Calvary Baptist Church

Sunday 3 - 14 - 21 by Calvary Baptist Church

February – God loved us first. If you have experienced Christ’s love for you in salvation,

you cannot help but grow in love for others.

Real love comes from God. We love because he first loved us. - 1 Jn 4:7-19

Love can be found if you lost it. Remember, Repent, Return – Rev 2:14-15

Roles – How can we show love well? Gen 2:15-25

Gen 2:15-17 – Men’s Role – Work, Keep, and Lead

v. 15. Steward what God has given

• “Work” – cultivate

o Make it productive – arts, science, business – make productive

• “Keep” – guard or watch over or care for

o Take care of what God has given you – property, money, skills

We have responsibility to take what God has given and provide for our families.

We have responsibility to take care of what God has given us

Vv. 16-17. Steward what God has said

God spoke the command to Adam, before Eve was created.

Adam was to steward what God had created, and what He commanded.

• Lead in keeping God’s commands

Adam was to lead his family to keep God’s commandments.

Gen 3:9 – when Adam and Eve sinned, God went to the garden and called for Adam.

Men, we must read the Scriptures, let the Scripture read you.

Apply the Scripture in your life & lead your family in reading & applying the Scripture

Gospel connection:

Adam was put to sleep and his side opened that he might have a wife.

Jesus died on a cross, his side opened by a spear that he might have a bride, the church.

Jesus loves the church. He worked for it. He cares for it.

Gen 2:18-19 – Creation was incomplete.

“Not good” Every day God created and “it was good.”

Man was alone – it was “not good.” Adam needed Eve.

Gen 2:20-22 The creation of woman

“helper fit” Woman was taken from Man’s side.

“She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” – Matthew Henry

Women’s Role – Help, Complete

• Help or aid – surround – from Hebrew ’ezer – ay’-zer

It does not mean that women have a lesser role.

This same word is used of God:

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help (‘ezer) and our shield” Ps 33:20

“My help (‘ezer) comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” Ps 121:2

• Compliment or complete

There is also the idea of a fitting or “suitable” help.

Adam needs someone like himself – a mate or a match.

Like him, but different enough from him

Ladies, your husband is good at some things and not good at others.

My observations – women are typically better at these things:

1. Connecting (relationships w/children and others)

2. Communicating (speaking clearly, listening)

3. Creating (ideas for financial goals, making home welcoming, raising kids)

Genesis 2:23-25 The First Marriage

Adam’s response was praise for the gift God gave.

She is from “my bones… my flesh” – she is like Adam, a match or mate.

She was made from him. He needed her.

They will always belong to each other. They are a match, a set of two.

Called Together

• To be one in body and unified in purpose (2:24)

• To rule together over what God has given (1:28)

Too many couples feel like they are in a competition – you’re a team.

God created men to Work, Keep, and Lead;

women to Help, Complete (connect, communicate, create)

God has given you a realm to steward, skills to work together to rule together.

February – God loved us first. If you have experienced Christ’s love for you in salvation,

you cannot help but grow in love for others.

Revelation is a prophetic vision given to the Apostle John of the last times.

Chapters 2-3 are Jesus’ letters to 7 churches in Asia Minor.

Most of churches have areas of obedience and disobedience.

Just like we as individuals and a church have areas of obedience & disobedience.

There is a command to address the areas of disobedience.

Revelation 2:1-7 – To the Church in Ephesus

v. 1. “seven stars” are representatives of the churches, called “angels” later.

“Golden lampstands” are the seven churches – and represent their witness/light bearing

Jesus holds and walks

“him who holds the seven stars” – Jesus holds the angels in his hand.

“hold” is “hold fast” or “hold powerfully”, from same root as “almighty” in 1:8

Jesus is powerful among his people.

“walks among the seven golden lampstands” – Jesus is present among his people.

Jesus is powerful and present with his people.

vv. 2-3. Commendation: 7 areas of obedience.

Works, toil, patient endurance, do not bear with evil, tested false apostles, patient endurance, bearing up for Christ’s name.

Doing a lot of good things.

v. 4. Verdict: The Ephesian church did good things but abandoned their first love.

What love is this? Could be…

• Love for each other – they may have stopped caring for each other

• Love for Jesus Christ – they may have been going through the motions.

Which is it? Probably both.

“Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:21b

If we love God, we will love our brother.

In loving God, we learn that we should love our brother.

know how to love our brother, because Jesus shows us (patiently, forgivingly)

In loving God, we have the ability to love our brother, because Jesus lives in us.

The church in Ephesus was doing right things but with wrong motivation.

If we’re not careful, we can do a lot of things that express no love for God or others.

Their bodies were busy, but their hearts were cold.

Their actions were admirable, but they were devoid of devotion.

APPLICATION: This applies to love in marriage too.

You’re going through the motions, raising kids, living in the same house, paying bills.

But lose your devotion to each other.

Why? You stopped doing things that sparked love for each other.

v. 5. The good news, there is hope for this condition.

There is a remedy for this malady.

Remember. Repent. Return.

“Remember from where you have fallen” God gave us minds to enable us to think.

Jesus says “remember” – remember how you loved God before, your devotion to Christ

Remember – not to regret, not for nostalgia.

Remember for renewal.

“Repent” turn away from sinful cold heart toward Christ and others.

Stop from cold, rote activity. And do what?

Return. “do the works you did at first” Go back and do the things you did at first.

When you 1st came to Christ, you could not stop reading about him, talking about him. You could not stop thinking how you could bless others.

How you would spend time doing something meaningful for other people.

This applies to your love for Christ and your love for others – including your spouse.

Have you “fallen out of love”?

Are you “going through the motions”?

Remember. What did you do together that you enjoyed – that you stopped doing?

Are you spending quality time together? Going out on dates? That you both enjoy?

Do NOT forsake your marriage for your children. Your marriage must be a priority

The best thing you can do for your kids is love your husband/wife well.

Repent. Say to your spouse, we have not made our marriage a priority.

Return. I want to do the things we both enjoy. Make a date night. At least monthly.

Is it possible to return? Jesus is powerful and present in the midst of his people.

February – How the greatest demonstration of love is changing you.

God’s love for you is such a powerful force that, once you have received it,

it changes the way you see people, how you treat people.

If you have experienced Christ’s love for you in salvation,

you cannot help but grow in love for others.

1 John 4:7-19 – God is Love

Where does real love come from?

1. Love originated with God (7-8)

a. Loving others is evidence we have been born of God (7)

v. 7. When we love others, we show that we have been born of God.

When put our faith in Jesus, we are born again, regenerated.

Our spiritually dead and selfish hearts are united with God,

So that His life becomes our life, and His love becomes our love.

b. Loving others is evidence we know God (8)

v. 8. People who have born again love others – and that love shows that they know God.

They don’t just know about God, they know God intimately and personally.

2. Love is seen in the atoning death of Jesus Christ (9-10)

v. 9. It is God’s nature to love – to give and to sacrifice

a. God sent his Son that we might live, and he might die (9-10)

It is one thing to talk about love. It is something else to show love.

“God’s love was manifest” – revealed, made clear, put on display.

God took the initiative. He loved first. He stepped out and pursued us.

“live through him” – that we might have fellowship with God, forgiveness, walk in light.

v. 10. “propitiation” – An offering that turns away the wrath of God.

Sin is serious. God hates sin. It is a serious offense against a holy God.

Yet in his love, God provided the offering to turn his wrath away.

“The gospel is that Jesus lived the life you should have lived and died the death you should have died, in your place, so God can receive you not for your record and sake but for his record and sake.” – Tim Keller, Preaching to a Post-Modern City.

3. Love is perfected in us when we love others (11-12)

If you are born of God, if you know God,

if you have experienced God’s love in the sacrifice of his Son, love people.

v. 12. Shocking: No one can see God in his unveiled, glorious essence.

But we can see God through the lives of those who demonstrate His love to others.

“The unseen God, who was once reveled in His Son, is now revealed in his people… when they love one another.” – John Stott, The Letters of John

4. Love is evidence that we have the Spirit (13-16)

If the Holy Spirit lives in you, then you will grow in love for others.

The Holy Spirit indwells believers. His presence in you is God’s presence in you.

God’s presence in will produce love for others.

5. Love gives us confidence even in the judgment (17-18)

Because God loved us first, we have no fear that he will reject us on that day.

“There is no fear in love”

6. Love reflects God’s character (19-21)

Why do we love? Because God took the initiative, not us.

