RAPTURE TRUTHS: PAUL CONSISTENTLY TAUGHT CHRIST'S ANY MOMENT RETURN & THE RAPTURE'S BLESSED HOPE
Published at : January 09, 2022
This morning we all need a good dose of old-fashioned “living hope”, the kind that the teaching of Christ & His Apostles caused to overflow through the hearts, minds, and lives of early New Testament believers.
When Peter addressed the most heavily persecuted saints of the 1st Century, living all around the area of the seven churches we are studying in Revelation: he told them a foundational truth. He told them that salvation opens to us life-long lives of hope. Look with me at I Peter 1:3 as we begin this morning.
1 Peter 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
First Century Believers
Looked for Christ Daily
The common denominator we find across the pages of the New Testament is a group of saints looking for Christ’s Return. They were trained, taught, and modeled this life of waiting. Waiting for Jesus to return was explained to be their cause for hope. His intentional rescue was promised to keep them from the wrath to be poured out as Christ's 2nd Coming. Note how Paul taught them these were two separate events in his letters to the Thessalonians. Turn with me to I Thessalonians 1.
Note Paul’s clear outline of Christ's return as taught to these new believers.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NKJV)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, Paul from the very start of his church-planting ministry, as reflected in this first letter he wrote in AD 50-51, back to a church he planted: taught the hope of Christ's return.
Paul Consistently Taught
Christ’s Any-Moment Return
Now, later at the other end of his ministry Paul writes to Titus about AD 62-64, just after getting out of his first Roman imprisonment. Paul would be free about 2 years before his final imprisonment and death AD 66-67. So, near the end of his ministry note that he is saying the same thing he said at the start. Look with me at Titus 2:11-13, one of my all time favorite passages of the New Testament.
Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
What exactly is this “blessed hope” that all of us are to be looking for? Since Paul consistently taught God's Word and wrote under the inspiration-power of the Spirit, this truth should be explained, and it is.
The teaching that the new believers in the early church received from Paul caused them to operate in every dimension of daily life, like Christ could come at any moment.
They lived in a decaying society, yet were filled with the hope of their Heavenly home.
They faced constant threats of persecution because they were looking for a Heavenly City (Hebrews 11), and awaited Christ's coming to take them there: instead of living for a secure and lasting home in this world.
What is The Blessed Hope
(CLW-25; 111016AM)
Join the LAND OF THE BOOK channel to get access to weekly video releases over the next year totaling 50+ EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS that feature weekly in-depth Bible Study lessons with John & Bonnie. Plus all the assigned HOLY LAND STUDY RESOURCES, and John's two most loved books--David's Spiritual Secret & Living Hope for the End of Days at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVK6dN-9kLDnQhYBFuES09A/join
Follow Discover the Book Ministries to stay up to date:
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Purchase resources:
E-Books: https://tinyurl.com/y3wbhlxy
Here are links to the 52 Greatest Chapters Bible Study Resources we are using:
1. The MacArthur Study Bible I use: https://amzn.to/33vqwsm
2. Grudem Systematic Theology: https://amzn.to/3y1M1iu
3. The Larger Moleskin Notebook I use: https://amzn.to/3biMwLh
4. The Smaller Moleskin Notebook I use: https://amzn.to/33vTNmN
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn income to support us in ministry from qualifying purchases.”
Donate to the ministry: https://discoverthebook.org/donations/partnership/
PayPal QuickLink: https://paypal.me/JohnandBonnieDTBM?locale.x=en_US
For more of Dr. John Barnett's Bible teaching messages go to: https://discoverthebook.org/
https://youtu.be/W4JucJv_qjU
When Peter addressed the most heavily persecuted saints of the 1st Century, living all around the area of the seven churches we are studying in Revelation: he told them a foundational truth. He told them that salvation opens to us life-long lives of hope. Look with me at I Peter 1:3 as we begin this morning.
1 Peter 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
First Century Believers
Looked for Christ Daily
The common denominator we find across the pages of the New Testament is a group of saints looking for Christ’s Return. They were trained, taught, and modeled this life of waiting. Waiting for Jesus to return was explained to be their cause for hope. His intentional rescue was promised to keep them from the wrath to be poured out as Christ's 2nd Coming. Note how Paul taught them these were two separate events in his letters to the Thessalonians. Turn with me to I Thessalonians 1.
Note Paul’s clear outline of Christ's return as taught to these new believers.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NKJV)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, Paul from the very start of his church-planting ministry, as reflected in this first letter he wrote in AD 50-51, back to a church he planted: taught the hope of Christ's return.
Paul Consistently Taught
Christ’s Any-Moment Return
Now, later at the other end of his ministry Paul writes to Titus about AD 62-64, just after getting out of his first Roman imprisonment. Paul would be free about 2 years before his final imprisonment and death AD 66-67. So, near the end of his ministry note that he is saying the same thing he said at the start. Look with me at Titus 2:11-13, one of my all time favorite passages of the New Testament.
Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
What exactly is this “blessed hope” that all of us are to be looking for? Since Paul consistently taught God's Word and wrote under the inspiration-power of the Spirit, this truth should be explained, and it is.
The teaching that the new believers in the early church received from Paul caused them to operate in every dimension of daily life, like Christ could come at any moment.
They lived in a decaying society, yet were filled with the hope of their Heavenly home.
They faced constant threats of persecution because they were looking for a Heavenly City (Hebrews 11), and awaited Christ's coming to take them there: instead of living for a secure and lasting home in this world.
What is The Blessed Hope
(CLW-25; 111016AM)
Join the LAND OF THE BOOK channel to get access to weekly video releases over the next year totaling 50+ EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS that feature weekly in-depth Bible Study lessons with John & Bonnie. Plus all the assigned HOLY LAND STUDY RESOURCES, and John's two most loved books--David's Spiritual Secret & Living Hope for the End of Days at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVK6dN-9kLDnQhYBFuES09A/join
Follow Discover the Book Ministries to stay up to date:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverthebook/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discoverthebookministry/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/discoverthebook
Purchase resources:
E-Books: https://tinyurl.com/y3wbhlxy
Here are links to the 52 Greatest Chapters Bible Study Resources we are using:
1. The MacArthur Study Bible I use: https://amzn.to/33vqwsm
2. Grudem Systematic Theology: https://amzn.to/3y1M1iu
3. The Larger Moleskin Notebook I use: https://amzn.to/3biMwLh
4. The Smaller Moleskin Notebook I use: https://amzn.to/33vTNmN
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn income to support us in ministry from qualifying purchases.”
Donate to the ministry: https://discoverthebook.org/donations/partnership/
PayPal QuickLink: https://paypal.me/JohnandBonnieDTBM?locale.x=en_US
For more of Dr. John Barnett's Bible teaching messages go to: https://discoverthebook.org/
https://youtu.be/W4JucJv_qjU
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