Greg Laurie - The Rapture and Israel's Future
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Yes. What a day that was! How many of you came to the baptism? Raise your hands. Well, quite a few of you. Were any of you baptized? Raise your hands. Wow! A lot of you. Congratulations! We baptized 2,100 people yesterday, and we’re putting the numbers together. This is pretty amazing! In the last 24 months, factoring in these three Jesus Revolution baptisms, we have baptized 8,600 people. Isn’t that amazing? Now, we baptized another 137 at our church services. That means in the last 24 months, we have baptized 10,000 people! Even in the heyday of the Jesus movement, we never saw anything like this. I believe that God is really at work in a significant way.
I heard about one guy who came from Utah. He’s a truck driver. He actually watched our Jesus Revolution film. The Lord touched his heart, he came to Christ as a result, and he watches Harvest at Home- that’s our online broadcast of our Sunday services every Sunday. He came all the way from Utah to be baptized! We had people literally from all around the country that came to this baptism. It was so exciting, and we’re thanking God for that.
Hey, I’ve been putting off something for a long time. I’m going to get a hip replacement next week. It’s not that bad. So I’ve gone from being a hippie to needing a hip replacement. I’ve gone from acid rock to acid reflux. That’s what’s happening, people! So I’ve got this cane here, okay? So it’s my right leg. It gets painful, actually. I’ve put it off way too long. A friend said, «Why don’t you get a cane?» I thought, «I don’t want a cane.» Then Jonathan, my son, ordered one on Amazon, and it came. I started trying it out, and I thought, «I’m kind of liking this cane!» You can do other things with a cane. You can gesture with a cane. «Look at that over there! Look at that!»
We were just in Hawaii visiting our church there, and my luggage got a little ahead of me. You know how it is when you’re going through security? So I was pushing it with my cane, right? Also, I find that when I’m walking around with my cane, people open doors for me. They feel sorry for me as I come with my cane, right? I got to board the plane before anybody else. I like that, too! I may have «assaulted» a few people with it. Not really, but in my heart, I did. No, not really. But it has its uses, and I may be using it after I get this surgery. So it’s Tuesday. I would appreciate your prayers. This is the first time I’ve ever had surgery done. I’ve somehow made it 72 years without ever having to go to a hospital for any kind of surgery until now. So there it is.
We have a great guest speaker coming in next Sunday. Some of you may know him. By the way, when I invite someone in to speak here, I’m only going to bring the best for you guys, right? Last Sunday, we had Tony Clark, who’s an amazing preacher, as you know. Next Sunday, a man named James Merritt is going to speak. How many of you know who James Merritt is? Nobody? Okay, so you’re going to know after you hear him! I literally think James is one of the finest preachers in the country, and I’ve been so blessed listening to him over the years. We’ve been friends as well. He’s going to bring a powerful message. You’ll be fed, you’ll be challenged, and you’ll be encouraged. Another great preacher will be speaking the following Sunday, a young man named Jonathan Laurie. So you’ll be in good hands. Hopefully, after that, I’ll be back with my little cane after my surgery, ready to give it another go!
Okay, so I appreciate your prayers. In fact, why don’t we pray now? Father, thank you for this day you have made. Thank you for the word of God that comforts us, that exhorts us, that corrects us, that points us in the right direction, and gives us clarity. There’s so much noise in the world and in the culture, on social media and elsewhere, and it’s so good to find truth in the Bible. As we talk about some very important topics, I ask your blessing on it. We commit this time of Bible study to you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Okay, we’re going to look at two passages today: Romans 11 and 1 Thessalonians 4. So you might want to mark those passages with a ribbon if you have one of those fancy Bibles with ribbons. The title of my message is «Israel, the Rapture, and the God Who Keeps His
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I heard the story about a couple that were getting married. The groom went to the pastor ahead of time and said, «Pastor, I want to make you a deal. I’ll pay you $100 if you delete that part of my vows where I say that I’m going to take this woman for the rest of my life and be faithful to her and only to her. Just delete that line. I’ll pay you $100.» The pastor agreed, or so the groom thought. When the ceremony began, the pastor locked his eyes on the groom and said, «Do you promise to obey her every wish, bring her breakfast in bed every morning, and never so much as look at another woman as long as you live?» Well, the groom had to say yes. He said yes.
