Rapture of the Church

Transcript

GR 424
12/6/1981
The Rapture of the Church
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

First Corinthians, Chapter 15 in your Bibles—where we will be using as one of the prime passages for our consideration today as we embark on the consideration of God's plan for the future. And what does the Scripture say about future events. There's a clear pattern set down in Scripture. The second coming of Christ is the focal point for all Biblical prophecy. The Old Testament anticipated the coming of Jesus Christ to earth. The prophetic message zeros in on the fact that the Messiah is coming. Now it blended together the two comings of Christ so that there was no distinction observable. That the Messiah would come, be of lowly birth, would suffer, would die, be rejected of men. Also emphasized the fact that He would come in glory. That He would reign and rule with power and authority and dignity. Now we know with the added revelation of the New Testament that God was revealing two comings of His Son to earth. The first coming where He would accomplish redemption for mankind. He would come to suffer and die to pay the penalty for sins. He would be God's sacrifice that we might believe and have life.

Now the Scripture still unfolds clearly that the Savior who came to earth, who suffered and died is coming again. That the prophecies of the Old Testament that spoke of His glorious reign, of His earthly kingdom in perfect righteousness will also be a fact and reality. And so future prophecy revolves around the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth. We'll talk about that specific event in coming weeks. The first step or the first phase in the second coming of Christ is the Rapture of the church that we are going to talk about today. This reminds you of the importance of prophecy to us as believers. Prophecy has been somewhat degraded by the way that it's been presented, Popularized and I appreciate something of the popular emphases making us more aware and more sensitive to what is going on. We are going to talk in coming weeks about some of the events transpiring in the world and how they might relate to what the Bible says about future days. But at the same time, I think that prophecy has been degraded by making it a matter of exciting things where we are looking to identify this event and this event and this event. We lose something perhaps of the seriousness and the significance of Biblical prophecy to us as believers.

Prophecy reveals clearly the majestic sovereignty of God. That He is in control. Moving all things according to His plan to the culmination that He has set down for this world and its events. It's so important for us to understand and know Biblical prophecy just that we might have a greater appreciation for the sovereignty of God. We as believers, our hearts and minds ought to be at rest and peace as we see God working all things according to His will and His time. Turmoil, unrest, discontent in the world. We as believers rejoice that we have a sovereign God who is moving all things along according to His plan.

The study of prophecy is important to us as believers as well because it is the study of the personal work of Jesus Christ. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 10 says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. When you're studying about prophecy, you're studying about Jesus Christ. A person who is ignorant of the prophetic teaching of Scripture is ignorant of the person and work of Jesus Christ. And our goal is to know Him. To enter into a full understanding and appreciation of all that He is and all that He does. And if we are ignorant of what the Bible says about future matters, then we have a large blind spot regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ. I do not believe we can have a full appreciation of what Christ has accomplished for us at His first coming if we remain in ignorance of what God says about His second coming. Because His second coming brings to fruition and fulfillment that which He accomplished in His first coming.
And also Biblical prophecy functions as an encouragement, a strengthening factor, a purifying factor for us as believers. We will see this in some of the verses that we consider in our study together today. That for me to be the person that God wants me to be, I need to have a knowledge of His Word. I need to have an appreciation of what God says about the future. That will strengthen me in difficult times. That will encourage me in my service. That will be a purifying factor in my life that I might magnify Him. That's one of the problems today with the church, with its lack of purity, its lack of separation, is its lack of understanding regarding what the Bible says about the future. It's God’s provision for a purifying emphases and motivation in our lives. Without that we find ourselves sinking down into the mire of this world's system.

Pick up with this matter of the rapture of the church. Where do we begin with the future. The Bible says that the next thing that is to happen according to God’s prophetic timetable is the rapture of the church. I realize there are other events being pulled together and we will see these in coming days. But as far as a specific event unfolded that must occur next in God's prophetic plan, it is the rapture of the church. Simply stated, the rapture of the church entails the bodily transformation of every believer in Jesus Christ whether dead or alive. The focal point of the rapture is the bodily transformation of every believer in Jesus Christ whether dead or alive. There is a little different implication for those who are dead as those who are alive.

