We Believe Jesus Is Coming Back

We Believe Jesus is Coming Back (John 14:3) *All verses in NKJV*

– We are continuing the sermon series “What We Believe”, today: We Believe Jesus is coming back!

– In John Ch. 14: After His triumphant entry, having the Passover/first communion with his disciples, just called out Judas as the betrayer, Jesus now tells them He and the Father are one… He IS God!

– READ John 14:1-18 (and explain/talk it through as you go…)

– Key take aways:

1. Jesus describes “the Father” (God) and himself as one, and also the Holy Spirit… the Trinity!
2. Jesus promises them that he is coming back: We see him come back in his physical body after his death, burial, and resurrection. We see him return to their hearts as the Holy Spirit. And he promised to return and take them to the Father… this is the “Second Coming”…

John 14:3, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

3. Jesus is coming back for the believer walking in faith (not for everybody!): 

John 14:15-16a, “If you love Me, (you will) keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter), that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive…

John 14:22-24,  Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

– Foundational concepts:

– Salvation comes by GRACE alone, through FAITH alone, in JESUS CHRIST alone…

Eph 2:8-10, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

– Your salvation comes with and obligation of obedience to the scriptures, and “work” for the Lord…

– You can’t earn salvation buy doing good works, but you can honor the gift you have been given.

– You don’t “obey” to get anything from God, but you want to obey and serve God because you have believed the message, and it has changed your life… because you have been made new!

– JESUS IS COMING BACK for those who truly love God and are called according to His purpose! We need to be ready!

Acts 1:9-11, Now when He (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

We need to live like Jesus is coming back in Communion, in Baptism, and by Finishing Well!

1. Live like Jesus is coming back… through communion:

– 1 Cor. 11:23-26,  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

– Christ’s return is proclaimed through communion. This reminds us of our future hope.

– We believe in communion here at FVC, and have the 6 Rs…

1. Remember: “… do this in remembrance of Me.” Think of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the cross. This is how “God so loved the world…” and how we have salvation.
2. Repent: This is a time of self-evaluation, examining our commitment to Him. Otherwise, we can take communion in an unworthy manner and bring judgment upon ourselves.

– Psalm 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

3. Restore: As you remember the death of Christ and think about how it restored and reconciled you to God, it should drive you to restore and reconcile with others, in Christ.
4. Rededicate: Christ died with blood shed, so that we can have forgiveness of sins, and new life. This is the new covenant in his blood. Our side is that if we have died to sin, and been raised to new life, we should go and sin no more. Communion is a time to rededicate ourselves to the covenant that we have with God, knowing that He will always keep His end. 
5. Reach out: Communion reminds us to reach out and proclaim Christ to those around us. Look at verse 26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” 

– The message of the cross and the Lord’s death is not only for us to remember, but it is for us to proclaim, preach, teach, share, and testify. Communion is an act of proclamation. 

– When you participate in it you are saying I believe Jesus died for my sins. I believe He rose again. I believe that my sins have been paid for by the death of Jesus Christ on that cross. When you take communion you are making a statement a follower of Christ and not ashamed.

6. Rejoice: The Lord’s Supper brings our attention to the fact that someday Christ will return! 

– Communion is not just about the death of Christ, but about his reign and his return. 

– 1 Thess. 4:16-18, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

– We rejoice because Jesus is coming back!

2. Live like Jesus is coming back… through baptism:

– Col. 2:12-15, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

– This is a foundational concept of our Christian belief:

– You were spiritually dead in your sin. Jesus physically died on the cross to become the all-sufficient blood sacrifice for your sin, then rising to life, bringing us eternal life in heaven. 

– Through baptism, you ceremonially experience Christ’s physical death, by being “buried” under the water, then raised out of the water to a “new life” …lived for Jesus.

– It is a meaningless ritual by itself, and only has meaning when combined with true faith and heart change.

– Baptism doesn’t save you, but if you have been saved, you should be baptized out of obedience.

– Romans 6:3-6, Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

3. Live like Jesus is coming back… by finishing well!

– Romans 13:11, And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 

– We should live like we expect Jesus to return today, because no one knows the exact moment…

– Don’t give up! It’s a journey not a destination. “…run with endurance the race that is set before us”

– 1 Cor. 9:24-26, Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

– Example: Onesimus and Demas… Apostle Paul described them both in his letters as “beloved brothers” …one didn’t finish well!

– Onesimus, relatively new recruit and a fugitive slave from the town of Colossae, possibly a thief. He met Paul in a Roman prison, possibly serving time there too, and got saved, and became Paul’s spiritual son.

– Philemon 1:10-11, I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable (useless) to you, but now is profitable (useful) to you and to me.

– Philemon 1:15-16, For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

– He started with humble beginnings, but became a strong spiritual leader for the Gospel!

– Demas was also mentioned in Paul’s letters to Philemon and to the Colossians, as a fellow prisoner, beloved brother, listed among those laboring faithfully with Paul…

– We see Demas mentioned another time, in a letter to Timothy, about 10 years later.

– 2 Tim. 4:10, for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica… (The NLT says, “Loved the things of this life…”)

– What happened to Demas?! He started strong but didn’t finish well! Remember, it is a journey, not a destination….

Conclusion: 

– We believe Jesus is coming back, so get saved now, and finish well.  

– Good news, there is still time for you, but don’t wait too long…

– 2 Peter 3:8-9, But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

– prayer –