"Looking For The Blessed Hope"

“The RAPTURE of The Church” (07/05/23)Introduction:Our Blessed Hope….I Corinthians15:51-52  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall notall sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 ina moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raisedimperishable, and we shall be changed. Revelation 1:1-3  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show tohis servants[a] the thingsthat must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servantJohn, 2 who bore witness to the word ofGod and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud thewords of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what iswritten in it, for the time is near.Revelation22:7 “And behold, I am comingsoon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of thisbook.”Titus 2:12-13training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to liveself-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, theappearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ButThere Is A Problem….II Peter 2:1-3Butfalse prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be falseteachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, evendenying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.2 And many will follow their sensuality, andbecause of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 Andin their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation fromlong ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.Matt. 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead manyastray.Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shallshew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.ACTS 20:29-30 Iknow that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparingthe flock; 30 and from among your ownselves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples afterthem. COL. 2:88 Seeto it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, accordingto human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of theworld, and not according to Christ.II Thess.2:3-12,I Tim. 4:1-3,II Tim. 3:1-9,II Tim.4:3,I John 4:1ScripturalDefinition of the ‘Rapture’ from Jamie Hanson….“Theinstantaneous resurrection of the overcoming O.T. & N.T. Saints who havedied & the instant ‘snatching up’ also of the living, overcoming believerson the earth who altogether as a group meet Jesus in the air & are taken tothe Throne of God who will remain with Him FOREVER(not withstanding, comingback with Him at 2nd Coming to Rule & Reign with Him in theMillenium)! During this event all the dead & living are ‘caught up’ receivingnew ‘glorified bodies’ that are the same as the ‘spirit-glorified’ body ofChrist. This will all occur prior to what the Bible calls “The Great Tribulation”.This event will also be instantaneous & visible to all who are not ‘caughtup’ Is There Biblical Presidence ForSuch an outrageous Event!?Genesis 5:21-24 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.22 Enoch walked with God[a] after hefathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not,[b]for God took him.II Kings 2:9-11 9 Whenthey had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before Iam taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion ofyour spirit on me.” 10 And he said,“You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you,it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold,chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. AndElijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Acts 1:9-11 9 And when he had said these things, as they werelooking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as hewent, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 andsaid, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? ThisJesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as yousaw him go into heaven.”I Corinthians 15:51-53  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but weshall all be changed, 52 in amoment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet willsound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.53 For this perishable body mustput on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. The ‘Blessed Hope of The Church’….TheRAPTURE is meant to fill us with OUTRAGEOUS HOPE!!..It is Positive, !It isGLORIOUS!...It is not meant to Be scary or gloomy!! It is not meant to worrythe saint with thoughts of “Am I worthy enough to make it!’