THE SECOND COMING
Acts 1:9-11
INTRO: There is no doctrine that has caused more confusion and disputes than the doctrine of the second coming. There are two extremes when we think about the end of time.
1. There are those date-setting fanatics. In the year 994AD a group said that this was the end of the 1000 years, and that Jesus has to come back in the next year. The year came and went, and Christ did not return. Williams Miller said, on March 22, 1843, that people were to put on their ascension robes and be ready for Christ’s return. March 22 passed, and Jesus did not come. There have been many men that have proclaimed that Jesus would come at a certain date. These people need to read Mark 13:32.
2. The Bible-ignoring fanatics. They don’t even talk about the Second Coming. They don’t even believe the Bible teaches his return. They don’t want to talk about it at all.
But the Bible says, even among those who believe in the Second Coming of Jesus, there are two factions.
1. Ultra-fundamentalists. They are always talking about the Second Coming. That’s all they want to talk about. These are the one’s who make intricate details of the Second Coming a test of fellowship. If you don’t believe the exact same thing that they believe, you are lost.
2. Incidentalists. They seldom or never talk about the Second Coming. Either extreme is wrong. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about Christ’s return.
I. THE CERTAINTY OF HIS COMING.
The certainty of his coming has been announced by the angels (Acts 1:8-11). The angel announced the first coming of Jesus, and the second coming as well.
It was acknowledged by the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:26). Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper we proclaim that Jesus is returning.
It is spoken of in the Scriptures. The phrase “SECOND COMING” does not appear as such in the Scripture. Justyn Martyr introduced the term. But there are many many Scriptures that tell us of his return. There are 318 references to the Second Coming in the N.T. alone.
Out of the 27 books in the N.T. only 4 books do not refer to Jesus’ return (Gal., Philemon, 2 John, 3 John). Even though there is no references in these books, their writers had referred to the Second Coming in every other book that they wrote. Every writer in the N.T. mentions the Second Coming.
Jesus himself affirmed his return (John 14:3). If there was not an-other verse in the Bible proclaiming his return, this would be sufficient.
II. THE CHALLENGES OF HIS RETURN.
In 2 Peter 3:14-18 there is a challenge to both the unsaved and he saved. If you are lost, the only hope for you is in Jesus.
If we as Christians really believed that Jesus Christ was going to come back today, most of the problems in our churches would be solved. If we really believed it, there would not be any more problems with discouragement, worldliness, division, indifference, etc.
1. To be peaceful. It literally means: to get along. To quit finding fault with each other.
2. To be mature without spot and blameless. Life clean honest lives (1 John 3:3—hope here refers to the second coming; Titus 2:12-13).
3. To be persevering. To keep on. There are people who are ready to give up today. There are people in our churches who want to rest. If we really believe that Jesus was returning we would not give up and rest.
4. To be progressive. You are to grow in your Christian life. Many are saved and never grow any more. If we really believed that Jesus was coming we would grow.
5. To be expectant. As far as I can tell, there are no unfulfilled signs that must be fulfilled before Jesus returns. Communist countries are now open to the gospel. There are many Christians in China, Russia, all over Eastern Europe and the world. The hardest place to preach the gospel is in the Bible Belt of the United States.
III. THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS COMING.
What will happen when Jesus returns?
1. Wonderful Consequences (the blessed hope). 1. Thes 4:16.
A. The resurrection of the dead in Christ. One of these days your dear loved one’s will be reunited with Christ.
B. The reunion of the living in Christ. We will be with the Lord forever. The cloud mentioned here could possibly mean a cloud of witnesses ascending to Jesus.
C. The reign of God on the earth. One of these days sin and evil will be conquered and Jesus will reign.
2. Woeful things that will happen.
A. There is no time for confession when he comes. That’s not the reason we ought to confess daily.
B. There is no time for conversion when he comes. The Bible talks about people who are trying to die and can’t die. Men will cry out to God, “Don’t come back, we are not ready.”
CONC: He said that he would come back. He will. Are you discouraged? He’s coming back. Are you about ready to give up? He’s coming back. He’s coming back. He said he would. Why stand gazing up into the Heaven? He’s coming back! He’s coming back!
