February 24, 2008
Morning Worship
Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Subject: The Return of Christ
Title: Jesus is Coming – I Promise (So Did He)
I would like to share with you today about a topic of much confusion in the church world – the second coming of Christ. Pre-millennialism, post-millennialism, Amillennialism, and all the other ism’s – what are you supposed to believe? I have a pre-millennial view of the second coming of Christ. Why do I say that and what makes me so sure that is right?
First, let me explain what the different views of the end mean. These are simplified explanations.
Post Millennialists believe that the church and the righteousness of God working in it will continue to have a major influence on the world to the point that the entire world will become good enough to bring the kingdom of God without Jesus returning. The church will get better and better and the world will enter a prosperous and dominant age and then Jesus will return to reign over it.
Amillennialists believe that there will be no literal millennial reign of Christ. They believe that there will be a final “general” judgment someday and that’s it. They believe that much of what the book of Revelation says about the tribulation has already happened in world events.
Pre-millennialists believe in the totality of the scriptures and accept them as truth and not just spiritual lessons given to help us become better people. We believe that the early church was a pre-millennialist church- waiting for the eminent return of Christ. The post-millennialists and amillennialists say that pre-millennialism only has come about in the last 150 years. We believe that Christ will come before the millennial reign to rapture the church, judge the world, defeat the enemy and prepare for that literal one thousand year reign on earth. We believe that there will be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace returns and sets up His kingdom. Now, it is no wonder that there is much confusion among Christians concerning this subject.
So how do we decide what is the truth? It would appear that the only way is to see what the scriptures say about the subject and take them as literal unless they are obviously symbolic. Let’s look at what the Bible says about Christ’s return.
I. CONFUSION ABOUT THE END. (1-2) 1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. First of all I want you to notice that Paul says Jesus is coming back and that the church will be gathered to Him. "1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him… " Actually the differentiation between “the coming of the Lord” and “our being gathered to Him” implies that these are two separate stages of one event that takes place over a period of time. The Second coming of Christ is a seven year event initiated by the rapture of the church (those who have trusted Christ as Lord and Savior) and culminated with His return with the church to set up a thousand year kingdom here on earth. Paul had already given them instructions about this in his first letter. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. Since Paul had already given instructions he tells them, “Don’t get worked up by false teachings saying that the day has already come.” To believe those false teachings you would either (1) have to believe that what Paul had said before was a lie, or (2) that the rapture had taken place and you had been left behind. Whatever had taken place or whatever teaching was now going around was serious enough to make them look past Paul’s teaching about the matter and to be seriously concerned about it. It’s possible that the church was going through such great persecution at this time that some equated their "tribulation” with the seven years of the “Great Tribulation.” But what he had taught them before clearly indicates that the rapture of the church is the event that signals the coming of the dreadful day of the Lord – the time of judgment on the earth – when mankind finally gains control of its own evil desires and sin reaches a climax. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. What kind of encouragement would one receive from these words if it does not mean that we will be saved from the tribulation?
II. DECEPTION CONCERNING THE END. (3-4) Paul reiterates what he had said in verse 1. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way… When we study the end times or hear someone else teach what often happens is that there is a great emphasis placed on the events that must happen before Jesus comes back i.e. wars and rumors of wars, false christs, the gospel must be preached to all the world… But Paul’s proof that the Day of the Lord “ had not come yet was not in the things that must happen before the rapture, but in the things that are proof that the tribulation was here. …for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. So don’t be deceived – don’t be alarmed because the two things that mark the day of the Lord have not happened. You didn’t miss the rapture. It is still a future event. Now concerning the two things that indicate the tribulation is here… 1) The rebellion. Let me read to you from the Amplified Bible. “for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come]… That falling away” is translated “rebellion” in the NIV and refers to the rebellion that takes place during the Tribulation. There will those who will be left behind even though they claimed to be Christians. They had been in church. They were good people. They believed in Jesus. The problem is they never had a relationship with Jesus. It is possible that these are those the author of Hebrews spoke of in Chapter 10, 26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. For those who have heard the gospel and have not trusted Christ now, to think that they will make a decision for Him during the tribulation is ridiculous. If they couldn’t trust Him in this age they will reject Him in the tribulation as well. Revelation 9:20-21, 20The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. Now, along with the great apostasy comes the unveiling of “the man of lawlessness”. In him is found every evil that mankind has been moving toward ever since the fall. Man’s ultimate goal has always been the same as satan’s – to be in control of his own destiny without having to answer to God for anything they do. And that is where mankind will be and is exemplified by the man of lawlessness, the man doomed to destruction. Verse 4, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Now to those who are left behind this man will be a great deliverer and hero. How could someone who is in direct opposition to God be a hero? Because those who are left on the earth at this time have already set themselves as opposed to God and this man will lead them in their apostasy. He removes the godly articles from the Jewish temple, sets his own image there in place of them, and proclaims that he is God. This is the anti-christ. Many have tried to connect past historical figures with the anti-christ. I do believe this – that in every generation satan has had someone prepared and on the scene that he would set up as the head of the world government as soon as the rapture takes place. It will be someone who appears to be a man of peace but is so diametrically opposed to God that he will attempt to destroy all the Jews and any believer who has accepted Christ during the tribulation. Since only the Father knows when Jesus will return, satan has to be ready for his opportunity in every generation.
