The Rapture
At the End • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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When you are hungry and send someone out to pick up the food, you cannot wait for them to return with it. You think about the food; you savor what you know will be delicious.
Then you hear the person coming in the door with the food, and your excitement mounts. They are here. Your food is here. Now you can relax and enjoy. The wait is over.
Today, you and I are waiting for something even better than food. We are waiting for Jesus to return and take the church to be with Him.
Over the next few weeks, we will look at topics that deal with events that will occur at the end of the ages.
Those topics include The Rapture (which we will look at today), The Return (when the King comes back to the earth), The Reign (the 1000-year reign of Christ with the church), The Rewards (what is waiting for those who accept Jesus and those who do not), and The Rest (what it will be like when we are finally with Jesus).
As we think of the Rapture, this event should bring great comfort and encouragement to our hearts.
Jesus is Coming (16)
Jesus is Coming (16)
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
The Rapture is a beautiful event that we, as Christians, have to look forward to.
A day is coming when we will be taken off this earth, reunited with our loved ones, and be with Jesus.
When it comes to the Rapture, there are three main views:
Pre-Tribulation - the church will be taken before the Great Tribulation. There will then be seven years of Tribulation, and at the end of that, Christ will return to the earth and set up His 1000-year reign.
Mid-Tribulation - The church will be here for the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation and then be raptured out halfway through, therefore not having to endure the more intense suffering.
Post Tribulation - The church will go through the Tribulation, and the Rapture and the return of Jesus are the same event.
No matter which of these views we hold, we all agree that Jesus will come back for the church and call them to the air to be with Him for all time.
When we look at our text today, we see that the Lord Himself will descend.
This is not an angel, a prophet, or anyone else. Jesus Himself will return to call the church home to be with Him.
When Jesus returns, this will be a spectacular event.
There will be a shout - the word for shout means voicing a command.
There will be an archangel - a particular type of angel mentioned in scripture.
There will be a trumpet - Trumpets were used in war and also to signal special events for the Jews.
When this event happens, there will be no doubts about the incredible power of our great and awesome God.
No matter what you may find yourself dealing with today, I want to remind you that if you know Jesus, a day comes when He will return for you.
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
Jesus is returning, and we get to join Him in the air.
We will Join Him (16-17)
We will Join Him (16-17)
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
The dead rise first.
The dead rise first.
This passage is one of the most encouraging when talking about loved ones we have lost in Jesus.
When the Rapture occurs, those who died before us will not be left out.
In fact, they will be raised first.
That leads us to a difficult question: does this mean the dead are not with Christ?
In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
When we die, our bodies go into the ground, and our souls go to be with the Lord.
At this event, those who have died will receive their resurrected bodies.
The spirit and body will be reunited.
Those saved will come down with Jesus and be reunited with their bodies.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The Comfort of His Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)
When the Lord returns, He will bring the soul with Him, will raise the body in glory, and will unite body and soul into one being to share His glory forever.
As we think of this great event, we cannot forget those left alive. Next, we see what is in store for them.
We who are alive
We who are alive
Those of us who are alive will be caught up with Jesus and our lost loved ones in the air.
The word Caught up means to snatch away suddenly.
This is the word we get the rapture idea from.
The Greek word implies suddenness, which helps us see the quick return of Jesus.
He did say it would happen at a time no one would know.
“Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—but only the Father.
Jesus will gather all of His people in one place.
He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The dead will rise first and receive their resurrected bodies.
Then we will join them in the air and be changed.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
Because of the suddenness of this event, we need to be ready.
We need to be about the work of the Lord because we don’t know when He will return.
It could be today.
We don't want to be taken by surprise and not live our lives for Him when He comes for us.
We will always be with the Lord.
We will always be with the Lord.
The best part about this text is that we will always be with the Lord.
You and I will spend every moment of every day with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No pain, no suffering, just you and me and Jesus.
We will be with our loved ones, have new bodies, and always be with the Lord.
I don’t know about you, but I sure look forward to the day when I will be in the presence of my Savior for all eternity.
We cannot escape the LORD's presence, which is a great truth.
Be encouraged (18)
Be encouraged (18)
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
We are to comfort and encourage each other with these words.
With this text, we have to be careful not to spend all our time determining the order of events that will happen at the end.
We need to see the beauty of these events and the hope that comes with them, but we cannot get so caught up in the events that we miss the point of why Paul wrote this.
It was to encourage the church.
We may not know when or how Jesus is coming, but we know He is coming for His church.
Knowing that great truth should encourage us, and we are to use that truth to encourage each other.
We may not fully know when the Rapture will happen, but we all know that it will happen, and it will be a joyous time of being reunited with loved ones lost in Christ. The best part is coming into the presence of Christ.
What great comfort these words should bring to our hearts.
However, this passage does not apply to us if we don’t know Jesus.
We will not see our loved ones in Jesus again.
We do not have hope and comfort.
However, we can gain that hope and comfort by giving our lives to Jesus. Preach the Gospel.
In the Rapture, we have our hope as we wind through our chaotic, complicated life.
Today, each of us has lost loved ones in Christ, and so this passage gives us hope.
Today, we struggle with hardships, so this passage gives us hope.
A day is coming when the command will be given, Jesus will come down, and we will join Him in the air.
When we look at our world today, we need hope.
We face a lot of hate, hurt, and difficulties.
Including losing people we love.
We need passages like this that encourage us about our future.
Passages that remind us that a day is coming when we will be with Jesus for all time.
The Rapture is real, and we know that it is coming.
Conclusion
Conclusion
When we hope in Jesus, we know He is coming back for us.
Jesus is coming back to get His church.
Are you a part of His church? Not this church but His church.
You can be a member of one and not the other.
Jesus is coming back; are we ready?
Jesus is coming back; find hope in that truth.
Jesus is coming back; encourage each other.
Jesus is coming back for (insert your name if you know Jesus)
Invitation as the Lord leads
