Good to see each of you this
morning. I'd like to take a little detour from the book of Romans
this morning and have you turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter
4, if you would. Earlier this week, Shirley and
I and Teresa went to see Brother Jack, and while we were there
we told him about Pastor Scott Richardson passing away. Jack
about came out of his chair with excitement, didn't he, Shirley?
He knew that Brother Scott had not only been a faithful pastor
and preacher for over 50 years, He knew for certain that Brother
Scott took his last breath trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
to Brother Jack, that was reason to celebrate. And it's reason
for all believers to celebrate. And it was almost instantaneously
that Jack began to quote the passage of Scripture that I want
you to read with me this morning. Beginning in verse 16. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 16, For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the
dead, and Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, And notice these next words, and so shall we ever
be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another
with these words. When Brother Jack spoke the verses
and ended with verse 18, those words comfort one another with
these words just got stuck in my mind and unable to get them
off my mind all week. Comfort one another. These words
will comfort us. Will comfort us. Comfort one
another. with these words. And I think
to fully grab this in the context, this amazing message of grace
and comfort, it would be beneficial for us to begin back in verse
13. Paul says, But 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. Now, there
are some things concerning life and death and eternity that we'll
never fully understand. Not this side of glory anyway.
But Paul says, I wouldn't have you ignorant concerning those
who have died in Christ. He carefully, notice, uses the
word here concerning those that have died in Christ as asleep. asleep. You remember when Lazarus
died, Christ said, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. But I go that
I may awake him out of sleep. And the disciples said, Lord,
if he sleeps, he shall do well. If he's only asleep. And in that
passage it says, Howbeit Jesus spake of his death. But they
thought that he had spoken of taking of rest and sleep. And
then the Lord Jesus Christ said to him plainly, Lazarus is dead. And he told him, I'm glad for
your sakes that I was not there. That's a strange thing to say,
huh? No. Not when it's the God of heaven and earth. Where he
says, to the intent ye may believe. Nevertheless, let us go unto
Him." Oh, what a beautiful gospel message they are in those verses.
He says, I go that I may wake Him out of sleep. Wake Him out
of sleep. Christ came from His throne on
high so that He might wake His people from their sleep. You
see, in our fallen state, we're truly asleep, aren't we? We're
spiritually dead, the scripture proclaims. We can't see, we can't
hear, we can't understand. Here the Lord meant that he was
going to raise Lazarus from the dead. And this word, asleep,
is also used by the Apostle Paul in our verses when he calls the
dead in Christ merely asleep. Speaking of Stephen in Acts chapter
7, it says, And he kneeled down, and he cried with a loud voice.
They stoned him for preaching the gospel. And he cried with
a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when
he had said this, he fell asleep. He died, gave up the gospel.
Now we know that our Lord awakes the souls of His elect in salvation,
but He also wakes those who have died in Christ, who are, Paul
says, but asleep. But asleep. Notice next in our
text that Paul says not to sorrow for those who die trusting. resting in the Lord Jesus. He said that you sorrow not. That you sorrow not. If we truly
believe what we say we do. I'm talking to me now. If we
truly believe what we say that we do, like Brother Jack expressed
in his happiness over here in the news of Brother Scott, we
should not be sorrowful. Not for those who die trusting,
believing, and clinging to Christ. Now I know that it gives us,
it grieves us tremendously to lose a brother or sister that
we love so much. I know that tears are rightfully
shed, hearts are broken, sadness prevails. I know that. But we must, dear friends, keep
in mind that it's a promotion from this earthly life in which
we live. It's to be completely conformed
to the image of Christ. It means no more sorrow, no more
tears, no more pain, no more unbelief. The most wondrous thing
about it all is that it means no more sin. The beloved John wrote in 1 John
3.2, he said, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth
not yet appear what we shall be, but we know, we know, that
when he shall appear, what, we shall be like him. We shall be like him. For we
shall see him as he is. Now there are those, however,
that die without Christ, and there's a reason there to be
sorrowful. They're without Christ, and the wrath of God and holy
justice falls upon them, for the Scriptures plainly declare
that the wages of sin is death. But Paul encourages us regarding
believers not to sorrow. Not to sorrow. Even as others,
he says, even as others which have no hope. Verse 13. Those who are without Christ
are truly without hope. Without hope, without God, without
Christ in this world. Now if you would turn with me
quickly, and I'm going to read this to you, Ephesians chapter
2. And this passage of Scripture,
I believe, tells us a lot about sinners, both lost and saved. And I'll read as quickly as I
can, but follow along with me. And we'll begin in verse 2. I mean, verse 1, and you hath
he quickened. This book was written to believers.
