The Bible that we hold in our hands this morning is a very unique book. It's incomparable to other, quote, holy religious books throughout the world. There's no comparison to its message, to its reliability. You know, if you were to look at the Book of Mormon or the Upanishads or the Koran, you would find that when you explore these books, there's a tremendous absence of prophecy. And obviously, then, their fulfillment which stands in stark contrast to the Bible. It's been estimated that one-fourth of the Bible was prophetic when it was written. And indeed, one of the most powerful evidences that can be presented to show someone that the Bible is, in fact, the Word of God is fulfilled prophecy, especially when it concerns Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. Out of the 333 prophecies concerning Christ in the Old Testament, some 109 of them were fulfilled. in his first coming. And the mathematical odds of one individual fulfilling all those are astronomical. They're unfathomable. It's unbelievable, again, unless you're talking about the Word of God. And yet, that still leaves some 224 prophecies yet to be fulfilled in his second coming. I've been told that there's 1,527 Old Testament passages that refer to the second coming, and there's another 330 verses in the New Testament that refer to the second coming. and predicted. In fact, some Bible commentators have estimated that the second coming of Christ is mentioned one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament. It's obviously one of the most dominant subjects in the Bible, and it's an important one. In fact, people have resorted over 50 times to be ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the passage that we're going to look at this morning is the most definitive passage in the New Testament regarding rapture phase to the second coming, as there's two phases to the second coming of our Savior. There's the rapture phase and then what's referred to oftentimes as the revelation phase. And to encourage these saints here at Thessalonica who are newer believers regarding this issue, and obviously to teach us, we have verses 13 through 18 recorded for us. And so follow along as I read. Paul here says, but I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." Paul here is in the section where he's talking about sanctification of the believers here in Thessalonica, and he changes gears a little bit. He begins here in verse 13 to answer another problem he learned about when Timothy returned from Thessalonica to give his report of how they were doing. And it concerned some questions. And it concerned the amount of anxiety some were having with regard to loved ones within the church who had died physically. You know, this church, again, was expecting the Lord's return at any time. But then it occurred to them, what about those loved ones who had died since trusting Christ and the Lord has not come back yet? They were asking, in essence, how would Christ's return affect them who have died? I mean, what happens to believers who die before Jesus gets here? That was an awfully important question to the infant church. And obviously, 2,000 years later, it's just as relevant, because a lot of believers, a lot of those who have trusted Christ, have since died physically. But this church was living in such anticipation of the Lord's return that They'd never thought about what would happen to a dear fellow believer who died. Would their death hinder or handicap them in any way? Or those who are alive at Christ's coming have an advantage of those who had died? And so this is why we have this passage to answer these questions. And it's also important to understand something of the beliefs of the pagan world at this time, that the believers certainly would probably influence their thinking to some degree. See, the pagan world had no hope after death. There was an inscription in Thessalonica that read this, after death, no reviving, after the grave, no meeting again. It's extremely hopeless. In fact, we're supposed to be writing about this lack of hope. So the typical inscription on a grave demonstrates this fact. I was not, I became, I am not, I care not. Boy, that's just really encouraging, isn't it? Boy, that'd really help you get out of bed every day, wouldn't it? And while some philosophers such as Socrates sought to prove happiness after death, the pagan world had no assurance at all. And unfortunately, our culture today really isn't a whole lot different. We live in a world that when you come right down to it, offers really no hope, no hope at all. It's cold, it's cruel, it's shallow. And as it increases in godlessness, the more the hopelessness that it projects increases. And that's Satan's goal. And we look at Europe and we look at America and he's having some tremendous success, is he not? But as we think about what Paul is writing here, it's important to recognize some distinctions as we introduce this passage. Verse 13 says, but I want you not to be ignorant. Notice he says brethren. And these instructions are for believers. The term brethren is used in the New Testament epistles to describe someone who is saved, someone who has placed their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing else for salvation. In fact, this is said in contrast to those who are on the outside. If you notice verse 12, same chapter, Paul's admonishing us to walk properly toward those who are noticed outside. and that you may lack nothing. The Bible makes distinctions. There are those who are inside the body of Christ, and there are those who are outside the body of Christ. The Bible separates broadly the whole world into two categories. There are those that are saved on the narrow road that leads to life, and there are those who are lost on the broad road. They're perishing. It leads to destruction. And so Paul highlights this distinction here in verse 