He loves us and the love that abides in us is God’s love that overflows in words and actions to others.

1. Love originated with God (7-8)

2. Love is seen in the atoning death of Jesus Christ (9-10)

3. Love is perfected in us when we love others (11-12)

4. Love is evidence that we have the Spirit (13-16)

5. Love gives us confidence even in the judgment (17-18)

6. Love reflects God’s character (19-21)

Exodus 33:18-19 – Show me your glory.

v. 18. Moses asked to see God’s glory. He wants to know God and know he is with them.

(v. 13, “show me your ways that I may know you”)

v. 19. “I will make all my goodness pass before you.”

I will show you my glory in my goodness toward my people.

God’s glory is revealed in his goodness – in his grace and mercy toward his people.

“Proclaim… my name” God’s character is tied up in his name.

God’s character is gracious and merciful.

God will invoke his own name, “the Lord”, as a sign that The Lord, is gracious.

Exodus 34:5-7 God’s Glory Revealed

God placed Moses in the crevice of a rock, covers Moses with his hand.

Moses sees something like the afterglow of God’s glory after he passes by.

v. 6. God proclaims his name “The Lord” with his character,

“merciful & gracious, Slow to anger”

“abounding (great) in love and faithfulness”

God’s glory is revealed in his abounding love and faithfulness. Couplet used - 30x

Love – hesed (‘steadfast or gracious love’, ‘mercy’)

Faithfulness – ’emeth (‘truth’ or ‘faithfulness’)

v. 7. “Keeping love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin.”

Forgiveness flows from the very nature of God.

It is God’s nature, his character to forgive.

v. 7b. “but who will not clear the guilty.”

God is both forgiving AND just.

God does not just let guilt go by as if it is no big deal.

Sin IS a big deal, the most destructive force on the planet.

“visiting iniquity on… generations”

Does not mean God punishes children for their fathers’ sin,

God punishes sin that continues through generations.

Jesus is the greatest revelation of God’s character.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature (Heb 1:3a)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Col 1:15)

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. (Col 1:19)

If you want to know God , look at Jesus Christ.

All the glory of God’s grace and mercy are seen in Jesus Christ.

John 1:14 The Word Became Flesh

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:14)

Ex 33: “Show me your glory” / Jn 1: “We have seen his glory.”

Ex 34: “abounding in love and faithfulness” / Jn 1: “full of grace and truth”

John’s uses “grace and truth” intentionally for “Love and faithfulness.”

He uses ‘grace’ for that specific aspect of love that is given freely.

‘Truth’ is a synonym for faithfulness. If a man if faithful, he is true.

“The glory revealed to Moses when the Lord passed in front of him and sounded his name, displaying that divine goodness characterized by ineffable grace and truth, was the very same glory John and his friends saw in the Word-made-flesh.” D.A. Carson PNTC, The Gospel According to John

Jesus’ death is the greatest demonstration of God’s love.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom5:8)

What Moses saw was in part, we see revealed.

Jesus is full of grace – He welcomes sinners. He has compassion on poor.

He healed lepers, lame and blind. Through his death, the Father forgives our sin.

Jesus is full of truth – He condemned religious hypocrites. He talked about hell more than heaven. He obeyed the law, setting people straight on God’s commands.

We need grace. We need truth. Only in union with Jesus can we grow in both.

Creation: God created the world & a garden in which he placed the first man & woman.

The garden was a place of God’s provision and his presence.

Fall: But an enemy came to the garden and caused Adam and Eve to rebel against God.

Their rebellion ushered in death and transformed earth into a place of alienation.

What started as paradise became enemy-occupied territory.

Redemption: But God has been working in history to bring a total reversal of the consequence of evil, to liberate earth and heaven from bondage to sin and corruption.

Consummation/Restoration:

Revelation 21:1-4 The New Heaven and the New Earth

v.1. “New heaven and a new earth” – fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa 65:17)

A longing that God would deliver his people from sin and oppression.

God caused “The first heaven and earth passed away” – they were corrupted.

“The sea was no more” – the sea represents a chaotic deep, in rebellion against God.

It is the source of the Satanic beast (13:1); and the place of the dead (20:13).

No trace of evil or resistance to God remains, all will be eliminated by God’s victory.

