Appreciate Jerry—only sharing about half of the things I was going to mention tonight. So that’s okay.
You know, it struck me as we saw these young children run out. A lot of them are running. They’ve got a lot of enthusiasm. One of the big things they’ve got is that they don’t want to be left behind. They want to get out with their class.
We don’t want to be left behind as we prepare tonight.
Now, it’s a privilege to be before you all tonight. I know that a lot of you have made a sacrifice to be here. You’ve traveled a long way.
I just thought of a verse as I was thinking about how everybody had to travel so much. It is the verse with which the Apostle Peter opened his first letter:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
You know, we’re gathered tonight as aliens, really from all over the world. And this word aliens can also be translated as strangers and sojourners. I’m very thankful to be on a journey with you all. We are all on a journey together.
We’re on that journey that we heard Father Abraham start. Abraham obeyed by going out, not knowing where. He didn’t know where, but he obeyed. Yet he did know where he was going. He didn’t know specifically, but he was looking for that city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Thank the Lord that we are fellow travelers, sojourners, looking for that city which has foundations. I’m just looking forward to these times as we can come apart. The Lord has really blessed us with this time to be together, that we might be encouraged by one another’s faith and strengthened to stay in the race.
It really is a gift that we’re here. I think we need to understand that.
Three or four years ago, after three or four years, the University of Richmond kept trying to get rid of us. Whoops—they were kind of pushing us out little by little. We really did some soul-searching at that time, and we said, “Huh, maybe the Lord’s trying to say something. Maybe we should just not do this anymore.”
But you know what we heard after three years? It became very clear that the Lord wasn’t evicting us from the University of Richmond. The issue was that He had something much better, and we were dull of hearing.
This is much better. This university and this place have blessed us immensely. Where we couldn’t get people to do anything for us in the past, these people do everything for us. So I would encourage everyone, as you see some of the university staff, just to extend your thanks to them. They really have welcomed us, and it really is beyond just a sales pitch. I think these other guys would attest to that.
Well, as Kenny was saying, this is the thirty-fifth family conference. I was thinking of Kenny, because Kenny was only ten years old thirty-five years ago. Kenny’s on my mind. He’s gotten kind of beat up over the years.
But thirty-five years ago—and two before that, because there were two conferences before the family conference—thirty-seven years ago.
As I was thinking about thirty-five years, it seems like a long time. I know in the Lord’s sight it’s really a dot, barely visible. But in our lifetime, it’s a long time. I couldn’t help but think, We need to stop and think about it. Thirty-five years.
I was talking to one of the men in Richmond, and I don’t know if it’s a sign of getting older—or I don’t think it is. I think it’s good to stop and reflect. Stop and think about it.
There’s a word that we have in the Psalms: Selah. There are a lot of translations, and I kind of looked up the meaning of that word. There are too many discussions about it, but there is a translation that comes out of the Amplified Bible. It says, “Pause, and calmly think about it.”
And the things we discuss this week, I just want to encourage us all to pause and think about it. Thirty-five years: where have you been? Where have we been over thirty-five years?
And the other thing that comes quickly on the heels of, “Where have we been?” is, “What’s the next question?” Jerry got it. He made up for some of that, but he said, “Where are we going?”
If we don’t have an idea of where we’re going, we’re going to get somewhere, but the Lord only knows where we’re going to get. The pace of this world, the current of this world, is going to take us, and we’re going to get there—but where are we going to get?
So that’s just a personal thought to each one of us: Where have we been? How have we been spending our days? And where are we going?
Generally, thirty-five years; specifically, what is the purpose of this conference? What is the purpose of this series of conferences?
Is this a good time to come together to have Bible study, fellowship, prayer groups, to see our friends, and to be encouraged? Absolutely. Yes. But that’s not really it. Yes and no.
We believe that the Lord called us to have these conferences many years ago with a more specific purpose. And that is something to be shared about God’s eternal purpose. I believe that’s a theme that we’ll hear from each of the speakers: God’s eternal purpose.
Let me think just a minute.
