Good morning everybody. Happy New Year. Welcome to The Edge Church online. My name is Steven Van Denend and I’m one of the pastors here. I’m so glad to have you joining with us today on this first Sunday of 2021. I hope that this holiday season has treated you well, that maybe you had a little time to relax, maybe a little bit of time to celebrate and maybe even a little bit of time to reflect upon this past year. Really. above all of that, I hope that you experienced just the joy and the peace and the presence of Immanuel — God with us.
You know, one of the things that I love about the new year is the hope that tends to get stirred in hearts because of it. There is this expectation of something new, of something different, of change taking place in our lives and in our world. And I don’t know about you, but my guess is that most of us are ready for some change to happen in this new year.
If you’ve been following along with us over the past month or so then you know that we celebrated the Advent season by looking together at the first Advent or coming of Christ that we find in the Christmas story with Mary and Joseph and shepherds and angels and wise men and a manger in Bethlehem. But if you remember when we started Advent, I said that Advent is not only about looking back to what God has done for us in the sending of his son — it’s not only about celebrating the birth of Jesus — but that Advent is also about looking forward to what God has yet in store for us and to Christ coming again, not as a baby in a manger, but as the reigning and ruling eternal King of heaven and earth.
And so this morning then we are going to actually conclude our Advent sermon series that we’re calling Thy Kingdom Come by looking together at the second Advent or this second coming of Christ and, as always at the end of every message, I’ll leave you with some questions just for you to reflect upon, for you to talk about with those gathered in your home or in your house church gathering. And also, for those of you joining us virtually, there will be a community group hosted by Pastor Neil Schori available to you at the end of the service today. You’ll find information about that in the comments section, but if you’re interested in just talking about the message and sharing that with some people today, we invite you to come and be a part of that.
Let’s pray and then we’ll jump into our message together:
Father, thank you for this morning. God, thanks for this time. God, thanks for your love and your goodness to us. Thank you for this new year. Lord, for all that you have in store for us in it, God, I pray that today would, God, be the beginning of some work that you want to do in our hearts. Lord, I pray that as we open up your word together, God, that you would minister, that you would speak. God, I pray that every set of ears be open to hear from you. Lord, I ask that every heart would be opened by your spirit to receive of you Lord exactly what you have to speak, exactly, God, what it is that you want to do in our lives and through our lives. So come Lord and have your way. God, I commit this time to you. In Jesus name. Amen.
If you have your Bible, you can open it up to Matthew chapter 24 and we’re going to actually look at a pretty long passage of scripture together where Jesus himself teaches us about the second Advent and his coming again. A little bit of context for you here first in Matthew chapter 24: the chapter actually begins with Jesus speaking to his disciples, and really all believers, about what we can expect to see and experience before he comes again, and to summarize that Jesus tells us that we should expect difficulty.
In fact, Jesus tells us that there are going to be wars between nations, that there will be famines and earthquakes upon lands. He tells us that Christians are going to be persecuted and even put to death and hated because of their allegiance to him. And as a result of this, Jesus says that many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate the family of God. He also says that false prophets will come preaching a false gospel of salvation other than by grace alone, through faith alone and in Christ alone and that many will be deceived by this teaching. Finally, he says that because of the increase of wickedness in our world, that the love of many will grow cold towards the Lord and towards each other.
Now I don’t know about you, but I hear that and none of that sounds good to me. Anybody else? Jesus, doesn’t say to us, “Hey, good news everybody. Now that I’ve come, everything is just going to get better. Everything’s going to be easier. Everyone is going to like you and love you and the world is just going to sing kumbaya and join in one big group hug together.” No. Jesus says things are going to get difficult and there’s going to be hardship and there’s going to be suffering and trial and deception and persecution and, for me, when I think about all of that and I think about this past year with all of its challenges and hurts and divisions and losses and death, I just have this overwhelming sense of sadness for the brokenness of our world because of sin and sinfulness. I get a bit angry at what sin produces in my own life and in the lives of others and in our world and all of it just makes me long then for Jesus to come and make everything right again. To experience the complete work of God’s salvation, not just from my personal sin, but from the very presence of sin itself. To see God come and fulfill his word to us, where he says in Revelation 21:4-5 that:
4 He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (ESV).
Doesn’t that just sound so much better? Isn’t there a longing in your heart for Jesus just to come and to make that a reality? So, in Matthew 24:3 Jesus’ disciples actually ask him:
“When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (NIV).
