The Exception to the Rule

To 57. Behold, I show you a mystery. 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 shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and 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 which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the precious promise that we have read here this morning. We're going to elaborate on. Lord, we pray that you would drive it home in our hearts that we might be looking for your coming.

That we might recognize that it could be today, that we might be busy about our father's business, Lord. Pray Lord that you would give us hope and encouragement today. We pray Lord if there's one here that has never trusted you as Lord and savior of their life. They will come to know you today. In Jesus precious name, we do pray.

Amen. Entitled the sermon this morning, the exception to the rule. Have you ever played Monopoly? You ever played Monopoly? Okay.

I expect everybody's just not raising their hands. Most of you played Monopoly. When you go around the Monopoly board and you pass Go, you collect what? Unless two you land on that little square that says go directly to? Jail.

Jail. Or you pick up a community chest or a chance card that says go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not what? Collect 200. That is what we call the exception to the rule. Normally, you collect 200, but not if you have to go to jail, then you don't collect your 200.

Or if you land on that income tax block, that's frustrating, you land there and you have to give your 200 back. There are many exceptions to rules. When you're going down the road, and you come to a stoplight, and it's red, you're supposed to stay there until it turns green, right? Yes, except if you're turning what? If you're turning right, then you can turn right on red, at most intersections, at least in Florida.

Finish this for me. I before E, except after C. Or when sounded like A. As in neighbor or way. Okay, I guess I don't know if they're still teaching that in school.

Do they still teach that in school, Joshua? No, not in his school anyway. But, but most of us my age, we all learned, that little, rule when we were learning grammar. I as comes before E, except when it's after C or it sounded like A. In other words, there's an exception to the what?

To the rule. Okay, we're going to look at an exception to the rule today. A couple weeks ago, I preached from this passage up here on the screen, Hebrews nine twenty seven, As it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. But there's an exception to the rule of this that we read in Hebrews nine twenty seven. And we're going to look at that exception to the rule this this morning.

There is no exception to the to the judgment. We will all stand before Christ at the Bema Seat or the Great White Throne depending on whether our name is written in the lamb's book of life. If our name is written in the lamb's book of life, I. E, if we know Christ as savior, we'll appear before the Bema Seat, a place of reward. If it is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, we'll appear before the Great White Throne Judgment, a place of condemnation.

So, but there is an exception to the first part of that. It is appointed unto man once to die. There are exceptions to rules in scripture. You say, no, God never makes exceptions to the rules. Actually, yes, he does and indeed, God has the right to do so because he's the one that what?

Makes the rules. For instance, Noah and his family found graced in the eyes of the Lord and were therefore not destroyed with the rest of the wicked world. By the way, was Noah a sinner? Yes, he was but God made an exception. Lot and his family were spared the destruction of Sodom.

All they, they were living far too comfortably therein. God had to send angels to practically drag them out of the city. But even though Lot was a sinner, the Bible calls him a righteous man because of his faith. And Lot was spared. Rahab, the harlot, and her family were saved from destruction of Jericho because of her faith when she hid the spies that were sent into the city.

God made an exception. The Israelites were to kill or run out of the land of Canaan, all of the Canaanites but God made an exception for Rahab and her family. The people of Nineveh were spared from God's judgment after responding to the preaching of Jonah with remorse and repentance. Remember, God sent Jonah the city of Nineveh. He told him to preach and proclaim that in forty days, God would destroy the city but when they repented, God did what?

He spared the city. He spared the city. These are just a few of examples of what you might call exceptions to the rule. These are exceptions to the general rules of God's dealing with humanity. But you will find those exceptions are connected always to two things.

The grace of God and the faith of the one being spared. We see that over and over again in scripture. In every case we read about, Noah, Lot, Rahab, Nineveh. We see the grace of God, they didn't earn it, And we see faith being exercised. And God's response to it.

Romans six twenty three says this, for the wages of sin is? Death. Death. But the gift of God is? Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yes, the wages, the punishment for sin is death. Both the first death and the second death in the lake of fire. But there is a way of escape and that is through Jesus Christ, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our our message this morning is on about those who don't die And there are those who don't die physically or eternally. Just a couple of examples to start with here from scripture.

