The Comfort We Have in Jesus
Dr. Michael Richardson

Part III—The comfort we have in Jesus
   A. The Apostle Paul tells us in I Thess. 4:18 to “comfort” one another with these words
   B. Typology is very important. Moses learned that when he smote the rock for water the 2nd time
        instead of speaking to the rock. That rock represented Jesus. Jesus need never be smitten a 2nd
        time. 
   C. Eze. 4:6 gives us the “day for a year” principle.
   D. I believe that those 7 days in the Jewish Wedding picture represents the 7 years of the Great
       Tribulation.
   E. In a church that I pastored, I had, a member who was a minister, who believed that Christ
      returned at the end of the Great Tribulation. That the church has to go through the years of
      “Jacob’s Trouble”. [The church does not come out of Jacob]
   F. This is the Post Tribulation theory. He stated that he believed that the church went up and came
      back down immediately.
  G. You know, like the church went up for a drive through snack lunch on a bungee cord and back
       down.
  H. Another Post Tribulation believer angrily told me that I was sending people to Hell with this
      teaching parallel of the Jewish wedding ceremony.
   I. I remember the day I married by beautiful wife. She came down those stairs in a beautiful pink
      dress. Pink in the color of faithful love.
   J. I did not say to her, “Honey, I want to marry you, but I have to let you be slapped around for a
      while.” Nor would I allow such a thing today.
   K. I just can not believe Jesus would say to his bride, “Honey, I love you, but I have to let you be
      slapped around for 31/2 to 7 years first.”
   L. What comfort is there is saying things like:

• Well, you are going to have to suffer in the Great Tribulation first.
• Well, you have to face the wrath of the Anti-Christ first.
• You are going to have to suffer unspeakable horror first even though I suffered your wrath on the cross.

​Closing:

1. Folks, I believe with all my heart that we are near the end.
2. If you are not saved today, you need to be saved today.
3. You may be telling yourself; I will live for Christ after the rapture.
4. What makes you think you will do that in the Great Tribulation when great deception is taking place?

The Jewish Galilean Wedding Custom
Dr. Michael Richardson

Part II—The Jewish Galilean Wedding Custom 
   A. There are 11 places in the gospels showing that Jesus is our bridegroom
   B. Let me give you just one: Luke 5:34 “And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the  
        bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them”
   C. The Jewish Galilean Wedding Custom pictures our soon heavenly homecoming
   D. The Jewish betrothal period was more serious that our engagement period because they were  
        considered man and wife even though the marriage vows had not yet taken place
   E. When the covenant was made, they broke bread and drank from a cup to seal the covenant
   F. That is what the Lord’s Supper is all about. I Cor. 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink  
       this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
   G. The Bridegroom paid for the price of the wedding. So, the parable of the Pearl of Great Price
       shows us how Christ sees his bride, the Church. Also, there is I Cor. 620 “For ye are bought with a  
        price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
   H. The Bridegroom then told his bride he would leave to build a bridal chamber for his bride BUT  
        THAT HE WOULD RETURN to take her there. John 14:1-3
    I. Only the father knew when he would tell his son to go get his bride. Mark 13:32,33 “But of that
       day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the
       Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 
    J. In the Galilean Wedding the Bridegroom’s return was announced by the shout of the friend of
       the bridegroom When Jesus returns, he will return with a shout. I Thess. 4 13-18
    K. In the Jewish Wedding ceremony when the Bridegroom returned, they would put the bride in a
      chair and carry her to the Bridegroom. One day soon we will be taken in the air to our new home
      to be with Jesus  I Thess. 4:13:18
   L. In I Thess. 4:17 the Greek word for caught up is “harpazo” It means to be taken up by force.
   M. The Bridegroom took his bride to his wedding chamber for 7 days.
   N. After that, occurred the Wedding feast.

The Doctrine of Imminency
​Dr. Michael Richardson

Part I—The Doctrine of Imminency
   A. Why this sermon and why now?

