Latest / HBCWestminster / 9.5.21 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Pastor Danny Gardner

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9.5.21 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Good morning, church. Good to have you guys back. Glad you could join us online this morning. If you have your Bibles, you can open to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Our text this morning is going to be verses 13 to 18. We'll get to that in just a moment. I know we're taking a break from our normal Luke study, but this Sunday is kind of a special one. This is our realignment Sunday, which I'll explain in just a moment. As you're turning there, let me just set some things up. You'll recall that when the nation of Israel...
• 0:28
  after 400 years of slavery in Egypt and then 40 additional years of wilderness wandering, finally found their way to the promised land. And they were ordered to cross over the Jordan River. The Lord commanded them to erect a monument in his honor. The priests led the way by standing in...
• 0:47
  the river as the Lord piled up the river and the people walked across the Jordan River on dry ground. And they stood in the middle of the riverbed as the people crossed over. And as each tribe passed, one man was selected from each of those tribes who would pick up a large stone from the bed of the river and carry it across. These 12 stones, known eventually as Ebenezer stones,
• 1:13
  Would be stacked on the other side as a monument for future generations So that when children saw them these 12 large stones Stacked on top of each other these children would ask and their parents would have an opportunity to retell the story of the Lord's faithfulness how he had spared them from the 400 years of slavery and then 40 more years of wilderness wandering Ebenezer stones stones of remembrance
• 1:41
  Do you have any Ebenezer stones in your life, maybe in your family, tangible reminders of the Lord's faithfulness? Maybe there are dates that are special, anniversaries that are special in your family that you celebrate to just remind you, your kids, your grandkids of the Lord's faithfulness. Well, today is sort of an Ebenezer weekend at Highland every year on Labor Day Sunday. Today,
• 2:11
  We push pause from our normal sermon series in order to ensure that our direction as a church is in line with our stated mission and vision. And for some who may be newer to Highland, these Realignment Sundays, as they've come to be known, have been wonderful because they help to define who we are. And if you are new with us, maybe this is one of your first times ever connecting with us as a church, this is a perfect sermon to listen to because I'm going to explain who we are, what we believe, and why we do what we do.
• 2:40
  what our expectations are on our pastors, on our board members, even our expectations on our congregants. And many, after hearing these expectations, join our membership with enthusiasm. It happens every year because now they know, they understand clearly why we exist and what we do. Now, some, after hearing these expectations and hearing about our priorities as a congregation,
• 3:04
  politely excuse themselves from our midst they go and find another church in town that they feel like better fits their desire and honestly either one of those options is okay with me if you after hearing who we are and what we believe what is kind of our foundational truth as a church the direction we're going the goals that we've said if you're like that's not for me that's okay we don't actually mind if you find a church that fits better for you for your family but some who have
• 3:32
  been a part of Highland for, you know, dozens of years, a million years, may think that these Sundays are unnecessary. Like, really, we got to do this every single year? Do we really have to hear the same thing again? Yes. Yes. Why? Because the casting of vision is like pouring water into a bucket with a bunch of holes in it. Vision leaks. And so the bucket has to be constantly refilled one Sunday every year, Labor Day Sunday.
• 4:02
  we just take a moment to refill our leaky buckets you know highland is actually a pretty old church we began as a church plant of northwest baptist church in 1965. in fact highland predates any of our current attendees and members our church building predates every other structure around it
• 4:23
  Our church building is older than any of the houses here. It's older than our city hall down the street. It's older than the police station. It's older than the Barnes & Noble. It's older than the Walmart. When ground was broken for this building, it was the only thing around. In fact, at the time, even 92nd Avenue, the street that we sit on, even 92nd Avenue, was a dirt road.
• 4:48
  There was no 36. There was no Boulder Turnpike. None of that stuff existed. Highland was planted in 1965 with the vision to evangelize, eventually to make disciples of what was then and really kind of still is the up-and-coming northwest quadrant of Denver, Westminster, Broomfield, Thornton, North Glen, Arvada, none of whose boundaries touched at the time, but now all of them touch.
• 5:11
  The founding members' hope was that God would bless this church to the point that we ourselves would perchance plant another church someday. And Highland, that's still our hope. If you're new to the church, you'll probably notice three words that we kind of hang our ministry on. Three words help to define kind of what we do. The first one is worship. We do worship services on Sunday mornings. You guys all know that.
