What Is This World Coming To? Part 5: The Fact of the Rapture!

John chapter 14 verses one through three. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you and if I go, prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. Where I am, there you may be also. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word, precious promises we find therein. We pray Lord that you would clear our mind of other things this morning that we might focus on you. On the precious promise that you've made here in John 14 and other places in your scripture that you're coming back for us.

Lord, that we may look forward to that day. Lord, may it be soon. Thank you. For all that you've done for us. Privilege we have to worship you here, to exalt your name.

Until the day you come to take us home to the place you have prepared for us. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Now, we're in the middle of a series What is this world coming to? And we've looked at the big picture.

From creation to the return of Christ when he comes to establish his kingdom. And to bring in everlasting righteousness in his son, Jesus Christ. We looked at the Nebuchadnezzar's image a few weeks ago and the kingdoms of the Gentiles that will come to an end when Christ returns and sets up his kingdom. That will become a mountain that fills the whole earth. And remains forever.

We looked a few weeks ago at the parable of the wheat and the tares and the church just briefly. Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. In the day in which we live, Israel has been set on a shelf. Remember that? Israel as a nation has been set on the shelf but God is not done with Israel yet and when the day comes, God will come back to Israel.

He will take them back down off the shelf. He will redeem a people unto himself from his nation. And they will reign with him and his kingdom along with us forever. But while Israel's on the shelf, Christ is building his what? His church, his church.

Missouri Avenue Baptist Church is a very important part of that. But it is bigger than Missouri Avenue Baptist Church. Christ is building a congregation of believers. His body, his family, and one day, before God takes Israel down off that shelf to begin again, he is going to come back to take the church home. To be with him.

This will end the church age. From the time of Christ in Pentecost until what the Bible calls the rapture. Now, the word rapture, I I say loosely the Bible calls the rapture. The word rapture actually doesn't appear in our English translation of the scriptures But it is a word that we have chosen to describe an event clearly presented in the scriptures. What most important is not the title.

What is most important is the doctrine and what the Bible teaches and what we know will happen and we can know that it will happen. When the Bible uses the word hope, the Bible isn't speaking of something that well, it might happen and we really hope it will. No. When the Bible speaks of Christian hope, it speaks of something that is certain to happen but it hasn't happened yet. We have hope in Jesus Christ of his soon return to take us home to be with him.

We read about it here in John 14. We're going to read about it in first Thessalonians four in just a moment. In first Corinthians chapter 15, if you want to find either of those and mark them, you're welcome to. We'll be back and forth. First Thessalonians four and first Corinthians 15.

In the past few years, the doctrine of the rapture of the church has come under an increasing attack from both the church and the world. You say, but no, the world has embraced it. Look, they've made movies about it. Well, that's great. They also make movies about Zeus and Apollos and and all kinds of things that the world considers to be myth and they dislike to lump the Bible and Christianity and the rapture and all of that right in with that other stuff.

It makes for good TV. But don't don't be deceived. They don't believe it. And when they have the opportunity, they mock those who do. I was reading an article a while ago about a fellow that lived in Florida you might recognize.

Some of you might recognize his name is name is Tim Tebow. Anybody recognize the name Tim Tebow? You know, even if you're not a football fan, you might recognize the name Tim Tebow especially if you live in Florida. Tim Tebow is a Christian. His parents are were missionaries.

And I was reading this article in the paper that somebody wrote about Tim Tebow and it was praising his athletic prowess. This is a a few years back. But but then it got to his Christianity and then it became took sort of a mocking tone. You know, the world is fine with you with us believing in you know, teaching people to love one another and and and going to church and being good citizens and and and all that kind of thing. The world's fine with that.

But when it comes to certain things like the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, when it comes to things like the virgin birth of Christ, when it comes to things like a six day creation, when it comes to things like the rap, the imminent rapture of the church, well, that's when the world begins to have problems. That's when the world begins to mock and to make fun. And Tim Tebow is fine except the fact that he believes in a six day creation. He believes in the imminent rapture of the church. They found that kind of weird.

And guess what? They find us kind of weird too. But there's going to be a day when they will find that they were wrong and we were right. Because God's word does not fail. Even in Christian circles today, the rapture is coming under increasing attack with reformed theology and other fads in Christian theology today.

