Coming of the Lord

******PRAY**********

Here we are a week after Easter.

Easter is my favorite holiday of the year

My friends there are times in life when you know the devil doesn't want the message to get out. This is one of those times. For three days this week I was battling a stomach bug, sleeping all day and unable to get out of bed. I was asking the LORD what he desired for Sunday and I just got silence. Clearly this was a test of faithfulness. I saw the doctor, got some medicine, and have been feeling better for the last 24 hours.

If I was going in the proper Biblical order I would be talking to you today about the 40 days after the resurrection speaking about the kingdom of God, and then Jesus’ assertion into heaven.

This actually has some relevance to our topic today.

Jesus met with the disciples at the Mount of Olives

****SLIDE 1****

We read in Acts 1:9-11 … as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Now that is significant for our conversation today....

Did you happen to recognize that Jesus was taken into the clouds and out of their sight.

Have you ever looked for something in the sky? Maybe an airplane that you heard but couldn’t find because of the clouds?

The disciples knew Jesus was up there but couldn’t see him.

Jesus will come in the same way you saw him go up into heaven.

Jesus is coming back in the same way he left.

Before I dive in to far.

First point - Prophecy tends to be a hot topic

We need to remember both grace and truth

We need to allow people to discuss different Biblical points or have a different timeline of Christ’s return

God wants us to talk about it and be excited about it.

The hope of the believer is the return of Jesus Christ.

Second point - While we all know there is only one correct interpretation

Some prophetic events are left intentionally undefined

For example our topic today, Jesus told us no one would know the hour or the day

Yet everyone who studies Scripture places the return of Christ somewhere on their timeline.

Finally, properly understanding prophecy requires constant study of the Scriptures. The Day of the Lord and his return is found throughout the Bible.

Remember to be a good steward of God’s Word and research anything you are unsure of.

I would like to read our text for today.. Out of respect for God’s Word please stand for the reading of this Scripture.

****SLIDE 2 & 3****

1 Thes 4:13-18 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

You may be seated

****SLIDE 4****

There are three main points from our text that I want to focus on today.

1. God does not want believers to grieve the dead like the unbelievers.

2. Jesus is coming back on the clouds the same way he left.

3. There will be a physical rapture of all believers from all history.

Point #1 Don’t grieve like the unbelievers

****SLIDE 5****

-we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep,

uninformed - the word for uninformed here means to be in want for knowledge , it is used in Scripture to refer to unbelievers who are ignorant in regard to the ways of Christ. After we come to Christ we have to grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ. So the apostle is telling us “Hey guys when it comes to how you understand death and dying, I don’t want you to be uninformed about the ways of God.”

And he says dont be uninformed ....

****SLIDE 6****

about those who are asleep - The Scriptures speaks about the bodies of dead believers as asleep. In the gospel of Luke, a man named Jarius had come and knelt before Jesus telling him that his daughter had died and asked him to lay his hands on her. Jesus went to his home and seeing the hired flue players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping. And they all laughed at him… Again, It is important to note that it is her body that is asleep, not her soul. Scripture is clear that the soul of a believer immediately goes to be with the LORD when they die. To be away from the body is to be with the LORD. So our bodies are here alseep, while our souls are alive in heaven with the LORD.

****SLIDE 7****

that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope - Without the hope of eternal life and the resurrection of the dead, death is a painful reminder of our temporary existence here on earth, our separation from God, and that our relationship with the person is gone forever. Some in the church of Thessalonica had come to the conclusion that those who die had missed the Lord’s second coming and they were grieved over this. The thought of a loved one not being at the return of Christ grieved them and brought anguish to their souls.

However the apostle explains to then as well as to us, there is no reason for such a concern.

****SLIDE 8***

since we believe that Jesus died and rose again - Paul reminds them that they believe that Jesus died and rose again. The people at the church of Thessalonica knew God had the power to raise someone from the dead. They believed in the resurrected Jesus Christ, yet they don't quite know how this applied to their lives or to the future yet.

****SLIDE 9***

through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep - Next Paul says something absolutely mind blowing to the church. Paul tells us that through the return of Jesus Christ when he comes in his glory, God will bring with him all of the souls of the departed believers that are currently with God in heaven.

*****SLIDE 10*****

Point #2 Jesus is coming back!

As I mentioned before this should be an exciting topic for us to talk about.

Our text for today says that the Lord himself will descend from heaven. To understand what heaven means....There are three "heavens" in Scripture. One describes a dimension where the throne room of God is and the angels dwell, the second describes the place we would call outer space, where the stars dwell, and the third is the atmosphere of the earth, or what we would call "the air".

*****SLIDE 11*****

The word for heaven being described in 1 Thes 4:16, IS the atmosphere of the earth. This is describing Jesus returning on the clouds in the same way in which he left.

