Giving What Is Needed, Getting What is Due - 2022-10-16

“Giving What Is Needed, Getting What Is Due”

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

Message #12 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

16 October 2022

INTRODUCTION:

In our text for today the apostle Paul discusses the inner workings of a healthy, loving local church. I believe that is what all of us are looking for. We all want to be part of a wonderful church family where we feel loved, understood, accepted, and needed. We all want and need to feel safe with people who know us and yet accept us unconditionally.

The problem is that most of are hoping to find this wonderful perfect church without having to contribute to make it perfect. We want it bespoke for us, readymade, ready to welcome us with open arms. But the truth is no church is perfect and all have blemishes. But to the degree that we apply the teachings of this letter we will discover that any church can transition to become a wonderful church family—not perfect, but tremendous.

Our text for today is 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15. Listen as I read or follow along with me.

TRANSITION:

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 12: Now we ask you, brothers, to respect [to know] those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.

·        “…we ask you” — Paul is making a request, not throwing his weight around.

·        “…brothers” — He is dealing with believers, not unbelievers, and he makes his appeal to these folks as brothers and sisters in Christ.

·        “…to respect” — This word is an unfortunate and inaccurate translation. The Greek word that Paul uses here literally means “to know,” meaning to know the value of, thus, to appreciate. It is the same word that describes the “knowing” that a husband and wife share, knowing the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly about each other yet still loving, appreciating, and supporting one another. Respect is not quite the same thing.

·        “…those who work hard among you” – I.e., those church leaders who labour, toil, and strive. To help a struggling church has never proved easy. It is difficult to do. Contrary to what many believe, the work of a pastor is not an easy job.

·        “…who are over you in the Lord” – I.e., Presiding, meaning in a shepherding sense. That is sometimes hard for us when we do not agree with the decisions made or like the leader’s personality. However, in the early church this sometimes made for even more interesting situations. Approximately 40% of the people in the Roman Empire were slaves, and that same ratio carried over in the churches. Take Onesimus, for example, described in the book of Philemon. He was a Christian slave owned by a Christian master. The church in their city met in his master’s house. Theoretically Onesimus could have found himself in the awkward position of becoming his master’s pastor. Try that on for size.

·        “…who admonish you”— [lit. “put you in mind of”]. Most of us do not like to be corrected or called on the carpet for anything. We get very defensive about people pointing out our failures or our mistakes, even if they do it in a loving, gentle way. This Greek word is variously translated “admonish, rebuke, or instruct.” But we do not like any of the three and tend to resent any pastor who dares to do it. 

Verse 13: Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

·        “…esteem them highly in love” = Who does the word “them” refer to? Obviously to the leaders, the pastors and elders mentioned in verse 12. The word Paul chooses here means “to hold in a lofty position in our minds.” It means to think the best of them, to appreciate them, and to give them the benefit of the doubt concerning their motives.

·        “…because of their work” = Knowing that pastors and elders have been called by God to serve the body and to care for the sheep. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way in 13:17, “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” So, note the warning.

·        “Live in peace with each other” = This applies to everyone in the church, but in the context, Paul is especially referring to the need for cordial cooperation between followers and leaders, shepherds and sheep. Moreover, to “live in peace with each another” implies much more than a mere tolerance of one another.

Verse 14: And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

·        “And we urge you, brothers” – Here Paul switches gears and focuses his instruction on those folks on the other side of the fence, the pastors/elders in leadership positions and responsible for the well-being of the Thessalonian church. He lays out four scenarios that illustrate the work of a pastor/elder.

ü  “Warn those who are idle” [NASV “admonish the unruly” lit. out of rank, out of order] = Remember back a few weeks ago when I explained the historical perspective of this letter and the problem of those who had quit working in the hope that Jesus would return any minute. In the meantime, they were mooching off other people and generally causing trouble and hard feelings. It is this bunch that Paul is referring to. They were completely out of order. There are times when a sheep just needs a swift kick in the fleece to get him straightened out and moving in the right direction. A good shepherd knows when to be firm with the sheep and when to be gentle. It is much like parenting.

ü  “Encourage, the timid” Literally, “encourage the fainthearted.” A timid or fainthearted person is a different story than a lazy, unruly person. Faintheartedness is a condition after great stress, trauma, or overwork. People sometimes lose the strength and will to go on. They conclude that the battle is not worth the effort or that the cause is already lost.

