SJ#217 (Pastor Schaser – End Times) I Thessalonians 4:13-18

“Encourage Each Other: The Last Day will be Awesome!”

Is it just me or does it seem like every day the news presents us with another shocking sexual assault scandal or tragic mass shooting and a whole host of other bad news? Have you ever felt unhappy or depressed or overwhelmed because of busyness, responsibility, relationship issues, problems, or because something didn’t go your way? Has death ever claimed someone that you love leaving you filled with grief, pain, and emptiness? If you need a little encouragement today (and who of us couldn’t use a little encouragement?), then you have come to the right place. Relief is on its way because Jesus tells us “Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). So as we wait for Jesus, the Apostle Paul tells us to “Encourage Each Other: The Last Day will be Awesome!” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For 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 forever.

18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Every second there are at least two people dying in this world. We are surrounded by cemeteries here at St. John’s. Each of those graves contains a person loved by someone. Each of those graves contains a person with a story. Yet death seems so final. The Thessalonian Christians were concerned that their loved ones were going to miss out on the joys of Jesus returning on the last day. Maybe you have similar concerns about death. Or maybe you have other concerns about death. No matter what your concerns about death encourage each other because the last day will be awesome for this reason. “We do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him…and the dead in Christ will rise first” (vs. 13-14, 16b). I love this picture. Death is not an end of something, but it is really like falling asleep. The last day will be awesome because all those napping in the sleep of death will wake up and burst out of those graves. I don’t know about you, but I love sleep. I can’t wait for my head to hit the pillow. That was Paul’s point here. Just like none of us is afraid to fall asleep at night, death is not something we as Christians, “those who have fallen asleep (trusting) in him (Jesus as Savior),” (vs. 14b) need to fear. And since death is like sleep, Paul tells us we don’t need to grieve like the unbelieving world when a Christian loved one dies. Does this mean we don’t grieve at all? Certainly not. It’s tough to lose someone you love to death, especially those who don’t trust in Jesus as their Savior. Yet the key difference is that in the case of Christians – we don’t grieve without hope like the unbelieving world. Death is not the end of things. Our Savior Jesus is not lying dead in a cold, dark tomb somewhere. Death did not win the victory over him. Our hope is found in Jesus, our living Savior, and we can put full confidence in the fact that death will not be the end, but rather as Jesus assured us, “because I live you also will live” (John 14:19).

Encourage each other because the last day will be awesome for this reason as well. “The dead in Christ will rise first. 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” (vs. 16b-17). What a joyful scene that will be for all Christians who have been parted by death. I’m sure many of us have Christian friends and family who preceded us in death that we look forward to seeing again. What a comfort it is to know we will be reunited with these loved ones again in heaven. And unlike earthly family reunions which are nice for awhile, but ultimately shouldn’t last too long before you get on each other’s nerves – the family reunion we will enjoy in heaven is something that we will never want to end and it won’t. The family reunion in heaven will be free of sin. No more strained relationships. No more fighting. No more awkward conversations and situations. Just family enjoying family for eternity.

Encourage each other because the last day will be awesome for this reason. “And so we will be with the Lord forever” (vs. 18). What an awesome thing to think about. The last day will mark the beginning of eternity with the Lord in heaven. In heaven we will actually get to see our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face. We can personally ask Jesus all those questions people told us on many occasions to ask Jesus in heaven. In Heaven there will be no more sickness and disease and death because perishable bodies will be “clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). The last day will usher in the restoration of perfection again, like all things were originally when God created them. And while God shares a few details about what Heaven will be like he doesn’t tell us everything. I don’t know if Heaven will be endless golf courses and a perfect golf swing or endless sunny beaches. What I do know is this: the same God who created this earth that we enjoy so much is the same God that created Heaven. We will not be disappointed with Heaven. Heaven will not be boring, but rather it is an eternal place that is free from sin, death, the devil and all the problems of this world. That sounds pretty awesome and amazing to me!

Encourage each other because the last day will be awesome for this reason. “For 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…” (vs. 16). Judgment Day is going to be loud and spectacular. It will be a day where all of those injustices we saw taking place in this world will be dealt with by God in his eternal courtroom. And it will be a day that Christians like us can get excited about. There was a song that came out in 1988 entitled “It’s the End of the World as We Know It…And I Feel Fine” (R.E.M.). Let this be our attitude, for the last day will be the end of the world as we know it, but forgiven and perfect through the gift of faith in our Savior Jesus we will be better than fine. We will be spending forever in the perfection and joys, and peace of heaven. As you deal with the day to day of world events and your own life events – “encourage each other with these words” vs. 18). Amen.