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first

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Thessalonians

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4:3 through

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5:1 but we do not want you to be

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uninformed Brothers about those who are

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asleep that you may not grieve as others

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do who have no hope for since we believe

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that Jesus died and rose again even so

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through Jesus God will bring with him

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those who have fallen asleep for this we

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declare to you by a word from the Lord

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that we who are alive who are left until

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the coming of the Lord will not precede

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those who have fallen asleep for the

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Lord himself will descend from heaven

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with a cry of command with the voice of

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an archangel and with the sound of the

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trumpet of God and the dead in Christ

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will will rise first then we who are

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alive who are left will be caught up

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together with them in the clouds to meet

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the Lord in the air and so we will

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always be with the Lord therefore

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encourage one another with these

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words now concerning the times and the

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seasons Brothers you have no need to

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have anything written to you for you

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yourselves are fully aware that the day

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of the Lord will come like like a thief

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in the night while people are saying

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there is peace and security then sudden

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destruction will come upon them as labor

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pains come upon a pregnant woman and

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they will not Escape but you are not in

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darkness Brothers for that day to

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surprise you like a thief for you are

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all children of light Children of the

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day we are not of the night or of the

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darkness so then let us not sleep as

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others do but let us keep awake and be

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sober for those who sleep sleep at night

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and those who get drunk are drunk at

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night but since we belong to the day let

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us be sober having put on the

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breastplate of faith and love and for a

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helmet the hope of salvation for God has

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not destined us for wrath but to obtain

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salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

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who died for us so that whether we are

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awake or asleep we might live with him

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therefore encourage one another and

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build one another up just as you are

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doing well welcome to the weekend

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Gathering of Christ Community Chapel my

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name is Zach I'm one of the pastors here

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and I'm so glad that you are here with

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us this weekend as we continue our fall

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sermon series through first and 2

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Thessalonians uh in fact if you have a

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Bible would you take it out phone uh

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device tablet and get to first or second

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Thessalonians to join me in the reading

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and if you're new here if you don't come

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from a church background not super

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familiar with the Bible at first I'm so

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glad that you're here it's probably a

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really big step for you and I want you

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to know that everything that happens

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this weekend is as much for you as is

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for anyone else and so if you want to

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read along you don't have to the verses

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will be on the screen behind me but if

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you want to follow along we do make

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Bibles available to you here in the west

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service in the Pew in front of you in

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the East service in the back of the room

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and today's reading is on page

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928 in those Bibles as you're getting to

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first Thessalonians uh I do want to let

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you know two things uh one is that we're

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going to start pretty low this weekend

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okay we're going to start with some some

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tough things some some difficult things

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uh you are going to wonder why you came

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for the first point okay but we're

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starting low but we're going to end in a

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good place that's my promise so hang in

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there with me as we deal with some heavy

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stuff uh the second thing is that I'm

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going to use an outline to guide our

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time together uh three points very

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simple and they go like this I want to

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talk about this will all end you can see

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what I mean about heavy this will all

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end here's here's what you need to know

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and here's why you need to know it this

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will all end here's what you need to

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know and here's why you need to know it

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all right let's start with the first one

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this will all end this is a passage

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about endings it's a passage about all

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things coming to an end so the passage

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looks at the last uh part of chapter 4

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and then the beginning of chapter 5

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we'll we'll look at them in Reverse uh

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the begin of chapter 5 deals with the

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end of the universe now I should say

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that science is pretty unequivocal that

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the universe will end at some point

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there are a lot of theories about how

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the universe will end and take it from

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me Googling them doesn't take you to a

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happy place okay some people say the

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universe is expanding and it's just

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going to keep on expanding until we all

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freeze to death that'll be nice others

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say the is Contracting and it's just

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going to keep on Contracting and we

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might either burn to death or just

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collapse in on ourselves some people say

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We'll become light and evaporate other

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people say a black hole or many black

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holes will open up and swallow us up so

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you see they disagree on the methodology

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but everybody agrees the universe is

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going to end but when the Bible talks

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about the end of the universe it does

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not present it in purely science

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scientific terms and it does not present

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it as the end of some kind of scientific

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process it doesn't present it as a kind

