Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist of exactly what is going on in the Bible. The truth is that God will bring with Him, with Him when He comes. They're in His presence. He'll be bringing them with Him.

We're going to explain all that. Look at verse 15. The dead in Christ get out of here as quick as they can.

To get to the cafeteria, I'm just picking. Lord forgive me, I apologize. That should not be a Sunday morning joke, should it?

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Look at verse 17. 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.

Why is this important? Wherefore comfort one another with these words. That means this, it doesn't really matter what situation you're going through, this should comfort you this morning. Lord we need comforted. God as we preach about this most precious subject that really binds us all together. The belief that you are coming back and the belief Lord that we believe you're probably coming very soon. Lord I pray that you would convict us, encourage us, whatever you need to do to us today dear God. Would you do it?

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. When I was in high school we had a man that went to our church in Florida and he actually owns a mechanic shop. Actually there it's kind of between Floral City, Florida and Brooksville, Florida. I don't know if his shop is in Floral City or Brooksville, I don't remember. But his name was Charlie Chilson. But I remember going to his shop one time, I had a 1970 Cougar and I wish I had never gotten rid of it. It was just like it was driven off the showroom floor. I bought it from a man that had worked at Mercury, retired, he drove it off the showroom floor as part of his retirement. He bought himself and it had a souped up engine, it had everything that an interior could have in it. It was an XR7, it had the big engine, all this stuff and I bought it from him when I was 16 and I paid for it for three years. He kept it and I paid on it, had it paid off. I'll never forget it and I just had a weak moment in college and sold that car and I have longed, I have the serial number if any of you know how to look that up and find it, I would like to have that car again one day.

Let's pray, God would you lead in somebody's heart this morning, Lord please work in hearts. I had to go take it obviously and I got work done and they had this man in the shop and he had, like a lot of mechanics do, it's a zip up, jumpsuit kind of a thing that a lot of mechanics wear. Obviously you don't want to get grease on everything that you have all the time so they just kind of put that on. So this man had that on one day and I got there one day and it was kind of near quitting time I guess you would say. As I got there, and I'll never forget it, and I don't remember the gentleman's name but Charlie Chilson was the owner and I'm sure a lot of guys are just like this. You know when you get ready to quit in time and go home then you got to take the outfit off you know and different things and get cleaned up and wash up and it was almost quitting time and some of the guys were ragging him that you know what it's almost quitting time, you're not even ready to go home kind of a thing. He still had everything on, most of them already had their stuff off and had their clothes on, they were cleaned up and he was still working. And right at quitting time he got done working and he stepped away and they were getting ready to walk out and man that guy unzipped that and I'll never forget it he was right there in the office and zipped that uniform.

Stepped out of that thing, man he was clean as can be. He had his clean clothes on and they just kind of looked kind of surprised and he said you know fellas, he said I stay ready so I don't have to get ready. And I was reading studying for this message and I found a story about a gentleman that said that exact same thing and boom it clicked. And you know what as Christians we're to stay ready so we don't have to get ready. I want you to notice number one as we look at this passage I just want to make it very clear for you this morning that's my purpose I'm not really here to motivate you this morning.

God's word will do that. I'm just here to explain it make sure that you understand it. Number one I want you to see the participants involved in this event.

The people that are involved. Number one the Savior will be involved. Just so you know. Look at verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven. Now the Bible makes it clear in different areas.

It gives different illustrations about angels coming and doing things and ministering. But you know what's interesting when he comes back he is not sending his angels to get us. He is not sending a courier.

He is not sending somebody. I spent ten years in full time evangelism. I would fly to meetings. And often times there would be a staff member or maybe a church member or somebody to pick me up from the airport. On rare occasions the pastor himself would come pick me up from the airport. And usually that didn't happen because I was a no name.

You know I wasn't a big name kind of a thing. And a Tim Lee shows up at the airport. Bless God the pastor needs to come pick him up. Brother Tim now he makes it so easy on preachers. He just gets his own car. You don't even have to go get him.

He likes it that way. But when a pastor showed up for a no name evangelist you felt special. I was like oh the pastor came and got me. Wow.

Let me tell you something how special you and I are. The Lord is not sending anybody. He is coming himself to get his bride. What is interesting about this is this follows Jewish tradition. The bridegroom would always prepare the house or the place where they were staying before obviously they got married. And so obviously God is now preparing. He's building mansions for us.

