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But we also sing.
76.
Rise, my soul by God directly strange your hands no more in peace. Pass though on his hand protects me. Drink that has the capture tree Is the wilderness before the desert land, where drought abide. Heavenly spring shall there restore thee fresh from God's exhaustless tides #76.
Ride my soul.
Racing Stranger.
I'm throwing me as I want this. I'm broadcasting. Trainer has broken.
There will.
Start.
There no stranger.
Was found in anything surrounding her something.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, rather concerning them which are asleep that you saw or not, even as others that have no hope. Or if we believe that Jesus died, he rose again. Even so then 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 them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump 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.
Remember her brother?
Even zip here in his home, going to perform his own thanking the different operation when we're with him on the Holy Mountain.
We saw the Lord in his glory.
Kingdom Lord.
And then he also seen from the on the morning to start from the morning stars will arrive in your heart.
I remember, Mr.
Glenn Excuse me, I remember mother Uncle Barry Murray Martin was 9 star.
In Tennessee, right after midnight after midnight.
They're trying all who's our.
00:10:00
Believe in the book of.
Thessalonians, these two.
Beautiful letters written.
It's probably where the very first letters written by Paul.
And we think of them in the light that they set before us both the rapture and the appearing.
And there seems to be much confusion.
In Christmas around us.
In the teachings of many that.
Don't separate. Really what we have as far as the rapture is concerned in the appealing box. I believe if you realize that the rapture, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for his own redeemed and for the Church is to take us away from the wicked, we're living in a wicked world.
Under judgment, because of the murder and the rejection of the Lord Jesus, though that rapture will take us away from the wicked and take us to himself in the glory, but the appearing is quite different.
Because when he comes, it is to judge the wicked.
And to bring the righteous for his people, his earthby people, into the Kingdom. And if we understand that, it clears it very in a way that's very helpful. So the rapture, we can think of it as our being taken away from the wicked, but taken into the glory and appearing as to do with judging the wicked.
And delivering his people, his earthly people to bring them into the Kingdom.
So this is very helpful for us because we have in these two epistles both the rapture and the appearing.
What we have in these verses that we've read is really a development of the truth that the Lord gave to his disciples before he left them to return to go to the cross and return to the glory. You remember in John 14 he simply said to the disciples for their comfort on that occasion that he was going to come again and receive them unto himself. But he didn't develop what he the truth there because like many things He spoke to them, they couldn't take them in because the Spirit had not yet been given.
And so he develops it here. He simply gives them the promise in John 14 And why did he give it to them? Because their hearts were troubled. They were afraid. And the Lord looked at that little company. He knew what was in their hearts. He knew they were concerned and afraid as they thought of the Lord Jesus leaving them and going back to the glory as he it says there the hour had come that we should depart out of the world under the Father. And he looks at that company. He knows what's in their hearts.
And he says, let not your heart be troubled. How could the Lord Jesus say such a thing, rather than on that occasion when he knew what was ahead for himself and for his disciples? One from his brother I will come again. What a comfort to to their hearts on that occasion. But they didn't understand the full development of how that was going to take place. And now we come over to the Thessalonian believers. They turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.
In other words, they were actually looking for the Lord Jesus to come back and establish his Kingdom, come with their number, in the meantime die. They passed away and now they're concerned, well, have they missed out on the coming of the Lord? What's taking place? And so the apostle Paul writes to them by inspiration and leaves, as it were, nothing unexplained as to how this event is going to take place and shows to them that before the Lord Jesus comes back.
And appears in this world and sets up his Kingdom. There's another event going to take place and that those are their numbers who had died in faith, who are referred to as a sleeping Jesus because sleep is a temporary state, He says they're not going to miss out in any way. The Lord is going to come, he's going to give this shout and will notice this. As we go down these verses, he develops it and we with them are going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. I don't want to get ahead, but he ends by saying.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Brethren, as we leave these meetings, what comfort would we have if we didn't have something beyond this life? If in this life only we have hope in Christ, even if it was hope in Christ, but only for this life? We are of all men, most miserable. Well, it's true. We have hope in Christ for this life, but we have hope in Christ for that which is to come. And rather the event, the promise given, I will come again. We're just on the eve of the fulfillment of that precious promise.
00:15:30
Mr. McIntosh wrote a paper many years ago.
Which I think is important to keep in mind the difference between holding premillennial doctrine and waiting for the sun from heaven.
And.
There's a lot of discussion about the do you haul pre Trib, pre millennial breed, mid tribulation or whatever, post tribulation, all that sort of thing. There are a lot of views out there. The spirit of God is not interested and I say it respectfully, is not interested in getting us occupied with a theological position so much as to win our hearts toward the Lord and Jesus.
And a desire to be with him. Now it's true. He started out here, Paul says I don't want you to be ignorant, so we're not to be ignorant on those subjects, but.
The Spirit of God is not developing premillennial doctrine here. The Spirit of God is revealing the truth, but the object of that is to win our hearts so that we say come Lord Jesus.
It's been brought home to me in a way in reading and I hope it's not a misapplication.
In the story of the taking away of Elijah from from over the head of Elisha, as they go from place to place there in these, I call them theologians, the sons of the prophets who say, you know your message is going to be taken from over your head today, he says, I know it, be silent. How did he know it? He knew it in a real way, in his heart. And that's what I believe the Spirit of God wants us to know. It's always.
