ROOTED IN HOPE

Our faith begins and ends in Jesus

Titus 2:11–14 (ESV)

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Radical Truth: As days grow darker remember your hope is not found a world that is passing away but a savior who is coming again 

Revelation Timeline

🎺 The Rapture
(Jn 14:1-3, Romans 8:23, 1 Cor 15:50-57, Thess 4:13-18, Titus 2:131)

☄️The Tribulation
(Matt 24:5-14, Rev 6-11)

🌩️The Second Coming
(Dan 7:13-14, Matt 24:27-31, Acts 1:11, Jude 1:14-15,  Rev 1:7)

👑The Millennium Reign
(Zech 14:5; Matt 24:27,30; Rev 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6)

⚖️The Final Judgment
(Mt 25:46; Mk 9:43-48; Rev 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8, 1 Cor 3:13-15, 2 Cor 5:10)

🌍The New Heaven and a New Earth

(2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21,22)

Four reliable end-time pictures of Jesus from Scripture which give us great hope for the last days

PICTURE ONE: JESUS IS OUR SOON RETURNING SAVIOR

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (ESV)

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Foundational Truth:

The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church.

  • The Rapture takes place SUDDENLY 
  • The Rapture SIGNALS the Second Coming
  • The Rapture calls the SAINTS home

PICTURE TWO: JESUS IS OUR ROYAL WARRIOR

Revelation 1:7 (ESV)

7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Foundational Truth:

The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years.

  • His throne is Unending
  • His throne is Unrivaled
  • His throne is Unimaginable  

PICTURE THREE: JESUS IS OUR RIGHTEOUS JUDGE

Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Fundamental Truth:

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice,” – Dr Martin Luther King Jr

The Great White Throne Judgment is about RECOMPENSE

The Judgement Seat of Christ is about REWARD

PICTURE FOUR: JESUS OUR RADIANT GROOM

Matthew 25:1–13 (ESV)

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The faithful virgins were those anticipating and faithfully awaiting the coming of the Groom

The foolish virgins were those who had grown wearying in the waiting and were not found ready

The question is not will Jesus return, but will you still be burning when he returns!

  • Walk in Humility
  • Worship with Expectancy 
  • Witness with Urgency 
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