WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.120 Well today, just like the words of Rafiki the Lion King, 2 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.040 and also in the Lord of the Rings and also 3 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:08.519 the Apostle, Paul, we're talking about the return of the King. 4 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:10.759 Okay, so there are a lot of questions that that's 5 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:12.560 the only things we're asking what happens when people die? 6 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.240 And Paul tells us, so that's what we're talking about today. 7 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:17.359 He's Chris, I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible Guys. 8 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:31.679 So, Jeff, we are wrapping up our segment for all 9 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:33.079 week called Stump the Pastor. 10 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:34.399 And these have been good questions. 11 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:37.320 They have really been good, great questions. So we've just 12 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:40.159 invited people to ask questions. If they have a question 13 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:42.200 they want us to answer, we're going to invite you 14 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:47.240 also to send your question to info at the Bible 15 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:49.479 Guys dot com. And if you want to send us 16 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.520 a question, we will consider that and perhaps feature. 17 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:55.159 It in a future segment. Sure, and we still have 18 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:57.240 a few that several that we haven't answered. Well, for 19 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:58.960 sure we do. But man a Life sent him to us. 20 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.359 We love sorting through it trying to figure out what 21 00:01:01.399 --> 00:01:01.799 to say next. 22 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:05.239 Yes, so this comes from Joni p And so she 23 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:09.680 writes this question, do people in heaven know what is 24 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:10.680 happening on Earth. 25 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:16.040 Oh, that's a good question. It is, yes. So there's 26 00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:18.719 so many complexities on that. First of all, we both 27 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:20.840 have to say, and this is the traditional answer on 28 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:23.400 Stump to pastors, is what Chris, Well. 29 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:27.319 There's no evidence. So the ultimate answer is we don't know. Yes, 30 00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:29.680 And only because it's not because we don't know the 31 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:33.760 answer is because the answer cannot be known, right, right, But. 32 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.200 You can take the preponderance of evidence, yep, can point 33 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:42.359 to an answer. And I think that so to be clear, 34 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:46.560 Jesus taught that there's consciousness after death. He talks about 35 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.879 the rich Man and Lazarus. They're both conscious, they're both aware, 36 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:53.079 and they have memories of life on Earth. He doesn't 37 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:57.200 talk about them knowing specific happenings after their death on Earth. 38 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:00.480 He doesn't talk about that, but they're aware of Like 39 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:03.439 the rich Man said, I have five brothers, right, So 40 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:07.640 he was aware of his past life yep, and he wants, 41 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:11.360 you know, Jesus to send somebody to go rescue or 42 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:17.759 whatever his brothers. Yeah, so's there's that. But there's no 43 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.400 indication that people are standing in heaven and watching us, 44 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:24.319 unless you take the one phrase in Hebrews that says 45 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:27.680 that we're surrounded by this cloud of witnesses. Depends on 46 00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:30.719 what you think that means. I believe that the cloud 47 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:33.800 of witnesses are Their testimony is the same as our testimony, 48 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.280 that we're all agreeing that there's one faith in Christ. 49 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:39.919 Because in that context, he had just finished the writer 50 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:42.080 of Hebrews, who we don't know who it is, He 51 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:44.840 had just finished listing all the people of the past 52 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:48.159 and their faithful actions. That's correct, saying that their actions 53 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:52.919 had proven their faith and so so, in other words, surrounded. 54 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.479 By similar people like us. This is probably what that 55 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.000 phrase is saying, which I think they're watching in heaven 56 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:01.520 in the stadium, watching and other focused on Earth right right. 57 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:04.800 What I was going to say is they're not onlookers necessarily. 58 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:08.120 There you go, right, So the answer. 59 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:08.520 Is we don't know. 60 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:11.439 But the answer, the bigger answer is there is no 61 00:03:12.599 --> 00:03:16.039 way either there's no evidence either way saying either they 62 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:21.199 do or they don't. But logic and reasoning suggests that 63 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:23.680 they would have no knowledge of what's happening as it's happening. 