Sermon Tone Analysis

[Read 1 thess.

4:13-18]

Some say that “Ignorance is bliss”, but when it comes to eternity ignorance is very bitter.

Paul’s stated purpose was to make sure that the church understood how the resurrection was going to happen.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

Thesis Statement: Mature believers understand the resurrection, which provides confidence despite sorrow, the condition based on Christ, and the chronology which provides comfort.

We must understand the doctrine of the resurrection in order to experience true, biblical hope.

Paul’s plea right from the start is our overarching theme for this part 9 lesson: “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren...”

I. Understanding Our Resurrection Confidence

1 Thessalonians 4:13

I. Understanding Our Resurrection Confidence

A. The World’s View of Death is Shades and Shadows

Many ancients viewed death as annihilation (cease to exist)

Or they believed in some kind of shadowed, dreary netherworld

So their sorrow was not just for their own loss, but also for the horrible fate of the one that passed away.

They would also perform idolatrous practices on behalf of the dead, which God warned the Israelites against:

Leviticus 19:28

Ephesians 2:12

Pagans saw death as eternal sleep

“Of a man once dead there is no resurrection.”

(Aeschylus - Greek author)

“Hopes are among the living, the dead are without hope.”

(Theocritus - Greek poet early 200BC)

“Suns may set and rise again but we, when once our brief light goes down, must sleep an endless night.”

(Catullus - Latin poet)

For those without Christ, there is no hope after this life.

The biggest difference between the unbeliever’s sorrow and the Christian’s sorrow is that the unbeliever sorrows for both himself and the dead…but the Christian sorrows only for himself.

I. Understanding Our Resurrection Confidence

A. The World’s View of Death is Shades and Shadows

B. God’s View of Death is Simply Sleep

1 Thessalonians 4:13

To describe burial sites, early Christians started using the word translated into english as “cemetery”, which meant “dormitory”, or a place to rest.

The Bible often uses the word “sleep” to mean “death”.

(…and so do we: “laid to rest”)

It is a euphemism, which is when we use a more polite word in place of a potentially offensive word.

(i.e. - “Adam knew his wife...”)

But the use of sleep in place of death is more than a euphemism…there is something more important happening here.

We know this for a couple of reasons:

The Bible DOES use death and dying without apology (even in this passage)

There is an important theological truth that this word helps us to understand:

Describing physical, clinical death as “sleep” is the perfect way to describe death from God’s perspective.

God is eternal, existing outside of time, and knows the end from the beginning.

From our perspective, when someone dies, we know we will not see them again in this life, but to the eternal God, their body is just taking a nap…just resting....they are simply “asleep”.

And the resurrection is God simply “waking them up”.

Jesus used this same wording during His earthly ministry:

Luke 8:40-42

Luke 8:49-56

Luke 8:49–56 (NKJV)

49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead.

Do not trouble the Teacher.”

50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”

51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.

52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”

53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.”

55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.

And He commanded that she be given something to eat.

56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

From Jesus’ point of view, this 12 yo girl was simply sleeping and needed to be woken up.

This is how God sees our physical death…we simply go to sleep for a while and then He wakes us up!

John 11:1-4

John 11:11-15

John 11:39-44

When we die physically, in this life, we are simply asleep from God’s perspective.

I. Understanding Our Resurrection Confidence

A. The World’s View of Death is Shades and Shadows

B. God’s View of Death is Simply Sleep

C. Our View of Death is Sanctified Sorrow

1 Thessalonians 4:13

The word “as” is a conjunction, and an adverbial comparative”, meaning it is a subordinating conjunction that denotes a relative comparison

This phrase “as others who have no hope” is a comparison subordinate clause (as others who have no hope)…that is being compared with the main clause (“lest you sorrow”)...meaning that Paul is not saying that they will not (or should not) sorrow…just that the believer should not sorrow to the same degree as an unbeliever sorrows.

Mourning is not a sign of spiritual weakness

To truly mourn is to grieve a loss, which ultimately brings healing

Matthew 5:4

C. Our View of Death is Sanctified Sorrow

Jesus loves us

The word love in verse 3 is “phileo” - brotherly love!

Lazarus was not just another person who needed to be healed, he was Jesus’s friend!

They were like brothers!…very close and shared a special bond of close friendship

(by the way…we can go through sickness and other trials and know that God still loves us!)

This family was very close to Jesus…they shared a close friendship and Jesus “agaped” them very much!

But what about us…we aren’t part of that family

Mark 3:31-35

Jesus loves us so much!…just as much as He loved Lazarus, Martha, and Mary!

(Jesus loves me, this I know…)

B. Our View of Death is Sanctified Sorrow

Jesus loves us

2. Jesus mourns with us

John 11:32-33

Notice where Mary is right now…she’s not at the tomb, but has fallen at Jesus’ feet.

Have You Been There???…Throwing yourself down at Jesus’s feet…asking Him “Why Lord?!?…If only You would have intervened like we asked you to do!..If only you would have come, my brother would be alive, my dad, mom, child, friend…Where were you?!?”

Have you been there?

Jesus looks down at her weeping at His feet (NOTICE JESUS DOES NOT REBUKE HER FOR HER GRIEVING!)…and

He sees all the Jews that are wailing

Jesus’ emotions are being strained.

Jesus’ was forced to restrain His emotions, but was deeply troubled and agitated by the emotions of the mourners

John 11:34

Jesus wanted to see the place…not just because of what He would do there…but because He knew how much it meant to the sisters.

He wanted to mourn with them…to be with them in their grief…just like He wants to be with us on our grief.

John 11:35

This was not a single tear rolling down Jesus’ cheek