13 as well. He says, I don't want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. Literally, the rest. He's referring to those who are outside the body of Christ. They have no hope. Zilch. The unbeliever is walking around, and he's hopeless. And yet, most of them are not even aware of it. In fact, Ephesians 2 tells us this. Paul, referring to the Ephesians prior to their salvation, said that at that time you were without Christ. You were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. You were strangers coming in a promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now, the contrast in Christ Jesus, you once, who were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ. See, if you're unsaved here this morning, you have no hope. Now, you might have a lovely set of circumstances. You know, it reminds me of our thought for the day that we've used from time to time. He who has everything but Christ has nothing, and he who has nothing but has Christ has everything. And the unbeliever might have his health this morning. He might have his ducks in a row. He might be enjoying some temporal security. relative to his neighbors because he's got a bank account or he's got some material things. He may have saved his conscience by giving to the poor and going to church and having a lot of friends. He might be in a tremendous position of influence in some arena. He might be an officer in a corporation. He might live in a castle. He might have tremendous talents that no one else has. And yet, as we add all these things up, we can politely say, so what? Who cares? As I mentioned on Wednesday, the rich and poor die alike. All face the death. And so even Jesus said this, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? See, the bottom line, whether you're rich or poor, whether you're happy or sad, if you have a lot of friends or no friends, you have money or no money, you're slated to die. You've got no guarantee that you will make it through the end of this day. And the reality of physical death means it ushers in eternity. And this is why Hebrews tells us it's appointed for men to die once and after this the judgment. So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. So he took your judgment so you could avoid a condemning judgment at the great white throne, which will be in eternity, which will come to us in the future. And so if you're outside of Christ this morning, you have no hope. And that's a sorrowful situation. It's funny how the world thinks that those who believe in Christ and those who are saved are worthy of tremendous pity. And yet the exact opposite is true. The unsaved are the most pitiable people. And that's why the gospel of grace needs to be understood, preached, embraced, and believed. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel. Why, Paul? Because that message is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. This is the only message of hope there is for all mankind. See, sin is the problem and Christ is the solution. You might be a picture of moral behavior in the community, and yet the reality is you are a sinner that stands condemned before a holy God. Remember, you have no hope and you're without God in the world. In fact, we could separate this. It says you are separated from God, you are without Christ, you are alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, you are strangers to the covenants of promise, again having no hope, and without God in the world. That is your standing, and this is the only standing that really counts. And you need to recognize that sin is the transgression of God's laws. God gave his standard for us to recognize that this is his moral character. We were created in his image. And as we evaluate ourselves against that, we recognize that we fall short in every way, shape, or form. And when you peel back the layers and you're looking on the inside, our hearts are full of anger and envy and greed. And the number one problem and the number one issue why people don't get saved is their pride. They don't think they need it. They think they're better than the average bear, or whatever it might be, and they're missing it. But the bottom line is all of sin will fall short of the glory of God. The issue is not how far short you've fallen. The issue is you have not made the grade and therefore you're in deep trouble. For the wages of sin is death. But thankfully, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. See, sin is not the law, but the breaking of it. 1 John 3, verse 4 says, whoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And so God gave a law. We've transgressed it. And we just read that the wages of sin is death, and therefore death has reigned ever since the Garden of Eden, because we all sinned in Adam. He was our federal head. We're sinners by position. We're sinners by nature. And therefore, we are sinners by practice. But thankfully, God loved us and sent a solution in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only way to escape the judgment we deserve in the lake of fire. It's through Christ alone. See, God is not only just, but he's also a God of love. And he demonstrated his own love toward us. And while we were still sinners, Christ went to the cross and bore our penalty. He bore our sin. See, God cannot be untrue to who he is. He has to punish sin, but in love he did something amazing. He punished his own son, Jesus, in our place. God became a man for the purposes of living a perfect life, who didn't sin, kept the law perfectly, and then willingly went to the cross to take your punishment and mine. And to be saved, you need to come to the conclusion that my sins were laid on Christ, that He is my Savior, that He died in my place and He paid for my sins. Jesus was at the cross enduring what we deserved in our place. the ultimate demonstration of love. That's why Isaiah 53 