Afterwards, he goes to the pastor and says, «I thought we made a deal.» The pastor said, «Your bride offered me more money!» So that’s promises easily made, often broken. But the good news is God makes promises. When God makes a promise, you can take it to the bank. Promises are a lot like those gift cards. I don’t know about you, but I have a little collection of gift cards that I’ve never cashed in. I read that there are around $58 billion in gift cards that were never claimed, and that’s sort of like the promises of God. Someone has said there are 3,000 promises in the Bible to the believer. I’ve never counted them all; I know there are a lot. But think of all the promises that God has given to us that have gone unclaimed-like those unused gift cards! So we want to take hold of those promises.
For example, God has promised that he will never leave us alone. We’ll never be alone in life. In Isaiah 41, the Lord says, «Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I’ll hold you up with my victorious right hand.» Of course, Jesus said, «I will never leave you or forsake you.» If you were to do a literal translation, it would go as follows: Jesus speaking, «I will never, no, never, no, never leave you or forsake you!»
God has also promised to walk with us through the difficulties we face in life. In Isaiah 43:2, God says, «When you go through deep waters, I’ll be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up, and the flames will not consume you.» And, of course, Psalm 23 where David writes, «Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.»
So no matter what you’re going through in life, God is with you. God will walk with you through it. That’s why these are called great and precious promises. Psalm 115 says, «This is my comfort in my affliction: Your promise gives me life.»
Here’s another promise of Jesus: He promised he will come again. Jesus said in John 14, «Let not your heart be troubled. If you believe in God, believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you unto myself, that where I am, you may be also.» Did you know that of the 333 Old Testament prophecies, 224 still await fulfillment for his return? The New Testament mentions the second coming 300 times-about once in every 30 verses! Twenty-three of its 27 books speak of his return. Jesus himself talked about his return at least 21 different times. In every reference to his first coming, there are around eight references to his second coming. And we’re told over 50 times in the Bible to be ready! Do you think God is trying to tell us something?
You know, there are some people, let’s just be gracious and say they’re not very punctual. You know, they’re always late, and it’s always the traffic or this or that, or their alarm clock didn’t go off-whatever. But somehow, they’re always late. Then there are other people that, no matter what, are always there on time. Now, when God makes a promise, he’s going to be punctual. He’ll arrive at the appointed time, and you can count on it.
There’s no better illustration of God keeping his promises than with his own people-his chosen people, the Jews. One thing is very clear as you read Romans 9 to 11: God has a special relationship with the Jewish people. He established his first covenant with Israel through Abraham, who was the father of the Hebrews. He said in Genesis 12 to Abraham and his descendants, «I’ll make you a great nation. I’ll bless you and make you famous, and you’ll be a blessing to others. I’ll bless those that bless you, and I’ll curse those that curse you.» So much of what we have today has come through the Jewish people. Our Bible has been handed down to us by the Jewish people. Our Messiah was Jewish and came to us through the Jewish people. God has promised that he will keep his promises to them, and he’ll also keep his promises to us. The Bible says God is not a man that he should lie, so you can trust the promises of God.
My next point is: Because God kept his promises to Israel, you can know he’ll keep his promises to us. See, I’m not Jewish; I’m a Gentile, as probably most of you are. But we have been grafted into the promises of God. And going back to Romans 11:17, if some of the branches have been broken off, it says, «And you, though being a wild olive shoot, have been grafted among the others, and you now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root.» So I’ve been grafted into the promises of God, and it’s a wonderful thing. I feel that my role as a Gentile, but more importantly as a Christian, is to support my Jewish friends.
You all know about what happened on October 7th. For many Jewish people, that’s the most devastating date in their calendar, next only to perhaps the Holocaust, which took six million Jewish lives due to the insanity of Adolf Hitler and his so-called final solution. On October 7th, Israel was attacked by Hamas, a terrorist organization funded by Iran, and some 1,200 innocent Israeli people-men, women, and children-died horrible deaths. I had the privilege of being asked to speak at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles-a museum dedicated to fighting anti- Semitism. There’s a photo from it there. I was the only Christian that I know of that was present on that day, apart from my wife and the folks that were with me. They allowed me to address this audience, and that was a great honor for me. I told them that I gave them my testimony. I said, «I’m here because I was a confused 17-year-old boy going the wrong way in life, using drugs, not knowing what my life was about. Someone told me about Jesus Christ, who changed my life. As I began to read this book, I discovered that you are his chosen people, and I’m here to say that as a Christian, we love you, and we support you.»