ü  Examples come to mind where a great military leader has been able to get his weary, hungry, wounded troops to make one more run at the enemy, resulting in a great victory. The story of Col. Joshua Chamberlain and the men of the 20th Maine at the Battle of Gettysburg comes to my mind. Given the job of holding the Federal flank at Little Round Top the 20th Maine found themselves outnumbered by the 47th and 15th Alabama Infantry. They fought off wave after wave of determined Confederate troops who knew that this was the decisive battle of the war. Finally, the 20th Maine was spent. They were completely out of ammo, and with many of their soldiers dead or dying it looked like a sure defeat. But Col. Chamberlain was not ready to quit! He ordered his men to fix bayonets. There was not a handful of cartridges between them, but he told them to spread out down the hill and on his command, to attack the enemy with bayonets. With blood-curdling shouts the men of the 20th Maine started down the hill, running full speed toward the enemy. It so frightened and unnerved the Rebel soldiers that they turned and ran for their lives, not realizing they were being chased by men with empty rifles. Their courage broke the back of the Confederate advance and turned the war in a new direction. Col. Chamberlain knew how to “encourage the fainthearted” so that they went on to gain a great victory. That is the role of leadership.

ü  “Help [lit. cling to] the weak”—This is a different kind of problem. Sometimes soldiers get wounded. They need a medic who will risk his life to get to them with first aid. And then they will need a couple of strong men to carry him off the battlefield to a place where he can heal up. And face it; we are all “weak” at one time or another. We all have times when we are spiritually frail and fragile. We all need people around us that we can lean on in the hard times. God never intended us to live in isolation from other people, thinking that we do not need anyone to help us. That is the high-water mark of pride and stupidity. As Christians we are to be inter-dependent with one another. We are commanded to “bear one another’s burdens.” We can only do that as we allow people to know us and to know our struggles. There are people in our congregation that need us right now because they are wounded and hurting. Others needs us to love them and encourage them and remind them that God is still in control. Pastors and elders are not the only ones who are to encourage the fainthearted and help the weak, but it is certainly part of their job description.

ü  “Be patient [lit. long-tempered] with everyone”—This word is the opposite of “short-tempered.” It means long-suffering. Patience is not easy. In fact, it is not even natural. It is supernatural, a fruit of the Spirit of God. By nature, most of us are impatient with people. I certainly am, especially on the highway or when I watch the news. It is something I must continually work on because it does not come natural to me. But God has gentle ways of reminding me that I screw up as much as the next guy. It is not by accident that God chose in His Word to repeatedly liken us to sheep. Sheep are silly, stinky, stubborn creatures who without a shepherd would not last a week. We are like that too. That is why Christ put shepherds over His sheep.

·        For 50 years I have served as an under-shepherd of the Good Shepherd, a pastor of a flock, but I must keep reminding myself that I too am a sheep and am as big a mess as the next ram or ewe. I need to be patient with the people under my care in the same way that God is patient with me. I have no right to get uppity and proud and too big for my fleece.

·        The Bible is full of references about how God shepherds His people, and the most common metaphor for people is that we are sheep. Thus, it should come as no surprise that those whom God has called to help care for His sheep are called “shepherds/pastors” because that is exactly what the word means, “one who cares for sheep.” But what are some of the specific things that pastors are required to do for the sheep? What does their job description look like? Because of Pastor Dan’s resignation you folks are going to be looking for a new shepherd. Here is a list of eleven (11) things that a shepherd needs to be prepared to do for his flock. You might want to keep these in mind as you look for a new man to fill this role here at McEwen.

·        Eleven (11) things that a shepherd does for his sheep:

1.       He learns to know the sheep by name, and they learn to trust his voice

2.      He loves the sheep and deals with them in loving ways

3.      He feeds the sheep what is good for them, albeit not necessarily what they crave

4.      He leads the sheep to still waters where they can drink deeply without fear

5.      He guides the sheep by example, going before them rather than driving them

6.      He herds the sheep, keeps the flock together and stops them from scattering

7.      He protects the sheep from wolves or anything else that might harm them

8.     He comforts the sheep when they are injured or fearful

9.      He assists the sheep in lambing, caring for the babies they reproduce

10.  He doctors the sheep, binding their wounds and anointing them with oil

11.   He sacrifices himself for the sheep if necessary, putting their welfare over his own 

Verse 15: Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

·        “…so that nobody pays back wrong for wrong” = That is our natural tendency, is it not? “You hit me, so I am going to hit you back” “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Paul is not saying that we should ignore the concept of social justice or that we must give up our right to defend ourselves. However, he is pointing out that as Christians we should seek to live by a higher standard than the one the world uses. Vindictiveness and retaliation should find no lodging within the household of faith.

