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Recently one of my friends shared a caption on social media which said, “The weatherman says, ‘a storm is coming’ and everyone panics. The preacher says ‘Jesus is coming’ and no one cares.” While I understand its inherent irony (the Lord’s imminent return is of greater importance than any imminent weather), the statement did cause me to think: why do so many not see Christ’s return as urgent? While numerous conceivable reasons could be given, the one that came to my mind is that, for many, they do not care because it is not an immediate concern. When the weatherman announces that a blizzard is on the way, people feel the urgency because they know they only have a few days or even hours to prepare for what is to come; contrast that with the message of Christ’s return, which was given well over 2,000 years ago.

However, as pastor Danny reminded us this past Sunday, Christians must not lose urgency being patient for Christ’s second coming. Consider his Four Theological Principles of Waiting as it relates to us waiting for Jesus today. First, God always keeps His word.  In Acts 1:11 an angel, a messenger of God, tells the disciples that Christ would come again; therefore, we can have confidence that Christ will return because God has declared it to happen!

That Christ will eventually come back directly connects to the second theological principle, God’s timing in keeping his word is perfect. God’s Word consistently states that Jesus’ return is imminent (see Romans 8:19-25 and Philippians 4:5). Yet from our vantage point this again was a message which was given over 2,000 years ago, so can we really say with confidence that Christ will return at any moment? The short answer is, yes! We must remember that God has an appointed time for all things to occur, and that includes when His son will come back.         

Third, remember that God keeps His word through the undulating circumstances of life and individuals’ lives. It can be easy to lose sight of Jesus’ return as we are occupied with various roles, responsibilities and difficulties; however, just as God has told believers that they are forever His sons and daughters (Galatians 4:1-7), we can also be confident that no circumstance will alter or affect God’s plan for Jesus’ return.

Finally, God desires for the time between His word and Him keeping it to be received by his people with faithfulness. As pastor put it, this faithfulness is one of diligent anticipation; it does not sit idly by. What does that look like for our church family? Recently we as a church family, through the faithful preaching of Scripture, we have sought to understand what God’s Word teaches about developing a culture of discipleship. While it is proper to long eagerly for Christ’s return within our lifetime, we must also remember that God has given us work to do in the meantime, which includes making disciples.

May God be praised as we seek to patiently yet diligently wait for the day Jesus comes back!