1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 13 through 18. Let us hear God's Word. 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, 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." This ends the reading of God's holy and inspired Word. Now this morning we come again to our series of messages on Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica. He's only recently departed from Thessalonica and he now writes to them, a very young church, Timothy having visited them, recently returned, filled Paul in on how things were going there. Paul in this letter seeks to remind the people of the past as well as speak to them regarding the present and the future. first three chapters of the book he talks about the past. He talks about his former ministry amongst them and their receptivity to his ministry as he seeks to outline for them why he was so thankful to God for the condition that that church found themselves in. Having spoken of the past in chapters 1 through 3, in chapter 4 he begins to move to the practical section as he deals with their inadequate views of the present and the future. He begins speaking of some ethical issues that were probably very relevant to a new church made up significantly of those who were pagans prior to this, who had not known God and had not served Him in the church or in the synagogue. Having done that, he then, here in this section, moves to speak about eschatology, or the last things, and speaks particularly concerning the second coming. They obviously have some ethical issues, but they obviously have some doctrinal issues, some questions that they have relative to the coming of Christ, and they have some concerns about it. Now clearly, this church at Thessalonica, even though it's a very young church, obviously understood something about the second coming. Paul seems to assume they did in verse 10 of chapter 1. To wait for the Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come. Seems to assume they understand that there. Same thing at the end of chapter 2 in verse 19. For what is our hope or our joy or a crown of rejoicing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? Again, at the end of chapter 3, in verse 13, let's know that his prayer is to the end that God, that He may establish their hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming or appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. So, it appears that they had some knowledge of the second coming, but it's pretty obvious that they were concerned about those that had died. Apparently, some of their membership have died since Paul's left, and they have a great concern about them. It also appears that they know that the Lord's day will come as a thief in the night, and they have some concerns about whether they'll be prepared. And it seems that they have some interest to know if there might be some signs or some ways that they might know when that time is going to be so they can be prepared. So, Paul is going to seek to deal with these two problems that have arisen in their thinking to the lack, I would contend, of their comfort. So, Paul begins to do so here in verse 13. And in this section, 13 through the end of the chapter, he deals with this first concern that they have, this first problem that they have relative to those who have died in the Lord. In verse 13 we have Paul's expectation. Apparently it's not their expectation, but it was Paul's expectation relative to what's happened to these people. Then we have Paul's explanation in verses 14 and 17. And then we have Paul's exhortation in verse 18. His expectation, his explanation, then his exhortation. Let's look first at his expectation in verse 13. 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. Paul says first, but I would not have you to be ignorant. Apparently, this is a fairly common formula of Paul. He uses it in Romans 11, 25, 1 Corinthians 10, 1, 1 Corinthians 12, 1. This is a common formula. I wouldn't have you to be ignorant. I don't want you to not understand. In other words for Paul, ignorance is not bliss. For Paul here in this situation, he says ignorance regarding those that have fallen asleep actually leads to a lack of comfort and encouragement that you could have if you understood the truth regarding those that have died in the Lord. So he says, I don't want you to be ignorant, brothers. Then he continues throughout this book, as he does really in all of his epistles, to ever be reminding the people that he's writing to He is one of the family. That they're one of His family. That they're one of the family of God. That they're united to one another. That Paul's speaking to them as a brother. As one deeply concerned for them. And he says he doesn't want them to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep. He appears to be referring to those that have died. When someone dies, children, it does look like they've fallen asleep, doesn't it? And we see biblically, as we consider the rest of the Scripture, that their bodies do sleep. But if you remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus, we learn that their souls, those who are in the Lord, as Lazarus was, their souls go immediately to glory just as Jesus had promised the soul of the thief on the cross would go to be with Him in paradise when He died. So, their bodies sleep, but their souls live and live in the presence of God. They, as the Word of God says in Revelation 14, verse 13, rest from their labors. Their works follow them. In other words, how they've lived affects their eternity in heaven. They rest from their labors, the weariness of the labors in this world they can rest from and do rest from. So he says, I don't want you to be ignorant about these brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep. He says, I don't want you to be ignorant about them relative to your