Evacuation and Invasion (Part A)

All the signs these signs will tell you that my return is imminent and we have to open that up which we hope to do than the last section versus 32, 37, which hopefully will get next session. Jesus emphasized very, much to his followers being us. Those living during the time that verses 28 and 31 begin emphasizes us to watch.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville*is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 13 as he begins his message evacuation and invasion versus 28, 31 Mellor in this parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near at the doors. Surely, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. The Lord has been quite emphatic with his warnings throughout this 13th chapter as we been considering the last of the last days of this is something that God wants us to learn to be familiar with the revelation of Jesus Christ.

It's not called the veil of Jesus Christ.

It is the revelation that is put out in the open and as I was preparing for this I got to the bottom of my first real round of notes and I just typed in. Ponder, just to think about these things and Peter said it this way in his second letter in the third chapter. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you be in holy conduct and godliness.

And then he continued as he was talking about the end of the world when he wrote this in the 14th verse of second Peter he says, therefore, beloved looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless.

The point is that end time study is not to be wasted on our desire to know these things must go beyond that, it must at some point be a process internally in our heads and our hearts to the Lord, why are you telling me these things. What can I do with them. And so he has been emphatic with his audience and were going to just briefly review the how he has approached this end time teaching with his followers, intending the message to go way past them to reach us. And that's what this morning is about the generation the time we live in right now. Now, as he on role. This prophecy there out of sequence and he is left it to his servants to line it up so let's briefly look just if you have Mark open just stay there with me.

I'm not going to read from it, but I'm going to take the sections. The paragraphs verses one through 21 and two. Jesus told them of the utter obliteration of that second Jewish Temple that Zerubbabel had built and then Herod had come along and expanded it and in it was a significant expansion in verses three through 13, Jesus told of the many tribulations that would take place from the time that that Temple was destroyed to the next phase in which we have been living in and are still a part of men from verses 14 through 23. He told of the last 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation. So again, three through 13 is as well.

This is this kind of trouble you going to face as people on earth. And then he jumps ahead to the middle of the great tribulation which knocks it out of sequence. And there he spoke of abomination of desolation that will take place in the third Jewish temple that has not yet been built in verses 24 through 27. He spoke of his return to earth that would end the great tribulation.

The great tribulation.

Last for seven years with 3 1/2.

Those last three and half years will intensify on Israel, and when he comes he puts an end to the great tribulation and human rule and he himself will rule the world from Jerusalem.

He is warning us.

He is telling us here are the signs these signs will tell you that my return is imminent and we have to open that up which we why we hope to do than the last section versus 32, 37, which hopefully will get next session.

Jesus emphasized very, much to his followers being us. Those living during the time that verses 28 and 31 begin emphasizes us to watch and that is makes it real to us in a single verse now departing from that brief review brief review in a single Old Testament verse, God makes this statement about making a distinction between his people and those who are not his people, and I does us throughout the Scripture. EP did it with Cain and Abel. He did with Noah and the antediluvian zoo perished in the flood is done it throughout, but here it is just a very clear statement Exodus 18 he's talking this is a in the days when Moses and Aaron were facing Pharaoh in Egypt, God said, I will make a distinction between my people and your people and we have every reason to believe that he is not going to depart from that but continue with that approach, which leads us to the pre-tribulation. Removal of the church body of believers which will be our first topic we talking were talking about evacuation before invasion.

The invasion is when Christ returns is going to invade this planet with the armies of heaven.

It will be every bit of the spiritual and physical invasion, but prior to that seven years prior to that there is what we know as the rapture of the church, the true church in the rapture is the removal.

It is God evacuating his citizens and this is not something new in the Scripture. There's other cases of this lot was evacuated from Sodom and Gomorrah before the judgment fell of believers, which I hope we all are and if you're not a believer maybe you will be by the time this message is over what believers have a at the very least a dual citizenship, one in heaven and one on earth, and of course you can hold multiple citizenships on earth would essentially you have a citizenship in heaven and one on earth. The one in heaven is your dominant citizenship and must not ever lose sight of that is very important because this the your national conference pride are eroded. You have to default to your dominant citizenship, which is that in heaven, so all rights of the Philippians he says for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and this globalization, the spirit of globalization that has been upon us is that includes eroding nationalism so that the world can say what you belong to us and not you know you can't be a patriot. You have to be a globalist.