Turn back if you would to Genesis chapter five. Yes, we're coming back to the other passages. But turn if you would to Genesis chapter five, we'll see the first person in scripture who didn't die. Exception to the rule Genesis five and verse 21. Genesis five twenty one.

Enoch lived sixty and five years and begat Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred, sixty, and five years and Enoch walked with God and he was not. For God took him. Well, what does that mean?

Well, in Hebrews 11, we're told very clearly that God took him straight to heaven, that Enoch didn't what? Die. That Enoch didn't die. God took him straight to heaven. An exception to the rule.

Look if you would in second Kings chapter two. Second Kings chapter two, Enoch isn't the only one in the Old Testament that we read about who didn't die. There is another. Second Kings chapter two beginning in verse 11. Second Kings two eleven.

And it came to pass as they, still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven and Elisha saw it and he cried, my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof, and he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. So, Elijah and Elijah were together and one moment and the next moment, here comes this fiery chariot from heaven and swoops down and takes Elijah straight up into the presence of the Lord. So, we see our second exception to the rule and that would be the prophet Elijah. So, Enoch and Elijah are examples in the Old Testament of those who were taken directly into the presence of God and who didn't die. Exceptions to the rule but they're not the only ones as we read about just a moment ago back to first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 51.

We read this verse. This will be now the third time this morning. It says here in verse 51, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed. Paul writes the church at Corinth and he says, I'm going to tell you something that you probably didn't know.

Something that wasn't revealed clearly in the Old Testament scriptures but I'm now revealing to you that God is now revealing to you. We shall not all sleep. Now, the word sleep is used by Paul both in Corinthians and Thessalonians as a metaphor for the death of a Christian, okay? The death of a Christian. And he says when he says, We shall not all sleep, he means, We won't all what?

We won't all die. But we shall all be changed. We won't all die. Well, is what? That is the exception to the rule.

As appointed unto man wants to die. Some of us won't die. Some of us in this room today might not die physically. It may be that almost everyone of us and if all of us know Christ as savior that are in this room today, that it may be today that none of us will die physically. We might be the exception to the rule.

If Christ should return to take us home, even today, even today. There is an exception to the rule we find we read about it here in first Corinthians 15. We'll read about it in just a moment in first Thessalonians, chapter four, but I want us to hold your place again, first Corinthians 15 and turn back to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. Some skeptics of Scripture might say, well, you can look in your Bible or up here on the screen, I forgot I put it on the screen.

But some skeptics might say that don't exactly believe all scripture to be inspired by God as it is. That well, that's just Paul's opinion. That's first Corinthians fifteen and first four. That's just Paul speaking. Well, it's not just Paul speaking because Paul was writing the words of who?

The words of God as he was led by the holy spirit. Otherwise, the Bible is just another book with all kinds of mistakes and errors, but it isn't because it is the word of God. And that's why we're here today to worship the God of scripture, and to study and learn what he has written for us, that we might know him and know how to serve him may know what's coming for his children. But in John chapter 14, we have recorded the specific words of Jesus on the very same subject. John chapter 14 verse one, Jesus is preparing to head back.

He is preparing his disciples for his exit back to heaven. First, he's going to go to the cross and die. Second, he's going to rise again from the dead. And then forty days later, he's going where? He's going back to heaven to be with his father.

And his disciples are concerned. They don't want him to go. I can imagine, if I were one of them, I wouldn't want him to go either. How wonderful it was to walk and talk with the Son of God. To be taught by him to eat with him to discuss daily their needs and problems and joys and sorrows with God himself.

But he says to them in verse one, 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 to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself.

That where I am, there you may be also. Yes, Jesus went back to heaven. He ascended back to the right hand of the father where he intercedes for us. He is our advocate. Though as first John points out, God desires that we not sin, we still do but we have an advocate.

At the right hand of the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, who paid the price for all of our sin and who will one day free us from it all together. He has gone back not only to intercede in our behalf to as he tells his disciples here to prepare a place for them. To prepare a place for us. To prepare a place for his children. For his bride.

That's the metaphor that we see here in scripture. In in the days of Christ, a man and a woman were betrothed. Now, that's a little more than our engagement today. Betrothal was actually considered marriage not yet consummated. And in order to break a betrothal, you actually had to get a divorce.

