God's Promises... (7)

Week 1 of Advent: A prophecy that brings hope

No one knows the day or the hour

As we were approaching Advent, I wanted to continue our series of God’s promises. When we look at what the candles of advent, we can see Hope, love, joy, peace, and Christ. We can also see the candles representing prophecy, Angels, Shepherds, Bethlehem, and Christ.

Generally, when we approach the Christmas season, Annalea and I look at the scripture that comes from the common lectionary and see if there is something that speaks to our hearts, as I was looking at the first week, a prophecy that Jesus made really stuck out, and I believe that it should bring us hope.

Let’s read Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 24:36–44 NIV

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

But about the day and the hour no one knows

What d ay or hour are we talking about?

Let’s read a few verses earlier,

Matthew 24:30–31 NLT

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

Jesus is known as the Son of God, but He is also known as the Son of Man.

Just as people looked for the coming of the Messiah to rescue God’s people, Christians wait for Jesus to come again.

Matthew 1:21 NIV

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The angels promised in Acts 1:10

Acts 1:11 NLT

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Jesus said that nobody knows when He will return except the Father. I’m not here to debate whether Jesus knows now when He is coming back because He is with the Father, but this is key.

We don’t know when Jesus is coming back. The angels don’t know when Jesus is coming back. When Jesus was prophesying, or making the prediction that He was coming back, He didn’t even know when.

Why is this so important?

Philippians 2:6 NIV

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

Could you imagine Jesus studying History, or Mathematics, and the teacher trying to explain how E=MC2?

Maybe trying to explain the law of Gravity or the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and Jesus stopping the Professor and explaining the thinking behind why God made the law.

Maybe there’s a spelling test or something that takes memorization, and Jesus knows it all even before it was asked.

That would be an unfair advantage. Jesus humbled himself and became a human. No questions asked. He set aside His divine privileges to be like us.

He got tired. He became hungry. He bled like you and me. He couldn’t say beam me up Scotty, but He had to use the same transportation that everybody else did. He even went to the bathroom.

Why do I say all this? Here’s why!

Hebrews 4:15–16 NIV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

No one knows...

Even though we don’t know when Jesus will come back, we need to live like we believe it.

Romans 13:11 NLT

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

We need to be intentional...

I want to be clear this morning what I mean about this. How intentional are we in building relationships with people?

One thing that I do when I meet somebody is try to find something that I might have in common with them. It might be an interest, even something that interests them.

I don’t claim to know a lot, but I have tried to learn a little about a lot of things. Lots of what I have learned is from listening to somebody that knows more than I do.

Some people think that I’m really extroverted, I would say that I’m more intentional than extroverted. If I’m in a crowd where I don’t know anybody, I can find it just as hard as you do.

But why do we need to be intentional to build relationships?

Our salvation is nearer today than when we first believed. It’s not about fear, it’s about love.

For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

If I were to ask you if you wanted God to move in our town, and area, there would be hands up all over this building.

We need to come into agreement with Jesus.

Matthew 9:37–38 NLT

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Jesus used the story of the owner of the vineyard going out and looking for workers. He went out several times and found more workers until the work was done.

Jesus is looking for us to go out into His harvest field.

Often we pray for God to save people that are in our lives and yet we don’t do anything. We want God to move, and He is asking us to move.

Let’s ask the Lord of the Harvest to send us into His harvest field. Let’s pray that God would open doors for us. Let’s pray that we would see people come to faith in Jesus.

I believe that as you take time to build relationships, God will be faithful. He will open doors for you to share the gospel and to speak truth and hope. One plants, another waters, but God gets the increase.

What will it be like when Jesus returns?

Matthew 24:37–39 NLT

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

According to 2 Peter 2:5 Noah had warned the people of his day of the judgment that was coming.

When Jesus comes, people will be doing what people do. People will be getting married. They will be partying. I’m sure some will be going to work while others are sitting at the table to eat.

Only those that are paying attention and watching for it won’t be caught off guard.

I would guess that most people that are getting married are expecting to be around for a while.

Life for many will be going on as per usual right until the time that Jesus comes.

Friends will be missing

My intent is not to scare you this morning, but this is what

Matthew 24:40–41 NLT

“Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.

Two different views but both are life changing.

1. The Rapture

For many of us, we have grown up to believe that this is the Rapture of the church, which means catching away or transporting of believers.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NIV

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The rapture of the church will take place when people aren’t expecting it. Christians who are ready will go to be with the Lord. This will take place before God pours out His judgment on the earth.

God has not appointed His children to receive His wrath.

We need to be ready because we don’t know when Jesus can come back. Fear shouldn’t be the driver that makes us ready, but because we love Jesus.

God the Father knows when Jesus is coming, but we need to be ready, because we know that life is but a vapour. We don’t know when we will be called home. Many godly people who loved Jesus longed for the rapture, but have died and are now with Jesus.

2. The Second Coming

There is a difference between the Rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Jesus. At the Rapture we will meet the Lord in the air, but when Jesus comes at the Second Coming He will stand on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem.

Some believe that the one taken will be taken to judgment and the one left will be saved. Those that believe that this speaks to the rapture believe that those that are left behind are not saved.

The Mark of the Beast

We are on a role so we might as well talk about the Mark of the Beast

This may have looked a little far fetched, but with some of the regulations with Covid-19, it opened the door to the possibility of not being able to buy or sell without a mark.

You might say, Pastor that is crazy. Our world was virtually shut down in a matter of days for safety. Don’t think that it couldn’t be shut down for someone who refuses to get a computer chip in their body.

Revelation 13:16–18 NLT

He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

So you, too, must keep watch

Matthew 24:42–44 NLT

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Church family, we need to be ready. We can’t be too busy doing the things that we do that we would not be paying attention to what is going on around us.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–6 NIV

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

This can be alarming when we think of people that we know that aren’t ready. It can be really alarming for us if we don’t think that we are ready.

Don’t tell your friends and family out of fear. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, tried to tell his future son’s-in-law about the destruction that was coming on Sodom and Gomorrah. They didn’t think that he was serious, and they perished.

It’s God’s love that wants to draw people to salvation. We need to share the hope that we have in Christ.

2 Timothy 4:2–5 NLT

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Let’s pray