There´s one experience that I would never forget when I was about 9 years old. It was Christmas Day and my brother was too lazy to go to his godfather. Our culture in those days, during Christmas day, you go to your godparents and they give you money. So I told my brother, I’ll go to his godfather on his behalf and just tell him that he cannot go because he’s not feeling well. So I went to the godfather´s house, which was in another town. I had two friends with me who will also visit their own godfathers. So we took the jeepney, and when we reached the terminal, we had to separate ways and agreed to meet after visiting the godfathers. So I walked towards the house of my brother’s godfather – one thing I realized, I didn’t have money for transportation to go back home. I didn’t worry because I was thinking the godfather will give me money or I will just borrow from my friends. but when I arrived at the godfather’s place -- it was a big house and there was a party going on, lots of people were there, loud music playing so I was so ashamed to come in. I felt so insecure. So, I didn’t the courage to come in. Instead, I walked back to the jeepney terminal hoping that I would meet my friends but maybe because of the time I spent walking back and forth – they were no longer there. They left me. I was left behind. At this point, I made a decision to just walk back home. It was at least 10 kilometers and I was only nine years old. It was night time. It was raining. There’s thunder and lightning. No cell phones or payphones yet. I was crying. I was so afraid. And I knew my parents were worried. It was too dark, there were no street lights because I decided to avoid the highway but instead took the parallel irrigation road. I was running and walking and sweating and that was probably the longest 4 hours of my life. It´s not fun to be left behind. I could have done something in order to avoid that situation.
The title of the message is “Don’t Be Left Behind” and our reference verse is 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18.
We are going to talk about one reality that is not commonly discussed in the pulpit. This is just a "scratch" on the surface because it’s a very broad and controversial subject. I’m talking about the RAPTURE.
The Bible is God´s Word. “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."
During the time of Paul, the believers in Thessalonica were very much concerned about their loved ones who had died. What if the Lord returns? What will happen to their deceased loved ones? Will those who are alive at His coming have an advantage over the believers who have died? Paul answered their questions through his 1st letter to the Thessalonians.
We know what happens when a person dies. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men to die once, but after this the judgment”. We know that if the person is a believer, he is “absent from the body and present with the Lord.” If we remember the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus told by the Lord Jesus Christ, a believer who dies goes to Abraham’s bosom or paradise or heaven, just like that thief on the cross. If an unbeliever dies, on the other hand, we know that the person goes directly to a place of torment. So there is no in-between. There is no waiting period but in fact there is immediate judgment.
Here are some Important Points to Remember:
Eschatology is the study of the teachings of the Bible concerning end times.
Rapture is one of these end-time events. The word “rapture” does not occur in the Bible but the concept of the rapture is clearly taught in Scripture based on 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. It is not logical to say that simply because a word is not found in the Bible, it’s unbiblical. Well, the word “Bible” is not in the Bible, but we keep on using the word Bible. The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible, but it doesn’t mean there’s no Trinity and we use the word to describe the triune nature of God. The concept is clearly taught in the Scripture. The words “omnipotence and omniscience” are not in the Bible but we use these words to describe the attributes of God.
Rapture refers to the time when Jesus comes back without warning and takes His bride, the church.
When somebody asks you about the Rapture, usually this verse comes into mind. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” Matthew 24:40 is not the correct reference of the rapture
Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events.
These two events are often confused and interchanged because they’re similar. They both talk about the coming of Christ.
The Rapture is when Christ returns to remove the church or believers from the face of the earth. The correct Biblical support of the Rapture is basically what our reference verse is for today, i.e. 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 and also you can read 1st Corinthians 15:50-54.
So, believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the LORD in the air. This will occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.
The Second Coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the AntiChrist, to completely destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom or the 1,000 year reign of Christ here on earth. The 2nd coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.
There are actually three popular views about the Rapture and it’s relation to the tribulation period.
Basically these views talk about the TIMING of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation Period.
Pretribulation view or pretrib believes that the Rapture will happen before the seven year tribulation.
Post tribulation view or posttrib believes that the Rapture will happen after the seven year tribulation.
