THE PASTOR’S POINTS
sermon ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
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November 16, 2003
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13But 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. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For 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. 16For 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: 17Then 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. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)
A Youth Pastor wrote about Easter services in his church: “We showed a cartoon video of the crucifixion and resurrection to our kindergarten students. When Jesus was buried, one little boy who knew the story pretty well turned to a buddy and said, ’He’s dead now, but he’ll be back.’"[1]
Thus a kindergartener spoke a truth many adults miss today…He WILL be back! In fact, according to Bible prophecy, the return of Christ for His church is the next great event on Heaven’s calendar. It could be today!
Great events require preparation.
Thanksgiving is only 11 days from now. (And I trust many of you will not put off preparing my pumpkin and pecan pies until the last minute.) Even as we speak the mall walls are hung with pre-season Christmas season!
We often take great care to prepare early for fishing trips, camping, hunting, and the “over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house” trips. We prepare our retirement portfolio, insurance forms and our wills. Some of you will have your taxes done on midnight, December 31st. We prepare meals and deals, budgets and (in a few months) New Year’s Resolutions. We will even prepare what we will tell our friends in the event we don’t keep those resolutions.
The greatest preparation of all, in terms of importance and lasting value, is the preparation we make for eternity. This passage ought to make clear that being prepared for the return of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ is no small matter. He is our Savior and Lord. He is the One who has been the centerpiece of history, and is the coming King who will reign on the earth for a thousand years, and throughout eternity.
It takes two things to be prepared for an event, great or small…
We should be well-informed, and…
We should be ready by acting on the information.
We want to cover these two about getting yourself prepared with information and the way to act on the information in order to be ready for the return of King Jesus. However, there is one rabbit to chase before we begin, in order to lay a footing for the information. That “rabbit” is why Paul taught about Jesus’ coming.
Obviously Paul was answering questions in this letter. Recall that the Bible was not in its present form back then. The Apostles were still getting their information from the Lord and putting it to paper. So the early believers couldn’t take their concordance, or favorite Bible software and just pop-up Calvin’s Institutes of Religion, or the Baptist Faith and Message (choose one: 1925, 1963, 2000).
One problem Paul may have been addressing is the Gnostic influence. These folks (the Gnostics) did not believe Jesus was incarnated with a flesh and blood body, but was a spirit who only appeared to have a body. Therefore they also refused to believe in a bodily resurrection; so Paul wrote about the resurrection to dispel any doubts. “Now,” you say, “that’s silly; of course Jesus had a body. No one in this day and age has that problem.” Friends, we have a bigger problem with it now than ever before.
Have you ever watched “Crossing Over” – the TV program with John Edwards? Mr. Edwards claims to be able to receive messages from dead people. As his audience listens Edwards allegedly “gets” something – meaning a communication from a deceased relative or friend of someone in attendance. He then proceeds to develop the message, giving comfort and insight to the listeners. There is one of two possibilities:
1. Mr. Edwards is a king-sized con artist, raking in the bucks from people with pea-sized brains, or…
2. Mr. Edwards is the real deal…contacting the dead.
Either way is diametrically-opposed to Scripture. Bilking people out of hard-earned dollars is called stealing. (It is at times called Federal Budget fundraising). On the other hand, if he is actually “calling-up the dead,” Edwards is in violation of Scripture’s prohibition about seeking communication with “familiar spirits” or the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:11).
The biggest problem with this practice is that it seeks to do just what the ancient king Nimrod did, building Babel’s tower up to heaven (meaning he wanted to see God for the purpose of conquering heaven and taking over).
Satan had the same problem:
13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13-14
God had news for Satan:
15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Isaiah 14:15
You see, the intent is what trips you up. Contact with the dead only serves the agenda of the one doing the contact. Somehow we sense we will be able to control what happens when we “cross over” if we just know what’s going on there. I’ve been asked before, “Preacher, don’t you want to know? Don’t you wish you could just know for sure what’s going on over there?” Friends, I already know. Those who have accepted Jesus are shouting, dancing and having a spell for joy; those who have rejected Jesus are burning in the fires of hell. What else do I need to know?