says, He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. And the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And it's only through His stripes we can be healed spiritually. That's it. He's the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. So on the cross of Calvary after He died, for your sins and mine, He cried out, it is finished. That means paid in full. All the work has been done by the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you. In fact, during that hour, so 3 and 12, amazingly, since God is infinite, he took every individual, the billions and billions of people that have lived, and personally called up their ledger of sin, and in love, said, I am now paying the full penalty of their rebellion against me. Isn't that amazing just to even think about how God is able to do that? And Christ did it in full, and he did it in law. And so the issue is not your good works. The issue is, are you trusting Jesus Christ? Because if you're trusting your good works to get you there, you're going to go to hell. The truth isn't always pretty, but the truth sets you free if you're willing to submit to it. You need to transfer your faith from who you are and who you think you are, what you think you've done, to the one who did it all for you, the Lord Jesus Christ. So you can't accept God's grace for your life until you let go of your own righteousness, and that's what religious people have a hard time doing. They'll compare themselves to someone who they deem is scum of the earth, or however they might want to phrase it, and think that, hey, I'm doing better than he is. Well, you're both doing real bad. This is why you need Christ. You need to let it go and recognize that it is, like Paul said in Philippians 3.9, dung. It's rubbish. It's unacceptable. The way is open, but the choice is yours. The only way anyone gets saved is to stop and put 100% of their trust in what Christ accomplished for them on the cross. That's it. See, Christ died for everyone's sins, but not everyone is saved because everyone needs to make a decision to put their faith in Him alone. They need to make a decision to receive it. What a tragedy to understand the message that Christ paid for your sins, lock, stock, and barrel, and then to reject it and to say, no, I'll trust something else. Amazing. You don't have to do that. But these Thessalonians did that. And they were serving the Lord, and they were anxiously waiting for Christ's return. And then, boom. One of their dear saints dies. And they think, well, what's up with that? How do we process all that? Now, another introductory comment here. Paul's use of the words periode, it's translated in English here, concerning, indicate that he's changing topics. He's just been talking how we are to be sanctified and live an orderly life and so forth. And now he's going to talk about this particular issue here. And then really he explains the rapture. And we're going to look at the purpose of the rapture, and we're going to look at the promises of the rapture, the procedure of the rapture, the place of the rapture, and the practical application of the rapture this morning. As we think of the purpose of the rapture, from a mental standpoint, Paul wrote this because he doesn't want us to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep. He doesn't want us to be ignorant, he wants us to be in the know. Now, ignorant doesn't mean stupid, it just means uninformed, okay? It doesn't mean you have all the information you need. And Paul recognized that, that he needed the mental and spiritual understanding of what happened to the loved ones who had already died. You know, there's no comfort in ignorance. God has designed the truth to bring comfort. In fact, normally ignorance is very costly. It has given many people either a false sense of security or some unnecessary trepidation, depending on the situation. Ignorance is not bliss. And Paul is in essence saying, why are you souring in the same way as the unbeliever who has no hope? Don't do it. See, as a believer in Christ, you have a hope that's sure. You know, as a believer in Christ daily, I can rejoice in the Lord always. Always. It's always an issue of perspective. When I bank on the reality that Christ's mercy is new every morning, that He will never leave me or forsake me, that all things are working together for good, that what He has ordained for this day ahead of me is for my good based on who He is and how much He loves me, I can rejoice regardless of the circumstances. That thrills me daily. He's my source of joy. And though it's obviously normal to grieve for someone who you love has died, long-term we can rejoice in the promise of Christ that this is only temporary and allow Him to heal our hearts. But without the right information, there is no comfort. And this is why it says in Psalm 119.50, this is my comfort and my affliction. Your word has given me life. If you try to find comfort in someone else, it's a swing and a miss. It's just not going to get it done. God is the God of all comfort. And he doesn't want you to be uninformed. He wants you to know the truth. Christ himself said in John 8, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. When he prayed for us in his great high priestly prayer in John 17, he prayed that we would be sanctified through the truth. God's word is truth. He's given us his word to be a light into our path and a lamp into our feet. It's designed to minister to your soul. And this is why believers and not unbelievers are admonished to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior. So you can be equipped as you grow in your understanding of who Christ did and what he's provided, so you can know comfort. God does not want you to be uninformed. And these believers, they were new and they were uninformed. And this is an important thing to be informed about because I know a believer and his family who