That's what they're trying to to do and to do this to trying to strip at least in this nation.

Our identity as Americans take away from us our freedoms and First Amendment. The second, all on and on it goes last was going on.

Don't be shaken by these things.

At least not too much.

The rapture has as its objective to remove believers from what is coming so we only talk about the rapture. There those in Christianity that believe the church will be rapture halfway through the tribulation of the poodles of the points which I don't agree with.

I believe in a pre-great tribulation removal of the body of believers because there's no way I can explain it out of Scripture. First Thessalonians.

Now remember, if you going to be a student of end times of caution we have no right to be only a student of end times. There's a whole Bible to know there's a lot of information and a lot of work to do but we should have an end time view and in order in our heads to get that you're going to have to read and take some time in the book of Daniel sometime in Ezekiel in the New Testament of first and second Thessalonians was sure the book of Revelation, the Olivet discourse, which is what we're studying in Mark was going to get to Mark this morning. Mark my word.

But first Thessalonians. Speaking about the removal of the church.

Paul says therefore comfort one another with these words well of the church is going to get have to go to some of the tribulation.

There's no comfort. I can't be comforted because is going to be a lot of trouble on this planet.

At the very beginning wars, natural disasters, unlike ever before. And that's just leading up to the 3 1/2 year. And so when Paul says comfort one another with these words that would be no comfort if I had to endure these things. He continues in the fifth chapter of first Thessalonians. For God did not appoint us to wrath again, this is in the context of the end times and the rapture, the removal of the church. He continues, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ was plain speak to me.

He did not appoint us to wrath, which the great tribulation. It is an outpouring of God's wrath on sinners versus Iranians five. Therefore, 511, he repeats himself.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another because he's talking about end time he saying you should be built up learning about the prophecies that are still to be fulfilled concerning the return of Christ. You should be comforted by this and you should be built up and then you should build up others with this information pretty much what I was reading from Peter at the beginning this morning, but perhaps the strongest single verse in the New Testament because it is illustrated in the Old Testament of for example again locked in the Noah, but Revelation 310 I got a pause here. There are some that think that the church means of this universal un-disconnected body. That is part of the definition of the ecclesia, but called out ones. The church, but there is the local church, where the emphasis is and when Paul called the elders from the local church in Ephesus to meet him at Miletus.

Everything he said was with this mindset that we assemble. That's what we do as Christians. Satan hates it. The lazy you don't like it, and there are others who find reasons not to do it and you are noncompliant with Scripture. I do not say this because I'm a pastor I say because I'm a Christian and is very clear in Scripture and you have missed formation when you abandon the church as Paul was writes to the Hebrews forsaking the assembling well when Christ rights to the seven churches. He's writing to assemblies not this detached bunch of believers doing their own thing and it is an assembly with a structure he himself gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastor teachers, for the equipping of the saints. The work of the ministry for the edification of the body of Christ, the assembly, the Jews had their synagogues, they still do. We have our churches and Christ died for the church will need called out ones he gave his life for the church purchased it. We are told in the Bible with his own blood. And so I won't tolerate any conversation that goes for something less. There are some that cannot meet, they cannot assembly may have a some illness or some other condition. Of course, that's understandable, but there are others that I I fear are neglecting a very easy calling. It is hard to go to church and stay continued to go to church. Satan hates you doing it. He wants to break down your loyalty. If we could have Christians that had truth and love and loyalty. We get a lot more done as a body of believers. What these things are evasive.

Well, that was just part of everything else that's coming back to this statement Jesus makes to the church in ancient Turkey in a city called Philadelphia. He says because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth will when he spoke into that church. There was no trial.

Coming upon the whole earth, and there has not been a trial. Come upon the whole earth like the one that's coming. He is talking about the great tribulation. And so he says to this body of believers who have persevered and kept to his command, which is his word. I'm going to spare you from this tribulation that is coming. I'm not gonna wrap you in bubble wrap. I'm going to snatch you out of here is a lot of era in human theology due to a misunderstanding as far as making the difference between the church and the nation Israel.

They're not the same they are connected. There are similarities, but they are not identical, and if you if you cannot make that distinction, you're likely going to be a legalistic person you going to miss the emphasis of grace in your Christian walk.

