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Are we ready for Jesus second coming?
If Jesus returned today are you ready to face him?
What preparations you have to make to meet him?
What changes you have to make?
What sins you need to confess and repent of?
What secrets have to be exposed before his coming?
Are you ready to see him?
Every believer of Jesus no matter which church they goto is looking and waiting for the Lord to return. But there are big differences in the way most people believe in the details surrounding His "second coming". There are three views surrounding the second coming of Christ.
a. The "premillenial" view looks for Christ to come in order to establish a literal kingdom on the earth, over which He will reign for a 1000 years. [Millenial means relating to a millennium (a period of a thousand years)]
b. The "postmillenial" view understands that Christ will at some point begin a thousand year reign from heaven, at the end of which He will come to judge the world
c. The "amillenial" view believes that Christ has been reigning as "King of kings, and Lord of lords" ever since His ascension to heaven, and that His coming will be to raise the dead, judge the world, and usher in the "new heavens and new earth"
We believe in the "amillenial" view which we believe teaches most accurately what the Bible reveals about the "Second Coming" of our Lord.
Let us read Luke 21:25-36 about The Coming of the Son of Man
1. Redemption Is Drawing Near [Jesus Return is Certain]
Luke 21:25-28
25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
26 Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Jesus is describing the certainty of his second coming and the signs that would accompany it, He says that he will come in a cloud with power and great glory. We followers of Jesus are to stand up and lift our heads!!! [Act it out]…because our redemption is near!!! What an awesome description of Jesus second coming. Can we fathom with our mind how this event would be…..Are we prepared for his return?
Jesus is saying that there will total chaos and calamity around his second coming. Christ's appearing will be sudden, glorious, and with great power (Luke 21:27).
* There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.
* On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
* People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world,
* the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
All this will culminate in the dramatic, spectacular return of Jesus, coming with His church to this earth.
Matthew 24:29-31
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
* Matthew 24:29 informs us that the sun and moon will be darkened and the stars will fall . Heavenly bodies will be shaken.
* Matthew 24:30 states that "the sign of the Son of man" will appear in heaven.
* All the people of the earth will mourn when they see Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven.
* He will come with power and great glory.
* Jesus will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and their mission is to gather all the elect[chosen ones] from the entire universe!
* When Jesus Christ will appear, and every eye will see Him
Revelation 1:7
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.
* These awesome signs will bring terror to the lost people of the world, but hope to those who have trusted the Lord during the tribulation period (Rev. 7), for these believers know that the Lord's coming will be soon.
* Believers today look for the Savior, not signs.
* The angels promised that Jesus would return to earth in the same way He departed
9-11), and He will (Rev. 1:7).
Acts 1:9-11
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? 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."
* HE WILL COME WITHOUT WARNING..."...the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." - 1Th 5:2. "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes..." - 1 Th 5:3
1 Thessalonians 5:2-11
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 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.
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
* Of course, this unexpected coming of the Lord will not surprise the faithful, who seriously watch for the Lord's coming (cf. 1Th 5:4-11). With joyful anticipation, they await the personal return of their Savior.
2. My Words Will Never Pass Away
Luke 21:29-33
29 He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.
31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The fig tree is just one example of a tree that buds before summer just like all the trees that bud before summer. The idea is that when a fig tree buds, there is an inevitable result - summer is near, and fruit is coming. In the same way, when these signs are seen, the coming of Jesus in glory is near.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. Jesus is promising the absolute certainty that his words are true and that His second coming is for real. But we know there are those who ignore and even ridicule the doctrine of the return of Christ. They say the church has been waiting for the Lord for two thousand years, and He has not returned yet! So many reject Jesus and many even among the followers have taken a lukewarm approach to Jesus. They don't take Jesus seriously. They have compromised their commitment to Christ and have no real live faith in their lives.
Peter answered that accusation in 2 Peter 3.
2 Peter 3:8-13
8 But 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.
9 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.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. 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.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
12 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.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
He pointed out that God keeps His promises whether we believe them or not, and that God measures time differently from the way men measure it. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Furthermore, the reason He waits is so that unsaved sinners may repent, be saved, and be ready when Jesus comes. ""not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ""
While His delay is a trial to the church but it is an opportunity for the lost. So Church Jesus delay is an opportunity for us to reach out to the lost.
Jesus claims that His words are the very words of God - and they are. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away
We need to totally trust in Jesus promise, trust that God will keep His promises and that His Word will not fail. [To what "generation" does Luke 21:32 apply. Jesus was probably referring to the generation that would be alive on earth at the time all these things take place]
3. Be Careful, Watch And Pray
Luke 21:34-36
34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.
35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth.
36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Jesus gives two admonitions here.
His first admonition was "Be Careful!" and His second was "Watch and Pray!" (Luke 21:34-36).
Both admonitions apply to God's people in every age.
Be careful -
(CEV) Don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you
(ISV) "Constantly be on your guard so that your hearts will not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, or that day will take you by surprise
(NIrV) "Be careful. If you aren't, your hearts will be loaded down with wasteful living, drunkenness and the worries of life. Then the day the Son of Man returns will close on you like a trap. You will not be expecting it.
(TS2009) "And take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down by gluttony, and drunkenness, and worries of this life, and that day come on you suddenly.
These versions of the verse clearly tells us how are we to live these last days preparing for the second coming. This admonition carries a warning for us today, because it is so easy for us to "get weighted down" with the cares of this life and the temptations of the world and the flesh (see Luke 12:35-48). During difficult times, it is easy to give up and start living like the unsaved world, and believers during these last days will face that temptation.
"Watch!" does not mean to stand around looking for signs. It means, "Be awake! Be alert! Don't get caught unprepared!". They must "watch and pray" and resist the temptations around them, for they want to be ready when their Lord returns.
We all will be standing before the Lord at the judgment when He returns to earth to establish His kingdom . The sheep will enter into the kingdom, while the goats will be cast out. We today do not know when our Lord will return, but Jesus is preparing us and warning us to be faithful and to be ready. "I'm not looking for signs," said one missionary; "I'm listening for a sound." The sound of the trumpet! The shout of the archangel! "Amen, come, Lord Jesus!"
Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Conclusion
We learnt that the second coming of Jesus is a reality…we believers need to be prepared, be ready, be careful, watchful and prayerful.
We are to inspire and persuade those who are not followers of Jesus to follow him.
Let's not be lazy in our faith but be super alert and actively practice and share our faith.
Let's wait patiently for his coming and pray "Come Lord Jesus"
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