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of biological or

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physiological reality when the Bible

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talks about the end of the universe it

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talks about it in such a way that we

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know however the universe ends it will

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end when God wants it to because God

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wants it to look with me at our passage

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here at verse 16 and then uh verses 2

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and 3 verse 16 in uh chapter 4 and then

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verses 2 and 3 in chapter 5 here's what

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it says uh verse 16 for the Lord

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himself will descend from heaven with a

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cry of command with the voice of an

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archangel and with the sound of the

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trumpet of God and the dead in Christ

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will rise first chapter 5: 2 and 3 uh

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for you yourselves are full fully aware

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that the day of the Lord will come like

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a thief in the night while people are

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saying there is peace and security then

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sudden destruction will come upon them

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as labor pains come upon a pregnant

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woman and they will not escape the point

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the writer is making here is that

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eventually everything you know will come

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to an end this universe has a stopping

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point it has a a moment a a a point in

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time in which God will say no more

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that's it the universe as we know it is

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over the Bible actually refers to this

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moment as the day of the Lord and that

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title is intended to imply

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ownership that it isn't going to happen

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because of anything other than this the

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universe will end when God wants it to

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because he wants it to but it is going

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to end

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now you might be saying H that's that's

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kind of out there and esoteric and

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theoretical that's hard to conceptualize

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and most of us If we're honest would say

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yeah okay maybe the universe is going to

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end but probably not today and probably

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not tomorrow right so that's someone

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else's problem down the road well let me

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hit you with this bit of good news not

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only will the universe end you will

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end for most most of us the more

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pressing reality is not that the

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universe is going to end but that our

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universe will end because everyone in

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this room is headed towards their

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death everyone in this room is going to

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die when I say it that way it sounds

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like a threat not tonight not here at

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Christ Community Chapel but everyone

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here is going to die that's a reality

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that's a reality look at what the writer

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says here in our passage in verse 13 He

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says this but we do not want you to be

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uninformed Brothers about those who are

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asleep and he means here those that are

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dead that you may not grieve as others

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who have no hope what's implicit in that

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verse is that people around the

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Thessalonians are dying and if people

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around them are dying then of course

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they will die and if they're dying and

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going to die then so also are are we the

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Bible is unrelenting in telling us this

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everything we know will come to an end

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you and I will come to an end this will

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all end and as much as we try not to

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think about

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that as much as we try to put that out

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of our minds to to busy ourselves and in

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entertain ourselves so that we don't

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have to think about death whether you

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think about it or not whether you want

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to think about it or not it is coming

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this will all

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end that's my first point here's my

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second Point here's what you need to

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know about that the Bible isn't telling

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us that we're going to end just to bring

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us down it isn't telling us we're going

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to end because it wants us to feel

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depressed or to be anxious about the end

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when the Bible speaks of the end it's

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always for a reason and the Reason God

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wants you to know that the universe is

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going to end and that you are going to

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end is because there are some things he

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wants you to be ready for about that

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ending and here's the first thing the

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first thing that God wants us to know

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about the fact that we're going to end

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is that no matter what the end will come

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as a

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surprise no matter what the end is going

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to surprise us whether that's the end of

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the universe or whether it's our own end

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look at what he says in verses 1

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through3 in chapter 5 he says now

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concerning the times and the seasons

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Brothers you have no need to have

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anything written to you for you

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yourselves are fully aware that the day

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of the Lord will come like a thief in

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the night while people are saying there

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is peace and security then sudden

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destruction will come upon them as labor

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pain come upon a pregnant woman and they

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will not Escape what the writer is

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saying is that when he says now listen

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I'm not going to write you about how

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it's going to happen or when it's going

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to happen he says because it isn't meant

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to be understood or seen coming it is

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going to be a surprise and this is

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really important because throughout the

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history of Christianity different people

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have claimed the ability to predict the

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end of the universe there have been all

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kinds of moments my favorite story is

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about a guy in the early 20th century

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who said that Jesus was going to come

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back and the universe was going to end

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he picked a date on the calendar he put

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it in the newspaper he advertised it and

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of course it didn't happen so then he

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said oh I might have had it wrong and he

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went public again with a second

