- [Narrator] The Bible foretold the time
when cynics would mock the very idea of Christ's return.
2 Peter 3:3-4, "Above all.
You must understand that in the last day, scoffers will come
scoffing and following their own evil desires,
they will say, where is this coming he promised?
Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on
as it has since the beginning of creation."
But scripture is neither vague nor equivocal
in terms of the promise of the return of Christ,
a substantial proportion by some accounts,
as much as one fifth of scripture is prophetic
and conceivably a third or more of the prophetic passages
refer to the second coming of Christ
or events related to it.
It is a central theme of both the Old Testament
and New Testament prophecy.
And regardless of what the scoffers say, Jesus is coming.
World history is barreling toward a conclusion
and the conclusion has already been ordained by God
and foretold in scripture.
God is not slack concerning his promise.
Christ will return.
One ironic thing is that we live in a time
when even the scoffers are in a state
of rather fearful expectation.
The terrifying potential of global disruption
exists on several levels.
Even the most vehement secularists must acknowledge
the very potential that the world as we know it
could end at any time, through thermal nuclear war,
a nuclear disaster, a potential crisis,
various ecological disasters.
In fact, most people recognize that
this world can not exist forever.
And we face constant reminders of this
for nearly the entire 20th century
into endless string of books, articles, scientific studies,
and even Hollywood productions
have attacked the public consciousness
and warned us that if we do not collectively
change the way we live, together with our little planet,
we will go out of existence.
However, the way they perceive the ending
is different from what the Bible tells us,
how will it end?
Can we know?
Yes, we can.
The Bible gives a very plain direct answer,
the world as we know it will end with the return of Christ.
The history of the world will climax in his literal
bodily returned to the earth.
This is as certain as any truth in scripture,
there is a reason from the Bible by which we know
that Christ is coming again,
and that is the teaching of Christ demands it.
Christ's own words also make it clear that he will return.
His earthly teaching was filled
with references to a second coming.
Many of his parables spoke of it.
In fact, the gospels include entire chapters
dealing with events related to the second coming.
For example, Matthew 24 to Matthew 25 and Luke 21,
on the night of his betrayal, Christ told the disciples,
John 14:2-3, "My father's house has many rooms,
if that were not so, would I have told you
that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me.
That you also may be where I am."
Not only is the credibility of God at stake
in the second coming, but so is the credibility of his son.
If Jesus doesn't return, he's a liar,
but his own words are divine guarantee that he will be back.
Romans 3:4-6, "Not at all,
let God be true in every human being be a liar,
as it is written, so that you may be proved right
when you speak and prevail when you judge.
But if our unrighteousness
brings out God's righteousness more clearly,
what shall we say?
That God is unjust in bringing wrath on us?
I am using a human argument.
Certainly not,
if that were so how could God judge the world."
In the midst of a trial for his life
Christ asserted his own deity
by making a triumphant announcement of the second coming
in the most absolute terms, he said to the high priest,
Mark 14:62, "I am said, Jesus.
And you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand
of the mighty one and coming on the clouds of heaven."
And the short time before that,
as Christ had revealed the Panorama of coming events
to as apostles on the Mount of Olives, he told them,
Matthew 24:27 "For as lightening that comes from the east
is visible even in the west.
So we'll be the coming of the son of man."
He added this vivid description,
Matthew 24:30-31, "Then will appear the sign
of the son of man in heaven.
And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn
when they see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory.
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call
and they will gather his elect from the four winds
from one end of the heavens to the other."
Various of the parables Christ told
to illustrate his kingdom,
emphasize the truth of the second coming.
He did this in Luke 19:11,
"While they were listening to this,
he went on to tell them a parable
because he was near Jerusalem.
And the people thought that the kingdom of God
was going to appear at once."
So he emphasized regularly that the aspect of his kingdom
and operation since his first coming
until now is spiritual and invisible.
Whereas the visible earthly aspect of his kingdom
pertaining to his second coming, Luke 17:20-21,
"Once on being asked by the Pharisees,
when the kingdom of God would come,
Jesus replied, the coming of the kingdom of God
is not something that can be observed,
nor will people say, here it is or there it is,
because the kingdom of God is in your midst."
As a result, his parables frequently depicted a ruler
who after going to a distant land returns to rule in person
the tale in Luke 19:12-27 depicts a specific situation.
He said, "A man of noble birth went to a distant country
to have himself appointed king and then to return.
So he called 10 of his servants and gave them 10 minus,
put this money to work, he said until I come back,
but his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him
to say, we don't want this man to be our king.
He was made king however, and returned home.
Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money
in order to find out what they had gained with it.
The first one came and said,
sir, your mina has earned 10 more.
Well done my good servant, his master replied
Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter
take charge of 10 cities.
The second came and said,
Sir your mina has earned five more.
His master answered, you take charge of five cities.
Then another servant came and said, sir here is your mina.
I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.
I was afraid of you because you are a hard man.
You take out what you did not put in
and reap what you did not sow, his master replied,
I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant.
