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Dec 03, 2017

When Jesus Returns

When Jesus Returns

Speaker: Dennis Gallaher

Series: Advent 2017

Category: Christmas, Sunday Morning

Christmas is not just about the birth of a baby, but it’s also about the victorious second coming of the King of Kings. In this message, Pastor Dennis Gallaher lays out three truths that tell us what it will be like when Jesus returns.

Advent or “arrival” means to prepare for a noble person’s arrival.
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The story of the return of King Jesus to reign begins in the Garden of Eden. There the immortal words of the triune God are recorded. “Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness.”  Then sin wreaks death and destruction until God, the Creator, returns as God the Savior, the Servant, and the Sacrifice.

On the first Resurrection Day, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and finds it empty. She runs and gets John and Peter, and finally, she is left alone outside the tomb.

Opening Scripture:

John 20:14-15   When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

His first encounter with lost mankind was the very same as His final encounter with sinless Adam and Eve. He is found in a garden where life and mankind’s destiny start over.
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For two thousand years, we have lived in the in-between, the time of the Second Coming of Jesus.

3 Truths About The Second Coming of Christ:

1)  When Jesus returns, the dead will be resurrected.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18   But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

There is nothing more amazing than the dead coming back to life.

Matthew 27:52-53   The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

When Jesus returns in glory, the fact is that those who have died in Christ will again come out of their graves.
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2)  When Jesus returns, creation will be restarted.

Romans 8:17-23   For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

God’s plan is to redeem creation, not start over.

Revelation 21:1  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

It doesn’t suggest a new creation but a divine redemption of what sin has corrupted.

Isaiah 55:12   For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Psalms 66:4   All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name.

Psalms 19:1   The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

The new creation will have California weather, Colorado mountains, and people who act like Texans!
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3)  When Jesus returns, it will mean judgment.

Revelation 20:11-15   Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

His first appearing was to deal with sin. His second appearing will not be a warning of coming judgment, but a promise fulfilled for those who serve Him.

Hebrews 9:28   So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Are you ready to meet Jesus? Will you greet Him with joy or shrink back in fear?

Until Jesus returns, we are to live simple and holy lives:
 -  renouncing sin.
 -  living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
 -  practicing what Jesus taught when He came the first time.