#12 - Sermon
Jesus Christ is Coming Again! – Part 3
2nd Peter1:16
September 9, 2007
Sun Oak Baptist Church
Introduction
A. Please turn with me to 2nd Peter 3:4. I encourage you to take out your sermon notes as well that are inside the bulletin.
B. They had hardly sealed our Lord’s tomb before people began questioning the doctrine of His Second Coming. By the time the apostle Paul, John, and Peter were writing their letters, false teachers and their followers were questioning the return of Christ. And we will find that until He comes again throughout the history of the church false teachers always have and always will be questioning our Lord’s Second Coming.
But despite the questions we can be certain of this: when it comes to the Second Coming it’s not “if” – it’s only “when.” The bible contains well over 330 prophecies pertaining to Christ’s First Coming and 1,845 references to His Second Coming. That’s over six-times as many references to the Second Coming as there are for the First. Remember this: it’s not “if” Christ is coming again – it’s only a matter of “when.” It’s like someone said: “Plan as though Christ were not coming for ten (10) years. Live as though He were coming in ten seconds.” “Plan as though Christ is not coming for ten (10) years, but live as though He is coming in ten seconds.”
Matt. 24:27: “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matt. 24:44: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Luke 21:27: “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
1st Cor. 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes again.”
Heb. 10:24-25: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Rev. 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
C. What is the significance of the Second Coming? What is one of the most crucial applications that we can make to our lives regarding the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ? Be ready…be ready…be ready…Jesus can come literally at any moment – in a twinkling of an eye – faster than the snap of a finger.
Prophetically speaking, there is nothing I am aware of that needs to be fulfilled prophetically before Jesus comes again. He can come again at any moment. Jesus said: “Surely I am coming quickly.” And the apostle John’s response to that statement was: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Are we ready? Christians need to plan their lives as if His return will be in ten (10) years, but live their lives as if it will be in ten (10) seconds.
Pray.
D. As we know, the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ is so important in the Christian life the apostle Peter devotes one-third of this death bed epistle to it – one-third.
To help us get our arms around this doctrine, to help us understand what the Bible teaches about the Second Coming of Christ, I’m taking us to the top of three (3) little hills to help us look at this doctrine from three (3) different vantage points.
1. What we’re doing in this 3-part series is walking over here and looking at the Second Coming from this angle – Christ’s Second Coming will be attacked – it will be questioned. Satan questioned God’s Word and twisted God’s Word in the Garden and that’s the two (2) primary tactics and ways false teachers operate. Read 3:4.
2. Secondly, I’m taking us over here and we’re looking at the Second Coming from this angle: it’s a doctrine that is misunderstood – we’ll finish that today.
3. And finally, also this morning, we’ll look at from a third angle: we’ll be looking at what the Bible teaches us about the Second Coming of Christ. We’ll examine the doctrine of the Second Coming.
I. The doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming questioned.
II. Secondly, the doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming misunderstood.
The second vantage point I want us to look at the doctrine of the Second Coming from is to see that it’s not unusual for Christians to misunderstand Christ’s Second Coming.
A. And the first reason why is because Biblical doctrine in general today is neglected – that’s what we dealt with last week. In general, Biblical doctrine today is neglected in churches and in the lives of individual Christians.
B. And secondly, a second reason why Christians misunderstand Christ’s Second Coming is because the study of prophecy is over-emphasized.
We could call this the “flip side of the coin.” On one hand, people misunderstand Christ’s Second Coming because doctrine in general is under-emphasized, and on the other hand, it’s misunderstood because the study of prophecy, in general, is over-emphasized.
A number of years ago the pastor of a large church was talking to a new assistant one Sunday evening before services and said: “We’re going to have a crowd tonight.” The assistant replied: “What makes you say that?” The pastor answered: “I’m teaching on the Book of Revelation and it never fails that when I announce I’m speaking on any aspect of prophetic doctrine an unusually large crowd comes to the evening service.” And that’s just what happened.
1. Turn with me to Matt. 24:3. People, Christians and non-Christians alike, have an affinity towards knowing the future – and after all, who wouldn’t? I mean- I’d love to know what the stock market is going to do tomorrow. But this affinity, especially today in the information age, has lead to an over-emphasis in the study of prophecy, but this kind of interest isn’t something new. Read 24:3.
