End Times Series
Connecting with God
Connecting with our Faith
Jesus IS Coming! R U Ready?
October 9, 2011
Victory
Pastor Mark Whitehead
Know: Jesus IS coming back – sooner than you expect!
Do: Stop living for this world’s rewards - Start living for eternity’s rewards.
Question to answer today: Are you ready?
More than three hundred times – an average of one verse in every twenty-six – the new testament refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. (Bible Doctrines, Menzies/Horton, pg213)
A serious topic that demands a serious response.
Many different views of the end time scriptures by denominations and believers – but still all agree, there is an end coming to this present world, a change that moves us from the mortal to the immortal – are you ready?
Text: Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
1 Cor 15:51-52
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Thess 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
• Caught up
o Harpazo
o Har – pad – zo
• Latin – Rapture
• Meet the Lord
o Friendly meeting
o Reunion!
• Encourage/Comfort (KJV)
o NT:3870
o parakaleo (par-ak-al-eh'-o); from NT:3844 and NT:2564; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation):
Matt 24:37-44
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
AG fundamental truths 13-16 deal with the “End Times” theology.
• 13. The Blessed Hope
• 14. The Millennial Reign of Christ
• 15. The Final Judgment
• 16. The New Heavens and New Earth
Today we are going to look at number 13 – the Blessed Hope.
13. Blessed Hope 1 Cor 15:51-52; 1 Thess 4:16,17
Rapture of the Saints
Second Coming is a two-phase event, encompasses both the rapture of the Church and the revealing of Christ in glory (2 Thess 1:7 revealed with blazing fire) when He will stand on the Mt of Olives (Zech 14:4). It marks the beginning and end of the seven year tribulation.
The beginning - Christ appears in the clouds and raptures His Church
The end – Christ and His Army land on earth to destroy the enemy and his army.
Zech 14:4-9
4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
6 On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime — a day known to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be light.
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.
9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
Beginning of 7 year tribulation
• We believe the rapture will take place before the tribulation.
1 Thess 5:9-11
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
• Following the rapture will be a time of terrible tribulation predicted even from Old Testament days.
o Daniel speaks of trouble such as never existed before (Dan 12:1)
o Matt 24:21-29 describes a time of “great tribulation”
o Rev 3:10 refers to it as “the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”
o Jeremiah speaks of an impending “time of trouble for Jacob” (Jer 30:4-7)
o Isaiah and Zechariah speak of a time of God’s indignation with the inhabitants of earth (Is 24:17-21; Zech 14:1-3)
ANTICHRIST
• The earthly leader of the Great Tribulation, Christ’s archenemy is called Antichrist.
• He will call himself the real Christ.
• It is probable that the beast referred to in Rev 13 is another name for Antichrist.
• During his reign, all humans on earth will be required to take his mark to buy or sell (Rev 13:16-17)
Ends in a terrible war – referred to as Battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:11-21).
What happens to the Church during this seven year period?
• Judgment – Reward
Rom 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…
• Marriage Feast (Rev 19: 1-10)
14. Millennial Reign of Christ (Matt 24: 27, 30; Rev 20:1-6)
15. Final Judgment (Rev 20:11-14)
16. New Heaven and New Earth (2 Pet 3:13, Rev 21, 22)
Jesus IS Coming! R U Ready?
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…
We shall be Changed
We shall be caught up to meet Him!
It time to say (titus 2:12)
…"No" to ungodliness and worldly passions,
…and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
…while we wait for the blessed hope
…be eager to do what is good…
(WE/Vision)
As we wind this down …
We need to Know: Jesus IS coming back – sooner than you expect!
What we need to Do: Stop living for this world’s rewards - Start living for eternity’s rewards.
Question to answer; Are You Ready?
