Will Jesus Return Again?

Introduction

Good morning. I invite you to please get out your Bible this morning and make your way into the book of 2 Thessalonians with me this morning. Please go into your Bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We got to go ahead and get into the lesson right now because we have a lot of material to cover in a relatively short amount of time. And I want you to know ahead of time that I am dealing with a very big subject this morning. This is a very big subject. And I’m going to be using a lot of Bible. There’s going to be a lot of verses in this sermon. I want you to know that ahead of time.

So as you leave today, if you want every point, every verse, and every thought that I have from this lesson, please make sure you stop by the information table on the way out, get you an outline and keep that in your records, okay? They will be available to you at the conclusion of this lesson. But we got to go ahead and get into this study because there’s so much to deal with. And we got to go to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 1. And verse number 1, the Apostle Paul says to the Thessalonians, now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him that you not be quickly shaken from your composure composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter, as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Will Jesus, will Jesus come again? Will Jesus one day return? How would you answer someone if they put you on the spot this morning and asked you that question? I want us to think about that for a few minutes this morning because we got to understand that since the time of the first century, 2,000 years ago, this has been a controversial issue. This has been a divisive and debated issue. We see that right here in these verses we just read together. Going back to these verses we just read together in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, I want you to notice how in these verses, Paul tells these Christians, these Christians in Thessalonica to watch out for false doctrines that were being spread about the return of Jesus.

He tells them to beware of false teachers who at this time were sending out letters with the intention of trying to convince people that the return of Jesus had already taken place. This was a controversial issue 2,000 years ago, the time of the early Christians, and it continues to be that today. Even in 2026, a lot of religious people have a lot of thoughts and ideas and beliefs about the second coming of Jesus.

I have probably heard more beliefs and ideas expressed to me about the return of Jesus than anything else. For example, you talk to some people today, and they will tell you that the second coming has already happened. They will say it already happened, like these people who are disturbing the Thessalonians at this time. For some people today, they suggest that the Lord already came back for the second time, and we missed it. We missed it because, as Charles T. Russell, the founder of the Jehovah’s Witness movement taught, it was invisible. It was spiritual. It wasn’t something that you could see with the physical eye. People couldn’t see when he came back in 1874 or in 1914. In fact, some of our brethren, members of the church of Christ, even suggest that this spiritual second coming of the Lord occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem.

It occurred in 70 AD, when the Lord came in judgment upon the wicked Jewish people at this time or at that time and destroyed the temple through the Roman army. This doctrine is commonly referred to as realized eschatology or the 70 AD theory. Some of our brethren even believe that the Lord has already come again. That has already taken place, but then you got others who say that the second coming has not taken place, but when it does, right beforehand, we’re going to be able to know through signs and clues that God gives us in the Bible. These are your date setters who have popped up over and over again for the last 2,000 years and they’ve been wrong every single time. And then you got some people who go to Revelation and just misinterpret it.

Some like to go to Revelation and suggest that it’s dealing with the second coming of Jesus, even though the book repeatedly states that it is dealing with events that must soon come to pass. Soon come to pass from the perspective of the original audience. And then you got others who suggest that the Lord is not going to come back at all. And this world is just going to go on forever and ever and ever. There’s so many other points we could put on this slide. But the point remains the same. The point is, unfortunately, like in the time of the Apostle Paul, and like in the time of the Thessalonians, even today, there’s a lot of confusion concerning the return of Jesus. There are a lot of false ideas and false doctrines about the return of Jesus.

And so the question is what’s the truth? I mean, I mean, what’s the truth about this matter? What does the Bible really teach and promote about this issue that continues to be so debated and so confusing and so divisive even among brethren today? Well, if you don’t mind this morning, what I want to do is I want to begin a short three lesson series about the return of Jesus. Beginning today, I want to preach one sermon a month for the next three months about the return of Jesus, and I want to do that because the Bible talks about this subject a lot, and we must know the truth about it. We must believe the truth about it. We must remind ourselves of what the Bible says about this so that we will be able to recognize fake and false and counterfeit doctrines that are taught about it.

