When God Draws Near: Intentional Preparation
Pastor Rollan Fisher
Why Hedonism Doesn’t Work
Where True Joy is Found
Preparing for the Coming of the Lord
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
-Isaiah 40:1-11
Why Hedonism Doesn’t Work
Though we are redeemed believers, we still live with the reality of the sinful nature that we must put off daily. Though God have us all things for our enjoyment, if we only live for that enjoyment, we will be unfulfilled and disappointed.
The problem with hedonism is it keeps you from being useful in the hand of God because you’re always living for pleasure rather than appropriate sacrifice.
*The challenge is the longevity of devotion
To combat this, God told the Israelites to prepare for the first coming of the Messiah. The Scripture continually talks about the Second Coming of Christ the Messiah not to die for sins again on the cross, but to save those who’ve been waiting for Him. We must live prepared for this.
Where True Joy is Found
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
-Luke 1:5-17
We have joy because, in Christ, no matter what comes from here, I’m good and it gets better if I’m right with God. I have no reason to fear the future, death, lack or his coming if I’m building my life around him now.
“The second coming of Christ will be so revolutionary that it will change every aspect of life on this planet. Christ will reign in righteousness. Disease will be arrested. Death will be modified. War will be abolished. Nature will be changed. Man will live as it was originally intended he should live.”
-Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
It will be joy for those who are waiting, distress for the unprepared.
Preparing for the Coming of the Lord
“When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return.“
-A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus' Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope
“Let us be alert to the season in which we are living. It is the season of the Blessed Hope, calling for us to cut our ties with the world and build ourselves on this One who will soon appear. He is our hope—a Blessed Hope enabling us to rise above our times and fix our gaze upon Him.”
-A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus' Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope
Second City Church -When God Draws Near - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019