And he's preparing everything for us. And according to Jewish tradition the bridegroom would take his friends and those that were close friends and they would go with him and he would get the bride and bring her home. And the friends would be there to support and see.

It was a big event. And he would go himself, get her and bring her but he would have all of his friends. And guess what? When God comes to get us all those that have been saved and all these years that were believers they are coming with him.

He's bringing his friends and he's coming to get us his bride. The Savior will be involved. Number two, obviously the saints will be involved. But let me explain this before we get into this. As the Savior is involved what is going to be part of his involvement?

Well the Bible makes it clear of two things. And I want you to see this. Number one, there will be a shout. And number two, there is the trumpet of God. Now you say preacher explain. Well the shout refers almost literally to a military command. Jesus is literally calling the host of heaven to assemble for military action. Now why does he need to shout and assemble for military action? I'm going to explain this and talk about it more in just a little bit. But do you realize when Jesus comes back for us that he literally has to come through enemy territory to get us.

Who is the prince and power of the air? And he's coming right through the middle of them. There is a shout. Now obviously there are other reasons why this shout was used in the Bible. This shout was often times it was there to gather people.

It was there to get people's attention. And so I don't really know everything why there is going to be a shout. What interests me is what this shout is going to be. What is he going to shout?

Have you ever thought about that? Is he going to say, Hey! Or Woo!

Isn't that a North Carolina thing? Woo! That's what you all think he's going to say isn't it? Like Ric Flair.

Woo! Kind of a thing. I don't know. What is he going to shout?

I don't know. I don't know what word he's going to use. I don't know what phrase he's going to use. He might say Arise! He might say Come! I don't know what he's going to say. But I do know this.

It's going to be a shout like nothing you or I have ever heard. Let me tell you why. Let me read you a verse. You don't need to go to it.

Write it down if you want to look at it later. John 5 verse 25. Listen. Verily verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live. You know why there's a shout? To wake everybody up. What is interesting it says they that hear shall live.

That means this. I believe that when Jesus comes back with a shout unsaved people will not hear it. It's a shout like nothing you and I have ever heard but those who have never been saved won't even hear it. Because the Bible says those that hear it shall live.

Wow! You talk about a shout. We're going to be having church right now and all of a sudden whoo!

Wouldn't it be a surprise if that's actually what He does? We're all going to be going through the sky and be like He was right. Our preacher was right.

I know this. That the dead is going to hear it. We're going to hear it. All those who have ever been saved and believers are going to hear it. It's going to be loud enough for us to hear it but the unsaved will never hear a thing. Let me ask you this. Will you hear it?

Do you know for sure that you're saved? The second thing is the Bible says that there is going to be the trumpet of God. Now throughout Jewish history the trumpet was used for a number of different things. To save time this morning in Numbers chapter 10 we are told that trumpets were used to announce feasts or dinners. 2 Samuel chapter 6 we are told that trumpets were used to announce various celebrations. Leviticus chapter 23 trumpets were used to announce sacred assemblies or gathering people together. Numbers chapter 10 said that trumpets were used to sound an alarm during a time of war. Judges chapter 6 Numbers chapter 10 that obviously trumpets were used to assemble crowds. 1 Samuel chapter 13 trumpets were used to make an announcement.

I don't know why maybe this trumpet of God is being used but I believe it was being used for every one of those reasons. He's gathering a crowd. He is crying war. He is making an announcement.

He is announcing a celebration. The trump of God shall sound. Now you say will unsaved people hear it?

I don't know but I don't think so. I literally think to an unsaved person everybody is going to be gone. And they are not going to know what hit them. It's going to be a sad day.

But it's going to be a happy day for us. When that happens those foul mouthed TV comedians that make fun of us Christians they can have it all man. You go ahead and make fun now.

When they see hundreds of thousands of Christians that have been taken by the Lord. You go ahead and make a joke now comedians. You go ahead and criticize us now. You go ahead and make light of and I'm not going to mention names but I'd love to.

Because there are some people on the media that absolutely drive me bonkers. They have no idea how wrong they are but let me tell you something as sad as it is that day they will find out how wrong they are. And that day you and I will find out how right God's word is. The trump of God will sound. Two reasons why I believe that he is using the trump of God. Number one is to assemble the people of God. Number two is to signal his deliverance of them.

It's time. Number two I want you to see not only is the Savior involved but number two the saints will be involved. And I want to make this very very clear so if anybody is confused. When the rapture takes place it will involve all those who have been saved by the grace of God.

