Blessed Hope And Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ — Mack Tomlinson

Good morning, I'm going to get louder so you better watch that mic. Good to be back. What's your greetings? Morning greetings. Good to see you. Thank you. Cory's right, we're fallible and weak. We need him ultimately in everything.

Reading scripture publicly or preaching. So thank God for the grace that is ours. I bring you greetings from Poverty's Chapel. And they send their love. We pray for you as a church as we continue to need and ask your prayers for us.

The Certainty of Christ’s Second Coming

So we're going to turn in a moment to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. You can go ahead and turn there. That will be one of two texts of scripture. But I want to ask a question. And I want to see any raised hands on these two questions.

How many of you have never heard a message on the second coming of Christ? Everybody has? I'm going to listen to you carefully to make sure the things I say are accurate. You'd be brilliant. Second question, how many of you find yourself still kind of confused on end times and the second coming?

And you don't know, you're not clear. All right. You know, you love this great theologian and he believes one way. And then you say that this other one you love too, they don't agree. And then this third guy you really love, he didn't agree with either of them.

So what am I to believe? Who should I listen to? This book. Because you know, down through church history, systems have evolved and developed. Pre-millennialism. Amillennialism. Post-millennialism. And you know that other one.

And millennialism. That means it will all pan out at the end. And yet you have jostled in many whom you have benefited from if you've read or listened to truth very much. Men that you respect. And they all disagree.

Which tells us what? None of those systems are inspired. None of them are perfect. They all have an element of truth, elements of truth. But no true system of eschatology is perfect, nor should it be perfectly trusted at all.

It's a fallible approach to wrap our heads around, how's it going to work out? What's it going to be like? What are the events? How should we view things? So thank God I'm not going to address that. What I'm going to address is this.

The blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. You might call it the second coming certainties. Because while there is obscurity in the details, there is not obscurity in the certainties the New Testament declares about His soon return.

This could be called maybe the basics of end time theology. I just want to talk about the basic bottom line truths about the coming of our Lord back to this earth for His people and for judgment. It was timely about the judgment of the wicked and the cataclysm.

Because what you heard and saw and recited there is what's going to happen when the Son of God returns to the earth. He's going to mop all this up. He's going to take no prisoners. He's going to end it all.

And then he's going to deliver the kingdom up to the Father that God will be glorified in all things. First Corinthians says the second coming is certain. That is, it's an absolute. There's no obscurity about that.

It is also central because it fills the pages of the Bible. And it is also soon. Meaning it's imminent. It's timing is unknown. It's fact is fearful and final. It's occurrence. It's event. It's occurrence is the end of the present world in all of human history.

The future return of the Son of God is the end of all things temporal. And it is the beginning of the new heavens and the new earth. When God makes all things new. The final regeneration. Jesus said of all things.

Readiness Rather Than Speculation

Now if this blessed hope is your future hope. How clear are you on it? And how ready are you for it? That's what's important in the New Testament. How clear are you on it? In terms of hoping in it. Waiting for Him to come.

And how ready are you for Him to come? You think there's anybody alive among professing Christians. That they've got the whole system perfected. Their charts. Their plans. The details. Perfected. And they're living in sin and lukewarmness.

And they're not ready. You think that's possible? Absolutely. It's possible. My goal this morning is for you. To have newness and freshness. About becoming the Lord Jesus Christ. That it would become more important to you today.

In your thinking. And in your life. That you would be much more clear on the basis. So by way of introduction. Before we even read our text. I want to make some basic general statements. First. Hands down there are three.

The three most important events. Of cosmic and historical significance are these. Number one. The sixth day creation. Of all things. Number two. The incarnation of the Christ. In his first coming. In spaces.

In time. And three. The future second coming. Of the son of God. The creation. The first coming. The future second coming. These are the three biggest issues. For mankind in all of history. Nothing is more important.

After the cross of Christ. Over 2 ,000 years ago. Than the second coming of our Lord. Second general statement. Clarity. And not confusion. About this is needed. And it's possible. For you to be clear.

And not confused. If you give attention. Just to the things. The New Testament says about the second coming. Corrie talked about. Proverbs 2 about it. We have to do the work. There's a lot of things. Solomon said there in Proverbs 2.