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prediction and it didn't happen and then

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he went public a third time with a

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prediction and it didn't happen and he

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was probably smart enough to know you

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don't get a fourth time so after the

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third time happened he took out another

271
00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:42,480
ad in the paper saying it did happen but

272
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when Jesus came back he was invisible so

273
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you couldn't see him points for

274
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creativity points for creativity right

275
00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,199
but people have always done this when I

276
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was a kid growing up in the church there

277
00:12:51,199 --> 00:12:55,639
was a guy named Hal Lindsay who wrote

278
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books about how the Soviet Union was

279
00:12:55,639 --> 00:12:59,199
going to usher in the end of the world

280
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and when that didn't happen it was

281
00:12:59,199 --> 00:13:04,160
Saddam Hussein and people kept buying

282
00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:06,160
the books somehow convinced that he had

283
00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,279
learned from his

284
00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,839
mistakes in fact I remember sitting in a

285
00:13:08,279 --> 00:13:11,959
Sunday school class when I was a kid in

286
00:13:09,839 --> 00:13:15,160
church and they were assigning every

287
00:13:11,959 --> 00:13:18,279
letter of the alphabet a numeric value

288
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and they said if if your name added up

289
00:13:18,279 --> 00:13:22,320
to

290
00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:24,320
666 then you were the evil ruler of the

291
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,440
world who was going to usher in the end

292
00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,600
this was our Sunday School

293
00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,560
curriculum and it might sound funny to

294
00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:33,519
you except for for my name is Zachary

295
00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:34,959
wrock that's a lot of letters and I

296
00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:36,120
remember sitting there my dad was the

297
00:13:34,959 --> 00:13:37,160
pastor of the church at the time I

298
00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,959
remember sitting there thinking this is

299
00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,199
going to be awkward if I have to tell my

300
00:13:38,959 --> 00:13:42,519
dad at lunch that I'm the Antichrist and

301
00:13:41,199 --> 00:13:44,760
there's nothing I can do about it I'm

302
00:13:42,519 --> 00:13:47,440
going to bring about the end of the

303
00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:50,000
world right people have always been

304
00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,199
infatuated with this but I want you

305
00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,839
friends please hear me on this no matter

306
00:13:52,199 --> 00:13:57,320
what YouTube rabbit hole you go down no

307
00:13:54,839 --> 00:13:59,680
matter what book you read no matter what

308
00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:02,519
podcast you listen to the writer of this

309
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:05,560
passage inspired by the holy spirit says

310
00:14:02,519 --> 00:14:08,519
no one will see it

311
00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:10,480
coming no one so only thing you can be

312
00:14:08,519 --> 00:14:13,639
sure when someone tells you and predicts

313
00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:15,120
it is that it won't happen on that day

314
00:14:13,639 --> 00:14:17,560
because no one will see it coming it'll

315
00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:20,079
be like a thief in the night it's going

316
00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:21,920
to surprise us and by the way he's not

317
00:14:20,079 --> 00:14:24,279
just talking about the end of the world

318
00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:26,560
the context of the passage is the end of

319
00:14:24,279 --> 00:14:27,959
the world and the end of our Lives I

320
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,880
don't know if you've thought about this

321
00:14:27,959 --> 00:14:33,120
but your own death is going to sneak up

322
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,120
on

323
00:14:34,279 --> 00:14:40,600
you some of us will die suddenly and

324
00:14:37,399 --> 00:14:43,079
quite literally death will sneak up on

325
00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:45,279
us but others of us will sit in a

326
00:14:43,079 --> 00:14:48,680
doctor's room and be told that we have

327
00:14:45,279 --> 00:14:50,160
six months to live we will not have seen

328
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,880
it

329
00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:54,639
coming it's going to surprise us in fact

330
00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,839
the best metaphor for this I can think

331
00:14:54,639 --> 00:14:58,600
of is we all know we're going to die and

332
00:14:56,839 --> 00:15:00,519
yet somehow we're still going to be

333
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,199
surprised for it's like watching a

