## Jesus is Coming

## Matthew 24:44

(MAT 24:44) "THEREFORE BE YE ALSO READY: FOR IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK NOT THE SON OF MAN COMETH."

Scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ is coming again. Many Christians say that they are looking for His coming, however the majority of them are not really ready for His coming. It is our prayer that this message will cause those who read it, to seek to be ready for His coming.

I. The Promises Of His Coming.

A. Jesus promised that He would come again.

(JOHN 14:2-3) "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. {3} 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."

1. How can anyone deny the Second Coming of Christ, without calling Jesus a liar?

2. He plainly said, "I will come again."

3. Now, either He will do what He said, or He is a liar and cannot be trusted.

4. He has proven to be trustworthy...He will do what He says....He will come again!

B. The angelic messengers promised that He would come again.

1. When our Lord went back to the Heavenly Father, after His death and resurrection, two men stood by in white apparel.

2. They had a wonderful message for the disciples.

3. Note: Acts 1:8-11

4. In like manner...this same Jesus.

C. Paul promised that Jesus would come again.

1. The Apostle had much to say about the Second Coming of Christ.

2. He mentions this event in every chapter of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.

3. Note: 1 Thess. 4:16-18

4. This passage deals with the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture.

5. Please note that no mention of the lost is made in this passage.

6. It is the dead in Christ, and the living Christians, who will be changed and go up to meet the Lord in the air.

7. The unsaved dead will remain in their graves for more than 1,000 years, before they will be resurrected.

8. The unsaved living will enter the 7-year tribulation, and be under the reign of Antichrist.

II. The Signs Of His Coming.

When we speak of the signs of His Coming, we do not mean that we can set a date for this event.

We simply mean that certain events that are prophesied to take place in the last days are beginning to come to pass.

A. A falling away will happen before His coming.

(2 TH 2:3) "LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: FOR THAT DAY SHALL NOT COME, EXCEPT THERE COME A FALLING AWAY FIRST, AND THAT MAN OF SIN BE REVEALED, THE SON OF PERDITION;"

1. Surely no one can deny that we are in the midst of a great apostasy today.

2. Multitudes are falling away from the truth of God's Word.

3. Religious leaders are denying the fundamental truths of the Bible.

(1 TIM 4:1) "NOW THE SPIRIT SPEAKETH EXPRESSLY, THAT IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS;"

B. A time when they will not endure sound doctrine, before His coming.

(2 TIM 4:3-4) "FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; BUT AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS SHALL THEY HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING EARS; {4} AND THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SHALL BE TURNED UNTO FABLES."

1. Cults, Charismatics and other promoters of false doctrine are growing by leaps and bounds.

2. Cults offer error, and very little truth, but multitudes are flocking to them.

3. The Charismatic movement is one of the religious phenomenons of our generation.

4. It has nothing to offer but a mixture of psychology and emotionalism, but they are drawing large crowds across America.

5. They dominate the religious television broadcasting industry.

6. They have excitement and emotionalism, but they have distorted the Truth.

7. Many people will not endure sound doctrine...they literally turn away their ears from the truth, and turn to fables.

C. Perilous times will come before His coming.

Note: II Tim. 3:1-7

1. Does that sound like what is happening today?

2. Lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, and blasphemers are everywhere to be found.

3. Children who are disobedient to parents are increasing in number every day.

4. Many are without natural affection.

a. Mothers that murder their babies through abortion are without natural affection.

b. Parents that go off seeking pleasure, while their children are left alone, are without natural affection.

c. The homosexual lifestyle is without natural affection.

5. We do not have to look far to find those who are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

D. The Return of Israel to their homeland is prophesied in the last days.

1. They will be hated, and invaded. See this in Ezek. 38-39.

2. There are many places in the Bible that give us prophesies of the restoration of Israel to their homeland.

3. Since 1948, we have seen the unfolding of the saga of this restoration.

III. The Needed Preparation For His Coming.

A. Salvation for the lost.

1. To be saved one must accept by faith what God's Word says concerning our need.

(ROM 3:10) "AS IT IS WRITTEN, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE:"

(ROM 3:23) "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD;"

2. To be saved one must accept by faith what God's Word says concerning the provision for our salvation.

(ROM 5:8) "BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US."

(ROM 6:23) "FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."

3. To be saved one must accept by faith what God's Word says concerning the receiving of salvation.

(ROM 10:9) "THAT IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, AND SHALT BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, THOU SHALT BE SAVED."

(ROM 10:13) "FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED."

4. What a sad day it will be for many, when they face the Lord unprepared.

5. There will be those who thought that religion was enough.

(MAT 7:21-23) "NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. {22} MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? {23} AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY."

6. Jesus gave an example of the importance of being prepared. cf Mt. 24:37-39

B. Obedience for the saved.

1. Every Christian has assigned work.

a. Note: Mark 13:34-37

b. His house is the local church, and every Christian ought to be a member of one.

c. This is where we ought to be serving and working for Him.

(1 TIM 3:15) "BUT IF I TARRY LONG, THAT THOU MAYEST KNOW HOW THOU OUGHTEST TO BEHAVE THYSELF IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, WHICH IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH."

2. Jesus gave His work assignment to the local church and its people.

a. The great commission was given to the local church.

b. If we are not a part of a local New Testament Baptist Church, and helping to carry out this command of our Lord, then we are not ready for His coming.

The story is told of a young soldier who was condemned to die. The sentence was to be carried out the next day at the time of the ringing of the bell in the great cathedral.

When the man began to pull the bell rope, he could only hear a dull thud, and the bell did not ring. Each time he pulled there was no sound. Finally he climbed up in the bell tower, only to find a young woman with her arms, legs and body wrapped around the great clapper of the bell so that it could not ring. He pulled her bruised and bleeding body away from the bell, and discovered that she was the sweetheart of the young soldier who had been condemned to die when the bell sounded. When the ruler learned of her great sacrifice, he pardoned the young soldier.

Christians, people need the Lord. We need to give our lives that they might be saved. God has given us a job to be done. We must reach others with the Gospel. Are we ready for the Second Coming of Christ? We have His promises, we see the signs, do we understand the need for preparation? If you are without Christ...come today and by faith accept Him. Christian, are we obedient to our Lord? He is coming again!