Sermon Tone Analysis

Over the past several weeks we have looked at the HOPE that Christmas brings...

Hope in Christ is always worthwhile --- we looked at aspects of the Prophetic promise of Messiah, the promise of a miracle and child that was the fore runner for Christ, the expectation of God’s plan and then seeing it all come to pass.

The one thing we have not mentioned so far is that often the Jews confused the prophetic promise of the Second Coming of Christ with the First Coming of Christ.

They rejected Jesus because He did not establish an earthly Kingdom, but a Kingdom in the hearts of men - delivering them from the reign and bondage of sin.

There are devout Jews still look for the coming of Messiah - and they will not be disappointed, but they will be surprised as they will come to realize they missed the entirety of the plan of God.

Here is the reality - JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!

He will return a second time, first in the clouds to take His people into the air, resurrecting the dead and rapturing the saints, and then He will return at the end of the Tribulation and place His feet upon this earth and establish that MILLENNIAL REIGN on this earth for a 1000 years before the end and final judgment when a New Heaven and Earth is established for the righteous who placed their faith in Him.

This is the BLESSED HOPE we all look for as the body of Christ.

1. Hold Onto the Promise

Jesus promised to come and again and receive us again unto himself.

I know the times seem dark.

The world seems bleak, much like it was before the eternal light came into the world to dwell in man as Immanuel.

For over 2000 years we have been reminded that Jesus is coming back for His church to take us out of this world.

HE told us there would be signs of these things...

Just in the recent years we are witnessing:

Pestilence (pandemic disease)

Climate Change (weather patterns as freaky and frequent as Jesus predicted)

False sense of peace - calling for unity while division is all around us

UN Sculpture that resembles Revelation 13:2 prophetic beast

Wars and rumors of wars

The preparation of the world to receive antichrist - dictatorship - one world government, monetary system, justification for natural disasters and rapture of the church through scientific and science fiction explanations, etc

Scoffers deny the rapture and tribulation, even liberal Biblical scholars do - but we see the signs, and HOLD ON in the darkness to the PROMISE of this blessed HOPE!

Remember, it is darkest before dawn when the MORNINGSTAR arises!!!

2. Be Open to the Miracle

The return of Christ the second time is a supernatural and miraculous event to all times.

The resurrection of every person who died in the faith and the snatching away of the church in the twinkling of an eye!

Remember when we talked about being OPEN TO RECEIVE the miracles of God...

We need to be preparing ourselves in HIs presence.

The parables of the 10 Virgins, the teaching of the wicked servant, the analogy of the thief in the night — all refer to our being ready for the miracle of the Rapture of the CHURCH.

That preparation takes place when we are spending time in HIS PRESENCE and in PRAYER.

We start our New Year off with a prayer emphasis, but who will clear the calendar to be here every Wed night to seek the presence of Jesus.

Who will have their schedule at work adjusted/ Who will commit to having dinner in the oven early?

It is a sacrifice of time, but having our hearts in preparedness as the body of Christ is so important.

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Who will make a commitment in the year 2022 to be in the presence of God every week in church?

Will we be ready when Jesus returns.

Keep yourself open to the miracle of His glorious return - WATCH AND WAIT and be READY -

Do not be like that wicked servant who says my master delays - and goes out and parties....

3. Persevere in the Plan

PERSEVERE CHURCH!!!

While we wait, it will not be easy, the times will grow harder still.

However, he who endures to the end....

Jesus said...

Think of these words written by the apostle Paul,

We know the Lord has a plan to come again --- the prophets foretold it, but more than that - Jesus promised it!!!

PERSEVERE IN THE PLAN

4. Expectations Will be Fulfilled

Jesus will RETURN - our HOPE will be fulfilled!!!

Just as the promise of Messiah to come the first time happened and fulfilled over one hundred prophesies

Remember the first week, we mentioned that for just a few of the prophecies to be fulfilled required a near mathematic improbability

1 in 10 to the 17th power - that is 17 zeros to fulfill 8 prophesies

Jesus fulfilled in His birth and life - 300 prophetic words!

Do not think the prophetic word to come again will not happen, and CHURCH - just look at our current circumstances - we may never see 2022 - but if we do - we need to make the most of it for Christ!

CONCLUSION

So, as we wrap us this last Sunday of 2021, let me remind you of HOPE!

Jesus FULFILLED HOPE the first time He came to earth, and He will fulfill HOPE again!!!

Hold Onto the Hope of His Second Coming and the Blessed Hope to be raptured, wait, even though the season seems dark

Open yourself up to receive the Miracle of His Return - prepare yourself in HIs presence and be ready to receive

Persevere in His plan for the church and endure doing His WILL until the end

Expect to have your expectations wildly exceeded

This is our HOPE in Christ!!!