An Encouraging Return

Good morning, church. We'll be reading out of a first Thessalonians 4 13 through Think it's 18 But we do not want you to be informed brothers, but those who are asleep That you may not grieve as others do who have no hope For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so through Jesus. God will bring him God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord that who who are alive Who are left until the coming of the Lord will not proceed those who have fallen asleep For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command and with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God And the dead in Christ will rise first Then who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them and the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will Always be with the Lord therefore encourage one another with these words praise God false prophets beloved false prophets they abound The world is full of them always have been from the serpent in the garden the Bible even tells us that they will increase God warned Israel over and over again concerning a false prophets Jesus warned his disciples again and again concerning false prophets the apostolic writers warned the church over and over again about false prophets and our day is no different It's particularly true we we particularly see The placer of false prophets when it comes to those who want to tell us when Christ is going to return

Wasn't too long ago you might remember That we were witnessing and reading billboards right here in East Point on the side of vehicles it was written Jesus is coming May 21 2011 May 21 2011 Everybody was all in an uproar and everybody was all intent because Harold Camping and Family radio decided that they had gone into the Bible and they had crunched the numbers and They had determined that Jesus's return was foretold and predicted in the Bible to happen on May 21 2011 as we all know May 21 came 2011 and like all those before him Harold Camping was proved in to be a false prophet Beloved let me say to you this morning That regardless of what you may hear of what others may preach

There are no secret codes in the Bible There are no secret codes There is no esoteric knowledge

Some hidden numeric formulas contained in the scriptures that if you just put them together it unlocks the future You hear what I'm saying? Regardless of what you may hear no matter how eloquent they may sound, no matter how fancy they may dress some truths contain between the lake of formula numbers of crunch to determine the day and the hour of our Lord's return is not the source of some secret hidden agenda of God that if you just get the right insight or knowledge or numbers if you just have enough faith you can gain information concerning the secret will of God and the revelation of Jesus Christ The Bible itself tells us Deuteronomy chapter 29 in verse 29 it says plainly the secret things belong to God but what had been revealed belongs to us the day and the time of our Lord's return belongs to God the promise of His return the nature of His return and the encouragement that come along with His return those belong to us and beloved that's enough promises of our Lord's return the nature of His return the encouragement of His return those have been revealed and they belong to us and it doesn't take any secret formula you don't have to crunch the numbers this morning you don't have to have some ability to look and squeeze between the numbers and the lines it's plainly revealed to us in the Word of God the plain things, beloved are the main things did you hear what I said? the plain things are the main things I know people like to make a big deal out of the unplain things it makes them sound smart do the impression that they know something you don't or you can make sure you have to stop and listen to them as they wax eloquently upon sound and fury and they signifying nothing plain things are the main things just the main things that make the difference this is what Paul is getting at to the Thessalonians we don't deal with the plain things we don't keep them the main things because those are the things that are really encouraging all of us need encouragement all of us need encouragement all of us go through various things and hardships and trials in our lives and difficulties and unforeseen events that come and smack us in the face and we're questioning and wondering why and how and when and where don't have questions encouragement to know that those who have died and try to keep the faith didn't die in vain encouragement to know that as we seek to live our lives and walk faithfully out before God and live contribute to the world's standards that we're not doing that in vain you get those encouragement from the main things you keep your eyes and your mind on the main things that's where the encouragement comes this is what Paul is doing he's the salonians he's young Christians here they were young they were sightedable they were eager they wanted to learn they wanted to step up all they could concerning the knowledge and the will of God they were silent about what they were learning and they were yearning for more because they were eager to live this out amazing tell us what's important because we want to live it out And nothing beloved to the early church was more important than knowing that Jesus was coming back. We've lost the preeminent of this because we've got lazy and complacent. The early church wasn't. The early church lived with the anticipation that our Lord would return and return soon. So they wanted to know, what does that mean for me as I go to work tomorrow that the Lord could come? What does that mean that I went to a funeral yesterday and they have died and they could possibly miss the Lord coming tomorrow? Hoping that we would all be gathered together when the Lord would come and all of a sudden we got a couple who are dying. What does that mean? What does the Lord was coming? Last time you thought, last time you really looked at your life and you thought you are living in anticipation of the Lord's return. I am doing this because Jesus said he is coming back. That's the Lord was sitting around trying to figure out. How do I live my life in light and fact that Jesus is going to return? They understood that Jesus had promised to return and they understood that he could return at any time. They heard Paul, heard the others teaching and talking about this and so they were eager for it. And Paul understood this. He understood the importance of this. He understood that this is a main thing and he understood. That is important for Christians to live their lives with this motivation. But he also understood that if you are going to keep it a main thing then you got to understand that it's a plane. And so he said, it begins. I understand what you are saying but I don't want you to be uninformed. He doesn't want them to be uninformed. He doesn't want them to be ignorant. Ignorant of this frame, main truth. The Bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 4 that in all of our getting, get what? I understand it. In all of your learning, get understanding. There's a lot of learning that goes on but little understanding. You can gain a lot of knowledge and understand nothing.

