Comfort One Another

Well, it's been quite a week. It's amazing how the Lord puts things together. I was hoping that we would come back into Jude and I noticed something in Jude that I hadn't seen as clearly before as I did earlier this week when I was studying again is that Jude has this wonderful word in it that, in verse three, it says, it was need for me to write to you and exhort you. And that word, exhort, is the word. comfort. It's interesting that the trials of the child of God in this world, and particularly the trials of the child of God with regard to the religion of this world and the religion that pervades this world and the religion that wants to come in amongst the people of God in this world, is then sort of detailed in the most remarkable way over the next sort of 15 verses or so. And then at the end of it, the verse that I was going to look at was speaking of these people who don't have the spirit and then he says, But ye, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God. And I thought, isn't it amazing in the midst of all of these trials, we are given that word in verse three of exhorting one another, which is a word that implies we are to comfort one another, but it means we are to sort of come alongside one another.

And we do that. in the Lord, and we do it by the gospel. And then at the end of Jude, after all of those trials, we are then put in the presence of the comforter again. We're reminded of the comforter. And I thought it was a wonderful way the bookends of Jude fitted together. And so I spent some time studying those words. And the next thing I know, everything has changed. And I'm thankful for the interruptions of the Lord. in all of our activities.

I want us to look at 1 Thessalonians. We looked at it before Donny Bell came and I looked at 1 Thessalonians in light of the fact that I once again, if the Lord is sending his servant from the far ends of the earth to come all this way to see us, I want to hear the word of God. We spoke about hearing the word of God and what it is to hear the word of God. Paul was thankful for the Thessalonians, and I'm thankful for you, and I'm thankful for Owen, and I'm thankful for all those that we have fellowship with, because the word of God came to them, which is the Lord Jesus Christ comes to his people. Paul is saying in First Thessalonians, for this cause, chapter two, verse three, we thank we God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God, that's the Lord Jesus Christ declared in the gospel by the Spirit of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. And then listen to what he goes on to say about this word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. turned over the page and having a look at that word comfort in so many places, I wanted us to look at 1 Thessalonians 4. I want us to be comforted. Firstly, I want us not to be ignorant.

He says at the beginning of this, I don't want you to be ignorant. I don't want you to be ignorant. I don't want you to be ignorant about death. I don't want you to be ignorant about heaven. I don't want you to be ignorant about salvation. I don't want you to be ignorant about those who have departed from us. I don't want you to be ignorant about the return of the Lord.

I don't want you to be ignorant about the new heavens and earth. And I don't want you to be ignorant about comforting one another because that's what this is about. And that's what this time is about. This is when we gather here, we gather here to hear from God and we gather here so that he will be the comforter.

Owen went to a place last Thursday morning where the opinions of men are absolutely irrelevant. And the theologies of men are absolutely irrelevant. And the power and the prestige and the acclamation of men in religion is absolutely irrelevant. Absolutely, you think about it, absolutely irrelevant. Who cares about a theological debate? At that moment you don't care and you never will care again.

And therefore, This is just such a wonderful reminder to us and Owen has left a testimony that should cause us to just rejoice in the gospel. The gospel that comes and the gospel that works effectually in you that believe. and the gospel that keeps his people. God keeps his people faithful. You go through that list in Jude and you think, dear, oh dear, there's just one trial after another trial after another trial. They're from the outside and they're from the inside and they're internally in us. and yet we are kept by the power of God. So turn with me back to First Thessalonians chapter four.

One of the wonderful things that you saw in that video of Donny preaching to Owen, what's the one thing that came across? Donny had never met him before. He's heard about Owen for the last 12 years. Since I've known Donny, he's heard about him. Owen's famous, he's more famous in America than he is in Bermagui. Listen to what 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 9 says. Donny loved him, didn't he? He loved him in the Lord, didn't he? Oh, and responded as best he possibly could.

But as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. The first and essential thing about comforting one another is love. God's children love each other. I love you guys. I'm so thankful that the Lord has raised up a place where he bears testimony by his grace to his gospel in the hearts of his people, and he knits them together in a way. I have brothers and sisters all over this world, and when we meet, We love each other. And that's why I love, for those of you who can't travel, it's just so lovely when they come.