1. There Are Many Comings of the Lord

So we’re going to be talking for the next three months about the return of Jesus. And let’s just begin this short series with this question before us right here. Is it going to happen? Is it going to happen? Will Jesus return? Will he one day come back? Will he literally and personally one day come again? I want to be very precise. When I ask that question, because brothers and sisters, we got to understand that there are many comings of the Lord in the Bible. Did you know that? Did you know that in the Bible? There are many comings of the Lord. In fact, the vast majority of the comings of the Lord that we find in the Bible have nothing to do with a literal and personal coming of the Lord, but instead, the vast majority have to do with the Lord coming in judgment.

Coming in judgment upon a wicked and rebellious nation. This kind of apocalyptic language is found all throughout the Old Testament. It’s found all throughout the prophets. Isaiah used this language all the time. For example, in Isaiah chapter 13, the prophet Isaiah talks about the Lord, the Lord coming in destruction upon the wicked people of Babylon.

Isaiah talks about the Lord coming in a cloud, riding on a cloud to bring judgment upon the Egyptians.

And then you go to Isaiah chapter 26, and there Isaiah talks about how the Lord was going to go out from his place to punish the inhabitants of a wicked earth at that time. All throughout the prophets, all throughout the writings of Isaiah, he talks about the coming of the Lord, not as a literal and personal coming, but the Lord coming in judgment upon wicked and rebellious people. And not only do the prophets use this language, but so does Jesus.

In Mark chapter 9 and verse number one. In Mark chapter 9 and verse number 1, the Lord tells the people living in his time that some of them would not taste death, they would not die until they saw him coming in his kingdom. There, the Lord is not talking about a literal and personal coming. He’s talking about the establishment of his kingdom, his church. You and I both know that that took place in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.

And then go in your Bible to Matthew chapter 26. I hope you got a Bible because you will need one today. Big time. And in Matthew chapter 26, as Jesus is standing before the Sanhedrin council, the high priest asked him if he was the son of God. Just flat out tell us, are you the son of God? And in Matthew 26 and verse number 64, Jesus said to him, You have said it yourself. Nevertheless I say to you, I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. He’s using that same kind of apocalyptic judgment language that’s found throughout the prophets. And in that context, he’s not talking about a literal personal coming.

Instead, he’s talking about coming in judgment upon the wicked nation of Israel. He’s talking about coming in judgment upon the wicked Jewish leadership at this time that had rejected him. That’s what the Lord is talking about in the context. That would take place in 78D after the destruction of Jerusalem. And here the high priest understands is what the Lord is talking about. That’s why in verse 65, he reacts the way he does. The Lord is talking about coming in judgment in that text. But even before you get there, when you go to Matthew 23, if you look at Matthew 23, as Jesus laments over the city of Jerusalem as he overlooks this city, and he says in Matthew 23, verse 37, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her.

How often I want to gather your children together. That way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate. There, Jesus is talking about the glory of God, the presence of God leaving the city of Jerusalem. God’s presence is about to leave the Jewish people because of their wickedness. And verse 39 says, For I say to you, from now on, you will not see me until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. There, the Lord is not talking about a literal and personal coming to Jerusalem. No, he’s talking about coming in judgment. He’s going to come in judgment upon the wicked people of Israel again. That took place in 70 AD through the Roman army.

That is a coming of the Lord. But not only does the Lord use this kind of judgment language throughout his ministry, we find it in the book of Revelation as well. In Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7, the book begins by talking about how the Lord is coming on a cloud, and every eye will see him. It is my understanding that in that context, the Lord is talking about coming in judgment upon the wicked Roman Empire that was persecuting his people at that time, coming in judgment. And then you go to Revelation 2 in verse number 5. And when talking to the church at Ephesus, a church that had left their first love. They were no longer passionate and on fire for the Lord anymore. And the Lord told them that if you don’t straighten up and repent, I’m going to come to you and take out your lampstand.

2. He Came Literally, in the Form of a Man

In both of those passages, the Lord’s talking about coming in judgment, coming in judgment upon the Roman Empire, coming in judgment upon a local congregation. But not only does the Lord come spiritually, symbolically and in judgment throughout the scriptures. You and I both noted there was also a time when he came literally.

He came personally, he came in the form of a man. That’s exactly what John talks about in John 1 14. And John chapter 1 and verse number 14, after telling us at the beginning of the chapter that the word in the beginning was with God and he was God, we learn in verse 14 who the word is. And in John 1 and verse 14, it says, and the word became flesh and he dwelt among us. That’s talking about Jesus. Jesus is the word who became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw, we literally saw his glory. Glories of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. What’s the scripture talking about there? Where there John is talking about the Lord’s literal and personal coming to this earth.

