00:00beloved the rapture will be the most sudden shocking and glorious event in human history in a moment in the twinkling of an eye millions will vanish from the earth caught up to meet the lord in the air
00:14but scripture warns us of a sobering reality not everyone who calls themselves a christian will be among them the tragedy is not that the world will be left behind that is expected but that multitudes who sat in church pews sang hymns and heard the truth will be left in the dust of judgment
00:37why because they never truly knew christ they knew about him but they never bowed to him as lord they believed a cheap gospel without repentance a faith without surrender a christianity without the cross they wore the name of christ but loved the world more than his appearing
00:56jesus said many will say to me on that day lord lord and i will declare to them i never knew you that many is not a small number it is a vast multitude today we must ask ourselves with trembling hearts when that trumpet sounds will we rise or will we be left behind one
01:18false assurance of salvation one of the most sobering warnings in scripture is that many will believe they are saved only to discover too late that they never truly belong to christ
01:30jesus himself said not everyone who says to me lord lord will enter the kingdom of heaven
01:37matthew 7 21 that means there will be multitudes who confidently expected to enter heaven yet are turned away
01:45in our time the church is saturated with a shallow christianity that equates salvation with religious activity church attendance bible knowledge charity or moral living
01:57many cling to the memory of praying a prayer or being baptized but these outward acts alone do not save
02:06salvation is a supernatural work of god that transforms the heart
02:12and produces a new creation in christ 2 corinthians 5 17 false assurance is deadly because it numbs the conscience
02:22people stop examining themselves in light of scripture they cling to emotions or past experiences instead of present obedience
02:33like the foolish virgins in jesus parable matthew 25 1-13 they carry lamps but no oi
02:41loutward profession without inward possession of the spirit the pharisees are a haunting example
02:47they were deeply religious outwardly moral and zealous for tradition
02:52yet jesus declared them whitewashed tombs of beautiful on the outside but dead inside matthew 23
02:5927 when the rapture comes those living with false assurance will be left behind
03:06they will cry out in shock lord lord but will hear only i never knew you their confidence will collapse in an instant
03:16paul's command is urgent examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith
03:232 corinthians 13 5 genuine faith produces repentance holiness love for god and perseverance
03:33without these fruits any assurance is a lie eternity is too long to be wrong too
03:41a gospel without repentance one of the greatest tragedies in the modern church
03:47is the widespread preaching of a gospel stripped of repentance
03:51people are told to accept jesus into their heart without being told to forsake their sin
03:57the result multitudes believe they are saved while continuing to live as if christ never came
04:04true biblical salvation always involves repentance a turning away from sin and a turning toward god acts
04:123 19 jesus began his ministry preaching repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand matthew 4 17
04:21without repentance there is no forgiveness without surrender there is no salvation yet today many pulpits
04:30avoid this truth for fear of offending the message has shifted from deny yourself and follow christ
04:37to add jesus to your already comfortable life this is not the gospel of scripture it is a counterfeit it
04:46produces converts who want heaven's benefits without heaven's king repentance is not merely feeling sorry
04:55for sin it is hating it forsaking it and walking in obedience it's a change of mind that results in a change of
05:04direction the holy spirit convicts the sinner breaks their pride and produces in them a longing for holiness
05:12without repentance faith is empty without a turning from sin there is no evidence of new birth
05:19on the day of the rapture those who embraced a repentance free gospel will be left behind
05:25because they never truly bowed to the lordship of christ
05:29three worldly christianity jesus declared no one can serve two masters matthew 6 24
05:36yet many professing believers today are attempting to live with one foot in the church
05:42and the other in the world this is what i call worldly christianity a life that wears the name of christ but
05:50is driven by the desires values and pleasures of the culture worldliness is not simply enjoying god's
05:58creation it's loving the world system that opposes god 1 john 2 15-17 it's prioritizing comfort entertainment
06:10money or status over obedience to christ worldly christians are more concerned with fitting in
06:18than standing out they compromise moral convictions for social acceptance the danger is that worldliness
06:28chokes the word mark 4 19 it dulls spiritual hunger blinds the eyes to eternal realities and leaves the soul
06:38unprepared for christ's return the heart that loves the world cannot truly long for his appearing
06:46on the day of the rapture worldly believers will find themselves left behind not because they sinned but because they never surrendered
06:56their treasure was here not in heaven they followed jesus when convenient but not when costly
07:04friend the gospel demands a complete break with the world's values
07:08true believers live as pilgrims and strangers longing for a better country hebrews 11 13-16
07:17those who love this present world as demas did to timothy 4 10 will not be ready when the trumpet sounds
07:24for the danger of self deception self deception is perhaps the most frightening spiritual condition
07:33because the deceived person does not know they are deceived jeremiah 17 9 warns the heart is deceitful
07:41above all things and desperately wicked who can understand it our hearts can convince us we are safe when we are in mortal
07:50danger jesus gave chilling warnings about this in matthew 7 many will confidently profess him as lord
07:59and even point to religious works in his name yet he will declare i never knew you the problem they were
08:08never truly born again self deception thrives when people measure themselves by comparison to others
08:15rather than by god's word they think i'm better than most forgetting that god's standard is perfect holiness
08:22it grows when preachers avoid the hard truths of scripture offering affirmation without confrontation
08:30the only antidote is humble prayerful self-examination psalm 139 23-24 must be our cry
08:40search me oh god and know my heart see if there be any grievous way in me the rapture will expose all
08:48self deception in a single instant those who thought they were safe will realize too late that they were
08:56unprepared that's why paul urged timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely 1 timothy 4 16
09:04salvation is too precious to leave to assumption 5 the urgency of true faith and holiness the bible
09:14never separates faith from holiness hebrews 12 14 says without holiness no one will see the lord
09:25this doesn't mean we earn salvation by good works it means genuine salvation always produces a life
09:31increasingly set apart for god true faith is not a one-time decision it is a persevering trust in
09:38christ that transforms our desires and conduct james 2 makes it clear faith without works is dead works do
09:45not save us but they prove that our faith is real holiness is not optional for the believer it is the
09:51inevitable fruit of salvation it shows up in the way we speak think love and forgive it means rejecting
09:58sin not out of fear of punishment but out of love for christ we live in a culture that treats holiness
10:05as extreme even unnecessary but on the day of the rapture only those who truly belong to christ those who
10:12have been set apart by the spirit will be caught up to meet him the rest no matter their claims will be left
10:18behind the urgency could not be greater christ could return at any moment that trumpet blast will leave no
10:26time for preparation now is the time to pursue holiness deepen your faith and fix your eyes on eternity
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