Okay, so it was a little more binding than what we call engagement. But after they were betrothed often, is my mic not working? Okay, Mike's not working. So I got to stand here. Oh, well, we'll see if I can still preach and be in one place.

Usually I can handle it pretty good. So, the the betrothed husband after he was betrothed to his wife to be, would go away and would get a job, would prepare a home, and when he had prepared the home and he had a livelihood and all of that, then he would come back to get his bride to take her to be at their home with him. And that is the picture that Jesus is leaving here for his disciples. Yes, I'm going away, but why am I going away? He said, it's a good thing.

It's a great thing. It's a joyous thing. I'm going away to prepare a place for you. And when I'm ready, I will come again to receive you as my bride unto myself that where I am there, you may be also. The metaphor of a husband, a bridegroom and a bride is used in scripture as symbolic of the relationship of Christ and the church.

Here in Ephesians five, it says, husbands, love your wives even as Christ Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it 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 should be holy and without blemish. Christ went back. He says to his disciples, don't be sorrowful that I'm going because I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I'm going to prepare a place for you, then it only makes sense that I'm going to do what?

That I come back to get you, to take you to your home that I prepared. So don't let your heart don't be troubled. Christian, don't let your heart be troubled today. We live in a wicked world, and we have struggles, and we have sorrows, and we deal with sin, and the battles with our enemy, but one day those battles will all be over, because Christ our savior is going to return to take us home to be with Him. When I graduated from college, I moved to Georgia.

Kate and I were engaged, but she was with her parents in Ohio, and I took a position as a youth pastor in Georgia. And after three months, I went to go get her. And we got married, and we came to live at the place that God had blessed us and me to prepare. There was a young man that I knew at Bob Jones University when I was there. He was from Africa.

He had come to Bob Jones to get a bats, a Bible degree. He wanted to preach the Word of God to his own people back in his own country. He was going to stay to get his master's degree, it was going to take him about six years. During that six years, I don't think he got to go home once. So for six years, him and his wife, he was married, were separated.

We kind of find of odd in our society and difficult. But yet, it seemed necessary for him to do that in order to provide, to do the ministry of the Lord, and provide for his family the way the Lord had called him to do. Sometimes, it may seem like the wait is getting kind of long. Christ has been gone for over two thousand years. In first Peter, Peter wrote that some mockers and skeptics among you may say, where is he?

Everything continues just like it has. He's not coming back. But we're told that the reason he hasn't come back yet is Jesus is what? Long suffering. Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Think about this. From Genesis chapter three fifteen, where God forecasted that the seed of the woman would come to defeat the serpent was nearly four thousand years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. God's timetable is not necessarily our timetable. We look at history in short segments because of our lifespan. But God's calendar is on time.

God is long suffering, but one day he's coming back. That day could be today to take us home to be with him. That brings us to the next passage I want to read. First Thessalonians chapter four, first Thessalonians chapter four. And we're going to begin reading in verse 13.

First Thessalonians four and verse 13. Let me try to figure out why this thing is locked up. All right. Think my battery went dead. We're not looking at that yet.

But I thought I might as well go to the next slide. And we'll have to go over there and hit the key on the computer. First Thessalonians chapter four verse 13. Paul writes, but I would not have you to be ignorant brother, 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. It means there go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel, 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 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. Christ is coming again.

He's coming to take somebody home. To be with him. Who is that? Well, specifically, it is those who know him as savior, his children. Paul's brethren that he wrote here in chapter four and in first Corinthians 15.

Christians, he wrote to them and he said, Don't be ignorant, ignorant, brethren, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Don't be ignorant concerning the rapture, what we call the rapture. That Christ is coming to take us home. Those who believe in him. For John 14, we read just a moment ago, Jesus said, you believe in God, believe what?

Also in me. Believe in me. Those who reject him, whose names are not written in the lamb's book of life, they have a home, sad to say, in a place called the Lake Of Fire. But they don't have to go there. If they'll come to Christ in repentance and faith.

If you're here today and you're unsure now is the time because tomorrow, for several reasons, could be too late. Christ is coming back to take his children home to be with him because heaven is our home. This world is not my home. I'm just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels back in me from heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore. The Bible says we are pilgrims and strangers. The Bible says Abraham looked for a city whose maker was who? Is God and not man. That is our true home.

