Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
October 20, 2002 A.M. (early morning service)
Proper Dress For Jesus' Coming
Acts 1.7-11 & Ephesians 6.10-17
President Dwight Eisenhower was vacationing in Denver, Colorado. In a breakfast meeting with Denver businessmen, civic leaders and governmental officials, it was mentioned to Mr. Eisenhower that the morning paper had carried a story about a six year old boy who was dying of terminal cancer. His name was Paul Haley. His number one wish was to meet the President of the United States.
A few days later, on a bright Sunday morning, in mid-August, a black limousine pulled up outside the modest Haley home and a gray, balding gentlemen walked alone to the door and knocked. Mr. Donald Haley, the boy's father opened the door. Donald was barefoot, dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans, dirty shirt and had a day's growth of beard on his face. Behind him stood his six year old son. Donald Haley stood there astonished... speechless... Completely numbed by the surprise visit of the world's most important man at his house.
President Eisenhower said to the little boy, I understand you wanted to see me? They shook hands, walked down the steps and across the lawn together. At the street, Mr. Eisenhower showed him the presidential limousine, they shook hands the second time and the visitor was gone.
The entire neighborhood... The city of Denver... The whole nation was pleased at what this famous president had done. They were touched by his compassion, by his sensitivity. This visit would be remembered forever with a smile of approval and gladness.
Only one man was not happy with the surprise... Donald Haley. He said, "Can you believe it? There I stood, no shoes, blue jeans, dirty shirt, unshaven, hair not combed. What a way to meet the president of the United States." All of his life Donald will wish he had gotten up a little earlier, shaved a little sooner, at least put on his shoes and a clean shirt.
We are always concerned about our dress... Are we properly dressed for the occasion? Should I wear a coat and tie... Or will a T-shirt and jeans be okay? If Jesus should come this morning are we properly dressed?
The second coming is a Bible subject. In fact, one out of every thirty verses speak to us of Jesus's coming?
- The Old Testament looks forward to His first coming.
- The Gospels are a record of His coming.
- The remainder of the New Testament concerns itself with our preparations for His return. The second coming of Christ is mentioned in all but four books of the New Testament. There are 318 references to His return in the 216 from Matthew to Revelation. That means that over one-half of the New Testament deals with the second coming. Sheer numbers alone point out the importance of our study this morning. Let's examine four New Testament words which speak of the second coming
Maranatha.... Is an Aramaic word found in 1 Corinthians 16.22 in the King James and footnoted in the modern speech translations. Maranatha means Lord come quickly... Or come O Lord. It became a word of greeting among the early New Testament Christians.
The Jews greeted one another with Shalom, PEACE. .. The early Christians said MARNATHA!
You see, the early church Anticipated... Waited... AND wanted Jesus to come. They were excited and enthusiastic about this promised event. Their anticipation of His coming impacted their lives... They stayed properly dressed... With their lamps trimmed and ready because they believed He could come any minute.
Here is our problem... Jesus has delayed for so long, that we don't expect Him to come during our lifetime... Or before say... 8 a.m. this morning... If we did, more people would be here... RIGHT? You see... What we believe about the second coming determines what kind of people and person we are... Maranatha... Lord come quickly... Come O Lord!
The first Greek word we notice is Par-oo-see-ah... Parousia speaks to us of the imminent... Soon to be... For sure coming of Jesus... Parousia says... Jesus' coming is a guaranteed event. Peter tells us that even in his day there were those who said... No... He's not coming. But Peter concludes the Lord will come... His coming will be sure... As sure as the flood. It will be a surprise... Like a thief in the night... Like birth pains on an expectant mother ... Question!... Are WE ready... Are we properly dressed to meet Him?
Our next word is Ep-if-an-i-ah... This word appears in the Greek text six times. Five times it is translated appearing... Once, it is rendered brightness. The idea... The connotation... Is that there will be a visual sighting of the coming Christ. Outside the Bible this word Ep-if-an-i-ah is used to describe the sudden brightness of the stars at night. They are unseen. Then, all of a sudden their brightness is visible to all. The second coming will not be a secret event. Scripture says... "Every eye shall see him." -- How are we dressed? -- Jesus is coming.
Then there is Ap-ok-al-oop-us... It is always translated reveal in the New Testament. It is the word from which we get apocalypse... Revelation. The word literally means... To take the cover off. The idea is this... He has been here all along... But when He comes again... He will be known for who He really is... Visible for all to see... As the son of God.
Jesus is here this morning... God is here... But we don't see them... Except through the eye of faith. Today, some may choose to ignore Him... But on that day we will confess his name. -- How are we dressed? -- Jesus is coming.
Well... What will the Second Coming be like?... What can we expect?
FIRST... WE NOTE THE TIME OF HIS COMING.
Everyone wants to know when. It was a question on the lips of the early church... And still is a big question today. What does the Bible say about when?
1 Thessalonians 5.1-4 says... "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you."
The New Testament tells us... We can know that Jesus is coming. But, we do not know... cannot know... the exact time. Jesus tells us... Nobody knows except the Father.