He’s talking about the grand occasion when God, when deity literally stepped out of heaven, and he was born of a woman, and people saw him. They literally saw God.

3. The Lord Will Literally and Personally Come Again

These people literally saw God. And our question is, is that going to happen again? Well, the Lord literally and personally come again. Well, according to Jesus, the answer to that question is yes. Yes. Yes, he is going to come literally and personally. He promises that in the scriptures. In John chapter 14. In John chapter 14, it’s Jesus is speaking to his apostles. This is not long before he’s going to be betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane and handed over to his enemies.

Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many dwelling places or many mansions. If it were not Saul would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. Verse 3. If I go prepare a place for you, I will come again. I will come again and receive you to myself. That where I am, there you may be also. Notice how in that verse, Jesus himself promises to one day come back. He promises to come personally, he promises to come literally, he promises to return for his people. And not only does he make this promise, but so do the angels.

They’re looking, and a cloud received him out of their sight, and as they were gazing intently into the sky, while he was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking? You’re looking at this right now. Why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come just in the same way. Will come just in the same way as you have watched him go into heaven. While you ponder on those verses for a moment or two, let me ask you a question. How did Jesus leave this earth? How did he leave this earth? Did he leave personally? Did he leave visibly? Did the apostles see him ascend into heaven, ascend into the cloud to be with his father?

You know that the Bible says, yes. Yes. Yes, the departure of Jesus was visible and it was personal. And here the angels promise that his return, verse 11, will be in just the same way. It will be in just the same way. In other words, just like he left personally, he will return personally. Just like people saw him go into heaven, they literally saw him go into heaven, they will also see him. Literally returned to this earth. In other words, it’s not going to be unnoticed. It’s not going to be mysterious, it’s not going to be spiritual. It’s not going to be something that any person on this planet is going to miss. No, Jesus and the angels promise that he will literally and personally come again.

And not only do they make this promise, Paul talks about it, Paul also talks about it a lot. You go in your scriptures to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, as Paul is talking with the Thessalonians about the return of Jesus and the resurrection.

How much clearer does it have to get? For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. The Lord will personally and literally come back, Paul says. Drop down to chapter 5 and verse 2. Because Paul there says to the Thessalonians, you yourselves know full well. You already know this stuff, already taught you this stuff. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord in this context, is talking about the return of Jesus, the second coming of Jesus. It will come. It is guaranteed to happen, and it’s going to be like a thief in the night. Paul talks to the Thessalonians about this.

And he also talks to the Corinthians about this. If you go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, please. 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Look at verse number 5. Paul had a lot to say to the Corinthians about this. And in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, and in verse 5, Paul says, Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time. But wait until the Lord comes.

This was read to us from our brothers as we prepare for the Lord’s Supper today. These are verses that we’re familiar with. We use these verses to get our minds ready to eat the Lord’s Supper. And in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 26, Paul says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do proclaim what? The Lord’s death until he what? Until he comes. According to the Bible, we’re going to be partaking of the Lord’s Supper until the Lord comes back. Now the Lord has already come back and we missed it. Why in the world are we still eating the Lord’s Supper? That doesn’t make any sense. And there are a lot of the verses we could put on here, but I think I think you get where I’m going here.

4. Resurrection and the Judgment Day

I think you can clearly see is over and over again in the gospel we learn that the answer to our question is a is a yes. The Lord is coming back. He will return and it will be personal, it will be literal, it will be seen, heard, accompanied by angels, and undeniable. That’s what the scriptures say. But this does bring us to another question, and that question is when the Lord does literally return, what’s going to happen? What exactly is that going to be like? What specific things are going to be accompanied with this grand event? Well, there are a lot of things, a lot of amazing things that are going to be attached with this grand event. And the first thing I want to put on this slide is resurrection.

Resurrection, the raising of the dead, the reuniting of souls with bodies. It doesn’t matter if they’re in the cemetery or their ashes sprinkled or in the ocean. Resurrection, soul and body coming back together by God. And Jesus talks about that himself in John chapter 5. In John chapter 5 and in verse number 28. In John 5 and in verse 28, Jesus says, Do not marvel at this. For an hour is coming in which all, not just some people, not just one particular nation of people. All Jesus says, all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come forth. Those who have did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, and those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. Jesus says there’s gonna come a day when everybody’s gonna be raised.