This purpose—the purpose that God is after—I believe, is that He is after something for Himself. The gospel preached in this country, and maybe broadly in this world, is about, “What’s in it for me?” God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. There’s no question about it. It’s a wonderful truth, but that’s just the beginning.
We were talking about Peter, so let’s look in his first epistle again. We were at the beginning of it, and now let’s turn to 1 Peter 2:9.
But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession,
that ye may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
The thought I had was this: We are certainly born again to a living hope, but it is for His purpose. We are a people for God’s own possession. We are not saved to squander our lives on our own interests, but we are saved for His purpose and His benefit.
Well, we have this phrase that we hear so often: the eternal purpose. Where does that phrase come from? Let’s look at Ephesians 3:8-11.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given,
to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery
which for ages hath been hid in God Who created all things;
to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places
might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,
according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That’s where that phrase comes from: eternal purpose. And I’m concerned that we really take that phrase as just a cliché. “The eternal purpose.” I’ve heard that phrase used, really, improperly.
What is the eternal purpose? Can each one here articulate what the Lord is after—simply, very simply? Sometimes I think if we have an explanation that’s this long, we’ve lost it. We don’t really see it.
But what is God’s eternal purpose? Paul tells us back in the first chapter of Ephesians. Turn to Ephesians 1:7-10.
In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace,
which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
making known unto us the mystery of His will,
according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him
unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times,
to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth.
The summing up of all things in Christ—that is God’s eternal purpose. Is the completion, the realization, the summing up of all things at hand? How soon is it? He’s at the door.
In Ephesians 1:18, I don’t think this is something we can manufacture. We can’t work at it harder and get that understanding, see that vision. But Paul went on in that chapter and said:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,
so that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.
So we need to pray this week that the eyes of our heart would be enlightened, that we might see with the eyes of our heart what His purpose is.
We’re thankful for our initial salvation, but as the TV salesman says, “Wait, there’s more.” He’s after people for His own possession, to sum up all things in Christ.
So this conference’s purpose from the beginning has been to express something of God’s eternal purpose. And that’s my second Selah.
The first Selah: think about thirty-five years.
The second Selah: think about God’s eternal purpose.
Are you here for the first time? Anybody here for the first time? Quite a few. Surprised. Anybody here for the thirty-fifth time? Who’s here for the thirty-fifth time? Kenny and Hosea? I’m sure there are more I can’t see out there.
Anyway, if you’re here for the first time, I have a charge to you: Pray that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened, so that you may see the hope of His calling.
Are you here for thirty-five times? I have a word for you: Pray that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened, so that you may see the hope of His calling.
I have a little testimony here. You know, thirty-five years is a long time, and we can get really worn out with it. We can get beat up. We can be very sorely tempted to throw in the towel.
Last year I went for my semiannual eye examination. The doctor finished his examination and said, “Well, your eyes look real good. Your eyes look good. But anybody that’s fifty, sixty—you know, you get to this point where you go to the doctors, and the doctors always say, ‘Well, you’re doing really well, but—’”
I said, “Oh no. What’s this? What’s this?”
He said, “Well, you’re doing okay, but you’ve just got the beginning of a little cataract in this eye.”
I said, “Cataract? I thought I was about twenty-nine years old. What do you mean I got a cataract? That’s for old people.”
And he said, “No, no, no, you’re fine. It’s not anything unusual at all, but it’s a cataract.”
“What’s a cataract?” So I looked up the definition: “A clouding that develops in the lens of the eye.”
I didn’t know I had a cataract. The eye was beginning to cloud.
Is there anyone here that’s been here for thirty-five years, thirty years, twenty-nine years, twenty-five years, that maybe we’re starting to get a little cataract on our eye? Let’s ask the Lord to heal those cataracts this week and open the eyes of our heart.
Okay, so God’s eternal purpose. Selah one: thirty-five years—think about it. Selah two: God’s eternal purpose. We’ve seen it; we haven’t seen it; we need to see it. We’ve seen it, but we’ve got a cataract. So let’s really just lay that out before the Lord.
