Be Informed and Have Hope

Introduction

Tonight we are going to pick back up in our study through 1 Thessalonians in 4:13-14. You can go ahead and turn there. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14. As you do, I want you to try and imagine the situation in Thessalonica.

Paul came and preached the gospel to them. They believed the word of the Lord and were eagerly awaiting Jesus’ second coming. As they waited, though, they had to endure persecution and affliction. So did Paul, and they knew about it.

Remember Paul had gone on to Berea after he left Thessalonica, but some Jewish Thessalonians had run over there to stir up trouble too. After leaving Berea, Paul and his companions traveled through Athens to Corinth, where they stayed for a year and a half. Once they got settled, Paul sent Timothy back to check on the Thessalonians. He was anxious to know what had happened to them after they had to bail in the middle of the night. Fortunately, Timothy came back with good news and a few questions, so Paul replied in this letter.

This all happened very quickly. Most commentators agree that the church of Thessalonica was probably planted in the fourth quarter of 49 AD and that this first letter to them was written in the third quarter of 50 AD, give or take a few months. That is remarkable! In less than a year, the Thessalonians had already become what Paul praised in 1:6 as “a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.”

That short timeline also provides helpful context for our text tonight. Let me read it for us, and then we’ll pray and dive in, 4:13-14:

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

Pray with me before we begin.

As you can see from our text, the Thessalonians were concerned about believers who had died. Remember, though, that the church was probably still less than a year old. It was probably smaller than our church too. Let me ask you, how many people at Anchor have died in the last year? How about in the last five years? Not very many right? Conditions were worse back then and early death was more common, but it is still unlikely that many people had died in Thessalonica during the few months since Paul had been gone.

That’s not to say that nobody died, though. Maybe the Thessalonian church had just experienced their first death in the congregation, or maybe they were thinking about the possibility of Paul dying when they heard how he was being persecuted. Apparently someone got hung up on it and started asking questions. Then everybody else realized they didn’t know either.

But what were their questions? What were the Thessalonians worried about? The answer is actually pretty murky. 1 & 2 Thessalonians read like a recorded lecture. You’ve probably heard one like this before. The kind where the professor opens it up for Q&A at the end, but there’s no mic for the audience. So all you hear is Wa-Wa Wa-Wa, and then professor launches off into his answer. And there you are, still trying to figure out what the question was in the first place. Sometimes you can piece it together as you listen to the professor. Other times, though, the professor’s answer is so clear and so helpful you realize the question doesn’t really matter anymore. You’re just glad the student got the professor talking!

That’s the kind of situation we’re dealing with tonight. It’s not super important that we figure out exactly what the Thessalonians were wondering, though there are some hints in the text. What we do have, though, is a really clear and helpful answer from Paul. So that is where we will focus our attention this evening, and along the way we’ll try to piece together a little bit of their concerns.

We’re just going to look at the first part of Paul’s answer in verse 13-14. This section runs through the end of the chapter, and it concludes in verse 18 where Paul commands the Thessalonians to comfort one another with his words. On the front end in verse 13, Paul explains that he wanted to inform them “about those who are asleep.” I hope to do the same thing tonight. I want to give you four instructions that will lead you to comfort when you think about Christians who have fallen asleep. The first pair of instructions show us what we should not be, and the second pair show us what we should believe. Let’s look at them now.

Do not be uninformed

The first instruction is “do not be in uninformed” and it is in the first half of verse 13, let me read it for you,

13a But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep,

Notice that it begins with the phrase, “we do not want you to be uninformed.” This is the first time Paul uses this phrase in his New Testament epistles, and he repeats it in his letters to the Corinthians and Romans a few years later. Each time, he uses it to introduce a section of new or expanded theology, often in response to a question or concern. That is exactly what is happening here.

