The Return
The RETURN Pt.4 - The Day
October 16, 2016 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Of all the prophecies in the Bible, the most stark utterances are about the series of events called Day of the Lord. Used frequently in the OT of a time of God’s judgment and wrath. Not a literal day, but to a season. God patiently is giving time for people to come to him, restraining his judgment. But that will change.
The RETURN Pt.3 - The Great Departure
October 9, 2016 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • 1 Thessalonians 4
Jesus could come at any moment for us. For believers that ought to be a tremendously energizing thought. Especially as we see the globe in perpetual conflict, acts of terror, and an election cycle that’s messy. So the return of Christ is important to talk about. We should live in a holy anticipation of that event. Some suggest that to be heavenly-minded renders you to be of no earthly good. That may at times be true. But CS Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia (and many other works), once wrote, “It’s largely because Christians have ceased to think about the other world, that we have become ineffective in this one.” We are citizens of heaven. We ought to think often and deeply about our true home.
The RETURN Pt.2 - No Fear of the Dark
October 2, 2016 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • 1 Thessalonians 4
Paul writes this to offer comfort to these Thessalonian believers. He taught them to expect Jesus’ imminent return. These young Christians were shaken up when violent persecution was on the rise under Emperor Claudius (the 1st Roman emperor to widely persecute Christians) and some were killed. They wondered, did we misunderstand Paul, and are we in the Trib. Paul therefore writes, not only to clarify his teaching about Christ’s return, but also to impress on them an important truth: You need never fear the darkness of death. Find out in this message what enables us to be free of fear in the face of death?
The RETURN Pt.1 - The Big Picture
September 25, 2016 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians
What do we see happening in the world today? • We see ISIS • Uncontrolled mass migration. • Russia & Vladimir Putin. Does the Bible talk about this? • North Korea & nuclear proliferation. • Rampant Narcissism (social media) We wonder… Could we be near the end? Real questions. Today we begin new series, THE RETURN, with an overview of two letters by Paul which, though ancient, speak of end times.