Sermon
The Return of Christ
April 24, 2005
Pastor Donald Sheley

I'm going to ask that you make sure that you have in your hands the sermon notes because what I have done, I have included all of the Scripture text right in the text of the sermon itself. And we are going to stay very, very close to our notes today because I'd like for all of you to read. We have almost 100 Scripture verses, if I counted them correctly, that we will be reading today and I want you to have them in front of you.

Since January, we have been talking about Jesus. We talked, of course, on Christmastime of His birth and then we went into the miracles and the teachings of Christ, and we covered a large array of subjects that relate to our wonderful Savior, and I felt it most appropriate that we close this series with a subject on the second coming of Christ - His return.

Now I'm going to avoid a temptation that always confronts every preacher when he preaches on prophecy and that is to make my personal comments. I'm really not interested in the opinions of Pastor Sheley. What I really am interested in is what the Bible has to say about the subject that we're thinking about today, and thus you will notice that most of the sermon will simply be the reading of Scripture.

Secondly, you will note that there will be a total absence of any effort from me to paint pictures and draws scales and schedules of as to how the end things of time are to take place. I think that gets too confusing and too frustrating. There are so many different opinions concerning prophecy. So let's today make it our goal, let's just see what the Bible says and let the Bible say what it says without man trying to tell us what it means. All right?

Jesus, please help us.

We start our message this morning by reading from a passage that Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica. "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Now Luke is the historian who not only wrote his gospel but he wrote the book of Acts, and he writes for us the scene which took place when Jesus went back to heaven. He says, "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? 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 then the words of Jesus just before going to the cross: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Now in that great passage found in Matthew 24 where the entire chapter is prophetic in nature and theme, here's what we read: "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?' And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.'""

Verses 29 through 31: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Verse 44: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Here's our lesson - Jesus often spoke about His return and the theme is frequently mentioned throughout the New Testament. It's the dominant hope of the Christian church. These verses predict a sudden return of Christ that will be dramatic and it will be visible.

John writes in the Revelation, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen."

Now the passages are far too frequent and explicit to allow the idea that Christ Himself will not return as some teach. Some suggest in their teachings that His coming refers to the coming of Christ, by His Spirit, at the point of personal acceptance of Christ.

Pause - I talked with a minister friend some years ago who...in our discussion we were talking about the return of Christ, and he said, I don't believe in the visible return of Christ. I believe that when it speaks of the second coming or the coming of Christ, it speaks of us receiving Christ into our hearts. Well let's see what page 3 says.

His appearing will not be a mere spiritual coming to dwell within people's hearts, but will be a personal and bodily return "in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven." Now there are several passages that indicate we do not know and cannot know the time when Christ will return.

Matthew 25: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Jesus said, "But of that day and of that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come."

Now the practical result of this is that anyone who claims to know specifically when Jesus is coming back is automatically to be considered a false prophet. "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man."

Now one of the significant areas of disagreement is the question as to whether Christ could return at any time. On the one hand, there are many passages encouraging us to be ready because Christ will return at an hour we do not expect, but on the other hand, there are several passages that speak of certain events that will happen before Christ returns. Let's consider some of these verses.

Matthew 24 again, that great passage, "Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Look at what Mark has to say, "It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on watch. Watch therefore-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning-lest he suddenly come and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Watch."

"For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."

Paul writes to young Titus, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ."

Hebrews, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Peter writes, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

And on the last page of our New Testaments Bible, these words, "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing recompense, to repay everyone for what he has done."

Now if there were no passages in the New Testament about signs that would precede Christ's return, we would probably conclude from the passages just quoted that Jesus could come at any moment. In this sense, we can say that Christ's return is imminent. But there are also many verses in the Scripture which speak of signs preceding the coming of Jesus, and let's note some of them.

"And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many.'"

Observation - The very thing that Jesus states about the period just prior to His return is the widespread deception by a proliferation of false christs. There were false christs, or Messiahs, before Jesus' time, and there have been others at various times since, including many in our own day. But Jesus said that in the end times their number and influence will vastly increase.

And the disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, and Jesus' first response was "Watch out that no one deceives you!" Now the fact is that whenever we look for signs, we become very susceptible to deception, for many false prophets have counterfeit signs and spiritual power and authority. The only sure way to keep from being deceived is to focus on Christ and His words. Don't look for special signs, and don't spend time looking at other people. Look at Christ.

Pause - one of the distractions I think today in Christianity is all of these people who appear on their various television shows who want you to believe that all of the healings that take place are from God, but the Bible is very, very clear...not everything that looks like a miracle, and not everything that looks like a healing comes from God.

You know, I've often had people come to me and say, Pastor, you know, this is happening there and this is happening there, and they're doing this there, and this is healing... And I just back away and say it's people who are always running around looking for signs are the people who are going to be deceived, because not everybody is a true man of God. Jesus said there are a lot of false prophets that are coming. Let's read on.

Jesus predicted that before His return, many believers would be misled by false teachers coming in His name, that is, claiming to be Christ. Thessalonians, "Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the failing away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition."

And, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Now in the passage of Matthew 24 Jesus gave us another sign of our time which would be present in our world - "you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled."

Pause: you know when we read that off times we get caught up on that first phrase, you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but look at what Jesus said, don't let it bother you. Don't be troubled. Be at peace.

The sign will involve intensified and unparalleled disputes and warfare among the nations and the kingdoms of the world. The phrase - you will be hearing - translates continually. It will be a matter of hearing. It will be the subject of the day. There will be constant talk of actual wars and rumors of wars, to a degree the world has never known before. There doubtless will be both hot wars of physical combat and cold wars of economic and political conflict. And following the analog of labor pains, the implication is that the conflicts will increase both in number and intensity as the return of Christ approaches, until they explode in one grand holocaust of bloodshed carnage.

It is not difficult in our day to see how such a worldwide conflagration could develop. For many decades the world has lived under the threat of nuclear warfare and the anxiety of increasing strife within and among virtually all nations.

Jesus said you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars, but as Christians you don't have a reason to be disturbed. Be at peace. Why? Because the sovereign God of the universe is working out His final plans for this old world and He is in charge. We're His children and He's going to take care of us. Let's read on.

In our text Jesus gives us another sign of times just prior to His return. "And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring: men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draweth nigh."

You know it's interesting, as I studied through and wrote these various passages for you, is that constant theme, it's going to happen, but be at peace. If you're a child of God and your heart is right with God and you've received Jesus Christ as your Savior, God is just telling us these things will all take place, but we as Christians when we walk amongst those who walk with fear and trembling we should be people with great peace and great joy and great contentment because everything is all right here, and heaven is my home not this world.

Now one of the signs marking the end times will be events of worldwide devastation. In addition to false christs and warring dissension among nations there will be famines and earthquakes, natural disasters of staggering proportions that will ensue as the cursed earth begins to disintegrate. Luke adds that there will also be plagues and terrors and great signs of heaven.

The world has witnessed many earthquakes, famines, plagues, and even some heavenly signs, but those will be nothing compared to the calamities of the end times. They will occur in various places and apparently simultaneously. Some parts of the earth will be starving from famine, others will be shattered by earthquakes, others decimated by plagues, others paralyzed by unspecified terrors, and still others unnerved by changes in the heavens. But Jesus gives us a word of comfort, 'See to it that you be not alarmed.' While we must never trivialize suffering, all these troubles must not make Christians alarmed.

Pause - I had a very disturbed lady come to me after the last service, she said, Pastor, are you telling us that we're not to be concerned with the world around us? I said, that's not what he said. Our concern will show that when we have the opportunity to help, to be Christ-like in whatever the given situation is, we'll do it. But I was talking about a peace of heart. Yes we do have concern. We are going to pray. When a tsunami happens, we find a place where we can somehow make a contribution. We are concerned people, but I'm talking about a peace of heart and a peace of mind that is ours as Christians.

Down at the bottom of the page: In this passage in Matthew 24, you will note that Jesus warns against false prophets three difference times. Now we can only conclude that this is a very important warning which we as Christians must ever be on watch. I think if there is a heartthrob to this whole matter of the signs of the time, Jesus is saying, look at, you know these things will all be happening, but I'm talking about you. There will be false prophets. Don't be deceived. There will be false prophets, but don't let them deceive you. There will be false prophets, but don't get deceived. That was at the heart of Jesus' warning. So it's imperative that we as Christians understand that our truth is found in God's Word.

Observation - Truth has many competitors. Each presents its case; each tries for its audience; each has its reasons and attractions. Part of our calling as Christians is to explore, to sift truth from error, to discover, and to understand.

Question - To whom do we look when we want to find truth? In the face of many claims, what's our authority? Remember, the most important quest in life is to find truth, and truth matches the teaching of Jesus Christ. He alone is Truth.

So here's what I'm saying, you know one of the wonderful things about the Bible is that it was written where it explains itself. The Bible tells us, John tells us that we have been given the Holy Spirit, and it's not needful that any man teach us because we have the Spirit of God living within us. And I, time after time when I prepare for a message, just lift my Bible and say, Jesus, I want You...I've got all these commentaries; I've got all of these writings of men, but I want You by Your Holy Spirit to tell me what this means. And those are glorious moments when I just let...I go from passage to passage and finally the truth just comes alive in comparing verses.

Now I'm going to say something that will shock you. I think all the Christian writings that are proliferating today are really in many ways a distraction. In other words, I'm saying that I have found people in my own congregation who are so swallowed up with all the writings of this person and that person, and they are just so absorbed, and finally when they start... I say, when do you read your Bible?

I believe that we can become distracted by men's opinions, and really miss the true meaning of the Scripture. And what I'm suggesting folks; know your Bible, read your Bible, study your Bible, pray over your Bible, weep over your Bible, and say, Jesus, I just want You to teach me truth. And He will.

Down at the middle of page 7: There is another important sign that Jesus tells us about in our text. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come." Now that to me is a fascinating sign of the time. Jesus is saying when the gospel can become available to the entire world you know the end is near.