64 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:25.960 I would have a hard time believing heaven would be 65 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:30.719 heaven if you were sitting up there watching your friends 66 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:35.960 and family sin and die and destroy their lives and 67 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:38.759 in some cases and be rather well, every time you sin, 68 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:40.960 you're destroying your life from what it could be stright 69 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.840 every sin is so if you could sit up there 70 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:47.599 and watch your friends sin, destroy their lives, bring more 71 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.039 death and destruction, because this planet is only a shadow 72 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:56.039 of what God intended. So they're in paradise, absolute and 73 00:03:56.199 --> 00:04:00.680 total perfection, the pure joy of existence, in the presence 74 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:04.280 of God, living in a perfect society. So to look 75 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:08.680 back at this very weak shadow of the perfection of 76 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.960 what God had planned and then watching us be ravaged 77 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.360 by the things that are killing us, it would not 78 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:17.959 be heaven for them. It would be perpetual grief. Because 79 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:21.160 we do know God grieves over the consequences of sin 80 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:24.040 and death in our lives. So if God's grieving, it 81 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:26.560 wouldn't be heaven if all of Heaven was sitting around 82 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.199 weeping over the devastation in our life. So I think 83 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:31.519 that there is I would think that there's a separation 84 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:37.360 between between us where their conscious and aware that we exist. 85 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:39.720 I don't know that they're peeking in on all the 86 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:40.360 things we're doing. 87 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:42.519 Yeah, so if we measure it also up against what 88 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:46.120 we know about heaven. So in heaven, there's no more tears, right, 89 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:48.000 there's no more night, there's no more sorrow, there's no 90 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:51.399 more pain. And so then that draws us to one 91 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:56.279 of two conclusions. Either A, there's a separation because humans 92 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:59.000 experience none of those things because they can't see the 93 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:01.879 sorrow and the pain and the death. Romans A tells 94 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:04.199 us we were living on Earth under the bondage of 95 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:04.959 sin and decay. 96 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:09.199 Right, So it's either one of those two things. 97 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:13.120 It's either that that they can't see, or somehow God 98 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:17.079 has made it impossible for us to feel those things 99 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:20.600 or experience those things as we witness death. 100 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:20.800 And the kay. 101 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:24.800 Yeah, yeah, And so the logical thinking between those two 102 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:25.519 is the first one. 103 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:30.519 Yeah. So that passage revelation, the Last Revelation twenty one, 104 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:33.879 it's talking about the new Heaven and the new Earth. 105 00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:36.839 But what we do is we kind of assign that 106 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:40.399 concept of heaven, no tears, no grief, all those kinds 107 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:43.560 of things to the current existence of heaven, which would 108 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:48.720 make sense. And I just don't believe that they're looking 109 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:51.720 in on all the things we're doing right, The glories 110 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:53.839 of heaven would be far more interesting than any of 111 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:54.879 the brokenness on earth. 112 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.639 So to get more specific, when somebody dies and you're 113 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.480 at their funeral and then somebody says, well, he's looking 114 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:02.720 down on us right now. 115 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:05.600 Yeah, I think it's a nice, heartwarming thing for us. 116 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:08.319 I don't think they're participating in that. Yeah. Yeah. And 117 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:10.839 then people talk about, you know, my dad intervened for me, 118 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:13.000 or I pray to my mom on a regular basis, 119 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:18.160 those are you communicating and it's for you, But there 120 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.480 is no indication. The Bible says there's only one mediator 121 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:22.839 between God and man. That's man Christ Jesus. So there's 122 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:26.720 only one person we pray to. So that's a whole 123 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:27.879 other issue. Yeah. 124 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:30.519 So I would just say this for those people who 125 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:35.800 have lost loved ones who are just up, Yeah, yeah 126 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.319 you did. For those people who have lost loved ones, 127 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.319 and it is a very personal thing. Yes, to make 128 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:45.519 a statement or even a thought or even suggest that 129 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:48.079 that loved one is no longer looking down at them 130 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:51.240 is a very jarring thing for them. 131 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:52.439 And they refuse to accept it. 132 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:54.439 Sure, So I would just say this, keep in mind, 133 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:58.439 all we're doing is giving our opinion, because the ultimate 134 00:06:58.439 --> 00:06:59.560 answer is we. 135 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:02.600 Don't know, right. Nobody knows what we're doing. 