The Keys To Our Hope In Christ
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Last week we began our trek into the Rapture Passage of 1 Thessalonians 4.
Letter of love and concern
Paul was concerned about their spiritual well-being in the midst of trials
Now he is concerned about their comfort during times of grief and loss
He was concerned that they were uninformed about the reality of those believers who had died
They knew Jesus was going to return
What about those believers who died?
Their grief is temporary in light of the eternal hope in Christ
that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope,
(1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Today, we are going to examine The Keys To Our Hope In Christ, which comforts us in our grief and encourages us as we look to the future.
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Death Of Jesus
The Death Of Jesus
How important is the death of Jesus?
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
The death of Jesus for the sins of the world is one of the most important doctrines in historical Christianity.
Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Penal: Jesus Christ, by His death on the cross, bore the penalty for human sin
Substitutionary: the death of Jesus was in our place
Atonement: satisfying the justice of God so that sinners who believe in Him are forgiven and reconciled to God.
In short:
Jesus took the punishment we deserved so that we could receive the mercy we don’t deserve.
Among the over 300 Messianic prophecies, there are those that point to the death of the Messiah on behalf of the people
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
Jesus is the Messiah, on whom the wrath of God would be poured out for the benefit of mankind.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The death of Jesus is the means of grace to deliver us from the power of sin and enslavement to the flesh.
Jesus died…and rose again
The Resurrection Of Jesus
The Resurrection Of Jesus
The very thing that sets Christianity apart from every other religion in the world is that we have a risen Savior.
Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad…all dead
Jesus Christ… once dead, now alive
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
The life of Jesus Christ:
Birth
Life of miracles and compassion
Death
Resurrection
Was all foretold in the Old Testament prophets. He is the very fulfillment of the prophecies.
We can rejoice that God keeps His promises, and the resurrection is one of those promises that He kept
The resurrection of Christ indicates that the Father accepted His sacrifice, enabling Him to be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus, (Romans 3:26).
Jesus’ resurrection proves that He conquered sin and death, and became the source of resurrection life for every Christian.
Because I live, you also will live.
And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
But what if He didn’t?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Jesus had to rise from the dead in order for our faith to be established and our sins to be fully atoned for.
Without a risen Savior, we are left with merely a good man that died.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
As it relates to the Rapture, the Resurrection is the:
Source of hope for those who are asleep…
as they will be raised again
Source of hope for those who remain…
as they anticipate the return of Jesus
The Word Of Jesus
The Word Of Jesus
Paul exudes confidence in the coming of Christ on three things:
The death of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus
The word of Jesus
This we declare to you by a word from the Lord…
Authoritative
Revelation from God through the apostle
The fact that the Rapture would happen was revealed to Paul, but the specifics were not.
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.
People are always looking for signs and trying to piece together the puzzle for when Jesus is coming back.
Believers have been speculating about many different people over the years (the Antichrist)
Believers have been speculating as to when the Rapture will happen
The reality is that it is not for us to know.
We need to stop being so distracted in figuring this out.
What did Jesus say to His disciples right before He ascended to heaven?
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The fact that the Lord has told us He is coming back, and that there will be a Rapture, is enough.
His Word is the assurance we have of things to come.
Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
His command to us is not to sit idle and wait, but to go and share the gospel with the world.
you will be my witnesses
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations
Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
The day is coming when Jesus will return, when He will judge the world in righteousness for their sins.
The good news is that He has come once for the forgiveness of sins, and is now calling all men everywhere to repent and believe in Him.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We hold The Keys To Our Hope In Christ.
The Death of Jesus
The Resurrection of Jesus
The Word of Jesus
As sure as these things are, we are confident in His coming again to call us to His presence, that we may be with the Lord forever.
Until that day comes, do not sit idle waiting for the Lord to come.
Serve the Lord!
It is what the Thessalonians were commended for: serving while they wait
For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