You know a few months ago that verse hit me like a lightning bolt. Most of you know I don't like computers. I have an old Underwood and I will die with my Underwood, and nobody dares put a computer in my office, but I'm smart enough to know they do have some benefit.

A few months ago I was in the jungles of Borneo and when I was introduced to the pastor and he heard my name, he said, oh I know you. I had never met him. He said, I go on Internet and I take your sermon notes and I print them and I use them for my Sunday school class. And all of a sudden it made me realize that the world has the gospel available to them on the Internet.

Someone reported to me some time ago that just the hits on our Internet alone we had people from over 40 nations of the world. And I immediately, I said, dear God if you've got a computer any place in the world you can sit down and the gospel is being spread through various preachers. We now of course have it in the script and in the audio, and soon maybe in the video, and here any place on earth; we have people in Saudi Arabia; we have people in Afghanistan; we have people in China. And all of a sudden I said that verse could be the fulfillment because the gospel is available any place on the face of this globe. And Jesus said when the gospel of the kingdom is preached the end will come.

Dropping down: Now I believe there is a very important reason why Jesus gave us these signs which relate to His second coming. The signs are given so that when we see them, they will intensify our expectation of Christ's return. Jesus said, "Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing nigh." These signs give us a reason to be filled with joy and great anticipation, and we are soon to be in the presence of our wonderful Christ and to enjoy Him forever.

The problem is that we become so absorbed with the things of time that we forget about the things of eternity! We must keep our focus always heavenward.

I'm on the last page: There are many other aspects of the return of Christ which can be studied, but my reason for bringing this subject before us today is to close our series on the subject of Christ with this glorious hope that we have as followers of Jesus Christ.

Let's read the text one more time. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout..." That means His coming is going to be visible. "...with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first." That means those who have died in Christ. The cemeteries will burst open and they'll go to heaven. "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

In his letters Paul wrote about Christians waiting for Christ's return. He said, "Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." And then he concludes with 2 Thessalonians, "God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with His mighty angels"

Now from the Scriptures let's just let them saying what they say. They say that Jesus went away in physical body, He ascended into heaven, and they tell us the same way He went away He will come again. He will come with tremendous drama. The skies will be screaming and the trumpet will be blasting, and there will be a great noise in the heavens and every eye shall behold Him. It's not going to be a silent coming. He's coming and we who are alive and remain are going to be caught up to be with Him, and so shall we ever be with Christ.

That's the great hope we have as Christians.

You know when I was little boy I would sit and listen to the preacher read that and I would think, dear God, how are You going to do that? And I would think about Him letting down big platforms on ropes. No, no, no. In that moment in the blinking, the twinkling of an eye (claps hands) Christians are gone to heaven. [Congregation claps] amen?

At the close of last night's service, I had a very sincere gentlemen walk up to me and he said, you know pastor, let's talk about Daniel's 69th week, and let's talk about the great tribulation, and let's talk about the rapture of the church. He went on with all of these controversial areas of prophecy. I stood there and thought to myself, man, you did miss it, didn't you?

I have purposely not dealt with human interpretations. I have not given you guidelines as to this is going to happen here, and this, and this and all. I've just read the Scriptures to you today, and the reason for it is this, we have a great hope as a Christian and that is one of these days, unexpectedly, He's only coming for those who are looking for Him, will He break through the skies and we're going to be with Jesus. That's my theme today.

If you want to you can waste all the time you want wrestling with prophecies, and prophecy books and charts, and all the rest. I don't do that. I just love my Bible and what it says I believe it.

Some years ago I was greeting folks as they were leaving the door and somebody said, goodbye Pastor, I'll see you; and I said I'll see you in heaven. They said, Pastor, are you planning on dying? I said, no, but maybe, maybe the next time we greet will be in heaven - just maybe.

And you ask those folks who work with me here in the office, they say, Pastor, how are you today? I say I'm one day closer to heaven than I was yesterday.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe with all my heart that I must keep my focus heavenward. There are a lot of things happening around, wars and rumors of wars, and all the rest. But my Bible says when you see these things come to pass, lift up your heads and rejoice because soon we will be in the presence of our wonderful Christ! And that's the great hope of our Christian faith. Amen? Amen. [Congregation claps]

Lord Jesus, we've read all of these passages. You forewarned, you've told us, but as Christians who love You, we've trusted in You as our Savior, Lord Jesus, there's a peace that passeth all understanding that fills our hearts today. We know that all things are going to work out according to Your divine and eternal plan, and so we're going to leave history to You, dear God.

We're going to keep our eyes and our hearts and our minds fixed heavenward, so that when the skies burst asunder and the trumpet blows, we will be ready to meet You.

And Lord Jesus, if there are some with us today who are not ready for that moment, who do not trust in You as Savior and Lord, I pray that by Your Holy Spirit You will draw them to You, and that You, Lord Jesus, will reveal Yourself to them in all of Your glory, in all of Your wonder, in all of Your love, in all of Your mercy, and that they will surrender their hearts and lives to You dear Christ and trust in You as Savior and God. Thank you, thank you dear Jesus for being so clear in telling us about Your return. It's in Your name we pray, amen. God bless you folks.