Advent Pt. 5 Series

Introduction:

A Over the last four weeks we have taken an aerial view of the life and times of Jesus.

1 Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cross, and Mount of Ascension (Mt. of Olives.)

a We know He’s coming back (We don’t know hour, day; Matt.24.36)

b We are not totally in the dark either.

aa Hearing of wars & rumors of war (Matt 24.6)

bb Famines & earthquakes (Matt. 24.7)

cc These things are not the end, but are precursors of the second coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24.9; Contractions that occur before God births something new!)

2 Matt. 24.32-33; We may not know hour/day but we can be sensitive and in tune to the season of His return.

a Matt. 24 & 25 is what is known as the Olivet Discourse.

aa This Jesus’ major sermon preached on the Mount of Olives.

bb Apocalyptic in substance (Addresses the end of the age, destruction of Jerusalem, also His reappearing)

b These two chapters among the most debated, controversial passages in Scripture.

aa Some refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman General Titus in A.D. 70 (Temple destruction; City destroyed) while also pointing to parousia (Second Coming)

bb Parousia (Matt.24.3; 1 Thess. 2.19) is translated “coming.” Literally means “presence.”

cc Parousia refers to the prospect of the physical arrival of that person, especially the visit of a royal or official personage (VIP.)

c Ch. 24/25, are all about the events surrounding to the leading up to the end of the Temple/Jerusalem and the end of this present age (Matt. 24.3, 13, 14.)

B I believe it is important I do some teaching from the deeper end of the theological pool for a moment.

1 The rapture and the second coming of Christ are often confused.

a The rapture and second coming are similar but separate events.

b Both involve Jesus returning. Both are end-times events. DIFFERENT

c The rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God’’s wrath. The second coming is the return of Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end and to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire, and establish His millennial kingdom (Revelation 19:11-16).

aa The rapture (1 Thess. 4.13-18; 1 Cor. 15.50-54) is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth.

bb Two men will be walking down the road and one will be taken; Two women will be at the mall and one will be taken.

cc Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.

2 The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows: (Kelsee, this information would make a wonderful two column slide differentiating the distinctives between the rapture & second coming.)

a At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the

second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth (Revelation 19:14).

b The rapture occurs before the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9;

Revelation 3:10). The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation (Revelation chapters 6––19).

c The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9). The second coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matthew 24:40-41).

d The rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The second coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).

e The rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (Titus 2:13). The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6––18).

3 It is tragic (and will be disastrous catastrophic) that less is known about Jesus Second Coming than His first coming.

a You’ve heard dozens of sermons on the manger, no room in the inn, shepherds, wise men (Good, not a bad thing.)

b Knowing trivia about His first parousia/coming isn’t going to help you for the next event.

aa His first coming had been clearly and repeatedly predicted in the OT prophets but was not accepted even though He met their expectations (Born in Bethlehem, son of a virgin, in the line of David. Minister in Galilee of the Gentiles, operated in the miraculous power, never the less when “He came to His own, . . . those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).

bb Being ready for His Second Coming is more important than it was to be ready for the first advent.

cc Why? After the incarnation they still had opportunity to be saved as long as they were alive.