May 22, 2011-Bulletin.html

May 22, 2011

WELCOME! WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something we have a Bible basis for. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel any pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

FAMILY NEWS

Karl Marcussen will be flying to Hawaii June 7 and will join his son Jim on the aircraft carrier his son serves on as it returns to San Diego. Julie and Ginger will join them there. We are proud of all our young men and women who serve our country, and being able to share in their military experience is a great joy. Congratulations!!

Patty Gibson is still battling the respiratory infection she had, but is gaining slowly. She was able to be out Wednesday night. Audrey Gibson is having a struggle to walk, and has been in some pain. She has been out to every service, but she is struggling with leg problems. Keep her in your prayers.

Cynthia Clayton is having a lot of struggles with family problems. Her mother is ill with a UTI and pneumonia, and her sister is struggling with continued legal and insurance complications related to the death of her brother in December.

Remember those struggling with chronic health problems, especially Janice Love, Thelma Raab, Maelene Salmons, Larry Fox, Billy and Debbie Salmons, and Diane Davis.

SINGING THIS AFTERNOON--A group of us are planning to go to the singing at Michigan City immediately after services today, stopping to eat along the way. If you want to go, see Bill Gibson after services.

TODAY'S LESSON

RAPTURE THEOLOGY

INTRODUCTION--

Yesterday was the "Rapture" according to many churches

Harold Camping--Family Radio World Wide
Had a 100 million dollar budget--66 Radio stations
5000 Billboards for yesterday's event

Rapture Theology is big business--Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, John Walvoord, Thomas Ice, Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, Grant Jeffry, Chuck Smith, John Hagee

THE FUNDAMENTAL IDEA

Jesus comes invisibly to remove His church--Rapture churches empty, kids disappear.
A seven year tribulation--humanity versus the AntiChrist
After this Jesus returns visibly, establishes his kingdom--

Re-establishes Jewish worship in Jerusalem.
Becomes the political ruler of earth from Jerusalem.

RAPTURE VERSE 1--1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-17

Is this a silent event? Is this an invisible event?

Taken up does not equal disappear Acts 1:9-11

Read verses 4:17-5:3

Jesus literally decends with shout and blast.
Comparison to Acts 1:9-11--all one event
2 Peter 3:10-14--The cosmos is gone.
1 Thessalonians 5:3--There is no escape.

RAPTURE VERSE 2 MATTHEW 24:24-42

Used to support the silent rapture--verses 40-42
In Matthew 24:3--The disciples asked for a clarification.

Jesus warns about deception 4 times (verses 4, 5, 11, 24)

The "elect" (verse 24) refers to those who are ready.
Verses 26-31--say it is not in secret.
Coming in verse 27 is "parousia" same as verse 3.
Parallels 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17--same elements:
Visible to all. Unsaved mourn, clouds, noise. Just like Noah's day (verses 37-39)

RAPTURE VERSE 3 I CORINTHIANS 15:51-52

Does this sound quiet?
Can flesh and blood inherit the Kingdom of God?
What kind of a body are we raised with?

Changed (verse 51); Incorruptible (verse 52); Immortal (vs 53); No death (verse 54)

SUMMARY--There is one resurrection, not different people at different times; one Judgement day when the cosmos dissolves.

FROM THE QUESTION BOX

We have a box in the lobby for any Bible related question you wish to ask. We will either respond to those questions in this bulletin, or in lessons or classes. This question is in our Gospel Minutes booklet (April 29, 2011, page 4) on the tract shelf, but let us look at it again. The question says "Why do we have Church on Sundays instead of Saturdays? Where can we find this in the Bible?"

In simple terms, we worship on Sunday because we live and worship under the New Testament, not the Old Testament. God instituted the Sabbath in the Old Testament, and Nehemiah says it happened on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses (Nehemiah 9:13-14). Exodus 31:13-17 tells us that breaking the Sabbath Law carried the death penalty.

God promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that a new covenant would be given beginning in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-4, Acts 2) and that the Old Law would be done away (Galatians 5:3-4). Colossians 2:14 makes it clear that Jesus nailed the Old Law to His cross taking it out of the way. Galatians 4 tells us that those trying to live under the Old Law were still in bondage to sin. The Sabbath was a part of the Old Law.

Matthew 28:1-20 tells us that Jesus rose on the "first day of the week." This identification as a special day of worship for Christians was carried on from that day forward. In Revelation 1:10 John makes reference to it. In 1 Corinthians 16:2 Paul tells the Corinthians that the contribution is to be taken up on the "first day of the week." There is no doubt about whether giving is a part of worship and this was to be done on the first day of the week. In Acts 20:7 the Church came together on the "first day of the week" to partake of the Lord's Supper and Paul preached. There are those who maintain that the "breaking of bread" was a potluck meal, but Paul's sermon lasted until midnight which is not usually a part of a potluck.

Those who maintain we should worship on Saturday attempt to use Old Testament teachings about the Sabbath. Like animal sacrifices, special garments, rites of passage, and purification rituals, this is all a part of the Old Testament. Terms like "moral law" applied to the Old Testament, and claims that people like Ellen White are sent by God, simply do not agree with scripture. We are under a new perfect law of grace, not the ritualistic law of the Old Testament that no one could keep perfectly.