(29) Encouraged by the End
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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. 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.
1. Grief without hope is hopeless. (vs. 13)
1. Grief without hope is hopeless. (vs. 13)
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.
Their misunderstanding of the dead in Christ caused a hopelessness.
Do you agree with this statement: Everyone grieves differently.
Is this statement true? “Because everyone grieves differently, there is no wrong way to grieve.”
Do not grieve as others who have no hope.
Could our grieve become sinful?
A Christian’s grief is very real but it is not hopeless.
What Paul is reminding them here will not eliminate their grief, but it will help it.
Jesus wept and experienced the deep pains of grief (John 11)
From Old Testament to New the authors describe times of grief.
Grief is real - but not hopeless.
Look at the flow Paul has in this chapter.
We walk in a way that pleases God - different from the lost.
We walk in love toward one another - different from the lost
We walk in peaceful manner working hard - different from the lost
We grieve differently from the lost.
The lost grieve having no hope.
I’ve cut funeral short due to the disruption.
Wailing
Anger
Fighting
Paul says don’t grieve in this way.
When is our grieving sinful?
A. Our grieving becomes sinful when we blame God.
A. Our grieving becomes sinful when we blame God.
Let’s look at Job’s example.
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
There was grief but Job worshiped God in the grief.
But look let’s look at the famous account of Job’s questioning God.
"Does it please you to oppress me... while you smile on the plans of the wicked?" in Chapter 10
"I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God... Why do you hide your face, and count me as your enemy?" in Chapter 13
Chapter 14 Job questions God’s fairness, and brevity of life
This goes throughout the book.
Interactions between Job and his friends and Job and God.
Chapter 38 God answers Job with a series of questions of His own - where were you when - what right do you have to question me?
7 “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 8 Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
Blaming God in our grief is sinful.
B. Our grieving becomes sinful when it becomes destructive.
B. Our grieving becomes sinful when it becomes destructive.
There is a time for grief.
Solomon told us there is a time to weep and mourn but there is a time to laugh and dance.
Though grief will stay with us and show up when we least expect it, we can’t grieve as those who have no hope - we can’t live in our grief.
(2 Samual 12) when David lost his baby with Bathsheba
He wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed while the child was sick.
When the child died he washed himself, ate, and worshiped God.
The pain was still there.
David understood the reality.
It was time to move on.
He would not let grief destroy him.
John Piper expresses responsible grief well.
“Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Feel the pain. Then wash your face, trust God, and embrace the life that he’s given you.”
God is not finished with the grieving.
Whatever God has put in your life, it is there by God’s infinite wisdom and love.
This is not just losing a loved one but anything God has seen fit to put in our lives.
We want to use them as opportunities to step aside from serving Him.
Anything from the loss of a loved one to hurtful and damaging things our past.
Deal with them - yes
Wash the tears from your face and embrace the life God has given you.
Whatever is causing you grief cannot become destructive.
It cannot derail you from the good works in front of you to do.
It is part of God making you who He plans for you to be.
C. Our grieving becomes sinful when it consumes our joyfulness.
C. Our grieving becomes sinful when it consumes our joyfulness.
We have sorrows through which we mourn but that doesn’t remove us from God’s command.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
This is not blind rejoicing.
It is rejoicing in the promises we have.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
C. Our grieving becomes sinful when it consumes our joyfulness.
C. Our grieving becomes sinful when it consumes our joyfulness.
We always want to be careful early in the grief process telling people God has a plan, but at some point the truth that God is working His eternal plan and that He isn’t finished with me, must be embraced.
If you are on this earth God has work for you to do.
Paul’s charge is that our grieving is sinful when it is hopeless.
But he doesn’t end there.
He tell us why.
2. The redeemed are promised resurrection through Christ. (vs. 14-16)
2. The redeemed are promised resurrection through Christ. (vs. 14-16)
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.
2. The redeemed are promised resurrection through Christ. (vs. 14-16)
2. The redeemed are promised resurrection through Christ. (vs. 14-16)
Don’t miss Paul’s the assumption.
Since we believe.
It seems to present the idea that grieving as those who have no hope is forget that that what we believe.
It seems as though the sort of forgot what they believed and Paul is calling them back to it
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
Paul goes on to remind them of the hope of the truth of the resurrection.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
2. The redeemed are promised resurrection through Christ. (vs. 14-
2. The redeemed are promised resurrection through Christ. (vs. 14-
For those who believe there is life after this.
We declare to you that we who are alive and left on this earth will not precede those who have already faced physical death.
The dead in Christ will rise first.
Their physical bodies will be brought up out of the grave.
From the dust that it returned.
Christ will come down from heaven with and command His children to come home.
3. The redeemed are promised reunion with believers and residence with God. (vs. 17)
3. The redeemed are promised reunion with believers and residence with God. (vs. 17)
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.
3. The redeemed are promised reunion with believers and residence with God. (vs. 17)
3. The redeemed are promised reunion with believers and residence with God. (vs. 17)
We will enjoy a reunion with those who have gone before us.
This is the encouragement Paul was giving - don’t grieve like you won’t see them again.
We enjoy eternity with the believers who have gone on before us.
Imagine an eternity with
Adam and Eve
Noah
Abraham
Moses
David
The disciples
Paul
Grandparents
Parents
Siblings
Children
What about the greatest prize?
We will enjoy eternity with Christ.
We get hints of what this will be like throughout scripture.
43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
What if all the people we will get to see isn’t the biggest deal in heaven?
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
3. The redeemed are promised reunion with believers and residence with God. (vs. 17)
3. The redeemed are promised reunion with believers and residence with God. (vs. 17)
We will no longer see in part.
We will fully see Christ. - Face to face with our savior.
Face to face with the one we’ve tried to follow.
We will finally have Christ fully as our most prized possession.
I’m not sure much else will matter.
4. The encouragement is to work not wait idly. (vs. 18)
4. The encouragement is to work not wait idly. (vs. 18)
Many Christians have an unhealthy fascination of the end times.
Maybe you would think, well surely this is it. Christ will return at any time.
He might. We are to be ready.
It might happen before we leave here today.
It might happen tomorrow.
It might happen in 100 years.
Look what Paul said: we who are alive - Paul believed the coming of the Lord would be soon.
We call this the immanent return.
Let’s look at what Paul says about his own possible death:
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
4. The encouragement is to work not wait idly. (vs. 18)
4. The encouragement is to work not wait idly. (vs. 18)
Our physical death is gain- to be caught up with Christ is gain.
If I am living and breathing on this earth there is fruitful labor left to be done.
To be with Christ is far better for me.
To remain on this earth in necessary to accomplish the good works that are still here for me to accomplish.
Conclusion
We can and should grieve but grieve in ways which are consistent with the hope you have in Christ, as opposed to those who grieve without such hope.
The resurrection of Jesus is both the hope of believers. The resurrection of Jesus is the reason why death can be called “falling asleep” because death for the believer is not the end. We will see them again.
This is an encouragement for us to work not wait idly.
