The Return Of The Lord
- INTRODUCTION:
- SCRIPTURE READING:
I Thess. 4:13 5:3 = "But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these
words. [5:1-3] But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have
no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that
the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when
they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape."
- THE DICUSSION OF "THE LORD'S RETURN" WILL BE IN SEEKING
THE ANSWERS TO FOUR QUESTIONS:
- When will He come?
- Where will He come from?
- To whom will He come?
- Why will He come?
- DISCUSSION:
- WHEN WILL HE COME?
- At the end of the Christian age.
- Jesus ascended at the beginning of the Christian age.
- Jesus will descend at the close of the Christian age.
1 Cor 15:23-24 = "But every man in his own order: Christ
the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have
put down all rule and all authority and power."
- At the harvest of the world when the world is ripe:
- The wicked will be ripe for destruction.
- The righteous will be ripe for salvation.
Rev 14:14-16 = "And I looked, and behold a white cloud,
and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having
on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a
loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle,
and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the
harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud
thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."
- At a time that will be unannounced.
- The Lord will not give a prior notice of the exact time
of His coming.
- The responsibility of always being prepared is in our
hands.
Matt 25:13 = "Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
- WHERE WILL HE COME FROM?
Comment: His coming will not be again by way of birth or the cross
-- but it will be suddenly and swiftly from heaven.
- It will be with a heavenly sign -- "with the clouds".
Acts 1:9-11 = "And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of
their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven
as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Rev 1:7 = "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye
shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds
of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
- It will be with heavenly power.
- At His first coming He seemed so powerless -- a babe
in swaddling clothes.
- At His last coming He shall appear with power to execute
without delay the will of His Father.
Mark 13:26-27 = "And then shall they see the Son of
man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And
then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of
the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."
- It will be with heavenly glory -- "in his glory"
-- He will not come in a body of flesh and blood, but a glorified
one.
Matt 25:31 = "When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory:"
- It will be heavenly attendants to assist Him -- "all
the holy angels with him".
Matt 25:31 = "When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory:"
- TO WHOM WILL HE COME?
- To the wicked, striking terror into their hearts.
Rev 1:7 = "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye
shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds
of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
Rev 6:15-17 = "And the kings of the earth, and the great
men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty
men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in
the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of
him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able
to stand?"
- To the mockers putting to silence their mockery.
2 Peter 3:4 = "And saying, Where is the promise of his
coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue
as they were from the beginning of the creation."
1 Thess 5:1-3 = "But of the times and the seasons, brethren,
ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they
shall not escape."
- To the indifferent bringing upon them everlasting shame.
Luke 17:26-30 = "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall
it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they
drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until
the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and
destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;
they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted,
they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it
rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
- To the righteous with hands uplifted in infinite mercy.
Luke 24:50-51 = "And he led them out as far as to Bethany,
and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to
pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried
up into heaven."
Acts 1:11 = "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go into heaven."
- WHY WILL HE COME?
- To arouse the dead.
1 Cor 15:52 = "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
- To separate the righteous from the unrighteous (wicked).
- The separation will be like a fisherman separates the
good fish from the bad. Note: Both have been caught in the
net, but all are not keep able -- This would be those that
think they are all right within the church.
Matt 13:47-49 = "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of
every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore,
and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast
the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the
angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among
the just,"
- It will be like a shepherd who separates His sheep from
the goats. Note: This would have reference to the general
separation of man kind.
Matt 25:31-33 = "When the Son of man shall come in
his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall
he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall
be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but
the goats on the left."
- To assign unto each individual his everlasting portion in
eternity.
Matt 25:46 = "And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Rev 22:12 = "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward
is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
- CONCLUSION:
- WILL WE BE READY?
- DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY HE IS COMING?
- YOU CAN PREPARE AND KNOW WHAT YOUR PORTION IN ETERNITY WILL BE
-- WHY NOT KNOW?
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