the best from among what? The animals. What was the burden of Cain? Let me just give something to this God jare. They were both brothers but they were carrying different burden. What I'm trying to say is that you should not be surprised when people you think you also carry the same burden with you are not carrying it. You should not be surprised when you are thinking but this person is a believer, but this person is... I thought we should... and they are not just seeing what you are seeing. They are not just seeing what you are seeing. And they are just... you are trying to... and they are just... no matter how you are carrying this burden... and you'll be wondering that can't you see this thing? Yes they just could not see it. You remember how Elisha got the double portion of anointing from Elijah. When Elisha was busy following Elijah, the remaining sons of the prophet what were they doing? Do you know that your master will go today? Your master will go today? You know that your master will go today? That was all they could see. But what could Elisha see? Elisha was seeing an opportune time, a moment to be seriously maximized, a moment that if he misses that moment, it is going to be terrible for him. And he was busy and Elijah would tell him, "Why are you still going with me? I'm going here oh, won't you go back?" He said no, as the Lord lives, as your soul lives, wherever you go I will go. And they continue with Elijah, he continue continue until when Elijah saw that this person was resolute. He now said see, I'm about to go. What will you want that I do for you? Why didn't Elijah said that at first? Why was that not the first thing Elijah will say? "I am traveling here will you go?" and then so what carried Elisha through? What carried Elisha through is what he could see, what he could discern, what he could understand that this is a moment I must maximize. And eventually when Elisha got that double portion, the people who were mocking him what did they do to him? What did they do? They bowed down to him. What I'm trying to say is that the manner of the coming of the Lord is something like that. It takes men who can personally understand the moment. It is not something like that. It is something and in making that statement I want to explain something to you. Please, if a man has already used the lowest of the possible number of years, if a man is building an ark, an ark, is building that ark, building that ark, building the ark, rain is going to fall, he's expecting that rain. Please what kind of strength do you think will be in place for that man to continue for 40 years? If you ask some of us to wait for God for even five years... He was told something and he was believing that thing. Let's take 40 years. For 40 years he was waiting and he was kept on building, doing the same thing, doing the same thing, doing the same thing, doing the same thing, waiting, watching and waiting, watching and waiting, building, building. And people were laughing, people were wondering, what is your problem? Where is the rain? When will it fall? How will it fall? From where is it coming? But the man kept on to that thing. Please I want to ask you, what kind of conviction do you think is inside that man? Because I'm going somewhere. What kind of conviction do you think can make a man, one man, you know it was just that man and his family. Everybody saying speaking to the opposite and one man who stay with derogation, being despised, being ignored and he continued on that thing for 40 years. I want to ask you what is the strength of his conviction? What would be the strength of his conviction? Are you understanding me? The reason why I'm saying that is this. Look at what the Lord said verse 44. He says therefore you should also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 42, watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 44, therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. What is that trying to tell us? What is that trying to tell us? If Jesus says that He is coming at an hour you do not expect, He was the one speaking and He was telling His people, Your Lord, Your Lord. So if He say your, it means He's speaking to His own. Is that not true? Is that not true? He didn't say the Lord, He say your Lord. Your Lord is coming at an hour you do not expect. What is that telling you? It's telling you that ordinarily by the power of human intelligence there will be no reason to be waiting for Him. An hour you do not expect. The only thing that can keep you ready is what? Is what? Is something inner. Is something inside. Is something... is this inner revelation, this conviction something inside by your understanding. When you look around, when you look about, it is an hour you will not expect. Ordinarily it won't look as if it's going to take place at that time. It won't look as if something tragic is going to happen. It won't look as if the angels are already getting ready to blow the trumpet. It won't look as if everything will just look like things will go on as they were. That's how it'll look like. The only thing that can make you to be ready is something that is what? That is inside. And that is where my burden is this evening. The depth, the depth of your walk with God. The depth of your fellowship with God. Look at what Jesus said, look at what Jesus again in the book of John. Look at John chapter 3. Look at John chapter 3. Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus. He says Jesus answered him and said, I'm reading from verse 5, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but you cannot tell where it is coming from and where it's going. So is everyone who is born of the spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can these things be?" Now this question is showing what? When Nicodemus said ah how can these things be? What did it show about Nicodemus? What did it tell us about Nicodemus? From what Jesus has been saying, it's showing that he understand or he does not understand? He does not understand. He does not understand. Jesus was talking about what? What are they been discussing? What are the conversation like? About the salvation of who? Of his soul. Is that not? That's what he's discussing with him, about the salvation of his soul. And the man was finding it very difficult to understand. The man find it very very difficult to understand. Then look at what Jesus said verse 10. Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things? Most assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen and you do not receive our witness." Verse 12, verse 12. Please can we read together? "If I have told you what? Earthly things and what? And you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" Brethren, that is where my burden is for today's meeting. Jesus Christ was discussing the matter of his salvation with him, the man could not understand. Jesus now said I am telling you earthly thing you don't understand. What of if I am speaking about heavenly things, can you ever understand? What I'm saying is this, if you call the average young person today, call the average Christian today and even ask them about earthly things, what do you understand about your salvation? What do you understand about God purpose for your life? What do you understand about who God wants you to marry? What do you understand about where you can settle in life? Even these earthly things they still don't understand. If you call the average believer today, even the things about their own life, okay bro what is God telling you about who you are to marry? They don't understand. You ask bro but what do you think is the grace of God upon your life? He says ah I'm still confused about it, I'm still trying to understand. Now my burden this evening is that when you have a collection or mass of believers, group of Christians, people you describe as believers and they are struggling to understand earthly things, then please how will they understand the signs of His coming? How will they understand heavenly things? We are still discussing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and brethren are still struggling with that. Brethren are still struggling with you should not divorce or you should divorce. Brethren are still struggling with whether we should tell lies or we should not tell lies. We are still talking about only lie, black lie, white lie, good lie, green lie. We are still struggling trying to understand earthly things. Men are still struggling with the matter of sexual immorality or no sexual immorality. We are still struggling with this kind of earthly things. We are still struggling with the matter of doing the will of God and men will say look, this matter of God's will is not in everything. Where is the place of the scripture where he says in all your ways acknowledge Him? Men are still struggling to understand the will of God for the things of their life. When will they begin to understand the place and the will of God for heavenly things? Jesus said if I have told you earthly thing, even though you don't understand, what about if I tell you heavenly thing? You can still not pick that. We are talking about no, the Bible says God hates divorce, you are still trying to ask but what of if the woman is this, what of if the man is this? You are still at that level. Some are still at the level of struggling money. Some are at the level of struggling with sincerity and integrity. Some are at the level... are you understanding me brethren? Then when will this kind of men understand heavenly things? Earthly things. Men are still struggling with being faithful to one another that they can see. Sharp practices, brothers bypassing brothers, brothers playing on the intelligence of brothers, brethren playing on intelligence of brethren, that is what is going on. That we are still trying to understand sincerity and transparency on everyday things of life. Men are still struggling with I don't even know what is God purpose for my life. We are still at that level struggling. Do you know that some are still struggling with ordinary to do quiet time consistently? Just have a consistent quiet time. Some are still at that level struggling with that. Struggling with earthly things like do a regular quiet time. Don't spend too much time on useless things, invest your time into God. That is where you are still struggling. How can you understand heavenly things? I brethren am not speaking as though I have already attained. But I came this evening I said I want to share a burden with you. The Lord just opened my eye to these scriptures and I said if if your brethren are still struggling with earthly things, then how would they understand the manner of my coming? If among you you are still struggling with earthly things, you are still combating with some brothers why they should not divorce, are these kind of people that can understand heavenly things? You are still struggling with pastors why they must preach the truth. Are these the kind of people that can understand heavenly things? They will look so vain and so empty. They will look very vain. They will look very empty. They will look like... let's carry on and go. Gradually as the Lord have said it will sink, gradually nobody can hold the earth back from sinking. It has been determined to sink. That is the truth. It has been programmed to sink. In fact, it has been reserved for fire. As far as God is concerned it's a dustbin. It's going to be burnt off by fire. And we are beginning to see indications here and there that things are sinking. Men are still struggling with the things of this life. Men are still struggling with the everyday things of this life. Men are still trying to understand the basic principles of the teachings of Christ. We are still struggling with repentance from dead works. Men are still carrying dead works. Some are still struggling with secret sin. Secret sin. Secret sin. When we are speaking earthly things, when the Bible says look look no fornicator nor this nor covetous man nor that will inherit the kingdom of heaven, so plain, so literal. Men are still struggling with that secret sin. Is it the one that has to do with an inner understanding that they want to catch up with? Anyway, you are listening to me this evening, I'm just trying to point a burden to you that today we are dealing with brothers, we are dealing with sisters, we are dealing with pastors, we are dealing with brethren who cannot understand what earthly things. Then how will they understand heavenly things? How will they understand heavenly things? And that is the burden of this meeting today. Because the Lord said, He said I will come at a time you don't expect, so be ready. Make sure you are ready oh. I am coming at a time you will not even think it will happen. It means ordinarily by calculation, by putting together, by human reasoning, by trying to factor it, you will not think that that will be the time He will come. It means it takes an inner work, a time where people are despising spiritual realities, a time where men are commonizing truth, a time when it will not look like anything serious about serious spiritual things. It is that kind of time that Jesus will be coming. A time where you don't expect if it takes you a time when two people that are close, people that looks like both of them should be on the same platform, they will not be on the same platform. They will be on different platform. One will be seriously ready, the other one is not ready at all. And it'll look like all of them should be ready. Do you understand me? All but one will still be busy. That is the kind of situation of His coming because it requires men who despite the ordinariness of the situation, men like Noah, men who can stay on something that