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What makes us think the second advent would be different?
Mary and Joseph were absorbed with only one thing--the coming of their baby. They had no concern about the worries of this world. They were too poor to have them. And in the last days, worries about worldly concerns will take people's attention from things that really matter. Non-essentials will replace Kingdom concerns and have the appearance of being priorities.
Like man's "church" as priority. Well, we'll deal with this later.
In the first advent, everyone was too busy to notice the sudden, quiet entry of the Messiah into the world. In the second advent, it would be the same. Look at how the Lord described it:
And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. [Luke 17]
However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? [Luke 18]
Will he find faith on earth? Probably scarcely, if any. Why? Because it will be sudden and surprising, like when a thief comes barging into a house--unannounced and sudden. And among the first to be left behind are the religious authorities of a bible-based religion--like what happened to the high priests, teachers of the law, and Herod. They were strictly bible-based--leaders of the chosen people of God--and yet they didn't know that the thing had already happened--that it happened right under their noses.
Yes, there will be a sudden disappearance of believers which would mark the event. And that ought to prepare everyone for the second coming, right? But the problem is, when such things are spoken of repeatedly, they tend to sound like a myth eventually. It's seriously taught in churches and church people devoutly listen to it--but no one believes it. You see it in their lives and characters. You see it in their priorities.
And their boasted priority is "church." They all think church (as they're doing it) is the priority in the last days. That priority is why Jesus wondered if he'd find faith on earth when he gets back. Because he saw that everyone will be busy with church--especially who's got the most number of planted churches. Who has the biggest mega church.
Evangelism is a must. It's among the few priorities in the last days. But not an evangelism that merely grabs people to church to up the membership and income. It should be an evangelism that ushers souls into the Kingdom of God on earth, not to denominational churches where they learn to do "church" but become aliens to God's very own Kingdom.
God's Kingdom on earth and church denominations are two different and separate things. You cannot serve both--you will love one and hate the other.
And to belong to God's Kingdom, you should naturally manifest the fruit of the Spirit daily. In short, the Jesus LIFE. Having planted a lot of churches, having a lot of church members or having witnessed to lots of perishing souls and get them born again is not the gauge. You can do all of them and yet serve only man and never serve God or his Kingdom on earth.
In the last days, church people will be so busy with their own church affairs and miss the true priorities of heaven. Few will be found to have the right faith--the very faith of Jesus Christ.
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