A Hope Giving God

Bible Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 | Preacher: Dwight Albright | Series: Bible Basics

Death and Christian Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

-What Is Man?
Psalm 8:1-9
“A little lower than the heavenly beings”
“Crowned him with glory and honor”
“Ruler over the works of your hands; put everything under his feet”
Genesis 1:26-27
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”
Gen 5:1 – …made him in the likeness of God.
Gen 9:5-66 -…in the image of God…
1 Cor 11:7 -…he is the image and glory of God…
Jms 3:9 -…men, who have been made in God’s likeness
God’s Image and Likeness
Spirit/soul – think of the past, present, future
Rational being – reason from facts to new ideas
Freedom – not ruled by instinct
Answerable to Creator – accountability
Spirit/soul in physical body
Matthew 10:28
…kill the body but cannot kill the soul…
…destroy both soul and body…
Spirit/soul in physical body
Philippians 1:21-24
…go on living in the body…
…I desire to depart and be with Christ…
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
…if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed…
…we have a building from God…
…as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord…
1 Cor 15:44 – …raised a spiritual body…

Death then judgment
Hebrews 9:27-28
…man is destined to die…
…after that to face judgment…
…Christ…will appear a second time…to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Christian hope — Thessalonians 4:13-18

Paul’s two purposes:
…we do not want you ignorant about those who fall asleep… v.13
What happens to followers of Jesus who die before He returns?
…we do not want you…to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope… v.13
…Therefore encourage each other with these words. v.18
…we do not want you ignorant about those who fall asleep… v.13
…we do not want you…to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope… v.13
Paul’s beliefs:
We believe that Jesus died and rose again… v.14
1 Cor 15:14 – …if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
1 Cor 15:17 – …if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again… v.14
We believe…that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… v.14

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven
…the dead in Christ will rise first
…we who are still alive…will be caught up together with them
…we will be with the Lord forever…
We do not want you…to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
What hope?
Based on what?
United with Jesus in His resurrection
How do we gain this hope of a resurrection?
Romans 6:1-11
United with Jesus in His resurrection
…all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death… v.3
…just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too may live a new life… v.4
…If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. v.5
…Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. v.8

1 Peter 1:3-5
…the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ…has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead