1Thessalonians
Dear
Friends in Christ,
I
didn’t see it personally but recently I learned that in the middle of summer in
2002 our local paper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ran the results of a poll. It was actually the featured article for the
front page of one of the Sunday pull out sections. The poll question was: What do Americans fear the most?
The
answers were revealing. Less than a
year after the twin tower attack on
The
number one answer to the question: “What
do you fear the most?” was: Not knowing when I am going to die. The number two answer was: Not knowing how I am going to die. In
other words, the time and manner of death topped the chart.
Maybe
those answers surprise you, maybe they don’t.
But they lead to only one conclusion:
people are concerned about the “end times” – especially as it applies to
them personally.
There
is an old French proverb that states “the more things change, the more they
stay the same.” That’s certainly true in
this case. Like the 21st
century Americans in this poll, the first century Thessalonian Christians whom
Paul addresses in our text also had their thoughts on the “last things.” In
fact, they had lots of questions along these lines and had, apparently, even
received some rather troubling misinformation about the end times. So Paul instructed them – and us – through
the words we have before us today.
As
a church we are in those final weeks of the “church year” when God’s people
customarily reflect upon the “end times.” The theme for the sermon preached by
Pastor Pagels last Sunday was “The Last Word on the Last Judgment.” Today’s text is really a continuation of
this subject matter. This morning we are
given
FURTHER
INSTRUCTION ON THE LAST THINGS
1. Death is put in its proper perspective
2. … And so is life
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall
asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep
in Him. According to the Lord’s own
word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have
fallen asleep.”
Let’s
set these words in their context. It
appears that some of the original members of the Thessalonian church had died
since the time Paul was with them. The
members of the congregation were concerned that because these Christians were
not going to be alive at the time of Christ’s return, they were somehow going
to be lost – or at the very least, miss out on something.
So
Paul goes to work and lays out the facts.
Notice his pastoral heart. He
recognizes that the pain of separation through death causes grief for both the
believer and the unbeliever alike.
Anyone who has lost a loved one certainly knows what Paul is talking
about. But he wants to make it clear
that the grief we feel at the loss of a loved one is different than that of the
unbeliever, whom he refers to as “those who
have no hope.”
What a sad observation. It is indeed sad to see how the unbeliever deals with death, either his own or the death of a loved one. What is it they look forward to? What is it they cling to? What gives them hope? Sadly, the answer to all three questions is the same: nothing. As a result, death is something to be denied and avoided – which, of course, is impossible. But that doesn’t stop people from trying…
So we see and hear of people doing truly strange things in their quest to beat death. We hear about people who make arrangements to freeze themselves after they die with the intention of being thawed out sometime in the future when science has discovered the key to immortality. (Remember the whole fiasco that surrounded the death of the great baseball player Ted Williams a few years ago?) We hear about people going through extensive and expensive medical rituals in an attempt to reverse the aging process.
But
there is no fountain of youth. People
die. Both Christians and non-Christians. However, here’s the difference: when the Christian dies, there is the sure
hope that death is not the end of the line.
Paul tells us why we have this sure hope: “We
believe that Jesus died and rose again…”
He
takes us back to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
On Good Friday Jesus died, and with His death our
sins-as-a-damning-force-in-our-lives died along with Him. Then on Easter Sunday he rose from the grave,
showing his complete power over death.
Paul said if they believed this – and he knew that they did – then a
second point of belief goes hand in hand with it. Jesus promised that His resurrection means we
also will conquer death. “Because
I live, you also will live.”
And
that changes things. Death is no longer
the Grim Reaper or “the end of the line.”
Let’s not overstate. Like the
people in the polls, we also may wonder about the hour and manner of our
death. We may even have some anxiety as
we speculate on the dying process. But as to death
itself, we know that because of Jesus Christ it is nothing less than the door
to life in heaven. Or, as Paul refers to it in our text, a sleep
from which we will awaken in glory.
Paul
continues to address the Thessalonians’ concerns. What about those believers who are still
alive at the coming of the Lord? Will
they have some advantage over those who have already died? None whatsoever. One group will not receive preferential
treatment over the other. He then goes
on to inform them and us how it will all take place:
“For the Lord Himself will
come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and
the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever. Therefore, encourage each other
with these words.”
