Hope and Preparation for Christ's Return

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Readiness for Christ's Return

In life, we often face unexpected challenges that test our preparedness. Spiritually, we are called to be ready for Christ's return, a readiness that is cultivated through engagement with God's Word. This preparation is not about fear but about embracing the truths God has provided to alleviate our anxieties. By immersing ourselves in Scripture, we align our hearts and minds with God's promises, ensuring that we are not caught unprepared. This spiritual readiness is a proactive stance, acknowledging that God has already equipped us with the tools we need to face life's uncertainties. [01:59]

"For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to deepen your engagement with God's Word and prepare spiritually for Christ's return?

Day 2: Certainty of Hope in Christ

The promise of seeing our loved ones again in Christ offers profound comfort, transforming grief into hope. This hope is not a mere wish but a certainty grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. Those who have died in Christ are not lost; they will awaken to a new life. This assurance provides a foundation for enduring the pain of loss, knowing that death is not the end but a transition to eternal life. The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of this hope, affirming that we, too, will experience resurrection and reunion with our loved ones. [05:48]

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively remind yourself of the hope of resurrection when faced with the grief of losing a loved one?

Day 3: The Promise of a Glorious Resurrected Body

Our future bodies will be glorious, incorruptible, and perfectly suited for eternal life with Jesus. This promise is a source of hope, especially as we experience the physical decay of our earthly bodies. The assurance of a resurrected body free from ailments and decay is a profound comfort, reminding us that our current suffering is temporary. In the resurrection, we will be transformed, experiencing a new existence that reflects the glory of God. This transformation is not just physical but spiritual, as we are made whole in the presence of our Savior. [15:13]

"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power." (1 Corinthians 15:42-43, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can the promise of a resurrected body influence how you view your current physical challenges or limitations?

Day 4: Eternal Life as a Relationship with Jesus

The rapture is a momentous event where both the living and the dead in Christ will be united with the Lord. This event underscores the promise of eternal life with Jesus, a life that is not just about escaping hell but about enjoying an everlasting relationship with our Savior. Jesus' excitement to welcome us illustrates His deep love and desire for us to be with Him. Eternal life is characterized by this relationship, where we experience the fullness of joy and peace in the presence of our Lord. It is an invitation to live in communion with Jesus, both now and forever. [18:22]

"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." (John 14:3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus today, in anticipation of the eternal life you will share with Him?

Day 5: Comforting One Another with Truth

As we navigate the challenges of life, including the grief of losing loved ones, we are reminded to comfort one another with these truths. The promise of no hopeless sorrow, a resurrected body, and eternal life with the Lord are assurances that should encourage and uplift us. In Christ, we have a blessed hope, a glorious future that awaits us. By sharing these truths, we strengthen our community, offering support and encouragement to those who are struggling. This mutual comfort is a reflection of the love and unity we have in Christ, as we journey together towards our eternal home. [26:37]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs encouragement today, and how can you share the comforting truths of Christ's promises with them?

Sermon Summary

In our journey through life, we often encounter moments that test our patience and understanding, much like the incident Cindy and I experienced at the airport. This story serves as a reminder of how we sometimes blame God for our unpreparedness, yet He has already equipped us with His Word to guide us. Our current study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, particularly 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, emphasizes the importance of being ready for Christ's return. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians to address their concerns about those who had died before the rapture, assuring them of the hope we have in Christ.

Paul's message is clear: we should not grieve as those without hope. The promise of seeing our loved ones again in Christ is a profound comfort. This hope is not just a wishful thought but a certainty grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. The imagery of sleep used by Paul signifies that those who have died in Christ are not lost but will awaken to a new life. This assurance extends to the promise of a resurrected body, free from the ailments and decay of our earthly existence. Our future bodies will be glorious, incorruptible, and perfectly suited for eternal life with Jesus.

The rapture, as described by Paul, is a momentous event where both the living and the dead in Christ will be united with the Lord. This event underscores the promise of eternal life with Jesus, a life that is not just about escaping hell but about enjoying an everlasting relationship with our Savior. Jesus, in His excitement to welcome us, meets us halfway, illustrating His deep love and desire for us to be with Him.