Because what happens? They remind us, don't they? We're taught of God to love one another. And the fellowship that they have over there is no different to the fellowship that we have here. Because God did it. That's the issue, isn't it? The word of God came. He doesn't want us to be ignorant. And listen to the essential part of this, isn't it? Concerning them which are asleep. It's a lovely word, isn't it?

Asleep. The Lord only ever spoke of death regarding his children when he was forced to. Lazarus is asleep, he said. Well, they said, well, if he's asleep, we don't have to worry about going back down there, do we? And then the Lord had to say, he's dead, but he talks asleep. It talks of sleep, that you sorrow not even of others which have no hope.

I'll talk about that a little bit later on, Lord willing, but what's the answer to all of this? For if we believe, okay? We'd believe that Jesus died and rose again, and listen to this glorious declaration of the gospel. Even so, them also which sleep, where do they sleep? Read it with me, where do they sleep? They sleep in Jesus. Can't get any closer than that. No condemnation, no separation. Hope, they sleep in Jesus. Will God bring with him? This is salvation, isn't it? Being in him, being with him. What's heaven? With him, with him, forever. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord. That's preaching, isn't it? That's what preaching is.

I'm not here to give my opinion to you. My opinion doesn't matter as well. I'm not interested in my opinion. I've been so wrong so many times that I wouldn't want to count them all. But this is what God says. God says this. For we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive. And so there was confusion in the Thessalonian church about what happens to people when they die. There was confusion about the resurrection and there was confusion about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he's saying, I don't want you to be ignorant about these things. Don't be ignorant. There's no point being ignorant. He says in verse five of chapter five, you're children of the light, you're children of the day. Don't be ignorant. that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent, and we need to know that that word shall not come before.

So the reality is that when the Lord Jesus Christ finally comes back to this earth with that trumpet call of God, that great sound which will awake this whole world and awake this whole universe, Listen to what he goes on to say. The Lord himself, they won't go before them that are asleep.

Don't think that they're missing out on anything at all, these people that are asleep. I was not missing out on anything, I promise you. Neither is Isabel, neither is June. What fellowship do I have? And they're with him. They're in him and they're with him. For 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. Where are the dead? They're in Christ. That's where they are. They're in Christ. Don't be ignorant about these things. We comfort one another with these words.

The Lord himself, don't you love it? When the Lord finally went back to heaven, he lifted up his arms and he went out to Bethany and he blessed these people. And then the angels of God So the disciples didn't have the foggiest notion about the kingdom of God. They were ignorant, weren't they? When's his kingdom coming? And the Lord Jesus, when he said these things, while they beheld, he was taken up. This is Acts chapter 1 verse 9. and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel." Two messengers of God. This is what the messengers of God say. Which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus. This same Jesus. This resurrected Jesus is coming back. which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you've seen him go into heaven. The Lord himself.

So when he returns, there are going to be believers on this earth, aren't there? And there are going to be believers whose bodies are in buried in this earth. And the believers whose bodies are buried in this earth have now a real living existence in heaven.

They really are in heaven. They really have a real existence. June is a real person in heaven right now. Owen is a real person in heaven right now. Isabel is a real person in heaven right now. They are real. You think of what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah were there. Was it really Moses? It really was Moses. And it really was Elijah. And in some remarkable way, Peter and the apostles knew that they were.

Will they know each other in heaven? Don't be ignorant, brothers and sisters. Let's comfort one another. Don't be ignorant about these things. When the Lord comes back, he's going to bring all of those people with him. The dead in Christ shall rise first. When he comes back, in a way which God alone can do, out of this earth will come all of the bodies of all the believers. And you might say, well, we can't see where they are and they're scattered all over this place. How on earth can he find them? He is God, brothers and sisters.

If you're going to raise all of the people out of these graves in this world, He doesn't have a problem, does he? He doesn't have a problem keeping us. He doesn't have a problem comforting us. He doesn't have a problem working the providence of the Lord in the hearts of all of his people that we will hear this gospel and we will rejoice in this gospel.

He'll rise first. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive, so they're gonna come out of their graves. He said, don't be ignorant about this. Comfort one another with this. Then we which are alive, the Christians, the believers, the saints which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them.

