CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE GOD KIND #4
– JESUS THE SOON COMING KING
OPENING TEXT:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
• For the past month, we have been considering the Foursquare Gospel, and looking at Jesus the Saviour, Healer, Baptiser in the Holy Spirit, and today we come to Jesus the Soon Coming King.
OPENING: Why do kids love playing kings and queens? Rev. 1:6 – “He has made us kings”
I. THE NATURE OF JESUS – THE SOON COMING KING:
KEY TEXT:
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Heb. 9:27-28).
Jesus is the King who is returning soon!
II. A BIBLE STORY THAT ILLUSTRATES THIS TRUTH: The Kingdom of God
1. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY:
“In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” (Genesis 1:1).
• In the Apostle’s Creed, we declare that, “We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.”
• Before we can talk about Jesus as the Coming King, we must establish that God has been ruling and reigning as supreme King for all of eternity.
2. MAN’S DESIGNATED AUTHORITY:
“Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26).
• God delegated authority to mankind “on the earth.”
3. BEFORE THE FALL:
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31).
• God had placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (paradise/delights)
4. THE IMPACT OF THE FALL:
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ’You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ’You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ "Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:1-6).
• Note the temptation: “You will be like God.” You don’t have to have God as your King, you can rule your own life!
• The reality is, Adam and Eve lost their right to rule in the Earth, and handed it over to Satan.
• v.24: The impact of the fall: “So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”
• V.15: Thank God for the promise! God said to the serpent: “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
5. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM:
“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15).
• In the NT, there are 137 references to the Kingdom of God.
• QUOTE: “To what does the Kingdom refer? It refers to God’s sovereign rule in the universe – He is the King of the Heavens. But more specifically, here it refers to the entry of God’s long anticipated Anointed One – the prophesied Messiah, who would not only be the Saviour and King of Israel, but of all mankind… Declaring the Kingdom “at hand.” … John was announcing that the rule of God’s King was about to overthrow the power and rule of all evil.” (Jack Hayford, The Spirit-filled Life Bible).
• How do we enter the Kingdom? Repent (turn from sin) & believe (faith in Jesus).
• “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1:13).
• Discuss the Now-Not-yet aspect of the Kingdom
6. THE RETURN OF THE KING:
“But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die… When this happens when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die then at last the Scriptures will come true: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:51-57).
• What will happen when Jesus returns? The trumpet will sound, the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
• Jesus will ultimately triumph over sin and Satan:
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE LAST DAY?
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10-15).
• Those who are saved, who have surrendered their lives to King Jesus, whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, will be ushered into Heaven.
• Those who reject Jesus will be thrown into the lake of fire.
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:1-5).
III. ACTION STEPS FOR MONDAY:
“36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:36-44).
v.42 - watch;
v.44 - be ready
HOW CAN WE GET READY?
(1) Get saved!
(2) Get busy! (doing good works)
(Bibliography: Jack Hayford, The Spirit-filled Life Study Bible).
Chris Jordan is the lead pastor of Beausejour Community Church in Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada.
For more sermon outlines, and online audio sermons, go to www.beausejourchurch.ca.