·        “…try to be kind to each other” = In the body of Christ we should be willing to forgive wrongs done to us and seek to live in peace with our brothers and sisters. The church is a family. Family members often wound one another by words or actions. However, in a healthy loving family the well-being of the family unit trumps the desire for revenge.

·        “…and to everyone else” = Clearly here Paul is talking about unbelievers. We must show the same kind of kindness toward those outside the faith as we do for those who are already part of the family of God.

CONCLUSION:

We Christians have two paths: (1) We can search high and low looking for the illusive perfect church that will meet all our perceived “needs;” or (2) We can decide to be part of the solution and get busy shaping our less-than-perfect church to become the wonderful church we have been dreaming of. So, which will it be with you? 

McEwen Bible Fellowship is in a time of flux, of change, beginning the process of transition to make way for a new pastor. Soon this congregation will be sifting through a list of pastoral candidates to find the perfect fit to be your next shepherd. I urge you to get involved. Ask hard questions. Look around and see the things that need to be changed, jettisoned, improved, or added. Commit yourself to become an active member of this church and of the Gospel ministry in this community. You are not here by accident, but rather by divine appointment. God has a part for you to play here. Are you willing to accept His challenge?

FEEDBACK:

Let’s talk about this church and what we can do to move toward the picture that Paul paints here. Where are we strong? Where are we still weak and in need of improvement? What can you do personally to move us in the right direction of becoming the kind of church to which we all dream of belonging? 

Living as Children of the Day - 2022-10-09

“Living as Children of the Day”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Message #11 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

9 October 2022

INTRODUCTION:

The study of biblical prophecy has intrigued us for centuries. If you are sitting around with a group of friends and the party begins to lag, all you need to do to get it rolling again is to ask a question about Bible prophecy and before you know it the conversation will be up and going red-hot again with everybody putting in his or her two-bits. 

I want to start out by confessing that I do not have all the answers. I know what I believe, and I will try to share that with you this morning, but the fact is, none of us has the last word on this subject. The Lord did not tell His disciples or anyone else the day and hour of His return. He merely said, “I will be back. Keep busy until I return.” He said, “Stay occupied until I come.”

From my study of the Scriptures, I have come to believe that Christ could come back at any moment. I do not believe there is anything that needs occur before He can return. I also believe that He will come back twice: once secretly, quietly, in the clouds to call His Bride home [i.e., the Rapture]; then seven years later He will return in a big way, in power and glory, seen of all men, to judge the nations and especially the Antichrist and his followers, and to set up His 1,000-year Messianic reign of peace and justice. This we refer to as the Second Coming. It will not be a secret event, any way you look at it. 

My hope is that by the time we finish here this morning you will all agree with me 100%. No, I am just kidding. But I hope we will all have a better handle on the future that awaits the Church. 

TRANSITION:

In our last study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians we looked at 4:13-18 where Paul lays out for the saints in Thessaloniki what it will be like on the day that Jesus comes back to snatch His Bride away and take her to His House. 

He describes how Jesus will bring with Him the souls of those saints who have died and gone to be with Him. As they come back with Him in the clouds a miracle will happen. In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, the bodies of those who have died will be changed and reunited with the souls who return with Christ. Then, those who are alive and remain will be changed too, receiving a glorified body fit for eternity in Heaven. Then together we will accompany the Lord back to Heaven to begin our eternity with Him, never to be separated again. Paul closes this discourse in verse 18 telling the Thessalonian believers to comfort one another with these words.

But let’s take just a moment to analyse the event Paul describes in chapter 4:

1.      It is apparently a secret event with no build-up and no warning signs.

2.     It only involves believers, living and dead. Unbelievers are not even mentioned. In fact, I am almost certain that they will not even know it is happening.

