Signs of His return.
- Matthew 24:9-10– many are offended when told they are not ready
- Matthew 24:8-All these are the beginning of sorrows(pain – especially in childbirth).
- As the day of birth gets closer, pains come closer together and more intense
- Persecution provides separation of the goats from sheep, separation of the wheat and chaff
Thus, we the Ecclesia, are called to return 1st– Revelation 2:4-5 (NLT)– “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back (or return)to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” – Jonathon Cahn book, The Return
But return to what?
- Like dogs, we keep returning to our own vomit – Proverbs 26:11
- First we must understand return and repent are the same word. It comes from word metanoeo, again same as transformed
What does radical church look like?
- Don’t get entangled with the affairs of this world – 2 Peter 2:20
- Rich young ruler – Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23
- Widow who gave all that she had – Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4– this is radical
- Love of money root of some evil – 1 Timothy 6:10
This is why Jesus is called the 2nd or last Adam– 1 Corinthians 15:45-46– The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.
Deuteronomy 30:19– I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;– choose life, the tree of life
John Winthrop – “City on a Hill” speech
- John Winthrop’s City on a Hill speech in 1630 – the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his own people and will command a blessing upon us
- John Winthrop’s warning – But if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other gods our pleasures, and profits, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good Land whether we pass over this vast Sea to possess it
Before He returns, we must return
- There’s a seriousness about God the Body of Christ needs to catch ahold of that
- We got comfortable, lazy, more concerned about us