And Will a Not Come Again

Prepare Or Not, Jesus Is Coming Back | The 'Second Coming'

Summary: "Wake up!" wrote the apostle Paul to slumbering believers (Romans 13:eleven). To Ephesian Christians he wrote: "Wake up, sleeper!" (Ephesians 5:14). To a dying church in Sardis, Jesus said, "Wake upwardly!" (Revelation 3:ii). My fellow believers in Jesus Christ, are y'all slumbering? spiritually drowsy? weighed downward and captured by the world? To paraphrase the old children's hibernate-and-seek saying, "Ready or Not, Jesus Is Coming Dorsum!" When is Jesus coming back? We don't know the precise time. And then my appeal to you lot today from Scripture is, in the words of Jesus Himself, "You also must exist ready" for the return of Christ (Matthew 24:44).

We students were excited to begin our bible college form on the Book of Revelation. Thoughts of the antichrist, the two witnesses, the Bride of Christ, the harlot church, the 2d Coming of Jesus Christ, the millennium, and many more cease-time topics were swirling effectually in our heads. Then our teacher spoke words that I've never forgotten: "More important than knowing all these things is to exist ready when they happen!"

Jesus is coming over again a 2nd fourth dimension (Hebrews ix:28). That much is sure. But the order of events at the end of the historic period is less certain and is the subject of varied opinions by theologians and bible teachers. Yes, it is certainly good to study these things. But as our instructor said in that first class on the Book of Revelation, information technology is more than important that nosotros live our lives and so as to be ready for these things. Whether or not they occur in our lifetimes, in all cases we will profit profoundly past living in a land of readiness.

two Thessalonians 1:7-10, KJV   And to you who are troubled balance with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the celebrity of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints …

Jesus the Son of God came to earth the first time about two,000 years ago. Hebrews 9:28 tells us that He will come over again, a second fourth dimension.

The campaigner Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (and to us) that Christ's second coming will have radically different consequences for two groups: (i) He will "be glorified in His saints" — those who have been saved through repentance from sin and organized religion in Jesus Christ — and (2) those who "know not God and…obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." The latter will face the Lord'southward "vengeance … in flaming burn."

So the ultimate, all-important readiness is being saved, existence born over again, by having deliberately come to the Savior Jesus Christ in religion and repentance. The bible speaks of a number of boosted, interesting scenarios of readiness. We would practice well to take them all seriously, in order to exist "ready" for whatever is coming while we are live on this earth. Allow'southward look now at some of them.

Matthew 25:1-iv, ten "At that time the kingdom of heaven will exist like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to run across the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did non take any oil with them. The wise ones, notwithstanding, took oil in jars along with their lamps… [10a] Simply while [the foolish virgins] were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet ."

This is bridal terminology and reminds us of the apostle Paul's words to believers: "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to i husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him" (2 Corinthians xi:2).

Commentators may disagree on the exact meaning of Matthew 25 above. But a key point is that Jesus wants a closeness with us that is well expressed in bridal symbolism. And the virgins' readiness for the Bridegroom'due south coming for the wedding feast was predicated on the virgins in the parable having an abundant supply of oil. In the Scriptures, oil is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit — for example, in 1 Samuel ten:1,half-dozen and 1 Samuel 16:13.

That strongly suggests to me that every Christian would be wise to seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit — both the new nativity by the Spirit and the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 19:7"Let united states of america rejoice and exist glad and give him glory! For the nuptials of the Lamb has come up, and his bride has fabricated herself ready ."

Hither is that bridal terminology again. The Bride of Christ has "made herself ready." Ultimately, all that nosotros receive from God is past His grace. But that does not remove from the states our obligation to apply that grace in our lives and to expend every endeavor to "brand ourselves ready" for presentation to our perfect, radiant Bridegroom Jesus. A passive laic is not likely to be a "gear up" believer.

Luke 21:34-36 "Be careful , or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life , and that day will close on you lot all of a sudden like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face up of the whole earth. Exist 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 up before the Son of Human being."

Jesus issued some stark warnings here about readiness, in anticipation of the end-time events that will culminate in His second coming. His counsel is to "be e'er on the picket, and pray." In other words, we must live in prayerful, watchful readiness for "all that is about to happen."

