Eternal Certainty
Thanksgiving Services • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 33:13
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· 10 viewsMorning Service 23 Feb 2025
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Thanksgiving for Francis Whyte (Kojo Ayensu)
1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Introduction
On Thursday we met for the Funeral Service for Koyo (Francis). It was a sad event but also one of blessing as we rejoiced in the confidence that he his with his Lord who he served so faithfully. Today we meet to again give thanks for Koyo and the blessing he was to each of us.
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13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
This portion of the Scriptures was read at the funeral and I want us to consider these and the following verses this morning.
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1. Informed Truth v13
1. Informed Truth v13
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13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
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a. What about the Dead?
a. What about the Dead?
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
Ignorance concerning spiritual realities is always bad for the believer. It leads to lack of comfort. Hendriksen
The comparison of death to sleep is particularly appropriate in implying not only rest from labour but also the glorious awakening which believers expect on the other side. Hendriksen
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11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
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b. Grief
b. Grief
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
The Greek and Roman world of Paul’s day was, indeed, a hopeless world (Eph. 2:12). According to the Greek (and afterward also the Roman) conception, there was no future for the body, which came to be regarded as the soul’s “prison-house.” Hendriksen
There is a hope that stands the test of time
That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave
To see the matchless beauty of a day divine
When I behold His face
When sufferings cease and sorrows die
And every longing satisfied
Then joy unspeakable will flood my soul
For I am truly home
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1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
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2. A Solid Foundation v14
2. A Solid Foundation v14
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14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Over against pagan hopelessness Paul now proceeds to lay a solid foundation for Christian hope with reference to believers who have departed from this life. Hendriksen
The same God who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise from the dead those who belong to Jesus.” He will cause them to come along with Jesus, from heaven, that is, he will bring their souls along from heaven, so that these maybe reunited quickly (in a flash) with their bodies, in which they go forth to meet the Lord in the air, to remain with him forever. The bringing with him, then, includes everything that happens to these departed ones, from the moment of their departure from heaven until in their raised and glorified bodies they meet the Lord in the air, nevermore to be separated from him in any sense whatever. Hendriksen
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51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
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8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
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3. An Authoritative Word v15
3. An Authoritative Word v15
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Verse 14 has made clear that Christ, at his coming, will think of the departed ones, and not only of the survivors. Verse 15 carries this thought a little farther, and shows that in no sense whatever will those who are still on earth at the return have any advantage over those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. The inspired writer expresses it this way: For this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we, those who remain alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall have no advantage at all over those who fall asleep. Hendriksen
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4. What Will Happen? v16-17
4. What Will Happen? v16-17
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16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
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a. The Lord Will Descend v16
a. The Lord Will Descend v16
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
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i. Powerfully Evident v16
i. Powerfully Evident v16
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
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1. Cry of Command
1. Cry of Command
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
...originally the order which an officer shouts to his troops. In the present connection it is clearly the command of the Lord, as he leaves heaven, for the dead to arise. Hendriksen
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28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgement.
The command, therefore, is definitely his own, proceeding from his lips. It is not a command issued to him, but an order given by him. Leaving heaven in his human nature, he utters his voice, and immediately the souls of the redeemed also leave, and are quickly reunited with their bodies, which, thus restored to life, arise gloriously. Hendriksen
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2. Voice of an Archangel
2. Voice of an Archangel
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
It is possible that Michael is the archangel, that is, the only archangel, but it is also possible that he is one of the archangels (one of the seven angels that stand before God’s throne), as in Daniel 10:13 he is called one of the chief princes, so that Gabriel as well as Michael might be an archangel.” Hendriksen
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3. The Sound of the Trumpet of God
3. The Sound of the Trumpet of God
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
The trumpet-blast, in this connection, is certainly very fitting. In the old dispensation, when God “came down,” as it were, to meet with his people, this meeting was announced by a trumpet-blast (e.g, Ex. 19:16, 17: “and the sound of a trumpet exceeding loud … and Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God”; cf. Ex. 19:19). Hendriksen
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16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
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30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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5. Meet the Lord v17
5. Meet the Lord v17
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17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
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a. Those Alive
a. Those Alive
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
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b. Caught Up
b. Caught Up
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
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c. For Ever With the Lord
c. For Ever With the Lord
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
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6. Encourage One Another v18
6. Encourage One Another v18
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18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Conclusion
we do not when this will happen but it is vital that we are prepared for it.