In
approximately six weeks we will gather together to celebrate the coming of
Christ. He came to us first as the meek
and mild Babe of Bethlehem. The second
time around it will be completely different.
The next time the world sees Jesus He will be announced by the voice of
a high ranking angel accompanied by the piercing sound of a trumpet. It will be enough to literally wake the
dead. And it will take place, as Paul
tells us in 1 Corinthians, “in a flash, in the twinkling of an
eye.” Meaning, the whole process
Paul now describes should not be thought about in terms of hours or even
minutes. It will be an instantaneous
event.
As
to the concern of the Thessalonians for those who had preceded them in death,
Paul says they will rise from their graves first and join Christ “in the air.” Following that the Christians who remain
alive at the time of the Second Coming will be “caught up together with them in the clouds.” The emphasis Paul makes is on our
togetherness with Christ, not some sort of ranking system.
Why
this gathering “in the air?”
Perhaps the Apostle Peter can provide us with an answer. In his first letter he tells us that the Lord
will subject the earth to fire, either to annihilate it completely (as some
say) or (better understood) to refine it, purify it, and transform it into “the
new heaven and the new earth, the home of righteousness.” In whatever way it is understood, this much
is certainly clear: There – in heaven –
in glorified resurrection bodies eternally free from the consequences of sin we
will be “with the Lord forever.” And for all eternity we will be Saints Triumphant.
So,
how do we use this information today?
What practical value does all this have for our everyday life? Recall the final words of our text. Paul tells us to “encourage each other with these words.” This information has been given to us for our
personal and inter-personal encouragement.
In the time we have left, let’s address this.
In
doing so (and in recognition of Veterans Day last Friday), allow me to
introduce a couple of Latin phrases connected with different branches of the
service. The motto for the U.S. Marine
Corp is Semper Fidelis, which means
“always faithful.” The motto for the
U.S. Coast Guard is Semper Paratus,
which means “always prepared.” Both of
these phrases find a higher application to us as Christians. In view of the end times that we live in, our
lives are to be marked by faithfulness
to Christ now and preparation to meet
Christ in the future.
A
question that is useful and worth asking ourselves periodically is this: If each of us knew we were going to die
tomorrow, or if we knew for sure that Christ would be returning by Sunday
(which He may), how would you use your time?
What would you feel absolutely necessary to attend to?
Would
it be necessary for you to call somebody and seek their forgiveness for a past
grievance? Or on the other hand, would it
be necessary for you to grant forgiveness to someone against whom you’ve held a
longstanding grudge?
Would
you need to express your love and appreciation to someone – something you’ve
always intended to do but never gotten around to?
If
you knew you only had a day or two left, what would you do? How would you use your time? Those are not questions to produce
guilt. Those are questions to encourage
personal faithfulness and preparation.
Because we don’t know when the end – either personally or cosmically –
will come.
How
about another Latin phrase. Carpe Diem. That means “sieze the day.” As we live out our lives in the end times it
is important that we sieze the opportunities Christ gives us to grow closer to
Him and grow stronger in Him through Word and Sacrament. It is also important that we sieze the
opportunities He has placed before us as individuals and as a congregation to
be used by Him for His purposes.
Over
the last week and a half we’ve held our Spiritual Shareholders meetings here at
But
there is always more than can be done.
And we talked about those things at our meetings. The work of spreading the Gospel and
nurturing God’s people is never completed but always ongoing. While we can be pleased with how the Lord has
used us, we can never become complacent when it comes to the Great Commission. Because complacency toward the Great
Commission is the death of a church.
Recognizing
that we are in the End Times makes us aware more than ever of the importance of
seizing the day, because we don’t know how many days will be left. Therefore, let us be encouraged to spend ourselves and our resources and our time wisely
and generously and purposefully for things that will make an everlasting
difference. As we remember those fellow
Christians who have preceded us to glory, on this Saints Triumphant Sunday let
us ask that God will humbly use our efforts to create more Saints Triumphant.
We
began this sermon by calling attention to a poll. People are concerned about death. They are concerned about things relating to
the end. God in His grace has answered
those questions for us. That gives us
purpose for life. Now, in the days that
remain and as we await our Lord’s return, let us be semper fidelis, semper
paratus, and willing to carpe diem so
others may one day join us as Saints Triumphant. Amen.