Both past and present. Now there's not going to be some that are in heaven they're just going to stay in heaven while Jesus comes to get us. There's not some that are some other place. We're all going to be involved. Everybody is going to be there together. You understand that.

Now I want you to understand this. This will not be an event for certain super Christians. Or a select few super saints. And it's not just for those of us who are alive right now. This will involve everybody that has been saved who has trusted Christ as their personal savior.

Now let me say two things number one. Number one is this the rapture will include all saints. Number two the rapture will only include saints. It will include everybody that's been saved but it will include only those that have been saved. I want you to understand that day there will be a lot of fine moral and religious people that will not be part of this rapture.

Being a fine moral religious person is a wonderful thing but that does nothing to get you to heaven or to make you a saved individual. Number two not only the participants in this event. Number two the power involved in this event. Look at verse 16 if you will. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven.

That takes power right there by the way. With a shout with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Number one I want you to see the power of resurrection that will be displayed. The power of resurrection. Resurrection will take place this day. Now why is this written to the Thessalonian believers?

They were worried and here's what they were worried about. They were afraid that those that had already died although they were believers if they had already died that they were going to miss out on the rapture. And so obviously we're given these verses verses 13 to 18 to let them know that those who have already died in Christ will be part of the rapture.

You say well how is that going to take place? Oh listen to me dear friend the dead will rise again but it is not how it sounds. This is interesting and I want you to get this so that nobody misunderstands this. When you consider the millions who have died believing Christ. The millions that have died over the last 2,000 years. And you consider and think about the fact that their bodies that were placed in graves I mean as far as 2,000 years ago. Their bodies that have been placed into graves literally have disintegrated they have rotted. How in the world is a body going to come out of those graves? It boggles our mind. May I remind you that the same God who had the power to create this entire world has the power to do that.

Now let me make this very very clear. All the saints we have known that have been saved who have preceded us in death will one day have their bodies raised from the dead. By the way not a single one of them are in a grave today. You just said their bodies are going to be raised from the dead now you just said that none of them are in the graves right now.

Yes that's exactly right. Because the Bible says that when you are absent from the body you are present with the Lord. God has their souls in heaven. But when he comes back with that shout with the trump of God he is bringing the soul with him. And new glorified bodies will be coming out of those graves. You say how?

I don't know. That's what faith is all about. You say preacher I hope that you can prove this.

Oh I can. Listen to me. When he comes for their bodies he will bring their spirits with him. And the body that new glorified body and that soul will reunite at the resurrection time. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with him.

This is going to be something to see. Now I'm going to give you some verses but let me give you this verse first. That's the power of resurrection. Let me tell you secondly the power of rapture.

Now notice verse 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together. There will be resurrection that day.

That's new glorified bodies coming out of the grave. Uniting with the soul that the Lord has saved that has been in heaven with him. And then there will be rapture. There is resurrection and then there's taking up of those of us. Hopefully we'll still be alive.

Hopefully he's coming soon. And we will be caught up with them. You say preacher what in the world? I want you to understand this word rapture and obviously we always argue about the word rapture. And let me just tell you what the word rapture means. It means to be caught up. So that's why obviously we use that word.

Caught up. It refers to a strong irresistible act. It means to seize by force. To carry off by force. To claim eagerly. It means this. That in the rapture Jesus will claim his bride.

And literally by force will take his bride with him. Y'all okay so far? Now, at this moment when the saints and let me explain this. The saints, the soul that comes with God and those of us that are alive and remain at that moment when he comes back that will be the last time you and I will ever have our fleshly body.

The moment the Lord comes, look at me. We get a new body right there. And the dead in Christ get a new body. We all get a new body at that exact moment. You understand that. Our fleshly bodies will be no more as soon as God comes. You say, how can you prove that? Let me read you some verses. First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 51.

Listen to this. Behold, I will show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. In other words, we're not all dead.

You got that? But we shall all be changed. So we're not just taken, we're changed.

Listen to this next verse. 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. That means this, the dead get their new bodies and we're changed into our glorified bodies. That means this, when we leave here, the body stays here.

Thank God. That's why I believe obviously when the Lord comes back it's not like all of a sudden, and some TV shows will tell you that all of a sudden the Lord comes back and there's no body. Oh no, there's gonna be a whole bunch of bodies.

The body's staying here. We get a new glorified body. That means this, if the Lord came right now, those of us who are saved in this building, that body will be laying here looking obviously dead. There'll be dead bodies everywhere when the Lord comes back. Because we get a new glorified body.

