Christian Motivation in the Return of Christ

Intro: Yesterday was Christmas Day, and on Friday we came together as a congregation to celebrate together the birth of our Savior. Now I know some, maybe all of you are expecting a sermon on the birth of Jesus, but historically the Sunday after Christmas, in order to wrap up the Advent season a sermon will be preached on, not the birth of Christ - that is his 1st coming - but the Return of Christ - that is his 2nd coming. These two moments in time, one past And one future are deep linked in the Scriptures. So, as Mitch has taught us the past few weeks on how the past event of the birth of Christ effects our present, let us turn our eyes to the future event of Christ’s return and see our it effects our present.

CIT: The return of Christ motivates Christian salvation and mission.

Salvation - Revelation 22:12-16

Mission - Revelation 22:17

Salvation - Revelation 22:12-16

Jesus’s 1st coming was to secure salvation

Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the salvation of God’s people has been secured. Jesus even gives us his mission statement for his first coming here.

Luke 19:10 ESV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus’s 2nd coming is to complete our salvation

Now, in Christ’s 2nd coming he has promised that he will dwell with us and will destroy his, and therefore our, enemies - that is those who are still in rebellion against God.

Revelation 22:12 ESV

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

The return of Christ is a truth that we must believe in

Jesus gives two authoritative statements for why we should believe that he is in fact returning to dwell with his people and crush his enemies

Revelation 22:13 ESV

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 22:16 ESV

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

This reality should then motivate and compel you to salvation by faith alone in Christ alone

Christian Salvation Motivation

The reason why the return of Christ should motivate and compel us to salvation is that upon his return there are immediately two groups of people

Insiders - Revelation 22:14

Those who are inside the City of God are those who have placed their faith in Jesus and now have eternal life in dwelling with God

Outsiders - Revelation 22:15

Those who are outside the City of God are those who have not placed their faith in Jesus and now are under his punishing wrath for all eternity

What is this wall that separates the insiders and outsiders? How can do you enter through the gate?

The wall that separates those who have life and those who have death is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You can enter by having your robes washed. In sin we are covered in filth. We are covered in the mess of our sin and reek of the stench of death. But Christ Jesus has spilled his blood so that we may be washed clean through faith in him.

So, if you are here today and you have believed in this gospel you can be assured that you are in fact an insider. You can trust that upon Christ’s return you will be inside the City of God dwelling with him complete in your salvation.

But, if you are here today and have not truly believed in christ then I implore you today, recognize the reality of the return of Christ and wash away your sin by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone so that you may be inside the city of God thus escaping the just wrath of God.

Mission - Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the Bride are the ones who tell sinners to “Come” to Jesus to be saved.

The Spirit is the Holy Spirit. He is the one who makes the dead heart of a sinner alive so that they may “Come” to Jesus.

The Bride is the Church. It is us who goes forth with the message telling the nations to “Come” to Jesus.

Therefore, if we, who are insiders, are the ones telling the lost to “Come” the Return of Christ, just as it should motivate our personal salvation, should motivate our mission to the nations!

Let me use Scripture to illustrate this truth.

Matthew 24:14 ESV

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The simple truth in Matthew 24:14 is that before Christ returns the gospel will have been proclaimed to all people groups

What do we declare to them? A simple message of, “Come”

John here, in Revelation 22:17, plays off of Isaiah 55:1,6

Isaiah 55:1 ESV

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Do you see it! The last phrase in Isaiah 55:1 and the last phrase in Revelation 22:17 are the same!

Therefore, it does not matter who you are, where you are, or what your status is you can come to Jesus, and he who is the Living Water will satisfy you.

And we as Christians, the insiders are to go and declare this to the nations! But remember that there is a timetable to this.

Isaiah 55:6 ESV

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

And we must declare this message to the nations while the Lord may still be found. He can still be found and he can still be called upon.

Romans 10:13–14 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Let me share some statistics with you very quickly to help you see the desperate need for faithful Christians declaring the message of God.

IMB Statistics from North Africa and the Middle East

794 People Groups

739 Unreached People Groups

482 Unengaged Unreached People Groups

This should make our heart burn for the nations! The reality that Jesus is going to return should compel his bride to go out and say “COME! He can still be found you can still call on his name!”

Conclusion

Therefore, some of you here today must recognize that Jesus is returning not only to dwell with his people but also to crush his enemies. By trusting in the good news that Christ has paid for your sin on the cross is the way in which we can become an insider of the City of God.

Now, I tell the rest of you that this truth of the return of Christ should clearly compel you to go on mission.

So let us sing together, maybe some of you for the first time maybe some of you with a new passion to proclaim this, How Marvelous our King is.