The phrase is pretty straightforward in meaning, but it is a very countercultural opinion. I’m sure you’re familiar with the axiom that “ignorance is bliss.” Paul is saying that’s a terrible idea! He is warning us against the dangers of ignorance. One of the Puritans, Cotton Mather, took it a step further saying that “ignorance is the mother, not of devotion, but of heresy.” Yikes! That’s rough!

It’s true, though, that being uninformed can bring terrible consequences. Ignorance is dangerous. For example, in Romans 11:25 Paul cautions us that ignorance usually leads to being incorrectly “wise in our own estimation.” And in 2 Corinthians 2:11 he teaches that if we are ignorant of Satan’s schemes, then we are giving Satan an opportunity to take advantage of us. Often times our pride and Satan’s schemes will join forces. We’ll end up doing the wrong thing while thinking that we’re doing the right thing. Or the opposite. We might be doing the right thing but then stop because we get stuck thinking that maybe we were wrong and it was a bad idea.

Look back at our text, though, and see how gentle Paul is with the Thessalonians. He doesn’t criticize them for their ignorance and tell them to stop it. He doesn’t lecture them for leaving the door unlocked at night. He just reminds them that continuing to be uninformed is not good and encourages them to pay attention. Regardless of the past, he wants them to be informed moving forward.

The same is true for you too. If there are areas of theology where you are uninformed, start thinking about how you can learn more in those areas. Try to write down or explain what you believe about something and see where you struggle. Listen to sound teaching and pay attention to the things that are new to you. Talk with people about what you’re learning and try to piece it all together.

We grow in community, and that’s why Paul refers to them as “brothers.” He doesn’t demean them by saying, “We do not want you to be uninformed, you morons.” He relates them to himself and puts them on an equal footing. And it fits so well here. Most brothers grow up in the same house with the same parents and go through the same things as kids. They share a common bond of knowledge and experience. Paul is explaining that we should be the same way. He is sharing his knowledge and wants us to do the same.

Specifically, he says he wants them to be informed “about those who are asleep” in verse 13. He also refers to “those who have fallen asleep (in Jesus)” in verses 14 and 15. But then he defines this phrase for us in verse 16 when he refers to the same group as “the dead in Christ.” That’s the key. Falling asleep is a euphemism for death, a polite and tactful way of talking about it.

Interestingly, even the Greeks and Romans used this phrase. It wasn’t some New Testament church jargon. The origin is easy enough to see—when people die natural deaths in old age, they look like they’re falling asleep. It even happens in bed most of the time!

Biblically speaking, though, the phrase “those who fall asleep” has a couple of extra nuances. It emphasizes the fact that we are going to wake up in the resurrection. But it also is limited to focusing on the body. The Bible never uses this phrase to refer to some kind of spiritual sleep, as if our souls are just floating around in the eternal nether. Instead, 2 Corinthians 5:8 says that if we are “absent from the body,” then we are also “at home with the Lord.” There’s no downtown commute from the body to the Lord. This is work from home style. You walk out of the office and are immediately at home. That’s how it will be when we die and go to be with the Lord.

So this is what Paul wanted the Thessalonians to be informed about. He wanted to comfort them with hope in times of loss.

Do not be grieved

This hope is related to the second instruction that will lead us to comfort when fellow Christians fall asleep. Look at the second half of verse 13 with me now. He says you need to know what happens to believers who die,

13b so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

Paul is is informing us because he doesn’t want us to grieve. So the instruction here is “do not be grieved.”

Think with me about why Paul instructs us not to be grieved. Grief is dangerous, just like ignorance. In fact, ignorance often leads to grief and perpetuates it too! Grief is an emotional response to tragedy, and it can tempt you to say or do things out of passion. Grief can also tempt you to neglect your responsibilities and to take advantage of others who step in to help—perhaps this is part of the reason why the Thessalonians weren’t minding their own business. Lastly, and perhaps most dangerous of all, grief can perpetuate itself in a downward spiral. Grief breeds more grief. Physiologically, you can ‘get high’ off these passions. They arouse adrenaline and pamper your pride. You start to feed on worst case scenarios where you are the mighty hero or the destitute victim. This proves that grief is the fruit of ignorance. In our minds we make or imagine things to be worse than they really are. And that makes us feel intense pain and feelings of sadness and distress all over again. It’s exhausting! Grief is wearisome. Beware of its dangers.

