1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:05,040 During family devotions at dinner, I usually read the 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,880 sermon passage that's going to be preached and I teach on it 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,480 briefly. I mean like 60 seconds. 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,560 My kids are all under 6 and I need to keep their attention. 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,280 Then right before we sing, I'll ask them, do you have any 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,000 questions? This week, the kids set a new 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,200 record for questions after family devotions. 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,960 Questions regarding this sermon passage. 9 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,960 Specifically, a lot of questions about death. 10 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:39,840 What is death? What does it look like when 11 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,560 someone dies? What happens when we die? 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,720 Why do people die? When will we die? 13 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,600 For my kids, death remains opaque. 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:01,880 It's abstract off in the distance, but I know that death 15 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:07,480 will eventually show its face. For generations before us, death 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,760 was concrete. It was experience lived a shadow 17 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,440 over your life ever looming. Just a few generations ago, the 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,520 average life expectancy was the late 30s. 19 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,440 Without modern medicine, you never knew what would happen 20 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:26,800 when someone you loved caught a cold. 21 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:34,040 For example, the Puritan Thomas Boston buried six children 22 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:36,600 before they reached their 2nd birthday. 23 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:45,600 John Owen, another Puritan, outlived every single one of his 24 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:55,640 eleven children and also his first wife, meaning Owen buried 25 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:06,160 nearly every person he loved. How do you face the death of of 26 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:12,440 a loved one? What can you do with all your 27 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:20,320 grief in the face of death? Is there any hope? 28 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,480 Friends, today we're considering a letter the Apostle Paul wrote 29 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,040 to Christians wrestling with these very questions. 30 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:37,640 If you're a Christian because Jesus died and rose again, you 31 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:43,760 have hope. Not some opiate of the masses as 32 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,280 Karl Marx famously accused religion of being, but real 33 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,080 objective hope in the face of death. 34 00:02:52,800 --> 00:03:00,080 Because Christ, who rose from the dead will return, and when 35 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,920 he does, he will evict death and all his friends. 36 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,200 Turn your Bible to 1st Thessalonians. 37 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,200 If you don't have a Bible, just raise your hand. 38 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,440 There's some Bibles back there. There's a friend ready to bring 39 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,520 you a Bible right now. Just raise your hand. 40 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,640 We've been studying the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the 41 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:25,240 Church of Thessalonica just 20 years or so after Christ rose 42 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,480 from the dead. They were a one year old church 43 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:33,320 plant that Paul planted in a Pagan city and they were 44 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,520 struggling. Why were they struggling, you 45 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,480 might wonder? They were persecuted by the 46 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:46,200 world. They were tempted by Satan, and 47 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,840 in chapter 4, we'll see they also faced the last enemy, 48 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,400 death. In chapter 4, we learn that 49 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,200 death took the lives of believers in Thessalonica. 50 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:05,320 They needed to know that the gospel has something to say to 51 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:13,880 those burdened with grief. Look at chapter 4, verses 13 to 52 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,800 18. Listen as I read God's word. 53 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:25,240 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about 54 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:32,160 those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who 55 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:37,400 have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus 56 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:42,840 died and rose again, Even so, through Jesus God will bring 57 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,960 with him those who have fallen asleep. 58 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:51,960 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who 59 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,440 are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not 60 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,880 precede those who have fallen asleep. 61 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,760 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry 62 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:09,560 of command, with the voice of an Archangel, and with the sound of 63 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:14,760 the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise 64 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,840 first. Then we who are alive, who are 65 00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:23,480 left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet 66 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:30,480 the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with 67 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:35,320 the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another 68 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:42,280 with these words. Now there are some more complex 69 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:45,200 parts of this passage if you get into the details, but overall 70 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,720 this passage is very simple. It's like a sandwich. 