Paul said it would be ignorant. I want you to be uninformed. I don't want you to lack understanding. I don't want you to lack discernment. You understand that Jesus is coming back. But if you are not careful in knowing that Jesus is coming back. If you don't understand nature. If you don't understand what is revealed concerning that you will become uninformed. And you know what happens to people who become uninformed. They become susceptible to lies and deceit. Recently I was listening to the radio and they had cream up bilge bar. He was on the radio and cream up bilge bar made this fascinating statement. I don't think I totally agree with what he said but I think I understood where he was coming from. He made this statement that he was saying that there are some people who just shouldn't vote. And he said the reason they shouldn't vote is because they are so uninformed. Criticism was that anybody who was voting for Donald Trump just wasn't informed. Sure I agree with this reasoning but I do understand that those who are uninformed are more susceptible to lies and deceit. And Christians who don't understand the nature of God and the nature of His Word are susceptible to fairy tales. What's about as the Bible says. Who and throw by every wind of doctrine and breathe that blows. Because they are sitting manifest itself in a variety of ways but I'll talk to people.

Since they are Christians uninformed, far prey to prosperity teaching. Since they are Christians uninformed, far prey to self-help doctrine. Christians uninformed, far prey to white and black nationalism. Christians uninformed, far prey, ever in teachings like that are found in the lost books of the Bible. For us it is those things but that's the only as it was the return of Christ. Uninformed and fallen prey easily. It's all kind of aberrant teaching concerning the dead and the return of Jesus Christ. And we all want to say to them that I love it. If you keep the main thing and the playing thing, the main thing, this is what you know about true biblical truth. Real biblical truth does two things. If it's real and if it's true. If it's coming from God and if it's the main thing that has been revealed in His Word. It is hope-field and it brings encouragement. It is full of hope and hope and encouragement. It is hope-field and it is encouragement. You see this is what Paul says to them. He says two things. There's two points I want to make to us this morning. Paul says more than this but it doesn't say less than this. Two things. Be hopeful. Be hopeful because death is not the end. And be encouraged because Christ really is coming again. You see that? Be hopeful because death is not the end. Be encouraged because Christ is coming again. Paul here is going to focus just on the main things and he's going to make the main things the playing things. We're going to hang our hat from this. And the first one is be hopeful. Death is not the end. Death is not the end. He's doing this because God only wants his people to be informed. But even more importantly, he wants us to be filled with hope. Hope ought to mark out the people. God's people ought to be filled with hope in every situation. It is the woman or the man of God who is speaking hope and not despair. Wants his people to be hopeful. Like all Christians, these here in Bethlehem, they had one desire. They wanted to see the Lord. At least that ought to be every Christian hope. They wanted to see the Lord. And therefore they wanted to be there when Christ returned. Wouldn't you? The Lord is coming. Here's returning. I guarantee you, beloved. If somebody told you that the Lord is going to return, if the Lord told you that he was going to return, then next year, at this time, you will do all you can to make sure that you were alive. You clean up your diets. You get a membership at the local gym. Stop driving so recklessly. Everything you could to make sure that you were alive. You might have been quit your job. And if they say, I'm staying at home, they may not happen to me. Between now and then. I really believe. Because the Lord, they were yet living. And they were looking for Jesus, and they couldn't wait. But apparently they were concerned. And they were confused because there were those among them who had recently died. And they thought those who had died, I got to make it. So what is false? Don't be uninformed. Don't be uninformed. Do you ever tell you that? Don't be deceived. Here is the truth about those who are asleep. And I tell you this so that you may not agree as others do. As those he had said earlier are outsiders who don't understand these things. And I've not received this understanding. But you don't agree like they do who have no hope. Because you, beloved, are hope-filled. Where's he telling them? Who tells them that death is not death too? No. Beloved, death is inevitable. If the Lord carries, this is what they discovered, that if the Lord carries, people will die. Last I check. The ratio to him and the death is still one-to-one. Everyone dies, beloved, long as the Lord should carry. Everyone is subject to it. Everyone deals with it. Death comes into all of our lives one way or another. Few things, in fact in this life, cause us more questions. Then there's the question of death. Few things cause us more grief. And we know that death causes us grief. And few things are a killer of hope. More than death is. This is why, beloved, there is not a worldview. There is not a philosophy. There is not a religion that if it is to be taken serious, it has to answer the question, what about death? Cause if happens, happens to those close to us. It happens as individuals. It happens on grand scale. It's 15 years ago to this date. We saw the mass, the mass, the mass, the mass of thousands of people. The terror attacks upon this nation. It happens in math. It touches us in our national. It touches us individually. As we lose loved ones and friends who are close to us. And we grieve. It is painful. And Christians do not ignore it. We don't put our hand in the sand when it comes to the issue of death the grief that comes with it. We don't ignore it. In fact, it's Christians because our God is real and this world is a real world in which we live. In Christians, we embrace the reality of it and the painful emotions that are involved with it. Vangilist missionary Layton Ford, when his 21-year-old son died, he asked him how he was coping with it. And he said, the struggle is to bring my faith and my emotions together. It's to bring my faith and my emotions in line. Why? Because we grieve, but notice what Paul said. We grieve, but beloved, we don't grieve as those who have no hope. Why? Because death is not the end. Death is not the end. And so Paul speaks of death as sleep in order to kind of take the edge off of death and things that relate to death. We often speak with these euphemisms. I get a phone call somebody died. Nobody calls me and say, hey, pastor, so-and-so died. They don't say that. They say, what? So-and-so passed away. We don't even like to go to funeral anymore. We call them home-going celebration because we're trying to take the edge off of the reality that is death. When the Bible speaks of sleep and this euphemism, it's not trying to take the edge off of death as it is breaking into this world, the realities of the kingdom of God. And realities of the kingdom of God is that death is not death to God. So in John chapter 11, when they tell Jesus who delayed and going to see about his friend Lazarus, when he finally decides to go and see about Lazarus, he says, let me go see my friend Lazarus for he is asleep. And he disciples look at each other. What is he talking about? We got the report. It was not sleep, Lord. That's the case. He's just going to wake him up. And Jesus says, okay, you're right. Lazarus is dead. That's the way you want to look at Lazarus dead. Wake him up because the reality kingdom of God, that death is not death to God and his feet. But in that sense, they have been overtaken. They have been overtaken. Those who have fallen and since they have just been overtaken by sleep, in the reality that is the kingdom of God, they like Christ, are yet alive. This is a marvelous truth to the wonderful truth to keep in mind. We don't deny the reality of death. We do not deny the reality of a pain and grief that is associated with it. But we understand that just as our Savior's life did not end in that grave neither do the lives of those whom we love, affection is that since Jesus is alive, when we with him,

