The Big Surprise
Jr. Church, Section 4, Unit 2, Lesson 6 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Agenda
Agenda
Surprise Party
Party Games
- Deep and Wide
- When We All Get to Heaven
- Father Abraham
- Memory Verse - John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Lesson
Review Game
Surprise Party
Surprise Party
Gather
Gather
• Streamers
- Balloons
• Masking tape
• Sweet treat (cupcakes or decorated cookies)
1 Before class, inform one of your helpers that you will need him to leave the class today for a short while. Tell the helper to come back in six minutes.
2. Once the helper leaves, tell the rest of the class that they are going to put on a miniature surprise party for their helper to show how much his help is appreciated.
Assign jobs to each student and work quickly.
• Lookout. Post a lookout at the door who can keep you posted on the helper's whereabouts and return.
Decorators. Assign students to put up streamers, balloons, and make quick thank you posters from construction paper.
• Food distributors. Assign students to put out colorful napkins and the treats.
• Lights. Assign a student to man the lights. The lights should be off until the helper enters. Then the lights should come on as everyone yells, 'l SURPRISE!
3. Conduct the surprise. Thank your helper for all his work and dedication to the class. Enjoy a treat as you discuss the surprise party.
ASK: How did it feel to prepare the party? (Exciting, nervous, fun.) READ: When you knew the helper was coming back, did you sit around and wonder and wait? (No, you were all busy because you all had a job to do.)
In our lesson today, we are going to learn about the Rapture. The Rapture is the word we use to describe the return of Jesus. It is like waiting for the best surprise party ever! But we should not just sit around and wait for it, we should get busy preparing for it! Let's go to our Bibles to learn about the next big event in God’s plan for believers.
The Rapture: A Sure Promise
The Rapture: A Sure Promise
ASK: Have you ever prepared for a visit from someone? Maybe your grandma and grandpa were coming from far away. What did you do to get ready for their arrival? (Let students share their experiences. Talk about the various tasks the students and their families did to get ready for the guests.)
ASK: On the day of their arrival, did you find yourself standing at the window, watching for them? Did you go to the airport and watch and wait for them? (Let your students share.)
ASK: How did you feel as you waited? (Excited, eager, hopeful.)
Someday Jesus is coming back for believers. Are you ready for His return? Have you been preparing? Have you been anxiously wondering, "How much longer?" The promise of Jesus' return to this earth was made by Jesus Himself and then reinforced by two angels. Later it was more fully explained by the apostle Paul. Let's take a look at Jesus' promise to return.
When Jesus was on the earth, He spent much time teaching His disciples. One day Jesus told His disciples that He would not be on the earth much longer. This worried the disciples. They wondered where Jesus was going. So, He told them.
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
ASK: Where did Jesus tell the disciples He was going? (To His Father's house.)
ASK: What was He going to do there? (Prepare a place for them.)
ASK: According to verse 3, what did Jesus promise to do? (Come again and receive them so they could be with Jesus.)
Jesus promised to come again! We know that when Jesus promises something, He always keeps His promise.
After Jesus rose from the dead, He spent forty days on earth. Then the time came for Jesus to return to Heaven.
They all watched as Jesus rose up, up, and up into a cloud and out of their sight.
Can you imagine? Tip your head back and look up. Imagine seeing the risen Savior pulled up, right off the ground, like a helium balloon, until He went up into a cloud and He was gone! Show me what you would look like. Yes, you might just stand there speechless, staring at the sky, wondering what had just happened! That is exactly what the disciples were doing when suddenly two angels appeared.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
ASK: What promise did the angels repeat? (He will come in like manner.)
ASK: How did He leave? (In a cloud; in the sky.)
ASK: If He left in a cloud, in the sky, how will He come again? (In a cloud, in the sky!)
The Rapture: What It Is
The Rapture: What It Is
How will it happen? When will it happen? What will it be like? The thought of
Jesus return is exciting and maybe a little bit frightening. We call this event the Rapture. It really means "to be caught up." Throughout the ages, many people have tried to guess exactly when Jesus will come back and rapture (or take up) believers. But they all must have forgotten to read their Bibles!
