Jesus Second Coming
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning everyone, it is so nice to see you hear today.
There is no greater joy for us as the children of God than to come and worship together.
I know I am encouraged when we are together and I am sure you are as well.
Now for the past several weeks we have looking at different topics related to our Lord Jesus. We have examined His pre-incarnate presence in the Old Testament. We have examined His nature as both fully God and fully man. We looked at the salvation he extends to mankind freely and then last week His resurrection.
Today we are going to address the second coming of Jesus.
The second coming of Jesus is one of the most anticipated events for the Christian. Jesus has instructed us (His church) to be expectant, to be ready and waiting for His return.
So today we will examine the topics associated with His second coming.
If you have your Bibles, I want to ask you to turn to Hebrews chapter 9, verse 28 and then I Thessalonians 4:13-18
So lets look at those passage this morning....
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
and then
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
;13-18
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The second coming of Jesus is absolutely a wonderful topic that we can be encouraged by as we live and grow in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. And with that in mind, we are going to look at several topics related to His soon coming return.
1. He promised He would return...
1. He promised He would return...
One truth we hang on to as a child of God is the truth that Jesus is coming back for His church, we who are born again believers.
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus taught His disciples there in the upper room as they were preparing to take the share a simple meal together, a mal that we would remember as the Lord’s supper.
But during this time, Jesus told them He was preparing to leave them referring to His upcoming death upon the cross. But He also told them that if He went away, He would return again.
Look with me at
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
This is one of my favorite passages my friends, Jesus is preparing to leave this world and His focus is upon them, those men who have followed Him. Jesus reassures them not to worry, not to be fearful.
Let not your hearts be troubled… The situation is going to be difficult, its going to be overwhelming, but hang on. Allow your faith to prevail. You believe in the Father, believe also in me. Trust in me, the command prevails here…trust.
Remember all that I have taught you, all that you know of me and trust!
And then Jesus reassures them there is hope that abounds, in my Father’s house there are many mansions..
Consider this, Jesus is getting ready to offer His life as an atonement for the sins of the world, but He assures those with Him, what is about to take place will prepare for their future, the eternal.
A place with much room, a place where all those who are in Christ can abide for ever and ever…
And Jesus promises them, if I go away to prepare this place, I will come again to receive you, that were I am you may be also...
22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
Jesus knows his disciples will not understand all that is about to happen, all that has been prophesied about but He reassures them that when He goes away He will come again to receive them unto himself.
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
They might be separated physically, but the Holy Spirit Himself would come and abide with us until that day, when Jesus returns to take His children home...
Jesus promised he would return....
And God doesn’t lie, you can take that to the bank my friends...
2. The Nature of His Coming…
2. The Nature of His Coming…
Now we know that Jesus having completed the work the Father had sent Jesus into the world to do… He will return a second time to save His church, literally to rescue us and take us home.
Remember what the writer of Hebrews says
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Jesus bore the sins of the world upon His own body, suffering as a sacrifice for sin. He did this to save us from our sin. But it goes beyond this… not only has he saved us, He has forever secured a home for us in heaven. He is coming again!
We as the church, are waiting for Him, and Hebrews says that we are eagerly waiting…
Are you desperate to see Jesus, are you in such a state that your prayer is even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. Or are you guilty of just living your life day after day with no consideration of Him and his kingdom.
Now, we know the Word of God tells us that Jesus is coming again.
But please understand that Jesus is coming twice… or we might say two phases of His return..
A. His Coming in the Air....
A. His Coming in the Air....
The first phase of Jesus second coming involves Jesus only coming in the air. So for reference is the passage from I Thessalonians. Lets go back to chapter 4
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
When you read this passage understand that the church at Thessalonica has been dealing with death, they have lost some brothers and sisters and they are struggling with death and the idea of the resurrection.
So the writer is teaching them and reminds them of some powerful truths along the way. So look at what Paul says in this passage...
1. He reminds them that the resurrection will take place, the proof is found in Jesus. Verse 14.. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, because of Jesus God will ensure that all those in Christ rise again as well.
Jesus resurrection ensures their resurrection and ours as well.
2. The dead will be the first to join Jesus in the air… The writer says that as Jesus comes forth to gather His church, verse 16 says the dead in Christ will rise first.
All those precious saints of God who are already asleep, I like that term better than death, because we are not truly dead, now you might disagree with me but the body has stopped, but that which is really us, we have left the body, we are home with the Lord.
