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Verse by Verse Bible Study | 1 Thessalonians 4 | Gary Hamrick — Transcript

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0:10first Thessalonians chapter four the the
0:12passage in the church Bibles is found on
0:14page 836 but as I have mentioned from
0:17the beginning of our series here in 1st
0:19Thessalonians this book is divided
0:20neatly really into three kind of topics
0:23trials will come that's chapters one
0:25through three temptations will come
0:27that's chapter four it's where we are so
0:29we'll see that in the first part of
0:30chapter four and then Jesus will come
0:33that's emphasized in chapter four and
0:35five but it's really mentioned
0:36throughout the whole book because every
0:39single chapter ends with some reference
0:42to the second coming of Christ
0:44so that's where we are let's let's pause
0:46and have a word of prayer and then we'll
0:48jump in here to the chapter four
0:49together I should probably caution that
0:51if you might happen to have young ones
0:54in the room and I would say like under
0:56middle school age you might want to
0:57consider while I'm praying to slip out
0:59with them to children's ministry just
1:01because the first part of chapter four
1:03it it's all about sex ladies and
1:06gentlemen so unless unless you don't
1:09care what they might hear because
1:10there's no telling what I might say so
1:12that's the danger that's the day that's
1:15the danger so you know I'm trying to
1:17warn you in advance Floyd said a guard
1:20over the door of my mouth let's pray
1:21together father thank you for our time
1:23together thank you for your word as we
1:25look into 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 we
1:29pray that you will be with us to guide
1:30us and to instruct us by your Holy
1:32Spirit and we thank you in Jesus name
1:35and everyone said amen so here in
1:38chapter 4 verse 1 Paul says finally
1:40brothers we instructed you how to live
1:43in order to please God that's an
1:46important phrase as in fact you are
1:49living now we ask you and urge you in
1:52the Lord Jesus to do this more and more
1:55for you know what instructions we gave
1:58you by the authority of the Lord Jesus
2:01so this fourth chapter begins with this
2:03instruction some translations say
2:06Commandments about living in a way that
2:10would please God that should be the
2:12objective of every Christian we should
2:13we should want to please God
2:15sometimes our flesh gets in the way with
2:17that right but our objective should
2:19always be Lord what is it about my life
2:22that
2:23that is displeasing to you and and Lord
2:26I want to repent of that and I want to
2:28live a life that is pleasing to you so
2:29he says I want to lay out some things in
2:31regards to how you should live so that
2:34you might live to please God and then he
2:38starts into it verse 3 it is God's will
2:40that you should be sanctified that you
2:43should avoid sexual immorality and that
2:47each of you should learn to control his
2:49own body in a way that is holy and
2:51honorable not in passionate lusts like
2:54the heathen who do not know God and that
2:57in this matter no one should wrong his
2:58brother or take advantage of him the
3:01Lord will punish men for all such sins
3:03as we have already told you and warned
3:05you for God did not call us to be impure
3:08but to live a holy life therefore he who
3:13rejects this instruction does not reject
3:16a man but God who gives you his holy
3:18spirit don't you love that about Paul
3:20he's like listen if you don't do what
3:22I'm telling you I'm not gonna be
3:23offended you're offending God alright
3:25I'm just the messenger but the message
3:27is you need to avoid sexual immorality
3:31now one of the common questions I get
3:34every pastor gets this from people from
3:36time to time is pastor help me to
3:39discern the will of God pray with me to
3:41discern the will of God all of us want
3:43to be walking in the will of God right
3:45how many of you want to walk in the will
3:47of God really okay now remember that you
3:49raised your hand because now I'm going
3:50to ask now I'm gonna ask some questions
3:52okay how much do you really want to live
3:55in the will of God how willing are you
3:58to follow what God says is his will even
4:02when it's not convenient or comfortable
4:04and the reason I posed that question to
4:05all of us myself included is because
4:07there are some specific times in the
4:09Bible this is one of them when God
4:11actually explicitly says this is my will
4:17this is my will there are a lot of
4:19things in life that we pray about and
4:21you know use scripture to help give us
4:23guidance to discern the will of God
4:25because it's not always that clear and
4:26so we're always praying to have the mind
4:28and heart of the Lord on matters but and
4:30then there are other times in the Bible
4:32that it just clearly spells it out and
4:34said God says all right now listen among
4:36all the questions you might have
4:37about my will I want to settle it in a
4:38few areas here's one area where it is my
4:42will look here at verse three it is
4:45God's will just underline that are
4:49highlighted and your electronic Bibles
4:50it is God's will that you should be
4:52sanctified that you should avoid sexual
4:55immorality now interestingly in the book
5:00of 1st Thessalonians 4 between chapters
5:021 through 5 in the last two chapters
5:04there are four things that God
5:06specifically says this is his will we're
5:08just talking here first Thessalonians
5:10but for particular things that he spells
5:12out he says this is my will right here
5:15this first one in chapter four verse
5:16three avoid sexual sin and then we're
5:19gonna find out not today but when we get
5:21into chapter five later be joyful always
5:24that's another thing that he says it is
5:26it is his will that you would be joyful
5:28always that you would pray continually
5:29and that you would give thanks in all
5:31circumstances so those last three points
5:35will come to when we get to chapter five
5:37for tonight I want us to just look for a
5:40moment at this one particular area that
5:42he says is his will and that is in
5:44regards to avoiding sexual sin now in
5:48this passage here that I just read
5:50between verses three and five or rather
5:54three and eight Paul distinguishes
5:57between those who know God and those who
6:00don't because he's challenging the
6:02church at thessalonica and and in the
6:05course of telling them what is the right