136 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:05.879 Is saying like it makes sense this way, but other 137 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:09.120 than that, the answer really is we don't know, right. 138 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:11.199 Yep. 139 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:13.800 Okay, So we can move on, and we're going to 140 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:15.600 segue into First Corinthians. 141 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.120 Chapter four parlss Selonians is where I'm going to be. 142 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:23.079 What did I say? That's funny? I'm from First that 143 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:25.319 Salonians for Yeah, well thanks, I appreciate you. 144 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.120 Uh, And we're going to be reading through chapter five, 145 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:29.079 verse number eleven. 146 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:32.839 Man, I got all choked up. Yeah, yeah, I swallowed 147 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:36.279 something weird. No, I'm fine now that shod Here we go, 148 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.319 and now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to 149 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:41.920 know what will happen to the believers who have died, 150 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:44.319 so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 151 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:46.720 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised 152 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:49.759 to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, 153 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:52.519 God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 154 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:55.879 We tell you this directly from the Lord. We who 155 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:58.920 are still alive, and when the Lord returns, will not 156 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.000 eat him ahead of those who have died, for the 157 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.639 Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, 158 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.319 with the voice of the archangel and with the trump 159 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:11.120 call of God. First the believers who have died will 160 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:14.160 rise from their graves. Then together with them we who 161 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:15.920 are still alive and remain, and the earth will be 162 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.480 caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in 163 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:19.800 the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 164 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:23.120 So encourage each other with these words now concerning how 165 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:24.920 and when all this will happen. Dear brothers and sisters, 166 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:27.439 we don't really need to write you, for you know 167 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:29.360 quite well that the day of the Lord's return will 168 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:32.320 come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people 169 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:35.120 are saying everything is peaceful and secure, then disaster will 170 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:37.480 fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor 171 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:41.919 pains begin, and there will be no escape. But you 172 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.720 aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, 173 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.120 and you won't be surprised when the day of the 174 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:48.639 Lord comes like a thief. For you or all children 175 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:50.559 of the light and of the day, we don't belong 176 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:53.240 in darkness and night. So be on your guard, not 177 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:56.200 asleep like the others, stay alert and clear headed. Night 178 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.519 is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 179 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:00.879 But let us who live in the light be clear headed, 180 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:04.399 protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing 181 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:07.320 as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God 182 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:09.960 chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not 183 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.159 to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for 184 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:14.559 us so that whether we are dead or alive, when 185 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:18.039 he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage 186 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:20.279 each other and build each other up, just as you 187 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:23.840 are already doing so. He tells us all these things 188 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:25.960 not to scare us. He tells us he sings to 189 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:26.639 encourage us. 190 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:31.960 Right, and so my life application Bible has the events 191 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:35.720 of Christ's return. When Christians have often disagreed about the 192 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:37.799 events that will lead up to the return of Christ, 193 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:42.360 there has been less disagreement about what happens once Christ 194 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:46.519 does return. There's listing five things. Number one, Christ will 195 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:49.879 return visibly with a commanding shout. Number two, there will 196 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:53.480 be an unmistakable call from an angel. Number three there'll 197 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:57.399 be a trumpet fanfare such as never has been heard. 