Preparing for Jesus' Soon Return: A Call to Faithfulness

Understanding the importance of being prepared for Jesus' return

Analyzing Bible references to the day of Jesus' return

Recognizing the signs of the end times and the importance of being vigilant

Emphasizing the need for faithfulness and maturity in the face of uncertainty

Music The title of this message today is called Are You Prepared for the Soon Coming of the King of Kings? So with that, we are going to look at the cross-sections of the three Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, to get a full reference to this most vital subject, especially in the day and age in which we live in today. Beginning in Matthew's Gospel, in chapter 24, beginning in verse 35, the Word declares, Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But that exact day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the sun, but only the Father. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For just as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until that very day when Noah went into the ark. Verse 39, But understand this. Had the householder known in what part of the night, whether in a night or a morning, watched the thief was coming, he would have watched and he would not have allowed his house to be undermined and to be broken into. You must always be ready, therefore, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour when you do not expect him. Now we see a slight variation in Mark's gospel. Obviously, these men were recording the gospels and were under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit when each of these gospels were written. So with that, we will see a cross-section that clearly paints a solemn warning for all believers to be alert and give strict attention to watching over the concerns of guarding their hearts and the ongoing maturity of their souls. In Mark chapter 13, verse 32, But that day and hour not a single person knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on your guard constantly alert, and watch and pray, for you do not know when the time will come. Verse 34, It is like a man already going on a journey when he leaves home. He puts his servant in charge, each with a particular task, and he gives orders to the doorkeeper to be constantly alert and on the watch. Verse 35, Therefore watch, give strict attention, be cautious and alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, in the evening or at the midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning. Watch, I say, lest he come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to everybody, watch, give strict attention, be cautious, active, and alert. And lastly, we come to Luke's gospel in this cross-reference of the subject in Luke 21, beginning in verse 34. But take heed to yourself and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed, weighed down with giddiness and a headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness and worldly worries and cares pertaining to the business of this life, and lest that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose. Verse 35, For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth. Keep awake then and watch at all times. Be discreet, attentive, and ready, praying that you may have full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things taken together that will take place and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man. Commenting on these scriptures and the reference to that day, is a reference to the day of Jesus' return, not the destruction of Jerusalem, since it would come upon all people who lived upon the entire earth. Verse 35 speaks about the fact that Jesus did not want his disciples to be unprepared for his return. He did not want them to be so self-indulgent and selfish that they disregarded his return. In that case it might catch them like a trap that they couldn escape from Even though true believers should be able to anticipate the Lord return by the signs that preceded according to the previous chapters in verses 10 and 11 and also verses 25 and 26, they could easily become so entangled in the affairs of life's worries that they lose the sight of the King of Kings' return. In Luke chapter 21, verses 10 and 11, the word declares, and then he told them, nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there will be mighty and violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilence, plagues, malignant and contagious, or infectious epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating, and there will be sites of terror and great signs from heaven. Verses 25 and 26 tells us concerning the coming of the King of Kings. There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth there will be distress, trouble and anguish of nations in bewilderment and perplexities without resources left wanting, embarrassed in doubt and not knowing which way to turn at the roaring and the echo of the tossing of the sea. Verse 26, and men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, for the very powers of the heavens will be shaken and caused to totter. One comment before we move on. Not only were these scriptures given for the time of the disciples and the apostles as warnings, but let us remember that the Holy Spirit who penned these holy words through these men knew exactly that there would be multitudes of millions of people who would read these words of wisdom and truth and would be responsible to heed them and take them as vital warnings in each generation of time right up into our time today. Christianity throughout the ages is encompassed in history and also prophecy in which the Bible declares all the truths and facts needed to understand, to grow and mature in this wonderful life-saving truth called the salvation of one's soul. The history, bottom line, is that Jesus came to this earth and he is prophesied to come back once again. His coming was prophesied accurately, and in part it was fulfilled with exactness and preciseness. In Genesis 3, verse 15, the prophecy that he will be born of a woman, the voice of God spoke to Satan the devil in the garden after he had deceived Eve, and Adam had been forewarned by God which tree not to eat from. verse 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring and he will bruise and tread your head underfoot and you will lie and wait and bruise his heel you see this prophecy definitely came to pass and in John chapter 1 verses 10 through 13 we read this He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him, he came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Verse 13, children born not of a natural descent, nor of human decision, nor of a husband's will, but born of God. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. This scripture also tells us that Christ's virgin birth states, He was born not of blood, nor the desire of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but he was born of God. Other scriptures confirming Christ's virgin birth are found in Isaiah 7, verse 14. That word declares, therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Also in Matthew 1, verses 22 and 23, All this took place, that it might be fulfilled when the Lord had spoken through the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which when translated means God with us. Also, Micah chapter 5, verse 2. But you Bethlehem Epratah you are little to be among the clans of Judah yet out of you shall come one forth for me who is to be the ruler of Israel whose goings forth have been told from old from ancient days eternity Jesus was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem, dear ones, and he was. Now that we have built the foundation thus far for our word today called, Are You Prepared for the Soon Coming of the King of Kings? We have proven by God's holy word that our king is the king of all kings in heaven and on earth. He is the only king who created all things visible and invisible. He is the only king who has an eternal reign and lives forever and ever. We now move forward to where Jesus, our King, tells us that he will come again. And we will look at that again in John chapter 14, verse 3. Jesus said, And when, if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to myself, that where I am, you may also be. We have seen, and it was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, that Jesus Christ would come to this earth for the salvation of mankind. And it did come to pass and become a fact. He did come as a little babe born in a manger. And dear listener, it was prophesied that he will be coming back again because Jesus himself, the greatest of all prophets, promised his coming back to this earth once again. In John chapter 14 verse 3, he said, and when and if I go and make a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to myself that where I am you may also be. Repetition is good. It's very good. You see his purpose to take true believers to himself. He said, and I will receive you unto myself. Dear listener, Jesus was speaking about a future time, which refers to an indefinite but a particular time. And when he comes, which could be at any time, his purpose will be to take believers to himself. There would be no separation anymore between Jesus Christ and his believers. He said that where I am, you may also be. And this speaks of a permanent state of being with Christ. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Dear church, to be with Jesus Christ is all that a believer could ever desire. Nothing else matters, nothing more than we as true followers of our King of kings be preparing for his return, which none of us knows when he might return, whether it is when he returns with the armies of heaven on that last great day, or if we die before that time. Jesus knows the numbers of our days on this earth. In Matthew 25 verse 13, Jesus said, Watch, therefore, give strict attention and be cautious and active, for you know not the day nor hour when the Son of Man will come. Nevertheless, Jesus asserted his coming again after his resurrection. He said to Mary Magdalene, Don't keep touching me. I must ascend unto my Father and your Father and my God and your God. In the Gospel of John chapter 14, verses 2 and 3, Jesus was preparing his disciples about his going away after his resurrection. He said, In my Father's house there are many dwelling places, homes. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going away to prepare a place for you, and when, if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may also be. He said that after going to his father, that he would come back and take all true believers to live with him forever. The angels confirmed it at his ascension in Acts 1.11, when the angel said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing at heaven? The same Jesus who was caught away and lifted up among you unto heaven will return in just the same way in which you saw him go into heaven. Well, the disciples had joyful expectation, and the Lord did not want his disciples to be afraid of his coming again, but to rejoice in the expectation of this blessed event. Paul calls the event to come, that blessed hope and the glorious appearing, It is something, dear ones, that we too should be looking forward to. We see this in Titus chapter 2, verses 13 and 14, which declares, Awaiting and looking for the fulfillment the realization of our blessed hope even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ the Messiah the Anointed One Verse 14 Who gave himself on our behalf that he might redeem us purchase our freedom from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people, his own, who are eager and enthusiastic about living a life that is good and fulfilled with beneficial needs. You see, at death, a believer goes to be with Christ, but in a disembodied state. We will be spirit beings then, but we'll be without our physical bodies. That will come later. Paul said, I have desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. It is far better for Christians to be liberated from the bondage of this present body, but it will be a glorious and wonderful blessing to be clothed with the resurrected body or to have our present body changed. In Sethians chapter 15 verses 51 through 55, the word says, Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. Verse 54. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? You see, this mystery speaks of future rapture that has not happened yet. And also in 1 Thessalonians 4, beginning in verse 15. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will be by no means preceded by those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. You see, to be absent from the Lord is to be in this body. That is how Paul describes our present state in this world. But to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 1 John 3, verses through 3. Beloved, we are now children of God. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. Dear listener, the King of Kings is coming to judge and whether he comes before the great and terrible day after the seven years of tribulation or any one of us dies before that time, all people will stand before the great judge and give account of what they did with their lives, good or bad. In Romans chapter 14, verses 11 through 12, Apostle Paul declared, For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God, acknowledge him to his honor and to his praise. Verse 12, So each one of us shall give account of himself, give an answer in reference to judgment to God. this message today in a nutshell is a warning and clarification that we as professing believers take this life as a christian very serious and that we keep our vessels full of oil which is figurative of living in the power and might of the holy spirit and feed on the precious truths of Holy Scripture, which he so graciously and generously teaches us. The warning is to wake up and not be lethargic and ho-hum in so great a salvation that is offered to you. Things are happening at warp speed in this world today. Christian rites are being stolen right before our eyes. If our Heavenly Father does not intervene, we will be living in the days in which Jesus spoke about in Matthew's gospel in chapter 24, where it tells of the time of the end and the persecution of the saints. Are you personally prepared for the soon coming of the King of Kings, dear listener? Are you really prepared? .

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