LOVING THE APPEARING OF CHRIST

II Timothy 4:8

  1. Intro.
    1. our text promises a special crown of reward for those who love the appearing of Christ
      1. many Christians will not receive this crown
        1. some because they do not know much about the second coming of Christ
        2. can’t love something you know little or nothing about
        3. for others it will be because they are not looking forward to His coming
      2. this crown is for those who love His appearing, not those who ignore it
    2. Jesus Christ could come again at any moment
    3. there are many good reasons for looking forward to and loving the day of His appearing
  2. God the Father loves it
    1. God loves the second coming of Christ so much that He promises a special reward to those who share His love for it
    2. if a man talks about fishing all the time, you know that he loves fishing
    3. God must love the second coming of Christ because He says a lot about it
      1. we believe that baptism is important
      2. Paul speaks of it 14 times
      3. Paul speaks of the second coming 50 times
      4. God, who inspired the Bible, mentions the second coming 315 times
    4. God loves the second coming of Christ, or He would not have said so much about it
  3. early Christians loved His appearing - Titus 2:13
    1. the last prayer in the Bible is a heart-cry of the church, "even so, come, Lord Jesus" - Rev. 22:20
    2. for three centuries the hope of Christ return burned in the heart of believers
      1. it was almost considered heresy to not be sighing for his return
      2. in latter centuries this truth was neglected and almost forgotten
      3. in these latter days we have seen a revival of interest on the Lord’s return
    3. Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the ten virgins - Matthew 25:1-10
      1. when His coming was near a cry would go forth, "behold, the bridegroom cometh" - 6, 10
      2. it seems as though we are living in the time of the midnight cry
      3. despite the general apathy of the world, there is a growing multitude of believers looking for the coming of Christ
  4. the devil hates it
    1. Satan hates this truth and the event it proclaims
      1. it means his doom
      2. when Christ comes, Satan’s head will be bruised
    2. if the devil had his way, Jesus would never come
    3. Satan dreads the hour of his doom as it draws near
    4. we should love what Satan hates
  5. it will vindicate (prove, defend, support, exonerate) God’s Word
    1. God’s ways are not man’s ways
      1. for some, Bible prophecy does not agree with what they think God should do or will do
      2. these people either deny or explain away the promises of God
      3. in our day there are professing Christians who deny the second coming of Christ
      4. these heretic and infidels are an exact fulfillment of scripture - II Peter 2:3-4
    2. we should be eagerly waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled
      1. the coming of Christ to resurrect and translate the believer
      2. the great Tribulation that will follow
      3. the earthly return of Christ to rule and reign
      4. the conversion of Israel
    3. every single prophecy will be fulfilled, and God’s Word will be proven true - Isaiah 46:9-11
  6. it is a purifying hope - I John 3:2-3
    1. this is the natural result of a belief that says Christ could return at any moment
    2. what constitutes readiness for the coming of Christ
      1. separation from the world’s indulgence of the flesh
      2. an unselfish, devoted, and active life of service
    3. what this truth helps us to do
      1. live separated live
      2. causes our prayers to be more earnest
      3. gives urgency to our preaching
      4. keeps our passion for souls warm and alive
    4. any truth that makes men great soul winners and better Christians, is a truth to be loved
  7. it will usher in the glorious Kingdom Age
    1. when Christ comes, He will establish a kingdom of righteousness and will reign for one thousand years
    2. this will be a different world with Christ present and the devil absent
    3. Christ coming will be an answer to prayer [Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven]
    4. universal righteousness will prevail - Isaiah 11:9
    5. poverty and injustice will come to and end - Isaiah 65:21-23
    6. this will be the kind of world God meant it to be
    7. who would not love the coming of such a day?
  8. it is the time of resurrection, translation, and reunion
    1. Christ coming brings full redemption for the Christian
    2. these mortal bodies, will become immortal
    3. the dead bodies of saints will be raised
    4. this all takes place in a moment, when Christ appears in the air to take His people to Himself - I Thes. 4:16-17
      1. think of it - "together with them" and also "with the Lord"
      2. what a meeting that will be
      3. who would not long for the coming of that great day?