The Model Life: Alertness, Part 1

If you've got your Bible, turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

We're looking at the model life.

The church of Thessalonica was the model church.

But in order to be a model church, you have to be filled with people who live model lives.

And that's what happened in the church of Thessalonica.

In verses 1 to 8 of chapter 4, it talks about the life of abstinence.

The model life is marked by living a life of purity and holiness.

That's why Paul says that this is the will of God, even in sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality.

He wanted him to live a life of abstinence because that marks out the model life.

And then there was the aspect of aspiration.

Aspiring to love one another abundantly and to live appropriately.

That's in verses 9 to 12 of chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians.

So everything about what Paul is saying is helping them understand how it is you can live a model life.

It begins with abstinence.

It leads to a life of aspiration.

And then a life of anticipation.

And everybody lives in anticipation of something.

We all do.

We live in anticipation of what's happening this afternoon or this week or next month.

We all live in anticipation.

But the believer lives in anticipation of the coming of the Lord.

And the church of Thessalonica lived that way.

In fact, it says in chapter 1, verse number 9, it says that they turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.

When you turn to God from idols, you turn in order to serve the true and living God.

And if you're in the process of serving the true and living God, you are looking in anticipation of his coming again.

His return to rescue you from the wrath to come.

And we talked to you about that in chapter 1.

Last week we talked to you about it in Revelation chapter 3, verse number 10.

That there is an hour of testing that's going to come upon the whole world.

It's the hour with a definite article.

The testing, definite article.

Referring to something specific that's going to happen in time that's going to come upon the entire world.

Specifically those who dwell upon the earth.

It says in Revelation 3, verse number 10.

So here is the church of Thessalonica living in anticipation of being rescued from the wrath to come.

And God's always been in the process of rescuing his people.

In fact, turn with me to 2 Peter chapter 2.

2 Peter chapter 2.

Let me show you how God does this.

2 Peter chapter 2, verse number 4.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness reserved for judgment, and did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.

And if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter, and if he rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the central conduct of unprincipled men, for by what he saw and heard, that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation or trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Peter gives us an example of how God rescues his own from the wrath to come.

He rescued Noah and his family.

And Noah preached for 120 years, warning the people that judgment was coming.

But yet they did not listen.

And so God rescued Noah and his family by preserving them in the ark.

And the ark is a type of Christ, as you read in 1 Peter chapter 3.

Well, the same was true with Lot and his family.

Destruction was going to come upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and God rescued them from destruction upon that city.

Like he did Rahab and her family way back in Joshua chapter 2, when they were rescued from the destruction of Jericho.

They too were rescued.

God's in the habit of rescuing his people.

That's what God does.

But there's coming a day where there's going to be the judgment of God poured out upon the world.

It's called the Day of the Lord.

And it's going to happen.

We'll read about it in chapter 5, the next chapter.

And read about the Day of the Lord, and what does that mean, and how does that come to be.

But the Lord's in the process of rescuing his people.

And so, therefore, the believer lives in anticipation of that event.

He lives looking and longing for the arrival of the Messiah.

It's interesting to note that some of the preachers of old were motivated by anticipation.

It was Dwight L. Moody, when asked about the secret of his power when he preached, he said these words, And then it was Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the great British expositor, who said this, I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that before morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned.

Dr. R. E. Torrey, great scholar and evangelist, a man of immense influence, said, The trust of our Lord's return is the most precious truth the Bible contains.

It was George Mueller, the founder of Orphanages, who said, From my inmost soul, I was stirred up to a feeling of compassion for sinners, for the slumbering world around about me, when I realized Jesus could come at any moment.

And then it was Hudson Taylor, pioneer to China, said this, This truth about the Lord's return has been the greatest spur to me in service.

Dr. Wilbur Chapman, the great Presbyterian evangelist, said, I preach the Lord's return because the thought of his second coming has changed my whole ministry.

Everything about the coming of Christ changes everything.

In fact, the church of Thessalonica lived as if it would happen at any moment.