are willfully ignorant of this passage. And they're making decisions that are inconsistent with the truth that's in here because they believe the possibility that they might go through the tribulation. And so they're spending their time trying to manage how they might make it through it. And one day I was looking in their barn and they had more Tupperware than you can shake a stick in, in canned goods, because they were planning to somehow make this through. And in that case, ignorance, and there was will for ignorance, resulted in much discomfort, not comfort. You need to understand this passage. Now you need to understand this term as well, fallen asleep, it says in verse 13. What is that term? It's a metaphor in the New Testament for the death of known as a believer and only a believer. One who's been saved by the grace of God. When you die, your soul and spirit go instantly to be with the Lord, but your body sleeps awaiting the resurrection day. In fact, in the New Testament, the unbelievers never said to be sleeping in reference to their death. Now this word can be used to describe actual sleep. It's used that way in Acts 12.6 when it says, Peter was sleeping between two guards. And so it can certainly be used literally. But it's also used, in this case, as a metaphor, a synonym for the believer's physical death. And you know, this is an appropriate term if you think about even what goes on when you and I sleep. The sleeper does not cease to exist while his body sleeps. That's true while you're still alive, and that's true as a believer after you die. The dead person continues to exist. The grave is like a bed for sleeping, again, for the body, not the soul. As the immaterial part of man, when asleep, still functions, and that he dreams, and his subconscious is still at work, so likewise the believer's soul and spirit are awake and enjoying the presence of God. This is why the term is employed here in the New Testament. And in that sleep is also temporary, so is the death of the body of the believer. When you go to sleep at night or whatever, like take a nap like me, You anticipate a time shortly thereafter that you get up or arise from sleep. And so likewise, the body's asleep anticipating a resurrection. You know, your soul and spirit go to be with the Lord. This is why Paul said in Philippians chapter one, he says, I want to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. And he wasn't speaking of his body, he was speaking of his soul and his spirit. That's what this is all about. But again, this applies to believers only. But imagine for a second you did not have this information with regard to where your loved ones who had placed their faith in Savior Where were they? What could we look forward to? See, they didn't understand what happened to someone. They thought Christ could come back tomorrow. They weren't prepared to recognize, well, wait a minute, Joe here, my good buddy, a believer, died and Christ didn't come back, so what's up with that? That's the issue here. We've got this promise right here. We're confident he has to, well, please rather, to be absent from the body and to be what? Present from the Lord. And so there was a informational issue here that needed to be. there's also a emotional issue. From an emotional standpoint, Paul wrote, this lest you sorrow as others that have no hope. Now, is it wrong to sorrow when a loved one dies? No, it's right, actually. It's natural to do so. That would be the expectation. But it is to be different than how the unsaved sorrow. The unsaved sorrow because they have no certain hope to sustain them. You and I do. In fact, he says here, you're not to sorrow like those who have no hope. Who are those that have no hope? Those are the ones without Christ. They don't possess eternal life. They haven't been born again. They're still in their sins. And they have the lake of fire to look forward to for all eternity. You know, I never cringe when I'm doing or going to a funeral of a believer, there's obviously some sorrow there, he'll be missed, but it's only temporary. And I'm happy for them. Now, I was thinking of my brother Kevin here this morning, and he was just having a tough time for a while. But I said, you know what, he is just in a grand place, and he's enjoying fellowship with the Savior, and I'm thinking, life is good for him, I'm so thankful. But you know, sometimes I feel sick to my stomach when I go to a funeral of an unbeliever. Because I know based on the authority of the word of God that they are in Hades awaiting one day to be tossed into the lake of fire. And emotionally that's tough. It's the worst reality there is. And you need to understand biblical hope. It's the assurance of a eager and an eager expectation of what God has promised. It is resting in and waiting patiently for God's promise to come to pass. That is what biblical hope is. It doesn't carry the connotation that is widely used in our normal vernacular, which carries the idea of something that might or might not happen, like, I hope it doesn't rain for once, or I hope it doesn't snow on the opener. That was a bad hope, right? Or I hope the twins might win a game. No, hope in the New Testament speaks of something that's absolutely certain. But it's in the future, and you have to wait for it. And waiting is always the hardest part. That's just the way it is. And so in this passage, there's a very intimate relationship between knowledge and comfort and hope. Misinformation results in sorrow and loss of hope. And we have the promises of God. And if you want to have peace in your soul this morning, take to heart the promise of God. That's what it's there for. There's also a third issue here from a doctrinal standpoint, and this goes through chapter 5, verse 11. Paul wrote to explain how a believer's death, the coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, and the day of the Lord all relate to each other. This is how we can keep things straight, and this is what God wants us to do. Now let's think about the promises of the rapture here, verses 14 and 15. