Download Christmas Day: The event of the 2nd coming – personal, visible, etc

-1Notice:
DVD intro – Christianity Explored (Times – not too late/ dark. School
tomorrow. Effort and expense to give you the opportunity to have your own
answer for life’s most critical question. But, point raised: unlikely time. We’re
trusting God. To those who don’t want to think about Christ – it will always be
an unlikely time. Challenging you to commit now – knowing that you will
want to stay away, but that this truly is perhaps the most important course
you’ll ever attend. If you’re not a regular at the church, no cost. Otherwise
R30.
Sign up your name on the way out at the desk.
The 2nd Christmas: Part 4
Eye-opening Promises of the 2nd Christmas,
1. Introduction
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1.1
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Christmas. Anticipation of opening and revealing – that moment.
Everyone cranes their head to see what comes out the wrapperwatching the future unfold. Even if you discern beforehand, you still
want to see it. Kids – always in the way. Shouting at them: you’re just
as interested!
Series: 2nd Christmas – the evidence of the 2nd coming.
today we get to crane our necks, open the parcel, and see what’s in
store.
Note about: Prophecy and Apocalyptic literature
symbolic, mystery – for 3400 years, people have been carefully
searching to try and grasp the prophecies
but true, real
o (just consider OT prophecies about Christ)
exact timing and order of events not 100% clear
o (not just the Day – that clearly is unknown)
o but the order too: 3 main views (dep on what’s literal, what’s a
picture)
but we do know much certainly. God has left us with no excuse to be
unprepared, and unexpecting. HE Loves us, wants us to know, wants us
to be saved to Him.
o [no ‘Bible code’ to break for the learned only! Revelation!]
2. Proposition
- It’s going to be different to the 1st Christmas!(understatement)
Eye-opening promises of the 2nd Christmas (R. Culver)
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(particular passages: Matt 13, 24, 1 Thes 4, 2 Thes, 2 pet 3,
Rev: will be jumping around – easier to follow on screen)
3. Every eye will be confronted by Him
We can choose to believe that Jesus the Christ didn’t come.
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-2…No-one will be able to deny that Jesus the Christ has come. Even those who
have never heard of Him.
Jesus Christ himself will return personally, visibly, audibly… and all will know.
3.1
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3.2
Contrast
At the 1st Christmas, only a few saw Him (recorded: Parents, aunt and
uncle, a few foreigners (magi numbering? 3 gifts), shepherds, Simeon,
Anna
There were certainly rumours and news spread (by shepherds, my
magi, talk in Jerusalem, local ‘skinner’ in Judea.
There was certainly doubt.
o (Even in His years of ministry, crowds swarmed Him, but many
doubted)
Point
- This same Jesus will personally come again.
- But next time, there will be no doubt. It will be unmistakable.
- A few scriptures to note:
Acts 1:9-11
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a
cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of
Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This
same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back
in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
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o (obvious why people scoff at the idea of resurrection and
ascension – while they were looking at Him ascending: promise
of His return. Who’s going to argue in light of that scenario!)
in the same way, visibly, traversing Heaven and this world
(not read) 1 Thes 4:16a
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven
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will come personally, in His resurrection body, the Owner returning
& > we won’t need anyone elses word that it is Him:…
Matthew 24:
24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform
great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I
have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not
go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as
lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be
the coming of the Son of Man.
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something eye-opening: South Africans are in this verse
V30a
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-330 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then
all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man
coming
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3.3
global revelation. (and global mourning for not being ready)
Application
2nd
the
Christmas will be … different. … because
He will not come unnoticed. But every person will personally encounter
Him.
- today, you can stop coming to church… tune out
- preoccupy your thoughts with human philosophy, daily activities,
entertainment… even write Christmas off. (The 1st Christmas!) – you
will not be able to write the 2nd off.
4. Everyone will face His Full Glory
Continuing Matthew 24:30b
“all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory”
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well, What is His “glory”?
o the fullness of who He is: on display
o every thing has something of its own glory. Flowers, bloom,
glorious.. Man has glory – although it quickly fades, just like the
flowers, … and everything in creation. (Isa 40:6-7) [on board]
o In a small way, Jesus revealed His glory, the Bible says in John
2(:11), by performing miracles – and as a result His disciples put
their faith in Him.
