Bella Vista Church of Christ

09/22/2019 P.M.

OUR FINAL ENCOUNTER

Anticipating The Second Coming

John 14.1-4 Acts 1.9-11 1 Thessalonians 5.1-2 1 Corinthians 15.50-58

1 Thessalonians 4.16-17 2 Thessalonians 1.7-10 2 Peter 3.8-14

The Book of Revelation starts with these verses in chapter one… To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood… And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is,and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Ironically… The Book ends with almost the same statement… The same promise to the early church and to those of us who are studying the Book today…“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say,“Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come;and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

So… What is the next great event in your life and mine?...

• A new job… Or no job at all?...

• Birth of a new baby?…. Death of a loved one?...

• Marriage?…. Divorce?…

• Joy?… Sadness?…

• Smiles?... Or tears?

So…The question becomes… Are we ready for the next big event?

Let’s see what we can learn about this awesome event…

That We willall ENCOUNTER…

First…Scripture teaches us that Jesus is coming again.

Listen to these statistics…

• His Second Coming is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament.

• One out of every twenty-five NewTestament verses speaks of the lord’s return.

• His return is mentioned in every New Testament Book… With the exception of Galatians.

For instance... When Jesus was on earth... He promised to return...

Matthew 26.64... You will see the Son of Man... Coming on the clouds of heaven.

In John 14.3... And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

In Acts 1... Two angelic like beings dressed in white said... Why do you stand here gazing into the sky... This same Jesus who has been taken up from you will one day

come just as you have seen him go.

Titus 2... Describes the Christian life as a time when we renounce ungodly behavior… Worldly desires … And live self-controlled… Upright…Godly lives… While we wait for the blessed hope... The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 9.28... So...Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people... And he will appear a second time... Not to bear sin... But to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

James 5.7 & 8... Be patient then brothers... Be patient and stand firm... Because the Lord’s coming is near.

Listen… Not only is Jesus coming a major Bible Doctrine...

It was daily on the lips of the Early Church...

They constantly looked forward to His Coming.

The Jewish Church used the word... Maranatha.

Maranatha is one of those Aramaic words never translated in our King James Bibles.

It became a word of greeting among the early Jewish Christians.

Jews of old greeted one another with Shalom… PEACE!... Jewish Christians with Maranatha.

It’s a New Testament word… A word we ought to be using today… Found in First Corinthians 16.22 in our King James... Footnoted in the modern speech translations.

It means... Lord... Come quickly or Come O Lord.

Indeed His coming was on their lips every day.

The Gentile Church used another word Parousia.

Our word advent is the Latin translation of this word.

PAROUSIA speaks to us of...

• The imminent...

• Soon to be...

• For sure

Coming of Jesus.

PAROUSIA says... It’s gonna happen!... Jesus’ Second Coming is as sure as His first…It’s a guaranteed event... Have faith... Trust in God’s promise.

Our next Point asks the question…

When will He come… Everyone wants to know when.

It was a question on the lips of the early church... And still is a big question in our churches today... Perhaps it is a question in your mind.

What does the Bible say about when?... Listen to First Thessalonians 5.1-4... Now... Brothers… About times and dates we do not need to write to you... For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Does anybody know when a thief is coming?.. Of course not!

Again…Listen to Paul… While people are saying... Peace and safety... Destruction will come on them suddenly... As labor pains on a pregnant woman... And they will not escape. But you, brothers... Are not living in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

The New Testament tells us... We can know that Jesus is coming.

It’s a Parousia event... A for-sure event.

But...We do not and cannot know the exact time… But we’re at peace because we’re ready.

Strange isn’t it… That there are some modern religionists who think they can calculate that which the Lord could not!... Date setters have been notoriously wrong.

It is foolish to involve ourselves in such speculation... Because Jesus tells us in Mark chapter thirteen... Nobody knows... Except the Father.

Next…We consider the why of His Coming…

What’s the purpose of this final encounter?

The first WHY is… to change us… To give us immortality.

Listen to Paul from First Corinthians fifteen… I declare to you… Brothers… That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…Nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen…I tell you a mystery… We will not all sleep… But we will all be changed…In a flash… In the twinkling of an eye… At the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound… The dead will be raised imperishable…And we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable… And the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable… And the mortal with immortality… Then the saying that is written will come true…Death has been swallowed up in victory.

Paul is saying… Flesh and blood… This body… Cannot go to Heaven… Because it’s not made to live forever…

• So at His coming… When the dead body is raised… It will be imperishable… Immortal… These souls and this new body will be capable of living forever.

• And those who are still alive will be changed… Will take on immortality… In a flash… In the twinkling of an eye.

The second why is… To reward the faithful… And To Judge the wicked.

We learn this from Paul’s remarks to the church in Thessalonica…Beginning with First Thessalonians 4.14… We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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.

Now to Second Thessalonians chapter one…

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day He comes to be glorified in his holy people… This includes you… Because you believed our testimony concerning Jesus.

Paul plainly states that when Jesus comes… He’ll bring the souls of the saints with Him.

• These souls are the ones who have died in Christ…

• Those who are currently pictured in the Throne Room Scene of chapters 4 & 5 in the presence of God and of the Lamb

• These souls will be reunited with their dead bodies that will be raised first… Before we who remain are to be changed.