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
ASK: Do you know when a robbery will happen? (No.)
ASK: Does a pregnant woman know the exact time she will deliver her baby? (No.)
ASK: Do we know when Jesus is coming back? (No.)
No one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return for us. But we do know He is coming again. It might be today, tomorrow, in a week, in a year, or in ten years. We don't know. God does not work according to our plans or timetable. But we can be sure of His coming. He is faithful to His promises.
God did reveal some of what Jesus' return will look like. God revealed it to Paul in a letter to the church in Thessalonica. Evidently, the believers there were very worried about their Christian loved ones who had already passed away. What would happen to them? Would they be resurrected? How? Paul wanted them to be comforted with the hope of eternal life and the hope of the resurrection.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
ASK: What will living believers hear? (A shout, the voice of the archangel and a trumpet blast from God.)
ASK: Then what will happen? (The dead in Christ will rise first)
Dead bodies are going to come up out of the ground? But doesn't a believer who dies go straight to be with Jesus? Yes! This all seems a little confusing. But there is an explanation in the Bible.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
ASK: Who are those who have "fallen asleep"? (Believers who have died.)
Paul uses the term "asleep" because, for the believer, death is like sleep. It is not permanent. The bodies of those who die will not stay in the ground forever.
ASK: Who will Jesus bring with Him when He comes? (Those believers who have died.)
ASK: So then, according to the end of verse 16, who meets the Lord first? (Those who have died.)
When a believer dies, his soul goes immediately into the presence of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:8.) His body goes into the grave. At the moment of the Rapture, the body of a Christian who has died will be resurrected and transformed instantly. It will be instantly reunited with the spirit, right there in the air.
Of course, this is all going to happen so fast, we won't even be able to see it.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
ASK: How fast will the Rapture happen? (In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.)
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
ASK: After the dead in Christ rise, who is next to go? (Believers who are still alive on the earth.)
Faster than a blink, the trumpet will blast, the angel will shout and WHOOSH! Away we go! I cannot imagine! I cannot wait! We will be caught up, or "raptured." Everyone will get a new, perfect body! It will be free of sin, sickness, disease, and death! Our glorified bodies will be perfectly fit for Heaven.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
ASK: Where will we be forever and always? (With Jesus, in the presence of the Lord.)
What an incredible promise! What an incredible hope! But it won't be exciting for everyone. Not everyone will go. For those who don't go, it will be a terrifying and horrifying moment. In light of that sobering thought, we must be sure we are prepared.
The Rapture: How to Prepare For It
The Rapture: How to Prepare For It
How can you prepare for this event? Is there anything we should be doing to get ready for this? YES!
First, make sure you are going on this trip! The only requirement for this trip is for you to trust in Jesus as your Savior. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the only way to Heaven. You must acknowledge your sin and your need for a Savior. You must believe that Jesus' shed blood on the cross was the perfect payment for your sin that separates you from God. You must trust in Jesus alone to forgive your sin and give you eternal life in Heaven.
Those are the only people who will be going on the rapture trip. Do you have your "ticket?" If you are not sure, make sure today. Confess that you are a sinner and trust Jesus as your Savior. Jesus is the only "ticket" to Heaven.
After we have accepted Christ as Savior, we should be anticipating Jesus' return and looking forward to it. While we wait, we should be busy!
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
ASK: What should we be doing while we are waiting for Jesus? (Working for God, spreading the gospel, serving others.)
God gave us a job to do: spread the gospel, serve one another with love, and grow in Christ. We should not be sitting around, staring up at the sky, doing nothingl There is work to do!
There is one last thing we should be doing while we wait for the Rapture.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
ASK: What should we be doing? (Comforting each other with the hope of the Rapture and eternity with Jesus.)
When you have a bad day, remember, Jesus is coming! When horrible things happen, remember, Jesus is coming! When things look awful and your heart is breaking, remember, Jesus is coming! You know what your future is! You get to have eternity with Jesus forever! Now THAT is reason for comfort and hope!