71 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,200 It begins. Look at verse 13 with Paul's 72 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,640 pastoral concern. Paul does not want the 73 00:05:55,640 --> 00:06:01,440 Thessalonians to be uninformed about those who are asleep, the 74 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:06,200 Christians, the members of their church who had died. 75 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,040 He does not want the Thessalonians to grieve without 76 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,560 hope. And the passage ends. 77 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,480 Look at verse 18 with Paul's pastoral exhortation. 78 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:22,880 He wants the Thessalonians to do something with this word. 79 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:30,960 He says, therefore, encourage one another with these words. 80 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,640 In other words, Paul wants them to help one another. 81 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:43,040 Hope in the face of death. Hope in what? 82 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,240 Look at the middle. The meat of the sandwich. 83 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:54,960 Verses 14 to 17. Hope in Christ in the face of 84 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,240 death, the grounds of their hope, the reason for their 85 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:03,040 encouragement. Verse 14 Jesus died and rose 86 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:08,880 again. Verses 15 to 17 Jesus will 87 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:14,120 return. Paul shows the Thessalonians how 88 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:22,120 the gospel transforms our grief. Here's the main point of the 89 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,000 passage. One sentence. 90 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:33,040 In the face of death, help one another grieve with hope. 91 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,560 In the face of death, help one another. 92 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,800 Grieve with hope. Here's where we're going. 93 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,840 It's four points .1 Grieve with hope. 94 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:52,520 That's verse 13. Grieve with hope .2 Hope in 95 00:07:52,520 --> 00:08:01,040 Christ's death and resurrection. Verse 14.3 Hope in Christ's 96 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:08,760 return, verses 15 to 17. And finally, .4 Help one another 97 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:14,280 hope. Verse 18.1, verse 13. 98 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:19,960 Grieve with hope. Look at verse 13 again. 99 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:27,120 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about 100 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:33,240 those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who 101 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,520 have no hope. Paul states two concerns in 102 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,960 verse 13. He doesn't want the 103 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:44,080 Thessalonians to be ignorant. He doesn't want them to be 104 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,920 hopeless. He doesn't want them to be 105 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,920 ignorant about those who are asleep. 106 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,160 Sleep is one way the scripture talks about death. 107 00:08:55,600 --> 00:09:00,560 It's a fitting picture because sleep implies an awakening. 108 00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:06,240 Daniel 12/2 says those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall 109 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:14,360 awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting 110 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:19,040 contempt. Physical death is temporary. 111 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:24,040 Death is always followed by resurrection, some to eternal 112 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:30,640 life, some to eternal judgment, And so cemeteries are rightfully 113 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:37,360 called dormitories of the dead. You went to bed last night. 114 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:40,640 Maybe you nodded off as you read a book. 115 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,200 Then your alarm went off. Or the kids came in and you 116 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,600 awoke this morning from hopefully a good night's sleep. 117 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:56,560 In the same way, when you die after they've buried you in the 118 00:09:56,560 --> 00:10:01,400 ground, perhaps even after you've returned to the dust 119 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:06,680 itself, you will eventually awaken. 120 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:13,880 Sleep is an especially sweet picture of the believer's death. 121 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:16,320 That's who Paul's talking about in verse 13. 122 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,320 Specifically, those who are asleep is referring to 123 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,120 Christians. Sometimes Hannah and I debate 124 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,080 about who gets to wake up our daughter from her nap. 125 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,960 If she's still asleep, we might say, I'll go wake her up. 126 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,320 Or the other one might say, no, no, no, I'll go this time 127 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:36,680 because it's so sweet. We walk in, we rub her back. 128 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,480 We say, hey, it's time to wake up. 129 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,800 We're going to see in verses 15 to 17 that Christ himself will 130 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:49,640 wake each believer up from their sleep. 131 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,760 Paul does not want them to be ignorant. 132 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:59,120 Paul also doesn't want them to grieve as others do who have no 133 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,600 hope. These ideas are connected. 134 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,760 If they're ignorant about those who are asleep, they'll be 135 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,720 hopeless. In other words, they'll grieve 136 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:12,240 without hope. Notice the distinction Paul 137 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:17,120 makes verse 13. He doesn't say don't grieve. 138 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,120 He doesn't say mature Christians. 139 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:25,720 They don't grieve, he says. Don't grieve as others do. 140 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:30,920 Paul distinguishes between worldly grief and godly grief, 141 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:36,440 between grief without hope and grief mingled with hope. 142 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,880 Worldly grief is grief without hope. 143 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:46,760 The world offers many cures for grief. 