Everybody’s gonna be raised. And Paul elaborates on that more in 1 Corinthians 15. Go ahead and turn there in your Bible, please, because this chapter is loaded with this information. Paul in this chapter deals with the resurrection and how some of the Corinthians, because of their pagan backgrounds, they were actually denying it. They were actually denying the bodily resurrection. In fact, in the context of this entire chapter, Paul connects the bodily resurrection of Jesus with our future bodily resurrection. This has nothing to do with Old Testament body, New Testament body. No, this is talking about physical bodies. That’s what this is talking about. Someone says, How do you know? Well, in verses 3 and 4, Paul talks about Jesus’ body. And he says, Jesus died and he was buried and he was raised.

His body was raised from the dead. He then talks about in verses 5 down to verse 8. All the different people who saw Jesus after he was raised. Peter saw him by himself for a time. All the apostles saw Jesus. He talks about how 500 brethren saw his body at one time. That’s about three times the number of people in the room right now. That’s a lot of people. James saw him. Paul saw him. Jesus made himself very visible after being raised from the dead. He’s all over the place. And then you go to verses 12 through 19, and Paul talks about the consequences for not believing in the resurrection. He says a denial in the future bodily resurrection results logically in a denial of Jesus’ bodily resurrection.

It also makes the apostles ought to be false, false prophets, because they went around telling people that Jesus was raised in his body, and that makes our faith as Christians absolutely worthless. And it also means that we’re the most pathetic and pitiful people on the planet because we put our faith and trust in somebody who went around telling people, I’m gonna die and I’m gonna be buried and I’m gonna be raised from the dead, but that did not happen. There are consequences.

Raised from the dead in his body. We can all know with absolute certainty that when he comes again, we all are going to go through the same thing. We all are going to be raised from the dead. We all are going to be made alive again. The righteous will be raised, the wicked will be raised. In fact, throughout the rest of the chapter, Paul says that when it comes to the righteous or Christians, not only will we be raised, but we’re going to be transformed and changed and given bodies, new bodies that are made fit to dwell in the spiritual environment of heaven. That’s what Paul teaches. The resurrection will take place when the Lord comes back. And not just that, so will the so will the judgment day.

The judgment day. And Jesus talks about that, does he not? Matthew 25, beginning in verse 31. Jesus talks about the time when he’s going to come again, and he’s going to have his angels with him. And all the nations, not just one particular nation, of all nations will be gathered before him, and he will begin to separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. There, Jesus is saying that when he comes back, we’re going to be judged. We’re going to be judged by him. We’re going to be judged by his standard. We’re going to be judged by his word. We’re going to be judged according to the type of lives that we have chosen to live. Jesus says that when he comes back, the final judgment will take place and the world will be destroyed.

5. The World Destroyed, a Gathering, Forever

Planet earth will be no more. It’s going to be wiped out with fire. Peter talks about that in 2 Peter 3. And someone says, Well, how do you know that’s what Peter is talking about? I know that because of context. Context. In 2 Peter chapter 3, Peter is not talking about the end of a system or a covenant. He’s talking about the end of the world. This is how I know that. In verses 3 through 4, Peter talks about the mockers, the scoffers. The people who, like a lot of people today, oh Jesus, they say, Jesus is not going to come back. Where’s the promise of his coming? Things are going on like before. Two thousand years have gone by. People will say, today, you got the mockers, Peter talks about.

And then, beginning in verse number five, he talks about the earth, planet earth, the world, and how it was formed out of water. And there was a time when God flooded it by water. What is he talking about there? The days of Noah. Noah and the global flood. You and I both know that really happened in human history. Jesus preached that in his own ministry. He’s talking about the earth. And then he goes on to say in verse 7, verse 7. But by his word, the present heavens and earth. That’s what we have right now, are being reserved for fire. Kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved. That with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord, there that language is again. Paul used it, we saw that earlier, will come like a thief. Paul said that also, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Just like Peter says here, just like God literally destroyed the world of Noah’s day with water, he will also literally do the same thing with fire on the day of the Lord. On the day of the Lord, God will literally destroy this world and all the evil and corruption and sin and everything else that is in it with fire.

