Get Ready For
Take Off Part 2
1
Thessalonians 4:15-18
Left Behind
I wish we all been ready { Real deal!
Paul
is writing here in 1 Thessalonians 4 about THE
RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH - the next event
on the Prophetic Calendar
B) That event where the trumpet
is going to sound and the Lord is going to come from Heaven
1)
Bringing with Him all the saints who have died in Jesus
C) Then those of us who are
believers in Jesus who are still alive on the earth are going to be caught up
to meet them in the air.
D) RENUNION
TIME - Feasting time in Heaven
for 7yrs
E) Folks we
are close to the time when that event is going to take place
1)
Nothing left to happen or be fulfilled Prophetically
And when you look at the
events happening in our world we see many things Bible predicted would be a
part of the Last days scenario Happening
Focus on next
week Being aware of the times and the seasons { Invite
a friend Fascinating stuff
So
we are living in a day and age when the rapture could occur at any moment
A) But there has been in the
history of the Church confusion over the placement
of the rapture in the Prophetic scenario
B)
Some suggest - middle of Tribulation - Mid-trib or
Pre-Wrath
C) Others - end of Tribulation - Post Trib
1)
Also those who think not going to
happen at all - usher
in Kingdom
D) Those who believe it will
happen before the Tribulation = Pre Trib
E)
Some who even Does
it really matter? Won't it
all pan out in the end? PanTrib - all pan out in the
end!
1)
We will like w/ other controversies find out who is right!
Does it matter ? Answer is yes You see when you believe the rapture
is going to occur will shape the way that you live your life now !
If
you believe Jesus will come at the middle or end of Tribulation, you will need
to store up gold, food, guns
A.) Your life will be marked by Preparation -
preparing to last in the tribulation.
You will be
looking for Anti-Christ to come on the scene
B.)
But if you believe the rapture can happen at any moment you are going to live
w/ anticipation - expectation
1)
looking for Him and watching the signs
C.)If you believe He could
come at any moment you are going to seek to live a holy life
1) watching and
praying
D) I believe the Bible clearly and directly
teaches that the rapture will take place before the Tribulation.
1)
Next event on the prophetic scene!
E) Today I want to give you Seven reasons why the rapture will happen before
the Tribulation begins
Reason
#1 The Message in 1 Thess 4:18 - "Comfort
one another w/ these words"
A)
In this section where Paul is talking about the rapture how we are going to
be caught up to meet the Lord
B) He ends that thought w/
this Exhortation 18 Therefore comfort one another with these
words.
C) See
this is a Key thing / This Teaching is to comfort us - not freak us out!
1)
Comfort here means Be encouraged by !
D)Now
if rapture is at the end or middle of Tribulation - that is not very
comforting!
Flee and hide try to avoid Anti-Christ tortured and Martyred
E) I would rather die now!
There is No Comfort in that Message
: Bear up / get Ready / SURVIVAL
REASON #2 We are not appointed unto wrath!
A)
In 1 Thes. 5 Paul continues discussing this theme of the
Rapture of the Church which He says comes as a Thief in the night to an unbelieving
World
B) He also begins to discuss the topic of the day of the
Lord { A day is 1,000 yrs / 1000yrs is as a day
C) Day of the Lord Begins at the Rapture & ends at
the end of the 1000 yr. Reign of Christ
1)
So it includes the time of Tribulation. When the Wrath of
God is being Poured out
D)
And
on that thought Paul offers these words of Encouragement
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who
died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.11
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you
also are doing.
Now
why hasn't He appointed us to wrath?
A) The wrath we deserve was paid for at
Calvary!
B) It was poured out on Jesus absorbed
by Jesus!
C) If we go through any part
of the Tribulation we are enduring part of the Wrath of God .
Reason
#3 The Flow of the book of Revelation
Turn to Rev Ch. 1 v.19
The book of Rev.
is the only book w/ a Divine outline
A)Understanding this is a
key to understanding the book of Rev. ( Often confusing but never
meant to be )
V.19 3 part outline 19 "Write the things which you have seen,
and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
B) This is a key to
Understanding the book of Rev. / - SECTION 1 The
things that you have SEEN VISION OF CH.
