Rev. David Holwick ZN
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 28, 1999
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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I. Premier "Rapture" passage.
A. My high school faith - heavy emphasis on Rapture.
1) World unhinged due to Vietnam, Watergate.
a) Hal Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth" sold mega-millions.
2) Big fear - being left behind.
a) Rapture postcard with auto, plane wrecks when Christians
"fly away."
3) Rapture is bizarre to non-believers, maybe even to us.
a) Only happens ONCE in history.
b) But no more outlandish than resurrection of Jesus.
B. Dangers of rapture emphasis.
1) Emphasize it to exclusion of everything else.
2) Escapism - world is going to pot and I don't have to care.
3) Pride - I will be raptured and you probably won't be.
a) Evangelicals too often de-emphasize repentance and
righteous living, settling for membership in a "club."
C. Blessings of rapture emphasis.
1) Second Coming a critical theme in Bible.
a) Those who are embarrassed by it don't have a truly
biblical faith.
2) Focuses us on Jesus and power of God in history.
a) Sometimes we treat our faith as something that happened
2,000 years ago and then stopped.
b) Rapture means God can do something NOW to YOU.
3) Gives us hope no matter what happens in world.
a) It is meant to give encouragement to oppressed, not
escapism to comfortable.
b) Evil and death don't win in the end, Jesus does.
4) Warns us if we become lax and complacent.
II. Basic question - what happens to the dead?
A. Christians view it as sleep.
Dr. W. A Criswell is the retired pastor of the First Baptist
Church of Dallas, Texas. A BIG church.
Years ago he found himself on an airplane seated beside a
well-known theologian.
Criswell desperately wanted to start a conversation and they
got to talking.
The man told Dr. Criswell about how he had recently lost a
little boy through death.
Dr. Criswell listened as he told his story:
The theologian said he had come home from school with a fever
and they thought it was just one of those childhood things.
But it was a very virulent form of meningitis.
The doctor said they could not save his little boy.
He would die.
And so this seminary professor, loving his son as he did,
sat by the bed side to watch his death vigil.
It was the middle of the day and the little boy whose strength
was going from him and whose vision and brain was getting
clouded said, "Daddy, it's getting dark isn't it?"
The professor said to his son, "Yes son it is getting dark,
very dark."
He said, "Daddy, I guess it's time for me to go to sleep,
isn't it?"
He said, "Yes, son, it's time for you to go to sleep."
The professor said the little fellow had a way of fixing his
pillow just so, and putting his head on his hands when he
slept.
The boy fixed his pillow and laid his head on his hands and
said, "Good night Daddy. I will see you in the morning."
He then closed his eyes in death and stepped over into
heaven.
Dr. Criswell said the professor didn't say any more after
that.
He just looked out the window of that airplane for a long
time.
Then he turned back and he looked at Dr Criswell with the
streaming tears coming down his cheeks.
And he said, "Dr. Criswell, I can hardly wait till the
morning."
That morning is coming.
#4735
a) Christians didn't invent this metaphor - it was also
common in ancient world.
b) For us it signifies that death is temporary. Life
is eternal.
B. Christians do not grieve like rest of world. 4:13
1) Despite "Sealy-posture-pedic" coffins, many modern people
have doubts there is anything beyond the grave.
a) This is one of the reasons we shun the topic of death.
b) We don't want to face it.
2) Christians sorrow over death, even get angry.
a) But we have a solid promise from God.
b) Hope in eternal life is bedrock of Christianity.
c) This hope is based on resurrection of Jesus.
1> Note that Jesus not said to "sleep," but die.
2> Resurrection was sign of his victory.
C. The previously dead Christians don't miss out. 4:15
1) Earliest Christians had such a vibrant faith they may have
thought dead Christians missed the best stuff.
2) Paul stresses that the dead are a priority with God.
III. Resurrection of living and dead.
A. Typical understanding - I die and then go to heaven.
1) Bible more complex.
B. Immediately after death, spiritual presence with Jesus.
1) No "soul sleep" - we are with Jesus. Phil 1:23, 2 Cor 5:8
C. At resurrection, transformation of body.
1) Also happens to living believers at time of Second Coming.
a) Similar to experience of Enoch and Elijah.
b) One generation of Christians will never die.
c) Happens in a flash, in twinkling of eye. 1 Cor 15:52
2) Earth also gets a new "body," at end of millennium.
IV. A controversy over timing.
A. The Great Tribulation.
1) Jesus spoke of a great time of testing in future.
a) Antichrist will rule, believers will suffer.
2) Is rapture before this Tribulation, or at end?
a) Makes a big difference, if it is just around the corner!
B. Pre-Tribulation view.
1) Jesus comes secretly to get Christians.
a) It can be at any moment.
b) A post-trib rapture could be anticipated, predicted.
2) God doesn't want believers to suffer, so he rescues us.
3) Jesus returns with Christians to conquer earth.
4) The most popular view, by far.
C. Post-Tribulation view. [my own view]
1) Jesus gathers Christians at end, returns with them.
a) Root of word for "meet" signifies a welcoming committee
which meets emperor outside of city, and then
escorts him back to city.
b) We meet Jesus to escort him back to earth.
2) Rapture will be sudden, but not any-moment.
a) It is unexpected for those who are morally unprepared
(Matthew 24:48-50; 1 Thessalonians 5:4)
b) Other passages require a delay before Christ can return:
1> John 21:18 - Jesus says Peter will live to an old
age.
2> Luke 19:11-27 - Jesus gives a parable that refers
to a delay in the return of a king.
(Note verse 12 - the people thought the Kingdom was
going to appear at once.)
3> Acts 15:19 - The risen Jesus gives a long-range
goal for the Apostle Paul.
4> See also Matthew 24:45-51; 25:5,19; Acts 22:21; 23:11.
c) Since Tribulation will be cut short, would still
be unpredictable, like a thief. Matt 24:22
3) All Christians, of all generations, experience suffering.
a) Jesus even promised it. John 16:33
1> He also promised he would help us endure.
2> The Christian duty is not to look for the easy way
out, but for the way of faithfulness.
b) No Christian suffers damnation of God.
1> Many verses in Revelation speak of God's protection
of his saints. Plagues fall only on evil people,
just like in Exodus.
2> Even a Post-Tribulation rapture is BEFORE the
final wrath.
3> Therefore some call this the Pre-Wrath rapture.
4) Jesus teaches only one gathering, at end of tribulation.
a) Both Matt 24 and 1 Thess 4 associate gathering of
saints with voice of angel and trumpet call.
b) Also, Jesus comes on a cloud in both.
V. A real hope, a real challenge.
A. What should our perspective be?
1) Many expect Jesus to return in our generation.
a) Maybe even at dawn of new millennium.
b) Every Christian can hope for this.
2) Paul himself shifted in his perspective.
a) "We who are living" shows he hoped to experience rapture.
b) Later, he still knew Jesus would return but Paul would
not be alive.
1> Doesn't change his theology, just his expectation.
3) Jesus will come when he comes. Be ready.
B. Only Christians will be raptured.
1) Must be a born-again Christian.
2) Are YOU?
C. It is a terrible thing to be left behind...
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#4735 Internet: Rev. Brett Blair's Illustrations-By-Email,
http://www.sermonillustrations.com," August 18, 1999.
This and 4,900 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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