144 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:52,440 One strategy is avoidance. Just ignore death, deny it. 145 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:57,080 Move cities, going a long vacation, Bury yourself in work, 146 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,440 find a new hobby. This is nothing new. 147 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:07,920 Blaise Pascal, writing 400 years ago, said being unable to cure 148 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:14,720 death, men have decided in order to be happy not to think about 149 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:20,360 such things, just ignore it. Another strategy, perhaps more 150 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:25,000 common, is wishful thinking. Some non Christians face the 151 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,440 death of their loved ones with great confidence. 152 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,480 They say things like I, I like to think that they're in a 153 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:34,560 better place. Well, if there's a God, then 154 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,080 surely he knows they're a good person. 155 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:43,720 But friends, if that's you, these are just fantasies. 156 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:49,080 They're fiction. Some harden their hearts in the 157 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,280 face of death. They refuse to mourn the loss of 158 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,360 someone they love. They suppress their grief. 159 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:00,960 Ignore it. But to suppress grief is 160 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,880 inhuman. It's unnatural. 161 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:09,560 The human heart cannot remain unaffected in the face of death. 162 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,560 Still others let their grief consume them. 163 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:18,640 Their grief destroys them. They become untethered to 164 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:24,040 reality itself, frozen in time, unable to move. 165 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:31,280 Every worldly cure for grief can distract for a time, but can 166 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:36,120 never cleanse the wound. They can never fully heal. 167 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:42,880 They can offer no hope. If you're not a Christian, you 168 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:47,240 should be able to see a difference between the world and 169 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:55,280 the church at our funerals. Godly grief is mingled with 170 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:57,720 hope. Christianity, and only 171 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,160 Christianity, offers true comfort in the face of death. 172 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:05,800 Grief is the right response to death. 173 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:09,800 Remember Jesus at Lazarus's tomb? 174 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:15,640 He wept. He wept because he loved his 175 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:20,080 friend. He wept because he hated death. 176 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:27,880 Christ's tears instruct us Christians of our duty to 177 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,840 grieve. When we lose a beloved member of 178 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,120 our church to death, we must grieve. 179 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,600 Grief is hard work. Grief doesn't hurry. 180 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,000 Grief doesn't keep to our timelines. 181 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,640 Grief doesn't schedule appointments on our calendar. 182 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,560 But grief is the only way to face death. 183 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:59,720 We grieve because death is not the way things are supposed to 184 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,440 be. We grieve because death is a 185 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:07,800 result of sin. We grieve because death is the 186 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:14,000 last enemy. In the face of death, we grieve, 187 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:22,000 but we grieve with hope. Friend, what's your hope in 188 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:27,720 today? Hope is confident expectation 189 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,560 about the future. But hope as you know, it's 190 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:36,160 something that can so easily slip through our fingers or 191 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,720 evaporate like mist before our eyes. 192 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:47,200 It can crumble before us. A longing for marriage can end 193 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:53,480 during engagement. A student plans to pass an exam, 194 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,080 but the results arrive in the future they've worked so hard 195 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:03,480 for disappears. An athlete trains twice a day 196 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:09,480 for years to make the team, but just one twist of the body and 197 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:16,320 their season ends in injury. Is there a hope in the face of 198 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:25,440 death that can never be shaken? Paul's answer in the next verses 199 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:31,320 is that there is there is only 1.2. 200 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:38,920 Verse 14 Hope in Christ, death and resurrection. 201 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:43,240 Hope in Christ, death and resurrection. 202 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:50,240 Look at verse 14. For since we believe that Jesus 203 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:56,240 died and rose again, Even so, through Jesus God will bring 204 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,760 with him those who have fallen asleep. 205 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:07,560 Paul affirms the historical and the theological reality at the 206 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:15,920 very heart of our faith. We believe that Jesus died and 207 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,880 rose again. If you ask Paul, Paul, what is 208 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:25,920 our hope in life and death? Paul would say Christ alone. 209 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:34,360 In other words, Paul tethers the Thessalonians, hope, and ours to 210 00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:40,600 the Gospel. God created us to live with him 211 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,520 forever. He formed us from the dust of 212 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,760 the ground and he breathed the breath of life into us. 213 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,400 Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were forbidden only one tree in 214 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,520 the garden. Everything else was theirs to 215 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:59,840 work and to keep. They were told that the day they 216 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,600 ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that day they 217 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:08,760 would surely die. Death at that time was abstract, 218 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:15,960 an idea, not an experience. Then Satan whispered to Eve that 219 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:23,080 first lie in the garden, you will not surely die. 220 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,480 Adam and Eve sinned. They ate. 221 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,600 They brought death into the world. 