A Great Day Coming

Introduction

Well, I’m not the guest speaker. Um Brother Stan will be speaking first this morning. To many of you, he’s no stranger, but um for those who may be wondering who he is. I was told once that you could know about a person by the the the children he or she or family have raised. So if if there that’s any indication, sometimes I don’t know how that works in my case, but um if you know Sean and Don and Tim who worshiped with us for some time and is here with us this morning, um those three uh the children of Stan and and Sarah and um Stan has been preaching the gospel for a long time, maybe almost 50 years. Yes, and um as a congregation here before he retired preaching full time, we participated in his work.

So if you some of you who do not know him, you’re now having an opportunity to hear from someone that our efforts have have helped. So in times, even as John mentioned, as we give to the spreading of the gospel, not just here, but to help preaching the gospel in other areas of this country and throughout the world. Our brother Stan is one of those men who this congregation has helped in the past. So give your attention now to to Stan. I don’t know if he if he wants to be considered the celebrity or anything like that, but that’s not the idea. And um it it is a good opportunity now for us to sit at his feet and and hear the gospel. Stan. Turn one to Matthew 25, Matthew 25, down above verse 31.

Matthew 25 and verse 31. When the man the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the king say unto them that are on the right hand, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Uh while we were at Mayo uh uh for the past six years involved in that work up there. But uh I appreciate I’ve known all of you or uh a lot of you throughout the years. We uh moved to Pine Hills in ninety one. There’s Joyce over there, but uh we moved to Pine Hills in 91, and we were here for eleven years, and so uh knew so many of you from Parr Street and here and uh worked with you the last. The last time I preached here was Nettie uh Nettie Davis’s funeral I did hit uh here in this building uh a while back. But it’s just good. It’s good to see you. Appreciate being here today. I better talk uh about this, and I don’t know how long this will take to do.

I told him uh Walcott said he was going to introduce me, and I I told him he might need to tell me when to quit. I knew that was when I needed to start, but I don’t know when to quit sometimes. So anyway, this is a great day. This is a great day. This is a great day for our nation. You think concerning this day, and you think concerning July the 4th, and you know, what is it, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence being signed and our coming forth uh from Great Britain and uh no longer taxation without representation, but now we’re independent in such a manner, and this great country has come forth from that standpoint. So this is a great day from that standpoint.

This is a great day, as John’s been talking about. He’s he’s my son-in-law, but anyway, uh as far as the Lord’s Supper is concerned, and and so you you see the the resurrection of Jesus Christ on this day, and then the church assembling all the time from that time unto this. This is indeed a great day. There are so many great days, and our nation serves such great days. The one I think about is not so much the 4th of July as I think about Thanksgiving Day. And that day is when we turn back unto God and we think concerning God, and as a nation, we thank God for the many blessings that we have in this life. But there are many blessings that we have, and and there are many great days that we see, and that’s what I’m wanting you to see though.

On an individual basis, there are so many great days that we have. You think concerning life. You think you think concerning the day you were married, the day you were married. Now there’s Sarah back there in the back. You talk about a beautiful girl walking down the aisle and coming to me and us married together. Now that’s a day. There’s a day in your life, the one that you married with in this life. You think concerning that day. And you think concerning the glory of that day. And now that day stands out. As far as we as individuals are concerned, not as a nation, not as a group, not even as the church, but as individuals, there’s that day involved. You think concerning the day, there’s a great day, the day in which your children were born.

Here, Sean up here. He started out at what was it, seven pounds. And there was Dawn back there. She was seven pounds. There was fourteen pounds a baby left, one ounce being fourteen pound. Can you see him at I can. He was fourteen. He was seven, seven pounds involved. Now that was a day. That was a day. I think I preached that day or the next morning involved. Uh involved in in that regard. Uh as they were born. Tim back there, he came along about six years later. He had nine and a half pounds. Uh he was a big old fellow uh in that regard. But that was some day. My folks were there, and Sarah’s folks were there. You think concerning the day in which your children were born, and that’s someday.

I mean, that’s that’s a day that you’ll remember all the days of your life. There’s some great days that we find. I there’s another one. I there’s another one in my life. I remember the day. Well, I remember the day in which Griffin was born. My six grandchildren are back there today as well. They’re all here today. But uh Griffin was born. You think concerning that day, uh, Sharon was John’s mother was there, and Paul and uh John, and uh I think John showed up anyway. He better have that day. But uh you think concerning your grandchildren being born, and that’s a day, you know. That’s a day to remember within life. The one I was thinking about just a second ago is the day I was baptized into Christ Jesus.