3.     Jesus will not physically come all the way to earth. Rather, He will descend, and we will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds. His feet will not touch the earth.

4.     The Rapture is pictured as a totally positive thing, something for Christians to look forward to with great joy and anticipation. No downside is mentioned. 

Starting now in chapter five I believe that Paul shifts gears to talk about a different event, one that is somewhat frightening in nature and one in which Christ’s Bride will not participate. Let’s read the text for today — 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

¹ Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep [i.e., alive or dead], we may live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 1: Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you.

·        What does Paul mean by this? The word “times” refers to an extended period or length of time. It is the Greek word, chronos, from which we get words like chronic (of long duration), chronometer (a time measurer, clock), and chronological (logically arranged according to the order of time).

·        The second word Paul uses here, translated as “dates” in the NIV, “seasons” in the KJV, and “epochs” in the NASV is the Greek word, kairos, which speaks of the kind or quality of time, emphasizing significant events or opportunities.

·        What is the point? I believe Paul is referring to Jesus’ words found in Acts 1:7. When asked by His disciples when He would restore the kingdom to Israel, He responded by saying: “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” In other words, “It is none of your cotton-pickin’ business. Now get back to work!” Paul’s point is that if Jesus would not talk about the time of His return, then it is fruitless to speculate.

Verse 2: …for you know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

·        Here the plot starts to thicken because Paul throws in a term with which all his Jewish readers were familiar — “the Day of the Lord.” In the OT this phrase always refers to a time of God’s judgment, when God will reveal His power and glory to all men. The prophets of old spoke much of that coming day when the Lord will come to bring justice to the earth.

·        Paul says that the Day of the Lord will be like a thief showing up at your house at night.

o   We do not like thieves, ever, but especially at night.

o   Thieves are not nice people, and we do not want to hang out with them.

o   Thieves always do damage when they show up.

o   The possibility of their coming produces fear in us.

o   Thieves never announce their arrival. They want to take you by surprise.

·        In 2 Peter 3:10 Peter speaks of the coming Day of the Lord. He says: “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” For one, I do not want to be anywhere close when that happens. And what is more, I do not see any similarity between this event and the Rapture Paul describes up in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

Verse 3: While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

·        Who are these people who are crowing about their peace and safety? They are unbelievers who will be alive on the earth when Christ comes back to judge the earth at the end of the Tribulation period. When we get into Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians you will hear him share about the Antichrist who will be a world ruler during the Tribulation and will be adored as “the prince of peace,” a counterfeit Christ.

·        At that time God is going to lower the boom on the whole world to bring death and destruction on those who follow the Antichrist. He speaks of labour pains. I have never experienced those personally, but I have been present while others have gone through it. It is not pleasant. Paul is also speaking of the fact that once labour sets in, there is no escape. The birth will certainly happen!

Verse 4: But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

·        Here Paul changes his focus from those who will be the target of the destruction, to those who belong to the Lord. “But you, brothers…”

·        Paul reminds us that our natural habitat is not darkness but light. We are of the day, not of the night. He goes into this in more depth in Ephesians 5:8ff where he says: “For you were formerly [i.e., BC, before Christ] darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk therefore as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.”

·        Notice too that this is the second time in this passage that Paul refers to the Second Coming as being like the nasty surprise visit of a thief. 

Verse 5: You are all sons [generic = children] of the light and sons [children] of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

·        Paul shares the same thought again, driving his point in a little bit deeper. 

Verse 6: So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

·        “So then…” Here Paul gets to a conclusion, an action point. What is it? “Let us…” We who are Christians should act like it. We should not act or live like unbelievers [i.e., those who are asleep at the switch and ignoring God, thinking that nothing bad will happen to them, like the people who lived in Noah’s time]. The word Paul uses here for “asleep” is different from the one he uses up in 4:13ff. This Greek word always carries the idea of moral indifference.

·        Christians should be “alert and self-controlled.” Self-control is one of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. The KJV uses the word “sober,” but to us that word has come to mean, “alcohol free.” But Paul is not talking about alcohol consumption but rather our ability to be calm when everybody else is running around like their hair is on fire.

Verse 7: For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

·        Sleeping and drunkenness are habits customarily performed at night. Therefore, they have no place in the lives of children of the day.

