Are You Prepared for the Day of the Lord Part 2

Pastor Mike will be speaking on Are You Prepared for the Day of the Lord Part 2. He will be reading out of Amos 5:1-27.

And the Bible says that it is Christ in us. And the bible says it’s not that I live but Christ lives in me and anything that I achieve, anything I do, anything can be praiseworthy. It all goes to God because it all a work of God in me.

This is Hope Worth Having radio program with your host pastor Mike Sanders and we are looking forward to sharing the hope that is found only in Jesus Christ with you today. If you have your Bible I want you to turn to Amos.

The book of Amos is in the Old Testament. We’re in chapter 5 and we are studying this topic. Are you prepared for the day of the Lord? It’s certainly one that makes us examine our hearts and to look within to see if we are in alignment with our Savior.

So join me as we begin our study today! Jesus used that phrase. The fullness of the Gentiles is the fulless of all of man’s kingdoms on this earth. And so when that finally comes to completion, in the antichrist who will establish a kingdom on the earth with a one -world government, one world currency, and a world religious system when all that comes to its final completion, notice what he says in verse 26, and so all Israel shall be what?

As it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob for this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. God has not forgotten the nation of Israel.

He has not put them on the back burner, but he is allowing things to unfold in a way that brings him the most glory. Man will make every effort to try to do it their way, believing they have all the solutions when we know that the true answer is only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But when Jesus Christ finally comes that second time, which is referred to as the Day of the Lord, it’ll be a day of hope because it will be a Day Of Restoration for God’s people. God will gather His people, now take your Bible and go to the Gospel of Mark.

I hope you brought your Bible this morning. If you did not bring your bible, get your device out, but you need to be You can’t just say, well, the pastor said so. That isn’t gonna carry any weight beyond these four walls.

You have got to know what you believe and why you believed it, and you need to be in the Word of God and let God speak into your life so that you can respond to Him. In the Gospel of Mark chapter 13, verse 26 through 27, Then Jesus is teaching about the signs of the times, and He says in verse 26, then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

And then He will send His angels and gather together His elect from the four winds, from farthest part of earth to the fartest part of heaven. Then when we say to you that God will gather his people, what we are saying is that when Jesus comes, he will get gather His people from all the four corners of the earth and all four the corners heaven, he’ll gather them together.

You might say, to me, Pastor, why would he gather from the Earth? Because we’ve already been raptured out of here before the tribulation, right? But I want you to remember that during the tribulation people will come to Christ.

People will receive Jesus Christ this is why first of all that our witness now is so important because if you can’t see the tea leaves of the signs of The Times then I guess you’re just completely blind but friends his calling home his people through the rapture is imminent upon us and it can happen at any moment at anytime would Would you be okay if it was today?

But it’s gonna be better in heaven, amen? But here’s what I want you to know. We gotta be good witnesses because you know what? When God calls us out of here and there are gonna be many of our family and friends that are left behind and they’re gonna say, you do what, I guess, Grandma was right.

I guessed Grandpa, every time I went over there and he preached to me, I’d guess he was Right. And I am convinced that many will come to Christ and many will be looking for the truth in Jesus Christ.

That’s why it’s important that we print Bibles and that have these things available so people can turn to the Lord. The Bible tells us that in the times of the tribulation in The Book of Daniel, he says that knowledge will increase.

Now we’re not just talking about technology, we are not talking just about information, but it is really talking about the understanding of what the Bible teaches, what the book of Daniel teaches and what the scriptures teach about the signs of the times and the tribulation period.

That knowledge is going to increase and it’s going to bring many to Christ. But not only is because this knowledge of the scripture is going to increase will it bring many to salvation but because God will raise up 144 ,000 evangelists.

Notice I did not say Jehovah Witnesses. As much as they want to be, they’re not because they do not believe in the same Jesus we believe in, but they like to use our terminology, but do they not in believe the true Jesus Christ who was sent from the Father who lived a sinless life and who went to the cross and died for our sins and on the third day he rose again and for 40 days taught his people about the church and the kingdom of God and then he ascended to heaven and before he ascended he commissioned us to take the gospel to every person on the planet.