Well, let’s look at what Paul told the church they could count on…he told them there were some certainties upon which they could bet the farm…
I. Certainty of Resurrection
13But 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. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For 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. 16For 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:
Paul states all this in no uncertain language. He wants them well-informed so they can be ready. After the shout, an angelic bellow, or trumpet call – some sound that is beyond mere word description – the dead in Christ rise first. Folks, this is our whole basis for hope. Jesus died, and God raised Him up – those who trust Christ will follow the same pattern. If you have trouble following that, remember John said that Jesus said:
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:27-28
There are those who have no hope. William Barclay wrote of the ancient pagans and their view concerning the afterlife:
Aeschylus wrote, ‘Once a man dies there is no resurrection.’
Theocritus wrote, ‘There is hope for those who are alive, but those who have died are without hope.’ Catullus wrote, ‘When once our brief light sets, there is one perpetual night through which we must sleep.’ On their tombstones grim epitaphs were carved. ‘I was not; I became; I am not; I care not.’” [2]
I have spoken to many people who do not have this hope in the resurrection. One man I met while knocking on doors in Jacksonville, Florida said to me, “It [the Gospel] sounds like a nice story – but, hey, once you’re dead, you’re dead. They put you in the hole, and [expletive deleted] that’s it, buddy!”
I witnessed to that man and he never budged. Someday he will – either before he dies in surrender to the loving offer of Jesus’ forgiveness and salvation, or at the bar when he stands before the Great White Throne, just before his own refusal to be forgiven by Christ casts him into an everlasting lake of fire and brimstone.
Oh, there is a resurrection…I’ve just been talking about the first one, the one for the dead in Christ. The second is the resurrection of the damned into everlasting judgment. Listen to the description of this awful event from Revelation 20:
6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth….11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20
The church can count on resurrection…God has promised it. We can also count on:
II. Certainty of Rapture
17Then 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.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
The rapture is for the believers who are physically still living at the time of this first resurrection. The word “rapture” of course does not appear anywhere in the Bible, but the phrase “caught up” communicates adequately what will happen. It means “to snatch violently”. Jesus taught us he would come quickly, like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:10, 1 Thess 5:2).
There is generally a staff of three in our building, our secretary Patsy, youth and children’s minister Sandy, and the warden, me. One day this week, at a particularly still and quiet moment, there was an incredible BOOM that shook the building. Sandy and I hit the hallway at the same time – we looked like two “does in the headlights”. Patsy was nowhere to be found. We called her name, checked her office, went upstairs to seek her in the sanctuary or anywhere – nothing! I never admitted it to Sandy, but as we continued to frantically search I remember thinking to myself as I descended the stairs, Man, the rapture’s come and the only one who made it is the church secretary! We later found her outside, gazing over to the far reaches of the church property where they were probably excavating with dynamite; she was just taking a break.
Much has been written and said about the home-going of the church. We are specifically told to not set a specific date. That has not stopped many.
In the middle of the 19th century the “Millerites” (followers of William Miller) sold their farms, quit jobs and waited for the second coming between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. It didn’t happen!
In the late 1800’s members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect set the spring of 1874 as the "Parousia" or appearing of our Lord. They were wrong. They were just as wrong when they moved the date to 18 months later.
In 1987 a book caused quite a stir. The title was “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Happen in 1988”. There was a sequel in 1989 – “Gotcha”.
We are told that only God knows the date. Paul also says that’s none of our business (see 5.1). But this one thing we must know about the church’s rapture...it is certain, and we should be looking for Him.
Chuck Swindoll shared a personal testimony of a friend who was always ready:
"I worked in a machine shop for four-and-a-half years alongside a fellow named George. His job was to sweep and clean out the shavings underneath the huge lathes and machines we were running. George was born again, and he loved the teaching of Scripture on prophecy. I remember hearing him sing hymns as he worked. Many of them had to do with the coming of Christ, such as ’In the Sweet By and By’ and ’When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder’.