III. TEACHING ABOUT THE END (5-8) Look at verse 5. Paul reminds them of the things that he taught them in the past. 5Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things… Even though Paul was only with the church in Thessalonica a few weeks (Acts 17:1-10) he considered this topic important enough to go into some detail about it. He reminds them, 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. They knew because Paul had obviously told them, even though he doesn’t go into specifics now. …you know what is holding him back… Holding who back? The son of perdition. the man of sin. The anti-Christ. What is it that was holding him back? Some would say that it was the Holy Spirit. Partially correct! But the Holy Spirit Himself will never be removed from the earth. Job 34:14-15 says that if God’s Spirit were removed from the earth all mankind would cease to exist. But what is holding him back right now is the Holy Spirit working through the body of Christ – the church. It is the church today that prevents sin from overtaking the world completely. Were it not for Christians in our government and godly men and women who vote for morality rather than economics, who knows where the United States would be? When the church is removed then the Holy Spirit will once again begin to deal with mankind the same way He did before the day of Pentecost. God’s focus will once again turn toward the Jews but Gentiles as well will be saved. And there will be no corporate body in which the Holy Spirit works to restrain. 7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. The secret power of lawlessness is the hidden sin in the hearts of the unsaved who only want to satisfy their own flesh. They long to be like their father the devil and feed their pride and the flesh. The world system as we know it today is fueled by satanic power and the desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh with no regard for God at all. Satanic power is at work and will continue to work in sinners until it reaches its fulfillment after the rapture of the church. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. Paul probably had Isaiah’s prophecy in mind here. Isaiah 11:4, but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; (His word) with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Even though the anti-Christ will have incredible power during the tribulation, he will be no match for the King of kings and Lord of lords. As always, satan thinks that victory is within his grasp but he will be destroyed by His (Jesus) breath (spirit) and His glory (the splendor of his coming). The visible presence of the Lord on the earth will put an end to the acceleration of evil in the world forever.
IV. DELUSION TILL THE END (9-12) 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. Three things to notice here, 1) satan (small “s” because he is not worthy of a capital “s”) is the power behind the anti-Christ. 2) he will work all kinds of miracles, signs and wonders. I was on a Christian discussion group one time and was talking about how I believed in divine healing. Someone came on and accused me of working in the power of satan with counterfeit miracles. What is the difference between the signs and wonders done in the name of Jesus through His church and miracles, signs and wonders done by the anti-Christ? Signs and wonders in the church always point to the source of the power in signs and wonders – Jesus, the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Signs and wonders done by the anti-Christ point to him for the purpose of glorifying him. . Jesus never worked a miracle on his own behalf. 3) Only those who don’t know Jesus (those who are perishing) will be fooled. Why? Because mankind has always been looking for some type of “supernatural” experience and when the anti-christ comes working his miracles they will be so desperate for something spiritual that they will be deceived. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Can you se why it is so important to share the gospel with your friends and family. Can you see what the probable result will be for those who have heard the gospel message and rejected it? If they rejected it now while the power of the Holy Spirit is still working through the body of Christ how can we think that they would turn to the Lord when satan’s power is running rampant on the earth? 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. In other words God gives them what they want. John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. The principle at work here is the same principle that Paul wrote about to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 2:14, The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. If satan is blinding the eyes of unbelievers, and it is only in the power of the Holy Spirit working through the church today that there is any hope for those spiritual blinders to be lifted and people saved. Yet unbelievers are not powerless to make a right decision. They are still creatures of free will. As the Holy Spirit ministers to them they have the choice to accept Christ or deny Him.
There are a lot of variables in the world today. There are a lot of questions to be answered. That are a lot of answers that seem to be right. Proverbs says, 14:12, There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. That is the way that the world thinks. It is satan who is telling lies and leading the unsaved down dark paths. The one thing that I am sure of is that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that there are no errors doctrinally speaking. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:20-21, Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
What the Bible says about salvation is true.
For it is by grace you are saved through faith…
What the Bible says about power in this life is true.
And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…
The thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly…
What the Bible says about the rapture is true.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
Now is the time for decision. Today is the day of salvation. If you are not sure of your eternal destiny – whether you have heaven or hell waiting for you – you can do that today. Confess your sins. Ask Jesus into your heart. Make Him Lord of your life.
If you have friends and family who need Jesus, who is going to tell them of salvation, the rapture and the tribulation? If not you, then who?
Let the Lord give you His heart for the lost. That’s the beginning of revival.
Let the Lord give you His power. That sustains revival.
