THE COMFORT OF HIS COMING

Introduction: the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. We can praise His name for the certainty of His coming and we can praise His name for the COMFORT of His coming. That is what the early pioneers of Adventism did. You know friends; the early pioneers of Adventism believed in His return so much that they made the doctrine of his Second Coming a part of our name. We are Seventh-day Adventists.

ADVENT/ADVENTISTS: People in Battle Creek would see those early Pioneers walking down the street and would say, "there goes an ADVENT." Now, that’s improper English. Because you see, the word, "ADVENT" means coming and you can’t go and come at the same time. What those people really meant was, "there goes an ADVENTIST." There goes a Christian who believes in the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.

EARLY PIONEERS: They lived as though the Lord died yesterday, rose early this morning and is coming back this afternoon. I hope the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus stirs your heart as much as it does mine. I want us to have that Early Pioneer spirit. He is coming again!

THESSALONIANS: These Christians thought perhaps their dead loved ones had missed the Second Coming. They faced three problems. 1) IGNORANCE, 2) SORROW and 3) HOPELESSNESS.

Someone has said, "that SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, but FAITH looks up. Paul is going to take these people who have been looking backward and looking around and refocus their attention. How? By teaching them the truth about the TRUE BIBLICAL RAPTURE of the saints. I know of no Bible Truth that brings anymore joy and COMFORT than the BLESSED HOPE of our Lord’s return. If you are a Child of God and you have a Mother, Father, Brother or Sister, if you have a child out there in the grave, if you have a friend resting in Jesus, you know what I mean.

The grandest thing that is ever taken place on Earth was when Jesus died, was buried and rose again. The most glorious thing in the future will be when He comes again and the resurrection of the children of God takes place.

1. The Certainty of His Coming
1. The assurance of Christ’s Saving Work. Two Evidences! Verses 14-16
1. Death of Jesus
2. Resurrection of Jesus

Saving Gospel I Corinthians 15:1-4

Little Boy: Ready for his baptism, he stated, "I did not part and Jesus did His." The minister was startled. What do you mean son? How do you know you have been converted? How did you do your part? "Well" said the little fellow, ‘I did the sinning and God did the saving." I like that. Because you see we provide the sinner and God provides the Saviour.

2. The Assurance of God’s Sure Word.

His first advent was real and literal. I believe His Second Coming will be real, personal and literal. I believe our resurrection will be as real and literal as His SURE WORD. Verse 15.

Old Testament: Ends with the Second Coming.

New Testament: Ends with the Second Coming

I heard of a preacher who was giving a strong sermon on the Second Coming and a man did not believe it, rose and said, "You can’t get that out of the Bible." The minister said, "That’s right, you can’t, it’s in there and you can’t get it out."

First Fruits: In the Old Testament, Israel had a feast called the first fruits. When the harvest began to ripen, they would go out into the field and cut some of the ripening grain. They would carry it to Jerusalem and lay it out on the altar as a token of thanksgiving. Paul picks up on that feast of Celebration of the first fruits.

I Corinthians 15:22-23 "For as in Adam, all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming."

Resurrection: The resurrection is certain because the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself is the first fruits. Now, if you want to know what the resurrection is going to be, just look at the first fruits, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. The Lord Jesus rose from the dead.
2. Our blessed Lord took the sting out of death.
3. He took the crown from death and broke it in pieces.
4. The Lord Jesus took the keys from death and the grave

Man has only three problems, sin, sorrow and death. Jesus has already solved these 3 problems.

Here is the basis for the ARGUMENT: I Thessalonians 4:14. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will god bring with Him."

1. Assurance of His Word!

I Thessalonians 4:15 "For this we unto you by the Word of The Lord that which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep (See Psalm 138:1-2)

We are living in a day of so called Prophets, New Agers, Astrologers, Mediums, Seers, and FortuneTellers. They are not PROPHETIC, but rather they are PATHETIC. Thank God for the more sure WORD OF PROPHECY. II Peter 1:19.

