Death in Light of Jesus Return
New Year Fear • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsIn a World filled with invisible enemies - death, disease, and evil - how are we to face what feels like an unknowable future? What do we do with our anxiety regarding the days ahead? Thessalonians provides comfort and reassurance to those living in uncertain times. These letters discuss the future of Christ's Second Coming, and what believers should do while waiting his return.
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In a World filled with invisible enemies - death, disease, and evil - how are we to face what feels like an unknowable future? What do we do with our anxiety regarding the days ahead? Thessalonians provides comfort and reassurance to those living in uncertain times. These letters discuss the future of Christ's Second Coming, and what believers should do while waiting his return.
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God offers the counter balance not to remove our sorrow but to find our strength in him.
Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Big Idea of the Message: Paul wanted the church in Thessalonica to be thoroughly educated about the Second Coming of Jesus so they wouldn’t be afraid or confused.
Application Point: We can live with confidence in the present when we are biblically informed about the future.
Winston Churchill had planned his funeral, which took place in Saint Paul’s Cathedral. He included many of the great hymns of the church and used the eloquent Anglican liturgy. At his direction, a bugler, positioned high in the dome of Saint Paul’s, intoned, after the benediction, the sound of “Taps,” the universal signal that says the day is over.
But then came a dramatic turn: as Churchill instructed, after “Taps” was finished, another bugler, placed on the other side of the great dome, played the notes of “Reveille”—“It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up in the morning.”
That was Churchill’s testimony that at the end of history, the last note will not be “Taps”; it will be “Reveille.”
The worst things are never the last things.
Text:
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
I. Sorrow finds solace in an equal measure of Hope (13)
Explanation: Paul understands that a funeral gives us an opportunity like no other we will have. You see it is moments like this one that we determine to look into a reality that much of the time we like to imagine isn't there. That is a life after this one. See we like living from day to day thinking that we will always be here and never have any problems. But it is in this moment that we recognize that all of us have a time to die.
About half way through the Old Testament there is a book called Ecclesiastes. This book records these words:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
“‘them which are asleep’ (ton koimomenon) is an expression chosen in lieu of the ‘the dead’ (v. 15) because of death's temporary nature for Christians (cf. 1 Cor 7:39; 11:30; 15:6, 18, 20, 51; cf. also John 11:11). Though the pagans used ‘sleep’ as a metaphor for ‘death,’ it is especially appropriate for Christians because of their assured bodily resurrection.
THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES IS GREAT...
The sorrow is great, the grief is so hard to bearIt is the most stressful event that one can endure
THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT IMMUNE TO SORROW...
We experience the sorrow of separation - e.g., Ac 20:37-38But we need not experience the sorrow of desperation
Argument: Paul wants us to understand that there is more than merely sorrow. In fact our sorrow today is tempered by the fact that there is hope for all of those that look for a brighter day.
Illustration:
To comfort your hearts and ease the pain of loss, I want to make 2 statements.
God's children do not die. Jesus said it Himself in
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Like the old poem:
I cannot think of them as dead
Who walk with me no more
Along the path of life I tread
They have but gone before.
Yes, Gone to Glory! Loren simply changed residents from this world to the city of God. We are here only to bury the covering. Steve is not here. This is only the covering.
Illustration: Throw away the envelop.
Application: We are told that when those who serve in the ranks of the Salvation Army die they are listed, not under the heading of "deaths" but under the heading "promotions". Promoted to Glory!
II. Sorrow finds solace in an equal measure of Truth (14)
Explanation: Paul will limit his discussion to the dead saints.
The scriptures often speak of death as a "sleep"
Mt 27:52 - ...bodies of the saints who had "fallen asleep"
Jn 11:11-14 - Jesus says of dead Lazarus, "our friend sleeps"
Ac 7:60 - As Stephen is stoned to death, it is said "he fell asleep"Some believe these passages support the doctrine of "soul sleeping"
That souls are unconscious between death and the resurrection. Not to be confused with the doctrine held by JW's, who teach there is no consciousness until the resurrection because the dead cease to exist. Yet the following points should be carefully noted:
Nowhere do the Scriptures say that the soul of the departed one fell asleep
It was the person who "fell asleep"Thus it can have reference to the body, not the soul. The term "sleep" is a figurative reference, and a very appropriate one:
For sleep implies REST...
