Encourage One Another

If you have your Bibles with you. Please turn to first Thessalonians chapter 4 were going to be looking in verses 13 through 18 and were also going to add from chapter 5 verses nine through 11 here the word of the Lord, we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, you may not grieve as others do who have no hope for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we desired for this we declare to you by word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words and if you move down chapter 5 starting in verse nine for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another. Another up just as you are doing. Let's pray heavenly father as we open your word this morning, Lord God, we we thank you for what you have provided to us in revealing to us yourself, your son and the Holy Spirit. Lord you are the ultimate encourage your Lord as we look at this passage in and tried it to glean from you. I pray that your spirit speaks this morning speaks to our heart heart teaches us your word Lord and and firmly roots us in Christ Jesus, we praise you and we thank you for all that you do and it's in Christ name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

To give a little background to the tax.

First Thessalonians is written by Paul to the young church at Thessalonica.

If you want to see the founding of that church incident, the first 10 verses of acts 17 and he is writing to complete teaching in chapter 3 of first Thessalonians, he says that your faith may be complete because he was ran out of Thessalonica quickly and he is coming back, he is sent Timothy. Timothy is brought a report to Paul. These are some of the issues and Paul is writing and encouraging and instructional letter back to them you know as we as the church and grace here come together every Sunday.

One of the things of worship is an encouragement in the building Doug for the past few months have been preaching on the text of Revelation and I don't know about you guys but have you ever been beaten overhead by the providence of God that for whatever reason there is something God wants you to be studying so Doug started I believe probably end of May or June.

The book of Revelation. Somewhere in there.

My class list came out for this year.

In the first class that were in right now was the class of the last things so guess what were studying in our class, the book of Revelation and when you go into these classes. A lot of it is academic and looking at different views that are presented the historic pre-mill view the post-millennial view of eschatology the mill which we hold for good reason. We think that it gives a good look at the age were in that. That's what Revelation is repeatedly doing in this progressive parallelism that it is telling us what I needed to hear that eschatology is and in the future, but eschatology is present.

We are currently living in the last days when you and I hear of wars and rumors of wars when we see famine and pestilence when disease breaks down and kills the body. These are signs that God is at work in our present age bringing the consummation.

His plan so it's not like were outside observers looking in. We are actually participating in it.

And so I praise God. Eugene's preaching from Psalm 46 a few weeks ago, the building up the encouraging that we get here, but we are called one another to encourage and build each other up when Paul sent Timothy. Timothy reports back that these young Christians several months to a little over a year since the church is been established are struggling with understanding those who are believers who have passed away.

They have died and they don't know. Will they get to print participate in the this resurrection or the second coming. We just our thought processes from our Greek philosophy and all these other things, blend in, and it makes us wonder are they going to miss out and in chapter 4, starting at 13. Paul is going to tell them exactly what they should focus on one of the things that Eugene said in his Sunday school class in God's providence. Eugene said if I ever write a book. It's called ditches and he was talking about how our theology needs to be centered. But when we have a theological topic. There is always a ditch on this side and always a ditch on this side and what happens many times as we fallen one or the other ditches and what we become is ingrained in and fighting for our ditch. Instead of looking for that thing that Christ has revealed.

As Doug is preached through revelation as I've gone to class.

There are some good points to a historic pre-mill.

This are not dispensational strike that a historic pre-mill view for the end time. There are some good points for post-millennial, I think there's a ton of great points for millennial because that's what I hope. But all three hold boat when the people at Thessalonica are struggling. Paul doesn't say get your millennial view right.

Paul says the three views that we hold that we can fallen ditches out in all hold several things in common and that's how he encourages them and that is what we are to encourage each other with yes we can have great spirited discussions considered concerning what is the right end time view of the millennial.

But in all honesty, all three millennial views are going to hold to what we look at Paul encourages them in. They all hold the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing to know and believe they all hold the Jesus Christ will return, and they all hold that we will be with Christ forever. That's the encouragement, Paul gives to the church at Thessalonica. Those are the three points that I hope we can discuss with some clarity for us today in order to be encouraged and to be built up as we read in chapter 5 verse nine. The first point. Then of course I don't think you'll ever get away from hearing me share the gospel. If I have the opportunity to preach so .1 is to encourage one another with the gospel. If you're still in the Bible. Look at verse 14.

In chapter 4 and it says for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with them.

Those who have fallen asleep.

