THERE'S A GREAT DAY COMING

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. The Word of God plainly teaches that there's a great day       
      coming.
      1. It is the greatest of days--the greatest ever known, and    
         will be known, to man.
   B. It is the day appointed by God in which He shall judge all men.
      Acts 17:31
      1. It is the day wherein God shall judge the secrets of men by
         Jesus Christ according to the gospel. Rom. 2:16
      2. It is the last day in which all the bodies of men will be   
         raised. John 6:40,44,54; 11:23-25
      3. It is the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
         judgment of God. Rom. 2:5
   C. It will be a marvelous and wonderful day for those who are     
      ready for it.
      1. It will be an awful and terrible day for those who are not
         ready.
   D. Let's examine why it is a great day.

I. IT WILL HAVE THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION EVER KNOWN (THE SECOND    
   COMING OF CHRIST).
   A. The Lord will come with the trumpet of God and the voice of the
      archangel. 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16
      1. He shall come back with His mighty angels. 2 Thess.1:7-9;
         Matt. 25:31
      2. The saints (the righteous dead) will also be with Him. 1
         Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14-15
      3. He will come in the clouds and every eye shall see Him. Rev.
         1:7
      4. Everything on earth will be destroyed. 2 Pet. 3:10
   B. He didn't come in 1914, visible only to His own, as some teach.
      1. When the Lord returns, everyone will know it; it will be the
         greatest overwhelming demonstration ever known to man.

II. ON THAT DAY THE GREAT RESURRECTION WILL OCCUR.
   A. All the bodies of men will be raised. John 5:28-29
      1. There will not be two resurrections, only one. Acts 24:15
   B. The great resurrection will occur when Jesus returns. 1 Cor.
      15:52
      1. When He returns, the saints (the righteous living) will     
         ascend up in the air to meet the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:15-17
   C. Men today with their theory of the millennium have days beyond
      the "last day" (John 6:44), another trump after the "last      
      trump" (1 Cor. 15:52), and time beyond "the end" (1 Cor.       
      15:24).
      1. We are in the last age now. 1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26-28
         a. The great day will be the last day of this last age.
         b. The N.T. does not foretell another dispensation as the
            O.T. did.

III. IT IS THE GREAT DAY BECAUSE THE GREATEST CROWD WILL ASSEMBLE.
   A. All men of all nations will be assembled. Matt. 25:31-33
      1. Everyone who has ever lived will appear before the judgment
         seat of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:10
      2. We must all appear there to give an account of ourselves.
         Rom. 14:10-12
      3. God will judge men according to their works without respect
         of persons. 1 Pet. 1:17
   B. There will be no mistaken identity on that day.
      1. A loved one cannot "go to bat" or "come to the rescue" for
         another.
      2. Each will receive justice, not mercy, on that day. The time 
         to obtain mercy and forgiveness is now, not then.

IV. THE GREATEST JUDGE WILL PRESIDE.
   A. Jesus Christ is the One ordained by God to judge all men. Acts
      10:42
      1. He is the righteous judge. 2 Tim. 4:8
      2. The judgment will occur at His second coming. 2 Tim. 4:1
   B. Many things influence the judges in our courts today. They can 
      be deceived; they are only human and make mistakes.
      1. This will not be so with the great judge. He will bring to  
         light the hidden things of darkness and will judge every man
         righteously.

V. IT WILL BE A GREAT DAY BECAUSE THE GREATEST BOOKS WILL BE OPENED.
   A. Rev. 20:11-12
      1. The books were opened (the books of the Bible, Rom. 2:16;
         James 2:12; John 12:48) and another book was opened (the
         book of life, Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8) and the dead were
         judged out of those things written in the books according to
         their works (2 Cor. 5:10; Eccl. 2:13-14).
         a. All the dead will be judged by the Scriptures in
            accordance with their works.
         b. Everyone will be judged by the law, the gospel. James
            2:12; Rom. 2:16
   B. The Bible will read then just as it does now. Matt. 24:35
      1. Have you obeyed its holy precepts? John 6:29; Luke 13:3;
         Rom. 10:9; Acts 22:16
      2. Are you faithful in attendance and in building up the body  
         of Christ? Heb. 10:24-25

VI. THE GREATEST SEPARATION EVER KNOWN WILL OCCUR ON THAT DAY.
   A. Yes, there is coming a great separation day. The sheep will be
      placed on the Lord's right hand and the goats on His left.     
      Matt. 25:31-46
      1. There will be a father on the right side and a son on the   
         left. There will be a daughter on the right and a mother on 
         the left. 
   B. A song entitled, "Blue eyes crying in the rain" has the phrase
      "Some day we'll meet up yonder...in a land that knows no
      parting."
      1. What a beautiful thought!
      2. For loved ones to never be separated, each must fear God
         and keep his commandments. Eccl. 12:13-14
      3. We must serve God together now so that we can all enjoy
         that land of bliss then.

VII. IT IS THE GREAT DAY BECAUSE THE GREATEST VERDICT WILL BE HANDED  
   DOWN.
   A. Those on the left hand will receive the verdict--Matt. 25:41;  
      7:23.
      1. This is the place that Jesus solemnly warned against. Mark
         9:47-48
      2. We need to avoid hell at all cost.
   B. Those on the right hand will receive the verdict--Matt.        
      25:21,34.
      1. This place has been promised and prepared for the righteous.
      2. I have heard of some making reservations, but when they
         arrived, the owner said that he had no vacancies and no
         record of their making reservations.
   C. What will that great verdict be for you?
      1. Some say, "I don't know; I'll just have to wait and see."
      2. You determine what that great verdict will be by the way you
         live now.
         a. If you live now as God would have you live, that verdict
            will be eternal life as He has promised.
         b. If you live in sin, ignoring God's laws, that verdict    
            will be eternal condemnation as He has said. Thus,       
            prepare yourself now. 2 Cor. 6:2

Concl.
   A. Truly, there's a great day coming.
      1. Are you ready for that day to come?
      2. If you are not ready, make yourself ready now by obeying
         the gospel.
         a. Become a Christian by being baptized into Christ. Gal.
            3:26-27
         b. If you have fallen away, return by repentance and
            prayer. Acts 8:22