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• Jesus coming SOON
• Trip to Maui- Church sign. How many people on their way to Lahaina have either mocked the sign, or ignored it.
  Went to church while we were there- the pastor actually spoke about how he used to mock that sign as a young man, and now he was a pastor.
• Mark 13:24-27
• Christ is going to return to this earth!
• I want you to understand this- you are sitting here today on the back of hundreds of the Scriptures that were spoken in the OT about Jesus that CAME TRUE- It took a few thousand years for Messiah to show up after the promises of the OT
• Abraham heard the promises of God- and never lived to see them- they came to pass- thousands of years later
• Your finite thinking of the limited scope of your life should not direct your belief in the fact of Christs return. There will be human eyes who will view the return of Jesus Christ- It is going to be COSMIC. Its going to be unlike ANYTHING you’ve ever seen

• Think about a person in 1870, if they lived for 100 years Did you think they they thought they would see 2 world wars, air travel, going to the moon and computers? Organ transplants?
• That’s just our inventions! Can you imagine it? From nothing in the sky- to seeing man on the moon?
• Christs return is an absolute certainty. Even if you don’t believe it- I do- I promise that it is going to happen. The scriptures promise it.
• MY FATHER DELAYS HIS COMING SCRIPTURE Matt 24:45-51
• ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for himand at an hour that he is not aware of,
• Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
• Many Christians are not prepared or expecting the return of Christ or at least they are living like he wont
• James 4:13-14 ¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will^[g]go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen For what is your life?

• Greatest indications of Complacency and unbelief in the return of Christ
• Lack of Preaching- Rarely hear teachings or preachings about the return of Christ
• Lack of Knowledge- Most Christians can’t describe even the basics of his Return
• Lack of Urgency- The salvation of our brethren, neighbors, our children
• Lack of Passion for the things of God- How do your worship and serve?
• Lack of conviction- Accepting of unbiblical and antibiblical doctrines
• Lack of holiness- accepting of sin complacent in sinful actions
• Lack of Prayer- no dependence on God for their sustenance or provision
• Lack of investment- Care more about the cares of this world than the things of God
• Lack of depth- serving Christ for the momentary blessings, not for who HE is

1. HOW WILL CHRIST RETURN?

• The return of Christ isn’t a metaphorical allegory, but a physical, tangible, real event
• When it happens- EYES will see it. EARS will hear it. His physical body will return
• IN THE SKY The Bible says according to Acts 1:11 “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”and Rev 1:7 that Jesus will return in the sky and the clouds.
• is important- there will not be another virgin birth. There will not be someone who ‘becomes’ Jesus Christ
• This is why you wont be wondering “is this the Christ:”? you’ll be seeing him come down from the Clouds in the sky- You may not be right THERE but there will be believers there. VIDEO
• Scholars often wondered how everyone would watch on the whole planet before video!
• UNEXPECTEDLY Revelation 3:3 ³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
• If you are trying to plan his return around your sins and your lifestyle- you need to reconsider. There will be no advance warning. There will be no indication.
• Being in Bosnia- Playing cards- “THIS IS NOT A DRILL”- No advance warning.
• WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE WHEN HE RETURNS?
• COSMICLY ASTOUNDING Matthew 24:29 Dark Sun, No Moonlight, Stars falling, Heaven Shakes
• What you have seen in the earth will not be the same- everything will be different
• ARMIES GATHERED TO HIM Revelation 19:19 all the armies of the earth will gather to Jesus and he will destroy them and cast them into the lake of fire

• He is coming as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS- He is coming with POWER
• Where Will Christ Return?
• MOUNT OF OLIVES IN ISRAEL Zechariah 14:4 Christ will stand on the highest place on the mountain
• WHAT Will Christ do at his return?
• DEFEAT SATAN Revelation 19:20 Says that Satan will be destroyed! Thrown into the lake of fire
• Revelation 20:2 he laid hold of Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
• This is an encouraging promise of Scripture- the destruction of SATAN and his minions
• This is a promise from creation- that Satan will be defeated and that pain will be destroyed!

• REGATHER ISRAEL Isaiah 11:12 all of Israel will be brought back together.
• Ezekiel 20:34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered
• JUDGE THE LIVING Matthew 25:32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates his sheep from the goats
• Folks- there will be a separation- I just want to be Sheep- YEAH
• RESURRECT OT BELEIVERS Daniel 12:1 everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
• Revelation 20:4 I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of
• their testimony of Jesus and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
• ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM Matthew 19:28 the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

How can you be assured that Jesus will return?

• The scripture promises Christ’s return Zechariah 14:5
• You can’t accept a promise of a scripture about a blessing on this side of heaven and not equally be accepting of a scripture talking about the return of Christ
• TheTeaching of Christ promises his return John 14:2 In fathers house many rooms
• This is an encouragement to believers that Jesus told his disciples- Jesus is preparing a room for you right now- There is a place that he is preparing for you
• The of BRIDE Christ awaits his return Revelation 19:7 for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.
• I constantly talk about this- Christianity is a church centered existence- We, together as the body of Christ comprise those who are in Christ- Jesus is coming back for the CHURCH not for individuals.
• Individuals make up the group- but the individual isn’t the focus- it’s the GROUP
• I understand this doesn’t gel with modern day individual ideas- but up until about 80 year ago- Americans saw themselves as a group. And so did Christians.
• The WORLDS sin sickness will be destroyed at Christ’s return 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe,[a] because our testimony among you was believed.
• If you’ve ever been upset at society, sin, pain, destruction, this is an eternal encoruagemnt. This horrible world that we live in will one day be destroyed- and Christ will REIGN.
• Satan will be destroyed upon Christ’s return Revelation 20: 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
• The HOPE of every Christian is Christs return 2 Timothy 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Who is Jesus coming for?

• JESUS SAYS I WILL COME FOR MY OWN VERSE 27
• Matthew 16:27 the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.
• Matthew 25:31 when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
• Mark 8:38 whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels
• Revelation 3:10 we’ll be kept from the hour that comes to try the whole earth.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:10 We will be delivered from the wrath to come.
• Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

What does it mean to you?

1. Grow in your HOPE for Christ’s return and heaven

• Constantly focusing on, hoping on, and planning on the things of this world harden your heart towards the thoughts of heaven
• Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
• Where do I live, what do I drive, what is wrong with my spouse, kids education, sports, making money, clothes I wear, what I do for entertainment, what I eat, feeling left out, creating problems
• 2 peter 3:12-14 READ
• Which isn’t to say you can’t enjoy life, you just cant make it be what its about!
• Pastor Alan- people who never even have a car. Did they not live?
• Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

1. Start and finish each day, saying ‘Come Lord Jesus’

• You should start your day with a remembrance that Christ could come today!
• Literally say “come lord Jesus” when you wake and when you go to bed. When you see destruction. When you sense fear. When you experience joy. When you eat a steak
• Live with an expectation of the arrival of Christ every single moment of every single day
• Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
• What if Jesus came in the middle of your fight? While you were sinning? What you were watching, listening to, acting out on, who you were hanging out with.

1. When life’s unfair; remember God will one day make it all right

• We all get dealt some bad cards. Things we can’t change. People who hurt us and things that go wrong in our life
• I promise you that one day Jesus will come back and make it right.
• If you have been done wrong, rest in that Jesus will return and make it correct!
• 2 Thessalonians 1:6 it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

1. Plead with those who are not born again

• 2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
• If you really believe in Jesus. You believe in his return. The most hateful thing you can do is not tell other people about the impending Judgment.