So afterwards, I had a few Jewish people say, «You should join our side.» I said, «I’m on your side; I’ve been grafted in!» Another thing that we were able to do quite recently is present an armored ambulance to the people of Israel. The president of Israel asked Franklin Graham -there’s Franklin Graham-and the ambassador from the United States, Mike Huckabee, and myself, and others. This ambulance is an amazing vehicle! It’s like a tank -it’s a hospital tank, and just the term «armored ambulance» says it all. Why do we need an armored ambulance? Because they found that the terrorist organizations were targeting the first responders and ambulances as they were going to help people. So they had this need, and we provided it to them.
I was able to speak at a little ceremony and I told them, «I’m giving this to you in the name of Jesus Christ.» Written on the side of it, we put Jeremiah 29:11: «I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.» I think our Jewish friends are beginning to discover that we love them. I personally heard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say, «The greatest friend that Israel has is the evangelical Christian.» I think that’s a good thing, and we should continue to be their friends.
Now, some would say, «Well, you only support Israel and the Jewish people because you want Armageddon to come.» Give me a break. Armageddon is going to come when it comes. But what’s going to happen in the meantime is we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we pray that they can find some solution to what’s going on over there. But then the question arises: Does that include support for the modern state of Israel? This promise to bless those that bless us? Should we support the nation Israel? I believe we should. Why? Because it’s the Jewish homeland.
You have to understand the reason there is a modern state of Israel: The Jews fled there after the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II and built a nation out of the ashes, and they want to simply live in peace, raise their families, and enjoy their lives. So when you hear these chants of «From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,» you need to understand what that really means. The river is the Jordan River; the sea is the Mediterranean. Between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is a tiny sliver of land-about the size of New Jersey-called Israel. When they’re saying, «From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,» they’re effectively saying, «We don’t want Jews here. We don’t want a Jewish homeland here.» Iran, which is behind pretty much all the terrorist activity pointed toward Israel, has repeatedly and openly said, «We want to wipe them off the face of the map.»
I know that you hear today that the Israelis are starving the people of Gaza. Actually, millions of dollars' worth of humanitarian aid has been sent to Gaza; it’s intercepted by Hamas and sold on the black market for hiked-up prices, but they’ve had some success more recently getting 100 million meals to the people. So I agree with the statement: «Free Palestine.» Free Palestine from Hamas! Stop having terrorists represent you!
My next point is: God uses us to bless the people who have blessed us. Romans 11:14, Paul says, «I want you to understand that we are here to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, that it might save some of them.» Make them jealous! That’s an interesting statement, isn’t it? Years ago, I was leading a tour to Israel, and it’s my hope to lead a tour to Israel again in the near future, and maybe some of you can join me for that.
On one of our tours-I’ve been there many times — I had a guide that I continued to use. His name was David, and I liked him. He was a friend, but he was always debating me. So we would be in the front of the bus, and he would be arguing with me about my faith and so forth. We probably debated for two hours, and we finally arrived at our destination. As we got off the bus, the bus driver came to me and said, «I was listening very carefully to what you were saying to David. I made no progress with David.» But apparently, this guy was listening. He said, «I really like what you were saying.» Then he said this, and this is an exact quote: «I am jealous of your relationship with God. I’m a Jewish man, and I want you to come speak to my family for Sabbath dinner.» I agreed, and we went to his home. Incredible food! We were on the second course, really full, and we found out those were the appetizers. There was a lot more food to come! I went into a food coma, I think. But he gathered his whole family there -a very large family, some of his children serving in the IDF, the Israeli military. I told him about Jesus, you see, and this was something I earned the right to do. He saw something in me that caused him to be jealous.
I think that we should walk with God in such a way that non-believers will say, «I want what they have.» The greatest compliment a Christian can be paid is when a non-believer says, «What makes you different? I notice you’re kinder. I notice you’re more patient. I notice that you’re a loving person. Why are you this way? You’re going through this hardship, yet you’re doing it with a smile on your face. How can you do that?» What a joy it is to then say, «Well, let me tell you all about Jesus.»