The specific thing for this week—I’m going to read some out of the handbook. Jerry, if he can take some of my stuff, I can take some of his stuff.
The handbook says, “Waiting for and hastening the coming of the Lord.” There are two verses. I’m going to read the shorter verse first, in the order they came out on the website.
Luke 21:28:
But when these things begin to come to pass,
look up, and lift up your heads;
because your redemption draweth nigh.
Look up, for your redemption draws nigh.
And then 2 Peter 3:11-12:
All these things then being dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness,
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?
I’m going to read that whole chapter here in a minute.
But if you look at the second part of the handbook, page three, the greetings at the top, let me just read what the burden was for this conference:
As we prayed and sought the Lord for the theme of this year’s conference, we were impressed with the imminence of the Lord’s return.
For anybody from different parts of the country, that’s imminence with an “i.” That means very soon, at the door.
We were impressed with the imminence of the Lord’s return. The Word of God makes it very clear that when we consider “these things,” the Lord’s coming is nearer than ever before.
We were also impressed that often believers look at the Lord’s coming in view of themselves alone. We ought to look at the Lord’s return in view of the eternal purpose of God. What does He want? Why should we be prepared? How should we be waiting for and hastening His return?
As a people, as a corporate expression, what manner of people ought we to be to fulfill His purpose in coming again? In light of this, as we gather, we want to consider the imminence, purpose, recovery, and battle over the Lord’s return. If you look at the front page, those four are the topics that four different speakers are going to cover.
Our prayer is that in these end days, God’s people may be made ready for Him.
You know, I want to read—turn to 2 Peter. We looked at 1 Peter; now let’s look at 2 Peter and read 2 Peter 3.
It’s commonly understood that this is the last book Peter wrote. Chapter 3 is the last chapter of the last book. If someone was writing the last thing they had to say to the family, to the church that he was leaving behind, don’t you think it would be the most important thing he had to say to them?
So I thought it would be good just to read through this. This is one thing we can be considering: What did Peter have to say? What was the most important thing?
This now, beloved, is the second letter that I am writing unto you;
and in them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance:
that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,
and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles.
He might have ministered this to them before. They might have heard it before. But he’s saying, “Listen up. This is important.”
Know this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,
and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?
for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
I don’t know if it’s from within the church, but certainly from without, we’ve got more mockers. People are saying, “Come on, guys, what’s up?” More resistance.
For this they wilfully forget,
that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;
by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire,
being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
The children are studying Noah this week.
But forget not this one thing, beloved,
that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness;
but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
The Lord’s not slow, but He’s patient toward us, that we might all come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief;
in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat,
and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness,
looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God,
by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
But, according to His promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Hallelujah.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things,
give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in His sight.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
even as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;
as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
wherein are some things hard to be understood,
which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand,
beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own steadfastness.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.
What’s Peter’s argument? What’s he saying? These things are going to be burned in fire, and there’s going to be a new heaven and a new earth. In light of that, in light of this world not lasting, what kind of people are we to be? What should we be doing with our days? What should we be doing with our lives?
We’ve been talking about stopping and considering—Selah, stop and think about it. This is the third Selah: we really need to stop and think about the Lord’s return.
I have to tell you, I don’t think too much about the Lord’s return. That’s one of the reasons I was really looking forward to this conference. How many people really stop and think, or are caught with the Lord’s return?
I think there are a lot of things that stay in our way. The pace of this world will crowd out any chance of waiting on the Lord and thinking about His return.
How many people in here have enhanced cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPhones, and so forth? How many got a buzz just while we were sitting here? Did you have them on? Was it on silent? You know, those things are eating us alive. They’re eating our days up.
There are many things that keep us from being prepared for the Lord. Are we too satisfied with the status quo? Are we too satisfied with the situation we find ourselves in—a comfortable life? I think so.
One thing I think keeps us away from considering the last things is that the teaching can get complicated. There are a lot of details, and I think it can put us off.
