I Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:11 [New Living Translation]
13 ¶ And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. 15 I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. 18 So comfort and encourage each other with these words.
1 ¶ I really don’t need to write to you about how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape. 4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.
6 ¶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be sober. 7 Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armour of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.
11 ¶ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
THE COMING OF CHRIST
Acts 1:11 This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into Heaven will come in just the same way as you have seen Him going into Heaven." [Weymouth]
"Why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly as he left." [Message]
I THE COMING OF CHRIST IS PROMISED
A THE APOSTLES PROMISED HE WOULD COME
Hebrews 10:37 in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. [NIV]
B THE ANGELS PROMISED HE WOULD COME
Acts 1:11 Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go." [CEV]
C THE CHRIST PROMISED HE WOULD COME
John 14:1-3 DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed or agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. [AMP]
II THE COMING OF CHRIST IS PROCLAIMED
A THE APOSTLE JOHN PROCLAIMED IT
I John 3:2 My dear friends, we are already God’s children, though what we will be hasn’t yet been seen. But we do know that when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is. [CEV]
B THE APOSTLE PETER PROCLAIMED IT
ACTS 3:20 he will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. [NLT]
C THE APOSTLE JAMES PROCLAIMED IT
James 5:8 Be patient. Establish your hearts [strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty], for the coming of the Lord is very near. {AMP]
III THE COMING OF CHRIST IS PLANNED
A IT IS PLANNED TO BE A BLESSED HOPE
Titus 2:11-13 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [AV]
B IT IS PLANNED TO BE A PURIFYING HOPE
I John 3:3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. [NLT]
C IT IS PLANNED TO BE A COMFORTING HOPE
I Thessalonians 4:18 We, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! 18 Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words. [AMP]
IV THE COMING OF CHRIST HAS A PURPOSE
A HE IS COMING TO FULFIL HIS PROMISE
John14:27-28 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. [NLT]
B HE IS COMING TO RECEIVE HIS CHURCH
I Thessalonians 4:16-17 16 With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. 17 Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. [CEV]
C HE IS COMING TO REWARD THE FAITHFUL
Revelation 22:12 See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. [NLT]
V THE COMING OF CHRIST HAS A PATTERN
A THERE WILL BE A SOUND FROM HEAVEN
I Thessalonians 4:16 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. [AMP]
B THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN THE DEAD AND LIVING SAINT
I Corinthians 15:51-53 Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. [NLT]
C THERE WILL BE A REUNION WITH CHRIST
I Thessalonians 4:16-18 The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
VI THE COMING OF CHRIST REQUIRES PREPARATION
A IT SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR BY REPENTANCE
Psalm 38:18 I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. [NLT]
B IT SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR BY RECEIVING CHRIST
Romans 10:9-10 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. [NLT]
C IT SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR BY LIVING FOR CHRIST
I Thessalonians 5:6 let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect). [AMP]
