The Significance Of Christ's Return Series

I invite you to join me next Sunday as we launch on a three week series, The Love of God. It’s my hope that you will not only see but feel how much God cares for you. So join me next week and invite an unchurched friend. And speaking of love….

In just four weeks, our church will celebrate LoveLoud (formerly known as Faith in Action). This is important Sunday in the life of our church where instead of normal five worships services (two locations, four in English, and one in Spanish), we have only one abbreviated service here. And as soon as we say “Amen” people move into dozens of already-defined groups to serve and love others throughout the mid-cites and North Fort Worth. Many of our SMBS groups are already working on ways they can share Christ’s love to those outside our walls. This is day when we can love on those who are hurting and need encouragement (e.g. single moms, people with potentially terminal illness, repairing neglected homes, etc.) And we want everyone to be invited and have an opportunity to be a part of this. LoveLoud is an opportunity where we as a church set aside time and money (some $7,000 of the monies you give) to bless others. So if you have a friend who has cancer, if you know of a single mom, we want to bless them. And we’ll go and do pretty much anywhere and do anything your group dreams up. You “own it” and we’ll resource it.

This is the fourth and last sermon in a series of messages on Jesus’ vision of the last days. We place a bow on this series where we’ve examined Jesus’ vision of the end times. As a Christian believer, we might wonder, “Is the end of time really that important to my life?” Does it really make a difference to how I live? You can’t live a recognizable Christian life without the return of Christ making an impact on you. The Second Coming of Christ is referred on average once in every 10 verses in the non-gospels portion of the New Testament, or the letter written to the churches starting with Acts. To put that in perspective, baptism and the Lord’s Supper is mentioned far less.

Here are five ways the end times are important and I’ll move fast through them in the interest of time.

1. When You’re Facing the End of Life

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) Sleep is a metaphor for death. The Bible promises that every gospel-believing, Christ-loving, Bible-living person will not stay dead. Instead, you will rise again. Because Christ arose, everyone of His children rise one day as well. Prophecy makes a difference when you’re facing the end of your life. Every child of God can say with Job: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25-27)

2. When You Ask “What’s God’s Will for My Life?”

Prophecy makes a difference when you’re trying to figure out what kind of person you should be: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…” (2 Peter 3:11) Peter boldly predicts that one day the earth itself is being stored up for a fiery destruction one day. After fire consumes the entire earth, Peter courageously predicts every one will judged and the ungodly will be destroyed. In light you knowing that this is coming, what kind of person should you be?

The Houston Chronicles reported that the FBI discovered a handwritten document in Arabic that inspired the 9/11 hijackers to act on the fateful day. The four-paged note promised they would go to paradise some twelve times if they would become martyrs. They were motivated by a vision of the future. Practical Point: The Bible doesn’t call on you to be suicide bombers because of your knowledge of the future. Instead, you are to live holy and godly lives.

3. When You Study a Foreign Language

We’re getting an inside look into heaven itself in Revelation 7:9: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” (Revelation 7:9) But here’s the phrase I want us to focus our eyes like a laser this morning – “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…” Where Revelation 7:9 says “from every nation” it says that heaven will be represented by people from every nation. When the Bible says “from all tribes,” it means people belonging to the same family lineage, related by blood. But God is going farther than having numerous families on heaven’s citizenship roles. Where the Bible says “peoples” it means the people of the same race. The church is international in ethnicity – not everyone will have the same color of skin. He’s also making sure people from all the spoken “languages” are there. God is working His plan through the sands of time to choose people from each and every nation… … each and every geographical location… … and each every political persuasion. Heaven will have the feel of the United Nations! Practical Point: We’re to share the gospel with people of every nation and language and skin color.