We're to do. But if we do it. We get the benefits. We get the wisdom. Same is true here. You read the statements in the New Testament. About the Lord's coming. You read them. In their context. And you take them at face value.

And you will see. The basic truths. We are to believe. About his coming. And we are to apply about his coming. And I want to tell you something. This truth I'm talking about today. Applies to everyone in this room.

If you're not a Christian. And you don't care about Christianity. Jesus Christ is coming. For certain. And you will stand before him. And he will be your judge. Because he's the judge of all the earth at that time.

So don't think this doesn't apply to you. It applies to every believer. Who's looking for his coming. Who's longing for his coming. And it applies to every unbeliever. Who doesn't care a hell of beans about the Bible.

Or Christianity. Nothing is more important. To any person. Than the future second coming. And we don't have to be as Christians. Confused about it. Why is there confusion? Because eschatology. The doctrine of end times.

Has been ambushed. By extremists. Date setters. Charlatans. Chart makers. Who sell them on premium for a lot of money. To see their chart of every detail. And prophesying nuts. That have flooded the church.

With false teaching. Confusion. Wrong emphasis. And nonsense. Now I'll tell you what I really think about. That's where the confusion has come from. Dear beloved ones. Believers need clarity. Conviction.

Certainty and hope. More than ever. About the biggest future reality that's coming. Now let me just ask you. In your daily life. In your home. In your walk. How much. Does the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ever play in your mind. And in your prayer. We must confess it to all the non-existent in you. We don't think a lot about it. And we should. When we read in the New Testament. We affirm it's true. But the New Testament.

When there's statements about it. We're going to see in a moment. Every time the Lord Jesus. Or the apostles. Speak about it. They're calling for us to have ethical. Moral. Response. Of a changed life.

And a prepared heart. In light of His coming. Always at that point. We need clarity. So that we might be encouraged. But you know it's a bad sign. When Christians are disagreeing about that day. Instead of preparing for it.

It's true. I know Christians. Who used to be close to one another in fellowship. And they parted ways. Over their view. Of the end times. That is sin. A .W. Tozer told the story of. A husband and a father.

Who's going away on a long business trip. And he tells the family. I don't know when I'm. Returning. But you watch for me. And you pray. For that. And you be ready. Because I will come home. And so the days pass.

And the weeks pass. And more weeks pass. And so finally the family begins to discuss. You know. I remember. He kind of had this nuance. In how he said he'd come back. So I think it's going to be this way.

No that's not what I heard. I think. I think this is what he meant. Well not really the third one says. Because you know how he views things. On a trip. This has to happen. And that has to happen. So I think it's going to be much longer.

Than you think. And the discussion goes on for days. And drags into disagreements. And becomes arguments. And alienation happens. In the family. Over the details. Of when. The master of the house is coming.

Rather than. Every afternoon at five o 'clock. Pressing their faces. To the plate desk window. Of the living room. To watch for him. To return. And that's what the church has done.

Rather than watching. And looking and waiting. We're arguing. And discussing. And philosophizing. And theologizing. Rather than it being a matter of the heart.

The New Testament calls us. To make it a matter of the heart. Another general truth. Here's that general truth. The New Testament. Reveals clearly. And plainly. The major truths. Concerning his return.

With no obscure symbolism. Oh yes. Revelation has symbolism in it. But it means things. About future things. It meant things. To the first century church. When John got the revelation. He wrote it. It meant things to the church then.

What I'm saying is. There's no mysteries hidden. About the facts. And the certainty. And the promise of his coming. It's blatantly clear. No hidden special truth. In the Greek language. In specific word meanings.

The truth of our Lord's return. Is open and clear. And uncomplicated. Made plain in the entire New Testament. For every Christian. Who longs for his return. You as a believer. Can be clear. And rock solid in your understanding.

Of the second coming. If you will closely read. The New Testament. One more general statement. The New Testament truth of his return. Is not meant to satisfy. Our current curiosity. Neither is it meant to make our prophecy picture.

Perfect and complete. But rather it's meant to teach us. And cause us. To live daily. And look daily. For his return. Living. And waiting. And watching. And looking. That's what the New Testament calls us to do.