Possible to find people who can approve millennial doctrine somewhere and I by the way I believe in the pre tribulation pre millennial coming of the Lord Jesus for his own to take them all. I believe in it absolutely. I think it's created a terrible confusion that that there's been an increase in in the number of people who reject that but at the same time.
What I want for myself, and I trust you one for yourself, is that our hearts are engaged with that blessed one to such a way that we it isn't so much what our view is as that we're Our desire is to be with them, to be with them, to be with them. Now, Paul says I don't want you to be ignorant, brethren. I want you to know how this is offered to happen.
I want you to know how. And it's important to be intelligent about that. God cares that we have the detail. No, but the most important thing is are we really waiting for Him? And that's what you find in the first chapter. They turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven.
And that precious promise was given by the Lord in John 14, and that's how we know that he's coming again.
Now how that's all going to fit in and the details of it are given to us in various scriptures, but in this little passage that we have before it. I'm glad you suggested it, Brother Clem. I think it's important.
What we had wasn't the 7th year o'clock what we had in the game.
From all women there is, I think that I owe him is the whole incoming of gladness my eye.
And mother in the whole school.
Oh.
I'm glad it's my eyes. The glands of my heart and somebody could be here. We have bring it for us love. The singer of most of the Lord is coming and all joy is rich is getting darker. The light darkness power over light is just before the dark. Oh what Roy is nice room from me and that's what I'm saying.
00:20:09
Waiting to know he is coming for us just before the break today and let's and hope the thought of being with him, the one who loves them, who loves us and gave himself work and we had this this morning in our that was our game itself and blessed woman is coming for me and he loves us. He loves us every moment of the day. And God the Father loves him and there isn't anything that he's going to be allowed to come into separate us from that love.
He loves them and he's coming for us.
And we belong to heaven, and we're a heavenly people. We belong. We belong to heaven. And the Lord is coming soon to take us there.
The first chapter **** **** referred to, it says to wait for his son from heaven. And this 13th verse he says I would not have you to be ignorant forever. You see those Thessalonians, those 1St century Christians were waiting for the sun from heaven. They were expecting him to come at any moment. That's 2000 years ago. They were looking for him then and what had happened? Many of their companies had died.
So he said, I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, those that are not still living. They thought that while all the Saints that they were in company with were living still, the Lord would come take them to be with himself, or set up the Kingdom. I think they had the Kingdom more in mind. That's one. They said. Wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom of Israel? And he says, it's not for you to know the times of the seasons, But then he introduces the new order of things. But they were, they were, they were troubled.
What's going to happen to those that have fallen asleep, those that have died, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope? Or if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also would sleep in Jesus. Will God bring with him? When the Lord comes back? He's going to bring all the sleeping Saints with him. Well, how are they going to get with him? How are they going to get there?
The next verse is 15. To the end of the chapter are a parenthesis.
Explaining how the sleeping Saints get to be with him so that when he comes at the Rapture they'll be raised, the living will be changed and together we're going to be with the Lord and then he will come back and bring us all with him. That if you don't understand that.
That the wicked of verse 14 refers to the appearing when he comes back with the Saints, you won't ever understand 1St Thessalonians 4. The last verses from 15 to the end tell us how the the dead, the dead and the living get to be with him, so that when he comes back he can bring us with him.
That's excellent, Chuck and.
I'll tell you a story in my own life.
Which I didn't know all of these things then, but God passes you through some things to learn by experience.
47 years ago the Lord took a little girl from my life and.
We.
Found comfort in this and put on her gravestone. Bush 14.
If we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
Even show them also which believe in Jesus where God bringeth him when I'm thinking about it.
Was she going to miss everything coming to Revelation? No, no. This tells us how.
How she got where she is and now we're going to get where we are to come back and when she comes we'll come with her. So it's a great comfort.
I've said this sometimes, and I hope I'm not misunderstood when I say it. I would much rather meet a person who was mixed up about the details of these things and had affection for the Lord Jesus and was waiting for him to come but wasn't sure how it all fitted in together than to meet someone who had the best knowledge of this.
00:25:12
And yet had no affection for the Lord in regard to that. And now having said that, I'll add this. Paul says I don't want you to be ignorant about it. So we're not to say that ignorance is good or or there's a premium on ignorance. I had a dear friend who one time we were talking about some of these things he he says I don't like him. All this discussion I don't even want to hear about pre tribulation, pre millennial and all that, he says. I just don't like to. I don't like to think about it at all.
I know this brother. I know that he is. He's waiting for the Lord. There's no question about it in my heart, but it saddened me that it seemed like he wanted to be ignorant.
Do we want to be ignorant or do we want to have the truth? We want to understand it all. Now, brother, come here. I'm sure you're you're happy that you know how this is all going to fit together. Don't. Aren't you? More than that. More than that, we have here one of the four special revelations from Christ through Paul that are introduced in special words, so that in the 15th verse Paul says this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.
As we've been said, the Christians of the 1St century didn't have this knowledge. False doctrine came a little bit later and it wasn't written out. They didn't have it. It's all there. Certainly ought to know it, but we've been having wonderful meetings as.
From the Gentiles, they're brought into the one body. We might just turn to those other three scriptures that pull marks out in Ephesians chapter 3 to start with.
We know this one body truth, and we know what's got, what it's composed of. And here comes from Paul.
Who got his ministry from Christ in heaven? This word comes out of heaven. The other apostles didn't have it. So he starts the third verse of of Ephesians 3 with each word. How that by revelation he made unto known unto me the mystery down in verse 5, which in other ages was not made known under the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets.
