The Rapture Ready Sermon
EOLS: Jesus’ enemies will be crushed and His people will be gathered to be with Him for eternity.
I can’t wait till Saturday May 21, 2011 at 6pm or so to write my sermon. So I’m doing it well in advance, and I’m going to go ahead and go out on a limb here. The Rapture didn’t happen. There again, I may be the only one here on Sunday!
I’ve been hearing the hoopla for months now. Once you’ve lived awhile you’ve seen these things come and go many times. It seems like every few years someone with a wide voice will broadcast a date for the end of time, only to have it fall to the ground. Even as I type, well before the anticipated hour I can guarantee you that this latest group of prognosticators have a failsafe in hand to explain what went wrong! I’ve told you all the funny story about “Eighty Eight Reasons Why Jesus Will Come in 1988.”
I grew up during the peak of the Cold War, and we were bombarded with dire predictions about what could happen. Do you remember the “fall-out shelter” signs? Couple the Cold War and its fear along with the rise of the mysterious computer, and mix it with some Biblical prophecy torn from its context and interpreted in a wooden twentieth century lens and you have a recipe for paralyzing fear!
I can remember as a kid watching the movies and hearing the preachers and my worst fear was to be “left behind.” Did you ever come into a place where you expected people to be, and found yourself alone and the first thought you have is “Oh no it’s happened and I didn’t make it!”
In the nineties, the “Left Behind” fiction made hundreds of millions of dollars while promoting this event we know as “The Rapture.”
As I meditated on today’s sermon, in light of the “rapture frenzy” I thought it might be an opportune time to take a look at a few things the Bible really does say about the Lord’s return. A lot of what we hear that stirs fear is nothing more than a pre-defined, man –designed template being laid down across the pages of Scripture.
Too often we see what we want to see when we come to the Bible with our minds already programmed in a certain direction. Just for a few minutes, let’s step into history and hear with the ears of first century Jews, and see what Jesus had to say about His own return for His people.
I don’t plan to settle it for you today. Christians have argued this thing to death for centuries now, and good people line up on every corner of the board when it comes to discussing the end times. What I hope to do is let you see through the veil of uncertainty and understand that we’re not talking about something that should cause the child of God to fear.
One of the greatest issues we face is-our God is too small. We can’t grasp all of His plan, His character, His greatness at once, so we lay down a wooden template and begin to see and explain Him in terms that we can grasp.
In our limited view of God, it’s often difficult to embrace His love and His judgments concurrently. We need to look to His revealed character and what He desires in us. One of the most comforting and empowering verses in the entire Scriptures comes to my mind:
2Timothy 1:7
(7) for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
NO fear! The power of a soldier ready for battle, the love of a son or daughter for their wonderful giving and loving father, and the self-disciplined and controlled mind and composure to trust Him in all things and to not panic or give over to ridiculous speculation!
There’s certain things we can see from the Scriptures that we can all agree on, and they’re plain as the nose on your face. It doesn’t take special knowledge or calculations; it’s so simple a child can see it.
Joh 14:1-6
(1) "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
(2) In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
(4) And you know the way to where I am going."
(5) Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
(6) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1) Christ’s return is supposed to COMFORT us, not scare us! The disciples were troubled at his talk of going away, so he spoke to them about it all to encourage and to uplift them. DO NOT fear it, it is a joyous and encouraging thing to think about, to talk about, to look forward to. His timing will be perfect and He’s not trying to “trick” anyone. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2) He has promised that He will come again
He’s coming for those who love Him, who He loves and those whom he wants to be with for eternity. Count on it. If we believe the Bible says anything, we must believe that Christ will return, to this earth physically. There’s a lot of latitude for thought in how, when and in what fashion, et al but let there be no doubt, Jesus will return.
3) There is room for everyone who wants to be with Him-it’s a Heavenly Home, it’s the Father’s House. Literally says “I shall take you along to my own home.” He tells us that He is going to prepare a place for us, while at the same time the Scriptures teach that He is preparing us for that place!
4) The great theme and idea here is that we will one day no longer be separated, but will be with Jesus forever! The Bible teaches us that the New Jerusalem will come down from above and be joined with the earth , and the “Kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord in Christ, and He shall reign forever.”
5) The great reunion will also be with loved ones who have passed on! So not only will we see and be with Christ forever, but those who have passed on in Christ we will see again, we will know them.
1Th 4:16-18
(16) 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.
(17) 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.
(18) Therefore encourage one another with these words.
