THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH PART 1
READ 1 Thessalonians 3:13 18
This morning we are going to kick off what will be a 6 8 week series on the subject of the Last Days...and I want to take us up through to the Great White Throne judgment. And I want to begin with an event that is shortly to come to pass...The Rapture of the Church.
There are some here this morning that have some knowledge concerning this blessed event...and yet there may also be some here, and I know there are multitudes outside the church that have little or no knowledge whatsoever concerning this matter.
And yet this will be the most momentous...the most earth shaking...most cataclysmic event that this world will ever know...it will be this that God will use to get the attention of the world...and it is due, according to the word of God, to take place in the very near future.
In Matthew Jesus told us to pray...that we would be counted worthy to escape all of these things that are coming upon the earth...for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The rapture of the church will cause multiple millions of people to instantly disappear from off this planet to go and be with the Lord. From all denominations...Protestant...Catholic...completed Jews....everyone in the world who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Notice I didn't say everyone who goes to church...or everyone who is baptized in water...or everyone who tries to live a good life...or those who held a position in the church. Only those whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be taken.
In a moments time we shall be changed...and that word moment actually means a measure of time that cannot be divided...in the twinkling of an eye. ZAP! And that means that if you have been holding back from God...waiting until the conditions are right for you to make a commitment to Jesus Christ...it will be over before you know it...and you'll be left behind.
**As we begin, I want to remind you that the word "rapture" is not found in the Bible...but it very appropriately represents the phrase "caught up" in verse 17 of the passage I read. The word rapture is actually the Latin translation of the Greek word found in Scripture.
It should be pointed out that when Paul wrote these verses, it was the first time specific details of the rapture were spelled out anywhere in the Scriptures Old or New Testament.
And Paul wrote about this mainly to comfort the Thessalonian Christians who had recently suffered the loss of loved ones. The people didn't have doubts that their loved ones would some day be resurrected...but they were grieving because they thought their loved ones would miss experiencing the glorious events that would take place at Christ's return.
And so Paul is telling them not to grieve as one who has no hope...yes they have died...but they will certainly not miss these blessed events. In fact, they will be there...even before those who are alive at His coming.
Now I want to say this...the rapture and the second coming of Christ are two different events altogether. At the rapture Jesus Christ will not appear to man...at the second coming the Bible says every eye shall see Him.
The rapture and the second coming will be separated by approximately 7 years of time. At the rapture the saints of God will go to be with the Lord...at the second coming the saints will come back with Him.
At the rapture the world will not know that He has come until millions have disappeared...but at the second coming all will know. And I just want to remind you that it won't take long for the world to discover that millions are gone...
Because planes will come dropping out of the skies that were piloted by Christians...highways will be jammed with thousands of empty vehicles crashing out of control...patients left helpless in operating rooms left vacant by Christian doctors and nurses....and so on...
It will certainly be an event that will grip the hearts of people around the entire world. How soon will it be before this momentous occurrence takes place? No one knows...but we do know this: There is not one single Scripture in the Word of God that has to be fulfilled for the rapture to take place.
The rapture of the church could take place today...and it could happen just as unexpectedly as that unexpected firecracker. It could take place a month from now...or Jesus could tarry for years.
But from certain things we have seen...and certain things that are taking place in the world today...we know that it cannot be very long. It has to be very soon. Or does it?
Look at 2 Peter 3:3 9 This is certainly true of much of the world today. They scoff at the notion...but so do many so called Christians in churches all across the nation. So many doubt that this event will really take place...at least they live that way.
But we do know that this event will take place soon...we know it from the signs of the times...we know it from the state of the world...we know it from the state of the church...we know that Jesus is coming back soon.
And I hope and pray that through this message and the ones to follow that I will be able to open up something to you that would help you to understand the nearness of His coming...because that is the only thing that really matters being ready for the moment when the trumpet call of God sounds and Jesus Christ comes back.
I want to very briefly look at some of the things that point to the nearness of His return. Look with me at Matthew 24:3 8
Never, in the course of history have we had such a number of people claiming to be the Christ...the eastern religions have gurus and Mahareshi's by the scores who claim divinity...even dear old Rev. Moon.
Look at the state of the world...and compare that with scripture...wars and rumors of wars...nation against nation. "But we've always had wars, some say." Throughout history there have been wars...sometimes a small handful at a time. But never on a scale such as today.
According to a report from Germany's Hamburg University Political Institute there were an average of 12 conflicts worldwide in the 1950's. In the 60's it rose to 22. In 1993 there were no less than 43 wars raging...and there is no end in sight. In fact, more and bigger wars are looming on the horizon.
Look at v. 9 12...you tell me that Christians aren't being persecuted in our nation today...tell me Christians aren't hated today. Just being a Christians and standing up for biblical beliefs can land you in jail...
And we haven't seen anything yet. The homosexuals...the radical feminists and lesbians...and even the radical environmentalists, who are New Age from the word go...have far more influence in our nation than Christians do and they have a very definite agenda that includes ridding the nation of any moral absolutes and biblical standards.
...and it is just a matter of time, if things don't change, that it will come to the place where we will be put to death...and there are many in power right now who would like nothing more. And I'd love to get more deeply into that but for lack of time I can't.