222 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:35,680 The wages of sin is death. Because of our sin, we deserve 223 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,680 to die. Not just a physical death, but 224 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:42,560 eternal death. Death with its sting, death with 225 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:46,040 its hell, death with God's wrath. 226 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:53,600 Forever. If you're not a Christian, what 227 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,760 hope do you have? Should you die today? 228 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:06,040 What comfort do you have should this day be your last? 229 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:13,240 Imagine with me, friend, that your life from here on out goes 230 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,640 exactly how you've planned, which I'm assuming is good. 231 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,080 You live out your wildest dreams. 232 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:25,280 You land that job, start that family, build that home, enjoy 233 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:29,320 those vacations, retire early. Then what? 234 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,280 Death will take it all. Death will leave you with 235 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:39,960 nothing. Death will bring you face to 236 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:46,360 face with the Creator. After death, then comes 237 00:19:46,360 --> 00:19:50,760 judgement. You are living your days with a 238 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,880 death sentence that you cannot escape. 239 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,120 And This is why Jesus Christ came. 240 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:05,480 Jesus Christ came to pay the wages of sin by dying on the 241 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:10,640 cross, bearing God's wrath. Jesus died and as Paul says, 242 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,720 rose again. He defeated death. 243 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:19,280 He satisfied God's wrath. He offers forgiveness of sins to 244 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,160 all who would trust in him. If you're not a Christian 245 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:27,720 without Christ, you can only face death without hope. 246 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:35,800 But if by faith you've trusted in Christ, if you believe in 247 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:40,000 your heart that Jesus died and rose again, if you turn from 248 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,800 your sin, if you have Christ, you can also believe with 249 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:51,920 confidence that death will not be the end, that you too, as 250 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,000 Christ did, will rise from the grave. 251 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,600 Brothers and sisters, if you believe that Jesus died and rose 252 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,560 again, look what great hope you have in verse 14. 253 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:15,120 Even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have 254 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:18,680 fallen asleep. In other words, as Jesus rose 255 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:23,240 again, so you will rise again. The resurrection is the model. 256 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,760 Jesus did it. The resurrection is the means 257 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:32,240 because he's done it. Though you die, you shall live. 258 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,720 But some may wonder, still a good question. 259 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:45,040 What happens when a believer dies? 260 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,040 What will happen the moment after you believer? 261 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:57,920 close your eyes and breathe your last breath before the 262 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,680 resurrection. In the final judgement, those 263 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,920 who die enter what is called the intermediate state. 264 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,600 Their souls separate from their bodies and their souls are 265 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:14,320 conscious, and they go to either heaven or Hades. 266 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,920 Those apart from Christ go to judgement in Hades. 267 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:21,680 In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus tells of a 268 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,320 man who died and went to Hades, where he was tormented in 269 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,080 flames, awaiting final judgement. 270 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:35,080 But those in Christ go to be with Christ in heaven. 271 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,480 Jesus assured the thief on the cross. 272 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,760 Today you will be with me in paradise. 273 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:48,560 The intermediate state for the believer is incredibly good. 274 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:54,520 Paul says it's better to be away from the body and at home with 275 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,080 the Lord. That's what happens, believer, 276 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:04,040 when you die in Christ. Have you trusted Christ? 277 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,480 If you have, then just as God did not abandon Jesus to death 278 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:14,000 but raise him to life, so too will God raise you with him. 279 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:26,120 But when .3 verses 15 to 17. Hope in Christ's return. 280 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:32,440 Hope in Christ's return. Just a heads up, friends, this 281 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,680 point is the longest. There's a lot in here. 282 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:42,000 There's still more hope to be found in Christ. 283 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,320 In verses 15 to 17, Paul encourages the Thessalonians 284 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:53,200 with Christ's return. These are verses of comfort, but 285 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,840 some find them confusing. There's a couple of knots here 286 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:01,160 that I need to attempt to untie before we get to the comfort. 287 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,800 So if you know the saying, don't miss the forest for the trees, 288 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,720 we're going to look at the trees first. 289 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,320 Then we will zoom back and we'll see the forest. 