Isn’t it funny how when you go out to a restaurant with someone and they order something, you become jealous of their food? Does that ever happen to you? I’ll go and order whatever I usually order. I’m not very daring when it comes to restaurants, I have to tell you. My wife, she’ll peruse the menu, ask 3,000 questions, ask if she can substitute this for that, and I’ll just say, «I love the burger and fries,» you know, whatever. Then I’ll look at her meal or maybe someone else' s and say, «That looks so good!» Then I wish I had ordered their food. Then I ask, «Can I have a small bite of what you’re eating?» «Sure!» And I try another bite. «Why didn’t I order that?» See, whatever they’re eating, I want that. And that’s the idea here: We’re having a relationship with God that makes not just Jews jealous of Gentiles but makes non-believers jealous of what we know as Christians.
The fact is, the thing that drew me to Christ first was the lifestyle of the Christians before I heard their message. I saw in them something I had not seen among my friends and the crowd I was hanging around with.
Okay, next point: Israel plays a key role in the last days. Look at Romans 11 again, verse 25. I want you to understand, Paul writes, «the mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you do not feel proud about yourselves. Blindness in part has happened to Israel and will last only until the full number of the Gentiles come to Christ, and so all Israel will be saved.» There is a spiritual blindness in general among many Jewish people when it comes to Jesus Christ. However, we’re beginning to see a dramatic change. More Jewish people are coming to know Jesus as the Messiah. God is not done with his chosen people.
But there’s a problem. There’s a teaching in some churches called «replacement theology.» Replacement theology effectively says that the church has taken the place of Israel. That we, as Christians, are now spiritual Israel and that his unique relationship with them is over with. Well, the problem with that is if God’s going to break his promises to Israel, why would he not break his promises to me? See, I believe God keeps his promises and the covenants that he makes, and it’s very clear as you read through Romans 9, 10, and 11 that God has not done. In fact, he writes in Romans 11:2, «God has not rejected his people whom he
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One of the signs of the times according to the Bible is Israel would be regathered to her homeland. In Ezekiel 37, God told the prophet to go to a valley filled with bones-effectively a graveyard. God said, «Preach to the bones.» Now, I’ve spoken to some dead audiences, but this takes the cake! Ezekiel begins to preach to this audience. God tells them what it all means in Ezekiel 37:1. He said to me, «Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They’re saying, 'We’re becoming old, dry bones. All hope is gone.'» Now give them this message from the Lord: «I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again, and I’ll bring you back to the land of Israel.» A sign of the end times: the return of the Jews to their homeland.
On May 14, 1948, a modern-day miracle happened against all odds and in incredible opposition. Israel declared themselves a nation again, and it set the prophetic time clock ticking. I want to emphasize this was on the heels of the Holocaust! Now, some will say falsely, I might add, that the Jews are colonizers, taking the land from the indigenous people. The fact is the Jews are the indigenous people that God gave the land to in the first place. They have maintained continuous communities in Jerusalem for centuries. They purchased malaria-infested swamps and built modern Israel. Listen to this: Israel wasn’t stolen; it was reclaimed, rebuilt, and revived by its indigenous people. God gave them the land.
But the Bible not only predicts the regathering of the Jews to their homeland as a sign of the end times, but it also predicts their isolation from others and the increase of anti- Semitism, which is up 900% around the world. We’ve seen it in some of our Ivy League universities. You see these massive protests, and this is what amazes me. So much of this has accelerated after October 7th. You would have thought, after that horrible massacre of innocent Jewish people, that there’d be an outrage, and people would rise up in favor of their Jewish friends and the nation of Israel. In some ways, the opposite has happened because people are saying, «Oh, we’re more against Israel than ever.» This Jew hatred is on the rise! But this too is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. God says Israel in the last days would be scattered -that’s happened. God said they would be regathered-that too has happened. God said Israel will regain Jerusalem and be isolated, ultimately, and she will ultimately be attacked.
