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Warren Wiersbe - Comfort for a Believer's Death - 13 of 20 | Back to the Bible | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Warren Wiersbe - Comfort for a Believer's Death - 13 of 20
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Core Theme
This content explains the Christian perspective on death and the afterlife, offering comfort and hope to believers by detailing what happens to those who die in Christ and the assurance of future reunion with them and the Lord.
[Music]
welcome to back to the Bible radio
featuring best-selling author an
internationally known Bible teacher
Warren where's being 1st Thessalonians
4:13 but I do not want you to be
ignorant brethren concerning those who
have fallen asleep bless you sorrow as
others who have no hope for if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again
even so God will bring with him those
who sleep in Jesus for this we say to
you by the word of the Lord that we who
are alive and remain until the coming of
the Lord will by no means precede those
who are asleep for the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout with
the voice of an archangel and with the
trumpet of God and the dead in Christ
will rise first then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the lord
in the air and thus we shall always be
with the Lord therefore comfort one
another with these words
now if you want comfort in time of
sorrow and bereavement this is what you
want to read you see the believers at
Thessalonica were really distressed
because some of their number had died
now we don't know if they died because
of sickness or died because of
persecution we have no way of knowing
but they were concerned they were
wondering now that our loved ones are
dead does this cut them off from the
Lord Jesus Christ if the Lord Jesus
should return what about the dead who
have gone before us now Paul had
explained some of these things to them
but now he wants to go ahead and explain
it even further and he points out that
the dead in Christ are not deprived in
any way there is nothing to worry about
as far as their future is concerned the
living have no advantages over the dead
in fact the dead are in a far better
place now if you want to have real
comfort and real hope you base it on
what Paul has to say here let's notice
the calm
forts that are found in first
Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13
through 18 when you find yourself in
sorrow and bereavement and you're
concerned about the future hope remember
what death is now what is death for the
Christian well he talks about death as
sleep did you notice that but I would
not want you to be ignorant brethren
concerning those who have fallen asleep
you see when you are a Christian and you
die you don't just die you fall asleep
verse 14 even so God will bring with him
those who sleep in Jesus verse 15 we
will by no means precede those who are
asleep now these are interesting
pictures aren't they
death is pictured in many different ways
in Scripture death for the believer is
pictured as a departure Philippians
chapter 1 verse 23 Paul says he wanted
to depart and be with Christ second
Timothy chapter 4 and verse 6 at the
time of my departure is at hand
that's a beautiful word the Greek word
translated departure means to take down
a tent and move on to other territory
you see this body we live in is only a
tent it's only a temporary dwelling and
death means we just simply take down the
tent and we go on to higher ground that
word also means to loosen a ship and set
sail well when we set sail we know where
we're going and we know who the pilot is
that word departure also means to unyoke
the Ox and at the end of the day and
lead them into rest you know life is
difficult life has its burdens and its
problems and it's worries and the day is
going to come when we're going to meet
the Lord and he's going to take the yoke
off blessed are the dead who die in the
Lord from henceforth that they may rest
from their labors revelation 14:13 by
the way that word departure also means
to solve problems philosophers used it
when they were talking about solving
problems there are many problems in life
I don't understand
and but this I know one day I'm going to
meet him and it's going to be a time of
departure and all the problems are going
to be solved
of course Jesus compared death for a
Christian to going home in my father's
house are many mansions if it were not
so I would have told you and so for the
Christian death is just simply going
home going to be with the father joining
the rest of the family now Paul uses
sleep as a picture and this is not a new
picture in the Old Testament you find
the very same picture in fact our word
cemetery comes from the Greek word that
means to sleep a cemeteries of sleeping
place it is important to recognize that
it is the body that sleeps it is not the
soul that goes to sleep nowhere are we
told in the Bible that the soul goes to
sleep it's the body that sleeps in
Daniel chapter 12 and verse 2 we read
and many of those who sleep in the dust
of the earth shall awake he's talking
about resurrection now the soul doesn't
sleep in the dust of the earth the body
returns to dust and so he's talking here
simply about the body sleeping I suppose
the best proof of this is a Luke chapter
8 when Jesus is going to go home with
gyruss because his daughter is about to
die verse 42 then he was delayed by this
woman who wanted to be healed well by
the time Jesus got to the house already
the girl was dead and so Jesus took
Peter and James and John and the father
of the mother and went into her little
room and here were the mourners weeping
and wailing and Jesus said do not weep
she is not dead but sleeping verse 52 he
put them all out and he took the little
girl by the hand and he said to her
little girl arise now verse 55 then her
spirit returned and she arose
immediately now where was her spirit
with the Lord
you see the Bible definition of death is
James 2:26 better market in your Bible
as the body without the Spirit is dead
what is death as far as the Bible is
concerned when the spirit leaves the
body then the body seems to be asleep it
is the body that sleeps it is not the
soul her soul had gone out her spirit
had gone out into eternity to be with
God now Jesus called that spirit back
into the body and the body was awakened
that's why Jesus said she's not dead