290 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,720 I'm going to spend a little time here because, like Paul, I don't 291 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,520 want you to be uninformed. That's the goal. 292 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:22,480 One knot is verse 15 Paul declares what he's received. 293 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,360 Verse 15 he says a word from the Lord. 294 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,240 Some think this refers to a private prophetic word that Paul 295 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,880 received from Jesus. But that phrase, a word from the 296 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:36,680 Lord in the New Testament, never refers to God speaking through a 297 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,400 prophet. So more likely, I think Paul 298 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:45,200 appeals to Jesus's words, which we can find in Matthew 24 where 299 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,880 Jesus teaches on the second coming. 300 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:52,880 In fact, if you read Matthew 2429 to 51, then read First 301 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:57,600 Thessalonians four and five, you will find obvious parallels. 302 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,240 There's another knot in verse 15. 303 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:07,560 Some think that when Paul refers to we who are alive, who are 304 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:10,240 left until the coming of the Lord, not proceeding, those who 305 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:13,560 have fallen a seat. Some take this to mean that Paul 306 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,880 thought mistakenly that he would be alive when the Lord returned. 307 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:24,040 But just a few verses later, chapter 5, Paul says the day of 308 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:25,960 the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 309 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,120 In other words, Paul saying I don't know when the day of the 310 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:32,360 Lord will come. It seems weird if he's saying 311 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:35,960 first he thinks he'll be there and then just two verses later 312 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,080 saying not sure when it's going to happen. 313 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,200 I think the reason Paul identifies with living believers 314 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,760 in verse 15 is because he was alive. 315 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:50,200 It's as simple as that. Which brings us to verse 16. 316 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,920 After Jesus died and rose again, he ascended to heaven to sit at 317 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,760 the right hand of the Father on the last day. 318 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,880 As Jesus ascended, so will he descend from heaven. 319 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,640 And Paul describes the sound. Look at verse 16. 320 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:12,160 A cry of command, the voice of an Archangel, the sound of the 321 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:14,920 trumpet of God. Somebody asked me earlier this 322 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,360 week, are these three sounds? Are they 1 sound? 323 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,520 What's going on here? Well, we need to understand Old 324 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:26,400 Testament imagery here. One in Joel 21-A prophet 325 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,880 announces the day of the Lord. If you remember back to the book 326 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:35,400 of Exodus, Exodus 1919, the trumpet signals God's presence 327 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,120 coming down to Sinai. If you go back all the way to 328 00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:43,240 creation, God spoke and creation came to be. 329 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,120 If you Fast forward to the New Testament at Lazarus's tomb, 330 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,720 Jesus cried out and Lazarus rose. 331 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,040 All that to say, I'm not sure if the sounds are literal or 332 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,560 figurative. I do know that Paul is painting 333 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:02,560 a picture of the Second coming with the Old Testament as his 334 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:07,360 brush. What is ruled out, however, is 335 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:14,640 any notion of a secret coming. Christ's coming will reverberate 336 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,600 with loud noise. The living and the dead will 337 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:22,960 hear Christ's voice and obey. Verse 16. 338 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:27,160 The dead in Christ will rise first. 339 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,200 Keep in mind, the Thessalonians were worried about what would 340 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,040 happen to Christians who died before Christ's coming. 341 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:41,560 Their loved ones, Paul assures them, are not forgotten. 342 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,240 They are the 1st order of business. 343 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,240 The dead in Christ will rise first. 344 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:57,800 Now the biggest, not this one's in verse 17, then we who are 345 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:04,280 alive, who are left will be caught up together with them in 346 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,720 the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 347 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,560 And so we will always be with the Lord. 348 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,200 So what's happening here? You might be wondering where is 349 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,280 Christ coming down? Is this over New York City? 350 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:25,120 Is it in Hong Kong or Jerusalem? Where is this happening? 351 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:29,480 I mean, I think this this can confuse us easily, especially if 352 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,720 we miss again the Old Testament allusions. 353 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:39,240 Paul echoes Daniel's vision in Chapter 7, where suddenly one, 354 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,720 like a son of man, was coming with the clouds of heaven. 355 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:48,840 After the dead are raised, the living believers will be 356 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,400 raptured. That is caught up, That's the 357 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,160 phrase together with the believing dead in the clouds to 358 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:00,440 meet the Lord in the air. This rapture, if you call it 359 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:05,240 that, happens at the second Coming, not after. 