Note what it is, isn't it? This is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is his church, caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, Shall we ever be with the Lord? Comfort one another with these words. Comfort one another. It's a command from God. You comfort one another with these words.

And he goes on to talk about the fact that the times and seasons we don't need to know. Anyone who thinks that they know when the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back doesn't have the foggiest notion. As soon as anyone says, I know when he's coming back, you know you've just heard the words of a liar. And I pray that you're saying it in ignorance and stupidity, but they are ignorant. Because God says you don't know.

And he says he's coming as a thief in the night, verse 12. The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night, for when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

You are all children of a light. Don't be ignorant about these things. Don't be ignorant about the gospel. You're children of light and you're children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us, let us now, who are of the day, be sober. And listen to what he says for us to do. Comfort one another with these words.

Do you believe that? Do you believe what he's just said? Do you believe what Tom read to us out of John 11? The Lord Jesus Christ said, look at that, listen to those words again. They are just remarkable words, isn't it? He's asked Mary, asked Martha the question. It's a good question to ask, isn't it? Because if you're going to be comforted, you'll believe it.

Your brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know he shall rise again in the resurrection of the last day. They knew about resurrection of the last day. They didn't realize that the resurrection was a person. That's the issue, isn't it? The resurrection is a person.

The Lord Jesus Christ is a resurrection and the life. He said unto her, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this.

What happened to Owen the other day? A body died. That's all that happened. Owen didn't die. God says Owen didn't die. Owen began alive. The most wonderful moment of Owen's life was his last moment on this earth because that's the one where he was closest to heaven, wasn't it? You think about it. He stopped breathing here and began a brand new life. Instantly. Instantly. He can't die. He's in the Lord Jesus Christ. He can't die.

Oh, brothers and sisters, we put on the breastplate of faith. It's a breastplate, isn't it? We've got so many arrows coming at us all the time. We put on that breastplate, don't we? We just need that breastplate. He is that shield. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward, says the Lord Jesus Christ to Abraham. We put on the breastplate of faith and love. And for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

We're not like them. We don't have any hope. We have hope. We have great hope. Our hope, listen to what Hebrews 6 says, People talk about hope, don't they? People talk about hope and the hope of this world and the hope of the men of this world is just wishful thinking. Christian hope is not wishful thinking. Christian hope is a confident expectation that God has promised and God will fulfil. Now, we're not wishfully thinking that this is going to happen or that. We're saying this is what God says is going to happen.

Listen to what he says. Verse 17 of Hebrews 6, we're in God willing more abundantly to show under the airs of promise the immutability of his counsel. He can't change. Don't you think that's wonderful? We're reading his word and it's unchangeable. I change not, says our God, therefore you sons of Jacob are not to consume. The immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things, in which, listen to this, it is impossible for God to lie. It's impossible for God to lie.

We might have strong consolation, we might have strong comfort, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. With the forerunner for us has entered even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. You put on the breastplate of faith. You put on the breastplate of hope and love. What's the anchor? The anchor is absolutely no use whatsoever if it's inside the boat. The anchor's cast out, isn't it? The anchor is that by which we lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to what he goes on to say, because, verse nine of chapter five, for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation. There's an appointed salvation for all of God's people, an appointed time of love, an appointed salvation for all of them by our Lord Jesus Christ, and listen to this, who died for us. He died as a shield over us, protecting us and covering us and bearing the infinite wrath of God in his own body on the tree. He died for us, that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together. I pray that this has been a day of comfort. I pray that as we speak to each other and as we continue our journey together that we would be encouraged by God to just obey his command. He says you've got to comfort my people. Comfort them. You tell them their warfare is finished. Tell them they've received double from the Lord's hand for all their iniquity. Tell them it's gone. "'Tell them the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, "'whether we wake or sleep. "'Therefore comfort yourselves together, "'edify one another as you also do.'" And he goes on to speak. I want us to go down a little bit. Turn with me to verse 16.

I just was looking at this again over this last couple of days, and I thought, this is an amazing description of heaven. I hadn't realized it before, but what an amazing description of heaven. Verse 16, rejoice evermore. Where do we rejoice evermore? We rejoice here and then we don't rejoice and then we do. What a glorious picture. Comfort one another and rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. When we commune with God without ceasing, When will our prayers cease to be pathetic? What an amazing communication. What an amazing future, brothers and sisters. This is not the end, is it?

