The Coming of the Lord
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Intro
Intro
This week we have all been reminded that death is certain and real, and we do not any more lessons in that truth.
But what we do need is the encouragement that Jesus is coming again. He is the one, we as the church, He is one we are waiting for...
Like a young lady waits for the right one, the groom to make his appearance in her life so the church is waiting on the Lord Jesus.
Now this evening I want us to look I Thess chapter 4 and find the reassurance that Paul gave the church in the midst of death.
So lets look at our text today, , verses 13-18
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.
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Why is Paul teaching this right here, right now in our text, does anyone know why he is teaching this....
Two things, the early church were living under the
Well a couple of things are happening here. The first is the church, the body of believers here at Thessalonica have lost some of their family members and friends to death. It is difficult, it is hard for them to face… shoot, it is hard for us..
Second, The church has always believed Jesus was coming again, and they believed it would be in their life time.
So to have people beginning to experience death it brought some confusion to them, what was happening, Jesus is supposed to save then from this tragedy..
They didn’t have a clear understanding of Jesus second coming and the issue of death. So Paul is taking the time to teach them to help them better understand what was happening in and around their lives.
So let me share with you just a few thoughts...
Present and Clear Hope....
Paul knew people were losing hope…they were struggling with the issue of death.
Look at what Paul says here my friends...
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.
They were some who were struggling with those who were dying, and it appears it is possible that there were some who might have been doing some false teaching as well. But regardless, people were waiting for the coming of the Lord while their loved ones were perishing around them.
I Thess 13:3-4
So Paul says this in verse 13… The word uninformed means to not have any knowledge about or concerning...
I don’t want you to be confused, and certainly i want you to know the truth of the matter… There is hope for those who are preparing to sleep, are asleep and for those of us who remain as well.
Now we know the word sleep is a illusion of the word death or being dead.
And the target of all of this is simple truth, Paul, those spiritual leaders do not want us to grieve like those who have no hope. Don’t continue in misery like those who have no hope.
Why do we have hope… verse 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 truth is what removes the ignorance, Since we believe in Jesus, and since we believe That Jesus rose form the dead, the first fruits of the resurrection,
3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
This is the very doctrine the believers at Thessalonica were taught… And his death, burial and resurrection ensures our resurrection.
2. The Trumpet will Signal the Call.
How will we know when these things are happening?
Well to being with, we know that no one knows the date, not even Jesus.
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
So Jesus will know only when the Father, tells the Son… isnt that interesting, that even though they are one, Jesus says only the Father knows… so he is able to limit that portion of Himself so the Son doesn't know...
2. The Trumpet will Signal the Call.
And that gets a great big wow ....
But there will be a sign for us to know… lets look at verses 15-16
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.
So Paul gives us some assurance, what he is teaching here is not something new, and it certainly isn’t his message, it is the Lord’s own word.
The cry of his command
11 The Lord utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
The voice of the archangel...
9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
And then the sound of the trumpet of God....
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.
and
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.
And then my very last section
The Trumpet will Signal the Call.
3. Home going
Homegoing
The best information is the home going celebration, the Lord will call each group of people, whether dead or alive, He is coming to bring His children home
Look at verses 16-18
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.
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.
There is a right order to things....
A. The dead in Christ
B Those who remain