And if we jump down to verse nine in chapter 5 for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope brothers and sisters that that gospel message never becomes old. As we said and look Paul is encouraging them to focus back on the foundational belief that we see in acts 17 being said is what form the church if we looked at acts 17 one through four. It set this now when they had passed to Amphipolis and Apollyon. Apollo came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews and Paul went in as was his custom and on three Sabbath days. He reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining, improving that it was necessary for the price to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying this Jesus who I proclaim to you is the Christ and some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. Paul starts by telling the people at Thessalonica. This is what you believe when we came. And when we preach, we preach the Christ as Jesus and we explained to you what and what he needed to go through and why he needed to go through it for your sake. How does this encourage them or if we stay in and chapter 9 it says, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter 5, verse nine, I'm sorry to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live in him.

This is the same Paul who, speaking to the church at Rome in chapter 5 said. Therefore, since we been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He also told the church at Rome and I'm sure the believers at Fessenden lanai because something like we see in verses six through 11 from Romans five for while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved from him by him from the wrath of God for us while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life more than that. We also written rejoice in God through the our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

When Paul is responding to the Timothy's report that the Thessalonians are struggling with. We have believers in our midst to pass. What is their outcome.

Paul points them back to the gospel. Paul tells them that they are in Christ that the text so sweet in there when it talks about the resurrection that's going to go occur. He says those who are in Christ, he is referring repeatedly that they know Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior church.

We need the same encouragement continually of a few weeks ago I was sitting and talking with a gentleman and he was sharing sin that he was dealing with. And he said, in a sense, as we discussed it that God could not accept him because of his failure. I want to think about that because it's a sensible thing for us to think is an we sin, Eugene set it this morning that we are sinners left into ourselves, but God does something through Christ Jesus. If you are a believer here this morning. That means that we believe that Jesus Christ was born fully God and fully man. We believe the Jesus Christ walked perfectly on this earth in full obedience to God, and we believe that Jesus Christ gave himself to be to be killed on the cross and that God raised him up on the third day to show that he was truly the Christ, and we just sang a song before the start of the sermon. What can take away my sin. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Yes, I fail and I sin, but grace is greater. Christ is greater than our sin Thessalonica and understand though they have died, Christ is alive and they are and live in Christ because of what he's done. The gospel holds importance for us because we can and we do see as the Holy Spirit open Scripture to us.

We fall short on every level.

The app of the apostle who is writing this, Paul started by saying that he was a sinner and by his last letter said I am the chief sinner but he's also answered the question who will save me Christ Jesus the Lord, though we do sin, grace is greater than our said when we are in Christ Jesus. If you are not in Christ Jesus you are not forgiven. The book of Romans tells us that those who don't believe are already condemned, but for those who believe we event entered into eternal life through Christ.

So as the Thessalonians were dealing with. How does a departed brother get to enjoy partake in this great thing of Christ. This the second coming or or ultimate joining together. Paul moves them back to the gospel. We need to move back to the gospel because we can find ourselves looking unto us in our own power. Have you ever sat and thought wow, I did that there is no way God can accept me.

I had this thought against someone to thought I should never have. How can God accept me. We need to hear continually the only way God can accept us is through Christ Jesus is the gospel. It is his work, not ours. Now we are called to obey and we are called to be holy and those are things that we should be doing through prayer and Bible reading and actively living out our lives walking in the spirit of God.

But when we fall. Ladies and gentlemen, what do we have we have an advocate with the father. When you and I sin and we are in Christ Christ Jesus stands before the father and says of diet to me, that doesn't mean we can continue in sin.

Jesus tells the that the woman caught in adultery to what go and sin no more. We are called to love him and obey him. But when we do sin, we have an advocate Thessalonica you have an advocate those who have passed away. They will partake because Christ lives that they live through Christ.

So we see that the first thing that we have is we have to encourage one another continually with the gospel. Paul, who wrote these things to not just the Thessalonians, but to us in chapter 8 wrote something that I would like to share with you that should encourage us in chapter 8 verse one.

If you are in Christ here.

This therefore I'm sorry chapter 8 verse one there is therefore now no condemnation for if we move in that same chapter to verses 26 through 30. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We are not left on our own, we are empowered by the spirit and able to walk in Christ.

For we do know not.

