Glad Reunion Day

Introduction |

My Favorite Illustrations A Certain Event

A Certain Event

This truly will be a glad reunion day. This day, the day of the resurrection is our hope. We may not know the date, we know for certain He will return.

Focus Passage | 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Outline |

The Blessed Hope (vv.13-15a)

It would seem that this young group of Christians, as Paul refers to them as brethren, were confused by false teachings within the church. False teachers were teaching a false doctrine of the resurrection. They were teaching that the resurrection had already taken place. If this was the case, there were questions to be answered? What about the dead in Christ? What about those still living in Christ? Was there hope at all? Was everything they believed misunderstood or yet worse, a lie? Paul was writing this portion of his epistle to clear up this truth, But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren.

There’s no blessed hope outside of Christ

We find that the lost, those that have no relationship with Christ, find themselves in a hopeless state, even as others which have no hope.

As a believer, in Christ, we have hope, a blessed hope. This hope comes through a relationship with Father through Christ.

This blessed hope is based on the assertion of faith in Christ

The hope of the believer is having faith in the truths and promises of God. Paul drives this point home when he states, For if. He is stating that if we believe what we say we believe, then we should not be hopeless. This does not mean that we do not grieve. Grieving is natural. We just have hope within our grieving. As written in the New American Commentary on 1 Thessalonians:

1, 2 Thessalonians 4. Exhortations regarding the Dead (4:13–18)

For some in the first century death was considered an absolute termination of existence. This was not universally true, however, because the ancient world did in fact have an abundance of beliefs regarding an afterlife. Among these the character of life after death varied considerably from the Hades of the Homeric myths to the immortality taught by various philosophers to the salvation offered by the mystery religions. How thoroughly such teachings actually impacted the common person, if they did at all, is uncertain. But that such teachings did exist indicates that Paul was not denying their existence but their validity. The hopelessness of the non-Christian world stemmed from the one fact they all shared: they did not possess the one true hope, the Christian hope, which Christ validated by his resurrection

The tale of two visitations: 1) A lost young adult (early twenties) and 2) An old country pastor, Bro. Charlie Bradley

Do you believe what the Scriptures says, that Jesus died and rose again? If so, then do you live in that truth. Do you not realize that if God raised Christ, He will also raise you and I to newness of life.

Romans 8:11 KJV

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

The resurrection is our hope. Without it, we are without hope and of utmost misery.

1 Corinthians 15:14 KJV

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Since Christ did die. Since Christ did rise from the dead. We can stand on the promise of His return and our resurrection, which brings us hope even in the midst of our grief. We are not hopeless. We are complete in the hope of Christ and the promise of the resurrection.

This blessed hope is based on the authority of the Word of God (v.15a)

The Glad Reunion Day (vv. 15b-17)

There are two old hymns that often come to my mind. The first one, What a Day That Will Be, chorus goes like this:

Chorus: What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see

When I look upon His face the one who saved me by His grace

When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promise land

What a day, glorious day that will be

And the second hymn, The Glad Reunion Day, first stanza and chorus go:

First Stanza: There will be a happy meeting in Heaven, I know

When we see the many loved ones we’ve known here below

Gathered on that blessed hilltop with hearts all aglow

That will be a glad reunion day

Chorus: A glad day, a wonderful day

Glad day, a glorious day

There with all the holy angels and loved ones to stay

That will be a glad reunion day

And brothers and sisters that day will truly be a glad reunion day. Paul wanted the brethren of Thessalonica to know this, just as we are to know this today.

The guarantee of this glad reunion day is the Word of the Lord (v.15a)

This glad reunion day is for the dead in Christ (vv.15b-16)

Brad Mount, a Christian song writer and artist, sings a song that I listen to often. It reminds of truth that I try to share at every life celebration service of a fellow believer in Christ that I officiate. That truth is this. That death for the believer is not goodbye, but I’ll see you later. They simply have gone on before. As Brad Mount sings:

I’m not really gone, Just gone on before

Not dead but alive, forever more

Just look around, you can be sure

I’m not really gone, just gone before

This glad reunion day is for the alive in Christ (vv.17a)

This glad reunion days is for our union, the Church’s union with Christ (v.17b)

The Comfort (v.18)

Conclusion|

Do you have the hope of the resurrection? Do you know Christ as your Lord and Savior? For without Him there is no hope. I wish to extend you an opportunity today to accept that hope, the hope of a glad reunion day.