• 5:36
  The focus of those worship services has always been and will always be the preaching of the Word of God. There will never be a time where you come to a Sunday morning worship service and this book is not open and we're not preaching from it. That is always going to be a focus of our Sunday morning gatherings. And to the praising of his name through music. Those are the two kind of pillars of our Sunday worship services. Worship and the Word. The second word that we often use is connect.
• 6:04
  Connect. Once a month, connect homes. Gather around the city. You guys know about this. They meet for dinner, they meet for communion, and they meet for prayer. And if you're not involved in one of those, we'd encourage you to jump in. The third word is thrive. Worship, connect, and thrive. Thrive is our midweek Bible studies for the whole family. Our children's ministry, youth ministry, and adult ministries all meet.
• 6:28
  on wednesday evenings from 6 30 to 8 o'clock in fact we are relaunching our thrive ministry we've taken a few week break as we always do between the summer and fall transition but the fall thrive series launches again this coming september 8th would encourage you to come september 8 bring your whole family no matter who you are no matter how old you are no matter what station in life you're in there is something for you at thrive at highland worship connect and thrive
• 6:55
  Our mission is stated simply this way, Highland Baptist Church exists to communicate the life-changing message of the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping the saints for the work of ministry through the preaching of God's Word and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. That's why we exist. Our job, according to Ephesians chapter 4,
• 7:13
  is to equip the saints for the work of ministry and so you'll find that this is an equipping church not only do we preach the word of god but we are going to teach you how to study the word of god how to then go and teach it to others our hope is that as we make disciples you then would go and make additional disciples we are an equipping church our vision
• 7:38
  is to train christ followers whose goal it would be to plant and support churches when and where the lord allows in order to replicate this mission and so our hope is that it would not stop here at highland baptist church but that as disciples are made and as the lord allows as there are opportunities either to plant new works that we would be able to go and do that
• 7:58
  or as the Lord brings opportunity for us to help hurting churches. Maybe there are churches here, and we certainly know that there are in the north region here of Denver, the northern region of Denver, that there are churches that are diminishing in attendance and influence constantly. In fact, there are churches closing all around us. Our hope would be that we would be able to help some of these hurting churches. And what we must understand is that the same mission and vision exists here at Highland as has always existed. This is not new.
• 8:26
  Our desire is to preach the gospel where it is not preached. Our desire is to plant and establish new churches where the church's presence is weak. Now, this statement that I just made there, our mission and vision, take on new and exciting meaning this year, 2021, since this is the very first time in 15 years that a Highland pastor has stated that mission and vision while the church is debt-free.
• 8:55
  As you know, and we have celebrated this this summer, our church paid off its building. We are now in debt to no one. No bank, no man owns anything from Highland. We have paid it off. So we are debt free. So those statements, those vision statements kind of take on new meaning. Like, okay, Lord, we can go to the Lord and say, okay, Lord, we're ready. We're ready for another work. What would you like us to do? And certainly we are in.
• 9:19
  prayer that is an exciting place to be that is our heart's desire and honestly if you're new with us and that resonates in your heart as well if that is your heart's desire to be equipped to be trained to be discipled and then to see the church advance and grow new church plants and replants church revitalization where the church's influence is weak if that is your desire you're gonna love it here can i just say that you're gonna love it here if that is your heart's desire
• 9:48
  You are absolutely going to love it here. That's who we are. That's what we do. Worship, connect, and thrive. It's our mission. It's our vision. And we are praying that the Lord's work would continue to be accomplished here at Highland.
• 10:05
  Well, I've got my Bible open to 1 Thessalonians 4, and allow me just to take a few moments this morning as we go through verses 13 to 18, and I'm going to read our text. If you're able to stand in honor of God's Word, would you do that now? As I read 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 13 to 18, we'll spend a few moments here in God's Word. And it says this, but we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope.
• 10:34
  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord That we who are alive who are left until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep For the Lord Himself would descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel With the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first Then we who are alive who are left
• 11:02
  We'll 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. Therefore, encourage one another with these words. Would you pray with me? Lord, we lift up our church to you in prayer. And make us the body of believers that you have envisioned. Make your will known among your people at Highland. And make your mission known. Be glorified this morning, Lord, in the preaching of your word. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
• 11:33
  Amen. Thank you, church. You can be seated. Do you ever consider the fact that you and I belong to one another? That you and I, as believers in Christ and members of the same body, are actually responsible not only for ourselves and our families, but also for our friends who attend the same church. We are actually responsible for one another. Those whom God has connected us to, who are in the same station in life,
• 12:04
  and those who share the same passions as we do. Can I just ask, do you have those types of friends that you can absolutely depend upon? And are you that type of friend? Do you have those couples in your lives who you have determined to live your lives with?