To clarify first regarding death in Scripture, We will be talking about two groups when we talk about the rapture. We are going to be talking about those believers who have died when the rapture occurs and those believers who are still alive when the rapture occurs. Now when we talk about the rapture we are going to be talking about only those who are believers in Jesus Christ. Those who have come to trust Jesus Christ as the one who died to pay the penalty for their sins and was raised from the dead because that penalty had been paid. Now what about those who are dead. Those who have come to trust Jesus Christ as Savior but have experienced physical death. The Bible is clear on what will happen to them. James 2:26 gives the basic pattern regarding physical death. The body without the spirit is dead. Scripture unfolds that this physical body is simply a dwelling place. A home in which the person resides. I am living now in this physical body. When physical death occurs, I as a person will move out of this physical body. Now I'll still be just as alive and just as conscience and just as aware. I will no longer be living in this physical body, however. I will have moved out. Just like you move out of a physical home. You've changed locations. You as a person are no longer living at that address. I as a person will no longer be living at this address.

Now here a division occurs. For those who are not believers in Jesus Christ they go immediately into a place of suffering called Hades. Luke chapter 16 gives you a picture of that place. But we want to focus on what about believers and death. Turn over to Second Corinthians chapter 5. (Pause) Second Corinthians chapter 5, Here Paul unfolds clearly the analogy that this physical body is like a tent and there may come a point of time in God's plan for you as a believer when He says, "Fold up that tent, you're done with it for a while." That will be physical death. This body will be folded up, so to speak, just like a tent and set aside because I won't be living here any longer. That's the analogy. It begins in chapter 4 verse 16 where Paul talks about the deterioration of this physical body which is not disheartening to us as believers because we are being strengthened, renewed on the inside.

Then chapter 5 opens up, "We know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Now jump down to verse 6, "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight." I know this is true because I believe what God has said about it. Not because I’ve ever seen heaven, not because I've ever lived outside of this body. It’s true because God says it. Now you note what He says here. As long as we are dwelling in this physical earthly body, we are not in the presence of God in glory. That's obvious. So verse 8, "We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." Paul says as long as I'm living in this physical earthly body, I cannot be living in glory with God. Well my preference is to live in glory with God. So if you ask me what my druthers would be, I'd rather be at home with Him. I'd rather move out of this physical body and go to be with Him. You know, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That will happen to me as a believer the moment of physical death. That instant of time I will be transported personally into the presence of God in glory.

