I. Has the Creator communicated? The Inspiration of Scripture. 

II. Who is Jesus?  The Deity of Christ/Virgin Birth/Trinity

III. Why did Christ Die?  The Substitutionary Atonement.

IV. On What is the Christian Hope based?  The Resurrection of Christ

Daniel 9:24  "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.

V. What will happen in the Future?  The Return of Christ

A. Why will Christ Return?

A1. To set up the Promised OT Kingdom (Isa 60)

Acts 1:3  to whom He also presented Himself alive…proofs…during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying: Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

ÞDavidic Covenant Acts 2:30 “…being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he (David), foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’. (2Sam 7)

ÞAbrahamic Covenant Acts 3:18  "But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began…25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." (Gen 12)

A2. To Judge according to His Promises, and Bring in Everlasting Righteousness in accordance with the ÞNew Covenant (Jer 31:31)

2Th 2:8…lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

A3. To Demonstrate His Justice and Glory in Rewarding Faithful Followers (Lk 19:11; Mt 19:27-30)

Mt 19:28  in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

2Ti 4:1  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 8  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

B. Is Christ Ruling now?  (see Isa 40, Mk 1 & The Future Kingdom)

Acts 1:11…This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Jas 5:7  Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8  You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Lk 17:20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21  "nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." 23  "And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24  "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.

2Th 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2  not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that you/we do not lose those things you/we worked for, but that you/we may receive a full reward. (2Pt 3:11 future entrance)

2Ti 4:18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Re 12:10  Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (1Pt 5:8)

C. What should we do until Christ Returns? (2Thess 2; 2Pt 3)

Abide 1Jo 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Diligent 2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14  Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Deny Titus 2:11 grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13  awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ RSV

Disciple 1Th 2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

1Ti 6:14  that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. How will more information about the future help you better obey Christ’s Great Commission to teach people to obey?

2. What would cause someone to think that God won’t keep His OT promises to set up the kingdom promised to Israel?

3. Why is it that the Return of Christ has such little impact on people’s thinking and actions? What’s the coreective?

4. How would you live this week differently if you knew Christ would physically return at the end of the month?