today i'm gonna ask you to grab your
bibles and turn to second peter chapter
two
second peter chapter two
and uh we are really literally coming
now i have to tell you
this is the portion of scripture of
second peter chapter two
uh when we get down in our in our uh
scripture reading we've been reading it
for weeks now
we're gonna get to verse nine which ends
this section and i have to i have to
confess i have been so waiting
uh for verse nine in fact all of the
previous teachings uh were all
preparation for verse nine
and uh that's where we're at today so
we're looking at a message entitled what
you really need to know it's like a
mini-series that has happened in second
peter chapter two uh but we're looking
at what you need to know in these last
days
and all that is right there in verse
nine but um one more thing before we get
going today
let's pray once again as we did last
wednesday and last thursday
let's pray for our
nation's leaders all around the world
heavenly father i pray right now for our
president and vice president and our
cabinet and our administration i pray
from lord
the leader of our nation president trump
lord to our local mayor
and our city council
and lord the governors across this
nation
they've got to make big decisions
they've got to make decisions lord that
none of us would want to make
but this hour has been thrust upon them
we pray for leaders prime ministers
kings
we pray father for
rulers
in the world around us that you would
use them and speak to them and just as i
heard
[Music]
this morning coming down to the church
that there are corporations here in the
united states some of the biggest
companies in the world
that have chosen to get together and to
work with our government
on how to make things better and how to
create solutions and how to meet the
needs in the demands that are upon not
only our nation but the world and some
of those great corporations are
retooling their manufacturing facilities
to make masks and to make ventilators
and to
produce gloves and all of these things
that is awesome
coming together
and lord we just praise you we ask that
you lord also would hear from the church
it is so obvious at this hour
the theaters have been shut down
hollywood's not making movies the normal
stuff that's going on a lot of voices
have been silenced
but one
the great hour right now upon us is the
fact that the church is speaking all
around the world at this moment
and with all of the silence and people
gather together in freeways empty
villages towns cities quiet
maybe god you have called us to this
moment you may not have caused the
coronavirus but you are certainly using
it
and we pray lord that right now in our
homes
all around the world as the church was
born in the home
during our time as we'll study today
maybe just maybe
during this global hour
the church might get raptured up out of
their home
to meet you in the air
we pray lord now in jesus name and all
god's people said
amen second peter chapter two and i'm
just obviously going to read through the
scriptures
and you can follow along
and it begins second peter chapter two
you guys know it well if you've been
joining us verse four
peter says for or since god did not
spare the angels who sinned but cast
them down into hell and delivered them
into chains of darkness
to be reserved for judgment verse 5 and
did not spare the ancient world
but saved noah
one out of eight people a preacher of
righteousness
bringing in the flood
of the world or upon the world of the
ungodly
and turning the cities of sodom and
gomorrah and ashes condemned them to
destruction making them an example to
those who afterward would live ungodly
and delivered righteous lots
who was oppressed by the filthy conduct
of the wicked that righteous man
dwelling among them was tormented or had
his soul tormented from day to day by
seeing and hearing
their evil deeds and here's where we end
our miniseries this is the push of it
all
then
this is an announcement of in light of
all that you've heard this is what god
is doing this is what god is doing now
in america and the world then
the lord knows how to deliver the godly
out of temptation
and to reserve the unjust under the
punishment for the day of judgment
that's the thrust of this entire series
that small little verse verse 9
is the very power
and announcement to what he's been
teaching you guys know previously and i
don't want to spend much time on it
because we've got a lot of ground to
cover and i encourage you to
take notes today but in verse 4 we saw
that
our enemies really is something that we
really need to know about and that
they're not human remember we studied
that in detail all about the angelic
realm that they're spirit beings
he warns in the bible that they were
judged that they reside in a realm
altogether different than what you and i
know that the bible announces there are
angelic beings
there are spirit beings who reside in a
realm a world altogether strange to us
as mortals
angels are real said jesus angels are
real says the bible and then lastly on
that point regarding our enemy
that is not human is the fact that
they're being held many of them are
being held in contempt that is
god says that they are reserved unto the
day of judgment and then secondly we saw
in verse 5 that we have a mission and
that is believers all around the world
and perhaps more now than ever before
our mission is an urgent
mission and we saw three things about
that that that mission is to pronounce
judgment and i know that's uncomfortable
for us
none of us want to walk around
pronouncing judgment on people nor are
we called to do that
but we are invited by the bible to
announce to the unbelieving world that
god judges sin and we read it a moment
ago
that there was the world of the angelic
realm that had sinned
angels that had fallen we don't know how
many
the bible says one-third of the angels
were deceived by lucifer satan and they
sinned they fell but also those of
noah's day
when god delivered
noah in his family out of the
time of the great flood but those who
rejected god were swept away so we're
talking about judgment and we're being
introduced to deliverance and then we
also saw the fact that
in this judgment there is the believer
you and i that are to live our lives
walking around living and being people
that represent the word of god truly and
then we also saw that our mission
extends mercy and this is amazing
because church we sat here several weeks
ago and we went through that in detail
and little did we know that we would be
thrust now into this moment where we are
extending mercy to our community and
beyond
how this church just one church this one
one church and a community of many but
this one church has mobilized and has
gone out and to show acts of mercy
acts of love
regarding this urgent mission this is
pretty cool uh the the company that
supplies bread to disneyland and uh
bread to uh some restaurants in the
region uh they wound up
donating just tons and tons of bread to
us and that bread's been going out
to people in need
mercy
the time is urgent and all this is
building up to our closing message of
this section and then last time together
we saw the fact that it ends in
absolute completeness that the lord is
coming
and the fact that jesus christ is coming
back that is in the mindset of so many
people it ought to be in the mindset of
everybody
that christ is coming back
and the bible makes it very clear that
it ends
when christ comes and delivers his
church
and we saw last time in our final uh
study before leading to this moment we
saw that our identity is no longer our
own we're no longer us in christ that we
are now christians and the fact that
that happened to you and i as believers