As we navigate the challenges of life, including the grief of losing loved ones, we are reminded to comfort one another with these truths. The promise of no hopeless sorrow, a resurrected body, and eternal life with the Lord are assurances that should encourage and uplift us. In Christ, we have a blessed hope, a glorious future that awaits us, where we will be reunited with our loved ones and live forever in the presence of our Lord.

Key Takeaways

1. The Importance of Being Prepared: Just as we must be ready for life's unexpected challenges, we must also be spiritually prepared for Christ's return. God has given us His Word to guide us, and we should not blame Him for our unpreparedness. Instead, we should embrace the truths He has provided to assuage our fears and anxieties. [01:59]
2. Hope Beyond Grief: The promise of seeing our loved ones again in Christ offers profound comfort. This hope is not just a wishful thought but a certainty grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. We are assured that those who have died in Christ are not lost but will awaken to a new life. [05:48]
3. The Promise of a Resurrected Body: Our future bodies will be glorious, incorruptible, and perfectly suited for eternal life with Jesus. This promise is a source of hope, especially as we experience the physical decay of our earthly bodies. [15:13]
4. Eternal Life with the Lord: The rapture is a momentous event where both the living and the dead in Christ will be united with the Lord. This event underscores the promise of eternal life with Jesus, a life that is not just about escaping hell but about enjoying an everlasting relationship with our Savior. [18:22]
5. Comforting One Another: As we navigate the challenges of life, including the grief of losing loved ones, we are reminded to comfort one another with these truths. The promise of no hopeless sorrow, a resurrected body, and eternal life with the Lord are assurances that should encourage and uplift us. [26:37]
** [26:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:59] - Airport Incident and Spiritual Readiness
[05:48] - Hope Beyond Grief
[10:00] - The Promise of Reunion
[15:13] - The Resurrected Body
[18:22] - The Rapture Explained
[22:00] - Eternal Life with the Lord
[26:37] - Comforting Truths
[30:00] - Living with Hope
[35:02] - Personal Reflections on Memory and Hope
[38:00] - Encouragement in Christ
[40:00] - Closing Thoughts and Prayer

Sermon Clips

"But we blame God when we are unready. We blame Him when we are stressed and anxious because we are unprepared. Our current sermon series, studying the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians entitled Ready, is reminding us all to be prepared for Christ's return. In our passage today, there are some important biblical and theological truths that we should embrace in our preparation for Christ's return to give us hope, especially when we are discouraged and grieving." [00:02:40] (36 seconds)

"In this verse, we find out the specific purpose for Paul writing what he did. And it was so that the Thessalonian Christians would know the truth of what happens to Christians who die before the rapture of the church in order that they do not grieve like those who have no hope." [00:04:49] (18 seconds)

"You may feel so much regret and loss in your heart that your heart just breaks and may be inconsolable because of the finality of death. However, the Apostle Paul says you need to know the truth about Christians who have died because there is hope. And what is that hope? What is the one thing that can truly console a broken heart who believes they've lost someone forever?" [00:05:52] (29 seconds)

"Comforting truth number one the promise of no hopeless sorrow the promise of no hopeless sorrow my friends God is a God of hope if you read through the entire Bible one of the greatest themes of Scripture is that when people feel hopeless God provides hope not only possible hope but hope that is assured hope that will come to pass hope that is based on God's promises and on his character my friends this is the heart of God a God who desires to give assured hope he can't bear to see his people hurting he doesn't want his children to have a painful heart so he provided a hopeful solution in the person of his son." [00:11:27] (52 seconds)

"for if we believe that jesus died and rose again even so god will bring with him those who sleep in jesus for this we say to you by the word of the lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord will by no means precede those who are asleep in these verses i want us to notice a few things first it is made very clear at the beginning of verse 14 that this hope of seeing our loved ones after they die in a joyous reunion is only for those who have placed their trust in jesus christ as their personal savior the promise of eternal life in heaven is for those who believe that jesus died in their place and rose again to conquer death thus providing salvation from sin this is the gospel message we are called to place our trust in second notice that paul doesn't use the word died for christians who have passed since verse 13 he describes them as people who are sleeping they are but asleep or they sleep in jesus no it is not that paul doesn't believe these people have actually died but his choice of using this sleeping imagery is to drive home the point that they will wake up from our earthly perspective a person who is dead doesn't wake up but a person who is asleep Thank you." [00:13:42] (92 seconds)