we have been raised from the dead. For since we believe, Paul said, I want you to grieve like those who have no hope about those who have fallen asleep. For since we believe Jesus died and rose again. I know hope beloved. It just has no hope in this matter. But we have hope, why? Because we believe that Christ died and rose again. And since we have that belief, our hope, those who have fallen asleep, the resurrection of Christ is the game changer. That's the game changer. If you really thought about it, it changes everything. It changes the path. I'm no longer condemned. I am no longer condemned from my sins. Christ has been raised from the dead. And now I am justified. Christ has been raised from the dead. And therefore he has secured from me in the past eternal life and raised with him everything in my past. Notification on Facebook one time from somebody I knew way back in high school. And he wanted to become friends. And I looked at him and I said, you don't know me. No, you knew me. But that person you knew died and was buried with Christ. And now I have been raised on the newness of life. You don't know me. Now is your past different, your present. I have been raised with him. Roman chapter 6 says, and I have been raised with him on the newness of life. I walk in and resurrection glory. And now Satan, nor you, nor anyone else can bring any charge against me. Christ has been raised from the dead. That there dwells within me a new life in his resurrection life, life from the dead. Going to be with him. Can you imagine what they could have done to Lazarus once he was raised from the dead? How would they go to threaten him? How could they do to him? Lazarus, we don't take your life. Been there, doesn't that? In this world, because he knew resurrection life. We have been raised to newness of life, changes the past, changes the present, and as Paul says here, changes the future, doesn't it? That does not end. The grave did not hold Christ, it will not hold us. The grave is not the final resting place for the Christian. You have to hear that when people, you go to Shrine Rules and then you go to the grave yard and they say, we're going to lay a minute's final resting place, not if he the Christian. That is not the final resting place, the direction has changed all that. Love it may be in the future of all of us, but it not need be the final word for any of us. Because of the resurrection of Christ. Life did not end in the grave as those who have faith entrusted him. Life is not all that there is, but love it. You don't need to get distressed about the vagaries of this life. Death is not the end. Christ is a lot of the hope with which you and I live our life. That is the hope with which we deal with the grief and the hurt and the pain in this world. The final word is, Jesus is the hope. That is not the end. That is not the end, but be encouraged below it. Christ is coming again. Not only do we have this hope because Christ is alive, we also have this encouragement. So be encouraged, young Christian. Not only is death not the end, but the Lord really is coming again. And the fact that some among you are experiencing death does not negate his promise to come again. He's coming. We may not know the day and we may not know the hour. There are some things we do know. Number one, we know he's coming from

heaven. So we know where he is. He is in heaven. He is seated at the right hand of glory. He have the angels and the saints are gathered around him singing his praises. And he, when he comes, he is coming from there. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, the Bible says, from heaven. Why will he descend from heaven? Because this is where he ascended to. Miracles, chapter one, when all of the disciples were gathered together with Jesus and all of a sudden the angels appeared and all of a sudden Jesus began to be taken up and they was wondering, whoa, wait a minute, hold on. And the angels said, what, in verse, the angels said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go. That's the promise. You saw him go, Peter. He's coming again. You've seen him sinned to heaven. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven. Beloved, if you had seen the Lord, ascend to heaven and heard the angels promise that he was going to descend in the same manner that you saw him us in. What would you do? You would do like the apostles did and preach your heart out and every day look up. That's what they did. That was their motivation. That was the drive of their lives. We saw him go. We are the promise. He's coming again when he comes. Let me be found faithful. The connection here Paul is making connection here between holy living. He just told the desolonians, be holy, live holy. Don't live like the outsiders who have no hope, but you live in hope of the blessed return of the elders and first done that those who have