6:07way to live he draws the contrast here
6:10he says don't live don't live like those
6:12who don't know God it calls him heathens
6:14in some translations that says Gentiles
6:15you know just people who aren't
6:17Christians people who don't know the
6:18Lord he says don't live like like those
6:20who don't know the Lord so he he draws a
6:22distinction between those who do know
6:25the Lord and those who don't know the
6:27Lord and by the way this instruction is
6:29for those who know the Lord you know
6:31those who don't know the Lord are going
6:32to live like they live without an
6:35understanding of necessarily of what
6:38God's standard is but for the Christian
6:40for the church we have no excuse because
6:42God says pretty explicitly here this is
6:45my will this is one of the areas I want
6:47you to walk in I want you to know what
6:49is
6:49right and in regards to my will I want
6:51you to avoid sexual immorality and any
6:55ads here that for those who don't know
7:00they just live in passionate lust that
7:04that's what he says in in verse the end
7:09of verse five not in passionate lust
7:11like the heathen who do not know God
7:14this is okay that defines them but he
7:17says this is what I want to define you
7:19and it's and it's verse four that each
7:21of you should learn to control his own
7:24body in a way that is holy and honorable
7:28so I would encourage you to circle the
7:30words control holy and honorable control
7:34holy and honorable what he's saying is
7:36that for Christians we are to learn to
7:38control our own bodies to be holy and to
7:41live honorably that's what he says there
7:43in verse four and I and I love the fact
7:44that he says learn to control your own
7:47body because it is a learning process
7:48you know there are there are it's a
7:50dying yourself process and and that
7:52process takes time and takes you know
7:56determination and takes intention and it
7:59will not come easily so learn to control
8:01your own body be holy and live honorably
8:03and now that's the language that's the
8:05lingo for Christians yeah it's it's this
8:08is not gonna apply to those who don't
8:09profess to know Christ because they're
8:11they're living by a worldly standard
8:12which comes naturally to the world but
8:15for the Christian God calls us to live
8:17lives of moral sexual purity which means
8:21that we should learn to control our
8:24bodies and that we should be holy and we
8:27should live honorably and this is what
8:30he tells us to do so for everybody who
8:33raised their hand like yeah yeah I want
8:34the will of God okay alright good
8:37because the God's saying this this is
8:39his will for us that we should avoid
8:41sexual immorality now he adds also in
8:46verse six that if we don't as Christians
8:49if we just you know play it loosely he
8:52adds in verse six and that in this
8:54matter no one should wrong his brother
8:56take advantage of him the Lord will
8:58punish man for all such sins so it's
9:01important to note that is
9:02Christiane's to engage in sexual sin and
9:06we'll talk about what that actually
9:07means in a moment is to take advantage
9:09of another for your selfish sexual
9:14pleasure which in the end defrauds that
9:17person and sins against God there's an
9:21interesting thing I know everybody wants
9:22to agree with the idea and the concept
9:24that you know all sins are equal in the
9:28sense of offense to God but not all sins
9:33are equal in terms of their ramification
9:36that there are sometimes certain sins
9:40that have greater consequences greater
9:43ramifications and greater ripple effects
9:45and sexual sin is one of those because
9:49Paul will tell us in 1st Corinthians you
9:51don't need to turn but 1st Corinthians
9:536:18 220 flee from sexual immorality all
9:57other sins of man commits are outside
10:00his body but he who sin sexually sins
10:03against his own body do you not know
10:06that your body is a temple of the Holy
10:08Spirit who was in you whom you have
10:10received from God you are not your own
10:12you are bought at a price therefore
10:15honor God with your body and there's
10:17this aspect of sexual sin that is not
10:20only defrauding your body and defrauding
10:23another's body but it is also
10:25dishonouring god it's sinning against
10:27him and there are often greater
10:29ramifications for sexual sins so God
10:31says here avoid sexual sin now what
10:34actually is sexual sin or sexual
10:36immorality well it's the it's the Greek
10:38word Paul uses here pornea
10:39we get our English word pornography from
10:41it and it's a very broad term that
10:43covers all aspects of sexual sin so if
10:48if you if you want to try to justify
10:51your your inappropriate sexual behavior
10:54because you're you're saying to yourself
10:55well it's not really intercourse you
10:57know so so it must be okay I don't
11:00really think it's sin if it's not
11:01actually intercourse then you're
11:04starting to play the game of
11:06justification because pornea covers all
11:09aspects of sexual sin well what exactly
11:13then is sexual sin well
11:15order to understand sexual sin we need
11:17to just simply understand what God
11:19defines as sexual purity and what God
11:21defines a sexual purity is this
11:23faithfulness and marriage and abstinence
11:25and singleness that's it
11:28faithless and marriage abstinence and
11:31singleness so now anything outside of
11:35that for the Christian is sexual sin and
11:40don't play that game well you know we
11:43didn't actually do this you know I mean
11:45how many of us remember back in the 90s
11:47well I did not have sexual relations
11:49with that woman you know an under
11:54deposition is like well it depends what
11:56is is are you kidding me
11:58so we need to be right with God on this
12:02topic and we need to address sexual sin
12:05for what it is it is sin any sexual
12:09activity outside of the bonds of
12:12marriage between a man and a woman is
12:15sexual sin and God calls us to
12:18faithfulness in marriage and he calls us
12:21to abstinence and singleness so you know
12:26it's don't play the game of well we
12:28didn't actually you know have
12:29intercourse okay and here's another game
12:31that parents can play so I want to just
12:33challenge parents for a moment some
12:35parents can play this game and it's kind
12:37of this worldly cultural mentality that
12:39you know people will buy into where you
12:42where you start to you know tell your
12:44kids or provide for them
12:45birth control pills and condoms because
