The King Returns For Us Part 1

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Somewhere, a doomsday clock measures how close we are to annihilating ourselves.

It's almost midnight, but another clock is ticking. When the time's up, Jesus will return to the earth He left in a cloud atop the Mount of Olives. The King of Kings will take charge. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, outline for us your series on The King is Coming. Dave, I'm so excited about this series of messages because we're going to be discussing 10 future events that will change our lives for all of eternity. You know, when you stop to think about what the Bible says about the return of Jesus, both Old Testament and New Testament, you realize that it's difficult for us to get our minds around it.

And yet we must grasp it as well as we can, because these truths are life-changing. I hope right now that everyone who's listening to this ministry will get on the phone, call your friends, tell them to listen to Running to Win, because we're going to be discussing in detail The King is Coming and all of the events that are in the future. And I can tell you this, you will participate. So now let's go to the pulpit of Moody Church where we have the opening sermon on The King is Coming. There is a bumper sticker that reads, Jesus is coming back soon.

Everybody look busy. Well, Jesus may be coming back soon, and I hope that if he does, we don't only look busy, but that we will be busy doing his work. Need to tell you that prophecy has a bad name today for several different reasons.

First of all, because of false predictions. And I'm not just simply talking about the people who gather on a hilltop believing that Jesus is going to come at midnight on a certain day. We've had enough of that in church history. I'm talking about good, sane Bible teachers who've looked at the scriptures carefully and then have made predictions regarding how many years it's going to be or we're very close to midnight and somehow midnight never comes. One day at the Moody Bible Institute Library, I checked out a book of a well-known Christian statesman who is in heaven today, who in the 40s wrote a book showing that Hitler was the Antichrist, Mussolini was the false prophet.

And it really looked as if he had a case for what he believed, but he was wrong. So in this series of messages, we're not going to speculate regarding time. I'm not going to be talking about who I think the Antichrist is and whether or not he's alive today and whether we can know in advance who he is. Not like this series of messages to still be relevant even if Jesus doesn't come in the next 10 years or the next 20 years or beyond it. Because what I want to do is to share with you things that we know will happen even though the time frame is unknown to us. There's a second reason why it is that people today are skeptical about prophecy and that is the controversies.

You know, we're going to have to be introduced to some of these controversies. You know, is Jesus going to come before the tribulation, after the tribulation? But even though these controversies are important, and some of you may wonder why is it that you just can't all agree, get everybody in the same room with the same Bible and then come up with a chart that we can depend on. The reason that's difficult is because the Bible tells us what's going to happen but it doesn't lay out the sequence. It's kind of left up to us as to figure out the sequence of events.

That's part of the problem. The other problem is that some people take the scriptures more literally than others and the more literally you take them you fall into one camp or the other. Now in this series of messages we'll introduce you to these controversies but it is not at all my intention to try to prove one view over another or spend a lot of time trying to argue a point. What I'd like to do is to give you first of all a sequence of events and the sequence may not be entirely accurate but I want to speak about events that we know will take place. They will happen even if when Jesus comes we discover that our sequence maybe needed some adjustment. Secondly the purpose of these messages is for you to fall in love with Jesus all over again. The Apostle Paul says it is time for me to be offered that is it is time for me to die and he says I fought a good fight I've kept the faith therefore there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me on that day and not to me only but to all them also who love his appearing.

As a result of these messages I want you to love Jesus more and I want you to long for his appearing just like Paul did and just like we should do. And then the other reason is of course to be ready for Christ's return. John says that we should live in such a way as to not have shame at his coming. The clear implication is some Christians are going to have shame at the coming of Jesus.

Wow. Now you say to me well Pastor Lutzer what if I live without shame live a very good life and then Jesus doesn't return in my lifetime what if I have to die? You've lost nothing because those who die before Christ comes they have no advantage at all or disadvantage as the case may be as we shall show today from the scriptures. And in this series of messages because I'm so anxious to see your life changed four out of the 10 messages are going to be about events in which you will participate whether you're alive at the coming of Jesus Christ or whether you die. Either way you will be there. One of the events is the message today on the rapture of the church. Next time we're going to speak about the judgment seat of Jesus Christ where all believers will appear.

