Even though the move was a rather complicated and burdensome process, it was really a thing to be celebrated. For this reason, the man sent his friend some flowers on the day of his grand opening. The matter about the flowers, however, was poorly handled and the businessman received a bouquet that was intended for a funeral. It was accompanied with a card which said, “My deepest sympathy during this time of sorrow.” When the man called his friend on the phone to wish him well, he was confronted with the error. “Why in the world,” said the businessman, “did you send me flowers and a note of sympathy?” The man went immediately to the florist to demand an explanation. The florist met him outside the shop and was obviously upset.
“I am terribly sorry about the mix-up with the flowers,” he said, “but I hope you will be understanding. Your situation is not half as bad as the one down at the funeral home. The folks there received your flowers accompanied by a card which said, ‘BEST WISHES ON YOUR MOVE TO YOUR NEW LOCATION.’”
We can laugh about a reference to death in this setting, but to most of us death is no joking matter.
Illus: If you asked a thousand people what would be the worst thing that could happen to you today most of them would echo the response that the worst thing that could happen to them would be to die.
Death is something we do not like to think, or talk about.
Illus: It is amazing how many people have made no arrangements at all in preparation for death. Then when that time comes the grieving family has to attend to it.
But, some folks do think about this unpopular subject. That is, they want to know all they can about the LIFE after this LIFE.
Every minister has been asked, on many occasions, “What happens after we die?” We want to spend some time in God’s Word and deal with this question that concerns every person.
• We can not help but be concerned about death because sooner or later it will effect every member of my family.
• We cannot help but be concerned about death because sooner or later it will effect every friend that I have.
• Most of all, we are concerned about death because we know it is going to effect every one of us personally.
When it happens to us, to our loved ones, and to our friends; what we want to know then is...WHAT THEN?
Illus: A US Catholic Magazine recently asked its readers two questions:
(1) What lies beyond the grave?
(2) Who will go to heaven?
Well, 83 percent of the magazine’s readers expect to go there when they die. The general consensus was that heaven is a great place for a picnic--a “sylvan setting where it never rains,” and where you’ll be reunited with departed members of your family.
The only problem with this survey is that the results were not scriptural. The Bible says that the road to heaven is straight and narrow and few will find it. It farther says that the road to hell is broad, and many will go to that awful place.
Let me ask you again, that familiar question, “WHAT ABOUT LIFE AFTER THIS LIFE?” However, let us not consult the general public, but the Word of God to find out about LIFE AFTER THIS LIFE. Paul had to teach the Thessalonian Christians because they were like many today. They had been raised in a pagan society. They had no idea what happened to their precious loved ones once they died. Naturally they were greatly concerned about this.
Because of their lack of knowledge on this subject, Paul spent a lot of time preaching and teaching about LIFE AFTER THIS LIFE to them.
Look at verses 13-18. We read, “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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
This passage of scripture has THREE marvelous things to say to the Thessalonians about LIFE AFTER THIS LIFE. So, to inform them, Paul did three things.
I. HE ENLIGHTENED THEM
Look again at verse 13. Paul told them, and we read, “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 the implication in this verse is that they were ignorant, but Paul was tactful in the way he handled it. Being kind has never hurt anyone!
Illus: A mother once went to President Lincoln seeking the pardon of her son who was under sentence of death. As a result of her pleading, Lincoln issued a pardon. After leaving him, as she passed through a corridor, she exclaimed to Thaddeus Stevens, who accompanied her, “I knew it was a lie!” Mr. Stevens asked, “What do you refer to?” She replied with vehemence, “Why, they told me he was an ugly looking man, but he is the handsomest man I ever saw in my life.”
If you want to be ugly, then be unkind. No matter how pretty you may be, people will see you as ugly. If you want to be beautiful, be kind. No matter how ugly you may be, people will see you as being beautiful.
Paul was very kind. He could have said, “You people are dumb.” Why? Because they had no knowledge about spiritual matters. Instead, He wrote, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep...” Notice, he addressed them as, “...brethren...” Then, in a tactful way, he let them know it was not God’s will that they be ignorant about LIFE AFTER THIS LIFE.
In verses 14 - 15 he began to enlighten them about their great concern. He began by showing them THAT JESUS DIED! Look at verse 14. We read, “...we believe that Jesus died...”
Illus: It was important that they realize Jesus indeed died! The liberals have put forth all kinds of theories to try to explain how Jesus would be able to come out of that tomb. One is called the “swoon theory.” That is, that He did not literally die, He just passed out and regained consciousness later.
Why would anyone say such a thing? Because the devil knows that our resurrection depends upon His resurrection. If Jesus had not really died, then He, of course, would not have been resurrected. We all would be in serious trouble if that were true because we would have no idea of what is going to happen to us after death.
But, because HE DIED AND WAS RESURRECTED we now can say, BECAUSE HE LIVES, I SHALL LIVE ALSO!
It is absolutely essential that Christians realize this.
Illus: How could the Lord do for us something He could not do for Himself? That would be like one of these psychics advertised on television. That is, they claim to have all this psychic power to know OUR FUTURE, but not to know THEIR FUTURE. If they really knew what was going to happen in the future they could make investments and bets that would make them instantly wealthy.
Their answer to this is that they can not use their psychic powers to enrich themselves. What is ironic is that is exactly what they are doing and they do not have any more psychic power than we do.
You should never put your confidence in anyone who claims they can do something for you that they are not able to do for themselves.