At least that's been my experience. But this tribulation. The 3 1/2 with Israel. As I mentioned, comes from this verse one of many but Jeremiah 30 verse seven, the prophet says alas for that day is great so that none is like it and it is the time of Israel's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it see that the original Hebrew says Jacobs trouble while Jacob's name change is we know is he talking about Israel.

I have just given you an interpretive rendering of that verse and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, and how will they be saved out of it by the return of the Lord with the armies of heaven us along with him, the church age with its removal completes that dispensation that period of time, but it leaves behind the false church which is two parts to the Falls Church. It is apostate. In other words it's falling away from the Scripture from God's word. It really doesn't believe in God's word that then brings in the second part is ecumenical.

That means that it can pray with and include an mix in other religions without any disturbance to its conscience because it is dead completely.

It is the apostate church. It is the great harlot that is mentioned in Revelation 18 and 19 and the harlot is the one that is unfaithful. She rides the beast. She is so to speak, the state church that is tolerated for a while by antichrist until finally he exalts himself and have will have none of that and but destroys even that the true church is not apostate again. Revelation chapter 3, the same church that he said I'm going to spare you this great tribulation. He says I know your works.

See, I have set before you an open door. When did he do that Pentecost church was born come back to that moment, and no one can shut it.

The church will be here.

The true church that will be at the very least, a remnant of the true church preaching the word of God from the word of God. He says, for you have a little strength is that not the church have kept my word and have not denied my name. You see the contrast between all of these ecumenical churches that are out there that have denied the Lord's name that are not keeping his word that are not persevering according to his commandments that are telling you. There are many roads that go to heaven and just pick one that we are not the only ones with it you can find it in the Jewish synagogue hindered in the in the Muslim mosque. You can find it under some trees. If you doing Zen Buddhism or something.

All these roads lead to heaven. That's the lie that there telling people, and you will know them by their fruits and the fruit will be. Of course, whether it is true and sweet. According to Scripture, or if it's rotten, according to men, the church, the New Testament church. It was supernaturally injected into human history at Pentecost. There's no explanation for this know where some of survive those usually shut it down.

If it weren't for God, but it was for God so it was supernaturally injected. It will be supernaturally ejected. That is the rapture of the church. The evacuation of believers. The removal of the true assembly which will be outlawed during antichrist time anyway and God knows he sees this happening. So I believe in the pre-tribulation. Removal of the church because I believe the Bible teaches it, and I'm not ever going to be in a mood to explain away. Also one who needs 144,002 witnesses.

If the church is still here preaching the truth. We need these supernaturally that's divinely protected believers because their message will be intolerant but God will protect them because there is again this assembly of believers outlawed. Listen, we just saw this and hope you been listening. We just saw in our country in the world. Citizen pit is pitted against citizen to make sure you're wearing your master right way will in the time of antichrist is going to be citizen pitted against any citizen who decided to preach from the Bible what it says my point is it there will be those to make sure there's no preaching of the truth without consequence, and thus the tribulation converts and tribulation martyrs and the tribulation a 144,000 who are protected in the two intolerant preachers of God's truth lead the 144,000 to Christ they will be protected only for a while and then they too will not be tolerated.

So the return of Christ. Well, the return for his church is the evacuation return.

Seven years later with his church is the invasion, Jude chapter of apartment.

Jude 1414 verse of Jude. Behold, the Lord comes with 10,000s of his saints that goes along with what Jesus was saying herein.

Verse 24 but in those days after the tribulation he talks about the sun being dark, dark, and uses then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory that will be us with him. He's not coming alone, though he could. Revelation 1914 and the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses taking no nonsense to say that last part but that was happening. The alcohol that into your thoughts. That part about clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Just bookmark that the objective when he returns with us is to rescue Israel from extinction and to rescue humanity what's left of it from extinction.

Second Thessalonians chapter 1.

These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power not satellite. That's too bad you're not liking is not a legal way and not liking what the Bible teaches is not stop it. It continues on, and it will outlive every body who is against it with Aaron second Thessalonians, Paul is saying God is going to come deal with this is not going to wink at injustice and corruption all the evil done to his people and the blasphemy against his name and then he continues when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all who believe to be admired to scope. Yes, the beauty of the Lord something to behold is going to happen. You don't have the will of Satan in my younger years as a Christian I was very pleased to Christianity. I could feel it when I did sing. I could feel it. As the years rolled by taking so many kids any past values been around long enough. It's more faith than anything else. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time.

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