And beginning in verse 29, Jesus, he speaks specifically to us about his second coming and he says this. He says:
Matthew 24:29-31
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days:
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30” Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (NIV)
Let’s just stop there for a minute because I want us to recognize already how different the second Advent and coming of Christ is going to be when compared to the first. If I were going to sum up Jesus’ description of this second Advent with just three words, I would say that Christ’s return will be cosmic and public and redemptive. Let me just explain that a little bit.
First Christ’s return is going to be cosmic. Jesus says here that his return won’t just involve people, but that all of creation will be affected. And so cosmic events are going to serve as a sign to us that his return is near. In verse 29, he specifically points to the great lights of heaven, the sun and the moon and the stars, which point us back to the beginning of creation all the way back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1 when God created the sun and moon and stars. He says about them in verse 14, it says:
“...and let them serve as signs to mark the seasons, and days, and years…” (RSV).
No wonder then that Jesus’ second coming is marked by the darkening of the sun, by the absence of moonlight and stars falling from the sky. Creation itself will declare to us the second Advent of Christ.
Secondly Christ’s return is going to be public. Verses 30 and 31 tell that the sign of the Son of Man will appear and that all people will respond to his coming and to the trumpet call of the angels. This is a whole lot different from the first Advent where Jesus comes in obscurity — when he comes as a baby born in a stable in the middle of nowhere and only a handful of people are aware of it. The majesty of God is veiled in the first Advent, but not here in the second.
In the second Advent, Jesus comes loudly for all to see. No one is going to miss it. No one is going to be like, “man, I wonder what that is. Is that a bird? Is that a plane? I think maybe that’s some guy on a white horse carrying a sword.” No, no, no. Jesus is literally going to tear open the sky and our reality and step into it in such a way that the full magnitude of the glory of God will be made visible for all. Jesus will come with righteous judgment as King of kings and Lord of lords and everyone will see him and all will respond as every heart is laid bare and completely exposed before him.
Thirdly, Christ’s return will be redemptive. It’s important to note here that, yes, Jesus will come again to judge the righteous and unrighteous, which is why Jesus says that there will be mourning for those who have rejected his grace and salvation, those who have mocked and denied his Lordship, who put their hope and trust in someone or something other than him. But, for those who have received his grace and salvation as Lord and savior, whose hope and trust are in him for the forgiveness of sin — for those, the second coming of Christ is part of the process of bringing our salvation to completion and the culmination of our redemption.
The apostle Peter speaks about it like this in 1 Peter 1:3-6 & 13, he says:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming (NIV).
Notice here how Peter ties the promise of Christ’s return to the completion of our salvation and eternal inheritance. So Jesus is coming again with a righteous judgment against sin and sinners, but with the redemptive rescue and final salvation for his followers. The second Advent will be a cosmic and public and redemptive display of the sovereign plan and the power and the glory of God.
Now how close is his coming, you might ask? Well, Jesus answers this in Matthew 24:32-41, where he says this, he says:
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (NIV).
Here’s what Jesus is saying to us about his coming again. It is closer than you think it is. It’s closer than you think it is. So be ready. Be prepared now because that day will come unexpectedly. Jesus is giving us all a warning here to not just go about our life and through our days as if he is not coming again soon, as if there will not be any ultimate and eternal accountability for our life before God. And to drive this point home, Jesus reminds us of the days of Noah, where the people were just living their lives and doing their things, spending their time, right? They were doing all these kinds of things without any real concern for the flood of God’s judgment that was coming against them to sweep them away.
Jesus here is saying to us, “Don’t be like them.” God’s righteous judgment is coming with his return. It will be sooner than you think. So don’t assume that, because the date is not specific or because however much time has already passed, he is not coming soon because he is, and his desire for you is that you be ready. The apostle Peter says this in 2 Peter 3:9, he says:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (NIV).
The heart of God is for everyone to be saved, but don’t assume that you have nothing but time to receive Christ. Jesus says that the day is coming soon and unexpectedly, and the anticipation of his sudden return is meant to stir in our hearts an urgency to be ready to turn from our sin, to receive him and to live for him now.