12:47you're saying well you know they're
12:48gonna do it anyway so I might as well
12:49you know protector or protection okay
12:54that's that's like saying you know I'm
12:57gonna get all my kids teeth capped why
13:01would why would you do that I'm gonna
13:02get all my kids teeth capped why why
13:05would you do that because they're gonna
13:05eat candy anyway right why don't you
13:09just tell them no candy why would you
13:11get their teeth capped let me just say
13:13hey no candy how about trying that and
13:16then when they get married say have all
13:17the skittles you want
13:23but how about you saying how about we
13:26just don't do that it's not this
13:29preventive measure that's just poor
13:30parenting so this is what God calls us
13:35to in this area of avoiding sexual sin
13:40of controlling our bodies of living in a
13:44way that is holy and honorable before
13:46the Lord we have to really decide on
13:52this subject if we're gonna do what
13:56pleases God rather than just you know
14:00what pleases ourselves well I I have
14:03found typically in my life that when I
14:05sin against the Lord it's because I love
14:08myself more than I love God generally
14:11speaking when we sin it's because we
14:14love ourselves more than we love God and
14:16on this topic of sexual purity as I've
14:21mentioned before when when we've gotten
14:23into this topic those of you in
14:25Millennials 18 to 29
14:28you need to particularly swim against
14:32the current on this because the majority
14:35of your peers statistically speaking do
14:38not see and understand in the world now
14:41do not see and understand the importance
14:44of sexual purity because according to a
14:47Pew
14:48sorry Barna research that was published
14:50recently 32 percent just on the air in
14:54the area of just sexual purity 32
14:57percent of Millennials said watching
14:59porn is usually were always wrong only
15:0232 percent of Millennials said watching
15:06porn is usually are always wrong but 56
15:09percent of Millennials said the same
15:11thing about not recycling 56 percent of
15:17Millennials said it is more morally
15:21wrong to not recycle than to watch porn
15:27so that this is the generation we're
15:29living in so when we read this kind of
15:32stuff and some of you say
15:33well you know maybe this is just old
15:35stuff that you know is outdated and you
15:39know God's not up to speed you know
15:40God's not up to dick God's not current
15:43God's not hip God's not with it God's
15:45not edgy yo well well
15:49yo you're gonna do a lot of damage to
15:51yourself when you violate God's
15:53principles for you well that that's the
15:56way it always said you know the way of
15:57the transgressor is hard is what
15:59proverbs tells us you know we we bring
16:02difficulty on ourselves when we think we
16:05know better than God's standards there
16:07are times you're gonna read your Bibles
16:08and you're gonna say don't don't quite
16:10get that in my heart not sure I
16:13necessarily agree with that one but as a
16:16Christian I'm gonna obey God and I'm
16:18gonna trust that he as my father always
16:22knows better and he has my best interest
16:24in mind when he tells me what I can do
16:27and cannot do and so in that regard it
16:29will always go better for me when obey
16:32when I obey God than if I disobey God so
16:35there's just some things you settle that
16:36way okay so I would just say for some of
16:38you who you know you struggle over a
16:40passage like this you're like I don't I
16:41don't like this kind of stuff I don't
16:43really appreciate you know I mean okay
16:45that this is God's idea of sexual purity
16:47this is my idea of a boring life you
16:49know some of you are thinking and and
16:51yet as a Christian you have to come to
16:53the place where you just you resign and
16:54you surrender you resign yourself and
16:56you surrender to to the more excellence
16:59of the supremacy of Christ and that you
17:02trust God and His Word even when it does
17:04not necessarily make rational sense to
17:07you or even if it may not necessarily
17:08line up with your idea of fun that God
17:12always has your best interest in mind
17:15that he loves you with an everlasting
17:17love he sent His Son Jesus dying a cross
17:19for you and me that we might know
17:21forgiveness of sins and the love of our
17:23Father in heaven and when he says do
17:25this we should do it and when he says
17:27don't do this we should not do it
17:29because God knows best and he wants his
17:31best for us and that's this category
17:35well let's move on to the next section
17:38of verse 9 he talks here a little bit
17:40about brotherly love and verse 9 now
17:42about brotherly love we do not need to
17:44write to you for you yourselves have
17:46been taught
17:47by God to love each other to love each
17:50other that's a gap ayo that's the agape
17:52love that we need to have that supreme
17:53love for each other and in fact you do
17:56love all the brothers throughout
17:58Macedonia yet we urge you brothers to do
18:01so more and more so our love should
18:02increase more and more that's a good
18:04thing right we should love each other
18:05more and more we should have the love of
18:07Christ towards each other demonstrated
18:09not just in words but in deeds and
18:11actions right and verse 11 make it your
18:13ambition to lead a quiet I love this
18:15section make it your ambition to lead a
18:17quiet life to mind your own business and
18:24to work with your hands just as we told
18:27you so that you're dealt notices so that
18:30your daily life may win the respect of
18:32outsiders so that you will not be
18:34dependent on anybody notice he's saying
18:36let me just give you some advice about
18:38how to live your life in such a way that
18:40in the quietness of and the hard work
18:42and the and the non no zenus of your
18:45life you actually can win respect of
18:48outsiders meaning the unsaved
18:50people people who aren't Christians
18:51people don't go to church they're gonna
18:53look at your life and they're gonna have
18:55respect for you he says let me just give
18:56you some practical advice live a quiet
18:58life live a quiet life just you know do
19:01what you do and honor God and and mind
19:04your own business just don't be nosy
19:07don't interfere don't meddle
19:09you know don't don't be a meddler in
19:12other people's lives and and the any
19:14adds there you know and and then just
19:16work work hard with your hands have a
19:18strong work ethic if Christians you just
19:20live quiet non nosy hard-working lives
