NOTES: FOREVER WITH THE LORD

Introduction:
– Easter is the time when we remember the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
– We remember His violent suffering.
– We remember His conversation with the thief on the cross.
– We remember the last words He spoke.
– We remember the darkness that covered the earth.
– We remember His sacrificial death and His burial.
– BUT we also remember His resurrection.
– We remind ourselves that He rose again.
– We remind ourselves that He conquered death and hell.
– We remind ourselves that He stands victorious through all eternity.
– We remind ourselves that He is the greatest attested fact of ancient history.
– We remind ourselves that He is the resurrection and the life.
– We remind ourselves of the life He promised us as a result.
– We remind ourselves of our future and the hope we have in Him.
– We remind ourselves that we will meet Him in the air.
– We BELIEVE He died and rose again!
– And so we look forward to the eternal life He has for those who believe.
– And so we will forever be with the Lord!

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 17 ‘Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
For 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.
According to the Lord’s Word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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.
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.‘

1. WE HAVE A HOPE.
– There are those who have no hope.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ‘You do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.‘
– Hope is far more than a mere positive feeling.
– Mere human hope is based on feelings, wishes, or circumstances.
– It is uncertain and rises and falls for no reason.
– It can disappoint and may never come to pass.
– It leads to anxiety and uncertainty.
– But the hope we have in Christ is completely different.
– It is divine hope that comes from God and it’s foundation is His character and promises.
– It is sure and steady, not shaken by circumstances.
– The hope we have in God is based on His faithfulness, His Word and what He has already promised.
– His hope brings peace, strength and confidence.
– Our hope says: ‘I will trust God – no matter what happens!’
– Because He is faithful, your hope can stand, even when everything else changes or is shaken.

2. THE KEY IS TO BELIEVE – JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN.
– For we believe… 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ‘For we believe…’
– What do we believe?
– 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ‘…we believe that Jesus died and rose again…’
– We believe that Jesus died and rose again!
– The foundation of the Christian faith is the fact that Jesus died and rose again.
– His death was a demonstration of God’s love for us.
– The fact that He rose again confirms His divine nature and guarantees the promise of eternal life.
– Most historians will agree that Jesus existed and that He died by way of crucifixion.
– The resurrection is the great challenge for those who do not believe.
– The result of His resurrection was a time of transformation in His followers. They were changed by this experience. They were transformed from scared disciples hiding in an upper room, and they came out fearless, bold and prepared to die for what they had seen and experienced. People are not normally willing to die for a lie. Over 500 people were witnesses to the fact that He was seen alive and they testify through the millennia to the resurrection and appearance of Jesus after His death and burial.
– This gives us certainty that Jesus was in fact the Son of God.
– The resurrection of Jesus stands as both a historical reality and a profound truth of faith.
– This gives believers confidence in the promise of their own resurrection.
– This belief is the foundation of our faith.
– His death dealt with sin and His resurrection gives us life.
– It gives us the assurance that God keeps His promises and that eternal life is real.

3. WITH GOD IN OUR LIVES – DEATH IS NOT THE END!
– Death is viewed as the end to natural life as we know it.
– If Christ had not risen, our faith would fall apart.
– But because He has risen, we can stand firm, everything is safe and secure in Him.
– Death, over which no one had any control, was finally conquered and we could see that death was not the end but the beginning of a new time and a new life.
– Death became a door to another dimension.
– His resurrection is the key to our own future.
– Because He lives, we too will live.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ‘For 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.‘
– His resurrection gives us hope beyond death and the grave.
– Death is not the end but a transition to eternal life with Christ.
– God has the ultimate authority over life and death.
– Those who are ‘IN HIM‘ are united with Jesus and He gives them the gift of eternal life.
– John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

4. THE LORD HIMSELF WILL RETURN.
– Not only do we have the promise of eternal life, but we also have the promise of His return.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ‘For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven…’
– What do we know about this wonderful promise?
– We know that the angels assured the disciples that Jesus would return in the same way in which He left.
– The Lord Himself will come down from heaven.
– His coming will not be a quiet or a distant affair.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ‘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…’
– We know that His coming will be a triumphant occasion.
– There will be a loud shout, the voice of the archangel will be heard and there will be the sound of a trumpet.
– It is a picture of divine intervention.
– It will be unmistakable, and it will be a moment of great significance, it will be powerful and majestic.
– The trumpet of God will signal the resurrection and gathering of believers.
– It will be a turning point and a pivotal moment in history.

5. THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.
– Believers are assured of the hope of resurrection.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ‘…and the dead in Christ will rise first.’
– This resurrection of those who have died will be the confirmation of the victory over death, as seen in Jesus’ own resurrection.
– Only those who were ‘in Christ’ will experience this.
– That is why it is so important that we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ – that’s what it means to be ‘IN CHRIST’.
– The promise of this ‘moment in time’ provides hope and assurance for those who believe.
– It makes life after death a certainty.
– The dead in Christ will rise first.
– No believer will be forgotten or left behind.
– The grave is not a permanent place – it is temporary ground.
– The great preacher Charles Spurgeon often encouraged people by saying that God knows exactly where His people are, even in death.

6. WE, WHO BELIEVE, WILL MEET THE LORD.
– The Bride of Christ will arise.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ‘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.’
– This passage of scripture indicates a very specific sequence of events.
– This passage also shows us that when the Lord returns there will be Christians who will be alive to see it in person.
– What a glorious day that will be for them and what an unfortunate day it will be for those who do not believe, those who are not ‘IN CHRIST’.
– There will be a clear division and it will be too late to change things.
– Both the living and the dead believers will be taken up to meet the Lord in the air.
– It will sure be a spectacle.
– This reunion will be a celebration as believers will be reunited, both with each other and with the Lord.
– The bride of Christ will rise and gathering of His people will take place, and together we will meet the Lord.
– It will be an encounter like no other.

7. FOREVER WITH THE LORD.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ‘And so we will be with the Lord forever.‘
– And here we see the promise of eternal life with the Lord.
– What a blessing to be ‘FOREVER WITH THE LORD!’
– This event or moment in time will move into the realm of eternity.
– Christians, the children of God, will never be separated from their Lord again.
– Our dwelling place will be with God and God’s dwelling pace will be with us.
– Psalm 23:6 ‘…and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.’
– If you have never given your life to God, then this could be a special moment for you.
– IF you want to make a decision right now, take a moment and earnestly pray this prayer:
– Dear Lord Jesus,
I know I have sinned in my thoughts, words and actions.
There are so many good things I have not done.
There are so many sinful things I have done.
I am sorry for my sins and turn from everything I know to be wrong.  
I know You gave Your life upon the cross for me.
Gratefully, I give my life back to You. 
Now I ask You to come into my life.
Come in as my Saviour to cleanse me,
Come in as my Lord to control me,
Come in as my Friend to be with me,
And by Your grace, I will serve You all the remaining years of my life in complete obedience. In Jesus Name, Amen.

By Pastor Andrew W. Roebert
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