That's what we call the imminency of Christ's return.

That is, that nothing has to happen for it to occur.

The rapture of the church is the next event on the prophetic calendar.

Everything that happens after that has signs that lead up to the second coming of Christ to earth.

But the rapture of the church has no signs because it's imminent.

And imminent has two components to it, certainty and uncertainty.

Certainty that's going to happen, uncertain as to the time it's going to happen.

It's from a Latin verb that means to hang over or to project.

And therefore, you live in imminent expectancy.

And so, His imminency creates in me an expectancy that helps me fulfill my ministry enthusiastically and energetically.

Knowing that Christ could come at any moment, any moment, that expectation changes everything about my attitude in life, my relationships with people in life, my preaching, my teaching, my work, my relationships with my husband, my wife, my kids.

His imminency creates in me an expectancy that helps me fulfill my ministry.

And it does so enthusiastically.

It does so energetically.

Listen to what Peter says over in 1 Peter chapter 4.

Peter says it this way, The end of all things is near or next.

The end of everything is coming.

So, be of sound judgment and sober spirit.

Think biblically.

Think accurately.

Think soberly.

Because the end is near.

And then he says, for the purpose of prayer.

If you think biblically, you can pray effectively.

And then he says this, Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.

Because the end is near, think biblically.

Be a sober mind.

Be of sound judgment.

And then pray effectively.

And then love fervently.

Love one another fervently.

Strenuously.

With all that you have.

Because love covers a multitude of sins.

And then he says this, Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

Because the end is near, show hospitality.

Be a lover of strangers.

That's what it means to be hospitable.

It doesn't mean to have somebody over to your house for dinner.

That's not hospitality.

Biblically, hospitality is a lover of strangers.

Now, if you want to have strangers over to your house for dinner, that's hospitality.

But having somebody from your church over for dinner is not hospitality.

Please understand that.

Hospitality means a lover of strangers.

So, because the end is next, show hospitality.

Love fervently.

Pray effectively.

Think godly.

And then he says this.

He says, verse 10, As each one has received a special gift, employ in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God.

Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies.

So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

Because the end is near, minister supernaturally.

People who serve in the church are more aware of the arrival of the Messiah than those who don't.

people who serve in the church are aware that Jesus is coming.

The end is near.

That's why they employ their gift.

That's why they exercise their gift.

That's why they want to be used in the edification of the body.

They want to build up the body.

Why?

Because the end is near.

That's why they want to use their evangelistic gifts to share the gospel because the end is near.

That's why we love one another because the end is near.

it's coming.

So Peter makes it very clear.

The end is near.

It's coming.

He's talking to people who are suffering great persecution.

He wants them to think heavenly.

He wants them to think outwardly.

He wants them to think in terms of the arrival of the Messiah.

He wants them to live in anticipation especially because of all the persecution they're going through.

So he says think soberly.

Think biblically so you can pray effectively.

Why?

Because our prayer life is always determined by what the Bible says.

Your prayer life listen carefully it's not determined by how you feel.

It's all determined by what the Bible says.

How do you pray effectively?

By knowing what the Bible says.

That's how you know how to pray.

Right?

How do you know what to pray for?

You follow the prayers of the Bible.

God tells us what to pray for.

And most of our prayer requests are nowhere to be found in the Bible.

Let's be honest.

We have prayer requests that are not biblical prayer requests.

They're feeling oriented not biblically oriented.

And so he wants us to think biblically so we can pray effectively so that we can love fervently.

Right?

Having loved fervently we can show hospitality.

we can minister supernaturally and we can give God glory.

For he says to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen.

Peter knows that.

See he's moving in that direction.

He lives in anticipation.

All the New Testament writers lived in the imminent return of Christ's coming.

They lived in anticipation.

John's on the island of Patmos in Revelation chapter 1 he says this.

Verse 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to his bondservants the things which soon take place.

The word there is tacos.

Not tacos.

I know some of you are thinking about having tacos for lunch.