Just recently there has been an unprecedented opportunity to get the gospel into nations that were for years unable to have the gospel message freely presented...and multitudes have responded to the gospel. But already the door is closing.
Restrictions are already being instituted in some of the former soviet states and even more so in Asia. But I think it makes verse 14 all the more important. It says the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world.
Nowhere does it says they'll all respond and become Christian...it just says the gospel will be preached. And you tell me what nation on earth has not had the gospel message presented. It doesn't say to every individual, it says as a testimony to all nations...and then shall the end come.
There is so much I could say about the state of the world...but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that we've become a violent world bent on self destruction. And do you remember why the earth had to be destroyed before...because of the violence...
And we've shunned the grace of God to the point where if we aren't judged, as Billy Graham once said, God would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah...and I don't think that is going to happen.
Well, I said I'd be brief, so let's move on to the state of the church. And we must say that much of what I just referred to regarding the state of the world could never have been allowed to take place were it not for the sorry state of the church.
How can a nation that was once so great...that was once considered a Christian nation get so far away from God...so far away from biblical morality and standards...because the church has become nearly apostate.
If 86% of our population claims to be born again Christians...then somewhere along the line our theology has been perverted. I believe that, in a nutshell, we've relegated ourselves to a social gospel. We are not only fast becoming a Socialist nation, but we're becoming a socialist church.
I don't have time to get into the National Council or World Council of Churches...but let me just say that there are 301 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox church groups with over 400 million members...that now appear to place more emphasis on social problems than on spiritual concerns.
But let me tell you this...man's problem is not social...man's problem is not political..man's problem is not economical..MAN'S PROBLEM IS SPIRITUAL! And man's only answer is to go to the foot of the cross and have the blood of Christ applied to his sins.
The only hope America has...and the only hope our churches have is to turn back to Jesus Christ!
Our churches have become little more than social clubs...with all kinds of programs...all kinds of entertainment...and little if any power...little if any vision for the lost...little if any concept of prayer and fasting and seeking the face of Almighty God.
In most of our churches there is nothing more than routine...we go through the motions but without any meaning...some of you regularly go to sleep and when you do finally wake up you find that you haven't missed a thing you feel is important.
We have churches in America that are pastored by practicing homosexuals and lesbians...we have churches pastored by supposed men of God who according to a recent survey haven't prayed in a year..who have no regular devotional life..no daily schedule of bible reading. And we wonder why we're in the mess we're in.
Two weeks ago I spoke on Pentecost...and what a difference between then and today...in fact there is barely any resemblance at all. What we need in the church today is an old fashioned Holy Ghost revival...
We need a true Holy Ghost revival...with pastors behind the pulpit weeping over the lost...and shouting with the redeemed...preachers that preach against sin...that preach the pure, living Word of God...preachers that are anointed with the Holy Ghost...and have the power of the Holy Ghost...
Preachers that will stir up their people to believe that Jesus is real... and Jesus lives...that He can still set the captive free...that He can still give the power to live a holy, sanctified life even in the midst of a desperate and dying world.
Churches today, instead of being a place of healing and restoration, have become giant referral services. We refer the drunks to Alcoholics Anonymous...we refer the mentally disturbed to the psychiatrist...the emotionally disturbed to the psychologist...the broken home to the therapist or the counselor...the sick to the drug store...
But Jesus said in My name...they shall cast out devils...they shall heal the sick...they shall preach the gospel...they shall set the captive free...BUT WE DON'T BELIEVE IT...
And by our actions and by our lifestyles we call God a liar..."THAT WAS THEN...BUT THIS IS NOW" And we relegate the power of God to a historical report of a long past age and time.
Let's move on to the state of the individual. Read 2 Timothy 3:1 5
The first 4 verses list a perfect scenario for our nation today...but I honestly think we can bring it down even closer to home than that. Within our own church family I'll bet we have every one of these traits in one form or another...
Just look at the last one in verse 4...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God...How many people do you know...people from this church... that right now are somewhere besides church...and being a perfect example of what Paul says is godlessness. Of course they have excuses...but they know, and God knows.............
But the key to all that is found in verse 5 (READ). This is a glaring, obvious sign of the state of the individual in the last days. And what is that power that is being denied...the power of the Holy Spirit.
Without the power of the Holy Spirit we're like a car without an engine... we may look nice...we may have a form of godliness...but we'll never go anywhere. And what does this passage say about those who seem godly but have no power...stay away from them.
That means we better get filled with the Holy Spirit ourselves and then stay away from those who profess Christ but deny the power of God and show it by their lifestyles.
We don't have time to be fooling around with people who claim to be Christians yet have no witness...who have no testimony...whose only desire is to be as close to the world as they can and yet still keep that form of godliness.
Look at verse 9 (READ)
The rapture of the church...it is the next great event to take place...and by the signs of the times it won't be long. Back in 1 Thessalonians 5 it says that the day will come like a thief in the night.
What if it were to happen today...would you be ready? Are you ready to face a holy God...and give account of your life here on earth? Or will you be left behind to face the most terrible time in the history of the world?
Next week I will finish with the actual specifics of the events that happen during the rapture...but we may not have another week. Are you ready today...right now..to meet the Lord. If you are, rejoice. But if not, I invite you to come and pray.
