EASTPORT BAPTIST CHURCH                                   AND PRESCHOOL

"LOVING GOD BY LOVING HIS PEOPLE"                 

                                               The Second coming of Jesus Christ.

 Today as we celebrate the start of Christmas with which is about the birth of Christ, with the beginning of the Advent season we think we are celebrating…the start of Christmas and yes we are but in reality we are starting the celebrate the second coming of Christ with the lighting of the advent candles.

Advent is the beginning of the church year in the western tradition.

Advent is the marked spiritually with the expectation, with the anticipation, and the preparation and the longing of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We can look at the Israelites in Egypt as they cried out for deliverance from the Egyptians and today we can look through the history of the church and the trials, tribulations and persecutions the Christians have gone through over the centuries and even today….we see the horrors of the world where Christians are still being torture and killed. Where our beliefs are being not only challenged but ridiculed.

Today we are as the children of Abraham in Egypt crying out for our deliverance.

Today we are seeking our Lord and savior to call us home and bring justice to an unjust world.

We are looking for our deliverer to come and set the world right.

We are looking for our king of Glory to come and set up throne to judge the quick and the dead.

We are looking for the Anointed one

We are looking for the Messiah who will bring peace to a new world…where swords will be converted into plow shears.

Now there is an Expectation in the church today because of one scripture that reads.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

There is a day coming….

When we shall see our lord…

There is a day coming when we will hear a the sound of the trumpet and I do say the sound…it will be one I believe that not everyone will hear..but those who have taken Jesus as Lord and Savior… and those that hear will be gone in the twinkling of an eye….

This is called the Rapture…the catching up of those who are saved in Christ Jesus.

This is not the second coming of Christ.

You see as we celebrate Christmas and Advent together we are celebrating the two comings of Christ.

Christmas is the first coming of Christ.

It is the story of our father in heaven and how He made a way for sinners, such as ourselves, to come back into a relationship with him like that back in the garden that He had with Adam and Eve.

And because of the choices Adam made, we have inherited the fall of mankind in ourselves and now we must also pay the penalty of death.

The first coming of Christ was that of a child in Bethlehem, Where from ther he took the journey to the cross of Calvary, so that we may be saved.

The second coming of Christ is found in the book of revelation where as like the Israelites cried for their deliverer, we to will cry out for God to return to make all things new.

In the second coming Christ will return to destroy His enemies and set his throne up for a thousand year reign.

Re 19:11 ¶ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Re 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Re 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Re 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Re 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Re 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
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Now the reason that I tie what is call the second coming and the rapture is to remind us all that, even thought there are two separate events there is still reason to celebrate Advent for both…

Again both call out to us and remind us that we live in time were we can expect the Lord to return and call his children home to meet him in the air.

And that after that event we who are living false lies will have an opportunity to return to God but we will have to go through the worse tribulation ever seen in history as God pours out His wrath upon the disbelievers of this world.

The question I would ask is; why would you, want to go through Judgments and punishments.

Advent is a time where we reflect our lives…how we live in expectation of the kingdom of God and the return of our Lord Jesus. Ask for forgiveness of those we have done wrong. Ask God for forgiveness and repent.

For folks there are terrible days which lay ahead and it’s only our trust in God we get through. It is only in our faith that we believe that Jesus died for us on that cross, so we might be saved.

So today we have lit the first candle…the candle of hope, the candle of Expectation of what is coming.  The color purple or blue represents the Royalty of Christ.

Our king and our savior.

And besides celebrating our beginning of the birth of Christ and the Hope of His return I wish to pause a moment and let’s reflect on why we celebrate and who Jesus is.

And we do that through most call the Lord Supper or Communion.

I prefer the word Communion.

Communion means a spiritual union

A relationship with another.

A unity.

It is in a special sense we become one with God…

Why is that?

We come together to remember what Jesus has done for us.

Remember he has come to bring us into a right relationship with God

Where sin has kept us apart…

The Blood of Christ has brought us together.

Where sin has kept us apart

The broken body has rebuilt the bridge for us to reach the holy city of God.

Paul tells us the path we must take as believers.

1 Corinthians 10:14-21

 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils

We cannot serve two masters…

We must serve God…

And we serve him in remembering what he has done for us.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34  Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

When he comes…he will set all things in order

But until then we remember Him for what he has done for us in the Lords supper.

But until then we remember Him in the Lighting of the advent candles and praying for His second Coming.

Let us break bread

And let us drink from the cup

Let us pray for His return

But Let’s give Him our hearts for what He has done for us.