sorrow, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. And I think it's important for us to see that Paul is not telling them not to sorrow. He's telling them not to sorrow without hope. He's not saying sorrow is wrong, but he's saying to sorrow without hope is bad. It's not what you could have. You could sorrow with hope. You see, Jesus sorrowed at the death of Lazarus. Do you remember that, children? Do you remember the shortest verse in the Scriptures? John 11, 35. Jesus wept. Jesus wept. He wept even though He knew He was going to raise Lazarus and He wept. Why did He weep? I think He wept because He recognized that death is the fruit of the fall. It's the effect of sin. It's the wages of sin, isn't it? It's death. It's a temporary loss of a loved one for if the loved one's a believer. It's a temporary loss of that loved one for us who are believers. But it is more sorrowful than just that temporary loss of that individual. It's sorrowful because you see the fruits, the effects of sin. Jesus wept. In Acts 8-2, we read of what devout men did after Stephen's death. It says, "...devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over them." Now, I don't believe these devout men carrying Stephen to the grave were sinning and lamenting over him. They sorrowed, but they sorrowed with hope. And Paul is telling us not to sorrow without hope, but to sorrow with hope in contrast to the pagans who sorrow without hope. Paul can say in Ephesians 2.12 that those that are outside the kingdom, those that are outside of Israel, true Israel, spiritual Israel, they are without hope. They are without God in the world and they are without hope. But those that are the people of God have hope. The Puritan John Flabel said, the day of a believer's death is his marriage day. The day of his fullest enjoyment of Christ. Matthew Henry could say, death to a godly man is like a fair gale of wind to convey him to his heavenly country. But to a wicked man, it is an east wind, a storm, a tempest that hurries him away in confusion and amazement to destruction." See, death to a godly man is a fair gale. It just brings him home quicker. But to the ungodly, it's a tempest. It's a storm that leads to destruction. So we see Paul's expectation concerning those that die. It's at least alluded to here in verse 13. But then he explains why they can sorrow with hope in verses 14-17. He begins with a deduction in verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." Here his deduction is, if Christ died and rose again, so will those in Christ who have died rise again. That's the same logic that Paul was using in 1 Corinthians 15 that we just looked at. Matter of fact, Paul was willing to draw the logic both ways. He was willing to say that because Christ died, and rose again, so the believer will die and rise again." And he says, because the believer dies and rises again, Jesus must have died and risen again. And he concludes, basically, that Jesus didn't die and rise again. Our Gospel is not what good is anything. He says, we're false witnesses and you're still in your sins. I'm just a liar. And there's no good to this story. As a matter of fact, he says, eat, drink and be merry. He basically says the pagans would be right then, right? Just eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Because the pagan had no hope at death. Actually, I would say there's only hope for the living. It's a common Greek and then Roman theme. There's only hope for the living. All your hope's over when you take your last breath. So, He gives this deduction. He says that those that have died will return. God or Jesus will bring them with Him. In other words, they were with Him and now they come with Him from wherever they've been. They've been with Christ in glory as Jesus had told the thief on the cross. He would be the one He died. That's why the psalmist can say in Psalm 116-15, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. If they go to be in a better place, then it is a precious thing, isn't it? When God takes His own home. You see, God puts His excellent ones to sleep. like a loving parent. Have you ever considered death to be God putting to sleep one of His beloved ones? He graciously does it. It's a precious thing to watch a mother put her baby to sleep. So is the death of a saint. It's precious in the sight of God. We ought to see it as such. Their soul goes to be with Christ. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.8 that it's to be absent from the body. That's what death is. It's to be absent from the body, but he says it's to be present with the Lord. In other words, death causes his soul to depart from his body, but it doesn't leave his soul in limbo. It causes his soul to go to be with God. And that's why those around the throne can be described by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12.23. as the spirits of just men made perfect." They're spirits. They're of men. Not males, but of men. Male and female. But of just men and women. Those who have been made just through the instrumentality of faith. Through the finished work of Christ. They're just. They're justified. And they've been made perfect. They've been glorified in their souls. And they're with Christ. He brings them back at His coming. We learn as well from Luke 16, 22, the story of Lazarus and the rich man, that those that die not only go to be in Christ's presence, but they go to be in the presence of all the saints who have died before them. Lazarus is carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. He's there with Christ, but he's also there with Father Abraham. The picture is he's having a feast with the saints of old. Even Father Abraham. And he's right next to Abraham. And so this is the deduction. That those that have died are with Christ. They're with God in heaven. And they will return. Now notice, Paul doesn't say anything in this passage about