334
00:15:00,519 --> 00:15:05,959
horror movie do you know what I mean you

335
00:15:03,199 --> 00:15:08,399
know it's a scary movie when you turned

336
00:15:05,959 --> 00:15:09,880
it on you knew it was going to scare you

337
00:15:08,399 --> 00:15:12,880
but when the killer jumps out of the

338
00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,600
closet you still jump because even

339
00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,079
though you knew something scary was

340
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,680
coming you still weren't ready for it

341
00:15:17,079 --> 00:15:20,880
listen you and I know we're going to die

342
00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:24,480
but God is telling us you're going to be

343
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:27,440
caught off guard by it but here's the

344
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:30,079
other thing he wants you to know he

345
00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:33,160
won't be

346
00:15:30,079 --> 00:15:35,720
you will be he won't be either by the

347
00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:38,360
end of the world or by the end of your

348
00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:42,440
life look at what it says in verses 15

349
00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:46,639
and 16 of chapter 4 he says for this we

350
00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:49,920
declare to you by a word from the Lord

351
00:15:46,639 --> 00:15:52,720
that we who are alive who are left until

352
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,880
the coming of the Lord will not prede

353
00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,720
those who have fallen asleep for the

354
00:15:54,880 --> 00:16:00,079
Lord himself will descend from heaven

355
00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:02,519
with a cry of command and with the voice

356
00:16:00,079 --> 00:16:05,079
of an archangel and with the sound of

357
00:16:02,519 --> 00:16:07,440
the trumpet of God and the dead in

358
00:16:05,079 --> 00:16:09,600
Christ will rise first Paul says there's

359
00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,920
a lot we don't know about the end of the

360
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,880
world there's a lot we don't know about

361
00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:16,399
what is coming but there are some things

362
00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:19,360
we do know and we do know them because

363
00:16:16,399 --> 00:16:23,000
God told us because God

364
00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:25,240
knows he isn't surprised God knows the

365
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:28,440
exact minute the universe will be

366
00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:31,319
done God knows the exact minute that you

367
00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:34,639
will be done done it surprises you it

368
00:16:31,319 --> 00:16:37,199
sneaks up on me but it does not surprise

369
00:16:34,639 --> 00:16:39,560
him in fact go back to the horror movie

370
00:16:37,199 --> 00:16:41,199
example when you're watching that movie

371
00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:44,040
it's like watching the movie with a

372
00:16:41,199 --> 00:16:45,800
friend who's seen the movie and the

373
00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:48,120
killer jumps out of the closet and you

374
00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:50,279
jump and your friend goes you're such a

375
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,440
wimp well the only difference is they

376
00:16:50,279 --> 00:16:55,759
knew the guy was coming out of the

377
00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:59,319
closet God is like that God knows your

378
00:16:55,759 --> 00:17:03,079
end he knows the universe's end you

379
00:16:59,319 --> 00:17:06,199
don't he does I will be surprised he

380
00:17:03,079 --> 00:17:09,120
won't be that's what God wants us to

381
00:17:06,199 --> 00:17:11,720
know and here's my third Point well why

382
00:17:09,120 --> 00:17:14,199
why does he want us to know

383
00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:16,640
that and you might notice I've rushed to

384
00:17:14,199 --> 00:17:18,199
this third point and that's intentional

385
00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,480
because I want you to know that

386
00:17:18,199 --> 00:17:23,039
overwhelmingly God In this passage has

387
00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,520
good news for you even though he's

388
00:17:23,039 --> 00:17:25,919
talking about your death even though

389
00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,799
he's talking about the end of the

390
00:17:25,919 --> 00:17:29,280
universe even though he's telling you

391
00:17:27,799 --> 00:17:31,160
you could never be ready for for it

392
00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:32,880
you'll never see it coming it's going to

393
00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:35,400
catch you by total

394
00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,679
surprise even in all of that God has

395
00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,160
good news for you in fact I want you to

396
00:17:36,679 --> 00:17:41,480
see that the whole point of this passage

397
00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:44,480
is in verses 18 of chapter 4 and then

398
00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:47,120
verse 11 of chapter 5 is encouragement

399
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,640
listen to what he says chapter 4: 18

400
00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:50,320
right after he's talked about death this

401
00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:53,960
is what he says

402
00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:57,919
therefore encourage one another with

