I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I'd like to look at verses 13
to 18, but I just want to read the last verse, verse 18. The
Spirit of God exhorts all believers to do this. Wherefore, comfort
one another with these words. Comfort one another with these
words. Now, you know, somebody that needs comfort is someone
that's hurting. Someone that's going through
some trials, tribulations, And we need comfort in these times. True comfort that is only found
in the Word of God. That's the only place that there's
real comfort. And one such time is dealt with
in our passage today, and it's when the Lord has been pleased
to call one of his own. He's been pleased to call a believer,
a vessel of God's mercy, one of the Lord's sheep out of this
world and leave his or her brethren to mourn their passing when a
believer dies. Now, I know that we're going
to die. I know we're going to die, and
I know that we're going to stand before God. The scripture says
in Hebrews 9, 27, and it is, and as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this, the judgment. We're going to
die, all men, all women are going to die. And we're going to stand
before God. And the books are going to be
open in the book. That blessed book, the book of life that was
written before the foundation of the world. All the entries
were put in there. Scripture says, Revelation 13,
before the foundation of the world. But the question that is truly
buried within us is what happens when a believer dies? I've preached
a lot of funerals here since I've been here. Coming up in
about three weeks, three weeks. July the 20th, 2003, I preached
my first message here as pastor. Coming up 20 years here in about
three weeks. And in that 20 year period, it
just seems like to me there's been 15, 16, 17 funerals that
I've preached. And preaching The funeral of
a believer is a joy. It's a joy. Thanks be unto God. We've got
some hope. I'm just going to make one statement
here concerning an unbeliever dying, and then I'm going to
go on with this passage. When an unbeliever dies, one
that has not cast themselves upon the mercy of God. One who
is trusted in themselves. When a believer dies, they're
going to do just like that rich man that died and lifted up his
eyes out of hell. That's what's going to happen.
And I know everybody said, well, when they die, they went to a
better place. Not necessarily. It all depends
on what they think of Christ. Did they know the Lord? Had they
cast themselves upon the mercy of God? calling upon him, casting
in their heart, Lord, save me, save me. But when a believer
dies, what does the scriptures have to say? What happens? I'm
just sitting here thinking of how many of those that we've,
we all were with, and loved, and for Glenn, and Gene, and
Darius, and Betty, and just Carl and Lou, where are they? Where are they right now? Where
are they? Well, let's see what the words
has to say. Verse 13, the Apostle Paul, under
the inspiration of God's Spirit says, but I would not have you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. Now, now, when,
When one is taken, when a believer is taken by the Lord, what we
do is we bow. We bow to that. Why? Because
we know Ecclesiastes 3, 1 and 2, to everything there is a season
and a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time to be born
and a time to die. And when that time comes, we respond with a heartfelt sense
of missing that brother or sister in Christ. We do. We do. I mean,
in my mind's eye, I can see, I can still see, you know, I
know where they were sitting. I know where they were. They
were right here and they were right back there and they were right
over here and I know where they were. And I miss them. And there's a heartfelt loss in my heart. But the scripture
says, I will not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that you sorrow not. But now this sorrow
not doesn't mean that we're completely without any feeling of missing
them. But it's what it's saying is
that we're not to have excessive grief or inordinate sorrow or
thrown into sorrow is what it is, even as others which have
no hope. know what the scriptures has
got to say concerning those that die in the faith. Second Corinthians
5.8 says this, absent from the body, present with the Lord. Now I know that. So we're not
totally ignorant of the departed state of the saints, but there's
a lot we don't know. There's a lot we don't know,
and we're unable to perceive the fullness of these things,
and I know we'll never decide of leaving this world. We're
not gonna know. We're not gonna really know till
we die. But there's some things that we do know. We know that
those who die in Christ, concerning this body, when this body dies,
scripture says in verse 13, I would not have you be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep. Now, the scripture uses this
word sleep. I looked it up. It means to die,
but when it's referring to a believer, they're talking about sleeping,
sleeping. Their body is laid in the ground,
and I know what it's doing. It's returning to the dust. I
know that, but it's at rest. Now, this is a marvelous thing. You know, I've done the very
same thing that many of you have. You go to a graveyard. where
there's a loved one that's been laid there, and we say they're
not there. Well, their soul is not there,
but their body is. Their body's there. It's there.