By the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave it and Paul gave it, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body and particulars of the promise in Christ by the gospel. Now that's the doctrine of the one body composed of Jews and Gentiles, or other words in the epistle about it. Now this morning we broke bread. Let's go to 1St Corinthians 11 to see what we have got for that.
And a special revelation from heaven.
Given through Paul for us another thing that we ought to pay attention to, and by the grace of God we will.
The 23rd verse of First Corinthians 11.
Now look what he said I received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you. We have been through this so much, and we practiced it this morning. I don't think we need the rest, need the rest of it. But it's a special revelation that is a witness that there is one body, there's a testimony to that, and it's the breaking of bread on the table of the Lord.
Now let's go to 1St Corinthians 15.
To get a little development about resurrection.
Which was given with a special mark out two.
In First Corinthians 15.
Verse 51.
Against Paul and his ministry that he got through Christ in heaven. And he says, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. And he develops that. What a wonderful revelation. This came from Paul, to comfort us as to resurrection as to resurrection. Now we're getting in our portion in Thessalonians, Thessalonians.
00:30:12
The wonderful truth of the comfort of the rapture.
He's going to call us. They're not two second comings of the Lord. As I understand it, he came the first time and he's coming again, but different ones will see him a little bit different occasions and this shows it very clearly.
In our chapter.
Verse 15 We say unto you, We say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive.
And remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God. When the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up with them.
In the air.
Forgive me because that's a little simple. How many things know where our pattern acts of the heavenly after heaven?
This is a young man and young lady.
They get attached to each other and then they decide that they belong, but they're met with each other. Well, Emily's having a date and.
When they're when they're going to be married and then they're young.
I'm getting a hole ready maybe. Yeah. He doesn't have the money to build a home so he fixes up Home Park is bribes. But anyhow, he's back there and getting the hole ready and then on that wonderful day that he.
He goes, and he brings his wife, He brings her to the hole that he is prepared for her, or one thing. So our blessed Lord Jesus to You love the church, and He gave himself for it again. He gave all what he had, the Pearl of great safety in all my hands.
Church and in going to present the church to himself description of the church glories and so he's looking forward and and with an anticipation which is deal on anything that you and I should ever increase You're looking for the Lord for that day.
When he's coming back to this earth, he prepares the whole He can say, I go home, I go to the airplane for you, where I am also.
And that's really the.
And he's going to take her home to be with him forever.
And all one of them that will make and what or joy will be in heaven when that takes place is going to the church is right. Well, I was just going to stay in connection with what you said. That's really the key to to to it all. The fact that he's looking forward rather not just to having us in the Father's house, that's true. He will have us in the Father's house. But he said as our brother quoted, I will come again and receive you not to glory or to heaven or to the Father's house.
As true as that may be. But receive you unto myself, brethren, he's longing to have his bride with himself. He's waited almost 2000 years for his bride. Some of us, after we were engaged, we waited a number of months between the engagement and the wedding.
Maybe we thought it was a long time. We waited a long time for the preparations and all that needed to be taken to take place before the wedding day. But, oh brethren, it's nothing compared to the man of patience who's weighted these 2000 years and his heart will never really be satisfied until he has us there. But I just like to echo what it has already been said. Rather, he wants us to look up and to respond, not just because of the problems we're going through.
Not just because of the trials and the difficulties of the way. Now it is true. In Jude it says looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the longer we're left here, the more of a mercy it's going to be to be gone. And sometimes the Lord uses those things to stir us up and to wean us from this world so that we're looking upward and onward. And there is that proper response. But that's not what what he wants. That's not how he wants to get the response rather than do our hearts. So go out to the person of Christ.
00:35:01
We so attracted to him. Are we so occupied with my face, with the man in the glory, that our hearts long to be not just in the Father's house, but long to be where he is, that where I am? There he may be also. And I'd like to just say that we didn't comment on the end of the second chapter of of Titus that we had before us and the other two readings, but it really ties in, doesn't it? Because there are two things that were to be looking for brother.
Sometimes we say the raptures are proper hope. I understand what rather mean when they say that, but really the two things are tied together there, and we're to be looking for that blessed hope. That's what we're expecting at any moment. Maybe before we rise out of these seats at the end of the meeting, we're going to hear that shout. We're going to be called away in a moment, the twinkling of an eye, and we're going to rise to with bodies of glory and see our Lord meet him on the cloud and be escorted to the Father's house. That's the blessed hope, but it doesn't stop there. And the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Brethren, doesn't it thrill our hearts to think there's a day coming when he's going to have his rightful place here in this world? A day coming when you walk down the street of Lawrenceville and you won't see open sin or rebellion, or hear the name of Christ cursed. Or if you do, it will be judged morning by morning. It will be dealt with immediately, A day coming when the knowledge of this blessed one is going to go out throughout the whole earth. And to think, brother, that we're going to come with them.
We're going to reign with him. We're going to be associated with him rather than if we lose sight of these two things, the blessed hope and the glorious appearing, we're going to get discouraged. We need that hope before us. Faith always needs an eye to the future, a hope, an object, a brother. Let's keep this before us. Not as a doctrine, merely good to enumerate these doctrines from the word of God the Brethren. Is this hope for reality in our souls this afternoon? Do we sit on the edge of our seats and anticipating, waiting and watching, thinking that perhaps before another sunset we're going to hear that shout if we do.
It says every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure. In other words, in the measure in which this hope is a reality in our souls this afternoon, in that measure it will give us the proper character of those who are waiting.