Now there was a day. There was a day. You go down into the water of baptism, and then you come forth out of the water of baptism. And you have a feeling of purity. You have a feeling that your sins have been forgiven because Jesus. And Paul the apostle would say, Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. You confess your faith in Christ Jesus, you enter into the watery baptism, and then you come forth, and you have a recognition that you’re pure in the sight of God. What a day that is. No other day. No other day compares, does it? Where you stand pure before your God with the forgiveness of your sins in that regard. Now that’s a day.

What I want to talk to you about this morning is a day that’s coming. There’s a day that’s coming. It’s not happened as yet, but it is indeed coming, and we call it that great day. That’s what we’re talking about. It is an appointed day. It’s a day that is appointed by God. Over in Acts the 17th chapter in verse 30, it says, In the times of this ignorance, God once winked out, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. And so you begin to see there’s an appointed day that is involved. In Hebrews 9 at verse 27, it talks concerning it as it is appointed on man once to die, but after this now the judgment is involved.

Now there is a day.

It is indeed a certainty, for we must. We must appear at that time unto the Lord. It is universal. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This is an appointment that all are going to make. This is an appointment. You know, I made a I made a dentist appointment here a while back, and I decided I didn’t want to go, and so I just canceled out and said, book me for the next cleaning in six months. And we can break appointments in this life. But the judgment is a day we’re not going to miss. It is a day indeed that is appointed by God, and it is a certainty we must appear on that day, for sure. Some don’t believe that it’s going to come.

Over in 2 Peter 3, we read concerning individuals who were skeptics who were denying the second coming of Jesus Christ. Uniformitarianism is uh is the term that is used concerning it, but they’re they’re saying all the things always happen, they just always happen. They’ll just always happen. There’s been no difference. And Peter just calls out and says, What about the flood? What about the flood? All things have not happened just like they always were. There was a flood, and God judged the world at one time. There’s coming a day, Peter says, There’s coming a day when he’s going to judge the world in righteousness. This earth is going to be burned up, the elements shall melt with fervent heat and so forth, as Peter puts it.

1. The Greatest Crowd

There is a day coming. It is the day we need to be aware of, and it is the day we need to prepare for. It is the judgment day when this last day comes unto us. There’s several reasons why this is a great day. We sing a song. There’s a great day coming, a great day coming, there’s a great day coming by and by, we’re going to sing that in a few minutes. There’s reasons why this is the greatest great day. It’s a great day. Why do you think this is going to be such a great day? Let me give you a few reasons why this is going to be a great day. The greatest crowd that’s ever assembled is going to be there on this occasion.

The greatest crowd. You think about a great crowd. Do you think great crowds coming up? You think of a great crowd. Well, if we had 500 people in this auditorium, that’d be a great crowd. The crowd we have today is pretty great in its very nature for sure. You think concerning the day of Pentecost. There were 3,000 that obeyed the gospel of Christ on the day of Pentecost. Now that was a great crowd. I don’t know how many others were there, but there were 3,000 on that occasion that arose and were baptized, washed away their sins. They saw the need for preparing for that great day. Great crowd. You think concerning a great crowd, you think concerning Trump and his political rallies of one form or another.

And how many ever, 20,000, 30,000, I don’t know how many are involved. Griffin graduated here a while back. I went to his graduation in Orlando, one of them places right off I-4, I think, is where it was. But anyway, I mean, you talk about the crowd that was there. On that occasion, I think Trump met in that same crowd a couple weeks after that. Just a great crowd involved. You think of the crowds that are involved. But now, when we start thinking about the crowd at the judgment time, we’re not talking about just a measly few thousand people. Listen to it. When we start thinking concerning the greatness of this, Matthew 25 and verse 1, the Lord’s going to be there. It won’t be Trump. Won’t be Biden.

It’ll be the Lord is going to be there. Verse 31 that I read to you a few minutes ago when the Son of Man shall come in his glory. And all the holy angels, all the holy angels will be there on that occasion. And before him shall be gathered all nations.

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand and with the goats on his left hand. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. You begin to see the nature of the judgment at that time, the crowd that’s going to be there. Over in John 5 and verse 28, marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, into which all that are in their graves shall be there. They shall come forth on that occasion for sure. Over in Revelation 20, Revelation 20. We read concerning them this way in verse 12. He says, And I saw the dead small and great. I saw the dead, the small and the great.

Stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book is opened, which is the book of life. The small and the great are going to be there. You think concerning the great. The great are going to be there. You know, who’s going to be there? The great are going to be there. I think I think concerning Adam and Eve. They were the great. They were the first ones. And then appeared on the facing this earth. They started this whole thing. That’s why all the rest of us are here because Adam and Eve were there at the very beginning. Adam and Eve are going to be there. They’ll be there. You think concerning the great. Abraham. Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation. He’ll be there on that occasion.

He is the father of the faithful as well. You think concerning the great. You think concerning Abraham. You want to think about the great? You think concerning Moses. Now Moses was one that was great. He judged Israel. You watch him in that regard. You see the greatness of Moses involved as he led Israel through the wilderness through that many forty years that were involved even unto the promised land. Leading them into it, turning it over unto Joshua to go on into the promised land at that time. The great. The great. The great of the word of God. You might think concerning Peter and Paul and the apostles and the greatness that is involved in them, but you may think concerning the great, you may think concerning the evil, you may think concerning Hitler, he’ll be there.

Napoleon, he’ll be there. You may think concerning one after another, as far as those that are wicked, you think of Judas. He’ll be there, and it’ll not be good for Judas on that occasion. Jesus said, good work for you had you not been born on the day of judgment. I don’t want to hear the Lord tell me, good word for you that you were not born. The great will be there. But the small will be there. Small individuals like you, well, like me. Small individuals, just individuals who have lived upon the face of this earth. You think about the small.

You think concerning the rich man and Lazarus. Now there was Lazarus. He was small. He was a beggar at the gate of the rich man. But he was found in Abraham’s bosom, there in Luke 16. The small will be there. I think of Dorcas in Acts I 9th chapter. Dorcas was indeed kind of a small woman. She was raised from the dead by Peter. She made garments with the other widows that were involved while she was alive. She’ll be there. You think of small individuals that were there. My favorite. My favorite is the poor widow. The poor widow. What’s your attitude toward poor widows? Jesus sees a poor widow cast into the treasury. She casts into the treasury. Two might make a farthing. You talk about insignificant individual within this life.

That’s her. And the Lord says, that woman’s cast in more than they all. She’s cast in all the living that she had. Her heart was with the Lord. Her desire was to please the Lord. She wanted to serve God on that occasion, and she gave from the heart unto the Lord. What’s your attitude toward poor rulers? Jesus had an attitude toward the great and toward the small as well in that regard. It’s going to be a big crowd. All are going to be there, the small and the great. They’re all going to be there on that occasion for sure, as we recognize in this regard. So then shall every one of us shall give account of himself unto God. Okay, the greatest crowd. That’s why it’s going to be a great day.

2. The Greatest Judge

The greatest crowd will be there. The greatest judge will be there as well. Greatest judge. Have you thought about great judges? Trump appointed a couple to the Supreme Court, you think concerning the court. Now they’re now their judges. These are individuals that rise up and they judge the greatest problems that the country has. They’re the nuns. That’s a supreme court of our land, the Sanhedrin during the days of the New Testament. Now, there was a court that was involved there. Some say Paul may have been headed toward it if he had not been on it in that regard before he was became a Christian, child of God in that regard. Great court, great court, judges that are involved. When you look at the word of God, you think concerning Moses and the judgment that he did as he went through the forty years in the wilderness, and the great cases were brought unto him.

And he judged Israel through that period of time. You think of the great judge, the greatest of the judges in the Old Testament, evidently, is Solomon, and you think you remember the case that came before him. Two women brought forth a child. They weren’t twins, they came from two different women. Sarah could have two at once, but these had two women had children in this regard. And one of them died. And both of the women claimed the living child. How in the world do you judge such a thing as that? How do you judge? Solomon says, Well, bring a sword and I’ll just cut it in half. We’ll just cut that baby in half, and who’s ever will give each of the women a half of the baby that lives.

And as a result, he could see in the eyes of the mother. Should say, give the child to the other woman. Let her have her. Don’t destroy that child. The love that a mother has for a child. It’s amazing the love that a mother has for her child. That never ends in this life. Solomon was a judge. He could discern. But these men, Solomon, gained his wisdom from God. God gave Solomon the wisdom that he had during that period of time. In so many ways, you see that through the books that you see in the writing of the Proverbs and so forth that are involved, the inspiration of the of Solomon. But the judgment now. The judgment’s a day. A day that’s coming. Who’s going to be the judge on that occasion?