The text continues “with the cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. “

Here are a few other Scriptures describing a trumpet at Christ’s return ...

*****SLIDE 11B*****

Matt 24:31 “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

*****SLIDE 11C*****

Joel 2:1 “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,”

Blowing a trumpet had many purposes in the Old Testament. The trumpet was used to call a gathering Jer 4:5 , Joel 2:15. The trumpet was used to declare moving out for battle. Judges 6:34 , Numb 10:2 A warning or alarm for disaster appoaching Eze 33:4-6 , Amos 3:6

The trumpet on the day of the LORD is known as the last trumpet. It will declare angels being sent out and the gathering of God’s people. But even more it declares the day of God’s wrath is upon the nations. It will be a warning to all for the final judgement of God is about to begin upon the earth.

Now I am sure there are people already getting edgy in their seats because what I am describing or what I would argue Scripture describes …

Please just let me get a few things out here and you might be able to understand my timing a bit better.

No where in Scripture does it describe multiple comings of Jesus in the future, nor does it describe a partial coming. In fact the Greek word for coming is parousia. par-o-see-a. It means an arrival with a continued presence. The word is actually translated presence twice in the New Testament. No matter what your position on the timing of the rapture, for the most part all evangelicals believe that Christ will arrive in our atmosphere on the clouds and later touches down on the mount of Olives, the very place in which he left. How much time elapses between his arrival on the clouds and when he engages the enemy at Armageddon is truly a question. Is it only seconds or minutes? Or is the LORD in the clouds for days, months, perhaps a year or more? Remember the word for coming is an arrival with a continued presence.

Is it possible that return of Christ (the sign of the Son of Man) could be seen and heard by the entire world and then Christ remains in the clouds with his army for several months pouring out the wrath of God during Jacob’s trouble? Perhaps even as the disciples lost Jesus in the clouds when he left them, the Lord and his army will be concealed by thunder clouds and clouds of ash during His return.

Now you know my view on the timing of Christ’s return.

Regardless of our personal opinions on the timing of Christ’s return, every believer among us should be excited that Jesus is going to one day enter into our atmosphere, on the clouds, with a trumpet blast, and the cry of an archangel all believers from both Old Covenant and New will be united with Christ forever.

Let me leave you with one more challenging thought on the coming of Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ is spoken of as being seen by the entire world.

*****SLIDE 12*****

Jesus said in Matt 24:27 “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

*****SLIDE 12b*****

As we read in Titus 2:12-13.... we are to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

My friends the word for appearing here in Titus means to be brought into the light, to become evident, to appear. Jesus is coming in glory and we the church are to be awaiting His glorious return.

*****SLIDE 13****

Finally point #3 - Our text tells us that there will be a rapture of all believers from all time.

*****SLIDE 13b ****

1 Thes 4:16-17 And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are 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 “in Christ” is referring to all who have ever believed. For those who have never understood this before, Christ is not Jesus’ second name. It is his title; it means Messiah. Jesus is the promised Messiah. There has never been nor will there be two ways to get to the Father. Faith in the Messiah was the hope of Abraham, Issac and Jacob as much as for the appostles James, John and Peter. There is only one way to the Father and it is through the Messiah and this is true for all men throughout all history and every covenant God has made.

Jesus will return bringing with him the souls of all who are in Messiah, that have gone to be with God. Within moments of coming into our atmosphere, the souls of the dead in Messiah will put on an immortal body and moments later the souls of every living believer on earth will be caught up in the clouds with them and transformed into an immortal body.

*****SLIDE 14****

1 Cor 15:51-52 “Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

There is that word again, sleep. Paul says we shall not all sleep. Not all of us are going to die before the return of Christ. But, we shall ALL be changed in a moment, in the twinkle of an eye. Notice the word ALL! All believers both asleep and awake will be changed.

What is the speed of the twinkle of an eye? We are talking in less than a second here. Yet in that second there is an order. First the dead will be raised imperishable and then the living.

The church at Thessalonian was confused about how their deceased loved ones would see the Day of the LORD and not miss the glorious event of Christs return.

We can all be encouraged today by the words Paul has spoken, We do not need to grieve death the way unbelievers do, one day, Christ is coming back for us, and weather we are asleep or awake we will be with the LORD forever.

My friends think of it, Noah, Abraham, Moses, King David, Elijah, and all the Old Testament saints will be joining us in the clouds and later in a time of great feasting in a millennial kingdom where Jesus Christ will sit on the throne of David as the King of King and the Lord of Lords reigning for a thousands years.

Finally let me leave with these word from the apostle Paul in

*****SLIDE 15****

1 Corinthians 15:53-55 “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?””

Praise be to God through our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen!