How to Hope: Lessons from the Israelites and Their Messianic Expectation, Part 51 (Second Coming Chapel Sermon #266)
TEXT: Jeremiah 23:5-6
5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.
——-
Richard De Haan said, “From the human standpoint, there is no solution for the problems of the world. Leaders seem to be completely frustrated in trying to deal with the unrest and increasing violence in society. The only complete and permanent solution is found in the return of Christ. When He comes, He will set up His kingdom. He will rule the nations in righteousness, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. As we await our Savior’s return, let us keep on praying, working, and watching, while “looking for the blessed hope”—our only hope for this world.”
In our last message we looked at how we should put our trust and hope in Jesus Christ in the midst of these dark times because He is the promised Messiah.
Second, we are told what will characterize his reign. Jeremiah 23:5 says, “a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” The reign of Jesus will be prosperous. Now this prosperity is not the kind of prosperity that we often see claimed by human leaders. Throughout history, we see many kings and emperors who sat in palaces and amassed great wealth while the common people suffered in the streets below. Today, we hear about stock market gains and trade deals that only seem to benefit the bankers, politicians, and corporate executives, while the rest of us are left wondering when the prosperity will reach us. Under the reign of Jesus, all the peoples of the earth will truly prosper. Even more, King Jesus will execute judgment and justice in the earth, Matthew Henry said, “This branch shall be raised as high as the throne of his father David, and there he shall reign and prosper, not as the kings that now were of the house of David, who went backward in all their affairs. He shall set up a kingdom in the world that shall be victorious over all opposition. In the chariot of the everlasting gospel he shall go forth, he shall go on conquering and to conquer. If God raises him up, he will prosper him, for he will own the work of his own hands; what is the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in the hands of those to whom it is committed. He shall prosper; for he shall execute judgment and justice in the earth, all the world over. The present kings of the house of David were unjust and oppressive, and therefore it is no wonder that they did not prosper. But Christ shall, by his gospel, break the usurped power of Satan, institute a perfect rule of holy living, and, as far as it prevails, make all the world righteous. The effect of this shall be a holy security and serenity of mind in all his faithful loyal subjects.” Do you desire for King who will rule the earth justly and bring prosperity? Then you can take hope in the coming King Jesus.
Third, we are told what the results of his reign will be. Jeremiah 23:6 says, “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely:” During the time of Jeremiah’s writing this, the nation was divided into the southern kingdom of Judah, and the northern kingdom of Israel, which had already been conquered and the people taken into captivity. You can imagine what hope this message would be to the people of Judah, who had already lost their fellow Hebrews and who were about to be taken captive themselves. God promises that will be rescued and live safely. Thomas Coke said, “This prophecy will receive its utmost completion when the Jewish nation shall be restored; a blessing foretold by most of the ancient prophets, who generally joined Judah and Israel together, as equal sharers in the blessing, being no longer two but one kingdom: and the great Author of this restoration and peace is Jehovah, or true God, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” You may be wondering why this is important to you. You are probably not Jewish or an Israeli. But your blessings are connected to the blessings of God’s chosen people. God promised Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, all the way back in Genesis 12:2-3, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Psalm 122:6 says that those who love and pray for the peace of Jerusalem will prosper. The second coming of Christ will bring about the fulfilment of God’s promise to Israel, and bring about blessings to the Gentile nations.
Fourth, we are told what he will be called. Jeremiah 23:6 says, “this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.” Jesus will not only bring about righteousness through his reign, He himself is our righteousness. That is because He gave himself up as a sacrifice on the cross for sinners. He then rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the father, and some happy day in the future He will return to rule the earth. All those who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour are declared righteous in God’s sight because Jesus Christ is our righteousness. David Guzik said, “Jeremiah announced that this would be the name by which He will be called. He will be the way that the righteousness of Yahweh is given unto His people, so that He Himself is our righteousness. Righteousness is something positive. The work of Jesus in His people is not only to clean the stain of sin. The perfect obedience and righteousness of Jesus is ours in Him. It speaks of one who will not only reflect the righteousness of God but will convey it to his people, making it their own possession.” Paul put it this way in Romans 3:21-24. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Do you want to be justified before God, to be accepted as righteous before Him? Then your only hope is Jesus Christ. Put your hope in Him, so that He will be your righteousness in the eyes of God.