• They are the ones who have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb,.

Paul’s point is… Those who have died… In Christ… Will not be robbed of their reward…But will be raised first… Before we are caught up to meet them and Jesus.

It appears that some of Paul’s day were worried that… Because their family members were dying before Jesus came… They would be robbed of their eternal joy… Paul says… NOT SO!!

In fact… They will be raised first.

You see... The Book of Revelation teaches that the Second Coming of Jesus will be TIME terminus event… Where there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

Every individual should prepare for this phenomenal event...

• One of either thrilling reward... Enter into the joys of our Lord.

• Or indescribable terror... Depart from me… I never knew you.

Depending upon our relationship with God and His Son.

Another question worth our consideration is

Why is Jesus waiting?

Here’s the sad news… Peter tells us that some use His delay as a reason to promote their idea that Jesus is never coming.

Then he proceeds to tell us about this next great event… Do not forget this one thing… Dear friends… With the Lord a day is like a thousand years… And a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise… As some understand slowness. He is patient with you… Not wanting anyone to perish… But everyone to come to repentance.

Did you catch them… Two reasons why Jesus is waiting?...

One… His perspective on time is radically different than ours…

A day is like a thousand years… And a thousand years is like one day.

• We are like children… You tell them a trip in the car will take two days… And every few minutes they ask… Are we there yet?

• Or… We say… Your birthday is a month away… And each day they ask… Is it my birthday yet?

Indeed… God… Who is eternal… Sees time from a totally different perspective than do we.

Listen to me church… God has a sovereign plan and purpose for everything He does… for everything that happens.

Galatians 4.4-6 reads… When the time had fully come… Our King James says… In the fullness of time. When the time had fully come…God sent his Son… Born of a woman, born under law… To redeem those under law… That we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons… God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts… The Spirit who calls out… Abba Father.

God wanted to save we Gentiles… And give His spirit to all men…That we might see Him as an intimate Father God… And so… At just the right time… When circumstances were exactly right… Jesus came… Making God’s plan… His dream of redemption… Possible.

We may not think so now… But God’s timing for all things is perfectly perfect!

We may or may not ever discover the reason for His timing… But it is timed perfectly… To accomplish His eternal purpose.

The second reason God waits is His love for us… and his patienCE with us…

Not wanting anyone to perish… But everyone to come to repentance.

Can you get your mind around this… God loves… Me… You… One person out of seven billion on our planet… So much so that He delays the greatest event in human history for me and for you to be saved… Awesome!!...Awesome!!

We see this same patience in the time of Noah… When God waited a hundred-twenty years for them to repent.

Truth is… God has given us… You and your preacher… One more day… One more opportunity… To…

• Repent…

• Become his child…

• And allow His Spirit to rule and guide our life…. Awesome!

We end our lesson with this point…

The truth of His Coming should compel us to live righteously

Paul reminds us in Titus 2.12 & 13 that Genuine Christianity compels us to... Live... Self-controlled... Upright...Godly... Lives in this world... Awaiting our blessed hope... The appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Going back to Second Peter chapter three… Beginning with the verse numbered eleven… Since everything will be destroyed in this way… What kind of people ought we to be? We ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming….. So then… Dear friends…Since you are looking forward to this… Read it again!... Since you are looking forward to this… Make every effort to be found... spotless… Blameless… and at peace with him.

Church…Are we looking forward to this event?… Enough so that we change the way we are living… Keeping ourselves… Pure?… Godly?... and at peace with god?

You see…The early church... Anticipated...Wanted... Waited… PRAYED FOR... Jesus to return... They expected Him to return in their lifetime.

They were excited and enthusiastic about this promised final encounter... Which would bring three things…

• The resurrection and its promised immortality…

• It would bring the literal presence of Jesus… They would meet Him and God face-to-face.

• And the reward of heaven... With the words... Well done good and faithful servant.

Their anticipation of His coming impacted their lives daily...

• It changed how they lived...

• How they viewed and treated others…

• It arranged and rearranged their priorities…

• Determined their everyday life choices…

And!!...Listen to me church… This greeting was a daily reminder of their hope that one day Jesus would come again!

And this daily hope reminder worked to keep them walking in the light.

Some Sobering questions we might want to consider…

• Are we ready for His coming?... Today?... Tonight?…Right now?...

• Do we pray for and anticipate this next great event?...

• Do we want to be reminded daily of His coming?…

• Does the truth of His coming make a difference… Any difference… In my life and yours?... In the way we live daily?

• Are we ready?... Is God’s greatest event… Our greatest expectation?

It’s interesting to note that when Peter is given an opportunity to close his portion of Holy Scripture… He chooses to close by rehearsing the events of the Second Coming… The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

Tonight’s invitation is threefold…

1)… For those who are not children of God… You need to become one by… Faith…. A Changed Life… And A New Birth…

2)… If we have sins that we need to let go of… Let’s do it!!...

Let’s confess them to God and possibly to others.

Listen… I know some of you have sins that you need to confess to others… Because you’ve confessed them to me… Now why not do the right thing and confess them to others… Amen?

3)… We need to change our attitude toward this coming event…

Maintaining our readiness and an anticipation.

If this invitation speaks to you… Prepare to meet Jesus… As we stand and sing together.