Return of Christ: in same way
Acts: Be the Church • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsWhat can we know about the return of Christ?
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Assumptions
Assumptions
There are many belief’s; many assumptions that are made regarding the return of Christ. Many say the “Second Coming” but there have been many comings of Christ , but that is for another day, another sermon on “The Day of the Lord”
With that in mind, there are 3 major theology beliefs on this. (better take a second and explain this is not a salvation issue, no matter the view the end results are the same)
Premillenialist - In general the belief is that Christ is going to return to earth to establish a literal kingdom for 1000 years
Postmillenialist - In general believes that Christ will, at some point, will begin a 1000 year reign in heaven and at the end of such time will return to the world to judge it.
Amillenialist - In general believe that Christ is already reigning on the throne of David and is the lord of lords and king of kings now. When He returns again it will be to raise the dead, judge the world and usher in the new heavens and new earth.
So now, I want to say that as someone who used to have a premillenial view I am now under my belief an amillenialist and tonight will come from that point of view.
So now where are we in the scripture? Here is where we left off.
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Jesus has just ascended into heaven and they are left there looking on.
Tonight we will pick up from there and look at His return.
Certainty of His return
Manner of His return
Purpose of His return
So without further introduction lets open our Bibles and let’s look
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Act1:9-
I. Certainty of His Return
I. Certainty of His Return
I. Certainty of His Return
I. Certainty of His Return
How about what we just read, the proclamation by the angels, in looking at your bibles, notice it says “this Jesus” we have no doubt who is going to return. Remember angels are God’s servants
4 He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.
16 ‘But when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
Heb
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
So God sent the angels to comfort, assure and proclaim to the Apostles the certainty of Christ’s return.
Then there is the proclamation by the Apostles
Start with Peter
19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
THen there is Paul
21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
How about John?
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
How about from him who is not named, in other words the Hebrew writer
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
So the O.T. tells us His coming; the N.T. not only tells that He came, but tells that He will return in like manner. We can be certain of it, for our hope is built on that fact.
This leads us to next point.
II. Manner of His return
II. Manner of His return
First thing we can tell about His return, from our passage, it will be in person
11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Then can back up with another passage
1the4:15-16
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
He will come in like manner in the clouds
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And that is where we will meet Him
1The4:17
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Oh can’t leave out Revelation
7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
He will come without warning
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
Without warning bringing destruction
3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
Without warning, bringing destruction and like a thief in the night
2Pt3:
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
We should not be unaware, unsuspecting, we should be expecting it, expecting with a joyful anticipation, we should have faithful confidence.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1The4:15-16
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
So we know the certainty, we know the manner, how about we move on to the Purpose
III. Purpose of His Return
III. Purpose of His Return
To raise the dead. I just read from 1The4 and that covers part of it . How about from Jesus mouth directly
28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
This raising of the good and the evil, the righteous and the wicked
AC
15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
With a sudden change, in the twinkling of an eye as noted in 1Cor15:50-54; we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air as stated in 1The4:16-18
Now here is the best reason for His return. So we can be presented to the Father. While this may be contrary to many who believe in the earthly reign, I want to stay to the scripture and the heavenly reign that is already going on and we will be presented, delivered up to the father. Now a little back ground, scripture to get us there.
Even on the Day of Pentecost there is reference to the throne that Jesus is sitting on, fulfilling the O.T. prophesy in Act2:30-36 but let me give you a piece of this passage
34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’
Act2:34-
See all authority had been given to the Son by the Father, as noted Mt28:18; above all power, dominion - Eph1:20-22; so that we could be delivered into the kingdom of the beloved Son- COl1:13; the kingdom of Christ - Rev1:9
9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
His reign did not start with His enemies out of the way, but concurrent with them still being present as noted in the prosphesy of Psm110:1-2
As John noted in his
1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” 2 The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
Rule in the midst of Your enemies. That last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Christ overcame death as will we who believe
1Cor15
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
He will raise us up
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.
1COr15
He is not coming to set up His kingdom but to Deliver up His Kingdom but I know we have been going on for awhile, but can’t stop here.
Paul expounded to the Corinthians this fact of delivering us up
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
1Cor15:
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
His kingdom, the kingdom of Jesus, will last until the end of the age, in which we will be presented to the Father without spot or blemish and the righteous will shine forever with Him.
Another purpose of His return is to judge and punish evil
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Judged by the one appointed judge
31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2Cor
48 “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
Judged by His Word
48 “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
SO it is scary for those who have not obeyed the gospel message; destruction as mentioned before in 2Pt3:7 and everlasting destruction according to 2The1:7-10
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.
Those who have not obeyed the gospel who do not have their name written in the Lamb’s book of life as noted in Rev20:11-15 will be cast into the lake of fire.
Wow, that is a lot to know, a lot to comprehend about the reason for His return but can’t end on a down note tonight.
The purpose can be summed up
12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
thought we have not seen that day, one day it is coming you can put your hope in that.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
The Lord is faithful to His promises, and until that day we should be
Prayerful in preparation for His return (Lk21:34-36; 2Pt3:14)
Be in joyful expectation of His return (Php3:20-21)
And have patient endurance anticipating His return (Heb10:35-39)
(Lead to invitation) if you have not obeyed, chose to obey, if you have obeyed, remember where your hope is, in the promise of HIs return for His church!