We might not all sleep, but we're all going to be changed. Now, not only are we getting a new body, but that's when you and I will be made like Jesus. Now, 1 John 3, verse 2, listen to this. Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. You say, what are we gonna look like? It doesn't appear yet. We don't know what we shall be.

Notice this, but we know that. When he shall appear, we shall be like him. So we're getting a glorified body and that's at that moment when we're gonna be made in the image of Christ, we're gonna look like Christ, we're gonna be made like him. You say, I don't understand it.

I don't either. But the Bible says it. Notice this, 1 John 3, verse 3. And every man that hath his hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Now, let me read this verse so you understand it. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Wow. So that means this, there is the power of resurrection and there is the power of rapture. Everybody understand it so far? The Savior's involved and all the saints that have ever been saved are involved. When the Savior comes, he brings the souls of those believers that have gone on before us and he raises glorified bodies out of the grave and as soon as that happens, then you and I will be caught up together with them in the clouds. Our body will stay here, we will have a brand new body and we're all together and we all head to heaven from there.

It's gonna be great. Number three, the promise involved in this event will be done. The promise involved in this event. Look at verse 17. 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. First, I want you to see this first promise is the promise of rescue. The Bible says that he is coming in the air. The air is the abode.

Remember what I told you. Satan does not live in hell. He's not needed there. In hell are those he's already conquered. Satan is the prince and power of the air. He lives in the sky. His realm is all across, obviously, the earth and he has access. He can get anywhere to anywhere quickly. He's not everywhere at once. Only God is omnipresent, but Satan can get anywhere as quickly as he wants to get.

This has been his abode. He's the prince and power of the air, but the Bible says that we're gonna meet the Lord in the air. That means this. There's the promise that right in the middle of enemy territory, right in the middle of Satan's abode, as if to show his power and strength and domain and sovereignty, God is going to meet us, bring us all together, right in the middle of Satan's territory. You talk about power.

Wow. Let me say this. It is also worthy to note this, that he will take the church out of the world before he judges the world in the tribulation. Now, every other preacher you'll hear on TV, they all differ.

I'm not here to criticize. I'm sure that they've got all the fancy verses. I'm just gonna give you a couple verses. We will be gone before the tribulation period. I have told you this before, if for no other reason the Bible says no man knows the hour when he comes, and if he came in the middle of the tribulation or at the end of the tribulation, we would know when he's coming. Because we know when the tribulation's gonna start, the Bible says. We'll know it's the tribulation period.

So the only rational thing is he comes before the tribulation. But let me give you some verses just so that you understand this in case you're questioning. Revelation chapter four, verse one. Listen to this. After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

Notice the picture. God says come up here, and I will show you things that must happen hereafter. We go to heaven, tribulation happens after.

Let me give you another verse. Romans chapter five, verse nine. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. What is the wrath? The judgment of God. The tribulation period. We're gonna be saved from wrath through him. When you're saved, we are saved from the tribulation. Just want you to understand that, all right?

So everybody knows. So there is the promise of rescue. Number two, there is the promise of reunion.

Notice this phrase. We're gonna be caught up together with them. There is going to be reunion.

That means this. This implies that there's gonna be a blessed reunion that day of those that have gone on before us that we have watched go into glory. That day is the first time I'm gonna see my mom. I don't have to wait to heaven to see her.

And I understand what you're saying. We all think this is that, you know, when I get to heaven, I'm gonna see, I got better news for you than that. You're gonna see them before you get to heaven. We're gonna meet them in the air. It's gonna be a reunion. It's my first chance.

That means this. Mom and I are gonna get to walk into heaven together. She's gonna be with me the first time I get to see it.

Oh, dear friend, what a great day it's gonna be. The power of reunion. Number three, the power of revelation. The Bible says this, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. This is the first time that the Lord reveals himself to us.

Why is that? Why didn't the Lord just stay in heaven, shout, trumpet, boom, bring us to heaven? Do you think he had the power to do that? Did he have the power to do anything he wants to do?

Why? Because we're the bride, and he is bringing the bride to the chambers that he has prepared. That means this, that the Lord's coming to get us so that he can approach heaven with us, his bride. Back then, a bridegroom didn't sit in the house and say, all right, come on in. No, he went out and got the bride and took her in. That's exactly what the Lord's doing for us. That's exactly what the Lord's doing for us. God bless you.