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. First of all, it gives a promise for those who have died in Christ. for died in Christ. That's what verse 14 is about. And it's interesting here, and this is important to note here, there's only one condition to be fulfilled to be included in the rapture. There's only one condition, verse 14, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. There's only one condition here. There's only one object of your faith, that's the Lord Jesus Christ and the fact that he died and he rose again. There are no other conditions needed. Now for those who believe in a partial rapture, and I've had several discussions with at least one person who does, who even wrote a book on it, they think there's more to the equation than what we have written here. They would interpret a number of passages differently. They interpret the overcomer in the New Testament differently. You'd have to be faithful and live an overcoming life as a believer in order to get raptured before the tribulation. Now, if this were true, and it's not, but if it was, it'd be a very foolish thing to believe. To actually think that you're worthy to be raptured, that you're living a faithful life, Are you kidding? This person clearly doesn't understand grace. You know, if that doctrine were true, this means you could never have any assurance that you'd be raptured. I mean, where's the comfort in that? This passage is written so we'd be comforted. There'd be no comfort in wondering, am I going to get raptured or am I going to have to go through the tribulation? Where's the comfort there? And this person tried to convince me, I said, well, I guess I'm not going then. I'm not going to make the rapture. He goes, oh, no, no, no, you're faithful, Sean. I go, what are you talking about? I go, I sin every day. I said, you don't know the evil thoughts I had the other day or even this morning. I go, I sin daily. What do you mean I'm a faithful one? Oh, you're doing fine. I go, no, I'm not. I am what I am by the grace of God. Well, that didn't make him feel very good because in his own admission, he was doing worse than I was. No, there's only one condition. At a point in time, you placed your faith in Christ. That's it. Because we're saved by grace. The issue in salvation is not your faithfulness, it's Christ's faithfulness. He made a promise. He can't break his word. If it depended on me, it's over. It's over, out of the gate. This is why Paul said at the end of his life, I am the chief of sinners. He didn't say I was. As you grow closer to the Lord, the more who who of who you really are in Adam is exposed and it's not pretty and a greater appreciation you have for what Christ did for you and the position you have in him. That's the way it should be. Some believe that if you're only those who are in fellowship at the time Christ comes back will be raptured and if you're out of it you'll be left behind and go through the Tribulation, but it says here, if we believe, that's in the indicative mood. That's a fact. If you've trusted in the gospel, if you're trusting Christ alone as your savior, as your only means to get to heaven, then you're part of the rapture. You'll be part of this event. We believe that Christ died and arose. That's it. And why is this the only prerequisite? Because the issue in partaking the rapture is being in Christ. Notice, verse 14, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep. Who? In Jesus. In Jesus. That's the issue. Are you in Jesus? Are you in Christ? And the only way you get in Christ or in Jesus is to put your trust in him at a point in time, and then that's true of you, and that's a transaction that can never be reversed. And so what about those who have already died? Well, Christ says, those who have died with Christ will be brought with him to this rapture event. And again, notice the words, in Jesus. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him Christ, those who sleep in Jesus. They're in Jesus, which means they're in perfect union with him. That's what happens when you get saved. This is also a reminder that no Old Testament saint will be part of this event because only Church-age believers are in Jesus. And so who are those that Christ is bringing with him? This is a reference to the souls and spirits of those who have already died and are with Christ in heaven. So when he comes back, he's bringing these people that are already there to come get their new glorified body in the air is what that all means. In fact, will bring here is in the future indicative, it's guaranteed. And so when you die as a believer, the real immaterial part of you that goes on forever, is immediately translated into the presence of the Lord. Your body, however, which is currently cursed, goes through its final decaying process, however that works itself out. And so Christ is going to bring with him those who are already in heaven. And that's so encouraging. Those who have died are united with Christ. They're coming back when he comes. And those who are sorrowing because of the departed loved ones in Christ are to take comfort because Christ is bringing them back when he returns. What about those who are alive in Christ? Well, verse 15 says, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. So we're not going to precede them to this event. They're going to be there a millisecond before us, is what it comes down to. Which is not a real significant amount of time, if you know what I mean. And so, let's go to the procedure of the rapture here. Verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the trumpet of God, or excuse me, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. First thing you need to recognize