#13 - Sermon

The Relevance of the

Second Coming of Christ

2nd Peter 1:16

September 9, 2007 – PM

Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

          A.      Please turn with me to 2nd Peter 1:16.

                    As we turn once more to this verse, I would remind you that it refers essentially to the Second Coming of our Lord and to our Lord’s First Coming.  Read 1:16.

                    What I want to do tonight is to show the relevance of the Second Coming of Christ.  Peter called attention to this doctrine, the amount of time he spends on it suggests that it is this, the Second Coming that is perhaps the one thing above all others that is going to strengthen and comfort and help the people to whom he wrote.  If one-third of a dying mans words are devoted to this doctrine we can be pretty sure it has bearing on our lives today.

          B.      Understand that in the days in which we live there are large numbers of people both outside the church and inside the church as well who are greatly troubled as they look upon this modern world in which we live.  And the people Peter was writing to were troubled as well – and the Second Coming has relevance to all of this.

                   There are people troubled today because they think the Gospel has failed.  After all:  the world is getting worse and worse – not better.  The first Christians were troubled because they thought that the Gospel was going to conquer the world in a very few years, that the Lord would return immediately and all would be well.  And when these things did not happen they began to say:  “Is this faith after all what we thought it was; is it miraculous and supernatural, is it, after all, the power of God?”

                   Or, as one well-known evangelical put it:  “Has the Gospel failed?  Has the Christian church failed?  Is there anything in the Gospel after all?  The state of the world as it is, and the things that appear on the horizon, are thus tending at the present time to shake the faith of many and to keep many entirely outside the Christian faith.”

          C.      So what is the answer of the New Testament to that kind of attitude?  What does it have to say to that position?  I want to show us tonight that the answer is the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. The New Testament answer to all the difficulty and to all the trouble in the world today is ultimately the Second Coming.

                    How do we apply the doctrine of the Second Coming to our lives today?  What is its relevance?  What I want to do tonight is to focus on some principles, to state and remind us about some key Biblical truths that the doctrine of the Second Coming absolutely reinforces.

I.       First of all:  the doctrine of the Second Coming confirms that there is a plan of salvation.

          The truth concerning the Second Coming confirms absolutely and positively that there is a plan of salvation.

          A.      The plan is outlined in the New Testament.

                   1.       Turn to Eph. 2:8.  The New Testament, indeed the whole Bible, makes it very plain and clear in eternity past God mapped out a plan of salvation for this world. The New Testament tells us that before man was ever made, and before man ever fell – God had planned the salvation of the world. God sees the end from the beginning.  Read 2:8-10.

                   2.       All things are open before the sight of God.  The Bible constantly repeats and reiterates this grand fact:  God, having seen the end from the beginning, and all things being entire and plain and open to His sight, planned before time began that at a given point and place He would create the world; He would create man; He foresaw that the Fall would take place; He knew man would listen to the suggestion of Satan; and that then He, God, would begin the process of salvation.

          B.      The plan is outlined in the Old Testament.

                   1.       When it comes to the airline view of the OT we can see the calling of Abraham at a given point; of the creating of the nation of Israel; and of how the nation was led down to Egypt.  That seemed to be the end of everything, but God called them out and took them into the Promised Land.  We then see the different experiences and stages of history through which they passed in that land.

                   2.       As we read the Old Testament, if we didn’t know the New Testament, it’s quite possible to be cast into the depths of despair.  The children of Israel constantly failed.  They were carried away captive, but God intervened and they were brought back again – there was just a remnant left, but God was with them.  Then the remnant seemed to go astray yet again.  For four-hundred years, from Malachi to Jesus Christ there was no prophet nor was the “Word of the Lord” recorded in Israel.  Then in the fullness of the times the Son of God came. But He was crucified and the end seems to have come again.  But on the morning of the third day, as it had been predicted and prophesied, He rose from the grave, He manifested Himself, He ascended to heaven. Then, exactly as it was foretold, the day of Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit was given.  But God’s plan of salvation still marched on.

          C.      The plan is not yet finished.

                   There is a plan; it’s in the NT and it’s in the OT – and the plan is not yet finished.

                   1.       The doctrine of the Second Coming tells us that there is still something more to happen. Everything has been foreseen; the times are fixed; God knows His own mind and purpose. Everything that God has ever planned has come to pass, and what God has still planned will yet come to pass. 

                   2.       Turn with me to 2nd Tim. 3:1-5, 13.  The doctrine of the Second Coming announces all that so that we must not think of salvation as something contingent; we must not think of it all as something that is dependent upon what is happening in this world of time – instead we must come back to the plan. The Bible allows us to look through the glass dimly and see a time-table.  And we can argue that that time-table has always been kept in the past, so it must be kept in the future.