That includes this beautiful state of Florida that we live in right now. That includes Disney World. That includes the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, the Smoky Mountains. That includes the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the North and South Pole, even the Mariana Trench. According to Peter, if we believe in the literal story of Noah and the global flood, then to be consistent, we gotta believe the same thing about the Lord destroying the world with fire when Jesus comes again. The world will be destroyed. And then we’re gonna be gathered up. There will be a gathering. Paul talks talked about that. Remember, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 1. Paul talks about how the coming of the Lord is going to be attached with our gathering together to Him.

Going back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 17, he says that when the Lord comes back, we who are alive, if we’re alive when the Lord comes back, we’re gonna be caught up together with them in the clouds, with those who’ve been resurrected in glory. We’re gonna be gathered together with them. There’s gonna be a gathering when the Lord comes back, and then after that, wherever we end up, we’re gonna be there forever. Forever. And that’s just hard for me as a human being to get my mind wrapped around forever, because all I deal with is time. In fact, you’ve probably been watching your clock for the last 10 minutes. Time is all we care about. Well, look at what Jesus says back in Matthew 25, 46.

Because as Jesus gets to the end of this judgment day scene, remember he talks about judging the righteous and the wicked. And in this context, he’s judging people on whether they were generous and help people who were in need. When verse 46, he says, when it comes to the wicked, these will go away and to eternal or everlasting punishment, but the righteous and to eternal life. Pay close attention to that word eternal or everlasting. Do you see that? That’s a powerful word. When the Lord uses that word there, he’s talking about the moment when time is no more. The moment for us when time will cease to exist. That means that when he comes again, wherever we end up after the resurrection and the judgment, we will be there forever.

We’re never gonna leave.

These are some of the things that the gospel says will occur when the greatest day yet to come in human history takes place.

6. Three Reasons Why This Matters

I wanted you to hear what God says about this. I wanted God to speak on this. I wanted the Bible to provide clarity on this subject. It is clear, brothers and sisters, that according to the Bible, the Lord will literally and personally come again, and when that happens, some incredible things are going to take place. Bible’s clear. But here’s the most important question. So what? So what? You gave me all this information, preacher. You gave me verse after verse after verse. You’re going to give me an outline when I leave here. Okay, I got all this information. But why does this matter? What relevance does this have on my life? Why should this matter to me as a Christian living in 2026? Well, I’m gonna give you three very quickly.

Three reasons why this matters. Here’s the answer to the so what question. Why does this matter? First, this matters because whether we like it or not, when it comes to the return of Jesus, we all gonna experience it. We all gonna have to deal with this one way or another. If we’re dead before the Lord comes back, we’re all going to experience resurrection. We’re all gonna stand before the Lord in judgment. We’re all gonna see him, we’re all gonna hear his voice, we’re all gonna bow before him and confess him to be the Son of God and the Lord and the Christ, and we’re gonna give him the glory that he’s due, whether we like it or not. It’s gonna happen. This topic matters to us today because we’re going to experience this.

We’re gonna know it and we’re gonna experience it when it happens. But not only does it matter for that reason, secondly, this matters because this is our hope. This is our hope. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 4 says that in addition to there being one God and Father, one Lord, one Holy Spirit, one body, one baptism, one faith, there’s also one hope. One hope. Remember, Paul said in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, that when people die in Christ, when we know of people who die in Christ, we don’t have to grieve as do the rest of the world who have no hope. As Christians, we’re supposedly people of hope, right? That involves having assurance and faith and trust and confidence in what God is going to do in the future.

That’s what biblical hope is. Biblical hope is not of I think God’s going to do it, or I just hope God’s going to do it. No, biblical hope is I know he’s going to do it. I trust him, I have confidence, I have faith that he’s going to do what he says he’s going to do. What is God going to do? Well, Paul tells us what God’s going to do in Titus and Titus chapter 2. And Titus chapter 2, after Paul talks about the amazing grace of God and how God’s grace was manifested and revealed at the highest level through Jesus. When people saw Jesus, they saw God’s grace. Everything he did was the manifestation of the grace of God. Him dying on the cross for our sins.

