In The Twinkling Of An Eye

Known for his unique ability to simplify profound truths so that it can be applied to everyday life, Adrian Rogers was one of the most effective preachers, respected Bible teachers, and Christian leaders of our time. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Take God's word. Find First Thessalonians chapter four.

The moment we begin reading in verse 13.

Now we are thinking about living on the edge of eternity, the soon coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tis not only the church that is interested in the second coming of Jesus Christ; the FBI is interested in the second coming of Jesus Christ because they think that many who believe in the second coming of Jesus, as we believe in the second coming of Jesus, are dangerous. They think that we're part of the lunatic fringe, and they said to the FBI, "Keep your eye on those kind of people. They're nuts." Well, I may be a nut, but I'm fastened to a good bolt. His name is Jesus.

Well, the Christians at Thessalonica. were having some problems, and here were the problems. Jesus had come. He taught. He had ascended, and he said, "I'm coming again." They took him literally.

They expected him to come, and they were expecting him to come in their lifetime. But in the meanwhile, some of the members of that flock had died, and so they were perplexed and disturbed and worried, and they were saying, "But wait a minute. Where's Jesus?" Did our loved ones miss his coming? Will they miss their part in the kingdom? And so Paul is writing to answer their questions and to relieve their worries and to give them comfort.

So it begins in verse thirteen, chapter four, and verse thirteen. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.

Now just underscore the word ignorant. I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not. Underscore sorrow not. Even as others, which have no hope. Underscore no hope.

There you have three major problems that people have who don't understand the second coming of Jesus Christ. Number one, ignorance. Number two, sorrow. And number three, hopelessness. And so Paul is writing to alleviate these problems and to give encouragement and to give comfort.

And so he tells them this blessed truth, this wonderful truth of the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let's read it all. For if we believe that. Jesus died and rose again. Even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent. That's old English for precede them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet 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. Wherefore?

Comfort one another with these words.

Now we're going to ask and answer some questions today concerning the rapture of the church that will take place in the twinkling of an eye. The title of our message: "In the twinkling of an eye." And we'll let all these questions begin with the letter W, so we can help keep them in track and understand them. First of all, the word "what." What do we mean when we say the rapture?

Well, the what is the sacred mystery of resurrection and rapture. You'll find that in verses sixteen and seventeen. It starts out in verse sixteen. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. The central figure in all of this, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

And one day, Jesus is going to stand up from His lofty throne in the glory and make His way, stepping on the clouds, back to this earth. He's going to make His descent to this earth or back toward this earth. And then, when He does, a shout will come from His lips, and those who know Him. Are going to hear him say, "Come forth." And both the living and the dead will rise to meet the Lord in the air. And at His command, those dead in the sea will come forth as the sea heaves her bosom and gives up the dead that are there.

And those wrapped in the winding sands of the desert will give up the dead there. And battlefields will give up the dead that are in the battlefields. And graveyards may look like plowed fields as Jesus gives a shout, and the dead rise to meet Him in the air. What a Glorious day that will be as the dead rise first, and then next after this resurrection is going to come the rapture.

Now the rapture means that those of us who are alive when Jesus comes, and we may be alive, are going to be transformed in the twinkling of an eye. Notice in verse seventeen, then we which are alive and remain. Shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Now we call that the rapture.

Some people say, "Well, the word rapture is not found in the Bible." That is true. It is not found in the Bible under the heading rapture. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. The word missions is not found in the Bible. But those things are taught in the Bible.

The word here harpazo is the Greek word. The Latin word raptō is the word we get our word rapture from, and it simply means to be caught away quickly. Let me give you four places in the Bible where the word harpazo is used, apart from the second coming of Jesus, to give you some idea of why Paul chose this word. First of all. You might find it in Acts chapter eight verse thirty-nine.

Put it down. And when they were come out of the water, the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, so that the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.

Now Philip was a preacher. He'd preached the gospel to a eunuch from Ethiopia, and after he had baptized him, the Bible says God's spirit just took Philip. Philip vanished. The Lord just took him away. Caught him away.