look meaningless and useless persistently for 40 years if it actually took 40 years to build that thing. And if it took 120, then I'm just afraid for the kind of conviction that is inside Noah. I don't think it is the way we know God that this man understood God. There is a deeper fellowship. There is something deeper. I don't know whether you understand me. There is a deeper fellowship. Something deeper. Something inside. Something deeper than what the ordinariness of situation can take out of him. And brethren, my challenge to you this evening as we close this evening, my challenge to you is where are you in all of this matter? Where are you in all of this matter that we are raising today? Where are you as a disciple? For your Lord is coming at a time that ordinarily you would not expect. Where are you in the midst of all of these things? Where can we place you? Are you somebody who is still struggling with the things of this life? Then how will you understand heavenly things? If your kingdom is still of this world, how can you prepare for the heavenly kingdom? If your focus is still of this world, you know what the Lord said? Know what He said? Do not lay your treasure where? On earth. Where the moth, the thief, those things they can have effect. But let your treasure be in heaven. Why? For wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be. If because of some treasures here, you have a divided heart with the interest of Christ. Your heart is divided over Kingdom matters. I just keep remembering the example of of the individual who was saying please I'm confused. I have two offers before me. One of them I need to tell lie about my age, the other one I don't need to tell lie. But you see this one that they're asking me I need to tell a little lie about, they're offering me almost three times what I will get in this place. Please what advice will you give me? Does that person need advice? Do we need to go and see ask God again that God please should we lie or not? What I'm trying to say is that if men are still at this level, how will you be able to handle heavenly things? And if you look at your life today, I want you to check where you are. Wherever you are, I want us to bow our heads to pray. I want you to check where you are. Where are you? That was the question that God was asking Adam. He say, Adam where are you? And God is asking each and every one of us this evening, where are you? If you are still find difficult to understand earthly things, we are trying to talk earthly things, you are still struggling with the will of God on some matters. The place of God is clear, the word of God is clear, yet your treasure is here. You are struggling with God in different things. A little lie, a little compromise, a little sin, a little that, a little this, a little mortality, a little a little unbelief, a little doubt, so many things going on inside your heart. You are finding difficult to understand earthly things. The purpose of God for your life you don't know, where God is carrying you you don't know. Some are still there confused still wandering here and there, running from one prophet to another prophetess as to please I need to know who I'm to marry. They cannot even discern who they could marry. Earthly things. How can they understand heavenly things? We are still struggling with pastors why they must preach the truth. Are these the kind of people that can understand heavenly things? The Lord was just burden my heart, was just bringing my heart to see the situation that we are in. Eternal Father King of glory we thank and bless Your name for this evening. Thank You for the power of Your word, thank You for this grace reminder especially at a time like this that all the signs, all the indications are so clear to us that Your coming is very near. Oh Lord our God we are praying. Give us the grace to understand spiritual matters in the name of Jesus Christ. Where we are lacking behind, Lord where we are being carried away by the issues of life, where our attention oh God are being drawn away from our Lord and Savior, Father we are asking the Lord give us grace to return back our attention to Him in the name of Jesus. Eternal Father, it is unto You we commit our hearts. You said My son, give Me your heart. Father it is unto You we submit our hearts. Please take up our heart oh Lord and take us deeper in Your knowledge and understanding in the name of Jesus. Help us not to be Christians who are walking in shallowness, who are not deep, who who do not understand their Master that they follow. Those sons of the prophet, they didn't understand. But even without talking, Elisha understood his master. Oh God our Lord, give us the depth of understanding that we need to follow You duly in the name of Jesus Christ. Ah, so many attractions in our time. So many distractions in our time. Even the difficulties around us they are distractions. Insecurity here and there but Lord, Lord even Noah had the same thing in his own time. Yet he was focused. He was mocked. He was ignored. He was called names. Yet he had strictly to the instruction You have given to him. Father we pray, as we arise off from this meeting tonight, let Your grace abound to us to fix our focus on You in the name of Jesus. Deliver us from every every distractions around us and even within us in the name of Jesus. Thank You Father. Thank You Lord. Could there be anyone who is hearing us oh Lord today that are even yet to to take decision for Christ? Oh Lord we pray. You will probe such heart and draw them to Your saving grace in the name of Jesus. Forbid it Lord that we will hear this kind of of word and we will still be left behind in the name of Jesus. Help us never to major in minor and minor in major in the name of Jesus. Let the truth oh God be dawn on us day by day in the name of Jesus. Thank You for Your son that You have used for us tonight again. Thank You for the word of grace that proceed from him. Let that word do him good in the name of Jesus. Let his life oh God daily appreciate in Your grace and in Your word in the name of Jesus. Thank You for hearing us pray. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. The grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, an equister ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development and mission heat. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday 5 PM, adolescent and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10 AM, marriage forum second Saturday of every month at 10 AM. Family life seminars, regular school outreaches and everyday counseling. For further counseling you can reach us at our location light camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Borijoy filling station along Idjare road, Akure, Ondo state Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handle, familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.