We do not know what the pre-pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words and he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that the for those who God love her for who those who love God all things work together for good for those who are being called according to his purpose. For those whom he for no new he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the first more born among many brothers and those people whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified the finished 37 saying no, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. We find our encouragement, not just coming to salvation by the use of the gospel, but in the day in day out living of the Christian life. The gospel is of the utmost importance to us. We stand forgiven because of Christ. You may think that that would be enough. In a sense, to assure the people of Thessalonica and also us but believe it or not there is even more encouragement and that is Paul is going to point them now to the full consummation of this gospel turning back to our text in verse verse 16 of chapter 4 we read, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. All is using the second coming, which if were honest in our heart. How often are we thinking about Christ's return we get caught up day in and day out, worrying about job health. Our kids, I can go down the list. I worry about the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.

I don't know why but how often it is my mind and my thoughts captured taking me that Christ is coming again. That is what Paul is using here. Yes, pointing them back to the gospel but saying the fulfillment of this gospel message is not only that Christ came and did this but he is coming back again to take us to himself. That sound familiar to anyone. Christ himself uses those exact words to encourage and comfort. The disciples in John 14.

He is talking about what is going to occur and in John 14. He says let not your hearts be troubled right all these things are going out going to occur. They've been told that he's only going to be with them for a little while and then not with them. What are they going to do and he looks at them and says let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions or rooms and if it weren't so, what I tell you that and I go and prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you unto myself, what encouraging words from the King of Kings, the Lord of lords.

The Savior there God standing right in front of them saying I am departing for a little, but I am coming back that where I am, you may be also. Paul using very similar language is telling the believers at Thessalonica this morning as I speak. I'm telling the believers a grace Jesus Christ is coming back. Whether you're a pre-mill a post mill or not millennial we all agree. Scripture declares that it is not the end. At the resurrection and ascension. It actually is the steppingstone the ascension to say he is coming back if you would turn that acts chapter 1 and you don't have to. I'll tell you what it says I'm up. Acts chapter 1, the disciples have watched Jesus gloriously be raised and there is standing looking in the sky that says two men in white robes, which would tell us angels are angelic beings said to them, why do you gaze up in the sky know this, that he will return the same way that you have seen him depart. So what does that tell us that tells us a couple big things and and I when I said I can't stand behind dispensational. One of the things that are dispensational eschatology teaches is a secret rapture of the church. Paul doesn't teach a secret rapture of the church, the Scripture doesn't talk about Christ's coming back secretively at all, and especially in first Thessalonians. The dispensational is use this verse. These verses actually as their claim of that secret rapture.

Paul says no, no understand this when Christ comes in and I just want you to hear the verse and tell me how this could be secretive to find it for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. Doesn't sound too secretive to me when I'm driving down the road and there's a deer standing in the road and flashed my lights and blowing my horn trying to get at the pay attention and move, and it usually does.

It is not quiet Jesus Christ return will not be quiet.

It's actually transposed against his first coming. The Jews were told to look for a king who would be born, and so they were looking at the palace and he was born to Mary in a stall. They had trouble grasping that when the angel says he will descend like you've seen them ascend in his glorified body on the clouds of heaven.

And when Paul writes it will be with a cry of command and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

He is coming back and see Lord of all things. It is not going to be a mistake, and there were you and I walking along and you just weren't there.

Now I don't know what happened. If it does occur that way that that they'll live in Christ are taken up. First you're going to see because Christ is calling us to him and making his statement that I am is here.

It is not for us to to think that it's going to be Christ trying not to be revealed.

He is making a declaration that his coming.

What is going to follow this coming is the judgment and I want you to think as we look at or think about other Scripture tests. This is the time that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is in a time where he will be difficult to figure out understand that right now.

If you are an unbeliever, you suppress the truth that is portrayed by nature that is portrayed by God being in all your very life. You suppress that truth and the moment he appears. Paul tells the Thessalonian church.

We have great hope in that because the King of Kings will demonstrate who he truly is unbelievers on that day will have no option but to bow their knee and cry out you are King and Lord of lords. That's encouraging to us folks. That's what builds us up Jesus Christ came and did all the work Jesus Christ paid the full penalty. Jesus Christ was resurrected by the father and Jesus Christ will return declaring who and what he is. If you are Christian here today though we start with saying we are sinners we are saints because of the work of Christ, and we will share in his inheritance. We should start every morning declaring you are the king of King and Lord of lords. We long and anticipate you coming back. III find myself humbled because I don't at times, look for that second coming with the Pittsburgh Penguins play this Wednesday at 7 o'clock against the Buffalo Sabres. I've shared that with my wife.

I've shared that with friends at work. I've shared that with anybody who cares to know that I like hockey Jesus Christ save me he saved me from the wrath of God.