So, what does the word rapture mean?

Well, it means to catch away speedily. That's what's going to happen to us. And then, not only does it mean to catch away speedily, but it also means to seize by force. John chapter six and verse fifteen. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

They came to take Jesus, to seize him, and take him by force.

Now the rapture is going to take us by force. What I mean by that is the grave nor gravity can hold us down. We're going at what mighty power this rapture will have.

Now here again, it's used in First Corinthians twelve, verse one.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols.

Now.

Now there, it's used in a negative sense that as Gentiles, before we were saved, we were just led away, transported into idol worship.

Well, the point is that the word harpazo, the same word that's used here for caught up, is used to mean to carry away. One of these days, Jesus is going to come and carry us away. We're going to be taken home. We're going to be taken to a new place. Then here's the last time this word is used.

It's found in Acts chapter 23 and verse 10. There were some people who wanted to do Paul harm, and there were those who came to rescue him. And here's what it says: And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them. That is to rescue him.

So there you have an idea of what the rapture really means. It means to catch away speedily. It has the idea of seizing by force. It has the idea of being taken from one place to another place. It has the idea of being delivered from danger.

All of these words are the same word that is translated here in First Thessalonians 4, which means that we are caught away to meet the Lord in the air.

Now this rapture is a mystery. That's the reason why I called it a mystery. Paul said in First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 51, "Behold." I show 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.

So it is a mystery.

Now, what is a mystery in the Bible? The word mystery means something that has been hidden that is now revealed. The Old Testament prophets did not understand the rapture. The rapture is a message that deals specifically with the church, and so that's the very first thing I want to do as we answer this question. I want to talk to you about the sacred mystery of the resurrection and the rapture.

When I was a boy, we had near our house about three or four blocks from our house a great scrapyard. Scrap was accumulated there; was needed actually in the war effort. We boys used to play in the scrapyard. One of the things that always amazed me was a giant magnet that would pick up huge pieces of metal.

Sometimes the whole chassis of an automobile would be picked up by this magnet, and it had great force to pick up metal. I want you to imagine one of those great electromagnets, and here on the ground are all bits of metal. There's some zinc. There's some aluminum, there's some silver, there's some lead, and other pieces of metal. But then there's some steel and some iron.

Some of that metal may be beneath the surface of the ground, and some of it lying on top of the ground. When that great magnet passes over there, there's certain pieces of metal that are going to rise, and certain pieces of metal going to stay on the ground. Even gold and silver, as precious as it is, would stay on the ground. What part will rise? That part that has in it Iron, the same nature as the magnet, and what part is going to rise when Jesus comes again?

Of all the world's population, there's some who have an affinity for Jesus Christ, and there's some who don't. And if you are heaven born, you'll be heaven bound. That which has the nature of the magnet is that which is going to be raised when Jesus comes again.

So first of all, we've asked the question, what?

Now let's ask the second question that we want to answer, and that is who. Who, and there is not only a sacred mystery, but there is a select multitude. Of the Savior and His saints. Again, look if you will in verses sixteen and seventeen. For the Lord Himself, that's the Savior, shall descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God.

And the dead in Christ, that's the who, shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them. He's talking now about the people that are going to be raised. Put it down in your notes. This is not a general resurrection.

Some people teach a general General resurrection, but there is not a general resurrection. There is a first and second resurrection. This is the first resurrection, and it is for the saved. And a ancillary note: our scripture would be Revelation twenty. Put it down, verses five and six.

The Apostle John said, "But the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. That is until after the millennium." This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

We're going up in the first resurrection, and we're going to enter into the millennium and reign with Jesus a thousand years. The rest of the dead won't be raised until the millennium is over, a thousand years from the time Jesus comes at the rapture. Blessed and holy is He that hath part on the first resurrection. If you're in the first resurrection, you'll not face the second death. The second death hath no power over you.

Your body may die, but your spirit can. Not die, but the second death is for those who've never been saved. The second death is the lake of fire.

So blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. Those who have part in the first resurrection are those who know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. Therefore, they're blessed and they're holy. You'll not be in this resurrection when Jesus comes if you're not blessed and holy. If you haven't been saved, the second death will have power over you.

And if you are not born twice, you will die twice. And if you die twice, the time will come when you wish you never been born at all. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. So we're talking about the who. These are the saved dead.

The dead in Christ shall rise first. Are you in Christ? There are only two ways to die: in Christ or out of Christ. And if you die in Christ, the second death cannot harm you. If you die out of Christ, the second death will keep you forever.

Now, question. Pastor Rogers, how do we know all of this is going to happen anyway?

Well, Paul gives us an assurance. Look, if you will, in verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. If you're a professor or a physicist or a medical doctor or a scientist, you say, "Now, Pastor." And all this talk about being caught up in the air, all this talk about the dead being raised, all of this—it sounds so sophomoric. It sounds so superstitious. Paul knew that people would believe that, and so he wants to give some assurance that this will happen. And first of all, I want you to notice what he says here in verse fourteen: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.

Now, do you believe that? If you can believe that miracle, you won't have any difficulty of our being raised. If Jesus ascended to heaven, then why can't we? You see, that's what it's all about. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

So he's saying that the proof of our resurrection is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And if you can't believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can't believe in biblical Christianity at all. And if you don't believe in biblical Christianity at all, then you may not believe in those of us who are sleeping in Christ to be raised from the dead. But frankly, folks, I believe Jesus Christ walked out of that grave, and I believe one day if I die, I'm coming out of that grave. I believe that with all of my heart.

And so there. Is the incomparable work of our Lord that proves this, and then there's the infallible word of our Lord that proves this. Look in verse fifteen. For this we say unto you by the word of. The Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede them which are asleep.

Now the two things: the incomparable work of our Lord, He died and rose again, and then the infallible Word of our Lord. There's so many soothsayers, astrologists, prognosticators, guessers, and all of these things, and futurists who are trying to tell us what the future is all about. Nobody knows the future but God Almighty, and those to whom He has revealed it. Nobody. How you say?

Doesn't the devil know the future? Of course not. The devil's a knucklehead, really, really. He's a knucklehead to think that he thought, or ever has thought, or ever will think that he can survive or thrive against the Almighty God. He can't do that.

How does Paul say these things are going to happen?

Well, Jesus died and rose again. Then I can believe in the rapture and the resurrection. The word of God has given it to us, and God's word that has been fulfilled in so many ways will be fulfilled literally. These prognosticators and other people, they call themselves prophetic. I think they're pathetic.

Now, one third of the Bible is about the second coming of Jesus Christ. The first and last promise in both of the testaments, Old Testament and New Testament, deals with the second coming of Jesus Christ. Here's the third thing: we have talked about the what. We've talked secondly about the who.

Now let's talk thirdly about the when. The when, when? It is a sudden moment, a sudden moment that is both close and certain.

Now you say, Pastor. You say it is close. How do you know it's close? It may be a hundred years from now. It doesn't make any difference.

It's still close. We are living on the edge of eternity. When I say it is close, I'm saying what the Bible is saying. The time is near. Even the apostle John, before he left this earth, said, "Little children, it is the last hour." Christians always are living on the edge of eternity.

The time is always near. The apostle Paul, in this passage of Scripture, said, "Then we which remain and are alive." Paul was expecting Christ in his lifetime. Was he wrong? No, he was absolutely right. Nobody can set that date, but we know the date is coming.

In the twinkling of an eye, put these scriptures down. Matthew 24:36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Now, if any Bible teacher comes along and sets a date, you have a right to say he's a heretic. If one of them guesses the right date, if I were God, I'd change it. Nobody knows that day in that hour. Matthew twenty four verse thirty three, for as the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And then Jesus says, and likewise it'll be in the day of the coming of the Son of Man.