403
00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:59,360
these words then verse 11 of chapter 5

404
00:17:57,919 --> 00:18:02,600
right after he's talked about the end of

405
00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:05,480
the universe he says this therefore

406
00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:10,080
encourage one another and build one

407
00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:12,159
another up just as you are doing you see

408
00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,799
the whole reason God is speaking to us

409
00:18:12,159 --> 00:18:17,559
in these passages about death and the

410
00:18:14,799 --> 00:18:20,760
end of the universe is because he wants

411
00:18:17,559 --> 00:18:23,480
us to be encouraged he wants us to

412
00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,600
encourage each other in other words God

413
00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:27,720
is saying something in this passage

414
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,360
about death and about the end of the

415
00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:32,799
universe that he wants me to use to

416
00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:35,919
encourage you and then he wants you to

417
00:18:32,799 --> 00:18:38,480
use to encourage me now how could that

418
00:18:35,919 --> 00:18:40,960
possibly be well the answer to that I

419
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:43,600
think is in three different Ministries

420
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,400
that these passages are calling us to

421
00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:48,080
three different Ministries that I think

422
00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:50,320
God wants to call you to in light of

423
00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:53,480
your understanding that the universe

424
00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:56,360
will end you will end you won't see it

425
00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:59,360
coming but he will three Ministries here

426
00:18:56,360 --> 00:19:03,480
they are first the ministry

427
00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:06,640
of death the ministry of death listen to

428
00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:09,000
what he says in verses 13-1

429
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:12,480
17 but we do not want you to be

430
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:15,240
uninformed Brothers about those who are

431
00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:18,760
asleep that you may not grieve as others

432
00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:22,760
do who have no hope for since we believe

433
00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:26,240
that Jesus died and rose again even so

434
00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:28,919
through Jesus God will bring with him

435
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,720
those who have fallen asleep for for

436
00:19:28,919 --> 00:19:33,200
this we declare to you by a word from

437
00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:35,559
the Lord that we who are alive who are

438
00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,640
left until the coming of the Lord will

439
00:19:35,559 --> 00:19:40,600
not proceede those who have fallen

440
00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:42,960
asleep for the Lord himself will descend

441
00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:45,320
from heaven with a cry of command with

442
00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:47,679
the voice of an archangel with the sound

443
00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:51,159
of the trumpet of God and the dead in

444
00:19:47,679 --> 00:19:53,840
Christ will rise first and then we who

445
00:19:51,159 --> 00:19:56,120
are alive who are left will be caught up

446
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:58,159
together with them in the clouds to meet

447
00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:01,240
the Lord in the air so that we will

448
00:19:58,159 --> 00:20:03,919
always be with the Lord you see what

449
00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:06,679
he's saying is that the good news that

450
00:20:03,919 --> 00:20:10,360
God has for us is that we are all going

451
00:20:06,679 --> 00:20:15,400
to die and we will not see it coming but

452
00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:18,799
after death comes only good things for

453
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:21,679
us have you ever thought about that that

454
00:20:18,799 --> 00:20:24,880
what this passage is saying is that

455
00:20:21,679 --> 00:20:28,200
Death is certain and death is surprising

456
00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:30,799
and death is sad he says when you grieve

457
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:33,159
I want to grieve not like you don't have

458
00:20:30,799 --> 00:20:35,960
any hope he's not saying he doesn't want

459
00:20:33,159 --> 00:20:40,039
us to grieve death is sad death is

460
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:43,440
surprising death is awful but death is

461
00:20:40,039 --> 00:20:48,919
only the beginning of the best part of

462
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:52,880
your life because to die is to await

463
00:20:48,919 --> 00:20:55,640
Resurrection with Jesus and Eternity in

464
00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:58,880
the Kingdom that is to come now when I

465
00:20:55,640 --> 00:21:01,120
say the ministry of dying I mean two

466
00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:03,400
different things the first is I want you

467
00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:07,640
to hear this that what God is calling us

468
00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:10,039
to In this passage is to see death as a

469
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,039
mission

470
00:21:12,039 --> 00:21:15,760
field I don't know if you've thought

471
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:18,880
about this but the most powerful

472
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:22,679
testimony you may ever