Look over in Philippians chapter 1. (Pause) Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians—chapter 1. This understanding of what physical death is mutes the fear of the believer regarding death. Now that does not mean that we anticipate dying. That's not what the Bible says. But it gives us an understanding of what occurs at death. Look in Philippians chapter 1, verse 21; "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake." Paul says to the Philippians, if I live on physically, I will be able to minister to you and that's good for you. You need to be built up in the Word of God. But, speaking personally, far better for me to be out of this physical earthly body and to be in the presence of the Lord, when we talk about this coming event, the rapture of the church, it will encompass both living and dead believers. I want to understand where those believers are who die before the coming of Christ at the rapture. So we have two possibilities. I may die physically, when that occurs I personally will leave my body and go into the presence of the Lord. The second possibility is, I will live until the coming of the Lord, and then I will be bodily transported into His presence. Either way, both groups are going to experience a bodily transformation. God has future plans for this physical body. This physical body will also go on for eternity in a transformed state. All right, First Corinthians, chapter 15. Paul has been talking about the matter of resurrection. Some had questioned the reality of bodily resurrection.
Paul’s argument is that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead—that is God’s evidence and proof that we too shall be raised from the dead. So through the first forty-nine verses, he has given a thorough consideration of the matter of bodily resurrection. Now we come down to verse 50. He talks about how the transformation of this physical body will occur for those who are alive when Jesus Christ comes back to earth. Back in the clouds—not to earth, but for the church. Verse 50, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;" Here’s the basic principle, this physical body as is, is not suitable for God’s presence in heaven. That’s the problem that has to be dealt with. My physical body as it presently is constituted, is not suitable for
God's presence. It is called flesh and blood. Here further development in verse
50, "the perishable does not inherit the imperishable," In other words, this body of flesh and blood is a perishable body. It is in the process of deteriorating,
If moving toward death, /Jesus Christ does not come in the next hundred years, every single person here will experience that phenomenon called physical death. It's a reality. This body is perishable. It is flesh and blood. Just note here, remember when we talked about the glorified body of Jesus Christ? It had flesh and bone? Evidently our new body will not be supported by the blood as this physical body is. So this perishable body is the stress here, it is not suitable to inherit the imperishable—that's part of verse 50. "Nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." In other words, what good would it do to take a perishable body into the eternal realm of heaven. I cannot inherit something that is eternal with something that is perishable. Because my enjoyment of it would be limited by the fact that it is temporal, it is perishing. Behold! An attention getting word. We’d say listen, watch. "I tell you a mystery” A mystery—something that has not before been revealed by God. What Paul was saying is, "I want to tell you something new from God. Something that God has not revealed before.” You could study the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi, Study the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and you will not find any information regarding the rapture of the church. It is new material revealed to the apostles, particularly the apostle Paul. I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. One of those verses that you can't read it any longer without thinking of the plaques they put in nurseries now regarding the children and the babies. At least that's what I always think of. I still like the verse, but it's been corrupted a little bit by that use. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. What does the words sleep (laughter) O.K, I shouldn't have said it now, I know.

We shall not all sleep. What does sleep mean for a believer? In the New Testament, that is what we call a euphemism for death, God’s way of referring to the death of His children, only used of a death of a believer in the New Testament. Now, it’s not talking about soul sleep, as some false cults have corrupted the Word of God to say. We’ve already seen that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. When he talks about sleep, he’s talking about the temporary inactivity of the body. We’ve all been to funerals where we’ve looked at a person, at the viewing, and say ”My, it looks like they’re sleeping”. Their body is temporarily inactive. They are asleep. Not personally, they are in the presence of God if they're believers but their body is not being used,

Now what he is saying here is not every believer is going to experience physical death. Now, this is new insight—not every child of God is going to have to die physically. But, everyone will be changed. Everyone will undergo a transformation. They will be altered. This physical body will undergo a change. So, there’s the basic point he’s making. Not every Christian is going to experience physical death, but every Christian must experience a bodily change. This body must be altered, transformed. What about this, how will it occur? Verse 52, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;" We’ll pick up some verses over in First Thessalonians 4 in a moment which will help expand this a little bit. But note what he says here, "It will occur in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed." So here’s the point. In a brief period of time, a moment, a twinkling of an eye, a trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable. The order of the transformation is, those who have died in Christ have their bodies raised from the dead first. First Thessalonians 4 is the development of this as we’ll see. Then we who are alive, instantly follow them, so that if this trumpet would sound right now, the bodies of believers who have died from Acts chapter 2, down till this moment would come out of the grave and be raised. Every believer wherever they are who is living on the face of the earth would be instantly caught up from the earth to meet Jesus Christ in the clouds. In that instant of time, this body would undergo a miraculous transformation to suit it for the eternity of God's presence.
Eternal glory.

Now how fast that will occur is what is stressed at the beginning of verse 52. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." A moment there, that's the Greek word "atom". In an atom of time. The smallest piece of time that you could have. The twinkling of an eye. This refers to the way that your eye just normally blinks. The normal blinking of the eyes that you don't even notice. It goes on all the time through your daily activity as the eye blink and you’re not even conscience of it. It is so quick, so fast. So when that occurs, faster than you can blink your eye, you will be brought into the presence of Jesus Christ in the clouds with a transformed body. Now that's amazing. I don't grasp how that's all going to be but if it would occur right now, this auditorium would be to a large extent, emptied. Just quicker than you could blink your eye, every believer would be gone. In that instant of time, we would be face to face with Jesus Christ in the clouds with bodies that have been transformed, glorified, suited for His presence in glory.