Now that’s the Jesus I believe in. He is sinless, he is the suffering Savior, and he’s is soon returning King. That’s what I tell people when they talk about Jesus, do you mean the jesus of the Bible or the that’s in your mind or the Jesus of a cult or the jesus of some religion let’s believe in the Jesus that is revealed to us in his word God will raise up 144 ,000 evangelists who will crisscross the world and finish the task of reaching every person every home with the gospel of Jesus Christ and many will come some of the greatest revivals will happen during the tribulation period you say how do you know this, Mike.

The Bible tells us in Revelation chapter 6 that the martyrs stand before the throne of God. These are martyrrers from the tribulation period and they say to God, how long will it be before you avenge our blood?

Well how did these people come to god? And how is it that they were martyred? They were martyrred because they would not receive the mark of the beast on their forehead or their left hand. Now some of you are concerned and some have said to me, Pastor is the vaccine the mark of the beast absolutely not my friends and listen I’m not putting down your question and I am glad for your questions But let’s be smart about it and let us understand that The mark the Beast is something that will be on your left hand or your forehead It’s not going to be a vaccine now I not saying take the Vaccine and i’m saying don’t take The Vaccines i am saying consult your doctor Don’t come to Pastor Mike because he is not a physician and I want you to know that The Mark of the Beast will come, and that we even see a world that is being conditioned for that even now, and you will not be able to buy, you cannot be a businessman without the Mark of The Beast.

You will be unable to run to Walmart without the mark of beast. And then those who reject and refuse to partake of Mark Of The beast will martyred for God. because the only ones that refuse to take the mark of the beast will be those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now how did these people believe? They came to Christ during the tribulation after the rapture, and they will face some of the toughest times to be a believer in The Lord Jesus, Christ that’s why I encourage people get saved now, amen.

I want to get on the first train that’s heading out of this world so that we can be with Jesus Christ forever and ever at the rapture. I don’t want to wait. The day of the Lord is going to be a day hope because of restoration and because the gathering of His people, God will gather them from heaven, He will bring them all together and we will worship and praise him and we will be in his constant presence forever and ever and every.

God will save his people, particularly we’re talking about his chosen people the nation of Israel. Joel 2 verse 32 says it will come about that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape just as the lord had said even among survivors whom the Lord calls.

And so when we come to Matthew chapter 24, Jesus, I hope you’re taking notes because this is good Bible study for you that you can reflect upon later, but in Matthew 24 Jesus teaches us again the signs of the times.

The disciples says what will be the sign of your coming. Jesus lays it out in Matthew Chapter 24. He teaches you the first three and a half years of what it will like of The Tribulation and the last three -and -a -half years of what it will be like in the tribulation.

Then we jump over to Matthew chapter 25. And Jesus teaches us that those who reach out and feed His people, those who show kindness to strangers, those that visit people in prison, they will be blessed of God.

Now in its context, He is referring to the Tribulation period We use it to refer to today and certainly it is true that we should do all these things We should love people show kindness to strangers.

We could help those who are imprisoned We would reach everybody that weekend with the gospel of Jesus Christ But here’s what Jesus is really talking about in Matthew chapter 25 that my people the nation of Israel Will run to the hills and they will run to the caves and they will refuse to believe in the Antichrist and they refuse the worship the antichrists and they would be thrown into prison and they’d be left to starve and they’ll not have any clothing and anyone who helps them.

God is gonna bless them, he’s gonna bless and that’s the way it’s going to operate in the tribulation period but when Jesus Jesus finally comes, He will save all His people and all of Israel shall be saved because they called upon the name of the Lord.

The day of Lord is a day hope also because God will purify His People. Now take your Bible and you’re in the book of Amos hopefully and just keep tracking backwards and go to Zephaniah. Zephaniah is in the Old Testament, just beyond Amos, right after Habakkah.

And you can just get to Zephaniah, and I want you to read chapter 3. I wan’t you see what God is promising to his people. Zefaniaha chapter three and verse 11, keep looking, it’ll get there. It’s those two pages stuck together.

I hear you. Zephaniah chapter 3 and verse 11 in that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against me for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain I will leave in Your midst a meek and humble people and they shall trust in in the name of the Lord.

The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.” Now, you can understand why it was hard for the Jewish people, the nation of Israel to understand that when Jesus Christ came and claimed to be the Messiah, why that was a conflict in their hearts and minds because they never paid attention to the book of Isaiah that taught us about Jesus being a suffering Savior first.

