The Rapture Of The Church

The Rapture of the church

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Good morning Rosedale, welcome also those that are listening online.

Everyone with that extra hour of sleep should be alert and ready to receive what the Lord would have for us.

I want to talk a minute on the rapture of the church. One of the end times event of Jesus coming to get his bride the church.

I think people have questions and I think that there is some misunderstanding of what that means and how it will happen.

I am not an expert on the end times but the Word of God is clear on some of the end time events and what we can expect to see happen as we move closer to the day and times.

The actual word rapture is not in the bible- the word we translate rapture is the Hebrew word that means to be caught up. Defined it means to grasp or seize.

Believers will be caught up to Him or raptured up to Him. It will be a time the whole world finds out who really is a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

It is not your name on membership of a church

Not because grandma and grandpa bought the pews.

Not the church you have always gone too.

It won’t matter who built the church- it is an active relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.

Planning too or blaming someone why you have not done it yet will not matter.

THOSE THAT KNOW HIM WILL BE GONE IN AN INSTANT. WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING WILL STOP AND IT WILL BE CHAOS ON EARTH.

So if we can, let’s see what the bible says about the rapture of the believers (bride of Jesus Christ)

Jesus spent 3 years walking with his disciples, teaching them, training them and predicted that He would go but that He would come back for them.

Every promise that He made He would keep.

John 14:1-3 Read from Bible

Jesus goes to prepare a place for us

I will (promise) to come back to get you (believers)

I know you don’t understand it now but you will.

I don’t know about you but I think sometimes you need a scorecard to keep track of the events and happenings of end times. I would say read it, grasp it, the best you can and know that every promise He will fulfill and if Jesus said it, I believe it and I trust Him to work all the details out.

Be ready is the best advice that Jesus gives us as believers.

Know what to expect and know what is happening and be ready!

Our text 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us a detailed account of what will happen- for those that live life with Eat, drink, and be merry attitude and do not see the times a coming will be the ones surprised and left behind. Millions of people will be blown away as so many people are missing.

Can you imagine the news people trying to explain how all these people just vanished without admitting that they have been raptured by Jesus Himself.

All those Holy Spirit filled believers gone

All those Mom’s, Dad’s, and grandma’s who warned their families that He was soon coming back.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 (13) Paul says that he does not want us ignorant or uninformed.

You have people who are asleep (died) they are dead here in the ground and alive up in heaven. Explain that in a minute.

They had questions- the disciples were waiting for Jesus to come back but some of the people were dying.

What happens to those who died? Will they experience the rapture?

What if I died? Will I miss the rapture? Paul says I want you to understand this.

Paul says you need to know something about people before they die here and the rapture.

Flesh and blood cannot inherit heaven. This is why good people won’t make heaven alone without Jesus. The sinful body cannot be in sinless heaven and why only the souls of those who have given their life to Christ have gone to heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:17-23 Read from Bible

You cannot go to heaven the way you are- there has to be a TRANSFORMATION for your sinful body.

For a believer, absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

Immediately you will be enjoying the presence of the Lord as a believer.

Your maybe decaying body, or whatever has happened to it has to have a transformation.

I don’t know how the Lord will do that but He will do that.

He is not talking about Judgment day- He is talking about the tribulation period, the seven years of trials and destruction here on earth. So I don’t know what you believe- some believe we leave pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation (middle of the seven years) and post-tribulation (we will experience most) I know Jesus is taking his church out of here! I would like to think that He will get us out of here before the wrath comes. AMEN! Sooner rather than later.