Articles from July 2015

Announcements:

-This coming Sunday, August 2nd, is Baby Dedication Sunday.  Please contact Pastor Peyton if you are interested in participating!

The Law of Desire:  “We do what we do because we want what we want.”

Here are the completed notes from the morning service July 26, 2015

Scripture:  I Thessalonians 4:13-18

The First Event – The Rapture – The Coming of Christ for His Own

1.  The promise of the Rapture – John 14:3

2.  Scripture teaches a pre-tribulation rapture:

• The church is not mentioned on earth from chapter 6 of Revelation to chapter 19 (The period of the tribulation)
• I Thessalonians 1:10
• Revelation 3:10 (see vs 13)
• Believers are ambassadors for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20).  What do countries do with their ambassadors before going to war?  They call them home.

3.  The Description of the Rapture – I Thessalonians 4:13-18

• Definition of Rapture:  To catch up or snatch away (I Thessalonians 4:17)
• Those taken
  • Believers (the church) – I Thessalonians 4:13-17
  • Those dead in Christ (vs 13-16)
  • Those alive (vs 17)
• The quickness – I Corinthians 15:51, 52 (vs 51-58)
• The transformation – I Corinthians 15:51-53
  • Instantaneous change/transformation
  • Bodies changed from perishable to the imperishable
  • Changed into the image of Christ – I John 3:2 “We shall be like Him“
• The hope of this event – I Thessalonians 4:13-17
  • Hope for those who have died (vs 13-16)
  • Hope of possible not dying (vs 17)
  • Hope of seeing departed loved ones (vs 17a)
  • Hope of sharing eternity with the Lord (vs 17b)

4.  In View of the Rapture

• Believers are not to forsake assembling together – Hebrews 10:25
• Believers are to live a separated, Godly life – I John 3:2-3, Titus 2:12-13
• The knowledge that Jesus could come at any moment should motivate us to holy living – I John 2:28
• Life in order every moment of the day
• The Delay – II Peter 3:3-4, 9 – God is not willing that any should perish

The Second Event – The Judgment Seat of Christ

The Christian’s face to face encounter with Jesus Christ

Scripture:  II Corinthians 5:10, I Corinthians 3:12-15, Romans 14:10-12

1.  This is the first major event in heaven following the rapture

2.  The issue at the Judgment Seat of Christ is not whether we are saved or not, or whether we will enter Heaven or not.  The fact is whoever appears before the Judgment Seat of Christ is already in heaven.

The Purpose:  To determine the worthiness or worthlessness of the believer’s works.  Character and motivation of the believer’s works will be examined.

The believers deepest motivation and highest aim in pleasing God – the realization that every Christian is inevitably and ultimately accountable to Him.