19:24it actually speaks to people and it will
19:28win respect of those who are
19:30non-christians because because they'll
19:31see in us a strong work ethic they'll
19:33see that we're just leading quiet lives
19:35not trying to make trouble not meddling
19:37and it speaks to people your daily life
19:40may win the respect of outsiders so that
19:43you will be not dependent on anybody
19:46this last section here my Bible subtitle
19:49the coming of the Lord from verse 13
19:50down to the end of the chapter that's
19:52what we're going to look at in our and
19:53our time remaining has to do here with
19:56this emphasis on the second coming of
19:59Christ and a particular
20:01expect of the second coming of a Christ
20:03that we call the rapture now I'm gonna
20:07read this and then we're gonna come back
20:08we're gonna kind of dig it out because I
20:10don't want to assume who here tonight
20:13knows what or doesn't know what so I'm
20:15gonna I'm gonna try to address it as
20:17best as I can the whole subject so here
20:21we are in verse 13 he says brothers we
20:23do not want you to be ignorant about
20:26those who fall asleep and he means those
20:30who have died but that's a euphemism
20:31because you know when you know the Lord
20:33and and you go to be with the Lord as
20:36soon as you die it's it's like you've
20:38just transitioned from here to there
20:40right so it but he but he's talking
20:42about those who have died or to grieve
20:44like the rest of men who have no hope he
20:47says we believe that Jesus died and rose
20:49again and so we're literally in the same
20:53manner we believe that God will bring
20:56with Jesus those who have fallen asleep
20:58in him according to the Lord's own word
21:01we tell you that we who are still alive
21:05who are left till the coming of the Lord
21:08will certainly not precede those who
21:10have fallen asleep who have died for the
21:14Lord Himself will come down from heaven
21:15with a loud command with the voice of
21:19the archangel and with the trumpet call
21:21of God and the dead in Christ will rise
21:24first after that we who are still alive
21:27and her left will be caught up together
21:29with them in the clouds to meet the lord
21:31in the air and so we will be with the
21:34Lord forever
21:35therefore encourage each other with
21:37these words so these are encouraging
21:41words and and yet for some of you you
21:44may not understand what all this means
21:45so I want you to appreciate how
21:46encouraging these words are so let's
21:48just unpack this a little bit first I
21:50want to go back at the beginning of the
21:52section verse 13 where he says listen I
21:54don't want you to be ignorant about
21:55about some things here now there are
21:57there are three different times in
22:00Paul's various epistles that he says I
22:03don't want you to be ignorant about
22:04something three different times one is
22:07in Romans 11 verses I don't want you to
22:10be ignorant as it concerns Israel and
22:12the Jews
22:13and and the hopes still for the Jews so
22:17I want you being heard about that I
22:18don't want you to be a bigger about
22:19Israel the Jews and then in first
22:22Corinthians chapter 12 he says I don't
22:24want you to be ignorant about spiritual
22:26gifts and then he goes through the list
22:28of the spiritual gifts and first greens
22:30chapter 12 and then here versus Ida I
22:32don't want you to be ignorant basically
22:34about the second coming and about the
22:36rapture that what's so fascinating to me
22:38is the main three things that most
22:41Christians are ignorant about are Israel
22:44and the Jews the gifts of the Spirit and
22:46the second coming of Christ so it's like
22:49we need to pay attention because Paul
22:50says in each of those cases like I don't
22:52want you to be ignorant about this I
22:53want you to know I want you understand
22:55what what's happening here and and so he
22:58speaks first about those who have died
23:00now I'm speaking about those who have
23:02died in Christ those who have fallen
23:03asleep that's why uses that euphemism
23:05because it's just passing from here to
23:07the presence of the Lord our bodies left
23:09behind our body returns to dust from
23:11which it was made but our spirit goes
23:13immediately to be with the Lord he said
23:14I want you to be ignorant about what
23:15happens after death if you know Christ
23:18as your Savior your spirit goes to be
23:20with the Lord in heaven your body stays
23:22behind it's gonna decompose and it
23:24doesn't matter if you want to be buried
23:26or cremated
23:27it's 37 years or 37 minutes that your
23:31body will return to dust there's no big
23:33deal your body's going back to dust the
23:36same 17 chemical elements as dirt from
23:38which you were made are you know we it's
23:40passed down to us the bodies composed of
23:4317 chemical elements mostly hydrogen and
23:45oxygen but and then 15 other trace
23:47elements you're gonna return to dust
23:49whether you decomposed in a casket or
23:51whether you're cremated it doesn't
23:52matter and he speaks here about those
23:56who died and then those who were named
23:59those who are still here on earth and
24:02those of you who have lost loved ones
24:05know that without Christ
24:09I mean death is hard enough right when
24:12you lose a loved one it's hard enough
24:14but what makes it manageable is when you
24:18know Christ and when they know Christ
24:20because you know you're gonna see him
24:22again
24:23and that's why he says there in verse 12
24:26we
24:27we grieve death is a grievous thing to
24:30go through when you lose a loved one but
24:32not like the rest of men who have no
24:35hope he says because I want to tell you
24:37about the hope of heaven and and how we
24:40all get there one way or another as a
24:42believer all believers should go doubt
24:44and I mean that is a universal statement
24:46okay
24:46but as to believe anybody can come to
24:49faith in Christ the way to heaven is
24:51open to all the the the the gate is
24:55narrow because there's only one way to
24:56be saved that's through Jesus but the
24:58invitation is to all okay and and so he
25:03wants us to know if you lost a loved one
25:06a friend a family member who who has
25:08already died
25:10they knew Christ we grieve but not like
25:14the rest of people who don't know the
25:15Lord and don't have the hope of heaven
25:17because we don't grieve like those who
25:19have no hope we have the hope of heaven
25:21we have the hope of the Lord we know
