The Future We Anticipate Part 2

Run with endurance the race of warriors looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter of our return of Jesus to this earth will be the event of all time. When he comes, he will take control those loved and served him will be raised from the dead to greet him today. Climactic conclusion to our series on what we believe church in Chicago this morning with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Estimates are for many it seems that the return of Christ will never come give us a word of hope will, of course, Dave the word of hope is simply this, that he will eventually come.

It may not be in our lifetime.

Perhaps we will die. But as we've already emphasized the dead in Christ shall be raised if we keep that in our mind.

That of course is a great motivation to serve the Lord with all of our hearts, our minds and our souls were so thankful for the fact that today, technology enables us to get the gospel of Jesus Christ. To many people and I believe that this series on doctrine called what we believe is very critical. It deals with issues regarding the Bible, yes regarding prophecy but also Satan and angels and other topics.

I think that you would benefit if this series were available to you so you could listen to it again and again for a gift of any amount. It can be yours RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for what we believe, by the way, today's the last day were making this offer.

Now we go to the pulpit of Moody Church where we talk about the future that we anticipate when Jesus speaks dad arranged so he comes with a shout of command and with the voice of the archangel, who was the archangel Gabriel is the only one referred to in the New Testament and in the Old Testament is the archangel Gabriel comes along and hear shouting as well and I have no doubt that the whole host of angels are there because everything that Jesus did was accompanied by angels. That's why we have so many Angel stories of 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, the dead are raised at step number one step number one the Lord descends with a shout, with the voice of the archangel with the trump of God.

Secondly, that dad and Christ shall rise first. The dead in Christ rise that phrase in Christ is a technical term that refers to the church. Nowhere in the Old Testament do you find that those who died died in Christ. It was the church that was formed at Pentecost. So this is Jesus Christ coming for his church, the dead in Christ and they arise. The Old Testament saints will arise. But that will be at the second part of the return of Jesus when he comes in glory. In the dead of the Old Testament will rise so that they can go into the kingdom and they to be with Jesus and to be along with the rest of us.

So the Scripture says, the dead in Christ rise and it's only the resurrection of the body their souls. As I mentioned are already in heaven. There is a joining of the soul and the permanent body and what a wonderful body. It is going to be no more cancer. No more expressways, no more hassle, no more weaknesses no more sleep you want to know what it's like. It's like the resurrection body of Jesus.

We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is for that wonderful I think that this is a miracle is going to be more wonderful than creation itself the dead in Christ, then rise first step number three we who are living that happens during our lifetime we are living are then translated. I now also again in verse 17 then we who are alive, who are left. We will be caught up together and that's the word rapture together with them in the clouds so the living will be translated. The apostle Paul taught that there was going to be a whole generation of Christians who would not experience death. First Corinthians chapter 15 behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, and we shall be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible, but there's a whole generation that is going to be translated in the twinkling of an how long does it take for your eye to twinkle. How long does it take when you blink your eyes they tell us one 50th of a second to suddenly have sold a done deal. Twinkling of an eye. The last trump and notice that the Bible says that Jesus will come with the clouds, that's true. Both of his first coming first stage of his coming, as well as the second clouds always accompany him and it may well be that in this instance the clouds so engulfed the world that when Jesus comes to take out all of those who are in Christ that there is a disappearance of the world experiences the disappearance but they have a naturalistic explanation of some phenomenon and they may link it with the clouds that may hide from the rest of the world. What God is doing and so Jesus, so that step number three the living are translated and then they get there. Heavenly bodies number four we meet the Lord in the air board meeting is kind of a technical term to use for example in the book of acts where there was a delegation that came out from Rome to meet Paul. I want to stretch the point too much. But think about this.

All of the dead, who died in Christ to her now raise. They have their glorified bodies, the living, who are alive when this happens they are translated and given their glorified bodies so together. Both groups now fully in their eternal bodies are in effect a delegation to meet Jesus and were saying okay and Jesus, thank you so much for returning glory to God and here we are to greet you. Mind you, he raised us and saved us so that we have the ability to do that. But isn't that going to be an exciting prospect to meet the Lord in the air and so we meet the Lord in the air together. Imagine that for a moment. Now there's no evidence that Jesus Christ comes all the way to earth this time he certainly will come in the second stage of his return and that we are then with Jesus Christ.