One day, Christ is coming to get us but not only those of us who are alive but first of all, as he points out here in first Thessalonians four, also those who have died in Christ before his coming. You see the Thessalonians were concerned. They had heard that Christ was coming back. They had probably heard John chapter 14 in the words of Christ where he said, don't be troubled. I'm going to prepare a place for y'all.

Come again and receive you but yet, their friends and relatives, some of them had already passed away and they feared lest they should out on the coming of Christ. And Paul reassures them, those who are asleep, again, a metaphor for Christians who have already died. He says, not only are they not going to be left out but there will be the first ones, the first ones to rise again to meet the Lord in the air. He says in verse 15, for this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with shout and with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Those who rise first will be those who have already died in Jesus Christ. It says in first Corinthians fifteen fifty two, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. Their bodies, like our bodies when Christ come, will be changed. They will be reconstituted as incorruptible, immortal, sinless bodies, and be reunited with their souls that have gone before to be with the Lord. In first Corinthians four and verse 14, look at verse 14.

It says, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even though even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God what? Bring with him. Now, if God is coming to resurrect them, then, how is it that God is bringing them with him? That is because their souls when they died went to be who where? With the Lord and they will be reunited with their glorified bodies.

Luke chapter 16 on the screen, we read this, it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and he was buried and hell, he lift up his eyes being in torments and see if Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. There are those who teach something called soul sleep. There are others that teach that we don't have a soul at all. Both of those are contradictory of scripture.

When you die, the scripture would fairly clearly indicate that your soul lives on, and it goes to be with the Lord or it goes to be in a place of torment awaiting the last judgment in hell or Hades. This isn't the only passage that teaches that. First Corinthians fifteen fifty eight, we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Paul writes to the church at Corinth. He says, in another passage, for me to live is Christ, to die is what?

Gain. How could he say that? Because he firmly believed that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. That if this body should die, that his soul would go to be with the Lord in heaven. If the soul sleeps until the resurrection, then why is it that on the Mount Of Transfiguration, who did Peter see?

Elijah and Moses. They weren't asleep. No, they were there with Jesus because when we who are in Christ Jesus, when this body dies, when it gives up the ghost, when it gives up our spirit, our soul will go to be with the Lord. Our body will lie dormant or asleep in the grave until the day that what? Jesus comes.

And we receive a glorified body with him. See, the dead in Christ shall rise first and then the living, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet him in the what? In the air, in the clouds, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. This as we noted will not be the first time that God has taken someone to heaven in this fashion. Both Elijah and Enoch were taken to heaven alive as well and didn't see death.

So, we see the who. That is Christians, children of God, both those who have died before his coming and those who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord. Next, I want us to see how. How? First Corinthians fifteen fifty one says that we shall all be what?

We shall all be changed. We are not going into God's presence like we are. Praise the Lord. God is a holy God. God is a just God.

God cannot stand the presence of what? Sin. And part of the promises that God has given to those who know him by faith and those who love him is that one day, this battle is going to be over. This sin, this sinful flesh that is already defeated will be eradicated forever. And we will go into his presence like him.

Righteous, holy, without sin, or we will spend eternity with him. An incorruptible immortal bodies untouched by sin, because we have been touched by God through faith. We not only read about that in first Corinthians 15 but also in Philippians chapter three. For our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look for the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, unto according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

There's nothing you can do about your sinful body. There's nothing you can do about your sinful soul. But Jesus Christ died that he might save your soul from eternal judgment in hell and he also died to save your sinful body which he will one day change. And make like unto his. I I sing a song.

I I don't think I've ever sung it in church. It's it's an old southern gospel song. It's entitled Hallelujah Square. And in that song, it talks about a blind man. It talks about a lame man And it talks about a man who's gasping for breath.

And an onlooker looks out on them with pity. And I feel sorry for you. But they all say to him or to her, they say, don't have pity on me because I'm going up to heaven and there won't be one blind man and there won't be one lame man and we'll all live forever in Hallelujah Square. One day, God's coming to take us home and he will do that which nobody else can do for us. He'll give us a new body.

