November 29, 2020: SOAP #4014:  1Thes 4-5; 2Thes 1-3

SCRIPTURE:  1Thessalonians (NIV) 4:13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 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.

1Thessalonians (NIV) 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

OBSERVATION:  Death is definitely more than sleep, but in the above verses Paul draws some comparisons.  First:  we will all wake from sleep, and our bodies will all be resurrected from the dead.  Second:  we will be reunited with those who have preceded us in death. 

When we die, Paul taught that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  (2Corinthians 5:6-8) Above we read that our spirits will return with the Lord to be joined with our physical bodies. 

APPLICATION:  In my birth, I passed through my mother’s birth cannel to begin life my physical life.  In death my spirit passes through a second birth cannel of my body to enter life eternal in the presence of God.  I leave my body behind until Jesus returns.   

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, death is not something to be dreaded, but an adventure to be anticipated. Unhindered by my current limitations, I will be with you forever!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!