It’s interesting to note that the word “rapture” is nowhere to be found in the pages of scripture. It’s a Latin derivative from the Greek word Harpazo, which appears in the above passage translated as “caught up.”
But what about all the prophecy, all the judgments, the Tribulation? How can you NOT be afraid?
Let’s take a look at Jesus’ own words from Matthew Chapter 24; we call it the Olivet Discourse where he’s talking to his disciples, answering their questions about “What will be the sign of your coming?”
False prophets, false Christs Wars and rumors of wars, nation rise against nation, persecution, tribulation.
Matthew 24:8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
It’s interesting that Jesus calls them birth pains-birth pains are not a sign of death, but a sign of new life.
Paul continues the thought, the metaphor of the earth groaning like a woman in labor:
Rom 8:22-23
(22) For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
(23) And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
So what we’re seeing is that there will be trouble. There will be tribulation, Jesus was always very upfront about that. He never sold His way as an easy road! He told the disciples
John 16:33
(33) I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
Jesus says that his followers will endure various hardships over the course of church history. It will cost them their comfort, their lives won’t be easy. They will face persecution and trials. But the good news is that it’s all just the beginning of birth pains. Paul explains that the birth pains are the Sons (and daughters) of God waiting to be revealed!
It will happen throughout history, it will continue until the Lord’s return. He’s telling them to expect it, to understand that it’s the norm and it happens for a reason.
Tribulation is a refining fire for Christians. It’s been said that the blood of martyrs is like gasoline on a fire for the Church. Jesus promised that
Mat 16:18
(18) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
But not all of Matthew 24 is about Christians enduring tribulation. It’s about the very judgments of God that are reserved for his sworn enemies.
Mat 24:29-30
(29) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
(30) Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
So, Tribulation is in a very real sense the norm for Christ’s church. It’s happened throughout church history. It’s happening right now at an unprecedented rate. Christians are opposed and tortured and killed for their faith every single day in the modern world. In America we are insulated from it; God’s hand has spared us for some reason but we should never presume that we are exempt. It cost our forefathers, and it could very well cost us suffering in our own lives.
But in verse 14, Jesus takes a turn and we see a marker, a culmination point that we can nail down to know that the end is near.
Mat 24:14
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The Gospel is the GOOD news, of God’s Kingdom. The very news that Jesus came to declare. This is the SIGN that the end is near. And it is a good sign, it’s the final birth pains of the new Heaven and Earth.
It hasn’t happened yet, there are millions who still have not heard.
From verse 15 on, Jesus forewarns the disciples that they would, in their lifetime face certain persecutions for His Name. He speaks very specific prophecy which was fulfilled within fifty years to the letter.
So, in conclusion, God has not given us a spirit of fear. The end of time, the second coming of Christ is the grandest hope that we have as Christians, about to be revealed. When He is revealed then our transformation will be complete, the good work He started in us at the moment we were saved will be culminated and completed, as He promised!
There is nothing secret about it, and many of the constructs that we have been taught are simply not to be found in the Scriptures.
It’s actually very simple: Jesus will return, and He has a place for everyone who wants to be with Him and their loved ones forever. Until then, He’s given us the charge to act like Him and be His hands and feet!
To put this into better perspective, I read this morning in the article on Yahoo News:
“Still, the world wasn't without its normal and sometimes dreadful disturbances Saturday. Among them: a tornado killed one person and damaged at least 20 homes in Kansas, a 6.1-magnitude quake stuck 600 miles off New Zealand with no reports of injury, a much smaller quake, 3.6, was felt my many people Saturday evening in the San Francisco Bay area, and Iceland's most active volcano started erupting.
If we put it in perspective: You can bet it was the end of the world for someone in the path of that tornado. Hundreds of other people met death on the highways and at the end of a criminal’s weapon.
Still others in parts of the world sat in filthy jail cells and some were killed this weekend, simply for sharing their faith in Christ and preaching the Gospel. Yes, on Saturday May 21, 2011.
In the world, you WILL have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I HAVER OVERCOME THE WORLD! (Jesus)
The practical points:
Live every day in light of God’s Master Plan being worked out in the world and in your own life.
Take great joy in the journey, don’t get so focused on the end that it blurs the joy God meant for you to have now.
Understand that there is an amazing future for God’s people and that the BEST is yet to come.
Look for Jesus in every situation, not the Anti-Christ!
Know that God’s judgments are for His enemies, not His own children. He disciplines his children but does not destroy them. Any tribulation that His children endure only makes them stronger.
Anytime someone purports to know all about the specifics of Christ’s coming, especially when they use dates and times, don’t buy it.
