Jesus is Coming

Good morning, happy Christmas Eve and welcome to week four in our Advent series Mysteries of Messiah.

It all started with Ed Anderson reminding us that Jesus came as God in the flesh, and remember how Bruce de Ford unwrapped the mystery that Jesus came in weakness.

Last week we pondered the fact that Jesus came as a sacrifice for sins, and today's mystery our final is this Jesus will return again.

Jesus is coming again.

In essence, he tells us.

I'll be back.

You know, I heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger has been tapped as one of several actors in a new film they're creating celebrating the lives of great classical music composers, and he was offered the chance to play Mozart in the film.

He took a look at the script and didn't really like what he said.

He told the producers look, why don't you work on that script?

Rewrite it and I'll be back.

Dennis, you're a little late on that.

You know, when I was a kid, every December, I remember my dad dragging this rickety wooden ladder to the end of our hallway.

He would ascend the ladder and remove the sacred two foot by two foot piece of plywood in the ceiling.

Climbing up, he was swallowed into the vast darkness of the unknown.

Unfailingly, he would return with a large cardboard box.

This box once bore Washington delicious red apples.

We sold them in high school to raise money.

Well, for a brief period of time that poor box held clothes, but its status climbed it.

Eventually it became legend once it earned the title Keeper of Christmas Things.

That box represents my childhood, and when Diane and I were newly married, my parents graciously gave us that box complete with the contents inside, bearing many of my childhood Christmas decorations.

Now I've noticed over the years that, as Diana has sifted through them, some of those things have disappeared into the night.

Now you should know that I do run all of my messages by Diana.

She's my best editor.

She's my best everything.

Anyway, when she saw that line about some of these things disappearing with her red pen, she wrote two words more should.

Here's the irony.

That box you're looking at right there has become more important to me than what's inside.

It has my mom's handwriting on it.

She's in heaven now.

Just seeing it, though, brings warm thoughts.

I love to haul it down from our attic.

Truthfully, my affection for that box is way out of whack.

Hey, is it possible?

You and I have got things out of whack with regard to our Advent celebrations.

Has the Christmas story become to us like that beloved box, a thing we value for some of the right reasons?

Have we got things out of whack by forgetting that his first coming was equally about his second coming?

You know, jesus made the promise of his second coming abundantly clear in Matthew 25, verse 31.

Matthew 25:31

Speaking of himself, he said but when, not if when the Son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

I want us to unpack this just a bit, as we join Jesus, not in Bethlehem, but in the upper room there at Jerusalem.

John 14 is where we're headed.

Would you open your copy of the scriptures there?

And this is, again, certainly not a passage that most of us would associate with Christmas.

It feels more like Easter.

But there's a mystery here, a mystery Jesus would have us unpack at Christmas Some important context.

As you're flipping to John 14, jesus is in the upper room there with his 12 disciples.

He has washed their feet, eaten the supper with them, told them he's about to leave them and even identified the one who's going to betray them from their midst.

The disciples are shook up, and you can understand why.

Would you join me in honoring the word of God, by standing, if you're comfortable, or remaining seated, if you're not.

We'll read the passage as it shows on the screen John 14, one through six Do not let your heart be troubled.

Believe in God, believe also in me.

In my father's house are many rooms.

If that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will receive you to myself, so that where I am there, you also will be and you know the way I'm going.

Thomas said to him Lord, we do not know where you are going.

How do we know the way?

Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me.

Thanks for sharing that passage.

Would you be seated, you say?

What does this passage have to do with Messiah's coming at Christmas?

May?

I suggest this text offers us two gifts and one go.

Two gifts and one go.

Gift number one that Jesus came the first time, means unending joy.

Unending joy.

Notice that this joy is ours.

Even in the most uncertain times.

The disciples were about to lose their friend, their mentor, their Messiah, their bummed.

They have left everything and everyone quite literally, to follow him.

Now he's about to rock their world.

His death will come about through the betrayal of a trusted member of their own circle.

Well, that stings.

Yet a heart at rest, an untroubled heart, is one of Christ's lasting gifts to them and us Joy in the middle of hurt and loss.