In Luke 16 I just want to read a few verses. In Luke 16, verse 19 there was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid in his knee full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, or over the dogs cave and licked his sores. Now note this.
And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abrahams puzzle. Rich man also died of the spirit. The beggar died was carried by the angels. That's the disembodied state. After death, no resurrection. But in our chapter He doesn't send angels for us. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven and He'll take us home himself.
Not angels, but the Lord himself. He, as I was saying, he he has a bride here. He's going to come for her and bring her to himself.
And that connection check, I'd like to point out something that I have found helpful in Matthew 24. Those who give the interpretation that the rapture is to be at the end of the tribulation often use this scripture.
And Matthew 24 but it.
Is clear when you take in that detail that you mentioned. Notice in verse 29 it says immediately after the tribulation of those days and verse 31, he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. And they use this verse to show that it's going to be after the tribulation.
But it is clear the distinction you make that in this case, when he's going to gather the elect of Israel at the end of the tribulation, he's going to send forth his angels to do that work. But in contrast with that, in our chapter, the Lord himself comes. He's the one that's going to come and take us away. Interesting to think about that, that.
00:40:15
Some of the great events, at least three of them, are marked out with a definite statement.
This is the last one, the best I think. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven well, starting in the Lords ministry in Matthew 3 it talks about a voice from heaven marked out that beginning of the Lord's service.
A voice from heaven, the Spirit of God, came down, and in the peaceful form of a dove lighted upon Jesus.
A man coming up.
Out of the water.
And the Spirit of God coming upon him. There's the first time you find the Trinity clearly in the Bible.
That voice from heaven was the Father, the sun coming up out of the water and entering his service, the Spirit of God.
Lighting upon him for the service and the voice from heaven, the Father. Now we go to and think about Acts 2. It says, Well, maybe better to turn to it. Another definite event in the course of God's ways to form the church.
In Acts 2.
And when the day of Pentecost was.
Fully come.
They were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven.
As of a rushing mighty wind, it filled the house where they were sitting, a voice from heaven. How magnificent, how wonderful, And hear a sound from heaven to form the church. But when He comes for us, the Lord Himself is coming. We get the best.
In Revelation, one versus.
By the road that involves Herman, David and the blanket morning stars, well.
The offspring of David and the roof in the offspring that was from Israel was the right morning star. That's for the church. That's for the church. And this is what the Lord is looking for. He's looking forward to having the church. He's right with himself. Nothing can take the place. Nothing can take one thing from holiday, the bright morning star. Those who get up early in the morning and see the star up there there shines at all it's pristine beauty and loveliness.
And then?
My mind, little stars wink out. There's gone, but the morning star shines there often times just by itself. We've got the whole heaven to itself.
And then perhaps we gave that up. And then he turned his face away, and the next time he looked, it's gone. It's gone.
And though I will be, when the world comes, no sound of our comforter.
Is the Lord is coming. He's gone. And he's so silently. And we're going to be gone too, So silently we're going to, we're going to be gone to, we're going to be gone to be with Christ, the dear man and the glories who loved us and gave himself for us.
One thinks about some of those dear things they just in the past days of many today they don't know any component, the volunteers doctrine, but they love the Lord and they're looking for his coming. Looking for his coming. You ask him? Yes. And they're looking for the Lord to come. Yes. Well, it's the right hope of the Church, the bright hope of the Christian looking for that blessed.
Some of you will remember Brother Ike Wizzy in Maine.
John, I'm sure you remember him.
He suffered quite a bit with cancer at the end of his life and he lay there and someone came to visit him and said brother Ike.
There's a brother over to the Lisbon Forks that's preaching that the Lord is coming in two weeks hoping to encourage, and I said that long.
What was the what was the secret of that? He was waiting immediately for the Lord's coming, and a promise of two weeks didn't do anything for him at all. I've always been touched by that. Now that was one thought about the the Rapture. There's a contention that the Word does not appear in Scripture.
00:45:19
Our biblical words that don't. Biblical teachings where the word the Trinity doesn't appear in scripture.
The truth of it does. Where does that word rapture come from? Well, there's a species of bird which swoops down.
Catches away his prey and takes it away and now swoops down in the dark of night, but grabs in a mouse or a snake or whatever he got his in the way. They are called Raptors.
In Spanish, they use the Spanish Bible, the Rapture. That's right, that's Rapture. And so that's where it says when you when you're caught up together.
It's raptured, just snatched away. What a wonderful thought. Not like snakes, of course, and not to be devoured by the Lord, but to enjoy his affection for all eternity. But people who quibble about that don't let that trouble you when somebody tells you that there's no such word.
Clement is in the Spanish Bible and it is. It is in the Spanish Bible. I think that the word that is taken away, taken away, that's that's verse 17 caught up. Is that right? That's in Spanish. That's the rapture. You have something to say, didn't you, David? Was that you? Well, absolutely. I'd like to say this.
This was written about 64 AD or thereabouts and.
I'm wrong. It was the first first epistle that he wrote. First epistle followed, but nevertheless, up to that point and for a few years after that, they kept the understanding of the Lords coming for his Saints. And then they lost it. And when they lost him, the Church went into the Dark Ages, and it went for possibly at least 1000 years or maybe more, without the knowledge of the Lord's coming for his people.
And then it would recover. How thankful tonight, this afternoon, we can be that we have here in our hands. What actually tells us of that which has recovered you, You think? How could they ever lose it? It's written here. How could they ever lose? Because they lost sight of the fact that they were awake. They didn't wait anymore for the Lord from heaven. And are we waiting? You know, if we don't, the apostle Paul in Romans 910 and 11 fell asleep.