So, how do we respond to this truth then? Well, here’s what Jesus says then starting in verse 42, he says:
“Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come, 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (NIV).
What do we do in response to the news that Jesus is coming again soon? Well, the first thing that Jesus says to us is: Be watchful. He says, “therefore, keep watch” and he gives us this illustration of how you would respond if you knew that a thief was coming to break into your house. You would stay awake. You would be on alert. And so in verse 44 he says, “Look, you also then must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect him.” Jesus says be watchful, which is really to say, pay attention, be spiritually vigilant, not just with your eyes on the sky but with your eyes on your own heart, with your eyes on your own life, living in light of and with expectation of Christ’s return. Be watchful, Jesus says.
The second thing Jesus then says to us is: Be faithful. Be watchful but be faithful. Watchfulness for Jesus ought to result in faithfulness to Jesus, and to make this point clear, Jesus contrasts two servants who are given the same roles in verses 45 to 51. Only one is faithful and the other is not. The faithful servant is consistently doing what his master asks and, as a result, is called blessed and rewarded for his faithfulness. But the unfaithful servant neglects his role because he thinks that his master isn’t going to be back anytime soon and so he abuses his position and he acts irresponsibly and recklessly, harming both himself and others. And the result is the master’s judgment upon the servant because of his lack of watchfulness and faithfulness and, ultimately, he is excluded from his kingdom.
Listen to me church — grab hold of this, okay? Jesus is telling us that watchfulness and faithfulness are not add-ons and electives to the Christian life, but rather they are central to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. And let me be clear here so that you don’t miss this, okay? Our steadfast commitment to the Lord and obedience to his ways and his instructions are not the way by which we are saved. They are simply the evidence that we are in fact truly saved and children of God. Faithfulness to the Lord is the fruit of our faith in the Lord.
Jesus said in Matthew 7 that you would know a tree by the fruit that it bears. That fruit is the evidence of who you are, or really better said that fruit is the evidence of whose you are — whether you belong to the King and his kingdom or not. So be watchful, be faithful because the test of a true disciple is who you are and how you live while the master, the King, is away. Remember he is coming again and he’s coming soon. So be ready.
I want to just finish with these words from the apostle Peter to the church and to all of us, as he shared about the second coming of Christ. In 2 Peter 3:14;17-18 he says this:
So, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him...17 Dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen (NIV).
May you, church, be watchful and faithful and may you grow in the grace of the Lord to you and his grace be evident through you and may you grow in your love and pursuit and knowledge of Jesus as Lord and savior until he comes again.
I want to just leave you this morning with some questions for you to take and journal about throughout the week, to think about during the day, to talk about with the people in your home or to talk about with your house church gathered. Three questions for you. Here they are:
What is your biggest takeaway — the one thing that most resonated in your heart — from the message today?
How does your life reflect the truth that Jesus will come again? Is this something you think about and long for? If not, why do you think that is?
How might you be watchful, faithful and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord in this new year? What is one active step for you to take this week towards that end?
So I’m going to just pray and close us this morning and then go ahead and take some time to work through these questions or to just give it a few minutes and we’ll close with our final song of worship. Let’s pray:
Father, thanks for this morning. God, thanks for this time. Thanks for your word to us. God, I thank you that, Jesus, that you are coming back again. Lord, for that final act of our redemption, God, to take us to be where you are. Lord, I pray that every heart, God, would know you and your love and your grace, and God, for those of us, who’ve received you Lord, that there would be a longing in our heart for your return and, God, that we would live in light of that. God would you, by your spirit, just do a supernatural work in us. God, I pray for those who don’t yet know you, God, that you would reveal yourself to them. Even today, God, even as they hear this in a mighty and powerful way, God, that all would turn from sin and self, God, and put their hope and trust in you, God, and in what you’ve accomplished for us on the cross, carrying our sin, Lord, that we could have your life eternal life in you. Lord, I pray, God, that as we share together, Lord, in house churches, Lord, that you minister in us, that you minister through us. God, may we be a blessing and encouragement to one another God and above all things that Lord may you be glorified in and through us in Jesus name. Amen.
Guys, have a great rest of your day — Sunday. Enjoy time in your house churches. We’re going to close with a final song here in just a minute. God bless you guys.