Jesus Is... The One Who Is Coming Again

October 18, 2026 In this message, Pastor Doug extends our “Jesus Is... The One Who...” series with a sobering look at Christ’s return in Matthew 24. While we often get so wrapped up in day-to-day distractions that we don't look past the nose on our faces, the Bible calls believers to a posture of constant readiness—adopting the Boy Scout motto: Always Be Prepared. Unpacking Jesus' Olivet Discourse, delivered during His final week before the cross, this sermon contrasts the hollow, temporary grandness of human accomplishments (like Herod's temple, which was completely dismantled in AD 70) with the eternal certainty of Christ’s second coming. We are urged to reject spiritual indifference, stay rooted in holy living, and keep our eyes fixed on the Risen King. Main Theme: Prophecy is not given to satisfy idle curiosity about future timelines, but to awaken believers to live holy, watchful, and fully prepared lives in light of Christ’s certain return. Key Points: The Boy Scout Motto for the Soul • Just as scouts are trained to "Always Be Prepared," Christians are called to live fit and ready in mind, body, and soul for the return of King Jesus. • We must resist the temptation to build earthly monuments to our own names. Like Herod's magnificent temple, which was reduced to a retaining wall just decades after completion, everything built by human hands will eventually fade away. The True Purpose of Prophecy (Matthew 24:1–3) • Biblical prophecy is not a puzzle meant to make us rich selling "Left Behind" theories or calculating hidden dates. Jesus explicitly stated that no one knows the day or hour—not the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father. • Prophecy exists to produce urgent, practical holiness today, ensuring that when Christ appears, His church is not caught off guard or found wanting. Eight Signs of the End Age • Widespread Spiritual Deception: Many coming in Christ's name, muddying the waters with subtle counterfeits. • Wars and Rumors of Wars: Earthly conflicts and national instability. • Natural Disasters: Famines, earthquakes, and ecological groaning (the beginning of "birth pains"). • Christian Persecution: Believers hated, betrayed, and put to death across nations. • Falling Away: A severe apostasy where lukewarm churchgoers abandon the faith under pressure. • Internal Betrayal and Hatred: Division and hostility erupting within religious circles. • Increasing Lawlessness: Cold-heartedness as systemic sin and selfishness multiply. • Global Gospel Proclamation: The good news preached to all nations before the final end. Living Unaware vs. Living Prepared • Jesus compares His coming to the days of Noah: people were busy eating, drinking, and marrying, completely unaware until the flood swept them away. • Like the five wise virgins in Matthew 25 who kept their lamps trimmed with oil, we must guard against spiritual apathy, feeding on God's Word daily so we remain filled with the Holy Spirit. Key Bible Verses: • Matthew 24:2 – "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." • Matthew 24:12–13 – "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." • Matthew 24:14 – "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." • Matthew 24:36 – "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." • Matthew 24:42 – "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Final Thought: Stop letting the temporary noise and busyness of this world blind you to eternity. Jesus is not coming back to inspect our earthly monuments or our social status; He is returning for a pure, faithful bride. Keep oil in your lamp, live every day as if He could return in the next breath, and stay steadfast to the end.