• 12:24
  to raise your kids with. In fact, do you even have one of those families in your life? And I pray that they would be connected here at the church, a spiritual family in your life that you would actually entrust your kids to if something were to happen to you and to your spouse. Sounds a little bit like an insurance pitch, but it's not. It's the church. And honestly, I don't know where my family would be without the church.
• 12:49
  It was a year ago. And church, this has been the longest 18 months. Hasn't it been? It's just, man, do you remember March 2020 when we were shutting down and doing all of that stuff? This has been such a long 18 months, but it was a year ago this summer that Highland reopened after being locked down. We were closed for 12 Sundays. 12 Sundays. And it was excruciating. We couldn't see our friends.
• 13:17
  we couldn't encourage them we couldn't be encouraged by them we couldn't laugh with them or sing with them or rejoice with them you guys remember what that was like we couldn't cry with them or mourn with them we couldn't pick each other up when we finally came back and we reopened you'll recall in june of 2020 we were closed for 12 sundays when we finally came back and we were able to sing together do you remember what that was like that first sunday back we were able to hug each other and laugh
• 13:45
  together. And we were able to, for that first Sunday back, to let our kids play together. Do you remember that sound of all of them laughing and playing and running around? I mean, it was awesome. I mean, it was better than Christmas at Disneyland. I mean, that's how it felt. It was like a holiday for us when we finally reopened. But for 12 weeks, our hearts broke. I mean, our family, the Gardner family, was dying.
• 14:14
  We had so taken for granted gathering together with the body of Christ, we didn't even realize how good it was. Like, we just, we totally took it for granted. And our family swore, never again, never again will we take our ability to meet and to worship and to see our friends for granted. And what was most probably startling to me
• 14:39
  Was that there were so many so-called Christians who honestly just didn't even skip a beat like missing church Was just not it was just normal. That was just normal life. I mean 12 weeks away from the church was nothing for them Nothing for them We see people all the time. We have people here at Highland who go 12 weeks Without coming we see him every three months and it's just nothing. It was just normal life for some
• 15:06
  Missing church was their norm. I mean, people miss 12 Sundays like it's nothing. Going to church and seeing their Christian friends, even having Christian friends, it just wasn't a part of their lives. And listen, Highland, I will make you this promise. There is no way that those people who, being with the body of believers here at Highland, and being around other Christians,
• 15:29
  who feel so low about those things they have it so low on their priority list being with the church i will make you this promise there is no way that those people who view the church so lowly there's no way that those people and those couples and their kids are thriving spiritually there's just no way they're not thriving not without the church i say why how can you make such a definitive statement and it's because of a statement made in our text this morning and it really is the the key to our text it's verse 18.
• 16:00
  where the Apostle Paul says, therefore, encourage one another with these words. Encourage one another with these words. One of the most difficult things for teachers to accomplish is to make their teaching transformational rather than just informational. Anyone can communicate facts.
• 16:23
  Doctrine is important. Information is foundational. But when it comes to the preaching of God's Word, our desire is that it would actually change the way that we live, that it would transform us. And this is why verse 18 is so important, because verse 18 gives the purpose for the doctrine. You ever wonder why we gather? Why were churches making such a big deal about closing down? I mean, what's the big deal?
• 16:51
  Just do church online. I mean, it doesn't matter, right? What's the difference? Is it a big deal to gather together with the gods, the people? Do you ever wonder if we're just spinning wheels and we're not actually moving? Like this is the spiritual version. Church is just a spiritual version of an exercise bike. You're pedaling, pedaling, pedaling, but you're not actually going anywhere. It's like we're just sitting on some eternal Peloton machine.
• 17:15
  Do you ever wonder if the sermons we hear and the songs we sing and the creeds we recite and the programs and the employee policies and the budget meetings, do you ever wonder if all of those things have a goal? They do. They do have a goal. And the goal is to encourage one another. You know, the second coming of Christ dominates the New Testament. In fact, the second coming of Christ is mentioned 318 times in the New Testament.
