WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF JESUS CAME BACK TODAY?
I Corth. 15:51-58  

                            
We are living in a time when I feel that the world is being lulled to sleep by the devil as to the second coming of our Lord. It seems that no one has this on their mind today.  Yet we need to look to the Word of God to study this great Biblical truth. One verse out of every 30 in the New Testament refers to His second coming.  In the 259 chapters of the New Testament, there are over 300 references to His second coming.  (Please refer to these scriptures: John 14:1-3, Acts 1:9-11, Rev. 22: 7, 12, 20).

The great evangelist Robert McCheyne was talking to a group of preacher friends and posed the following question: Do you think that the Lord will return today?   They all answered “no.”  Yet we have the warning of Christ in Mat. 24:42, "Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." 

What would happen if the Lord came back today?

  1.  Many would be greatly surprised:

          A.  Many people today don’t believe in His literal second
                coming to the earth. (Read 2 Peter 3:3-4)
    
          B.  America has been caught asleep many times in the past. 
                On  Dec. 7, 1941, we were caught asleep at Pearl Harbor.
                Many good men lost their lives at Pearl Harbor as we were
                caught completely off guard.

                We were also caught off guard at the World Trade Center
                 on September 11, 2001.

          C. America is being lulled to sleep similar to the time of Sodom                  and Gomorrah.  They paid an awful price for their sins, and                  I feel we too will soon pay.

   2.  All opportunity for service would be over.

          A.  Christ left us a job to carry out; it is called the
                 "great commission."  Matt. 28:19-20 clearly tells us what we
                 are to be doing until He returns.  “Work, for the night is
                 coming when no man can work.”  It could be hours, days,
                 months, or years until the Lord returns; only the Lord knows
                 for sure when that will be.

          B.  According to the Bible, our works will be on display
                (read I Corth. 3:13-15).
 
  3.  He will find a great falling away (read II Tim. 3:13-15).

          A.  We are in the time of the modernist and liberal movement
                  in the church.  It is getting harder each day to tell the
                 church from the world.  It seems now that the means always
                 justifies the end.  I don't think that the Lord is pleased with a
                 lot that we see going on today in the name of "religion."

          B.  It seems that the way a Christian dresses today is
                 being defined by the fashion industry instead of by the Word
                 of God. Does it really surprise you that rape in America
                   has gone up over 200% since the mini skirt
                 became “fashionable”?  God’s Word has a great deal to say
                 about the lifestyles that are flaunted (read Rom. 1:21-32).

   4.  All opportunities to be saved will be over (read 11 Thes. 2:9-12).

          A.  Many today think that they will be given a second chance
                 to be saved after Christ returns.  I feel that anyone who
                 has heard the gospel and rejected it will not be given a
                 second chance.

          B.  One day it will be your last day to accept Christ
                 (read Prov.1:23-32).

I hope that you are ready for the return of our Lord.  It could happen at any time.  By placing your faith in the Lord and trusting Him, we will be ready for His coming.  It doesn’t matter what the world says about His return.  The only proof that we need is what He says in His Word. 

If you have never accepted the Lord please click on “How to Be Saved.” 

I hope that this message has been a blessing to you.

May God bless you.