in the lord jesus is that the world is
no longer us
this world is strange to us as believers
have you have you noticed that have you
been reminded of that lately
you look around the world is different
it's no longer in your heart as a
believer you may be tempted by the world
i i get that
but you understand that you don't belong
here anymore and i absolutely revel in
that
that the world is no longer us we saw
also that this culture is no longer us
we see things on tv we hear things
spoken we see things uh being broadcast
or hear things on the radio and we just
push back there's the spirit of god in
us the holy spirit that we learned about
on wednesday night that pushes back from
evil
and then we saw in closing that our life
is no longer our own that christ now
rules us and it's a glorious truth so
church dial down now on verse 9 of the
second chapter of ii peter look at it
again then the lord knows how number one
to deliver the godly out of temptations
and number two to reserve the unjust
under punishment for the day of judgment
there is no doubt about it that jesus
christ divides the world
i can mention any name in the world at
any given time and there's no problem
but the moment i mentioned jesus i've
got people's attention i've told you
before but i'll say it again whenever uh
my wife and i or a family we're watching
a movie at a theater
and somebody might say something or
maybe even on tv somebody might say
something that uses the name of god in
the wrong light we respond publicly
no matter what it is somebody might say
oh jesus this and we say is lord
and uh we practice that and it's it's
kind of fun it takes a moment where
people don't even know what they're
talking about but they mention the name
jesus and we redeem it by saying
is lord
and that's the challenge for us today is
jesus christ the lord of our lives
so friends as we take our fourth and
final look it is this right now what you
really need to know and specifically now
verse nine about these last days mark it
down is that the rapture is a biblical
doctrine you say jack where do you get
that from oh look closely in verse nine
it says the lord knows how to deliver
the godly out of temptation this is a
reference to the lord coming for his
people
and listen it's twofold at the least
number one it's regarding the rapture
the bible teaches that the rapture is
something and we'll see it in a moment
that is uh throughout the bible
and the rapture is an event that is very
controversial it should be and the bible
said it would be and the rapture
doctrine is something that is very very
uh
dividing
when i say dividing i mean it this way i
mean that it divides the believer from
the unbeliever or the non-believer when
jesus christ
when jesus christ comes suddenly he will
divide the believer from the unbeliever
and the rapture will take place and
you're going to learn all about it this
morning and it's all based on that
portion of verse 9. the lord knows how
to deliver you if you're a christian
listen right now if you're a believer in
the lord jesus christ the fact of the
matter is
god has deposited a mark upon you so to
speak the bible says in the book of
ephesians he has marked you sealed you
until the day of redemption
what does that mean it means that god
looks as it were all around the world
right now and he can see those that are
his
you know we talk a lot about today
regarding
uh
identity and
uh
facial recognition and hand recognition
uh you know many of us we can go in and
out of customs now at our airports by
just either looking at a screen i
remember not too long ago i boarded a a
flight
i i forget where but it was either
frankfurt germany or france it doesn't
matter i was in route to somewhere
and it just the it just looked at my
face
i had my passport on me but it the
scanner looked at my face and a green
light went on and the
customs door opened up and i was able to
board the aircraft identity if man can
identify man in the technology that
we've created then how much more can god
absolutely identify us by the power of
his holy spirit and that's what he does
and you're marked as a believer
you might be sitting right there in your
living room or your apartment right now
or wherever you're at in the world and
if you're trusting jesus christ you are
marked marked for a moment i might add
the bible tells us that that moment
could be the rapture of the church but
first of all let's do our homework let's
get ready i'm going to give you a lot of
verses of the bible i'm going to ask you
to do your homework by writing them down
what you really need to know is the fact
that the rapture is a biblical doctrine
and it begins jesus is the one that even
introduces it it begins in john 14 verse
1. many of you know this
but maybe it's sweeter now to our ears
than ever before
jesus said let not your heart be
troubled you believe in god believe also
in me
in my father's house are many mansions
everybody at home get your finger ready
if it were not so
i would have told you
i go now to prepare a place for you
where did he go he went to heaven
and if i go and prepare a place for you
i will come again
and receive you to myself listen to this
that where i am
heaven
there you may be also
and i want to ask you if you're a
skeptic in the rapture right now i want
to ask you this question
if jesus christ left if jesus went away
to prepare a place for us
and he said he would do that
the question is did he leave
after being resurrected from the tomb
did jesus christ ascend back to heaven
yes
he said i'm gonna go and i'm gonna
prepare a place for you that where i am
where does the bible say jesus christ is
right now
in heaven
and he said i'm going to leave heaven
just long enough to come back
and to receive you to myself
that wherever i am
heaven
you will be also he's going to come and
receive the believers at a particular
time i pray it's today and he's going to
receive them to himself and then deposit
us in that place that he has been
preparing now a lot of people didn't
want to argue about the rapture
for the life of me i cannot figure that
out because let's be honest every
bible-believing christian agrees and
understands the rapture is a biblical
doctrine what they don't agree upon is
the timing of it and that's okay
we can disagree on the timing
uh you could be wrong about that but
i lovingly say
we could be raptured today the doctrine
of imminency as we'll see in a moment is
something that teaches the bible
could have this fulfillment happen to us
today
and you need to know that but i want to
stress this that the pulpit ministry of
the church today needs to be very clear
right now about hope
and it's not some pipe dream it's not
some silly thing to preach the fact that
not only can we have listen
not only can we have hope in the midst
of persecution and in the uh
moment of devastation we can have hope
in the moment of pestilence disease
viruses like we see around the world
right now at this hour
but it's a hope that announces to us
that christ could come at any time
listen it's a hope that that causes us
to look up and it's a hope that keeps us
going forward
none of us need to be afraid
stop being afraid we do not need to be
afraid because it first of all it
doesn't do anything
second of all it it doesn't make things
better it actually makes everything
worse but here's the main thing
when you realize that god has given you
and i the opportunity to be alive at
this time
and let's be honest there are some who
are sick
by the way there are far many more many
people sick in the world of other things
than the
coronavirus and some of them may die you
may be you may die
do you trust christ do you know jesus
here's the ultimate hope jesus said if a
man were to die believing in me yet
shall he live do you know that
the ultimate hope is having christ now
in your life and jesus saves jesus saves
you can drive downtown los angeles and
there's a building it's been there for i
don't know how many decades and atop
that building and it's written in red
neon red it says jesus saves
and that's still true today
jesus saves
but never should the pulpit at a time
like this be a place of weakness
gloom or apathy at any time
but in times like these the pulpit ought
to be all the more ablaze with truth
and that truth should point all
christians to the blessed hope it's
called in the bible the rapture
the gathering of his church to himself
at his return
christ is coming we need to get excited
about that
and we'll soldier on until he comes but
we need to be looking up
but you might ask the question how is he
going to do this pastor jack you're
saying in this first argument that the
bible teaches us that the
rapture is a biblical doctrine and all
that is true
and all these preceding verses speak to
us about god separating the righteous
from the unrighteous but how's he gonna
do it
if it's a biblical doctrine then does it
explain in the bible how it's gonna
happen oh yes
get your notes ready
first corinthians 15 verse 51
first corinthians 15 51 says behold i
tell you a mystery the word in greek is
mysterion it doesn't mean that paul's
making something up it means it's a
truth that has always been it means that
it's eternal
and you need to hear some of this listen
he is saying i'm going to tell you
something that has always been eternal
but it's being revealed publicly now
this is a great great bit of hope and
encouragement to us we shall not all
sleep the word sleep in the bible refers
to the believer's body at the time of
death allow me to change it for our
english language
we shall not all die but we shall be
changed
in a moment in a twinkling of an eye at
the last trumpet
for the trumpet will sound and the dead
will be raised incorruptible and we paul
says we
shall be changed that's how he's going
to do it first thessalonians 4 verse 14
for if we believe that jesus died and
rose again and i assume you do
maybe for some of you right now you're
hearing it for the first time well jesus
christ died on the cross for you and he
rose again from the dead even so god
will bring with him those who died in
jesus
believers who in these last 2000 years
died
trusting christ
for this we say to you by the word of
the lord that we who are alive and
remain
until the coming of the lord will by no
means precede those who have died
for the lord himself will descend from
heaven with a shout with the voice of an
archangel and the trumpet of god and the
dead in christ will rise first their
dead bodies will come out of the ground
now the believer listen previously to
this moment right now when a believer
dies their body goes into the ground but
their spirit goes to be with the lord
the bible says to be absent from the
body is to be present with the lord
that's that that's at a moment instant
of time at death you go to be with jesus
at the moment of death isn't that good
news if you're a believer
the bible says that
jesus that is coming for the church is
going to resurrect those dead bodies
they're going to get brand new bodies
resurrected bodies
then we who are alive and remain shall
be caught up it's the word rapture in
latin if you don't have a latin bible
you have in english the words caught up
uh harpazzo in in uh the greek language
rapture in the latin language you're
going to be caught up the word means to
be quickly uh almost violently we could
say in the twinkling of an eye caught up
to meet the lord in the clouds it says
here and to meet him in the air and thus
we shall always listen this is key
always be with the lord well where was
that where is that
john 14 verses 1 2 and 3.
and the bible says therefore comfort one
another with these words and i want to
make that word
familiar to you today comfort one
another with these words christ is
coming back
are you ready to meet him he said i
don't know if i am then trust jesus
having gone to the cross and dying there
for your sins the bible says he rose
again from the dead he died in your
place my place all of our
sins were
covered by christ at the cross but
listen here's the fine print it's very
important not everyone benefits from the
crucifixion of christ
not everyone benefits from the
resurrection of christ
that great gift given to man
for god's soul of the world that he
gave
gifted
the world his only begotten son that
whosoever would believe in him would not
perish but have everlasting life
that's a gift but you must choose to
receive that gift
gifts are to be received
it's tragic if somebody sends a gift
back i mean that has just got to be one
of the most ultimate
rejections is for somebody to care
enough to get you a gift and then for
you to just throw it back return to
sender in america is how that
sounds you just right across you don't
even want to open it
you just write return to sender
and some people do that many people do
that with the gospel
the gospel goes out and they say i don't
want it
no listen you need it
and believe me
when the day of separation comes
and second peter chapter two verse nine
is fulfilled you're going to want to
have that salvation of christ and here's
another great reason why in philippians
3 20 the bible says for our citizenship
some of your translations say
conversation i think it's the old king
james that might say conversation i like
that
for our conversation
is in heaven
think about that for a moment of course
the word is politic that's why
in other translations of the bible it is
citizenship
every believer has a passport
for heaven
it's our conversation now it's how we
think it's how we talk
it's how we live
from which we eagerly wait for the
savior the lord jesus christ that's what
we're doing today who will transform our
lowly body that it may be conformed to
his glorious body that's that rapture
event that
instantaneous changing that we heard
about a moment ago that twinkling of an
eye
transformation according to the working
by which he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself
what a glorious promise yes the rapture
of the church is a biblical doctrine and
i'm just covering a few verses number
two in our study let's keep going it's
this what you and i really need to know
in the last days is that the rapture is
the believer's hope
is the believer's hope
second peter 2 9 says that he knows how
to deliver
the word deliver means to extract or to
take out of
it can be translated that
he knows how to keep us through
but when we look specifically at the
rapture we know that it's a taking out
of
for example
noah
was delivered out of the flood and
carried above it
daniel
listen daniel hananiah michelle and
azariah
or you know them as
daniel meshech shadrach and abednego
daniel is a picture of the church if you
think about it when the judgment came
and nebuchadnezzar said that these
hebrew boys or men are to burn to death
for their faith in god
daniel's not even mentioned
daniel's not even in the narrative
it doesn't explain where daniel's at
and he was the ringleader of those guys
but shadrach meshach and abednego were
thrown into the fiery furnace and the
lord protected them through it
but daniel was not even mentioned in it
and that might be a picture of the
church and israel the church is removed
from the coming tribulation period which
we are not in ladies and gentlemen this
is not the tribulation period so much
junk on the internet
about the timing of things
but god has promised to take israel
through that tribulation period and
there's no mention of the church during
that period of time why because we are
to have hope as the believer