And that's actually the last phase we are eternally with the Lord, so shall we always be with the Lord will be with the Lord during the great tribulation will be with the Lord when he returns with his saints to establish the kingdom will be with the Lord and we will reign with him during the coming kingdom and then when the kingdom is swallowed up in eternity. What does the Bible say in the book of Revelation.

Their name shall be on his forehead, and there shall be no night there.

They need no light of the sun.

Neither of the moon to shine upon them to the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign with him for ever and ever. The Lord will be with him forever.

No wonder the apostle Paul in an understated way, concludes in verse 18. Therefore encourage one another with these words. I hope you been encouraged today. Let me simply conclude by saying first that the return of Jesus Christ is a message that should motivate us back. That's the way it's always presented in the Bible. The return of Jesus is never presented in a way to show that we should satisfy our curiosity. Sometimes I think that people who are really into prophecy or into it in such details perhaps details that are unclear in the Scriptures, and they just want to find out exactly what's going to happen.

They want to know how antichrist is going to part their slight exaggeration return of Jesus is always presented in such a way to motivate us to holiness. Earlier I quoted first John chapter 3 where it says we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and whoever has this hope in himself, purifies himself, even as he is pure, even as Christ is pure, and John does say is quoted earlier. Let us live in such a way that we will not be ashamed at his coming. Second Peter says that the elements eventually shall all melt with fervent heat, what manner of people ought we to be. Then he says in all conversation and godliness. Knowing that all these things shall be destroyed while that new car that you have your eye on just to close the door as often as you can because you just thawed this when you park it in a parking lot you park it far enough from another car, so that when it's door opens this thing that you're actually willing to make payments on God bless you. It's going to be destroyed proof that which is eternal will last and what is that which is eternal demons and Satan will last forever in hell people will last forever. Angels will last forever, and God will last forever and at the end of the day it's only that, that really really matters so that the coming of Jesus should be a motivation to holy living.

The coming of Jesus should be a motivation to witness to people and to say that when the Lord comes.

Are you going to be taken up because when Jesus comes. I want you to imagine an electromagnetic going over iron filings, but amid the iron filings all kinds of pieces of plastic and would depend what happens as these iron filings just spring up in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, but the rest are left. You know, behind left behind. The phrase comes to my mind it sounds like you could write a book on that couldn't but there are people who are going to be left behind. No matter which understanding of the tribulation you have, so the coming of Jesus should be a motivation. The coming of Jesus should be a great message of hope. It's a message of hope we do not grieve as those who have no I had a nephew killed the age of about 15. He was in the backseat of the car memorizing verses of Scripture on his way to a Bible quiz driver hit some ice. My nephew was killed. I not seen him in those past 20 years, obviously, but he is going to be there with us. We have relatives and friends, some of whom have not yet died but either way, whether living when Jesus comes or dying.

We are all going to be together. I think of all of those funerals that I performed when I became the pastor of Edgewater Baptist Church so many years ago when I became pastor.

Everybody seemed to die. I don't know if there was a cause effect relationship. I had so many then you think of the Moody Church. Think of all the people who have been here throughout the decades, and they have died. I'm thinking right now of Evelyn Johnson, whom so many of us knew who died perhaps a year and 1/2 ago and she is going to be there and her husband, whom we know is going to be there all the relatives are going to be there so shall we ever be with the Lord. And when you are with the Lord you say good by to saying goodbye you're there for ever and ever. Comfort one another with these words, you widower your wife is in heaven. Widow your husband is in heaven. Comfort one another with these words. Jesus is going to return and some of us believe could be at any time. I'm ever reading the story of a dog you know dogs are very loyal to their masters. There are many stories of dogs like Lassie come home. I remember reading it as a boy crying my eyes out over Lassie, what you did to you should but I read of the story out in the Prairie of a dog that was very loyal to his master, but his master died and so they took the man and they put them in a coffin, put his body in a coffin and then they took the coffin to the train in the little town and of course the coffin went off with the train and this writer said that as long as the dog lived every single day he met the train as it came to the station hoping his master would return to love the appearing of Jesus. When you read of wars in the Middle East. When you discover in the Bible that Europe is supposed to be unified and out of Europe and antichrist will comment we can see the unification of Europe through the EU. Is there something within your heart that says you know maybe this is the sound of the train that brings not back again Jesus but my Jesus. When you read about the fact that in the end Jerusalem is going to be surrounded by armies there going to be all these nations are going to want to exterminate Israel and Jesus is going to return in the midst of that mass is you have a great battle in Israel. As you read about these things in the newspaper. Is there something within you that says you know maybe this is an indication that my Jesus is not far away.

