What is the Rapture? 11.06.22

What Is The Rapture? Sunday, November 6, 2022 Today we conclude our GROW series in which we have been exploring fundamentals of our faith as a means to prepare ourselves for Kingdom conversations with unbelievers. We've asked in previous weeks- 1. If someone wanted to know who Jesus was, how would you answer? 2. What if they wanted to know about the Holy Spirit? There are REAL LIFE moments ahead of you as a follower of Jesus and you should be ready. Peter writing to the believers said this... (I Peter 3:15-16) ...you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. This is a fundamental teaching of the New Testament church for the following reasons... Jesus promised the rapture... (John 14:2-3) In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. The angels promised Jesus would come back... (Acts 1:10-12) And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. Matthew 24:32-44 Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. It's interesting that the word "rapture" is not found in your Bible. The word means "caught up" but it's message is consistently found throughout the New Testament-Jesus is coming again. (I Thessalonians 4:16-18) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Paul uses the word rapio, in verse 17 when Paul says "will be caught up", and it is from this association with being "caught up" or "carried off" that we get the word, RAPTURE. What Is The Purpose Of The Rapture? (What purpose does the rapture serve in the overall purposes of God for creation? How does it fit into the big picture of God's redemptive plan?) * God's redemptive plan is to R____________ what was lost in Adam * Sin changed God's relationship to things on earth... o With M__________ o With C___________ (Romans 8:20-23) Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Genesis 3:17-19) Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. (Hebrews 9:27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Where Does The Rapture Fit In The Timeline Of The End Times (Tracy Vest and I did 9 weeks on Wednesday nights last fall and they are on video on our LEC Facebook page) I need to offer a few basic terms to help you follow and understand... * The Rapture refers to the sudden and unannounced coming of Jesus to catch away the living believers and to resurrect the dead believers to glorious bodies. * Tribulation refers to the 7 years during which an Antichrist is announced and is divided into two equal 3.5 years. * The Second Coming refers to the announced coming of Jesus Christ with all his saints to the earth to set up his reign upon the earth for 1,000 years. * Typically, three different theories surround when the rapture fits in the prophetic timeline. * Pretribulation --the Rapture will occur before the start of the 7 year Tribulation period. o Church will escape the wrath of judgement to come upon the face of the earth (Luke 21:34-36) Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. * Posttribulation --the Rapture will occur at the conclusion of the 7 year Tribulation period o Church will go through the Tribulation, believers will die because of their refusal to take the mark of the beast. * Midtribulation --the Rapture will occur in the middle of the 7 year Tribulation period. o Church will be raptured at the end of the first 3.5 years and before the Mark of the Beast is announced. * What all of these have in common? There will be a Rapture! What Must One Do To be Ready for the Rapture? * Accept Jesus Christ as Savior o Be saved o Be baptized (I don't believe you have to be baptized to go to heaven but you should) **Sign up for baptism at the welcome center-Sunday, November 30! * Live a committed and holy life before God (Matthew 25:1-13) Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight they were roused by the shout, 'Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, 'Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' But the others replied, 'We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves. But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, 'Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' But he called back, 'Believe me, I don't know you!' So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return. Conclusion: I'm not the judge -only God can judge but I do believe some of you listening to me now will be left. o There were 10 virgins-5 were taken/5 were left o There two men in the field-1 was taken/the other was left. Jesus is telling us something. Not everyone is going to be ready-even people who name the name of Jesus, sing the worship songs and pay their tithes will miss the RAPTURE because they do not take their relationship with Jesus Christ seriously.