Go to Work, Go to Church — Christ Is Coming Back!
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00:00:04.000 | Good Monday. Thank you for listening to the podcast. We're going to start the week looking at your most recent book, Pastor John,
00:00:10.000 | "Come, Lord Jesus! Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ."
00:00:15.000 | I'm holding it in my hands right now. It's a beautiful volume. It turned out great.
00:00:20.000 | Friday, you shared what you called five misconceptions about the timing of the end times,
00:00:25.000 | that the Second Coming of Christ is far out into the future, or that it already happened,
00:00:30.000 | or that it will never happen, or that there are no events on Earth yet to happen before his return,
00:00:36.000 | or that his coming will unfold in two different stages. That was all in Friday's episode.
00:00:43.000 | But your book is far less about controversies and much more about the life applications that we can draw from Christ's return.
00:00:50.000 | He is coming back, maybe very soon, maybe today. So with the possibility of his soon return as our hope,
00:00:57.000 | how do we live our lives today? How do we respond right now?
00:01:02.000 | As I flip through the book, I mean, the entire final third of this new book is all about how we should live in the light of the Second Coming.
00:01:11.000 | And one of the chapters in that section stands out because of its brief and simple title, chapter 21.
00:01:17.000 | Go to work, go to church. Is there a biblical basis for these simple directives?
00:01:23.000 | And if so, explain what you write in that chapter, because it seems like a lot of people are pretty curious about it.
00:01:30.000 | Yeah, it's amazing. In almost all the interviews I've done, I think I've done four or five, all of them pick up on that chapter.
00:01:38.000 | I evidently touched a nerve by saying, "Go to work, go to church." And I'm happy I did, because I like it.
00:01:45.000 | I like simplicity and bluntness. Yes, the answer is yes, there is a biblical basis for those simple directives.
00:01:54.000 | In fact, I was struck as I worked on this book how many straightforward links there were between our expectation of the Second Coming
00:02:07.000 | and its practical effect on the way we live.
00:02:12.000 | So not only do you have go to work, go to church, but I would add pursue purity, be gentle, suffer with joy.
00:02:24.000 | All five of those are simple, straightforward exhortations explicitly connected to the Second Coming of Christ.
00:02:36.000 | So maybe it would be helpful just to take them one at a time and give a verse and a comment to go with each one,
00:02:43.000 | so people can see I'm not making this up.
00:02:45.000 | Go to work. Many times in my life, especially while I was a pastor, but now too, I have pondered the question,
00:02:54.000 | "What do I want to be found doing when the Lord comes? Should He come in my lifetime?"
00:03:02.000 | And I think He could, even now at age 77. Read the book and you'll find out how I think that way.
00:03:08.000 | There are a lot of things I don't want to be found doing, right?
00:03:12.000 | I don't want to be walking in any sin, but what do I want to be found doing when the Lord comes?
00:03:20.000 | And here is the text from which I got go to work.
00:03:25.000 | This is Matthew 24, 44 to 47. Jesus said, "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
00:03:40.000 | And then He tells us how to be ready.
00:03:43.000 | "Who then is the faithful and wise servant?"
00:03:47.000 | Now that's what we want to be, right? That's what I want to be when He comes.
00:03:51.000 | I want to be found faithful, a wise servant.
00:03:55.000 | "Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has set over his household to give them their food at the proper time?
00:04:05.000 | Blessed." I want to hear that word.
00:04:09.000 | "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when He comes."
00:04:17.000 | I just think that's a great statement.
00:04:21.000 | "Truly I say to you, He will set him over all his possessions."
00:04:25.000 | In other words, you will be blessed at the second coming if you're doing what the Master assigned you to do with your life.
00:04:34.000 | So my paraphrase is, "Go to work."
00:04:37.000 | In other words, if you believe that the job you have right now is God's will for your life, then keep on doing it.
00:04:49.000 | Do it faithfully. Do it in His name. Do it for His glory.
00:04:53.000 | Do it in reliance on His power. Do it the way He wants you to do it.
