MESSAGE 5 - 1 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 4 – WALK TO PLEASE GOD AND THE RAPTURE TEACHING – PART 2
We will continue in this chapter and will consider the second Part. Paul has been speaking to these believers about living in persecution and how their lives should be lived. Earlier in the book he told them that we all have been delivered from the wrath that is to come from God (the Tribulation), and this chapter explains the Rapture of the Church that will deliver us from that wrath. No Christian enters the wrath of God. All true Christians are taken out before it comes.
[3]. THE CONDUCT OF YOUR LIFE
{{1Thessalonians 4:9 Now as to THE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 1Thess 4:10 for indeed you do practise it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia, but we urge you, brethren, to EXCEL still more, 1Thess 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you 1Thess 4:12 so that you may behave properly toward OUTSIDERS and not be in any need.”}}
Verse 9 is quite amazing, because even without teaching from men, God will cause the Christian to know that we are to love one another because we are all fellow members of the house of God. Over and over, we are told this truth of love towards our fellow believers, not a wishy-washy sentimentality, but a practical, out-working love. The Apostle John was reported in his very last days to have said over and over, “love one another,” and we know it is almost the major theme of his writings. Paul confirmed that these Thessalonians loved all the brethren through Macedonia, but in verse 10, he wants to see even a more excellent love; an excelling love.
This is the second time Paul uses “excel” having used it in verse 1. They are loving all the Macedonian saints but Paul desires even more love. I am not going to follow up on this in this message except to say love for fellow believers is paramount in the writings of Paul and John.
One commentator, Gill, goes on to expand on what love can do and says, [["we urge you, brethren, to excel still more"; in showing love to the brethren; which may be done both by administering to them in temporal, physical things, by assisting them in distress, by sympathising with them, and by giving them counsel and advice; and in spiritual things, by bearing their burdens, forbearing with them, and forgiving them; by admonishing them in love, by stirring them up to love and good works, by praying with them and for them, and by instructing and building them up in their most holy faith; and this increase, and abounding in the exercise of this grace, may respect not only the more frequent and fervent use of it, but also the larger extent of it to other objects; as not only to all the brethren in their own church, and to all that were in Macedonia, to which it did extend, but likewise to all the brethren in other parts of the world, and which are more distant and remote; and even to the poor saints at Jerusalem in particular; and accordingly we find that their love did abound unto them;”]]
In verse 11 Paul uses the same word in Greek as he did in verse 1 and it has the same meaning also. This time the NASB and NIV use “make it your ambition” but it concerns setting the mind. We must desire that in the Lord. In Romans, Paul mentions the renewing of the mind in Romans 12:1-2 and that is a sacrificial move. “Make it your ambition” is most important in the current world of failure, deception, growing socialism and WOKE philosophies.
This calls for a positive approach, a determination to achieve that. Christians are practical people (ought to be) not theorists who live in a fanciful world and full of ideas and advice for others but themselves do nothing in the practical area. A lot of hot air, a few Christians are.
THE QUIET LIFE
To attend to their own concerns, without interfering with the affairs of others, is what Paul tells them. No Christian should be engaged in a mob, in a political pressure group and activism. None should be identified with the popular protests which lead to disorder and to the disregard of the laws. To live peaceably in their own families, and to give no disturbance to other families, by bearing tales, whispering, and backbiting; to behave with quietness in the neighbourhood, town, or city, they dwell in, and to seek the peace thereof; and to lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, in the commonwealth, and under the government to which they belong; and not to create and encourage factions, divisions, animosities, and contentions, in their own church, or in any of the churches of Christ.
Conditions were atrocious in the roman world of Paul’s time but nowhere did he agitate for disturbance. In fact he put forth the opposite. Christians were to obey authorities except when it meant denial of our faith and that saw many martyrs for Christ. We can make representations in a peaceful way as did a number of intelligent Christian leaders in the first couple of centuries. Some of them, called Apologists, wrote extensively in defence of the faith and in some cases addressed that to emperors. It is sad today that very few of the church leaders are interested in defending the faith.