The New Jerusalem

v. 2. “Holy city, the new Jerusalem” – Jerusalem “city of peace”

Jerusalem was to be the central community of God’s people.

It was to be the center of worship of God.

The old city was corrupted by idolatry, rebellion, violence against prophets and Jesus.

A creation and gift of God. – “Coming down out of heaven”

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (Jn 14:3)

“Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

The dwelling place of God’s people, the bride of the Lamb.

“Adorned” The city is made of gold and precious jewels.

The bride is adorned by her righteous acts (19:7-8)

v. 3. The dwelling place of God.

The separation between the earthly and heavenly has ended.

All that is unholy is eliminated by the victory, judgment, and destruction of evil.

A place of intimacy with God and community with each other. The bride-city imagery:

• Intimacy between God and his people as husband and wife.

• Community between the people and the people with God.

A place of loyalty and devotion. They will be his and he will be theirs.

God promised to gather Israel from captivity in Babylon,

“They shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Jer 32:38)

God promised an everlasting covenant and restoration of his people to Ezekiel.

“My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Eze 37:27)

v. 4. “He will wipe away every tear”

A place untouched by death, mourning, crying, or pain.

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. (Isa 25:8)

“The former things have passed away.”

Death, mourning, crying, pain – all former things have passed away.

v. 5. God, “I am making all things new.” The Creator will create new heavens/earth.

“these words are trustworthy & true.” God’s power will be revealed, purposes fulfilled.

v. 6. “It is done! Alpha and Omega/Beginning and the end” – God is sovereign.

A place of invitation and grace

“I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” Salvation by grace.

v. 7. A place for the faithful.

“The one who conquers” – used in Revelation. Those who hold on to faith.

“I will be his God and he will be my son.” Intimacy expressed as father/son.

v. 8. The faithless who remain in sin will suffer a second death in torment.

Sin distorted God’s purposes for man. An enemy corrupted the old order.

God will defeat the enemy and liberate his people and his creation.

We can know the individual stories of the Bible yet miss the Great Story of God.

The story that makes sense of all the other stories and give them meaning.

One of the greatest themes of the Bible is God dwelling with his people – God with us.

Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob’s Dream

v. 10. “Jacob left Beersheba” because he was running for his life from his brother Esau.

Jacob cheated Esau out of his birthright. His name, “Jacob”, means “he cheats.”

v. 12. He had a dream, a vision of heaven opened and of angels and of God.

“A ladder” or a staircase – likely a stepped mound like a ziggurat, on earth to heaven.

“Angels ascended and descended” on the staircase.

v. 13. “The Lord stood above it” or “The Lord stood beside him.” Could be either.

In his book, Who Is God? Richard Bauckhaum points out…

Jacob does not ascend the ladder.

God does not send angels with a message for Jacob.

God bypasses the angels and stands beside Jacob and speaks to him directly.

“I am the God of your fathers.” (He is not yet the God of Jacob.)

God extends his promises to Abraham and Isaac of promised land & offspring to Jacob.

v. 14. Jacob’s offspring shall bless all the families of the earth.

A promise that Jesus Christ will come and will be a blessing to all peoples.

v. 15. “I am with you… I will not leave you.” God promises his presence to Jacob.

In the Garden of Eden God walked in the cool of the day.

But after the fall, man was expelled from the garden and God’s presence.

in Exodus God was present with his people as mysterious & fearful smoke & fire

In the Exodus as a pillar of smoke and fire and On Mt Sinai like smoke & fire

The tabernacle & temple were the most tangible presence of God w/ his people.

God dwelt in their midst – in tents or in Jerusalem but separated by walls and veils.

v. 16. “God is in the place” – God is in every place, but his promise is to be with Jacob.

v. 20-21. “Jacob made a vow saying, ‘If God… then the Lord shall be my God.’”

Jacob journeyed from Bethel to Paddan-aram.

He married Leah and Rachel. God blessed him with children and flocks of animals.

God called Jacob to return west back to Canaan.

God answered Jacob’s prayer when he and his brother Esau made peace.

Jacob returned to Bethel after more than 14 years.

3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” (Genesis 35:3)

At the end of his life, Jacob said…

15 And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.(Gen 48:15)

Reminds us of Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd.

At the heart of the 23rd psalm, in v. 4 is “for you are with me.”