We are abandoning the clear teaching of the scripture for man's systematic theology. Systematic theology is not a bad thing. If you're teaching doctrine, systematic theology makes a nice framework for helping to teach people the doctrine of the scripture. Eschatology and soteriology and angelology and bibliology and all these ologies and words that probably doesn't make a whole lot mean a whole lot to many of you and that's okay. It's not important.

You know what soteriology is, what important is that you're saved and know Jesus Christ as savior, okay? But man's systematic theology must always play second fiddle To the teaching of the word of God. And if it doesn't fit this, it needs to be tossed out. This must take its place. I'm not here to teach systematic theology this morning.

I'm here to simply present what the word of God has to say about a doctrine that is clearly taught in scripture. That we must cling to, that we must not be dissuaded from proclaiming. Regardless of what other Christians so to speak may say. Or how the world may mock. The Bible either is the word of God and it can be trusted, all of it or it is not the word of God and it cannot be trusted any of it.

You cannot ride the fence. The rapture is taught in scripture. So, the question is, do we really believe it? Or not? There are several facts that we're going to look at about the rapture this morning.

The rapture defines an event in which a certain group of people will be taken from this world will be raptured, will be taken from this world to a better place. That group of people are Christians. We call them the church as well. In John fourteen one through three, Jesus speaking to his disciples who would become the pillars of that church. He says to them, let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.

In my father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you. Receive you. Unto myself. That where I am, there you may be also. Who will he receive?

He will receive those who have put their faith and trust in whom? Jesus Christ as Lord. He says, you believe in God, believe also in me. So, as you say you believe in God, if you believe in God, then you must also believe in me. I am God.

I am God the son. I am the son of God. I am the one sent from heaven to redeem you. Bible says, John three sixteen, you know it well, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever what? Believe it in him.

Do not perish but have everlasting life. But those who believe that he is the Messiah, the son of God, the savior of the world, who died on the cross for our sins and is risen again and ascended back the right hand of the throne of the father on high where he intercedes for us. If we will put our faith and trust in him, he will save us also. He will give us eternal life and he has promised one day to come back and receive us unto himself. To the place that he has prepared for those who are the redeemed in Jesus Christ.

Who have overcome death through the overcomer, Jesus Christ, our savior. Who died on the cross. But rose again. From the tomb. And we in Christ Jesus will be taken.

To be with him. If you turn in your Bibles, hold your place in John 14 to first Thessalonians four. In John 14, Jesus was speaking specifically there to his Excuse me, to his disciples In first Thessalonians four, Paul is writing the church at Thessalonica. There, he tells them something very similar He writes them to give them comfort. They have been led to believe by some that they're already in the time of judgement.

And they're very concerned. They're very concerned also because they have loved ones who have passed away and the Lord hasn't returned yet. What will happen to them? When he comes back. They're waiting for his return but yet he hadn't returned yet.

And so they're concerned about their loved ones who have already died. And so Paul writes them to comfort them concerning these things in these letters to the Thessalonians. In verse 13 of chapter four, he says, but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren. Concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, there's that belief.

Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain into the coming of the Lord shall not prevent. The word prevent there means go before. Shall not prevent or go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Paul writes to assure them. Both those who are dead and alive in Christ Jesus. Will Christ come back?

To receive unto himself to inherit the place that he has prepared for them. The Bible says in second Corinthians five seventeen, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. This world is not our home.

We're just passing through our home. It's a place that Jesus has prepared. For us, his church, his redeemed, his bride. He is coming back for us and will fill fulfill the promises he made to his disciples, to the church at Ephesus, to the church at Corinth. We'll read from first Corinthians 15 in a moment.

To the church at Ephesus, let me read from you in Ephesians chapter five. Ephesians chapter five, I'm going to read beginning in verse 25. It says, husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. That's us who know Christ as savior. That he might sanctify and cleanse it.

He set us apart, sanctify means, and cleanse us from sin. With the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself. A glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. That he might do what? Presented someday unto whom?

Himself. A church, a people without spot or wrinkle. Because it's all been washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ. One day, he's coming back to receive us unto himself, to present us in heaven. What?

You say, but pastor, I'm saved but I still deal with these fleshly desires. That's right but one day, one day, that'll end. As we read in first John three two, we know that when we shall see him, we shall be what? Like him. And without sin anymore.