If you are a child of God, you hath he quickened. Who were what? Dead in trespasses and sins. And wherein in times past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience. Every single one of us that believed. That's where we came from. Among
whom also we had our conversation in times past, in the lust of
the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." But
God. That's the difference between
lost and safe sinners. But God. who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace
ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages
to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that's not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast, for we are His workmanship. created in Christ Jesus unto
good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. Wherefore remember that ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But now, see the
contrast, see the difference? And who makes that difference?
Only God. But now in Christ Jesus, ye who
were sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ, for he is our peace, who hath made both one and hath
broken down the middle wall partitioned between us, having abolished
in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained
in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man,
so making peace. and that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And he came and preached peace
to you, which were far off, and to them that were nigh. For through
him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners. but fellow citizens
with the saints and of the household of God and are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone. That's Christ is on whom the
church is built. He's the foundation, the sure
foundation, the chief cornerstone. Verse 21, in whom all the building
fitly framed together groweth unto the holy temple in the Lord,
in whom ye also are built together for the habitation of God through
the Spirit. Now back in our text in 1 Thessalonians
4, verse 14, it says, For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with Him. The statement Paul makes here,
it's the foundation of finding comfort in the loss of those
we love, we love. That was Brother Jack's comfort. He knew where Brother Scott was.
He was happy. For if we believe, I'm sorry,
that Jesus died and rose again. And that doesn't mean just, I
believe that Jesus died and rose again. There's a lot more to
it than that. But if we believe that He died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring." That's a definite, that's a sure thing. Now do you
believe that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died and rose again?
Well, if we do, I know this, it's only by the sovereign grace
and mercy of God given to us in Christ. It's not by works
of righteousness that we've done. It's not by any goodness or self-righteousness
found in us. It's by His grace, and if we're
able to take these words to heart, we'll confess like the Apostle
Peter did, and we'll say, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. Thou art Christ. Who do men say
that I am? Who do you say that I am? Thou
art the Christ. If we're enabled by God to see
that Christ is our salvation, that He's all, all we need to
be reconciled and redeemed. We can also then take Christ's
words to Peter for ourselves. What did he say to Peter after
Peter said that? He said, blessed art thou. Simon Barjona. Blessed are thou,
Tyler Richards. Blessed are thou, Bill Wilson,
David Edmondson, whoever the child of God is,
for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you. Flesh and
blood can never reveal this to a sinner. But my Father, which
is in heaven, that's who showed it to you. That's who revealed
it to you. Oh, truly we are blessed of God if He gives us this profession,
this belief, this trust. I know this, it's not by flesh
and blood. Our Father which is in heaven
hath revealed it. Well, He's revealed to us that
Christ died and rose again. He is the Christ, God's Son.
He died for our sin. There was a reason for his death.
They didn't take his life, he laid it down for the sin of his
people. He died under the judgment and
wrath of God that you and I deserved. He died with the condemnation
that should have been mine. I deserve everything that Christ
endured as my substitute. I did. But equally as important, dear
friends, is this. He rose again. Every believer
knows this to be true. He rose again. Therefore, those
who have died in faith in Christ, they're going to be raised too.
Going to be raised. We die with Him and we rise with
Him. Hell couldn't hold Him. Death
could not keep Him. He has the power over death and
hell. He is God. Revelation 1.18, I am He that
liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. And I have the keys of hell and
of death. I've thought about that. I thought
to myself, well, when Christ said he has the keys of hell
and death, that means he's the rightful ruler of them. That
means that he controls the whole shooting match. Only Christ has
the keys. Now, this may not be the best
example, but I think it serves the purpose. Who has the keys
to your home? If you're the rightful owner,
you have them, don't you? Or anyone that you would give
them to. Friends, physical death is certain,
and hell awaits all those who reject Christ. But to those who,
in their own right, deserve hell and death that Christ died for,
rejoice to know that He has the keys to both. Death can't keep me in the grave.
