Rapture Looking For Jesus
I remember when I really got right with God in 1986, there was a lot of preaching about Jesus coming soon. Several preachers were confidently preaching that he would be here in 1988 or 1989. Tom LaHaye published his first book of the Left Behind series in 1995. The last one, Kingdom Come: The Final Victory, was published in 2007.
These days, however, you don’t hear as much about the Lord’s Rapture. How many of you today believe that Jesus is coming back for us at the Rapture soon? I do. And you should be, too. I’ve always hoped to get caught up during my lifetime. Looking for Jesus:
Keeps you heavenly minded, Titus 2:12. Paul said in v.12, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”. This present world is evil, Gal 1:4. Yet, more and more, you see Christians living worldly lives. Like Paul said, “they have a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”, 2 Tim 3:5.
Instead of godliness, there’s more ungodliness. And instead of living soberly and righteously, they’re giving in to worldly lusts. Yet, when you’re looking for Jesus to return, your mind is on him and your affections are on things above. This is why looking for Jesus is so important.
Keeps you hopeful, Titus 2:13. We are “looking for that blessed hope”. Things on the earth will depress you and discourage you. There’s internal strife in families. Jesus said there would be. There are wars and rumors of wars. Jesus said there would be. There’s apostasy in the church. Jesus said there would be. And these are just the beginning of sorrows, Matt 24:8. It’ll get worse before it gets better.
But those of us who are looking for Jesus, don’t lose hope. He is our blessed hope. And for that reason, we are never hopeless. He’s coming, that’s for sure.
In an account I read of Camp Cabanatuan, a POW camp in the Philippines, the author said that one of the reasons he survived the unbelievably horrible conditions, resulting in the deaths of 2,700 men, is that he never lost hope that he would be liberated.
Don’t lose hope, Jesus is coming back for us.
Keeps you working, Titus 2:14. Jesus purified “unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”. I remember when I first got going for the Lord, I heard about the Rapture. And the thought that Jesus could come back any minute stirred me to get busy for the Lord and not sit around.
Looking for Jesus keeps you going until you finish what God has called you to do, or he comes to take you home. When you think about the imminent return of Jesus, it should cause you to pick up the pace to finish the assignment you have from the Lord.
D.L. Moody said that he never preached a sermon without thinking that the Lord may return before he could preach another. Therefore he gave each sermon his best. G. Campbell Morgan never began his work without thinking that the Lord might interrupt his work and begin his own. He wasn’t looking for death; he was looking for HIM.
Keeps you witnessing, 1 Thes 2:19-20. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming”? When Jesus comes, the people you have witnessed to who have gotten saved will be going up with us at the Rapture. That’s going to be quite a reunion. You’ll even some folks you forgot you witnessed to.
Looking for Jesus keeps you witnessing for Christ. We should’t leave souls behind. We should be steadily working in the harvest to see more souls come to Christ to be saved. They’re going to be stuck here to go through the Tribulation, if they don’t get saved before the Rapture. I wouldn’t wish that on my enemies.
Keeps you clean, 1 Jn 3:1-3. In the context of the Rapture, John wrote, “And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure”, 1 Jn 3:3. Looking for Jesus keeps you in good fellowship with the Lord because it encourages you to stay clean. After all, he could come anytime.
The longer I’ve been saved and the closer we get to the Lord’s return, the more determined I am to live purely. I hate the corruption of this sinful flesh. And I love the Lord. The constant reminder of his return is one of the best incentives to get right with God and stay right. You want to be as happy to see him as he is to see you when he comes.
Conclusion: Looking for Jesus will help you keep your mind on him and heaven, keep you hopeful, keep you working, keep you witnessing, and keep you clean. Look up; Jesus will be here very soon.