The Coming of The Lord is Near
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/14/2024
Foundation Scriptures:
So be patient, brethren, [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land. [See how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rains. 8 So you also must be patient. Establish your hearts [strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty], for the coming of the Lord is very near. James 5:7-8 AMPC
1. Long Patience.
a. Whether we die or are caught up in the air when Jesus returns for us, we will soon see Him face-to-face (1 Thess. 4:15-18).
b. We ought therefore, to be always ready and prepared to meet Him.
c. As the farmer patiently and expectantly waits for the crops he sowed; so, we must patiently expect and await the coming of the Lord.
d. Like a farmer, the Lord is patiently waiting for His harvest.
e. 2 Peter 3:9 KJV –– The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
f. The Lord does not delay His coming—He patiently awaits His full harvest of souls.
g. Patient (Greek makrothymeō) - patiently endure; longsuffering; forbearing; have long patience; to be of a long spirit; not to lose heart; to persevere patiently and bravely.
h. The Lord has long patience toward us, as He waits for each of us to repent and receive His salvation.
i. In the same way, He asks us to expectantly watch and persevere, with long patience, for His coming.
2. Establish Your Heart.
a. James 5:8b NKJV –– Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
b. Establish (Greek stērizō) - to set fast; to turn resolutely in a certain direction; to confirm; fix; establish; steadfastly set; strengthen; make stable; place firmly; set fast; make firm; render constant; confirm.
c. As you await, Jesus’ return, establish and strengthen your heart.
d. Be firm and unwavering in your faith and your commitment to the Lord and to His Word.
e. Let nothing shake you off your commitment to Jesus.
f. To be able to stand firm, you must be firmly anchored to His Word.
g. The more deeply God’s Word has penetrated your heart, the more firmly you will be able to stand.
h. You cannot afford to have a light acquaintance with the Word—it must be deeply rooted in your heart.
i. Be confident in His promises, knowing that He Who promised, is faithful (Heb. 10:23).
j. God is faithful to keep His promises to us.
k. All He asks is that we remain faithful to Him.
l. Our salvation is dependent on our faithfulness.
m. If we deny Him, there is no hope for us; therefore, we have no choice but to stand firm in our faith, no matter what comes.
3. Hold Fast to Your Confession.
a. Hebrews 10:23 KJV –– Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).
b. Hold fast to the profession—the confession—of your faith (Rom. 10:9-10).
c. You confessed Him as Lord and believed in your heart that He died and rose from the dead for you, and that you are now saved and born-again.
d. Hold fast to your witness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
e. Hold fast to His promises.
f. EVERY knee will bow to Him and EVERY tongue will confess that He is Lord (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10-11)!
g. Do not allow persecution or pressure from the devil to cause you to back off what you know and believe to be true—that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and that He keeps His Word.
h. It does not take much for some Christians to get offended at the Word of God.
i. The devil applies the slightest pressure, and they buckle and blame God for it, and abandon their faith.
j. That’s why you must hold fast to the Word and to your confession of faith, no matter what comes your way.
4. Stick Together.
a. Hebrews 10:24-25 KJV –– And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
b. We are encouraged and exhorted to stick together and to gather regularly.
c. The Church—the Body of Christ—gathers in person, to comfort, encourage, and strengthen one another.
d. And to provoke one another to walk in love and do works consistent with our faith.
e. We do not neglect going to church in person.
f. We never close the church for any reason.
g. Even more so when the Day of the Lord is approaching.
h. Even more so, in troubled times.
5. Comfort One Another.
a. Comfort one another with these words.
b. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NKJV –– For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.