John 14:1-4
In 104 days, we’ll enter into a new millennium. Many are concerned about the Y2K problem. Some worry what will happen when the clock strikes 12 on December 31. Should we travel on the first day of 2000? Some speculate if this is the millennium when the world we know will come to an end.
1000 years ago, at the eve of turning into year 1000, there was also an outburst of writings concerning the end of the world.
The end of the world is always a hot discussion topic, a favorite subject in the tabloid newspapers. Events such as global warming, thinning of the ozone layer, population explosion and the falling of meteorites, all contribute to different theories of how the world may come to an end.
Certainly there is no lack of Christian opinions on this topic. Go to any Christian bookstore, and one will find plenty of books, each claiming to give the definitive answer from the bible. Sincere Christians trying hard to match current events to the bible’s end time prophecies. Sometimes such discussion and writings only further confuse and obstruct us from seeing what is clearly presented in the bible.
This morning, in our continued study of the Apostles' Creed, we shall focus on some of the basic tenets of Jesus' second coming. Certainly there are many issues surrounding it. Such as will he come back before the worldwide tribulation, during or after. But this morning we want to limit our scope of study to bible passages that consist of clear teachings on this subject. We shall begin with Jesus very own words on this subject.
John 14:1-4,"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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." Here, Jesus tells his disciples that one day, he'll return to take them to where he is.
In Matthew 24 we have the well known passage of Jesus' teaching on end time. Vs.30,"At that time the son of man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
Jesus promised that at a certain time in history, he will return. His apostle continued to proclaim this message. There will come a day, when Jesus will come again personally, visibly and gloriously. And the world we know will come to an end.
1. Our difficulty in accepting Jesus’ second coming.
Sometimes its hard to believe this, isn’t it? You see, we are very much influenced by the materialistic way of thinking. That is, our world consists of only what we can see and touch. Therefore supernatural events such as miracles, virgin birth and Jesus’ second coming are all difficult to believe.
However, if there is a God, if he speaks to us about himself and the world, if what he speaks is true and recorded in the Bible, then we can know with certainty that one day he will came back again.
2. The timing of Jesus’ second coming.
But when? In 1988, a book was published called, "80 reasons why Jesus is coming back in 1988." In 1994, someone in Korea predicted that Jesus would return sometime in October of that year. Now as we approach the year 2000, there will be more speculations and predictions about Jesus second coming and the end of the world. But in Matthew 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Yes, the scripture does talk about phenomena that will occur before Jesus' return. Such as the widespread of famines, natural disasters and wars, moral degradation, persecution of Christians and the proclamation of the gospel message to every people group. At certain times and places we may feel the impact of some of these prophecies. The bible simply never tells us when. Only God the father knows.
But what is the purpose of Jesus' return?
1. To receive us.
John 14 clearly tells us that one of the purpose of Jesus' return is to bring us to him. His first coming was to reconcile us to God. In his seconding coming, He will bring us to him. He wants us to be with him. Many parents can identify with this. Your child is away for college. Whenever there is an opportunity, even for a weekend, if possible, you would like him/her to come home. We want to be with those we love. There is a loving relationship between Jesus and us. He loves us deeply and wants to be with us. So He promised that he'd come again to take us to his place. There we will see him face to face.
2. To complete the salvation.
Romans 8:21,22,23, “that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
When we believed in Jesus Christ, we are reconciled with him. We are justified through faith in Jesus Christ. As we continue to grow spiritually, we become more Christ-like. We put away those sinful natures in us. At times we do well, but other times we are defeated. We are keenly aware of our sinfulness. We still feel the power and pressure of sin’s influences in our lives.
Then there is our physical condition. We're all affected by the effect of sin in this world. We suffer physically, emotionally and psychologically. Sometimes we feel like Paul, screaming, 'Who can deliver me from this wretched body."
So when Jesus returns, he will transform us into his likeness. He will also deliver us from the physical frailty, and give us a new and glorious body. Yes, here on earth there will be sufferings and hardships, but when Jesus comes again, all the pain and tears will be gone. There is this complete deliverance of our soul and body from sins domain and influence. This is our final glorification.
3. To reward us.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10,"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." With Jesus' second coming, the believers will be judged. We'll give an account of what we have done on earth, and will be rewarded accordingly. On that day, Jesus will ask us, "William, I gave you certain spiritual gifts, what did you do with them. Did you use them to build up the church. Or were you always so busy with your career and family that you never had the time to use these gifts to build up other believers?"