 They were seeing with their eyes evidence of Divine
Power. (Changed the chemical composition of the water
to become wine, without even a word.)
o In a far more revealing surprise, Jesus revealed His glory, by
transfiguring Himself before Peter James and John
 Face shone! Bright, white, light, “sun”
 They experienced unseen spiritual realities: Moses and
Elijah talking with Jesus, and heard .the .voice .of
.God…
 permanently scorched into Peter’s mind 2 Pet 1:16-18 –
“eyewitnesses of His majesty” – God honoured and
glorified Him
 He will return with “great glory”
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It will also help us to appreciate the vast gap between the glory in His
1st coming, and the glory of the 2nd.
o Php 2:7-8a
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
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-4he humbled himself
[Vanessa bring Ray?]
 Carols have captured this well
“why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?”[What
child is this]
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4.1
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Illustration: Manger (holy thing?)…the humility of a
Dog’s bowl
Those who lived around Him saw no outward glory –
“Isn’t this the carpenter?”
He came and associated himself with prostitutes and
thieves: sinners who knew they needed to be saved.
What about the glory of the 2nd coming?
One of the most revealing verses about Jesus’ glory is John 17:5
Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you
before the world began.
Matt 16:27
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory
o !! – eternal, creator, God-glory
Application
The 2nd Christmas will be different. Not take place in a dog’s bowl.
the disciples reaction on the mount: At the voice of God, “they fell on
their faces and were terrified.” – ever been terrified? Not like this,
you haven’t!
o Glory: [Heb]:’Kabod’ = to be heavy. That’s what it will do to us…
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Transition: and this is seen most significantly in the next promise:
5. Every knee will bow before Him
5.1
Contrast
At the 1st Christmas, Jesus left His glory and came humbly, not in power,
for a reason:
To die for sinners, in your stead… and my stead.
Mark 10:45
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many
He came in peace, to bring us peace.
“Silent Night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright”
5.2
The Point
He is coming a 2nd time, in power, to discriminate between righteous people
and unrighteous people. (right before God) – living or dead.
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-5By the word of God: The righteous will be saved on that day, but the
unrighteous will be damned.
5.3
Proof
John 5:27-29
27 And he[God the Father] has given him[the Son] authority to judge
because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in
their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done
what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil
will rise to be condemned.
2 Thes 1:7b-10a
This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in
blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do
not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They
will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he
comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among
all those who have believed.
5.4
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(Angels – a significant role
1st Christmas: A few specific appearances of angels with messages
2nd Christmas: multitudes of angels experienced by all, both believers
and unbelievers
Matt 24:31
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will
gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to
the other.
Matt 13:41-43
The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his
kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They
will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Jude 14:
See He comes with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones.
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5.5
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His power and authority will bring every knee to bow, and
every tongue to confess (Php 2:10)
Application
When we consider the scale of events, we become very small. Like
considering the cosmic universe.
There is no battle, really! The only reason for spiritual warfare is the
patience of God – for us to repent and trust in His mercy and grace.
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-6(…a 4th promise:
- He will come suddenly. – as quickly as I’ve just said that.
“Watch! I come quickly!” – twice in the last CH of Rev.
The 2nd Christmas, not of peace, until every sin dealt with
6. Concluding Application
What have you found in the wrapper this morning?
Maybe this wasn’t the message you expected on Christmas morning!
But Based on these promises, for many people, The 2nd Christmas won’t be
expected either!
The greatest promise, though, of all of these, is the promise of Eternal Life to
those who will receive Christ before He comes again.
There is only one way to be saved from God’s judgement on our sin
Rom 5:9-10
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall
we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were
God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his
Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved
through his life!
Rom 10
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is
with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your
mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
[time?]As I thought about these promises and how weighty and severe they
are, I realised that each of them gives great hope for believers:
1. Every eye will see Him: 1 John 3:2, “we know that when he appears we
shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
a. Because He became one small person like us
2. Everyone will face His full glory: 2 Cor 4:17, - we will share in that
Eternal Glory: a. because He took our humility on Himself
3. Every knee will bow before Him: 2 Tim 2:12 – “if we endure, we will
reign with Him”
a. Because He took our judgement
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“Thank you for the 1st Christmas: your love to me. I will wait for you. I repent
and believe”
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