Session 3: Αre We Living Like He's Returning?

What do you get if you put a duck in a cement mixer? Quacks in the pavement.

I gave all my dead batteries away today, free of charge.

Lance isn't a common name these days, but in medieval times, people were names Lance a lot.

If you KNEW that Jesus was returning today, how would that change your priorities today…this week?

BIG QUESTION: Are we LIVING like He’s RETURNING?

Let’s talk about WHY we should be LIVING LIKE HE’S RETURNING and HOW we should be LIVING LIKE HE’S RETURNING.

And as we briefly mentioned this morning, there are at least 5 principles we should practice as we prepare for our Lord’s return.

1. STAY IN THE SCRIPTURES

GOD will use the Scriptures to encourage you and correct you.

What do YOU do when you are confronted with the correction of God's Scriptures?

On Monday of this week I was reading the Scriptures, not to teach you, but to seek Jesus on my own. It was so refreshing and deep. I felt like I was drinking from a crystal clear source of spring water. And I ran across this Old Testament story - the story of King Josiah and later of his son - Jehoiakim

We see two very different responses to the Scriptures from King Josiah and one of his sons, Jehoiakim.

While Josiah, his father, responded in repentance to the correction of Scripture (2 Kings 22:11-13 - see 2 Kings 23 to see the extent of Josiah’s repentance), Jehoiakim did what many in our day do with the Scriptures - toss them aside and disregard what God says (he literally cut the writing apart and threw them in the fire - Jer 36:23-24).

So, when confronted with the truth of God’s Scriptures, what will WE decide to do - obey or disobey?

Thankfully, God has given us others to help us through this process.

Hebrews 13:7 (CSB)

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.

This first passage is super humbling, because I don’t know many Christian leaders that would feel comfortable quoting this and then pointing at themselves. I sure hope the spiritual leaders in your past have lived in such a way that you can imitate their faith - they are examples that have showed you how to run the race.

You have some older spiritual leaders around here who I WANT TO BE LIKE when I grow up - folks who love Jesus, are gracious to people, and who give their lives to help build the KINGdom of God.

We should be grateful for leaders who have spoken God’s word to us.

They are teaching us to obey the commands of Jesus and attempting to teach the truth of the Scriptures in context.

They are willing to bend their beliefs to fit the Bible, instead of doing the reverse.

They are people who teach the TRUTH, even when it’s hard to hear.

Why is that SO IMPORTANT?

Because our culture encourages us to design our own CUSTOMIZED version of Jesus - kind of like Build-a-Bear:

You can build-a-bear in different colors and sizes.

You can build-a-bear that looks like your favorite characters of Lord of the Rings.

You can build-a-bear that celebrates the START OF FOOTBALL SEASON!

And many customize their own version of Jesus - ‘Build-a-bear Jesus’ - usually the cuddly, kind, loving Jesus who never confronts or judges anyone.

Well, we can’t do that.

As football is back - praise the Lord! - you might hear the crowd react to the visiting team’s penalty by chanting, “You can’t do that! [clap clap - clap clap clap]”

WHY NOT?

Who Jesus is and what Jesus says should be TRUSTED and never TWISTED.

Sadly, there are many who rather TWIST the words of Jesus than TRUST the words of Jesus. The author of Hebrews knows this and warns his audience of it.

Hebrews 13:9a (CSB)

Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings...

Since that was written 2000 years ago, the strange teachings have hit the gas instead of the brakes!

False teachers like Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, and Katt Kerr are teaching others that followers of Jesus have the authority to DECLARE & DECREE all kinds of stuff over your life, including controlling the weather.

Before Hurricane Ida hit, this is exactly what Katt Kerr said - calling others - NOT TO PRAY for GOD to lessen the storm - but to DECLARE that the storm would be downgraded - because, according to her and others - we have the authority that Jesus has. No we don’t! She ‘declared and decreed’ that the hurricane weaken. It didn’t, and hit Louisiana hard.

This is one of many of their strange teachings, but to DECLARE & DECREE are never taught in the Scriptures.

While we many more strange teachings that have compiled over the last 2000 years of Christianity than during the 1st century that we are reading about today, we also have a great privilege that this Hebrew ancient audience did NOT have - the Scriptures in their entirety.

When Jesus was tempted He responded with…Scriptures.

Matthew 4:4 (CSB)

He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Are you DOING THAT? Are you learning WHO GOD IS and WHAT GOD SAYS?

