Friday, June 6, 2008

"The prophets through faith . . . obtained promises" (Hebrews 11:33).

IDEA: We look forward to the second coming with the same vagueness that the people in the Old Testament looked forward to Jesus' first coming.

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that what is clear after the event isn't always clear before the event.

Do you think all serious Christians believe that Jesus will return?

Do they all agree on how and when it will happen?

I. Why do you think sincere Christians disagree about the events and timing of Jesus' second coming?

Do you think that all these Christians study the Bible, or is it just the people who agree with me who study the Bible?

Do you think that all Christians who say they believe in the second coming really mean it?

II. People in the ancient world had God's promises about the first coming and some of them responded to those promises in faith.

Could they have put their faith in God's promises even though they might not have had a clear idea of all that would involve?

Is it a lack of faith on their part to have the details but not be able to put them together?

Does faith in God's Word demand a complete understanding of what God says in order for us to have a relationship with Him?

As Christians today believe that Jesus will come again, even though they are sometimes vague about the details, people in the past were vague about Jesus' first coming.

III. When people trust Jesus Christ as their Savior today, do you think they know all that is involved in our salvation?

What do they have to know? We bet our lives that Jesus can somehow give us forgiveness and eternal life.

Does knowing the basic truth about Jesus mean that other truth about Him doesn't matter?