those that have died who are outside the Lord. What I think we have to understand is the purpose in which Paul is writing. There's an occasion that Paul is writing this thing. He's concerned about people in Thessalonica who don't have the comfort they could have relative, because of their lack of understanding about dead saints. So, his focus is upon dead saints. It's not upon those who have died who are outside of Christ. He deals with that in other places of Scripture. But I think clearly in this verse and its implications, we're reminded of what is the answer to question 37 of the Catechism. There, in the Shorter Catechism, we're asked, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at death. The answer drawn from Scripture is, the souls of believers are at their death, made perfect in holiness, do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in the grave until the resurrection. A beautiful summary of the biblical teaching. regarding what happens to men and women at death. They're with Christ and they will, Paul says, return with Him. Jesus will bring them with Him. So, he makes this deduction in verse 14. Based on the resurrection of Christ, so there will be a resurrection of those who are united with Him. If the representative has been resurrected, so will all those he represents. Then Paul, having spoken of this deduction that he draws in verse 17, moves to a description of the last things in verses 15 through 17. Let me read these words in these verses. 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. Paul describes in very summary fashion the various steps, the various phases of these last things. He says first in verse 15a, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord. He seems to be using a formula similar to the Old Testament prophets before they spoke. Now there's questions. Is this Word of the Lord that Paul's about to speak, is it a quote from Jesus? Is it something that we can find in the Gospels? Or is it oral tradition that's been passed down? Something that Jesus did say, but it's not in the Gospels? Or is it some prophetic word that the Apostle Paul was given by Christ, ascended Christ, when he met with Him? I don't think it has to be any of the three. I think clearly what Paul is about to say could be deduced from the rest of Scripture. He could possibly have interpreted Scripture with Scripture and clearly seen that this is what was to take place. And certainly, he does write it under inspiration. He may very well have known that as he's writing this epistle, this epistle is the very inspired Word of God. But the point is, we need to take what he says as authoritative. This is God's Word, not Paul's. This is not Paul's opinion of what's going to happen in the future. This is what will happen in the future and what God's ambassador, Paul, has told us is the Word of God regarding the future. He says first, at the end of 15, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." Well, the first thing we have to do is we have to understand what this word prevent means. It means precede. He says we won't precede them. We won't go before them. And He includes Him in this group of believers who will be alive at the coming of Christ. Now, why would He do that? I think what Paul's doing there is he's using a Hebrew idiom and he's saying that he's part of that group because he is presently in that state as they were that were hearing this letter read to them. They're currently alive and so is he. So he's kind of saying this is what it would be like if it happened now. They and we. I'm still with the alive group. But what he's getting at is he's saying the dead are at no disadvantage. That's the point. We're not going to precede them. In other words, we don't get a better deal. The people that are alive at the end don't really get a better deal than those that have died before the coming of the Lord. That seems to be right at the heart of the concern they must have had. They must have thought that they're not going to experience the second coming of Christ. There's something less for those that have died in the Lord. Remember, they're young believers. They're less than a year old. in the faith. Paul had only potentially been with them for several weeks, maybe the most couple months. So they know some, but they don't know everything. Paul's helping them. He's filling in the gaps in their understanding for their good. And so then in verse 16, he begins to walk through these steps. The first thing that he mentions in verse 16a is the second coming. For the Lord shall descend. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God. So here he speaks of the second coming. He says it will be visible, personal, and bodily. We'll see it. It will be Jesus Christ and He will return bodily. The Lord Himself shall descend. Not a phantom of Christ. Not someone that looks like Christ. But it is visible. He's visible. He's real. In other words, what the angels told the 120 will take place. In Acts 11, the angels, as Jesus ascended, says that He will return as ye have seen Him go into heaven. The way you saw Him go, that's the way He'll come back. Paul says that's the way He's going to come back. He says He's going to come back, not only in a visible, personal, bodily return, but He's going to come back with a shout. A shout is likely a command to arrive. Is that shout different from the voice of the archangel? I don't think we can be absolutely sure. Or are they speaking of the same thing? This word, shout, in the Greek seems to refer to kind of a shout of encouragement, kind of a challenge that would be used in war. Men would shout as they went to battle. But clearly the voice refers to some kind of command to arise. hear of this trumpet. We saw it referred to in 1 Corinthians 15.52 in the Scripture reading as the last trumpet. It's likely an allusion to the various trumpets that were sounded before the people of God were to go to battle, but probably more particularly when they were to come into God's presence. for worship and also to come into His presence for judgment. And so, this last trump is a summons to appear before the coming King. It's a prelude to the judgment. So, the Lord descends, we see in verse 16a. Then, we have the resurrection in verse 16b. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. We have the resurrection and the focus here is on the resurrection of the dead. They shall be first. They will, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, to be clothed upon. They will be given a new body. They will get a new clothing. Get a new outfit. And clearly we saw there in 1 Corinthians 15, 35 and following what that outfit will be like. Paul describes the body that dies as like a seed that goes into the ground. The plant that comes out of the ground is still connected to the seed that went in, but the plant that comes out of the ground doesn't look like the seed that went in, does it? And the seed has to rot and die for the plant to come out. And so he's seeking to draw a contrast. The body, the natural body and the spiritual body. The natural body is sown in corruption, but it's incorruptible. The spiritual body is incorruptible. There's no glory in a dying body, but there's glory in a resurrected body. Paul draws those contrasts in 1 Corinthians 15. Here his focus isn't on explaining in detail the nature of the spiritual body. He does that in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. His focus here is the order in which the dead rise first. So, we have the resurrection of the dead. Then, thirdly, we have the meeting in verse 15a. Then, first the dead in Christ rise, then we. which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." There's an order here. Christ returns, resurrection of the dead, then there's this meeting that takes place. Paul doesn't elaborate here, but clearly the bodies of those that are alive are transformed from a corruptible body to an incorruptible body as well. and they go to meet the Lord in the clouds. Quite often in Scripture, the clouds symbolize chariots. They carry people to heaven, carry people from heaven. That's likely the symbols here. But it's also to meet the Lord in the air. Likely this is a picture of how citizens would go out to meet the conquering general that was returning from a battle or the king that was coming to the city for a visit or for judgment. He would be spotted and as a demonstration of submission to his lordship, to his authority and his honor, the citizens would go out to meet him and escort him to the city. So, I think this is consistent with them meeting Him in the air, and yet with Revelation 21, 1 and 2, where we read of the new heavens and the new earth descending from heaven. They come to meet Him. They're meeting Him unto the judgment. Now, Paul doesn't speak here in this passage about the judgment. Clearly it comes between this meeting of the resurrected dead and the resurrected alive, or what's called the quick in 2 Timothy 4.1 where we read that God will judge the quick and the dead at His appearing. Christ will judge the quick and the dead at His appearing. He'll judge the alive and the dead. We read of the judgment in the parable of the sheep the goats in Matthew 25, 31 and 46. But again, Paul's focus is not on giving the people of Thessalonica at this point a full explanation of what the resurrected body is like. He's not even trying to deal with the resurrection of the unjust and the judgment. He's seeking to deal with comfort for these Christians relative to the order of the last things, relative to those that have died in the Lord and those that will be alive in the Lord when the Lord returns. So, he skips the judgment. But I think we need to understand it comes in there next. Then he speaks of the eternal state of glory. Since his focus has been on the dead who are in Christ, he then refers to their eternal state. He doesn't speak of the eternal state of those outside. of Christ. He doesn't speak here of hell. He alludes to it in other places in 1 Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians, he's very explicit about what will happen to those who are outside of Christ at His coming. But he says at the end of verse 17, referring to the eternal state of glory, to heaven in body and soul, 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. Then will Jesus' prayer of John 17, 24 be fulfilled where He prays to the Father that all those that are His will ultimately be with Him. consummation of the covenant comes to fruition when we read in Revelation 21-23 when the new heavens and the new earth descend, that John heard a great voice out of the heavens saying, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." The fulfillment of the covenant promise that God will be our God and we will be His people. So in this section, Paul answers the question that's answered for us in the shorter catechism, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? The summary teaching of God's Word is, at the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity. What a blessing awaits us is peace. Most of us, probably we will all experience it in two stages. But that's really not mine to tell because we don't know the seasons or the times. But all God's people will receive them. Either in a two-step process or they'll get a glorified body and a soul at one time. What a blessing. And that's why Paul can close with his exhortation, Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Paul has just comforted all those in the congregation that have been grieving the loss of loved ones in their congregation. Sure, the whole congregation is grieving. But uniquely, some husbands, wives, Children, parents are grieving, even in the deeper sense, the loss of family members. They've