The Return

INTRODUCTION

Today, we will begin a new series through part of the book of 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians entitled "Faith In Uncertain Times."

We live in uncertain times, and every generation faces the same feeling.

Big Idea of the Series: In a world filled with death, war, and evil, how can we face what feels like an unknowable future?

What do we do with our anxiety regarding the days ahead?

What do we do about the anxiety that awaits us concerning the grave?

This 6-week series guide is based on the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians and provides comfort and reassurance to those living in uncertain times.

These letters discuss the future of Christ's Second Coming and what believers should do while awaiting his return.

Paul encourages believers to be prepared, to cling to the truth of what they have been taught, and to live responsibly in light of the future.

How can we take these words to heart and face the future without fear?

One of the things that drives fear in one's life is the unknown or not having the correct information on a given subject matter.

The church at Thessalonica dealt with a subject that caused a great deal of anxiety and grief within the body of believers at Thessalonica, which means other Christians were facing the same anxiety and fear.

In a 2022 study by Chapman University, called The Chapman University Survey of American Fears (https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2022/10/14/the-top-10-fears-in-america-2022/).

This study is now in its ninth year.

They reported the fears Americans face, and they ranked them by the percentage of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid.

1. Corrupt government officials 62.1%.

2. People I love becoming seriously ill 60.2%.

3. Russia using nuclear weapons 59.6%.

4. People I love dying 58.1%.

5. The U.S. becoming involved in another world war 56.0%.

6. Pollution of drinking water: 54.5%.

7. Not having enough money for the future, 53.7%.

8. Economic/financial collapse 53.7%.

9. Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes 52.5%.

10. Biological warfare 51.5%.

Corrupt government officials topped the list for a few years now.

These lists used to be spiders, public speaking, death, etc.

This study focused on a random sample of 1035 Americans who were asked from a list of ninety-five different fears ranging from topics about the government, the environment, natural disasters, COVID-19, and many more.

Today and next week, our text will deal with fear number four: people I love dying.

There is a lot of fantasy-based information concerning the Second Coming; over the next couple of weeks, we will look into the Word to see if we can gain some knowledge and insight concerning the return of Jesus.

Let's begin in 1 Thessalonians 4:13

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NET 2nd ed.)

13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

SERMON

I. A grave concern.

Death is a time we do not like to face.

We have many people here today who have lost loved ones to death.

When death comes, our hopes and dreams for the future seem crushed.

Some have lost loved ones at an early age, some after many years together.

Losing a loved one can be a life-changing event in our lives.

There never seems to be enough time.

One day, unless the Lord returns first, we will all face our own death and or the death of our loved ones.

What happens when we die?

Is it game over?

When we are immersed in Christ, one of the promises we have from God is eternal life.

As Christians, we have hope; we believe what Jesus says concerning our eternal destiny in Him.

Death is not something we look forward to, BUT it will bring us significant changes.

We must maintain our sense of anticipation and hope in the face of death.

1 Thessalonians, written around 52 AD, only about 20 years after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection took place, yet the people were seeing their loved one die, and no return of Jesus yet.

They did not know what to do or what to think.

People during this period were so sure that Jesus would return in their lifetime that some quit working and were waiting for Jesus.

We see a hint of this in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12.

Paul's recipients were "concerned that those who had died would be at a disadvantage not being alive when…the coming of the Lord would be realized" (Spiros Zodhiates, The Key Word Study Bible [AMG International: 1990], 1585).

In response, Paul writes to educate the believers in Thessalonica because he doesn't want them "to be uninformed" about death, life after death, and Jesus's return (v. 13).

Paul's purpose is to inform and "comfort" them with the knowledge of the truth (v. 18).

We, too, can seek comfort and truth from the Bible concerning all our fears about the future.

Paul goes on to say that he is sharing this information because he does not want the readers to grieve when death hits them, like the lost who have no hope.

Let's turn to verses 14-17 together.

1 Thessalonians 4:14–17 (NET 2nd ed.)

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.

15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

II. Peace through understanding.

In verses 14-17, Paul explains why we can experience peace when we lose loved ones in Christ.