There always has been and always will be people interested in prophecy – in knowing the future. Throughout church history people like this have tried to identify particular persons depicted in the Bible such as the anti-Christ and they try to literalize the various pictures and images that used prophetically. They spend an unbalanced amount of time trying to understand these things. For example: during World War 2 there were Christians that were certain that Mussolini or Hitler was the Beast of Revelation 13 or the anti-Christ; and before that they were certain it was Napoleon.
During the first Gulf War a number of books came out on the role of the Middle East in prophecy. An unsaved acquaintance of mine asked me to lunch hoping I could tell him if the end of the world was near. The prophecy section in Christian stores has books on everything from the pre-tribulational rapture; mid-tribulational rapture; post-tribulational rapture; pre-wrath rapture; post-millennialism; amillennialism; and now the latest fad called “preterism.” By my count there’s at least three (3) regularly scheduled Christian TV shows specifically dedicated to prophecy and at least twice a week I get an email from a ministry dedicated to interpreting prophecy in light of current news events.
C. What’s the point? The study of prophecy is over-emphasized. I could go on and one with examples of this but here’s what I want us to see: from my perspective there are two (2) reasons why the doctrine of the Second Coming is misunderstood. One reason is the under-emphasis of doctrine in general, and the second is an over-emphasis, in general, on the study of prophecy.
So we’ve seen how the doctrine of the Second Coming is attacked. We’ve seen how it’s misunderstood. Now: let’s look at what the New Testament teaches about the Second Coming of Christ. Can we know when He is coming again? Jesus said many false Christ’s will come: how can someone know if it’s really Him?
Roman Numeral III in our outline.
III. The doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming taught.
What I’m going to do is to ask and answer three (3) questions that will help us unpack and illuminate the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. Remember: when it comes to the Second Coming of Christ is not “if” – it’s only “when.” There are disagreements about the timing; disagreements about events that precede or follow His return but here is the one big thing and the clear thing that we can take home with us today: Jesus Christ who first came as a babe in Bethlehem as a humble servant-king will return to this earth as a conquering and ruling king.
A. So first of all, the first question I want to ask and answer is this: what will be the manner of His return? How will Jesus Christ return to the earth? And, as you can see in your notes, there are four-parts to this answer.
1. First of all, Christ’s return is going to be a physical return. Go to Acts 1:11.
Mark this down: when Jesus Christ returns the second time, He will personally and physically return to this earth. Jesus will come again just like He left. Read 1:11. Now even though Luke is very clear here, and even though other passages are just as clear, false teachers twist this aspect of Christ’s Second Coming.
a. For example, the “jesus” of the Jehovah Witnesses can’t possibly be the Jesus Christ of the Bible because their “jesus” has already returned. Remember what I said last week? The Jehovah Witnesses’ “jesus” came back spiritually, not physically, in 1918. I’ll say it again: mark it down – Jesus Christ will be coming back to the earth physically and personally.
b. Other false teachers have taught that Christ’s return will simply be the impact of the New Testament’s influence on the world. They say something like this: “Yes, we agree that Christ will return again but that return has already happened in the sense that Christian teaching is influencing the world.” To people that hold this view Christ’s Second Coming is again not a personal or a physical return – it’s a spiritual return.
c. But all through the NT it’s clear that our Lord’s Second coming will, first of all, be a personal and physical return.
2. Secondly, Christ’s Second coming will be a visible return. Go with me to Rev. 1:7.
a. Not only is Christ coming back physically, when He returns He’s not going to hide; He’s not going to only return to some corner of the country of India; His return will clearly be visible for all to see. Read 1:7. Matt 24:30 says it this way: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see (all of them) the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven…”
b. Jesus is coming again “and every eye shall see him.” His Second Coming is not going to be an influence; it is not going to be spiritual and rest assured He’s not going to hide in the mountains of Afghanistan or India. In exactly the same way as His going was visible – so His return will be visible. Mark this down: when Jesus comes again “every eye will see Him.” His return will be visible.
3. Third, Jesus’ Second Coming will be a sudden return.
Go with me to Matt. 25:1. Christ’s Second Coming will be physical; it will be visible; and third, it will be sudden. Read 25:1-13.
a. The NT repeatedly emphasizes the suddenness of His return; Jesus points out that just when He’s not expected – that’s when He’s coming; He points out the danger of being asleep instead of watching; He exhorted the disciples before His death: “Watch and pray;” “Be on the alert;” “Be ever ready, watch!” At least eight (8) times Jesus warns that His return will be a sudden return.
b. Here’s a question every Christian needs to answer and it’s extremely serious: are we wise or foolish? Is there oil in our lamp or is it empty? Are we ready for the coming of the Lord? Our Lord’s Second Coming will be personal; it will be physical; it will be visible; and it will be sudden.