this hope, what do they do? They purify themselves. They are living their lives every day as if the Lord could defend. We saw Jesus leave. He just went Paul in the apostles to say we saw Jesus leave. We heard him promise to come again and noticed that he said the Lord himself will descend. He promised that he's coming back. He's not sending somebody else. He himself will descend. That other times he sent angels, that other times he sent various messages but this time he is coming himself. He is not coming to get somebody to bring his bride to him. He's coming to get her himself. Lord himself shall descend. What do we know about the Lord's return? He himself is coming from heaven. What else do we know? We know that when he comes he won't be alone. Bible said he's bringing company with him. This is an encouragement to us. That's the loans. This should be an encouragement to us. When the Lord returns he will not be alone. For the Lord will bring with him in verse 14 those who have fallen asleep. I am as if it should where I loved ones are. They have gone on to be with the Lord. They are with the Lord. They are with the Lord waiting and dissipating his return. For the Bible said in section 15 to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The Lord is in heaven. Those who have died and gone before us. They have gone to heaven and they are with the Lord eagerly waiting and anticipating his return because when he returns they come in with him coming with him beloved. He is not going to come by himself. He's bringing your loved ones with him. Comforting. What was happening to those who had died when they missed the Lord coming and their apostles said no beloved they're not going to miss it. They're going to be coming with him. You're going to wish you and die. The preeminent position. So we know we know that he's coming from heaven. We know that he's not coming by himself. You know what else we know? We know that when the Lord comes he's coming loud. It's not going to be a whimper. It's not going to be a whisper for the Lord himself will to sing from heaven with a shout or cry of command and with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Don't miss it beloved. Whatever the apostle is trying to get over to us he is saying this is going to be huge. It's going to be loud and you know we don't like loud. We don't like loud. We complain music is too loud. They'll preach us too loud. Sometimes he does microphones up too loud. Singers are too loud. Kids are too loud. Prudence is too loud. Well beloved God likes loud. He's me with loud symbols. Patients up to 14 and verse 2 in the description of the worship that is going on in heaven. I heard from heaven like the roar of many waters like the sound of loud thunder was like the sound of harvest playing on their hearts. It's going to be loud. There's going to be a loud cry of command. It's not going to be secret. I don't like to watch your homeless witnesses have perpetrated over the years. When the Lord comes everyone's going to know it. When the Lord comes everyone's going to see it. There won't be any secret rapture. But when the Lord comes he comes with a shout. He comes with a loud trumpet. He comes with the voice of an archangel. When the Lord comes beloved it's like the Lord is taking his ethereal pen and he writing across the heavens. Jesus is here. Get ready. It's over. It's going to be loud. Your sanctified ears won't mind. You can't handle loud now. Because your ears ain't sanctified. Because in heaven it's going to be loud. When the Lord comes it's going to be loud. And you're going to rejoice. And how loud it is. Now don't mean Alan you just go beating on everything. We know when he hides coming don't we. Coming from heaven. He's coming and bringing other the witness. He's coming loud. When he comes he's coming victorious. When the sound of the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise. This is the victory sound. You know the trumpet. The trumpet was not an instrument like we think of a trumpet as as his satchmo was playing on it. His trumpet was the sound was a call of victory. And I don't know what they're going to play on that trumpet. Perhaps they're going to play the victory march from Notre Dame. I don't know. Or maybe they'll pay hail to the victims from Michigan. Probably not. But I don't know. Ever it is. It's going to be a victory march because the dead are going to rise. And they were all seeing in unison. Oh that's where is your sting. Oh that's where is your victory. So what are you going to play? It's probably going to be the victory march from Notre Dame. But we'll wait and see. All that speculation, esoteric knowledge you need not pay anything to that. I'm reading that between the lights. When he comes beloved death will finally be destroyed. When he comes those who have been overcome by death will be released forever more.