First Peter one, says this, verses three to five, concerning those whom the Lord is coming back for. It says, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again, born us again, unto a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Two, an inheritance, an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that faded not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept, who, who, those who are kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Jesus is coming back for us who are what? Kept by the power of God.

Kept by the power of God, not by our might, not by our power but by his might. Who are kept by the power of God through faith, through faith in whom? Jesus Christ. Unto salvation. Ready to be revealed the last time.

Yes, we are saved in Christ Jesus and sealed by his holy spirit unto the day of redemption but the day is coming when even this body will be changed and we will experience the fullness of his salvation before our savior in heaven. Who will be taken? We who are in Christ Jesus, who are kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation. We will be taken. By him as he promised.

He would do. If you look back in first Thessalonians four, if you're not there, I'll give you a moment. Look back in first Thessalonians four. Alright, here we go brother Marvin. First Thessalonians four again.

It divides those that will be taken who are in Christ Jesus into two groups. Those who are alive and remain and those who are asleep. He says again in verse 13, but I would not have you ignorant, brethren. Concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them which also sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or go before them which are asleep. So, we have two groups. Those are alive and remain and those which are asleep. The group that alive and remain are obviously those Christians, those believers in Christ who are alive when the Lord returns to receive us unto himself and take us to heaven. I think that's going to be me.

I don't know that. There are many things in scripture I know. There are some things I do not. The Lord may have something different in mind. But it would be nice if we were still here and it could be, it could even be today.

The Lord will return to take us, to be with him. But not only those who are alive at the time of his coming but those that are asleep, asleep. Now, obviously, the apostle Paul doesn't mean those that happen to be, it, you know, it it night and they happen to be sleeping at the time. No, he's speaking of those clearly and have passed away in death. The word sleep is used often in the New Testament as a metaphor for death.

It alludes to the rest of the body in the ground. A rating the resurrection. For the body will not remain in the ground. But one day, it will be resurrected. Therefore, it is seen not as being dead but as being asleep.

It is not meant to indicate soul sleep. There are some that teach. Well, that means that when you die, you sleep and and you just you're asleep until the resurrection and then you wake up and you've been changed and you're in the presence of the Lord and that sounds like an appealing doctrine but it's contrary to scripture. Bible says in second Corinthians five eight, that we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be what? Present.

Present with the Lord. The Bible tells us that when we're absent from the body at death, that we are, our soul is what? Present with the Lord. There is no indication there that there is a time elapse between the time that we this physical body dies and our soul leaves it, then it goes somewhere to sleep. No, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

If the soul is asleep until the day of resurrection, then what are Moses and Elijah doing? On the Mount Of Transfiguration. Well, you say, Elijah never died. He was taken up in a whirlwind. So, that's why Elijah's there.

Well, what about Moses? Did he die? Well, nobody ever found the body. Yes, that maybe so but God said, he what? He died and God hid the body.

So, what is Moses doing on the Mount Of Transfiguration if the soul sleeps until the day of resurrection? He wouldn't be there but he is because the soul doesn't want. The soul doesn't sleep just the just the body. That's right. In Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells a story.

He tells a story of a man. He gives him a name. The man is Lazarus. Jesus doesn't give names in parables of people that don't exist. So, it appears that this man really did live.

A man named Lazarus, a beggar. He died and when he died, his soul went to Abraham's bosom. His soul went to paradise. His soul went to be with the Lord. He didn't sleep.

A matter of fact, the rich man who died he died and immediately, he found himself where? In hell. The soul doesn't sleep. When this body stops and this body dies, your soul will find its place, find itself in one of two places. With the Lord, or separated from the Lord in a place called hell.

There is no soul sleep. When these scriptures speak of those that are asleep, it's those whose bodies are asleep. It says, in verse 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Where where are the souls of those who are asleep in Jesus? Well, their bodies are asleep but their souls are with who?

He's and he's going to bring them with him and then he's going to reunite their soul with their resurrected one. With the resurrected body. That's right. That's what this passage teaches. It said, for the Lord himself verse 16, shall descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God and the dead in Christ, their bodies shall rise first.

Then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Those that are alive and those that are asleep in Jesus. His redeemed his church. Will he rapture? Will he come?

To take with him. Who will take us? The bridegroom, Jesus Christ. He is the one clearly here pictured. Jesus, the dead in Christ.