Mid tribulation view or midtrib believes that Rapture will happen in the middle of the Tribulation Period.
I personally support the pre-tribulation view and I this is what WCCC Pastors believe as well. I want you to reflect on these things for a moment. Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct? If the rapture and the second coming are the same event, believers will have to go through tribulation. But what about the Lord’s promise to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10? “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” Note that the promise is not preservation through the trial but deliverance from the hour of trial.
The word “church” appears in the first three chapters of Revelation, but the word does not used again until chapter 22. In other words, in the entire lengthy description of the Tribulation in Revelation, the word church is noticeably absent. In fact, the Bible never uses the word "church" in a passage relating to the Tribulation. The only logical explanation is that the Church or the believers are no longer here on earth at that time.
Another thought to ponder – this world and its ways, as we know it, has always been described as “flesh” and Christians as the “salt and light.” Salt is used to preserved meat. I believe this world has been preserved because of Christians, we are helping to preserve this world because we are the salt of the Earth. What happens when you remove the salt from a pound of meat? It starts to rot, it starts to decay – that’s what is going to happen during the Tribulation Period.
If you would like to be a post-tribulationist and you can support your view with Scriptural references, then that’s ok, you can stay here on earth during the TRIBULATION PERIOD. Sabi nga eh – “magapatuka ka na lang sa ahas during Tribulation.”
There are important lessons that we need to learn about the Rapture.
So it is not important whether you are a pretrib, a midtrib, a postrib … what is important is that you have a personal relationship with Christ and that you know that the Rapture is a real event and Christ is coming back and you don’t want to be “left behind.”
I believe that unbelievers will be LEFT BEHIND to suffer the wrath of God during the Tribulation period.
But this is important - the Apostle Paul showed that the doctrine of the Rapture can provide comfort to the brokenhearted, to those whose loved ones passed away. He said -- do not be uninformed about people who die. Do not grieve like the rest of the world who have no hope!
In my 8 years of experience being a pastor, I´ve done quite a number of funerals. Sometimes, people ask me where is their loved one or what will happen to them or will they see them again. Church, this is the ultimate comforting words that we should hear. If our loved ones are believers, when they die, we don’t really lose them…because we know where they are. You only lose someone when you don’t know where they are. It´s like when you were in the Philippines and decided to migrate to Canada. Your loved ones in the Philippines didn’t say “they lose you” because they are certain as to where you´re going.
Same thing when a Christian dies, we are certain where they´re going. A lot of people lost their loved ones this year. Sis. Nora´s mom died this year. My own mother passed away last month and so as Bro. Mico´s dad. A lot of people died in that senseless shooting in Las Vegas. If we believe they have Christ in their lives, we didn’t lose them. We know where they are. They are in the Lord´s presence.
By the way, Paul used the word “sleep” to those believers who died. But he did not say that the soul went to sleep at death. Let’s be careful here. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and even the 7th Day Adventist believe in soul-sleep. But Paul made it clear that the soul of a believer goes to the Lord: “them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (1 Thess. 4:14). He cannot bring them when He returns unless they are with Him. When a person dies, it is not the soul that sleeps; it is the body. The Bible´s definition of death is given in James 2:26—“For as the body without the spirit is dead.” At death, the spirit leaves the body, and the body goes to sleep and no longer functions. The soul-spirit goes to be with the Lord, if the person has trusted Jesus Christ, this person is “Absent from the body, and … present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).
We should be like the wise virgins. We should make sure our relationship with the Lord is true and genuine or we lose the opportunity to be with the Lord during the Rapture.
So what are the only warnings that we’ll get about the Rapture? Three things:
1. A loud command
2. The voice of the archangel (this is Michael), and
3. Trumpet call of God
Imminent means that it can happen at any moment. As Christians, we do not look for signs, nor must any special events transpire before the Lord raptures His saints. It can happen anytime. It can happen tonight. It can happen tomorrow. But it doesn’t matter what the date is. What matters is “are you prepared to meet Him?” What are you doing with your life today? If Jesus comes back today or if He comes back tomorrow, will He catch you in a bad timing? Will He catch you in a time that you’re doing something that does not glorify Him? Maybe you’re in a bad relationship. Maybe you’re committing a sin. Would He be proud of what you’re doing at that moment He returns?
