What If—Jesus Doesn’t Return in Our Generation?

I don’t know about you but when I look around at the world today and consider the drastic changes in it over the last thirty or forty years, I fear what the future holds for the upcoming generations. Prophecy certainly reveals that Jesus could return at any moment; but, what if He doesn’t return in our generation or even the next?

What does the future hold for our children and grandchildren? What hope do they have to discover Jesus Christ as their personal Savior with the ease that we were afforded?

I think about how we have failed them. We have allowed the church to buy into false teachings and then to turn around and sell them back out to others. We have allowed the foundational values of our society to be swept away and replaced by humanistic teachings. We have allowed the false religions from foreign lands to sweep in and undermine the Biblical standards upon which our nation was founded.

A growing number of so-called pastors have lost sight of their responsibility unto the Lord and to His church to be raising up true disciples who continue to carry on that process of discipleship. I see so many that have chosen their hobby, their sport, their recreation over their passion for ministry. Many are receiving huge paychecks and yet rarely engage in ministry work. In essence they are fleecing the sheep for their own personal gains and enjoyment. We must have a return to passionate ministry from the pulpits if we hope to raise up passionate workers in the pews.

What can we do? What should we be doing? Is it right that we spend six days a week engaged in the practices of the world and a part of one day a week being an attender at a church? Is that what Jesus expected of us? Is that how we will turn our world upside down for Jesus? Is that how we can make an impact upon our society and see our world begin to turn back to GOD?

Jesus had a different plan for His followers. He engrafted that plan into His disciples and they in turn changed the known world. But, something has happened over time—we’ve lost sight of our responsibility as King’s kids. We have allowed the world to change our line of thinking rather than setting out to change the pattern of thinking of our world.

Jesus told about a nobleman who went away to be crowned in a faraway land—of course, referring to Himself. He left instructions for His followers to take the talents He had given them and “Engage in business until I come back” (Luke 19:13 HCSB). Upon the King’s return, He called the servant/followers to account for their use of what He had entrusted them with.

Each came forward and was required to give an account. The first two doubled what had been given to them—they were faithful to utilize their giftings to enhance and enrich the Kingdom—to these two were given great responsibility and authority in the Kingdom yet to come.

The last hid his talent and refused to work it and to build the Kingdom with it. He carried on life as usual failing to recognize he would one day have to account for what he did with his talent. When his time came, the Master became angry with him for his failure to use what he had been given. The punishment was extremely harsh as the Master declared: “Bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence” (v. 27).

As seen in this, Jesus is dead serious about what you and I are to be doing right now. Sitting on your pew is not your gift! Attending church once a week and calling it all good is not your gift. The only thing that will matter one day when you face the Judge is what you did to build up the Kingdom of God. The only thing that will matter on that day is how many people’s lives you impacted for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Your boat, your house, your car, your airplane won’t matter at all! What you did for the Kingdom is the only thing that will matter!

What if Jesus doesn’t come back for a while, are you hard at it for His Kingdom? If not, there is still time! Get busy. What if, He were to return today? What would He find you doing? Would you stand before Him embarrassed and ashamed because you’ve done nothing for Him, maybe a lot for you? Or, will you stand before Him confidently and declare as Paul did: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

What if??? Think about it. There is time to change….