Soon and Very Soon, We Will See the King

Devotional

Day 1: The Trumpet’s Roar and the King’s Return

The earth will shake with a sound unlike any other—a trumpet blast announcing Christ’s return. This isn’t a whisper but a royal proclamation, shaking creation to its core. The same trumpet that called Israel to worship now calls the living and the dead to meet their King. Its urgency cuts through time, demanding attention from every nation. Those who belong to Him will rise, transformed, to join an eternal procession. This is no metaphor but a coming reality, as certain as Christ’s empty tomb. [57:35]

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: What would change today if you lived as though the trumpet’s blast might split the sky before sunset? How might this urgency reshape your conversations, prayers, or silences?

Day 2: First Fruits and the Harvest of Resurrection

Christ’s resurrection isn’t an isolated miracle but the first ripe grain in a global harvest. His risen body is the promise that graves will empty, and brokenness will mend. Just as farmers offer first fruits to consecrate the entire crop, Jesus’ victory dedicates all who follow Him to eternal life. The same power that shattered His tomb now pulses through believers, guaranteeing their transformation. Death’s grip is already broken—resurrection is the only harvest left. [58:06]

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20-23, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you most need to believe resurrection isn’t just a past event but a future reality for your body, relationships, or unhealed wounds?

Day 3: Longing Grows as Shadows Lengthen

Yearning for Christ’s return deepens like a thirst—not because life dims, but because eternity comes into focus. Aging bodies, grief’s weight, and the world’s brokenness become signposts pointing home. This holy ache isn’t denial of life’s goodness but a reminder: the best moments here are foretastes, not the feast. Those who’ve buried loved ones or felt time’s erosion know this hope isn’t escapism—it’s the spine that keeps them upright. [50:41]

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
(Philippians 3:20-21, ESV)

Reflection: What loss, limitation, or injustice makes your heart cry “Enough!” today? How might that very ache be God’s gift to align your hopes with His promises?

Day 4: Death’s Sting and the Empty Venom

Believers don’t merely outlast death—they watch it disarmed. Like a bee without a stinger, death still buzzes but cannot poison. Christ absorbed its venom on the cross, leaving only the shell of separation. Grief remains, but its edges blur with hope. Every funeral becomes a rehearsal for reunion; every grave a seedbed for glory. The tomb’s emptiness echoes forward, turning final goodbyes into “see you soon.” [59:47]

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’”
(1 Corinthians 15:54-55, ESV)

Reflection: What fear of death—yours or others’—still paralyzes you? How would living as though its sting is already removed change your courage in love, risk, or forgiveness?

Day 5: “Enough!”—The War Cry of Coming Justice

Christ’s return shouts “Enough!” to every oppression. No more refugees, cancer wards, or tyrants. No more children sold or elders forgotten. The King’s command will freeze evil mid-stride, turning history’s wail into a hymn. This certainty doesn’t breed complacency but holy urgency—to feed the hungry, comfort the grieving, and preach hope while it’s still called Today. Mission isn’t optional; it’s the echo of His coming decree. [01:18:48]

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
(Matthew 24:14, ESV)

Reflection: What injustice in your world makes you pray “Come, Lord Jesus” most fiercely? How can you partner with Him today to bring a foretaste of that coming “Enough!”?

Sermon Summary

Christ’s return is the great promise toward which God’s story is moving. Creation, fall, redemption, and consummation belong to one unfolding plan, and God is working that plan. The same Jesus who ascended into heaven will come again. Longing for that day does not diminish the goodness of life now. It puts present blessings, losses, and responsibilities in their proper perspective and calls believers to be faithful with the moments they have.

The trumpet call and the mighty shout announce the arrival of the King of kings. His command gathers his people, even those whose bodies are in the grave. Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits: the sure sign of a coming harvest and the sign that the whole harvest belongs to God. Those who belong to him are bound for resurrection because he has gone before them.

Resurrection means more than a disembodied spiritual existence. Christ will transform his people, giving them bodies like his own resurrected body, fit for life in the new creation. Jesus has won, and those joined to him through love and faith share his victory. By fulfilling the law and atoning for sin, he has broken death’s power to hold believers in slavery through fear.

God remains King even while rebellion persists. His return will bring an end to suffering, death, and evil, and all that is wrong will be set right. Until then, the church is called to encourage one another with this sturdy hope. Grief remains real, but separation is not final. Suffering remains painful, but faithful endurance is not wasted. The promise of resurrection calls believers to stand firm and give themselves fully to the Lord’s work. The promise of judgment also gives urgency to mission, because Christ’s coming means judgment for those who persist in evil as well as deliverance for those who belong to him.