Waiting for the Son from Heaven

Now to our text. First Thessalonians. We'll go there and then we'll go. To Titus chapter 2. First Thessalonians. Chapter 1. Verses 9. And 10. Paul is speaking here. About the Thessalonians conversion.

And their coming to Christ. He says. For they declared concerning us. What manner of entry. We had to do. And how you turned to God. From idols. To serve the living. And true God. That is salvation. That is repentance.

Unto life. Turning from idols. To serve the living God. That's conversion. And notice what it says in verse 10. And to what? To wait for his son. From heaven. The Christian. After he has come to know Jesus Christ.

Is to live a life. Of waiting. Until. Waiting until. Looking out. The front window of your heart. Looking until. The day that he returns. If he returns in your life. But whether he comes. When you're alive or whether you die.

And you open your eyes. You will see him. You'll be looking upon his face. So the Christian. Paul here says. After conversion. Is looking. Is looking. Is waiting. For God's son from heaven. Now Titus chapter 2.

Says it similarly. But. In different words. Titus 2. Verse 11 through 14. Read it with me if you would. Follow with me. For the grace of God that brings salvation. Has appeared to all men. Notice. Like Paul to the Thessalonians.

He's talking about salvation. There having come. To know the Lord. The grace of God that brings salvation. Has appeared to all men. What does it teach us Paul? Teaching us. That denying ungodliness. And worldly lusts.

That we should live soberly. Righteously and godly. In this present age. What's the next word? Looking. Looking for the blessed hope. And glorious appearing. Of our great God. And Savior Jesus Christ.

Looking for that blessed hope. And glorious appearing. Think of the picture then. Christians are to be looking. In their hearts for. That glorious appearing. That's what Paul calls it. Think of it. Beloved.

John says. We don't know yet what we're going to be. But we know that when he appears. We will be what? Like him. For we will see him. As he is. The Christian is going to see. The Lord Jesus Christ. As he truly is.

And for the unbeliever. It's going to be terrifying. For the believer. It's going to be glorious. And phenomenal. And magnificent. And perfection. That is our certain hope. And what I want to do this morning.

In the next few minutes. I want you to hear. The New Testament authors. About the coming of Jesus. And then I want you to hear. The words of the one. Who's coming. About his coming. So just track with me.

The New Testament’s Witness to Christ’s Return

You might jot down some of these references. And read them this week. Because the believer. Needs these truths in our minds. Hear what the New Testament authors say. About the coming of. The Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1. Luke says. This same Jesus. He records. The angels say. To the disciples. This same Jesus. Which is taken up. From you. Will come in the same way. As you have seen him go into heaven. He went up bodily.

At the ascension. And the angel told them. This same Jesus is going to come back. The same way he went up.

Bodily. Visibly. That's Luke.

I'm sorry that's Acts chapter 1. Colossians 3. Paul said when Christ. Who is our life shall appear. Then shall you. Also appear with him. In glory. First Corinthians 1. Waiting for. The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3. Our citizenship is in heaven. From. Which we look for the Savior. For you know. Paul says. That the day of the Lord. Will come as a. Thief in the night. First Corinthians 11. About the Lord's supper.

Paul said. As often as you eat the bread. And drink the cup. You proclaim the Lord's death. Until. He comes. First John 3. Beloved now. We're the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what we shall be.

But we know that when we see him. We will be like him. For we'll see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope. In itself. Is purifying his own life. Is repenting. Is seeking God. Is putting off sin.

Because he has this hope. That he's going to be like. The Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who's living in darkness. Living in willful sin. Doesn't care. About pleasing God. They have no hope. Whatsoever. Of being with him.

In heaven. Only those who are preparing. Have a hope. Of heaven. No holiness. No heaven. Those who look to him. When they see him. They'll be like him. And everyone with this hope. Is purifying himself.

Even as he is pure. Revelation 1. John says this. Behold he is coming with the clouds. And every eye. Will see him. When the Lord Jesus Christ. Rips open the skies. And he comes. With ten thousand. Angels.

