Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Statement Of Faith

End Times Part 1

Introduction: Our Statement of Faith is intentionally vague concerning the details of the End Times. They are vague because , to be honest, the Bible is not as clear as we would like, so we don't feel comfortable making any strong, dogmatic statements about how or when Jesus will return. But that is not true for all people.

     On April 3, 1843 over half a million 7th Day Adventists, all disciples of NY evangelist William Miller, awaited the end of the world. Journalists reported that some were on mountain tops hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards hoping to ascend in union with their loved ones who had died. Some sophisticated,  upper crust ladies went outside town because they didn't want to go to heaven with the common folks. When April 4th arrived, the Millerites were still there waiting.

     In the 1970's,  Christians like Hal Lindsey hinted at 1988 as the year of Christ's second coming.

     Edgar Whisenant wrote, 88 Reasons Why Christ Is Coming In 1988, and when 1988 passed, published another book called, 89 Reasons Why Christ Is Coming In 1989.

     In 1992, a Korean group took out newspaper ads all over the world and said that the rapture was on the Feast of Trumpets in 1992.  Harold Camping, a radio preacher  and founder of  Family Radio, published a book titled, 1994, teaching that Jesus was coming in September of 1994 based mainly on studies of numerology in the Bible.

     And what about Tim LaHaye? He has made a small fortune writing the 'Left Behind' book series and the theatrical movie detailing his interpretation of the Rapture and the end times.

     Christians are fascinated with the Rapture of the Church and the return of Christ. And our test this morning, 1 Thess. 4:13-18 has become the main text on the Rapture in the Bible that fuels peoples curiosity. But I wonder if we have in some way, missed the boat. I am in no way minimizing the Rapture of the Church and the glorious return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...But I wonder if that truly is the main idea of 1 Thess. 4:13-18?

Background: Let's look at the background to our text. The church of Thessolonica had been founded by Paul and was being bitterly persecuted by the Jews in the area. Some of the Believers had died, perhaps even as martyrs and many of the Believers were wondering what would happen to them when Jesus returned.

     You see, Paul had said that all Believers would have their part in the great events that would take place when Christ returned. They were deeply grieved that their loved ones who were Believers and who had died would miss out on the glories of Christ return.

     The Thessalonians believed in the return of Christ and they believed it would be soon, even in their lifetimes. They were not doubting that glorious fact. What was burdening their hearts was their deep concerned for their Christian family and friends who had already died.

     This is the context of 1 Thess. 4:13-18. Paul was not giving them nor us a treatise on the End Times. Paul, first and foremost had a pastors heart. He met the grieving Thessalonians where they were hurting. They needed assurance in their time of grief. And it is in this context that I think we need to view our text.

     So remove from your minds any hope that I will be sensationalizing anything, that I will reveal some hidden biblical codes in the text, that I will give you some new revelation from God or that I will introduce some fictional characters like the popular 'Left Behind' series by LaHaye.

     Instead, I want to you to fix your minds this morning on Hope. The Bible proclaims hope. Hope is the theme of all Scripture, it is the purpose behind all history. As Christians we look forward to Christ's return because it is where our hope lies. There is hope for the dead

ILL: Dr. Gordon Moyer tells this story 'Once I was having a quiet breakfast with Dr. Billy Grahm in San Jose, Cal. I asked Billy about the secret of his personal serenity. He replied with a question: Gordon, do you believe Jesus is coming today? I was taken back and mumbled: I believe that Jesus is coming, but I wasn't thinking it would be today. Billy looked at me with those deep blue eyes and said: Why not? There was the secret of serenity. he believed and proclaimed that hope always!'

Trans: That is the context and central theme of our text this morning and I believe where our focus and energies ought to be directed. But there is one great obstacle that stands in our way....death. Turn to 1 Thess. 4:13 where we will see

I. The Problem of Death (vs. 13)
Read: 1 Thess 4:13

 Notice two of the terms Paul uses...
    -Brethren:  which shows his love for them and his identification with them. He may be apart from them but he is one of them.

    -Asleep: Here Paul recognizes their grief and comforts them by saying those they were grieving over really aren't dead like
     the world calls dead, they are just asleep waiting to be awakened. Isn't that a comforting thought?

     Next, Paul doesn't want them getting the wrong idea about something he had already taught them.  Why? Because he doesn't want them to grieve like those without hope. Who was Paul talking about? Who are those without hope?  Unbelievers, those who have no hope of the resurrection from the dead, of eternal life with Jesus in heaven because they have not trusted Christ as their Savior. The life of the unbeliever when he looks down the corridor of time and sees his death is a life of hopelessness and despair.

ILL: A typical inscription found at the graves of unbelievers in Paul's day is  I was not, I became, I am not, I care not.

     That is despair. That is hopelessness. And that is what the Thessalonians saw all around them.  Understand, all sorrow, all grief is not forbidden when a loved on in Christ sleeps. Jesus wept at the grave of his good friend Lazareth. The friends of Stephen  greatly mourned his death.  We will miss our departed loved ones and will show great sorrow over our loss. We will shed tears and feel loneliness. God knows and shares our grief.

     For the Christian, however,
         Our sorrow is a submissive sorrow, one that sees the hand of God, even in death.
         Our sorrow mourns our loss but is comforted at the happiness of the departed.
         Our sorrow looks forward to the future because our separation from our loved ones is only temporary.

    Paul reminds us that in the midst of our sorrow we have the promise of hope.

