The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth concerning the coming of the Lord, “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). To “watch” means we need to stay spiritually awake and vigilant concerning our spiritual condition and events signaling the lord’s coming because we don’t know when He will return, it means to stay close to God—ready to meet our maker at anytime since the end of this life comes at death or when Christ returns, whichever comes first.It means to be busy about our father’s business—obeying and serving Him and serving our fellow man. It means to watch for events signaling His coming with hope and eager anticipation. People are often surprised to learn that references to the second coming outnumber references to the first coming by a factor of eight to one. Scholars have identified 1,845 different biblical references to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Are you living your life in such a way that you are watchful and ready for the Lord’s return?
Date: 7/7/19
Scripture: John 14:1-4 and Proverbs 3:5-6
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From Series: "Not A Drill"
Growing up while in school we would, from time to time, practice knowing what to do in case of a tornado. We would all walk in an orderly fashion into the hallways and sit down, hands over our heads, waiting patiently for the “all clear” so we could go back to our classrooms. The teachers would encourage us not to take this drill lightly because there could come a day when we would hear the words, “This is Not a Drill!” Then, because we had taken the time to practice the drill we would be better prepared for what would occur.
The Bible teaches us that there is an event that we all should be preparing for, an event which seems to be showing signs of its approach, but, as with a tornado, we can’t predict precisely when it will happen. This future end time event is known in the Christian community as the “Rapture.” This event will take place in the future, yet we do not know the time or the date -- even Jesus Himself said that only God the Father knows. The English word 'rapture' is derived from theLatin verb “rapere” meaning “to carry off,” or “to catch up.” Those who accept the rapture theory believe that all non-believers on earth at that time will be left behind for the tribulation period. Although the term “rapture” is not found in the Bible, the theory is based on Scripture. So the real question then is not asking “When?” but “Are you ready?”
Can you imagine showing up to church on Sunday and seeing a sign that reads, “Rapture Practice Today During Worship!”?It might sound silly to be attending a drill for the rapture, but,when you think about it, it only makes sense because a drill is about preparing for a future event. If there is one admonition that the Bible gives us about this event it is to be ready, to be prepared, to be watchful.
Are you living your life in such a way that you are preparing for the day when Jesus comes to carry His church away? We won’t have the time to hear the words, “This is Not a Drill.” The rapture will happen in the blink of an eye, a second in time. The warning signs are all around us.
I encourage you to join us in worship starting Sunday June 16th, for Pastor Roland’s new sermon series,“Not a Drill.”This series will help you learn more about the rapture and will challenge you to begin today to align your life in such a way as to be watchful, ready, and prepared. If Jesus were to return today, what evidence would there be that you were faithful?
Don’t miss out on this 4-week series to find out how to live your life in such a way that you are ready for . . . the rapture.