• Because the world is on the brink of total collapse
• Because of the swiftness of the occurrences we see happening. It is at breakneck speed. Luke 21:28 “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”—key word begin
• To confirm and establish your confidence in the Biblical teaching of our soon homecoming
• Because if Christians are unsettled about this sound doctrine, Satan will fill our minds with doubt, and we will cease to look for that “Blessed Hope”.
• Because prophecy has a shelf life.  There comes a day when it is fulfilled

   B. What does the Doctrine of Imminency teach?
   C. It teaches that the coming of our Lord to take us home could happen at any moment.
   D. It teaches that there is nothing that has to occur before our Lord comes
   E. Many times, Jesus taught and warned us to “watch” for his return
   F. I once spoke to a lady about the return of Jesus. Her reply was, “I heard that all my life.”
   G. She reminds of politician famous for saying, “Come on, Man.”
   H. They best read the words of Jesus in Mt. 24: 48-50
   I. How wonderful are the last words of the Apostle Paul in II Tim. 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for  
      me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to
      me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
   J. Paul’s last words are for all of us who are longing, begging, watching, waiting, wanting, aching for
      our homecoming. 

Introduction
Dr. Michael Richardson

Introduction:
   A. World War II lasted from 1939-1945
   B. My father fought in World War II. He was in the Navy
   C. He was involved in the largest naval battle in history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf
   D. On August 6,1945, the U.S. dropped a 5-ton plutonium implosion bomb named “Fat Man” on
        the city of Hiroshima
   E. On August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped a 5-ton enriched uranium gun type bomb named         
       “Little Boy” on the city of Nagasaki.
   F. I once asked my father what he thought when had heard of these bombings.
   G. He replied, “Hee, Hee, Hee,  I’m going home soon! 
   H. Many animals instinctively migrate many miles to go home to their breeding grounds and
        scientist have yet to figure this out:

• The Green Sea Turtle swims 1,000 miles from his feeding ground in Brazil to Ascension Island
• The Wildebeest travel 1.000 miles in great herds to get to the Serengeti Plans
• Salmon swims hundreds of miles to get to their spawning grounds
• The Ruby Throated Hummingbird travels over 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to get home
• The Monarch Butterfly flies 3,000 miles across the U.S. to get to California and Mexico
• Humpback whales swim 5,000 miles to get to their home waters off the coast of Columbia
• The Swallows of Capistrano fly 6,000 miles always returning instinctively on March 19, to the San Juan Mission.

    I. The Bible states in Heb. 11:10 that Abraham, “For he looked for a city which hath foundations,
       whose builder and maker is God.” 
    J. We, like Abraham, instinctively know that this world is NOT our home.
    K. In John 14:1-3 Jesus promises to return and take us to our new home
    L. Today, I want to discuss the Doctrine of Imminency, the Jewish Galilean  wedding custom as a
        picture of our homecoming, and the comfort with have in Jesus (see next post).

Dr. Michael Richardson - Isa. 2:17
​

Part III- 4 Fallacies of Pride
A. God is not involved in our lives

• It is amazing what we can talk ourselves into
• This teaching is called deism
• Deism is an attempt to make God irrelevant
• God is involved in every aspect of our lives
• The Bible bares out how God was involved in every aspect of the lives of his people
• He still is.
  

B. Prideful people think that they can survive without God

• We are mistaken if we believe that we can survive the wrath of God because of American resolve.
• Prideful people think they can insult God, burn his Bibles and God will still take them to heaven because of their “supposed goodness”
  

C. Prideful people think that no one else is hurt by their actions

• They hold the view that what is done in the privacy of their own homes affects no one else
• Well, our sins affect our relationship with God. Our sins separate us from our relationship with God Isa. 59:2
• What happens in private often becomes public. God word says, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Numbers 32:23
• When your private sins become public its affects other people. For no man lives unto himself or dies unto himself is taught in Rom. 147
• Oh, the untold damage done to the church by prideful snapping turtle Christians
  

D. Prideful people think that they can make things “fair”

• “But it’s not fair” is the refrain of today
• However, that phrase is a propaganda technique known as “Victory by Definition”
• Odd, how “fair” is always what their view of fair is.
• This was basically the argument of the older son in the Parable of the Prodigal son
• It is an arrogant assumption that people think they can bring about a “fair” society with being based on God’s word.
• Only God is fair and only God can bring about “fairness”

     
Closing:
A. We live in a society where prideful people worship themselves
B. These prideful people worship power whether it be military, intellectual, economic, or scientific.
C. If you disagree at all with prideful people, they will insultingly “snap your head off”
D. God does not work with prideful people.
E. Instead, God builds his kingdom on humble people who have confidence in Him. 
F. In the hands of God our humble weakness can become tools of great effectiveness
​G. Like real snapping turtles, prideful Christians drive people away.

