جارٍ تحميل الأرشيف الحي.
Part 4 of 8
Run To Win, Week Three
واصِل الاستكشاف
مرتبطة بالمقطع الكتابي أو بموضوعات مشتركة.
Jesus in Revelation 22:12 gives us three key points about his return. First, he clearly states, "Look, I am coming." The fact that Jesus is coming back is indisputable—it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not, just like gravity works whether you believe in it. If you jump off a building, you'll still fall.
It's important to understand that Christians sometimes debate and divide over disputable theological details instead of uniting around what's indisputable. People argue about whether Jesus's return is premillennial, postmillennial, amillennial, or about the timing of the rapture. But the Bible says, "Knowledge puffs up, love builds up." We shouldn't be a church that fights and divides over these details. What we unite on is this: He is coming back, and it's going to be awesome.
In John 14:3, Jesus uses wedding terminology to describe his second coming. He tells his disciples, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." This language would have been deeply meaningful to a first-century Jewish audience.
لم تُترجم هذه الصفحة بالكامل بعد. يظهر بعض النص أدناه أو كله بلغة English، وهي لغته الأصلية.
In first-century Judaism, here's how a wedding worked:
The Betrothal: A groom would negotiate a bride price (called a mohar) with the bride's father. This price could be so high it cost the groom everything he had.
The Departure: Once betrothed, the groom would say to his bride, "I'm going to leave you now and go back to my father's house. I'm going to prepare a place for you so that where I am, there you may also eventually be."
The Preparation: The groom would return to his father's house and work—swinging hammers, turning wrenches—adding rooms onto his father's house. He might even say, "In my father's house there are many rooms."
The Waiting: The bride wouldn't know the exact date of his return. Even the groom wouldn't know—he had to wait for his father's approval of the work before he could come back. Only the father knew when it would happen.
The Return: Because the bride didn't know when he was coming, she had to live in a state of expectation and urgency—staying ready for his unexpected return. At an unexpected hour, the groom would gather his closest friends and blow a loud trumpet (called a chauffear) in the middle of the city. This trumpet blast signaled that he was coming to get his bride. He would take her away to the wedding, they would have a marriage supper, and they would be together forever.
In the Bible, the church is called the bride of Christ. Jesus is the groom. When Jesus came the first time and went to the cross, he was redeeming his bride—paying the bride price (the mohar) at the cost of his entire life. He was redeeming us from the curse of the law.
After his resurrection, Jesus looked at the church and said, "I am going to prepare a place for you." He's in heaven right now preparing that place. And there will come a day when he will crack the skies. The last trumpet will sound. In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, we will hear it, and he will come back to get his bride and take us home with him forever.
Jesus said, "Look, I am coming soon." Let's say it out loud together: I am coming soon. This is what faith does—it comes from hearing the word of God.
But here's what's really important: Jesus said it will be soon, but he didn't give us the exact second. In Matthew 24, Jesus actually said that even he doesn't know when he's going to come back. He said, "No one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son—only the Father."
This is crucial. Nobody knows. Throughout history, people have tried to figure it out. They've written books with charts, done calculations based on numerology and Jewish symbolism. A NASA engineer actually published a book in 1988 claiming there were "88 Reasons Jesus Is Going to Return in 1988." The next year, he published another book: "89 Reasons He's Going to Return in 1989."
If anyone ever claims to have figured out when Jesus is coming back and tries to convince you to get rid of your savings, sell your house, or abandon your life, they are lying to you. Nobody knows.
You might wonder: why wouldn't Jesus just tell us the date? Here's the reason.
When I was younger, my brother Lee and I would ask our parents, "When are you coming back?" Sometimes they'd give us a specific time: "7:30." And if they said 7:30, we'd live however we wanted until about 8 minutes before, then quickly clean everything up.
But sometimes they wouldn't give us a time. They'd just say, "Won't be long. Soon." And here's the difference: when they said soon instead of giving us a specific time, we lived differently. We stayed ready.
Jesus doesn't give us a time for the same reason. We're all born with a sin nature. If Jesus gave us a specific date, we would live however we wanted until right before, then try to clean up our lives at the last minute. We would miss our chance to move heaven and earth and actually get more people into heaven and empty hell.
That's why he said soon instead of giving us the second. He's trying to promote readiness and discourage idleness.
Jesus's disciples asked, "Okay, so you won't tell us a specific second. Will you at least give us some signs? Will you give us something to watch for?" And Jesus said, "Okay, I'm going to give you some signs. When you see these things happen, then right as you see these things happen, you're going to know it's going to come really soon."
Jesus uses pregnancy language throughout the New Testament when he talks about his second coming. He refers to "birth pangs." In a pregnancy, there comes a moment when signs begin to take place in a woman's body that indicate the baby is coming soon.
