What Time Is It? Week 2: It’s Time to Be Ready

Review

Last week we talked about the fact that the end times narrative is not a horror movie

It’s a love story

It’s not time to be scared…it’s time to be hopeful

Today I want to continue down the path of what time is it by diving deeper into the concept of the rapture of the church.

I want to preach to you this morning that It’s time to be ready.

Let’s pray together as we dive in…(Pray)

_________ Opening Story

Dreaming about getting ready doesn’t get you ready.

You can’t be getting ready as long as you are still asleep!

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Theological Background

Today I want to turn our attention to a little bit of the theological aspect of the end times.

I want to look from 30,000 foot view at some of the prevailing thoughts and beliefs concerning the end times.

Primary schools of thought surrounding the end times.

Premillenial View The rapture and return of Christ take place before the millennial reign is established and once established it will be followed by a literal 1000 year reign of Christ and His kingdom on the earth.

Post-millenial View - The return of Christ will take place at the end of them millenium and the “golden age” of the church will immediatly precede it.

A-millenial View - We are living in the millennial reign of Christ and His return will be to establish his Kingdom forever.

Some things to note about my perspective and the perspective of our conversation is that I hold to a premillenial view of eschatology

The Rapture and the Return of Christ are separate events.

The varying flavors of concepts within these three views are numerous and impossible to exhaustively explore.

THE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN EVERY ESCHATOLOGICAL VIEW IS THAT JESUS ENDS THE STORY ON THE THRONE

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I believe in a pretribultation rapture

We hold to the theological belief that there will be a premillennial rapture

Within this belief system we believe in a pretribulation rapture.

This belief differentiates between the “rapture” and the “return of christ”

The return of Christ is when Christ comes back to establish his kingdom on the earth.

This return takes place after one final judgment known as the tribulation.

The tribulation is a seven year period wherein the world is deceived by a ruler known as the antichrist.

This is when the mark of the beast becomes a reality

At the end of this tribulation Christ will return to the earth to establish His kingdom.

When Christ returns, there will be a millenium of Christ reigning and the earth being established as a new heaven and a new earth.

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The Rapture

But prior to this “return” there is a “catching away” that takes place…this is called the “rapture”

1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 NKJV

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

“Caught up” = Harpotzo = The latin word is “rapter” to be caught up.

According to the premileenial and pretribulation interpretation…This “event” known as the rapture is a landmark that creates a pivot point for other eschatological happenings.

___________

The church is removed

Revelation 1-3 are introducing the vision that John saw and addressing seven churches throuhgout Asia.

The word “ekklesia” is used 18 times in these three chapters

But it does not appear again until Revelation 22 in spite of the dense writings speaking of the triblation period and the culmination of the age.

The verse that breaks up these two stages is as follows.

Revelation 4:1 NKJV

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

John sees a vision where in the church is heavily involved in the narrative of scripture

And then he hears a trumpet and the “ekklessia” is nowhere to be found within the events that are playing out on earth.

This event in the vision of John the revelator is only preceded by the reality of varying degree of passions with in the church.

There are representatives of each of the seven churches somewhere in the church today.

Meaning we are at a point in time where in the reality of Revelation 4:1 could take place…the trumpet could sound at any moment.

2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 ESV

And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

This doctrinal stance is known as the “Imminent return of Christ.”

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Who will go in the rapture?

Understand who will go in the rapture…those who are qualified by their faith in Christ.

Our belief in the finished work of Christ is what qualifies us to go in the rapture.

Our behavior is a testament as to the legitimacy of our belief.

You will not go to heaven because you act right…but if you believe right you will act right.

The parable of the ten virgins - They were prepared for the return of the bridegroom.

Not every person who comes to church, reads the bible, claims to be a christian will be ready for the rapture.

It’s time to be ready!

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How can I confidently say we need to be ready?

Can we declaratively say which day the Lord is going to return?

Matthew 24:36–44 NKJV

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

We can’t know the day and the hour…but we can know the season.

In this same chapter Jesus uses the illustration of a woman going into labor.