4. To reveal His glory.
Matthew 24:30,"...They will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." Titus 2:13,"....while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," When Jesus comes again, his full power and glory will be clearly visible to all.
5. To judge the world.
John 5:22,"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son," Acts 10:42," He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead." This is the emphasis of the Apostles' creed. "He shall come to judge the quick and the dead." A very sobering thought. With the second coming of Jesus, there is the final judgment. This judgment is not about how much merit you may have accumulated, but about your relationship with Jesus Christ. If you believe in Jesus, you'll spend eternity in his presence. If you do not believe in Jesus, you'll be condemned to eternal death, eternal separation from God. Your destiny is hell. It doesn't sound good, we don't like to hear it.
One pastor went to a funeral service in a southern city. The minister who performed the service gave a mini sermon. Pointing to the casket, he said, "John's fate has been sealed. There's nothing he can do about his eternal destiny. Its too late for John. But not for you. You still have time to believe in Jesus Christ. If you don't believe in him, one day you'll be condemned to hell, eternal death, eternal separation from God." On the way home, the pastor was very disturbed. He told his wife how inappropriate it was for the minister to use this sad occasion to manipulate people's emotions, jamming the message of fear and hell down their throats. The wife was quiet. Then she said, "but its all so true, isn't it?" You see, we don't like to hear about the judgment, hell and eternal death. But they are true.
In 2Peter 3 Peter was explaining to the believers about the truth of Jesus second coming and the end of the world, he asked, vs.11, "what kind of people ought you to be?" Knowing that Jesus Christ will return one day, how then shall we live?
1. Be holy.
What would you do if you are waiting for a loved one to come home. Or waiting for your parents to come. You probably will clean up the house a little. Decorate with their favorite flowers, or prepare some of their favorite food. You begin to focus on their preferences.
The same with waiting for Jesus’ second coming. How shall we then live? The answer is, "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed it’s coming.” (2 Pet 3:14) That is, while we are waiting for Jesus to come, we are to live in such a way conforming to his standards and preferences. We’re to be holy, to set apart, for we have a different value system.
2. Be purposeful.
Matthew 24:14,"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." One of the conditions to be fulfilled before Jesus’ second coming is that the gospel message is to be preached to all nations. Who is to preach this gospel? Not the angels or the evangelists, or the pastors, but every one of us is to be God's testimony. Each of us is given this command, to be a testimony for God and His gospel message. Whether or not we like it, we’re to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ.
3. Be supportive.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul was explaining to the believers about Jesus' second coming. How did he conclude the instruction? Some of us might use the scare tactic. Jesus is coming soon, you better shape up or you'll face the final judgment. But Paul wrote in 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Knowing that Jesus will return, instead of judging and hurting others, or pulling them down, encourage one another to love and grow spiritually.
We live in a difficult world. We experience suffering in our physical bodies and pain in human relationships. Disappointments and despair constantly haunt many of us. We want to give up, don't we? But the bible tells us to encourage one another, to standby each other.
A SS teacher asked his class: how many of you believe in Jesus’ second coming? All raised their hands. He asked again: how many of you wish he would come now? No hands were raised. Aren’t we sometimes like that? Yes we believe in his second coming, but not now. We still have too many things to hang on to. I am not married yet, or I want to experience parenting. My children are not married yet, or I want to see my grandchildren first. There are still many things that I want to do. After I have enjoyed all the fun there is, then I am ready for Jesus’ second coming.
I remember visiting an elderly lady several years ago. In our conversation she giggled and said, "You know pastor, I really wish Jesus will come back soon. Lately I even dreamed that I heard the sound of trumpets." Its so refreshing to hear someone so genuinely desire Jesus to return. Then I realized that the intensity of our desire for His return is proportionate to the depth of our relationship with him. If I have been regularly talking to Jesus in my prayers, listening to him in the bible, I also want to be with him. The more I love Jesus Christ, the more I know him, the more I follow him, then the stronger is my desire for him to return.
Moreover, the closer I am with him, the more I also feel the pain and abnormality of this world. Sometimes the pain could be personal, other times the pain belongs to those we are close to. How I wish that Jesus will come back soon and bring an end to all these sufferings.
The bible closes with Jesus’ words, “Yes, I am coming soon.” And the response is: “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.”
Sunday September 19th, 1999, Rev. William Hsueh, Houston Chinese Church, Houston, Texas.