God the Son, Student Workbook, SW10

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G O D T H E S O N

Don’t Get Bit by the Prophecy Bug

The relative absence of sermons on the Second Coming of Christ is to be contrasted with the dominance of that message by the apostles. One would be hard-pressed to find a proclamation of Christ by the apostles that did not emphasize (let alone mention!) the coming of Christ. Today, it is possible for biblical preachers and teachers to go for months, even years, without spending any focused attention on the Second Coming of Christ, and, as a rule, it tends to be de-emphasized in our churches. Why do you think so many equate teaching about the coming of Christ with the “prophecy bug,” those workshops and seminars which spend inordinate amounts of time trying to attribute biblical symbols to Russia, the Middle East current events, and the latest figure in the news who compares with biblical imagery?

Why “Ascension Sunday”?

In many Protestant churches today, the Ascension is never mentioned. While it is seen as a critical pre-Pentecost event, it is neither focused upon or celebrated as it is in more liturgical traditions like the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions. Why haven’t Protestant churches tended to recognize the theological and spiritual significance of the Ascension, unlike the more liturgical and sacramental traditions?

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Back to the Future

Much of our preaching and teaching today focuses on the present day application of Christian theology and truth. We concentrate on contemporary meanings, that is, how can we apply this today, right now, in our current living situation ? How are we as disciples to integrate our understanding of the past, the present, and the future, and as it applies to Christ, what he did, what he is doing, and what he will do? What role does a vision of the future play in Christian discipleship, and how should we as ministers of the Gospel focus on the future ?