198 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.240 Number four Believers in Christ who are dead will eyes 199 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:03.120 again from their graves, and number five, believers who are 200 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:06.000 caught up or excuse me, believers who are alive will 201 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:07.559 be caught up in the clouds to. 202 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:11.039 Meet the Lord. So what what what a thought. 203 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:14.759 Thinking about the visual and the actuality of those things 204 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:18.080 of Jesus coming back, and then those rising from the 205 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:20.720 grave and those currently on earth who are alive during 206 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:23.840 Christ's return will be caught up in the air. And 207 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:26.480 we've tried to imagine that so many times, haven't we. 208 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:30.080 If you think, have you ever heard those radio preachers 209 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:31.159 about revelation. 210 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.679 I mean they're just they TV preachers. 211 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:38.399 I mean those guys, they could they could spend their 212 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:43.240 entire lifetime dissecting the Book of Revelation and the things 213 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:45.960 to come, and it would just be as complex as 214 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:47.000 it's very interesting. 215 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:50.000 Oh, it's extremely interesting, and God gave it to us 216 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:55.000 for our benefit. But prophetic words are always veiled on 217 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.120 the front end and clearer on the back end, always right, 218 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:01.000 So well, I'll tell you what that is a great thought? Yeah, 219 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:04.519 So God doesn't give us the specifics of precisely, and 220 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:08.240 so the beast's name is going to be Bob Johnson, right, 221 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.759 And he was born in nineteen eighty five doesn't do that, 222 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:15.919 but he does just give you descriptions of things that 223 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.320 when it happens, you're gonna look back and go, oh, 224 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.480 that's what he was talking about. Almost all prophecies are Oh, 225 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:22.360 that's what's talking about. 226 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:25.759 Well, think about all the complex prophecies with Christ. 227 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.600 Oh yeah, Christ coming the first time we've read through 228 00:11:29.720 --> 00:11:31.759 the Book of Acts up to this point, where many 229 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:34.279 times Paul would say, and so that's what David meant 230 00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:37.399 when he wrote, But when I read that passage it's beginning. 231 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:40.320 If I'm just reading through it, I'm not thinking prophetic Jesus, 232 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:44.320 I'm thinking, Oh, that's very interesting. And then Paul goes, 233 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:46.639 that's why God gave us that verses so we would 234 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:49.720 know what the messiabi like. Or when the Ethiopian eunuch 235 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:53.120 was writing in his chariot, and he says to Philip, 236 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:55.080 he said, hey, is this writer writing about himself? 237 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:55.840 Right? 238 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:57.960 Because he's reading out the Book of Isaiah. Is he 239 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.039 writing about himself? He is writing about somebody else? And 240 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:02.639 Philip goes, oh, let me tell you he's writing about Jesus. 241 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:03.799 Let me tell you about Let me tell you a 242 00:12:03.799 --> 00:12:05.360 story that makes that make sense. 243 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:10.600 Right, so prophecy isn't always intuitively clear, but once it happens, 244 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.279 you go, that's what God meant, and then it is clear. 245 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:15.919 Right, That's a great thing to keep in mind. But 246 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:18.399 we do know these these events happen in this order. 247 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.200 We do know that Paul is you know, giving this 248 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:21.679 to us to. 249 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:23.639 Urage us back. You're going to hear a shout in 250 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:25.559 the air, right, You're going to hear the voice of 251 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:28.519 the archangel. There's going to be a trumpet blast right 252 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:28.840 and then. 253 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:31.960 And I think we've referenced this before, back when we 254 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:35.240 were doing HG Daily that you know, those billboards that 255 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:38.399 try to predict the exact time of the coming of Christ. 256 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.679 And I've even had friends, like friends that I've called 257 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:45.120 from Georgia and this guy, a really good friend of mine. 258 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:48.159 His name's first names Chris as well, and he's like, hey, 259 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.080 I got to tell you something about you know, the 260 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:52.919 dates on the calendar and what's going to happen. And 261 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:56.159 he went on for thirty minutes trying to piece everything together, 262 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.000 boo boo boo, boo boo boom, And he says, you 263 00:12:58.080 --> 00:12:59.519 know what that means? I said, what And he goes 264 00:12:59.720 --> 00:13:04.399 that in thirteen days, Jesus is coming, well, and I 265 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:05.080 didn't know what's saying. 266 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:06.679 And he's like, he's like, dude, didn't you hear me? 267 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.200 Why aren't you responding? 