It's tacos which means suddenly expectantly at any moment.

These things are about to soon happen.

He sent and communicated it by his angel to his bondservant John.

And so John is exiled to the island of Patmos and he receives this great revelation of the coming of the Messiah knowing that this is on the horizon.

Think about Paul in Philippians chapter 4.

Paul says this verse 4 Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say Rejoice.

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men Next phrase The Lord is next.

It says the Lord is near and it's true that the Lord is near.

His presence is omnipresent.

He's always near to us right?

The Lord is near.

But the reason you rejoice always the reason you let your forbearing spirit be known is because the Lord is next.

He's on the horizon and then he says this You know it well be anxious for nothing.

What are you anxious about?

What are you worried about?

The Lord is coming.

He's next on the horizon.

So by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Why?

Because he's coming again.

This is so important for us to realize.

And Paul is driving home this is our fourth week on these verses and we've talked around them and we've talked about them today we'll go through them all but to help you understand that there's so much to say about the arrival of the Messiah.

I told you last week that next to faith right?

The second coming is the most dominant theme in scripture.

The most dominant theme in scripture.

It should occupy our thinking all the time but it doesn't.

So therefore we are anxious.

We do worry.

Therefore we don't know how to pray.

Therefore we don't minister supernaturally.

We don't show hospitality.

Why?

Because we don't see that the Lord is next.

He's coming again.

And Paul wants these in Thessalonica to understand that Jesus Christ is coming again.

He wants them to live in anticipation of the arrival of their Messiah.

And so he says these words in verse number 13.

But we do not want you to be uninformed brethren about those who are asleep.

so you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

I have done many many funerals and memorial services over my 40 years of pastoral ministry.

And the unbeliever has no hope.

They have no hope.

I've sat in auditoriums where there was loud moaning and groaning because a loved one has been lost and the people have no hope.

I've done memorial services that were filled with unbelievers and they just wept bitterly because there was no hope.

Paul says in Ephesians 2 verse number 12 they have no hope because they're without God in this world.

they don't know the Lord.

But those of us who know the Lord we have hope.

We have hope.

It's a great joy to do a memorial service of someone who knows the Lord.

Because you know they're in glory and you know that one day you'll be reunited with them again in glory.

There'll be this great grand reunion in glory.

Granted the relationship will be different than it was on earth but there will be this grand reunion in glory.

We never have a final goodbye.

It's always see you later.

Because we'll always see them again.

There's never a final goodbye for the believer.

It's just we'll see you soon.

How soon?

We don't know.

But we'll see you again.

That is just so important.

Notice he says that those who fall asleep three times he uses the word asleep.

That's very important.

Why do you say those who are dead?

Because you see when you die your body sleeps.

Not your soul.

Your soul doesn't sleep.

Roman Catholics teach about soul sleep.

There's no such thing as soul sleep.

How do we know that?

2 Corinthians 5.8 Absent with the body, present with the Lord.

Thief on the cross.

Christ said to him today you shall be with me in paradise.

Okay?

So when someone dies and you go to their funeral and you see their body in the casket that's their body.

But their soul is not there.

Because death is a separation of body from soul.

I talked about this on Wednesday night that all death is is defined by separation, right?

Death is not defined by a cessation of existence.

You don't cease to exist when you die.

your body is separated from your soul.

That's what death is.

It's not about separation.

And so the soul then is either with the Lord or not with the Lord.

For instance, Lazarus and the rich man in Luke chapter 16.

The rich man is in constant turmoil.

But Lazarus is in a place of blessing.

His body's not there but his soul is there, right?

When the thief on the cross died, his body would go into the grave, but where was the soul?

It was with the Lord in paradise.

In Acts chapter 7 when Stephen was stoned, remember that?

Okay?

When Stephen was stoned, it says he fell asleep.

In Acts 13, it talks about David, when David, after he fulfilled God's purposes in his own generation, fell asleep.

That's very important.

Lazarus in John 11, different Lazarus than Luke 16, this Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was asleep.

Why?