360 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:11,320 And Paul doesn't tell us which direction the believers go after 361 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,120 they travel to meet Jesus in the air. 362 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:17,000 But I think a good case can be made here that the Saints 363 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:22,400 snatched in the air, returned to the earth to triumph with Christ 364 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:27,920 in the new creation. One, Paul says they will meet 365 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,040 the Lord in the air. The Greek word for meet here 366 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,480 Paul, uses two other times. It's used in the New Testament 367 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,240 and it refers to groups going out to greet someone in order to 368 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,840 welcome that person back to the group starting point. 369 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,600 So that's how the words used in the New Testament also 370 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,920 supporting this Greek literature at the time. 371 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:54,000 This same word meet is often used to describe citizens of a 372 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:58,680 city going out to meet and arriving dignitary and then 373 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:03,200 escorting like his entourage, that person back into the city. 374 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:08,600 So it seems to summarize all of that, that when Christ descends 375 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:12,080 from heaven, the Saints on earth meet him in the air. 376 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:18,680 Then Christ with his Saints brings heaven to earth in the 377 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,720 new creation. That was a lot. 378 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:29,120 The hope for God's people has always been not to escape earth 379 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:35,280 for heaven, but that heaven and earth would become one and that 380 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:40,800 hope becomes reality in Christ's return. 381 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:46,880 Christ the King of Heaven returns to reign on earth. 382 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,400 If you have questions about that, come find me at the back 383 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,840 door after the service. Would love to talk to you more, 384 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,360 hopefully with some things clarified. 385 00:30:55,640 --> 00:31:01,960 I want you to see how strong our hope is when it's hope tethered 386 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,880 to Christ's return. Here's a few comforts for you. 387 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:12,920 First, comfort. When Christ returns, He comes 388 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:18,200 himself. What an important detail in 389 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,160 verse 16. Look at verse 16. 390 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:30,680 The Lord himself will descend. Friends, how precious are these 391 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,840 Saints to Christ? How dear are they to Him? 392 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,640 Christ bought every Christian with his blood. 393 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,120 He will not send an intermediary. 394 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:47,200 He comes himself. What a sweet reunion awaits when 395 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,360 we behold our Savior face to face. 396 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:58,360 Second, comfort. When a believer dies, they die 397 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,400 in Christ. Paul calls them verse 16, the 398 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:08,200 dead in Christ. With that little phrase in 399 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:12,080 Christ, Paul draws upon the glorious doctrine of our union 400 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,720 with Christ. All the blessings of our 401 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:20,880 salvation are wrapped up in those two words in Christ. 402 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,800 When you believe in Christ, you are united to Christ by faith. 403 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:28,880 Your union with Christ has a beginning. 404 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:35,000 It has no end. Every other union can end. 405 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,520 A tornado can RIP through and tear your house from its 406 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:44,280 foundation. A divorce can separate you from 407 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:48,000 your spouse. Death separates the soul from 408 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,000 the body. But nothing can separate a 409 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:58,160 believer from Christ. That is why Paul says in Romans 410 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:06,840 14-8, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lords. 411 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:12,200 This is why the Puritan Thomas Brooks preached A sermon titled 412 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,840 A Believer's Last Day, His Best day. 413 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:22,800 The believing dead are dead in Christ. 414 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:29,040 Third, comfort. When Christ returns, our reunion 415 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:34,200 lasts forever. Verse 17 is really the whole 416 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,840 point of the passage. Do not miss verse 17. 417 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:42,640 So we will always be with the Lord. 418 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:48,840 The reason you can grieve with hope when a believer dies is 419 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,040 because they will be with the Lord and you will be with the 420 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:56,640 Lord, and together you will always be with the Lord. 421 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,640 When I was a kid, my parents accidentally left me in the 422 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:07,000 garage after they came home from the grocery store. 423 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:13,480 I was asleep, quiet as a mouse. I woke up pitch black. 424 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,360 I could just see the little, you know, the red garage door light, 425 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,400 and apparently I screamed or eventually they realized they 426 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,679 came out to get me. As a parent myself, I now 427 00:34:23,679 --> 00:34:26,400 understand how that's possible. I get it. 428 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:34,239 Christ, our Good Shepherd will leave no sheep unaccounted for. 429 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:42,040 No believer will be left behind. Every believer will be safe with 430 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,120 the Lord. This is the comfort of the 431 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:46,960 gospel. Yes, for the forgiveness of 432 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:49,679 sins. Yes, justification by faith 433 00:34:49,679 --> 00:34:52,400 alone. Yes, God's wrath satisfied. 