The Consequences of the "Rapture"

Apologia Studios

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But I want to show you the impact of eschatology bad eschatology on the church

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One of the things that you'll often hear today With the popular view today of say dispensational premillennialism, you know it as a left -behind series.

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It's a new view in history It's about 200 years old And this particular view of eschatology

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We have things like the secret rapture We have seven years of tribulation and then the kingdom comes and arrives thousand -year literal reign of Christ on earth

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All of that went and sometimes you have even that split up You have people who are pre -trib mid -trib and post -trib.

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What I want to say is what if that's all wrong? What if the popular view today in the

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West of dispensational premillennialism and the secret rapture seven years of tribulation What if the in a history of the church?

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No one had any idea of that? What if that only started in the 19th century in the

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West? Because that's true This view didn't exist in the mind of the church

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Before the 19th century, so it's a new view. What if it's all wrong? What if actually there are

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Christians historically who never saw that at all in the Bible? What if what if the Bible actually doesn't teach that particular view of eschatology?

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You see when we think about the impact of this view We can hear people saying popular teachers that believe that saying things like this.

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Why? Bother polishing brass on a sinking ship. That's what they say.

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Like what's the purpose of actually working and laboring in the world to you know

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In the fulfillment of the prayer father hallowed be your name your name be holied all over the world

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Your kingdom come and your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven You know, what if what if we believe that actually at any moment?

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We're just gonna be raptured out of here and you know It really doesn't matter what happens in the world because the world's going to hell in a handbasket

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You know, why bother doing anything in the world? I mean that actually does change the way we live in the world

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And I wanted to say this for those of you guys are hearing this maybe hearing us for the first time This is really important.

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Um, I When I first came to Christ and heard when I first heard the gospel I wasn't raised in a

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Christian Church not in a Christian community I knew very very very little about the Bible at all and the first Bible study that I ever went to in my life was at youth group

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I was about 16 17 years old and I walked into the room I'll never forget it and everyone's in the room and the

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TV was playing a video a very terrible movie from like the 1970s and it was on the tribulation and so when

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I first entered into my experience in the church, I Just assumed this is just the truth

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That's what the Bible teaches why because this is what all these Christians believe and this is this the story this really terrible movie from The 70s right awful graphics and all that stuff like this.

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This is what's supposed to happen Then I went to Bible College and in Bible College. This is what I was taught I was taught dispensational premillennialism.

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I was taught the secret rapture and pre -trib I was taught seven years of tribulation. Of course,

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I worked with friends who were mid -trib post -trib I went to Borders Books and Music Every time

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I got the chance to go and get a copy of the Jerusalem Post because the Borders Books and Music would always have this section where they had like Newspapers from all over the world so you can go there and you can pick up like a newspaper from from a country in Africa Or from somewhere in South America, or you can you know get the

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Jerusalem Post? I used to always go there to get the Jerusalem Post to see what were the happenings in Jerusalem? And how soon would we be raptured?

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I was looking for that I read Hal Lindsey like he was my my family member like he was a best friend.

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I read him all the time I watched the the report he used to give weekly. What was it called? What was that show called the Tribulation Report?

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I forget what it was like a news report from Hal Lindsey Tim LaHaye was my homeboy.

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I mean I read his books all the time loved that view That's what I believe so deeply that I had moments

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I remember one in particular where I was reading the Left Behind series at about I think 19 years old

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Outside of my apartment at the pool reading Left Behind series closed it. I was so excited

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I was just wishing myself into rapture Lord any moment any moment. That's all I could think about all I could talk about I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible the world is evil and has fallen and there's sin

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I just can't wait to be taken out of this thing it impacts your labor in the world if you see the world going to hell in a handbasket if You see that all this is gonna get burned up.

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Anyways, what's the point? The church is not gonna have to get rescued out of this then it affects how you minister in the world

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Do you see the kingdom of God and the work of Jesus in history like the Apostle Paul in? 1st

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Corinthians 15 where when he gives the gospel message He says that Jesus came he died buried and he rose again

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He appeared and then he says that he must reign and then he quotes Psalm 110 one the most popular verse in the

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New Testament Drawn from the Old Testament by the inspired writers of the New Testament capture that this is

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God's favorite Bible verse Apparently because it's used the most in a New Testament Well when Paul refers to it as he is explaining the gospel in 1st

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Corinthians 15, he says he must reign Until he's placed all of his enemies under his feet as a footstool for his feet

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And then the last enemy to be defeated is death. So Paul refers to Psalm 110 one

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He says that it's a present reality Jesus is on that throne at the right hand of the father in the position of authority as the

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Messiah He is reigning now and he must reign until every enemy has placed under his feet as a footstool for his feet

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And then the last enemy to be defeated is death So for Paul, it's all enemies defeated by Jesus and then finally death is defeated.

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So the resurrection according to Paul Takes place after Jesus has put all of his enemies as a footstool for his feet

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Paul says Jesus is reigning now on what throne on the Messiah's throne on David's throne.

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So he is presently Ruling as king of kings and Lord of Lords not kind of not sort of almost maybe but really later

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No, he's on that throne. Now. His kingdom has arrived and now it's growing as Jesus promised like a seed that becomes a large tree like leaven and a lump of dough that permeates the entirety of the loaf

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Paul says he has delivered us from the domain of darkness from darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son

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We are under the rule of Jesus now and think about this when Jesus saves somebody now from whatever tribe tongue people or nation

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They are drawn to God They are made alive and made new and they experience salvation and peace with God and that is taking place worldwide right now

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People are experiencing the peace of God reconciliation forgiveness Through Christ the

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King the Messiah Now they are brought into his kingdom now and that kingdom is ever growing ever

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Expanding and as people experience salvation in Jesus as they experience the new hearts of the indwelling of the spirits

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Now they love and they want to obey the Lord God of Israel now The nations are being drawn to God experiencing salvation and now the

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Torah the law of God is going forth from the people of God as The world experiences the blessings of redemption in Jesus.

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They experience new life in Jesus the world begins to transform and change So what should be the goal?