268 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:12.559 And I wanted to say because it's wrong, because how 269 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:13.279 do you know it's wrong? 270 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:14.600 Because you think it's right? 271 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.440 Right, And it says that no one will know, so 272 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.159 it come like a thief in the night. 273 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:22.000 Nobody knows the day. But when they asked when the 274 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:24.879 disciples as Jesus, Jesus said he didn't know, only his 275 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:28.279 father in heaven. No, that's right, right, that's right. So 276 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.039 that's so funny. So Paul, in verse one of chapter five, 277 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:33.840 he goes, now, concerning how and when all this is 278 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:35.440 going to happen to your brothers, I don't really need 279 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:37.639 to write to you. And he said, listen, your children 280 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:40.879 of the Light, live like you're awake, and you'll recognize 281 00:13:40.919 --> 00:13:43.480 it when it's happening. And everybody else is going to 282 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:45.080 come like a thief in the night for them, they're 283 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:46.720 going to be shocked by it. So he said, just 284 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:50.600 keep your eyes open. It's coming, right. But in the meantime, 285 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.120 he's trying to encourage them that the resurrection is real. 286 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:55.879 This is. Do you remember when we were reading talking 287 00:13:55.879 --> 00:14:00.360 about Paul at the Areopagus at Mars Hill. Yeah, and 288 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:03.399 they're all like, they're they're intrigued by his message until 289 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:05.360 he starts talking about the resurrection, and they lead and go, 290 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:08.240 we want to talk about this resurrection thing more because 291 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:11.480 they didn't have a concept that there was life after death, right, 292 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:17.120 and so that was a mind blowing concept to them. 293 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:20.240 So you know, he's writing to Thessalonians who are from 294 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.960 the same region of the world, and they would have 295 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:24.960 had a lot of the same culture, and so he's 296 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.399 going back to them and encouraging them, don't worry. The 297 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:30.200 resurrection is real, and here's some of the mechanisms they're 298 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:32.399 going to happen. You'll recognize it when it happens. 299 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:34.360 And to be clear, you're talking about the resurrection of. 300 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:36.559 The saints, resurrection of saints, that's correct, not the resurrection 301 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:38.080 of Jesus had already happened. 302 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:40.120 Right, But Paul was talking about the resurrection. 303 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.480 Of all of us, the believers. Yeah, the believership. Yeah. 304 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:44.759 And this is at the end, right, this is at 305 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:48.120 the end of time is as we know it. God's 306 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:51.240 bringing this all to a close. And it's whether you're 307 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:54.200 before the whether you believe in a rapture, you believe 308 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:56.600 before or after what would because of the traditional seven 309 00:14:56.679 --> 00:14:59.879 year tribulation, whatever, those things. We're not going to argue 310 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:02.399 that those issues. But what he is saying is this 311 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:04.159 is when God's starting to wrap it up, He's getting 312 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:06.600 ready to put a bow on it, and he pulls 313 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:08.759 all the Christians off the planet. Yeah. 314 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:10.960 So I remember the first time that I, you know, 315 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.799 I became a Christian as a teenager, and. 316 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:16.919 The first time I even heard. 317 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.799 Of the idea that Jesus will come again, that he ascended, 318 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:23.639 you know, back in the Book of Acts, which we're 319 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:26.759 currently in the study. He ascends and then he's you know, 320 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:30.200 the angel says he'll return in the same manner. Why 321 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:32.480 are you standing gazing? He's going to return in the 322 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:34.960 like manner, and nobody knows exactly what he's coming, but 323 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:37.320 he is coming. I remember hearing that for the very 324 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:41.080 first time, and the sentence that was spoken to me 325 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.960 in that moment is that we should be living every 326 00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:44.879 day as if he's. 327 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:45.720 Coming right now. 328 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.120 Today's the day, today's the day, and so and every 329 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.879 time when when somebody would say, well he may come tomorrow. 330 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:54.519 And then somebody in my church would say, well, why 331 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:58.159 wouldn't you say he may come today? Because and that's 332 00:15:58.159 --> 00:15:59.679 really is the right line of thinking. 