"Looking For The Blessed Hope"
“The RAPTURE of The Church” (07/05/23)
Introduction:
Our Blessed Hope….
I Corinthians
15:51-52 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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.
Revelation 1:1-3 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to
his servants[a] the things
that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant
John, 2 who bore witness to the word of
God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the
words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is
written in it, for the time is near.
Revelation
22:7 “And behold, I am coming
soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this
book.”
Titus 2:12-13
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the
appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
But
There Is A Problem….
II Peter 2:1-3But
false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their sensuality, and
because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And
in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from
long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Matt. 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many
astray.
Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
ACTS 20:29-30 I
know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock; 30 and from among your own
selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after
them.
COL. 2:88 See
to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according
to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the
world, and not according to Christ.
II Thess.
2:3-12,I Tim. 4:1-3,II Tim. 3:1-9,II Tim.4:3,I John 4:1
Scriptural
Definition of the ‘Rapture’ from Jamie Hanson….
“The
instantaneous resurrection of the overcoming O.T. & N.T. Saints who have
died & the instant ‘snatching up’ also of the living, overcoming believers
on the earth who altogether as a group meet Jesus in the air & are taken to
the Throne of God who will remain with Him FOREVER(not withstanding, coming
back with Him at 2nd Coming to Rule & Reign with Him in the
Millenium)! During this event all the dead & living are ‘caught up’ receiving
new ‘glorified bodies’ that are the same as the ‘spirit-glorified’ body of
Christ. This will all occur prior to what the Bible calls “The Great Tribulation”.
This event will also be instantaneous & visible to all who are not ‘caught
up’
Is There Biblical Presidence For
Such an outrageous Event!?
Genesis 5:21-24 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God[a] after he
fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not,[b]
for God took him.
II Kings 2:9-11 9 When
they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I
am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of
your spirit on me.” 10 And he said,
“You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you,
it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold,
chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And
Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Acts 1:9-11 9 And when he had said these things, as they were
looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he
went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.”
I Corinthians 15:51-53 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, 52 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.
53 For this perishable body must
put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
The ‘Blessed Hope of The Church’….The
RAPTURE is meant to fill us with OUTRAGEOUS HOPE!!..It is Positive, !It is
GLORIOUS!...It is not meant to Be scary or gloomy!! It is not meant to worry
the saint with thoughts of “Am I worthy enough to make it!’