Dr. Micheal Richardson - Isa. 2:17
​

Part I—Pride

A. Before I discuss snapping turtle pride, I want to qualify some points
B. I am not talking about a parent who is rightly proud of a wonderful son or daughter
C. I am not talking about when a person takes pride in their work. My father always said, ‘Son, a job
     is not worth doing unless you do it well.”
D. I am not discussing being proud of your nation, your family or church
E. I am discussing the negative aspects of human snapping turtle pride
F. The great Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, said of pride that it is the essential vice. That      it is the utmost evil. That pride is the complete anti-God state of mind. 
G. Today, our society would define pride as “positive self-regard”
H. Self-esteem and social movements are attempts to justify the agendas of gay pride or Black Lives
     Matter
​I. Arrogant pride is what causes people to refuse help or rebel against authority
J. Dr. Charles Stanley makes 8 interesting points about pride. 
     
Part II- 4 Symptoms of Pride

A. Fault Finding

• Pride people tend to filter out the sins in their own lives
• Jesus talks about this issue in Matt. 7:3-5 when he spoke about people who complain about mote in his brother’s eyes but cannot see the beam in his own eye.
• Jesus gave another example in Luke 18:11with the prayers of the Pharisee and the P

         Publican. The Pharisee said that the was “thankful that he was not as other men

• Faulting finding in others shows snapping turtle pride in that person’s life

B. A Harsh Spirit

• Accompanying fault finding is having a prideful harsh spirit
• A prideful person finds it easy to cast aspersions on people who are struggling
• They tend to have no compassion or empathy for people
• This attitude comes from a place of arrogance in their soul
• They can never comprehend the statement, “There but by the Grace of God go I.”
• There is no “real” love for people in the hearts of snapper turtle Christians

C. Prideful people have a superficial heart

• When people are dominated by a prideful spirit that are only concern about how things look externally.
• They are very concerned about how people perceive them to be
• But God is not concerned about how many religious bumper stickers you have on your car or how large the Bible is you bring to church.
• Prideful people play a role but hide their secret sins and are not right in their relationship with God

D. Prideful people are very defensive

• They do not place themselves on the Righteousness of Christ
• Thus, they are often knocked off balance from their pretend roles
• When this happens, they become very defensive
• They may even be like King Lear’s wife when Shakespeare wrote, “Me thinks she doth protest too much.”
• Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher who preached the sermon entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” wrote, “For the humble Christians the more the world is against him, the more silent and still he will be until he is in his prayer closet and there he will not be still.”

Dr. Micheal Richardson - Isa. 2:17

Introduction:

A. Isa. 2:17 “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made
    low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
B. Snapping turtles are:
​

• A surly creature
• They hatch from an egg not much smaller than a ping pong ball
• From the very 1st day, they are born they are ready and willing to bite
• At the end of three years, they may be the size of a saucer
• They are antisocial. They have no friends and lots of enemies
• By they time the are adults, they can weigh as much as 150 lbs.
• Adult size snapping turtles can actually bite a man’s hand off
• A mating time, males lock into a death struggle to mate with the female
• Male snapping turtles have been known to even attack and eat female turtles

C. Sadly, there a man and women you run into in life who are like snapping turtles
D. Unfortunately, they can be found in the Lord’s churches as well
E. These are the people who:

• Verbally express their doubts when you praise God for a blessing in your life
• Who love to look for any reason to knock you down.

F. Snapping turtle Christians are E.G.R. people.
G. This means they are “Extra Grace Required” people. It takes extra grace from God to     love them and, yes, God wants us to love them.
H. Why are these people the way they are? Why do they not follow the teachings of Jesus
     who is the perfect example of the humility we are supposed to display in our lives?
I. I believe the issue goes to the problem of human pride.
J. In this message I wish to define pride, discuss 4 symptoms of pride, and 4 fallacies of pride.