333 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:02.159 Right, Yeah, I believe that God didn't tell us specifically 334 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:05.080 when He's coming, so we wouldn't be lazy. Right, It 335 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.600 could be any moment, right, So live with anticipation and 336 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:10.919 be aware the fact that, Hey, when you're choosing not 337 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:12.679 to share the gospel with your friend, you say, I'll 338 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:14.720 tell him some other day. Well, you're choosing not to 339 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:17.720 engage in spiritual conversation with your family members, I'll do 340 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:20.200 it another day. What we're thinking is there's more time, 341 00:16:20.679 --> 00:16:23.759 and he's saying be diligent and live like today's the 342 00:16:23.799 --> 00:16:25.759 last day because the Lord could come back at any moment. 343 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.159 I also say that's the reason why we should eat 344 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:32.879 dessert first. Jesus is coming back at any minute, right, right, 345 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:34.480 last thing I want to do is be standing and 346 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:36.200 having going. Well, I'm glad the last thing I had 347 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:38.639 was at broccoli, but right, so on dessert. 348 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:40.720 So, by the way, we were in your office yesterday 349 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:43.480 with the elders elders meeting, did you eat that cookie? 350 00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:46.080 I did? That was too much chocolate for me. Oh, 351 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:48.679 it was glorious. It was too much. 352 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:50.840 For me when I it was just a regular chocolate. 353 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:54.000 Are we friends from Chick fil A? Yeah, we talked 354 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.799 previously on the podcast. Those are some of the best 355 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:57.120 cookies available. Yeah. 356 00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:59.759 So I was eating the cookie. I was about halfway through, 357 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.039 going I can't believe how much chocolate. 358 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:04.880 There isn't this if there wasn't enough chocolate, There's never 359 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:07.599 too much chocolate. Hey, so listen, Jesus is coming back 360 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:10.400 at any minute, so live like it. Little Bible trivia 361 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:11.039 for our listeners. 362 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:15.519 Huh, why is it the Bible? It tells us why. 363 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.119 I'm just I know you know the answer. Why is 364 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.400 Jesus tarrying? What is the reason given why he tarries? 365 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:23.119 Well, he's not willing that any would perish, but that 366 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:26.160 always come to repentance. He's waiting because there are still 367 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:30.119 people who have not yet heard. Yeah, so about forty 368 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:33.519 percent of our planet today has not yet heard or 369 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:36.400 does not have access to the gospel. Ninety four percent 370 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:39.240 of the planet has access to Coca cola today, but 371 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.160 forty percent of the planet does not have access to 372 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.000 the Gospel yet. And so you want to know when 373 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:45.960 Jesus is going to return. All of your wild eyed 374 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:48.839 you know Christian friends who want to tell you they 375 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:50.799 know for sure when Jesus is coming back. I can 376 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:53.960 tell you this. Jesus will not come back while people 377 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.200 have not yet heard, right, That's that's it. As a 378 00:17:57.240 --> 00:18:01.240 matter of fact, Jesus says in Matthew Matthew that around 379 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:03.079 the Throne of God there will be people from every 380 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:06.680 single language group that uses the word logoss. Every single 381 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:10.039 language group will be around the throne. And right now 382 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:13.480 we know that there's sixteen seventeen hundred, maybe closer to 383 00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:17.319 three thousand, a little closer to three thousand language groups 384 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:21.880 that still have no Gospel representation at all. So we're 385 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:24.559 closing the gap. It used to be like seventeen thousand, 386 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:26.440 and now we're getting oh, you know, I take it back, 387 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:28.359 it's seven thousand. So it used to be seventeen thousand. 388 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:30.640 We're down to about seven thousand language groups that still 389 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:32.799 don't have, as far as we know, a believer, a 390 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:34.759 Bible or a body of Christ. So you want to 391 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:38.960 know when it's going to happen. It's after the fact 392 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:40.880 that every language group will have had the access to 393 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:43.000 the Gospel so it'll be someday like that. So we've 394 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:44.599 got work to do. And this is why it doesn't 395 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:47.200 tell us specifically there's work to be done. Don't be 396 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:48.640 lazy and just sit back. Go while I got it, 397 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.759 and he said, be diligent, your children of the light, 398 00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:53.519 So live in the light. Don't be lazy and drunk 399 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:57.640 and sleeping like people of darkness. Instead, be diligent. And 400 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.279 you know you're working in the daylight. I know that 401 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:04.160