The King Returns For Us – Part 1 of 2

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.

Well Dave, this series of messages, actually 10 messages. We also have a book entitled The King is Coming. This series of messages goes through prophetic events.

Now I want to emphasize something. There's so much controversy today about prophecy, many people turn away because there are these controversies and they don't know what to believe. What this book does is to emphasize those basic events that most Christians agree on that we are all going to participate in.

And that's why I think it is so very critical. The title of the series, The King is Coming, the subtitle, 10 Events That Will Change Our Future Forever. For example, it begins with the rapture of the church. Everyone believes in the rapture.

The disagreement is over the timing of it. But that is a very essential event that is in the future. Then after that, of course, the judgment seat of Christ and all of these things that we need to anticipate. So that's why I'm so excited about this series of messages.

We also have a resource. We have a book entitled The King is Coming, all of that. But for now, let's listen in as we go to the pulpit of Moody Church. 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. I'd 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 timeframe 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 Luther, 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, et cetera. 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. Post-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 a 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.

Okay, my friend, let me talk to you very honestly. Do you believe in the rapture of the church? Do you believe in the scripture that I have just read? You should.

I know that there's a great deal of controversy as to when the rapture happens, but the fact that it is going to happen is incontrovertible if you believe the scriptures. So here's what I want you to do. We are making a very special resource available to you. It's a book I've written entitled The King is Coming, 10 Events That Will Change Our Future Forever.

It's the kind of prophecy that God wants us to anticipate because he teaches us in his word that he wants to change our lives because of the future. For a gift of any amount, we're making this resource available to you. Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com.

Did I say that too quickly? Go to rtwoffer.com, and of course, rtwoffer is all one word. rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone right now and call us at 1-888-218-9337. For a gift of any amount, this book can be yours. It's entitled The King is Coming. Having a book in your hands, you can read it, you can underline it, you can take time to understand it because these are events in which you and I are going to participate. Remember the name of the book, The King is Coming.

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, IL 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. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.