Dr. Michael Richardson - Mark 7:7

Part II—The results of “Blue Laws”
A. One, a total lack of assurance of their salvation
B. A lack of assurance of salvation because minister preach doubt into the minds of congregations
​    when they ought to be teaching doubt out of the minds of congregations
C. A lack of understanding of the simplicity of salvation
D. A lack of spiritual growth on the part of Christians
E. As a result of “blue laws” the Bible ceases to be the final authority
Part III—The Biblical terms of salvation
A. For us, salvation is a simple thing 
B. But from God’s point of view salvation involves and includes many Biblical concepts:

• Substitution                                    Election
• Redemption                                    Predestination [Antinomies]
• Reconciliation                                Sovereignty—Ps. 3:8
• Propitiation—I Jn 2:2                    Free Will
• Conviction                                     Grace-Eph. 2:8-10
• The calling of God                         Repentance
• Faith—Heb. 1:1 and Heb. 1:6        Regeneration
• Forgiveness                                    Sanctification
• Justification                                    Glorification
• Preservation

C. Blue law Christians fail to understand that there are 115 verses in the New Testament that bases
     salvation on believing alone.
D. Blue law Christians fail to grasp  there are 35 verses that base salvation on faith alone.
E. Blue law Christian fail to understand that salvation has 3 tenses (I Cor. 1:10).
F. Blue law Christians cannot seem to grasp  the concept that there is no salvation that stops short
    of the word “eternal”.  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a
    good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”   

Dr. Michael Richardson - Mark 7:7

Part I-Unwritten blue laws in the Church

A. The most common one is works for salvation. These false teachers tell people that they must
     work to keep the 10 Commandments for salvation.
B. These false teachers do not even understand the purpose of the 10 commandments.

• The Apostle Paul states the following in Galatians 3:19 ‘Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” 
• Notice Romans 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
• These false teachers tell people to be saved by the 10 commandments. This is a system that shows all people guilty before a trice holy God. 
• Not only do they teach salvation this way, but they also teach that one has to work to keep their salvation
• This teaching contradicts Rom. 3:28, Gal. 2:16,  Gal. 3:11 and Eph. 2:8-10, 

          Rom. 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

• Gal. 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
• Gal. 3:11’But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for the just shall live by faith”
• Eph. 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; are that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.”

 
C.  So, these false teachers place a system on people for salvation that is impossible to do. 
 D. They teach you an impossible system for salvation and then brag how they got you “saved”. This is
      what Paul teaches in Gal. 6:13 “For neither they themselves who are Circumcised keep the law; but
      desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in Flesh.”
E. If one could be saved by keeping the 10 Commandments, why then did Jesus have to die?
F.  A second “blue law” false teachers have for salvation is that you have to be baptized

• First of all, let me say that every Christian is supposed to follow the Lord’s example and be baptized. When one is baptized, they “identify” by faith with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
• The primary “poof” text is Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
• Repent is Peter’s statement is a verb. Its subject is an understood “you”
• The comma after the word repent begins a parenthetical expression that ends after the word sins. This interrupts the main clause
• Therefore, the main clause is “Repent and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” 
• The word “for” is “eis” in the Greek. It means “on account of” or “ in view of the fact”
• Notice how Peter says it in Acts 10:47 “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”
• I once asked a minister who believe the Bible taught “baptismal regeneration” if a person only got the Holy Spirit after they came up out of the water. He said, “Yes!”
• I then asked do they have faith” before they go under the water? He said, “Yes”
• Odd, Galatians 5:22 shows that faith is a work of the Holy Spirit, but this minister had them having a work of the Holy Spirit without having the Holy Spirit
• This “blue law” is not really taught in the Bible. You can be baptized until the frogs know your middle name and not be saved. 
• This “blue law” put earthly water on the same level as the blood of Jesus
• I could never accept this “waterdog theology”

 
G. A third example of an unwritten blue law in churches is that a Christian can lose their salvation.  The
      two primary “proof” texts are Galatians 5:4 and Hebrews 6:4-6. Before I discuss those passages, I
      want to ask some questions:

• The value of the death of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is infinite. So, did Jesus suffer the death of the cross to obtain only at best a “conditional” salvation?  
• Did the writers, inspired by the Holy Ghost, lie in the following passages?

