Will you please turn to 2 Peter, chapter 3? Read from verse 8.
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.
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.—2 Peter 3:8-13
Shall we have a word of prayer?
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for being so merciful to us in allowing us to meet together this morning. Lord, we know Thou art present here with us. We do look to Thee to speak to each and every one of us and prepare us for Thy imminent return.
Lord, if Thou shouldst come now, where we believe that we all will be raptured and be with Thee, there is nothing better than that. But, O Lord, if some of us should be left behind, how tragic it will be.
So, dear Lord, we do pray that Thou wilt speak to each one of us in such a way that, when Thou shalt return, none will be left behind; but, by the mercy of God, we will all be raptured and be with Thee in Thy glorious kingdom.
We commit this time into Thy hand, trusting Thy Holy Spirit to do the work. In Thy great name, amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, we remember that before the Lord returned to heaven, He said to His disciples, “I am going to prepare a place for you, and then I will return and receive you to Myself.”
This is what the Lord told His disciples before His return to heaven. Two thousand years have passed, and the Lord seems to be delayed. So the question is very urgent: Why is it?
We know the Lord’s heart. We know how He must be very anxious to return, to receive His own to Himself. But why is it that, for so long, the Lord still seems to be delayed?
Dear brothers and sisters, I believe it must be a wondering in our hearts: Why is it so? The only answer is this: His own people are not ready.
It cannot be that our Lord does not want to return. The only answer is that His people have delayed Him.
But, dear brothers and sisters, after two thousand years, as we read the Scriptures, we know one thing: we are living at the end of this age. We believe this age is coming to an end. We believe that we are living on the verge of His return.
So it is a very important question to each and every one of us: Are we ready for His return?
The Bible tells us that, at the time of Noah, the Lord revealed to Noah that the end would come, and He asked Noah to prepare an ark. Noah spent one hundred and twenty years preparing the ark.
And you can imagine, while he was preparing the ark—which was an unusual thing, because the earth had never had any rain or disasters of that kind—people must have come and inquired, “What are you doing?”
And thank God, Noah used this opportunity to preach the gospel to the people, telling them that the disaster was coming: “Be prepared. Receive the Lord Jesus. Enter into the ark when the ark is ready.”
But people just laughed at him. “There is no such thing.”
But as we all know today, after the ark was ready, God told Noah and his family of eight to enter into the ark, and the Lord closed the door.
When this happened, suddenly rain began to fall. Brothers and sisters, we can imagine how people would flock to the door, asking Noah, “Open the door for us.”
But Noah said, “I cannot do it,” because it was God who closed the door. And the flood came upon the earth, and we know what happened.
Now, in Matthew 24, the Lord tells us that as in the days of Noah, so shall be His coming.
Two people were grinding at the mill, and we know that it was morning. Two people were working in the field, and that tells us it was daytime. Two people were sleeping, and it must be night.
Not because there were six people—no, only two people. But it shows us that the earth is round. In some place, it is early morning, when the women would be grinding the meal. In another place, at the same time, it would be daytime, when people would be working in the field. And at the same time, in another place, it would be night, when people would be sleeping.
Not that there are six people. There are only two people.
These two people represent the so-called Christians who will be living at the time, on the verge of the coming of the Lord. And, brothers and sisters, we are living at such a time.
But we all know that the number of the church is twelve. Here you find the two, but where are the other ten?
Now, as you read on in Matthew 25, we are told about the ten virgins. The ten virgins were Christians. They had the torch. They were going out to meet the Lord.
But because the Lord seemed to be delayed, they all fell asleep. And actually, these ten represent all the Christians throughout the ages.
They were all waiting for the Lord’s return from the first century onward. And because the Lord seemed to have delayed, they fell asleep; that is to say, they died.
So the ten virgins in Matthew 25 represent all the Christians throughout the centuries who have died before the coming of the Lord. And what is left are the two. So you have the perfect number, the number of twelve.
Now, brothers and sisters, that shows us how we are at this very juncture. Many Christians have died in the Lord, and we, who are His, are the living ones.
But the day is coming when the Lord shall return. Those who are alive will be taken, and later on, those who have died in Christ will all be raised, as the Bible says, until we shall all meet Him in the air. And that will be the period of judgment.
And some people tell us that one day, suddenly, those who are still living will be driving. And you can imagine: suddenly, the drivers disappear. What chaos there must be on this earth.
But those who are taken by the Lord are the people who are waiting for the Lord.
You know, outwardly, you could not see the difference. Those who are working in the morning, they both work. Those who are working in the field, they both labor. Those who are sleeping, they both sleep.