473
00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:25,600
have the most powerful witness you may

474
00:21:22,679 --> 00:21:29,279
ever have the most powerful moment that

475
00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:32,720
God uses you may just be

476
00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:35,159
your process of

477
00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:38,159
dying that's because if you think about

478
00:21:35,159 --> 00:21:41,960
it this way for those who do not know

479
00:21:38,159 --> 00:21:43,840
Jesus life right now is as good as it's

480
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,799
ever going to

481
00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:49,480
be that's because this life will end and

482
00:21:46,799 --> 00:21:51,760
after this life ends becomes death and

483
00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:56,039
after death comes judgment and after

484
00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:58,279
judgment comes the Lord's anger but for

485
00:21:56,039 --> 00:22:00,480
those of us that are in Christ at the

486
00:21:58,279 --> 00:22:02,120
end of this life comes death and after

487
00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:04,360
death resurrection and after

488
00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:07,400
Resurrection glory and what Paul is

489
00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:09,880
saying is that we should face death not

490
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:12,240
just with courage but with an

491
00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:14,679
anticipation that good things are

492
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:17,039
waiting for us that doesn't mean that if

493
00:22:14,679 --> 00:22:19,000
tomorrow I go to see my doctor and my

494
00:22:17,039 --> 00:22:22,880
doctor says Zach you have six months to

495
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:25,640
live that I walk out saying

496
00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:28,159
awesome or that I call my wife and I say

497
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:30,240
great news honey I've got 6 months to

498
00:22:28,159 --> 00:22:33,320
live

499
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:36,039
no death is sad death is awful death in

500
00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:38,000
that circumstance would be tragic I I'd

501
00:22:36,039 --> 00:22:40,159
have to tell daughters I wouldn't walk

502
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:43,360
them down the aisle tell Sons I couldn't

503
00:22:40,159 --> 00:22:45,559
help them grow into full manhood there's

504
00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:47,240
all kinds of sad things that I would

505
00:22:45,559 --> 00:22:49,880
have to reckon with but what what the

506
00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:52,720
writer of first Thessalonians is saying

507
00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:56,240
is that on the other side of all of

508
00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:58,840
those painful things is good

509
00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:01,080
news and it's in our moment of death

510
00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:04,600
it's in our process of dying that we

511
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:07,080
testify to our hope that just as Jesus

512
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,720
was raised from the dead so also with

513
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:12,559
will we be Brothers and Sisters in

514
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:18,200
Christ could we even now consecrate our

515
00:23:12,559 --> 00:23:21,760
death to God to say to God help me die

516
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:25,320
well help me point to My Hope in you my

517
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:27,840
trust in you my confidence in you in the

518
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:29,799
moment or moments of my death but of

519
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,240
course the second thing he's call

520
00:23:29,799 --> 00:23:34,919
calling us to in the ministry of death

521
00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:37,440
is to help each other with

522
00:23:34,919 --> 00:23:39,360
death I don't know if you have ever lost

523
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:42,039
anyone but there's this cultural

524
00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:45,520
phenomena that when you go through grief

525
00:23:42,039 --> 00:23:48,720
people tend to shrink back from

526
00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:50,480
you they don't know what to

527
00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,400
say they don't want to make you

528
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:54,760
uncomfortable they don't want to be

529
00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:57,360
uncomfortable and so everyone shows up

530
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,679
initially attends the funeral offers to

531
00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:02,320
help in any way that we can but

532
00:23:59,679 --> 00:24:04,440
eventually there's a retreating that

533
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:06,960
happens there's an uncomfortableness but

534
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:09,400
here Paul is saying that in the church

535
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:11,720
we should be leaning into each other

536
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:14,039
weeping with each other for sure

537
00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:16,440
grieving with each other to be certain

538
00:24:14,039 --> 00:24:19,520
but also pointing one another to this

539
00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:23,480
good news that death is awful and tragic

540
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:27,240
but it is also a doorway into life

541
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:29,360
Everlasting with Jesus it's the ministry

542
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:31,159
of death

543
00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:34,640
the second Ministry Paul is calling us

544
00:24:31,159 --> 00:24:37,520
to is the ministry of waiting the

545
00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:41,360
ministry of waiting look at what he says