However, Paul’s instruction here is limited in scope. He does not simply say, “so that you will not grieve. Period.” Instead, he qualifies the type of grief he is targeting. He says “as the rest who have no hope.” John Wesley preached, “What fully proves the utter absurdity of almost all our grief... is, that the occasion of it is always past before it begins. To recal [sic] what has already been, is utterly impossible, and beyond the reach of Omnipotence itself.” This gets at the heart of grief without hope. Grief without hope is characterized by rebellion against God’s will. You should not fight against what God has brought to pass and, like Jacob, refuse to be comforted. Do not dig in your heels and pit your will against God’s, grieving without hope. That is sinful!

Instead, be characterized by hope. We often use the word ‘hope’ in two different ways, and both are represented in the Bible. On the one hand, we use it as a wishful sort of thinking about what we would like to see happen. For example, in Luke 23:8 it says that “when Herod saw Jesus, he rejoiced greatly; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.” This is the only kind of hope that nonbelievers have, wishful thinking. The other and far more common use of ‘hope’ in the Bible refers to confidence in God’s promises. For example, in Acts 24:15 Paul says he had a “hope in God… that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” This is good, but nonbelievers don’t have it.

That’s why Paul says ‘the rest’ have no hope in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. He is saying that they do not believe God will fulfill his promises. They have no hope in God. This is a strong warning to nonbelievers. If you have not put your hope in God for eternal life, them you have no hope of attaining to it. Your eternity is hopeless and holds only a “terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries,” as the author of Hebrew says. The gospel is good news because it offers real hope.

That is why we as believers ought to be filled with hope. Romans 15:4 says that “whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” As we persevere through trials we confirm the validity of the hope within us. In addition, the Scriptures encourage us with all kinds of things like the “hope of Israel,” the “hope of the fathers,” the “hope of the glory of God,” the “hope of righteousness,” the “hope of His calling,” the “hope of the gospel,” the “hope of glory,” the “hope of salvation,” and the “hope of eternal life.” The Scriptures are filled with hope and we should be too!

If you consider these things, it becomes clear that our hope in God is primarily focused on our next life. This draws us naturally to the reality of the resurrection. Being raised from the dead is the crux of our hope. It is the gateway to the blessings of heaven. Let’s look at verse 14 to see why we can have this confidence that the dead in Christ will be raised.

Believe that Jesus rose again

In the first half of verse 14, we find our third instruction. We must ‘believe that Jesus rose again.’

14a For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

This doctrine, that Jesus died and rose again, is the bedrock of the Christian faith. It is the foundation of all our hope! But notice how the smallest, skinniest word in this clause actually overpowers its significance here. It is the word ‘if.’ Immediately we have questions. What do you mean ‘if’? This is not a question of whether or not Jesus did die and rise again, but of whether we believe it.

Paul doesn’t even use the technical term ‘resurrection’ here. Surely that was part of the Thessalonians’ vocabulary. Instead, he presents the bare facts, plain and simple. Jesus died, and he rose again. The complicating factor is you! Do you believe that Jesus died and rose again?

Perhaps the Thessalonians would have responded with the father of the demoniac when he said, “I believe, but help my unbelief!” I think that is the spirit of the Thessalonian problem here. Paul was not doubting their desire to believe the gospel. He praised them for setting an example of faith that reached far and wide. Instead, he was reminding them of what they already knew. Like a drill sergeant walking the line of troops and seeing one a little slouched. He says, “Look alive, soldier!” They stiffen up and reply, “Yes, sir!” Here we expect the Thessalonians to say, “Yes sir, I believe in the resurrection!” and they’re thinking, “I don’t wanna get in trouble!” Their heart is in the right place, and Paul is just asking a rhetorical question to set up his next statement.