Now in the days of Noah, eating, drinking, marrying, they didn't know until it started to rain. The regular round of life.

Some teachers erroneously teach that the church is going to go through the great tribulation. If that were true, then we would have some ideas to when Jesus Christ is coming. We wouldn't be eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage. No, this is speaking of the normal round of life, a day like today, that Jesus may come. And so Jesus said in Matthew chapter twenty-four, verse forty-two: "Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." And Jesus said in Matthew twenty four verse forty four, therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.

Question: Are you ready now? Jesus said, "You are to be ready." Now He's coming, as we said, First Corinthians fifteen verse fifty one, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. I heard the other day on the radio. I thought how apropos because I'm preparing this message.

Somebody said that the average person blinks his eyes twenty thousand times a day.

Now, who counts those kind of things? How do you figure that out? But I thought that's so interesting. That's how quickly you blink your eyes. That's how quickly the Lord Jesus Christ is coming.

In a moment, He says there in verse fifty-one. The word "moment" is the word we get our word "atom" from. Not Adam, the man Adam, but A T O M. It means an indivisible unit. That's what men first thought the atom was before the day of nuclear physics.

Now the Bible writer had no idea. He just simply used the word to mean that, which is indivisible. In a split second, in an indivisible time, Jesus Christ is coming. People say, "Well, Pastor, you're talking about the wind. Don't you think that the signs of the times mean that Jesus is getting closer?" Yes, I.

Do but that's not proof. Jesus could have come at any time. We're not waiting on any sign to be fulfilled. You see. These signs of the times are really for things that will take place primarily after the rapture, and the second coming of Jesus is yet to come after the rapture.

At the rapture, Jesus only comes to meet the saints in the air. We'll say more about that later on. At His second coming in power and glory, His feet are coming back to touch upon the Mount of Olives. And so, when at any moment, in a moment, in the twinkling, Of an eye, we don't know when he's coming, but we know that he's coming. There's going to be some sudden sounds.

Verse 16 says he's coming with a shout. Remember, he stood before the grave of Lazarus and said, "Lazarus, come forth." And Lazarus came forth. When Jesus comes from his throne in glory, he's going to come with a shout and he'll say, "Come forth!" And the whole church will come forth. And he's going to come with the voice of the archangel, because the archangel, who is the commander-in-chief of heaven's armies, is going to assemble the angels to get ready to work out the great tribulation here upon this earth. And then he's coming also with the trump of God, the trumpet was used to assemble Israel, and God is going to begin to work again with Israel as a nation.

I wish I had more time to talk about that, but that sound is going to come at any moment. I was preaching on the second coming of Jesus Christ in a revival meeting in Stuart, Florida, many, many years ago as a young preacher. They gave me a hotel, second floor, right near the railroad track. I didn't know I was near the railroad track. In the middle of the night, a diesel locomotive stopped right there by my bedroom window, and that engineer—whether he did it on purpose, unwittingly, or whatever—he certainly shouldn't have done it.

I don't think, but he revved that engine and blew that whistle at the same time. It was the most unearthly sound I've ever heard, especially in the middle of the night. I mean, right outside the window. Can you imagine what the sound of a diesel locomotive and the train whistle would be, folks? I was certain that it was the rapture.

I said, "Lord, it is here." And you know what? Honest confession, it scared me to death. I think just the noise. I wasn't afraid that I'd be left behind. I just said, "Oh, dear God, this is it.

What I have preached has happened. It has happened. This is it." I was getting ready to go right on up through the ceiling. Jesus has come.

Well, it's going to be like that. It's going to be like that at any moment. Maybe before we say Amen today.

Now, number four. Why? That's the next question. It is a strategic motive. Not only a sudden moment, but a strategic motive of rescue, reunion, and reception.

First of all, it's a time of rescue. There's some terrible things that are going to take place here on this earth. The great tribulation will follow the rapture, but Jesus is going to take the church out first. He's going to remove the church. Let me give you some scriptures.

