Hope in Jesus’ Death, Burial and Resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Town Creek Baptist Church

Sermon Direct Link
2/16/25
Rev. Clint Smith

Hope in Jesus’ Death, Burial and Resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

We are thankful to God that He used cultural pressures to prompt the Apostle Paul to leave Thessalonica. Likewise, we are grateful that Paul continued to love the Thessalonian Church and completed his first instructional discipleship in written guidance. Today, we have the benefit of these instructions.

Paul did not want the Thessalonians to remain “uninformed” about believers who had died. Their lack of clarity mixed with grief led them to doubt. Paul made a clear distinction between those who had died without hope and those who died with the blessed hope in Jesus Christ.

A foundational belief for every Christian is the truth that Jesus died and bodily rose again from the grave. In the same way, by raising Jesus from the dead, God will bring with Him those believers who have fallen asleep in Jesus. In this resurrection, those who have died in Christ will have their redeemed souls and spirits united with a body similar to Christ’s glorified body.

Paul issued the Lord’s guarantee in writing: “We Christians, who are still alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, (the Rapture), will in no way precede those believers who have fallen asleep in death into His presence. Christians living at the time of the rapture will not die but will be changed to be like Christ. 1 John 3:1-3

Paul promised that the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. This is the Churches summons – come up and appear!

Christians who are alive and remain on the Earth will simultaneously be raptured together with the resurrected ones in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Gloriously, we will be with the Lord forever! 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

The Holy Spirit generates hope in our hearts while we wait for our turn in death or the rapture of the Church. We are to comfort one another we have in the future return of Christ Jesus. Wonderful days are ahead for Christ-followers.

How about you, are you rapture ready?

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