Christ Our Coming King Series

Christ Our Coming King

(4FG-4)

I. Why Do I Need a Coming King?

A. An innate need for leadership

B. Weakness in our present leadership

II. What Is God’s Plan to Meet My Need?

A. Christ’s first Advent

B. Christ’s second Advent

III. How Do I Receive Christ as My Coming King?

A. Receive Him as Savior

B. Receive Him as Sanctifier

C. Receive Him as Healer

D. Receive Him as Coming King

1. Be ready

2. Be watching

3. Be faithful

4. Be diligent

Introduction

This morning I will deliver the final sermon in this Advent series. We have been looking at the different aspects of the ministry of Christ and how He has provided for the various needs that we face. It is a work that He began during His earthly ministry and one which He continues to fulfill in the life of every believer that is actively seeking for His blessed presence within.

We will be looking at the fourth part of A.B. Simpson’s Four-Fold Gospel: Christ our Coming King. It is this ministry of Jesus to which all of the previous ministries point. In Simpson’s own words, Christ our Coming King…

…is the glorious culmination of all other parts of the Gospel. We have spoken of the Gospel of SALVATION, but Peter says our salvation is “ready to be revealed in the last time”…. We have spoken of SANCTIFICATION, but John says: [“We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”] And we have spoken of DIVINE HEALING, but Paul says: [“God…has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come,”] and Divine healing is but the first-springing life of which the resurrection will be the full fruition.

It is, therefore, well that besides the Gospel for the present, we should understand, and live under the power of THE GOSPEL OF THE FUTURE and the blessed and purifying hope of Christ’s glorious coming (4FG, pp. 68-70).

I believe that Dr. Simpson’s evaluation of the importance of the doctrine of Christ our Coming King is right on target. It places the thrust of the whole Bible into its proper perspective. The Bible is God’s revelation of His plan for the redemption of His fallen creation. And the goal of that plan is to restore the created order back to its original intent and purpose. His plan is to have us regain what was lost when sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden—namely, innocence, order and fellowship with God. Christ our Coming King is the apex of God’s plan of redemption.

Why Do I Need a Coming King?

You may be wondering, “Why I do I need a Coming King? My need for a Savior, a Sanctifier and a Healer were pretty obvious, but I don’t really sense of great yearning for a Coming King.”

I believe that the main reason we may not have a burning desire for a Coming King is because of the association we make with our current rulers and leaders. We see corruption and greed, injustice and suspicion, lack of integrity and broken promises on all levels of government and in every country of the world, and we tend to want to steer as far away from that as possible. Our concepts of leadership have been tainted by our experience, so we’re not especially fond of the idea of a Coming King. But in our very aversion to a Coming King we display our need for a Coming King. This is demonstrated in the following ways:

An Innate Need for Leadership

We have built within us an innate need for leadership. We need structure in our lives. We need societal boundaries within which to live. We recognize that we cannot just allow each individual to pursue his/her own happiness with no regard for the well being of others. We must have law and order established if we are going to coexist with one another. The existence of laws, by definition, requires that they be enforced if they are to hold any value. Law enforcement necessitates individuals to hold such positions. Ultimately, our very survival demands that leaders be developed and obeyed.

Weakness in Our Present Leadership

We acknowledge the universal need for leaders in the fact that every culture and society has established some form of government. But it also seems to be a universal truth that every form of government experiences and expresses deficiencies in one way or another. As I mentioned earlier, the examples of failures in our present leadership abound. We know that something is wrong and we long for things to be set right. I know I’m making a generalization, but every time we present a new candidate for a position in government, we are admitting the weakness in the former. We are demonstrating our displeasure with the manner in which our society is being led and we are seeking to find another who will fulfill our desires.