546
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:44,399
here in verses 4-9 and chapter 5 when he

547
00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:47,159
says this but you are not in darkness

548
00:24:44,399 --> 00:24:49,760
Brothers for that day to surprise you

549
00:24:47,159 --> 00:24:52,480
like a thief for you are all children of

550
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:55,000
light Children of the day we are not of

551
00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:57,679
the night or of the darkness so then let

552
00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,720
us not sleep as others do but let us

553
00:24:57,679 --> 00:25:02,520
keep aake and be sober for those who

554
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,760
sleep sleep at night and those who get

555
00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:07,399
drunk are drunk at night but since we

556
00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:10,399
belong to the day let us be sober having

557
00:25:07,399 --> 00:25:13,120
put on the breastplate of faith and love

558
00:25:10,399 --> 00:25:16,039
and for a helmet the hope of salvation

559
00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:19,399
for God has not destined us for wrath

560
00:25:16,039 --> 00:25:21,320
but to obtain salvation through our Lord

561
00:25:19,399 --> 00:25:24,600
Jesus Christ see what the writer is

562
00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:27,720
saying is that in some ways all of us

563
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:30,399
are between now and the end we are

564
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:32,720
waiting for the universe to end or for

565
00:25:30,399 --> 00:25:35,320
our lives to end we're in the waiting

566
00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:38,200
room of life and in the midst of that

567
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:40,360
waiting room is all kinds of things good

568
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:43,600
things and bad things there's marriage

569
00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:46,760
and divorce there's love and there's

570
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:50,000
hate there's pleasure and there's pain

571
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:52,679
but also there's anxiety because the end

572
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:55,039
is looming over us and the writer is

573
00:25:52,679 --> 00:25:57,480
saying that one of the ways we encourage

574
00:25:55,039 --> 00:26:02,240
each other is with the consistent

575
00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:07,200
refrain that we are headed towards good

576
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,200
things between now and Heaven there's

577
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:11,039
infertility between now and Heaven

578
00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,600
there's

579
00:26:11,039 --> 00:26:18,240
depression between now and Heaven There

580
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:21,559
is poverty bankruptcy shame

581
00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:23,600
guilt but even as we push through those

582
00:26:21,559 --> 00:26:27,760
things even as we walk through those

583
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:30,240
things we are always only walking to

584
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,240
Hope

585
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:35,880
because the way we're walking is towards

586
00:26:34,919 --> 00:26:39,240
life

587
00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:41,399
Everlasting with God one of the ways you

588
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:43,760
and I are meant to encourage each other

589
00:26:41,399 --> 00:26:46,919
is not by minimizing depression or

590
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:48,840
poverty or divorce or pain no that's not

591
00:26:46,919 --> 00:26:51,320
the point it's not saying to someone get

592
00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:54,840
over it don't you know there's good news

593
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:58,320
it's reminding each other as we cry as

594
00:26:54,840 --> 00:27:00,840
we grieve as we struggle that our faces

595
00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:05,480
are appointed to

596
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:07,679
Glory it's the ministry of waiting

597
00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:10,880
together for the

598
00:27:07,679 --> 00:27:14,080
end and then third the third Ministry

599
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:17,039
he's calling us to is the ministry of

600
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:19,919
sharing look at what he says verses 9

601
00:27:17,039 --> 00:27:22,760
and 10 of chapter 5 for God has not

602
00:27:19,919 --> 00:27:25,320
destined us for wrath but to obtain

603
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:27,720
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

604
00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:31,480
who died for us so that whether we are

605
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:34,360
awake or asleep we might live with him

606
00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:37,200
Paul says we know that even though we

607
00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:39,320
die we will get back up because that's

608
00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:41,080
what Jesus did but of course he's

609
00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:43,399
speaking there to Christians those who

610
00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:46,320
have placed their faith in Jesus those

611
00:27:43,399 --> 00:27:49,640
who have asked God to forgive them on

612
00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:51,720
the basis of Jesus's life and death and

613
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:54,240
Resurrection I want you to understand

614
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:57,480
what he's saying here is that you have

615
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:59,960
hope but the implication is not everyone

