20-0809 Sermon Text

DESCRIPTION The Christians Confident Hope when Facing Death or Experiencing Grief

1 Thess 4:13-15 Paul instructed the Thessalonians how to respond to death. God prewired us with the knowledge that there was more to our existence than just the days of this life. Christ-followers look forward to seeing Jesus face to face with great confidence and assurance. There is a process to transformation and even a time for grieving the loss of a loved one while we wait out turn to be called Heavenward. Listen and be encouraged to have Confident Hope when Facing Death or Experiencing Grief. Pastor Chris Teien

8/9 The Christians Confident Hope when Facing Death or Experiencing Grief (1 Thess. 4:13-15)8/16 Preparing for Jesus to come get His Church (1 Thess. 4:15-18)8/23 Living in Expectation of the Lord’s Return (1 Thess. 5:1-11)

Parents got divorced when I was little. Lived with my dad at his parents. Grandma died of breast cancer when I was six. Traumatic – she filled the mother role in my life and then she was gone. Four years ago my adult son died of an accidental drug overdose. It was unexpected and crushing. I don’t know how people can handle death without the hope of seeing loved ones again.

Military Mortician Sees Faith Sustain the Grieving Robert Bauer was one of two full-time morticians on staff at Dover, and has seen plenty during his 40-plus years in the business. American soldiers who do not survive the conflict in Iraq come back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Since 1955, the Dover mortuary has been the next-to-last stop for some 60,000 Americans, most killed in service to their country. As difficult as the mortician's job may be, the hardest part of the job, according to Bauer, is dealing with anguished loved ones. No matter how horrific the death, he finds it easier to deal with the autopsy room than with the grief of those left behind.

Four decades in the business has taught him that all grief is not created equal. "When a family comes in here with some kind of faith, some kind of belief in God, they hold up so much better than someone who has nothing to hold onto."

Death is inevitable.

We often teach about Christian living but not about Christian dying.

Paul thought it was important for these young believers at Thessalonica to understand death and what happens after death. Paul is writing here to comfort the brokenhearted Thessalonians whose loved ones had died.

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 (NIV)

#1 Death is like Sleeping

Death. Someone who has died looks like he is sleeping. In John 11, Jesus said Lazarus had fallen asleep, meaning he had died. Sleep speaks of rest after a long, hard labor. For Christians, death is temporary, like a nap. Sleep here refers to the body, not the soul.

A Christian's body sleeps until it is resurrected. Some people have peaceful deaths and our buried. Some are very destructive. Some are creamated. Some have their ashes packed into fireworks so they can go out with a bang

#2 We are Conscious after Dying

Life After Death. Luke 16, beginning in verse 19, tells the story of a rich man and a beggar. When they died, the beggar went to Abraham's bosom and the rich man went to the place of torments, Hades. We see that the soul is conscious after death. In Hades, people are fully conscious and feel pain. It is not a place anyone wants to be. It is a place of torture, suffering, and eternal separation from God.

19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. Luke 16:19-23 (NLT2)

24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ 25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ 30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ Luke 16:19-30 (NLT2)

#3 Don’t be Uninformed or Ignorant about Death

There has always been speculation about death. Because of ancient pagan belief systems, the Thessalonians were ignorant about Christian death.

Deceit. There are more books on death and life-after-death experiences now than ever before. Most of those books describe seeing a white light or feeling a great peace. Perhaps people who have experienced these things have been deceived by Satan, the angel of light, who is telling them there is hope for everyone after death. The flip side of life-after-death experiences is usually not told. Many people will listen to the words of people who have had near-death experiences, yet will reject the words of Jesus Christ, who died and rose from the dead. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NLT2)

Revelation. The Word of the Lord gives assurance for the future For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NIV)

Our Creator Prewired us to look Forward to EternityHe has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

All Cultures Long for Heaven Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Tyndale, 2004

The sense that we will live forever somewhere has shaped every civilization in human history. Australian aborigines pictured Heaven as a distant island beyond the western horizon. The early Finns thought it was a distant island in the far away east. Mexicans, Peruvians, and Polynesians believed that they went to the sun or the moon after death. Native Americans believed that, in the afterlife, their spirits would hunt the spirits of buffalo.

The Gilgamesh epic, an ancient Babylonian legend, refers to a resting place of heroes and hints at a tree of life. In the pyramids of Egypt, the embalmed bodies had maps placed beside them as guides to the future world. The Romans believed that the righteous would picnic in the Elysian Fields, while their horses grazed nearby. Seneca, the Roman philosopher, said, "The day thou fearest as the last is the birthday of eternity.“

Although these depictions of the afterlife differ, the unifying testimony of the human heart throughout history is belief in life after death. Anthropological evidence suggests that every culture has a God-given, innate sense of the eternal—that this world is not all there is.

