How Christians to respond to the prospect of the Rapture of the Church?

1. Are You Listening for the
Trumpet?
by Samuel E. Ward
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2. 2
I. Where Is Jesus?
Shouldn’t He Be Back By Now?

3. Three Motives for Asking This Question:
A. The scoffers ask because they don’t
believe He’s coming back.
2 Peter 3:4 (NIV2011) “Where is this
‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our
ancestors died, everything goes on as it has
since the beginning of creation.”
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4. B. The uninformed ask because they missed
the teaching about what happens to those
who die before Christ returns.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV2011)
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want
you to be uninformed about those who
sleep in death, so that you do not grieve
like the rest of mankind, who have no
hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, 4

5. and so we believe that God will bring with
Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you
that we who are still alive, who are left
until the coming of the Lord, will certainly
not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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6. 16 For the Lord himself will come down
from heaven, with a loud command, with
the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first. 17 After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air. And so we will be with
the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage
one another with these words.
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7. C. The easily-shaken ask because they think
the Tribulation or the Day of the Lord’s
Judgment has already come.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NIV2011)
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our being gathered to
him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,
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8. 2 not to become easily unsettled or
alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—
whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth
or by letter—asserting that the day of the
Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone
deceive you in any way, for that day will
not come until the rebellion occurs and the
man of lawlessness is revealed, the man
doomed to destruction.
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9. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself
over everything that is called God or is
worshiped, so that he sets himself up in
God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be
God.
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10. Of one thing we can be certain, because
God said it, the Lord’s return for us is going
to happen! The mystery surrounding the
Lord’s return for His church has been
revealed.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (NIV2011)
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God, nor does the perishable
inherit the imperishable. 10

11. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not
all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in
a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
the dead will be raised imperishable, and
we will be changed. 53 For the perishable
must clothe itself with the imperishable,
and the mortal with immortality.
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12. 54 When the perishable has been clothed
with the imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: “Death has been swallowed
up in victory.”
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13. II. How Are We as Believers to Respond to
This Blessed Hope of the Lord’s Return for
His Church?
A. We joyfully anticipate it.
1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV2011) 12 Dear friends,
do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that
has come on you to test you, as though
something strange were happening to you.
13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate
in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may
be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
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14. We anticipate the glory even in the midst of
suffering.
Romans 8:18 (NIV2011) 18 I consider that
our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be
revealed in us.
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15. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NIV2011)
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all.
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16. B. We eagerly wait for it.
Romans 8:23b-25 (NIV2011) 23b …but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for
our adoption to sonship, the redemption of
our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were
saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all.
Who hopes for what they already have? 25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have,
we wait for it patiently. 16

17. C. We long for it.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV2011) 7 I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store
for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to
me on that day—and not only to me, but
also to all who have longed for his
appearing. 17

18. Revelation 22:20b (KJV) “Surely I come
quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
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19. So if you want me tell when the Lord is
coming back. Can’t tell you. BUT… I do
know that we are not to just run up to
housetops to sit and wait for it. When the
disciples asked about God’s timing
concerning the culmination of all things, He
responded…
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20. Acts 1:7-11 (NIV2011) 7 “It is not for you
to know the times or dates the Father has
set by his own authority. 8 But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he
said this, he was taken up before their very
eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
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21. 10 They were looking intently up into the
sky as he was going, when suddenly two
men dressed in white stood beside them. 11
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you
stand here looking into the sky? This same
Jesus, who has been taken from you into
heaven, will come back in the same way you
have seen him go into heaven.”
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22. SO…
III. What Are We Waiting For?
We Have Places to Go, People to See,
and Things to Do!
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23. A. “We Have Places to Go, People to See,
and Things to Do!”
Acts 1:7-11 (NIV2011) 7 He said to them:
“It is not for you to know the times or dates
the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
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24. 9 After he said this, he was taken up before
their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from
their sight. 10 They were looking intently up
into the sky as he was going, when suddenly
two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you
stand here looking into the sky? This same
Jesus, who has been taken from you into
heaven, will come back in the same way you
have seen him go into heaven.”
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25. There is work to do! We are accountable to
God to share the gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:11a (NIV2011) 11 Since,
then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,
we try to persuade others.
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26. B. We have the responsibility to meet
regularly as Christians to minister to one
another.
Hebrews 10:22-25 (NIV2011) 22 let us draw
near to God with a sincere heart and with
the full assurance that faith brings, having
our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a
guilty conscience and having our bodies
washed with pure water.
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27. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we
profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24
And let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds,
25 not giving up meeting together, as some
are in the habit of doing, but encouraging
one another—and all the more as you see
the Day approaching.
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28. C. We are to observe the Lord's Supper as a
means of keeping the memory of the
Lord’s atoning death alive until His
return.
1 Corinthians 11:26 (NIV2011) 26 For
whenever you eat this bread and drink this
cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he
comes.
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29. D. We are to maintain a blameless testimony
before the world.
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV2011) 14 “Do
everything without grumbling or arguing,
15 so that you may become blameless and
pure, “children of God without fault in a
warped and crooked generation.”
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30. Then you will shine among them like stars in
the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of
life. And then I will be able to boast on the
day of Christ that I did not run or labor in
vain.
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31. E. We are to be patient.
James 5:7-8 (NIV2011) 7 Be patient, then,
brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s
coming. See how the farmer waits for the
land to yield its valuable crop, patiently
waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
8 You too, be patient and stand firm,
because the Lord’s coming is near.
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32. F. We are to comfort one another.
1 Thessalonians 4:16a, 18 (NIV2011) 16 For
the Lord himself will come down from
heaven… 18 Therefore encourage one
another with these words.
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33. G. We are to win souls.
Jude 1:20-21 (NIV2011) 20 But you, dear
friends, by building yourselves up in your
most holy faith and praying in the Holy
Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as
you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ to bring you to eternal life.
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34. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt;
23 save others by snatching them from the
fire; to others show mercy, mixed with
fear—hating even the clothing stained by
corrupted flesh.
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35. H. We are to be concerned with heaven.
Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV2011) 1 Since, then,
you have been raised with Christ, set your
hearts on things above, where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your
minds on things above, not on earthly
things.
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36. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden
with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is
your life, appears, then you also will appear
with him in glory.
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