My Lord has the keys. Hell has no claim on me. For Christ died and His blood
was shed for me. He's got the keys. He's got the
keys. And He rose again because He
satisfied God's justice and the judgment of God Almighty. And when He hung on the cross
for the sins of His elect, and God's wrath was poured out upon
Him, what did He say? It's finished. It's finished. Payment for the sin debt of His
elect has been made. Satisfaction to God. was made for His people. It's finished. All the types,
promises, and prophecies were now fully accomplished in Him.
It is finished. His perfect obedience, finished. The satisfaction by which He
rendered to the justice of God for the sins of His people was
finished. And he had totally destroyed
the power of Satan, sin, and death. It's finished. The end of verse 14 in our text
says, Even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring
with them. Oh, what a comfort that is. When
God does the saving, He'll do the keeping, and He'll do the
bringing. The saints of God who live before
us, which sleep in Christ, God will bring. Oh, I wish I could
believe that more. That's truly comforting to me.
He said he would. Have we ever proved him wrong
on any of his promises? Have we not by his grace seen
that he's not a man that he should lie, a son of man that he should
repent? He's God. He is truth. In verse 15, and I'll hurry,
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. I read several people on this
and I confess to you, I didn't understand it. But then I looked
at Brother Henry's commentary and it just made it so easy for
me to understand. Basically what it means is those
who are still alive on earth, when Christ comes, shall not
proceed or go before those who are dead. The dead will rise
and the living will be changed and we shall go together. into the enjoyment of Christ.
What a day that'll be. What a day that'll be. Let me quickly read 1 Corinthians
15, three verses for you. 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." Those
who are still alive when Christ comes, they'll just be changed. Those that are dead in Christ
will rise. And he says, 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." Incorruptible. And we shall be changed. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption. And this mortal
must put on immortality. Oh, this body that we now have,
corrupt, affected by sin every day. But we're going to put on
incorruption. We're going to put on immortality.
We're going to be changed. And then to the verses that our
dear brother quoted, for 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." Notice it says the Lord himself. Not an angel, not a
messenger, not a heavenly representative. The Lord himself shall descend. Shall descend from heaven it
says. Christ came to earth to do for
us what we couldn't do for ourselves. To save his people from their
sins. He ascended back into heaven. After His resurrection and when
all things here on earth are accomplished, when God saves
the last elect, let me tell you, He'll descend again from heaven. He's coming again. And He's coming
with a shout. And I like what Brother Mahan
said there. He said, it's not going to be
a private thing. It's not going to be an unknown
secret. But we'll be with the shout of
a conqueror, a shout of a king. And every eye shall sing, every
knee shall bow, every tongue will confess. It says, the voice of an archangel
perhaps. One great angel will shout of
his return. I don't know what that really
means, but I know he'll be accomplished by many. Turn over just a page or two
to 2 Thessalonians. Look at chapter 1, verse 7. And to you who are troubled,
rest with us. when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with His mighty angels." With the trump of God. I'm going
to tell you what, when that trump sounds, all those who are asleep in Christ
will awake. Oh. And it will summon the whole
world to appear before Him. The Trump of God. Never heard
a Trump like that, I guarantee you have. And as we read a moment ago,
in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump,
it'll be the last Trump. For the trumpet shall sound and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed. The
dead in Christ are going to rise first. And then we will be changed. In verse 17, then 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. Forever. Forever. The dead in
Christ will rise and the living will be changed. And we shall
go up to meet the Lord in the air. And this time it's indicated
that He does not descend to earth. And there again, some of the
writers shed some light on that for me. This earth is not fit
to receive Him now. No. It must be purged with fire. And there's going to be a new
earth. upon which He will descend and dwell with the saints. But
this earth is not fit for Him. We're going to meet Him in the
air. And He'll take us to glory until
this new earth is done. But whatever, whatever by the
purpose and degree of God takes place, I know this, we shall
be with Him forever. comfort one another with these
words. When believers die, they don't
cease to be. They are asleep in Christ. Those who sleep in Him will return
for their bodies when He comes. Oh, a glorified body, a perfect
body, one without sin. I can't imagine. He's going to
come with great power and glory. And we shall, with those who
are raised, meet Him in the air. Comfort one another with these
words. We shall forever, forever be
with the Lord. That's our comfort, isn't it?
That's how you comfort me and I comfort you. We comfort one
another. Christ is coming again, and we're
going to be with Him forever. What a comfort that is.