This study was first taught on January 15, 2017

Topic: The Promise and the Wait_2: The Second Coming of the Lord

(use the audio to study)

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Background
In our meeting, last week, we looked at the command by the Lord, “wait for the Promise of the Father”, with a view to seeing what it means to wait for the promises of God in general; and more specifically, for the promise of the Holy Spirit baptism.

We noted that promises made by God are always as good as done. However, because there is a time lag between when the promise is made and when it does come to pass, there is the need for us to wait for the promises of God! This matter of waiting for the promises of God, has given rise to impatience in the lives of so many people, who then go about trying to resolve issues on their own with disastrous consequences, as we saw in the case of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar.

We thus learnt lessons about waiting for the promises of God, including “the Promise of the Father”, as follows:
1. Scripturally, waiting is not to be done fretfully, anxiously, or, passively; rather, we are to wait expectantly, without complaining, grumbling, or, murmuring; always looking forward to the manifestation of the promise.
2. Scriptural waiting is not an aimless, hopeless, and endless act; rather, we must keep our focus on the promise, in anticipation, knowing that at the time set or appointed by God, the promise will surely come;
3. When God makes a promise to you, you need to write down the promise as revealed—not as you may perceive it—so that you can always keep it in view and not be blindsided;
4. You need to be resolute in your faith in God and in His word;
5. You need to patiently endure the challenges that do come with waiting—public humiliation, loss of property, incarceration, threats to life, etc.;
6. You need to persevere in prayer and communion with God, regardless of what may be happening to the contrary of what has been promised; and,
7. While waiting, expect God to rehash and rehearse the promise in your heart, to help you hold on to the promise, and to renew your strength so that you can keep on waiting, and soar above seeming contradictions to the promise.

In applying the above lessons to waiting for “the Promise of the Father” (the Holy Spirit baptism), keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. Be sure to hold on to God’s word on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and, be expectant, regardless of any feeling of ‘humiliation’ among other believers, and mockery by unbelievers, because, “the Promise of the Father” shall surely come upon you!

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 1:4-5; Genesis 3:15; Psalm 110:1; Daniel 9:2-27
In scripture, there are three Great promises that are about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first of these promises, the coming of the Lord in the flesh as Saviour, for the salvation of mankind, has already taken place. The second is the coming of the Lord by His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) upon those who have believed in Him for their salvation, for divine service, and, is still being fulfilled in the lives of many. And, the third and last of these Great promises is the return of the Lord Jesus in power and great glory, to take to Himself all those who have been saved and sanctified, and to set up His kingdom on the earth; and is yet to be fulfilled, and, the subject of tonight’s study.
Our discussion tonight is not to talk about the Second Coming per se; rather, we want to apply what we have already studied about waiting, to waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Suffice to note that the Second Coming of the Lord, is not a one moment event, but a series of events that begin with the catching up of the saints (the rapture), and that ends with the physical presence of the Lord on the earth to set up His kingdom.
John 14:2-6; Acts 1:9-11; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Matthew 24:10-14, 29-31, 42-51; 25:1-13; Ephesians 5:14-18; Revelation 19:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 4:11-16; Luke 12:35-40; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

Conclusion
As sure as two of the three Great promises in the bible have happened, so will the third and last of the Great promises, the Second Coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ, take place. Everyone who believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must wait for the Second Coming of the Lord, with great expectation, great anticipation, great faith, and, tremendous patience, perseverance, and prayer.

In addition, we must wait for the Second Coming of the Lord with more than these—we must watch, as no one knows when the Second Coming of the Lord will be. To watch means that you do not sleep like others would; you do not act wantonly like others would; you are alert, and looking forward to the return of the Lord. Also, we must wait by making ourselves ready for the Second Coming of the Lord. Making yourself ready is the preparation that must precede the granting of the privilege to adorn oneself in ones works of righteousness. To help us get ready, the Lord has given us apostles, prophets, evangelists, and, pastors and teachers, to ensure the growth and development of each believer, till we all come to the unity of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must, therefore, stop seeing our assembling together as drudgery or as a gathering for personal carnal benefits; rather, our gathering together, must be for the edification of the church, strengthening one another in the faith, and encouraging each other to continue to persevere in the face of challenges and persecution.

We must have at the back of our minds the parable of the ten virgins, in which, though all ten virgins slept, yet there were those who were nonetheless ready—they had gotten everything ready, so that when the alarm was sounded, they did not need to be scampering for the things they ought to have had in readiness. We must also be mindful of the deception of this Age, which calls us away from God, unto something that has no bearing on eternity. Furthermore, we must particularly take evangelism and discipleship very seriously—it must be in our nature to seek the lost and reach them with the gospel of Christ where ever they may be; thus, hastening His return!

Finally, holiness must be our lifestyle, and the pursuit of peace with all men, must be our approach to dealing with all men. At the center of everything must be our love for God, our love for the brethren, and our love for all men. And if while waiting for the Second Coming as enumerated severally above, your time to leave the earth arrives, you can rest assured that you will be among the saints who will be resurrected at the Second Coming of the Lord!

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