You knew did you, that I am a hard man
taking out what I did not put in
and reaping what I did not sow,
why then didn't you put my money on deposit
so that when I came back,
I could have collected it with interest.
Then he said to those standing by
Take his mina away from him
and give it to the one who has 10 minas,
sir, they said he already has 10.
He replied, I tell you that to everyone who has
more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing,
even what they have will be taken away.
But those enemies of mine who did not want me
to be king over them,
bring them here and kill them in front of me."
Similarly, the Parable Of The Two Servants,
Matthew 24:45-51,
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant,
whom the master has put in charge of the servants
in his household to give them their food at the proper time,
it will be good for the servant
whose master finds him doing so when he returns,
truly, I tell you,
he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself,
my master is staying away a long time.
And then he begins to beat his fellow servants
and to eat and drink with drunkards.
The master of that servant will come on a day
when he does not expect him and that in hour,
he is not aware of.
He will cut him to pieces
and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
The Parable of the 10 Virgins
and the Parable of the Talents
is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible.
Matthew 25:1-13, "At that time,
the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones took their lamps,
but did not take any oil with them.
The wise ones, however, took oil in jars,
along with their lamps.
The bridegroom was a long time and coming
and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, the cry rang out.
Here's the bridegroom come out to meet him.
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish one said to the wise, give us some of your oil,
our lamps are going out.
No, they replied,
there may not be enough for both of us and you,
instead go to those who sell oil
and buy some for yourselves.
But while they were on their way to buy the oil,
the bridegroom arrived.
The virgins who were ready,
went in with the wedding banquet and the door was shut,
later the others also came,
Lord, Lord, they said, open the door for us,
but he replied truly I tell you, I don't know you,
therefore keep watch
because you do not know the day or the hour."
Matthew 25:14-30,
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey
who called his servants and entrusted wealth to them,
to one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags,
and to another one bag each according to his ability,
then he went on his journey.
The man who had received five bags of gold,
went at once and put his money to work
and gained five more bags.
So also the one with two bags of gold gained two more.
But the man who had received one bag, went off,
dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
After a long time, the master of those servants returned
and settled the accounts with them.
The man who had received five bags of gold,
brought the other five, master, he said,
you entrusted me with five bags of gold,
see I have gained five more.
His master replied well done good and faithful servant.
You have been faithful with a few things.
I will put you in charge of many things,
come and share your master's happiness.
The man with two bags of gold also came, master he said,
you entrusted me with two bags of gold.
See I have gained two more.
His master replied well done good and faithful servant.
You have been faithful with a few things.
I will put you in charge of many things,
come and share your master's happiness.
Then the man who had received one bag of gold came,
master, he said, I knew that you are a hard man,
harvesting where you have not sown
and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
So I was afraid
and went out and hid your goals in the ground.
See here is what belongs to you.
His master replied, you wicked lazy servant.
So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown
and gather where I have not scattered seed.
Well then you should have put my money on deposit
with the bankers, so that when I returned,
I would have received it back with interest.
So take the bag of gold from him
and give it to the one who has 10 bags,
for whoever has, will be given more.
And they will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have,
even what they have, will be taken from them
and throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
All of these parables emphasize
the certainty of Christ's second coming.
That's not everything,
Christ constantly stated in the book of Revelation.
Surely I am coming quickly.
Revelation 22:20-21, "He who testifies to these things says,
yes, I am coming soon.
Amen, come Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people, amen."
Revelation 22:7, "Look, I am coming soon.
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy
written in this scroll."
Revelation 2:5, "Consider how far you have fallen,
repent and do the things you did at first.
If you do not repent, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place."
Revelation 3:11, "I am coming soon.
Hold on to what you have
so that no one will take your crown."
The revelation unfolds
the things which will take place after this.
Revelation 1:19, "Write therefore what you have seen,
what is now and what will take place later."
Revelation 4:1, "After this, I looked and there before me
was a door standing open in heaven
and the voice I had first heard speaking to me
like a trumpet said, come up here
and I will show you what must take place after this."
And the crown and culmination of it all
is Christ's triumphant return.
So Christ has repeatedly assured us of his return.
He made these promises during his earthly ministry,
just before his ascent to heaven.
And even in a vision to John from his throne in heaven,
he wanted both friends and enemies
to know that he would be back,
his very credibility depends on the second coming,
let us pray.
Mighty God, you can do all things
and no plan of yours can ever be restrained.
You direct the lives of your children
and you purposefully plan every circumstance.
Lord, grant me the insight to see the challenges on my road
and the ability to sense and see your reassuring hand
in the midst of them.
Bless me with faith
that allows me to tackle challenges head on
knowing that your plans are always perfect, amen.
You are all knowing Lord
and the source of all genuine wisdom.
You have arranged my life and the path.
I must travel with your infinite wisdom.
Lord, show me the way I need to walk
and direct me down the path you've made for me.
Lord, help me to make the correct decisions
and to experience your strength and love in my life
so that I can avoid the anxieties that come
with misunderstanding with a clear mind, amen.
In closing our question for the day,
what's a worship song
that has helped you feel closer to God?