C. H. Morris wrote:
Jesus is coming to earth again–
What if it were today?
Coming in power and love to reign–
What if it were today?
Coming to claim His chosen Bride,
All the redeemed and purified,
Over this whole earth scattered wide–
What if it were today?
Satan’s dominion will then be over–
O that it were today!
Sorrow and sighing shall be no more–
O that it were today!
Then shall the dead in Christ arise,
Caught up to meet Him in the skies;
When shall these glories meet our eyes?
What if it were today?
Faithful and true would He find us here
If He should come today?
Watching in gladness and not in fear,
If He should come today?
Signs of His coming multiply,
Morning light breaks in eastern sky;
Watch, for the time is drawing nigh–
What if it were today?
—–
Now, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I urge you to trust in Him because He is coming again and you do not want to be left behind. Here is how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and the consequences of sin.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Numbers 16:41-50
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.
42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
Even though we are remembering the dead in this memorial prayer devotional service, it is more for the living.
For some strange reason, unlike with other tragedies, the names and faces of the thousands of victims are not being shown and memorialized in newspapers.
WATCH & LISTEN #LIVE 10AM CT / 11AM ET: Standing between the living and the dead memorial prayer devotional service for the families of those who have died from the coronavirus plague and their families – standing between the living and the dead
Periscope Gospel Light Society
SHARE and INVITE your family, friends and followers to join us!
At around 12 o’clock ET, 11 AM CT, right after this memorial prayer devotional meeting Daniel Whyte III will be sharing his How to Stay and survive the Coronavirus Plague briefing podcast.
Even though we are remembering the dead in this memorial prayer devotional service, it is more for the living.
For some strange reason, unlike with other tragedies, the names and faces of the thousands of victims are not being shown and memorialized in newspapers.
– For the family and church family of Virginia pastor Gerald O. Glenn
– For the family and church family of Michigan pastor David Ford
– For the family and church family of Virginia pastor Landon Spradlin
– For the family and church family of Mississippi pastor Timothy Titus Scott Sr.
– For the family and church family of New York pastor Alvin Charles McElroy
– For the family and church family of New Jersey pastor Gioacchino Basile
– For the family and church family of Illinois pastor Angel Escamilla
– For the family and church family of Michigan pastor Kevelin Jones
– For the family and church family of Michigan pastor Robert Earl Smith Sr.
– For the families and friends of the 13 members of Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Manhattan who died from the Coronavirus
– For the family and church family of New York pastor Frank Williams
– For the family and church family of New York deacon Jeremiah Simpson
– For the family and church family of Detroit pastor Phillip A. Brooks
– For the family and church family of Missouri pastor Carl Smith
– For the family and church family of Michigan pastor Robert L. Harris
– For the family and church family of New York pastor Richard J. Guastella
– For the family and church family of New Jersey pastor H. Gene Sykes
– For the family and church family of Washington state pastor Andrea Bowman
– For the family and church family of California pastor Lawrence Wilkes
– For the family and church family of the Alabama pastor Eddie Lee Hunter
– For the family and church family of Georgia pastor Bernard Moss
– For the family and church family of Michigan church elder Freddie Brown
– For the family and church family of New York pastor Isaac Graham
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor Ronnie Hampton
– For the family and church family of Oklahoma pastor Merle Dry
– For the family and church family of Malaysian pastor David Cheng
– For the family and church family of Georgia pastor Jerry J. Smith
– For the family and church family of New Jersey pastor Rufus McClendon Jr.
– For the family and church family of Tennessee pastor Tim Russell
– For the family and church family of Illinois pastor Lucius Hall
– For the family and church family of Mississippi pastor Winfield Bracey
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Willie Howard
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Cornell Johnson
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Joseph Johnson
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Evelyn Jones
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Eric Joseph
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Jeanette Marshall
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Harold Nelson
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Rufus Tinson
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Ida Williams
– For the family and church family of California pastor Alex Bernard
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Antoinette Franklin
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Ronald Rhodes
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Herman Franklin Jr.
