13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left 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 cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, 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 encourage one another with these words.”
Since last fall, I have been preaching a series of messages on Bible Doctrines. I began this series with four sermons on how to categorize or “triage” Bible Doctrines to know which of them are the most vitally important to us. My sermon today is the 19th in that series and it is the 6th on Ecclesiology – the Doctrine of the Church.
I have spoken to you about the Birth and Baptism of the Church; the Nature of the Church; two sermons on the purpose of the Church (to Make the Invisible Visible and to Carry out the Great Commission); the Characteristics of the 21st Century Church; and this coming Lord’s Day – as I complete this series on the Church – I want to teach you about the glorious future of the Church!
As the Lord allows, I am planning to preach two sermons on the Doctrine of Sin and five sermons on the Doctrine of Salvation before I begin a new series on “The First Eleven Chapters of Genesis” on August 8th of this year.
If I do nothing else by taking time to do this series of twenty-six sermons on a Survey of Bible Doctrines, I hope that I can instill in you a sense of how vitally important it is that we more understand these Doctrines.
The sermon for this Sunday is “The Future of the Church.” Of course, I am speaking about the Church in the “larger” sense – that is the future of the world-wide Church which is made up of every born-again person since the birth of the Church.
We do face difficult days as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our immediate future will most likely bring more and ever increasing difficulties as we stand for the truth of the Word of God.
I am focusing on the eternal future of the Church, the Bride of Christ! Jesus Christ is the Lord, Savior, and Head of His Church!
It is He Who created His church, died for His church, saved the individual members of His church, baptized His church, grows His church, and, it is He Who is coming again to take His church out of this present world and bring it to Himself!
I want us to think about six specific truths about what the future holds in the providence of God for HIS Church…
God’s providential plan for HIS Church is a cause for hope. Of all people on earth, Christians ought to live in a constant state of hopefulness rather than hopelessness. Jesus Christ has promised to return for HIS Bride, the Church, and we may be – just may be – the “Generation” who is alive when HE comes!
Happily, the future of the Church involves all of the Church from the birth of the Church in the Upper Room to the removal of the Church at the Rapture. ALL of us will be together and be forever with the Lord!
Those who have repented of our sins and have trusted the Lord as our Savior will be involved in four wonderful events in relation to the future of the Church:
1. There will be a personal and physical return of Jesus Christ to earth!
2. Those Church-age believers who have died will be raised to meet the Lord in the air!
3. Living believers will be removed or – raptured – from this earth when HE returns!
4. And, we will be together with HIM and with THEM forever and forever!
Certainly, the best news in all of this is that we will be with HIM in Heaven. We will be completely purified and glorified. We will not only be saved from the penalty and power of sin… we will be saved from the very presence of sin!
We will serve Jesus Christ forever!
I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!
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