Verses 8: But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

·        Paul reemphasizes that we are now by our new nature, children of the day. Therefore, we should walk/live as children of the day. That “walk,” or lifestyle is characterized by self-control, unwavering faith, unfailing love, and unshakeable hope. By the way, can you remember another passage where Paul speaks about faith, hope, and love? (Answer = 1 Cor. 13:13)

·        One more thing about this verse… It bears a striking resemblance to Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 6:10-18. Let’s look at that passage: “¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armour of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

Verse 9: For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

·        I believe that this is one of the most important verses in the NT for helping us understand biblical prophecy. In the NASV it reads like this: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” While we know and agree that eternal salvation only comes through Jesus Christ, in the context, I do not believe that is the point Paul is trying to make here. I believe that he is using the word “salvation” in its other sense. We say, “He was saved from the burning building.” Or “They were saved from the deck of the sinking ship.” I believe that Paul is referring to the fact that we who belong to Christ will be saved from the horrors of the Tribulation period by the fact that Jesus is going to come back before it starts to take us home to be with Him. I do not believe that the Church, the Bride of Christ, will go through the Tribulation. I believe that we will be snatched out, caught up, raptured, before it starts.

·        This verse must be tied to a couple of others.

o   Back in 1 Thess. 1:10 Paul wrote that we are to “…wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

o   In Romans 5:9 Paul wrote: “…having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from [= kept away from] the wrath of God through Him.”

Verse 10: He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep [i.e., alive, or dead], we may live together with Him.

·        Here Paul goes back to the language he employed in chapter 4, referring to the dead in Christ as “asleep,” and to the living at the time of the Rapture as “awake.” Again, his point is that all the believers, living and dead, will be caught up together to go to be with the Lord, and we will live with Him forever.

Verse 11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

·        This verse is reminiscent of 4:18. Again Paul exhorts his readers to use this truth about Christ’s return as a motive for encouraging one another and building up one another’s faith and trust in Christ.

·        As a wise and tactful teacher, Paul here combines forceful exhortation with fervent praise. It is a good technique for any leader.

CONCLUSION:

As Christians we are urged to live every day as though this could be the day the Lord returns for us. If we really believe that He might come back today I think it will change how we live out our lives.

Are you looking forward to the Lord’s return or do you secretly dread it? Why does it affect so many people that way? I think it is because they are afraid that He will come back and find them doing things they know they should not be doing, or not doing the things that they know they should be doing.

Paul’s point is that if we live our lives in the light, then we will have nothing to be ashamed of when Christ returns.

FEEDBACK:

What do you think? Will the Church go through the Tribulation? And if so, how do you balance that with the biblical exhortation to keep looking for the Lord’s return? If we are going to have to go through the Tribulation, then should we not really be looking out more for the appearance of the Antichrist?

Good News in Hard Times - 2022-10-02

“Good News in Hard Times”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Message #10 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

2 October 2022 

INTRODUCTION:

In October 1988 my family and I were living in the 22.5 million megacity of São Paulo in South Brazil. October 12^th is celebrated annually in Brazil as “O Dia da Criança,” meaning the Day of the Child. On that day in 1988 my wife and I made plans to take a carload of donated used clothing and toys to one of the many state-run orphanages, this one in Campinas, the city where we had lived during our first term in Brazil. Campinas is a large city with 3.4 million people located about 1½ hours inland from São Paulo.

To get into the orphanage we needed a permission document from a friend of ours who was the chief prosecutor of the regional juvenile court system. Months earlier he had told us about a little girl who had come into the child welfare system because of repeated abandonment by her biological mother. She was being kept in their Centro de Triagem (Triage Centre), awaiting the final disposition of her case. We had for some time wanted to adopt a little girl, but two previous attempts had fallen through when at the last minute the mothers changed their minds and decided to keep their babies. 

On that day, as we were seated in his office waiting for him to fill out the permission papers, our friend, Dr. João, the prosecutor of the regional juvenile court told us that the little girl he had told us about was now past the one year waiting period and was finally eligible for adoption. He asked, “Would you like to see her today?” We jumped at the chance. The required documents were quickly drawn up, and we went and dropped off the gifts at the orphanage. Then we found our way to the Centro de Triagem where the little girl was being kept, along with about 100 other little children.

