The Future We Anticipate Part 1

One reason for us. Jesus phone number for Bible gives tantalizing details about a heavenly kingdom beyond all description a new Jerusalem streets of gold today.

A final chapter, what we believe and think through the mists of time into the timelessness of eternity from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is with Dr. Erwin Blitzer whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Esther lutes or Paul said we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Help us see clearly what lies ahead what you know in this message. Of course I'm going to emphasize what has been revealed and is not wonderful that what we are able to see is only through a glass darkly, we can imagine what the reality is going to be like. Recently I was talking to a man who is an endurance partner endurance partners are those who stand with us, with their prayers and their gifts and I'll never forget what he said. He said you know I cannot preach but I can invest in a ministry that does the preaching for me and I love that in a sense he is preaching because all those who participate in our ministry we really rejoice together over what God does. Because this is not our ministry is God's. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner for information, you can go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 and now we go to the pulpit of Moody church opening our minds and our hearts. Yes, we see through a glass darkly, but thank God we do see the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is returning back from heaven. No question about it. In the Old Testament was predicted in the New Testament, it is predicted many many times we not only have the references of Jesus to his own return. Just think for a moment about how many times the Scriptures affirm it. Jesus is ascending into heaven and the angels come and say to the disciples, why are you looking into heaven. The same Jesus who went into heaven is likewise going to come again. The apostle Paul referred to it as the blessed hope and also the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was Peter who said that we should live in such a way that our faith will be of benefit to God. In effect, that our faith will be like gold. When Jesus Christ appears because God loves to see faith in our heart and it was John who said that we should live in such a way that we will not be ashamed at his coming return of Jesus Christ to earth at the bottom line is that there are two different views actually more than that. The two primary views held among Christians because when you look at the New Testament, it seems as if there are two future comings that are described there seems to be a reference to those who are going to be with Jesus called the church when Jesus comes for the church and then after a period of time. There's going to be the great revelation of Jesus when his feet stand on the Mount of olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east and when he comes in glory. It is then that the kingdom is going to be established that there is some people who do not divide these two coming so let me explain to you the terminology and the division and then we shall plunge into the Scriptures. Pre-tribulation is and says that Jesus will come before the tribulation to take up the church to heaven. And then there will be that period of time when Antichrist shall arise and when the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon the earth. And then there's the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 24 that is so wonderful. It is like the light thing that begins in the East and goes to the West that is the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. If you believe that scenario you are what is called a pre-tribulation is leaving that Jesus comes before the tribulation to receive the saints and then a period of wrath and then the return in glory.

Other some people to look at the Bible and they combine those two events, they put them together.

They say that this is all one event, the rapture of the church in the glorious return is one event and those folks are post tribulation know what we mean by that believe that Jesus comes after the tribulation he comes both to receive his saints. As we shall be studying today and also with his saints simultaneously to set up the kingdom and to establish his rule upon the millennial earth that is post tribulation is him we will go through the tribulation than Christ return's here at the Moody church.

We decided to not draw a line in the sand about these two views we have pre-tribulation nests among us, and that has usually been the position of any people in this particular era, but also there are post tribulation nests and that many of them love the Lord and many of them are very fine scholars and so you can be a pretrip or you can be post trip here at the Moody church. All that I need to do is to say, however, to the post trippers.

Someday you're going to be so glad that you were wrong and when were snatched away to heaven will say 99099 I say to you. Let's not divide over the coming of Jesus Christ.

Rather, let us be united over the coming of Jesus Christ.

Particularly, let us love his appearing now in the New Testament there are several different words used for the return of Jesus and by the way, without taking time to go into the various views.

My message today will be assuming the pre-tribulation will rapture, but there are different words that are used. For example, per Asea or Perugia based on the Greek word, it means the appearing of the dignitary. Jesus will appear like a dignitary who's been gone and his presence then will be among us. Now that word is used for both the first coming of Jesus in the rapture and then also the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. The word is used in the New Testament for both. There's also the word epiphany epiphany is the word that refers to the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ to establish his kingdom when he comes with his saints, as is given in the New Testament and is used for that particular aspect of the coming of Jesus Christ.

The word rapture you say where is it in the Bible it isn't in the Bible. As such, the idea is there, and at this point, I want you to see where it comes from.

Would you take your Bibles and turn to first Thessalonians chapter 4 first Thessalonians chapter 4 and it is so critical today that you look at the text of Scripture. If you forgot your Bible at home. You can see up there in the Bible in the pews and it's on page 987 and that particular translation so if you want to follow along with us and I hope you do.

