What Do You Have to Look Forward To?

12/31/2017

Introduction

It seems to me that every year as the year is coming to an end, we tend to start making plans for the new year. We may not make a list of resolutions, but we do tend to approach the new year a bit of optimism. The question is what do you have to look forward to in 2018? Personally, our youngest daughter is getting married in May, in January I will be finishing my final course towards my doctorate and starting to research and write my dissertation, I have all of 2018 planned out for what I will be teaching in our ABF, and I have a group of people who have responded to my challenge of reading through the Bible together in 2018. On the negative side, I mother-in-law is battling cancer and may not make it through 2018, she and my father-in-law aren’t saved, so please pray for their salvation if you think of it, Diane’s best friend is also battling cancer, she and her husband are believers, but pray for them as well.

Some of these things are more important than others, but they are either things we do or things that happen to us. The bigger question is “How many of you are planning on the return of Jesus in 2018? I am not setting a date or anything crazy like that, but I want to explore his return and our expectation of it. I know that you love the gospel, but does your understanding and presentation of it include the fact that he is returning?

Explanation:

God – Holy and righteous, Creator.

Man – created in the image of God, to fellowship with God, but fell into disobedience. Now man has a sin nature and seeks only to serve himself. Man is unable to reconcile himself back to God, so he has a problem. He needs a Savior.

Christ – Jesus Christ is that Savior. He became a man, lived a perfect and righteous life, without sin. He died on the cross, was buried, and he rose from the dead. He ascended to heaven where he is seated on the throne. He is interceding to the Father on our behalf. He will return to judge the living and the dead. But there is more, Jesus is not only the Savior, but he is God, the second member of the Trinity along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is also the King of the universe.

Response – with all that in mind, there is a response required of us. we could reject it and go on living how we have been living and take our chances that the gospel is false or we can respond in faith and repentance. Faith is turning towards God and trusting in who he is and what he has done. Repentance is turning from your sin and living for God.

I know that you love the gospel, but does your understanding and presentation of it include the fact that he is returning? If it doesn’t, it should. So, I would like to take a small journey in the book of Revelation to see what the Bible say about the Second coming. I have titled this sermon, “What do you have to look forward to? Expand. It seems like a simple question, but there is so much loaded into it. The idea is how do you view life, how do respond to troubles and trials, or inconveniences, what are you living for, and what are you longing for? I would like to look at a few concepts, which are laid out in the gospel that I just explained, the Coming King, the Coming Kingdom, and the Coming God.

The Coming King – Rev. 19:11-16

Emphasize: look at a few expressions. Understanding that Apocalyptic literature seeks to paint a picture, instead of using plain words to explain a concept. Victorious return – white horse compare with ascension (Acts 1:11); Faithful and True; many diadems (sovereignty of all); the names he is called; the army with him; and the sword

The Coming Kingdom – Rev. 21:1-8

Emphasize: new heaven and new earth (draw back to 20:11), similar to 2 Cor. 5:17; the new Jerusalem = bride of Christ (the church) contrast with Babylon (ch. 18); the dwelling place of God.

The Coming God – Rev. 22:6-13

Trustworthy and true; worship God (Rev. 19:10); he is coming soon

Application

1. We must remember that God is a promise-keeping God.

He promised to send a Savior, he did, which we just celebrated last week. Jesus promised to rise from the dead, he did, which we celebrate on Easter or Resurrection Day, which happens to fall on April 1^st this year. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, he did, which we celebrate 50 days later. Jesus promised to return, he will.

2. We must live in light of Jesus’ return.

Do you live as if the days are short and Jesus is coming soon? What would your life look like if you lived as if he could return tomorrow? How would it change how you witness? How you respond to negative situations? Would the things that we think are so important, be important?

3. We expect his return.

A friend once told me that John Calvin said that we should do our work with one foot in the air. I have to admit that there are very few times that I actually expect his return, I tend to focus on the here and now. Even driving home yesterday from dropping our daughter off at her future in-laws, as I contemplated his return, I found myself saying, “not yet.” Why? Do we hold on to this world to tight? Maybe we need to loosen our grip and expect his return. Luke 21:28 says “now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” What else could we possibly hope for.