lost a family member or two in the church. They've lost a blood family member. They're grieving. Paul comforts them with these words, but then he says, why don't you comfort one another with these words? In other words, this isn't a one-time thing. I just don't tell you one time, you take the pill, and then you're going to be comforted regarding the dead forevermore. He says, this is the kind of truth that we need to keep reiterating to ourselves. We need to keep reminding ourselves of this truth to our own comfort. Why not be comforted when you can be comforted? Paul's not offering a false comfort here. This is real. This is substantial. And God would have us to be comforted regarding those that have died in the Lord. So, he applies it to them. Comfort. Come alongside it literally means. Clearly here the focus is to come alongside to encourage someone. To encourage one another. Encourage all those who are grieving relative to lost loved ones in the Lord. Now how do we apply this passage today? Let me first speak to you believers. Let me speak to you believers who have lost a loved one in the Lord recently, or those of you who have the prospect of losing a loved one in the near future. I'm also speaking to you that may lose a loved one in the future. You have no prospect of it, but you don't know that you might not lose a loved one today or tomorrow. What does God's Word have to say? In Lamentations 3.32 we read, "...though God cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies." Though He cause grief or sorrow. In God's providence, He brings grief or sorrow to the lives of believers, doesn't He? Yet will He have compassion. Yet will He have comfort. He'll bring grief, but He promises to bring comfort to grief. And He'll do so according to the multitude of His mercies. God's infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all His attributes, right? So His mercies are not limited. They are unlimited. His mercies are new every morning. He gives plenty out every day and He's never short because of what He's given. God's comforts just keep flowing even when He's pleased to bring us sorrow. And that's why Solomon could say in Proverbs 14.32, the righteous hath hope in his death. The righteous hath hope in his death. And if the righteous has hope in his death, ought we not to have hope in his or her death as well? As well as our own. The Heidelberg Catechism, question 57 asks the question, what comfort doth the resurrection of the body afford thee." Listen to this very experimental answer. That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head, but also that this body being raised by the power of Christ shall be united with my soul and made like unto the glorious body of Christ. And I would add, to be with Him for all eternity. That's the comfort that we have regarding this doctrine of the resurrection of the body. That's why Paul could tell us in Philippians 3, 20 and 21, our conversation is in heaven. Now this word conversation literally means citizenship. Our citizenship is in heaven. That's the ultimate foundational kingdom that we're part of. Our deepest citizenship is with the kingdom of God. It's not with the United States of America or even North Carolina. Our deepest citizenship is in heaven. So, he says, our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for a Savior. Our Savior is there and we look for Him. The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Paul says our citizenship is in heaven. Our Lord reigns there. He will return. We look for His return. And as powerful as He is, He is the One who will subdue all things to Himself. Even death will be defeated. He will be victor over Satan and death and all things will be brought under subjection. And with that kind of power, He will also raise us up again and fashion our bodies to be like His glorious body. That's what we have to look forward to. Do we live like those that have that kind of glorious destination? I've spoken to you believers, but I would speak as well to any unbelievers in our midst or any unbelievers who may hear this message at some point. I hope that you will not choose to have hope for others, your loved ones in the Lord, and yet have no hope for yourself who is outside the Lord. You can find comfort, unbeliever, in the loss of a believing brother, sister, spouse, but you can find no comfort for yourself in your death if you're outside of the Lord. God has told us through the Apostle Paul, Hebrews 9.27, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment." Well, the judgment doesn't happen immediately after everybody's death, but the point is once you die, your eternal destiny is set. Then whoever you were, inside or outside of Christ at death, that's what you're going to stand before the throne. You're either going to be in Christ or you're going to be in Adam. You're going to be clothed with one or the other. And so I plead with you, not only to desire the death of the righteous like that false prophet Balaam did, but to close with Christ that your death might be a death that has hope in it. That you might die the death of a righteous. So that you might be a just man before you go to heaven. Before you die so that you will go to heaven and be a perfect spirit of a just man in heaven, worshiping God for all eternity. C.S. Lewis, the writer of the Chronicles of Narnia, in one of his books on affliction said, God whispers to us in our pleasures. He speaks to us in our conscience. But He shouts to us in our pains. They're a megaphone, He says, to rouse a deaf world. You might not be suffering the pain of a loved one at present, but you have and you will again. Will you take seriously the truths that have been presented today? Will you recognize them to be so? And being so, will you recognize your only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ? Flee to Him while He may be found.