This study was first taught on January 22, 2017

Topic: The Promise and the Wait_3: Fundamentals for Waiting for The Second Coming

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Background
In our last meeting, we noted that of the three Great promises in the bible, the third and last—the promise of the Second Coming of the Lord—is yet to be fulfilled. We noted that as sure as the first two of the three Great promises in the bible have already come to pass, and we are beneficiaries of the blessings therefrom, so also will the last of the Great promises come to pass, and if we apply the basic principles of waiting for the promises of God—waiting with great expectation, great anticipation, great faith, and, tremendous patience, perseverance, and prayer—we shall certainly be beneficiaries of the blessings of the Second Coming of Christ.

More particularly though, when it comes to waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord, we must in addition to waiting, watch—no sleep of death, nor slothfulness; rather, we should be constantly alert, and always look forward to the Lord’s return at any time! We must also use the period of waiting for the Second Coming, to make ourselves ready by being available to be prepared through scriptural teachings of the word of God, by God’s ministers, whose primary role is to ensure the growth and development of each believer, until each one comes to the unity of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the fullness of the stature of Christ; and, by assembling together with other believers for edification, strengthening in the faith, and, encouraging one another to continue to persevere in the face of trials, tribulations, and persecution.

We must avoid the unpreparedness of the foolish virgins, and the nonchalance of the unfaithful and wicked servant; but rather, emulate the wisdom and foresight of the wise virgins, and the diligence and steadfastness of the faithful and wise servant, lest we be locked outside when the Lord returns. We must also be mindful of the deception of this Age, which seeks to lure and seduce believers in Christ, away from God. Furthermore, we must persistently proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, and make disciples of new believers, so that we can speed up the Lord’s return!

In all that we do, we must not lose sight of our own salvation, and the essence of enduring till the end. Hence, holiness must be our lifestyle; the pursuit of peace with all men, must be our goal; and our love for God, the brethren, and indeed, all men, must be at the heart of all that we do. And, if while waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord, we fall asleep—as in death—we would have been made ready, and can rest assured that we will be among the saints when the roll is called up yonder!

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 1:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-12
So far, we have seen how we are to wait for the Second Coming of the Lord—watching, preparedness, wisdom, diligence, evangelism, holy living, and so on. We shall now turn our attention to fundamentals that must be present in us, which will help us to wait for the Second Coming.
When in 1 Corinthians 10:12, the believer in Christ is warned “to take heed lest he fall”, it is based on what happened to Israel of old. They were delivered from the bondage of Egypt; crossed the Red Sea on dry ground; experienced the miracle of manna six days a week, for forty years; drank water brought forth from the rock; were led by a pillar of cloud by day, and surrounded by fire at night; and so on, yet many of them died off in the wilderness, never entering the land which God promised them and to which He was leading them, because they engaged in all manner of fleshly conduct—revelries, sexual immorality, murmuring, complaining, idolatry, and so on. We, as spiritual Israel, must take heed, that we don’t end up like them, since our experience is like theirs; only less vivid, yet very real!
Luke 14:25-27, 28-33; Matthew 16:21-26; 26:30-35, 69-75; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Colossians 3:1-2; 4:14; Philemon 1:23-24; 2 Timothy 4:10a; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-19; Exodus 32:1-18; 24:9-11; Deuteronomy 4:15-19; 1 Samuel 3:1-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; Galatians 5:1-4; 2 Peter 2:20-22; 3:17; Matthew 7:21-23; 2 Peter 1:1-11.

Conclusion
The admonition, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”, is akin to the warning by the Lord—“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13). As qualification for being caught up at the Second Coming and entering into heaven, many people are trusting in their church attendance, preaching and serving in church, working of miracles and casting out of demons, relationship with their pastors and General Overseers, and so on; but nothing can be further from the truth, as the Lord told His disciples, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20).

If our waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord is to be productive, there are fundamentals that must be present in our lives. These are; love not yourself or your life; love not the world or the things of the world; and, beware of spiritual lethargy, and complacency! Peter, before the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord, loved his life so much that he denied the Lord, even with an oath, after vowing not forsake Him. Demas loved this world so much, he deserted his post and went to Thessalonica for personal carnal benefits. Aaron and Israel’s leaders/elders in the wilderness, were so lethargic in the spirit, and complacent that they engaged in, and led the whole nation to engage in, all sorts of despicable acts which can be summarized as, self-rule, idolatry, indulgence, Mammonism (the pursuit and love of money), revelries, wantonness—which include, corruption, debauchery, decadence, depravity, evil, immorality, lewdness, licentiousness, shamelessness, and the like. As spiritual Israel, we ought to learn from the mistakes of Israel in the wilderness, so that we wouldn’t be shut out at the return of the Lord.

It is time for us to wake up from our slumber, discard our fleshly and worldly affections which war against our souls, and, turn to God in faith, Who has reserved for us, an inheritance in heaven—incorruptible, undefiled, and that does not fade away. If we trust Him, He will keep us by His power here on earth, and ensure that we are partakers with His Son, Jesus Christ, when His kingdom is finally established! Many people will sadly be banging on heaven’s door, proclaiming their qualifications for entry into heaven, which will not count; when all they need is their trust in, and dependency on God, and the doing of His Will!

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