When Are We?

Order of Service

• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: When Are We

Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33

I. What All Christians Agree On Regarding Our Present Age

A. We live after Christ's first coming, in light of his finished work B. We live in the age of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit C. The work given to the church is gospel work

1. Outward-facing: the Great Commission — Matthew 28:19-20
2. Inward-facing: mutual admonishment and teaching — Colossians 3:16 D. Christ will return a second time E. Christ is ultimately victorious

II. Where Christians Disagree: The Nature of the Millennium

A. The primary debate centers on Revelation 20 and three millennial positions

1. Premillennialism: Christ returns before a literal thousand-year reign
2. Postmillennialism: Christ returns after the Millennium; the church ushers in the kingdom
3. Amillennialism: the Millennium is the present age; Christ reigns now from heaven B. The key distinction between postmillennialism and amillennialism is not the timing of Christ's return but the nature of the Millennium (Alan Bandy)

III. The Postmillennial Position

A. Christ's victory is progressing and contingent on the growing success of the church B. As the gospel goes forth, suffering decreases and the world is gradually Christianized C. Key texts: the parables of the mustard seed and leaven — Matthew 13:31-33

1. The kingdom grows from the smallest seed into a great tree
2. The leaven spreads until the whole is leavened — understood as the eventual Christianization of the world D. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is read as a promise that all nations will become disciples

IV. The Amillennial Position

A. Christ reigns now; his reign does not await future events in the church B. The Kingdom was inaugurated at Christ's first coming C. Victory and suffering are held in tension simultaneously until Christ's return

1. The gospel spreads and bears fruit — real victories can be acknowledged
2. Suffering, tribulation, and struggle with sin continue until the end D. Key text: John 16:33 — peace in Christ, tribulation in the world, and Christ's present victory all held together E. The amillennial position is not pessimistic but realistic, consistent with the testimony of the New Testament and the Psalms regarding ongoing suffering and lament F. Christians await the consummation — the new heavens and new earth — at Christ's return

V. Why Our Understanding of When We Live Matters for How We Live

A. Our eschatology shapes our expectations for daily life, gospel work, and suffering B. We are called to gospel work wherever we are placed — as missionaries abroad or witnesses at home C. Understanding when we live keeps us from rising and falling with the apparent success or failure of Christianity in our culture D. All positions share the ultimate hope: Christ is coming — Revelation 22:12-13

1. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last
2. The proper response of the church: Amen, come Lord Jesus