right now in this day and age regarding
the rapture
the bible tells us in titus chapter 2
verse 13
this is listen this is incumbent upon
every christian this is not an option
every believer
must have this attitude
and by the way if you don't have this
attitude you need to change it
not the bible your attitude
you need to embrace what god is saying
titus 2 13 says looking for the blessed
hope the word means scanning you are to
be scanning searching watching the
horizon looking
imagine right now
there are some few in the world they
have to be at work
the police are at work the military is
at work the hospitals at work
certain things are at work
while you're at work you're to be
scanning the horizon in your heart and
mind as it were that christ could come
back today it's the believer's hope
most of the world is inside their house
right now
and yet they're to be doing the exact
same thing in the heart and in the mind
they're they're to be looking and
scanning the horizon for the return of
christ as it were and their attitude and
in their lifestyle the rapture was is
and will always be until it happens the
believers longed for hope
that holy spirit in you
longs to get you home
it's an amazing
the bible says and we've read this often
together
i just want to point a few things out to
you and first thessalonians 4 verse 13
and 14 we read it for if we believe
verse 14
uh look ahead in first thessalonians 4
14 for if we believe look at verse 15
for
this we say to you
you can keep reading there that we who
are alive and remain listen to paul
he said we three times there now verse
look down
verse 17 then we
who are alive and remain shall be caught
up that's the fourth time he says it
just a few verses
this and by the remember he's speaking
2000 years ago every generation is to
expect the blessed hope
and then
finally
fifth time he says it and thus we shall
always be with the lord do you live like
that
at any given time he could come
it's exciting to think thirdly if you're
taking notes mark it down what you
really need to know in these last days
according to verse 9
is that listen is that the rapture is
the great motivator
it's a great motivator
in our lives
and we know this is true in other areas
of our lives if you think about it
if we know something's coming if we have
an appointment
that motivates us
you and i have an appointment with the
lord jesus christ think about that
now i got to tell you
i you know
you know i love reading c.s lewis i
don't know if you're a c.s lewis fan or
not and i i know there's some things in
there that he says
that's uh difficult sometimes i'm not
saying c.s lewis is
inspired writing i'm saying c.s lewis is
a genius
and you if you've never read him you
need to read i mean you need to begin
with mere christianity
but in mere christianity c.s lewis the
famous
atheist out of oxford university at the
time
wound up coming to christ
and c.s lewis became one of the greatest
defenders of faith logic and reason
for the church in the 19th century
20th century
but one of the things that he says
about christianity after studying all
the world religions is that he said
christianity
could not have been made up
and then when he applied that logic to
the entirety of the bible
when he looked at genesis all the way to
malachi
he concluded that the scriptures could
never have been made up by man
and i want you to think about that the
next time you look at the bible this
bible never would have been written by
by man and published and produced as
man would do it because man would have
glorified himself man would have made
himself look good
the bible is the very very book that god
the holy spirit wrote through man
without error think about that with no
mistakes
and it actually condemns the very man
who with quill or pen in hand
wrote it under the inspiration of the
holy spirit it condemns him
the if you had to pick a star nation
out of the entire bible what nation is
it
it's israel
and yet everything about it is showing
israel's rejection of god's faithfulness
god's love god's kindness
and yet the book ends and time ends with
god saying that he will save israel
in the end
we have no promise listen there is no
promise in the bible that canada will be
saved in the end
i have a lot of canadian friends and i
love canada but they're not going to be
saved america is not going to be saved
in the end
there's only one nation that god
promises in the bible that is going to
be saved through a time of great
difficulty that is yet to come and that
one nation is the nation of israel and
that is true from genesis to revelation
that's a powerful truth you need to
think about that
but the coming of christ is a great
motivator for the christian
the bible says in first john chapter 3
verse 2 first john 3 verse 2 beloved
now we are children of god
i love that
and it has not yet been revealed what we
shall be technically what we shall be
like will we be tall we'll be sure will
we be hey i don't know except this it
means resurrected means this body
this body of jacks
yours will be resurrected
now look i'm going to interrupt myself
obviously here in the reading of this
verse i'll come back to it in a second i
sure hope and i assume that when i'm
resurrected from the dead physically
that all of the things that
were of
the sinful world are washed away
i don't believe that someone who
was born without a leg
as an example will be resurrected with
one leg
i believe all the ramifications of sin
will be revealed and you will stand in
perfection
on the day of resurrection
he says and he goes on but we know this
that when he christ is revealed we shall
be like him well what does that mean
jesus christ rose again from the dead
listen this is awesome
god
inhabited a human body
the psalmist said a body
you have prepared for me that's a
messianic psalm we speaking of the
messiah that in fact israel listen
israel listen to this
god would prepare the messiah of israel
a human body
he said well everybody has a human body
the messiah doesn't until he gets one
and the bible says he gets one or he got
one
when he came into this world born of a
virgin
we shall be like him says the bible for
we shall see him as he is and everyone
who has this hope in him
purifies himself just as he is pure
listen more than ever you want
motivation you want to you want to hear
a word right now i'm going to tell you
you want to be motivated the lord could
come back at any time and i'll tell you
this right now listen
you want a motivator
the bible says if you believe christ
could come back that motivation
is a result or resulted in a life being
lived in righteousness the word
righteousness intimidates us and it
shouldn't
the word righteousness means that we
decide to do the right thing
we make the right decision
we ponder we pause we hold off
and then we do the right thing that's
righteousness
all around the world people have been
stripped from entertainment
in some ways
and they're with family
did you know that's doing the right
thing by the way
feeding your neighbors checking on
the elderly in your area the best you
can
helping them caring for them
righteousness is to do the right thing
but don't think that you can do the
wrong thing and go to heaven
don't think that you can say that you're
a christian and go about doing the wrong
thing
and expect to go up in the rapture
christians will go up in the rapture
he's coming for his own
and the understanding that he could come
at any time is a great motivator because
the fact of the matter is this that
because if christ could come back at any
time i want to have my hands on
that which glorifies god
i want to have my money
invested in the things that glorify god
i want to spend my time
in things that will glorify god that is
