5 simple truths as we await the return of our King

By Brandon S. Harvath, Saturday, December 23, 2023

As we gather in this season of Advent, I want to encourage you to spend a few moments in quiet worship, immersing yourself in the marvel of the Incarnation. God incarnate, God has provided a lamb! God came down and dwelt among us. Jesus has come! 

This is the season to celebrate the virgin birth and the obedience of Mary and Joseph, the decree of the angels to a band of shepherds, the faithfulness of Magi who came from the East, the detailed planning of God who staged ALL these events before the foundations of the world were laid, right down to the very last detail. Even the manger was intentional, as the angels spoke to the shepherds, they called it “a sign.”  Most importantly this is a season of profound worship for us as believers — it’s a time to celebrate a living God who speaks! Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us that, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” 

That is what Christmas is all about, and what we celebrate during this season, as we should celebrate it all year round. 

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But remember, the narrative of Jesus does not pause or end at the manger in Bethlehem.

In fact, the story reminds me of a recent outing to the theatre that I had with my family.  We recently went to see “A Christmas Carol” at our local theater and I have to say, it really was wonderful. The cast, the stage, the music was all very well done.  But if you’ve ever taken little kids to something like that, you can imagine what my wife and I were faced with as we man-handled all seven kids throughout the performance. We made it to intermission, but it felt like it had already been a journey. We had the sodas, the snacks, the bathroom breaks, all of it, and as the curtain closed on the first half of the play, my kids immediately got up to leave.  Literally, they started walking out and I had to stop them and say, “Wait a minute, where are you going? This is only the intermission!” Can you imagine if we had just walked out of that play thinking it was the end of the story? All that time and energy spent, as well as the enjoyment during the first half, only to walk out and completely miss the second half? 

How often do we let the gifts and festivities be the entire “show,” when in fact, it’s just the lead up to the grand finale: the birth of Jesus! Don’t walk out at intermission. Let’s not miss it this year as we encourage one another, attend gatherings, wish each other Merry Christmas, and exchange gifts. The story is not over yet … Jesus is coming again! This Christmas season let’s not neglect the profound truth of His return. And if you’ve overlooked that before, just know that you are in pretty good company — in fact the Apostles had to be supernaturally reminded of the exact same thing in Acts Chapter 1, verses 1-11:

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into Heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into Heaven.’”

So, there you have it. The apostles themselves were left dumbfounded and in a state of shock. God sent supernatural messengers to simply remind them. “Don’t stand around gawking, Jesus is returning.” 

Let’s not be caught just staring up into Heaven this holiday season, but let’s be about the Father’s business. Here are five simple truths to remember how now we should live here in the church age, on this side of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1. Live in holiness, train for godliness

In an era where moral ambiguity abounds, God’s word compels us as Christians to live a distinct lifestyle. 1 Peter 1:15-16: “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” This holiness transcends superficial piety; it's a transformative pursuit mirroring God's character. Similarly, 2 Peter 3:11 tells us: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.” Holiness and godliness are not optional; they are essential goals of a believer anticipating Christ's return. Why? Because we love Him!

All the more as the day approaches, we must remain faithful in holiness and godliness.  We must be vigilant in our doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 tells us, “Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths, rather train yourself for godliness. For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”  Training is hard and it takes intentionality and hard work — blood, sweat and tears. We must work at it. If you don’t read your Bible with the desperation of a warrior about to go into life and death battle, and if you enjoy the gym more than you do spiritually training in godliness, then you may want to pause. Paul goes on to say in verse 16 that we need to be vigilant about our doctrine, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 

2. Be in constant prayer and watchfulness

Jesus specifically instructs us in Luke 21:36, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” We read in Ephesians 6:18, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Prayer is our spiritual lifeline, while watchfulness ensures spiritual readiness — it’s a heart posture of alertness.

Here's the thing about prayer — when you keep in step with the Spirit, and you align your heart with God’s, amazing things begin to happen. God answers prayer! James tells us in James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” 

3. Share the Gospel

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is clearly our divine mandate. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Acts 1:8 empowers us with the Holy Spirit to be Christ’s witnesses: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This isn’t a hobby or a sport, this is an urgent mission! Our time is limited, the clock is ticking, and the stakes are eternal.  Our physical bodies are dying and broken. With all creation, groan for the redemption of our bodies! We will not be made whole until we receive our new bodies, but if we are not born again by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel, that brokenness will turn into an eternity in hell. Lostness is the greatest pandemic mankind has ever known. 

4. Live in hope and encourage one another in love

In Titus 2:13, our hope is described as “blessed,” filling us with joy and assurance, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Hebrews 10:25 underscores the importance of Christian fellowship, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Our hope is not futile; it is anchored in promises of our living God! It is a living hope!

This living in hope should lead us to a life of radical love. You see, when your heart is aligned with God, when you’ve got the first commandment right — loving God with all of your heart all of your mind, all of your soul, all of your strength, when that happens in your life and when your love for God surpasses worldly things you are automatically going to begin pouring out love to everyone around you. 

One of the most explicit and profound chapters in the Bible with respect to love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. I’d encourage you this holiday season to study it and to dive deep into it. If you look carefully at the culmination of that chapter, Paul sums it up at the beginning of chapter 14, saying “pursue love.” 

I would encourage you this holiday season to go deep in pursuing radical love. Pursue it. Chase after it. When our short time and our brief mission here on this earth is complete, let it be said of us that we pursued love. That we chased after radical love. Model the love of Christ in your homes. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church, dying for her, giving up all of your selfish desires for her needs. And when you see her struggling in the proverbial ditch, mired in mud, don’t kick her, instead love her as the good Samaritan loved the stranger on the side of the road. And 10,000 times more so! Show Christ to the world around you through radical, crazy, Christian love.

Live in hope and encourage one another in love. 

5. Stewardship and service

Let us seek to steward well, with excellence the things of God.  The things that have been entrusted to us, the resources, the dollars, the technology. All of it. We are not working for a shrewd “for-profit” master, it’s 10,000 times more important than that. We are working for the king of kings, the ruler of all things. Matthew 25:21 remind us of our responsibility as stewards of God's grace: “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” 1 Peter 4:10 says that “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”

Faithful stewardship involves wisdom, difficult decisions, and constant watchfulness.  Like the early church in Acts 6, we need to be full of wisdom, full of the spirit of God, and have a good reputation.  Stewarding the resources of God is a serious issue that should command our prudent attention.

This Christmas, let us embrace the full story of our faith — from Christ’s birth, His saving work on the cross, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, to His impending return. Let our lives be a testimony of holiness, prayer, evangelism, love, and stewardship as we eagerly await the return of Jesus.