APP: The presence of God has changed the theme of Jacob’s life.

He was a cheat, a swindler. But God’s presence is the new theme of his life.

God’s presence changed him, blessed him, guided him, and redeemed his brokenness.

Have you turned over your brokenness to God? He will redeem it.

The Incarnation – The surpassing form of God’s presence is Jesus’ incarnation.

John 1:51

51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus is the greater staircase bringing heaven to earth, God to man.

John 1:14

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the greater temple “dwelt” is the same word in Greek used for tabernacle.

In the incarnation of Jesus, God comes to BE WITH US AS ONE OF US.

APP: Are you making room for God’s presence to be the theme of your life?

Allow God’s presence to be the theme of your life. He will redeem, and guide and bless.

I. The seed of the woman who will crush the serpent

a. He came to destroy the works of the devil (sin) 1 Jn 3:8

Genesis 3:1-15

Vv. 1-5. The serpent accused God of not being good.

• He accused God of being overly restrictive (1)

• He accused God of lying (4)

• He lied, saying sin would make them more like God (5).

V. 6. Eve usurped God in His role to determine what is good.

She saw it was “good” for food. In Gen 1&2, God created and declared it is “good”

Adam and Eve were tempted by the fruit

• It was good for food

• It was a delight to the eyes

• It was desired to make one wise (they became wise to their own shame)

“Desire” is the same word for “coveting”.

God gave them the opportunity to obey or disobey.

Would they trust God and his word or try to obtain wisdom apart from him?

The sin is human arrogance.

• I will decide what is good.

• I will decide whether or not I will obey God’s commands

• I will decide whether or not God is good.

Vv. 7-13. God walked through the garden – God was present with them.

God called Adam, not Eve. Adam bears greater responsibility for this sin.

Sin caused

• Shame and embarrassment – Eve traded her innocence for shame

• Hiding from God in Fear

• Isolation from each other

• Blaming others for sin –Eve was a gift, now Adam claims God’s gift was malicious.

Vv. 14-15. God’s judgment and promise

• God cursed the serpent – humiliation and defeat by the woman’s offspring

• God promised the wounded seed of the woman’s will destroy him

He shall “bruise” your head. And you shall “bruise” his heel.

Same word in Hebrew, the severity of the blows are where they’re landed.

There would be enmity between the descendants of the woman and the serpent.

But one day, the offspring of Eve will deal a crushing blow to the serpent.

This is a promise: God offers hope for the human family.

1 John 3:7-9 Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil

• We will live out who and whose we are.

• The devil is a deceiver

The devil will deceive you that divorce, lying, stealing, abortion, being quiet about unethical stuff at work will make you happier, lead to a better life. But it’s a lie.

• The Son of God came to destroy sin

Doing what is right does not make us righteous, it is evidence that we are righteous.

Christ is our righteousness.

Christ suffered and died to go through the curse our sin deserved.

When we believe in him, he makes us righteous.

“God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God.” (2Cor 5:21)

• Positionally, we are declared righteous by God.

• Experientially, he helps us live right lives.

Christ is our pattern and power for right living (1 Jn 2:6, 4:4)

Pattern – “whoever abides in him ought to walk the same way he walked.” (2:6)

Power – “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (4:4)

We can know the individual stories of the Bible but miss the Great Story of God.

The story that makes sense of all the smaller stories and give them meaning.

Romans 5:12-20 Death in Adam, Life in Christ

Overview: The power of Christ’s obedience overcomes Adam’s disobedience.

v. 12. “Just as…” a comparison, picked up in v. 18. “so also…”

Who sinned? Adam sinned. We inherited his sin nature. We all sin.

Paul may have in mind the sin of all people since all were IN Adam, forefather of all.

Adam is the head of humanity, the God-appointed representative of man.

Regardless, all people are sinners and under a sentence of death – condemnation.

Does Paul mean physical or spiritual death? Probably both.

vv.13-14 People before the law of Moses didn’t have the law,

So how can they be held responsible if they didn’t have the law?

The law makes the details of God’s standards known.

There is enough revealed in creation for people to know there is a God and to give thanks to him and honor him. Yet they do not acknowledge God’s glory nor authority.

vv. 15-17

Adam’s sin brought condemnation (16) and death (17).

Christ’s obedience brought justification (16) and righteousness (17).