It’s not men. It’s going to be Jesus Christ. And we recognize the greatest of all judges will be there on that occasion. In 2 Timothy 4 and verse 1, we read concerning, I’ll charge thee before God, therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearance in his kingdom. In John 5 and verse 32, 22, it says, For the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Jesus is going to be the judge. The judgment of Jesus is going to be far superior to any other. In Romans, the second chapter, you read concerning the judgment of Jesus. No respect for a persons with him as you see it there. You recognize he’s going to judge us according to our deeds in that text as well, and you recognize there’ll be no mistake on that occasion.

3. The Books That Are Opened

He is going to judge us according to truth that is involved. You have the greatest of all judges that will be there. If we deserve, if we deserve hell on that occasion, we’ll be cast into hell. If we deserve heaven through the grace of God on that occasion, we’ll reserve, we’ll receive that on that occasion as well. Doesn’t it make you want to draw nigh unto God? Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, as James says. Purify your hearts, yeah double-minded, be afflicted and mourn and weep. Prepare yourself for the judgment of God, for Jesus is going to judge according to truth on that occasion. For sure. Why is it? Why is it going to be a great day? It’ll be a great day because of the books that are open on that occasion.

Over in Revelation 20 and verse 12, it says, And I saw the dead small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book according to their deeds. When we moved to uh live oak uh mayo up in that area, we went to the insurance agent. We had to change our car insurance. They had to change, had to change the from North Carolina to Florida. And so we had to get a new address put on our. So I went into the to the woman that was there at the insurance company. I thought, well, I have to go through all this kind of stuff.

She typed my name into the computer and up popped everything. I mean, she knew more about my history and my car and everything else and how many colors I had and everything. She knew it all. It just all popped up on the screen. In the judgment day, the Lord’s gonna know. He’s gonna know the good, and he’s gonna know the bad. He’s gonna know what’s happened. He’s gonna know whether we were willing to obey the gospel of Christ and be found faithful unto the Lord. He’s gonna know whether or not we repented of our sins. He’s going to know the bad. He’s going to know the good that is involved on that occasion. You talk about a computer, a computer is nothing in comparison to the knowledge that God has or Christ has, and what’s going to be seen at the day of judgment.

Does it make sense to be a hypocrite? Does it make sense just to play a part? Does it make sense to take the Lord’s Supper as John was talking about a while ago and not think concerning the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross and how he died for you in order that you might have the forgiveness of your sins? Why do you come to worship God? Why do you come to serve God? Is it to be seen or to see and to be seen as some individuals say? Is it just to play a part? Is it just to be something special within life? What difference does it make? Unless the Lord sees you. Unless the Lord records it. And unless it’s pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

4. The Greatest Excuses

When we sing the songs, do you mean the words that are involved? When the prayer is praying, do you seek to say the amen to the prayers that are prayed? The greatest judge of all time, he’ll know. He’ll judge. He’ll know what’s right. And he’ll know what’s wrong in that regard. The greatest, the greatest books will be opened, the book of life, your life will flash before you. Even at that time, for sure. The greatest excuses will make excuses. Individuals make excuses. This is the problem. With this pandemic right now, somewhat individuals make excuses for not assembling with the saints and not being together in the house of God. And how the necessity we’ve done what we’ve had to do during this period of time. But I wonder what kind of effect that has upon our mentality and our determination to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is within this life.

We make excuses. We make excuses. Sometimes some individuals say, Well, they were hypocrites over there. That’s some excuse. That’s some excuse. So why don’t you just join one in with the hypocrites and be a hypocrite like the rest of them? Say that’s that’s a reason for not serving the Lord. Because somebody else doesn’t serve the Lord. All kinds of excuses. Somebody will say, Well, I didn’t think I could live up to it, so I just didn’t, I didn’t join in. Somebody will say, Well, I just enjoyed sin, and so I gave myself over into it. Somebody will say, Well, I was I was going to someday. I just never did get around to it. Paul says, Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

On that day, great excuses will be given. You remember in Matthew the seventh chapter, Jesus talks concerning it in this way. He says, He says, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. He says, Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? Have we not cast out devils in thy name? Have we not done in thy name many wonderful works? Then will he say, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity or without law. Doesn’t that make you want to read your Bible? That you work with law. That you listen to the Lord. That you obey his will.