that the first event is the return of Christ from heaven to the air. And notice that this is very personal. It's just the Lord himself. You know, the Lord's not sending someone out ahead as a representative. He's coming himself. This speaks of his personal presence. And he's coming personally to receive you. Now imagine, I was trying to think of a human illustration and I'm sorry I'm even going to say this because it's so lame, but imagine you were a diehard Twins fan, which is a sorry state to begin in anyway, but how excited would you be if you knew that Joe Maher was coming to your house to have dinner with you and wanted to sit down and talk with you personally? Now I know this is a stretch for many, but you have to be a diehard Twins fan. He's going to personally receive you. He's going to greet you, and he's going to sit down with you, and he's going to have a deep, friendly conversation with you. Now you think, well, that's really special. Now, obviously, if Joe Maher ain't going to have done it for you, you can fill in the blank. But I get it. But think about how much Christ loves you. He died for you. He's given you, according to the Word of God, an inheritance in the heavens, which is incorruptible, which is reserved specifically for you. He's coming personally to receive you because he loves you. That's impressive. This is a big deal for Christ. Not just you. This is a big deal for him. He loves you. He can't wait to take you home. And we need to think about that. But notice he comes a little fanfare here, comes with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God. Each of these three nouns has the preposition with in it, describing the manner of his returns. And you know, we're going to hear this. You and I are going to hear this. We're going to hear the shout of the command. We're going to hear the trumpet. We're going to hear the voice of the archangel. Now, will the unbeliever hear it? I don't know. But all believers in Christ, since the day of Pentecost, are going to hear this trumpet. They're going to hear the shout of the command. In fact, shout is the Greek word kalousoma. It's a military noun which occurs only here in the New Testament. It was used in an order or command specifically a stimulating cry. Now, I wonder what that command is going to be. I just, come on up here. I don't know. I don't know what it's going to be. But I know this, it's going to be the sweetest command you will ever hear. That is a fact. And what's going to happen after that command is that there's going to be the resurrection of physically dead believers in Christ. Verse 15, excuse me, verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ, notice that phrase, in Christ, will raise first. This is why there's no partial rapture, because if you're in Christ, you're going. And so he's really telling the Thessalonians that those who have died are at advantage, they're going to come a split second before us. And again, no Old Testament saint is ever said to be in Christ that belongs to only those saved in this dispensation. The next then is the rapture of physically alive believers in Christ. That's verse 17. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord. This is the rapture. That phrase caught up together is the term where we get the concept of the rapture from. This is where the concept, that phrase right there because of the Greek word. The word is caught up in the Greek, it's harpazo. We get our English word harpoon from this. But the Latin word for harpazo is rapto. And so this is where we get the theological term rapture. It's actually from the Latin, a Latin translation of the Greek word harpazo. Now those who reject the doctrine of rapture often say, well, the word rapture isn't in the Bible. And they say, yeah, and the word grandfather is not in the Bible. Does that mean we don't believe in grandfathers? Or trinity isn't in the Bible. Does that mean we don't believe in the trinity? In fact, if you don't believe in the trinity, you're in deep doo-doo. That's what that means. But it's interesting to see how this word caught up is used in various contexts. It was used, Philip, it says in Acts 8.39, When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more. He was snatched away, and the Spirit of God took him somewhere. So the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. And Jude carries the idea of being rescued from danger. Verse 21 says, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And some have compassion, make an distinction, but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. That's the idea there. Pulling them out, snatching them, harpooning them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. And this is the word Paul, who actually experienced a rapture, and came back. In 2 Corinthians 12, it says, I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body I do not know, whether out of the body I do not know, but God knows, such a one was caught up Harpooned up to the third heaven I know such a man whether in the body or out of the body do not know God knows how he was caught up He was raptured to paradise and heard inexpressible words, which were not lawful for a man daughter Paul was privileged to get a snapshot of what heaven was like and it was so amazing He said God says I don't want you to say a word To anybody and so when someone come on says I've been to heaven and back man They haven't because if you've been to heaven and you come back God says I don't want you to say anyone. I And so this rapture term is when the church is harpooned and brought up to be with the Lord. The definition of the word means to seize by force and carry away. So we're going to be sneezed by force and carried away out of the earth into heaven. We're going to meet the Lord in the air. That's a harpoon, in case you were wondering what a harpoon was. Thankfully, that's not the one