The Roman Saints about the recovery of Israel back to God's.
People again here on the third, he says. If you don't be careful, don't get wise in your own conceit, in your own thoughts.
Because if God cut off the natural branches, he can cut off the grafted in branches. And so as we completed these meetings, how marvelous to know that we have God's word. It's not man's word, it's God's word. And he tells us many of us this room have stood by grave sites, maybe everything. And that last word. Wherefore comfort one another with these words? What a comfort.
At the side of a grave where someone who you know.
Is God's child a blood bought St. that you're going to see that body in a glorious form in a coming day. What I thought of comfort and that's why it says.
That she sorrow not even as others which have no whatever. What hope does anyone have at a gravesite that doesn't know Christ? None. Absolutely none. You know, David said. After his child died, he got up and washed himself and ate and he said.
I'll go to him. He'll not return to me, but I'll go to him. And that's the hope we have this afternoon. Every one of us, many of us, those that have passed on well in Christ, we're going to see them again. Only they will have a new body, Just like Christ. Just like you were. Just like I will. Why did they?
00:50:03
Get into the faith how that's less than one, he hung on Calvary, the man who died for me to gaze into that blessed face and see that smile.
And see his smile. Oh, think of all the trials that we've been through down here. If it's it won't be anything. Just to see his smile and oh, how precious that will be. Yeah.
There with unlearned gazed our eyes on him with rest.
And satisfied with endless praise, a heart completely blessed.
You said that, David.
I'm not sure how you said it doesn't matter.
Why did the early Christians lose the hope of this company? Because their understanding of this truth was defective. They expected him to come during their lifetime and some had died. And that's why he writes this passage, to comfort those that sorrow not.
That sorrow. There's others that have no hope. They thought they were going to be found in the Kingdom. And anyone that sets a date for the Lord's coming discredits the truth of the Lord's coming, because that date will come and go and he doesn't come. And what the effect that has is and they they just give it up. That's the effect it has on us whenever we expect, we said, whether whether it's a year or a month.
Or a day, whatever it might be. The scriptures is very clear. We don't know when he's coming, but we do know he's coming. That's the important thing. We have to emphasize that he is coming, but when we don't know, and when you lose that sense of it because of bad teaching, you're not looking for him. Then you become very world. And This is why worldliness has crept into the church, because we lost sight of them. What's coming?
There's another reason also.
That the hope of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was lost. We had brought before us already the aspect of our hearts desiring to go and to be with him. In the 12Th chapter of Luke he says that servant said in his heart the Lord delayeth his coming. So when the affection for the Lord Jesus Christ and the lack of the expectation ceases to be causing not to be a whole, then, as has been just said, our behavior degenerates.
That wicked servant began to eat and drink with a drunken and to beat, and the maidservants and the maidservants, so that when it the affections are have begun to wane, and that hope ceases to be an expectation. Then our behavior drops. And so it was in the churches history, and the dark ages as we call it, resulted in the loss of the expectation of His return.
We have been speaking about comfort here.
Wherefore comfort one another.
That's those of us that are left.
When someone dear to us has gone, but when you go back to verse 17.
Then we which are alive remain.
So there were those Thessalonians that had laid aside their loved ones, and there are many here have laid aside their loved ones, that there was life companion for them for many, many years.
And so you're standing there.
Looking down into that grave and there is the body.
Of your loved one, Are you really realize that she's absent from the body of that person, is absent from the body and present with the Lord?
Well, what? At first this is what a verse has been to the people of God, and what a verse it must have been to these dear Thessalonians.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the cloud.
To meet the Lord in the air. And this is so beautiful.
And so shall we ever be with the Lord together. We're caught up together.
We meet the Lord Jesus.
And with those who have gone before and those that are taken from this world.
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Will be together forever.
Shells Will we ever be?
With the Lord.
How marvelous to have the comfort of that.
In the darkest situation, perhaps you could pass through here in this world.
But it's so like the Lord Jesus, because of his compassion, we see him in our mind's eye. We see him at the graveside of Lazarus, and there he is.
As the tears flowed down his face.
That blessed One who had all power, and there he is suffering.
You might say with those dear sisters.
Comforting, yes, but suffering with them as what had happened as a result of sin, Their brother was gone.
For what? A day for them.
When they'll be all joined together.
We caught up together to meet the.
Lord in the air, and saw, shall we ever be with the Lord.
Brethren, wherefore comfort one another? I hear our dear brother Christopher Willis saying. Oh, what comfort.
What comfort as to that blessed hope?
In the Lord's coming.
We can't say.
That anyone?
Who sets a date for the Lord to come beyond today is.
Wrong in spirit, if not in fact.
That blessed hope ought to be.
Perhaps today that's that's closer than what brother Whitney talking about two weeks. But it's it's a wonderful thing to have that blessed hope and it takes you back to Romans. In the third chapter it says oh have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Then a further on in the book it says those are believing rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
When we get to the end of near the end of Revelation, it says that the.
Bride comes forth having the glory of God, perhaps today, perhaps today. What a hope. I heard Brother Clem of a just recently of a young man who had on his bathroom mirror that little motto perhaps today. And I was encouraged by that, because he wanted to be reminded every morning when he got up and looked in the mirror that this might be the day of the Lord's return. I held a little read a little article recently I.