"Paul writes and tells them in verse 14, don't worry, God hasn't forgotten them. Just as sure as the death and resurrection of Jesus, with the same assurance, God will bring with him the dead in Christ to be resurrected and be reunited with their Savior at the rapture." [00:17:54] (20 seconds)

"At the rapture, when Christ comes to call the church to him, he will bring the souls of all dead Christians, and at that time, they will get the resurrected bodies. Those who are living at the time of the rapture will not get their resurrected bodies before those who have died, indicating that God doesn't forget those who die in the Lord. Now, if you want to know more about our future resurrected bodies, please read 1 Corinthians chapter 15." [00:18:22] (35 seconds)

"my friends all of us who have placed our trust in jesus will not only have eternal life but also have a completely new incorruptible body that perfectly suits our eternal life with jesus just imagine we will be able to eat all that we want in heaven and never have to worry about diabetes cholesterol and obesity we will never again be limited by any physical ailments we will never get sick with our resurrected bodies we will never have to worry about getting cancer infections or any other debilitating diseases and i for one am really looking forward to having this type of body especially as i get older because with age i feel my body breaking down in fact for these past few months i've been experiencing some neck pain like a never -ending stiff neck my orthopedic surgeon asked me to get some x -rays and basically confirmed that i have compressed c5 to c7 discs in my neck that is pinching a nerve i asked the doctor what is the cause of this and he said it's from osteoarthritis in my neck so it's it's it's" [00:19:03] (80 seconds)

"this will mean that we who are alive when it happens will not have to die a physical death with our resurrected bodies we will be brought up to the sky and in the clouds we will meet the Lord in the air that's what the Bible says at which time the Lord will bring all of us into heaven you know the Apostle Paul really believed this could happen at any time that's why he put himself with the living Christian group using the pronoun we he believed Christ could come at any time and this is something we believe in as well it's called the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ Christ can come at any time in Latin the word used of the Greek verb caught up is rapturo from which comes the term rapture this rapture event is very different in how the second coming of Christ is described in revelations chapter 19 verses 11 to 21 when he comes and touches his feet on earth to rule in the promised Davidic kingdom so again the rapture and the second coming of Christ are different events so what will happen between these two events well all Christians will be in heaven with the Lord and there we will have our lives judged at the judgment seat of Christ as 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 describes we are judged for our eternal rewards based on our faithful actions here on earth what happens on earth with only non -Christians remaining they will experience the seven -year great tribulation which Daniel chapter 9 says will begin with the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and the antichrist you know the Lord is very gracious" [00:26:37] (115 seconds)

"Now, while the details of what happens at the rapture are very interesting, what is being emphasized in this passage is that followers of Jesus who have placed their trust in him will be with him forever. Verse 17, that last phrase reminds us, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." [00:28:55] (23 seconds)

"who loves us and who doesn't want to spend the rest of eternity with someone who loves us with an unconditional love that's why jesus defined eternal life in this way john chapter 17 verse 3 this is jesus's definition of the eternal life and this is eternal life that they may know you the only true god and jesus christ whom you have sent the full implication of eternal life is that we will be with our lord and savior my friends i hope you know there's no better comfort and joy than to know that we will be spending the rest of eternity with someone who loves us with an everlasting love and whom we love never to be separated again i hope and pray this truth encourages your hearts and brings you joy verse 18 therefore comfort one another with these words all these truths that have been presented by paul are to serve one main purpose and it was to comfort and encourage one another with these truths for people back then who were suffering great persecution and have lost loved ones and even for us today who have lost family members and friends to physical death often unexpectedly and suddenly we would and should be encouraged and comforted by the promise the promise of no hopeless sorrow the promise of a resurrected body the promise of eternal life with the lord the promise of the lord thank you so you so you so Thank you." [00:32:19] (113 seconds)

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