the Lord's using. Ouch. But you know, it's sad that some believers are going to have to be harpooned because the things down here are more important to them than their home in heaven. They're digging their roots in here and they're trying to make the most of this life from a fleshly, vain, worthless perspective. And we're told in 1 John, do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. What's in the world? Well, you got the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. And these things are not from God. The very things that make the world spin are not from the Father, they're of the world. And guess what? It's passing away. And the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. So maybe harpoon is the right word for some. And then the fourth thing is we have then the reunion of all church-age believers with Christ. Verse 17 again. When we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We're going to meet the what? The Lord in the air. All of us. Big reunion. Saints of old will meet saints of the present. Imagine being reunited with those who have gone before us, even those who are dear to you. that you miss greatly. Those from previous generations, those who were martyred, those who took a stand for the Savior, the Apostle Paul and James and John, those that have just contributed to the propagation of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's amazing. That's why, again, The funeral of a believer, though it's sorrowful in the sense that they'll be missed, we know it's not the end. They're in perfect peace. We know that we will see them again and we will rejoice forevermore. We're going to spend eternity together. The separation now is only temporary, never to be repeated for all eternity. I can almost taste it. But boy, think about the people that aren't saved. no reunion, torment day and night forever and ever. Now, how long will this take? A split second. First Corinthians 1551, Paul, speaking of the same events, says, behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we're all going to be changed. The big joke is that's the verse over the nursery. All the babies will not sleep, but they'll all be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, notice, a twinkling of an eye, that's like a, you know, you blink your eyes, that's it. And you blink your eye in like, what, four-tenths of a millisecond or, you know, 400 milliseconds or something. At the last trumpet, the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, will be changed, will be translated. If we're privileged to be part of that rapture generation, in a split second, new glorified body, why this corruptible, amen, must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on Immortality. Twinkling of an eye. Poof. Gone. That'd be kind of cool, wouldn't it? That could be it right there. You know, the world's going to miss it. Millions of believers that have gotten saved since the day of Pentecost, we're all going to meet in the air. I mean, millions and millions of people. Crazy. And then on earth, utter chaos is going to ensue. Imagine all the people freaking out. And yet, Satan has got a plan in place. He's going to have some explanation for it. And the people are going to buy it. Satan is the master deceiver. He will present something that the masses will swallow, hook, line, and sinker. I don't know how he's going to do it, but he's going to. But I'm also thankful that since this event is going to blow the minds of many unbelievers, I hope that's enough for them to stand up and take notice that if they've been exposed to the good news of the gospel and its truthfulness and its relevance, it'll penetrate their thinking, they'll see it as true and they'll trust in Christ. Because what awaits them in the tribulation is the most unimaginable horror that they will face apart from eternal hell. It's unbelievable. That's why I'm so encouraged to read in Revelation, I think it's 7, 9, and 10, that there's an innumerable amount of people that get saved during the tribulation. That encourages me. But you know, we think of the rapture, this is what Christ said on the eve of his crucifixion to encourage his disciples. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, but I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'm going to come again and receive you to me, that where I am, they may also." That was music to the ears of the disciples. It thrilled their hearts. It should be thrilling your heart and my heart. I'm going, but I'm coming back. I'm gonna get a place ready and I'm gonna come in, I'm gonna take you to that place and it's gonna be great. And this is where our focus should be. What's the place of the rapture? We're gonna meet in the air, verse 17. We're gonna meet them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. And notice this means being with the Lord forever. Unlike the ones who think that outer darkness applies to unfaithful believers, they need to recognize this verse says, so shall we ever be with the Lord. Pretty amazing. Could happen today. There's a few clouds out there. We're gonna meet them in the clouds. Well, how is this designed to affect the Thessalonians? Verse 18, therefore, therefore means we've got this information, now let's apply it. Let's comfort one another with these words. Part of the comfort that we have as believers is knowing that this garbage hole that we're stuck in with all the garbage that's going on and all the difficulties and all the pain and all the setbacks and the heartache, It's all going to be over. This is just temporary. We're pilgrims and strangers passing through. We're going to meet the Lord in the air and life is going to be roses forever and ever and ever. This is to bring tremendous comfort and great hope. See, the practical application related to the rapture is comfort one another with these words. Used to work with a believer years