First Thessalonians (10)
Notes
Transcript
Living with Heaven on Your Mind: In Light of the Rapture
Living with Heaven on Your Mind: In Light of the Rapture
Sermon Title: “Living with Heaven on Your Mind: In Light of the Rapture”
Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)
Sermon Title: “Living with Heaven on Your Mind: In Light of the Rapture”
Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)
Introduction:
Introduction:
The context: Paul writes to comfort the Thessalonian believers who were grieving over deceased loved ones. we need to understand, this church was one of Pauls first church plants, and he had only spent a little time with them. But this also shows Pauls anticipation for the return of Christ during his day.
Our present text this morning is likely one of the most well known passages in the Bible right behind John 3:16.
I believe the reason for this is the fact that 1 Thess. 4:13-18 stirs up curiosity of even the most casual reader, primarily because of the “rapture” of the church.
Define the Rapture: The catching or snatching away of believers to meet Christ in the air.
I know rapture is no where in the Bible but We see the phrase caught up in V.17.
The phrase translated caught up literally means “to seize; to claim for one’s self; to snatch out or away.” Which is “harpazo” in the greek.
The word rapture translates the Latin word “rapto or raptus” and comes from the Greek word “harpazo.”
While we don’t have the word rapture recorded in Scripture, clearly the doctrine and teaching is there.
It is used as a defining factor in theological beliefs:
Pre-tribulational :Church rapture before the seven years of tribulation (most widely held belief and most supported by scripture)
Mid - trib Church rapture 3.5 years into the tribulation (does carry some weight but has less scripture authority)
post trib Church rapture after the tribulation (most easily dis-proven, mostly anti-scripture)
The rapture of the church is a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.
Through our faith in Christ we have the hope of a future resurrection of the dead where all believers will be caught away to meet the Lord in the air and enter into His glorious presence with new, glorified bodies.
Had Christ not risen, and if we had no hope of life beyond the grave, our faith would be no better or different than the false religions of the world.
That hope sets us apart from all others. Chris Benfield, Pulpit Pages: New Testament Sermons, 2015, 1211.
Thesis: The Rapture brings hope, assurance, and a call to readiness for all believers.
This message will not settle the debate or convince you one way or the other, though I believe that we will be caught out before the start of the tribulation based on facts surrounding Paul’s response to the Thessalonians here and because of multiple other verses and the mention of the Day of the Lord in chapter 5 which We will discuss more next week.
The truth of the matter is, regardless of your stance on the rapture, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that when the rapture does happen, you will be with that number, is of the most importance.
If you are here this morning and have never called out to God in true heart repentance in faith asking God to save you, then if what we have read happens before the close of the service today, you will remain here and most likely never have another opportunity to be saved.
The Bible tells us in 2Thess. 2:5-12
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
So If you are here this morning unsaved, dont wait till the end of the service, the alters are open and God is ready to receive you.
For the rest of us this morning, I pray we leave out of here rejoicing and reassured about that glorious day when this mortal puts on immortality and this corruptible puts on incorruption
So lets look at Pauls response to a church, who was concerned about what will happen to those that have died.
I. The Promise Ensures Comfort (v. 13-15)
I. The Promise Ensures Comfort (v. 13-15)
Paul begins by addressing the sorrow of believers with the hope found in Christ’s resurrection.
A. The Need for Understanding
“I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.”
Many in that day were looking for the Lord’s return
Yet many believed that if you die before the return of the Lord, you will miss out on the rapture
They felt as if the Christian hope was buried with those believers in the grave.
We have a similar problem today, there are so many false religons out there, it is easy to get misled about the future
of all the so called Christian movies made, end time events are the most common. Many of these movies are misleading and some are down right wrong. That is why preaching truth about it is so important.
Ignorance about the future leads to unnecessary grief.
When we understand God’s promises it can provide clarity and comfort.
B. The Nature of Christian Grief
“That ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”
While Paul understood their sorrow and their grief over death, he reminds them that even though they sorrow, they do not sorrow as others who have no hope.
Their loved one may have died prior to the Lord’s coming, but hope was not lost.
Just as Christ rose from the dead, they too would rise as He comes and calls for the church.
Grieving for believers is different because it is tempered with hope.
For an unbeliever that experiences death of a loved one, their sorrow is full of dispair and heartache and fear.