she's only sleeping now these people
knew that she was dead you can be sure
that that mother would not have called
the mourners if the girl were not truly
dead so the Bible pictures the death of
a believer as sleep we ought to think
about that for a while when the Stephen
was stoned in Acts chapter 7 he went to
sleep notice what it says in verse 13
but I do not want you to be ignorant
brethren concerning those who have
fallen asleep lest you sorrow as others
who have no hope now how do you fall
asleep verse 14 for if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again even so God
will bring with him those who sleep in
Jesus now the Greek there can be
translated those who sleep through Jesus
or it can be rendered those who have
been put to sleep by Jesus now that
comforts me many times I've had to
conduct funeral services for people who
were all alone when they died humanly
speaking killed in an auto accident
there they were or they they had a heart
attack somewhere and so often the loved
ones and the friends would say to me Oh
pastor if only somebody had been there
well somebody was there when a Christian
dies he is never alone he's being put to
sleep by Jesus the Lord Jesus is there
even though we may not be there they
were put to sleep by Jesus if they are
Christians this is the meaning of Psalm
23 verse 4 yea though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death I will
fear no evil for thou art with me a
Christian is never alone when he dies
you see Jesus Christ is with them and
they are with him
and he is with us and one day all of us
shall be together now that comforts my
heart I don't know how many times we've
gone through that Valley with people and
we've had loved ones of our own and
they've gone through that Valley and I
just keep saying to folks look Jesus was
with them they were put to sleep in
Jesus and they are with Jesus now and he
is with us and one day we're all going
to be together and that's the comfort of
knowing what death is now if you're not
a Christian this does not apply to you
death for you will not be sleep it will
be terror Oh your body will fall asleep
but you go out to meet God it is
appointed unto men once to die and after
that the judgment
remember what death is it'll comfort you
secondly remember what Jesus did for if
we believe that Jesus died and rose
again now that's the crux of the whole
thing he died that means he paid the
wages of sin what's the wages of sin
death what's the gift of God eternal
life who paid the price for eternal life
Jesus did that's the meaning of the
Cross the Lord Jesus Christ died he paid
the price for our sins he arose again
and now because he lives we live in him
and thank God someday we shall live with
him forever and ever and ever in 1st
Corinthians chapter 15 verse 26 Paul
says the last enemy that will be
destroyed is death and that's going to
happen when our Lord Jesus Christ comes
again that last enemy is going to be
destroyed well it's not become fertilis
today yes we sorrow God expects us to
weep God expects us to have a normal
kind of grief he made us that way it's
good for us grief is an opportunity for
us to have a broken heart healed by God
but let's not sorrow as those who have
no hope let's remember what death is
it's sleep and let's remember what Jesus
did he died for us and he arose
again and we have life eternal life in here
not only remember what death is for the
Christian it is sleep not only remember
what Jesus did he died for us and rose
again and if you belong to a living
Savior death cannot control you or
condemn you thirdly remember where the
believing dead are notice what he says
in verse 14 for if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again even so God will
bring with him those who sleep in Jesus
now the body is sleeping how can God
bring these people with him if they're
asleep in the grave well the soul is not
in the grave the spirit goes home to be
with the Lord
Paul says in Philippians chapter one to
depart and be with Christ this is the
word of God now where are the Christian
dead they are with him if God is going
to bring them with him they have to be
with him when a Christian dies he or she
goes to heaven to be with the Lord
the Bible says nothing about any
intermediate place we don't have to go
out to the alcove or the front porch or
some intermediate place where we have to
get ready if you know Jesus as your
Savior you are ready to go to heaven now
you may not be ready to meet the Lord if
you've not been living a clean life a
dedicated life an obedient life then
when you face the judgment seat of
Christ that's going to be something else
first John chapter 2 says that some
people are going to be ashamed before
him at his coming they're gonna be
embarrassed because they wasted their
lives and their opportunities but if you
know Jesus as your Savior and you should
die you go to heaven to me that's a
tremendous comfort to know where our
loved ones in Christ really are how do
we know that when believers die they go
to heaven
well the promise that Jesus made he said
in my father's house are many mansions
and I'm going to prepare a place for you
I know I'm going to heaven because of
the promise that Jesus made I know I'm
going to heaven because of the prayer
that jesus prayed john 17 24 here's what
jesus prayed
father I desire that they also whom you
gave me that's Christians may be with me
where I am that they may behold my glory
now the father always answers the
prayers of his son Jesus prayed that all
who had been given to him all who were
saved be with him where he is how do we
know we're going to heaven well the
promise that he made and the prayer that
he prayed and the price that he paid
first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 10
who died for us talking about Jesus who
died for us that whether we wake or
sleep whether we live or die we should
live together with him in other words
the price that he paid on the cross he
died for our sins he arose again that
assures us that we are going to heaven
you're not going to heaven because of
your good works your good intentions
you're going to heaven because you have
trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior well
remember what death is and remember what
Jesus did and remember where the
believing dead are there with him fourth
remember the assurance that we have
comes from the word verse 15 for this we