ATTEND TO YOUR OWN BUSINESS
To use the common expression – “Mind your business”. Those who are occupied in their own affairs will not then, meddle with other people’s business, and commonly neglect their own; and idleness goes hand in hand with interfering; meddlers we can call them. Accordingly, Paul adds, “and work with your hands”. Most of the Thessalonian Christians were probably handicraftsmen of one kind or other. Even for the few who possessed larger means the Apostle may have thought manual labour a good discipline. The bible has no time for bludgers (lazy reople, “take everything”, won’t work). We DON’T mean the unemployed who desire to work; we mean those who can work, but don’t want to work, and take all the benefits. They call it a “life choice”, but the bible also says that those who do not work ought not to eat either.
OUTSIDERS
Paul has just dealt with relations within the Christian fellowship. Then he addressed the behaviour outside among the pagans and the unsaved and those who are non-Christian friends. Care should be taken, that no occasion be given to those who are non-Christians to reproach the name of God, the ways of Christ, and the doctrines of the Gospel. Walk in wisdom toward those outside, not being dependent on them, because they will see your laziness or unwillingness to work. Our behaviour will let the Lord down and discredit the name of fellow Christians if we don’t behave properly.
Not all people are easy to live with, and it is impossible to have anything in common with some awful people. Paul realised that when he wrote – {{Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”}}
[4]. WORDS OF CONTINUAL COMFORT
We are now coming to a passage that is really precious and sadly trashed. Those who do not accept a separate Rapture have missed the point of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. A pre-conceived belief without examination is worthless when it is wrong. Here is that special passage.
{{1Thessalonians 4:13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are ASLEEP, that you may NOT GRIEVE, as do the rest who have no hope.
1Thess 4:14 If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus,
1Thess 4:15 for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep,
1Thess 4:16 FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
1Thess 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1Thess 4:18 Therefore COMFORT one another with these words.}}
I have done the Rapture before in considerable detail and do not want to spend too much time on it today. Rather than deal with the process of the Rapture, which I will do again sometime, I want to look at the reason for this being in the chapter. There are two important words in this passage, one each in the first and last verses. They are “GRIEVE” and “COMFORT” and that is why this section was written. In fact I think it is why the whole of the letter was written.
What is the use of our faith in Christ if we are going to miss out on what the bible promises? Paul had taught the Thessalonians in the three weeks when he was with them that the Lord was coming back to take the Christians out of the world, and catch them up to meet Him in the air before the wrath of God falls on the earth. The problem the Thessalonians faced was that in the intervening time a few had died so the dear people thought their relatives would miss out because they were not alive to be caught up. They were grieving over this, and wrote to Paul and he answered to comfort them. There we have the two words. Paul gives the correct understanding of the Rapture, called elsewhere, the blessed hope. This passage and the one in 1 Corinthians 15 are the two that teach us about this matter.
Just to clarify this matter, there are two future comings of the Lord featured in the New Testament. The Rapture will be the first, the one when the Lord comes for His Bride, the Church. This world is fast heading towards that judgement called “the wrath of God” and that is covered in the book of Revelation. Christians are not appointed for judgement so the Lord will remove them from the world before that judgement can happen. Their bodies will be resurrected if they have died, and if alive at the time of the Rapture, they will be caught up to the Lord.
It is so sad that the deniers of the Rapture will not look at this very clear teaching God has given to us.
The second future coming is the one called the Second Coming or The Coming in Glory. This happens 7 years after the Church is taken away and is very widely described in the bible. It will end the Tribulation. All Matthew 24 describes the time of the Tribulation on earth and the Second Coming (all except the first 3 verses). ALL the Old Testament prophets speak of the Second Coming.