He begins in verse 14; Paul gives us a foundation for our hope.

Without Jesus, where do you place your hope for eternal life?

Many people place their hope in their goodness.

Some people place their hope in their position in life, and others hope that once we die, we die.

Some people place their hope of eternal life in false religions.

Our hope is built upon Jesus, whom God raised on the third day!

Acts 4:12 (NET 2nd ed.)

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”

I think folks without Jesus think they have hope, but deep down inside, something tells them they do not have anything to base their hope.

Our hope is rooted in what has been done and promised in Jesus.

Our hope is in our confidence in what God will do, rooted in what He has done!

These elements of the Christian's hope are missing from all other religions.

Who else defeated death?

Paul wants us to remember that if you have Jesus, you have a solid foundation for your hope.

This foundation can give us peace and comfort when we lose a loved one before the return of Jesus.

Verse 14 tells us that if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we, too, will be a part of the celebration!

Jesus is going to bring those who died before His return with Him!

As we move to verse 15, Paul says what he is about to share is the Word of the Lord!

Then he explains that those who have died and those who are alive at the return are on equal footing!

Then, in verses 16-17, he explains the chain of events!

In verse 16, he speaks first of those who have died in Christ.

Verse 17 speaks to those who are alive at the time.

We see a chain of eight things that will occur when the Lord returns!

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NET 2nd ed.)

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

1. The Lord Himself will come down from heaven!

When God determines it is time for the return, Jesus is coming in a VERY public way!

The decent will be visible (Revelation 1:7).

Audible (1 Thess 4:16-17)

It will be majestic. (2 Thess 1:7)

2. There will be an audible shout of command from the voice of the Archangel (chief of the angels).

The phrase "a shout of command" pictures an officer shouting orders to his troops.

The command is a command given by someone in authority!

3. The trumpet of God will sound!

The Archangel shouts the command and sounds the trumpet of the Lord!

In the Old Testament, whenever God "came down" to man, the occasion was marked by a blast from the trumpet! Exodus 19:16-19.

4. The dead in Christ will rise first!

The disembodied souls of those who have died in Christ before the event will return with Him and be resurrected into the new glorified bodies!

The pagan thought and some Jews (Sadducees) thought death meant dead forever!

That is not so, according to Jesus!

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NET 2nd ed.)

51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

52 in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Now we see how things will be for those alive during the Second Coming!

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NET 2nd ed.)

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

5. Those who are alive, who are left.

There will be Christians on earth when the Lord returns; this return is not some secret Left Behind series book; it is very public, and all will see!

There will be no 3rd coming, only a second!

6. Those alive will be caught up with those who previously died in Christ!

The Greek phrase "caught up" was translated into the Latin verse with the word RAPERE, and then this Latin word was translated into the English equivalent, RAPTURE.

That is where we get the thought of a rapture.

This event does not take place at ANY point BEFORE the second coming!

It is during this point that those who are alive will receive glorified 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 bodies!

7. In the clouds, we meet the Lord in the air!

We get to be with Jesus!

8. We will always be with the Lord!

These are the order of events that will happen at the second coming!

After everyone is raised, it will move to Judgement. Matthew 25.

Let's finish with verse 18.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 (NET 2nd ed.)

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

III. Joyful encouragement.

These words are a comfort to those who belong to Jesus. There is no real hope for those who do not belong to Jesus.

I have had people come to me wanting me to assure them about their unsaved loved ones.

Sadly, I cannot do that.

The Bible tells us that eternal life only belongs to those who are faithful to death to Jesus. Revelation 2:10.

I want to give you comfort and peace today; it can only be found in Jesus.

In Christ alone, do we find our hope and salvation.

Do you want to have hope for the future? Have you said "I do" to Jesus?\

The Bible tells us the church is the bride of Christ, the bride that He is coming back to claim! (Ephesians 5:27)

When we lose loved ones to death who are in Christ, we do not have to grieve as those who have no hope; our hope will be realized in Jesus!

CONCLUSION

Application Point: We can live confidently in the present when we are biblically informed about the future.