say to you by the word of the Lord not
philosophic speculation not the
revelation of some occult seance people
today are trying to figure out what's on
the other side well Jesus has told us
what's on the other side God's Word
tells us what is on the other side and
God's Word is sure now may I remind you
that what God teaches about death and
hell and heaven and the grave is
progressively given through the Bible
you don't find all of the answers in
Genesis or the Psalms or Ecclesiastes
some of these cults that come along
teaching that your soul is sleeping in
the grave and so forth and so on where
do they get those verses well they dive
into some of the obscure passages in
Ecclesiastes or in Psalms the Word of
God tells us that Jesus Christ has
life and immortality to light through
the gospel 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse
10 but has now been revealed by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who
has abolished death that means he's
taking the sting out of it and brought
life and immortality to light through
the gospel a lot of teaching in the Old
Testament about death and the future is
in the shadows Jesus has brought all of
this into the light we get our truth
from the Word of God from the Lord Jesus
Christ how do we know that what we're
saying is true well it's based on the
Word of God finally we have comfort not
only because of what death is and what
Jesus did and we know where the
believing dead are and we know that we
have assurance through the Word of God
but we have comfort because we know what
God is going to do now Paul tells us
here what's going to happen there is a
sequence here of five events number one
return Jesus Christ is going to return
for this we say to you by the word of
the Lord that we who are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord will
by no means precede or get any advantage
over those who are asleep for the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven now how
is he going to do it well with a shout
of command that word means a military
command a battlecry the voice of an
archangel and the trumpet of God well
the trumpets going to sound and the
Lord's gonna call an assembly he's gonna
gather together all of his children it
also means a declaration of war the
Lord's gonna declare war the military
command the battle cry I think that he's
calling the dead out from the grave he
talks about this in John chapter 5 when
all that are in the graves shall hear
his voice so there's the return of the
Lord now Paul says we we who are alive
we who are alive and remain shall be
caught a Paul said it could happen to me
today someone tells you well as Paul got
older he lost that vision oh no he didn't
didn't
you trace his letters and find out that
he kept the same position we the return
of Jesus which could be at any time
that's the event number one he returns
number two resurrection the Lord Himself
will descend and then we which are alive
shall be caught up but between those two
events there is a resurrection and the
dead in Christ will rise first let me
remind you why there is a resurrection
the Greeks did not believe in
resurrection they laughed at it they
said who wants to be in the prison house
of a body again God's salvation is for
the whole person he doesn't just
sanctify and save the spirit and the
soul he also saves the body chapter 5
verse 23 Paul prayed that your whole
spirit soul and body be preserved now we
aren't going to have the same body
there's going to be continuity but not
necessarily identity it's like the
planting of a seed says first
Corinthians 15 the same seed doesn't
come up but there is continuity and
there's that beautiful flower or plant
that comes up from the seed resurrection
means we're going to be like the Lord
Jesus I don't want to float around
throughout all eternity in some kind of
ethereal State Jesus had a real solid
body a glorified body I want to be like
him we are going to be like him we shall
see him as he is first there is the
return then instantly resurrection
resurrection is not reconstruction God's
not going to put the pieces back
together again resurrection means there
is going to be a glorified body then
third rapture rapture he says we shall
be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air
rapture it's interesting this word means
to catch away speedily it's used in John
6:15 they were going to take him by
force God is going to take us by force
as it were and lift us up to meet the
Lord Jesus relocate us in heaven by the
way Jude
three uses the same word describing
pulling something out of the fire
God is going to pull us out of the fire
the judgment is going to come and God is
going to pull us out of the fire return
resurrection rapture Redemption what's
that mean it means the changing of the
person we who are alive shall be caught
up together with them to meet the Lord
we're going to be completely changed
first Corinthians 15:51 through fifty
seven talks about that we shall be
changed to be like him
we are waiting says Paul for the
redemption of our body the body hasn't
been redeemed yet but it will on that
day return resurrection rapture
Redemption and reunion we shall be
caught up together Oh death is the great
separator death separates loved ones it
hurts oh how it hurts but we shall be
caught up together with them to meet the
Lord the center of our reunion will be
the Lord and we shall be with him and we
shall be like him I don't know how many
times in funeral services I have read
from Revelation chapter 21 where the
Apostle says behold the tabernacle of
God is with men and he will dwell with
them and they shall be his people and
God himself shall be with them and be
their God and God shall wipe away every
tear from their eyes there shall be no
more death nor sorrow nor crying and
there shall be no more pain for the
former things have passed away oh it's
going to be a great day no wonder the
Apostle Paul says comfort one another
with these words
we shall always be with the Lord
eternity for ever and ever and ever no
more tears no more sorrow no more death
no more pain hallelujah what a wonderful
day it's going to be and it's going to
happen if we believe in Jesus Christ
this will happen
thanks for being a part of our back to
the Bible listening family so be sure to
come back again for more wisdom from
God's Word join us again on back to the
Bible radio you
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