When he comes he will come with joy. They who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall they ever be with the Lord with coming joy. What do you want? Really what do you want? Again beloved it's the it's the plain things that ought to be remained because they've become the source of encouragement. What do you really want? Put it simply I just want to see Jesus. I want to be with the Lord. Oh says that's what's going to happen. You don't have to know exactly the day. But just know that when he comes he's bringing the rest of the family with him and all of the family will be together and it will be well with every soul. And then he says with this encourage one another. Encourage one another. These are the words of encouragement for the saints. These are the words of the encourager. Therefore since you have this understanding encourage one another with these words. What is encouragement? Encouragement is support. What is encouragement? Encouragement is advice that gives hope. That's what encouragement is. Advice advice that gives hope. Now to us think we we encouraging people when we give them advice that leads to despair. Now I'm going encourage other day. Yeah when you when she leads your presence we'll see feel better or worse. They've been with you. Encouragement is advice that gives hope. Somebody's going through a tough spot. Somebody's doing something they shouldn't be doing and all your tell all you're talking to them. Remind them over Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming and we shall be with him in the air. This world and all his troubles are passing away. This heartache and his pain and his grief is but a momentary affliction. We have lost to be with the Lord. Don't worry. They're coming again to meet you in the air. Encouragement, beloved is optimistic. That's what it is. That's what Christians ought to be. I don't mean to offend anybody this morning. And please forgive me if I do.

But it is discouraging to be around pessimistic Christian. Now nothing to do but complain. They can complain about everything. Every situation, every person, the church, the job, the families, everything is a complaint. What they haven't understood is that this world is passing away. And the Lord is coming for he shall defend from heaven with a shout. The voice of an archangel and the Trump of God. And do you understand that those who are dead will be right first and we who are alive shall be caught up to meet him in the air. What are you complaining about? What is coming? Let's get a rejoicing and trust in him. And leave it on him. I can plan you tell me that. Amen. Let's pray. We, we, we well over time. Let's pray.