SF116 - THE REASON FOR THE SEASON PART 4 I SHALL RETURN (Acts 1 7-12)
SF116
The Reason For The Season Part 4:
I SHALL RETURN
ACT 1:7‑12
INTRODUCTION
Series Background
Sermon Background
It is always hard to say goodbye
It was goodbye day for the disciples
Notice who made this announcement ‑ Angels
Birth
Resurrection
Return
First and Second Comings predicted
Enoch
Jude 1:14 (NIV) Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
David
Psalms 102:16 (NIV) For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.
Daniel
Daniel 7:13 (NIV) "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.
Zechariah
Zechariah 14:4 (NIV) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus
John 14:3 (NIV) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Revelation 22:20 (NIV) "Yes, I am coming soon."
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Notice the Disciples Were....
1A. LOOKING AT A PERSON
This same Jesus
HEB 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
He is the center peice of all we do!
1B. The Same Yesterday ‑ Invaded History
Virgin birth
Vicarious death
Victorious resurrection
2B. The Same Today ‑ Infused Reality
Ephesians 3:17 (NIV) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
3B. The Same Tomorrow ‑ Inhabits Eternity
Romans 11:36 (NIV) For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Jesus belongs to eternity
DOCTRINE OR PERSON
Not so much concerned with the return of Christ as I am the Christ of the return.
Return of our troops after the Gulf War. No one kissed the plane or the pilot. They all ran to him.
They were nos so much caught up with the event of his return as they were the return of a person.
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2A. LISTENING TO A PROMISE
...will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
1B. He Will Come As The Same Person
This same Jesus...
Not as the Jesus of the world religions ‑ dead and hopeless
Not as the Jesus of the liberals ‑ without power or truth
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
2B. He Will Come For The Same People
His disciples ‑ no unbelievers
THE GREAT MAGNET
Now imagine with me for a moment a great heap of metals are scattered over the ground. Some are on top of the ground and some are under the ground. They are metals of all sorts. There are copper, zinc, iron, gold, and brass.
Then suppose a big magnet is lowered over that field and then suddenly from under the ground and on top of the ground pieces of iron leap to the magnet as it is lowered. Only the iron is taken.
Why are none of the other metals disturbed? It is because only the iron has the nature of the magnet.
One of these days the Lord Jesus is going to nod to the angel Gabriel. Gabriel will reach for the trumpet of God from the shimmering walls of the heavenly city. Gabriel will blow that trumpet to wake the dead the Lord Jesus will descend. And everybody on this earth and under the earth who has the divine nature of Christ in them will be heaven bound.
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Two experiences waiting for the Christian
1C. Resurrection
Three times Jesus shouted ‑ each time resurrection occurred
Before the tomb of Lazarus
On the cross and the saints came out of their graves
In the sky some day and the dead shall rise
2C. Rapture
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV) "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
WHEN HE COMES
When He comes he'll catch us up,
He'll take us to the Judgement Seat and clean us up
He'll take us to the Marriage Supper and cheer us up.
3B. He Is Coming To The Same Place
Zechariah 14:4 (NIV) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
Richard The Lion‑Hearted
The return of Richar the Lionhearted was on of the thrilling epochs of the English people. All of England love Richard. He was a great leader of men. He was a werestler, a runner, a poet, and a general. While Richard was away in the Cursades, his kingdom fell on hard times. His wicked brother, John, sought to capture the throne. John was a selfish, curel, wicked man. The pople suffered, and they longed for Richard's return.
Well, one day Richard returned. He landed on the shores of England and marched straight for his throne. The castles of John tumbled like bowling pens. None dared stand in his place and he marched straight to hi throne, there to reign again. The bells of London rang, the people shouted, " The Lion is back. Long live the King!"
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A greater King is coming
Revelation 19:11 (NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. ...
Revelation 19:14 (NIV) The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:16 (NIV) On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
It is a literal reign
(compare with Luke 1)
Luke 1:31‑32 (NIV) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
The New City ‑ Jerusalem
No...
Crime
War
Isaiah 2:4 (NIV) He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Sickness
Heartache
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3A. LEAVING WITH A PURPOSE
1B. To Worship
1C. If Jesus is not coming again...
Then musicians must lay aside their instruments
Singers must still their voices
Preachers must fold their Bibles
2C. He is coming therefore let us
Call to worship
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another‑‑and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Prayer
Matthew 6:10 (NIV) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Song to sing
"Jesus Is Coming Soon"
2B. To Witness
...why do you stand here looking into the sky?
We need to study the signs but we must not forget the sighs of those dying without Christ.
Acts 1:7 (NIV) He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
This should make us soulwinners not stargazers
3B. To Wait
Waiting times are not wasted times
We'll work till Jesus comes and we'll be gathered home.
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4B. To Purity
1 John 3:3 (NIV) Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
CONCLUSION
THE WEDDING
The wedding is over. The cake has been cut, the rice has been thrown. Kathy and Tom are finally in the car alone. As they drive away amidst the chorus of well‑wishers, Kathy moves away from Tom and she says, "Tom, take me home." And he says, "Home? Why Kathy, you know our home won't be ready for two weeks. Now we are going on our honey moon."
"Oh, no, Tom. I don't mean your home, I mean my home. My mother's home. Tom, I really do love you and I have taken you as my husband but you don't expect me to change my life, do you? I'll try to see you once a week if it's convenient. And when I'm sick, I'll expect you to come. And when I run out of money, Tom, I'll expect you to provide it and if there is something I can't handle, I'll expect you to help me out. But in the meantime hands off my life."
That wouldn't be a marriage. That would be a mockery. Yet that is how many of us are treating Jesus.
If We Believe He Is Coming Again It Will Change The Way We Live!