Looking for that Blessed Hope - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- Aug 25, 2024
- 5 min read
Looking for that Blessed Hope
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Intro: Why is the rapture referred to as “that blessed hope?”
It is called “that blessed hope” because of…
I. The Hope of the Rapture of the Bride
Our hope is based on several things:
A. The Promises of our Savior
John 14
· 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
· 2 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.
· 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Acts 1
· 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
· 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
· 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
B. The Predictions of our Scriptures
1 Thessalonians 4
· 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
· 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
· 15 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 them which are asleep.
· 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
· 17 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.
· 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
C. The Patterns of our Society
· 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
It is called “that blessed hope” because of…
II. The Hope of the Redemption of the Body
TURN TO Romans 8:18-25
· 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
· 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
· 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
· 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
· 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
· 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
· 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
· 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
A. The Comparison that is Tempting – vs. 18 (we ask ourselves, “It is worth it??”)
Is the hardships we are going through now going to be worth it when we get to Heaven?
B. The Creature that is Travailing – vs. 19-20; 22
Verse 22 says that the whole creation “groaneth and travaileth in pain…”
Verse 22 and 23 both use the word “groaneth.”
C. The Corruption that is Troubling – vs. 21-23
The Bible calls it “the bondage of corruption.”
It is called “that blessed hope” because of…
III. The Hope of the Readiness of the Brethren
Any hope that the believer has that motivates him to prepare for Jesus to come back is a blessed hope!
TURN TO 1 John 3
· 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
· 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth 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.
· 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
In these verses, we see,
A. The Passion – what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us
I read the other day I heard a preacher say, “The statement hate the sin, love the sinner” is unbiblical.
They were so dogmatic and so persuasive. I thought to myself; “What a moron!”
The Bible has multiple verses of Scripture that prove that God loved us.
What about John 3:16?
What about Romans 5:8
· But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What about Ephesians 2.
· 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
· 5 Even when we were dead in sins,
What about John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
What about 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Make no mistake; God loves us when we were unlovable!!
B. The Privilege – that we should be called the sons of God:
Do you have any idea how much love it took to make you and I a son of God??
C. The Perception – therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
The world thinks we are strange; but they thought Jesus was strange.
The world do not understand us, because they didn’t understand Jesus.
Trying to get an unsaved person to understand you and your beliefs is a waste of time in many cases.
· 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
D. The Prospect – but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him
Romans 8 tell us that we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
That day will finally come to pass at the Rapture of the church.
What a blessed hope!!!
E. The Purifying - every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,
Go back to our text in Titus 2. Notice what happens when you live every day looking for the return of Jesus Christ.
We are back where we started.
· 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Conclusion: Are you looking for that blessed hope?