Jesus is the one, our Lord, who was coming back. As he promised in John 14 to his disciples. He is the bridegroom and we are the bride. You see, John 14 pictures something familiar to the Jews because see, in the days of Jesus in Hebrew society, a young man and a young woman were betrothed. Now, that's a little more than engagement.

Betrothal actually in order to break a betrothal, you had to be divorced, okay? You were essentially husband and wife but you had not yet come together to consummate that relationship. And so the young man and the young woman made a promise. They were betrothed together and the young man would then get a job. And the young man would work.

And the young man would save. And the young man would buy a home. And the young man would prepare the home for his bride. And then, on the appointed day, when the home was prepared, when their finances were secure, he would go and he would wed his bride and he would bring her back to his to their home that he had prepared for her. This picture is what Christ is doing for us.

We are his bride. He is the bridegroom. We are betrothed to him and he doesn't make, he doesn't break his promises and he said to his disciples, I go to what? Prepare a place for you and when it's ready, when the time is right, I will come to wed my bride. I will come to receive you and to take you back to the home.

That I have prepared for you. Christ is coming to receive us as his bride, the place that he has prepared for us. Where will he meet us? Verse 17, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together Verse with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Where will we meet him?

We're going to meet him where? In the air. We're going to meet him in the air. We're not going to meet him on the ground. We're going to meet him in the air, the Bible tells us.

This cannot be the same as the second coming of Christ to Earth. For then, shall he return in like manner and also to the same place as he left from. That place is the Mount Of Olives. Let me read for you from Acts chapter one. Acts chapter one.

Verse nine it says, and when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and while they stood steadfastly looking, looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white arraignment. Apparel, which also said, you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? For this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall also come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. Jesus Christ was standing where? On the Mount Of Olives and he was received up into where?

Heaven. Now, we're not just talking about the clouds in the sky but back to the place, the right hand of the father. These men, these angels that God sent to speak to the disciples said, why do you stand here looking up? Jesus Christ is going to return in like manner as he departed. He went up from the Mount Of Olives.

He's going to do what? Return to the Mount Of Olives. You say, well, you're reading into that a little bit. Well, let me read from you Zechariah 14 verse four. Speaking of Christ's return to Earth to set set up his throne and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount Of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount Of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West and there shall be a very great valley and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the South.

Zechariah says, his feet will stand what? On the Mount Of Olives. When he comes to take us to receive us unto himself for the price he has prepared, we will not meet him at the Mount Of Olives. We will meet him where? We will meet him in the air.

And he will take us. The place that he has prepared for us. He will meet us in the air. One day, he is coming back. One day, he is coming back to the Earth.

One day, his feet will land on the Mount Of Olives. One day, he will vanquish the wicked. One day, he will establish his kingdom. But that's not the same as the rapture. The rapture is the day that he comes to meet us in the air.

That's a different day. Where is he going to take us? Is he going to take us to Earth? No, he's taking us from Earth to where? To heaven.

He said he would come to take us a place he has prepared for us. He says, he will come to take us to be with him forever. In first Peter, let me read this for you again. In first Peter one, verses three and four, it says, to an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Where is he coming to take us to?

A place incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. He is coming to take us. To heaven. To the place he has prepared for us. He is coming to take us to be with him He is coming to take us to our reward In second Corinthians five ten, it says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad.

He's coming to take us to our reward. The Bema Seat is not a judgment seat of punishment. It's a judgment seat of reward. For those that are in Christ Jesus. How will we be taken?

Turn if you would to first Corinthians 15. How will we be taken? First Corinthians 15. We're going to be here for a little while. If you want to turn there, First Corinthians fifteen fifty one, behold, I show you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep. Well, again Paul's writing, sleep is metaphor for death for a Christian, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality. So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and when this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.

Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God. What giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes the Corinthians to tell him, I'm going to tell you a mystery.

Something that that wasn't known to you before, something that wasn't clearly revealed. In the Old Testament, there's coming a day. When Christ will return to gather us unto himself He says, we shall not all sleep. In other words, we're not all going to die a natural death But we all who are in Christ Jesus will be changed. It'll happen suddenly.

It says, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, It will happen suddenly. In first Thessalonians 15, it says, Christ will come as a thief in the night. The metaphor is not meant to indicate that Christ is a thief what it is meant to relate to us is you don't know when the thief is coming and you're surprised. For he doesn't tell ahead of time the time and the day when he is coming to your house, okay? The same thing is true.

