September 7, 2003
Title: As It Was in the Days of Noah
Text: Matthew 24:36
Introduction
A priest and pastor from the local churches are standing by the side of the road pounding a sign into the ground that reads: ’The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it’s too late!’
A car sped by and a guy yelled out the window, "Leave us alone you religious nuts!’
As the car disappeared around the next curve, the priest and the Pastor heard the sound of screeching tires and a big splash.
The pastor turns to the priest and asks, ’Do you think the sign should just say ’Bridge Out?’
The rapture is quite the topic of interest nowadays.
The "Left Behind" series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have been very popular.
I haven’t read them yet, but I plan to.
Just the fact that there is so much interest in these books is proof that there is great interest in end times events.
I can remember as a child, seeing movies like:
"A Thief in the Night" and
"A Distant Thunder"
And I’ve heard the songs...
"there’s no time to change your mind...the Son has come and you’ve been left behind"
There’s a great many different opinions on the Rapture and when it will occur.
And I will share my opinion this morning...
But like I said last week, the most important thing isn’t arguing over when certain events will take place...
the most important thing is...
ARE YOU READY?
Read Text: Matthew 24:36-44
Body
1. When (Timing)
First of all, let me briefly explain the sequence of end times events
First of all, there is the 7 year tribulation
The Rapture
(depending on your interpretation of Scripture, this will occur before, after, or during the tribulation):
The Rapture is when Jesus returns...PART WAY..
And those people who are saved will be caught up to meet with Him.
Sometimes, Christians think about this as Jesus’ second coming...
but His TRUE second coming, when He actually sets foot on earth again, will be...
Following the Tribulation and the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon
After Armageddon, Satan is chained and cast into the bottomless pit for 1000
This institutes a 1000 year period of time called the Millenneum
this is a wonderful time of peace on earth...
Scripture says, "The lion will lay down with the lamb"
Following the Millenneum, Satan is loosed from his chains for a short time...
before he is cast into hell for all eternity
I will be covering each of these event in more detail as the weeks go by.
But as for the Rapture...there are different opinions as to when it will occur in relation to the Tribulation...
and to be honest, I haven’t studied it enough to come up with a firm belief...
but I lean toward the "mid-trib" camp.
let me tell you why.
Scripture says, "as it was in the days of Noah"
Noah was a righteous man...
and he was living at a time when the world was going to be judged.
Prior to the flood, while he was building the ark, he spent 120 years preaching to the people...and no one responded...because it was just Noah and his family on the ark.
During this 120 year time...Noah faced ridicule...(show video)
So, while Noah was persecuted...
He did miss the judgment of God...the Flood...
God provided an ark of safety for Noah.
When we study the Tribulation, you will see that during the first 3 1/2 years, there is persecution and things that Christians will go through because of mankind...we will talk about the 7 bowls.
But during the 2nd 3 1/2 years, we will talk about the 7 Trumpets, which details the wrath of God’s judgment.
Just like Noah, I believe that we will face ridicule and persecution during the last days...
You’ve heard about the anti-christ...and the mark of the beast and so on.
But God has provided us an Ark of Safety...His Name is Jesus Christ.
If we will but come to Christ, we will miss out on the "flood" of God’s judgment upon mankind.
And it is because of this, that I believe that the rapture will occur after the 7 Bowls...
but before the 7 Trumpets.
But like I said, it matters very little WHEN you believe that the Rapture will take place
The all consuming question is...ARE YOU READY FOR WHENEVER IT WILL OCCUR?
2. How (Suddenly)
Our text tells us that when Christ comes, it will be sudden and unexpected...
two people will be working in the field...
the one that has accepted Christ as his/her Savior will be taken...
the other one will be left behind
Two people will be grinding at the mill
the one that is a Christian will be taken...
the other one will be left behind.
It will be like in the days of Noah...
people were partying, carousing...
having a great time...
the message of Noah was falling on deaf ears.
And so it will be again...
people will be just having a grand ol’ time...
they will ignore messages just like this one...
and when the rapture occurs,
they will be caught off guard...
it will be sudden and unexpected.
it will be like a thief in the night...
It will happen when you least expect it.
3. So, What should the Christian do?
First of all, make sure you are ready!!!
Jeff and Janelle are married...but before they were married,
Janelle was expecting Jeff to come pick her up for her first date.
She has spent time in wearing just the perfect outfit...
she had her makeup applied just so...
and she began to wait...
When Jeff was 1 hour late, she figured she had been stood up...
so she took off her makeup...
she put on her pajamas...
the gathered some junk food ...
and began to watch tv with her dog...
As her favorite tv show was coming on...
the doorbell rang....
and there was Jeff...
He stared at her in her current state of unreadiness and said, "I’m 2 hours late and your STILL not ready?" (source, Scot Weber’s sermon on sermoncentral.com)
Though the Lord delays...
even though you begin to think that He might not be coming....
MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY!!!
He will come!
And when He comes...will He find you ready....
or will He find you eating the junk food of this world...
spiritually unready to see Him?
Secondly, make sure you are spreading the word...sharing the Gospel of Christ...
Noah preached for 120 years without 1 convert...
but he NEVER stopped trying...
I hope that we will be a little more successful at reaching the lost...
but whether we are; or whether we aren’t...
we must NEVER STOP TRYING TO WIN THE LOST!!!
THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT...
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ETERNITY...
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WE LOVE SPENDING THAT ETERNITY IN HELL...
WE MUST DO WHAT WE CAN TO REACH THEM BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
Third, continue to go about your business...
Notice in our text, it DOESN’T say that
"one was working in the field while the other one was sitting up on the mountainside waiting for the Lord to come"
It doesn’t say, "one was working at the mill, while the other one had just isolated herself...just reading the Bible and praying all the time"
No...they were BOTH working...the Christian too...
It is just that..in the midst of their work...
One was spiritually prepared...
and one was not.
I’ve heard it said, "prepare youself SPIRITUALLY as if the Lord is returning today...
but prepare yourself PHYSICALLY as if He isn’t coming for 1000 years."
In other words, yes...you can still make plans for your retirement...
just as long as you realize that you may or may not be here to implement those plans.
Conclusion
The ark is a picture of Christ and the rapture.
Noah entered into the door of the ark and he was taken out of the world.
into a place of safety.
Once God’s people were taken out of the world, judgment fell.
The ark rose above the judgment and returned to the new life God prepared for His people following the flood.
This is the picture that the Bible paints about the rapture.
We who are Christians will be taken out of the world prior to the outpouring of His wrath.
Once God has poured out His wrath, we return to the earth with Christ in the new kingdom.
(source: Eddie Snipes’ sermon on www.sermoncentral.com)
The Rapture will be a beautiful thing in the life of a Christian.
it will be our opportunity to meet Jesus in the air.
But for the non-Christian, it will be terrible...
the judgment of the flood will seem like small potatoes compared to what’s coming...
And the question we ALL need to ask ourselves..."Am I ready?"
We don’t know the time...
we don’t know the date...
it is fascinating to think about it...
and it is certainly a fascinating Scriptural study...
But the important thing isn’t WHEN...
the important thing..."Am I ready?"
Sing #333 "Don’t Turn Him Away"