Every eye. On the earth. Is going to suddenly see him. And what's that going to do. To every person. It will strike terror. And fear. In those who don't know Christ. And it will strike. Glory. And joy.

And excitement. And love. In those who love his appearing. There's no other option. Beloved. Think of this. There is over. There's at least. Sixty. Passages in the New Testament alone. About. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The question for us is. Do you know them. And believe them. Are you familiar with. What the New Testament says. About his coming. Do you care. Do you know them. And believe them. Do you pray them. When you read them.

Do you hope in them. Do you encourage one another. With them. Well that's just a few of the things that New Testament authors say. Now let's hear the one who's returning. His words about his own return.

Jesus’ Warnings to Be Ready

Matthew 24. By the way. The greatest statements. Sections in the Gospels. That come from our Lord's words. Are in Matthew 24. Mark 13. And Luke 21. Those are the sections to read. Here's what Jesus said.

But of that day and hour. No one knows. No, not the angels. But my Father only. Matthew 24. He said. As the lightning comes out of the east to the west. So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Like lightning.

He will be here. Matthew 24. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man. In heaven. And all the nations of the earth will mourn. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mark 8. Jesus makes it very personal. Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

Matthew 16. Christ said, For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then will He reward each person according to their works. Mark 14. The high priest said to Him, Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

I am. And You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven. Luke 12. Jesus said, Let your loins, let your waist be girded and your lamps burning for blessed are those servants when the Master finds watching when He comes.

Therefore, you also be ready. I don't want to go any further without you answering this question in your hearts. Are you ready? Meaning, are you prepared? If Jesus Christ came this week, this month, this year, are you ready?

Are you ready to stand before Him if you die before He returns in the skies? Over and over again, we're called to face this in the New Testament. And the Lord Jesus Christ said at the end of the New Testament in Revelation 22, the Holy Spirit writes and says, He who testifies these things says, surely I am coming quickly.

And one of the greatest warnings Jesus said about it is this,. Therefore, you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Because you're hearing my words today, if you die unrepentant and you stand before Christ, my words will haunt you.

If He comes in your lifetime and you're not ready, my words will haunt you. But for the Christian, over and over again, the Second Coming is called the hope of the believer. And it's wonderful how Paul emphasizes this to the Thessalonian church.

The Second Coming in First Thessalonians

Turn back to Thessalonians 1 and we're going to see something interesting. Now think about this. There are eight chapters total in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. In six of those, Paul addresses the Second Coming.

Now I want you to look at the end of each chapter in 1 Thessalonians because Paul closes each chapter by speaking to them about the Second Coming. I'll just read and you follow. 1 Thessalonians, we already read that one, so I won't need to read it again.

He said they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and were to wait for His Son from Heaven. That's the first. End of chapter 2, verse 19. For what is our hope or crown of joy or crown of rejoicing?

Is it not even you, the saints, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? Think about this, beloved. When He comes, the sheep will be separated from the goats. Every believer in Jesus Christ will be gathered before Him as their Lord and their King and their Master.

And there will be great, amazing joy with your brothers and sisters in that moment because you're together before Him. At joy in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. Now look at the end of chapter 3.

Verse 13. So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Paul's goal in speaking to the Thessalonians about the second coming is that their hearts would be established in increasing holiness.

Is yours being established in increasing holiness? Chapter 4. We'll read 15 through 18. Just follow this. For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and the trump of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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. Therefore, argue with one another about these words. Did I read it wrong? Oh, I'm sorry. When have you ever comforted a brother or sister about the Lord's return?

When have you ever done it? Not often enough. Chapter 5. Verse 23. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who calls you as faithful, who also will do it.

Again, it's very baffling that true Christians won't get along lovingly. That they won't agree to disagree lovingly and maintain their fellowship. Instead, they will separate from one another, judge one another over the details of His coming when Paul says to encourage and comfort one another because He is coming.

The Judgment and Glory of Christ’s Appearing

You see the difference? We have to have our thinking right on this. So what happens when He returns? What's going to exactly happen? I'll tell you. Based on the New Testament, it will be Christ. The skies will roll back like a scroll.