Couldn't sleep one night, which is rare for me. And I was home and so I got up and I have some old volumes on my shelf of the young Christian. That was a periodical edited by Brother Armand, I believe, at the beginning of the century. And I pulled off one of those volumes just to read a short article and hopefully get back to sleep. And I think it was, I'm not really sure, but I think it was maybe the 1913 edition. And I read the New Year's editorial by Mr. Arman. And Mr. Arman was saying that with the condition of things in the world.
State of things amongst the Lord's people. Surely 1913 must be the year of the Lord's return. Now he wasn't trying to set a date, but it was a present hope. It was a reality for our brethren at the turn of the century. And it was a reality for the Apostle Paul in these Thessalonians believers. Because when Paul said we which are alive and remain, who was he referring to? He was referring to himself. In the Thessalonian believers they were expecting the Lord to come. But the Lord hasn't come yet and we might say well has the promise made.
In John 14, failed when he said I will come again. We've been talking about hope.
Maybe I could just qualify that word. It was helpful to me when I was younger to realize here, brethren, talk about hope in the context in which we've been using it. Because hope connected with the first man or with this life is uncertainty at best. We hope to return to our homes after this conference, but maybe something will happen and we'll never return to our homes, even though we had every intention of doing so. But hope connected with Christ and with the new man.
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Is never uncertainty. It's only hope in the sense of what it says.
Why? What a man has, why does he get hope? For it's only hope in the sense that we're not in the full good of it yet. Not not that it's uncertain. Not that the promise that the Lord Jesus made has failed. All the promises of God in him are yay, and in him Amen. To the glory of God by us was set in the Old Testament. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise. But brother, he has the day of grace has been extended. God is gracious. He's still compelling sinners to come in that his house may be filled.
But nevertheless, the hope of the Lord's coming is to be a present reality, just as it was back here, just as it was with our brethren earlier in this century. Let's go home with the reality of this hope, not only for ourselves, but for those that are asleep. And if you'll just allow me another moment, I'd like to say a little word about that word. Sleep. We have it here. We've got to get to verse 16 before the hour comes up. So don't take that long, please. I won't. But I I think perhaps there are some here who wonder, what does it mean when it says asleep?
And I used to ponder this as well, because there are those who teach soul sleep. You never have soul sleep in the word of God. Never. Those who have died in faith are in, not in a state of unconsciousness Now they're absent with the body and present with the Lord. And Paul said to depart and be with Christ is far better. It's the sleeve here is referred to the body, and it's only those who have died in faith, in the word of God.
That are referred to as asleep. Interesting to notice that Old Testament, New Testament, it's only those who have died in faith I say that are referred to as asleep. Why? Because sleep is a temporary state of things. The body sleeps in the grave. And it was a great comfort to my own soul as I stood a few months ago at my father's grave to realize that that wasn't the end. We laid the body aside, absent from the body present with the Lord. But that is not the end.
When the unbeliever walks away from a grave, that's it. It's over. But not for us all. There was sorrow at my father's grave. His children wept. His grandchildren wept. His brethren wept too. But we didn't weep with despair. We sorrowed. It doesn't say we don't sorrow, but we sorrow not as others who have no hope. What a comfort. What a consolation. Brother. Can I have a minute to check or not?
A minute.
Very good we we live in the light of this blessed hope and.
It's something very special. I trust in my own soul that I'm waiting for the Lord Jesus to come. But one thing that gives me patience in waiting is the thought that he has said I will build my church. So he's not going to come until.
That wonderful work is accomplished. It hurts. He's going to present it to himself. A glorious church not having spot or wrinkle.
So we can wait in patience, because this work is not finished, but it's going to be and the Rapture is going to take place. The passion Prevention has mentioned at least twice in this regard, and the patience of Christ in the in Revelation chapter 3 and.
It's not the patients waiting for Christ. So much of the patience of Christ waiting for you. Yeah, he's he's waiting.
All right, verse 16.
We haven't said anything about that. Not much. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. Mr. Darby renders that an assembling shout. Mr. Kelly renders it a shout of command, like the general to his army, the Admiral to his Navy shout of command.
Archangelical voice. It's not the voice of the Archangel, but it's with archangelical voice, new translation, and with the trump of God. What are those three things? What are we going to hear? What do those things mean? That's my question.
In regard to the archangelic waste, I think it's fortunate that we have translations in other languages that help us with that because in German, for example, as you know, Chuck, it's my stimulus, it's the quality of the queries. I don't know, I thought you did, you were talking German to me earlier today, but it was, it's it's the quality of the voice. It's not The Who it is that's talking.
01:05:08
Is the quality of it. It's not Michael coming in.
It's the Lord's voice. It's the Lord. It's not Nichols voice, it's the Lords voice. But what is meant by Archangelico voice? What's meant by that voice of authority? Yes, yes. And power. And power. It's like the Supreme Commander of the armed forces issuing an order, right? The general voice shout of command.
Because that voice is going to call all the dead from the graves from Abel onward that had faith in God.
Think of the power involved in doing that.
Well, Bob, do you think the shout will awaken the sleeping Saints?
Serious question.
And I have no doubt. All right, then. What's the trump? What does the trump mean? There's there's a, there's a sequence here. The shout. And then who's shouting? Well, the voice of authority, archangelical voice. And then the trump is. Now it's time to go arise, my love, and come away. That's the Trump shout is the trumpet. The shout is to awaken the sleeping sights, and the trumpet is to tell them to move.
That's.