434 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,400 Yes, a glorified body. Yes, reunion with loved ones. 435 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,640 But those treasures are ultimately about perfect 436 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:06,320 fellowship with God himself. When Christ returns, you and 437 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:10,960 your believing loved ones will embrace, and you will together 438 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:18,120 embrace Christ. We will always be with the Lord. 439 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:23,400 Friends, in a passage like this, do not miss the forest for the 440 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:28,160 trees. Christ's return, Christ's 441 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:32,840 resurrection, death defeated, reunion with Christ and His 442 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,360 bride forever in the face of death. 443 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:43,000 Believer, you have hope. And now your job, believer, is 444 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:50,560 to help one another. Hope .4 Finally verse 18 help 445 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:55,520 one another. Hope verse 18 is so simple. 446 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:04,040 Therefore, Paul says encourage one another with these words. 447 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:09,880 Paul does not want the Thessalonians to stop at being 448 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:13,120 comforted. They are to take the comfort 449 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,440 from this letter and to share it with their brothers and sisters 450 00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:20,600 in the face of death. God's word of comfort must 451 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:24,840 reverberate in their congregation as they speak it 452 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:29,960 back and forth to one another. Now, as you know, in the face of 453 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,560 death, there are countless ways to help, like just being 454 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:38,480 present, bringing someone a meal, mowing their lawn or 455 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,560 walking their dog, or helping with school runs, or just 456 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,560 listening, sending a text message. 457 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:50,280 The list goes on. Paul's focus here in these 458 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:57,160 verses is on taking the word of God, these words and helping one 459 00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:01,280 another hope in our hour of death. 460 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,320 There's many ways we can do this, but here's three. 461 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:10,440 First, be encouraged by these words. 462 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,880 Be encouraged by these words. If you're in need of hope and 463 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,080 comfort today, let these words comfort you. 464 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:24,040 This is the medicine you need. If you aren't facing a tragedy 465 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:28,720 today, don't wait until tragedy strikes to be comforted by these 466 00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:32,520 truths. When suffering washes over us, 467 00:37:32,720 --> 00:37:38,560 sometimes we need to learn to cover our mouths, like Job, lest 468 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:43,240 we curse God in our pain. Other times, we need to learn to 469 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:48,600 lament our sorrows and refuse to stop lamenting until our laments 470 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:54,520 turn to praise. If you find yourself today in 471 00:37:54,520 --> 00:38:00,480 the valley of the shadow of death, it is because the Lord 472 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:05,200 has LED you there. But believer, it's not your 473 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:09,840 final destination. It's just one stop along the 474 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:13,200 journey. You and your believing loved one 475 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:18,400 are heading to heaven. Place your hope in heaven while 476 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:21,600 you're still on earth. Let it be said of you, as it was 477 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,960 said of the Puritan Richard Sibbs. 478 00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:28,000 Heaven was in him before he was in heaven. 479 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:35,800 Will you be someone who is open to Christ's comfort? 480 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:42,000 Will you be someone who gathers every crumb of comfort that 481 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,560 spills from Christ's death and resurrection and return? 482 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:50,520 And will you store them up as more precious than gold itself? 483 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:59,360 Be encouraged by these words. Second, study these words when 484 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:03,920 it comes to eschatology, the study of the last things many of 485 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,840 us can be like when you're in a friend's kitchen, somebody walks 486 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:09,080 in, you're with a bunch of people. 487 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,040 They say, hey, do you know where the trash can is? 488 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,080 You, you know they have a trash can. 489 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:16,560 Surely they do. You don't know it's not your 490 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,360 kitchen. That can be many of us when it 491 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:23,000 comes to the last things. Do not let it be said of you 492 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:27,800 that you're ignorant of God's glorious Master Plan for the 493 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,560 end. Study Christ, death, 494 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:34,800 resurrection, and return. Explore the scriptures teaching 495 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,080 about heaven and hell and the new creation. 496 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:45,160 Devote yourself once again to studying Scripture regularly. 497 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,720 In the book Scribes and Scripture, Peter Gurry and John 498 00:39:50,720 --> 00:39:55,600 Meade tell the story of a girl, Mary Jones, and her search for a 499 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:58,560 Bible. She became a Christian at 8 500 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:00,680 years old. She wanted a Bible in her own 501 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:03,880 language, which was in Welsh. But at that time, in the early 502 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,600 19th century, Bibles were expensive. 503 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:11,120 And they were rare. The only access Mary had to a 504 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,120 Bible was a relative who lived a few miles away. 505 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:19,160 So Mary saved up for six years to buy a Bible. 