GAUGING YOUR GRIEF-II—1Thessalonians 4:13—15:11
Grief Set Free—Grief Relief—Grief as a Gauge of Godliness
Need:
Grief over the loss of other brothers & sisters in Christ can be a gauge of your relationship with God.
Paul explained that Grief, for the Thessalonian Christians, was qualitatively different from that of unbelievers.
Grief is a gauge/measure of spirituality.
How is grief a gauge of spirituality?
Grief is a gauge of godliness when it...
1. CHALLENGES OTHERS(:13)
2. EMULATES RESURRECTION(:14)
3. PRODUCES IRRESISTIBILITY(:15-17)
4. ERADICATES FEAR(:18)
5—Grief is a gauge of godliness when...
It PREPARES AGAINST DARKNESS(5:1-4)
Explanation:(5:1-4)
:1—“Now as to the times & the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.”
“Times”—??????—Time either long or short. Time in general.
“Epochs/Seasons”—??????—Due measure; A measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time. A definitely limited portion of time with the added notion of suitableness.
:2—“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”
“The day of the Lord”—
“Just like a thief in the night”—
:3—“While they are saying, “Peace & safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; & they shall not escape.”
“Peace”—??????—a state of national tranquillity—exemption from the rage & havoc of war; Peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; Security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace & harmony make & keep things safe & prosperous).
“Safety”—????????—Firmness, stability; Certainty, undoubted truth; Security from enemies & dangers, safety.
“Destruction”—???????—Ruin, destroy, death.
“Suddenly”—?????????—Unexpected, sudden, unforeseen.
“Birth pangs/Travail”—????—The pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs; Intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities precede the advent of the Messiah.
Mat. 24:36-42—““But of that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating & drinking, they were marrying & giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, & they did not understand until the flood came & took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. “Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, & one will be left. “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, & one will be left. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
:4—“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;”
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness”—?WHY?
“Overtake”—???????????—To lay hold of.
“Like a Thief”—???????—An embezzler, pilferer—Denotes one who steals by stealth.
Mat. 24:42-44—“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert & would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”
Argumentation:
1Pet. 2:9-10—“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
Illustration:
Enemy’s desire is known—Secretly—Quietly/Anti-Burglar preparedness/Locks—Lights—Dead bolt—Dogs—Burglar alarms/PREPARES AGAINST DARKNESS
Application:
?Your grief PREPARE AGAINST DARKNESS ?
?How is your grief a gauge of godliness?
6—Grief is a gauge of godliness when...
It CHOOSES AGAINST DARKNESS(:4-8)
Explanation:(:4-8) Recognizes the time
:4—“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;”
:5—“for you are all sons of light & sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”
:6—“so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert & sober.”
“Let us not....Let us be....”—A choice is made!
“Alert”—????????—To watch; Metaph. give strict attention to, be cautious, active.
“Sober”—????—To be sober, to be calm & collected in spirit; To be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect.
:7—“For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, & those who get drunk get drunk at night.”
Unseen/Unwitnessed by others—Their own private world — Determining/Interpreting their own private reality whether true or notQ
:8—“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith & love, & as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
“Breastplate of faith & love”
—Faith & Love protect our vital organs—Keeps our blood flowing as it were—Gives us our wind—Our stamina, etc.
“Breastplate”—?????—The breast, the part of the body from the neck to the navel, where the ribs end; A breastplate or corset consisting of two parts & protecting the body on both sides from the neck to the middle.
“As a Helmet, the hope of salvation”—
—Certainty of salvation!....So no one can mess w/ your head!—Clear thinking—controlling all other parts of your body.
—If your salvation is lost then ‘any wind can turn you’!
“Helmet”—????????????—a helmet.
Argumentation:
Jn. 9:4-5—““We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.””
Illustration:
Easter celebration/Some will slip up on & be gone/Miss the blessing of the day/CHOOSE AGAINST DARKNESS
Application:
?Your grief allowed you to CHOOSE AGAINST DARKNESS?
?How is your grief a gauge of godliness?
7—Grief is a gauge of godliness when...
It FINDS PURPOSE AGAINST DARKNESS(:9-10)
Explanation:(:9-10)
:9—“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
“Destined us for...obtaining salvation”—
“Destined”—??????—To set, put, place; To make; To set, fix establish.
:10—“who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.
“Live together with Him”—?What does it mean to live with God/Jesus?—Merely to be in His presence or does this describe a certain quality to our life?...OR isn’t it both?!—This calls for a Purpose!
—People without purpose grow despondent & suicidal!
Jn. 14:1-3—““Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again, & receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Argumentation:
Jer. 29:11-14—“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare & not for calamity to give you a future & a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me & come & pray to Me, & I will listen to you. ‘And you will seek Me & find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘And I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘& I will restore your fortunes & will gather you from all the nations & from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘& I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”
Illustration:
Charloais cattle/Must keep them separate/
Passing a truck on interstate/Side-by-side/Pull you into its path/
Application:
?Your grief allowed you to FIND PURPOSE AGAINST DARKNESS?
?How is your grief a gauge of godliness?
8—Grief is a gauge of godliness when...
It BUILDS AGAINST DARKNESS(:11)
Explanation:(:11) Constructive
:11—“Therefore encourage one another, & build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
“Encourage/Comfort”(See :18)— ?????????— To call to one’s side, call for, summon; To address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.
“Build up”—?????????—To build a house, erect a building.
Argumentation:
1Pet. 2:5—“you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1Cor. 6:19-20—“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
Heb. 10:24-25—“& let us consider how to stimulate one another to love & good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; & all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”
2Cor. 1:3-5—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies & God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”
Illustration:
Rather than looking for what you can get out of your church, or rather, what you are not getting out of your church, Why don’t we seek to build up rather than tear up?
Lawn/Fertilize & occasional weeding/Healthy grass is able to combat weed invasion/BUILD AGAINST DARKNESS
Application:
?Your grief allow you to BUILD AGAINST DARKNESS?
?How is your grief a gauge of godliness?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Grief is a gauge of godliness when, against Darkness, it...
PREPARES(5:1-4)
CHOOSES(5:4-8)
FINDS PURPOSE(:9-10)
BUILDS (:11)
CHALLENGES OTHERS(:13)
EMULATES RESURRECTION(:14)
PRODUCES IRRESISTIBILITY(:15-17)
ERADICATES FEAR(:18)
Presented 03/21/04am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 39897