Late one Friday afternoon about ten minutes to quitting time when we were all weary, I looked at George and said, ’George, are you ready?’ He said, ’uh-huh’. But he was all dirty. He was just obviously not ready. In fact, he looked like he was ready to keep on working. I said, ’Aren’t you ready to go home?’ He said, ’Yeah, I’m ready.’ I said, ’Look at you! Man, you’re not ready. You’ve gotta go clean up.’ ’No,’ he said, ’let me show you something.’ So he unzipped his coveralls and underneath were the neatest, cleanest clothes you can imagine. He had them all ready. All he did when the whistle blew was just unzip and step out of that coverall, walk up, and punch his clock and he was gone. He said, ’You see, I stay ready to keep from gettin’ ready -- just like I’m ready for Jesus.’"[3]
We can count on the Certainty of resurrection and rapture, and we have Jesus’ promise of:
III. Comfort of Reassurance
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord……
…… 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Paul’s whole purpose was to provide a clear understanding of the firm certainty of the hope of eternal salvation…it is not a false hope, based upon some longed-for relief in our human condition. This comes as a promise from an Almighty God.
Hope is a funny thing. It can sometimes triumph over good sense. Four widows were playing cards in the retirement home in which they lived. A good-looking older fellow walks in, bags under each arm.
"What’s a good-looking man like you doing here?" one asks.
"I’m moving in," he says.
"Oh," says another. "Where ya from?"
"I’ve been in the can the last fifteen years."
"The can?" they ask.
"Yeah, the can, the clink, the slammer, the state penitentiary."
"Oh," says one. "What did you do?"
"I murdered my wife. I cut her up and buried her in the back yard."
There follows a long pause, and then one of them pipes up:
"So you’re single!"[4]
Our hope should be based upon something stronger than the voids in our lives. Comfort only comes from genuine hope. In this case, the comfort we are offered is the anticipation of a reunion. Paul said we must not sorrow or grieve as those who don’t have hope. Sorrow is a fact of life. But our hope, Jesus Christ, is always there in the midst of even our worst sorrows.
Zig Ziglar is one of the most recognized motivational speakers in the world. He writes about his own sorrow:
The longest 24 hours of my life were those after my daughter’s death. When making the funeral arrangements with her husband and his parents, I had to listen to a salesman who was an incessant talker and who told us 30 times he wasn’t a salesman. Twice while we were making decisions about her casket and burial, I had to leave the room; I simply couldn’t handle him.
The night before I had hallucinated. Half asleep, half awake, I kept thinking my daughter was wondering when her daddy was going to come get her. The next morning I took a walk and was praying and crying the whole way. When I returned, the Lord spoke in such a distinct way: "She’s fine. She’s with me. And you’re going to be fine, too. I’m all you need. You just keep walking. Keep talking. Keep praying. Keep crying."[5]
A Christian will sorrow over the loss of a loved one…as do we all. But a Christian will grieve surrounded by hope.
Paul instructed the believers to comfort, or strengthen each other with these thoughts.
How about you? Do these words comfort and gladden your heart? If so, it is because you’ve received Jesus, and you are prepared. You’re ready!
If these things scare you it is because you’ve not allowed Christ to give you peace through His forgiveness and mercy. You worry about what is to come. And your worry is well-placed.
“Choice” is a big word these days. People want to be able to choose their own way. That is nowhere more true than with Jesus Christ. You have the right to choose His way, to choose relationship and forgiveness with the God who created and loves you; you also have the right to refuse. Consider:
The popular way such as following the fads of the likes of John Edwards’ multimedia tricks, electronic and emotional shell games full of emptiness and speculation. It will be amazing, exciting, and you will be far from God, very far!
The Jesus way, surrendering your life and presenting yourself to Him a living sacrifice; giving yourself to Jesus, the one who died for you, and now lives that you and I also might have life.
The choice for peace with God through forgiveness in Jesus Christ is available to all who ask.
God wanted the folks in Thessalonica to know how willing He is to forgive; He wants the folks in Thomasville to know the same thing.
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ENDNOTES
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[1] Robert Russell, Resurrection Promises, Preaching Today, Tape No. 151.
[2] William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, Vol 12, (Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1975), 203
[3] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes, (Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998), 507.
[4] David Yarbrough on SermonCentral.com [adapted]
[5] Zig Ziglar, More Oxygen to the Flame, Leadership (Fall 1998), pp.22-23
