Introduction: This is the last of our series of lessons on hope.
What, really, is your ultimate hope? We have discussed the hope
given to us by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. What, exactly,
does that give us? Where do we end up with that hope? What is your
ultimate goal? Let’s jump into our lesson and consider some hopeful
words about “ultimate things” given to us by God.
- Hope About Death
- Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Paul writes to the
Thessalonians to cure two problems, what are they?
(Ignorance and grief in the context of death.) - Is Paul going to completely take away grief by what
he is about to say? (He says they will not grieve
like those who have no hope. Our grief will not be as
severe as others who do not have the gospel hope.) - Why does Paul call death “sleep?” Or, is he really
speaking about sleep? (Paul is speaking about death.
We don’t grieve when our friends and family go to
sleep each day. Compare Jesus’ description of death
as sleep in John 11:11-14. Calling death “sleep”
conveys a couple of important ideas. First, it tells
us this is not a permanent state. Second, it conveys
a sense of unconsciousness during death.) - Read 1 Thessalonians 4:14. On what basis do we have hope
that death is not permanent? (Our hope is based on the
fact that Jesus rose from the dead – therefore we can be
raised from the dead.) - What hope do those have who believe that Jesus was
simply a “good man” who died 2,000 years ago? - Notice the phrase, “God will bring with Jesus those
who have fallen asleep in him.” What does this
suggest: a) That Jesus will bring the dead from
heaven at the Second Coming? or, b) That Jesus will
bring the dead from the earth to heaven at the Second
Coming? (It would be more logical to use the word
“come” instead of “bring” if the dead were coming
from heaven. Bring gives the sense that God is
retrieving Jesus and the dead back from earth.
However, I do not believe there is sufficient
evidence in this language to make a theological
decision. The Greek word translated “bring” means to
“lead” or “guide.”) - Read 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Paul’s statement assumes the
dead in Christ are where? (Now we have enough evidence to
make a theological decision. Paul assumes the dead are not
in heaven now. His words (v.15) “we who are still
alive…will certainly not precede” rebut the idea that
those who are alive at the Second Coming will go to heaven
first. If the people believed that the dead went
immediately to heaven upon death, he would have no reason
to rebut that idea that the living would get to heaven
first. The Thessalonians did not assume the dead went to
heaven first.) - What does verse 16 say is the timing of the
resurrection? (At the Second Coming, the “dead in
Christ will rise first.”) - What happens to those who are alive at the Second
Coming? - When verse 17 says we will be “caught up together
with them” who is the “them?” (The dead in Christ.) - With this background, tell me now how you think the
term “bring” in verse 14 should be interpreted? (This
now makes verse 14 very clear. Jesus is bringing
(leading, guiding) both the resurrected righteous and
the living righteous with Him from earth and taking
them to heaven. He is not bringing the dead from
heaven.) - In what way does this news give hope to you, as one
who follows Jesus? (If you are alive when Jesus
comes, He will take you to heaven. If you are dead
when Jesus comes, He will do the most remarkable
thing – He will call you from the dead and you will
rise up to meet Jesus in the air. From there, He
will take you to heaven.) - Read 1 Thessalonians 4:18. Does this message from Paul
encourage you? - Aren’t Christians generally hopeful anyway? Why would
Paul say to encourage each other with these words?
(The idea that the righteous dead will arise and go
to heaven to live forever with Jesus is the “ultimate
hope.” While Paul acknowledges (1 Thessalonians
4:13) that death reasonably causes us grief, our
grief should not be as severe as those with no hope.
Ultimately, we will have no grief at all. Instead, we
will have the joy of being reunited with our loved
ones forever!) - Hope About Eternity
- Let’s leave heaven out of our discussion for just a
minute. What would you like to accomplish in your life?
What would you like to be remembered about you after you
have died? (Human nature generally wants to be remembered.
The worry is that no one will remember that we ever
existed. Most want to make “a mark” on life. That is one
of the good things about being a lawyer. There are a
number of important legal decisions where I was the
winning lawyer in the case. These written decisions,
which include my name, can be found in just about every
town that has a decent law library. As long as the United
States exists, these decisions bearing my name will be
part of the “law books.” Of course, the more practical
question is, “Who will be looking?”) - Why do we want to “make our mark?” (This is poor
attempt to “live” beyond the span of our life.) - How does Paul’s discussion in 1 Thessalonians 4
impact on our hope of being remembered? (We do not
need to worry about being remembered, because we will
( 1 Thessalonians 4:17) be around forever. No need to
worry about being remembered if you are still
around.) - Is “being around” a better hope than simply being
remembered? - The concept of living for eternity is mind-boggling. Can
you imagine unfinished mansions in heaven? On the earth
made new? (If time is no consideration, and you have
forever to get it done, perhaps we will see a little “tar
paper” along with the gold.) - The Blessings of Hope
- Read Romans 15:13. This little verse contains a lot of
information. If you tried to figure out what you needed
to obtain hope, and your study was only this verse, what
would you conclude? (We need the power of the Holy Spirit.
We also need trust in God.) - You have a “God of hope,” and you have the tools to
tap into that hope (The Holy Spirit and trust), what
results can you expect in your life? (Joy and peace.) - Would you like joy and peace in your life?
- Are joy and peace some of the “ultimate things”
in life? - Notice this verse speaks of “overflow[ing]” with
hope. Why would you want to “overflow?” Isn’t being
full of hope enough? (This is where Christian sharing
comes in. If you “overflow” with hope, you will
naturally share it with others. Joy and peace are
highly desired. If you are overflowing with something
that brings joy and peace, you can be sure others
will want to learn more.) - Friend, we have a God of Hope. The greatest thing we can
hope for, eternal life for ourself, our family and our
friends is a central part of our hope. This hope
profoundly affects our life now, by giving us joy and
peace. This hope also promises life forever with our
loving Lord and Creator. Will you accept God’s offer? Will
you become a follower of the God of hope? Will your life
overflow with hope so that others may see and share in
your hope? - Next week: We begin our study of a new topic, “The Promise:
God’s Everlasting Covenant.”
