Hope and Assurance in Christ's Return

Devotional

Day 1: Eternal Fellowship with Christ

The Rapture is a moment of profound hope, where believers, both living and deceased, are united with Christ. This event assures us of eternal fellowship with the Lord, which should be the cornerstone of our hope and encouragement. The passage from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 emphasizes that this meeting with the Lord is not merely an escape from earthly troubles but a significant event that leads to everlasting communion with Christ. This hope of eternal fellowship should unite believers, transcending differing interpretations of the end times. The assurance that we will always be with the Lord is the ultimate hope for all believers, offering comfort and encouragement in the face of life's uncertainties. [03:49]

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV): "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

Reflection: How does the assurance of eternal fellowship with Christ influence your daily life and interactions with others today?

Day 2: Divine Protection Through Trials

The phrase "keep you from the hour of trial" suggests divine protection through trials rather than an escape from them. This perspective encourages believers to trust in God's sustaining power amidst tribulations. The biblical narrative often shows that God does not remove His people from trials but provides strength and protection through them. This understanding calls believers to rely on God's faithfulness and power to preserve their faith during challenging times, knowing that He is with them in every trial. [06:02]

Revelation 3:10 (ESV): "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth."

Reflection: In what current trial can you seek God's protection and strength rather than asking for escape?

Day 3: Purification Through Suffering

The biblical concept of judgment beginning with the household of God highlights that believers are not exempt from suffering. Instead, suffering serves as a means of purification and spiritual growth. This perspective challenges the notion that faith in Christ exempts believers from hardship. Instead, it suggests that God uses suffering to refine and strengthen His people, drawing them closer to Him and shaping their character. Believers are called to embrace suffering as a tool for spiritual growth, trusting that God is at work in their lives through every trial. [07:03]

1 Peter 4:17 (ESV): "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"

Reflection: How can you view a current or past suffering as a means of spiritual growth and purification?

Day 4: Welcoming Christ's Return

The term "meet" in the context of the Rapture implies a welcoming procession, where believers meet Christ to accompany Him back to earth, symbolizing the establishment of His kingdom. This imagery suggests that the Rapture is not about escaping the world but about participating in Christ's triumphant return to establish His reign. Believers are called to live in anticipation of this event, preparing their hearts and lives to welcome Christ and participate in His kingdom work. This perspective encourages a proactive faith that looks forward to Christ's return with hope and readiness. [09:19]

Matthew 25:6 (ESV): "But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’"

Reflection: How can you actively prepare your heart and life to welcome Christ's return today?

Day 5: Hope and Justice in Christ's Return

Christ's return is a public event that brings relief to the afflicted and judgment to the oppressors. This dual effect emphasizes the transformative power of His coming, offering hope and justice. The return of Christ is not a secretive event but a powerful and visible demonstration of His authority and justice. For believers, it is a source of hope and comfort, knowing that Christ will bring relief from suffering and establish His righteous rule. This understanding calls believers to live with hope and anticipation, trusting in Christ's ultimate victory and justice. [12:13]

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (ESV): "Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels."

Reflection: In what ways can you find hope and comfort in the promise of Christ's return and the justice it will bring?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we delve into the profound mystery of the second coming of Christ, often referred to as the Rapture. This passage offers hope and encouragement, especially concerning those who have died in Christ. The central question we address is whether the meeting in the air with the Lord results in a return to heaven for a period, often thought to be seven years, during which the Great Tribulation occurs, or if it signifies a triumphant return to earth with Christ to establish His kingdom.

The text emphasizes that all believers, both those who have died and those who are alive, will be caught up together to meet the Lord. This meeting is not just a moment of escape but a significant event that leads to eternal fellowship with Christ. The focus is on the assurance that we will always be with the Lord, which is the ultimate hope for all believers. This hope should unite us rather than divide us over differing interpretations of the end times.

