“YOU WILL ESCAPE THE TRIBULATION”

TEXT:  Matt. 24:21-25  

THESIS:  To list 4 biblical reasons the Church will not go thru the Tribulation.
 
INTRO: 
A.  Facts:  The Tribulation Period is a 7 yr. Period of God’s wrath on the nation of Israel spe- cifically and the earth generally for rejection of His Son.  The last ½ of the 7 years is called the “Great Tribulation” (text).  This period is referred to as 1260 days, 42 months or 3 ½ years prophetically.
B.  Fear:  The Antichrist will rule, there will be famine, disease, hardship beyond comprehe-nsion, poverty, and death (at least 1/3 of earth’s population will perish during this time and unless God limited the period all flesh would die (text).
 
ILLUS:  We are told in v.29-30 of the text that the sun and moon will be darkened, there will be signs in the heavens, weird things will take place; 1/3 of the earth will be on fire, 1/3 of the sea will be filled with blood, 1/3 of the water will be polluted, there will be demonic plagues, earthquakes, boils, oppress-sive heat, then pitch black darkness, hail and finally the Battle of Armageddon.
 
C.  Freaks:  Demonic hordes will be loosed on the planet.  Rev. 9:1-11
D.  Finality:  It is God’s judgment on earth for rejecting His Son.  No one living when It begins who has heard the Gospel will have a chance for salvation.
 
TRANS:  Praise the Lord, if saved, you will not have to go thru this terrible time.  Following are 4 bib-lical reasons YOU will escape the Tribulation…
 
I.   BECAUSE OF THE TYPES IN THE BIBLE:
 
    A.   “As in the days of Noah:  Mt. 24:37
 
            1.   Enoch was raptured before the flood = a picture of the Church.
            2.   Noah passes thru the flood unharmed = a picture of tribulation saints.
            3.   The unsaved perish in the flood = a picture of lost Jews and Gentiles.
 
ILLUS:  The Tribulation will be God’s judgment on the whole earth, but some will escape. 
 
Lk. 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
 
    B.   “As it was in the days of Lot:  Lk.17:28-30
 
    C.   As it was in the time of the Exodus:  (no partial rapture)
 
Ex. 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
 
II.  BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE and BODY OF CHRIST:
 
    A.   When the Bride is complete the Wedding will take place:
 
Eph. 5:25-26 25   Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26   That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
 
    B.   When the Body is complete it will be raised together:
 
ILLUS:  How would you like to marry a bride who was only half complete, not adorned properly, wedding garments missing, etc.?  Or have a body with arms, legs, eyes, etc. missing?
 
III.  BECAUSE OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST: 
 
    A.   The Church’s Judgment takes place in heaven:
 
1 Cor. 3:11-14 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  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 thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
 
ILLUS:  Enoch was a type of the spiritual believer receiving the reward for faithful service.  Lot was a type of the carnal Christian and ended up living in a cave outside of the destroyed city (world).  “There shall be weeping and wailing…”
 
             1.   Much of the Church is already home.
 
                    a.   God will not bring them back to earth for purging.
                    b.   God will purge us and them in heaven.
 
    B.   The Gentile nations will be judged on the earth.
    C.   The nation of Israel will be judged and then converted on the earth.
 
IV.  BECAUSE THE ANTICHRIST CANNOT COME TILL THE CHURCH IS GONE:
 
    A.   The man of sin must be revealed first:

2 Thes. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
 
    B.   The Body of Christ must be removed first:
 
2 Thes. 2:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
 
CONCL:  This old world is tottering on complete collapse and destruction.  The only thing holding back the horrors of hell-on-earth, the Tribulation, is that God’s people are still here.
 
              If you are not saved and Christ returns before you die you will experience hell both here and hereafter!  Come to the Savior now!

1. Five Current Events in the last days!
2. End Times Markers in 2021 
​3. End Times Timeline
​4. YOU WILL ESCAPE THE TRIBULATION
5. HERE COMES THE JUDGE!
​6. I WANT YOUR REWARDS!
7. THE END OF THE WORLD