The last trumpet. I take it the last trumpet refers to the last trumpet for the believer. We'll see when we get to First Thessalonians 4, they are in a military framework here. And for the Roman soldiers, three basic trumpets were sounded. The trumpet to get up and get ready. The trumpet, the second trumpet, to line up, and the third trumpet which signaled the march, the move out. This is the last trumpet for the church. Not the last trumpet of Scripture. It has nothing to do with the seven trumpets of Revelation which are trumpets of judgment. This is the trumpet of glory for the church. This calls the church to the presence of Jesus Christ. Verse 53, "This perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.'1 Note the stress here. It almost gets to be a tongue twister as you read it, because he wants to stress that we are going from a perishable body to an imperishable. From a mortal to an immortal. From a corruptible to an incorruptible. This perishable must put on the imperishable.
This mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory," "Death where is your victory, Oh, death where is your sting." That will be the realization of God's purposes for us as His children. The completion or combination if you will of our salvation. The redemption of the body. See, God is not done with us yet. We experienced a complete, a full, a final salvation, the moment we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior. But the ultimate realization of all that that salvation entails has not yet been accomplished. Because when I trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, I got absolute forgiveness of sins—past, present, and future.
I- also received eternal life. Eternity in a relationship with God. I also received a new body, a glorified body. Now I haven’t gotten that all yet. It’s all mine in Christ. So I received the cleansing and the forgiveness. God has been in the process during the years since I have trusted Him to conform me to be more and more like in my character, the Savior that I’ve come to believe in. Now, He'll bring this part of that process to completion when He also takes this physical body and conforms it to the body of the glory of Jesus Christ.

Look over in First Thessalonians chapter 4. (Pause) The emphases in First Corinthians 15 is on those who are alive when Jesus Christ comes. In First Thessalonians 4, the question is dealt from the aspect, what about those who have died already when Christ comes? Verse .13 of 1 Thessalonians 4, The Thessalonians enduring intense persecution and suffering, and the question comes, what about those who have died? Christ still hasn’t returned to earth. What is their future, what is their hope? There’s a certain sadness—They died and the Lord hasn't come. What do they have to look forward to and to expect? Verse 13, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep"(there's that word again). We don't want you to be ignorant, to lack knowledge regarding Christians who have died. About loved ones who have experienced physical death. In order that "You may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope," Note here. The purpose of their being informed is that they might not have a hopeless grief. That's one thing that a lack of knowledge among us as believers does—^-it results in a depression. It results in an unrealistic view and picture of things. What Paul says is there’s two kinds of grief. He doesn't say there's no grief when a loved-one dies. But he says there are those who grieve hopelessly. They have no hope in their grief. They have no anticipation. Death has ended everything. That's different for us as believers. When a loved one dies in Jesus Christ, it brings about a separation. But only a temporary separation. I will see them again. I will enjoy a personal relationship with them again for eternity. An unbeliever doesn't have that hope. For the unbeliever when a loved one dies, he's gone. It's hopeless. There is nothing to mute the grief in any way. But we as believers—we grieve—there's sorrow—but there is hope in the sorrow.

Verse 14, "For if we believe (and we do) that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." Now note here, he's addressing those who have believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He assumes the reality here. Now you might say "because we believe that Jesus died and rose again." That's the foundation. Addressing those who have come into a personal relationship with Christ through faith in His finished work. Even so, God will bring with Him. So when Christ comes, those who have died will come with Him. Remember we saw what happens to a Christian who dies? He leaves the body and goes into the presence of God. Now when Christ comes, those who have been in His presence in glory, are going to come with Him. Those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (Turn tape over) Died in Christ. That expression, "In Jesus". The dead in Christ in verse 16. Talking about that particular group of people who have come to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, beginning in Acts chapter 2. In other words, Old Testament believers are not included in this particular event. We'll see more of this in our coming studies in future weeks. When are Old Testament saints resurrected, when do they get their glorified bodies. It's a future event for them.