very important so
the great
rapture is a great motivator should be
an inspiration should cause vision
it's interesting to uh
to consider think this for a moment
uh in hebrews chapter 10 verse 24 the
bible there says and i'm going to read
this portion out of the new living
translation it's
it's not an actual bible
verse it is a translation of a bible
verse
but it's clear right here
hebrews 10 24 starts there by saying let
us think of ways to motivate one another
to acts of love
and of good works
verse 25
and let us not neglect our meeting
together
except for
coronavirus
but that's why we're doing these
services to bring it to your home
don't worry we'll get back together
again can you imagine
i can guarantee you
that we'll get back together again you
say oh we're going to definitely get
back together at church now that i don't
know but for every believer we're going
to get together again
if the lord comes back think of it
during this message
or maybe this week
i don't know he's not going to tell us
when he just said to be ready we'll be
together
what a great statement wow
but don't neglect the gathering or the
meeting together as some
but encourage one another especially now
that the day of his return is drawing
near
that verse implies listen i'm gonna
pause for effect
that verse assumes that you
are looking for his coming
that you look around the world and you
sent some things up listen romans 13
verse 11
and do this that's a command do this the
greek word is a command do this
knowing the time that now it is the high
time to awake out of sleep
that is out of apathy
for now our salvation is nearer than
when we first believe listen to this the
night is far spent
2 000 years have gone by i'm going to
submit to you right now that the night
is far spent
and the day is at hand says the bible
therefore let us cast off the works of
darkness and let us put on the armor of
light
that's how you be ready and that's how
you get ready
by the motivation that christ is coming
fourthly under this
regarding the church and you and i in
these last days and what you and i
really need to know is that the rapture
promotes holy living sounds much like
the other about motivation but holy
living
he says in verse 9 of 2 peter the lord
knows how to deliver the godly out of
temptation
what a tremendous statement
so what is that uh what does that look
like how do we play that out in life
i want all of you to write this down
this is very important very important
passions indeed colossians chapter 3
verse 1 starting there listen to this
colossians 3 verse 1
the bible says
if then you were raised with christ seek
those things which are above where
christ is
sounds like john 14 doesn't it
seated at the right hand of god
number two verse two set your mind on
things above not on things of the earth
verse 3
for you died and your life is hidden
with christ in god
verse 4. listen to this
when
christ who is our life appears
then
you will also appear
with him
in
glory
that's colossians 3 verses 1 through 4.
that's an awesome statement
a remarkable statement
for time's sake i'm going to move by the
way while i'm at it and while times are
different than normal
uh wherever you're at in the world you
can get our notes
online sent to you before service and
you you'll be able to tell in a moment
that on page seven
and on the fourth point i'm going to
move a little bit i'm just giving you
that as a
as a follow along because you might say
where's he going where is he going
but you look at hebrews 9 verse 28
right there on the notes
listen to this so christ was offered
once to bear the sins of many he said
jack didn't he die for everybody oh yes
he died for everybody but as i said
earlier not all benefit from it
but many do
so christ was offered once to bear the
sins of many
to those who eagerly wait for him he
will appear a second time apart from sin
that is
the sin issue is over
that happened at the cross
for salvation
now you take that verse and it
correlates perfectly with second peter 2
9.
god knows how to deliver the godly out
of temptation
out of a time of great testing and great
difficulty and that's a remarkable truth
next
four
uh in our fourth argument i think we're
looking this should be number five now
in our consideration so uh look at it
it's 4e in your notes what you and i
really need to know in these last days
is that the rapture is the great
separator and i won't spend much time on
this but the rapture will separate the
bible tells us all of a sudden when
christ comes
there'll be people that will be
vanishing
instantly transformed into the spirit
realm gone
now that sounds like a fantasy
that sounds like a story that sounds
crazy
and yet you know what it's happened in
the bible before
elijah was taken up into heaven
the bible tells us enoch was taken up
the bible tells us even that philip was
picked up from the earth and taken to
another location in the book of acts by
the holy spirit
there's a coming separation
and i think right now as families are
gathered together around the world and
maybe couples are gathered together
around the world
you think about the separation that's
going to happen someday because you know
there's family members that do not
believe
and there's going to be a family in
heaven
all around the world those of us who are
believers we are knit together we're
glued together by the holy spirit and we
are family
let's be honest those of you who know
what i'm talking about
we are more family
than blood family
but there are those even on our own we
may be married to someone or we may have
children or parents that
don't know the lord and they refuse to
know the lord well there's a day of
separation coming
when god will divide
because it says in verse 9 of peter that
he can
know also
the time when he reserves the unjust
under the punishment of the day
but there's a great separation
galatians chapter 5 verse 5 says for we
through the spirit eagerly wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith
that implies those that are not waiting
they do not go
i personally believe that every true
christian will go because i believe that
every true christian will be compelled
by the holy spirit to be watching and
waiting
and as i say that you need to really be
judging your own heart about the
excitement level the return of christ
generates in your heart
you know how we've seen like
science programs or maybe in the lab
where we strap little electrodes you
know to someone's brain or head i should
say
and you can record the movement and
they'll show them pictures and it gets
all lively about something and then
shows them a river flowing through the
meadow and their
brainwave activity goes down
so when i talk to you about prayer and
trust in the lord it's like yeah
awesome
and then when i talk to you about the
verses that say jesus could come back
today at any moment the brainwave
activity increases it's like yes
but if today you're saying i don't know
if that's a good idea
i don't know if i'd like that that
scares me
why
this may be a dumb
analogy but
um
you know growing up a little kid
believing in santa claus
you would you what would you what did i
do what did you do with the calendar you
counted the days down to the 24th you
couldn't listen you went to bed on
christmas eve
and you couldn't even sleep
i confess man i'm 62 years old i
remember like yesterday yeah i couldn't
fall asleep and then finally when i did
fall asleep it wasn't for long because i
would get up
so early
and i remember my mom and dad yelling at
me saying get back to bed
a lot of people today are saying get
that thinking out of your thought jesus
isn't coming back
watch out for that
no you should be excited
you should get excited
first thessalonians chapter 5 verse 1.
