Not Left Behind, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB) The Occasion When Timothy returned to Paul he brought a progress report on the church. • The Good News: the church was doing well in spite of persecution. • The Bad News: the church had a faulty view of death and Christ’s second coming. Paul answers them with two negatives: • Don’t be uninformed about those who are asleep. (4:13) • Don’t grieve as those who have no hope. (4:13) Paul informs them of three things yet to come: Deceased souls will return with Christ and their bodies will be . • RETURN: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.” (4:14) • RESURRECTION: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (4:16) Living believers (and the resurrected saints) will Christ in the air. • RAPTURE: “Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (4:17) • Greek, (harpazō) “snatch, take away, seize suddenly” • Latin Bible, (rapio) ”snatch, grab, carry off” All believers will be with the Lord. • REUNION: 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “…and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” Conclusion: Not Left Behind “… to compensate for their ignorance Paul taught them the great truths of the return of the Lord, the resurrection of the Christian dead, the rapture of the Christian living, and the reunion of all three with each other. With these words, they could indeed comfort one another.” - John Stott