She was 23 months old, just a little tiny thing with big brown eyes and a huge mop of shiny black hair. She could not talk but she was beautiful, and we immediately fell in love with her. Two days later, on October 14^th, which happens to be my birthday, we were once again in Campinas, seated in front of Dr. João’s desk signing the final permanent adoption papers for Simoni to become our daughter. 

But I will never forget the emotions I felt as we drove over there to see her for the very first time. And I will never forget the feeling I had as Dr. João told us later that she was ours if we wanted her. That was great good news for us, indeed!

TRANSITION:

What is the best news you have ever received?

·        Was it when the doctor phoned and said the scan had come back all clear and they had ruled out any kind of cancer?

·        Was it when you received that letter saying that you had been accepted into the college or graduate school you had been hoping for?

·        Was it when you got summoned into the boss’ office and were offered a big job advancement with all the perks?

·        Was it when your radio operator got news from headquarters that reinforcements were on their way and that you and your platoon would be relieved soon?           

The sweetness of the good news is often directly proportional to the danger and darkness of our immediate circumstances. By that I mean, when we are in a big mess and help arrives it is even more wonderful and more appreciated. 

The Christians in Thessaloniki were passing through some dark days. They were being persecuted for their faith and were suffering for no other reason than that they had chosen to follow Christ. When Paul was with them, he had taught concerning future events, including the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming but they had gotten confused on some of the fine points. As a result of their present trials some of them were worried that maybe Christ had already returned, and that they had perhaps missed the boat, or maybe that He was not really going to come back at all.  Some were also worried about their loved ones that had already died, fearing that they might be forgotten and left behind if Jesus came back.

To ease their fears and explain what would happen to them Paul writes these words in

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, our text for today.

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, 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.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with a voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

¹⁷ Then, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

MAIN BODY:

Verse 13: But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

·        It is clear from 2 Thess. 2:5 that the apostle Paul had taught much about this subject while he was in the city, but the main point of his teaching had evidently concerned the advent of Christ and not the resurrection. In the meantime, perhaps some of the believers had died, and the question arose, “Have their premature deaths caused them to lose all hope of sharing in the glorious reign of Christ?”

·        “I would not have you to be ignorant” is a phrase that Paul uses frequently in his writings when he wishes to explain some new point (cf. Rom. 1:13; 11:25; 1 Cor. 10:1; 12:1; 2 Cor. 1:8). By the way, “ignorant” is not a pejorative like “stupid” or “dimwit.” It simply means, “lacking information or uninformed.”

·        “…about those who are asleep.” Here Paul uses a present participle construction to show ongoing action, “who are lying asleep.” This Greek word for sleep is used in the NT of natural sleep as well as death, but only the death of a Christian (cf. 1 Cor. 7:39; 2 Peter 3:4, etc.).

·        “…so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope” – Without Christ the people of the world grieve endlessly, with no hope of seeing their loved ones again. “The rest” are the same people he referred to up in 4:12 as “outsiders.” 

Verse 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.

·        “If we believe” – this Greek construction does not open the door to doubt. The meaning is, “since we believe.” In Greek it is called a first-class conditional clause. It is a rhetorical construction expecting the positive response, “…and we do believe.” Believe what? The Gospel that he lays out clearly in 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

·        Our future resurrection is based on Christ’s successful death, burial, and resurrection and His promise to come back and take us to be with Himself forever. 

Verse 15: For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

·        Here we have Paul’s promise, his positive declaration that the Christian dead will be raised first and will therefore undoubtedly have a share in the Kingdom. The statement is made as authoritative as possible by stating that it is “the word of the Lord.” There are two possible explanations of this. It could be an otherwise unrecorded saying of Christ (cf. Acts 20:35) or it may have come to Paul by direct revelation (cf. Acts 16:6; 18:9). In any case, the Thessalonians need not be worried. Paul assures them that the dead will have a foremost place, for the living, he says, “shall in no wise (= emphatic negative, meaning “will not, no way, no how”) precede those who are asleep” at the Lord’s return. Notice that Paul included himself among that living group and evidently expected to live until the return of Christ (cf. Phil. 4:5 and Titus 2:13 written later in his life). One of the wonderful things about the hope of the Rapture is that it burns brightly in the hearts of each generation of Christians regardless of how long His return is delayed.