00:04:58.000 | And when He comes, ten o'clock in the morning, you're doing your work, He'll find you so doing what He's given you to do, and you will be blessed.
00:05:09.000 | So first end-time exhortation, "Go to work."
00:05:15.000 | Second, "Go to church."
00:05:17.000 | Now I wonder how many Christians take church, the assembly of God's people in corporate worship, seriously enough to say, "The Lord is coming soon.
00:05:32.000 | I need to go to church. I need to be in fellowship with other Christians in a healthy church in worship and service."
00:05:42.000 | How many people make that connection?
00:05:45.000 | Here's the connection, Hebrews 10:24, "Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
00:05:52.000 | not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another," and here's the key phrase,
00:06:03.000 | "and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
00:06:09.000 | Wow. So the day drawing near is the day of the Lord, the coming, the near coming of the second coming of Christ.
00:06:19.000 | So Hebrews is saying, as the day of Christ's coming draws near, it becomes increasingly important not to neglect the meeting together with other Christians.
00:06:34.000 | I think we ought to let that sink in.
00:06:37.000 | There's a reason for that, and the natural understanding of these verses would be that this is just an ordinary, healthy church,
00:06:46.000 | worship, service, fellowship, gathering together.
00:06:51.000 | So it's just an amazing statement that Jesus would say, and I think this is why we dare not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
00:07:02.000 | Jesus says, "In the last days," Matthew 24, 12, "the love of many will grow cold."
00:07:09.000 | Now, when a glowing coal is taken out of the fireplace and put by itself, it grows cold.
00:07:18.000 | It doesn't stay hot, but when you leave the coals together in the fire pit, they stay hot.
00:07:26.000 | So there is a connection between becoming a recluse, a loner, and growing cold and indifferent to the second coming.
00:07:37.000 | And Jesus says, "It's going to happen. The love of many is going to grow cold," because they're not going to church.
00:07:43.000 | They're not in good, solid, healthy, loving, Bible-saturated fellowships that help each other stay hot.
00:07:53.000 | So go to church.
00:07:54.000 | Number three, pursue purity.
00:07:57.000 | Now, that may be the clearest of all in the ways connected to the second coming, because of 1 John 3, 2 and 3.
00:08:05.000 | "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared,
00:08:11.000 | but we know that when he appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.
00:08:18.000 | And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."
00:08:28.000 | Wow, I love clarity.
00:08:31.000 | "Anyone who thus hopes." Thus hopes. Hopes for what?
00:08:35.000 | What does that refer to?
00:08:38.000 | Well, it refers to the hope of seeing Jesus as he is, and by that amazing sight, being transformed into his pure and holy image.
00:08:52.000 | And then he says, "If you really hope for this, if you want this, if you're longing for this,
00:08:59.000 | if this event is your passion and you love it, you're going to purify yourself.
00:09:07.000 | You're not going to wait. You're not going to be indifferent to whether your life has the purity now that you're hoping for then,
00:09:14.000 | when in the twinkling of an eye, you're going to be changed into the pure likeness of Jesus.
00:09:20.000 | It can't be otherwise.
00:09:22.000 | You can't long to be pure when you see Jesus and be indifferent to purity as you wait for Jesus.
00:09:32.000 | Can't do it.
00:09:34.000 | So if you love the Lord's appearing, go to work, go to church, pursue purity.
00:09:41.000 | Fourth, be gentle.
00:09:44.000 | That is, don't return evil for evil.
00:09:47.000 | And here's what Paul says, Philippians 4.4, "Rejoice in the Lord always."
00:09:52.000 | Again, I will say rejoice.
00:09:54.000 | "Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
00:09:59.000 | The Lord is at hand."
00:10:03.000 | Don't be anxious about anything.
00:10:05.000 | "Be gentle. The Lord is at hand."
00:10:08.000 | Amazing.
00:10:09.000 | What's the logic?
00:10:10.000 | What is he saying?
00:10:11.000 | I mean, what's the connection between "be gentle, the Lord is at hand"?