Jesus never white washes a thing.

He doesn't deny his impending death, he announces it.

Yet, incredibly, he says do not let your hearts be troubled.

Believe in God, believe also in me.

See, we have peace now in this life because of what comes after our troubles in this life.

And what comes after is so much better, so much Scripture says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

That is our reason for unending joy.

That Jesus came the first time means unending joy.

The carol we sang this morning says repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy.

And because there's so much of it, it says repeat, repeat that sounding joy Because of what Christ did at his first coming.

Think about this, folks, we have the gift of forgiveness through his death.

Imagine that, the gift of forgiveness.

We have the gift of a right relationship with God.

Don't have to wonder if we're accepted, don't have to wonder if he's hanging a big club over our heads.

We have the gift of the Holy Spirit comforting, clarifying and, what needed, convicting.

We have all of this because Jesus came the first time.

We have unending joy, which takes us to gift number two.

Gift number two that Jesus will come a second time means unending life.

Unending life.

If you're taking notes, look at what Jesus promises in John 14, two and three.

In my father's house there are many rooms.

If that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to myself so that where I am there, you also will be News flash.

Where Jesus is, there ain't no death.

Those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior have unending life.

Unending.

How do we know Jesus is coming back, he promised?

Fascinating.

A recent poll that I read this week finds that when Jesus is coming back to earth today or this, whenever he comes, maybe it is today when Jesus is coming back is an interesting focus point for Americans.

55% of all US adults say this will happen, that Jesus will return to earth.

Can you believe 55%?

I'm shocked.

It's that many 86% of historically black congregations agree.

92% of evangelicals believe in Jesus' second coming.

I feel sorry for the other 8%.

Where are their heads at?

Not in the clouds.

At the same time, get this.

Here's what's sad 25% of Americans do not believe Jesus will return to earth.

16% say they just don't believe in Jesus.

Well, I have news today.

Whether or not anyone believes it, jesus is coming back to earth.

And that Jesus will come a second time means unending life.

And he said it again and again and again.

John 11, 25,.

Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life.

Romans 5, 21,.

So that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

First, john 5, 11,.

And this is the testimony God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son.

Eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 4, 16,.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.

2 Timothy 2, 11,.

Here is a trustworthy saying if we died with him, we will also live with him.

2 Corinthians 5, verse one, for we know that if the earthly tent we dwell in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior have unending life.

That's gift number two.

What about the go part, though?

You know the best way to celebrate Christmas is to go prepare for Christ's return.

Did you know that the biblical mentions of Christ's second coming outnumber references to his first coming, and not by a little.

How much would you guess?

Twice as many.

How many think?

Three times as many, four times as many, five.

You know what the answer is it's a factor of eight to one, eight to one.

Scholars have identified 1,845 different biblical references to the second coming of Jesus, and it's not just in the New Testament, but the kind assistance of David Jeremiah.

Allow me to blow your mind.

In the Old Testament, christ's return is emphasized in no less than 17 books, 17.

As far back as Genesis, that's way before his first coming, enoch predicted Jesus would return.

The prophet Daniel prophesied Jesus coming back.

The New Testament authors speak of it in 23 out of 27 books.

Wow, the Lord himself referred to the second coming 21 times.

Get this.

The New Testament mentions Christ's return in seven out of every 10 chapters, meaning one out of every 30 verses in the New Testament proclaims that Jesus Christ is coming back to earth.

Does that blow your mind?

Does mine?

Now, if it's that important to the writers of Scripture, if it's that important to our Savior Jesus, don't you think we ought to prepare?

Don't you think we ought to get ready, really ready?

The Bible always speaks to two audiences those who are saved and those who are lost.

Which group are you in?

The beloved Christmas Carol says Joy to the world.

The Lord is come, let earth receive her king.

Have you received this king, king Jesus?

Is he king over your life, or is it you calling the shots?

Acts 412 assures us and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

Well, so how do you get saved?

Acts 16, 31 says believe on the Lord, jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

Believe.