• 17:44
  Now, the New Testament has 260 chapters, so about 260 pages. The second coming of Christ is mentioned 318 times in approximately 260 pages. Now, this means it would be tough to read a single page of the New Testament without coming across this foundational truth, that Christ is coming back. Can I get an amen? I can't hear you, all right? Not online, but can I get an amen? Christ is coming back.
• 18:14
  And beyond that, a majority of Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the Messiah have to do with his second coming rather than his first. Even the Old Testament, before Jesus came the first time, the Old Testament was already prophesying about him coming a second time. In fact, what we have this morning is the Apostle Paul's...
• 18:37
  exposition of Christ's own words from John 14, where Jesus promised his own return. Listen to John 14 in verse 1. Jesus says, let not your hearts be troubled. Can I ask, church, have your hearts been troubled this year, 2020, 2021, as we are now relaunching school years and all of that, have not your hearts been troubled?
• 18:59
  As they're talking about vaccines and then vaccine boosters and now vaccine mandates and mask mandates, is not your heart troubled? Jesus says, let not your hearts be troubled. I will come again. The second coming of Jesus, our Lord Jesus, should bring peace and calm to our hearts. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 18 says it should actually encourage.
• 19:30
  Jesus continues, John 14 and verse 3, I will take you to myself, that where I am you may also be. I'm coming back, he says, and I'm bringing all of you with me. Christ's point then, and the Apostle Paul's point in 1 Thessalonians 4, is that the return of Christ and our being gathered together with him should be ever on our lips, and this truth is meant to encourage us. Our very own Pastor Sam Porges.
• 20:00
  as he was preaching years ago at Highland, said this, and I wrote it down. He said, believe in God because faith is the remedy for a troubled heart. Faith is the remedy for a troubled heart. Forget everything else in this miserable world for just a minute.
• 20:22
  Forget everything else. Forget COVID. Forget masks. Forget vaccines. Forget midterm elections. Forget mandates. Forget politics. Even forget the world in turmoil. Forget Afghanistan for just a minute. No matter what else you hear this morning, church, leave encouraged because Christ is coming back. And if you are in Christ, then you will fit into one of two categories of people. You ready?
• 20:53
  If you are in Christ, you will either die before Christ comes back or you won't. Right? Those are the only two groups. Jesus is coming back, church. And you're either going to die before he comes back or you're not going to die before he comes back. And our text this morning, verses 13 to 18, deal with those two groups of people. And so let's look at them. You'll notice first that those who are asleep, in other words, those who have already died is what he's referring to.
• 21:23
  Arise and look at what he says in verse 13, but we do not want you to be uninformed brothers about those who are asleep That you may not grieve as others who have no hope now the church at Thessalonica Despite being mere months old in the Lord was doing many things well
• 21:44
  The gospel had come to this church in power and in deep conviction you find in chapter 1 They were exhibiting fruits and gifts of the Spirit. They'd become a model church They recognized scripture as being the Word of God chapter 2 says they were walking in a manner worthy of his name They were standing firm in the Lord. They were devoted to loving one another I mean this would have been a church you would have been glad to go to like man that church at Thessalonica is
• 22:13
  Awesome. The gospel was ringing out so that people even regions away, counties away, were hearing about this model church. But you find in chapter 4 that they were discouraged. They were grieving. And their grieving, we find, was based on ignorance. They were confused about the coming of the Lord to retrieve his church. They anticipated the second coming of Christ.
• 22:37
  But as those days and weeks and months and years began ticking by and the Lord had tarried, he was waiting, he hadn't sent his son back yet, and now people are beginning to die, it caused them to wonder what happens to these people who are dying before Christ comes back. Have they somehow missed the blessing of Christ's coming? And Paul combats that ignorance with truth to encourage.
• 23:06
  Mark Howell has said it this way, theological ignorance invariably leads to confusion, worry, and frustration. Think of all the sleepless nights and restless days we could avoid if only we learn to view every circumstance through the lens of God's word. Can you imagine? What a great quote. Imagine how many sleepless nights and restless days we could avoid if we simply were able to learn to view every circumstance in this life through the lens of God's word.
• 23:35
  This is why the Apostle Paul could, as he's sitting in prison in Philippi, right? I'm writing to, I'm sorry, prison in Rome, and he's writing to the church at Philippi, Philippians chapter 4 and verse 13. I know how it is to be content in all things. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Now, for those who are outside the faith, for unbelievers, death is final. Death is cold and hopeless. Death is inescapable.
