The Rapture; A Comfort In Crisis
Notes
Transcript
Intro; Last week as we defined the word “Rapture”, [harpazo], which is used 13 times in the NT. It means to be caught up or snatched away from danger or destruction.
We talked about the two main reasons for the rapture of the church;
The Rapture will end the church age and trigger the events of the End Times.
The Rapture is for the purpose of God delivering His children from His wrath that is to come on the earth during the Tribulation.
Tonight I want us to began a deeper study into the three main chapters in the NT that speak to the Rapture [John 14:1-3, 1 Cor. 15:51-58, 1 Thes. 4:13-18]
Text; John 14:1-3
John 14:1–3 (NKJV)
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 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.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
Jesus has just shared some disturbing news with His disciples.
He was going to be arrested and crucified.
That one among them was working with Satan and would betray Him.
That they couldn’t follow Him right now where He was going
And, Peter would also deny Him in the next few days when these events come about.
That’s enough to be troubled about!
Where do we turn in a time of crisis?
Do we turn to others who’ve gone through what we’re experiencing?
Do we turn to bad habits we left to try to console our troubled hearts?
Or do we stick our head in the sand hoping the issue will go away?
Jesus gives the answer!
1. Believe In Me; 1
1. Believe In Me; 1
Jesus tells the disciples to “believe in Him” in their time of trouble.
Trouble- stressed out, worried, agitated, shaken
Believe in God- It would be natural for them as Jews to turn to God for comfort in crisis. From a young age they were raised to trust God.
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, David, Job, Jeremiah, etc… all trusted God in their crisis. They knew God is good and that He meets Israel’s need. The Psalms speak of God being a God of comfort, strength and a dwelling place for those in need. Of course we will trust God!
Trust Me in the same way you trust God for we are One in the same!
[Illus.] A farmer needed a hired man. After trying several workers, who all failed to meet his standards, the farmer began to feel desperate. Then another worker applied for the job. The farmer asked him, “What qualifies you for this job?” The man answered, “I can sleep at night.” That didn’t sound too promising, but since he was desperate, the farmer hired the newcomer.
That night there was a terrific thunderstorm. The farmer awoke, ran to the hired man’s room and tried to wake him. He could not. Muttering to himself something like, “I’ll take care of him in the morning,” the farmer went outside into the night and the driving rain. He found the barn doors securely closed, the hay stack well covered and the tractor put away in the shed. There was nothing he could do but return to the house and go back to bed. Then he understood why his new hired man had said, “I can sleep at night.” He had taken care of everything and was prepared for the storm.
That’s what Jesus was saying to his disciples. You take care of the things your supposed to [Trust Me], and I’ll take care of the things beyond your control!
Mattoon, R. (2006). Treasures from John (Vol. 2, pp. 121–122). Rod Mattoon.
2. My Father’s House; 2
2. My Father’s House; 2
Jesus reminds them that this earth ain’t their home! He has real estate in heaven and He’s going to prepare a place for them.
Jesus is facing death, but it did not put him in a crisis, and it shouldn’t do that to us either. Hardship, suffering and death on this earth are only temporary crisis’ that lead to a better things.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
That glory to be revealed in us is a home in the Father’s house in heaven, never to be separated from fellowship with Him. And Jesus is preparing it for His own!
The traditional interpretation of Jesus preparing our “mansions” is not correct.
Now the bible speaks of the beauty and splendor of heaven [Rev. 21-22].
Mansion- dwelling place, room
According to Jewish wedding custom, the father would add rooms onto his house for his newly married son and his bride. Jesus is preparing a place for His bride, the “church.”
The “place” Jesus was preparing has less to do with a location (heaven) as it had to do with an intimate relationship with a person (God the Father). This interpretation does not deny the comfort of heaven’s hope in this passage, but it does remove the temptation to view heaven purely in terms of glorious mansions. Heaven is not about splendid accommodations; it is about being with God. The point of the passage is that Jesus is providing the way for the believers to live in God the Father. As such, the way he prepared the place was through his own death and resurrection and thereby opened the way for the believers to live in Christ and approach God.
Barton, B. B. (1993). John (pp. 286–287). Tyndale House.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Trust Me like you trust God
My Father’s house is prepared for you
3. I’ll Be Back; 3
3. I’ll Be Back; 3
Jesus doesn’t tell them these things just to make them feel good, but for them to remain calm and hopeful in the midst of a crisis, that Jesus will be back for them!
Receive- [para lam bano] to take up, bring along, snatch away [similar to har pa zo] Rapture!
In this chapter Jesus not only calms the disciples fears by promising His return for them [Rapture], but by also promising a Helper that will abide in them until He returns!
John 14:16–19 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
If we trust that Christ is going to return in the Rapture, then we need to live ready every day.
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Close;
When we face troubling times and are overwhelmed by fear, doubt, grief and conflict, we need to trust Christ above all. Jesus is with us always and has a plan and purpose for each and everyone of us. And that purpose is for good and not evil.
[David Jeremiah, The Great Disappearance, pg.18] The Rapture is a picture of how much Jesus loves you. Don’t let our thoughts about the Rapture be confined to people vanishing or trumpets sounding. Instead, focus on the truth that Christ came and died to save you, returned to heaven to prepare a place for you, and is shortly coming again to receive you to Himself.
Why? Because He wants you to be where He is, to see and share in His glory!