listen to this
but concerning the times and the seasons
brethren
you have no need that i should write to
you
hey i will talk more about this on
wednesday night
but
all around the world right now this is i
believe one of those times
i believe the times and the seasons are
being announced
by god to the world
right now and he happens to be using
this virus
he's got everyone's attention
for you yourselves know perfectly that
the day of the lord so comes as a thief
in the night now listen he's speaking to
believers so what is it that they know
for when they say not you when they say
peace and safety then sudden destruction
comes upon them
as labor pains come upon a pregnant
woman
and they shall not escape
but you
brethren are not in darkness so that
that day should overtake you
as a thief see don't let anybody tell
you
that nobody can know when the lord's
coming listen let's be very very careful
and specific
nobody knows the day or the hour but the
bible says that every believer will
discern the times and the seasons
what does that mean
it means that you're going to have a
feeling a sense you're going to have an
awareness
you don't know the day or the hour but
you're thinking
this is
a dynamic time this is a global time
and i want to submit to you right now
friends i want to
tell you that
radio is still happening christian radio
all around the world
today being the lord's day sunday
there's christian television
broadcasting going on around the world
and more than ever there are churches
around the world live streaming and
going
youtube live and facebook live with
sermons
now i don't know the numbers it's just
not in my realm of of uh figuring this
out but
i'm hearing from other pastors and i'm
hearing from our own team
that we're seeing more viewership than
ever before
since this
virus maybe it's true maybe it's not i
don't know
but i know this
that in the 21st century right here
right now
i'm able to speak to
a hundred a thousand ten thousand a
hundred thousand five hundred thousand
a million more people maybe more
i think of tomorrow tomorrow is going to
be monday and in the united states
there's something called sirius xm radio
and uh our program is broadcast five
days a week on that
station that covers the entire nation
and by the way i'm very grateful for the
individuals who make that happen
and
they have a 25 million subscriber
membership list
no not all 25 million people are tuning
into our program but they could
by the way that's at 1 30
pacific time
or new york time i forget whatever time
it is it doesn't matter it's covers the
nation
4 30 i think new york time
but you brethren are not in darkness so
that that day should overtake you as a
thief
you are all sons of light and sons of
the day we are not of the night nor of
darkness for therefore let us not sleep
as others do apathy
but let us watch and be sober do you
hear that you see how that dovetails
into our message
watch and be sober
for those who sleep sleep at night
spiritually speaking
to those who get drunk they get drunk at
night it means people try to hide their
sin
but verse 8 but let us who are of the
day be sober put it on the breastplate
of faith and love and as the helmet the
hope of salvation for god did not
appoint us to wrath but to obtain
salvation through our lord jesus christ
listen to this who died for us
that whether we
are alive or we die
we should always live together with him
what an awesome truth that is
look at your notes
4 f is what we're looking at now
and that is the rapture delivers us from
the wrath
it says here in verse 9 of 2 peter then
the lord knows how to deliver the godly
out of temptation and to reserve the
unjust
under punishment for the day of judgment
the christian will never see a day of
judgment
jesus said so
that's an amazing statement
think of that for a moment this is so
spectacular
i
because of jesus will never
suffer
wrath that is the wrath of god
in my life
ever there's listen
i'm going to be very honest with you
if the rapture doesn't happen today and
i for whatever reason wind up in the
hospital i'm not going to like that but
i'm going to make it listen listen to me
i'm going to make it
whatever it is heart attack
coronavirus get hit by a truck doesn't
matter whatever throws me into the
hospital
you know what i know i don't like
needles
i don't like getting poked on
and
i don't like people touching stuff that
ought not to be touched
but this i know
i'm gonna make it
you say well aren't you mr positive
yes i am for this reason if i
die in that hospital bed or on that
street
or right here on this podium
or in my sleep
i'm gonna make it
i'm going straight to heaven
why
how can i be so sure because the wrath
of god that was
ordered against my sins
the bible says jesus took upon himself
at his cross
for me
for you
and the bible says in fact i mentioned
this on wednesday i
think those who trust christ pass from
judgment to life
think about that
no wrath for the believer none
ever
for the believer
and here in verse 9 is the great promise
the bible tells us listen the bible
tells us in
isaiah chapter 26 verse 19
it's an amazing statement now i listen
scholars that are out there
watching and reading this you're going
to say that applies to israel it
certainly does
but you cannot deny
that the theology of isaiah 26 19 to 21
is also mirroring
mirrors
the promise of the new testament
you're dead
god is speaking your dead shall live
together with my dead body they shall
arise
think of christ's resurrection
awaken seeing you who dwell in the dust
think about those who've died in christ
their bodies have turned to dust
for your dew is like the dew of herbs
what happens to do in the morning when
the sun comes up that's
those droplets of water upon the leaf
of a plant or of an herb
if you if you had the patience
to sit there and watch for a moment that
leaf or that petal
with the droplet of dew on
it you'd have to stare and stare and
stare and watch and watch and watch you
know what would happen
it gets smaller and smaller and smaller
until there's no more water on that leaf
or on that petal
where did it go
it evaporated right up back into the
heavens
into the atmosphere
and the earth shall cast out the dead
look at verse 20 come my people enter
your chambers and shut your doors behind
you and hide yourself as it were for a
little moment until the indignation has
passed
what indignation
verse 21
for behold the lord comes out of his
place
to punish
the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity the wrath of god levied
against the christ-rejecting world will
have no consequence to the church luke
21 verse 35
luke 21 35 there begins let your waist
be girded and your lamps burning jesus
is speaking
and you yourselves be like men who wait
for their master wow
verse 37 blessed are those servants who
when the master when he comes we'll find
them watching
verse 40 therefore you also be ready for
the son of man is coming in an hour that
you do not expect him
what a tremendous truth that is christ
is coming back at a time that you don't
know the day or the hour but you can
know the times and the seasons
let me tell you something right now i'll
be brutally honest when the doctor says
you're sick you've got cancer it doesn't
look good set your house in order
you need to hear this from the lord
if that's what the doctor says then you
need to understand something
you need to understand
that you need to get ready that's
merciful
that's mercy
rather than dropping dead in an instant
where there's
instant judgment if you think about it
but if you find yourself sick today
battling
illness cancer diseases leukemia
whatever it might be may the lord jesus
christ heal you now may he heal you
radically in his name because he does
that when he chooses to do it
but if you're not a christian i
i mean this with all affection
if you're not a christian
and you get healed by
chemotherapy or by treatment
well you know i'm kind of glad for you
not totally
so jack how could you say that because
if you get better and you feel great and
you just go on living without christ
you're still gonna die i'm gonna die
but if you understand that the
announcement is given that you need to
get ready to meet your master
and you set your house in order
then i can tell you this you'll be ready
to meet him at his coming
first thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10
wait for his son from heaven whom he
raised from the dead even jesus who
delivers us from the wrath to come
first thessalonians 2 19
for what is our hope our joy our crown
of rejoicing is it not even you in the
presence of our lord jesus christ at his
coming
first thessalonians 3 verse 13
first thessalonians 3 verse 13 so that
he may establish your hearts blameless
and holiness before our god and father
at the coming of our lord jesus christ
with all his saints those who have died
in christ he'll bring with him
first thessalonians 5 9
says for god did not appoint us to wrath
but to obtain salvation through our lord
jesus christ can you
wherever you're at right now can you
just say thank you god
that's first thessalonians 5 9.