Now, that has happened, but not on the scale it’s going to happen because the Bible speaks of a large nation from the north of Israel that will attack her, and that nation is called Gog. Now, who is Gog? Many experts believe it’s modern-day Russia; I happen to agree with that for the most part. I don’t think anyone can say with certainty, but I think it’s very possible. We know this: there are allies that march with Gog, and one of those allies is called Persia. Persia was the name of Iran until they changed it in 1935. In other words, God is saying there would be an alliance between Gog and Persia — Russia and Iran. So they attack Israel, but when this happens-and it hasn’t happened yet-God is going to step in and intervene on behalf of his people. Ezekiel 38 says, «When this happens, when Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused,» declares the sovereign Lord, «and his judgment comes upon Gog and her allies.» God pours his spirit out on Israel again.
But there’s something God is waiting for: Romans 11:25 again. «Some of the Jews have hard hearts. This will last until the complete number of the Gentiles comes to Christ.» What does this mean? It means that God is waiting for the last person to believe for these events to take place, which would imply to me that walking this earth somewhere is perhaps a person who is holding the whole thing up! If that person would just believe, we could all go to heaven! Can you imagine if you were sitting next to him at church? «Will you get saved already, dude? Come on! We’re tired of waiting around for you!»
Then God will pour his spirit out on Israel. What? Then another event is going to happen that, to some, is controversial, but certainly isn’t to me. I’ve been talking about it for 50 years, and many before me have been talking about it for well, go back to the first century. We call it the rapture of the church.
Now, what is the rapture? The rapture is when Christ descends from heaven and we are caught up to meet him, to receive our new resurrection bodies, and we’re reunited with loved ones who have died in faith and who have preceded us. Some would push back, «Well, the word rapture is not in the Bible.» Well, the word Bible isn’t in the Bible. The word Trinity isn’t in the Bible. In fact, the word rapture is in the Bible if you happen to have a Latin translation because rapture, from the root word «rapere,» is simply a translation of the Greek word «harpazo,» which is used 13 times in the New Testament. So don’t get hung up on the word rapture, but the harpazo — the great escape, if you will, the catching up of believers to see the Lord in the air-is spoken of many times in the Bible. It means to take forcibly, to snatch, or to catch up.
Some would say, «No, the rapture is a modern invention popularized by J.N. Darby and his dispensational teaching in the 19th century.» Well, no question. J.N. Darby helped popularize the teaching of the rapture, but this teaching preceded him, going back to the apostles. We’re reading about what Paul has said about it. In a moment, we’ll read another verse where he addresses it as well. James talked about it, Peter talked about it, John talked about it, and most importantly, Jesus talked about it! We already quoted what he said in John 14, when he said, «I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, you may be also.»
There’s sort of an Old Testament prototype of the rapture. Remember the story of Enoch? It says, «Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him,» or literally translated him. Enoch sort of had a solo rapture. He would walk with the Lord all the time, and they were taking one of their walks one day. Maybe the Lord said, «Buddy, we’re closer to my house than yours. Why don’t you come home with me today?» But he was just caught up to meet the Lord in the air. That also happened to Elijah, who was caught up, remember, to a chariot of fire. But early church fathers spoke of it as well. Irenaeus spoke about it in the second century; Cyprian of Carthage spoke of it in the third century. So this is not a new teaching invented by J.N. Darby -it’s a biblical teaching that goes back to the apostles and Christ himself.
I think it’s important to talk about it. You know, we talked about this a lot in the Jesus movement, and we’re not talking about it as much today, and I think that’s a mistake because we’re missing out on the blessing of this teaching. Why is it important to talk about it? Because it brings much-needed hope. In fact, the rapture is called the blessed hope, and it brings comfort. Remember after Paul says, «The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. The dead in Christ will rise first, and will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.» Therefore, comfort one another with these words. Whenever you see the word «therefore,» find out what it’s there for. Paul’s drawing in what he is saying. «Hey, we’re going to be caught up to meet the Lord, so be comforted by this!»
Why would I be comforted by this? Because he says, «The dead in Christ shall rise first.» You that have lost a loved one will know what I’m talking about when I say that when someone you care about is suddenly taken from you through death, it’s devastating. You miss them, and you think about them constantly, and you have experiences and you wish they could be with you at that moment, having that experience with you. Just imagine this for a moment: you could be going about your business any given day, and suddenly, in a moment so quick you can’t even measure it by time, you would be catapulted into God’s presence, into their presence, and you would be together again. That is a great hope, and that is why we can comfort one another with these words.