But they just saw a triumphant Messiah. They saw the King of Kings who was going to restore this nation, who is going bring victory. And so when they heard that Jesus said to them that he was the Messiah sent from the father They were looking forward to him Overthrowing the Roman government that was oppressing them and they kept saying to the them to Christ.

How long will it be? Before you restore the nation of Israel And the reason that they asked that question is because of passages like Zephaniah chapter 3 God will purify His people and they will worship Him.

God will exalt His People. I want you to go back to Revelation chapter 22. Revelation chapter twenty -two. It’s all the way at the end. You can get there. Revelation Chapter 22, and I just want to Go ahead and just begin in verse 1 because I want you to see what it is to come and why it’s so hopeful and we look so forward.

We are not looking forward for a political king, we are looking forward to our personal King Jesus Christ returning to this earth. Revelation chapter 22 verse one and he showed me a pure river of water of life.

Clear as crystal proceeding from the The throne of God and of the Lamb. You say, what’s heaven like? Right there is a picture for you. In the middle of its streets and on either side of a river was the tree of life which bore 12 fruits, which tree yielding its fruit, every month the leaves of tree were for the healing of nations.

And there shall be no more curse. The curse of sin will not be anymore. but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him.” People say, what will I do in heaven, pastor?

What will we do when the Millennial Kinged him? You not only will worship God, you’ll not only enjoy from the tree yielding its fruit every month, but you will serve Him. verse 4 they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads there shall there shall no light there they need no lamp nor light of the Sun for the Lord God gives them light and they should rain forever and ever would you underscore that at the end of verse 5 they shall rain for ever and every God is going to exalt his people in that we will reign with Christ forever and ever.

So when the pastor gets up here and he tells you this crazy talk of one day reigning with Christ, it’s really in the Bible. That’s why it is a day of hope. It is the day of Hope because it the completion of our salvation.

God will complete His saving work in each of our hearts. Now I want you to notice this because when we think of salvation we, think of it as a decision and we think that’s it, that is all that involved and certainly that is a moment in time of history where we have decided to follow Christ, to believe in Jesus Christ to repent of ourselves, but salvation from the perspective of God is is different than from the perspective of man.

From heaven’s perspective, it is justification, sanctification, and glorification. Justification is that God has declared us to be right before him. It is a legal term, just as if we had never sinned before God, we are called righteous before Him, not because of what we have done, but because all that Christ did on the cross, and because we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, because we trusted in him he took our rags of sin and unrighteousness and he put on us the robe of his righteousness and now you and I are living in the fullness of Christ and the Bible says that it is Christ in us and the bible says it’s not that I live but Christ lives in me and anything that I achieve anything did I do anything can be praiseworthy it all goes to God because it’s all a work of God in me and so when I come to Christ and I receive him yes I am justified but then I begin this journey of being sanctified that is I began a journey growing to be more like Jesus I have good days and I had bad days sometimes we have more bad day than good day sometimes we get in a funk sometimes get a backward slide sometimes we get in a mess and we make a mess of our life because we make bad choices in our life and bad decisions in our lives but God is still working in life.

And even when we’re not all that we should be he is still effectively working in us and through us. You’re discouraged maybe about your children and maybe you’re discouraged about a family member but I want you to remember if they’re true believers in Christ he is working in them.

Maybe not the way that you want and the way I would want, but praise God he is doing his sanctifying work in their hearts and we continue to pray that God will do that effective work. But then there is the glorification.

How does God see salvation? Justification, sanctification glorification. That’s when, listen, at justification, our soul is saved. Okay? At sanctification, God is saving our spirit in that He is changing our attitudes.

He is change us to be more like Christ. He’s washing us and cleansing us into the image of Christ, but when we have glorification, our body will be saved. So at justification, I’m saved from the penalty of sin, and at sanctification I am saved from power of Sin, in that I can say no to sin and yes to Christ, but at glorifaction, i’m going to be save from the presence of SIN.

And sin will no longer bother me, and temptation will not longer be a part of my life, and now I will stand in the presence of Jesus Christ and the Bible says in Psalm 16 verse 11 in the fullness of Thy presence there is joy and pleasure forevermore.

Do you think anybody goes to heaven and says man that’s a bummer man I took a wrong turn somewhere or man, I was hoping it was gonna be better? No, in Thy presence is full ness of joy, and at Thy right hand there are pleasures forever friends it is so wonderful, it’s so ecstatic, there are not enough English words and adjectives for me to give to you how marvelous and magnificent it is to be in heaven and with Jesus Christ forevermore.