                   3.       Read 3:1-5, 13.  Here’s something to remember as the world turns worse and worse and as men get more evil and more evil.  The plan of salvation is not finished; the end is as certain as the beginning; and all God’s purposes with respect to mankind are definitely portions of a great, whole, grand plan which is invincible and unchangeable.  Satan thought he stopped the plan in the Garden; he thought it was stopped when Egypt caught up to Israel at the Red Sea; no doubt he thought he stopped when Israel was taken into captivity; and no doubt he was gleeful and thought he had won when Jesus died on Calvary – but he didn’t.

          D.      The doctrine of the Second Coming confirms absolutely and positively that there is a plan of salvation – and that it isn’t finished yet.

II.      Second:  the doctrine of the Second Coming reminds us about the reality and the terrible power of evil.

          Turn over to Matt. 24:21-25.  The doctrine of the Second Coming confirms there is a plan of salvation still running its course, and it reminds us about the reality and the terrible malignant power of evil and this is how it does it:  the doctrine of the Second Coming tells us that the power of evil is so great that even the saved men and women would be defeated by it were it not that the Lord Jesus Christ is to come.  Read 24:21-25.

          The Lord must come again before the evil can be dealt with finally.

          A.      The doctrine of the Second Coming reminds us about the reality and the terrible power of evil in the sense of giving us a clearer grasp of the biblical doctrine of evil and the power of evil.

                   1.       The Second Coming teaches us that there are two mighty forces in this world, two mighty kingdoms, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.  Satan is the god of this world.  Turn with me to Eph. 6:10-18.

                   2.       One of the issues is this:  do we realize this as clearly as we should?  Could we ever be surprised at the state of the world if we only realized that as the New Testament does?  Do we realize that evil is a kingdom headed by a great king, the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air?  Read 6:10-18.

                   3.       Right now as the sands of time trickle down the glass there is a massing and gathering together of two great armies, two great kingdoms, God and Satan, Christ and Evil.  These are the forces.  Evil is a terrible reality, an awful power.  And I realize the thought of this can be very depressing.  Yet surely we must be realistic and face facts. The world is bad and getting worse.  The doctrine of the Second Coming proclaims the terrible reality and power of sin.

          B.      The doctrine of the Second Coming reminds us about the reality and the terrible power of evil in the sense that emphasizes the inevitable conflict between these two kingdoms.

                   1.       The power of evil has come into this world, and its one object and motive is to destroy the work of God. That is why sin came in, that is why Satan intervened. He hates God – that is the consuming passion of his being and of his existence.

                             As a hater of God, he pitted himself against God.  He objected to the lordship and sovereignty of God, and the one object and mission of Satan is to destroy, not merely to mar, but to ruin and destroy God’s work. He is bent upon it, he works for it, he schemes for it, and he organizes for it. Evil’s purpose is nothing less than that.

                   2.       God’s purpose on the other hand is good; God’s purpose is a loving purpose; His purpose is kind and His purpose is benevolent.  The clash between these forces is inevitable, and the whole doctrine of the Second Coming is one which, in a sense, outlines that conflict and that warfare, that mighty struggle that is going on.

          C.      The doctrine of the Second Coming reminds us about the reality and the terrible power of evil and helps us see how many of the symbols, pictures and imagery we find in the Bible give us an insight into the nature of this struggle.

                   1.       The doctrine of the Second Coming shows us that sometimes Satan seems to take the form of world-government and power, since we see have seen evil manifest in the Roman Empire and various other empires such as the former Soviet Union; Nazi Germany; and modern day Iran.

                   2.       Sometimes Satan uses worldly dynasties and governments to try to destroy the work of God, but it has not always been in that form.  Biblical symbols and imagery also show us that the enemy takes the form of false religion.

                             a.       Always, always, always remember that the Bible does not teach religion, it teaches the Christian faith; it teaches a personal relationship with God through and because of His son the Lord Jesus Christ.  And religion sometimes can be the greatest enemy of God and His truth.  Satan transforms himself into an angel of light and is ever ready to proclaim a false religion.

                             b.       This heading also includes quite a number of ideas, not only religion specifically as such, but philosophies – materialism, or perhaps an idealism which excludes God; theories whether political or social or economic; or more general theories about man and his nature and his existence, and perhaps ideas with respect to life in general.  Darwin didn’t found evolution – Satan did.