The Bible says, no man knoweth the what? The day or the hour. But he will come suddenly. Says, as in the days of Noah in Matthew, we'll we'll be going about our everyday business. And suddenly, it will happen.

It will be instantaneous. In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye. That's that's less than the time it takes you to blink. The portion of a second We won't feel ourselves. I don't think flying through the air.

We won't see us coming out of our shoes or or sailing through the air. No. We'll be here. And then we'll be in the presence of who? Be in the presence of the Lord Jesus instantaneously.

Instantaneously, we will be taken. Instantaneously, the dead shall rise and again, I don't think people are going to see dead bodies flying through the air. They're not going to see them busting out of the ground. It'll be instantaneously. The world will wonder but the world will be deluded to believe another explanation, the Bible tells us.

We will be taken instantaneously. We will be changed. This corruptible must put on incorruption. And in a moment, this body will be free of sin and free of pain and free of death. And I will be like unto my Savior.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, This is what God has told us. This is the promise that he has made. Who will be taken those that are in Christ Jesus, both those that are alive at the time of his coming, those who are asleep. Who will come to take us? Our blessed savior, the bridegroom, will come to take his bride home.

Where will he meet us? He'll meet us in the air. Where is he taking us to? The place he has prepared for us. Heaven.

And how will we be taken? Suddenly. There won't be any warning. We'll be here and we'll be there. I'd like to close by looking at Matthew 24.

Matthew 24, if you turn there, going to look at two passages close. This morning, Matthew 24. Matthew twenty four forty two. The question is this, and the question is kind of obvious. Are you ready?

Are you ready? Matthew twenty four forty two, Jesus said, watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come but know this, that if the good men of the house had known and what watched the thief would would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore, be you also ready. For in such an hour as you think not, the son of man cometh. Jesus said to his disciples and to others that may have been listening, don't wait for a warning.

Don't wait for the thief to sound a trumpet and tell you, hey, I'm coming to steal your stuff. He's not going to do that. So, don't be caught unawares. Don't be caught unprepared. Be ready.

Be ready. For the thief. Have your house locked. Have something there to defend yourself. Have your security system or whatever it is.

But be ready. Because he could come. The Lord will come. So, it only makes sense. Seeing we don't know when that is.

To be ready when. To be ready now for it could be today for it could be today. In Revelation 2,212, it says, and behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. Turn if you would to first Corinthians three. Last passage, I promise.

First Corinthians three. Verse 11. First Corinthians three verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Verse 12, now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.

Verse 13, every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved. Yet, so as by fire. What does Paul tell us?

Paul tells us the day is coming. Christ is going to come to receive us to himself, to our reward, and we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we will give an account for what we did. This life that he gave us. What will you have to show? Number one, is he coming for you?

Is he coming for you? Are you in Christ Jesus? Have you put your faith in Christ? Are you trusting in something else? The waters of baptism will not get you there.

He's not coming for people that have gotten wet. He's not coming for people that were baptists who are on a role of a baptist church. He is not coming for people who are better than their neighbor. He's not coming for people and we can go on down the list. He's coming for people who are in Christ Jesus.

For those that have been saved, redeemed, and are part of his family. He's coming for his family but the second question is this, you say, pastor, I'm ready. Praise the Lord. Many of you are. Maybe all of you, I don't know.

But are you prepared for the judgment seat of Christ? When your life is tried by God's fire, will it all go up in one? Smoke or will there be something that remains to lay at his feet. Are we ready? Are we living for the Lord?

As though he could come today because the fact is and we were we were we will look at this more next week. When will the rapture take place? But it could. It could be today. Are we ready?

For his return. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord. For this precious promise We pray Lord that you would come soon But Lord, we know that you are long suffering. Lord, we know that your will and timing is perfect.

And it is not our prerogative to set dates on when you will return. It is our prerogative to be ready. Lord, to be living for you. To be laying up for ourselves treasure in heaven not merely treasure on earth. Lord, I pray that you would free our heart from its enslavement to the things of earth and that Lord, we would look upon you and your word and your will.

With the new resolve, to use the time that we have here to bring glory to your name. And Lord, I pray if there's one here that's unsure of their standing with you. That they would come as we give this hymn of invitation. That they might be saved. And might become part of your family that this promise would be a promise to them.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.