This world, oh dear, oh dear, this world, we pray without ceasing. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed, and he's praying without ceasing right now. Read it in Romans 1. He lives to intercede for us. In everything give thanks. That's heaven, isn't it? In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Quench not the spirit. In heaven the spirit will never be quenched. We can't We so often feel and have times where we are just in depression and down and we're caught up in the things of this world and we look at ourselves and we look into ourselves and it's an empty dark box and we keep looking for hope in all the wrong places. And we take our eyes off this Jesus, this same Jesus is coming. Quench not the spirit, quench not his word. a wonderful description of heaven. The word of God is living and active. The word of God is going to be there all the time. Oh, what wonderful words we'll be speaking to her.

Can you imagine the conversation that June and Owen had last week? Do you reckon? What was their conversation about? It was just about one person, wasn't it? What were their eyes fixed on? For finally their eyes were fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ, weren't they? They beheld him in his glory. Oh, how wonderful.

Despised, not prophesying. The word of God is true. And we live, I live so much of our life wondering whether it is true. And God says it's true, we can't lie. Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good, abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God, when are we going to abstain from all appearance of evil?

I love it. That's heaven. That's being in the presence of God. Not another evil thought. Isn't it wonderful to think about it? Not another evil thought ever, ever, ever. Not a sin. Nothing between me and my Saviour. Nothing between. And I love what he says in verse 23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. That means he's gonna make you wholly, completely. And I love what he goes on to say, and I pray God that your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless under the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the Lord Jesus Christ comes and all of these graves are emptied and all of the children of God are gathered together in this earth, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, all of God's children will be taken out of here, everyone else, and this place will be burnt up and there'll be a new creation. How long did it take to make the first one? Was it any problem for him to make that creation? How much trouble is it for God to make a new creation? This creation is beautiful. If it wasn't for sin, how glorious would it be?

In our eyes, it's glorious now. There's a new creation. That's where, that's the end of all of this. That's the termination of all this. All of God's children in resurrected bodies living forever on a new earth and new heavens. It's just wonderful, isn't it?

But I listen to what he goes on, I pray God your whole soul, spirit, soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he's able to do that. That's exactly what he's doing to all of his children. And what we are in his sight is what we will be in heaven. And listen to what he goes on to say in verse 24. Faithful is he that calleth you. He's called us in faith and he's called us to faith and he's called us to comfort one another. Who also will do it? That's what grace is, isn't it? God does it all. God purposed it. God gets all the glory. God does all the doing. And we just rejoice. We rejoice. What did our Lord Jesus Christ say to the thief on the cross? Today, today, you will be with me in paradise. And he's just described paradise, hasn't he? What's paradise? With me. With me in paradise.

Precious saviour. Precious lord. Precious salvation. Precious fellowship. Precious communion. Precious comfort. Comfort one another. Comfort one another with these words. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you again. for your word, in which we read the most remarkable things about this creation, Heavenly Father, this whole universe, the eternal souls of your people. We speak of things that are just too wonderful for us, Heavenly Father, but you've written them down that we might comfort one another, and we might just continually say, our God cannot lie. Our God is faithful, our God for his glory and in his grace is faithful and he will do it all. Oh, our Father, we thank you that this salvation was wrought and won in your dear and precious Son on the cross of Calvary. Heavenly Father, may we look to him and then find comfort for one another in the glories of his cross, the glories of a redemption that really redeems the glory of a union which brought the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth in union with his people. And we were circumcised with him. We walked with him. We perfectly obeyed the law of God with him. We were crucified with him. We were buried with him. We were raised with him. And we live with him forever.

Heavenly Father, may we eat and drink. with a simple faith that just rests. and as it were, climbs into the arms of our Saviour and finds our comfort and our rest and our peace there. Bless your word to our hearts and bless us, Heavenly Father, and we pray for Owen's family and we pray for the proclamation of the gospel that might go out as a result of what has happened with Owen and what you have done in his life and what comes before us, Heavenly Father, in this next little while. But most of all, Heavenly Father, help us just to love the command to comfort one another in the glories of your dear and precious Son. We pray in his name for his glory. Amen. Thanks.

Comfort One Another

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Comfort One Another

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