25:23that we're gonna have a glorious reunion
25:25and and he talks in verse 14 about how
25:27we believe that Jesus died okay he died
25:30crucified buried rose again three days
25:32later and so in the same manner we
25:35believe that God will bring with Jesus
25:37those who have fallen asleep in him wait
25:38a minute this is also the reminder to us
25:41that there will come a day when the Lord
25:45will return to the earth with all the
25:49saints that are presently in heaven that
25:52there they're gonna come again now
25:55there's this event though that happens
25:58that he wants us to be aware of he says
26:00in verse 15 according to the Lord's own
26:02word we tell you that we who are still
26:05alive who are left till the coming of
26:09the Lord will certainly not precede
26:11those who have fallen asleep okay
26:16there's an event now he speaks now the
26:17second coming of Christ
26:18but what some Christians don't
26:20understand is that there's really two
26:21aspects to the second coming of Christ
26:24the one aspect of the second coming of
26:27Christ is when he comes only in the air
26:30only in the sky to receive the church
26:34and then there's another aspect to a
26:37second coming some time after that when
26:39he actually comes
26:40all the way to the earth and brings with
26:43him all the saints that were in heaven
26:45now what he's talking about here what
26:48Paul's talking about here is this event
26:51when Christ comes just in the clouds
26:53just in the sky to receive his bride the
26:57church to receive Christians to take
27:00them up to heaven and he speaks there
27:02about how we who are alive will not
27:05precede those who have fallen asleep now
27:07everybody that has already died in
27:10Christ as I mentioned bodies returned to
27:15dust their spirit went immediately to be
27:17with the Lord in heaven but they've not
27:20gotten a glorified body just their
27:22spirit is in heaven your loved ones who
27:26knew Christ and have already died and
27:29their spirit is in heaven their their
27:31body is still in the grave but what he
27:34speaks of here is there's gonna be a
27:36moment when the Lord returns in the
27:39cloud to receive the church and first
27:43thing that happens is all the saints in
27:46heaven are gonna get their glorified
27:47body and all of the tombs will be opened
27:51and the in the end the process the
27:54miraculous process of the glorification
27:56of a human body will rise from the grave
28:00to be reunited with that spirit in
28:03heaven so that everybody then in heaven
28:05who presently is just there in their
28:07spirit form
28:08will receive a glorified body just like
28:10the glorified body that Jesus received
28:12it is their own body but it has been
28:14made imperishable and it now will
28:16reunite with their spirit so that they
28:18can have a glorified body and and be
28:21just as Jesus is okay now this is where
28:25I get into these wild questions like
28:27wait a minute
28:28whoa we'll wait a minute so so our body
28:31Rises but what happened Uncle Charlie we
28:35scattered him at sea we scattered him at
28:40sea how is that gonna work now he's been
28:42eaten by sharks and the Sharks been
28:44eaten by somebody else
28:45listen listen to me on this listen to me
28:47on this it's gonna be liberating you
28:49ready the same God who created the unit
28:54verse can bring uncle Charlie back
28:55together all right
28:57that's way it's gonna happen okay so
29:00don't don't worry about that God can
29:03bring all the molecular aspects of uncle
29:05Charlie back together so that he gets
29:07his glorified body in Christ okay but
29:10what what the what Peter's disgust sorry
29:12what Paul is describing here is this
29:14beautiful thing that we call the rapture
29:17now where do you see the word rapture in
29:20the Bible pastor G it's not in the Bible
29:22that word raptures nowhere in the Bible
29:24but the message of the rapture is right
29:27here just like for example the word
29:29Trinity is nowhere in the Bible but the
29:32message of the Trinity that God is one
29:34God reveals himself in three persons is
29:36throughout the Bible so here's a basic
29:38definition for the rat when we say the
29:40rapture here's what we're talking about
29:41an event related to the end times when
29:44Christians will be caught up that's a
29:46word that is used here caught up to
29:48heaven when we will be suddenly
29:50physically snatched from the earth by
29:53passing death to be with the Lord
29:54forever
29:55in other words listen to me on this Paul
29:57talks about the hope of of the church
29:59that there is a generation Paul writes
30:02about in first Corinthians chapter 15 he
30:04says lo I tell you a mystery we will not
30:05all sleep we won't all die there's going
30:07to be a generation that does not
30:08experience death he says but we will all
30:11be changed this is first Corinthians 15
30:13in the twinkling of an eye at the last
30:15trumpet same kind of terminology that
30:18Paul uses hear about trumpet we will all
30:20be changed last trumpet in the twinkling
30:22of an eye so there's a generation of us
30:24and would it be wonderful if we're that
30:26generation that doesn't have to go
30:29through the dying process in order to
30:31get to be with the Lord that he's
30:32actually going to come in the air in the
30:36clouds at some point at some moment
30:38there's this there's the voice of the
30:40Archangel the trumpet call of God
30:42revelation chapter 4 describes the voice
30:44of the Lord like a trumpet so is this a
30:47literal trumpet or is this just the
30:49voice of God that sounds like a trumpet
30:52it makes no difference right because
30:54when it when it sounded we're going home
30:56okay
30:56but but he's gonna sound this trumpet
30:59the trumpet voice the the voice of the
31:01Archangel trumpet call of God and the
31:02dead in Christ will rise first and then
31:03we who are alive and remain is what
31:05Paul's talking about the generation
31:07that is alive at the time the Christ
31:10comes in the air will be raptured will
31:13be caught up together with those other
31:15Saints that are already in heaven who
31:17get their glorified bodies just gonna be
31:18this glorious reunion in the sky with
31:21the Lord and all those who have gone
31:23before us and so that the generation
31:27that is taken up snatched from the earth
31:29you talk about Body Snatchers friends I
31:31mean this is really what is that
31:33generation that is snatched from the
31:34earth gets we get our glorified body on
31:37the way up in the twinkling of an eye
