Talk

Jesus is Coming Soon*

Louie Giglio

November, 28, 2021

*[SOON] in the biblical sense, is a relative term when used in relation to the eternal nature of the ALMIGHTY, who exists outside time and space, yet concurrently operates within the confines of finite human history as ‘I AM; God the same yesterday, today, forever. Thus, the use of the term “soon’ as understood by the eternal mind may be interpreted to mean promptly (as in right now) or to mean a future time, say within the next 100-1000 years, the latter of which, in God time, is the equivalent of one human day, therefore “soon.”

Key Takeaway

The enemy wants us to get caught up in which day Jesus is coming back, but Jesus wants us to be ready today. He is coming soon, you can be sure of that. God is the definer of soon.

Eternity is real. Jesus tells us in John 14:1-4 tells us that He is going ahead to prepare a place for us and He is going to come back to get us soon.

*[SOON] in the biblical sense, is a relative term when used in relation to the eternal nature of the ALMIGHTY, who exists outside time and space, yet concurrently operates within the confines of finite human history as 'I AM; God the same yesterday, today, forever. Thus, the use of the term "soon' as understood by the eternal mind may be interpreted to mean promptly (as in right now) or to mean a future time, say within the next 100-1000 years, the latter of which, in God time, is the equivalent of one human day, therefore "soon."

Matthew 24:1-51

The Olivet Discourse. Jesus is in His last days, He is overlooking Jerusalem and can see how this is all going to play out.

7 Obvious Observations

A context within a context. There's a context of history that's past: Daniel is mentioned. There's a context of the present moment. There's a context of what's coming soon and a context of the end of the age.

Deception is the game of the enemy.

Verse 4 says to watch out that no one deceives you. Jesus warns us again in verses 11 and 24.

Faith is going to wane. Verse 12.

This is heartbreaking. In the last days, people's hearts towards faith in God will grow cold.

The hinge-point of the coming of Jesus is the fulfillment of the great commission. Verse 14, the proclamation of the gospel to every ethnos is still the mission of the people of God.

The abomination that causes desolation. Verse 15

Daniel was prophesying about the rise of a person who would absolutely come in abject opposition to the worship of God in the Temple. The Book of Daniel opens with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow down to a statue of Nebuchadnezzar and being thrown into a fiery furnace. Daniel is saying more of this type of thing is going to happen. In 165 BC, Antiochus Epiphanies IV, a Greek ruler from the Seleucid Kingdom, came into the Temple and put a halt to worship there. He sacrificed swine on the altar and put up an idol of Zeus in the Temple of God.

The abomination is idolatry that is so brazen that it says to forget the Blood of the Lamb and worship me or my idol instead. Desolation means wasteland, bareness, futile, empty, and meaningless. The average psychologist would use empty, futile, and meaningless as the state of the psyche of the human condition. Why? Because man is already trying to supplant God in the Church, and their hearts are growing cold. It's brazen in the world, and people are standing in the Holy place saying forget about the Blood of the Lamb; we are good to save ourselves.

Christ's return is a public event. Verse 27.

Everyone won't make it in the end. Verse 40-41.

Seven Applications- does Jesus's planned and clearly announced return impact us in any significant ways?

Live alert, not alarmed. Verse 6.

Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, elections, sickness- don't be alarmed. Why? Because Jesus has already told us how this is going to work out. Be alert. He could come at any second.

Stay close to the original. Verse 23-25.

What is the best way to not be deceived? Stay close, keep your eyes on Jesus, and your ears open to Jesus and His words. Don't listen to anything else, but Jesus. Deception wants us to get our eyes off of who He is and onto what they are saying.

Focus your life on the revealed Jesus, not some hidden prophecy.

Live ready. Verse 44

Expect Him at every hour. If knowing the day or hour would set into motion a series of events in your life, then just do it now. Live like He could return at any time. The enemy has us focused on what day when Jesus says to be ready today.

Draw close to the flame. Verse 12.

The telltale sign that Jesus is coming is that hearts are growing cold, so keep yours warm next to His flame.

Become an evangelist. Verse 40-41.

Not everyone is going to make it, but everything deserves an opportunity to hear the Gospel. Skip the debate about the "elect" and spread the news.

Make the move.

Transfer into Heaven whatever you would like there. You can furnish it with what you support with your money, your time, kindness, acts of faithfulness, and prayer.

You've never seen a hearse with a U-Haul behind it. In the Christian life, the U-Haul is in front.

Go all in on "red 14". Verse 14.

Going all in is a casino term, but in Matthew 24:14, the red letters of Jesus are telling you to preach the Gospel. Do it at any cost. He's not coming until all have heard the Gospel of Jesus. Go all in!

Today, let go of any offense that is holding you back. Jesus is coming and will set it all right. Let it go and get in with living your life.

Remember, keep your lamps burning. Matthew 15:1-13.

“

"Jesus is coming soon. You can be sure of it. You can know it because He said it."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

What does the word "soon" mean in the Kingdom of God?
Read John 14:1-14, what are we most looking forward to?
Matthew 24:4 says to be on guard so you are not deceived. In what ways is the world trying to deceive us? What is our best way to combat that?
How have you seen hearts grow cold towards Jesus? How have you seen people being drawn to faith?
According to Matthew 24:14, what is still the mission of the people of God?
How are you doing your best to share the Gospel? What are your hang-ups in not doing so?
On earth, what can we be doing to store up treasures in Heaven?
We are called to live ready for His return at all times. Why? What would need to change in our lives for that to be true?
Do you tend to live more alert or alarmed?
Read Matthew 25:1-13. What was Jesus's main point in that parable?

Scripture References

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God

; believe also in me.

1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.

“Do you see all these things?”

he asked.

“Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4Jesus answered:

“Watch out that no one deceives you.

For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’

spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.

Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.

How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

See, I have told you ahead of time.

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

“Immediately after the distress of those days

“ ‘the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth

will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.

Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it

is near, right at the door.

Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,

but only the Father.

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?

It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’

and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.