Class Lesson April 29, 2012

Hey Gang,

This week's lesson is the final in this series on foundational truths of our faith. We close with the truth that Jesus is coming again. A lot of people today get way off track when talking about the End Times. This week, we are not going to look so much at how Jesus is coming back, but why. 

Because Jesus really is coming back, we should prepare for His return.  

Are You Ready Test

1. Do you really expect the Second Coming, and are you really and seriously living that way? If your answer is "no", you may already be in trouble. ____YES ____NO



2. Do you usually spend a minimum of one hour in prayer (total) every day, and do you include regular periods of fasting in your prayer life? ____YES ____NO



3. If the answer to the above is yes, is the majority of your prayer time spent interceding for other people? ____YES ____NO



4. Do you also usually spend a minimum of one hour a day reading, studying and meditating on the Scriptures? (The Scriptures, period, as opposed to other "inspirational" or "devotional" literature.) ____YES ____NO



5. Are you a committed member of a Church or Fellowship Group that really believes in the authority of, and preaches the Word? ____YES ____NO



6. Do you give time on a regular basis to doing something that constitutes being a servant to your fellow Christians? (Your fellow Christians, period, as opposed to the unsaved; needy or otherwise.) ____YES ____NO



7. Do you tithe and then some? ____YES ____NO



8. Do you automatically, from your heart (though not necessarily to the face), forgive anyone who does anything wrong to you? (No grudges, resentments, bitterness, suppressed anger, spitefulness, etc.) ____YES ____NO



9. Do you conscientiously refrain from getting involved in doctrinal disputes? ____YES _____NO



10. Do you avoid being preoccupied with unnecessary material possessions or pursuits? _____YES _____NO



11. Do you avoid regularly reading fiction of any kind (including so-called Christian fiction)? _____YES _____NO



12. Do you avoid regularly listening to popular, secular music? _____YES _____NO



13. Do you avoid watching anything but the News, educational, and Christian programming on TV? _____YES _____NO



14. Do you otherwise avoid involvement with the secular world of arts, entertainment and sports generally? _____YES _____NO



15. Do you avoid having anything whatsoever to do with anything that has to do with fortune telling, the occult, the New Age Movement, Eastern Religions, etc.? _____YES _____NO 

So, how did you do?

If you can’t honestly answer "YES" to most of these questions, you probably aren't ready. If you answer less than seven of them with a "yes" you may be in serious trouble. It will probably take 12 or better for you to consider yourself ready. If can you answer "yes" to all but number 15, though, you may still be in big trouble. These questions are meant to be Scriptural-based guidelines, not rules written in stone. If you think that these questions are too legalistic, it may mean you are a typical Laodicean Christian and that even though you may believe that you are living a good Christian life, you are in deep trouble.



Don't be surprised if the test results say you aren't ready. The Church of Laodicea was rejected by Christ because most of the Christians in it were failing to perform as the Lord requires. (Revelation 3:14-16) This checklist is meant to warn you, not condemn you. It is meant to identify problems you need to deal with if you want to be ready. 

 
 
 


One of the primary requirements for being ready is that we be separate from the world.      2 Corinthians 6:14-18 





Jesus taught that His coming will take place; but since no one but God knows when, we must be alert and ready at all times. The Book of Revelation is a series of visions concerning end-time events. The central event will be the second coming of Christ. Jesus Himself had told His followers about His future coming. He told them that only God knew the time of this coming. He challenged them to live in light of this promise. He predicted times of persecution for His followers, but He called them to know Him through faith and to be faithful in readiness for His coming.
 





I. SEE THE END GAME – REVELATION 22:12-14

12 “Look! I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 




Jesus tells us not only to WAIT for His return, but also to earnestly WATCH for Him.

There’s a story about a fishing vessel that finally returned home after many days at sea. As they neared the shore, the sailors gazed eagerly toward the dock where a group of their loved ones had gathered. The skipper looked through his binoculars and identified some of them: "I see Bill's wife, Mary, and there’s Tom's wife, Margaret and David's wife, Anne." One of the men became concerned because his wife wasn’t there. Later, he left the boat with a heavy heart and hurried up the hill to his home. As he opened the door, his wife ran to meet him saying, "I have been waiting for you!" And the man thought, "Yea, but the other men's wives were watching for them!" 

Don’t just wait for Jesus’ return, watch for it!

 

According to Jesus, when is He coming back? Why do you think that believers don’t live with more of a sense of urgency? 

• Just because Jesus has not returned does not mean that He could not return at any moment. In fact, because He hasn’t returned yet, we should live with an even greater sense of urgency. He is coming!

At the end of Revelation, John cried "Come Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20) in response to Jesus' promise to return. We too should eagerly await His return.

It is said that an indication of the maturity of a believer is the amount of desire they have for the return of Christ, as the more a believer is enjoying the things of this world and neglecting their relationship with God, the less they would desire the full coming of the Kingdom; and conversely, the less attached to things of this world and the more in-tune with their relationship with God, the more likely a believer is to be desperate for the return of Christ.

Five ways we can be ready for the return of Christ: Watch, Witness, Worship, Walk, and Work 

What will be Jesus purpose in returning? What are your thoughts about judgment? 

• Jesus is coming back to judge sin and to reward faith.