4. And finally, Jesus’ Second Coming will be a glorious and triumphant return.
a. Look at Matt. 24:30: read.
b. The first time Jesus came He came as a baby; He was born in a stable; He came as a servant; and He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. But when He comes again, He will come in glory and in power, attended by the angels and with the sound of the trumpet – and in all the glory and the majesty and the fullness of His divine Person. Our Lord’s Second Coming will be beyond the brightness of the sun; it will be something unbelievable; a glorious and radiant coming – it will be all of this and more.
5. How will Jesus Christ return to the earth? He’s coming back personally and physically; He’s coming back visibly; He’s coming back suddenly; and finally, He’s coming back gloriously and triumphantly: which is a far, far, cry from a cigar smoking, martini drinking, and womanizing ex-convict.
B. Second: what is the purpose of His return?
1. The Bible lists at least seven (7) purposes for Christ’s Second Coming – at least seven (7) things that will be accomplished when He comes again: He’s coming to conquer; He’s coming to re-gather and restore; He’s coming to judge the living; to resurrect the dead; to bind the devil; He’s coming to establish Himself as the King of kings once for all; and finally, Jesus is coming again to wind up the affairs of this world and to put an end to time. I could elaborate on each of these, but all I’m going to do is highlight just one (1): one (1) of the things that Christ’s Second Coming will accomplish.
2. Jesus is coming again to wind up the affairs of this world and to put an end to time. Go with me to 2nd Peter 3:1. One of the things that the Lord will accomplish when He comes again is to wind up the affairs of this world and put an end to time. Read 2nd Peter 3:1-10.
3. God created the world and it’s coming to an end – history is fast approaching a climax. God started this world upon its course, but at the very beginning He also appointed an end. The world as we know it did not exist in eternity past and it will not exist in eternity future. There is a beginning and an end, and the ultimate purpose of our Lord’s Second Coming is to wind up the affairs of earth and to wind up the affairs of time.
C. Finally, the last question I want to ask and answer is this: when will His return happen?
1. I realize this is the million-dollar question, it’s the one many people want to know and the answer in Scripture is both crystal clear and incredibly simple: no one knows – no one knows. The Bible couldn’t be any clearer on this point. This is why people who have tried to fix the date have been and always be wrong.
2. Turn with me to Matt. 24:36. The Bible tells us we must not be concerned about times and seasons. We can’t know when we will die anymore than we can know the timing of His Second Coming. Read 24:36.
3. Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7 and 1st Thess.5 all tell us the same thing Matthew tells us here. Christ Himself does not know the time of the end – only God the Father knows. Let me encourage all of us: don’t waste your time trying to figure it out; don’t become side-tracked; don’t allow yourself to be distracted from this plain and central teaching: no one, not even Jesus, knows the time.
Conclusion
A. It may seem incredible to us that these things are really going to happen. To the people that lived during the time of our Lord’s First Coming it sounded pretty incredible. But rest assured: as it happened then – this will also happen. And your business and mine, the central application of the doctrine of the Second Coming that applies to our lives right now is to be always ready; to be ever prepared; to watch; to pray; to believe; to live in light of the truth of His Second Coming; to plan our lives as if it will happen in ten (10) years, but to live them as if it will happen in ten (10) seconds because it can. Peter hasn’t followed cunningly devised fables regarding this matter: be ready – be ready – be ready!! It’s not “if” – it’s only “when.”
B. One day while visiting a home for mentally handicapped children operated by a Christian friend, Joseph Stowell, president of Moody Bible Institute noticed the tiny handprint of children covering the window. Stowell remarked about them to his friend.
“Oh those,” he replied. “The children here love Jesus, and they are so eager for Him to return that they lean against the windows as they look up to the sky.”
C. Biblical prophecy teaches us that we can be certain of this: as long as sin remains in this world there will be trouble. And eventually, a final cataclysmic event is coming – it’s not “if” it’s “when.” There is no superficial optimism in the Bible: it talks about wars and rumors of wars; it talks about death; it talks about Christians being hated for their faith – but it also tells us that the Son of God who has already conquered death and sin and the grave, will return again finally to cleanse the world, and that all the forces that are against God and antithetical to God will finally be routed.