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Anthony Franklin
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church member Timothy Franklin
– For the family and church family of Indonesian pastor Biner Silalahi
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor Kejuane Bates
– For the family and church family of Illinois pastor Keith Burgess
– For the family and church family of Michigan church elder’s son Freddie Brown III
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor Leon Franklin
– For the family and church family of Illinois pastor Veodis Gaines
– For the family and church family of New York pastor Scott Elijah
– For the family and church family of New York pastor Jorge Ortiz-Garay
– For the family and church family of Indiana church member Lawrence Adcock
– For the family and church family of Indiana church member Patsy Adcock
– For the family and church family of Louisiana church memer Harold Orillion
– For the family and church family of Chilean pastor Mario Salfate
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor Gilbert L. Barnes
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor’s wife Janie Barnes
– For the family and church family of Georgia pastor Izell Williams Jr.
– For the family and church family of Michigan pastor Nathaniel Wells Jr.
– For the family and church family of Arkansas church greeter William Barton
– For the family and church family of New Jersey deacon Richard Barber
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor Steven Randolph
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor’s wife Barbara Randolph
– For the family and church family of Minnesota pastor Craig Breimhorst
– For the family and church family of Illinois deacon Adrew Betts
– For the family and church family of Illinois church member Vera Jackson
– For the family and church family of Illinois church member Marilyn Williams
– For the family and church family of Illinois church member Paulette Thomas Mickel
– For the family and church family of West Virginia church member Viola Horton
– For the family and church family of West Virginia pastor Rick Hood
– For the family and church family of New Jersey pastor W. Louis McDowell
– For the family and church family of Florida church member Jerry Austin Williamson
– For the family and church family of Florida church member Frances Jewel Bond Williamson
– For the family and church family of Kenyan pastor Silas Njiru
– For the family and church family of Washington state pastor Alexey I. Kolomiytsev
– For the family and church family of Filipino pastor Gilbert Luis Centina III
– For the family and church family of North Carolina church member Virgil Sutton
– For the family and church family of Illinois pastor Robert Skinner Jr.
– For the family and church family of British church warden Bob Corrin
– For the family and church family of Illinois pastor Myron Lett
– For the family and church family of Texas church member Laurie Ramirez
– For the family and church family of Illinois church member William Rosado
– For the family and church family of Georgia church usher Harold Johnson Passmore
– For the family and church family of Georgia church member Elizabeth Wells
– For the family and church family of New Jersey church member Rita Fusco Jackson
– For the family and church family of Florida pastor Rodney Howard-Browne
– For the family and church family of New York church member Cathy Williams
– For the family and church family of New York church member Shirley Miller
– For the family and church family of New York church member Michelle Donaldson
– For the family and church family of Indiana pastor’s wife Darlene Spencer
– For the family and church family of Virginia gospel singer Nathaniel Valentine
– For the family and church family of Texas pastor Christopher Segura
– For the family and church family of Louisiana pastor Robin Hardy
– For the family and church family of Texas church member T.J. Mendez
– For the family and church family of British pastor Paul Kabasele
– For the family and church family of Florida gospel singer Troy Sneed
– For the family and church family of New York church member James E. Thomas
– For the family and church family of New York church member Ruth Ann-Cohen Aikens
– For the family and church family of New York church member Janee Funchess
– For the family, friends and church family of Maryland pastor James N. Flowers Jr.
– For the family and friends of New York school principal Dez-Ann Romain
– For the family, friends and church family of Illinois church member Patricia Frieson
– For the family friends and church family of Illinois church member Wanda Bailey
– For the family and friends of Michigan resident Nathel Burtley
– For the family and friends of California police officer Marylou Armer
– For the family and friends of Maryland grocery store worker Leilani Jordan
– For the family and friends of New York resident Stanley Chera
– For the family and friends of Oklahoma veteran Bennie Adkins
– For the family and friends of New Jersey national guardsman Douglas Hickok
When you purchase a book below it supports the Number #1 Black Christian Newspaper BLACK CHRISTIAN NEWS NETWORK ONE (BCNN1.com) and it also allows us to spread the Gospel around the world.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