What an event that is going to be and that's where some of us might experience shame at his coming. And then following that we're going to talk about the marriage supper of the lamb all believers will be there as well. And then of course we'll talk about geopolitical events we'll talk about the rise of antichrist in this series but then we conclude by talking about Jesus Christ's invitation for us to rule with him. Another event in which you will participate as a believer. So you stay with us the intention is life change. Peter says in light of the fact that all these things are going to be destroyed what manner of people we ought to be in all holiness and that's where this series is going.

We're anxious to see your life changed. Well that by way of introduction now we do have to introduce you to some terms some expressions and some differences when we talk about prophecy. First of all I want to introduce you to what is known as pre-tribulationism. Pre-tribulationism is the view that Jesus Christ's return is going to be in two stages. First of all he comes for his church and the church therefore is exempt from the great tribulation which takes place after that seven plus years it may be longer than seven years and then Jesus returns at the end of that period to establish his kingdom.

In the first coming he comes for his saints the next time he appears it is with his saints. That is known as pre-tribulationism. The church is exempt from the tribulation Christ comes before the tribulation and so the church that is us who are believers are in heaven when the tribulation is going on on earth. There's also post-tribulationism. Post-tribulation says that Jesus has only one appearing and it's going to be after the tribulation so the church will go through the tribulation there will be antichrist etc and then Jesus comes and he comes to receive his church and to establish his kingdom all at the same time so the church goes through the tribulation. Pre-tribulationism. Post-tribulationism.

You should become acquainted with those terms. Now here at the Moody Church I need to tell you that we do accept either view but for my purposes I'm going to assume without going into detail why the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. That is to say that the coming of Jesus is going to be in two stages. Today I speak about what is known as the rapture of the church.

Today I think of somebody this past week who said oh you're speaking on the rapture the word rapture doesn't even occur in the Bible. Now I have to smile at that point because if you have your Bibles as you ought to have your Bibles I want you to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And if you didn't bring your Bible I think the Bible that you have there in the seat in front of you is probably page 987.

987. Because we'll be reading this passage but I want to look at one expression in verse 17. It says then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Caught up together. The Latin word is rapturo from which we get the word rapture. So it's true that the English translation does not have the word rapture but rapture is a thoroughly biblical term. Now you say we'll do both post-tribulationists and pre-tribulationists believe in the rapture absolutely here it is in God's word and both of them accept the scriptures as authoritative.

The difference is this and thank you for following along. You'll notice that it says the dead in Christ verse 16 will rise first. Because I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church I take the dead in Christ to be only the church because the church was formed on the day of Pentecost and by the Holy Spirit we were baptized into Christ and so it's the dead in Christ. Abraham died a believer but he didn't die in Christ and he is going to be raised I believe sometime before the millennial kingdom begins and we'll talk about that but this is the bride of Christ it is the dead in Christ shall rise.

Well with all of that as background now let's look at the sequence of events and this sequence is one that whether you were pre-trib or post-trib you would agree with. You would not necessarily agree with who is going to be raised but the sequence in the scripture is very clear. Now before we look at 1 Thess 4 in detail I need to say that the background is this that whenever Paul planted a church you know you ask yourself the question well I'm into church planting what would you teach the people? Paul always taught the people about the return of Christ. He taught them to look forward to the return of Christ that's very clear. He's there in Thessalonica and he's talking about it but some Christians were confused because they were living in anticipation of Christ's return and some of their members had died. So they're saying hey you know my friends they didn't live until the return of Christ. Truth is those folks didn't either. Christ doesn't come for 2,000 years but the question they had in the back of their mind was a very good one namely if people die before Christ returns are they at a disadvantage?

You know to live when Christ returns seems so much better. What about my uncle? What about my wife? My husband?

My child? Will they be at a disadvantage? Paul's answer as we shall see is a resounding no not at all would you be at a disadvantage. All right with that background let's look at the sequence now that Paul lays out of events but we do not want you to be uninformed brothers this is verse 16 about those who are asleep that is those who have died that you may not grieve as others who have no hope.