31:39so it's this wonderful thing now let me
31:41share a couple of other cross references
31:44with you said especially for you note
31:46takers so you can see how this concept
31:48then I'll tell you actually why we call
31:50it the rapture in a moment but but again
31:51let me quote out a first Corinthians
31:5315:51 255 so for you note-takers just
31:56jot that passage down first Corinthians
31:5815:51 255 Paul says listen I tell you a
32:01mystery we will not all sleep we're not
32:02all gonna die but we will all be changed
32:04in a flash in the twinkling of an eye at
32:06the last trumpet for the trumpet will
32:08sound the dead will be raised
32:10imperishable and we will be changed for
32:12the perishable must clothe itself with
32:14the imperishable okay our frail
32:17perishable bodies have to be made
32:18imperishable which God will do
32:20miraculously and the mortal with
32:22immortality and when the perishable has
32:24been clothed with the imperishable and
32:26the mortal with immortality then the
32:28saying that is written will come true
32:30death has been swallowed up in victory
32:32where O death is your victory where O
32:34death is your sting keep a pen or
32:37something handy in 1st Thessalonians 4
32:39and go back to the Gospel of Luke I'm
32:41gonna show you something that Jesus says
32:42a relative - to all of this as well in
32:46Luke chapter 17 because it's easy to
32:52miss something Jesus says which really
32:55is a reference to the rapture and unless
32:58you understand the context which now
33:00that we have the perspective of 1st
33:02Thessalonians 4 it'll make sense in Luke
33:05chapter 17 Luke chapter 17 Jesus
33:11speaking here verse 26
33:16Jesus says just as it was in the days of
33:19Noah so also will it be in the days of
33:23the Son of Man people were eating
33:25drinking marrying and being given in
33:28marriage up to the day Noah entered the
33:30Ark then the flood came and destroyed
33:33them all it was the same in the days of
33:35lot people were eating and drinking
33:37buying and selling planting and building
33:40but the day lot left Sodom fire and
33:42sulfur rained down from heaven and
33:44destroyed them all it will be just like
33:47this on the day the Son of Man is
33:48revealed on that day no one who was on
33:51the roof of his house with his goods
33:52inside should go down to get them
33:54likewise no one in the field should go
33:56back to get anything remember Lot's wife
33:59whoever tries to keep his life will lose
34:01it and whoever loses his life will
34:03preserve it notice verse 34 I tell you
34:06on that night two people will be in one
34:09bed one will be taken and the other left
34:13two women will be grinding grain
34:16together one will be taken and the other
34:18left you see what Jesus says here now
34:21also in Matthew 24 Jesus in the same
34:24context talks about two men in a field
34:26one will be taken want to be left so
34:30what's he talking about there those are
34:31references - now what we're reading here
34:331st Thessalonians 4 you can go back to
34:351st Thessalonians 4 because he's
34:37speaking here of the fact that there's
34:39going to come a day when the voice of
34:41the Archangel trumpet call of God and
34:44Christians will be taken well obviously
34:46not everybody's a Christian on the
34:47planet at that time so there could be
34:50two women working together and one is
34:52taken because she's a believer and one
34:53has left two men working in a field one
34:56is a Christian he's taken the other ones
34:58just left behind two people in bed at
35:01night and and one has taken and the
35:03other ones just left there and so he's
35:05speaking there the same kind of thing
35:07that Paul's talking about here now where
35:09do we get this idea of and by the way in
35:13Luke 17 when Jesus makes the comparison
35:15days of Noah days of lot what was the
35:17common thing there there were a couple
35:18of common things first he talks about
35:20how life was just going on as usual
35:23people are eating drinking buying and
35:25selling just everything was happening
35:26like like normal when the rapture
35:29happens
35:30it's gonna happen on a day there's just
35:31very ordinary just very normal it's
35:33gonna happen suddenly everybody's just
35:35gonna do what everybody normally does
35:37that day and all the sudden voice of the
35:39Archangel trumpet call of God the other
35:41interesting thing about the comparison
35:42with Noah and lot think about what is
35:45what is the similarity with Noah and law
35:46as it relates to the end times we'll
35:48have more to say about this and when we
35:50get to chapter 5 because he deals more
35:52extensively with it there but the idea
35:53is this that God rescued the righteous
35:59before he brought judgment on the wicked
36:02so some people believe we go through the
36:05tribulation period we suffer I just I
36:08don't I don't see that in Scripture I
36:10see more evidence for God rescuing the
36:14righteous God took Noah and his family
36:15got to took lot and his family to rescue
36:19them before judgment came we'll talk
36:20more about that because Paul says more
36:22in chapter 5 FS first Thessalonians but
36:24now I just want to simply show you for a
36:26moment if I could where do we where do
36:28we get the whole term rapture and then
36:30you know on the timeline of events where
36:32does all this happen so let me put the
36:34verse back up here this is a chapter 4
36:36verse 17 if you'll notice with me we're
36:39again it says after that we were still
36:41alive and are left will be caught up
36:43together with them with with those who
36:45get their glorified body and and they're
36:47already in the air with Jesus coming
36:49back from heaven we'll be caught up
36:51together with them in the clouds to meet
36:53the Lord in the air and so we will be
36:54with the Lord forever
36:56so I want you to highlight in your
36:58Bibles or circle the words caught up
37:00caught up now in the New Testament it's
37:02originally written in Greek and the
37:05Greek word that Paul uses in the
37:07original language is harpazo harpazo in
37:10the Greek it means to be seized snatched
37:12or caught caught up but in the late 4th
37:15century AD Jerome was commissioned by
37:18the Catholic Church to translate the
37:21Greek New Testament into Latin and in
37:23Latin the Latin Vulgate the translation
37:26of the Bible in Latin the word rep Toro
37:29is used or the noun form is rapped tous
37:31for the words caught up seized or
37:35snatched so in English we get our word
