Background Review
The ancient city of Thessalonica
(Thessaloniki)
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Located in modern
day Greece
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Major city that
attracted people from all walks of life through it’s gates
The summarized account of Paul in
Thessalonica in Acts 16-18
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Paul’s second
missionary journey
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Arrived in
Thessalonica around AD 51
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Paul “reasoned”
with the Jews and some came to faith in Christ
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They were
mistreated and ran out of town
Chapter 1
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The Thessalonians
were setting an example for other believers abroad
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They were
encouraged by the faith of the Thessalonians under pressure
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They set an
example in their joy, their obedience, their witness, and their hope.
- It reminds us that we too are setting an example for other believers as well. People see what we do and will imitate us. If we can serve Jesus, so can they!
Chapter 2
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Paul defends
himself and his ministry against his enemies who were accusing him of being a
fake and a failure.
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Regardless the
accusations made against him, he knew they had no merit and set the record
straight.
- It reminds us that the accusations made on behalf of the devil are worthless and hold no merit with God. The facts are in the blood! When we feel we have failed, God is working. God will do what He promised He would do.
Chapter 3
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Paul commends the
Thessalonians for their love for one another and encourages them to continue in
it.
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Paul also prays
for his readers that they would abound in love and that they would be blameless
in holiness. That prayer is relevant for us today.
- It reminds us that when we increase Jesus in our life, love and holiness will consequently abound in our life if we don’t get in the way.
Chapter 4
Today we are going to be in chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians can be broken up into two halves: the first half (chapters 1-3) being personal and the second half being practical. Chapter 4 is the beginning of the practical half of 1 Thessalonians. It is here where Paul begins to address some of the practical matters that were brought up in Timothy’s report. Paul begins by reminding them of some of the instructions he left with them on how to please God with their life. He instructs them to not be conformed to the patterns of the societal and cultural norms that surrounded them. This included the sexually immoral behavior that was accepted in the roman colony that Thessalonica was in that day. It was a struggle then and it is a struggle now. We must be careful that we do not allow ourselves to be conformed to the customs and norms of the world around us. Culture and society are not the standard of what is right and wrong. As believers, the word of God is our standard.
Eventually, we get to the end of chapter 4 which is where we will be at this morning. In verses 13-18, Paul is addressing another matter that was brought up in the report given by Timothy. Let’s read it together.
1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left 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 cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Grieving
as those without Hope
According to Timothy’s report, some of the believers were grieving due to loved ones in the church passing away. Paul discussed it as grieving “without hope” as if they were not saved. Paul made it clear that there are a different set of circumstances for those who hope in Jesus than those who do not. Because their loved ones knew Jesus, there was hope. It was a true and living hope. Their hope was that they, along with their later loved ones, would be a part of the resurrection when Jesus returned.
These grieving believers thought that because their friends had died, their friends would not be a part of the resurrection. They imagined they would miss out when Jesus returned. They clearly had a base knowledge of the Second Coming of Christ, but they did not have the full picture. According to Paul, they had “gaps” in their faith. The Thessalonians believers had been uninformed or misinformed.
These were strong believers in the faith. They knew Jesus. They knew the truth that was passed down to them. They stood strong in it. They obeyed it. They were faithful. They were fruitful. They were examples of what it meant to follow Jesus. Yet, they were suffering. They were sad and depressed. They were mourning and in a deep distress. Because they were uninformed or misinformed.
There are times in life where we struggle, suffer, and are in deep distress in our life. The reasons are many. There is a time to be happy and a time to be sad. There is a time to grieve and a time to be glad. Nevertheless, these Thessalonians were grieving out of fear and anguish. This was more than the normal flow of life. This was out of the ordinary. This was due to a lack of truth.
Nothing tells the truth like the truth. The truth brings faith, security, and hope. Anything else that is not the truth, which is a lie, brings fear, stress, and worry. When we find ourselves stressed, worried, depressed, in anguish, we have to stop ourselves and ask, what am I believing right now? Am I struggling because of something I am believing? A quick fix to our faith goes a long way. Sometimes we just need to find the root problem and apply the truth to it.
Verse 13 said they had been “uninformed” of the truth concerning the dead in Christ. They were unaware of the full truth and consequently made assumptions because of it. When we are unaware of the full truth, if we are not careful we will make assumptions. But the fact is that the truth is not in us. Truth is only found in the word of God. If we are saying to ourselves things like, “I guess that means…” or “maybe…” or “I assume so…”, then we may be making assumptions. Assumptions are made when we only have a part of the truth. Because one thing is true, then maybe (…). If we find ourselves making an assumption, we need to go to the source of truth. If we are making an assumption concerning life and faith, we need to go to the word of God.
The
Coming of the Lord
That is what Paul did. Paul let them know that they didn’t need to grieve as those with no hope. He let them know that while Jesus is returning for the living, He is returning for the dead as well! When Jesus returns, He will return in the clouds with a…
• Cry
of command
• Voice
of an archangel
• Sound of the trumpet of God
- The
dead in Christ will rise first
- The
living in Christ will be “caught up”
- We will all be with the Lord forever
This is the coming of the Lord!! Jesus is coming back! Let us live our life with expectation.
This is the truth. Let our hope and expectation be settled on it. Let our hope be anchored in it. Let us not be thrown back and forth outside of it. The truth goes a long way.
Paul ends the chapter in verse 18 saying, “encourage one another with these words.” The resurrection of the dead was the antidote for the suffering of some of the believers in Thessalonica. He instructed them to encourage each other with this truth because it was the answer to their discouragement. While the situations may be different, the coming of Christ is still meant to encourage us today. Whatever you may be going through, things are going to get better. They will either get better here on this side of Heaven, or on the other. All things will be made right when Jesus comes back! Let us keep our lamps burning. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Let us be ready when Jesus returns.
Matthew 24:36-37 ESV
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
Let us be encouraged and let us be ready. Jesus is coming back!!
Takeaways
1. There is Hope for those in Christ
2. Assumptions are not meant for consumption
- If
we are assuming, then we only have part of the truth
- The
truth is not in us. The truth is in the source. The truth is in the word of
God.
- When
we are not sure, go to the word of God
- Do
not lean on your own wisdom
3. Encourage others that Jesus is coming back
- This
truth is meant to be encouraging!
- Let
us be ready when He comes
- Let
us be found faithful when He comes back
- Let
us be right with God when He comes back.