Is that a right interpretation of the passage? That's First Corinthians 15 in the last Trump. OK, I rise My love, My fair one, isn't it? That's it. That's it. Arise, my love. My heroine can come away. Never think of Roman army. Mayor was three Trump's that sounded too for the troop to March. The first Trump was get ready.
Get your things ready. That's been shot. That's been sounded already. Yes. OK what was that? I asked if it's been sounded already. That first one in principle it has been sounded. The second Trump is getting ranked to March and that is principle has been sounded already. We should be walking in fellowship with our brother and it only remains the last Trump to March.
To go move off together, yes.
Is the center and the center of all that one thing to do of all those areas of real chilling in the upland resort?
There you go. The second there was this.
46,000 rivers and all levels of each other. The statement is in the being here we're speaking about about the the whole of the all the families is all those little children who need a family will be a family and it's all there. All the freedom of glory and happiness And there won't be there won't be a a cloud and there's no one let me do nothing doesn't ever the on the on the ocean.
Oh, how wonderful will be this, Behold of Christ, and on the left gave himself. Will the world? Will the people of the world hear the shout? Will they hear the trumpet?
I don't think they will. But you shake your head. No, I agree with you. But how could what do we have to approve that? Well, I've just thought of it, Chuck in illustration in the Old Testament with Israel, when they left Egypt, it was such a silent exodus that not even a dog lifted its tongue. I know that's not a New Testament scripture, but I thought of it because people talk today about rape disasters when the Lord comes, they talk about car accidents and planes going. And I think people are missing the point.
I'm not going to say what's going to happen when the Lord comes because God doesn't answer all our curious questions, but I think they're they're missing the point when they get talking about all this kind of thing and when it says not a dog lifted its tongue. I've learned to appreciate that more, having visited some in 3rd world countries because you visit a third world country and there is a din of dogs day and night. First time I took my wife to to Port of Spain, Trinidad, I tried to prepare for this din of dogs day and night.
She wished she had some of the machetes that she saw people carrying down the streets. But it is, and I believe that when it says not a dog lifted its tongue, it is more of a miracle than we in the Western world realize. And I'm sure Brother **** and Brother Coleman and others will agree you've heard these. But I just say that what I believe, when we leave this world, it's going to be a silent, orderly exodus. God is a God of order. He is a God of order. And when we go, he can do it, brother.
01:10:19
He can do it. He can take us out of this world quietly and orderly, and I would suggest that the world for a short time.
Will just go on. May be thankful that those Christians that were only a nuisance are finally gone. I'd be glad to hear what others say, but I just bring up.
Can I read a verse yes in Second Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse one?
Is a power unseen in this world.
And the power of that person, God the Holy Spirit, gathers us to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
And here we have in verse one of chapter 2, Second Thessalonians. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, I believe, when God the Holy Spirit who has been here for 2000 years.
Lives at that shelf.
Every radiant one will go. It will be silent.
So it says in the end of the book, the Spirit and the bride say come the Spirit down here wanting Christ to come too, right?
I'd be interested Brother Chuck, in asking this. A brother in a fellowship meeting in Woodbridge some months ago, suggested that we will hear the voice and have time to pull up to the side and turn off our car key. I I just didn't. I don't have any.
Assurance that that is a scriptural thought. No, I I don't think that'll be true. But I agree with what Brother Jim said. And God is a God of water. He knows what's happening. He knows what's going on. I saw a God of judgment.
He's also a God of judgment. And at the Rapture, that's going to beginning, that's going to be the beginning for this world of the worst judgment it's ever experienced. Why should anyone say there aren't going to be terrible accidents in that crashes? If the pilot of the plane is taken, who's going to pilot that plane down? I know God is able to do that, but the idea that he's a God of order doesn't prove it at all. He's also a God of judgment and and the events that are going to happen after the Rapture are going to be judgment, judgment, judgment, judgment.
Very fast. They're going to be very rapid in a short time. Very fast, Yes. I'm wondering if my principal Paul's having heard the voice and some saying it thundered, might not be the way it will be when we go. I I just said what I did because I think we need to be very careful brother not to go beyond what scripture tells us. And if God doesn't tell us what's going to happen when we're taken out then we need to be silent on that that as well.
And we can sit here and suppose one way or the other, but God has told us enough in His words so that by faith we can grasp the reality of these precious things and know that rather than at any moment we're going to be gone. And how does the verse end? And so shall we notice this Ever with the Lord, just meditate on that. When He's in glory in the Father's house, we're with him. When He comes back to reign over the earth, we're with Him. We'll never leave his side again. We're going to be ever.
With the Lord sometimes. I don't always walk in the conscious sense of the Lord's presence. Now doesn't mean He leaves me or forsakes me, but I don't walk in the conscious sense of it. Brethren, there's the day coming when we are going to be there with our glorified bodies, and we're not going to be in the conscious sense of His presence. We are going to be in His presence, and we're going to be ever with the Lord. There are many of us that have been sitting here silent, and if I can speak for the, I think, silent majority, I have confusion over.
The 16th verse in connection with the three things and I wonder if.
We get a little help again as to.
The difference between the three. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God. I'm sorry, I don't understand what our brethren have been saying exactly in connection with the show, being something that's first and maybe already taken. Please help me out.
01:15:04
No, I don't think they meant that. The illustration that Bob was giving, I think it was Bob was from history. There were three trumpets blowing, and we're waiting for the last trump, the last trumpet. The first two have already been. It's like a race on your heart. First trumpet get sat, second trumpet go. And that's the thought. And that's the last trumpet. When that sounds, we're going to go, go be with the Lord. That's just an illustration as to what this, this trumpet, the last trump means.