YOU CAN’T KNOW WHAT DAY THE BABY IS COMING…BUT YOU CAN CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE SEASON WHEN IT’S GETTING CLOSE!

Jesus tells us one of the ways we will know the season is upon us is because it will be as the days of Noah.

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As the days of Noah were

A few defining characteristics of Noah’s day:

The earth was corrupt

Genesis 6:11 NKJV

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

Corrupt: corrupt act; Arabic سَحَتَ (saḥata) extirpate; Ethiopic ሰሐጠ: (saḥaṭa) injure, violate;

The earth had grown so corrupt that it’s violations of natural law were repulsive to God.

God has established the precedent that He will not allow gross violations of His law without some means of corrective response.

The flood was an act of judgment but also an act of redemption.

We can make the argument that the wickedness of the entire world is not like that of the US.

Third world countries are not have debates as to how many genders there are.

The impoverished of Africa are not struggling with equal rights for all sexual orientations

The mutilation of children via gender affirming care and the murder of babies via abortion are not on the forefront in many thirdworld countries.

BUT THEY ARE IN THE US!

While it may be challenging to find the perfect parallel to the days of Noah in the entirety of the globe…it is incredibly easy to do so for the United States of America.

________ The earth was in denial

The inhabitants of the earth were going about their business and enjoying life as though all was well.

They did not take into consideration the judgment of God that their behavior was bringing upon them.

The world is not considering the fact that Jesus is about to return.

There is a growing contingency within the church that does not believe in the rapture of the church anymore.

But the statistics are not the reason that I say the earth is in denial.

A large percentage of Americans and an even larger percentage of Christians would say they believe we are living in the end times.

41% of Americans believe Jesus will return by 2050.

My reason for saying they don’t believe is because the mental assertion that Jesus is coming back does not have any bearing on their daily lifestyle.

Controlled Substances: 65% of Christians consume alcohol and 40% state they are more lax than the previous generation…this in the face of vast scriptural allusion to the dangers of alcohol.

Sexual Orientation: 55% of Christians are accepting of homosexual relationships in spite of clear biblical narrative to the contrary

Church Attendance: A vast majority of Christians attend church less frequently than the generation before them

Bible Reading: If I were to pass the mic around and ask did you read your bible this week.

Luke 21:34–36 ESV

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The three things that Jesus lists as possible distractions that would keep you from being ready for His return

Casual drinking

Hard core drinking

Anxiety about the cares of life.

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How to be ready…

1. Be saved

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior

He died for your sins

He rose again

We must repent in order to receive salvation

2. Check your heart

Is there anything on the inside that is not Christ like.

An unhealthy soul is the most common cause of unrighteous actions.

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

What separates repentance from behavior modification is the fact that repentance starts with an internal shift.

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3. Choose to err on the side of Conservatism - (MY OPINION)

One of the most common questions people ask referring to the things of the world is “will it send me to hell”

Living a lifestyle of readiness is transitioning the questions that we ask

1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

To err on the side of conservatism is not to ask will this send me to hell but rather will this help me get to heaven?

We don’t watch anything with sexual scenes or language

VIDANGEL

We don’t listen to secular music

We don’t consume alcohol in our home…AT ALL

We don’t make church attendance an option in our home

We have propagated these ideals because they were the way we were raised.

Parents have been married happily for forty years

Both kids are in decades plus marriages

Both kids love the Lord

Both kids are reaching the lost

I’m not touting the family…I’m telling you the method works!

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4. Know The Word

2 Thessalonians 2:9–11 ESV

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,

1 Timothy 4:1 ESV

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

The only way to fall prey to the teaching of demons…is to refuse to love the truth.

Read the Word…Study the Word…know what it means

When you know what it means…do what it says…

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The return of Christ is imminent - it could happen at any moment.

It’s time for you surrender to Him as Lord

If you have already done so…it’s time to do an inventory…AM I RIGHT WITH HIM

Evaluate your life…is there anything questionable

KNOW THE WORD