Adam’s act brought sin, death, and misery – powerfully – to mankind.

Christ’s act is far more powerful because the grace of God is at work in Christ.

The first Adam’s curse is undone by the Greater Adam’s work.

vv. 18-19 The whole human race can be divided in two:

All people belong to Adam and and are under condemnation.

Those who trust in Christ are under grace.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18)

Christ’s obedience establishes a reign of life instead of death, a reign of grace instead of condemnation. (15-17, 21)

In Christ we have been transferred to a new realm in which grace and life reign (21).

Just as Adam sinned and brought sin and death to all who belong to him (12a, 18a, 19a),

So also, Christ obeyed and brought righteousness and life to all who belong to him (18b, 19b)

Closing:

The greatest story is that God created humankind for himself.

He created Adam and Eve and put them in a garden paradise,

But they rebelled and rejected God.

Their sin devastated the world, bringing death and destruction.

God could not look on their sin and corruption and he drove them from his presence.

But God had a mission for our redemption.

He sent into the world another man.

This man would be a new Adam, a Greater Adam.

God led him to a garden where he chose obedience to God,

even when it meant his death.

By God’s grace, anyone who believes in Christ are rescued from sin and condemnation.

They are transferred into a new realm of grace and life.

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor 15:22)

God’s calling: Maybe you’ve been going through all the motions, but realize,

you have never put your faith in Christ.

“Lord, I have rebelled against you, I need your forgiveness.

I believe you sent Jesus to live a life of obedience that I could not live.

He died to take away my sin. And he was raised to give me new life.

Thank you for forgiving my sin and accepting me into your grace as your son/daughter.”

This is the mission of God, to rescue the sons and daughters of Adam.

It is the mission of the church to tell of Great story of the Greater Adam.

To bring them into faith in Jesus Christ that they may receive his grace.

Jesus Christ is coming again to gather his people to be w/him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The Coming of the Lord

v. 13. “Ignorant” – it appears the church in Thessalonica sent questions to Paul.

They had some concern about people who had died and what that meant for Christ’s return.

“Asleep” was a euphemism for the dead used by Jews, and Greeks, and Christians.

It was used by NT writers b/c death for believers is only temporary.

What happens to those who are dead in Christ until He returns?

From John Piper, “Five Reasons Death Is Gain”

• Their spirits are made perfect. (Heb 12:22-23)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.

• They are relieved of the pain of this world. (Luke 16:24-25)

24 And he [the rich man] called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

• They are given profound rest. (Rev 6:9-11)

• They experience a deep “at-homeness”. (2 Cor 5:8)

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

• They are with Christ. (Phil 1:21-23)

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

v. 13b. “That you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

The believer has hope of life even in death because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Death will give way to life. Separation to reunion. Mortality for immortality.

v. 14. “We believe that Jesus died and rose again” Key Christian doctrine.

“Jesus died” – he died for us, as a perfect sacrifice and substitution for us.

“And rose again” – Jesus promised, “Because I life, you also will live.” Jn 14:19b

“Through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

Death will not be our end, death will be like sleep and a day of awakening will come.

v.15. “We declare to you by a word from the Lord” Jesus taught this.

“We who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede the dead”

Thessalonians needed to know the dead in Christ will be the first to meet him.

“The coming” or “the arrival” was used of a visit from royalty or triumphant ruler.

The first to greet a visiting ruler would be the most honored.

Those who fought the good fight and finished the race will be the first to meet Jesus.

v. 16. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven”

Three sounds to 1) announce Jesus coming and 2) to gather his people:

1. The cry of a command – God commands the dead to life.

2. Voice of an archangel – announcing his second coming as they did the first

3. The trumpet of God – in the prophets: the Lord’s coming, gathering his people

“And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Mt 24:31)

v. 16b. 1. Jesus is coming again.

2. He is coming for his church.

3. The dead in Christ will rise first.

4. His coming will be a glorious reunion between him and believers.

5. The expectation of this event should bring encouragement to our faith.

v. 17. The living and the dead will meet Christ in the air. “The rapture”

“We will always be with the Lord.”

God’s intention to fully reconcile his people to himself, to be with them will be done.

v. 18. “Encourage each other with these words”

How goes the world? The world goes not well but the kingdom comes.