I need to pause here. Cyprian one of the early writers who lived in the year 200s in that era said that if it were not for the plagues Christianity would have never swept North Africa he said the plagues were what did it because the Christians died better. The pagans said of the Christians they carry their dead as if in triumph where's all this hope coming from we'd like to have hope too and so the Christians would witness to the saving grace of Jesus because Christians die differently so Paul says grieve but your grief isn't a hopeless grief more could be said about that verse 14 for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep for this we declare to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and who are left until the coming of the Lord we will not precede those who have fallen asleep stop there for a moment sequence number one is this Paul says that those who have died who are believers God through Jesus will bring with him you see when a person dies today this past week Rebecca and I were in Colorado Springs for the funeral of a dear friend who was a musician he died unexpectedly in his sleep and by the way as a musician he may have something still to do in heaven I need to tell you that as a preacher of the gospel in heaven I will be officially unemployed they will not need me to preach the gospel there but you see his body was laid tenderly in the ground and we were there at his grave and his soul went with God to God and it took on the characteristics of the body so the people who die today they can communicate they recognize one another they're in the presence of Jesus enjoying him but they are still incomplete their permanent resurrection body has not yet been given to them so the Apostle Paul is saying that when Jesus comes in the rapture Jesus brings with him all who have slept all who have died in Christ you know it's so tempting to hurry over this but let's not fall into that temptation you realize what this means I'm thinking of my father who died at 106 years old I'm thinking of relatives friends who are in heaven children whom we said goodbye to and who are going to be up there who are there now with Jesus and they are going to return I mean just imagine you've got all of these souls of the dead the Bible says coming back with Christ now the souls are very much alive but the first stage is Jesus comes back with those who have died that's exactly what the text says so though God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep that's number one number two their bodies their bodies will arise from the dead now we have to pick up the text again I'd like to begin here at verse 16 for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first wow their bodies are going to join their spirits the souls will now be clothed as the Apostle Paul says because their bodies will rise from the dead and it says the Lord will descend with a shout of command he will say get up you've been dead long enough and there they will be the bodies will rise and connect with their souls I don't know about you my friend but it takes my breath away imagine this someday you as a believer are going to be caught up in the air to be with Christ you'll have a brand new body I was saying to somebody the other day who is suffering with so many different ailments I said with a smile aren't you glad that you don't have any trouble in your body that a good resurrection won't solve we all look forward to our new bodies but more than that we look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ I believe so deeply that these messages are intended to transform our lives that's why prophecy is given in the New Testament so that it is life transforming and I've written a book entitled the king is coming it contains much of the content that you will hear in these sermons and I want you to invite your friends to listen to these sermons but also if you would like to have a copy of the book the king is coming for a gift of any amount we're making this resource available here's what you do go to rtwoffer.com that's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 now I want to encourage you as I mentioned at the beginning of this message I want to encourage you to call your friends invite them to listen I believe that what the Lord Jesus Christ has predicted and what the Bible has to say about the future as I've emphasized already is intended to help us live here and to do so victoriously so tell them about the series the king is coming invite them to listen because together we'll learn what is in store for our future it's time now for another chance for you to ask pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life over the years differing viewpoints have arisen on the sequence of events to take place when Jesus comes back a listener named John has this question for you pastor Lutzer why do people believe in the secret rapture where Jesus comes back secretly and takes the church out of the earth before the great tribulation I get the impression that when Jesus returns it will be seen by everyone and the world will end the answer to your question is yes and yes you see many people believe that the return of Jesus Christ will happen in two stages there will be a secret rapture and the passage of scripture for this is 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 where the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise now that might not sound very secret but it's almost a passage that teaches that only the believers are in view here and it goes on to say that we shall be with the Lord in the air so that's the secret rapture if you put it that way but then of course in Matthew chapter 24 it says that as the lightning goes from the east to the west so shall the coming of the Son of Man be that the Son of Man is going to come in the clouds of glory so if you keep those two comings distinct one for the church and then one in glory where every eye sees him you'll understand that you are quite right that when the Lord returns every eye is going to see him but that's the second stage of his return first stage I wouldn't necessarily call it a secret rapture but it does seem as if the church only is in view I conclude with this challenge read 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 the passage about the rapture read Matthew 24 the verses that pertain to the glorious return of Christ and ask yourself is this the same event there seems to be evidence that it is a different event at a different time the return of Christ in two stages not one thank you John and thank you Dr. Lutzer if you'd like to hear your question answered go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard Chicago Illinois 60614 the return of Jesus will be the ultimate game changer any priority we had before will be over with the dead in Christ will rise first they'll join Jesus in the air just before those who are alive at the time of his coming next time on running to win more about a very special day when our bodies will become immortal and how believers should live their lives in view of the soon return of Jesus thanks for listening this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church.