And it's laid there, and for the believer, it's said to be
asleep. So the believer has, by God's
good pleasure, He's retired. He's sleeping out of this troublesome
world and he rests from all of his labors. He rests from his
labors. That's what he's doing. And though the body is resting,
now that body is there. It's there. Waiting until the
time of Christ's second coming, the soul has departed and it's
very alive. And it's very cognizant. of its
present state. All of these that were in this
congregation and other congregations knew God. I'm going to tell you
something. Their soul is with the Lord. They are. They are. There's something
about a person. There's a soul. And it's that
soul by which God maintains life. You take the soul out of it and
hit the ground. The Lord told the dying thief,
who asked to be remembered by Christ when he entered into his
kingdom, here's what the Lord said to that dying thief. Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And you know what they did with
that thief's body when he died? They buried him. They buried
him. His body, just like ours are
gonna be, and put it in the ground. But there's something that's
going to change. Philippians 3, Philippians chapter
3 verse 21 says something about what's going to happen to this
body. I'll deal with this a little
bit more in just a second. Philippians 3 verse 21, speaking
of the Lord 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 unto himself. So I
know this. Apostle Paul, writing under the
inspiration of God's Spirit, I would not have you ignorant
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 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. The Apostle is
moved to say if we believe that the Lord was raised from the
dead, and God's people do, that He ascended into heaven, and
they do believe that, and is right now having fellowship worshiping,
being worshiped by every departed soul that was given him in electing
grace. They're all there. When the Lord
told that thief today, you will be with me. What do you think
the possibility was that he wasn't going to be with the Lord? None,
none. He's there. That thief is right
there right now. So are all the souls of those
that we all knew, and others. They're before the Lord right
now. They're with the Lord right now. So here we believe, according
to His Word, that the Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again,
even so them which also sleep in Jesus, their body's in the
ground. The body is in the ground. But
their soul is with Him. The soul is with Him. These weary
bodies turn to 1 Corinthians 15. These weary bodies which
laid in the ground, 1 Corinthians 15. What does the scripture say about
it? 1 Corinthians 15 verse 42. So also is the resurrection of
the dead. All right, concerning a believer. It is sown in corruption. Sown in corruption. I looked
these words up so I could make sure. I wanted to know what they
meant. It was sown in corruption. That
means decomposition. It's sown, it will decompose. This natural body. It's sown,
it's sown in corruption. It's raised in incorruption. That is, it's going to be raised
exempt from decay. Sown in corruption, raised in
incorruption. It's sown in dishonor, in disgrace. It's going to be raised in glory.
It's going to be raised in magnificence. It's sown in weakness. That is,
it's sown in a lack of strength. But it's going to be raised in
power, which means strength. It's sown a natural body, having
animal life. We know what a body is. But it's going to be raised a
spiritual body. A body not subject to carnal
needs. Now, it's going to be a body.
If it was just an invisible something, it's gonna be a body. But this
body right here is subject, I need, I got to eat. To maintain this
body, I gotta eat, I gotta drink, I gotta have rest, I've got things
I got to have. The spiritual body, it's a body,
it's a real body. But it's not like this body. It's a natural body, it's gonna
be raised a spiritual body. So if we believe, back in 1 Thessalonians
4, verse 14, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also would sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him? Then the apostle said, 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. Paul said, we know this by divine
revelation. I know this, he said, by the
word of the Lord. The Redeemer, in that day, is gonna do something
very precious for those who died in the faith. Those who died
believing him. What's he gonna do? Well, according
to the scriptures, he's gonna raise them first. He's gonna
raise them before he raises us up from the earth and changes
us. We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent them which are asleep. We're not going to attain that
personal fellowship with him in the air until the Lord raises
those that are in the grave, that died in the faith. The Lord himself, verse 16, 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." The very Lord. Turn to Acts 1. The very Lord
of glory who ascended into heaven after his resurrection, gave
instruction to his disciples while he was sitting there talking
to them, and then the scripture says that he was received in
a cloud. He watched him. The scripture
says in Acts 1, 10 and 11, while they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up. Behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, which also said, ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye here gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you
have seen him go into heaven. The scripture says this is how
the Lord's going to come back. Just like he left. The same Jesus,
the one you're looking at right here. One is seated on the right
hand of the majesty on high. The God-man who's sitting on
the throne of God. He's coming back just like you're
seeing. You see how he went up right there? That's how he's
coming back, just like that. Just exactly. Just as you see
who you're looking at right there, that's who you're going to see
when he comes back. Just in like manner, just exactly the way
you see it. You that touched him and felt
him and handled the word of life, he's coming back just like you
see. Say what God says, he's going
to descend, verse 16. He's going to descend with a
shout. That is, a loud summons is what that word means. I'm
looking it up. with a shout, a loud summons,
a stimulating cry from a word that means to command and to
order. He's going to come back with
a shout. Where's that shout going to come from? I don't know. I
don't know if it's meaning the Lord's going to say it. It probably
does. But it says he's going to come with a shout, a piercing,
powerful commanding shout. And how commanding is it? How loud is it gonna be a shout?
John 5, turn with me there, John 5, 25. John 5, 25. Who's gonna hear it? Who's gonna hear that shout?
John 5, verse 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming And I love this right here, and I'm gonna
comment on this. And now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live. Twofold thought there. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming. Now there's coming
a time in the second coming of Christ when the Lord's gonna
come back. We just read this right here where for the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. There's coming
a time And now is. There are some that's
been everlastingly loved of God, given unto the Lord Jesus Christ
in electing grace. And they're going to hear the
voice of God right now. And the dead in Christ, spiritually
dead in Christ, they're going to live. But that same voice,
that same shout is going to call all men. Some, by the grace of God, hear
it now, but all, still back in John 5, look at verse 28, 29. Talking about that shout, who's
gonna hear it? John 5, 28, 29, marvel not at this, for the hour
is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his
voice and shall come forth. They that have done good unto
the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto
the resurrection of damnation. So who's gonna hear this shout?
Everybody in the last day, but by the grace some right now.
He said, my sheep hear my voice. Here it is right here. My sheep
hear my voice. I know them, I know them, and
they follow me. The scripture says, verse 16,
back in First Thessalonians four, the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel. He's going to descend from heaven
with the voice of the archangel. You know, it says the archangel. How many archangels are there?
There's one. Turn to Daniel 12. Who is he? Who is this archangel? You know
why you're turning. You just want to see it. Daniel
12, Daniel 12, verses 1 and 2. And at that time shall Michael
stand up, the great prince, which standeth for the children of
thy people. And there shall be a time of
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that
same time. And at that time, thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in
the book. And many of them that sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some
to shame and everlasting contempt. Who is this Michael? It's the
Lord Jesus Christ, the archangel, the archangel. In fact, whenever
I looked up the archangel, it means the chief of angels, the
chief of messengers, chief, it's Christ himself. Back in 1 Thessalonians
4, he shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel and with the trump of God. Now there's numerous
instances I found whenever the trumpet was blown of men. Men would blow the trumpet, they'd
blow the trumpet to announce the year of Jubilee and they'd
blow the trumpet when the walls came tumbling down around Jericho
and the Lord gave victory unto Gideon when he came and they
break the vessels and the Lord gave them. But this particular,
back in 1 Thessalonians, this particular instance, the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven. This is talking about when God
descends from heaven. And this trump right here, this trump,
and this scripture that we're reading right here was spoken
of by the Lord. Turn to Matthew 24, Matthew 24. Wrap this one up, Matthew 24,
verse 29 to 31. Now the Lord shall descend from
heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and the
trump of God. The trump of God. Won't be men
blowing this one. This is gonna come from heaven.
Matthew 24, verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation
of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not
give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall appear
the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then shall all the
tribes of earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he
shall send his angels with a mighty sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds and from
one end of heaven to the other. First Corinthians, chapter 15. First Corinthians 15, verse 50
to 53. First Corinthians 15, verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed, for this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality." So from these scriptures, we
realize that when the Lord comes back, He's coming back just like
He ascended. Coming back in the same manner, what the scripture's
declaring that what's gonna happen is that the Lord himself shall
descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with
the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. And verse 17 said, then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be
with the Lord. Now here again, we're told of
the moment that the Lord returns, the moment he comes back. The
dead in Christ will rise first before we're caught up. We won't
all sleep, we won't all die, there'll be some believers here
when the Lord comes back, but we're all going to be changed
and prepared right then for eternity in heaven. Verse 18, wherefore,
comfort one another with these words. Our Lord has been pleased
to call many of our home, as I said, home to glory. And their
departing caused us to rejoice with a tear in our eyes. But
considering the things that we've seen today, we've got reason
to rejoice. I know that all the departed
saints, I know that they sleep. I know they're in the grave.
I know they're there. I know their bodies were sewn
in corruption, but it's going to be raised in incorruption.
It was sown in weakness, it's going to be raised in power.
They're going to be changed in a moment. God's going to change
them and prepare them for glory. So we comfort one another with
these words. They're forever with the Lord.
They have no more sin to plague them. There's no more tears. They see the Lord as He is, in
His glory. as the redeemer and the savior
of his sheep. They see him who suffered for
them, and now they realize that their passing from this life
is truly their eternal gain. That's what the Spirit of God
moved the Apostle Paul to write in Philippians 121. For me, he
said, to live is Christ, but to die is gain. I pray God bless this.