he did not appoint us to wrath that's a
promise of god
you can get excited
the world's too quiet at this moment
it's quiet in here
it's quiet outside
that's a reason to shout
my daughter told me last night by the
way i don't know where this is going to
happen today
but somewhere in the world i don't know
if it's italy or what
but somebody's trying to start some
movement about at a certain time
people open up their windows or their
doors in the world
and
[Music]
either begin to cheer clap or sing or
some make some noise
make some kind of noise
uh in a show of of solidarity and that
we're still here
well hey
i'm praying for the moment that when the
church on earth will no longer have a
voice will no longer be streaming online
will no longer be on facebook live or
youtube and teaching the bible via the
platform because the church will have
been silenced on earth why because we're
not here
we're not here anymore
because he didn't appoint us to wrath
next
this is 4g in your notes
is that the rapture belongs to the
church it's exclusively
that of the church
and um
there's verses there that you can read
john 14 and first thessalonians 4
and i'm going to read a lot more to you
in a moment but
listen to this it's exclusively reserved
for the church
first thessalonians 4 14.
you know it we've read it before
that if we believe that jesus died and
rose again from the dead even so god
will bring with those who sleep or died
in jesus
remember that we read it a moment ago
the trumpet blast will go up and meet
them in the air if it's at our time
when we're alive
but it belongs to the church
and there's a portion of scripture that
substantiates that perfectly
it's revelation 4 1.
revelation 4 1 says this
after these things says john after these
things
behold a door standing open in heaven
and the first voice which i heard was
like a trumpet
speaking with me saying come up here and
i will show you things which must take
place after this by the way john this is
the book of revelation john is speaking
of the church and by the way john
is never against sin on earth and
neither is the church never again seen
on earth from this moment on
verse two
immediately i was in the spirit and
behold
a throne was set in heaven and one sat
on the throne and he who sat there was
like a jasper a sardis stone in
appearance and there was a rainbow
around the throne an appearance like an
emerald i do not understand that because
the word emerald is green
color
a rainbow
of green i don't get it
but that's okay
i'll get it when i see it
verse 4 and around the throne where 24
elders and on the thrones we
i saw 24 elders sitting clothed in
white robes and they had crowns of gold
on their heads and from the throne
proceeded lightnings and thunderings and
voices and the seven lampstands of fire
were burning before the throne which are
the seven spirits of god this is a
picture of heaven
before the throne there was the sea of
glass like crystal
and in the midst of the throne and
around the throne were four living
creatures full of eyes in front and in
back that ought to freak you out
what a tremendous
picture that is
verse 7
the first living creature was like a
lion so watch this eyes around so it has
a face like a lion
okay
the second living creature has
that of a calf
the third living creature had a face of
a man
and the fourth living creature was that
of a flying eagle
and the four living creatures each
having six wings were full of eyes
around and within
and they do not rest day or night saying
holy holy holy lord god almighty who was
who is who is to come and whenever the
living creatures give glory and honor
and thanks to him who sits on the throne
who lives forever and ever the 24 elders
fall down before him that is god and
who sits on the throne and they worship
him who lives forever and ever and they
cast their crowns before the throne and
this is what they say
you are worthy o lord to receive glory
and honor and power for you were created
or you have created all things
and by your will they exist and were
created
i want to join this and we're just about
ready to wrap this up revelation 19
goes on to tell us that there was a
great multitude there
going on to verse
9 and wrapping this up
on your notes it's 4-h is that the
rapture is the ultimate act of god's
mercy
for us
in luke 21 34 it says be careful because
your hearts could be weighed down oh
listen this is now this is today
jesus said as we approach the end be
careful listen be careful
because your hearts could be weighed
down with dissipation
drunkenness and anxieties of life
and that day will close in on you
unexpectedly like a trap
don't worry friends don't worry god's
got this
this hasn't missed his
preview this hasn't missed his care
this world event is not outside of god's
knowledge he knows
you might be saying what's god going to
do what's god going to do and can't you
hear god saying what are you going to do
what are you going to do with what
you're seeing in the world around you
will you trust me
will you put your faith in me
i think that's what he's saying in a
great act of mercy
and then also
this is 4i in our notes
is the rapture is the believer's dna
the believer's dna is rapture it's in us
in second peter chapter 2 verse 1 just a
little bit to the left of where we're
studying
second peter 2 1
the bible says
there there will be also there were
false prophets among the people even as
there will be false teachers among you
who will secretly bring in destructive
heresies he goes on to tell us what they
are i mean this is big this is big stuff
listen to this
knowing this first
that scoffers will come in the last days
listen everybody if you're sleeping wake
up we're almost done this is the big
deal
in the last days you're going to know
it's the last days because there's going
to be people who traffic in religious
circles who are known to god to be false
teachers
and how do we find them how do we know
them well he says right here they're
going to scoff
in the last days
walking according to their own lust
that word means they actually live one
look they live like this in front of the
camera and they live
an alternative lifestyle off-camera
they're fakes
but this is what they say
where's the promise of his coming
isn't that amazing
i don't believe it
jesus said in matthew 14 excuse me
matthew 24 jesus said in matthew 24 45
who then is a faithful and wise servant
whom his master made ruler over his
household to give them food and due
season
blessed is that servant whom his master
when he comes will find him so doing
that is being faithful
assuredly i say to you
that he will make him ruler over all his
goods
listen
but if that evil servant says in his
heart my master delays his return
watch the result of that theology
and begins to beat his fellow servants
and eat and drink with the drunkards
the master of that servant will come in
a day when he's not looking for him and
in an hour when he's not aware and he
will cut him in two
and appoint him
his portion with the hypocrites
and there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth and then here's where we end
the rapture is the answer to expectancy
expectancy
we have pictures of this in our world
expectancy