• 24:07
  For those who are outside the faith, I mean, death is all they have to look forward to, which means they are going to cling to this earthly life for as long as they can. And honestly, church, that's why the world is so afraid of pandemics. Because death for them is it. But it's also why the believer need not be. You do not need to be afraid. Romans chapter 5 personifies death.
• 24:37
  By calling death the reigning king over humanity. And this is why the world is panicked over the Delta variant. It's why six months from now, they will be panicked over the Lambda variant. They're apparently using Greek letters. I don't know what they're going to call it. But six months from now, church, I'm telling you, I'm not a prophet. I'm not the son of a prophet.
• 25:02
  So I'm not prophesying here, but I'm telling you there will be another variant. After we conquer the Delta variant, there's going to be another one in six months, the Lambda variant. That's why six months after that, there's going to be the Epsilon variant. At some point, there will be an Omega variant.
• 25:18
  And then they're going to run out of Greek letters and they're going to have to go to some other alphabet. But I'm telling you, it's going to keep spinning this thing out over and over and over. And they are going to be terrified and panicked every single time. Why? Because death in their minds is uncaring and calloused and all-consuming. But we know, church, that Christ broke the tyrannical reign of death and gave life in its place. Can I get an amen?
• 25:46
  Listen to Romans chapter 5 and verse 17. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through the one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Let me read that section again, the most important section. This is Romans chapter 5 and verse 17. That the free gift...
• 26:12
  of righteousness reigns in life through the one man jesus christ because of adam's sin our forefathers sin death has reigned in mankind but because of jesus what romans who romans chapter 5 calls the second adam because of the second adam now life reigns church death stinks i mean there's no other way to say it death stinks death
• 26:41
  hurts. Death was never intended to be a part of the human experience. God did not design us to die. He designed us to live. We chose death when we sinned. Death is a reality that every human must face, but Christ has removed the victory from death. Death no longer has its sting because of the work of Christ on the cross. And so,
• 27:07
  Although we as believers grieve those who have gone before us, those who have fallen asleep, we don't, verse 13 says, grieve as those who have no hope. Why? Because death has lost its sting. Life reigns. Continue in verse 14. It says, for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen.
• 27:34
  asleep and so what happens to those who die before christ's return scripture is clear that they who have died in christ will accompany him to receive the rest of the church now the apostle puts to rest the fears of the church by assuring them that there will be no advantage to being alive
• 27:58
  when and i believe the rapture i believe this is a description of the rapture when the rapture takes place all saints alive and dead will participate keep going in verse 15 for this we declare to you by a word from the lord that we who are alive who are left until the coming of the lord so we who are alive when the lord comes back will not precede those who have fallen asleep
• 28:20
  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of the archangel, with the sound of the trumpet of God. And now here is the key. And the dead in Christ will rise first. When Christ calls his church, the dead who have had their souls washed in his blood will rise from their tombs. The martyrs.
• 28:41
  The missionaries of the ages will rise. The first witnesses of the gospel will rise. Those strong and those weak will rise. Those faithful in prayer and those who prayed very little will rise. The teachers of the word, the students of the word will rise. Those who had much and those who had little will rise. Those who accomplished much and those who accomplished little will rise. But you'll notice second, that those who are alive, if you don't die first,
• 29:12
  and you're still alive when the Lord comes back, will ascend. Notice that the next two verses, verses 16 and 17, give the most vivid detail of the rapture. I believe this is the rapture, like I said, in all of Scripture. From this text, we can put together the timeline of future events, when the rapture will take place, what it will look like, what it will be like for believers who are alive when it happens. But church, don't...
• 29:36
  Don't miss the point. The point is not to rapture. The point is there will be a day when Jesus comes and gets us. There will be a day and we will spend eternity with him. That's the point. But notice verse 16 describes this. It says that that will happen with a cry of command. Verse 16 says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command.
• 30:00
  Now, this is a military term. It's used to summon troops. You can imagine a high-ranking official, a high-ranking captain, major, whatever, colonel, general, yelling for his troops to come to summon his troops. The Lord has remained virtually silent for the last 2,000 years. And despite plagues and disease and injustice, the Lord has waited patiently in heaven. And maybe you've even experienced that yourself as you've...