Here at the rapture of the church, it includes just those who are in Christ.
The Bride of Christ—the church. It began in Acts chapter 2 and will continue down until the rapture of the church. Those are the group, that's the group that we are talking about right now. They receive a glorified body at this occasion Now, what does he say, verse 15, "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, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep." In other words, here’s the order that we saw in 1 Corinthians 15, The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive, That's the order. So, a person dies physically. Leaves his body and goes into the presence of God in heaven. At the rapture of the church, Jesus Christ will descend in the clouds. Those people will descend with Him. At His command, their bodies will be called out of the grave and in an instant of time, their bodies will undergo a transformation called glorification, and they will move back into those physical bodies that have been glorified. Then those who are alive on the earth are caught up to meet them. So, in effect, when we are called to meet in the presence of Christ, we are all, those who have died and those who are alive, in glorified bodies at that meeting with Christ in the air. We shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout," It’s interesting. The word there is a military word. We alluded to that when we mentioned that in 1 Corinthians 15, "With a shout”. It's a military command. Perhaps like "move out". The command given calling the church to Himself. The voice of the archangel. Here Michael is brought into the picture. Michael, the only archangel mentioned in Scripture. Mentioned by name and by title in the Book of Jude, Michael, the archangel, Mentioned in the Book of Daniel several times, Michael, the archangel, is seen as chief prince for the nation Israel. He may be here with Christ at this event to sound his voice because this marks God's restitution if you will. Reinstitution of God's program and plan for the nation Israel. The church will be removed from the earth, and God will bring to fruition now the seven years left on the seventy weeks of Daniel to bring about His' program with the nation Israel to prepare them for the earthly reign of their Messiah. So the Archangel speaks here. We are not told what the shout is. We're not told what the voice of the Archangel proclaims. Perhaps it's a victory cry. A victory for the church. A victory for Israel. Because now, at long last, God is going to pick up His plan for Israel. Israel has been on a side-track so to speak as God deals with the church. Now He'll resume that program.

The trumpet of God. It's going to be interesting. You know we won't know what this is like until it happens. You know, how quick will that happen. You know, what time will it be. We know the transformation will be in an atom of time, the twinkling of an eye. What will be the time lapse from when that voice sounds? The shout is given, the voice of the Archangel is heard, the trumpet blows, and we're gone. I take it it will be very quick. We won't be sitting there saying, "Did I hear something?" "What did He say?" "Was that a trumpet?" I think it will be fast and crystal clear. In an instant, we're gone. Now, only believers will hear this. Only the children of God because it's only a call to them. If it occurred right now, only those in this auditorium who have come to believe in Jesus Christ would hear the shout^-would hear the voice of the Archangel—would hear the sound of the trumpet. Because it's a call to them from God. Instant of time, they're gone. We'd be caught up. Note how it goes. Verse 16; the last part of the verse, "the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first," Now he’s repeated this. Because their concern is "what about our loved ones?" I can appreciate the glory of being alive when Jesus Christ comes, but what about those who aren't so fortunate, so blessed? Well don't look for them, they're going to beat you there, They're going to experience their bodily glorification shortly before you. So don't feel badly for them. They're not going to be left out. In fact, they're going to get a little head start, Now, I’d still rather be alive when He comes. I'd still rather skip physical death and go right from here to glory. But whichever way it is. I'm going to be in on it. So don’t feel sorry for me if I experience physical death, because I will beat you there. When He calls you to glory, I’m going to be standing there in the clouds saying, "Hi, I'm waiting." So you know, it’s just different the way that we as believers can approach even such a human tragedy as death. Because we’ve got the hope of glory.