The skies will rip open. And Jesus Christ, the living Lord of heaven and earth, the Master of the universe in His glorified state will literally and physically return again from the skies back here. On the day appointed by the Father, it will be sudden, unexpected, and swift in the twinkling of an eye.

Every grave will open. The sea will give up its dead. History is over. All that exists will immediately be burned up. Every eye will see Him and every soul will stand before Him. He who came in humility and shame the first time will return in spectacular magnificence.

And all the nations will stand before Him. And you and I will stand there as a believer and an unbeliever. For the unbeliever, that coming means this, immediate judgment, punishment, wrath, and being assigned to hell instantly, because you disobeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You had no room for it. You rejected Him all your days, and now you stand before Him as your judge and not your Savior. For the Christian on that day, it's just the opposite. The Christian has nothing to fear about His coming.

Unless you're living in a wrong way, that will make you ashamed at His coming. For the Christian, the second coming will mean that we are suddenly caught up together with Him forever to be welcomed in joy and in perfection, and so will we ever be with the Lord.

Living in Light of the Blessed Hope

The second coming is about Christ Himself. It's not about a bunch of details, though there are details involved. Beloved, the New Testament emphasis is not on knowing the details for your eschatological system.

The entire emphasis is moral, practical, and equipping that we might be ready and joyful and able to welcome Him when He comes. The words the New Testament uses for us about it is waiting, watching, looking, loving His soon coming.

So how ought we then to live? This is just bottom line basic stuff that the New Testament speaks just on the surface. But this is what's most important. How does the New Testament writers and our Lord want us to live in light of this certainty?

They want us to live prepared for it. They want us to live ready that we won't be ashamed when He appears. They want us to be ready and alert. Jesus used those words. Be ready. Be watchful. Be prayerful.

Because believers at His appearing will either be ashamed because they're not ready, or they will be loving His appearing. 2 Timothy 4 speaks of those who love His appearing. And 1 John 2 speaks of being ashamed when He comes.

Which will you have then? Which do you want to have then? Shame or confident love? Are you hoping and looking, standing ever at the front window of your heart, watching for Him to return? With heart expectation.

As John prayed at the end of Revelation, even so, come, Lord Jesus. Beloved, I want to encourage you to live in light of His coming for you. I want to encourage you to look for and long for His appearing.

And I want to read you a Scripture that was in the reading in Luke 21 on the screen. Listen to this. Listen to what our Lord says to us. Watch therefore. Be watchful. Christ calls us to be watchful. Not asleep.

Watchful. Alert. Discerning. Be watch therefore and pray always. Watchful, prayerful about the second coming. And here's how serious it is. It will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. That is serious responsibility. If nothing else, in the days ahead, read Mark 13 and Matthew 24 and Luke 21 and just see what Jesus tells you to do and take it to heart.

Hope in Grace and the Coming Crown

In closing, Peter says this to us. Gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober and rest your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. At the revelation, the coming of Jesus Christ, infinite grace is going to be brought to His people.

And we're to rest our hope fully on that grace that will be revealed when He comes for us. Peter also says, when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, then you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

You're going to have a crown of glory given to you by Christ when He comes. Do you know what that means? No, but it's going to be wonderful. It's going to be glorious. It's going to be beautiful. It's going to be magnificent.

Are you ready for His coming? Yes or no? Are you ready for His coming? Sometimes we sing it. When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in Him be found dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

The glorious coming and appearing of the Son of God. Make this a treasure to your heart more and more. Make it your end-time goal to be ready when He comes. Make it a fresh study of your New Testament because no matter what your intellect is, no matter what your knowledge is, you can be grounded and solid and joyful in the basics of the truth about our Lord's return.

Amen. Let's pray. Father, my words always fall short, but we thank You that we've heard this morning really from Paul and Peter and John and most of all from our blessed Lord Jesus Christ about this event.

You have spoken, Lord, in Your Word. Bring us up to speed. Get us more clear. Make us more firm, more solid, more joyful. And cause us to live in such a way, Lord, increasingly, that we would not be ashamed at Your coming, but we will be ready for that day.

Now may the very God of peace sanctify You wholly. And I pray, God, Your whole Spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calls You who also will do it.

Amen. Well, God bless you. We're dismissed.