Maybe I'll have hair again. I don't know And I won't struggle with my weight. And I won't have a herniated disc in my back. It's all going to be great. I'm also not going to struggle with sin anymore, but that will all be in the past.

First John chapter three verse two. Behold now, are we the sons of God? And it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. Way back there in the Garden Of Eden, the devil deceived Eve into eating of the fruit.

When he said to Eve, God doesn't want what's best for you. God doesn't want you to become gods like him. God's holding you back. Take of the fruit and eat it. And Eve did and she believed the lies of the devil that God wanted what was best for them.

God didn't want them to have any fun. You know, that's what most of the world believes when you bring them the gospel. They just think you're trying to keep them from having what? Fun. They think God is just trying to hold them back.

But you know something, God really does know what's best and God loves us more than anyone ever could and God has a plan and that plan is going to end with us not being gods. We don't become gods. But we do become like unto our savior. Holy, righteous, without sin, sorrow, immortal, forever to worship at his side. And to us, heaven and what that's going to be like is hard to understand.

But we can know this. One day, it's going to happen. And it's going to be wonderful to be like him. How is it going to happen in the instant, in the twinkling of an eye? One day, we'll be standing here and the next moment, you'll be where?

At the side of Jesus Christ, your savior. I don't know if you'll if you'll feel like you're flying. I don't know if you'll be able to look at the the earth as you leave it. I I kind of doubt it. Fun to sing songs, I'll fly away.

I'm not actually going to fly away, so to speak. Though I am going to go away to be with God, the medium in the air and it's going to happen in an instant. It's going to happen without warning. We're going to look at this more in a week or two. It's going to happen without warning.

The Bible says, as a thief in the night comes, you don't know when to expect him. But you should. Be prepared. And it'll happen without warning. Will he'll come to meet us in the air?

This is different from the return of Christ to set up his kingdom because see, when Christ returns to set up his kingdom, he's going to set his feet where? Anybody know? On the Mount Of Olives. According to Zechariah and according to the angels that spoke to the disciples after Jesus left, said, as he has left, he will sow likewise what? Return.

He left from the Mount Of Olives. He's going to return to set up his kingdom on the Mount Of Olives. This is not his return to set up his kingdom. This is going to happen at least seven years prior when he meets us where? In the air.

Those of his children who he comes to take home. And we shall continue from that time forward to forever be with the Lord. What a precious promise. Forever to be with him. The Bible tells us, it could happen any moment that no man knows the day or the hour.

The Bible tells us as we will discuss further that there are things that will be happening before and after the rapture which may give us some idea of the season. And many of those things are happening around us today. The Bible says in Mark thirteen thirty five, watch you therefore. For you know not when the master of the house cometh. At even or at midnight or at the cock crowing or in the morning.

Why does God not tell us when Jesus is coming to take us home? Why does God not tell us when the tribulation is going to begin? Why does God not tell us when he's coming back to set his feet on the Mount Of Olives? Why doesn't God tell us the date as many have tried to prophesy? And each and everyone have failed.

Why doesn't God tell us? Because he wants us to be ready when? He wants us to be ready now. He wants us to keep our eyes focused on the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. He wants us to keep our eyes on the things of heaven and lay up treasures there and not upon earth.

He doesn't want us to be comfortable and complacent waiting for that day and we know when it's coming. No, he wants us to be ready and about our father's business because the day could be today. I don't know about some of you but I by nature am a person who is called a procrastinator. I'm sure I'm the only one in this room. You know when the assignment's due?

A month ahead of time in college, and guess who waited until two nights before? Me. You know, a lot of us are like that and we might do that if we knew the date. God knows it. So he says, watch and be ready today.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for the precious promises of your word. We thank you that today could be the day. We pray Lord that when we would be busy about our father's business, that we would be looking and watching and waiting for your return. That we with all faith and hope, knowing that one day you're coming to take us home would be looking for it even now.

And Lord, that we would be thankful for the time that you have given us and that we would use it to bring honor and glory to you, to lead others to Christ while there's time. We pray Lord, if there's one here today that's not prepared, that isn't ready, who is yet to receive your forgiveness through faith in your son, that today would be the day that they too might become a child of God. That this promise would apply to them as well. That they wouldn't be left behind. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.