You don’t have to discouraged that your loved ones are with jesus, the only thing that discourages you that you don’ get to with them right now. But one day, Philippians 1 .6 says this, as being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it or he will complete it.

He will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, when it refers to the Day of Christ, it is the same as referring to The Day Of The Lord. And what he is saying is that in that moment of glorification, we will finally complete, finish, perform all that God intended in us for our salvation.

and Paul says I have confidence in this that whatever God begins, He is going to finish. Whatever God starts, he is gonna complete. And listen, God is not a quitter. He went to the cross and died for our sins.

And he said, it is what, church? And friends, when you get to heaven and you stand before God, and You, my friends are perfect in the righteousness of Christ, not begin because You were more better than others, But because Christ was greater than all and he went to the cross for your sins Then he will one day say to you it is what church finish That’s the glorification Thats the Glorification So the question is are you prepared are?

You prepared for the day of the Lord? Are you, prepared? To stand in his presence are you prepared to live with Him eternally? Or, if you do not know Christ, are are prepared you to face His judgment?

When Amos says to the people in Amos chapter 5, in verse 18, woe to you who desire the day of the Lord. Why did they desire the day of the Lord? Because for them it was the gathering of a people. It was the restoration of of The Nation.

It Was the ruling and reigning with God forever. But Amos knew something that they had not realized. That they did not have a relationship with God. And because they did not have a relationship with God, that they would experience the judgment of God on the day of the Lord.

In Amos chapter 5, the theme is Israel’s false security in its religious practices. The nation of Israel thought they were okay because they were religious. They thought they were OK because they were going through the motion of religion.

I want you to jump down to verse 5. He says, do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over Beersheba. For Gilgol shall surely go into captivity, and And Bethel shall come to nothing.” Why is he telling him this?

These three cities had become important sites in the history of Israel. I do not have time to teach you of how Abraham, Joshua, great men of God, that these particular their places had become shrines because they were momentous moments in the course of the history of Israel.

Unfortunately the people had turned the place into an idol. And simply this, yes they did the religious activity. Yes they did their rituals .Yes they walked through all that was required of them in and religion, but they had turned the place as the Place of Worship rather than the person.

Rather than The Person, this is what happens to many people, especially those who might grow up in church, is that you think The Place is what’s important, and Jesus is saying The person is What’s Important.

I’m going to close with Matthew, chapter 7. I knew that I would never get through this sermon. That was just my introduction. Matthew 7, but I will give you this to leave us today. This is the warning from our Savior.

Not everyone who says to me, Lord, lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my father in heaven, many will say to me in that day, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your Name, and done many wonderful works in Your Name that I will declare to them I never knew you.

Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness or iniquity.” You see, sin is not just that, I go out there and practice something that is disobedient to God, that sin can be that I’m religious, actively religious.

But my heart is far from God. Every person that says, Jesus, Lord, lord, will not enter his kingdom. Are you prepared for the day of the Lord? Over and over again the scriptures call us to examine ourself in 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5 the Apostle says examine yourself to see if you were in the faith now there are some who would tell you that you don’t need to examine your self you prayed a prayer or you signed a card or you went forward in the service or raised your hand nothing wrong with any of those things and expressing our devotion and our commitment to Christ But here’s what I want you to understand is that the only thing that matters is that you are truly born again.

Is there any evidence in your life that you, are a born -again believer? I’m not asking if you’re a church member or if you religious or you have good thoughts about Jesus, but are you truly born Again?

Have you been spiritually awakened? And if not, I encourage you to call upon God. And the Bible teaches us, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Call upon Him in your humility and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and believe in Your heart that He died on the cross for your sin, that He rose again for you future, and that you’re putting your complete and full trust in Him.

These are the only way that we can be ready and prepared to meet the Lord and I hope that’s true in you life. Now we want to continue to nurture you your faith and continue to help you to grow. So we encourage you to check out our podcast.

You can go to our website, hit the podcast button, and you can be a part of the podcast, you can also sign up however you get your podcast whether it’s Spotify or it is Apple or Google, all the different means out there.

Go ahead and sign -up for the Hope Worth Having podcast every time we upload a new one, you’ll get a notification and let this podcast be a way to keep you nurtured and strengthened as you are living for Christ.

This is Pastor Mike Sanders reminding you that in Christ there is hope worth having.