TEACHING

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
10:30 AM (ONE GATHERING for September, In-person + livestream + KIDS!, IBC campus)
THE END Is the Beginning 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:34-39
When He Appears. As we learn of the core things surrounding the return of Christ, we’ll look at three views of "the Millennium"—what can we all agree on and what should clearly be labelled as secondary. 
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READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:34-39; Colossians. 3:4, 1 John 2:28, 3:2; Roman 8:23

TAKE OFF
"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love." (Comenius, Unum Necessarium, 1668).

NAB Statement of Faith
9. We believe God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring all things to their appropriate end and establish the new heaven and the new earth (Ephesians 1:9–10, Revelation 21:1). The certain hope of the Christian is that Jesus Christ will return to the earth suddenly, personally, and visibly in glory according to His promise (Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:7; 3:11; John 14:1–3). The dead will be raised, and Christ will judge mankind in righteousness (John 5:28–29). The unrighteous will be consigned to the everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41, 46; Revelation 20:10). The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord (Philippians 3:20–21; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

II. Spectrum of End Times Beliefs
Some Key Words/Ideas: 

• Eschatology ἔσχατος
• Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, Amillennialism, Moderate Preterism. *The current religious term "premillennialism" did not come into use until the mid-19th century.
• Dominionism, Dispensational-Premillennialism
• Rapture (two-stage vs. one-stage)
• Imminent return
• Parousia παρουσία
• Maranatha Μαρανα θα
• Civil religion - Babylon - Rome
• The Beasts - Mark of the Beast
• The Lamb

Where all orthodox evangelical Christians are united

• Jesus will... _________________________
• The General, bodily ________________________
• All believers will __________________________

What orthodox Christians reject:

• _______________________________
• _______________________________

​
Justin Martyr (2nd Cent) on premillennial view, “...Many who belong to the pure and pious faith and are Christians think otherwise"(Grenz, Millennial Maze, 39).

Three views of Millennium

1. Premillennialism - "Return before the Reign"
2. Postmillennial - Working toward and Waiting for a Coming Reign of Peace Postmillennial view
3. Amillennial View - The Symbolic Thousand-Year Conquest of Satan​

​III. The Redemption of Our Bodies and Hope

If I were to have you read one End Times book:
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, The Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

If I were to have you read two End Times books:
Reading Revelation Responsibly - Uncivil Worship and Witness, Following the Lamb into the New Creation, Michael Gorman.

LAND THE PLANE

Final Word: Q&A Sunday next week

​For Reflection and Discussion

General “ice breaker” questions

1. Read again Revelation 20:1-10. What do you find interesting and why? 
2. This 1000 years mentioned has been viewed in several ways. What do you see as the strengths of each way of seeing it?
3. The millennium is only mentioned once and in a book full of imagery. Why would someone be tempted to make this more important than say, the belief in the resurrection or, the call to live in love as learned through Jesus, which is everywhere in the New Testament?
4. Reread 1 Corinthians 15:34-39. Initial thoughts? The resurrection and recreation of our bodies in the world to come, tells us that God loves and uses what he has made now and includes it in our new world—bodies for everyone. How is this different or similar from what you have been taught in church, in other religions, in “secular” cultures?
5. How can we learn to better “agree and disagree” in love on things we find disagreement on? 
   https://www.mennoniteusa.org/resource-portal/resource/agreeing-and-disagreeing-in-love/