The Comfort of His Coming I Thessalonians 4: 13-18

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The Comfort of His ComingI Thessalonians 4
13-18

• Be Ready
• By Warren Wiersbe
• Chapter 7

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• Revelation We have Gods Truth (413, 15)
• Death Afterlife
• Philosophers, spiritualists, scientists Paul
  (415)
• Based on the historic fact of Christs
  resurrection
• Authority of Gods Word gives assurance
  comfort

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• Return Christ is coming again (414-15)
• Relation to salvation (19-10), service
  (219-20), stabillity (311-13)
• It relates to sorrow as well, but it can comfort
  the broken-hearted
• Sleep death of believers
• body sleeps, not soul
• James 226 For as the body without the spirit
  is dead,
• Body sleeps (dies), but the soul-spirit goes to
  be with the Lord

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• 2 Corinthians 58 We are confident, I say, and
  willing rather to be absent from the body, and to
  be present with the Lord.
• v. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose
  again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
  will God bring with him.
• The fact of our Lords return is comfort to the
  believers in bereavement because He will bring
  with Him who died in the Lord

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• Jesus will return one day to bring His people
  with him (v. 14-17)
• When? No one know its wrong to set date
• Imminent return of Christ
• I Corinthians 1552a In a moment, in the
  twinkling of an eye,
• In the air where we meet Christ (v. 17)
• Resurrection the Christian dead will rise
  (415-16)

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• To Greeks, the doctrine of resurrection was
  foolish and impossible.
• Resurrection is not reconstruction.
• Like the growing of a plant from a seed
• Glorified body like Jesus Christ (Phil.
  320-21, I Cor. 1547-58)
• Two resurrections John 528-29 Revelations
  201-6

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• First resurrection or resurrection of life to
  those who are saved by faith in Jesus
• Second resurrection _ resurrection of judgment
  to the unbelievers
• Jesus rose from the dead proves there is
  resurrection
• Shout
• Lords shout, the sound of the trumpet, the
  voice of the archangel

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• Jesus gave a shout of command as He did outside
  the tomb of Lazarus (John 1143)
• I Corinthians 1552 In a moment, in the
  twinkling of an eye, at the last trump for the
  trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
  incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
• Jewish people were familiar with trumpets which
  were used to declare war, to announce special
  times, to gather for a journey.

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• The voice of the archangel
• Michael (Jude 9) Daniel 1013
• Doctrine of resurrection assures us that death
  grave are not the end.
• Summary the body will sleep, but the soul will
  be in the presence of the Lord.
• When the Lord returns He will bring the soul with
  Him, raise the body in glory, unite body soul
  into one being to share His glory forever

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• Rapture Living believers caught up (417)
• Rapture caught up, Latin word rapto meaning to
  seize, to carry off
• To catch away speedily
• Caught away Philip Acts 839
• We will be caught away quickly in a twinkling
  of an eye. Therefore, we should live each moment
  in expectation of Christs return. I John 31-3

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• To claim for ones own self He comes to claim
  His Bride.
• to move to a new place Paul used this word
  when he explained his visit to heaven. (2 Cor.
  121-4)
• John 141-6
• To rescue from dangers Acts 2310
• the Church will be taken home before the
  Tribulation starts
• These shouts apply to Christians

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• Reunion Christians forever with the Lord
  (417-18)
• We will meet the Lord in the air when He comes
  for us
• meet in Greek carries the idea of meeting a
  royal or important person
• I John 31-2
• Glorious meeting because we will have glorified
  bodies

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• The suffering we endure will be transformed into
  glory when He returns (2 Cor. 417-18a Rom.
  817-19)
• Everlasting Meeting forever with the Lord
• John 143
• The goal of redemption is to relate us to
  Christ

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• Time of reckoning
• Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema)
• (Romans 1410, 2 Corinthians 510
• Judgment seat, a place where Olympic judges
  awarded crowns to the winners
• Our workers will be rewarded we will receive
  rewards
• I Corinthians 38-15

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• Judgment Seat of Christ
• Only believers
• Immediately after the Rapture
• Rewards for the services

• White Throne Judgment
• Only unbelievers
• After millennial kingdom
• Amount of judgment

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• Death is the great separator, but Christ is the
  great reconciler
• Saints will know each other in heaven including
  the believers we never meet
• I Corinthians 1312 For now we see through a
  glass, darkly but then face to face now I know
  in part but then shall I know even as also I am
  known.
• One mark of a true Christian is his eagerness
  looking for the coming of Jesus Christ (I
  Thessalonians 110)

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• We love His appearing (2 Tim. 48)
• Because of our hope in Him, we keep our lives
  pure, so we would not be ashamed at His coming.
  (I John 228 33)
• Death is not an accident, but an appointment
• Hebrews 927 And s it is appointed unto men
  once to die, but after this the judgment