SECONDLY...WHAT ARE THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SURROUNDING THIS COMING?
2 Thessalonians tells us ...Jesus will come in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Thessalonians says... 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. After 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... So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
I Corinthians 16... We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
2 Peter 3... The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
When one puts these scriptures together... We get a good overview of the sights... sounds... and sequence of His coming.
- There will be a loud shout, a loud noise... The last trumpet.
- Jesus will appear with His angels in flaming fire.
- Jesus will bring with Him the souls of the saints... Those asleep in Him.
- The dead in Christ will be raised first... This will be a bodily resurrection... This new body will
be immortal... imperishable... Capable of living forever.
- Those alive will be changed in an instant, a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.
- The saved will be caught up to meet Him in the air.
- And the earth and everything in it will be destroyed by this fire.
THIRDLY... THERE IS THE PURPOSE OF HIS COMING:
Judgement and sentencing... The separation of the saved from the unsaved. I believe this is plainly stated in two scriptures:
Jude 14-15... The Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge
everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done... And of all
the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Revelation 20... I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to
what they had done as recorded in the books.... If anyone's name was not found written in the
book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Our Bible ends with the words... "Behold... I am coming soon... My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done... Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have a right to the tree of life and may go through the gates of the city."
OK... We have affirmed that one day Jesus will come again... Now, the question is... Will we be ready? Go with me to Ephesians 6... And let's see what is the proper dress for His coming.
WE MUST NOT BE FOUND BARE FOOTED...
Our feet are to be shod... Fitted with the Gospel.
Folk... We are not dressed... We are not ready for the second coming until and unless we know Jesus.
In John chapter 14 Jesus said... I am the way, I am life, I am truth, there is no access to the father except by me/through me.
John 1.12 says... To those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God.
I know people who believe they are saved who can't tell you when Jesus died, where he was buried, or on what day he arose.
Christianity is much more than a system of thou shall and shall NOTS.
Christianity is about salvation through a relationship with God made possible by the incarnation of His son Jesus... Do we know Jesus?
WE ARE TO WEAR THE BELT OF TRUTH...
Folk... If our religious faith and practice are not held together by a Biblical truth... We are not properly dressed... And we are certainly not ready for His coming. Why is it that we insist on truth in every facet of our life... Except in religion? We want truth from our stock broker... Truth from our doctor... Our pharmacist... Truth in labeling on products we buy. But in matters of religion we say... Well if it was good enough for Uncle Walter it's good enough for me.
Jesus said... You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. We must know this morning that... There is no freedom from sin in religious error... Sanctify them through Thy truth Thy word is truth. Jesus is coming... Are we dressed in His truth?
WE ARE TO PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHT LIVING.
I know of nothing more repulsive than one who confesses to be a Christian... But will not practice righteousness... That will not discipline himself. There is more to Christianity than a knowledge of this book and attending church on Sunday.
Every day we live, we stand before the closet and we must choose between Satan's shirt... Our flesh nature... And the shirt of Jesus' nature... Having His mind... His heart... His disposition.
Listen to James... Pure religion and undefiled before God, religion that God accepts is this: to care for the widows and the orphans and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
May God help us to be properly dressed for His return.
PROPER DRESS DEMANDS THE HELMET OF SALVATION.
Being familiar with the gospel... Knowing Bible truth... Knowing doctrine... Maintaining a righteous lifestyle is not enough... It will not save us.
- Nicodemus came seeking salvation... What was the answer--- You must be born again.
- The Pentecostains of Acts two asked... What must we do?--- Repent and be baptized.
- Cornelius was a good man... Better man than most of us... A devout man... Feared God... Gave much to the poor... Prayed regularly... He was a righteous man... But he was lost. You see... Cornelius was in need of SALVATION.
This brings us to our last point...
WE MUST HAVE FAITH AND BE CLOTHED WITH CHRIST.
Galatians 3.26 & 27 tells us how we are saved... How we can obtain the HELMET OF SALVATION... And HOW WE CAN BE CLOTHED WITH CHRIST. Listen as I read this verse... We are children of God by faith... For as many as have been baptized into Christ... Have put on Christ... Have been clothed with Christ.
Faith has always been that which God demanded from those who were pleasing to Him. Hebrews 11 tells us that Faith was what saved Enoch... Noah... Abraham... Issac... Jacob... etc. In fact, the Hebrews writer says... Without faith it is impossible to please Him.
- Verse 26 tells us what saves us... FAITH.
- Verse 27 tells us when our faith saves-- At obedience... At baptism... For as many as have been baptized into Christ... Have put on Christ... Have been clothed with Christ.
How are we dressed? Jesus is coming.
General Douglas MacArthur told the Philippine people... I will return... And he did!
Jesus said... I will return... And he will... And He Will!!... Do we believe Him???
Our challenge is to be properly dressed for His coming... By being clothed with Christ... And then by living daily for Him... Anticipating His return. If you are not ready for His coming, make the necessary changes this morning... Right now!!
Come to Jesus... As we stand and sing together.