You're in First Thessalonians chapter four. Go back to chapter one and look, if you will, in verses nine and ten. For they themselves show us what manner of entering in we had among you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.

Now watch this, verse ten, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Jesus has delivered His church. From the wrath to come, Revelation 6 calls the tribulation the great day of God's wrath. But Jesus has delivered us from the wrath to come. And again, the church two thousand years ago were waiting for Jesus.

We're always living on the edge of eternity. And then look in chapter five. You're in chapter four. Go back over to chapter five, and look in verses nine through eleven. Paul says, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.

That whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do." You see, if I thought the church was going to go through the great tribulation, then how could I comfort myself, waiting for Jesus to come? Rather than looking up, I'd be looking around. Rather than expecting Christ, I'd be expecting Antichrist. This is no comfort, but he says God has delivered us from wrath, and God said to that church there in Revelation three ten, because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell on the earth.

So as John Philip says, God is getting ready to declare war on this world, and before he does, he's going to call his nationals home. We're going to be leaving here, so he's coming. One of the reasons for why is rescue. Another reason for why is reunion. Verse seventeen says we're going to be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.

Your brothers, your sisters, your fathers, your mothers, your loved ones in the church who have died—they're going to be raised, and together we're going to meet the Lord. We have not said our final goodbyes. There's going to be a homecoming in the glory. We'll sing and shout and dance about. The Lamb will dry our tears.

We'll have a grand homecoming week—the first ten thousand years—and then. Not only is there going to be that rescue and reunion, there is going to be that reception where we are received to our Lord. Remember John fourteen. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me.

In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, listen to this: I will come again and receive you unto myself. I'm looking forward to that, to be received by the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the why of This rapture, it is rescue, reunion, and it is reception by the Lord Jesus.

Now, here's the fifth thing: where? That's another W. Where?

Well, it's going to be a secluded meeting, with the. Bridegroom and the bride—a secluded meeting, because verse 17 says we're going to meet the Lord in the clouds, in the air. He's not going to come down here to this earth at the rapture. He's going to come and snatch his bride away.

Now, how did a wedding take place in Bible times?

Well, in Bible times, the groom, if he were from a wealthy family and was courting a young lady, he would go to her house. And he would negotiate with her father, and he would pay a redemption price. He would buy her, literally buy her, and pay a price for her. And after he paid a price for her, and she was pledged to him, then they would drink a cup of wine over which a betrothal blessing would have been said. They would pledge themselves one to another in solemn covenant, and then he would go away.

He would go back to his father's house.

Now when it says his father's house, he's not talking about a building. He's talking about just the the whole household, the whole thing. He would go back to where his father was, and there he would begin to build a special dwelling place for himself and for his bride, and get everything ready.

Now she is there waiting on him to come back again, and she is preparing her trousseau. She's preparing her hope chest. She's getting her jewels ready, getting her wedding dress ready, and then at the precise time, not set by the bride, ladies, but set by The groom and his father. The groom returns back many times with a torchlight procession. Maybe at midnight, he comes and there comes somebody to her bedroom window and gives a shout.

And he says, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him." She gathers her things and goes to meet him. He picks her up in his arms and receives her unto himself and carries her away to a secluded place. There, where they consummate. Marriage.

Now that's what Paul is talking about here. We're going to meet the Lord in the air, and what a time that will be when we meet Him in the air. He is coming again back to this earth in power and great glory, but not at the rapture. The rapture is secret and secluded. It is for the saints.

It is for those who are part of His family. Later on, He'll come back with His bride and display His bride in all of her glory.

Now here's The last and the final thing, and that is the point that I really want to come to, and it is the wherefore. Look if you will now in verse 18 of this same chapter, wherefore. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. It is a sweet message of comfort and consolation. This is the wherefore.

A sweet message of comfort and consolation.

Now, if you want something that in this day of headline hysteria, in this day of jitters, if you want something that will give you comfort and consolation, get a bulldog grip on these words. Because here's what you need to do. Look, you. Need to learn of His coming. Paul says in verse thirteen, "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.

