Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Snapshot Series: "Rapture"


Snapshots40  Mark 13:28-37 "Live for the day"

Community Group Questions
1.  How would you evaluate your prayer life?
2.  Are you bold with telling others about Jesus?
3.  What areas in life do you struggle with being a hard worker?
4.  In the sermon notes I cited Thomas Brooks and how Christian's can do a better job loving one another, which one of those do you struggle with the most?
5.  If the end of tomorrow was your last day, what are some things you would do or say?  

We do not know what the outcome of each day will be.  We can plan Proverbs 16:9 states that "people plan their course but the Lord determines their steps"  In todays passage we find out a few things about Jesus' coming and what Jesus' counsel is for us as we wait. 

Jesus is Coming
-Take Notice
Vrs 28-29 by observing the forces of nature like the fig tree we can understand what season is coming.  Jesus is communicating that when you observe "these things" that He just spoke of you know that the time is near.  Remember the question was "when will these things take place" (v4) 

-Quick and Final
Vrs 30 "This generation" is a reference not to those He is speaking to but to the generation that will be alive during the End Times events.  So it is not prolonged it is quick and final. 

Vrs 31 Everything that you know and see as amazing or comfortable will pass away and what will last will be Him and His Word. 

-Sudden
Vrs 32 "No one knows the day or hour"  Not even the Son -  Jesus voluntarily set aside the information while He was earth. 

The next event that we are waiting for is the event called the “Rapture”
Comes from the word “Rapturo” the Latin translation of “caught up” in 1 Thess. 4:17

Go over Timeline

What is the Rapture?  The supernatural removal of the church out of this world.  The church in Thessalonica had some questions and problems understanding this so Paul explained some of the issues.

I Thess. 4:13-18
Vrs 13      “Fallen asleep” is a metaphor for death (they were concerned about their Christian friends that would miss this event.)
Vrs 14 Gospel all will take part
Vrs 15 Don’t worry they will be first (their soul is already there)
Vrs 16 “Dead in Christ” will receive their resurrected bodies 1st
Vrs 17 “Caught up”  those who are alive and with the Lord always
Vrs 18 This brings us great comfort
        
Why do we believe Rapture is next? And before the Great Tribulation
-Kept from wrath.  Revelation 6-18 says God’s wrath 14 times and does not mention the church but church is mentioned 19x in rev 1-3 6x in 19-22 a return.  We are not meant for wrath
1 Thess 1:9-10, 1 Thess 5:9-11, Rev 3:10  Dan 12:

-Its Imminent -hanging over ones head- 1 Cor 15:51-52
"In the twinkling of an eye"
The stage being set but there are no specific signs given in the Bible.

Back to Mark
Vrs 33 Keep on guard. Keep awake

How do we keep guard and stay awake?
1. Be a person prayer
         -Pray against Satan and his demons
         -Pray for others salvation and situations
         -Pray that you don't fall to temptation
         -Pray for the Lord's will in your life
2. Don't be ashamed of the Gospel.
3. Work hard 1 Cor. 15:10
4. Be obedient.  Those who love Jesus are obedient
5. Love- Show others love, if we as Christians start to love one another and the outside world it would do a lot of good for the Kingdom.
Loving one another... 

Thomas Brookes the Puritan states that one of Satan's schemes is to have Christians biting and devouring one another.  Brookes gives some remedies...
-Dwell on one another’s strengths rather then weaknesses
-God commands us to love one another
-Talk about the things we agree on rather then the things we disagree on.
-Maintain your peace with God (obedience)
-Seek to reconcile
-Self judge rather then judge others

6. Live like it is the last day  Vrs 34-37 Surprise.  Lesson is we should live as each day is the last.   How does that change the way you look at your life in regards to Spiritual things?   How did you spend your time on this day? 

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.



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