Billy and Ruth Graham in Old Age In August of 2006, Newsweek magazine profiled the lives of Ruth and Billy Graham—not their historic evangelistic crusades and international impact, but there life as an elderly couple approaching their final chapters on earth. One thing that shone brilliantly through the pages of the article was the incredible quality of their marriage. "At night we have time together," Billy says. "We pray together and read the Bible together every night. It's a wonderful period of life for both of us. We've never had a love like we do now—we feel each other's hearts."

Of course, Billy is still Billy, and his gift of evangelism also sparkled throughout the story. "I think about heaven a great deal," he said. "I think about the failures in my life in the past, but know they have been covered by the blood of Christ. And that gives me a great sense of confidence. I have a certainty about eternity that is a wonderful thing, and I thank God for giving me that certainty. I do not fear death. I may fear a little bit about the process, but not death itself, because I think the moment that my spirit leaves this body, I will be in the presence of the Lord."

#4 Grieving a Death with Hope is Helpful

HOPE = a joyful anticipation, a confident expectation

The one distinguishing difference between a Christian funeral and non-Christian funeral is hope. There is no hope for the person who dies having rejected Jesus Christ. Hope. Hope. Christian death is mingled with hope. The word hope here means "a joyful anticipation, a confident expectation." Jesus answered him (Thief on the Cross) , “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 (NIV)

The Lord Cares about Death

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. Psalm 116:15 (NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Grieving a Death is Necessary

Grieving a loved ones death Is Necessary.

•The Hebrews would grieve publicly for ninety days.

•Jacob mourned for many days when he thought Joseph had been torn apart by wild beasts.

•When David heard that his son, Absalom, was killed, he said "would to God I died."

•Jesus refuted the thinking that big boys don't cry in 1:3: "Jesus wept."

•The Bible says there is a time to laugh and a time to cry (Eccl. 3:4).

Paul is telling these believers that their grief will be mingled with hope.

Stages of Grief.

Stages of Grief. There are several stages people go through when grieving the death of a loved one:

Denial. NO they cant be deadGuilt. If only I had… they would still be aliveAnger and blame. If only you/they had…Depression. Not hungry. No reason to go on. I’m so sad.Acceptance.

People deal with grief differently. Some want to talk it out – Some don’t. Some want to avoid work – some want to keep distracted with work.

#4 Be Sure of Life after Death

Full Assurance of Life After Death. Paul makes it clear that when a believer dies, his soul goes to be with God (5:8).

When He comes for the church at the rapture, Jesus will bring with Him those who have died. (Next Week)

Though the body remains here, the real you is not your body, it's your soul. It's good to know that we won't have this body forever. We'll have a new body one day.

Assurance of Life After Death. How do we know that we'll live again? Jesus died and rose again. He secured our salvation on the cross and triumphed over death in the resurrection.

LIKE JESUS RESURRECTED BODY The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable (not capable of physical corruption); 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory (will be glorious—not disposed to being dishonorable); it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power (will be powerful—not susceptible to sickness); 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (will be spiritual—not limited to natural laws).. 1 Corinthians 15:41-44 (NIV)

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (will inherit the kingdom of God—not prohibited from the presence of God). 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed (will be changed—not bound by the earthly body)— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality (will be immortal—not disposed to death). 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (NIV)

The most important preparation for life is spiritual preparation, and the only preparation for death is coming to know a life that is eternal. There is only one way to live, and that is in the Lord. There is really only one way to die, and that is in the Lord. No other philosopher has ever dared suggest an answer to death. No other intellectual discipline has ever claimed to have a sufficient solution. Only the Word of God clearly and plainly gives us directions and descriptions of eternal life.

Life must be released to God to be fully lived.“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

The ultimate lie is that God cannot be trusted with our lives. Consider Jesus’ death: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). What a beautiful way to die. He let go of life in perfect trust in God.

That kind of “releasing faith” does not just happen. It crowns the end of a life that learned the art of letting go and letting God. Hope For The Heart. Hunt, J. (2008). Biblical Counseling Keys on Death

Death is inevitable. You must be prepared: Talk about it. Forgive one another. Resolve conflict. Most importantly, prepare spiritually. If your life is not right with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, you are unprepared. Pray that the Lord will teach you to number your days

…each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27 (NLT2) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV2011)

NEXT WEEK - 8/16 Preparing for Jesus to come get His Church (1 Thess. 4:15-18)