37:38rapture derived from this Latin term
37:41wrap
37:42so even though the word rapture is not
37:45in the bible it is derived from the
37:47latin word of this verse which means to
37:51be caught up to be seized or to be
37:54snatched this is just an incredible
37:56amazing thing to even contemplate that
37:59there's gonna be this moment in time
38:01when the Lord gives the call and every
38:06single Christian on the planet is just
38:08gonna be you talk about beam me up
38:11Scotty I mean it's just gonna be beam me
38:13up Jesus it's gonna be just we're gone
38:15we're out of here we're out of here
38:17now movies have been made on this and
38:20you know bestseller books and all this
38:21and you know what will that look like
38:23you know if if like there's you know at
38:25747 with 250 passengers and the pilot is
38:28a Christian and and you know and they're
38:31in midair at 30,000 feet and he gets
38:33taken huh you know what I don't know I
38:36you know I I mean obviously there's
38:38gonna be a lot of chaotic things that
38:40happen but but all of that is somewhat
38:42speculative here's what we do know
38:44according to Scripture I want to share
38:46with you the timeline here so that
38:47everybody understands a little bit about
38:49when these events will unfold okay
38:52Jesus dies his crucifixion resurrection
38:56and ascension he's crucified on a cross
38:59he's buried three days later he rises
39:02from the dead that's his resurrection
39:04forty days after that he ascends back
39:06into heaven where the Bible says that he
39:07is presently seated at the right hand of
39:09the Father
39:09okay so Jesus is alive and well we serve
39:12a living Lord he's seated at the right
39:14hand of the Father no man knows the day
39:16nor the hour not even the Sun relative
39:18to his second coming this is God's
39:21prerogative this is in the plan and
39:22timeline of God's perfect timing when
39:25Christ ascended into heaven
39:27it'sh 'red in what we refer to in church
39:30history now in church modern history as
39:32the church age we're presently living in
39:34the church age right now this is the
39:37church age but there will come a time
39:41unknown when there will be seven years
39:44of tribulation that will come upon the
39:46earth this is primarily your Bible
39:49studies of Revelation 6 to 18 and it
39:52speaks about cataclysmic events that
39:55will come upon the
39:56earth natural disasters and and and just
40:01horrific things that will happen because
40:04it is God wringing the final calling
40:09call for all to come to repentance and
40:12to receive him as Lord and Savior this
40:14you know people will ask you know why
40:15why what will it be that horrible you
40:18know the the oceans turn to blood and
40:20vegetation dies and there there will be
40:22pest us there will be disease there will
40:24be 100-pound hailstones there will be
40:26people wishing to die and they can't
40:27there will be just the unleashing of all
40:30kinds of meteor showers and and it will
40:34be just scorched earth it was just all
40:36of this kind of stuff you can read about
40:37in Revelation 6 to 18 and and people say
40:40you know why would God do all those
40:42drastic things because sometimes God has
40:46to do the drastic to get our attention
40:48and and there are gonna be so many
40:51stubborn people who continue to refuse
40:53God that this is this is the final
40:56wake-up call final boarding call for all
40:59to come to repentance and so there will
41:02be the seven years when this will be
41:05poured out upon the earth and at the end
41:07of the seven years Jesus will then come
41:09again to the earth I'm bypassing the
41:12rapture for just a moment come back to
41:13it but Jesus will come to the earth
41:15Zechariah talks about at chapter 12 and
41:1813 and 14 about and even the even the
41:21angels when the disciples stood watching
41:23Jesus as he ascended in the book of Acts
41:25speaks about how this same Jesus will
41:27return again to the same place Jesus
41:29will come to the Mount of Olives east of
41:30Jerusalem when he touches the earth
41:32there will be a great earthquake half of
41:35the mountain range will go to the north
41:36half to the south a great river that
41:38will make the the Dead Sea fresh again
41:40so all of this is in your Bibles as well
41:42second coming second coming of Christ to
41:45the earth is because the seven years of
41:48tribulation culminate in the Battle of
41:50Armageddon and then Jesus comes defeats
41:52the enemies that are opposed to Israel
41:54into God and then he comes to the earth
41:56with the Saints with him followed by the
41:59millennial reign a thousand years on
42:01earth and then the great white throne
42:02judgment new having a new earth that's
42:03for a whole nother Bible study that's
42:05also in the book of Revelation but I
42:07want to draw your attention here to this
42:08event that we're talking about the
42:10the church some talk now this is again
42:13great theologians debate on the timing
42:15of the rapture some I've drawn it here
42:17the way that I believe the best evidence
42:19of Scripture teaches which is the
42:21rapture happens before the seven year
42:23Tribulation Period okay I don't believe
42:26that just because I don't want to go
42:28through the tribulation I ability
42:29because I really believe the Bible
42:30presents it that way okay but I really
42:32don't want to go through the tribulation
42:33either some theologians put the rapture
42:37of the church in the middle there called
42:38mid-trib some put it at the end those
42:40are really sad people
42:42those are post-trib people okay so we're
42:46pre-trib we believe that the church is
42:48taken prior to the tribulation pre-trib
42:51and I'd say this every time I'm gonna
42:53say it again if you want to be mid
42:54driven post-trib you can have my car in
42:56my house I won't be here okay because
42:59we'll be going up we'll leave it for you
43:01if you really believe in that but you
43:02know the fact of the matter is listen is
43:04God pre-trib mid-trib or post-trib you
43:07know I mean you know listen when he
43:10calls we're going home
43:11all right so just deal with it it's
43:15pantry if it'll all pan out all right
43:18but I've drawn this the way that you
43:21know many Bible scholars believe the
43:23great preponderance of Scripture teaches
43:24that that the church is taken from the
43:27earth prior to the Tribulation Period
43:29here's the deal though gang there's
43:32nothing in the Bible that says it has to
