"I Don’t Want Jesus To Come Back!”

“I DON’T WANT JESUS TO COME BACK!”

Titus 2:13

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: THE BAD DAY

1. A trouble-making biker walked into an all-night café, walked up to the counter and grabbed a man’s coffee and gulped it down in one swig. "Well, whatcha gonna do about it?" he says, menacingly.

2. The man burst into tears. "Come on, man," the biker says, "I didn't think you'd CRY. I can’t stand to see a man crying."

3. The sad patron replied, "This is the worst day of my life. I was late to work and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. My wife left me a note she was done with our marriage and then my dog bit me."

4. "So I came to this cafe to “end it all.” I bought a coffee, dropped in the poison capsule and waited for it to dissolve. Then you show up and drink the whole thing down! But enough about me, how's your day going?"

5. LESSON? DON’T GRAB WHAT’S NOT YOURS!

B. ONLINE ARTICLES

1. As shocking as it may seem, some Christians don’t want the Lord to come back any time soon. All you have to do is google the subject and a list of articles will pop up like:

a. “What if I don’t want Christ to Return?” Phil Sena, July, 2017.

b. “True Confession: I Don't Want Jesus to Come Back,” Robb Ryerse, Jan. 17, 2013.

c. “The Second Coming: It’s Not Fair – I don’t want Jesus to come back.” Adventist Review, Oct. 15, 2014.

d. "I Want Jesus to Return, But Not Too Soon." Sept. 26, 2016, Debbie Werner.

2. This is worse than the scoffers Peter predicted (2 P. 3:3) who say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?”, because the scoffers aren’t the church, but unbelieving mockers.

3. What’s shocking about the confessions cited above is that they’re confessing Christians, yet they don’t want Jesus to come back again!

4. That wasn’t the attitude of the early Christians! Paul said, “…while we wait for the BLESSED HOPE—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” Titus 2:13.

C. THESIS

1. Jesus Christ is coming again, that is certain. The midnight call may be heard at any moment. And when that call takes place we will be going home. But sadly, some Christians aren’t thrilled about the imminence of His return.

2. We’re going to look at the 5 reasons Christians don’t want Jesus to come back, and then 5 reasons we SHOULD want Him to come quickly!

3. The title of this message is “I don’t Want Jesus To Come Back!”

I. THE 5 REASONS CHRISTIANS DON’T WANT JESUS TO COME BACK

A. THEY’RE TOO COMFORTABLE

1. Amos 6:1 “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion….” We Americans are blessed to live at a time and place where we have incredible luxuries and wealth. We’ve become too comfortable in our materialism. All of our toys make us happy.

2. So we’re not excited about going to heaven because this life is so pleasant; heaven can even sound like a boring place.

3. This is the same soft prison that almost caused Lot to be destroyed; “the angels urged Lot… “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the [angels] grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city…” Genesis 19:15-16.

4. May God help us not to be so deceived by life’s pleasures that we chose the temporal over the eternal! Peter pleads, “Beloved, I beg you, as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” 1 Pet. 2:11.

B. NOT READY TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT, UNPREPARED

1. Jesus told many stories/parables about people not being ready to stand before God at death or the rapture:

a. the five foolish virgins,

b. the rich man and Lazarus,

c. the disobedient steward (Matthew 24),

d. the judgment of the sheep and goats.

2. The Lord Jesus saw this as one of the greatest problems and warned us repeatedly, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” Mt. 24:44.

3. “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak….You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him….The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows” Lk. 12:38,40,47.