When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
Introduction:
A. In the back of our song books is a section that catagorizes
the songs that are in the song books. There are catagories of:
1. Faith - i.e. "My Faith Looks Up To Thee."
2. God - i.e. "How Great Thou Art."
3. Heaven - i.e. "No Tears In Heaven."
B. These songs...
1. Help us to praise God in song.
2. Remind us of what He has done for us.
3. Enable us to teach and admonish one another - Col.3:16.
4. Can encourage us, and prick are hearts.
There is one song I would like us to look at, and use as the skeleton
of our sermon outline (254).
I. When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound.
A. What is the purpose of the sounding of this trumpet?
1. It could be announcing the return of King Jesus.
a. Kings often had trumpets blown to herald their
coming, and still do.
b. And, Jesus is a king:
1) He sits upon the thrown of David: just as God
promised David; and as Peter explained to that
group on the day of Pentecost, who had the
priviledge to hear that first gospel sermon (Acts 2).
2) His kingdom is the church.
3) The citizens are christians, who have obeyed His
gospel, and been added to the kingdom/ church by
the Father (Acts 2:47).
c. Paul says the trump of the Lord shall sound when Jesus
returns - I Thessalonains 4:16.
2. It could also be calling the dead from the graves.
a. Immediately after Paul says the Lord will return with
the sound of the "trump of God," he says..."and the
dead in Christ shall rise first" (I Thessalonians 4:16).
b. He also says in I Corinthians 15:52.."For the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed."
c. So, the trump could be announcing the coming of
King Jesus, or it could be calling the dead from the grave.
B. We may not be 100% sure of what the purpose of the
trumpet will be, be we can be 100% sure that...
1. Jesus will return.
a. He promised that He would - John 14:1-3.
b. The apostles were told He would - Acts 1:10-11.
c. John said He would - Revelation 1:7.
d. Paul said we should love His appearing (II Tim.4:8).
2. The dead shall be raised, Jesus said...- John 5:28-29.
a. All that are in the graves shall come forth.
b. Adam and Eve.
c. Moses.
d. The apostles.
e. Loved ones who have died.
f. You and I, if we die before the Lord returns.
II. And, time shall be no more.
A. This clock gave me the idea for this sermon, and made me
think of this song I am using for an outline of this sermon.
1. As you can see, the hands on this clock have stopped.
a. It's been hanging in our kitchen this way for 2 weeks.
b. It has been reading the same time for 2 weeks.
2. Which made me think of how one day time is going to
come to an end.
a. As far as man is concerned life started about 6,000
years ago, when God created all things, including man.
b. Some of you may be thinking...we have been told by:
teachers, and "scientists" that life began Billions of
years ago. They can tell you lots of things, but that
does mean it is so.
c. If you use the geneologies in the Bible, and history,
you can see that God created all things about 6,000
years ago.
d. And, the same Bible tells us that one day time will
come to an end.
B. Time, for the earth, will end when Jesus returns.
1. The N.T. describes what will happen when Jesus returns.
a. The dead shall be raised up (John 5:28-29).
b. Judgement (Matthew 25:31-46).
c. Earth burned up (II Peter 3:10).
2. The time for this earth will be over at that time.
a. There will be no more sunrises, or sunsets.
b. No one will plant another crop, punch another time
clock, build another house, etc.
c. All of these things will stop, and time here upon this
earth will end.
3. This clock made me think of that, but the moving of this
pendelum made me think of something else.
a. Time, like the hands of this clock, will stop one day,
but that does not mean that will be the end.
b. Time upon this earth will end when Jesus returns, but
God tells us that there is life after this life, and we
shall all spend eternity in one place or another - Mt.25:46.
1) Everlasting punishment.
2) Life eternal.
III. When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore.
A. The saved are going to enjoy life eternal.
1. Some want to believe everyone is going to be saved,
but God says that is not going to happen.
a. Matthew 25:46 = "these shall go away into everlasting
punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."
b. Matthew 7:21 = "Not everyone that saith unto me Lord,
Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."
2. Others want to believe that as long as you believe you
will go to heaven. It does not matter what religious group
you belong to, or what you do, we are all going to the
same place, we are just taking different ways of getting
there. But, again, God does not say that.
a. Only those that do His will will enter - Matthew 7:21.
b. We must obey Him - Hebrews 5:9.
3. You might compare it to the flood of Noah's day.
a. Who survived the flood of Noah's day? Only the 8
souls who were on the ark (I Peter 3:20).
b. Why did they survive, and not the others? Because,
they did all things whatsoever God commanded
(Genesis 6:22).
c. You think the people might have laughed at Noah as
he built that ark?
d. They should have listened to that preacher (II Peter 2:5).
B. The saved are going to...
1. Receive a new body - I Corinthians 15:51-52.
2. Be reunited with the faithful dead of all time - I Thess.4:13f.
3. Be in the presence of the Father, Son, H.S. - John 14:3.
4. Walk the golden street in that city foursquare,
eating from the tree of life, and drinking from the
river of pure water (Revelation).
5. Enjoying that long awaited rest (Hebrews 4:9).
6. Sing praises to God for all eternity.
Conclusion:
A. "When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."
1. Will you be there?
2. Will He tell you "enter in?"
B. Time could end at any time.
1. Jesus could come at any time.
2. Your life could end at any time.
C. When that time comes you must be ready.
1. You must do what God says you must do..not man!
a. Believe - Mark 16:15-16.
b. Repent - Acts 2:38.
c. Confess - Romans 10:10.
d. Baptized - Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; I Peter 3:21.
e. Do the will of the Father - Matthew 7:21.
f. Live faithful unto death - Revelation 2:10.
2. If you are not ready, there is no time like the present
to do what you need to do. While there is time!!!!