“If We Believe” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son – that He died, was buried, and on the third day He literally, victoriously, bodily rose again from the dead.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
I. A Hope that Us
1 Thessalonians 2:14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
1 Thessalonians 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
Without all the answers in a troubled world, they felt compelled by what they knew of Jesus to keep on loving God and loving others.
Matthew 22:37b-39 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Through faith in Jesus, we can have a “hope” that He generates on the inside that can keep us joyfully going when the world around us gets dark.
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
II. A Hope that Us
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
If you believe that you are nothing more than a cosmic accident caused by colliding masses billions of years ago you have good reason to believe there is no purpose, no meaning, and no lasting hope. But when you know Jesus, you know His “hope” can carry you through.
III. A Hope that Us
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The power of this “hope” we find in Jesus and the power of His resurrection only impacts us when we truly know it and accept it by faith.
When Jesus rose from the dead His followers understood He was God, and being God meant that He was holy – entirely perfect.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Christmas is the promise and Easter is the proof.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.