        John 3:16, John 5:24, Rom. 8:1 or Jude 24? [These are only a few of the passages that could be
         listed]

• If the sacrifice of Jesus is not enough to keep someone saved what greater sacrifice can God the Father give?
• If the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross can be made null and void, how can one be saved again after losing their salvation?
• So, if one can truly be saved and then lose their salvation then did not Christ die in vain for those who were saved and later lost?
• How many times does Christ have to die for our sins? This is what is meant in Heb. 9:26
• When people learn that somebody believes in “Eternal Security”, why do they automatically assume that that individual believes they have a “license” to sin? Roman 6:1,2 refutes that idea. 

H. Now let us consider Ga. 5:4. Context is important. To whom is Paul speaking? 

• Paul is speaking to those who argue that to be saved one must keep the 10 commandments
• Thus, Paul is saying that those who teach that one is justified by the law they have fallen ‘short” of grace not fallen from grace since they were never under grace. For example, Judas Iscariot never fell from grace because he was never saved by grace. Judas fell from his position as an apostle.                 

I. Heb. 6:4-6

• Notice that before we come to Heb. 6 that there are 5 previous chapters
• Back up to Heb. 5:12-14. There the author complain that by this time they ought to be teachers but need to be taught the first principles of the word of God. They were still in need of “milk” and were not ready for meat or “doctrine.” So he is admonishing them for the lack of spiritual maturity
• Now, remember that the chapter divisions did not come until later.
• When he gets to Chapter 6, he has not changed his topic at all. Notice in Heb. 6:1 the word “perfection”. The Greek word means “completeness”. In other words, he means maturity as a Christian. The Hebrew word for perfect or perfection means the same thing
• I once had a man tell me that the Bible stated that Job was “perfect and upright” He said that perfect meant perfect
• I asked if Job were perfect then why did Christ have to die on the Cross?
• I then took him to Job had to say it is found in Chapter 9;20 “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”   
• It is important for us to understand that the Book of Hebrews was written before 70 A.D.
• These Hebrew Christians agreed that Jesus was the Messiah but then would go to the Temple and make sacrifices there
• THAT is what is meant in Hebrews 6:4-6 NOT salvation.

Introduction:
​
A. Mark 7:7 “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  
B. Blue Laws are laws prohibiting certain activities such as shopping on Sunday.
C. In fact, you may think of  them as “Sunday Laws”.
D. A good number of them are still on the books and are basically ignored today
E. Many of them were created during the Colonial period. A period that lasted from 1607-1776.
F. Few Americans today understand that what we call the United States of America was a colony of  
    England for 169 years. If you add 169 years to 1776 it would bring you to the year 1945 the year
    of my oldest sister’s birth.
G. The term Blue Law was first used in 1755.
H. It referred to the blue paper on which the Puritans printed the law.
I. Punishment for violating these blue laws could range from a financial fine, jail time, or time spent
   in a pillory.
J. Today, when we read these seemingly arbitrary laws, we find them quite amusing such as:

• In the state of Wisconsin, it is illegal to eat ice cream on Sundays  
• In North Dakota it is illegal to sell pretzels with beer
• In Ohio it is illegal for women to wear patented leather shoes
• In Connecticut it is illegal for a barber to hum while he cuts a head of hair
• In Florida it is illegal to have intimate physical relations with a porcupine
• In New Hampshire it is illegal to collect and carry away seaweed at night
• Again in North Dakota it is illegal to wear a hat while dancing
• In Tennessee students may not hold hands while at school
• In Nicholas County West Virginia it is illegal for a minister to tell an amusing story or a joke from the pulpit
• Again in West Virginia it is illegal to whistle under water
• In Huntington West Virginia it was legal to beat your wife as long as it was done on a Sunday and on the court-house steps
• And finally, my favorite—In Vermont, a wife must get written permission from her husband to wear false teeth in public!

K. However, many well-meaning Christians unwittingly have their own kind of arbitrary “blue laws”
     concerning the doctrine of salvation that are just not found in the BibleL. 
L. Unfortunately, their “blue laws” are not found on blue paper but in their hearts and their minds
M. “Today I want to discuss some arbitrary “Blue Laws” that some Christians add to the issue of
     salvation, the results of these “Blue Laws” and then what the Bible really says about the terms of
​     salvation.