Sunday Morning Worship
December 4, 2011
Series: “Embracing CHRISTmas”
Today: “Embrace His Second Coming”

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 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.¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Intro: In our Lifepath brochure we lay out the second step in every seeker’s journey:     embrace Christ   .

A. Today we start a series that “backs into Christmas” by starting at the      end of His life      .

Acts 1:9-11 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.”

B. Jesus is going to make a re-entryone of these days.

I.     SIGNS     THAT ANNOUNCE HIS SECOND COMING.

A. Early signs – Jesus calls them “the beginning of birth      pains      ” (Matthew 24:8).

1. Many will come proclaiming, “    I am the Christ     .”

2. There will be “wars and rumors of wars, ”as nations rise against     nations    .

3.     Famines     and      earthquakes     .

B. Jesus concluded His discourse on signs of His second coming with these words:

Matthew 24:12-14 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

II. THE      SOUNDS      THAT WILL BE HEARD AT HIS SECOND COMING.

A. There will be a loud     command     .

B. A      trumpet      will blast the call of God to His people.

III. THE      SCENES      THAT WILL BE EXPERIENCED AFTER THE SECOND COMING.

A. Paul’s words sum up our experience: “And so we will be with the Lord      forever     ” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

1. John writes that a      new heaven      and a      new earth       will be prepared for us.

2. We will dwell with God and He with us; He will be all the       sun      we need, no night.

3. No      tears     , no      death     , no      pain      —all that old stuff will have passed with the old earth.

4. Our      joys      will last forever; never bored or tired or frustrated.

B. Whatever it takes for you to stay passionate for God; whatever sacrifices you feel it may take; it will be      worth it all      !

Conclusion: Embrace      Jesus     …Embrace His      teachings     .

Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.