Beloved friends, we welcome you to the continuing ministry of God's Word on the great subject, the hope of the Church. First, some clarifying thoughts on what we mean by the Church would be appropriate based upon the Word of God. The usual conception of many people when we speak of the Church is that it is an ecclesiastical body. of some religious name or organization some may conceive that the references to a building a cathedral and so on and supposedly they thus call it the church but all this is contrary to the word of God plainly but simply in Scripture the church in its meaning conveys the thought of an organism not an organization a body And it is called the body of Christ. See Ephesians chapter one, verses twenty-two and twenty-three. Why is it called the body of Christ? We point out that in Ephesians five and verse twenty-nine and verse thirty, which I quote in part, God says, Even as the Lord the church, for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, For Christ is the head in heaven. And Paul writes in First Corinthians chapter twelve, in verse thirteen, these words. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ, for they are one spirit. For by one spirit have we all been baptized into one body. May I emphasize which I feel sure that many or most of my beloved friends will fully agree that in Scripture there are not many bodies, but one body, one church, to which all believers are joined by the new birth and united to Christ. members of his body. Now that is true scriptural church membership without any sectarian division. And this is the Christ to which God has given the blessed hope that he is coming for that church and which we shall study regarding that hope from the Word of God. Now let me now read from the scriptures Two basic scripture sections that certainly present the hope of the church. There are many scriptures regarding the second coming of Christ. There's more scripture in the New Testament concerning that great doctrine than any other subject. But there are two scriptures that are important. First, in John's Gospel, chapter fourteen in verse three, where unmistakably and also irrefutably, the promise of the Lord Jesus is stated. when he said in verse three of John fourteen to the disciples, If I go away, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. These words contain the promise of his personal return to come for his redeemed people, and to take them where he now is, the Father's home abound. No, he promises to come literally. not spiritually, for oftentimes some interpret it as meaning that at the death of the believer this takes place. Oh, no. Christ has promised to come literally, to come personally. As the angels told the disciples later on in Acts chapter one, 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. They saw him go bodily. literally and personally ascend until he was out of their sight. So when he comes again for his bride, for his church, it will be the same person visibly and bodily appearing for his own. We should also raise a question right here properly. How will he gather his own people? How will he bring them together and take them to the Father's house? How will he thus get the church altogether to take them to heavenly glory? And certainly, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God has written the details in our second scripture portion which we present to our listeners. From First Thessalonians chapter four, verses thirteen through eighteen. I commend the reading of it. But first, permit me to prove unto you that the Lord made a promise to his disciples in the upper room when saying that he would come again, that he would reveal to them more details. In John chapter sixteen, on that same occasion in the upper room, in verse thirteen, when the Savior promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to the world, he said to the disciples, How be it, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. John sixteen and verse thirteen. Note the last words, and he will show you things to come. And thus the Spirit has done so. And listen to the divine revelation from First Thessalonians chapter four, thirteen through eighteen, which tells us how the Lord Jesus Christ will fulfill his promise of John fourteen in verse three. Here Paul writes to say, But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep, that she sorrow not, even as others which have no hope, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the authority of the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent, meaning precede, or go before, them which are asleep in death. For the Lord himself and emphasize that personal promise, that pronoun, the Lord Himself, not an angel, nor a body of angels. 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. 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 always be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Unquote. My beloved listener, may I personally encourage you, read these blessed words over and over, do not join those of whom the apostle speaks, who are ignorant concerning it, and who refuse to believe it. These words are the clear and the lucid words of explanation telling us and revealing to us how, in graphic detail, how the Lord will get his church out and away from the earth and take the church to heavenly glory. My beloved, I do not know how much you realize or believe this truth. But the study of church doctrine, as you read it, particularly in the epistles of the beloved Apostle Paul, as well as other writings in the New Testament, but especially in Paul's epistles, teach very definitely. The church is a heaven-born company of believers. The church is not only heaven-born, The church is to be heaven-fed. From the blessed head, in heaven above, all the ministry that builds up, that comforts, that encourages, that empowers the church, comes from the risen head in glory. The church is not only heaven-born, not only heaven-fed, but may I say, the church is heaven-bound. The destination, and please may I emphasize it, The eternal phase of its destination is heavenly, not earthly. May I please emphasize the distinction between what you find in the Old Testament, the blessings, the promises of God that were given to his earthly people, Israel. Read them over and over through the prophecies and through the Psalms and through the books of the Pentateuch. And you find those blessings concerning Israel. were in relation to their divine testimony on the earth as an earthly testimony for God. But when you come to your New Testament and thus see the blessings that are the church, let me quote one scripture, Ephesians one, three, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. The church is heaven-born. the church is heaven-fed and the church is heaven-bound now these in first Thessalonians chapter four these words that we have read they give us the detailed features that we can consider and we will actually find what will take place when the Lord Jesus comes for his church may I say There are unprecedented experiences never known in former centuries of human history that will be unfolded and be the glorious privilege of all who belong to Christ, who has purchased them with his precious blood. Christ loved the church. Christ gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water, by the word, and that he might present it to himself, a glorious church. not having any wrinkles, spot or wrinkle or any such thing, and that it should be holy and without blemish. My beloved, please let me say, much failure has been manifested by the church, but our beloved Blessed Lord Jesus will consummate his glorious church to be what he intends to make it by his grace and power when he comes. My beloved, listen. the hope of the church. Is it yours? In other words, are you a member of the body of Christ? I refuse to ask or even recognize any earthly affiliation that may be yours or mine. Do you belong to Christ? Are you a member of his body and of his flesh and of his bones, the true scriptural church? Father, we pray in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. By thy spirit, thrill the hearts of thy people with the joy of being thine Lord and thy coming again. Search the consciences of the unsaved and save them in Jesus' name. Amen.