What If Jesus Came Tonight?

WHAT IF JESUS CAME TONIGHT?

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A department store manager noticed a young boy staring intently at the handrail of an escalator. The manager walk over to him and asked, “Son, are you all right?” The boy nodded yes without looking up. “Can I help you?” he asked. The boy shook his head no and continued to look at the handrail. “Well, young man, do you want me to explain to you how escalators work?” The young man replied, “No, Mister. I’m just waiting for my bubblegum to come back!”

2. Although I appreciate the funny story, there is something I admire about the little boy – His diligence in watching.

3. We have something vastly more important to watch for: people’s souls and their eternal destinies. But are we doing a good enough job of that?

B. OUR FRIGHTENING INDIFFERENCE

1. The apostle Peter declared people would get tired of hearing the message of our Savior’s return. He said, “I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is he? He’ll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation’ ” (2 Peter 3:3-4, Living Bible).

2. Once the Scottish preacher, McCheney, was in a train car with a group of intellectuals who thought themselves too elevated to read or be concerned about the Bible. McCheney asked them, “Do you think Christ will come tonight?” One after another they said, “I think not.” When all had given this answer he solemnly repeated this text, “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you think not” (Luke 12:40).

I. CERTAINTY OF HIS COMING

A. COMING INSPITE OF OUR UNBELIEF

1. “Ho Hum, Jesus is Coming Soon. How long have we been hearing people talk about that? BEWARE!

2. Many Ancient events were prophesied, but not believed; yet they occurred exactly as God said.

3. Examples:

a. Flood of Noah. Noah preached for 80-120 years, but people didn’t believe it and paid for their unbelief by drowning in the floodwaters.

b. Sodom and Gomorrah. Undoubtedly they were warned by God. Yet they persisted in unbelief and were destroyed.

c. Captivity of the Jews. God through His prophets warned the Jews that if they didn’t repent, they would be carried away into captivity. They didn’t believe it, but it happened just as God had said.

B. JESUS SAID HE WAS COMING BACK

1. Early in His Ministry (Luke 4:18), Jesus told Jewish leaders that He had come to heal the sick. They didn’t believe He could, but He healed the people anyway.

2. Jesus told them He could drive out demons. They didn’t believe He could, but He did it anyway.

3. Jesus told them He would rise from the Dead. They didn’t believe He would, but He did.

4. This same Jesus told us, “I am coming back.” Some don’t think He will, but they’re wrong.

HE’S COMING BACK & ALL THE POWERS OF HEAVEN OR HELL, OR ALL THE ARMIES, OR NUCLEAR MISSILES CAN’T STOP HIM!

5. All the powers of Caesar and Satan couldn’t keep Him in the grave.

a. His body was wrapped in grave clothes

b. A heavy stone was rolled against the tomb’s mouth,

c. Soldiers were posted outside the tomb to guard it,

d. The door was sealed so it couldn’t be opened….

BUT NOT HELL, NOR DEMON FORCES, NOR ROMAN LEGIONS COULD STOP THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS! HE’S ALIVE & REIGNING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD!

6. Jesus said, “I will come again.” John 14:3. 6X in the Book of Revelation He said, “I am coming quickly!” Rev. 2:5; 2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20. Are you ready?

II. BENEFITS OF CHRIST’S RETURN (4X)

A. YOU WILL SEE JESUS FACE-TO-FACE

1. The Bible says, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven” 1 Thess. 4:16.

2. Imagine the joy of seeing Jesus in person – the ecstasy of seeing His loving face and be holding His glory!

B. YOU & I WILL BE CHANGED

1. “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise incorruptible, and we shall be changed” 1 Cor. 15:51-52.

2. Imagine your new supernatural body – with new strength, new shape, new teeth (remember, we’re going to eat at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb), new hair, etc. Revelation 21 says He will “wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (v. 4).