506 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,560 And when it came time to buy a Bible, the only person she knew 507 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:29,560 selling one was 25 miles away. Mary walked those 25 miles 508 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:38,960 barefoot to buy that Bible. Believer, how precious is God's 509 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:45,240 Word in the Scriptures? You have the entire storehouse 510 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:51,800 of divine comfort, the entire medicine cabinet of comfort 511 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:56,720 filled with every divine consolation. 512 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,880 Your duty, members of Trinity Baptist Church, is to your 513 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:05,720 brothers and sisters. You need to study the Scriptures 514 00:41:05,720 --> 00:41:10,400 so that you can offer them Christ's words of comfort in 515 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:18,920 their hour of need. Third, speak these words to one 516 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:23,600 another in God's family. We speak. 517 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:27,240 We speak to God, we speak to one another. 518 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:30,480 We speak God's Word to one another. 519 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:34,960 When troubles and trials come, do not stay silent. 520 00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:40,240 Speak words of comfort. God is the God of comfort. 521 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:44,280 He is a fountain of comfort. Every true word of comfort that 522 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:50,000 you speak overflows from God's Word itself and God in His 523 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:54,120 infinite wisdom, with his infinite resources, with his 524 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:58,920 boundless provision, with his unending generosity, the God who 525 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:03,600 can use anything and everything to comfort his people, in his 526 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:09,320 wisdom and in his compassion, He has chosen to offer suffering 527 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:13,960 Saints his words through his people. 528 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:21,160 In other words, God's given us each other for comfort. 529 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:25,800 Speak these words to one another. 530 00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:29,920 But as you know, it's not just what you say, it's how you say 531 00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:33,520 it. Speak the truth in love. 532 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:39,560 Weep with those who weep. Christian, your eyes are not 533 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:43,000 your own. There's an art to speaking 534 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,640 gospel truths that stir up comfort. 535 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:50,400 Often those who've suffered the most know how to comfort best. 536 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:55,000 But with practice, your love can become more skillful. 537 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,760 Say something when death visits this church. 538 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,720 When a member loses a loved one, speak to them. 539 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:05,560 If you don't know what to say, pray for them. 540 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:09,240 Pray a Psalm. Pray a Psalm like Psalm 23. 541 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:12,880 Hide that in your heart so it's ready to be deployed for 542 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,800 comfort. Memorize Psalm 46. 543 00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:18,160 The Lord is our refuge and strength. 544 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:22,400 Offer someone a prayer of comfort. 545 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:28,560 Prayer rightly acknowledges to those suffering that only God 546 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:33,920 can truly comfort them. And when you speak, do not speak 547 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:39,720 as if you fully understand, even if you've gone through something 548 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:43,000 similar. Every person's grief is their 549 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:46,680 own. As the proverb says, the heart 550 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:53,240 knows its own bitterness. Parents, speak to your kids. 551 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:58,640 Speak to your kids about death and resurrection and Christ's 552 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:00,000 return. Speak honestly. 553 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:03,320 Use concrete language. The world is broken. 554 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,800 Your kids will experience sorrows that you cannot shield 555 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:10,960 them from. Kids, you need to know that 556 00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:14,480 Christ has defeated death by His own death. 557 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:20,640 You need to know that only God can take the wrong in this world 558 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:24,960 and make it right. Encourage one another with these 559 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:33,120 words. Imagine with me a Church that 560 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:39,240 cares for suffering Saints and helps the grieving hope in the 561 00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:42,680 face of death. A church that builds one another 562 00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:46,440 up and surrounds one another with comfort. 563 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:54,680 A church marked by compassion and humility and mutual care. 564 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,600 Pray for that kind of church here. 565 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:07,040 When my kids asked me a million questions about death during 566 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:11,040 family devotions this week, my answer to many of those 567 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:18,120 questions was, I don't know. I don't know when we'll die. 568 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:21,720 I don't know what death will feel like. 569 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:29,800 There's much we don't know. But we know this, that just as 570 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:34,400 our bodies are lowered into the ground, so they will be raised 571 00:45:35,240 --> 00:45:41,520 on the last day in glory. We know that in the face of 572 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:46,080 death, we have hope. Let's pray, 573 00:46:02,150 --> 00:46:12,430 Lord, We pray for us who bear so many sorrows, who face the death 574 00:46:12,830 --> 00:46:19,400 of our loved ones. Help us to grieve, Lord, as 575 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:28,520 those who hope in Christ death and resurrection and return and 576 00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:32,840 that sweet reunion we'll have with those Saints and with our 577 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,320 Savior. We pray in Jesus name on that.