First Thessalonians chapter 4 the word rapture actually comes from verse 17 where it says then we who are alive and who are left will be caught up together.

The Latin word is Rocky L from which we get rapture will be caught up. So even though the word rapture does not occur in the text. As such, the word rapture is a very biblical concept, we shall be caught up now as I begin this exposition of first Thessalonians chapter 4 beginning at verse 13. I need to tell you what I'm going to be saying to you in terms of the sequence of events, and that the teachings that are here. They are believed to both by post tribulation nests as well as pre-tribulation nests, so don't let the different views get in the way of the clear things that God through Paul is saying to us about the rapture of the church. This, by the way, is the 10th and last in a series of messages, what we believe and the difference it should make and today we speak on the future that we anticipate now before I read verse 13 let's have some background when the apostle Paul established a church. He always taught the people to look for the appearing of Jesus. That's very clear.

That was right at the beginning of church planting the return of Christ was on Paul's mind. So he taught the people in Thessalonica that but now time had elapsed, and some of them had died. And of course the apostle Paul apparently obviously did not know that this period of time when Jesus would not return. Was going to be very, very long. At least 2000 years. So far, but the people were looking for the appearing of Jesus and some of their number were dying and so they had a question on their mind and it was this will those who have died to be at a disadvantage when Jesus, will they miss out on something. That's what they were thinking. So the apostle Paul writes to clarify no way are those who have died going to miss out on anything. Now let's look at the text first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13 but we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, and I need to pause and say here at the Moody church. Those of you are listening by way of Internet or radio. I do not want you to be on informative brothers and sisters about those who are asleep in the New Testament the word sleep is often used for death. It does not mean that the soul sleeps. It does mean that the body sleeps, but I think that the imagery is so beautiful here in the text. The imagery is of a mother who loves her little baby to sleep.

She's fed the baby she's talked to the baby. Now she loves it to sleep. When you go to the funeral of a Christian and you see their bodies. Remember they have been lulled to sleep by Jesus, their soul has gone to heaven.

Their soul is gone to heaven. But they themselves the body is sleeping until the day of resurrection, and sleep is not fearful is it.

Last night we came home I was speaking somewhere else and went to bed at about 11 o'clock and I had a good night of sleep. I did not fear to fall asleep, and neither need the Christian fear death. So Paul says that I don't want you to be ignorant concerning those who have died that you may not grieve as others who have no hope and the pagan world of the time had absolutely no hope whatever. In fact, they were so hopeless that when the plagues came separately in a church leaders said it is because of the plagues that the Christian church has advanced because we die differently than the unconverted. The pagans used to say of the Christian. They carry their dad as if in triumph. How can they die with so much hope supposes I'm writing to you so that you don't grieve as those who have no hope. Grieve, not hopelessly.

And then he says that since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep when Jesus returns, he will be bringing the souls of all those who had died with him. The people today who die in Christ do not yet have their permanent bodies. Now, the soul takes on the characteristic of the body so that they can see and they can communicate and they can recognize one another. All of that happens, but they do not have their permanent bodies.

But God is going to bring them with him.

When Jesus returns now hang onto all of this. It's going to become very clear in a moment and then he says, because we will not precede those who have fallen asleep. Paul is saying those of us who are living who are going to be translated and when I use that word today. I'm not talking about a translation from one language into another. I'm speaking about a generation of people who will be living who will not die. A generation of believers. They will instantly be translated and have their glorified body. Now let's put it in sequence.

Paul is saying that time when Jesus comes. He's going to bring with him those who have died and we will not go ahead.

All those who have died fact those who have died go first and then we follow after.

So don't think for a moment that your loved one who has died is going to miss out on anything. In fact, they are going to be raise. Their bodies will be raised and joined to their spirits and that will happen. First, and then we who are alive under the coming of the Lord will be translated the dead had no disadvantage at all.

All that by way of introduction. What I like to do now is to walk through the sequence that the apostle Paul gives regarding these events and if anything that I said was unclear. I think that when I am finished, and as we walk through Paul's words. Hopefully everything will be clear, that's my goal.

Clarity is always my goal.

I don't want to be like a politician who left a political rally in Chicago the other day and whispered to one of his aides. I hope that in the excitement. I didn't have to make myself clear about anything, but I want to be clear, let's begin.

Look at the sequence. He says in verse 16 and here we begin now, he says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command. Step number one the Lord descends. And now it is described with a shout with a cry of command and the command is that the dead in Christ be raised. Sometimes we used to say is children you know you're making so much noise you'll probably raise the dead. Well, I need to tell you that no matter how much noise we made the dead remained dead. But when Jesus comes with that shout of command.