The believer has a hope that is beyond this world. (talk about Dads death)
When our loved ones die in Christ, hope is not gone.
The hope and assurance of their resurrection in Christ is real and certain.
C. The Assurance of Gospel Message
“If we believe that Jesus died and rose again...”
Paul goes into the gospel message to give them reassurance about their loved ones.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Jesus’ death and resurrection guarantee the resurrection of those who are “in Christ.”
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
The one condition of salvation is faith in the death and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Only those who have received Him and have confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus and believed in their hearts “that God hath raised him from the dead” can have assurance of this what some of us like to call the “blessed hope.” Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Salvation is not by works, or goodness, or human effort, but entirely by faith.
The word translated “if” in verse 14 may also be translated “since.” The context determines which should be used and we may read it as follows: “For [since] we have believed that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
One of these days the Lord Jesus is coming again, and then only those who have trusted Him and accepted Him as their Saviour will rise to meet Him in the air.
All the rest, no matter what their moral or religious merits may be, will be left behind to face the wrath of God.[M. R. De Haan, The Second Coming of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 25–26.]
D. The Authority of His Word
“This we say unto you by the word of the Lord.”
The promise of the Rapture comes directly from His Word.
God’s Word is trustworthy, and His promises never fail
God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
“We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”
The phrase “shall not prevent” means that the living will not precede or hinder the resurrection of the dead.
The Authority of His Word ensures order in the fulfillment of His promises.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The promise ensures comfort
II. The Plan Ensures Confidence
II. The Plan Ensures Confidence
A. The Certainty of His Return
“The Lord himself shall descend from heaven.”
There is a certain, sweet comfort in the expression “the Lord himself.”
The same Lord who two thousand years ago went into heaven to prepare a place for us will come again.
Does not every believer’s heart quicken its beat at those words?
The “Lord himself”; the precious, blessed Lord who left heaven’s glories and laid aside the form of God and took upon Himself our human nature to redeem us from the pit of hell and to lift us into sonship with God—He will come again.
Soon we will see the same Jesus who walked the V del a rosa, the weary way to Calvary, bearing the Cross on which we should have died upon; the same Jesus who hung on that Cross for six long hours, with all the weight of a world’s guilt laid upon Him and the infinite wrath of God bursting upon Him for our sin, until the very sun, which He had created, could not bear to behold the sight any longer, and as the Light of the World slipped into the darkness of death, the sun hid its face, God drew the shutters of heaven, blew out the Light of the World and turned His back upon His own Son until He cried out in the inexpressible agony of His soul, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
There He bore our sin and shame—the shame that hid God’s face from us—the sin that deserved eternal death.
He bore it there.
He paid it there for me—for you.
Now we are redeemed and saved from hell and damnation because He loved us so.
It was this same Jesus who found me when I was lost and condemned in sin, hating God, reviling His Word, cursing His Son, murdering the Prince of Life.
It was He who loved me enough to take my guilt and to make it His responsibility; to save me and to make me a son of God; to put a song in my heart, a testimony on my lips and the assurance of eternal life in my soul.
That same Lord Himself will descend from heaven one of these days—that precious, adorable Lord—my Lord and my God—my Saviour and my King.
I shall look upon Him. I shall see the Lord Himself.
O friend, that is for you, too, if you have believed on Him.
Can you begin to imagine the thrill that will sweep over us when for the first time we behold Him, see Him, the One who died for us to save our poor, hell-bound, sin-smitten souls from eternal destruction?
Yes, the Lord Himself will descend.
[M. R. De Haan, The Second Coming of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 27–28.]
Jesus will personally return, fulfilling His promise in John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The Rapture unfolds in a specific, majestic sequence, revealing God’s power and order.
B. The Announcement at His Coming
“With a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.”
The shout: A command from Christ to summon His people.
That shout will be heard only by believers, either dead or alive.
None of the wicked dead will hear it. (They shall remain in their graves.)
Nor will any of the unbelieving still living
It may be that they will know something has happened because every true Christian will suddenly be gone, but the shout will be heard only by those who are the Lord’s.
“How can some hear and not others?” we have the answer. The radio has made it possible for sounds to be heard by some and not by others. You know the reason, of course. Some are tuned in to the right wave length, whereas others are tuned in to other wave lengths. Thus it will be at the coming of the Lord. Only those who are tuned to Station “BLOOD” will hear that shout. Only those who are tuned to the wave length of heaven will hear that call, “Come up hither.” The others will be tuned to earth and will be unaware of that shout.
are you under the blood?
