The Lord's Return

A Problem In the Church Today

One of the greatest problems in the Church today is the fact that her ministers have lost the message of urgency concerning the coming of the Lord. In my opinion, this is both tragic and ironic. It is tragic because it is a Bible fact Jesus could appear at any moment as is stated in the Bible many times. It is ironic because current events that have Biblical significance are basically being ignored by most Christians, events which were predicted by Jesus and the prophets to signal the "end of the age". Another irony in this regard exists in the fact that Jesus had strong exhortation for the Scribes and Pharisees, (Bible scholars), of his day in that they did not recognize through study of Bible prophecy the time in which they lived. They could have known exactly who Jesus was through the 300 plus prophecies about Jesus' birth, life, and ministry. However they chose to ignore these prophecies and we know the rest of the story.

Today, it is very ironic that the Church is playing the same role of ignoring the prophecies concerning Jesus' second coming that the Jews played concerning His first. The old and new testaments are packed full of prophecies concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ which the orthodox Jews are fully aware of. One can go to almost any city in Israel today and see banners displayed publicly on which there is writing indicating that Messiah is coming soon! Unfortunately, there are very few churches today who are recognizing that the "signs" are here and are recognizable from Bible prophecy. Because they do not recognize these "signs", they are saying very little about them. In my observation of this problem over the last few years, I have found there to be several reasons for this:

  1. Doctrinal disagreement - There are those who just disagree doctrinally with the idea that there are any signs to be observed that would indicate the timing of the Lord's return. I have come to have little patience with this view. I have noticed in this view a deliberate ignoring of the facts about current events and their relationship to Bible prophecy. There is usually on the part of those who endorse this view, a distortion of the Scripture found at II Peter 3:9-16, which states that the unstable and untaught deliberately distort the teachings concerning the coming of the Lord. Then verse 16 adds the phrase, "to their own destruction". There is a difference that must be stated here, before we move on, between those who are innocently uninformed about these things and the ones who are taught and choose to deliberately ignore them. I believe the point of Scripture to be stated here is deliberate ignoring of the coming of the Lord indicates a very unhealthy relationship with Jesus Christ!
  2. Apathy - There are those who know about the coming of the Lord but could care less. I usually find in this view the tendency to acknowledge the coming of the Lord but the event is distant and remote. To these people, there is no immediate threat of the Lord interrupting their plans for this life's accomplishments. I have come to have little patience with this view also. I do not understand, in the light of current events, a Christian who is apathetic about his or her relationship with the Lord. There are many Christians today who would fit into this category and in the light of Jesus' words found at Revelation 3:15 &16, one should not be surprised. I believe the Church to whom these words were spoken is the collective Church of our day. A large volume could be written here about experiences with apathetic Christians. However, it is sufficient to say that the only Church mentioned in Revelation that Jesus was totally disgusted with was the Church of Laodicea, the apathetic Church. This Church didn't and doesn't even merit His respect. This Church, as Dave Reagan puts it, "is not yearning for the coming of the Lord, they're yawning". What a sad testimony! The hope and promise guaranteed to the Church is basically ignored in apathy today!
  3. Unbelief - This category would include the masses of people, mostly lost, who go to Church from time to time but don't believe the Lord is ever coming. They believe very little about the Bible to be true. To them the Bible is either a good history book or a good book of moral values, and nothing more. To these people, very little should be taken literally from the Bible. A Minister in one of these Churches will very seldom use the Bible in a sermon and when he or she does, a humanistic topic is chosen such as, the "motherhood of God", "or the brotherhood of man". There is a strong sense, among these people, that man must use his own abilities to solve his own problems. Improving world conditions is the only hope for mankind in this view. The only hope these people can have in this life is no expectation for the life to come for them. How sad this life is to these! The last 50 years has proven that man cannot improve his world as it has only gotten worse in spite of all his attempts. Jesus will come as a thief in the night to these people as is stated in 1 Thess. 5:2 & 3. While the world is attempting to install "peace" and "safety", Jesus will come as a thief in the night and take his people out and leave this world to solve all their problems for themselves. These people mock the idea that Jesus is coming soon as is indicated in 2 Pet. 3:3&4. It is sad to say, but I have been in Churches like these. If you are a member of a Church like this today, two words of admonition should be sufficient; get out!

I would like to end this article on a final positive note. There are true believers in Jesus Christ today who love the Bible, who go to Bible believing Churches, who love other brothers and sisters in the Lord, who serve the Lord with their lives, and who live their lives in earnest expectation of the Lord's return at any moment. I find my richest fellowship among these people. According to 2 Tim. 4:8, there is a crown of life waiting for those who are looking for and loving the appearing of the Lord. Are you one of these people? And can you say with me along with many others, "come Lord Jesus"? If not, then repent from and confess to the Lord whatever sins stand between you and the Lord. Accept his forgiveness and start living your life in adoration of the One who shed His blood for you. The same One who is about to appear, Jesus, the Lion of Judah!