Reason's Jesus Must Return
Scripture Reference: Revelation 1:7-8
Preached at Mount Zion Baptist Church on September 29, 2019
Delivered by Rev. John Daniel Johnson
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Introduction—
June 2, 1995, will forever remain a day that will remembered in military history. This event inspired the movie, “Behind Enemy Lines.” On this date, a United States Air Force pilot, Captain Scott O-Grady, as flying an F-16 fighter jet and was shot down over Bosnia. Being shot down wasn’t the only bad part. He was able to parachute out of the jet before it broke into piece, but landed far behind enemy lines. The Serbians saw him parachute down, and they were on a manhunt to capture and kill him. For 6 days, Captain O-Grady lived within only inches of the enemy. He was hid under bushes, covered himself in mud, ate bugs for food, and drank water he was able to collect from a sponge. Enemy soldiers constantly passed within only inches of him, but they were unable to find him.
As Captain O’Grady lay behind enemy lines, what he didn’t know, was that the United States military began preparations for a rescue mission. Numerous U.S. Marines, along with over a dozen aircrafts and satellites were dispatch to rescue him this one fallen comrade. On the 7th day, they found him and were able to rescue him. After returning he said the only thing that kept Him alive was His faith in God and his family. After the military, he obtains his masters degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and became a Christian speaker.
For six day, he lay in enemy territory constantly wondering when or if his rescue was coming. Even though it looked bleak that his rescuers may never come, he held to the faith. I was his faith that got him through. Today, we are Captain O-Grady’s shoes. Our society has been kidnapped by the enemy who wants to destroy us. We are in a sense, behind enemy lines. I believe that we are living in the End Days and in the enemy’s camp. Many have wondered if God’s promises are true. Promises that He would return and rescue us. Believers, I want to tell you to keep the faith. The Army of God is making preparations even now to rescue us. We may not see it; we may not notice it; but the Heavenly Army of God is coming with Jesus leading the charge.
Transitional Sentence—
If there is one thing that I can encourage you with today is this: Stay Strong in the Faith, Because the Army of the LORD is on the way!
Read Scripture—
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:7-8)
This is one of the greatest promises of the Bible. One day, every eye will see Jesus. Some scholars have taken this verse and believed it to be spiritual. They don’t believe that Christ is going to return literally to the Earth, or if He was going to return He returned in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was destroyed. However, this is not what the Bible literally says. Scripture plainly states that “every eye…even those who pierced Him (Jews)” will see Him. The world will mourn when they see Him because once He appears, the war is on. The enemy will be destroyed. God’s children will be rescued, and He’s coming to take us home. Verse 8 again states, “who is and who was and who is to come.” Believers hold fast to this in faith, the LORD is going to come. Our Rescuer will come. Our ‘blessed hope’ will save us from this wicked world.
This morning I want to declare to you some Promises of God. I can promise you something today.
1. The first promise, I can make is that Jesus is coming again. I can make this promise, not only because of my faith, but because His Word tells me so. In John 14, Jesus Himself declares…
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
2. The Second Promise I can made to you today is that Jesus is not coming back alone. Jesus is bringing an Army. He’s going to have an army behind Him. Jude, the brother of Jesus declare this prophecy from Enoch…
“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (Jude 14-15)
3. The Third Promise I can made is that if we remain faithful to Him, He’ll protect us from the war that is to come.
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” (Revelation 3:10-11)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
4. The Fourth Promise and Reason He Will Return is Because He will reward those that eagerly wait His Appearing.
“Wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” (2 Peter 3:11-12)
5. A fifth reason Jesus must return and a promise I can make is that Jesus will destroy His enemies.
6. A last promise I can make to you is this: Jesus will come back quickly. No man knows the hour, so why not believe in Him today.
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