Verse 16: For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with a voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

·        Paul now fills in the details of the picture of what will happen when the Lord returns. Christ Himself will return. The word “Himself” is in the emphatic position in the sentence and emphasizes that no intermediary, but indeed the Lord Himself, will usher in this great event. Because it will be He Himself who comes, the attendant circumstances will display all the grandeur due His personal presence. There will be “a shout.” It is a word of command used in classical Greek for the shout with which an officer gives the order to his troops or his crew.  “Hoist the sails, full-speed ahead, run out the guns, fire on my command.” That kind of thing. There is in the word a ring of authority and a note of urgency. It is not said who utters the shout, whether it is the Lord or an archangel. However, “a voice” (indefinite article) of “an archangel” will be heard. Michael is the only archangel specifically mentioned in the Bible (cf. Jude 9), but it is not impossible that there are other archangels. Notice the absence of the definite articles here— a voice, not the voice, and an archangel, not the archangel. Although Gabriel is mentioned as a high-ranking angel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26) he is not specifically designated as an archangel. Jewish tradition listed seven chief angels together. “The trumpet of God” will also sound when He comes. This is also referred to twice in 1 Corinthians 15:52.

·        Again, the priority of the dead is mentioned, for they shall be raised first, that is, before those who are alive at the Lord’s coming are changed. “Dead in Christ” is, of course, an alternative description of those who “sleep in Jesus.”

Verse 17: Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

·        Next in order there will be the change in the living. “Then,” epeita, implies order of events and not necessarily any lengthy interval between. We shall be “caught up.” The word means, “to seize” or “to snatch” and the Latin translation of this verb uses the word from which we get “rapture” in English. Thus, the translation of living believers is often called the Rapture of the Church. Rapture means the act of quickly conveying a person from one place to another and thus is properly used of this transport of the living believers to Heaven. Paul also used this word to describe his own experience of being caught up into the “third Heaven” (cp. 2 Cor. 12:2-4; w/ Rev. 12:5). It would appear from these other occurrences of the word that Paul had in mind being taken into Heaven and not just into the mid-air to turn around suddenly and return to the earth He also implies in this idea of rapture the necessary change in mortal bodies to fit them for immortal existence in Heaven. This is stated in greater detail in 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, and while the method of this change is never revealed, Paul clearly believed that it is possible to have a metamorphosis without the dissolution caused by death.

·        The reunion is two-fold. It is first with loved ones who have died, for we shall be caught up together with them. Second, it is a meeting with the Lord in the air, in the clouds (with a view to proceeding on into Heaven, not returning to the earth immediately, as stated above). The natural consequence of this wonderful meeting with the Lord is that there will be no subsequent parting. After His return there will be uninterrupted union and communion with our Lord.

·        One more thing… this event will come with no warning and will not even be seen or heard by unbelievers. It will happen in the twinkling of an eye and be over and accomplished without the world even being aware. “Done and dusted” as the Irish say. Before anyone even notices we’re gone we will be in Heaven with the Lord. 

Verse 18: Therefore comfort one another with these words.

·        As a result of what has been stated there should be no sorrowing but rather comfort concerning those who have died. Notice how Paul sticks to the subject—the dead in Christ.  He says nothing in this passage about the resurrection of the wicked, the intermediate state, judgment, the means of translation, or our reign with Christ. In this passage our hope is centred on the assurance of the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the change in the living, and the eternal union with our Lord. Repeating these truths often will bring assurance to our hearts. 

CONCLUSION:

For the Thessalonian believers, this letter must have sounded like great Good News. They were going through some hard times—times that made them have doubts about things they had come to believe. But Paul’s letter with this wonderful explanation about what awaited them, and their dead loved ones, must have brought them great comfort and encouragement.

I do not know what trials and tests you are facing right now, but I know that in the Gospel there is good news for you and for your present situation. The God of Paul and the Thessalonians is our God too. And He has never changed. He is still able to save all who call on Him, and He is still ready to rescue us when we pray to Him.

FEEDBACK:

What does this passage mean to you personally? What impact does it have on your daily life? In verse 18 we find one of the many NT “one another” commands: namely, “comfort one another with these words.” How can we do this specifically?