What I noticed this time of year?

There's all kinds of these vertical signs, porch signs, what's the word, ladies?

There's a category for this.

We sell them by the billions at Hobby Lobby, but anyway, they all say believe, believe.

Believe what Sandy Claus Believe your Amazon wish list is going to show up under the tree.

Believe.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Believe what Romans 10, 9, and 10 says if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raising from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Are you saved?

If not, you're not ready for Christ's return, but you can be.

You can be ready, you can be saved.

This is your moment.

Today is your day.

Don't let it pass.

I'm inviting our deaconesses and our elders to just stand right up here right after the church service.

They are glad, excited, every single one of them to pray with you to receive Jesus.

I daresay they might pray for you and with you about something else if you've got that on your heart too.

But this is the day to receive Jesus First.

John 5, 13 says I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Let earth receive her King.

The Christmas Carol goes on.

Let every heart prepare him room.

You know what we have room for in our homes.

This is a lot about us, isn't it?

That we have and don't have?

It's not just a matter of money.

In our small home, if you were to visit and if you were allowed in the two rooms which are banned from all visitors on pain of death, you would see a generous portion of books.

We have lots of books.

We both love books, diane and I, and so we have them.

Many of them, too many of them.

In point of fact, I have two books on my Christmas wish list, though we're already in excess of books.

Why we like them?

We value them, apparently, above other things.

Some people have too many antiques, too many dishes, maybe Too many tools.

Is that really possible, guys?

I don't think so.

Too many model trains, too many cars, but none of us have too much of Jesus.

In fact, it's just the opposite Jesus has too little of us.

Hey, if you know Jesus, what kind of room does he have in your heart?

Have you reserved some or most of that heart space for yourself?

The throne of your life has room for only one, really Just one.

You go to church, maybe.

Do you bring a Bible, maybe, but deep inside your life is more about you than Jesus.

You want to prepare for Christ's return.

I got three quick suggestions.

They're not even in your notes.

Number one think about His return.

Think about His return.

Why shouldn't that occupy our thoughts?

Why must it be the war in the Middle East and Ukraine?

Why must it be the political garbage going on?

Why shouldn't it be the Second Coming?

Set your minds on things above.

We're told it wasn't a suggestion.

Set your minds on things above.

Think eternity.

That's where we're headed.

Number two don't just think about His return.

Talk about it.

Talk about Christ's return with other believers.

Talk about it with nonbelievers.

You know we talk about the stuff that's most important to us, right?

Oh, I'm all about the NFL schedule.

I'll talk about who won the Monday night game.

Why shouldn't we regularly talk about Jesus' return?

Number three build.

Build around that return.

Build your priorities, your hopes, your dreams.

Let the Second Coming of Jesus motivate you to share Christ with somebody who doesn't know Him.

And then get ready for the party, get ready to dance.

When Diane and I first had grandkids, we were completely, totally ambushed.

They were better, way better than advertised Still are.

Never forget when Diane and I pulled up to see a little Josie and Caleb one snowy morning at their home.

As we pulled into the driveway we noticed their living room window was entirely fogged over, much like this morning.

I mean, it was just fogged over.

But two tiny little sets of hands wiped away all that mist.

And as we got out of the car we saw two sets of legs hurling their little bodies into the air on the couch.

As they saw us, they were excited, walking toward the porch.

Still outside their home, we could hear their squeals of joy and excitement through the glass.

The door swung open and the dance began.

Joy, joy to the world.

The Lord has come.

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room.

See, he came the first time so he could come the second time.

Let's get ready to dance.

Would you pray with me, lord?

We want our hearts to be right, our hearts to prepare you room.

So many of us say we know you, but we don't give it to you.

Our hearts, we give you a corner of the throne, not the whole thing.

You've asked for it all.

Would you help us give you all?

And for anyone here who is not absolutely sure that they are headed for heaven that Jesus is coming for them.

Convict them.

May they be incredibly uncomfortable until they come forward and pray to receive Jesus right after the service.

Be honored and glorified in all that is said and done, now and forever, in Jesus' name, amen.