THE KING IS COMING
- Acts 17:1-9 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
5 But the Jews [a]who were not persuaded, [b]becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has [c]harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” 8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
- There is a new movie coming up – The Lion King (Who hasn’t watched Lion King before)
- The idea that the King is coming is something that has somewhat lost its urgency these days
- We have moved from a place where disciples who were with Jesus, heard His words and preached a message like Jesus was coming back anytime, to a time when we think man it’s been too long
- Paul’s goal is to let people know that the Jesus had died for their sins so that when the king came back, they would be with Him.
- He is preaching to get them saved- We preach to get you saved so you can be ready for the King!
- I like the lion King movie not because it has a ton of Swahili songs – which I speak…hakuna matata, Simba, Rafiki e.t.c but because it’s a word picture of how evil has overtaken the land because the King and His son are not here anymore, not knowing that the ‘King is Coming”
- Matthew 24:36-39 – But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of[a]heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be
- He will return when we least expect it – Revelation 16:15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (garment – reference of Adam and Eve when they sinned)
- Are you ready? The ‘King is coming”
- Luke 21:7-17,
- Luke 21: 28 – Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Three days or 3 weeks
- Paul spend 3 sabbath days reasoning with the people ‘explaining to them that Jesus had to die for their sins
- Vs:4 – And some of them [accordingly] were induced to believe and associated themselves with Paul and Silas, as did a great number of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
- Others were offended – Christ did not come to serve our self-interest – He had a mission and that mission is not our comfort or having our way…it saving our soul. Preparing a way for the Kings return.
- “The bait of Satan”, Talks about John the Baptist
- 2 Peter 3:8-9 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward [a]us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance
- 3 days or 3 weeks?
- Do we need 3,000 years to convince you that you are a sinner and need redemption?
Let reason together
- Paul and God says – Lets reason together – This word reason “is a dialogue” Paul is listening them and answering them. Challenging them with the words that He speaks and we can see the results
- Just like this Paul, these people only had a small window of when Paul would be available to reason with them
- The same case is happening, the time to hear Gods warning is now
- The same reason together is told to the people of Judah
Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason
together,”
Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
- Isaiah 1:1-20
- One of the things that scares me the most – Keep me in the Holy Fear is …not finishing the race
- Choice of either two responses – Well done good and faithful servant or Depart from me for I never knew you!
- Old testament King after Kings …did well but they fell away towards the end.
- Matthew 25:1-13 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [b]in which the Son of Man is coming.
- We cannot lose sight that The King is coming
- We cannot lose the sense that God is wanting to hear from us – to reason with us here and now.
- He will reason with us even in stupid stuff so that He can lead our hearts away from destruction
- My epic story about a car. Show room torn down by an excavator, parking lot tore up
- If He is willing to do this for stuff that will perish – How much more will He do it for your soul
This Changes nothing
- Vs :5 But the unbelieving Jews were aroused to jealousy, and, getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace, they gathered together a mob, set the town in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring [Paul and Silas] out to the people.
- Your unbelieve, your rebelliousness, you lack of hearing changes nothing “The King is Coming”
- Haven’t you seen the first Lion King? – The King will return…Haven’t you read the end of the Book, “The king is coming” with vengeance
- Scar’s behavior and intentions, his “kingdom” still fell… it doesn’t matter what we create while the King is gone, when He returns…it’s all for nothing.
- These guys did not stop Paul from preaching the Word of God and that Word coming to us over 2000 years later
- The guys that crucified Jesus did not stop the redemption of His blood
- The guys that refused to enter the arch did not stop the flood
- Pharaoh no matter his rebelliousness did not stop the people from going
- Get your affairs in order, the King is coming, regardless of your situation
- What’s your controllable” – The King is coming back whether you are ready of not
- Isaiah 55:6-8 – “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. - A time is coming when there the window of reasoning will be closed forever
- THE KING IS COMING- ARE YOU READY
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