                   3.       Satan uses and employs all these methods, anything that he can make use of that will mar and destroy the work of God or stand between man and God.  These are his methods.

          D.      The state of the world today is not as surprising as it appears to be at first sight. Look back across the last two thousand years and we will see the different forms which this great struggle has taken – sometimes political, sometimes philosophical, and sometimes religious.  Now the doctrine of the New Testament with regard to the Second Coming gives us an indication of all these things and prepares us for an understanding of this terrible conflict that goes on between the two kingdoms.

III.    Third:  the doctrine of the Second Coming tells us how the conflict between good and evil will end.

          I want to make two points here.

          A.      First of all:  the doctrine of the Second Coming let’s us know there are time periods to the conflict (seasons if you will) before the end comes.

                   1.       There are times when the Gospel flourishes, when the Gospel is popular, and men and women crowd to religious meetings and rejoice in it.  Then there are terrible periods when men fall away from it, when they become indifferent to it. But, thank God, God intervenes again with a glorious revival and reawakening, a new stimulus.

                   2.       We see this phenomenon all through Scripture and all through the history of the church.  There are curves, hairpin turns, and straight-aways.  The church started with a great revival in 33AD and by 93AD Jesus was rebuking and warning the churches.

                             Then another period of great revival, then that gradually wanes. There you are down in the depths of the Middle Ages, the dark ages. Then comes the glorious Protestant Reforma­tion. But that gradually seemed to pass. Then again, the great eighteenth-century revival. That is the story – there is a periodicity. The enemy seems to be all-powerful and God’s people seem to be conquered, then God intervenes and He raises up the standard when “the enemy comes in like a flood.”

                    3.       The doctrine of the Second Coming tells us how the conflict between good and evil will end, and in that vein it first of all lets us know there are time periods to the conflict (seasons if you will) before the end comes.

          B.      Secondly, the second thing this doctrine helps us see is at the end of it all will be a crisis.

                   There is clear and unmistakable teaching to that effect, that this conquest will be consummated in a mighty clash – an Armageddon, an ultimate coming together of the two forces, and a final battle. There is no suggestion whatsoever in the New Testament of a gradual improve­ment of the world and of a gradual introduction of the kingdom of God; the doctrine is apocalyptic, eschatological, critical. That is the picture which is given everywhere throughout the New Testament of the final outcome of this terrifying conflict. It will end in crisis; in an ultimate clash; and Christ will be the victor.

          C.      Know this for certain:  whatever may happen; whatever may take place; whenever it takes place and however it takes place the plan of salvation guarantees that the kingdom of God is coming and the Lord of lords is going to triumph and prevail.  Remember the Gospel has never promised that the world is going to be better and better; it has simply stated that the world will remain evil until it is ultimately destroyed, and that we are to be saved out of it.

Conclusion

          A.      What then is the conclusion that we can draw from all this?       

                   1.       Well first of all, understand that what we have talked about over the last weeks is only a “drop in the bucket” in terms of understand the doctrine of the Second Coming and all of the ramifications and applications of this doctrine.

                   2.       Second, Christians should not be surprised at the state of the world and at the clouds on the horizon; he should expect it, he should be prepared for it.

                   3.       Third, this doctrine also gives us this glorious comfort:  whatever may lie ahead of us; if we are in Christ we know that the ultimate end is safe and sure. But that does not lead to complacency; that above everything should stimulate us to activity. If we believe these things we can only draw one deduction – that there is not a moment to spare.  We must be ready.  We must pray to be made worthy of the kingdom of His dear Son; we must tell others and warn them; we must do all we can to open their eyes to the facts that are clear to us; we must be diligent in season and out of season; we must warn men to flee from the wrath to come.

                   4.       Fourth:  Biblical prophecy teaches us this:  as long as sin remains in this world, there will be trouble and that 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 be finally routed.

                             Turn to 2nd Peter 3:10-13.  There is a glorious crowning day coming, there is a real exodus to look forward to, there is an ultimate apocalypse.  As the Bible asks us to look back to what Christ has done, it also tells us to look forward to what He is yet going to do.  Read.

          B.      The ultimate thing that Bible always reminds us of, and which it always urges us to keep in remembrance, is that the greatest and the most vital thing in this world is to know the Lord Jesus Christ.  We cannot live on memories; we cannot live on hopes; but on the Lord Jesus Christ we can always live.  We must never forget His sacrifice and His rising again.  This truth is what transforms everything else – even the fact of death itself.  In Him and in Him alone we triumph over death and have eternal and everlasting life.  These are the things to keep in remembrance.