When one sleeps literally, there is rest from one's labor. So it is that the dead also "rest from their labors" - cf. Re 14:13For sleep implies a CEASING OF PARTICIPATION...
In literal sleep, one ceases in the activities pertaining to the sphere in which one has been busy during the hours of wakefulness So it is with the dead, they are no longer active in the world which they leftFor sleep is generally a PRELUDE TO AN AWAKENING...
In literal sleep, it is followed by an "awakening"So it is with death:
Though the souls may be conscious during the intermediate state......at the resurrection there will be the "awakening" of the glorified and transformed bodies in which to house our soulsThe term "sleep" became a euphemism for death because of the sleep-like appearance of the bodyThat God will bring "them with Jesus" implies they are with Jesus now!
As stated later in this epistle - 1Th 5:10As stated elsewhere in the Scriptures - 2Co 5:8; Lk 23:43; Php 1:21-23. THEY WILL PRECEDE THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE...
It seems some in Thessalonica feared those who had died would miss out on the blessings of Christ's comingPaul reassures them (and us) that such is not the case...
There are some today that say that all roads lead to God.
They will tell us that if you are a good person or that you have accomplished these works, or just so long as you believe in something God will take you to heaven.
This is not so. Verse 14 tell us the truth.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Jesus says,
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Argument: It all comes down to this, you know; either you know that when you leave this life you will enter into eternal life with the risen Christ, or you have no hope at all for anything beyond this life, and in your soberest moments you must face the fact that life is ultimately futile.
Application:
III. Sorrow finds solace in an equal measure of God’s Promise (15-17)
Explanation: Unless we go in the Rapture or catching away of the church we will all at one point have to face the reality of crossing over. The Bible is very Clear:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
When we speak of funerals we usually don't think of gaining anything do we? The word gain is usually not in our funeral vocabulary. Most of the time we speak of our loss – and that is what we concentrate on. People tell us how sorry they are for our loss. In fact when a person dies we say that they lost their life. We have a flood of emotions – sadness – grief – sometimes anger and regret. We have those emotions because we have lost something. We have lost fellowship with Steve, and it hurts. We will not be able to sit and visit with Steve again in this life – and that hurts. There is pain when we loose a loved one. But did you know there is one verse in the Bible that uses the word gain when it speaks of death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
What Does the Christian Gain When They Die?
If “for me to live is Christ,” then to die is gain.
If for me to live is money – then to die is loss.
If for me to live is self – then to die is loss.
If for me to live is ambition – then to die is loss.
If for me to live is sin – then to die is loss.
If “for me to live is Christ,” then to die is gain
Application: Many place their faith in religion or church. "Most people in America have just enough religion to keep them from getting the real thing. They have just enough to inoculate them against God!"
Many hope in their good works.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
At death, we all cross from one territory to another, but those who have established a personal relationship with Jesus will have no trouble with Their visas. Their representative is already there, preparing for their arrival. Their entrance is incontestable as citizens of heaven.
THE PROCEDURE FOR CHRIST'S COMING (16-17)
THE LORD WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN...
Note what is said about His coming - 1Th 4:16
It will be with a "shout"It will be with the "voice of an archangel"It will be with the "trumpet of God"This is not describing some silent rapture!
Those alive will be transformed - cf. 1Co 15:51-53
Their mortal bodies will put on immortalityTheir corruptible bodies will put on incorruptionThe righteous living will then join the righteous dead - cf. 1Th 4:17Together in the clouds we will meet the Lord in the air - cf. Ac 1:9-11
IV. Sorrow can only find solace when it comes from God. (18)
The wonderful promise in our text certainly provides comfortComfort that can sustain us in times of great loss-- While we may sorrow when a fellow-Christian dies, it is not the sorrow of those who have no hope!TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER...
Comforting others in their loss of a loved one is a common human trait - cf. Jn 11:19Certainly Christians are to "weep with those who weep" - Ro 12:15But for those who are fellow Christians, we can do more - we can provide comfort!
Comfort them with the comfort we have in Christ - 2Co 1:3-4Especially the comfort provided by the hope we have in Christ - 1Th 4:18; 5:10-11