A New Year is a time for a fresh start, a new beginning in our lives. It is a time to look back and reflect on the previous year and to look forward to what God has for us in the new year. Today, is my last message in our Who Is Jesus? message series and I’ve named it “Jesus Our Coming King.” We’re going to take some time to look ahead to when Jesus returns again. It could be in the New Year, 2013, or it could be further off in the future. When Jesus ascended into heaven following the resurrection, here’s what the angels told the disciples.
Acts 1:11 (NIV) “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Jesus is coming back to this earth once again, we just don’t know when. So, our purpose today is not to try to figure the time table of events of the last days. In fact, the Bible warns us against trying to do that. Rather, looking ahead to the coming of Christ, actually helps and motivates us to live the way God intends today, tomorrow and throughout the year.
2 Peter 3:10-12 (NIV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. … Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
The day of the Lord is the coming of Jesus. Ultimately, when Jesus comes, there will be a destruction of the current heavens and earth and the creation of a new heavens and earth. How is that to impact us this next year? As we look forward to the day of God, we ought to live holy and godly lives. And incredibly, these verses tell us that when we live life God’s way, we speed His coming. How can that be?
The reason Jesus hasn’t returned yet is that He is patiently waiting for more people to become believers. As we live godly lives, we are more effective at winning the lost and we speed the coming of the Lord. Not only that, but when you live the way God intends, it results in blessing in your life as well. Jesus gave extensive teaching on His second coming in Matthew 24-25. Today, we are going to look at one of several parables he taught there to answer the question: How should I live in light of Jesus’ coming again?