1
C) SECTION 2 / The things that ARE / The letters to
the Churches
1) Represents
the whole Church age !!!!!
D) Ephesus Early church
to Present day / Phil. & Laodecia
Section
3 Write the things that will take place
After this after what?
A) After the Church age is
completed /
B) Think
about this : the Word Church is used 19 times in the first 3 Ch.s of
the book of Rev. /
C) From ch. 4 on never used
again/ Why ?
1)
Church
is not seen again on the earth
D) In fact the next time that we see the Church is when the Lord
coming Back Ch. 19
So
the 3rd Phase of the Book deals w/ this section that John is writing
about that takes place after the Church age / After these things
A) That Phrase in Greek Meta tauta
(
Important ) see it again Ch. 4
4:1 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."
C)
After the Church age is completed John sees a door standing open in Heaven
voice like a trumpet says
Come
up here and I will show the things that must take place after this
D) Now what does this remind you of Voice like
a Trumpet 1Thes. 4 / 1 Cor. 15 trumpet
of God Calling us up
This
I believe is a wonderful picture of the Rapture Trumpet sounding & John
being called up to meet the Lord
A) And See the things that
take place after the Church age Church is not seen again on the Earth in Rev. until after the tribulation
at the 2nd coming
B)
So reason #3 The Flow of the book of Revelation
REASON #4 The Tribulation Is Known as the
Time of Jacobs Trouble Jeremiah 30:7 -
A) Purpose of that time is
To Wake up Israel - called time of Jacob's trouble
- not the
churches trouble
B)
In ROM 9-11 - God not through with Israel - time coming Jews will be saved some now! All then
C) Tribulation is for a
Christ rejecting world and for Israel.
Titus
2: 11 For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men, 12
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
A)
So
here in Titus we are instructed on how we are to be looking for the coming of
Jesus Christ
B) But those who embrace the mid & Post Trib. view points are not looking
for Jesus appearing / but the appearing of Antichrist { Has to come
first
C) LISTEN: No where in
scripture are we -told to be looking for Anti- Christ !
1) Why? We are
not going to be here!
Reason
#6 The types in the Old Testament.
A)Luke 17:26 Like the Days
of Noah
.
B) In the story of Noah we
have a beautiful picture of what will take place in last days
C) At the time of Noah God
was judging the earth w/ the flood .
1)
God's wrath is being poured out on
wicked mankind! Gen. 6
Conditions
in the days of Noah
A) A world forsaken God
Given over to Sexual Immorality / { Teachers and Kids } Women
B) Violence Selfishness
Perversity just like our World
C) Now during the flood the
Lord protects Noah & his family in the ark
1) They
are a type of the nation of Israel - Who God is going to protect during the time
of the tribulation.
D)Ok where is
the church in this picture ?
1)
Gen. Ch. 5 the church is seen in the
person of Enoch / a contemporary of Noah
E) Told of Enoch walked w/ God & he pleased God and
one day He was not .....took Him !
Rapture!
1)
Example He walked with God and He pleased God
F) Enoch is a type of the church taken out before judgment.
begins!
2nd
Type look at found in Gen. 18,19 Story
of Lot!
A) Again in Luke 17:28 Jesus said it would be like the times of Lot
rampant ( Homosexuality
)
B) We see that growing as
well{ Homo. marriage act
1)
TV Shows and Movies Homosexual Characters the norm now
C)
There is a new video being sent to 61,000 elementary schools. We Are Family { Promoting Homosexuality
to elementary kids
D) We Are Family Foundation is,
Delivering videos this week march 11
E) On the news
- Rosie ODonnell's partner Homosexual family vacations -
1) Hotels in Palm Springs Advertise Homosexual hotspots
It
was this type of perversity that led God to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah
A) In the Story God sends angels to destroy the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah for their wickedness!