"Be careful!" said the Lord. Conscientious nearly what? About our hearts being weighed downwards with worldly things such as "carousing, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life." I grieve equally I see more than and more than Christians embracing booze and even posting their drinking escapades on Facebook. Jesus said, "Be conscientious!" But the mankind says, "I want to be free!" Well, the big danger is that, as Jesus said, their hearts will be weighed down. They may be "free" alright — free from the watchful, prayerful readiness that He exhorted u.s. to.

What was Jesus' solution? Sentinel always … pray … be conscientious. Don't appoint in any conduct that will damage your conscientious watchfulness and prayerfulness.

Luke 12:35-37, 40, 42-43"Exist dressed prepare for service and keep your lamps burning , like servants waiting for their master to render from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes … [40] You also must be ready , considering the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do non expect him … [42] Who so is the true-blue and wise managing director, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to requite them their food allowance at the proper time? It volition exist good for that retainer whom the master finds doing so when he returns ."

We are waiting for our Master Jesus to return. In the concurrently, as He commanded, "be dressed gear up for service." Again, the key is readiness. In Matthew 25 we saw the wise virgins ready and waiting for the Bridegroom with their lamps burning and an arable supply of (Holy Spirit) oil. Here we run into servants waiting for their Master. And here also we encounter some of the themes we have discussed above. Be ready … with lamps burning … waiting for their Master (not consumed by other things) … watching for His coming … feeding those the Master has put in our care … actively serving when He comes. That, Jesus says, is readiness.

This parable of Jesus makes it clear that in a "ready" Christian in that location is no place for either natural or spiritual laziness. Rather, he or she is ready for service.

1 Peter 3:15, GNT "…have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be set at all times to reply anyone who asks you to explicate the hope you have in yous."

This is a very important country of readiness: (1) Jesus Christ holds a very special, fundamental place in your heart; and every bit a consequence (ii) yous are "prepare always to requite an answer" (KJV) to those who see something in you that causes them to ask well-nigh your hopefulness, your optimism. And that answer, of course, is the hope that you lot have in Jesus Christ.

I call back an incident a little over twoscore years agone. I was an FAA air traffic controller. On a slow nighttime shift with thin air traffic, a young man controller came over to talk and asked me what was a skillful bible translation to read. I had always tried to live my life openly for Jesus before my coworkers. I picked upward immediately in the Spirit that his bible translation question was proceeding from a deeper question: how to come up into relationship with the Lord. So I shared the Gospel with him and told him how to get saved (every bit government employees on duty, we couldn't pray openly there). The side by side piece of work shift we had, he came over and told me happily how he had gone home, done what I said, and was joyfully saved! In fact, he said that, although I hadn't even mentioned physical healing, when he got saved the Lord besides healed a chronic pain that he had suffered from. I share this story to help you see that, if Jesus is e'er cardinal in your heart and life, yous won't always accept to exist the one opening the conversation. Sometimes, equally in this story, information technology will be someone who has seen the hope in you that asks how to receive that same hope. In sum, dear and serve Jesus and be set up to step up and answer others who see your hope and want that as well.

Matthew 24:44 "So you also must exist ready , because the Son of Man volition come up at an hour when you do non expect him."

Those to whom Jesus spoke this in person did not live on earth long plenty to see His second coming. That may be our experience also. Or possibly we will exist the blessed generation that lives to meet His return to earth. Whether that occurs or not, remember Jesus' warning for all the centuries of the Church building Age (to Peter, John, and the other first-century disciples, and besides to u.s.a. who live at this finish of the historic period) — " Y'all also must be ready ."

How tin I be set up? In brief, as nosotros accept seen, come to Jesus as Lord and Savior, being born again by His Spirit … seek the fullness of the Spirit in the baptism with the Holy Spirit … cultivate your love for Jesus equally a bride loves her husband … be watchful … be prayerful … be careful not to get weighed downwardly by worldliness … continue your lamps burning for Him … exist always ready for service, for ministry on the Lord'southward behalf … take good care of those He puts under your care … continue Jesus primal in your hearts and be always ready to share the hope yous accept with those who may ask well-nigh it.

Permit me in closing to repeat what that bible instructor said in the very starting time of his classes on the Volume of Revelation: "More important than knowing all these things is to be set up when they happen!" That is my hope and prayer for each of you reading this today.

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Check out our related sermon on The 2nd Coming/Rapture

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©2016, James H. Feeney.
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Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

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