But to shout, it's as Darby says, an assembling shout. We're not just going to go a piece meal one at a time. We're going to He's going to assemble us and take us to heaven together. And it's an assembly shout and and and Kelly renders that a shout of command. Like the general with his army, he gives a shout and the voice of the Archangel, it's not the Archangel, it's archangelical voices. It's an arthritis. The article isn't there, it's.
It's the voice of authority that speaks and everyone will respond to that. Is that, is that helpful? Or David, you go ahead and ask more questions. That shout is what's going to awaken all the sleeping things from all times and that's necessary because notice the end of the 15th verse, it says.
We shall not prevent them which are asleep that were prevented. Old English word that means go before.
Present and just simply means that we are not going to go before the ones that died to meet the Lord. And so he explains how that's going to happen. Well, how are those that have died going to be awakened by that shout? That shout That awakens the dead. So it says at the end of verse 16, the dead in Christ shall rise.
1St So first is resurrection, and I'm sure it's not going to take very long, but it's interesting. I remember several years ago in Los Angeles we had First Corinthians 15 in the readings and brother Dan Jacobson pointed out when it says in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, he says it's not talking about the rapture, it's talking about the resurrection. And then it says here then we which are alive and remain there is a sequence.
They will rise first, then we, which are alive and remain, will be caught up together. I'm sure it's not going to take long because God's power has no limits to it. But think of the power of all those sleeping Saints. Where is the that redeemed dust from those bodies that died, those that died at sea? The bodies, their bodies were dissolved into the sea, were eaten by fish. Where is it?
The power of God in one moment will call them from wherever they are. They're going to be raised incorruptible because it's these bodies are redeemed, brethren, and God is going to take these bodies of humiliation and change them into bodies of glory. And so it's that redeemed us, that is in the graves that God is going to take and.
Raised into bodies of glory and incorruption.
The northern Army there, being the most of the Army, will be asleep. I remember it's a California trial. And he says all these other curriculum, we're just a huge family or whatever. But anyhow, most of the Army would be asleep and there'd be a hero in that long garden.
Well, that was the first blind from the summer. We'll come all up and get out and they get ready and they pack their bags and they get the next and the next line to the chocolate. They get into their playlist. They need Ready to Mars. And then the lineup comes. We all move along and go.
But time doesn't enter there anymore. Time will enter. We're in. We're living in circumstances. There is a question. Time doesn't mean anything involved. I'd like to just suggest that the prototype of the assembling shout.
Is in John 1143, but it's a qualified prototype, the Lord says.
01:20:05
Come forth. But he puts a word in front of it, because had he not put that in front of it, they'd all have come for it. John Five, it says. All that are in the grave. Show. Hear his voice and come forth.
And so there's a qualified prototype of that. I believe in John Chapter 11 and verse 43. Lazarus come forth. What'd he do? What choice did Lazarus have at that point? He didn't know. There was no choice whatsoever. When the Lord calls us, we will go.
Some people say he struggled out of the grave with the grave clothes. I don't believe that. I believe he immediately stood in front of the Lord. You think he walked out?
Beg pardon? Do you think he walked out? I think he just was brought up by divine power. And that's what I believe is the the point here. We're going to be raised by no glorious hour when we will be transformed and brought out of the grave and stand ready to March on and then all joining together. This isn't going to be a long process though, is it, brother? Is the world going to see us? When?
Dan Jacobson didn't mean it was going to be a long process.
#217 two 70.
And shall we leave my face?
And I never live in my voice.
And grace.
Well, I.
Just.
Take the mind and make a heart. Keep in mind the last words of this chapter.
01:25:07
Wherefore converts or new translation says encourage.
One another.
With these words is wonderful gossip. Reading me, you have a responsibility or a good person.
But give thanks.
Our God.
We have so much to be thankful for and especially these two days together.
And we just praise and bless and thank thee for the riches of the.
Truth of our position now as being in Christ.
And our love brethren who have left this scene as to being with Christ.
And that soon we all together shall be like him who has that glorified body.
The head of a new creation.
The Risen Man.
Already in the glory.
And we shall be like him.
Tremendous thought.
But oh, the mercy which goes on toward us and toward the world in general. We're so thankful for that.
And something is known of thy grace, the riches of thy grace, the glory of thy grace.
Before says ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is true of every believer, we know something of that grace.
But oh to see thy face.
To be with thee and to be like thee now help us to be encouraged as we've just been admonished.
With the words that have been before us, to remember them, help us in that, and not to be hearers only, but doers of the word, putting these things practically to use. We've had such good practical ministry that way.
We earnestly pray for all of us.
The young ones in particular rejoicing the seed, many that are very interested in these truths.
But we ask for blessing upon all and mercies the rest of the day, and the rest of the way.
We commit us to thee and give our thanks, Lord Jesus, in thy worthy name. Amen.
The.
Prayer for the gospel is at 6:30 again in the library and the gospel.
At 7:00 PM.
The meal tonight will be all held in the cafeteria. No service in that special room. If there's somebody that needs assistance, can't go through the line, why, they can sit in down in the cafeteria and there will be those that will serve them. But I've been told that there is quite a bit of variety in the foods that will be served tonight and so.
They're encouraged everyone that can to go through the line.
I'd like to ask Brother Charles Brandon if you mind giving thanks for the food.
Our blessed God, our Father to Thee with Thanksgiving.