He may be coming and I love his appearing in the Bible says that if you love his appearing. You receive a crown of righteousness God says I'll even give you something special. You look forward to seeing my son face to face with Christ, my Savior face-to-face.

What will it be when with rapture. I behold him. Jesus Christ, who died for me only faintly.

Now I see him with a darkening veil between but another day is coming when his glory shall be seen, this is my friend the blessed hope. Let's pray and so father we ask in the name of Jesus that you might make us ready for those who never trusted Christ as Savior. We pray that you might show them the need to believe in him, but they also might die in Christ so that they can be with us forever to those who have never done that, bring a great deal of doubt to their hearts so that they might wrestle with the question and make sure that they belong to you and may they even at this moment say Jesus I want to be yours.

I accept you as my Savior. I receive you receive the gift that you came to give me for those of us who know you.

We pray that every day we may wonder whether the train is coming whether today will be the day when we see Jesus grant that to his father we pray now before I close this prayer. What is it that you need to say to God you talk to him right now.

Father hear the prayers of many old with cold upon you. We ask Jesus name will my friend today. We've concluded this series of messages titled what we believe and it is the last time we are making an offer for these messages to be yours. I believe that were living at a time in which Bible doctrine is very important.

We need to know what those foundation stones are upon which our lives and our future rests. Ask for the series. What we believe. For a gift of any amount.

It can be yours RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. When you have these messages as yours so that you can listen to them.

Time and time again and share them with your friends you will be reminded that those things that we believe are transformative. It isn't simply Bible doctrine.

It is doctrine that transforms lives ask for what we believe and let me give you that contact information again RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 understand why it is that God has revealed certain truths to us that are absolutely foundational to our walk with him and remember that running to win exist to help you make it all the way to the finish line.

Many of us have shorter to go than others, but in the end, we know how it's all going to turn out because we've trusted a qualified Savior. Thanks in advance for your generosity as you help us. It's time again for you to ask Pastor Luther question you might have about the Bible or the Christian life. Today's question deals with God's omniscience and his will regarding salvation. Let's listen to rusty rights. I was listening to the radio when you were talking about God being an all-knowing God. My question is does God know when a person is born, whether that person will go to heaven or hell.

And if he does, why create a soul that won't believe and have to suffer going to hell. Why give us free will. When he knew many would not choose Jesus and suffer for eternity. I just can't figure this out will rusty.

I want to congratulate you for asking need the most difficult question that I could ever be asked if I had a full answer to that way then indeed I would be omniscient, I would be God. So let me simply say in answer to your question.

The answer is yes, God does know the future. Yes, God does know that some people will be saved and some will be lost and he knows who they are. Everything is present to him now if you asked the question is you do. Why does God create people whom he knows in advance will be lost forever is very difficult for us to answer. I remember reading Martin Luther on this point and he says to believe that God is good, though he saves so few end dams so many is the highest degree of faith, I discovered the older I get, that there is much more mystery to God than I originally thought and all that we can do is to say that he works all things after the counsel of his own will. It is here. Rusty perhaps as nowhere else we need to trust both in God's goodness and his justice and believe that his plan is right and if we understood all the facts. We'd also agree that indeed it was good. Luther said that when we are confronted with these kinds of questions that we cannot answer.

We need to run to Jesus Christ because there we see in Jesus Christ compassion we see love. We see his desire to save people and it is there that we find our anchor our security to rusty go on believing no matter what some deep waters today for Dr. Erwin looks from a listener named resting. Thank you Dr. Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 so ancient Gospel of Judas surfaces in it.

Judas is a hero and Jesus is a fanciful being taking on many forms as the need arises. Written by the Gnostics Gospel of Judas is only the latest attempt to debunk the Christian next time I'm running to win. We begin a series on slandering Jesus lies being told about the man who claimed to be the son of God, our series will have six parts and in part one, Pastor Luther begins the message online.

Number one. Judas did Jesus a favor.

Don't miss it. Thanks for listening. This is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church