Because you see, when you die, your body sleeps until the resurrection because everybody will be resurrected.

John 5, 24 to 28.

Everybody who's in the graves will be resurrected.

There's nobody that's not going to be resurrected.

Everybody is resurrected either to life or to death, either to life with God or separation from God, either to heaven or into hell, but everybody is raised from the dead.

Everybody's going to be resurrected.

And so what Paul is saying is that I don't want you to be unaware of those who have fallen asleep because of the great promise of what God is going to do with those who are asleep.

They were concerned, those in Thessalonica, that those who had died would miss this great event of the rapture.

See, they lived in anticipation that the Lord was going to come at any moment.

That's how they lived.

But those who died, what about them?

Are they going to miss this whole event?

What's going to happen with them?

So Paul is going to reassure them.

This is very important.

So he says, I don't want you to be unaware, brethren, or ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, because you have hope.

You have hope.

And then what he does is he gives the whole presentation of the rapture in four ways.

One, by giving us the premise for the rapture.

Two, the promise of the rapture.

Three, the picture or portrait of the rapture.

And four, the purpose of the rapture.

He begins with the premise.

He says, verse 14, for if we or since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, this is the premise, those who are raptured, those who go into glory, those who will see those who have fallen asleep, are those who believe that Jesus died and rose again.

This is the gospel, right?

Those who believe that Jesus died in their place, he paid the price for their sin.

He died on Calvary's cross for them, substitutionary atonement.

Those who believe that Jesus died and rose again.

You see, Christ paid the penalty for your sin on Calvary's cross.

That's why the Bible says, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the gospel.

So the premise for those who are raptured and those who will see those who have fallen asleep is based on believing in the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ.

That Christ died on your behalf.

And that was raised again.

And Christ said, because I live, you too will live.

In fact, over in 2 Timothy 1.10, Paul says, Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

It says over in 1 Corinthians 6.14, now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through his power.

Everything is about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

This is the gospel.

So the premise of all he's going to say is based on two things.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Now note this.

Over in 2 Thessalonians, it says this in verse number 7.

It says, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, giving that retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

So when Christ comes the second time to earth to set up his kingdom, when he comes, he's going to do retribution to those who do not obey the gospel.

They don't believe that Jesus died and rose again on their behalf.

And then he says, over in verse 11 of chapter 2, for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence that they will believe what is false in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness.

The bottom line is that they don't believe the truth.

They take pleasure in wickedness.

So the premise of the rapture is based on the fact that the people that are asleep believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

And those of us who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are those who will be caught up together with them in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

But it's all based on what you believe about the gospel.

Very important.

And then from the premise he gives a promise.

He says this, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

In Jesus, in Christ.

For this we say to you, by the word of the Lord.

This is a revelation of God.

This is a promise of God.

Now remember, Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, which is a parallel to this passage, because it too speaks about the rapture.

He says in verse number 50, now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold, I tell you a mystery.

We will not all sleep, but we will be changed in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

It's a mystery.

A mystery is something that's concealed in the Old Testament, but revealed now in the New Testament.

And Paul speaks about this mystery, and now it's being revealed to him by a revelation from God.

This is a promise from God.

I'm going to reveal it to you because it's a mystery that's concealed in the Old, revealed in the New.

The Old Testament prophets knew nothing about the translation of the church into glory.

They knew nothing about the church, right?

So how would they know about the translation of the church into glory?

All they knew was about the second coming of the Messiah.

So Paul says, this is a revelation from God.

I'm going to give it to you.

This is what God says about his coming.

And then he gives, this is so good, he gives now this great picture of what's going to take place.

Listen to what he says.

He says, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, verse 15, that we who are alive remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout.

The Lord himself will descend from heaven.

Remember John 14?

He says, I go and prepare a place for you.

If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will receive you unto myself.

I will receive you unto myself.

That where I am, there you may be also.

So God is preparing this place for you and for me, this mansion, this dwelling place.

He's going to come himself and receive us.

In fact, it says in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse number 1, these words.

