Could Jesus Be Coming Back Soon Series

Could Jesus Be Coming Soon?

Return of the King: Week 1

CCCAG 4-18-21

Scripture: Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 66; Zechariah 12; Luke 24; Revelation 11

I’m excited for today! We are talking about Jesus coming back!

Warning! We will be going through a ton of Scripture today- so open up your bible and be prepared to turn quickly. For your convenience, if you want to follow in your bible, I listed the major scriptures on the back of your bulletin.

First place we will look is Revelation, chapter 22.

Jesus speaks 3 times in this final chapter. In verse 7, He says…

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7

In verse 12, He says…

12 “Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work. Revelation 22:12

And in v. 20, it says…

20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Revelation 22:20a

In Matthew 24, Jesus says,

“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:27

– If you’ve ever seen lightning, you know it comes quickly. When Jesus comes back, He’s not going mess around. He’s going to come in a flash.

Prayer

Ever since Jesus ascended to heaven, people have been asking, “How soon until Jesus comes again?”

This has been an increasingly popular question among those in the church.

In the last several years, many people have been asking several questions,

1. Where is God?

2. What is God up to right now?

3. Are we living in what the Bible calls “The Last Days”? And…

4. If we are in the Last Days- what does that mean for me?

In this series, “The Return of the King, we will look to scriptures and find the answer to those questions.

Ever since I became a Christian I have heard over and over again that “Jesus would return soon,”

it was one of the ideas that kept me on the straight and narrow when I was a younger Christian.

Like many things in life as time went on that truth got pushed kind of to a back burner in my mind as I just lived life. Intellectually I knew this to be a fact, but it probably wasn't one that really motivated me or had any impact on how I lived.

This has been changing lately. World events have driven many of us back to scripture, and I now believe He may return very soon.

- I believe we are within shooting distance of the return of Christ. That fact alone makes this the most strategic time in all of history.

- I believe that over these next few months, and possibly years, you and I have a greater opportunity to influence the eternal destiny of more people than any previous generation before us.

- I also believe the opposite of that is true-

- I believe that our generation faces a greater temptation to fall away from our faith than any previous generation.

- This subject of the last days should not be one that fills us with fear, because perfect love casts out all fear. And God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, and love and sound judgment (2 Tim. 1:7).

So over these next six weeks, I want to do everything I can to prepare us to walk with Jesus and shine for Jesus and help others come to Jesus in the days leading up to His return.

Main Teaching

Let’s jump in with both feet-

If you are over 54 years old, in a few minutes I’m going to show you how the most significant day of your life happened on June 7, 1967.

And if you’re younger than that, I’ll help you understand why your most significant day was May 14, 2018.

Why these dates? Because significant things happened to the nation of Israel on those days, and what happens to Israel always influences the world.

Small CAVEAT:

As we begin, I want to make one thing clear. When a pastor stands behind a pulpit to speak, he or she has a solemn duty to proclaim the Word of God. No matter who is standing here with an open bible to proclaim God’s Word, it should always be done with reverence and with much fear of God.

In speaking from the pulpit I know that most people appropriately want to look at everything I say as prophetic or from God.

I, like you, am a student of God’s Word. Therefore I want to make it clear when I’m speaking to the return of Jesus, I am proclaiming what the bible says.