10 Minute Challenge - 1 chapter a day - write down your questions and insights and share with another believer

2. PRAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY

I love where David writes this:

Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.

The disciples of Jesus WATCHED His life closely. They heard Him teach. They saw Him heal. The were blown away by how He interacted with others. But they noticed something else significant about Jesus.

Luke 11:1 (CSB)

He [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

Both Jesus and John the baptist were know for WHAT? PRAYER.

Write down your prayers in 2 sections: THANKS, REQUESTS.

This helps you stay on track and helps you see when God answers.

Here’s an example of some of the things I’m praying for.

3. WALK WITH THE WISE

“Show me your friends, I’ll show you the future.”

Proverbs 13:20 (CSB)

The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

Psalm 1:1–3 (CSB)

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

You need to have friends who point you back to God’s words.

Bill Coleman & my junior year

4. STIFF-ARM SIN

1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

First, believers are to abstain from sinful desires. Here are some of the desires that includes:

Galatians 5:19–21 (NLT)

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Contrary to what our culture often says, we can actually control our behavior. We aren’t animals that make decisions based on INSTINCT, but human beings made in the image of God, who have the intellectual ability to override what some might call our ‘instinctual’ desires. This is certainly true of followers of Jesus who whom the Holy Spirit lives in and empowers. God commands us to abstain from sinful desires.

This word translated “abstain” is from the Greek term meaning to be far away from*. The same term was used of the Prodigal whom the Father saw “while he was still a long way off” (Lk 15:20).

* Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 724–725.

So, we aren’t to dabble or flirt with these sins. The question shouldn’t be, “How close can we get to sin and not sin?” That’s like asking, “How close can I get driving on the edge of the cliff and not fall off?”

Instead, we should keep the danger at a distance. WHY? These sinful desires…wage war against your soul. There is a CIVIL WAR going on inside of you and me. Our sinful desires are at war with our souls where the Spirit of God lives.

That’s why, as you’ve likely experienced, living in sin separates us from real relationship with God and His people. Living in sin dilutes our confidence in Christ and our ability to impact others for Him. Followers of Jesus - abstain from sinful desires! At the end of the day, when you have purpose, hope, & a clean conscience. - you’ll be glad you did!

Stiff-arming sin is the first step to...

5. SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

because If we’re going to make a DIFFERENCE, we’ve got to BE DIFFERENT.

1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

Where did Peter get this idea from? Probably from that GUY he followed around for years and saw rise from the dead! Jesus said:

Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Our LIVES are to overrule their LIES so that when Jesus returns - the day He visits us - they will glorify God because of our good deeds.

There will be a day of judgement where those who mistreated and lied about us will be confronted by the truth and forced to glorify God - to confess that He is good & what He says is true.

Could that mean that some who used to persecute us will thank God for our faithful example? Is it possible that some of our current enemies will become our brothers/sisters in Christ - that our consistent obedience to God will lead them to turn from their sins and follow Him too!?!? I sure hope so!

That’s what happened with a Roman jailer in Philippi (Acts 16:25-34). At midnight Paul & Silas were praying and singing to God in their prison cell while the other prisoners listened. When God brought about an earthquake that opened on the prison doors, the jailor was awakened to see all the doors open. Thinking they had all escaped and knowing it would cost his life, this jailor prepared to fall on his own sword, but Paul stopped him and reported that no man had escaped. Rather than just stick them all back in their cells, this man asked fell down trembling in front of Paul and Silas and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).

What brought this jailor to this point? Had he seen the difference in Paul & Silas? Did he hear them praying, singing, or sharing the good news of Jesus with others? We simply aren’t told. The jailor certainly DID recognize that Paul & Silas spared his life by giving themselves up rather than running away.

Paul & Silas answered his question: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” The jailor was so grateful that he took these prisoners TO HIS HOUSE, washed their wounds, and gave them a meal. And that guy and his whole family believed on Jesus and were baptized! How incredible is that!

This jailor, who certainly thought Paul and Silas had done wrong, saw their good deeds and glorified God!

If we’re going to make a DIFFERENCE, we’ve got to BE DIFFERENT.

Be ready to share the difference Jesus makes in your life.

1 Peter 1:13 (NIV)

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming.

In other words, we should be living like He’s returning. And here’s the kicker - for those who are, we don’t sit and shake in fear over the return of Jesus. NO! We set our hope on the GRACE to be brought to us when Jesus comes back!

