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ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE? -- I THESSALONIANS 1:1-10
The greatest fact of the past is: Jesus died for us. The greatest fact of the future is: Jesus is coming for us. He said He would. We should be familiar with John 14:1-3: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” In I Thessalonians 4:16-17 we are told: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” And Jesus closed the book of Revelation by saying (22:12): “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” And in vs. 20 it is repeated, “Surely I come quickly.” The Bible also declares the conditions that will exist at His return. In Luke 17:26 Jesus said, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” What were the days of Noah like? Vs. 27 says, “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” In other words it was a time when people were totally consumed with the affairs of everyday life. Just like today, they gave little or no thought to God or His coming judgment. Remember, for 120 years Noah built the ark and preached of God’s righteousness. In Luke 17:28-30 Jesus said, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” In the days of Lot evil was not only present but predominate. As it abounded the saved (Lot) were vexed by it but did nothing about it. Romans 1:21 seems to describe the days of Lot in Sodom. The residents of the city were filled with: 1) Willful Ignorance - “when they knew God, they glorified him not as God . . . ” What has happened in America over the past 50+ years? We have slowly sought to put God out of hearts and minds. Wicked Imagination - “. . . but became vain in their imaginations . . . ” VAIN means foolish, morally wicked, idolatrous. In fact it carries the idea of “specifically idolatrous.” Vs. 25:tells us of the specific idol they worshipped -- “. . . and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator . . . ” When we think of Sodom we normally think of the sin of sodomy, but there was much more. Vs. 23: They “changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Vs. 24: They dishonored ". . . their own bodies between themselves . . .” - sexual impurity, fornication, possibly adultery. (Sodom was one of the first “free love” societies.) Vv. 26-27 say that they followed “vile affections” and began to practice women changing “the natural use into that which is against nature” and “men with men working that which is unseemly . . . ” 3) Waning illumination - “and their foolish heart was darkened.” Someone put it this way, “they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. “ The descent into disgrace in America began when we decided to put God out of our everyday lives and replace Him with “vain imaginations” (discussions; considerations). We are looking at the conditions that will exist at the Lord’s return, and the Apostle Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:3 -- When men say, “Peace and safety.” “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” Is there anything I have mentioned from the Word of God that is not taking place in our world and in our nation today? NO! Someone might say, “But these things have always gone on.” This may be true, but there is one indicator that many miss, I believe, is one of the most important. It seems to me from the Scripture that the spiritual condition of God’s people has almost always been an indicator of coming judgment. Those who called upon, or began to be called by the name of the Lord in Noah’s day. The nation of Israel throughout their history. And here is the third one -- The conditions that exist in the Lord’s churches. (Didn’t He threaten judgment and chastisement upon 5 of the 7 churches of Asia?) Listen to -- II Timothy 3:1-5: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” If you can read the newspaper, or see on TV, or hear on radio events taking place today and not believe that the coming of Christ is near, you need folks to pray for you. The things that are happening in this world point to this next great event on God’s calendar. The first nine verses of First Thessalonians 1 tells us how to live ready for Christ’s return, and then vs. 10 talks about His coming. If we are going to live ready for the coming of Christ, we need to:
I. BE CERTAIN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THAT IS, BE SAVED -- VS. 1.
II. WE NEED AN ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION, THAT IS SURETY -- VV. 4-5.
III. WE NEED A DEVOTED SERVICE TO CHRIST -- VV. 2-3.
IV. WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION. BE “PATIENT.” BE STEADFAST. -- VS. 6
V. WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SHARE OUR FAITH (SHARING) -- VV. 7-8.
VI. WE NEED TO MAKE A CLEAN BREAK WITH THE WORLD (SEPARATION) --VS. 9.
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By JWHThe greatest fact of the past is: Jesus died for us. The greatest fact of the future is: Jesus is coming for us. He said He would. We should be familiar with John 14:1-3: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” In I Thessalonians 4:16-17 we are told: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” And Jesus closed the book of Revelation by saying (22:12): “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” And in vs. 20 it is repeated, “Surely I come quickly.” The Bible also declares the conditions that will exist at His return. In Luke 17:26 Jesus said, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” What were the days of Noah like? Vs. 27 says, “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” In other words it was a time when people were totally consumed with the affairs of everyday life. Just like today, they gave little or no thought to God or His coming judgment. Remember, for 120 years Noah built the ark and preached of God’s righteousness. In Luke 17:28-30 Jesus said, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” In the days of Lot evil was not only present but predominate. As it abounded the saved (Lot) were vexed by it but did nothing about it. Romans 1:21 seems to describe the days of Lot in Sodom. The residents of the city were filled with: 1) Willful Ignorance - “when they knew God, they glorified him not as God . . . ” What has happened in America over the past 50+ years? We have slowly sought to put God out of hearts and minds. Wicked Imagination - “. . . but became vain in their imaginations . . . ” VAIN means foolish, morally wicked, idolatrous. In fact it carries the idea of “specifically idolatrous.” Vs. 25:tells us of the specific idol they worshipped -- “. . . and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator . . . ” When we think of Sodom we normally think of the sin of sodomy, but there was much more. Vs. 23: They “changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Vs. 24: They dishonored ". . . their own bodies between themselves . . .” - sexual impurity, fornication, possibly adultery. (Sodom was one of the first “free love” societies.) Vv. 26-27 say that they followed “vile affections” and began to practice women changing “the natural use into that which is against nature” and “men with men working that which is unseemly . . . ” 3) Waning illumination - “and their foolish heart was darkened.” Someone put it this way, “they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. “ The descent into disgrace in America began when we decided to put God out of our everyday lives and replace Him with “vain imaginations” (discussions; considerations). We are looking at the conditions that will exist at the Lord’s return, and the Apostle Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:3 -- When men say, “Peace and safety.” “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” Is there anything I have mentioned from the Word of God that is not taking place in our world and in our nation today? NO! Someone might say, “But these things have always gone on.” This may be true, but there is one indicator that many miss, I believe, is one of the most important. It seems to me from the Scripture that the spiritual condition of God’s people has almost always been an indicator of coming judgment. Those who called upon, or began to be called by the name of the Lord in Noah’s day. The nation of Israel throughout their history. And here is the third one -- The conditions that exist in the Lord’s churches. (Didn’t He threaten judgment and chastisement upon 5 of the 7 churches of Asia?) Listen to -- II Timothy 3:1-5: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” If you can read the newspaper, or see on TV, or hear on radio events taking place today and not believe that the coming of Christ is near, you need folks to pray for you. The things that are happening in this world point to this next great event on God’s calendar. The first nine verses of First Thessalonians 1 tells us how to live ready for Christ’s return, and then vs. 10 talks about His coming. If we are going to live ready for the coming of Christ, we need to:
I. BE CERTAIN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THAT IS, BE SAVED -- VS. 1.
II. WE NEED AN ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION, THAT IS SURETY -- VV. 4-5.
III. WE NEED A DEVOTED SERVICE TO CHRIST -- VV. 2-3.
IV. WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION. BE “PATIENT.” BE STEADFAST. -- VS. 6
V. WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SHARE OUR FAITH (SHARING) -- VV. 7-8.
VI. WE NEED TO MAKE A CLEAN BREAK WITH THE WORLD (SEPARATION) --VS. 9.