Is Christ Coming Soon? Series

The Second Coming

Is Christ Coming Soon?

James 5:7-9

A young lady had been invited out on a nice dinner date. She spent all afternoon getting ready, picking out the right dress and making sure her hair and make up were done just right. After all this was going to be her first date with this handsome man and she wanted to make a good first impression. The time came and went for her date to arrive so she assuming that she had been stood up took her hair down washed the make up off and changed out of the dress and heels to her favorite pajamas. While sitting on the couch in her pj's the door bell rang. When she answered the door on the other side was her date who was shocked at her appearance and the first thing out of his mouth was “I gave you an extra two hours to get ready and your still not ready to go.”

Isn't this the attitude of many in the church today. Its been two thousand years since he ascended into heaven and many people in the church have let their hair down, changed into their pj's and are no longer expecting him to come. Remember the survey we looked at last week 90% of pastors at a conference weren't even expecting the return of Christ

Last week we looked at why Christ Must Return. Not just return but must return bodily just like the disciples seen him go into heaven

-He must return to fulfill prophecy, to complete the plan of the church (the marriage supper of the lamb), and he must return to judge sin and Satan (if he didn't come back to judge sin he would be an unjust God)

This passage we read this morning.

-The book of James is one of the earliest books written in the New Testament. Written about 10 years after the resurrection. James was Jesus' brother and the message he gives to the church is one of the soon return of Christ. He writes in verse 8, “for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

The Apostles and the early church believed in the soon return of Christ.

1Jo 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

The writer of Hebrews wrote to the believers and said

Hbr 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hbr 10:37 For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;

The Apostle Paul writing about the coming of the Lord in the book of 1 Thessalonians said, “

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1Th 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

You have probably heard this verse before maybe even read over it several times but look closely at it this morning in verse 17

Paul says, “we” who are alive and so will “we” always be with the Lord

It is clear from this verse that Paul believed that Christ could come back in his time by saying we who are alive shall be caught up with them in the clouds

All throughout the writings of the Apostles we find consistency of the message. They all believed, taught and preached the doctrine of the “soon return of Christ”

Even in the hymns of the church that we still sting today that are 100 years old still cry out the same message.

-”Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away To a land where joy shall never end”

-”Jesus is coming to earth again- What if it were today? Coming in power and love to reign- What if it were today.”

-”Jesus may come today Glad Day Glad Day and I would see my Friend; Dangers and trouble would end it Jesus should come today. Glad Day Glad Day Is it crowing Day.

These are just lyrics I found three songs in our church hymnal . There are hundreds more that teach that say the same thing. The church has always believed throughout history that they lived in a day and age when Christ could return at any moment..

Because of this the church today should also be looking for the soon return of Christ. It is a doctrine that we should believe, preach, share with the world and live like we expect our Lord to return just any day now.