He paid the price for my sin and I get more excited about a team that states around on ice many times than I do about what Christ has done and that he's coming back to take us.

I felt my children because I probably haven't driven into them. The glorious mess of what Christ has accomplished and what it's going to be when he comes. Paul writes it this way and says and the dead in Christ will rise first and we who are still here, who are alive, we will be changed. We will be made glorious like you and we will be taken up into that the cloud to be with him always and that is our final point that we need to encourage one another that are ultimate completion of being occurs in this the second coming of Christ. We encourage and build one another in the gospel. We encourage and build one another with the second coming.

It is a definite but finally he shares with it the church of that Thessalonian that listen we will be with Jesus always there is a lot of when I was growing up and I can't remember a time where I wasn't in church. I had tremendous parents who were believers, but there was a time where I thought the importance was of salvation was to get to heaven it was to be in heaven where there was no pain where there was no crying, where there was no tears where where joy was continual and there is a point that I guess. But the Scripture doesn't tell us that in John 14, when he tells the disciples that he's coming back.

Why is he coming back so that you may be where I am. One.

Paul talks to the people at Thessalonica, he said, and we will be with the Lord always.

Our salvation places us, not just in the outer court, but his adopted children of God coheirs with Christ, and in relationship for him or with him for eternity. The other side of that an unbeliever faces an eternity with the knowledge of who and what he is, but unable to participate in him and with his wrath pouring out against them.

Doug I and I think it was Piper's book desiring God.

He he used an illustration of the question, what right do you have to be in my heaven and our answer is in it that it's through the work and blood of Christ and there was another statement I believe it was up if you could go to heaven and Jesus wasn't there.

Would you be satisfied that I had to think about that. Even at 440 some years a of age. When I heard it was a long time ago I had to think about that was that my desire was just to escape pain. Was it just to escape tiredness body breaking down was it to be in a perfect place where there was no more crying if Christ wasn't there. Would that be enough of a heaven and as I've I've prayed and sat under great teaching of the word and and read the Bible.

There is nothing sweeter than Jesus Christ. You know we talk about picking on Joel Steen and I know why we do your best life now, but in Christ we have our best life now. It is good to get better when this consummation occurs. But right now as we speak.

If you are a believer in Christ Jesus you cannot be in any better possible life. Whether you are struggling with illness.

Whether you're struggling with finance whether you have kids who rebel or marital problems. If you are in Christ Jesus you can have no better life because you stand right before God for no reason other than his love and his mercy you've entered eternal life for no reason of your own, but because of what he's done as we sit and look how Paul encourages the church at Thessalonian and as I studied for this and try to put it together. One thing went through my mind. When Doug started his series on the book of Revelation and this is paraphrased, but he said in one of the first or second sermons.

We must keep in mind always that we as we look at the book of revelations is about a revelation sorry is about one thing. Before I tell you what he said that was as we look at Scripture and as we study Scripture, we must keep in mind one thing continually. Doug shared that that one thing is he shared this progressive parallelism, and in Revelation. In this building and this anticipation. Jesus wins.

That's what Paul tells the church at Thessalonica.

Jesus wins Christian. If you believe weather were dead or were here when he comes. The gospel is so sweet and great Christ has one. Your sin is forgiven.

You will walk as a saint before a whole right on because you're clothed in Christ and his righteousness. Christian Jesus Christ is coming back visibly, physically and gloriously Christian. We will spend all time eternity. We will always be with him. That is what Paul builds the church up with and he encourages them to build one another as we sit and have our conversations about our health are jobs are relationships were to build one another up the Jesus does forgive those straight into marriage lost their job and feel they don't have a ton of money if there believers, God will restore them because Christ is great.

His grace is greater than that sin as we struggle with all of the president might be impeached all the stock markets going up or it's going to go down. Oh, how are we going to get through. We get through knowing Christ is going to return and all what we do as we face death itself and we could turn to Psalm 23 because David in Psalm 23 with those words.

I will be in the house of the Lord forever.

He will dwell with Christ forever as we go through the difficulties in the trials of life church. We are called to build one another, not just the preacher preaching the word. We are to encourage love and build one another up.

Let's pray father we just come to you this morning and we thank you so much for your word.

Lord I just pray this morning as we we walk out of this building that we are encouraged by your word that the spirit takes this and builds us in in our understanding in our faith. But Lord God.

Most of all that it builds an insurance of us resting solely on Christ alone. Lord, we praise you and we thank you and it's in Christ name we pray. Amen