The Lord JESUS DIED AND HE ROSE AGAIN! This is proof we all need to know He can do the same for us.
Paul wrote the Corinthian Christians and said, 1 Cor. 15:3-8, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”
The Lord’s victory over death is our guarantee. If He could do it for Himself, He can do the same for us! This is the foundation on which Christianity is built. That Christ, God’s Son DIED for our sins and ROSE FROM THE DEAD TO DIE NO MORE!
Paul told the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 4:14, “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.”
God does not want us to be ignorant about LIFE AFTER THIS LIFE. This is why God included what Paul said, verse 13, in His Word, “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.”
Paul ENLIGHTENED the Thessalonian Christians by telling them that the Lord could DO FOR THEM WHAT HE DID FOR HIMSELF!
II. PAUL ENCOURAGED THEM
How did Paul encourage them? They were concerned about loved ones who had died “in the Lord.” They wondered where they were. Paul told them that when the Lord returned, the loved ones would be with Him.
Did you know that when a child of God dies, he immediately goes to be with the Lord. Paul said, 2 Cor. 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Paul ENLIGHTENED THEM, and he ENCOURAGED THEM by telling them their loved ones would come back when Christ raptured the church. Look at verses 15-16. We read, “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.”
Do not misunderstand these verses. The saved are in heaven with Christ now, but when that glorious time comes the Bible tells us that the dead in Christ shall rise first, then Christians all around the globe will be raised together with them, caught up into heaven.
This was a tremendous encouragement to those who wondered where their dead loved ones were. Then...
III. PAUL EXCITED THEM
Look at verse 17. We read, “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.”
Illus: The great preacher, F. B. Meyer, once asked D. L. Moody, “What is the secret of your success?” Moody replied, “For many years I have never given an address without the consciousness that the Lord may come before I have finished.”
What was Moody saying? He was saying that every time he preached, he preached with fervor because he recognized that Christ might come before he finished his sermon.
When a minister is conscious of the Lord’s imminent return, he can not help but be persuasive.
We can not know what moment the Lord will return, but we do know that when He comes, He is coming back with the saints who have died in the Lord! If you ask Christians if they believe Christ is coming again they will say they do, but they are not very persuasive.
Illus: Christians today remind us of the story of the little boy who was always asking the principal of the Christian school if he could be the one to announce the fire the next time they had a drill. The principal was reluctant to use him because he was so young and spoke with a soft voice so he denied him of the opportunity many times. Finally, because the boy persisted, the principal decided to let the little boy do it the next time they were going to have an unannounced fire drill. The time came and the principal summoned the young man to his office and explained that he wanted the boy to knock on the classroom doors and open it and scream, “FIRE!” The little boy was excited. He had waited a long time to be able to do this. When he began to run down the hall, knocking on each class door, one by one the classes filed out in an orderly way. The principal was outside, observing all the classes as they came out. Then he noticed one class was missing. In fact, the little boy who had been hollering “FIRE,” was not either. The principal went to see what was wrong. He saw the little boy down the hall with his chin on his chest. He was crying. The principal knocked on the door and asked the teacher why they had not come out for the fire drill. The teacher said she did know there was a fire drill. The principal told her he had sent the little boy around to all the classes screaming “FIRE!” She said, “Oh, is that what he said? He spoke so softly I could not hear him. I told him if he opened that door one more time I was going to carry him to your office for a paddling.”
Many Christians are like that young man. They claim they believe Christ may come back at any moment, but they do not live as if they believe that. It would seem that if they really believed that Christ was coming any moment you would be able to hear the excitement in their voices, but because they do not seem to be convinced, they are not very persuasive.
The rapture will be exciting! In verse 16, the Bible says, “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.”
Notice, the Lord is not going to send an angel to the earth to rapture His church. The Bible says that, “...the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven...”
The Lord came the first time to this earth to live and die among us, for our sins. He is coming again. This time with a SHOUT and the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL...
• The Lord stood and spoke this earth into existence!
• The Lord stood at the tomb of Lazarus and spoke and Lazarus rose from the dead!
• One day the Lord will come back “...with a shout, with the voice of the archangel...” and the Bible continues, “...the DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
Notice, those who have died with Christ shall be resurrected with Him.
• They died with Him (v. 14).
• They will rise with Him (v. 16).
• And, they will come with Him (v. 14).
Christ and His people are inseparable.
WHAT ABOUT THE LIVING WHEN CHRIST RETURNS.
Look at verse 17. We read, “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.”
The English word “rapture” is derived from the Latin word which means, “To seize.”
The Latin word was derived from the word Paul used here which meant, “Caught up.”
Isn’t this exciting? When the Lord comes back we are going to be “snatched up” from this world of sin in the twinkling of an eye.
The Lord is coming again!
Conclusion/Summary:
Notice, when Paul wrote these encouraging things, he told the purpose for writing them. Verse 18 says, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
These are the most comforting thoughts we could possibly think of.
Illus: The song writer captured some of the excitement of His coming back in 1921 when he wrote:
“Standing before Him at last, Trial and trouble all past,
Crowns at His feet we will cast: Jesus is coming again.
Coming again, Coming again;
May be morning, may be noon, may be evening and may be soon!
Coming again, Coming again,
O what a wonderful day it will be--Jesus is coming again!”
I. PAUL ENLIGHTENED THEM
II. PAUL ENCOURAGED THEM
III. PAUL EXCITED THEM