• 30:30
  prayed as you've been discouraged maybe as you've even despaired in the last 18 months and you've prayed and just wondered why is god why does it feel like god's not answering my prayer but when when he finally breaks that silence church he will do so it says with a shout with a shout john phillips has said it this way he has spoken once in grace by sending his son to this planet the world murdered him
• 30:57
  Well, then he spoke again by sending his Holy Spirit and the world ignores him. But the next time he will speak in wrath The whole creation today is holding its breath waiting for that Shout in other words, there will be no ignoring him when he shouts the voice of a cry of command And what will he say? perhaps
• 31:23
  It will be the words of the groom in the Song of Solomon calling to his bride. When the groom says to his bride, arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. For behold, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come. The voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. Can you just hear the voice of the Savior calling to his bride, the church, and saying, it's now.
• 31:51
  Arise, my love, you waited long enough. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. But notice it continues. Not only will the voice of God be heard, but the voice of the archangel as well. Verse 16 continues. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel. Now, scripture never says who this archangel is, but apparently this archangel will add his voice to the voice of the Lord.
• 32:17
  And scripture never records the archangel's words, but I have a theory about what the archangel is going to say, which I will share in just a moment. Notice there will also be a trumpet of God. And then the raptured church will meet the resurrected church. You continue in verses 16 and 17. It says, and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. And then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up together with them.
• 32:46
  in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. You can imagine this site for the first time in history. The entire bride of Christ, the bride of Christ, the church from the past and the church from the present for the very first time in church history will make an appearance. This will no longer be a raptured church, but a raptured church. And this is my favorite part of every wedding.
• 33:16
  Right I get to officiate a lot of weddings. I have the honor and privilege of doing that I've jokingly said before that I get the best seat in the house for every wedding, right? I don't have to sit out there in the chairs. I get to stand right in front of the bride and groom I get to hear every word I get to participate. I mean, it's really an honor but my favorite part of every wedding has nothing to do with me
• 33:37
  It's the part where I and that young man, that groom, are standing there at the front of the aisle and we're waiting, we're waiting, we're waiting, we're waiting, we're waiting for the bride to be prepared. Everybody else has already come in. The groomsmen, the bridesmaids, they're all standing. Everybody's lined up. Everybody in the audience is standing, waiting, waiting, waiting for those doors, finally, those sanctuary doors finally to be opened. And that song begins. Here comes...
• 34:05
  The bride. When the cry of God issues forth and the dead in Christ arise and the alive in Christ ascend, the sanctuary doors of heaven will be flung open and the archangel will cry, here comes the bride. Now, obviously, we're reading into that psalm, right? The archangel is going to shout, is going to give a clear command as well. He will add his voice. But why wouldn't it be that? Here comes the bride.
• 34:36
  And you notice verse 17, we've already read it says that the church will meet the Lord in the air. The return of Christ to retrieve his church is different than the return of Christ to judge the world. When Christ comes to judge the world, he will not come to fight.
• 34:53
  I'm sorry, he will come to fight when he comes to judge the world. He won't come to gather. His feet will touch the earth. He's not going to wait in the air. He's going to change even the topography and climate of the Holy Land so that the weather will become temperate, that fresh water will flow through the city. On that day, I think the Lord will establish his kingdom on earth. Now, I know that there are plenty of people. In fact, I have dear friends who don't agree with me on that. But I believe this is described in Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 14, especially verses 3 to 9.
• 35:23
  But we will meet the Lord in the air and then it says this and notice verse 18 and with this we conclude Therefore with all of that in mind knowing that the Lord is coming back Knowing that he will gather his people his church his bride his Saints his body Knowing that he will gather them together us together with him and that this says verse 17 that we will spend eternity with the Lord therefore encourage one another with these
• 35:53
  Words. And I know that there are many who would disagree with my interpretation of several of these aspects, the finer points. But honestly, that doesn't matter. Even if we disagree on those things, we can agree on this. Church, the Lord is coming back. The Lord is coming back. And that phrase should be ever on our lips as we gather, remind each other, the Lord is coming back.
• 36:19
  back and i know that this world stinks it is broken because it's cursed of course it is it's cursed and so it stinks we were not designed to be here this is not our home we are not citizens of earth but we are citizens of heaven and so we must remind each other of that fact the lord is coming back and will gather his people together with him and so encourage one another with these words amen
• 36:49
  Amen. And Lord, I pray that you would bless the preaching of your word this morning. Thank you, Lord. For another realignment Sunday, I pray that we would just stay on mission, stay on task. Make us a faithful people, Lord, for your glory and for our joy. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.