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him.

How is that going to happen?

The Lord is going to gather us together.

Now note, this is very important, because when Jesus comes a second time, okay, at the end of the tribulation, Jesus doesn't do the gathering.

The angels do.

It's a different scenario.

Matthew chapter 24 says it well.

Matthew chapter 24, verse number 29.

Excuse me, verse number 31.

And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one into the sky to the other.

That's when Christ comes again in judgment and retribution.

His angels will gather all the elect together.

But when the Lord descends from heaven, he will gather them together, because he's going to receive them unto himself.

He's going to do it with a shout.

And the word that's used there is a military command.

He's going to command you to stand up.

My sheep hear my voice, John 10.

Right?

John 5 tells us that all those who are in the grave will hear his voice.

And so we'll hear his voice, we'll know his voice, he will call us forth like he did Lazarus.

When Lazarus was dead, he called, he said, Lazarus come forth.

Didn't say come forth, he said, Lazarus come forth because he had to qualify it, or they all would have come forth.

So he qualified it with Lazarus.

Lazarus, you and you alone, you come forth.

He's going to call us forth with this great command.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.

This is so good.

He says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel.

Now, take this suit with me for a second.

There's only one archangel named in New Testament.

That's Michael.

Jude 9, right?

Only mention of an archangel.

So we assume it's going to be Michael.

We don't know that.

He's a great warrior, right?

But it's going to be a voice of an archangel.

What's he going to say?

What does that voice mean?

Are you ready for this?

Turn to Revelation 12.

Make sure you're ready because if you're not ready, you're going to miss it.

Revelation 12, verse number 7.

And there was war in heaven.

Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon.

The dragon, of course, is Satan.

Why is there war in heaven?

Now, remember, Revelation 12, I told you many times over again, is the history of the world from the beginning to the end.

It sums it up in one chapter.

But there's war in heaven with Michael and the dragon.

Read on.

And they were not strong enough and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.

Who?

The dragon and his angels, his fallen demons.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old, who was called the devil.

And Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him.

When does this happen?

Some will say, well, this happened long...

No, no, no.

This is not when Satan fell, Isaiah 28, or Ezekiel 28, Isaiah chapter 14, and he was cast out of heaven before Genesis chapter 3.

He was cast out of heaven morally, but he was not cast out of heaven geographically.

You must understand that.

How do we know that?

Because in Job chapter 1 and Job chapter 2, Satan and his angels have to come and present themselves before the throne of God.

They have to come.

Why?

They're held accountable.

See, Satan thinks he's in charge.

He's not in charge of anything.

He's held accountable.

They have to come and present themselves before the throne of God because they have to give an account as to where they've gone and what they've done and what they've been involved in.

Now, the Lord already knows that, but it just shows that they are accountable to God.

So in Job chapter 1 and Job chapter 2, Satan and his minions have to come and present themselves before the throne of God.

This happens when?

Read on.

That I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down.

He who accuses them before our God day and night.

Who's that?

That's Satan.

Why do we need an advocate in heaven?

Because we have an accuser in heaven.

Who's the accuser?

The dragon, the serpent of old, Satan.

That's why you have an advocate because he accuses the brethren how long?

Day and night.

He always accuses us.

And Christ, our advocate, stands up on our behalf and defends us.

That's why we have an advocate, a defense lawyer.

See that?

This is so good.

Now read on.

And it says, and they overcame him because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of the testimony and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

For this reason, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them, woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you having great wrath knowing that he has only a short time.

Satan will be cast out of heaven and finally, geographically, listen carefully, at the same time, God descends from heaven with a shout that he might gather his brethren together and take them to his place.

Why?

Because you see, there's no reason for him to accuse the brethren day and night any longer.

Why?

Because now we're in glory.

See that?

There's no reason to accuse us anymore.

He can't accuse us.

We're there.

We've made it home.

So he's gone.

There's no reason for him to be there.

So now he knows he has a short time.

And so he's cast down to the earth.