Jesus uses pregnancy language throughout the New Testament when discussing his second coming. He refers to "birth pangs"—a perfect analogy because in pregnancy, signs begin to appear in a woman's body indicating the baby is coming soon.
At first, contractions come slowly. But as the moment approaches, they accelerate. The faster they come, the more you know: this is soon. Water breaks. Baby's coming. Jesus gave us signs that would function like contractions—wake-up calls that his return is imminent.
Daniel 12 states: "Many shall run to and fro." Jesus said that right before his return, there would be an increase in travel.
Until about 130 years ago, the farthest someone could travel in a day was 20 to 30 miles—the distance a person could ride on horseback. This is why old gas stations in Texas are spaced at 20 to 30-mile increments, marking the distance between small towns.
Then came the railroad. Then automobiles. But in the 1960s, commercial air travel exploded. Today, we're living in the first generation in human history where someone could walk off a stage, drive to the airport, buy a plane ticket, and be anywhere on the globe before the day ends. That's never happened before in all of human history.
Daniel 12 also says: "Knowledge shall increase right before the time of the end."
In 1982, researchers began studying what's called the knowledge doubling curve. Until 1900, human knowledge doubled every 100 years. By the end of World War II, it was doubling every 25 years. Today, in what we literally call the information age, knowledge doubles on average every two months.
Then AI metastasized and became publicly available in 2022-2023, accelerating capability at an unprecedented rate. Jesus said: Right before he returns, there will be an increase in knowledge. We're watching this happen in real time.
Based on the Bible's teachings, particularly Revelation 13, it appears that right before Christ's return, there will be a one-world economic system.
Revelation 13 describes a beast (symbolic representation of an antichrist figure) that "causes all, both great and small, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand and on the forehead. So that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark."
This suggests a one-world governance tied to a one-world economic system—a day when you cannot participate in commerce or an economy without taking some form of identification.
There are only two times in the Bible that globalism is attempted or enacted. The first is at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, when humankind gathers together in unified rebellion against God. God's response? He confuses their languages and scatters them into nations—establishing nations as a check and balance.
The second time is in Revelation 13, where it says Satan unites the world in globalistic governance.
Here's the pattern: Satan does globalism. God does nations.
Why? Because all of us are born with a sin nature. God knew that if mankind ever united, it would not unite toward righteousness and goodness—it would only unite in rebellion, violence, and wickedness. So God established nations as a natural check and balance against human depravity.
Right now, over 130 countries are experimenting with CBDCs—Central Banking Digital Currencies. This isn't Bitcoin or decentralized cryptocurrency; this is something under government control.
Christians have historically been wary of government for this reason. Our nation's founders—largely Christian men—didn't write our founding documents to protect the government from the people; they wrote them to protect people from the government. This is biblical wisdom.
Christians like me have a watchful eye on organizations trying to exert global influence: the WHO, the World Economic Forum, ESG initiatives, and similar bodies. Recently, the UK Prime Minister enacted a digital ID system in the EU, literally stating on video that without taking this digital mark of identification, citizens cannot get a job or participate in commerce. This is Revelation 13 playing out in real time.
I'm not saying this is political—I would say this no matter who holds office. But we know how this ends. We've read the book.
The same people who mock you for believing in an all-good, all-powerful God think that if they just make government all-powerful, it will be all good. That's insanity.
Matthew 24:9 says: "They will deliver you up to tribulation and they will kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake."
Right before Jesus returns, there will be a rise in Christian persecution. Now, some of you may think getting attacked on Instagram qualifies as persecution. But consider what our brothers and sisters in places like Nigeria are experiencing right now.
In the last 100 years, more Christians have been killed for their faith than in every previous century combined. We've been largely protected in the United States by blessing and mercy for the last century, but that protection is not universal.
Since 2008, 72,000 Nigerian believers have been slaughtered for their faith in Jesus Christ. Eighteen thousand churches have been razed to the ground. Videos show men, women, children, and infants murdered for Christ. Bodies are thrown into mass graves. Pastors wade through the corpses of their congregation, begging people to care.
Yet these believers show up the next day in the rubble, singing hymns to God because they want to worship their King. This is not a game. This matters infinitely.
What's happening in Nigeria is not political infighting. It's radical violent Islam. And when Jesus returns, Muhammad will bend his knee to King Jesus in front of the entire world.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 says: "Let no one deceive you in any way because that day, the return of Christ will not come until the falling away comes first." The Greek word here is apostasy—and there's an important distinction.
Paul says right before Jesus returns, there will be a mass apostasy. In my generation—what they call geriatric millennials (which hurts my feelings every time)—in Europe, the United States, and Canada, more people have walked away from the faith than in any other time in church history.