Verse 17. End of verse 16, "The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive"(and Paul always anticipated he was going to be). He lived his life like he would be. "We who are alive" because he didn’t know he wouldn't be, until he was gone, until he died. But his life is lived in light of the fact that he might be. "We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air," Important to know this. We are not talking about the second coming to earth of Jesus Christ on this occasion. We are talking about being caught up to meet Him in the air, in the clouds, in the atmosphere. He is not coming to earth on this occasion. I’ll go more into detail on this in our future studies as well. He is not coming to earth on this occasion. The second coming to earth is about seven years down the road. He is coming to get His Bride,_the church. To take it to glory with Him. Approximately seven years later, He'll return to earth with His bride, the pattern being followed here is the pattern of an Oriental wedding. We have a bride (o sure, we have a bride). We don't have any brides in the tape library, but we have a brochure. We have some brides working there, a brochure entitled "Behold the Bridegroom Comes." If you haven't read that, you ought to stop and pick up a copy, Pay for it, then pick it up. I think there's a charge. It will outline for you in pamphlet form the pattern of an Oriental wedding where first, the bridegroom comes to make arrangements, to negotiate for his bride, to pay the price which Christ did at His first coming, He me to earth and arranged and paid the price for His bride. The price being His death. Then returned to his father’s home as in the oriental pattern after making the arrangements, the bridegroom would return. And then at
a future time, he comes for his bride. And often this was done at night— unexpectedly. He’d come and take his bride back to his father’s home. That's what Christ will do at the rapture. He’ll come, take us back to His Father's home. Interesting, in Biblical times. Then the marriage was consummated physically, and for seven days, the bride was in seclusion. At the end of the seven days, then she's brought out and presented unveiled before all the friends and others that they might see. The first time they’ve been privileged to see the bride unveiled. Same pattern for us as believers. Christ comes at the rapture, takes us to His Father’s house. There the marriage is consummated spiritually as seen in Revelation 19. The marriage of the Lamb has occurred.
Then seven days, for us it will be approximately seven years during the earthly tribulation. At the conclusion of which Jesus Christ will return to earth with us and unveil us as His bride. So the pattern here for us as the bride of Christ is exactly what the Jews would have understood and would have expected.

So here, we are alive and remain, we are caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air—not called to Jerusalem as the song that has become so popular written by the Gaithers. ’’The market place is empty,'1 and so on, not quite theologically accurate. You have to do some rearranging in your mind and carry it down to the second coming to earth, make some adjustments. It’s one of those songs you like well enough, you change it theologically in your thinking perhaps, but for us, I’m not looking to go to Jerusalem right now. Next event on my calendar isn’t Jerusalem. Next event on
my calendar is glory in heaven. When the bridegroom comes to take us to be with Himself, Catches us up into the air. Now you note, "We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds," So here is where a reunion takes place, that’s the comfort for us as believers. We don't grieve as those who have no hope, because of the loved ones who have died in Christ. I'm going to meet them again in the presence of the Lord in the air. And you'll note, "Thus we shall always be with the Lord." No more separations. No more partings. We will be eternally together in the presence of the Lord. Exciting the way its put, "caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." Called to meet Him in a glory. He comes to get me. That’s even more comforting. You know I don’t just go off to heaven, He comes and gets me, and takes me to glory. Personally takes me there. "And so shall we ever be with the Lord." This is what we have to look forward to. It’s what we anticipate. You know that ought to be a truth that determines and structures our lives in all that we do. That the next event—and you know I sometimes sit and try to think, now Gil, do you really, really, really, think that Jesus Christ might call today? That you might be going today to meet Jesus Christ in the air? Do you live on that edge of expectation? That it could happen today? Just stop and ask yourself as a believer, do you really, honestly believe that Jesus Christ might call you today? Now we as believers aren't to be surprised when He comes. Because we are expecting Him whenever it is. If He'd call right now, would it be "Oh, I was expecting you". Is that the way we live? That doesn’t mean we make no plans. But all my plans are conditioned, Conditioned on the fact that I might leave at any time. I might be leaving before the day is over. It is going to happen. When it happens, it will be sudden, there is nothing. Not one single small minute event that has to transpire Biblically before the rapture of the church. There is nothing preceding that event as far as the revelation we have in the Scripture is concerned. There is no reason in light of God's Word that could not occur right now, that’s awesome.

