Left behind
1st Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who [j]are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [k]through Jesus.
15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [l]and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [m]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will 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.
18 Therefore, [n]comfort one another with these words.
When Jesus returns in the rapture, Jesus will fulfill this prophecy.
The rapture is when believers are caught up to heaven.
At the second coming, believers remain on earth.
Accordingly, the event that Paul was describing here is quite different from the second coming of Christ as it is normally defined.
In what sense will Jesus bring with Him those who have fallen asleep?
This refers to Christians who have died.
The expression of falling asleep is used to emphasize the fact that their death is temporary.
When a Christian dies, his soul goes immediately, instantly, without delay, without hesitation to heaven (2 Cor. 5:6-8).
One second your heart stops beating on earth.
In a split second, your soul is in heaven with Jesus.
Your existence on earth has ended.
Your soul has left its temple.
On the occasion of the rapture of the church, accordingly, Paul declared that Jesus would bring with Him the souls of those who have fallen asleep.
The purpose is brought out for this in the verses that follow in that Jesus will cause their bodies to be raised from the dead, and their souls will reenter their bodies.
I can hear Jesus as he rallies heaven.
He tells his saints, “Today we go get your bodies; today I go get the rest of the family.”
The Angel of the Lord lays his hand on the door to heaven.
And in the moment of a twinkling of an eye, we are with him.
After this point, the unbelievers will be left behind.
Don’t be left behind.
The Holy Spirit knows every saint; every saint has been filled with his Holy Spirit.
See this picture.
The Holy Spirit is waiting, hovering, brooding over the earth, ready only at the word of the Lord to raise every son and every daughter!
The Holy Spirit is totally obsessed with the resurrection of the saints.
Don’t be left behind.
The door is about to open, and we have no way to tell when this instant will happen.
My soul cries for Jesus.
My Hope is not like the Hopeless.
The Hopeless will be left behind.
Those who hope in Jesus will not be left behind.
The night before Jesus’s death, Jesus revealed the mystery of the rapture to his disciples.
He told them in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, [c]I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.
Acts 1:9-11 NKJV
Jesus Ascends to Heaven
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
It astounds me.
It is too much that Jesus would rapture the church, and you are not taken.
It’s coming.
It’s gonna happen.
Don’t resist the Holy Spirit.
Give your life to Jesus, and he will come in.
Become a disciple of Jesus.
Let me teach you to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Saving you is a work of the Holy Spirit; discipling you is a work of the church.
When Jesus went to the Father, he sent the Holy Spirit as he promised.
He left us behind to finish the work he started.
Will you be saved?
Will you follow Jesus?
Will you be his disciple?