when a woman becomes pregnant
she's going to be pregnant first of all
i should say she is pregnant the moment
she becomes pregnant
boy that's a whole topic we don't have
time to go into right now
i'll just say this
when science designed by god collides
in the
in the way that god has designed it i'm
not talking about a collision on the
freeway like an accident
when god ordained science
meets
instantaneous
a human being is created
expectancy that woman she doesn't even
know it yet she's pregnant
conception has taken place
living sperm
collides with a living egg
living
life
explodes
scientifically
and i know our culture wants to argue
that
oh you know what a little bit of a
diversion on this
did you know that in the united states
that there's been a decree we just heard
it this last week but by our u.s surgeon
general
listen
because of the preciousness of
the need of hospitals and care centers
all elective procedures have been
canceled
physicians and hospitals are being told
do not perform any elective or
non-essential
surgeries or procedures
why
because
the resources are needed to confront the
coronavirus
guess what
elective abortions cannot be performed
under that rule
all across america right now
you can fight with me all you want you
can send me hate mail you can threaten
me all you want listen i survived an
abortion i already died i was slated to
die
well i'm gonna i'm gonna hunt you down
pastor you upset me listen listen you
know what i
i'm 62 years old but in in a way
my life is only jesus's life
i was never supposed to be in this world
in the first place
i'm here by god's grace and god's mercy
but i want to tell you something right
now
do you think maybe
is it possible for a moment
that we have prayed for revival
for decades
and god is bringing it and he's using
a virus he's not causing the virus he's
using it
and maybe listen
maybe revival is god's people doing the
right thing which is called
righteousness and that is a revival
but i don't believe god's going to do a
revival in america until america stops
killing babies
that's true in the old testament and
it's true in the new god condemned
israel for killing their firstborn
children
and all of a sudden
everything's sequestered in america
and babies are not being aborted
what do you think about that
i think that's pretty awesome
i think that's pretty awesome there's
going to be oh my goodness if the lord
allows us to live on
we are going to meet kids someday
that were in the womb or conceived
during this coronavirus
season
i don't know if their name will be
corona or not but
somehow they'll be celebrated
because maybe
maybe some incredible greatness and
goodness will come out of this time i
have no doubt about that actually
expectancy
and we end with that verse that we read
earlier today titus 2 13.
are you looking for that blessed hope my
friend and the glorious appearing of our
great god
and savior jesus christ
that's an incredible verse it declares
jesus christ as god
it declares jesus christ as god
who's coming back
it declares jesus christ as god who's
coming back
and it should make you very happy
it should fill your heart with hope
it's blessed
and i pray that that's you today
i want to ask you that question
if you were to die today would you go to
heaven
if you were to die
would you be completely
listen assured of the fact that at your
last breath you'll meet christ on good
terms and i want to warn you right now
listen i want to warn you i want to say
to you right now this is what you do not
want to say you do not want to think
this
yeah i think i'm okay because i was i'm
pretty i'm okay i'm pretty good i didn't
kill anybody the bible says you're
condemned
if your answer is well i'm better than
my dad or my mom or my neighbor
or i'm better than anybody else sitting
in this room
the bible says you're condemned
if you say i'm the most
righteous person in the community you
just ask anybody
i'm the best citizen
the bible says you're condemned
you might say jack boy you know you're
really laying it on and you let him have
it but i'm the pope
i'm a priest
i'm a pastor
i'm an evangelist
you're condemned
jesus said unless a man is born again he
shall not enter the kingdom of heaven
and if there's any doubt as to what he
meant he said it to the most spiritual
man in all of israel nicodemus
he was the head teacher of the entire
nation of israel that
man nicodemus in his righteousness
trumped everyone up into this day
nicodemus
his stature his his statute before god
his standing before god was better than
any televangelist better than any pastor
evangelist
anywhere in the world
padre priest or pope
nicodemus was the man
and jesus said nicodemus i tell you
unless you're born again you will not
see the kingdom of heaven
and nicodemus said
how can a how can i be an old
enter into my mother's womb and be born
a second time you see he got the
message that he had to be born a second
time but he was thinking
in fleshly terms
and jesus says are you not the teacher
in all of israel and you do not know
these things
he says the words that i speak to you
regarding this that which that which is
of the flesh is flesh
but that which is of the spirit is
spirit nicodemus i tell you that he who
is born from above born again
will see heaven
are you born again that's john chapter 3
by the way
if you'd like to read it later
listen if you'd like to make that
decision i want you to pray this prayer
with me right now i'm going to ask two
things of you to pray this prayer with
me
and i know that's going to be a little
uncomfortable because all of a sudden
there's somebody sitting in the room
next to you and you feel a little weird
because you know you're not ready to
meet christ and god has spoken to you
and you need jesus you need your sins
forgiven and
so you're kind of feeling a little odd
but i want to encourage you to be bold
and strong and listen i know that
there's a lot of kids watching right now
believe it or not there's a lot of kids
that
watch our programming that's
a miracle to me
but i want to encourage you young people
you
little ones and young ones you pray this
prayer you get this way
better than your parents do
the older we are the harder it is for us
to bow our hearts
before christ you pray and then the
second thing i'm going to want all of
you to do who pray that prayer is to
contact us there's going to be a number
on your screen
you're going to be given information on
how to contact this i jus i want to know
yes i made that decision
so no matter where you're at in the
world
if you're across the street which is
really weird to me there's people who
attend this church who live just across
the street
or if you're on the other end of the
globe
god can hear you right now all of us
together
will you will you pray that prayer
let's pray let's bow our heads
let's pray together
dear lord jesus
come into my life
wash away my sins
make me new
because i confess
today
jesus christ
risen from the dead
to be my lord and savior
take away my sins
put your holy spirit in my life
make me your child
because i receive you now and i pray in
jesus name
and all of god's people said
amen thanks for watching the real life
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bless