Another reason we should talk about the rapture and the imminent return of Jesus is it motivates godly living. So it comforts us, but it motivates godly living. 1 John 3:3 says, «He that has this hope purifies himself.» Sort of like when you look in the mirror and you see a spot or something else, you think, «Oh no! I better deal with this.» So it has an effect on you. It would be like getting a call or a text from your friend. They say, «Hey, I’m in your neighborhood. I’m going to drop by your house in 5 minutes.» Now, if you’re a guy, you’d be like, «Cool! I’ll see you then.» If you’re a woman, it’s a different story. There’s going to be some serious house cleaning because you want your place to look just right for your friend that’s coming over to visit unexpectedly.
And the idea of this is if I really believe Jesus could come back at any moment, I’m going to want to keep my house clean. I’m going to want to keep my life clean. I’m going to want to be walking with him and living in such a way where I would not be ashamed of what I am doing if he were to return. So this is the great hope! C.S. Lewis put it this way, and I quote: «A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.» So it’s a good thing to do.
Now, that brings us to the question: when is the rapture? Simple answer: no one knows. No one knows! Oh, I know they’ll write a new book. «I’ve been looking at the blood moons and the ashes of the red heifer, and I’ve cracked the code, and it’s going to happen at this time!» Nobody knows the day or the hour when Christ will come again. I think one of the reasons we have pushed back against the teaching of the rapture is because some in the past have engaged in date-setting, which is always a big mistake. Someone actually wrote a book in 1988. Some of you may remember this, and the title of the book was «88 Reasons Why Christ Will Come in 1988.» It was a very popular book in 1988. Sales kind of dropped off in 1989 because it didn’t happen, and it wasn’t true.
So when is the rapture? No one knows! It could be tonight; it could be tomorrow. It could be in one week; it could be in a decade. I don’t know! But it will happen quickly. 1 Corinthians 15 says, «Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep. We will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.»
Some people might say, «Well, I’ll just accept Christ when the rapture happens.» How fast is that? How long does it take an eye to twinkle? That’s faster than the blinking of an eye! You can’t even measure it in time. It’s faster than a teenager hitting delete history when mom borrows his phone! That’s kind of funny, isn’t it? I’ll say it again: It’s faster than a teenager hitting delete history when mom grabs his phone! These are the jokes, people! What do you want from me? But it’s fast! And that’s why we always need to be ready because we’ll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
There’s some confusion about the rapture and the second coming. They are two separate events, actually. The rapture will be a stealth event, and the second coming will be a very public one. In the rapture, he comes in the air, and in the second coming, he comes to the earth. In the rapture, Christ comes for his bride, and in the second coming, he comes with his bride. In the rapture, Christ comes like a thief in the night, and in the second coming, the whole earth will see him. In the rapture, he comes before judgment, and in the second coming, he returns with judgment. There are seen to be two different events.
I can tell you when the second coming is. I don’t know the date, but I know the general time. It’ll happen at the end of the tribulation period. That’s what the Bible says. There will be the battle of Armageddon, and then Christ will return, and we will return with him. But we haven’t even started the tribulation period yet, and the Antichrist has not yet been revealed, so that hasn’t begun. But the rapture could happen at any moment!
Okay, so in closing, what does this mean to us? How should this affect us? If you are a Christian, you should be spiritually awake and alert. I love what Paul says in Romans 13:11: «This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is. Time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here.» Now, Paul tells us what to do: «So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes and put on the shining armor of right living. For we belong to the day, so let us live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in wild parties and drunkenness or sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourselves with the presence of Christ.» I like how the J.B. Phillips translation puts this final part when he says, «Let us be Christ’s men from head to foot and give no chances for the flesh to have its flame.» Be a godly man; be a godly woman. Jesus is coming! Let this comfort you; let this motivate you; let this wake you up.
But one final thought: If you’re not a Christian, this is kind of scary because some are going to be taken, and others are going to be left. Jesus said, «Two will be in a field; one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in a bed; one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.» There will be people that will be left behind, and you will face the tribulation period, and it ain’t going to be pretty, I can tell you that! That’s why you want to be right with God and ready to meet the Lord.
You say, «Well, how do I do that?» You ask Christ to come into your life. When Jesus Christ has forgiven you of your sins, you can look forward to his return. Remember when you were a kid, and you’d get in trouble, and mom might threaten you with the ominous words, «Just wait until your dad gets home!» You were dreading dad’s arrival. But then when you’re a good little boy or girl and daddy got home, you could run to him with excitement! That’s how we ought to be living! If we’re right with God, we say, «Yes, Lord! Come anytime! Come tonight! Come as soon as you want. I’m ready!» What if we’re not right with God? We’d say, «Hey, could you kind of delay this a little bit? Do it a little later?» There are a few things I want to do first. No, no! Live in a state where you’re ready for his return.
So you ask Christ to come into your life. What does that mean? It means you acknowledge you’re a sinner and you’ve broken God’s commandments, and you’ve fallen short of his standards. You realize that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for your sin and rose again from the dead. Now he stands at the door of your life and knocks and says, «If you’ll hear his voice and open the door, he’ll come in.» Have you done that yet? Have you asked Christ to come in? You have a choice: Get right or get left. Get right with God or get left behind. Are you right with God?
And listen to this: Nice! Okay, I like a little fanfare to go with my message. It’s happened to all of us, but the problem with him is it’s still happening! Okay, there it is. I know who you are, sir, green shirt. Oh, it was your wife! You’re blaming your wife! Come on, ma’am, come up here right now! No, don’t! That was our wake-up call!
So be ready and be alert and have Christ living inside of you. If you’re not sure if Jesus is living in you, I would like to close with a prayer where you can invite Jesus into your life, and he will forgive you of all your sin, and you don’t have to fear the future. You know, here’s what I know: I know I’m going to heaven one way or another-taxi or Uber. I don’t care what the transportation is-rapture or death. Either way, I’m going to get to heaven, and that’s what really matters. So live every day as though it were your last day because one day it will be. What if this were your last day? Imagine what if you missed this opportunity to get right with God for what? A few earthly pleasures? Some other thing you want to continue doing that you know you shouldn’t be doing? This is the time to get right with God.
So I’m going to pray and extend an invitation for you to ask Christ into your life and be ready for his return. Let’s pray. Father, thank you for your word to us and your love for us in sending Jesus to die for us. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming. Now we pray for the folks that are here and others that are watching on our different campuses. If they don’t know you yet, let this be the moment they believe, wherever they are. While our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed, and we’re praying, if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life right now, if you want him to forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that when you die you will go to heaven, if you want to be ready for the return of Jesus, wherever you are, I want you to raise your hand up, and I’m going to pray for you. Just raise your hand up, saying, «I need Jesus in my life, and I want to ask him to forgive me now of all my sins.» Raise your hand up high, and I’ll pray for you.
God bless you. Raise your hand up where I can see it. God bless you. And you, yes! Anyone else? Raise your hand up. Let me pray for you. God bless you too! Now some of you are in our other campuses. I can’t see you there, of course, but the Lord sees you. So you can raise your hand as well, and you watching online, you can pray this prayer that we’re about to pray.
Now, I’m going to ask every one of you that has raised your hand: if you would please, I want you to stand to your feet, and I’m going to lead you in a prayer. Stand to your feet if you raised your hand. Even if you did not but you want Christ to come into your life. You want him to forgive you of your sin, and you want to be ready for his return. Stand up and let me lead you in a prayer. Others are standing -you won’t be alone! Maybe you didn’t raise your hand, but you know you need to make this commitment. There might be somebody here that knew the Lord but you’ve fallen away. You’ve backslidden. Maybe you need to make a recommitment to him today. You can stand as well. Just stand up, and we’ll pray together. I’ll wait one more moment. Anyone? Anyone else? You may never have another opportunity like this again! Stand now, and we’ll pray.
God bless you. God bless you! Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you! God bless you! So all of you who are standing, wherever you are, I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. This is where you’re asking God to forgive you of your sin, and you’re asking Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life. Again, pray this out loud after me. Pray these words if you would: «Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner, but I know that you’re the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin now, and I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Make me ready for your return. Thank you for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!»
God bless each one of you.