I often tell people, “Do not be afraid to go to sleep. Go to sleep tonight. Rest up. But even if you are sleeping, should the Lord come, you will be taken if you have been ready.”
Imagine what will happen when suddenly people who are driving disappear. What chaos it must be. Imagine, suddenly, people who are sleeping disappear. Why? Because the Lord has come.
So, brothers and sisters, do not imagine that His coming is still far away from us. If you still have that kind of thought, I am afraid that when this shall happen, you will be left behind.
So may I warn you, brothers and sisters: according to the Scripture, we are living on the verge of the return of the Lord. The Lord may return at any moment.
It is my wishful thinking that, as we are meeting here this morning, the Lord returns suddenly and the whole place is empty. Thank God for that.
But I am afraid, if this should happen at this moment—now, do not think it cannot happen at this moment—I truly believe that this can happen to us, because we are on the verge of the coming of the Lord.
If this should happen at this moment, brothers and sisters, can you just sit here as if nothing will happen?
So it is the burden of my heart. Brothers and sisters, we are living on the verge of the coming of the Lord. It is a thrilling time, but it is also a terrible time.
For those who have been waiting for the Lord, it is a glorious time. But for those who have wasted their life on earth after they believed in the Lord Jesus, it will be a great regret.
Because the Bible tells us they will be in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. In other words, because they are saved—not because they are unsaved—they are left behind. They are all saved.
But because they have been saved, they know what has happened, and it is a great regret in their lives. Gnashing of teeth means greatly regretting what they had done.
So, dear brothers and sisters, if we do not want to regret, we had better be prepared.
What happened to the evil servant? He thought, “The Lord will not come so soon.” So he began to eat and drink and enjoy his life. He even beat his fellow servants.
But suddenly, the Lord shall return. And what happened to that evil servant? The Bible tells us he will be cut in two.
He will be cast into outer darkness. He will be left behind in the kingdom age, the glorious kingdom—a thousand-year rule with Christ Jesus.
And then what happened to the evil servant? This is what the Scripture has told us.
So, dear brothers and sisters, on the one hand, we thank God that we are living at this time. But on the other hand, we do sense the seriousness of our time. Are you being ready if the Lord should return at this moment?
Imagine, one day, all over this world, suddenly some who are driving on the road disappear. What a chaotic situation it will be at that moment.
But the Bible tells us this is exactly what will happen. Those who are ready for Him will be taken. But those who are left behind, the Bible says, will be cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. That is great regret.
So, brothers and sisters, you can choose whether you want to repent now or whether you want to repent afterwards.
You are blessed if you repent now. If you, at this moment, give yourself to the Lord and say, “Lord, search my heart. See if there is any evil way in me. Cleanse me with the precious blood, that we may be ready for You at any moment,” brothers and sisters, you will be the blessed ones.
But what if you are careless? You may enjoy yourself today. You may comfort yourself by saying, “By the grace of God, I am saved. So if I am saved, I am forever saved. So let me eat and drink and enjoy my life today.”
You think you are wise, but how foolish you are.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we are living at this kind of time. You cannot afford to be careless. Be prepared. The Lord may come at any moment.
He has waited long enough. I always feel, I always hope, that He will come back in my time.
I remember Brother Nee told us that when he was walking with Miss Barber—and you may have heard that Miss Barber was one who really loved the Lord—she came to China to preach the gospel.
A number of young people were really helped by her, and Watchman Nee was one of them. One day, Watchman Nee was walking together with her, and as they turned the corner, she told Watchman Nee, “What if, when we turn the corner, we meet the Lord?”
She was a person who had been waiting for the Lord all her life.
She came to China when she was young as a missionary. She taught at a girls’ school. But because of her love for the Lord, the students came to her, and this caused her fellow teachers’ jealousy.
So they accused her of some crime which she never did. But she was one who did not want to defend herself, so she was sent back to England under disgrace.
But she was silent before the Lord, and the Lord vindicated her. After she was vindicated, she was, at that time, meeting with Panton in London. Panton was one who loved the Lord and was greatly used by the Lord, especially in prophecy.
But she felt the Lord wanted her to return to China. She came back to China, not being sent by any missionary group. She came by faith.
But the fellow missionaries in China did not receive her. So she went to live in a small place, and then she just gave herself to prayer.
It was her prayer that attracted a number of college students. Brother Nee was one of them, and these college students were greatly helped by her.
Her tomb was still in Fuzhou. She served the Lord through her whole life, and Brother Nee used to tell us how he was helped by her.
You know, at that time Brother Nee was in college, a young man who loved the Lord, but full of human zeal. He often quarreled with his fellow workers because, in fact, one of his fellow workers was five years older than him.