And if you read the book of Revelation and understand all about all that happens during the seal judgments and bowl judgment and trumpet judgments, you realize that his time is short.

He realizes that.

He wreaks havoc on the Jewish nation.

He wreaks havoc on those who are called tribulational saints.

But it very well could be that the voice of the archangel is the voice of the war that's happening between Michael and Satan as he is finally cast out of heaven geographically because we, the saints, are coming home.

So important.

And to realize that the Bible says in, back in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, it says that we will be caught up together with them.

Harpazo.

Remember we told you that was a violent snatching?

Why is it a violent snatching?

Harpazo.

Same word used of Christ in Revelation 12.5 when he extended into glory.

It was a violent snatching.

Why?

Because Satan is doing all he can to keep us out of him.

And Michael is fighting for us to get us there with the voice of God who brings us home to be with him.

There's a violent snatching.

That's what Harpazo means.

And so therefore, we are coming home to be with him.

Satan no longer has a presence in heaven because he can't accuse us any longer because he's been accusing us day and night before God all the time and endless, relentless accusations against us.

And our defense attorney stands always on our behalf.

But now we are home.

No longer is Satan there.

He's cast down to the earth.

And there he wreaks havoc upon those who dwell upon the earth during the hour of tribulation.

So the picture is a beautiful picture of Christ who descends.

He descends with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, in the trumpet of God.

Trumpets in the Old Testament were used to assemble God's people.

Trumpets in the Old Testament were used as a sign of deliverance.

And this trumpet of God is a trumpet of assembly.

Back in the book of Exodus, I think it's chapter 16, they blew the trumpet to call all the people out to assemble before God.

In the book of Zephaniah, the book of Zechariah, it was a symbol of deliverance.

And I think both are true, that there's a deliverance from this world and there's an assembly of God's people in glory.

That's a picture that Paul paints as he begins to describe this revelation from the Lord, this mystery that was concealed in the Old Testament, now revealed in the New Testament.

And so he says these words in chapter four, then we who are alive and remain, we caught up together with them in the clouds.

It says, by the way, the dead in Christ will rise first.

That's not Old Testament saints.

Old Testament saints are never to be dead in Christ.

That's just the church age believers.

Old Testament saints will not be resurrected until Revelation, I'm sorry, Daniel chapter 12, verses one to three, Ezekiel chapter 37.

That's when the Old Testament saints are resurrected.

But the church age saints, those who are died in Christ, are the ones who are resurrected.

This is the bridegroom coming for his bride.

If you know anything about Jewish weddings, this is how it happens.

The bride has to be ready for when the bridegroom comes.

She has to be dressed in readiness because she doesn't know when he's going to come.

Because he can come at any moment.

He has to prepare his home for his bride.

Once that home is prepared, he comes with his entourage and calls for her and she comes to him.

And there's this great marriage that takes place between the bridegroom and the bride.

Here is the bridegroom coming for his bride.

Why?

Because there has to be a presentation of the bride.

It has to be a presentation of the bride to his father in heaven.

That's why the marriage separate the land takes place, Revelation 19, in heaven.

Because there's this great feast, this great celebration where the bride is presented.

And that's why in Revelation 19 the bride comes back with him.

Why?

Because there has to be a presentation of the bride to the whole world.

See?

Because everything Christ said was true.

That's why when he comes back it says, on his thigh written the words faithful and true.

Because everything he said was faithful.

Everything he said was true.

It all happens like he said.

And now you're going to see it all unfold before you.

That's just the way the Lord works.

And so he says, the dead in Christ will rise first and then we who are alive remain will be caught up together with them in the air or in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

So shall we always be with the Lord.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Always be with the Lord.

What a great promise.

What's the purpose of all this?

That we could comfort one another.

This is our comfort.

You know, when my mom and dad died what a great celebration.

When my first wife died it was a great celebration.

I mean, were we sad that they were gone?

Yeah, we were sad they were gone.

Were there tears that were shed?

Of course there was.

Because we lost someone.

But you know what?

