Our blessed Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13-4:18
Introduction
For the last several weeks we have been looking at practical applications of God’s Word.
We looked at Jesus on the day of judgment separating the goats from the sheep.
What will that look like and what does that mean to each one of us.
We also looked at fasting and prayer and realizing that there are some things that only happen by fasting and praying.
Jesus told his disciples when they could not heal a particular man that it was because it would take fasting and praying.
This morning, were looking at the rapture of the universal church.
We hear a lot about it, but what does that mean and how does it impact us.
I am sorry to remind you that everyone will not make heaven.
God very clearly point out end times, clearly points out last days and it is our responsibility to search God’s word and understand what will take place during that time.
What are you looking forward too?
What have you set for goals?
What do you put all your hopes and dreams in?
We fix our eyes on desired future.
We invest our time to reach those objectives.
We invest our money on things that are important to us.
We plan for a wedding
We plan for jobs by education and gained experience.
We work toward retirement and the latter days of our lives.
Our text this morning deals with the rapture of the church, the end times.
Apostle Paul addresses the event head on and clears up some misunderstandings.
By far we cannot be experts after this sermon, but we can maybe clear up some misunderstandings that some have. What I see happen a lot of times, we assume everyone understands future events.
Some things that I hope you grasp;
Clear up some misunderstandings.
Establish God’s truth.
That our hope is not only in this life, but that we will have blessed hope with eternal life with Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-4:18
You have to carefully read this
At some point (we are not told when) in history, our heavenly Father is going to say to His Son Jesus Christ- Go get your bride! (the bride being the church)
Now is the time to bring to pass your suffering for mankind.
Now is the time for you to bring God’s people home.
Now has come!
It will be a climatic event!
There will be no doubt that this is a God moment.
There will be fireworks. It would not be about some guy dressed in a white sheet pretending to save the world.
Matthew records- “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of man be.”
Remember the ascension of Jesus- Jesus was taken up into heaven.
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. “ Act 1:11
(16) “For the Lord Himself (Jesus) will descend from heaven.”
Not just Michael the angel
Not just Gabriel, BUT THE LORD HIMSELF! That should make some of you excited! Amen.
The misunderstanding was the Lord stated that He would come back, and that the church needed to be ready.
The problem was as loved ones died, they thought that their loved ones had missed His return because they died too soon.
Paul had the heart of a pastor. He wanted them to understand the rapture and to have the whole truth.
Remember this was before telephone, E-mail, texting.
It was even before snail mail.
It was by word of mouth by people who had it wrong.
Retention is only 5%. They did not get it.
Battle of waterloo- a message was sent- “Wellington defeated” The country was devastated because they thought they had lost, but it changed once they received the whole complete message. “Wellington defeated….the enemy.” Misunderstandings cause confusion and confusion can cause us trouble.
You have to understand this- Death for a Christian is different than the death of a unbeliever, because for a believer our hope is in the resurrected Christ.
The future is not a guess work of trying to figure out if we did enough good deeds to offset the bad things we have done.
Our hope is entirely on Christ.
On that day, God the Father (pre-determined day that we don’t know), He will tell Jesus to go get His church.
The Bible says those who are asleep (those who have died)
Listen, (14) “We believe that Jesus died, and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”
Now falling asleep in Him is a key verse- those who are in Christ, who have died before His return, will meet Him in the air first.
It will be a big deal-
There will be a trumpet call, and (17) “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
For believers, it will be a tremendous time.
The dead in Christ and the alive in Christ will meet Jesus in the air, and it will be a God moment!
Rapture from the Latin Vulgate rendering means “caught up”.
The dead and alive in Christ will be caught up with Him.
Some want to hold to this as being secret, but I don’t see how that is possible.
Dead people rising.
Live people flying
Trumpets blasting
Lightning striking. It will be the best moments for a believer.
(18) Encourage each other with these words. Amen. I am so excited I feel like I can fly!
Song
“Such sayings we will hear, never heard by mortal ear, twill be glorious I do declare, and God’s own Son will be the leading one, in that meeting in the air.”
“When I die, hallelujah by and by- I’ll fly away! Amen.
I don’t know how Jesus will do that. I do know the dead in Christ will rise. Their spirits will already be with the Lord, because scripture tell us, “Absent in the body is to be present in the Lord.”
For them, their soul will be united to a glorified body.
For those alive- All souls and body will be glorified and meet the Lord in the air.
My job this morning is not to convince you when this will take place before, during, after the great tribulation, it is to encourage you to be ready.
Significance of the event
Encourage people to be ready.
It may look like the world is winning, that evil has an upper hand, but one day Jesus will split those eastern skies and change the course of history
It may be Friday, but Sunday is coming!
We will leave sin behind.
We will leave sorrow behind.
We will leave temptation behind.
Who will be affected – every body! Pun intended.
This is more than a funeral message. It is encouragement that the grave isn’t a final word.
“Death does not have to have power over us.”
The future looks good if Jesus is in your future.
“Death is swallowed up in victory, O death where is your sting”?
“In a flash, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Be encouraged church!
The coming of the Lord is a call to be ready
It brings encouragement for the believer.
It brings comfort and assurance that the Lord will do what He says He will do.
We will not have to live as those who have no hope.
I am not going to spend much time on the opposite of ready.
As much as it is going to be a celebration for those in Christ, you can only imagine the chaos that will take place among the unbelievers.
Planes, cars, trains, without drivers.
Those looking for their loved ones and they will be gone.
The pain and regret that some will have.
Past teachings coming back to their minds.
“Two shall be in the fields, one shall be taken and the other left.”
I Googled the rapture and here are some comments
If this were really true, I follow God.
Left behind series is fictional, and so is the rapture.
Those that refuse to believe and are left behind will fall for the anti-Christ and the miracles he will do. People can be saved during this period of time, but they will refuse.
All of the missing people will be explained away.
One ignorant of what he was saying- said that he will throw a party.
Closing
I would rather be ready and have my relationship with God in place and not worry about how God will do this. I will be ready.
He will return for his church.
Because Jesus was resurrected, we can by choice celebrate our own resurrection.
The rapture will take place. The word rapture is not in the Bible, but God’s people will be caught up (Raptured) to be with Him forever! Amen.