Look at a couple of things. Note first what he says. How this affects us, In verse 18 of 1 Thessalonians 4: "Therefore comfort one another with these words,” The Devil has succeeded in undermining the clear Biblical teaching on God’s program for the future for believers. So a large portion of Christians are ignorant of what the Bible says about prophetic events. They fail to have the comfort that God provides. The comfort that we have in difficulty, in sorrow, in death is the assurance of the coming of Jesus Christ. Of the drawing together of us in His presence again.

Jump back to 1 First Corinthians 15. Verse 58. In light of the fact He is coming. In light of our being caught up to meet Him in the air. "Therefore". First Corinthians 15:58, "My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable," Note that, there is a solidness, a stability, now for some Christians that means they're not going anywhere. That's not what He's talking about. Not what He's talking about. He’s talking about the stability, the firmness, the settledness. Not to be shaken, There's nothing more tragic than to find believers running around here and there, they're stock piling food, they're stock piling gold and silver, they're doing this and that, they're in a panic just like the world is. We’re not to be influenced by that. The world's moving towards chaos, when you won't be able to buy a loaf of bread for a block of gold, so don't bother storing it up. Be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Note that. That stability, that firmness, as I am abounding in the work of the Lord. "Knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." I'm not shaken, I'm not moved, I'm not to be discouraged and disheartened because there is nothing done in the service of the Lord that does not have value and merit. We'll see that in our study together tonight. I'm always abounding in the work of the Lord. You know why some Christians aren't abounding in the work of the Lord? Their eyes are not focused on what God says about our future as His children. If I’m living on the edge of expectation that Jesus Christ may be coming today, that's going to affect all that I do. The most important thing in my life will be serving Him, because that's the ultimate reality.

Look over in First John, chapter 3 Verse 1, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God (and we are). For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is," Ultimate glory. I am going to be like Christ. I'm going to see Him just as He is, and I'm going to be like Him, What does that do for me? What does that do to me? Verse 3, "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." Know why there's a lack of purity among believers? There is a lack of having our hope fixed on Him. When my hope is fixed on Him, that I'm going to be like Him, I'm desirous of being as much like Him today as I can. Because I expect that I may be called to His presence. You know I'm living in light of my goal. My goal is to be like Him. So everything in my life is conformed toward the goal toward which I'm moving. Purifying hope.

One other passage. Titus Chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. (Pause) Verse 11, ’’For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men". That grace is the manifestation of the Son of God dying in our place on a cross, being raised from the dead. That's God's grace providing salvation for all who believe. Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, To live sensibly, righteously, Godly in the present age, Note verse 13, "Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." Note verse 13, we are to be looking for the blessed hope. That means we deny ungodliness, we deny worldly desires. We live as God would have us live knowing that Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us, to glorify us, to cleanse us, to make zealous in our service for Him.

What are you looking for as a believer today? What are the goals of your life? Do you have as your ultimate goal and anticipation eternity in His presence?
Is everything you do structured in light of the fact, Jesus Christ may be coming today to call us to glory in His presence? It’s so easy to get absorbed in the temporal mundane things of this life. To be caught up in this world and its system. To forget who I am and where I'm going. That hope makes all the difference in life and in death. Let me ask you a question. Do you have that hope this morning? What is your hope? If Jesus Christ were to come right now, would He be calling for you. If you were to experience physical death right now, move out of that body, where would you be going? Does your life have any meaning and purpose beyond this physical, limited, temporal realm? You know the glorious thing about this is the Son of God has made it possible for you, for me, for anyone, for everyone, to experience forgiveness and cleansing by simply believing the Son of God died to pay the penalty for your sins. He is the Savior, who loved you, died for you. He is the One who cleanses, forgives, and prepares for glory when you believe in Him. Have you trusted Him? Have you believed in Him? That simple, overly simple perhaps, fact is the one on which all eternity hinges. That is the one issue that will make all the difference for all eternity.

Let us pray together.,.