The world is saturated with ignorance on these things. Ignorance leads to hopelessness, and hopelessness leads to sorrow. And you can't afford to be ignorant. Learn of His coming. Number two, live for His coming.

Verse seventeen says, 'We're going to meet the Lord,' and the word 'meet' is the word here that is used for an official meeting. Like an ambassador who's coming back and goes to meet his king. One day we'll meet him. I don't want to be ashamed when he comes. Not only should we learn of his coming and and live for his coming, we need to look for his coming.

Verse seventeen, Paul says, "We who are alive and remain, you should be expecting Jesus today." People ask me, Pastor, do you think Jesus is coming in your lifetime? Yes, I do. I really do. He may not. But I expect him to come in my lifetime.

He may come at any moment, and then we should long for his coming. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Oh, what a day that's going to be! In the Song of Solomon, the Song of Songs in the Bible, there's a verse I think that depicts this time. Chapter two, verse ten.

My beloved spake and said unto me, "Rise up, my love, my fair one." And come away. Won't that be something? When Jesus says to me, when He says to you, when He says to His church, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." There's a man named Stephen Covey. He's written some best-selling books. Many of you have read them.

I certainly don't agree with all of his theology, but in those writings, he has an incredible story, and I want you to listen to it. Listen very carefully. He said that a professor. Came into his classroom, and the professor had a big, wide-mouthed jar, and in that jar he put some big rocks, and those rocks filled the jar to the top. Then he asked his students, "Now is the jar full?" Some of the students said, "Yes, the jar is full." Oh, he said, "No, the jar is not full," and he took some gravel.

And poured gravel in, and it began to fill the crevices around those rocks. And he shook it down and smoothed it off on the top. And he said to the students, "Now is the jar full?" They said, "Oh yes, now the jar is full." No, he said, "The jar is not full." And he took some fine sand and put the sand in on top of the gravel and shook it, and the sand began to fill those little places, those little crevices, and and smooth the sand off at the top. He said, "Now is the jar full." By now, they were afraid. Dancer said, "Well, yeah, maybe the jar is full.

We think so." He said, "No, it is not full." Then he took some water and poured the water on top of the sand until the water then was absorbed by the sand and filled. Then even the remaining minuscule places, the water came up to the top. And he said, "Now is the jar full." They said, "Professor, you tell us." He said, "Yes, yes, the jar is full." He said, "Now, what is the lesson?" And so some of the students said, "Well, your life can get so full that you can't put anything else in." He said, "No, that is not the lesson. Here is the lesson: If I had not put the big rocks in first," I could never have put them in last. Question: Is your life so full that you've left out the Rock of Ages?

I mean, are you so busy with things? I'm talking about things that seem good—maybe gravel, maybe sand, maybe water—but have you left out those things that really? Really, really matter, precious friend. If you have, I'm going to tell you, it'll be a sad day for you when the trumpet sounds, and Jesus Christ is coming. If I know anything about this Bible, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we're going to pray.

And I'm going to lead you in a prayer, and in this prayer, you can pray and invite Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages, to come into your life. But you know what you've got to do? You've got to turn that jar upside down right now and just empty it out. Turn it upside down and empty it out, and then I want you to pray this prayer. Dear God, I know that you love me.

I know that you want to save me. Jesus, you died to save me, and you promised to save me if I would only trust you. Dear Jesus, I do trust you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying for me on that cross. Thank you for paying my sin debt with your precious blood.

I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe that you paid for my sin with your blood. I believe that God raised you from the dead, and now, like a child, with all of my heart, in childlike faith, I trust you, you only, and you always, to save me, forgive my sin. Cleanse me, save me, Lord Jesus. Thank you for doing it.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you. I don't deserve it. I don't ask for a sign. I don't look for a feeling.

I stand upon Your word. You are now my Lord, my Savior, my God. Thank you, Jesus. Begin now to make me the person You want me to be. In Your name, I pray.

Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org, or call one eight hundred two seven four five six eight three. Thank you.