Trans: What is that promise of Hope? Lets look at vs 14-17

II. The Promise of Hope (vss 14-17)
Read:  1 Thess. 4:14-17

    A. Christ's death and resurrection (vs 14)
     Christ's resurrection from the dead shows Him to be God's Son and our Savior, the solution to both our problems with physical and spiritual death. Christ' sinless life and voluntary death paid the penalty for our sin debt to God. By accepting His work on the cross on our behalf, our problem with spiritual death is done away with as we are now forgiven and will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord.  The sting of physical death is our separation from the love and grace of God and the torment of His wrath and judgment. Christ's death and resurrection and our acceptance and dependence on it frees us from that sting.

     The promise of hope is that Christ has made the way of salvation and thereby taken the sting out of death. Be comforted, Paul say, be comforted.

    B. The dead in Christ will rise first (vs 15-16)
     Paul wanted to assure the Thessalonian Believers that their Christian loved ones who had died would not miss out on the glorious return of the Lord. In Fact, they would have  the place of honor as being the first to meet Him. Even death does not separate our union with Christ. Death makes no difference to our relationship with Christ, all things and all men, dead or alive are in His sovereign and loving hands.

     The promise of hope is that the dead in Christ will not miss out when Christ returns. God will take care of them. Be comforted, Paul say, be comforted.

    C. The living and dead Believers will be reunited (vs 17)
     Not only will the Believer be united with Christ, but with other Believers who had died. The hardest thing about death is the separation from our loved ones. But, the promise of hope is that we will be TOGETHER with the Lord. Even though physical death separates us from those we love and we grieve and have great sorrow and loneliness over their passing, it is only for a moment.   Then we will be reunited, brought together with those we love, who know the Lord as Savior. Be comforted, Paul says. Be comforted.

    D. We will forever be with the Lord (vs 17)
     Never to be separated from Him again. This is the fulfillment of John 14.

Read: John 14:1-3

     In Christ all the promises of God are Yes and Amen! We will receive new bodies.  I, for one, would love to trade this one in for a newer, sleeker model. How about you? The promise of hope is that we will be together with the Lord, in His glorious presence forever. Be comforted, Paul says, be comforted.

Trans: Why did Paul tell us all this? To teach us about the end times? Perhaps that was a part of it. But I believe the purpose was to help Believers through the grieving process. Let's look at vs 18.

III. The Purpose of Hope (vs 18)
Read:  1 Thess. 4:18

     Therefore...what are we supposed to do when we see the word 'therefore'? Right, see what it is there for? And Paul tells us immediately...
     -Try to figure out when Christ will return?
     -Come up with the ideas of a Pre, Mid and Post tribulation rapture doctrinal positions.
     -Write a lot of books so you can make a lot of money.
    -Get into heated arguments with one another about   the end times.

NO, NO, NO! Read it with me...Therefore, Comfort one another with these words. Comfort one another.

     Paul wrote this passage so that we would be comforted when we think of our Christian loved ones who have passed away.
    Paul wrote this passage so that we would be comforted when we think of our own inevitable death.
    Paul wrote this passage to encourage, no command us to comfort those who may be grieving.
        To look to their need and to share their burden.

     Often we don't know what to say or how to comfort or encourage another whose Christian loved one has died.  Often, in the midst of their obvious grief and sorrow we say: don't worry, your husband is with the Lord and in a better place. While it may be true, it may not be timely. Sometimes comfort comes without words.

ILL: The story is told of  a little girl who came home from a neighbor's house where her little friend had died. "Why did you go?" questioned her father. "To comfort her mother," said the child. "What could you do to comfort her?" "I climbed into her lap and cried with her."

     The logical and practical outcome of Paul's words is comfort and encouragement. When the grief has passed, the joy of Paul's words will fill our hearts.

Conclusion: Let me close with this illustration.

ILL: After church, where she had been taught about the Rapture a little girl was quizzing her mother. "Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?" "Yes." "Today?" "yes." "In a few minutes?" "Yes, dear." "Mommy, would you comb my hair?"

    Do you really want the Lord to come back..today? What does it mean to you that the Lord is coming and that you will be united with Him and with Christian departed loved ones? Do you have the heart of expectancy that Billy Graham has..that Jesus is coming back today?
     Are you assured that the Believer who dies in Christ, remains in Christ for all eternity? Do you believe that you will always be with the Lord?
     If you do, then you know that there is hope for the dead...for those Believers who have died in Jesus Christ. And you have the responsibility to look forward to His coming and to encourage others as the time grows near.

     If you don't have that assurance, then it is perhaps because you don't have that relationship with Jesus that leads to eternal life and the assurance that He will never leave you nor forsake you that you will be with Him forever.

    If you don't, have that assurance, then your inevitable death will bring only hopelessness and despair as you think about it and to those whom you leave behind.

     BUT, the Good News is, you can have hope. This is the promise of this text. Hope is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ, the one who died and rose again, who paid the penalty for sin.

What is necessary to have that hope?
REPENT: Confess, agree with God that you are a sinner and have lived your live in opposition to God.
TRUST: Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sin debt To pay the penalty of spiritual death for your life of  sinfulness.
ASK: Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to make you His child.
KNOW: Know that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
    dead, you will be saved.

     Then you too, whether alive or dead when Christ comes, will join Him and all other Believers in heaven for all eternity.  There is hope for the dead...in Christ.