Believers in Christ should have this “eager anticipation” that soon we’ll meet Jesus and like what I said earlier, as comfort to those whose loved ones died because if they are believers, we shall be with them during the Rapture.
About half a million 7th Day Adventists were led by William Miller – they waited for the end of the world in April 1843. Reporters were everywhere. Reportedly some disciples were on mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in union with their departed loved ones. Some high society ladies clustered together outside town. Obviously, it did not happen. They were very much disillusioned, a lot of them left their organization.
Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" (Matthew 24:36).
So here’s the warning: If somebody talks to you about the day when Christ would return, you know he’s a false preacher or a false prophet.
It happened again on September 23, 2017. A numerologist named David Meade, who calls himself Christian spread information that the Rapture will happen on that day. Well, we´re still here so we know it was a hoax.
I want you to take note of this 3rd point.
This is the reason why we are teaching these things to you. It´s time for each one of us to revisit our priorities. Do we live our lives with eager anticipation that Christ can come any moment? Learning about the Rapture encourages us and we should encourage one another as well.
And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1st Thessalonians 4:17b-18
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:
Death is a fact of life. Everyone dies. The only way we can escape death is to be alive when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. For a believer, death is not a tragedy or an accident; it is an appointment: The Bible says “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
Our doctrine of resurrection assures us that death is not the end. The grave is not the end. The body goes to sleep, but the soul and the spirit goes to be with the Lord (Phil. 1:20–24).
When Jesus Christ returns in the air, He will call to Himself only those who are saved through faith in Him. This is called THE RAPTURE. In the Jewish custom, the metaphor used here was like that of a wedding feast where the Groom initially left the bride to prepare a house in his father’s place where he and his future bride will live forever. After leaving for while, the Groom returns and claims His bride.
Then, for those who are still alive and are believers, He will changed them in an instant.
Like what we have learned, three unique sounds will be involved in this event: the Lord’s shout, the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of the archangel.
1. Lord’s Shout: Jesus Christ will give “a shout of command,” just as He did outside the tomb of Lazarus when He shouted “Lazarus Come Out!” The Bible says those “in the graves shall hear His voice”
2. Sound of Trumpet: The Jewish people were familiar with trumpets, because trumpets were used to declare war, to announce special times and seasons, and to gather the people for a journey (see Num. 10). In the Roman Empire, trumpets were used to announce the arrival of a great person.
3. Voice of the archangel ” The only archangel who is named in the Bible is Michael (Jude 9), who apparently has a special ministry to Israel. One thing is for sure, the angels will share in the victory shout when Jesus Christ comes.
Let's make sure we are ready for Him when He returns. Let’s make sure we have shared the Gospel to our loved ones as well.
There are certain things that can happen. We can die before the rapture. If you are a believer – your soul & spirit returns to the Lord as your body goes to sleep. If you are an unbeliever, you go to a place of torment – just like that rich man in Jesus’ story.
If rapture happens, if we are a believer then we’ll be “caught up” in the air and we will meet the Lord there. Our bodies will be changed in an instant to a glorified body. And then the most awaited wedding ceremony in heaven will happen, where Christ presents His bride to the Father and reunites with her.
If rapture happens and you are not a believer, you will be “left behind.” Being left behind means to suffer the full wrath of GOD during the TRIBULATION PERIOD. You can decide before it´s too late.
Do not be "left behind," turn your life to Christ!
Prayer:
Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:
Father God, I confess all my sins to you today. Please forgive me. Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ. I accept Him in my life as my Saviour and as my Lord. May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.
The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Maple Ridge during its Sunday service on October 8, 2017
I apologise if there are grammatical and spelling errors.
I also apologise if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any, as it is purely unintentional.
If you are looking for a church in British Columbia, Canada please visit our website at:
www.wordchristiancommunity.com
No comments:
Post a Comment