SERMON - IS CHRIST'S RETURN IMMINENT? part 3 (final)

Is Christ’s Return

Imminent?

Part 3

 

 

The, ‘loud trumpet call,” spoken of in Verse 31, will be the voice of a Christian Pastor or Leader that will carry God’s Word throughout the world and be heard by any that are His children. Do not think that the imposters and false teachers will not try to drown out that voice. Try as they may, God’s Word will be spread!

 

Matthew 24: ³²"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.

 

Just as a fig tree sprouts its new leaf cover as the summer nears does Israel spread its followers throughout the world.

 

Who are the Israel followers? The real question should be, who are the descendants of Israel that are the followers spread throughout the world.

 

Guess what? Those descendants are us! The gentiles, who were granted the right to worship God, in the person of Jesus Christ as well as God the Father and the Holy Spirit, are us! We are the, “sprouts,” that will be seen as the new leaves that are to emerge. 

 

Matthew 24: ³³Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁴I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 

“Right at the door,” denotes that when all things prophesied are fulfilled the time will be right for the Second Coming. It will be within the time of the, “generation,” wherein these prophesies are to come to pass.

 

Jesus wanted His disciples to realize that His Words are not to be summarily dismissed and will be everlasting.

 

Matthew 24: ³⁶"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son^] but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

 

Jesus clearly said that no one knows, and that would denote, will know, as well, the time of the end.  He sets forth the Great Flood of Noah’s day as example. The devastation of the world will be just as fast and even more devastating. 

 

The examples of ‘two men,” and ‘two women,’ tells us that at least one-half of the people on earth will be taken and I strongly doubt that this means by anything as nice as the Rapture that many have been taught about that will not be.

 

2 Peter 3: ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

 

When Peter wrote this Verse he accurately set forth the fact of such an extreme heat as to melt elements. That can be interpreted to mean but one thing; nuclear weaponry.

 

1 Thessalonians 4: ¹⁷After 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.

 

This Verse is what is relied upon to prove the ‘rapture’ we were taught. It is after the dead are brought to Christ and only then. Well, the dead were brought to Christ as He lay in the Tomb for three days and three nights. This was as He planned. In our happiness at having and using the faith given us by God we are truly, “caught together and have met the Lord.”

 

Matthew 24:  ⁴²"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

 

This Scripture tells us that we must be ever prepared and to know that even He, Jesus Christ, did not know the time of the devastation to come. As Jesus said, “ the Son of Man will come…when you do not expect Him.”

 

Matthew 24: ⁴⁵"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' ⁴⁹and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

These closing words spoken by Jesus are telling us to be certain that whoever you are listening to as your spiritual leader is not one of the false prophets He warned you about in earlier Scripture. Those who are determined to be leading God’s people astray will be subjected to damnation! He is speaking out against the so-called Pastors and false healers that use their words to lead man and women away from God and to a life of debauchery.

 

I have told many that follow so-called men and women to study their Bible, learn whether they are being taught God’s truth or the imaginations made to appear as if they were Christian in nature. Those that do speak God’s Word and use it to edify His Word in an open and honest manner need have no fear. Those that don’t and twist His Word and live lives that lead others to follow their paths are going to suffer for an eternity.

 

There are many so-called Christian Denominational and even Non-Denominational teachers and Pastors that have established man-made doctrines and ‘church’ laws that are not set forth in God’s Word, our Bible. There are many Roman Catholic Priests that teach only what they are told by Rome and this is not the way of our Lord.

 

There are religions such as Latter Day Saints, Jehovah Witnesses and similar teachers of laws and doctrines not of God.

 

Allow me to say this and do as you wish to research and determine the truth. As a Pastor I am held to a higher level of responsibility than a lay person as I am using my ‘pulpit’ to teach God’s Word. If I teach falsely then my punishment will be harsh. I am confident in my statement, when I die I will not be judged for I will be welcomed in heaven by my Lord and hear the Words, “Well done my son, well done.”

 

I hope and pray that each one of you will hear those same Words and laugh at the trials we went through.

 

(Closing prayer) 

 

Heavenly Father, Abba, our Protector and Lord of all, we come to You with love and trust. You have promised us Your Divine Protection and Lord we need it now and forever. We are aware of Your mighty powers and ask that You be with us now and in the days to come. Strengthen our minds, our hearts and our resolve.

 

Lord, the times to come may make even the strongest of us tremble in fear as our enemies fall upon us. At such times Lord we ask that You quell our fears and allow us to stand strong and be the type of people You want us to be seen as by our enemies and by any that are able to see. If we are called to physical battle, strengthen our minds, our hearts and our arms so as to make us feared by our enemies as Your children.

 

Lord, as You have instructed us to do, we pray for our enemies asking that You enlighten their minds and hearts so as to allow them to see that You alone are the One True God and there is no other. This we pray.

 

We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who is one with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever,

Amen, amen and amen.