1 Thessalonians 4:18 “So encourage each other with these words.”

“Billy, it was just a year ago today that you left us and the sunshine went out of our lives. But we turned on the headlights and we’re going on. Billy, we shall keep on doing the best we can until that glorious day when we shall see you again. “

It was signed simply, “Love, the family.” No names, just a simple confession of faith that enabled them to go on in the face of sorrow and death.

When faced with this kind of loss, it can be hard to find a ray of sunshine in the midst of the darkness of the grave. This is the reason for the Apostle Paul’s words to believers in the city of Thessalonica who were struggling over recent deaths in their faith community. — Saints of the faith.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 “So encourage each other with these words.”

HOPE for the LIVING!

The good news of Paul’s message is this, that there is…HOPE for the living, those of us still here — Hope found in the risen Christ.

OUMC members — Friends, family, of you — People of our community…May we find the light of hope in them as well.

Bibles — Notes — Prayer

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

Someone close to death who has the desire to live, hanging on until they can experience a future event that has great significance…?

'This will be her last Christmas': Freeland rallying for woman battling leukemia. Kait Dill (21) is looking forward to Nov. 20 Kane Brown concert.

In his words Paul’s is wanting to encourage them to look to where hope can be found, by pointing them to a future event — The Lords return.

(Read 4:16)

Many had known Jesus, heard his teachings, witnessed his miracles, and saw him die. They had heard Jesus assure them in the hope of his resurrection. Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ — This community would have been years removed — only hearing of Jesus...

The scripture reveals two concerns that would have been on the minds of these first century Christians, who were facing both personal and communal persecution by those hostile to their beliefs.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “Dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died, so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.”

Their concern for those who had recently died

2. The burden of their own grief

Those who have fallen asleep — There were those among them who thought that those who had died recently were some how doomed or separated from the Lord Jesus. That they would not partake in Christ’s return.

Greco Roman world — Roman Poet Catullus

“The sun can set and rise again. But once our brief light sets, there is one unending night to be slept through

Notice the lack of hope for anything but what we experience in this life.

It’s not wrong for a person to look to one more life event, But if that is all they have to cling to before death, then they will sleep forever without hope.

To offer comfort to those concerned for their dead, Paul is insistent that those who had belief in Jesus’ at the time of death, were in fact with the Lord and would be partakers of Christ glorious return. Therefore they have no reason to grieve like those who only think death is an end.

Because of hope Christians face death differently — Steve Woodford, “I’ve Seen people die with faith in Jesus and die without.”

Lazarus — Jesus not worried about his death.....

Hope helps us to look to the future — Hope is for the living

How does hope inform us, bringing light to the darkness of the grave?

I. Living in the light of the RESURRECTION

The Christian Funeral — A Service of Death and Resurrection Death is not an end, but a beginning. For those who believe and who have died in the lord by faith, are to be eternally awake in the presence of God, not asleep in death.

Paul points them to what they already believe as followers of Jesus

1 Thessalonians 4:14 “ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”

Jairus a leader of the synagogue...

Mark 5:39 “He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.””

Jesus knew he had the power to raise the dead because he himself had risen...

Ephesians 1:19-20 “I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead...

Jesus’ defeating death, not only reassures us that resurrection is possible, but that he will not forget those who have died…God will bring with Jesus those who have died — Christs’ return

How does hope inform us, bringing light to the darkness of the grave?

II. Living in the light of the Lord’s RETURN

The scripture reveal to us, not only that God has not forgotten those who have died in faith, but those who live still by faith.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 “We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.”

Because of hope, the living are not left alone in their grief…it’s how the believer can grief differently — J.W. “God with us”

John 14:3 “3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

Living in the light of the Lord’s return assures us that we are not alone...

How does hope inform us, bringing light to the darkness of the grave?

III. Living in light of a heavenly REUNION

The promise that we will see our loved ones again

1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Good bye for now...

Something to loo forward to — Together with them...

How does hope inform us, bringing light to the darkness of the grave?

IV. Living in the light of our own RISING

By faith we too will rise...

1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we will be with the Lord forever.”

Not only reunited with those we love and long for but with the Lord forever.

Daniel 12:13 “13 “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.””

The apostles words aren't mere conjecture. They are from his own experience, his encounter with death and with he risen Christ who saved him.

2 Corinthians 12:2 “2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows.”

Psalm 49:15 “15 But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave.

RESURRECTION — RETURN — REUNION — RISING

How does hope inform us, bringing light to the darkness of the grave?

— When we live in the light of the resurrection, the Lord’s return, a heavenly reunion and our own rising.

Do Christians grieve? Yes! Do the dying who have faith face death differently? Yes! Because we believe…

14 that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”

We will get discouraged from time to time. tears will come. But Jesus brings light to the grave and gives us the way to go on. Christ has risen and Christ will come again in glory! How?

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.”

Be assured that God has taken care of the those who sleep by faith.....

The good news for us is There is hope for the living! It’s found in Jesus.

It could be said, the for the believer, the future look so bright you gotta wear shades