God's Desire For His People

GOD'S DESIRE FOR HIS PEOPLE

I Thess. 4:13-18 "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. 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. 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: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: tend so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. "

This is the first of the thirteen letters the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write. It is said that this letter was written around 52 -53 A.D. Paul, Silas and Timothy had ministered in Thessolonica for a time and then were forced to leave because the Jews envied the success of the gospel. They fled to Berea. Paul preach three Sabbaths in the synagogue, but was not allowed to. return. From Berea, Paul and Silas went on to Corinth, but sent Timothy back to ascertain the condition of the new church at Thessolonica. Timothy reported the manifestation of great faith among the assembly, but he also re- ported there were some misunderstandings among them; perhaps related to the brevity of the ministry Paul had enjoyed there.

In response to the situation we have Paul's very first epistle, or letter, to a Church of Jesus Christ.

As far as we can ascertain, this is also the very first written Word in the New Testament about the great doctrine of the Second Coming. Of course, many of the Old Testament prophecies foreshadowed the great event, but many also had a dual meaning and an application to both the first and second advent. During His ministry Jesus and taught at length about the subject, but it is indicated that the first of the four gospels would not be written and disseminated to God's people for another 8-10 years. His great resurrection dissertations in his Corinthian letters have not been penned either.

To understand the full import of the words we will consider today we must apply the simple rules of Bible analysis. The letter is written by Paul to those who are saved, baptized and in fellowship in the assembly. But the letter is obviously a personal letter from God to His people. Not only to His people in this church, but to His -people of like precious faith in every similar assembly in the future. But what is the basic subject under consideration?

It is obvious in the background and context that Paul has been informed that there exists in the church a serious misunderstanding about the resurrection and rapture of the saints. Since some of their brothers and sisters have passed on, have they missed the Second Coming? What will be their fate when the Lord does return? Will there really be a resurrection? The occasion and purpose of this letter is to answer these questions and put these things in order. He writes to intellectually inform and spiritually illuminate God's people. But more than anything else, his purpose is to comfort, encourage, and energize those who have been troubled and discouraged by doubt, fear and uncertainty. In doing this, Paul focuses upon GOD'S DESIRE FOR HIS PEOPLE!

GOD WISHES HIS PEOPLE TO BE INFORMED AND ILLUMINATED about spiritual matters. He would not have His people to be ignorant. The people of the world are ignorant, ill informed, and incapable of understanding the great truths of the Word of God. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned." (I Cor. 2:14) The focus of Satan's attack is just at this point He is constantly at work through the new and old age philosophies of this world and the false teachings of the religionists of this world. His goal is to blind the lost and hide the glorious gospel from them, lest they hear and understand and are saved, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. " (II Cor. 4:3-4)