• Jesus will return for His people. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.
• Jesus will return to repay each person according to what he has done, whether good or evil.
• Jesus established criteria by which people may enter into heaven. John 14:6 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. & Romans 10:9 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
• Verse 14 reflects humanity’s role or responsibility, as well as the reward that waits.

Points:

1. The second coming of Christ inaugurates the new heaven and new earth.

2. Christ will judge all people according to their works.

3. No one is good enough in his or her own strength to be saved.

4. People are saved by the blood of the Lamb.

5. Good works are the fruit of a relationship with Christ.




II. SEE THAT YOU ARE READY – MATTHEW 24:39b-44


39 So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. 44 This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  

 

How do you see Jesus coming back? Do you even think about it? What activities would you plan if you knew Jesus would return within six months? What distractions would you set aside?

Activities                    Distractions

It is good that we don't know exactly when Christ will return. If we knew the precise date, we might be tempted to be lazy in our work for Christ. Worse yet, we might plan to keep sinning and then turn to God right at the end. 

 


In what ways will people be shocked when Jesus returns? What is the warning in this passage? What does it mean, practically, to be ready for Jesus’ return if we do not know when He will come? What does being ready NOT mean?

• Matthew referred to the days of Noah in verses 37-39a. The ark and Noah’s preparedness were signs that something was about to happen. We don’t have to be caught off guard.
• Be ready includes right relationship with Jesus. Be alert indicates the need for daily righteous living and the responsibility to share Jesus. 
• How are we to be ready? By having a right relationship with Jesus.
• How are we to be alert? By daily righteous living and witnessing.

Jesus loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to get to heaven and have eternal life?



Here is how the Bible answers this question. It is answered in one word and the word is FAITH.



F is for Forgiveness

• Everyone has sinned and needs God’s forgiveness. Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
• God’s forgiveness is in Jesus only. Ephesians 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

A is for Available

• God’s forgiveness is available for all. John 3:16: “God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
• God’s forgiveness is available but not automatic. Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I is for Impossible

• According to the Bible, it is impossible to get to heaven on our own. Ephesians 2:8-9: “By grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.”

So how can a sinful person have eternal life and enter heaven?



T is for Turn

• If you are going down the road and someone asked you to turn, what would he or she be asking you to do? Change direction! Turn away from sin and self. Luke 13:3: “Unless you repent, you will all perish as well!”
• Turn to Jesus alone as your Savior and Lord. John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
• Here is the greatest news of all. Romans 10:9-10: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.”

What happens if a person is willing to repent of their sins and confess Christ?



H is for Heaven

• Heaven is a place where we will live with God forever. John 14:3: “If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.”
• Eternal life begins now with Jesus. John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

H can also stand for how.

• How can a person have God’s forgiveness, eternal life, and heaven? By trusting Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You can do this right now by praying and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and inviting Jesus into your heart.

Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God! Get to know Him better in a number of ways:

• Follow Christ’s example in baptism.
• Join a church where you can worship God and grow in your faith.
• In your church, get involved in Sunday school and Bible study.
• Begin a daily personal worship experience with God where you study the Bible and pray.

Points:

1. The coming of the Lord is certain; the time is uncertain.

2. We ought to be alert and ready no matter when He comes.

3. Setting dates does harm to the cause of Christ.




III. FAITHFULLY PERSIST – MATTHEW 24:9-14; REVELATION 7:9

Persecutions Predicted

9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. 
 

……………………………………………

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands.  

How do these passages reinforce the call to be alert and ready? What will make it difficult for many to remain alert and ready?  

• Believers might endure persecution.
• Being warned that “many false prophets will rise up and deceive many,” diligently weigh the guidance of leaders against the Word of God.

1. Christians are and will be persecuted.

2. The love of some will grow cold.

3. Those with true faith will persevere unto the end.

4. Believers’ faithfulness attests to their faith.


Jesus came, lived, died, rose, left, and is coming again. Why? To save us.

A story is told of a barnyard, where there was a hen with several little chickens. One night, a lamp in the barn fell to the ground and lit the hay on fire. As the fire raged throughout the house, all the animals were killed. The next morning, as the farmers were going through the rubble, they found the crusty, shell of that hen, and when they opened her wings, they saw all her baby chicks under her wings. She had shielded them from the fire, and had given her own life in the process.

When the day of wrath comes, make sure you’re found under the wings of Jesus. Let His goodness cover your badness. Let His death on the cross be in place of your death. Let His resurrection life be your promise of eternal life. Let His wings shield you from the wrath to come. And let your good deeds, done today in this present life, be the seeds of the new world that will be born. After the earth is scorched and this old world passes away, may what we have done in this life be the foundation for the life to come. When that Day comes, we won’t have to wait any longer. We will be citizens of the new heavens and the new earth, the place in which justice dwells. 

 

Christians should look forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ. We have no fear of that great day because He has forgiven our sins. The only things He will notice are how much we have grown in righteousness, and how we have learned to endure the trials of life. He has already told us the words of praise we can expect: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matt. 25:21).

Well, what a heart probing finish for this series on foundational truths. Be praying for this lesson and that God's Word will speak to you this week and prepare you for His return!  If Jesus' return isn't something you have been thinking on - you should begin to do so, because He is coming back, soon!

See you on Sunday, 

In His Love, 

David & Susan