1 THESS. 4:13-18 “WHEN JESUS COMES DOWN AND THE SAINTS GO UP”
A) The coming of the Lord is the principle theme of both Thessalonian epistles!
* In these verses, Paul assures the believers that their dead loved ones are safe with Jesus, and
will come with Him in the clouds in the air.
* He explains that those who have died in the Lord will be raised first. (Why?)
* And then we which are alive and remain … we’ll all be changed.
B) To the Christian, death is sleep! * No, the believer doesn’t become unconscious in spirit.
* The body goes back to dust and the soul goes to God. (The beggar Lazarus)
* Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Today shalt thou be with …”
* The word “sleep” simply means “the death of the body.”
C) In Luke 8:52, Jairus’ daughter … Jesus said of her, “She’s not dead, but sleepeth!”
* He said the same thing concerning Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha – John 11.
* So I understand why death is referred to as sleep … Sleep is a temporary state.
* The early Christians called their burial grounds “cemetery,” which the Greek word means
“sleeping chamber.”
D) The Bible nowhere teaches “soul sleep!” * The soul of man will never cease to be conscious.
* Fifty billion years from now, you and I will either be with Jesus or roasting in hell.
* v.14 closes with, “Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.”
* When He comes, He will bring those that’s already in heaven with Him.
E) There are four things I want us to see, “When Jesus Comes Down And The Saints Go Up!”
(1) THE SAINTS WILL ALL BE TOGETHER! * Notice v.17 …….
A) First, the statement “in the clouds,” in the Greek signifies “amid clouds …….”
* And it means that the saints will be surrounded by clouds which will act as a giant chariot and
we will be carried away on their downy softness.
* In Acts 1:9-11, the angels at Christ’s ascension promised He’s come again as He went away.
* In Matt. 17:1-8, on the Mount of Transfiguration, “a bright cloud” overshadowed them, and a
voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am …; hear ye Him.”
B) There’s something wonderful and majestic about clouds!
* Nahum tells us in Nahum 1:3 that “clouds are the dust of His feet.”
* The glorious event of the rapture will be surrounded by clouds and the curtains of the atmosphere
will hover about us as we are raised into the air to be with our blessed Lord.
C) Now I want to focus on the word “together!”
* The word means: “With each other; in company; into one gathering.”
* The Greek word in v.17 means: “At the same time.”
* One day, all the saints of God will be together … No more parting again!
D) But I want to look at it in a different aspect … “To be together now!”
* Acts 2:44 “And all that believed were together, and had all things common;”
* Acts 4:32 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither
said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things
common.”
E) That’s the desire of every pastor … Things happen when Christians are “together!”
* In Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was … they were all with one accord in one
place. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and souls were saved,” when they were together!
F) But people are not like that today! * Turn to 1 Cor. 3:1-4 and look at the average church …
* “Carnal” means “fleshly, unregenerate.” * Bunch of burping church members.
* Carnal Christians are under the control of the fleshly nature, not the Spirit of God.
* Paul said they were spiritual babies … BUT BABIES GROW UP IN TIME!
G) Acts 18:11 tells us that Paul stayed in Corinth 1½ years teaching the Word!
* You would think after 1½ years, they’d grow up, but they didn’t.
* 1 Cor. 13:11 “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
H) Paul says, “There is among you envying, and strife, and divisions!”
* You cannot be together by dividing.
I) “Envy,” means “desires to deprive another person of what he possesses,” while “jealousy”
means, “desires to have the same sort of thing the other has!”
* If God sent another epistle to the churches of today, He’d say the same warning.
* These are the two ugliest sins prevalent among Christians today. * BE TOGETHER!
* Also read your Bible on how much it talked about gathering or assembling together!
J) When Jesus comes down and the saints go up, the saints will all be together!
(2) SATAN WILL BE MISSING! * Satan won’t be anywhere around!
A) If you’re not having trouble with him, then you’re running with him! * Rev. 20:1-3 …
* Praise God, when Jesus comes down and the saints go up, satan will be missing!
(3) SHOUTING WILL BE IN ORDER! * v.16 … Jesus will shout … The archangel will shout.
A) It will be a service without end! * I’m looking forward to being in that worship service.
* Psalm 146 begins with “Praise ye the Lord,” and ends with “Praise ye the Lord.”
* Psalm 147 begins with “Praise ye the Lord,” and ends with “Praise ye the Lord.”
* Psalm 148 begins with … and ends with … * Psalm 149 begins with .. and ends with …
* Psalm 150 begins with “Praise ye the Lord,” and ends with “Let everything that hath breath
praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”
B) I want to see those who don’t believe in shouting when they go up to meet the Lord!
* You ain’t never been in a worship service like this one’s gonna be before!
* When Jesus comes down and the saints go up, shouting will be in order!
(4) SINNERS WILL BE MISSING! * I say this humbly, but there’ll be no sinners in heaven!
A) Turn in your Bible to Rev. 4:1-4 and let’s read this together …….
* There was a rainbow round about the throne. * In Noah’s day, the rainbow was a symbol of
mercy and was a sign that God would not destroy the world by a flood again.
* The rainbow around the throne signifies I’ll not be judged for my sin no more!
* Every time I look at the throne, I’m reminded that Jesus took my punishment for my sin.
B) When Jesus comes down and the saints go up, sinners will be missing from that number!
* Yea, that person you didn’t want the preacher to put too much pressure on.
* Now the door is shut, and no sinner will ever be invited to be a part of the redeemed again.
* Rev. 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne …”
C) Your friends and loved ones will be there! * We’re there only as witnesses.
* There’ll be tears, because after the great white throne judgment, Rev. 21:4 says that “God will
wipe away all tears from our eyes.”
CLOSE
A) Are you ready for Jesus to come? * Are you ready for the judgment seat of Christ?
* Can you say, “I’ve done my best?” * COME TO JESUS!