Again, let’s be reminded of who is writing - the apostle Peter - one of the men who WATCHED as Jesus ascended into the clouds and saw two angels who looked like men tell them these words:

Acts 1:11b (NIV)

This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

And you know what!? Peter and the others actually started living like He was returning. They didn’t know WHEN, but they knew He WOULD. And that’s why Peter writes this:

1 Peter 1:13–16 (NIV)

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” [Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7]

This word for “conform” is referring to being shaped or molded into a preset pattern. [Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 506.]

In case you haven’t noticed, our culture is attempting to mold us into people who explore & dabble with evil rather than expose & deny evil. But there is another influence at work…a powerful influence WITHIN us - the evil desires you had before you turned from them and turned to Jesus. We are no longer to walk in those things: lust, pride, gossip, anger, filthy talk, etc.

Instead, we are to commanded to be holy in all we do!

Sadly, there are many who claim the Name of Jesus who dilute this command and refuse to live pure. Those who do so JUSTIFY their sin rather than JETTISON their sin and kick it to the curb.

Consequently, these disobedient ‘Christians’ often refer to those who want to “be holy” as being ‘legalistic’. Sadly, it seems to me that many of us might be considered “cultural Christians” but not “Biblical Christians”. That is, we might be “Christians” by our culture’s standards, but we are NOT acting like Christians by Biblical standards.

I wonder what the apostle Peter might say to us if he could see how we embrace sin rather than push it away. He might say, “What part of ‘be holy in all you do’ don’t you get?”

We have asked this before, but let’s ask it again…of ourselves. If Jesus were returning at the end of this week, how would you live the rest of this week?

I’m just guessing, but I think that there might just be a major overhaul in what we watch, what we say, what we think, and what we do. Ya think?

We should be living like Jesus is returning and that means there should be some major, CLEAR differences between Christians and our culture.

And then comes what should become one of the THEMES of our LIVES.

1 Peter 3:15–16 (NET)

But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.

As we have already mentioned a couple of times, to set Christ apart as Lord means that no one else holds that position in your life. There is ONLY ONE LORD who should rule from the throne of your heart.

Whether persecuted or not, we must be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. The word translated as “answer” is the Greek term apologia, meaning “defense”.

In other words, Christians must have the knowledge, wisdom, and character to share WHY we have hope in Jesus!

This is one of several reasons why you NEED to get in the Scriptures and determine WHY you believe WHAT you believe.

Of course, we are to answer - NOT WITH PRIDE or RED-FACED ANGRY TONES - but with courtesy and respect.

It’s not about winning a debate, but about influencing a SOUL.

We should do our best to leave a conversation with a non-Christian that leaves the door open for future talks.

We might still be mistreated, but we don’t respond in kind, BECAUSE Jesus uses those who are LIVING LIKE HE’S RETURNING to impact people for eternity.

Effective Evangelism to Pagan Persecutors

John MacArthur writes about Herb & Ruth Clingen & their young son, American missionaries who were taken as prisoners of war by the Japanese for 3 years during WWII.

Herb’s diary told how his family’s captors tortured, murdered, and starved to death many of the camp’s other inmates. The prisoners particularly hated and feared the camp commandant, Konishi.

In February 1945 God spared the Clingens and others when Allied forces liberated the prison camp, preventing the commandant from carrying out his plan of shooting and killing all surviving prisoners.

Years later the Clingens “learned that Konishi had been found working as a grounds keeper at a Manila golf course. He was put on trial for his war crimes and hanged. Before his execution he professed conversion to Christianity, saying he had been deeply affected by the testimony of the Christian missionaries he had persecuted” (“Song of Deliverance,” 13).*

* John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Peter, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004), 141.

May the Lord use us to go impact our culture as we make it our goal to people who are LIVING LIKE HE’S RETURNING.

________________

Discussion Questions:

If you knew that Jesus was returning next Saturday, how would that affect your decision making this week?

Why is it so important to read the Scriptures regularly and learn from those who rightly interpret the Scriptures?

What Scriptural questions do you have that we can try to answer?

Why are Christian friends so important to your spiritual growth? Take a moment to consider thanking some Christian friends for encouraging your faith.

Share about a time when another Christian encouraged your faith by their obedience, servanthood, love for Jesus, or love for the Scriptures.

Take a moment to share prayer needs and pray for one another.