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Patiently Waiting for Christ's Return
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe anticipation of Jesus Christ's return has long stirred urgency and impatience among believers. In the late 1960s, many in the Worldwide Church of God speculated that His return might occur on the Feast of Trumpets in 1975, fueled by earlier writings and a human tendency toward impatience amidst global turmoil. This frenzy to calculate the exact day and hour of His coming reflected a broader weariness of fighting sin and a longing for His Kingdom to replace the evils of the world. Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus' disciples displayed similar impatience, desiring to know the time of His return while under Roman occupation. He corrected them, emphasizing the need for patience. Even as late as the 50s AD, James exhorted scattered church members to wait patiently, despite persecutions and moral decline within the church, urging them to establish their hearts and endure afflictions while awaiting His return. James, in his epistle, highlights patience as essential for properly waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He warns against grumbling and encourages enduring trials with a God-given restraint that is active, not passive, and rooted in contentment. Using illustrations like the farmer waiting for rains, the prophets enduring mistreatment, and Job persevering through trials, James underscores the need for longsuffering and constant endurance in facing injustices and personal struggles while trusting in His timing. The church has often believed His return could be imminent, fostering a healthy urgency, but impatience has led to schisms and breakaways when members lose sight of what He is developing within them. Human speculation about the exact time of His coming is vain, as it cannot be known in advance. Instead, believers are to watch, pray, and patiently endure trials, allowing Him to establish their hearts with godly love and firm convictions, maintaining fervent fellowship without grudging against one another. Patience, coupled with faith and love, is crucial to avoid despair during delays and to resist the temptation to force His timetable through desperate actions or obsession with prophecy. The best preparation for meeting Him is to patiently develop an intimate relationship with Him, enduring to the end with an active patience based on truth, trusting that He will deliver according to His will and timetable.
What Does Jesus Mean by the Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32)?
Bible Questions & AnswersWe will know Christ's return is near when we see the events He mentions earlier in the chapter begin to occur. Verse 33 provides the key to His parable.
Some Reasons for Hope
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We have hope that our sins are forgiven, that the foolish things will be destroyed by Christ's second coming, and have the indwelling spirit of Jesus.
Enduring to the End
Sermonette by Ryan McClureThe antidote to post-Feast blues is to get our heads in God's Word, meditating on the topic of endurance, thinking about what it takes to endure to the end.
1335 (Part Two)
'Prophecy Watch' by Charles WhitakerThe apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, suggests loving Christ's appearing on day 1,335 (Daniel 12:12) should come first in our understanding of prophecy.
It's Worth the Wait
Sermonette by Ryan McClureIn Psalm 37:4, we are admonished to patiently wait for the Lord, with the promise that those who trust God's timetable will eventually inherit the earth.
How Much Longer Do We Have?
'Prophecy Watch' by David C. GrabbeHow often have we heard—or cried ourselves—'How long, O Lord?' Our great hope is in Christ's return, but it seems as if that time is delayed.
Trumpets Is a Day of Hope
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe are on the threshold of the greatest period of testing ever to come upon mankind. We need a sense of hope and faith to stay focused on our calling.
Shrugging Off Scoffers (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAny prophetic speculation, accurate or not, is useless unless it is promotes diligence in living godly lives, eagerly preparing for the return of Christ.
Success in This World
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe must invest in our own self-improvement and preparation, continually striving against stagnation and deterioration, and the powerful pulls of the world.
Habakkuk
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughHabakkuk learns to look, watch, wait, then respond, realizing that God is sovereign and will rectify all the injustices in His own time.
The 'Rest' of Hebrews 4
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIf we patiently endure, trusting in God's faithfulness to bring us to completion, there will be a time when we will attain the rest we desperately yearn for.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Profit from life is produced by work, requiring sacrifices of time and energy. We have been created for the very purpose of doing good works.
Hebrews (Part Twelve)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughHebrews 11 provides examples to bolster faith. The faith described is not blind, but is carefully developed from systematic analysis of available evidence.
Hope to the End
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPeter, while warning about impending suffering, nevertheless distinguishes himself as the apostle of hope, keeping our minds on what is to be rather than what now is.
Titus (Part Five): A Church in Training
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPaul, realizing that the tiny flock was no match for the Roman Empire, did not crusade to abolish slavery, but instead taught the church how to deal with it.
Matthew (Part Five)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe word 'blessed' in the Beatitudes means happy from within, not dependent on circumstances. It comes from having God's spirit and hope for the future.