Read your Bible on a daily basis. Why do you read your Bible? Is it not to know the will of God and to apply the will of God unto your life so that you might be pleasing in the eyes of the Lord? Read your Bible on a daily basis. Doesn’t it make you want to pray? Pray unto God. Pray. Pray for forgiveness. Pray for the Lord to bless you. Give you wisdom like we talked about in class a few minutes ago. Pray. Doesn’t it make you want to attend the services? And be faithful unto the Lord at all times in your service unto God. That you not just give excuses, but that you obey the Lord. Let me give you one final one and I’ll quit.

5. The Greatest Verdicts

I I’m thinking Walcott’s going to jump up and tell me to quit in a minute. Probably should. The final one I wanted you to see is the greatest verdicts. That ought to wake you up if nothing else does. The greatest verdict. You think great verdicts that are involved? Great verdicts involved, I think. Uh y you think you think concerning a I went to I was on jury duty here in the big old courthouse downtown. Down there by Lake Yelden, I guess. Anyway, I was on jury duty. And after we convicted a fellow. Attempted murder is what he did. And uh we convicted him. I was the foreman. They they made me the foreman. And you know, the sad part. The judge came out and said, after it was all over, the judge came out and said, I’m going to give him two life sentences is what I’m going to give him.

Now there’s a verdict. Two life sentences. The only bad part about it was I was the foreman. That was the bad part because I read the verdict. And at the end of reading, there were, I don’t know how many things I had to read. But at the end, it said Stan Caldwell, foreman of a jury. He didn’t know anybody’s name except mine at the end of that thing. So I’m hoping he does the two life sentences. I’d give him 50 years. Maybe he’s not out yet. I hope. Anyway. That’s a verdict, is it not? That’s a verdict. You know, so be it whatever happens that way. That’s a verdict. What about the death sentence? Death sentence. Oh Sparky here in Florida. Used to used to be here in Florida.

I guess they do lethal injections now if they do it at all. But the death sentence that is involved. Up in Franklin, Tennessee, they used to hang them on the courthouse lawn. Might be a good practice. Might wake a few people up, make them stop and think concerning the life that they’re living here up on the face of this earth. If you knew you were going to hang for what you were doing, would you do it? Some verdict. Life in prison. Death. Death by crucifixion. I think you think of the Lord. The sentence they gave unto him, death by crucifixion. Hebrews 12 talks for the joy that was set before him. He endured the cross despising the shame, but he sat down at the right hand of the Father and I.

That’s great. What we’re talking about is eternal sentences. The greatest sentences that ever come forth on Matthew 24. These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous and the life eternal.

And he’s comforted in Abraham’s bosom. Sentences passed out at the judgment. Over in 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 7, and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified, and he saints, and to be admired in all of them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. You remember John 14? And verse 1, let not your heart be troubled. You believed in God. Believe also in me.

In my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I’ll come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. We’re talking. Let me give you one more verse. That’s in Revelation 21 and verse 8, because this one means something to me. It says the fearful and the unbelieving and the abominable and the murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. All liars.

In order to get an advantage of somebody within life, you go forth and you tell a lie. All liars, along with all the others that he was talking about, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. What that does is motivate me. When you think concerning the judgment, you think there’s heaven and there’s hell. What am I going to do within this life? I tell you what I’m not going to do. I’m not going to tell a lie if I can help it. If I know the truth, I’m going to try my best to tell the truth. And I’m going to keep my mouth shut if I can’t tell the truth, just not say anything. For all liars will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, and I’m not fixing.

Conclusion

To go to hell when I die if I can keep from it. God help me to be faithful. You know, great days. We prepare for great days. You prepare for a wedding. Sarah went through all kinds of stuff. Groom doesn’t do near what the bride does, but bride prepares. You prepare for a wedding. The rehearsal and all the stuff, all the stuff that goes with it. Even a birthday. You bake the cake and you have the candles and you do all this stuff. You make preparation for it. There’s a great day coming, a great day coming, a great day coming by and by.

Or it’s going to be the saddest day that there ever was upon the face of this earth. Now you ask yourself, have I been baptized into Christ Jesus for the remission of my sins? Am I faithful unto the Lord? For those things that I’ve done that are contrary to the will of God, have I made correction? Have I repented? Have I prayed unto God? Have I confessed it before those I’ve sinned against? Am I ready to meet the judgment of God? There’s a great day ready coming. Are you ready? If not, why not prepare now while you have time? While you have opportunity, while you can make it the greatest day that there ever has been on the face of this earth. Why not come while we stand and sing this song?