We examine the argument that believers will be taken out of the world to avoid the tribulation. However, the phrase "keep you from the hour of trial" is interpreted not as an escape but as protection through trials, preserving faith amidst challenges. The biblical narrative suggests that judgment begins with the household of God, indicating that believers are not exempt from suffering but are refined through it.

The term "meet" in the context of the Rapture is explored through its use in other New Testament passages, which depict a welcoming procession rather than a departure. This suggests that believers meet Christ in the air to accompany Him back to earth, echoing the imagery of welcoming a dignitary.

Finally, 2 Thessalonians provides insight into the nature of Christ's return, emphasizing that His coming will bring relief to the afflicted and judgment to the oppressors. This dual effect underscores the comprehensive nature of Christ's return, which is not a secretive event but a public and transformative one.

Key Takeaways

1. The Rapture is a moment of profound hope, where believers, both living and deceased, are united with Christ. This event assures us of eternal fellowship with the Lord, which should be the cornerstone of our hope and encouragement. [03:49]
2. The phrase "keep you from the hour of trial" suggests divine protection through trials rather than an escape from them. This perspective encourages believers to trust in God's sustaining power amidst tribulations. [06:02]
3. The biblical concept of judgment beginning with the household of God highlights that believers are not exempt from suffering. Instead, suffering serves as a means of purification and spiritual growth. [07:03]
4. The term "meet" in the context of the Rapture implies a welcoming procession, where believers meet Christ to accompany Him back to earth, symbolizing the establishment of His kingdom. [09:19]
5. Christ's return is a public event that brings relief to the afflicted and judgment to the oppressors. This dual effect emphasizes the transformative power of His coming, offering hope and justice. [12:13]
** [12:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - Introduction to the Rapture
[01:10] - The Question of the Tribulation
[02:34] - Prayer for Understanding
[02:50] - Encouragement in Hope
[03:35] - The Order of Resurrection
[04:07] - Eternal Fellowship with the Lord
[05:09] - Arguments for the Rapture
[06:02] - Protection Through Trials
[07:03] - Judgment Begins with God's House
[08:11] - The Meaning of "Meet"
[09:19] - Welcoming Christ's Return
[10:50] - 2 Thessalonians on Christ's Return
[12:13] - Relief and Judgment at His Coming
[13:08] - Conclusion and Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ

Bible Reading:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
- 1 Peter 4:17
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

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Observation Questions:

According to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, what is the sequence of events described concerning the second coming of Christ? How does this passage provide hope to believers? [03:49]
What does the phrase "keep you from the hour of trial" mean in the context of the sermon, and how does it relate to the concept of divine protection? [06:02]
How does the sermon interpret the term "meet" in the context of the Rapture, and what biblical imagery is used to support this interpretation? [09:19]
In 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, what are the two effects of Christ's return as described in the sermon? How does this passage emphasize the public and transformative nature of His coming? [12:13]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the assurance of eternal fellowship with the Lord, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, serve as a cornerstone of hope for believers? What implications does this have for how believers view the end times? [04:23]
The sermon suggests that suffering serves as a means of purification and spiritual growth. How does this perspective align with the biblical concept of judgment beginning with the household of God? [07:03]
What does the sermon suggest about the nature of divine protection during trials, and how might this understanding affect a believer's response to tribulations? [06:02]
How does the sermon’s interpretation of the Rapture as a welcoming procession challenge or affirm traditional views of the end times? What significance does this have for the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth? [09:19]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you faced a significant trial. How did your faith sustain you through it, and how might the understanding of divine protection through trials encourage you in future challenges? [06:02]
The sermon emphasizes unity among believers despite differing interpretations of the end times. How can you foster unity in your church community when faced with theological disagreements? [04:23]
Consider the concept of suffering as a means of purification. How can you embrace this perspective in your personal spiritual journey, especially during difficult times? [07:03]
The sermon describes Christ's return as a public and transformative event. How does this understanding influence your daily life and interactions with others, knowing that relief and justice are promised? [12:13]
How can the hope of eternal fellowship with the Lord, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, shape your priorities and decisions in your everyday life? [04:23]
Reflect on the imagery of meeting Christ in the air as a welcoming procession. How does this image inspire you to live in anticipation of Christ's return and the establishment of His kingdom? [09:19]
Identify one area in your life where you feel divided from other believers due to differing interpretations of scripture. What steps can you take to bridge that divide and promote unity? [04:23]