00:10:15.000 | I think the logic is the Lord is ready to step into history.
00:10:21.000 | Nothing hinders him but his own wise timing.
00:10:24.000 | He knows what he's doing.
00:10:26.000 | He's at the gates.
00:10:27.000 | Any delay is not owing to forces outside him preventing him from doing what the Father wants him to do.
00:10:33.000 | He will step in at the perfect time.
00:10:36.000 | And when he does, he will settle all accounts justly.
00:10:41.000 | No wrong will go unpunished.
00:10:43.000 | No right will go unrewarded.
00:10:45.000 | So you don't need to take vengeance on your brother.
00:10:50.000 | You don't need to avenge yourself.
00:10:52.000 | You can leave it to him and return good for evil.
00:10:57.000 | That is, be gentle.
00:10:59.000 | And that's exactly the way Paul argues in Romans 12, 19.
00:11:03.000 | "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably," that is, gently, "with all.
00:11:10.000 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves."
00:11:13.000 | Why not?
00:11:14.000 | "Leave it to the wrath of God.
00:11:16.000 | It is written, 'Vengeance is mine. I will repay.'"
00:11:18.000 | Well, when is that going to happen?
00:11:20.000 | It's going to happen when the Lord steps in and breaks into history and settles all accounts.
00:11:25.000 | And so the Lord is near.
00:11:27.000 | The Lord is near.
00:11:28.000 | And when he steps into this world, vengeance is his.
00:11:31.000 | He'll settle accounts.
00:11:33.000 | You don't need to.
00:11:34.000 | So you can love his appearing and be gentle.
00:11:38.000 | Finally, suffer with joy.
00:11:42.000 | 1 Peter 4, 12-13.
00:11:45.000 | "Do not be surprised at the fiery trial which comes upon you to test you, as though something
00:11:51.000 | strange were happening to you.
00:11:54.000 | But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may rejoice and be glad
00:12:04.000 | when his glory is revealed."
00:12:08.000 | Now, "when his glory is revealed" refers to the second coming.
00:12:14.000 | So the point is, when God calls you to walk with Christ through suffering now, remember
00:12:22.000 | its connection with the glory at the second coming.
00:12:27.000 | And rejoice now, because your experience of Christ in joy now through suffering will intensify
00:12:36.000 | and enlarge your joy when his glory is revealed.
00:12:43.000 | So, do you love—this is what I ask all my readers and myself, so I wrote the book—do
00:12:49.000 | you love the Lord's appearing?
00:12:52.000 | If so, go to work, go to church, pursue purity, be gentle, suffer with joy.
00:13:02.000 | Great summary of chapter 21, and I think of chapter 20 as well.
00:13:07.000 | Thank you, Pastor John.
00:13:08.000 | We've been talking about Pastor John's most recent book, "Come, Lord Jesus, Meditations
00:13:13.000 | on the Second Coming of Christ."
00:13:16.000 | I'm holding it right now.
00:13:17.000 | It turned out great.
00:13:18.000 | You can buy the book, and of course, you can download the whole digital book at DesiringGod.org.
00:13:26.000 | Well, thank you for joining us today.
00:13:27.000 | Ask a question of your own, search our growing archive, or subscribe to the podcast all at
00:13:33.000 | AskPastorJohn.com.
00:13:36.000 | Speaking of that remarkable text in 1 Peter 4, verses 12 and 13, and suffering with joy,
00:13:42.000 | we talk about it a lot on this podcast, but this connection, connecting our suffering
00:13:47.000 | to our joy is very risky business.
00:13:50.000 | Pastor John calls it that, risky business.
00:13:53.000 | Next time, we'll find out why, and he will lay out 10 Bible texts that connect our suffering
00:13:58.000 | to our joy.
00:13:59.000 | It's there in the Bible, at least in 10 texts.
00:14:03.000 | I'm your host, Tony Reinke.
00:14:04.000 | We'll see you back here on Wednesday for that.
00:14:06.000 | See you then.
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