We live in an age where the Bible predicts people will not put up with sound teaching. They have itching ears and demand affirmation and approval for whatever they're doing. They will not tolerate clear Bible teaching.
Right now, it's culture versus Christ. Our culture screams: "Discover yourself. Discover yourself. Discover yourself."
The gospel says: Deny yourself. Pick up your cross and follow him.
People say, "I was born this way." Yes—and you can be born again another way. Christ can do that for you.
People walk into churches and ask: "You're not going to try to change me, are you?" And I say: Yes. That's exactly why we're here. We didn't get up, miss the NFL pregame, and come here just to sit around. We're here to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. The whole goal is to be changed.
It's not just individual Christians—it's churches too. We live in an age of seeker-sensitive churches that have become so sensitive to not offending seekers that they've become insensitive to what offends the Holy Spirit.
They care more about not offending people who hate God than about not offending the Spirit of God. What offends the Holy Spirit is a refusal to honestly say what he has said in his word. That's what offends him.
We have large churches in my city painting pride flags on the steps into their buildings. These are synagogues of Satan. You're cheering people onto a wide path that leads to hell.
Jesus would say to such churches what he said in Revelation: "Woe to you. It will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for you, because if Sodom and Gomorrah had seen and heard what you have seen and heard—if they had access to the revelation you have access to—they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes."
We live in an age of seeker-sensitive churches that have become so sensitive to not offending seekers that they've become insensitive to what offends the Holy Spirit. They care more about not offending people who hate God than about not offending the Holy Spirit.
What offends the Holy Spirit is a refusal to honestly say what he has said in his word. We have churches where it seems like everyone is welcome but Jesus, and everything is tolerated except the clear teaching of the word of God. These are synagogues of Satan. You are cheering people onto a wide path that will lead them to hell.
Jesus would say to such churches what he said in Revelation:
Woe to you. It will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for you, because if Sodom and Gomorrah had seen and heard what you have seen and heard—if they had access to the revelation you have access to—they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
We are living in an era where the only thing that's not okay is somebody opening their Bible and refusing to affirm or cheer something you're doing. People will say you're wrong for preaching truth, but you are not the controversial one. You will stand before the King of the universe in controversy with him if you refuse to speak his truth.
When people say they were born the wrong way or in the wrong body, the answer is this: You were fearfully and wonderfully made. You are loved by God. You are made in his image. God loves you—he loves the real you. The real Jesus died on a real cross for the real you. And if you give him your life, he can really change it forever.
We are not a bunch of good people telling bad people how to be good. We are a bunch of forgiven nobodies telling everybody how they can be redeemed by somebody that can save anybody.
One more sign of Jesus's return: The gospel will be preached to all the nations before Jesus returns. This has not happened yet.
This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
I want Lakepointe Church to be a part of finishing the task the Lord Jesus has given us—to take the gospel to every nation in languages that it has never been heard before. We're trying to figure out right now how we become a church that finds an unreached people group and gets the gospel to somebody who has never heard it before. This is the commission we've been given, and we have to usher in the coming of the Lord Jesus in that way.
I say all this to say those were six signs. Ready or not, here he comes.
Jesus says this:
I am coming soon. My reward is with me and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
Salvation is free. Rewards are earned. Salvation is a gift. Rewards come from work. Everybody that goes to heaven will not experience heaven in the same way. There will be different degrees of eternal wealth in glory in heaven based on what we've done. There will be different degrees of fame, honor, and recognition in heaven based on what you've done. It seems the Bible says there will be different levels of access or proximity to the throne of the Father based on what you have done.
In the parable of the talents, there's a man who takes the one talent, sticks it in a handkerchief, and refuses to risk anything. He does not turn a profit on his life with the things God gave him for the glory of God and the good of people. Jesus looks at that guy and says:
You wicked and lazy servant.
He gets in, but he gets no reward.
But then Jesus looks at the man who took the ten talents and leveraged his life, time, talent, and treasure, turning ten into twenty. Jesus looks at that guy and says:
Well done. Well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful with a little. Now you will be entrusted with much. Enter into the joy of your master.
I don't want to live in such a way that when I see Jesus he goes, "Well, guess you're done." The difference depends on how we live right now.
Here's how you get those rewards:
You may hear all this and think, "Oh man, it'd be really good if he just went ahead and came back." Well, the Bible answers that.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. Instead, he's patient with you, not wishing that anyone should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)
Do you know what he's waiting for? If you're here and you don't know Jesus yet, he's waiting for you. He's waiting for your lost friends, your prodigal son, your prodigal daughter. He's waiting for them every single day. He's waiting one more day to give one more person one more chance to repent and believe the gospel and come home. Every day, anything that you do that results in more people coming to him and being in heaven, put it in a bank.
Right now, as a church, you are making this happen in the world. What you do matters for eternity.
