SERMON

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

WHAT PRECEDES THE CHRIST’S

 SECOND COMING?

James 5: 7-11

CANDLE LIGHTING:

          Betty McLean and Margaret Marilley

SCRIPTURE READING: DURING LIGHTING

        (by Betty M.      Margaret M.)

James 5: 7-11

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

CHRISTMAS CAROLS:

 “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” #184

“Joy to the World!” #171

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” #169

LITANY:

WORSHIP LEADER: Re-read James 5: 7-11

 We light this candle as a sign of God’s call for us to wait with loving patience. Jesus is coming. Be patient.

CONGREGATION:

O God, help us to wait with patience.

WORSHIP LEADER:

Waiting is not fashionable in today’s culture.  Wars and conflicts, injury and mischief often happen, because we do not wait well.  We rush ahead.  The loving God who invites us to wait for our Savior and Lord invites us to take inventory of ourselves at this point. Waiting is a spiritual virtue.  God blesses our patience, especially when we wait in obedience to God’s special call.  We can we must, learn to wait on the Lord.

CONGREGATION: 

O God, help us to wait with patience.

ALL SING:

“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” #168

ALL PRAY TOGETHER:

Great God, empower us to be patient, to wait in hope for the coming of your saving Son, our liberating Lord. In His name we pray. Amen.

INTRODUCTION 

Most of you were not here last Sunday when we talked about the period of time between the Old Testament and the New Testament fulfillment when Jesus will come in His Glory to set up His Kingdom, so I am going to repeat the introduction to that sermon so that you can get a better grasp on the flow of events.  Last weeks sermon was an important one, so I am making it available to you in print.  You may also pick one up after the service, or get them off our church’s web site: www.firstbaptistchurchcarthagesny.com

In the Summer of 1968, I had an experience that solidified my faith in using a compass and map and by extension the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

I was anxious to prove my new wrist compass with a real wilderness situation.  So I set up a situation where I would be dropped off on the western side of a ridge and I would plot my way over the ridge to the ranch where I was visiting. The ranch was located in a beautiful valley in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.  I started confidently up the mountain range until I got to the ridge.  The ranch was well marked on my topographical map, but as I observed the ranch from the altitude of the ridge a wave of uncertainty engulfed me.  It did not look like the ranch I knew from walking on it.  I thought to myself “Am I lost?” I was doing pretty well at keeping my cool when I unexpectedly walked into a bevy of about a “gazillion” quail hiding in the grass.  They all flocked up together.  I just stood there with my mouth wide open making some kind of a gurgling sound and my heart pounding so hard I almost popped the buttons on my shirt. I had broken out in a cold sweat.  I was in a state of shock I began to blame my compass.  I walked up and down on the ridge for about an hour trying to figure out what went wrong.  Was it my map or my compass, or me?  It couldn’t be me. After all I was an expert in land navigation, wasn’t I?

I was just getting over the quail incident when a big black cloud came over the ridge and there was thunder and lightening and torrential rain.

Then in the middle of that cloudburst I came to my senses and trusted my map and compass.  I had to get off that ridge or that lightening was going to make a crispy-critter out of me. 

I stumbled and slid down the steep muddy mountainside following the compass’ direction to that spot on the map that meant “home” to my bedraggled soul.   Fifteen minutes later, I dragged my humiliated ego and my soaking wet-muddy body back to the ranch.  I should have trusted in the first place.

 That was quite a lesson.  I learned that I can trust my tools to do what they were meant to do.  The problem was my lack of faith.

A pilot also has to learn to trust his instruments also when he is in mountainous terrain or flying in low visibility or he will crash.

Likewise, Christian men, women, and children must learn to trust the Bible and the Holy Spirit when they navigate the wilderness of life or they will suffer greatly. We must study the Word and Live Intimately with the Holy Spirit if we want to prosper in our Christian lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t prop yourself up on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your path straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Moses told Joshua when was about to lead Israel into the promised land—“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).

This week as promised, we will explore The Return of Christ, the Messiah and the events that surround it. I will put our current world picture into its context.

I.                  The Return promises (Matt. 24: 27-28; MATT. 26: 64)

II.               The Return signs (Matt. 24: 3-14

III.           What Events Portend the Rapture of the Church? (1 Thess. 4: 14-18)

IV.            The Great Tribulation That is Coming on the Earth. (Ezek. 38: 1-39:29; Dan. 9:24-27; Matt 24:21-22)

V.               The Millenium  (Rev. 20:1-6)

VI.             What Should We Be Doing? (Titus 2:11-14) 

VII.        In Anticipation of His Return, How Should We Be Living? (1 Cor.1: 7-8; Titus 2: 11-14)

I.                  The Return promises (Matt. 24: 27-28; MATT. 26: 64)

          read from the scripture

II.               The Return signs (Matt. 24: 3-14)

read from the scripture

III.           What Events Portend the Rapture of the Church? (1 Thess. 4: 13-18)

“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  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, After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

IV.            The Great Tribulation That is Coming on the Earth. (Ezek. 38: 1-39:29; Dan. 9:24-27; Matt 24:21-22)

If you want to know how this war in the Middle East is going to end, let me draw your attention to Ezekiel 38 and 39. The prophecy against Gog.  Summarize:

Dan. 9:24-27   The Antichrist

Matt. 24:21-22 THE TRIBULATION

V.               The Millenium  (Rev. 20:1-6) 

“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.  After that, he must be set free for a short time.  I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God.  They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.  They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.  This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.  The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” 

Satan’s Doom After this thousand year Millennium Satan is released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations of the earth (Gog and Magog) of Ezekiel 38-39. But fire will come down from heaven and utterly destroys Gog’s vast confederation of armies.  Satan is thrown into the lake of burning sulfur to be tormented day and night for ever and ever. After this comes the Great White Throne of Judgment.  The dead, great and small will stand before the throne of God.  The books recording our sins will be opened. Another book will be opened which is the Book of Life.  The dead will be judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book Of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire

The First Heaven and the First Earth pass away (Rev. 21

—The New Jerusalem on the Earth

VI.            In Anticipation of His Return, How Should We Be Living? (1 Cor.1: 7-8; Titus 2: 11-14; Matt. 28:18-20)

“Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Cor. 1: 7-8)

“fOR THE GRACE OF gOD THAT BRINGS SALVATION HAS APPEARED TO ALL MEN.  iT TEACHES US TO SAY “nO” TO ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2: 11-14)

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt. 28: 18-20)

AMEN