1. Because of the flood and because of Sodom and Gomorrah!
2. He must keep faith with the dead saints!
3. He must secure the Universe!
4. Love cannot tolerate separation! Because of the Relationship!
1. Put up with separation
2. Endure separation
3. Permit separation
5. He must finish and complete what He started. What He began must be ended and bound off.

See John 17:4 and John 19:30

1. The Comfort of His Coming!

Verse 18 – "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

The Second Coming teaching of God’s Word is not for frightening people, but to comfort the saints.

1. Majesty of His Return

1. Not the death of a SAINT
2. Not when we are born again.

1. Miracle of our Resurrection.

1. SEAS give up the dead saints.
2. Dessert gives up the dead saints.
3. Battlefield gives up the dead saints.
4. Every graveyard will look like a plowed field.

Trumpet - Used to rally the troops to battle.

Used to sound an alarm.

Trumpets in Israel had a purpose. For worship, for warfare. Saints are taken to Worship at God’s Throne. They also will prepare for war at the close of the 1,000 years.

The Bible says, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (I Cor. 15:51,52). The Bible also says, "(He) shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Phil. 3:21). I agree with the psalmist when he says, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" (Psalm 17:15).

What are we going to be like in the resurrection? We’re going to be like the Lord Jesus. I can’t explain it to you, but I know I’ll like it, and so will you!

1. Mystery of the Biblical Rapture

I Thessalonians 4:17

We call this glorious event "The True Biblical Rapture of the Saints. Now, the Word "RAPTURE" is not found in the Holy Scriptures: neither is the word, "TRINITY" nor the word "MISSIONS" Not even the word "SOVEREIGNTY", but they are all good Bible doctrines taught in the Word of God. The word, "MILLENNIUM" is not found in the Bible.

RAPTURE: To catch away – all God’s people, the living and the dead are caught up together to MEET the Lord in the air!

Latin Word "RAPTO" means RAPTURE!

ELECTRO MAGNET: Suppose you were to take small pieces of COPPER, LEAD, ZINC, IRON, PLATINUM, GOLD AND SILVER. Scatter these minerals all over a field and take an Electro Magnet and swing it all over the field. The machine would pick up only the IRON. Why? Because it picks up the same nature of itself. Electro Magnet is iron and it picks up iron. The Lord Jesus will gather those to Himself who have His nature. II Peter 1:4, we are partakers of the divine nature. If you are HEAVEN BORN, then you’ll be HEAVEN BOUND! (see II Peter 1:4)

 

2. The Marvel of our Reunion

There is going to be a glorious home coming in the sky someday. Isn’t it wonderful? We will be caught up together, together! Those Thessalonian believers were worrying about their loved ones who had died in Jesus. Paul put those fears to rest forever. There is going to be a reunion, a glorious homecoming in the sky someday.

1. The Challenge of His Coming

There is a THIRD great truth in Verse 17. - "To Meet the Lord"

MEET: Going out to meet a King – going out to meet a returning AMBASSADOR. To meet a returning DIGNITARY Jesus is the King of Kings and we are going out to meet Him.

What a challenge? Are you ready for the TRUE RAPTURE? Can you say? Lord Jesus, I have loved you! I have served you. I have witnessed for you and I’ve been faithful.

To find TITHE in my bank account

To find BEER in my refrigerator.

To find WHISKEY in my cabinet.

I don’t want Him to find me with hatred in my heart; nor to have a lukewarm spirit. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:38

"As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a sumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Romans 9:33

The fact that Jesus is coming back soon, and that we’ll be going out to meet Him, should be a challenge to all of us as His people. We can rely on the certainty of Jesus’ coming. We can rest in the comfort of His coming. Jesus is coming back for His own!

This inscription on a gravestone in an old British cemetery not far from Windsor Castle. It read: