Sermon Tone Analysis

Transition Video - If Jesus Returned Today

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!

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?

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.

Instructions pertaining to the Holy Spirit

Acts 1.

“He dwells with you and will be in you”

Acts 1:

Today we continue with the Resurrection narrative as we focus on some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples.

In particular, His second coming.

“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”

1 thess 4.

states that Jesus will come like a “thief in the night”

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

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

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.

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

John 3.3

states that the Spirit will testify that we are Children of God

“You don’t go to Heaven by chance, you go by choice”

Be Serving

1 john 2.

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."

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

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.

Watch our lives

titus 2.11-

Be Wanting

2 peter 3.10-13

Be

“Come O Lord!” = Maranatha (Aramaic) Probably used as a prayer or a greeting

Invitation & Prayer

Things we know

Christ is coming back