The Life I now Live

What makes you different than your neighbor? Is there anything about your life that makes it distinct from the guy in the next block or the next section?

There are others who may be more moral than you are. There are others who may experience better mental health than you do. So if therapeutic morals do not make you distinct, how is the world supposed to see your works and glorify God in Heaven?

It is true that we walk by faith, and are not limited to sight. But our walk of faith is not contrary to, or limited to sight. The fact that Jesus rose bodily and the Holy Spirit’s temple is our bodies means that there is a tangible expression to our faith.

When truth becomes institutionalized, it frequently moves from that which is tangible and transformational into something that resembles ethereal ideas. In the last 10 years we have seen human life transformed into something that is not determined by heartbeat or brainwaves, but by desires of a mother. More recently we have seen the idea of gender move from something that is genetically defined, to something that is a preferred identity.

Similarly in faith traditions some move away from that which is concrete or objective to something that is merely a subjective idea. The historical idea of the physical Second Advent of Christ was exchanged for a “spiritual presence” that is complete now.

As it becomes more popular to claim, “I’m spiritual, but not religious” or “I have faith, I pray, I just don’t participate in any organized group of faith”; My intent this morning is to ground our expectations in truth that is physical, observable and measurable. Not just do you “have faith”, but are you in the Faith?

Transition: I believe God transforms us into His representatives so that the attitudes and actions of the bodies of believers becomes a Testament of God’s working in the world.

Raised Bodily (John 20:26-29)

The Life I now Live is rooted in Victory

Explanation (Acts 1:11)

After Thomas touched the wounds in the body of Jesus described in our Scripture reading, 2 witnesses repeated that He would return “in the same way”

Acts 1:11 ESV:2016

11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

This Jesus…same way

Application: We live with Victorious Confidence

Romans 6:4 ESV:2016

4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Transition: The resurrected walk of Christ becomes the embodied faith walk of disciples like you and me.

Living in Bodies (Galatians 2:20)

The Life I now Live is driven by Purpose

Explanation

Galatians 2:20 ESV:2016

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1. God does not snatch us out of this physical world at the moment of our conversion. What does it mean to live by faith in the flesh?

2. He transforms us from enemies into ambassadors who are empowered by Him to represent Him and proclaim Him to other enemies.Body of Christ on Earth. (invisible vs. visible Church)

One of the longest running Television shows was Mash. It ran so long because it was unafraid to push the envelope to communicate so many of the gut wrenching emotions of war, both humorous and somber.

In one particular episode the emotion being portrayed on the screen was loneliness. The date of BJ’s wedding anniversary arrived and he was stuck thousands of miles away from his bride. His emotion was being kindled by an 8mm movie without sound of Peg setting a table across from an empty seat. In the solemnity of that moment, Margaret offers to stand in to provide flesh and blood to the emotion of the room.

https://youtu.be/Aap19JxfyoA

Christ’s invisible presence is sensed and described in many ways around us, but God also intended for you and me to “offer to dance”, to become the tangible presence of all that God’s Spirit is doing to reach out to a world He longs to redeem.

Transition: The life that I now Live is victorious and purposeful as we live in the blessed Hope of the next Bodily event.

Returning Bodily (Acts 1:10, Titus 2:13)

The Life I now Live is filled with Hope

The Bodily Return of Christ can be observed in several events.

Specific Events

revealing/unveiling (ἀποκαλύπτεται apocalypse) - things are getting close

the Olivet Discourse (Mt 24) details many things that will happen with increasing frequency before the actual 2nd Coming.

Appearing (παρουσίας Parousia) - Rapture

1 Thessalonians 4:17 ESV:2016

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

One of the most debated questions about the future is the question if the appearing is/precedes the 2nd coming. I believe 1 Thes 4:17 clearly speaks of a reunion in the clouds that happens before Christ returns to the earth.

Coming (ἐπιφανείᾳ Epiphaneia) - Millennium

2 Timothy 4:1 ESV:2016

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

2 Tim 4:1 instructs that there is a coming kingdom that concludes with judgment. I believe this is the Day of the Lord that most expected in the first century with Jesus’ first coming.

Preceding Events

A plain reading of the Olivet Discourse describes at least 7 or 8 things that can be expected before the Second Coming. Some of these items may occur in the time between the Parousia and the Epiphany, so the Rapture could occur imminently as our Statement of faith says in the Highlight Idea on the back of your note sheet.

Evangelizing all Nations

Persecution

Falling Away

Antichrist and false prophets

Wars

Famines

changes on earth and in the skies

Anticipatory Events

Jesus will return Physically

1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV:2016

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

not a substitute, not an angel, not a vision; the Lord HIMSELF

Jesus will return Unexpectedly/Suddenly

Revelation 3:3 ESV:2016

3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Jesus will return Visibly and Glorious

Matthew 24:27 ESV:2016

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Way back in my Bible College days in the 1980s I heard a recording from a live concert by Farrell and Farrell in which Bob Ferrell spoke of a full page ad in the L.A. Times that claimed “The 2ndComing is Here”. Bob went on to say “when Jesus returns, He won’t need an ad in the Newspaper to let people know it happened!” then they sang “Get Right or Get Left.”

Application: Be ready!

Revelation 3:11 ESV:2016

11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Holding fast is not a command to tell everybody else how bad they are so that you will look comparatively better.

The last chapter of the Bible tells us exactly how to Hold Fast.

Revelation 22:7 NLT:2013

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

We must READ God’s Word so we can OBEY God’s Word and be ready for His return!

Conclusion

8 days ago I officiated one of the largest weddings of my ministry. I have observed over the years that men need about 30 minutes to get ready and the most difficult part is remembering how to tie a necktie. Women are different. It may take hours or days for hair, tanning, mani/pedis, jewelry, pressing all the wrinkles out of gowns, etc.

Matthew 25 (the chapter after the 8 warnings I shared earlier) describes women who are prepared for their wedding. We must live in anticipation and be ready! What if it were today?

Friday afternoon I watched a rerun of an old Andy Griffeth Show episode where Aunt Bee went to Mount Pilot to care for a relative. You can imagine the condition of the home after a week when a single man and his son who are used to a full-time, live-in housekeeper, has been absent. Upon learning that Aunt Bee is arriving this afternoon, they work diligently to straighten the mess, then they realize Bee will feel unneeded if she returns to a kept home, so they mess things up. Then when they go to the bus station to pick her up, Clara lets herself in and does what she thinks is a favor for Bee. Within one 30 minute episode the house went from messy to clean, to messy, to clean, to partially messy so that Bee would feel needed.

Preparing oneself for a wedding is not the same as preparing a home for a guest.

Neither is preparing oneself for the return of Christ a matter of cleaning up, then rebelling, then returning in a willy-nilly fashion.

As the Bride of Christ, we have a responsibility to permit the Holy Spirit to continually purify us so that we will be like a bride adorned for our groom when He returns for us.

We must live in anticipation and be ready! What if it were today?

Song of Response #236........... “Is it the Crowning Day?”