The wrath of God is poured out from heaven in 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls. All of that is in Revelation. After that comes the Second Coming that coincides with the great battle of Armageddon detailed in Revelation 19.
In this message we are dealing only with the Rapture. I will give you a summary of these verses, 13 to 18.
VERSE 13 – Christians who die are never said to die in the New Testament. They fall asleep. We have hope in the resurrection and that is why we do not grieve. This is the whole purpose of this letter, that the church is not sad because some of their loved ones died.
VERSE 14 – Jesus died and rose again and so the Christians who die (fall asleep), go to be with the Lord and when the Rapture happens, He will bring them back with him in the air. Their bodies are in the grave but their spirits are with the Lord. He brings them back to be united with their resurrected bodies.
VERSE 15 – Those who have died and return with the Lord will unite with their resurrection bodies before the ones still living are changed. Those who have died will be caught up first; then those who are still alive.
VERSE 16 - It is the Lord who returns for His Bride and He will shout, and the archangel uses his voice, and the trumpet blows. The ones who have died, whose spirits are with the Lord, the Lord brings with Him. They rise first to unite spirit and body. It is almost certain that what the Lord will shout when He comes will be, “Come up here!” This is from Revelation 4:1, a Rapture verse.
VERSE 17 – The Christians still living will then be caught up in the clouds, and their mortal bodies are changed into immortal bodies. For the first time the whole completed Bride of Christ will be together and will remain with the Lord forever. These verses are so clear they hardly need explanation.
VERSE 18 – These words are comfort for those who had lost loved ones. That is the purpose for writing this letter to the church, to comfort them in their fears that their loved ones had missed out on the Rapture.
[5]. CONCLUSION – Paul urges us to live holy lives as we wait for the coming of the Lord. The “anytime” coming of the Lord in the Rapture is the impetus for living correctly for the Lord. Do not lose sight of His coming for you. We walk to please Him, conducting our lives aright through the Holy Spirit. We must go forward with our Lord, not slide back.
THE EMU AND KANGAROO - The Australian coat of arms pictures two creatures, the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they are distinctly Australian, but they also share a characteristic that appealed to the Australian citizens. Both the emu and kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu's three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail. Those who truly choose to follow Jesus become like the emu and kangaroo, moving only forward, never back.
TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY
To be absent from the body,
To be present with the Lord;
To be robed in linen garments
With eternal life unflawed.
I will then be in His presence,
Where the saints of God will shine,
And that blessed sinless pleasure -
O, that joy will then be mine.
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Heaven’s call will soon come to us
Bathed in joy and happiness.
He will raise His saints up to Him,
Called from this world’s wretchedness.
In an instant changed forever,
In the power of His might,
And the glories then of heaven,
Will be wondrous in our sight.
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It was grace that sought and saved us;
Nothing of it we deserved.
Wonders grace has stored up for us,
That in glory are reserved.
We will see our splendid Saviour,
Gathered with His ransomed throng.
Faces shine in radiance bright,
As they praise their Lord in song.
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To be absent from the body,
To be present with the Lord,
And we long for that appearing,
As we rise to our reward.
Jesus soon comes, and He’ll change us
In the twinkling of an eye.
We’ll behold His full perfection,
Being flawless, we won’t die.
21 September 2021 R E Ferguson Metre = 8-7-8-7D A-B-C-B-D-E-F-E
Copyright reserved. May be used in Christian ministry with acknowledgment.
Can be sung to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, or to any of the following - BEECHER (“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”)
HYMN TO JOY (“Joyful, Joyful”)
HYFRYDOL (“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”)
EBENEZER (“God Hath Spoken By the Prophets")
BRADBURY (“Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”)
NETTLETON (“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)
CONVERSE (“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”)
BEACH SPRING (“Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service”)
ABBOT’S LEIGH (“Lord, You Give the Great Commission” or “God is Here”)
RESTORATION (“Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”)
There’s a light upon the mountain
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