Sermon Clips

We do not want you to be uninformed Brothers about those who have fallen asleep that you not grieve as others who have no hope so the basic point of this text is encouragement and uh helping people not grieve without hope for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so through Jesus God will bring from the graves raise up from the graves those who have fallen asleep. [00:02:46]

Then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them all together all believers from the past and the present will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet for a meeting of the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord and let's just make sure we focus right here on the preciousness of this. [00:03:47]

The disagreements among Christians who believe that we will or won't be snatched and taken back to heaven or snatched up and then come back to earth we all agree from this point on we are with the Lord which is the Capstone of all our hopes so let's be encouraged and not consider these differences of understanding here about the precise timing of how God establishes his kingdom to be worthy of driving us apart from each other. [00:04:12]

My response to that is keep you from does not necessarily mean Escape out of but rather protection through so that your faith is preserved which is the way I would take it there's nothing decisive here it seems to me to say that keep you from the hour of trial means keep you from going through the hour of trial but rather keep you safe through the hour of trial from the hour of trial from the faith destroying effects of the hour of trial is how I would understand it. [00:06:02]

It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God judgment this is God's judgment it begins with the household of God we should not have the mindset that when God undertakes to judge the world the house of God escapes that judgment it's different for us it's purifying for us while it's punishment for the world if it begins with us what will be the outcome for those who don't obey the gospel of God. [00:06:50]

Christians are not promised to be spared from suffering not even the final sufferings of tribulations at the End of the Age now here are my two arguments to for you to consider when it says that we are going to be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet them this word meet me is really a noun and to meet means for a meeting for an apine that word is used only two other places in the New Testament in exactly this form. [00:07:37]

The picture is the bridegroom is coming the for a meeting they go out to meet him and then they turn around and come back with him and welcome him in to the marriage family that's the picture I believe that we're supposed to have in our mind here rise to meet for a meeting of the Lord in the air and then come with him in the establishment of his kingdom. [00:09:19]

The only two other places where this word occurs it has the meeting the meaning of going out to meet someone in order to welcome them back in that's I think the meaning here here I think is a more decisive argument let's go to 2 Thessalonians and see how Paul understands the second coming God considers it just to repay with Affliction those who afflict you so he's talking about their situation not a not a situation after they're taken back to heaven. [00:10:23]

He's going to afflict those who afflict them and to Grant relief to you who are afflicted so they're living right now and and they're being Afflicted how will this relief come to them when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire now virtually everybody agrees this is not a secret Rapture where Christians are snatched back to Heaven this is the Judgment at the final Second Coming. [00:10:56]

What he's saying here is this coming INF flaming fire has two effects one he's going to repay with Affliction those who afflict you and he's going to give relief to you who are afflicted there is no place in this coming for these folks to be taken back to Heaven these folks are on the earth and they're talking about you you who are here right now in thessalonica not those people who might get saved in the tribulation later. [00:12:02]

The best I can see is that there is no reason to believe that the next coming of the Lord Jesus into this world is a snatching of the Saints together with those who had died into the clouds to return to heaven but rather a snatching up together with those who had died to meet the Lord in the air and return with him triumphantly as he is establishes his kingdom on the earth and with that we are to encourage one another mightily with these words. [00:12:56]

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Hope and Assurance in Christ's Return

Devotional

Day 1: Eternal Fellowship with Christ

Day 2: Divine Protection Through Trials

Day 3: Purification Through Suffering

Day 4: Welcoming Christ's Return

Day 5: Hope and Justice in Christ's Return

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Hope and Assurance in Christ's Return

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