Living in Light of Christ's Return
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Transition Video - If Jesus Returned Today
Introduction
Introduction
Illustration: A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch.
The little boy was curious and asked, "Why do you have that palm branch, dad?"
"You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today."
The little boy replied, " Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!"
When Jesus came the first time he came riding a donkey, when he comes the second time he’ll be riding a white horse. The first time he came as a baby, the next time he comes he’ll come as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
When Jesus came the first time he came riding a donkey, when he comes the second time he’ll be riding a white horse. The first time he came as a baby, the next time he comes he’ll come as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Eschatology (study of End times) I think that there is probably more controversy, disagreement, and confusion over this subject.
Eschatology (study of End times) I think that there is probably more controversy, disagreement, and confusion over this subject.
Christians have never been of one mind in how they understand such things as the millennium, when the rapture will take place, and what place if any the Jews have in God’s end time plan.
So, with all this disagreement and confusion over Christ’s Second Coming, why did God reveal it in Scripture? Did the Holy Spirit put the information about Christ’s Second Coming in the Bible so that we could debate and argue about it? Was it so that thousands and thousands of books with different views on Christ’s return would be written?
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.
2 pet 3.
The Answer in short: We should live holy and Godly lives!
The doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ gives us hope, peace and a future. However, it is also an encouragement to live a godly life here and now.
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Instructions pertaining to the Holy Spirit
Acts 1.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
“He dwells with you and will be in you”
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 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.”
Today we continue with the Resurrection narrative as we focus on some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples. In particular, His second coming.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
“Living a Spirit led life is different than living a Spirit empowered life.”
What is this event?
Rapture - from the Latin word raptu = “Caught away or caught up”. Equivalent to the Greek harpazo = “Caught up”
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left 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 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. 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.
1 thess 4.
states that Jesus will come like a “thief in the night”
Be Ready
Be Ready
Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today. Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ’s first coming, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ’s second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ--an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ’s first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second! (Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 27).
There’s no reason to be caught off guard, rather we must Be Ready!
Statements of Fundamental Truths
13. THE BLESSED HOPE
13. THE BLESSED HOPE
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church.
14. THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST
14. THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years.
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
2 peter 3.
There are 11 x’s in the Gospels that Jesus said “Come, follow me” (all 4 gospel writers record Jesus saying this) All of the Gospel writers as well as the Apostle Paul go on to explain in more detail what this means.
The Repentance of Sins
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3.3
states that the Spirit will testify that we are Children of God
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
“You don’t go to Heaven by chance, you go by choice”
“You don’t go to Heaven by chance, you go by choice”
Be Serving
Be Serving
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
1 john 2.
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Remaining faithful in Christ is the antidote to false belief, and John encourages his readers to remain faithful by reminding them of the second coming of Christ.
During WWII, Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for taking a stand against Hitler. Yet he continued to urge fellow believers to resist Nazi tyranny. A group of Christians, believing that Hitler was the Antichrist, asked Bonhoeffer, "Why do you expose yourself to all this danger? Jesus will return any day, and all your work and suffering will be for nothing." Bonhoeffer replied, "If Jesus returns tomorrow, then tomorrow I’ll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it’s finished."
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
The Parable of the Talents
The servants who did something with the talents given = “Well done, good and faithful servant”
The one who didn’t = “You wicked and lazy servant”
Be Watchful
Be Watchful
The year 1666 saw an explosion in end times speculation. One pastor wrote in his journal, "every time a storm has hit this year the church was full of people waiting for Jesus."
October 22, 1844. William Miller, whose followers were called the Millerites, taught Christ would come on Oct. 22, 1844. Large numbers of people sold their goods and got on housetops. It’s failure was called “the Great Disappointment.” His followers founded the Seventh-day Adventist Church and continue to expect a soon Second Coming but no longer set dates for it.
In 1874 Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watchtower Society of the Jehovah's Witnesses, calculated 1874 to be the year of Christ's Second Coming, and until his death taught that Christ was invisibly present, and ruling from the heavens.
Edgar Whisenant a NASA engineer used his mathematical skills to set a date for the return of Jesus. In his book, "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988" he set the day Jesus would return on September 10, 1988.
32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.
Watch our lives
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
titus 2.11-
16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.
1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
Be Wanting
Be Wanting
2 peter 3.10-13
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!
Be
“Come O Lord!” = Maranatha (Aramaic) Probably used as a prayer or a greeting
Invitation & Prayer
Invitation & Prayer
Things we know
Christ is coming back