Might we cut through that this week and not be put off? Because it’s very simple. Peter makes it very simple. There’s a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The Lord is returning for His own, to be restored to His rightful place.
I wonder also if some of this shaking we feel—how many people have felt it’s been thirty-five years, but how many people feel like the shaking of the last six months, the things we see going on morally around the world, is a pretty strong shaking?
It’s a strong shaking, but let’s read Hebrews 12, a common passage. What if the Lord is allowing that?
Hebrews 12:25-27:
See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.
For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth,
much more shall not we escape who turn away from Him that warneth from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth:
but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken,
as of things that have been made,
that those things which are not shaken may remain.
The shaking’s terrible, but it’s with a purpose: that those things which can’t be shaken will remain. Thank the Lord for shaking things.
What is our expectation for this week? Do we have an expectation? If we don’t have an expectation, we’re not going to get very far.
But it occurs to me that the Lord is not after a mental agreement with these teachings, but He’s after our hearts. He’s after spiritual recognition, that the eyes of our heart might be opened and we would begin to long for His return.
The Amplified Bible, in 2 Peter 3:12, says, “While you wait and earnestly long for the day of God.” While you wait and earnestly long for.
Our week will be a success, I think, if we can leave and say, in some measure, we earnestly long for the Lord’s return.
And if we could answer that question, “What kind of people ought we to be?” No one can answer that question for us. It strikes me that the speakers will not be able to answer the question. They may give us some help, but each one of us has got to answer that question: What kind of people ought we to be in light of the Lord’s soon return?
We may only have a few weeks. Who knows? A few days. What are we doing with our lives?
Well, let me just close. Let me summarize. I think what the Lord is really after is that the only value we’re going to get out of this week is to be engaged spiritually, engaged with our hearts. To Selah. Make the whole week a Selah.
This world is in such a dizzying spin. Stop. Determine tonight to stop. Get off the roller— the Ferris wheel. Just get off the roller coaster and stop and think about it.
The first thing we were going to think about was thirty-five years: Where have we been? And where are we going?
The second thing we wanted to think about was God’s eternal purpose. If we haven’t really heard about that, we want to pray, “Lord, open our eyes that we might see something of what You’re after.”
If we have heard about it a long time ago, we want to pray, “Lord, open the eyes of my heart, that I might see what You’re after.”
And the final thing that we wanted to consider and think about—Selah—is: What kind of people ought we to be? What are we doing with our lives? How are we spending the lives that the Lord has given us, particularly in light of His soon return?
So, three Selahs. And I’d like to close with a little quote.
I was actually Googling the Lord’s return, and there’s a site where there are quite a few A. W. Tozer articles. Quite a few years ago, A. W. Tozer wrote an article. I can’t remember the title, but I think it was, “Whatever Happened to This Hope of His Return?”
Here, let me just read a few quotes from that article. A. W. Tozer died in the sixties. I think he was something like sixty-two when he died. So that gives you an idea of how long ago this was written—probably before that.
A short generation ago, or about the time of the First World War, there was a feeling among gospel Christians that the end of the age was near, and many were breathless with anticipation of a new world order about to emerge.
I think we’ve got people breathless about a new world order about to emerge today. That isn’t the one Brother Tozer was talking about.
Thus the hopes and dreams of Christians were directed toward an event to be followed by a new order in which they would have a leading part. This expectation for many was so real that it quite literally determined their world outlook and way of life.
It should be noted that there is a vast difference between the doctrine of Christ’s coming and the hope of His coming. The first may be held without feeling a trace of the second. Indeed, there are multitudes of Christians today who hold the doctrine of the second coming. What I have talked about here is that overwhelming sense of anticipation that lifts the life unto a new plane and fills the heart with rapturous optimism. This is what we lack today.
So let’s just spend a few minutes here in prayer. Maybe when we start, we can just be quiet before the Lord for a few minutes and think about it. Ask the Lord to meet us this week. Ask Him to give us that rapturous hope of His return, to deliver us from being bound by this world and its cares into an anticipation for His return.
And when we’re done, I’ll close.