Is your heart tuned by faith to the voice of God?
If it is, when He comes you will be caught up.
If not, you will be left behind to face the wrath of God.
Prepare to meet thy God. The Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout and every believer will be caught away to meet the Lord.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
[M. R. De Haan, The Second Coming of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 30–31.]
The voice: The archangel leads the heavenly host in this monumental event.
This fulfills Dan.12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
This will be the signal that begins the start of Jacobs trouble.
The trumpet: A call for believers to gather, signifying victory and deliverance.
The trumpet in Scripture had two meanings (in the economy of Israel).
When the trumpet was blown once it meant that the Israelites should prepare to march.
When the trumpet was blown twice, it was a call to war.
Here in 1 Thessalonians 4, we have both meanings.
The trump will call God’s people to march, and we shall be caught up to meet Him.
It will also be the signal for the nations to prepare for war, for after the Church is taken out the nations will assemble themselves and the end will come in the battle of Armageddon, resulting in the utter defeat of the enemies of the Lord.
[M. R. De Haan, The Second Coming of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 33–34.]
This call to war is given in Joel in very clear terms: Joel 2:1
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: For the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
C. The Resurrection of the Dead in Christ
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
The bodies of deceased believers will be raised and transformed into glorified bodies.
This resurrection is exclusive to those who have trusted in Christ and already died. (explain this) to be absent is to be present)
D. The Transformation of the Living
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together.”
Living believers will be instantaneously transformed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
III. The Pinnacle Ensures Celebration (v. 17b-18)
III. The Pinnacle Ensures Celebration (v. 17b-18)
The culmination of the Rapture is eternal fellowship with Christ, bringing hope and motivation.
A. The Reunion of the Redeemed
“with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord”
Every unbeliever will be left behind.
The unsaved dead will remain in their graves and their souls will be in torment, not to be raised until a thousand years later.
The living unbelievers will remain on the earth to face the wrath of God,
“Together with them … to meet the Lord.”
That means that before we are caught up to meet Jesus we will be brought together and reunited with our loved ones.
We will rise to meet Him not only as individuals but as reunited groups.
We will be brought together and there will be a quick fond greeting of our loved ones and then together we will be caught up.
When we meet Jesus we will meet Him together with our saved families.
How the thought thrills our souls! While we long to see the Lord Jesus who died for us, we also long to see the dear ones gone on before.
I have grandmams and grandpas up there
I have a dad up there
I have a great uncle up there
I have many loved ones that have gone on before and when that day happens (if before I die) I will meet them in the air
B. The Joy of Eternity with Christ
“So shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Eternity with Christ is the believer’s ultimate reward (Revelation 21:3-4).
No more separation, sin, or sorrow—only perfect fellowship.
We will be perfect in His presence.
There will be no more suffering, pain or sickness; no more weeping, distress, disappointment or struggle; no more stumbling, failing and falling; no more sinning; no more slipping.
With new bodies—immortal, sinless, painless—we shall ever enjoy the eternal glories of His presence and His kingdom.
C. The Call to Readiness and Hope
“Wherefore comfort(urge,employ, exhort) one another with these words.”
The promise of the Rapture is meant to encourage believers in the face of trials and losses.
These words offer peace, even in the darkest moments of life.
Believers are called to live in anticipation of Christ’s return.
(Titus 2:13)“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
This hope motivates purity, perseverance, and proclamation of the gospel.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
The Promise Ensures Comfort
Are you saved? If so you have comfort today that you will see your loved ones again
If not, you have no hope!
The Plan Ensures Confidence
We can take this to the bank.
His word is sure
He has set it all out and you can have confidence that it will happen just as he has said
the saved will go and the lost will stay
which one are you?
The Pinnacle Ensures Celebration
We have no reason to be debbie downers or negitive nellies. We should rejoice because one daywe will be forever with the Lord.
Challenge to the Congregation:
Are you ready for the Rapture?
Have you placed your faith in Christ?
if so, Live with urgency, hope, and expectancy.
If not, wont you come today and be saved.
Close with an Invitation:
Encourage any unbelievers to respond to the gospel and invite believers to commit to living in readiness for His return.