He himself said, all were in the grave shall hear his voice and some shall come forth onto the resurrection of life, and some shall come forth onto the resurrection of damnation. When Jesus speaks the dead are raised, while he comes with a shout of command. The best illustration as Lazarus, Jesus is at the tomb of Lazarus and the Bible says he cries with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth, and he who was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin. Someone is said it is good that he named them because of he had never named them all the dead and Bethany would've arisen. When Jesus speaks the dead are raised, so he comes with a shout of command and with the voice of the archangel, who is the Archangel Gabriel is the only one referred to in the New Testament and in the Old Testament is the archangel, so Gabriel comes along and he is shouting as well and I have no doubt that the whole a host of angels are there because everything that Jesus did was accompanied by angels. That's why we have so many Angel stories at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The Angels are coming to the Angels who told us shepherds that they should go to Bethlehem and gave glory to God. All of those Angels no question in my mind are coming with Jesus who gives the shout of command and the trumpet trumpets were used.

To cause Israel to march. It's time for us to move on. The trumpet sounds and when the trumpet sounds. What happens but the dead now know it is time to move on. You been dead long enough, your body has disintegrated. It's time for God to re-created and to put it together, dead are raised that step number one will, this is Pastor Luther and I know what you may be thinking. You may say to yourself, you know, I've heard about the return of Jesus Christ. Ever since I was a child and he's not come back. And that's true he hasn't. I also heard about the return of Jesus. Since I was a child, thinking that his return was just around the corner. May be next week while yet he has not returned.

Could I remind you that there was a time when the first coming of Jesus was only a prophecy but then it happened in the very same way today we have prophecy and eventually it will be fulfilled and we have to live in light of that, I'm so thankful for the many of you who support the ministry of running to win because we want to help people as we frequently say to make it all the way to the finish line because Christ is coming. Would you consider becoming a partner in this ministry, a member of the running to win family as I like to put it. Endurance partners are those who stand with us regularly with their prayers and with their gifts. If you'd like to know more. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com.

Click on the endurance partner button that's RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer: 1-888-218-9337 let me thank you in advance for your support for your prayers because together we are making a difference and we believe very deeply that Jesus is going to return to this earth and take his people home with him and then of course we also believe that were going to be returning with him on the Mount of olives. All that puts today in perspective.

1-888-218-9337 it's time again for you to ask Pastor Luther question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. The ordinance of baptism is our focus as we answer a question from Mary who asks water baptism. Should this be done at birth or is it something done when a person is mature enough to understand what it is he or she is doing.

Mary, you've asked an excellent question, and I don't need to tell you do lie that it is a question that has divided the church throughout history, and still does so not everyone is going to be happy with my answer. But I need to answer it the way I believe God would want me to. First of all let me say that infant baptism arose in North Africa in the early centuries, and soon it became the preferred means of baptism throughout all of Christendom because that infant baptism not only symbolized somehow the birth into God's family but also it had huge nationalistic overtones, and it was proof that Christianity was indeed engulfing the whole Roman empire. That's a huge story that we can't get into. But let me say this, that when you think of infant baptism.

There are different interpretations of it. For example, Catholics and Lutherans believe that it is the means by which one becomes a child of God. With this water.

I make you a child of God.

The priest or the minister may say, whereas if you are baptized as an infant in a Presbyterian Church or a Methodist Church that is more a sign of the covenant. It's much closer to what we call today a dedication service. The dedication service of a child, but I need to say that as I look at the New Testament it appears to me that baptism was always the believer responding to the work of God in his heart. If salvation is something that takes place after you have attained the age of accountability and you are older, it is then that baptism happened and you can find this over and over again in the pages of the New Testament, so we here at the Moody Church in my conviction is that one should be baptized upon profession of faith. Once you trust Christ as Savior and you know what you are doing.

It is then that you announce to the world that you are dying to self dying to sin and you are alive unto Jesus Christ. I hope this helps you marry. And if you've never been baptized. I hope you will be and if you are baptized as an infant and you're not sure as to whether or not that baptism was really biblical and you want to be baptized as an adult I encourage you to do that. Thank you Dr. Luther and thank you Mary for the question. If you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website you'll find that website@rtwoffer.com that's RTW offer all one word.com there. Click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at the running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, Illinois 6061 for the return of Jesus to this earth will be the events of all time. The Bible says every eye shall see him when he comes. No take control and those who have loved and served him will be raised from the dead to greet him next time I'm running to win. Don't miss the great climax to our series on what you believe running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life.

Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Luzerne this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church