Key Takeaways

1. Longing Gives Present Life Proper Perspective. Anticipation of Christ’s return does not make present blessings less meaningful. It places those blessings within God’s larger plan, alongside the losses and limitations that deepen the longing for his coming. Believers are called to receive the goodness of life now while remaining faithful with the moments entrusted to them. [51:05]
2. The Firstfruits Make Resurrection Certain. Christ’s resurrection is not an isolated victory with no connection to his people. As the firstfruits, he is the sure sign of the harvest still to come and the sign that the whole harvest is consecrated to God. Those who belong to him can face the grave knowing that the one who has gone before them has secured their resurrection. [1:02:25]
3. Eternal Hope Includes Resurrected Bodies. Christian hope is not an eternity spent floating on a cloud in a disembodied existence. The promised future includes transformed bodies like Christ’s resurrected body and life in a new creation. The present spiritual state of those who have died in Christ is an intermediate state, not the final shape of their life with him. [1:06:28]
4. Death Cannot Hold Believers In Fear. Sin brought death, and the law exposed the reality of human sinfulness. Christ fulfilled the law and atoned for sin, taking away death’s sting for those who belong to him. Grief and mortality remain real, but fear of death no longer has the right to rule a believer’s life. [1:08:34]
5. Coming Judgment Gives Mission Its Urgency. Christ’s return promises relief from suffering and the setting right of all that is wrong. That same return also brings judgment on evil and on those unwilling to repent. Hope therefore calls the church beyond private comfort into the urgent work of bringing the gospel to as many people as possible. [1:18:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:00] - The Promise of Christ’s Return
[49:45] - Longing for That Day
[53:52] - God’s Story Moves Toward Consummation
[55:38] - Scripture’s Promises of Resurrection
[1:00:53] - The Trumpet and the Mighty Shout
[1:02:25] - Christ the Firstfruits of Resurrection
[1:04:06] - Transformed Bodies and Shared Victory
[1:06:06] - Resurrection, Not Disembodied Eternity
[1:07:42] - Death Has Lost Its Sting
[1:09:33] - God Reigns and His People Take Courage
[1:10:55] - Enough Suffering, Enough Death
[1:13:39] - Stand Firm While Waiting
[1:18:14] - Coming Judgment and Gospel Mission
[1:19:15] - Prayer for Sturdy Hope and Faithfulness

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” [56:55]

1 Corinthians 15:50-58
“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” [58:50]

Acts 1:9-11
“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.” [48:03]

Observation questions

In Acts 1:9–11, what details connect Jesus’ departure with the promise of his return? [48:29]
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, what happens to believers who have died and believers who are still alive when Jesus returns? What final outcome do both groups share? [57:14]
What two meanings does the image of firstfruits carry, and how do they connect Christ’s resurrection to the future of those who belong to him? [01:02:50]
In 1 Corinthians 15:50–58, what changes must believers undergo, and what instructions does Paul give after describing their victory through Christ? [58:50]

Interpretation questions

Why does Paul connect Christian hope with Jesus’ death and resurrection in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18? How does that foundation allow believers to grieve honestly without treating separation as final? [01:16:26]
How does the promise of transformed bodies in 1 Corinthians 15:50–58 challenge the idea that eternal life is only a spiritual existence without a body? Why might this distinction matter to someone experiencing illness or physical weakness? [01:06:32]
Why does Paul end his discussion of resurrection by calling believers to remain faithful in the Lord’s work? How does resurrection give meaning to service that seems unnoticed or unsuccessful? [01:14:56]
How can longing for Christ’s return help a believer appreciate present blessings rather than dismiss them? What distinguishes faithful anticipation from avoiding present responsibilities? [51:05]

Application questions

When you think about Jesus returning, what do you feel most strongly—anticipation, hesitation, uncertainty, or something else? Is there a present hope or experience you fear missing, and how might you hold that desire alongside his promise? [49:45]
What ordinary responsibility has God entrusted to you that you are tempted to overlook or put off? What might faithfulness in that responsibility look like this week as you wait for Christ’s return? [51:26]
If you are comfortable sharing, how has grief affected your sense of hope? What kind of encouragement would help you hold onto the promise of reunion without feeling pressured to hide your sadness? [01:17:00]
Where do concerns about aging, illness, or death weigh on you? How might Christ’s victory and the promise of a resurrected body help you face those concerns honestly without letting fear rule your choices? [01:08:42]
Where are you growing weary in serving God or caring for others? What would help you continue faithfully, and how could this group support you in remembering that your work matters to the Lord? [01:15:09]
Christ’s return brings both deliverance and judgment. Who is someone you care about who does not yet know Christ, and what gentle, concrete step could you take toward sharing the gospel with that person? [01:19:15]

Sermon Clips

58s

#DeathDefeated

“Third, death has lost its sting because of the death and the resurrection of Jesus. So sin brought death both in terms of a practical outcome and also personal punishment and corporate punishment. It's a penalty and a practical outworking of our choices. Sin found in the law an unlikely ally in that the law presented a standard to which we could never attain, but a standard that is very clear. And it allowed us to be seen as the sinners that we actually are. So when Christ fulfilled the law and atone for sin, death lost its sting for Christians.”

46s

#ComfortInHope

“Now fifth, we should comfort and encourage one another with these truths. Yes, these days are evil. Yes, we grieve and we suffer. But there's the day coming. Soon and very soon, we're gonna see the king. His victory will be completed, and we will rejoice and reign with him for eternity. His word promises that this will be a day when evil undone, where every tear will be wiped from every eye.”

53s

#GodIsSovereign

“Fourth, God reigns supreme we often use the term sovereignty to describe this, you know, God's kingly rule. But scripture teaches that time, history, world events, they're in God's hands. He genuinely is the king, even as much as many within this created order persist persist in rebellion up to this day, god still is genuinely the king. And there's a day coming when all will acknowledge this. There's a day coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

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