Can you imagine with me, the trump of God sounds, this huge deafening thunderous horn and the Lord presence is seen as he descends and while in the air the graves, the ocean, the mountain tops… all the earth gives up the dead in Christ.
Their bodies are raised, they are instantly glorified, remember Paul says the mortal must put on immortality...
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
I Cor 15:55
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As the body is changed and then the soul of each person man is rejoined to their bodies as they make their way to Jesus, while Jesus is in the air. But having already left this world, some suffered while in this world. They will see and be with the Lord first.
and the soul of each person man is rejoined to their bodies as they make their way to Jesus, while Jesus is in the air. But having already left this world, some suffered while in this world. They will see and be with the Lord first.
3. Those who remain are changed… looking at verse 17 we see that those who remain, those who are still alive when the Lord makes His return will ascend next. We will be changed in an instant and will meet those who ascended first and the Lord in the air.
And I love what Paul says here… so we will be forever with the Lord.
When the Lord returns for this church, He ascends and is meet in the air, His does not yet touch the earth.
My friends Jesus is coming again and on that faithful day the Lord will gather His church and forever we will be with the Lord.
And listen to what Paul says… encourage one another with those words.
Each of us have those we love who have crossed over into the presence of the Lord. We miss them but we are incredibly thankful for Jesus, for we know where they are. to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
We are to encourage one another with those words… it should keep us looking up, it should keep us thankful for God’s good work in our lives. It should make us rejoice in the Holy Spirits presence in our life. And it should make us thankful that someone came and told us about Jesus.
Oh my friends, we must be people who are also willing to go, because God may desire to use us for His glory that someone else may give thanks and glorify God because of His love, His mercy, His forgiveness and His coming again for them one day.
Are you giving God thanks for His soon coming return?
Now there is just one last thought concerning the return of our Lord
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3. There will be a Victorious Return ...
3. There will be a Victorious Return ...
The second phase of the Lords return will include the church returning Him and on that day, He will return to the earth itself.
The Scriptures support this truth and we can see this from two passages in particular.
Remember last week we examined . Jesus has just given the Great Commission to His disciples, and while in their presence He is caught up in the air and taken up into the clouds.
Then two angels appeared and spoke to the disciples, you men of Galilee, why do you stand here gazing into the heavens, this same Jesus who was taken up into the clouds will return in like manner.
Jesus who left the earth will return to the earth...
And then if we jump over to the Old Testament book of Zechariah, we find this prophecy concerning Jesus, so says
4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.
The mount of Olives sits on a higher plain that the temple mount in Jerusalem, and there Jesus will return but this return will be powerful on that day. For he will be coming to establish His Kingdom and His 1000 year reign upon the earth.
says
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
and then also
13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
;13
Can you imagine this day, The Lord will return to the mount of Olives, the same way He left he will return but at this time the mount will split before his presence.
Be King Jesus is not alone my friends, the church, the bride of Christ is coming with Him. All of heaven will ascend upon the earth in power and His kingdom
will be established. And Jesus will sit on the throne of His father David.. He will reestablish the power of that throne around His kingdom.
is established he will sit on the throne of His father David.. He will reestablish the power of that throne around His kingdom.
Can you imagine this day, as His kingdom is established he will sit on the throne of His father David.. He will reestablish the power of that throne around His kingdom.
as His kingdom is established he will sit on the throne of His father David.. He will reestablish the power of that throne around His kingdom.
But then, those twelve apostles,those 12 men who sacrificed all, their lives and their wishes for the sake of the gospel. All of those 12 gave their lives and died a martyrs death except for John the beloved. They will sit on twelve thrones and will judge all of Israel. And we will be there with Him my friends, we will rule and reign with Jesus.
When Jesus comes my friends, please know that Jesus is coming as King Jesus and He will rule and reign here on earth for a 1000 years before all the enemies of the cross are placed under His feet and judged.
1 After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’ ” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’ ” 11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.
18 And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” 22 And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
He is the returning King!
11 Hasten and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
T Thess 3:13
Jesus is the Son of God, He is the Savior of the world, He is the resurrection and the life and He is a soon coming King!
Jesus told us He is coming again, and it will be when we least expect it.
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
So we need to be watching and praying for His return, it will be the most glorious day for our Savior, Jesus and for us his church!
Are you ready?
Are you watching and praying each day?
Are you seeking to tell other so they can be ready as well?
Do you have a need today?
Do you need a church home today?
Come today
The Nature of His coming… in the air first
Matthew
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.