Introduction: What has been the most exhilarating moment of your life?
Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV®)
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Background: The Thessalonians worried those who had died had missed the Lord’s return.
I. The Timing of the Rapture
Before the Tribulation (Revelation 4:1-2)
In the Middle of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:11-12)
At the Moment of Our Lord’s Return to Earth (Revelation 19:11-21)
There Is Also a Newer View Called the Pre-wrath View
II. The Truth of the Rapture
Thessalonians 4:13-17 (NIV®)
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed…
Biblical truth, good doctrine, and sound theology stabilize our emotions.
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death…
At the moment of death, our soul leaves our body and goes to be with the Lord. But to the Lord, waking up a dead person is no harder than waking up a sleeping person.
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
Christians should not get stuck in one of the phases of the grief process.
14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again…
This was the apostle Paul’s central point. See Acts 24, 25, 26. To him the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ was at the heart of his message; it had been predicted in the Old Testament; it was not incredible; it was true, reasonable, and not done in a corner.
14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
The first time Jesus came to earth, He came alone in the form of a baby in Bethlehem. But maybe even right now, at this moment, Jesus has assembled all the saints in Heaven—my wife and parents and your loved ones, explaining all of Heaven’s occupants are about to enter Earth’s atmosphere.
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command….
Luke 8:54: Get Up!
John 11:43: Come Forth!
Revelation 4:1: Come Up Here! (Also see Revelation 11:12)
Ezekiel 37: God Has Given Us a Preview of This Reversal of Death
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up…
“Caught Up” is “Rapturo” in Latin
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore, encourage one another with these words.
III. The Triumph of the Rapture
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (NIV®)
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
John 14:1-6 (NIV®)
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
© World Outreach Church
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