It’s the ultimate manifestation of God’s grace. The ultimate demonstration of God’s grace. And then look at what he says in verse 13, Titus 2 13. As Christians, we’re looking for the blessed hope. What’s our blessed hope? Paul tells us in the verse. And the appearing of the glory of the great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. Paul says, our blessed hope is rooted in this. Our blessed hope is rooted in the return of Jesus. It is rooted in the reality that one day the sky is going to be rolled back like a scroll, and the Lord is going to descend from heaven with his mighty angels, and he will appear in the glory of God. That is what we should be looking forward to. That is what we should be anticipating.

That is what should be serving as an anchor for our souls. That is what should be keeping us where God wants us to be. And focused and moving forward and pressing all in this life, no matter what tribulations and trials come our way. When life gets tough for us, and you know life gets tough. When life gets tough, and we’re frustrated, and we are experiencing disappointment after disappointment after disappointment, and we long to experience a better reality. We long to experience a place, a reality where there’s no more sin. There’s no more devil tempting us to sin. There’s no more having to witness people have hard hearts that reject the gospel and they mock Jesus and they blaspheme God and they and they have no regard for the authority of the scriptures.

And there’s no more death. And there’s no more grieving at the funeral home and the cemetery. And there’s no more sickness, and there’s no more pain, and there’s no more heartbreak. And there’s no more having to watch the people you love suffer. Whenever we get frustrated in this life and we long for something better, the Bible says we need to find comfort and strength and our blessed hope. We need to find comfort and strength and the promise that the Lord is going to personally and literally come again, and the resurrection and righteous judgment and the elimination of everything that is wrong and evil in this life is going to be attached to that. That’s our hope. And that’s why this matters. This matters because it’s where our hope is rooted.

And then third and finally, it matters because it should be impacting how we live every day. And Peter says that.

And 2 Peter chapter 3. And in verse number 11, after Peter talks about the Lord’s coming back, the day of the Lord. He says in verse 11 of chapter 3, since all these things are to be destroyed in this way. What sort of people are you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for it, hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat. But according to his promise, we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless. What’s Peter saying there? Well, simply put, what Peter is saying, that this doesn’t need to be a sermon that you just hear and just fouled away and forget about it at lunch today.

This doesn’t need to be a sermon you just hear and you forget about it on Monday morning. No, this is teaching from the scriptures that should impact our lives every day. Since the Lord is going to come back and we don’t know when he’s coming back, we got to be living right today. We got to be living every single day with anticipation. We got to be sober-minded. We got to be ready. We got to make sure that we’re not found unprepared and living like the world when Jesus comes back. We got to make sure that we’re not living sexually immoral lives. And that we’re not found being lazy and indifferent about worshiping God and doing his work. We got to make sure that we’re treating other people right.

We got to make sure that we’re loving our neighbor as ourselves and that we’re loving our enemies. And that we’re not harboring any hatred and bitterness and envy and jealousy and anything else ungodly in our hearts, since the Lord is going to come back, and we don’t have a clue when that’s going to happen. We got to be disciplined ourselves and doing our best to live right now. In fact, I want to show you two more verses pertaining to what’s going to happen to us if we do that very quickly. In Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 28, Brother Wayne made reference to this verse earlier. In Hebrews chapter 9 and verse number 28.

It’s going to happen a second time for salvation without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him. Notice that word eagerly. One more verse, and then the lesson is yours. 1 John chapter 2 and verse number 28. 1 John chapter 2 and in verse number 28. John says, Now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from him and shame at his coming. Notice how John says that if we abide in Jesus, if we have a relationship with Jesus, if we’re truly his people, if we’re doing our best to live for him every single day, when he comes again, when he appears, we don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to dread that. We don’t have to wake up each morning wondering how are things going to be.

Conclusion

If it happens today, no, we can have confidence. We can look forward to it. We can eagerly anticipate it and view it as the single greatest day yet to come in human history. Now there’s a lot more we’re going to say about this in the next couple of lessons. But for now, just take this away. The Bible is clear.

The question is, will you be ready if it happened today? If the Lord came back today, would you be ready to stand before him? If you have not obeyed the gospel, you would not be ready. It’s time to get ready. It’s time to believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, and be baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins. And if you’re a Christian and you’re not living right, it’s time to repent and come home. Come back to your Father. If we can help you do those things in any way at all, come to the front. Let’s stand. Let’s sing together.