43:34happen the hour before the tribulation
43:38is unleashed upon the earth it just says
43:42when you take the full council to
43:45scripture that it'll happen before the
43:46tribulation in other words it could
43:47happen 20 years before the tribulation
43:49starts thirty years before the fifty
43:51years before in other words don't don't
43:53think well when I start to see you know
43:55things start to really unravel things
43:57are already unraveling okay then I'll
44:00get my life right with the Lord because
44:02he could he could rapture us and take us
44:05out of here there's nothing left in
44:07scripture in terms of prophetic events
44:09that have to happen before the rapture
44:12the church occurs there's there's more
44:15prophetic stuff still in the Bible to
44:16occur all of this other part here on the
44:18chart but as far as taking the church
44:21snatching us from the earth there's no
44:23other by
44:23prophecy that has to happen it could
44:24happen at any time you could happen at
44:26any time but it's the taking of the
44:29church its snatching us up because at
44:32some point after that the tribulation is
44:33coming and so God is gonna rescue us and
44:36take us to heaven and and and spare us
44:39the wrath now Paul talks more about this
44:41in Chapter five which we'll get to when
44:43we get to chapter five but this is our
44:47hope friends you know I I I hear the
44:50silly questions too and they're you know
44:52they're fun questions but it's like okay
44:53so when the trumpet call of God is
44:56sounded well everybody in the world hear
44:58it or is it kind of like like a dog
45:00whistle
45:01you know like only Christians can hear
45:03the trumpet call of God you know again
45:06it doesn't matter it doesn't matter
45:08because when when the trumpet is sounded
45:10we're going to go but the beauty of the
45:16rapture and the beauty of this whole
45:19just wonderful hope of the church that
45:23Jesus is coming again the first part of
45:26his second coming is only in the clouds
45:28to receive the church the second part of
45:30his second coming is to the earth with
45:32all of us who have been kept in heaven
45:35to come back to earth to be with the
45:37Lord to rule and reign for that thousand
45:39years in the new heaven new earth this
45:41is this is the hope for the church this
45:45is the hope for the church and John will
45:47write in first John chapter three two
45:49and three John says when he appears we
45:55shall see him as he is and we shall be
46:00like him and then he adds everyone who
46:04has this hope purifies himself just as
46:07he is pure so the challenge for us is
46:12that the imminent return of Christ and
46:17it literally could happen at any time
46:19the imminent return of Christ
46:20should motivate us to holy living
46:24because that trumpet could sound at any
46:28moment what a glorious day that shall be
46:33No so read ahead but for tonight let's
46:41pray father thank you for this glorious
46:44hope that your coming again
46:48that heaviness is our real ultimate
46:53reward
46:54it's our eternal home we think about our
46:58loved ones who have gone before us we
47:01think about how Billy Graham went to be
47:04with you today and how one day we will
47:07see our loved ones again who are in
47:10Christ because though we grieve when we
47:15lose someone here on earth we grieve but
47:18not like those who have no hope the hope
47:21of heaven and the hope of Jesus is what
47:23continues to help us Lord to manage the
47:28grief the side of heaven and we look
47:32forward to either being with you because
47:34we pass from this earth into your
47:38presence or in being with you because
47:41you return to receive the church unto
47:43yourself whichever happens first we look
47:47forward to that great day when we shall
47:49be with you forever and ever we shall
47:53see you one day Lord when you appear and
47:56everyone who has this hope purifies
47:59himself just as you are pure may we be
48:04ready Lord for whenever that trumpet
48:08call is sounded may we be ready and I
48:14pray right now for anyone here tonight
48:16or who will listen to this Bible study
48:17later by podcast who doesn't know you
48:19and they're not ready that they would
48:23surrender their heart to you right now
48:26and let me just pause in my prayer if
48:29your heads still bowed because I would
48:31be remiss if I didn't give you the
48:32opportunity to know that you are ready
48:35if you have any doubts whether or not
48:38you're ready why don't you settle it
48:41tonight and why don't you trust Christ
48:43as your Savior
48:44and you can do that by inviting them
48:47into your heart by praying a simple
48:48prayer and then living a life of
48:51surrender and if you want to pray this
48:54prayer I'm gonna lead you right now this
48:56is how it goes just where you're seated
48:58you can pray this prayer with me just
49:00invite you to pray this prayer just say
49:02Lord Jesus I accept by faith that you
49:07died in a cross for my sins and I ask
49:11you to forgive me of my sins and that
49:15you would come into my life to save me
49:19and to change me I surrender to your
49:23lordship right now I put my faith in my
49:26trust in you that I might be ready
49:30whether I die first or whether you come
49:33again first by sounding that trumpet
49:36whichever happens first I want to be
49:40ready not out of fear but in response to
49:46your love for me that you would die in a
49:49cross for me thank you Lord for loving
49:54me save me tonight come into my heart be
49:59my Lord and Savior and may I live my
50:03life this day forward following after
50:06you surrendered to your lordship living
50:10for your glory to live a life that would
50:13please you and we thank you together
50:17Lord all of us do the rest of us Lord
50:20who already know you we thank you for
50:21the hope of heaven and for your imminent
50:23return and we lift up our head and we
50:26look up because our Redemption draws
50:28near and we thank you for the hope and
50:29the promise of your blessed return mark
50:33we'd love you we give you praise glory
50:34and honor in Jesus name and everybody
50:36said a man
50:38and amen

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This page contains the full transcript of Verse by Verse Bible Study | 1 Thessalonians 4 | Gary Hamrick by Cornerstone Chapel - Leesburg, VA, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 9,034 words across 1,233 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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