There's gonna be this grand reunion.

This grand reception.

This grand total redemption with the glorification of our bodies.

With that which is immortal becomes immortal.

That which is perishable becomes imperishable.

And one day we will be with our loved ones once again around the throne of God celebrating the presence of God forever.

So shall we ever be with the Lord.

What a great promise.

So when I preached my dad's memorial service to my mom's it was just such a great time knowing that I'll see him again in glory.

That's not it's not the end.

It's just the beginning of the end.

See?

You know what?

The only sad thing about this is that the dead in Christ rise first first and we who are alive and remain shall be caught together with him and the Lord in the air.

So not only are they already in glory they get to rise first.

They're first on both ends.

See?

They're already there.

Their spirits are already in heaven and now their bodies are raised because God promised an imperishable body an immortal body a glorified body just like our Lord's.

What an amazing thing.

God is so good.

Let me close with this.

Tim had read it earlier today in Titus chapter 2.

Listen carefully.

For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly righteously and godly in the present age.

looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession zealous for good deeds.

If you're here today and you ask one question have you received salvation from the Lord?

For the grace of our God has appeared bringing salvation to all men.

Have you received the salvation of the Lord?

Do you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ?

Do you believe in the deity of Christ?

Do you understand the implications of the gospel?

Have you received salvation?

salvation.

If you have then number two you need to resist corruption.

For he says the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires.

In other words you resist corruption because you received salvation.

and once you resist corruption listen carefully you reflect then progression.

Not perfection but progression.

For he says instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires to live sensibly righteousness and godly in this present age.

That's progression.

Moving toward maturity in Christ dealing with sin in our lives living sensible lives living godly lives having received salvation the byproduct of that is that you resist corruption.

And when you resist corruption you begin to reflect the progression of your walk with Christ and your maturity in Christ.

And then you need to radiate appreciation for all that God has done.

looking for that blessed appearing of our great God and Savior.

Why?

Because there's going to be this grand reunion this great reception and we need to reflect and to radiate appreciation to God God.

And then relish exhaustion.

He says he purified for himself a people for his own possession that are zealous for good deeds.

Anxious to do good deeds.

Working hard at doing good deeds.

Energetic at doing good deeds.

Wanting to serve the Lord.

That's why the Bible says in Revelation 14 13.

Blessed are those who die in the Lord for they rest from their labors.

I was asked a couple weeks ago, are you ever going to retire?

Why would I do that?

Why?

The Bible says I can rest from my labors when I'm dead.

That's when I'll rest.

Until then I'm going to just keep relishing exhaustion.

Working all I can to get done what needs to be done until the Lord calls me home.

My dad set a beautiful model for me.

Even when he had ALS and he could hardly hold his head up and hardly walk, he was still going into the office every day.

My mom would drive him into the office.

He wasn't going to retire until he could no longer move anymore.

Because he used to always tell me, when I'm dead, I'll rest.

But until then, I'm going to do my best.

And he did.

Until the day he died.

And we need to be zealous, zealous for good deeds.

I would pray that that's all of us.

This is the day of Christ.

This is the day that Christ blesses his own.

After the day of Christ comes the day of the Lord.

And that's in chapter five.

And it will be another attribute of the model life.

Knowing that the day of the Lord is going to come, what does a model life look like?

And that will be next Sunday.

Unless, of course, the Lord comes again.

Then you don't need to know anything about it.

Let's pray.

Father, thank you for today.

Thank you for the opportunity you give us to be together.

Thank you, Lord, for your word.

Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to bow before you and to listen to your word.

Lord, your word is clear.

It's concise.

It's not confusing.

It doesn't muddy the waters.

It clears away all kinds of skepticism.

That we might understand, Lord, what it is you have for us.

Help us, Lord, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Lord, you're going to come again.

It could be today.

It could be before we get home.

help us to live in anticipation of your arrival, always looking and longing for the arrival of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Until that day, Lord, may we be found faithful in our service of the King.

In Jesus' name, amen.