Yes, of course we believe in the resurrection, and 1 Corinthians 15 explains why? It wasn’t written too many years after this letter. In it, Paul vigorously defends Jesus’ resurrection and positions it as the sine qua non of Christianity, the thing without which we are nothing.

He argues that if Jesus never rose again, then our preaching is in vain, your faith is also in vain, we are found to be false witnesses of God, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished, our hope only applies to this life, and we are of all men most to be pitied! The wheels literally fall off of the gospel when we take out the resurrection.

I think we overlook the importance of the resurrection more often than we realize. For example, I know a pastor who—when he was in seminary, and I’ll also add that it wasn’t Jack—was asked to write out the gospel on an exam. He shared everything about Jesus dying for our sins, but he got an ‘F’ on the assignment because he forgot to mention the resurrection. Would you have remembered it? Do you live in light of it every day?

It is not possible to put into words the significance of the resurrection. If it is true, and it is, then so many other things are true too.

Believe that they will rise again

For instance, look at the second half of verse 14. Paul provides our fourth instruction, “Believe that they will rise again.” He says,

14b even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

This is Paul’s overview of verses 15-17, which Dan will cover next week Lord-willing. Paul is introducing the sequence of events during the rapture of the church. His main point here is that believers who have fallen asleep in Jesus will not be left behind.

There are a couple difficult phrases here. The first one is “will bring.” It’s not immediately clear where God is going when he brings them. Is he bringing them from earth to heaven in the rapture, or from heaven to earth in the second coming? The answer depends on whether Paul is talking about their bodies, which are on earth, or their souls which are in heaven with the Lord. Since the first half of the verse, the near context, refers to the bodily resurrection of Jesus, that must be the point here as well. Therefore, Paul is speaking of their bodies which are on earth, and he is explaining that God will bring them to heaven in their resurrected glory.

The other difficult phrase is “with Him.” This seems to be talking about God but it actually refers to Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 6:14 Paul says, “God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.” Paul’s point is that believers will be raised from the dead by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. God’s power has already been proven. So in our text, Paul is explaining that Jesus' rescue mission is accompanied and validated by the very same power that raised him from the dead.

This is so reassuring. It is reassuring because it means our loved ones who fall asleep in Jesus will be raised again. It is also reassuring because it means that we will also be raised if we fall asleep. Jesus is coming back for the whole church, dead or alive. Nobody is going to get left behind. We will all be together with him in the end. This passage indicate that the Thessalonian church must have been filled with love and compassion. They were super concerned about making sure that nobody missed out on being with Jesus. Paul reassured them that Jesus would not forget. He was even going to honor the saints who had fallen asleep by raising them first.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus has a plan for us? Down to the smallest detail, he knows exactly what will happen. And if we are ever tempted to look down on the Thessalonians for being ignorant of these things, remember that we wouldn’t have this super helpful explanation from Paul if they hadn’t asked some questions. Let us declare with Paul in Romans 8:38-39, “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Death will not separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Spirit reveals to us that God will bring us with him.

Epilogue

Learn to relate to those who are uninformed. Recognize that we are brothers and appeal to one another with humility.

Remember the priests and imitate Jesus as they are described in Hebrews 5:2. It says they are “able to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided” because they themselves are beset with weakness. Remember that we have weaknesses of our own too.

Also, don’t forget the context. Consider that these Thessalonian believers had only known the gospel for maybe nine months to a year. Pastor Jack has been preaching on just the first three chapters of Revelation for longer than that! It is okay if they’re still learning. This is not the same group that the author to the Hebrews rebuked because “by now they should have been teachers.”

Keep Paul’s desire in mind, though. He does not want us to be uninformed. You will be blessed as you grow in your knowledge of right doctrine and theology. That’s why Pastor Jack is preaching through Revelation and we’re here tonight. Pray for understanding!