B) There wasn't 10 people in
that city who worshipped God!{ Not that bad yet!
C) Lot was spared
He was led out along with his daughters
1) Lot & His daughters are
a picture of the church that is
not preserved through the judgment
D) But are taken
out - removed before the judgment can
begin!
E)
Remember Lots wife { Enamored with the World looked back longing look she
was lost
1)
last days love of many grow cold -
people enamored with the World.
3rd
illustration in the book of Daniel 3 / Shad/ Mesh/ Aben.
A)King Neb. makes a statue .
demands to be worshipped much like the anti Christ will during the Tribulation.
B) Shad. ...... Abendgo refuse & are thrown into the fiery
furnace
1)
Neb. Didn't
we throw 3 men into .......... like the Son of God!
C) A beautiful picture of
What the Lord is going to do for Israel during the Tribulation. time
D) Question where is Daniel
? He is absent from this story most likely taken away on Business /
1)
Dan. is a type of the Church.
So
we have the Diff. types in the Bible that also pt. to the fact that the Rapt.
will take place before the Tribulation.
A)God taking out Enoch , Lot
, Dan. ( The Church ) Before the judgment begins
Reason
#7 The Jewish wedding Ceremony
A) Beautiful picture In Jewish culture marriages were most often
Arranged ( EXPLAIN)
B) Now when the
Kids came of age where they could actually be married
1) one thing that needed to take place first was home prepared
C)
So the boy - bridegroom would begin to build a dwelling place for he and his bride
1)
the wedding couldn't take place until it was finished!
D) Now Who
determined when it was finished?
- His Father
This
is so great in comparison to our situation
A) John 14 - Jesus
says - going to heaven prepare a place
for you - my bride - (betrothed to the Lord)
B)
He said - I will
come again and receive you to myself
1)
but also says - no
man knows the day or the hour of that coming except - Father!
C)
But Jesus said - we should know the times and seasons - understand when things are getting
closer!
So
the bridegroom would be working on the house A) And the bride would get reports from friends
relatives
B) ( Times / Seasons Next week Invite
a Friend)
1)
Walls are up / roof is on / windows in / front door is up/ it could be any day
now! - finished
C) Now Over the years it became the custom of the bridegroom to
surprise his bride in the middle of the
night - early morning
Matt 25
Parable of the ten virgins is about 5 ready 5 who were not ready
D)
He and his groomsmen come into town to her house making a lot of noise!
1)
Awaken Bride and her bridesmaids -needed
to be ready
E)
Now Check this
out! Bridegroom and bride
would then go to this house he
prepared - stay 7 days!
1) family and friends - party - celebrate -
at the end of the 7 days - bride would be presented!
1.) betrothed to Him
2.) Gone to prepare a place
3.) No one know day or hour except Father
4.) Bride gets reports - we know times and
seasons
5.) Bridegroom comes - 7 year feast - presented
at 2nd coming
So
there You have 7 Reasons why the Bible Clearly teaches that the Rapture will
take place before the Tribulation.
A) Nothing preventing this
from happening the world gets more and more like the days of Noah & Lot
everyday
B) Why does the Lord
wait?
2 Peter 3:8-9
8 But, beloved,
do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.9 The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
C) Waiting for you today
is the day of Salvation
D) The Devil wants you to
think other wise !
William
Barclay - fictional story - meeting Satan held w/ demons where trying to figure
out how to trick people into eternal damnation
A.)1st
demon: "There is no God"
- no Satan said - creation declares the reality of God.
B) People too smart to deny His
existence
A few idiots
might get sucked in but not the masses
B.) 2nd demon: "No Hell". No said
Satan - "People
understand there needs to be
retribution and judgment - people won't buy that
C.)3rd
demon: "Instead of saying no God or no hell - no hurry!
1) Satan responded that is it! no hurry! Spread the word
D) Sad but true many have
lost their sense of urgency but the cry will
soon come.
"The bridegroom
is coming"
2 Pet 1:10 - Brethren, give diligence to make calling election sure.