616
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,519
does

617
00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:03,840
you see when the universe ends it ends

618
00:28:01,519 --> 00:28:07,600
for

619
00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:12,320
everybody death is a reality for

620
00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:15,480
everybody but it is not good news for

621
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:17,960
everybody so what's rattling around in

622
00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:21,480
this passage is not just that we have

623
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:25,320
hope but that our desire would be that

624
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:28,120
so does everyone else around

625
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:30,399
us it's impossible to read this passage

626
00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:32,720
message without saying but what about my

627
00:28:30,399 --> 00:28:34,600
dad what about my mom what about my

628
00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:37,440
brother what about my friend what about

629
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:39,640
my neighbor what about my coworker and I

630
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:44,120
think in that way the spirit is saying

631
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:44,120
to us through this passage what about

632
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:54,159
them because it's calling us not just to

633
00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:57,000
think about our death but about

634
00:28:54,159 --> 00:28:59,640
Theirs to find the courage to invite

635
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,279
them to ch Church to find the en the

636
00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,480
courage to talk about our own

637
00:29:01,279 --> 00:29:05,640
relationship with Jesus to find the

638
00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:08,559
courage to ask them if they've thought

639
00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:11,039
about what comes after this life because

640
00:29:08,559 --> 00:29:14,279
the end of the universe is certain the

641
00:29:11,039 --> 00:29:17,080
end of all people is certain and after

642
00:29:14,279 --> 00:29:20,720
that comes judgment

643
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:24,880
unless they turn to

644
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:29,000
Christ and friends that's you and I's

645
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:31,279
responsibility to point them there

646
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:34,480
which is why I'm ending in this way if

647
00:29:31,279 --> 00:29:38,440
you're here this weekend and you are not

648
00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:41,240
yet a Christian here in this passage yes

649
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:44,080
the universe will end you will end you

650
00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:47,240
won't see it coming no one really ever

651
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:50,600
does but God does and in seeing your

652
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:55,399
death coming God is saying to you it is

653
00:29:50,600 --> 00:30:00,720
not too late to turn to

654
00:29:55,399 --> 00:30:05,760
Jesus to be forgiven heav to have the

655
00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:10,519
hope of Heaven this will all

656
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:13,679
end but today if you turn to Jesus that

657
00:30:10,519 --> 00:30:14,640
might be the best possible news you

658
00:30:13,679 --> 00:30:17,600
could

659
00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:20,480
hear let me pray for us father

660
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:23,480
God thank you that you love us enough to

661
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:26,559
interrupt our comfort to interrupt our

662
00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:28,480
autopilot to interrupt our living as

663
00:30:26,559 --> 00:30:31,640
though this life will never end the

664
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:33,559
universe will never end we will never

665
00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:36,279
end we don't think that consciously

666
00:30:33,559 --> 00:30:38,640
we're smarter than that we're scientific

667
00:30:36,279 --> 00:30:41,159
enough to know that isn't true but but

668
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:43,320
dayto day functionally we put it out of

669
00:30:41,159 --> 00:30:45,919
our mind holy spirit my prayer this

670
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:48,279
weekend is that you might bring it into

671
00:30:45,919 --> 00:30:48,279
our

672
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:55,399
minds that we might Ponder our own end

673
00:30:53,279 --> 00:30:59,080
that we might those of us in Jesus might

674
00:30:55,399 --> 00:31:01,440
set our face to die well to testify to

675
00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:04,720
the hope that is available in Christ to

676
00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:07,279
doctors and nurses and EMS and and and

677
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:09,320
police and anyone who's around us in the

678
00:31:07,279 --> 00:31:11,880
moment or moments of our death that we

679
00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:14,440
would grieve but with hope in such a way

680
00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:18,080
that would cause them to wonder how they

681
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:20,080
might find that hope too for those here

682
00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:22,159
this weekend who have yet to find that

683
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:25,080
hope that this would be the moment where

684
00:31:22,159 --> 00:31:26,919
you begin a curiosity in them that will

685
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:30,240
not let them

686
00:31:26,919 --> 00:31:36,000
sleep until they meet

687
00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:36,000
Jesus in his name we pray amen