Doctrine of Imminence The Coming Storm, The Digital Currency, the Great Reset, the Mark of the Beast Is coming AFTER the Rapture of the Church. These coming events are clouds on horizon we are seeing just before the storm breaks. We do not need to be fearful of the imminently coming time where no man can access his digital dollar bank account without the chip in his right hand or forehead. If you knew you only had days to live would you not call out to GOD? In the very same way, If you really believed Jesus was coming tomorrow, what would your attitude be? What would you DO? Belief in Jesus soon return in the pre-trib rapture leads to Holiness !! Being set apart from this world.. Set apart for Jesus use... All throughout the Church age, faithful witnesses have longingly gazed up into the heavens hoping that Jesus coming would be in their day... The apostle Paul thought that Jesus might come back in his day, since the gospel had already gone throughout the world--- His world,, the Roman empire of his time... But Paul did not realize that Jesus meant all of planet Earth.. Even though in hind sight through the efficatcy of the Holy Spirit we can now see that it is plainly written in scripture that Jesus would not come back for another 1900 years, It was still hidden from them.. However, this doctrine comforted the believers.. Through their faith, they worked wonders in the power of GOD... 1st Thessalonians 1:10--- expresses hope and a warm spirit of expectantcy To serve the living and true God: and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 John 3:2,3 Results in a victorious spirit and a purified live living in Holyness 1John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. iv. We shall be like Him: This reminds us that even though we grow into the image of Jesus now, we still have a long way to go. None of us will be finished until we see Jesus, and only then truly we shall be like Him. d. We shall see Him as He is: Perhaps this is the greatest glory of heaven: not to be personally glorified, but to be in the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord. 1 Corinthians 13:12). . Paul said of our present walk, For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known ( Today, when we look in a good mirror, the image is clear. But in the ancient world, mirrors were made out of polished metal, and the image was always unclear and somewhat distorted. We see Jesus now only in a dim, unclear way, but one day we will see Him with perfect clarity. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 Paul included himself as among those looking for Jesus return Also 2 Thess 2:11 1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. c. And thus we shall always be with the Lord: The manner in which Jesus will gather us to Himself is impressive. But the main point is that whatever the state of the Christians (dead or alive) at the Lord's coming, they will always be with the Lord. This is the great reward of heaven - to be with Jesus. Death can't break our unity with Jesus or with other Christians. i. We shall always be with the Lord is an important truth with many implications. · It implies continuation because it assumes you are already with the Lord. · It implies hope for the dying because in death we shall still be with the Lord. · It implies future confidence because after death we are with the Lord. · It implies advancement because we will one day always be with the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:14 That thou keep [this] commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ For when we keep focused upon Jesus, this present world fades away. Hebrews 10:17 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. i. Some gifts are distributed differently by God, according to His own pleasure; others are universally given to believers - such as the gospel, which is given to each Christian in equal measure. ii. Delivered to them ten minas: It isn’t that each servant received ten minas, but that ten were distributed to the group as a whole, one to each of the ten servants. b. Do business till I come: While the master was away, receiving his kingdom, the servants were expected to do business - to use the resources that the master gave, and to use them to the utmost. James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Rev 3:3 If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. d. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief: Jesus warned them of the great danger in failing to watch. If they ignored His command to be watchful, then Jesus would come upon them as a thief, at a time completely unexpected. i. I will come upon you: How would Jesus come upon them? He could come in the sense bringing immediate judgment. Or, He could come in the sense of His coming at the rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Used in either sense, it showed He might come suddenly and unannounced, so they must be watchful. So If We Do watch-- we will not be surprised !!!!! 1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober. 2. (4-5) The basis for Paul's exhortations a. But you, brethren, are not in darkness: In addressing their behavior, Paul first simply told the Thessalonian Christians that they should be who they are. God has made us sons of the light and sons of the day. The time when we were of the night or of the darkness is in the past. So now we simply have to live up to what God has made us. i. "In the Semitic languages generally to be a 'son' of something means to be characterized by that thing." (Morris) b. That this Day should over take you as a thief: Paul means that this should not happen for the believer who lives according to their nature as a son of light and son of the day. They will be ready for the return of Jesus Christ. i. "Paul is led from a consideration of the day of the Lord to the thought that the Thessalonians have nothing to fear from the coming of that Day. This leads to the further thought that their lives should be in harmony with all that that day stands for." (Morris) ii. In some respect, the coming of Jesus will be a surprise for everybody, because no one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36). But for Christians who know the times and the seasons, it will not be a complete surprise. No one knows the exact hour a thief will come, but some live in a general preparation against thieves. Those who are not in darkness, who live as they are all sons of light and sons of the day, these are ready for the return of Jesus. iii. But if we are in darkness - perhaps caught up in some of the sin Paul warned against previously in this letter - then we are not ready, and need to make ourselves ready for the return of Jesus. 3. (6-8) Paul's exhortations: be awake, sober, and watchful. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. a. Therefore let us not sleep: Because we do not belong to the night nor of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5), our spiritual condition should never be marked by sleep. Spiritually speaking, we need to be active and aware, to watch and be sober. i. Not sleep: Paul used a different word here than for the sleep of death mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. "The word sleep is here used metaphorically to denote indifference to spiritual realities on the part of believers. It is a different word than that in 4:13-15 for the sleep of death. It covers all sorts of moral and spiritual laxity or insensibility." (Hiebert) ii. Sleep speaks of so much that belongs to the world (the others), but should not belong to Christians: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- I greet people in my large church with the words “Jesus is coming”. They smile – and/or are politely impatient-, then hurry away... After all, I've told them this before. However, they seem to miss the whole point ...Recently, I asked one delightful brother “why do I say Jesus is coming?” His answer was “I dont know” looking at me... So I answered “Because He IS coming very soon” All I got was a smile, and he went off to talk with someone else... It seems we are continually met with a spirit of apathy and a lack of understanding about the times in which we live. Despite all the things going on in the world today, the sense of urgency about the hour seemes lost . Sometimes, I find myself really wanting to grab them by both sholders, shake them and screem in their faces “wake up ! He is coming! Soon! Really soon!” What are you susposed to be doing about it?” How are you susposed to be living your life?” After all, they have children and then grandchildren they want to watch growing up, a football season they want to see, retirement plans they dont want to miss... In the minds of most all believers, they have a vague knowledge that Jesus could come back today, but they put the possibility of His coming on the top shelf of their closet because they really dont want Him to come back any time soon... because then that would mess up all their plans for the future... The large church I have been a member of for 30 years is spending three million dollars on a sanctuary remodel... A remodel facelift! 3 million! I shake my head in disbelief! I think I am the only person appauled by this waste! Think of how many Bibles could have been bought, how many missionaries could have been blessed by even half of that sum... Two million of what we spent was actually in CASH! And cost overuns will reach another 200 thousand $$$... The “Its all about ME” doctrine has led the church away from its true purpose, saving souls... going out into the highway and hedges and compelling people to come in to GODs house And Doctrine- dont even let me get started about doctrine! And wanna-be- Bibles...Most churches are disappearing down the “purpose driven rabbit hole of consummer led theology... theology so called, appealing to the lust of the masses instead of preaching the true WORD of the ages, given to us by our Redeemer and Lord... Finally, The doctrine of imminence has us watch, praying, faithfully working to reach the lost in the final moments of this age before Jesus calls us home to glory. We are faithful because we are his, and as faithful sons, we long to hear our masters voice His words, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the Joy of your Lord... Amen... Maranatha.