ago, we'd walk by and say, maybe today, maybe today. Good day to get out. You know, if you're not saved here, if you've never trusted Christ as your savior, there is no comfort from these words. There's only anguish and fear. Anguish and fear. I'm sure after the rafters, someone's going to say, I shouldn't be here. I went to church. I did everything right. What's going on? You know what? You didn't do it all right because you trusted in yourself and in your works and in your whatever is on your list and you didn't trust in Christ. You don't want to be this person. But this is designed to bring us back to the main purpose of the passage to comfort those who are grieving. as those who had no hope so they can realign their thinking to realize, wait a minute, we're not grieving like the unbeliever here. We're grieving like those who have a perfect hope. And this is where we're always to find comfort. The truth is designed to comfort our souls. But you know, the return of the Savior is not only something that we are to expectantly wait for, But it's something we need to set our affections on. Titus 2.13 says that we are to have our necks stretched out to the skies looking for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. And that's a reflection of how Paul thought throughout his life. In 2 Timothy 4, he says, I fought the good fight. I finished the race that God put me on this planet to do as his child. I've kept the faith when there have been all these opportunities to compromise. And so what is laid up for me is a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, that righteous judge, will give me on that day, but not to me only, but all those who love his appearing." This is really the key to the whole thing. If you're going to make your life count, if you're going to redeem the time, if you're going to enjoy comfort, if the truths of Scripture are going to thrill your heart, it's because you're having a love affair with your Savior. This is where it's at. If I'm loving my Savior, I'm loving Him. I can't wait for Him to come back to me, and I'm going to rest in Him and His goodness. I'm going to believe all things work together for good. I'm going to be joyful in the pit and in the sewer because I've got Christ and He's got me, and that's all that matters. You know, this is how they were thinking. This is why they were so discomforted when they didn't know what happened to their dead brothers and sisters that died. You know, Paul began this epistle. In fact, let's just turn there. Verse 2, chapter 1. He says, we give thanks to God always for you, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing notice your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father. Verse 10. Verses 9 and 10 say, for you remember, brethren, our labor and toil for, whoops, it says, for they themselves declared to you what manner of entry we had unto you, how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. They knew that Christ can come back at any moment. That was their expectation. And so there was a labor of love. There was a work of faith. There was patience and hope. And we know some, because he addressed it here last time we were together and talked about this, that we're sitting on a stump saying, well, Christ came back today, so I'm just going to sit back and do nothing. And yet, what do you have to gain doing that? Knowing the rapture is coming. I mean, if you knew you were going to die this week, you probably wouldn't go to work or the dentist or anything else. But hopefully you'd say, wow, I want to make my last moments count. I want them to be meaningful. I want to spend them with my loved ones, or I want to tell my loved ones about the Savior. Well, today could be your last day. It could be my last day. Christ could come back today. So is your plan today to waste it or to redeem it? This is the only opportunity we're going to have to live today. You can't live yesterday, today. You gotta live today, today. And we know that it'll be worth it all when we see Jesus. So where's your focus this morning? Are you focused on things above where Christ is? Are you wallowing in the mitre? Are you having a pity party? Are you bemoaning things? Or are you looking forward? Paul says, I forget that stuff which is behind me, and I reach forward to the stuff that's ahead of me, and I press on for the mark or the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus. You can't do nothing about yesterday, but you know what? You can make today count. And we could walk out these doors and be raptured, and boom, you made your last five minutes good. Amen? This is what it's all about. You know, Paul trained his mind not to go by his feelings, but to be a man of principle and to make the day count. By God's grace, let's do the same. Let's pray. Father, we're just thankful for this encouraging truth. Thank you for the comfort that comes from knowing the scriptures and knowing the truth and knowing that nothing can separate us from your love and that not only has Christ died for us, but Christ is coming back for us. And he's going to receive us onto himself that where he is, we're going to be also forever and ever. And we're going to be in perfect peace and perfect joy for all eternity. Help us to focus on this and focus on things above where Christ is. And we know that in the meantime you promised tribulation and difficulty and setbacks and pain and sorrow, and yet your grace is sufficient for these things until you come for us. Thank you that we don't have to sorrow like others who have no hope when we pray for those that we know and love, that know not Christ, that the Spirit of God can impress them with the Lord Jesus Christ and what he's accomplished for them on the cross, and they would choose to put their faith in him. and join us for that great reunion in the sky to come. And we pray and give thanks in Jesus' name. Amen.