And he always felt that he was right. So he went to Miss Barber, trying to vindicate himself.
But Miss Barber always told him, “He is five years older than you are. Obey the older one.”
Brother Nee used to tell us that, at that time, he was so frustrated, because he was five years younger. “Why should I obey the one who is wrong? And because she is five years older than I am?”
He did not understand at that time. But thank God, gradually he learned the lesson.
So, brothers and sisters, I feel very deeply impressed that probably, when we turn the corner, we will find the Lord. This is the way we are living at this moment.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we thank God for giving us this opportunity that we may come together to prepare ourselves for the Lord.
Are you ready?
Do you still think that there will still be time? You can enjoy yourself because you are saved anyway. But you do not know how much you have lost.
You will lose the kingdom rule of a thousand years with the Lord. You will be in darkness, weeping and regretting what you have done.
But thank God, He will never desert you, even though you may have deserted Him. He will never desert you. But that does not mean you will never be punished. You will be punished.
So the Bible tells us very clearly: during the kingdom age of a thousand years, when the overcomers of the church will rule with Christ from heaven to earth, those defeated Christians—real Christians, but who have used their life on earth loosely—will be in outer darkness, suffering, weeping, and regretting.
So, dear brothers and sisters, which will you choose? Will you choose to repent now and be ready for the Lord? Or will you choose to enjoy your remaining life for a short period, but lose the kingdom glory?
I think you are wiser.
So, dear brothers and sisters, I urgently beg you: be ready for the Lord now. Do not think that His coming will be delayed.
Most likely, even by the grace of God, we will see Him coming back during our lifetime. This is the most blessed thing. This is the thing for which we are waiting.
But are you ready?
Oh, are you still loving the world, thinking that you are saved anyway? So you can now enjoy the world. But you do not know how much you will suffer.
A thousand years ruling with Christ in glory, in comparison with a time in outer darkness, weeping and repenting—which do you choose?
So with deepest hope, brothers and sisters, I hope that our time here will not be wasted, but that every one of us will be ready for the Lord.
Now, it is true that if you want to be ready for the Lord, you have to suffer to a certain degree, because you have to deny yourself. You have to learn to follow the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Lord has given His Spirit to each one of us, and His Spirit, who dwells in our spirit, is very careful in leading us in the way of the Lord.
And that is the reason why, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will not be able to live as you lived before. The indwelling Holy Spirit, His still, small voice, is leading us. Do you obey?
If we obey, we may have to give up something—our soul life—but that is worth it.
I remember, before I was saved, I used to spend my Saturdays in theaters. Even though my father was a pastor, I was usually in the theaters.
After I was saved, people told me that I should not go to the theaters. I used to quarrel with them. I said, “I choose what I look at. If it is a good theater, it is good. Why can I not do it?”
But even though I said it that way, I knew something must be wrong. So I tried to keep from theaters secretly, lest I fail.
And sure enough, the enemy knew if I was in that position. A Christian movie came to Shanghai called Noah’s Ark, and people said, “Take us, my family.”
Oh, how I debated within myself. I had not been to a theater for a few months. I thought it was quite an accomplishment, but now this temptation was too great.
So I succumbed to it. I went there. For two hours, I sat in that theater looking at the thing. See, it was the worst thing I had ever seen.
I debated in my heart. I told myself I had to get out. But I sat there for two hours. I suffered.
And thank God, I was delivered again from theaters. By the grace of God, I have not been to a theater.
Now, I would not say I have never been to a theater, because when there was a gospel meeting in the theater, I did go. But anyway, I was delivered from that theatrical thing.
Am I glad about it? Thank God, I am glad about it. I was not in bondage anymore. I was free by the grace of God.
So, dear brothers and sisters, this time when we come together, we are very serious. Do not put it away as if there will still be opportunity for you to repent and return.
Brothers and sisters, this is the time. Repent. Return.
Your soul may suffer, but your spirit will be saved.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we come here not just to enjoy ourselves. We have come here for eternal enjoyment.
May the Lord show mercy to every one of us. Do not allow the pleasure of this life to enable you to miss the glorious kingdom of a thousand years.
So may the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Dear Lord, we want to thank You that again and again You remind us of what You have prepared for us.
You want us to be what You want us to be, that we may really follow Thee with our whole heart and be willing to take up the cross, to deny the self, and to follow Thee.
Lord, may this be the ambition of each and every one of us here.
Lord, what if You return now? Hopefully, this auditorium will be emptied; none will be left behind. And that is the prayer that we ask You in Your name. Amen.
We do thank the Lord that He has spoken to us again this morning. We do believe the Lord is calling us to this moment of choice. You know, our brother David talked about these—