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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

Introduction 

There are many views held by different groups regarding the return of Christ.

So it is important for us to know what the Bible says about His return.

We must be clear on the truth concerning the second coming of Christ.

Because it is part of the doctrine of Christ that we have already seen is so important. 

It is important for us to understand that God will perform His will!

In reality, none of us has the ability to carry out our will.

That is why James 4:15 says, "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."

God alone has the ability to carry out His own will!

There are many different times in Scripture when our Saviour said "I will".

John 2:19–"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (And He did raise it up on the third day!)

John 14:16–"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;" (And He did send the indwelling Holy Spirit to abide with believers forever!)

Revelation 3:20–"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (And if you open your hearts door, He will come in!)

Matthew 11:28–"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (And if you come to Him, He will give you rest!)

Hebrews 13:5–". . .for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (And no matter what, He never will leave us nor forsake His own!)        

Matthew 4:19–"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

(And if we follow Him, He will make us fishers of men!)

John 14:14–"If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

(And He will!)

Matthew 16:18–". . .I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (And He is building His Church)

Jesus also gave His disciples a promise that relates to us, it relates to this passage we read in 1 Thessalonians, and it relates to the Doctrine of Christ– all concerning His return.

John 14:2-3–". . .I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. . .” (Jesus Christ Is Coming Again!)

I.            HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE.

               (VS 15) "For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord. . ."

There are some 318 references in the N.T. concerning the second coming of Christ.

               The Bible always proves itself.

For thousands of years the prophets pointed toward one thing: the first coming of Christ...and He came!

Now we have the promise of His return, and we need to understand that He will come again!

               A.         He Told His Disciples He Would Come Again.

John 14:1-3--"Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

(There were other times when He spoke of His coming as recorded in the Gospels.)

               B.         He Revealed It By His Messengers At His Ascension.

Acts 1:9-11–". . . while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

               C.         He Revealed It To The Apostle John.

                            1 John 3:2–“. . .When He shall appear. . .”

Revelation 22:20–"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

               D.         He Revealed It To The Apostle Paul.

                            1.          Our text.

                            2.          Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that the Lord's Table points to His return.

1 Corinthians 11:26–"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death TILL HE COME."

The Lord's supper points backward to His death and forward to His return from heaven.

                            3.          1 Corinthians 15:51-53.

                            4.          Titus 2:13–“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

               E.         He Revealed It To James.

James 5:7–“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.”

James 5:8–“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

               F.         He Revealed It To The Apostle Peter.

1 Peter 1:7–“. . . the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

                            1 Peter 5:4–“. . .when the chief Shepherd shall appear. . .”

                            2 Peter 3:4, 9–“. . .Where is the promise of His coming?. . .

                            The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. . .”

               HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE.

II.           HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS PERSON.

               (VS 15) "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. . ."

               Acts 1:11–". . .this same Jesus. . ."

Who is this Jesus? He is the Jesus of the Bible. He is Jesus Christ Our Lord. His coming will be both personal and visible.

               A.         The Same Jesus Who Existed In Eternity Past.

                            (John 1:1-2, 14; Col. 1:17)

               B.         The Same Jesus Who Created The Universe.

                            (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Col. 1:16)

               C.         The Same Jesus Who Was Born Of A Virgin.

                            (Luke 1:35; Matt 1:18, 20-21)

               D.         The Same Jesus Who Lived A Sinless Life On Earth.

                            (1 Peter 2:22)

               E.         The Same Jesus Who Performed Miracles On Earth.

                            (John 21:25)

               F.         The Same Jesus Who Taught With Authority.

                            (Luke 2:47; 4:22, 32)

G.        The Same Jesus Who Died For Our Sins On The Cross. (Romans 5:6-8)

H.        The Same Jesus Who Was Buried In A Borrowed Tomb. (Matthew 27:57-60)

               I.         The Same Jesus Who Arose From That Tomb.

                            (Matthew 28:6)

J.          The Same Jesus Who Appeared To Believers After His Resurrection.(Acts 1:3; 1 Cor 15:5-8)

               K.        The Same Jesus Who Ascended To Heaven. (Acts 1:11)

L.          The Same Jesus Who Is At The Right Hand Of God Making Intercession For Us.

                            (Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 2:1-2; Romans 8:34)

               M.        The Same Jesus Who Is Seeking To Save The Lost.

                            (Luke 19:10; Rev. 3:20)

N.          The Same Jesus To Whom God The Father Has Given The Power of Judgment.

                            (Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:8-11)

               HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE.

               HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS PERSON.

III.         HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS TIMING.

We say that the rapture of Jesus is imminent. That means it can happen at any time. Vs 15– ". . .we which are alive. . ."

Paul was looking for Jesus in His day! If Paul was looking for Jesus, then how much more should we be looking for His coming?

A.        The Time Is Not For Us To Know.

Acts 1:7–“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

Matthew 24:36–"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

Matthew 24:42–"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."

Matthew 24:44–"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

                            He may come before we are finished here this morning.

He may not return for another 100 years, but the main point is this...are we ready for His return?

                            The Time For Us Is Not To Know.                                                    B.         But He Will Come Back.

2 Peter 3:9–"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

               C.         His Coming Will Be Sudden.

                            As a thief in the night...totally unexpected.

When Noah was building the ark and preaching righteousness to the people, he was looking for the flood.

The people went about their daily living in the usual way without any thought of a coming judgment.

Then one day the flood came, just as God had promised it would, and those who had laughed at the idea perished beneath the waters.

Today there are thousands of people who pay no attention to the matter of the second coming of Christ.

               D.         His Coming Will Be In Two Stages.

                            1.          First there will be the rapture, or the catching away, of the believers in Christ. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

He is coming for His own to keep us from the terrible time of tribulation which will come upon this earth.

                            2.          Then, after the seven years of tribulation He will return to this earth and establish His millennial kingdom.

He will destroy the Anti-christ, bind the devil, and reign with the saints on this earth for a literal one thousand year period.

IV.        HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS POWER AND GLORY. (VS 16-17)

A.        We Will Hear The Sounds That Will Call The Saints Home.

                            1.          The Shout Of The Saviour.

                            2.          The Voice Of The Archangel.

                            3.          The Trump Of God.

B.        Then, We Will See Our Saviour Who Will Change These Corruptible Bodies Into One Like His Own.

                            1 Corinthians 15:51–". . .we shall all be changed. . ."

1 John 3:2–"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

V.           HIS COMING WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS SALVATION.

               (VS 16) ". . .the dead in Christ. . ." ". . .we which are alive. . ."

               It is clear that Paul was addressing Believers!

               A.         Those Who Have Accepted Christ Will Go.

                            1.          Dead.

                            2.          Alive.

               B.         Those Who Have Not Accepted Christ Will Stay.

                            1.          Dead–Until The Final Judgment.

                            2.          Alive–To Go Through The Tribulation Period.

                                         a.          2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

    b.        Matthew 24:21–"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

CONCLUSION

Jesus is coming again!

He is coming according to His Promise.

He is coming according to His Person.

He is coming according to His Timing.

He is coming according to His Power and Glory.

He is coming according to His Salvation.

Are you ready for His coming? Are you saved? Are you right with God? Are you serving?

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!