Book of 1 Thessalonians - Ch. 4, Vs. 15 (09/12/1999)

Does Satan Know Who Is Saved?

You don't have to answer to me. Does Satan know who is saved? Does he know who will be saved? And does he know those that will never be saved? Talking about Satan. Now come to 1st Thessalonians the fourth chapter in the 15th verse.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. The old English word prevent. At that time it meant that someone would go out before somebody else.

Pre-vent. Vent being an opening. 1st Thessalonians 4 15. So what Paul is saying here that we which are alive will not go out of this world before the dead in Christ have risen to meet him in the air.

Verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Dennis where are you? Why? Well let me ask you another question since you did so well on that one.

Why must the dead Saints return with him at all? Not at that time. You remind me of Fred you remind me of a man's been in class for years and years. No. He made a very profound statement one time to the class he said you can answer every question of Old Jesus by just saying Jesus Christ.

And about 90 of the time that's right. But not in this case. Why must the dead Saints return with Christ? Now this is at the rapture. What? That's right. They have to come back to get their body. Now you say well couldn't he have done that in heaven?

Yes. But he chose to do it this way. So they will rise first out of the grave. What happens to their old body? What? Why didn't we find dust then of our Lord when he resurrected? So what happens to the old one?

See if you can find scripture for that this week. All right let me read 16 again. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Now I don't believe Gabriel even owns a trumpet. This shout would be like the blast of a trumpet. It would be the Lord himself calling us by our new name and we will respond just as Lazarus did to his old name for it was earthly just as he was.

We will be called by name. Why did he call Lazarus by name? Who's talking? That's right. He made it specifically Lazarus or all of them would have come up. 17 then after that we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Now Dennis what's it mean we will ever be with the Lord? We'll never leave. Can't ever get away. 18 wherefore comfort one another with these words. Now in 1st Corinthians the 15th chapter. Debbie will you read verse 44 to me please?

1st Corinthians 15 44. All right to understand this verse we must know grammar. Which is the most important in a sentence? A verb I mean a noun or an adjective? A noun carries the heaviest weight. The word body is emphasized here not spirit.

There are those that well I read one great renowned theologian that concentrated on spirit and that's wrong. It's on the body. It is sown a natural body and it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.

In 1st Corinthians 15 53 and 4 let me read. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory.

So Debbie you're exactly right. This corruptible is changed. I cannot explain that. It's changed just as Jesus's body was changed. The wrappings were still in the form of that of a body inside of it but the body was not there.

Neither was there any dust or residue of any kind. Yet he existed. We'll do the same Fred. Someday we'll be the same and that body will not require oxygen for it will not have blood and don't ask me to explain that.

In this verse going back to the explanation of 17 and 18 we must emphasize the word body for it is the noun. You cannot make a make the word spiritual to be the subject. It is an adjective. Therefore the only thing carried over in the resurrection is the word body old and new.

It was natural now it is a body dominated by the spirits. Our new life will be a glory which differs in accordance and please hear me which differs in accordance with the individual's believers dedication to the Lord in this life.

I trust everybody comprehends that. I'll repeat it twice if necessary. Our new life will be a glory which differs in accordance with the individual believers dedication to the Lord in this life. So just how dedicated are you?

We have all of our life here on earth to prepare us to be fit with him to be fit to live with him. Also the glory that will be ours then depends upon how dedicated we are right now. You know the scripture says we will know as we are known.

Everybody has thought that that meant we'll know just as much as the Lord. We'll know him completely. That's true but at what level of spiritual growth does he know you? Where are you in your schooling?

Where are you in the understanding and desire to learn more? At what level are you right now? If you should die right now that's the level in on which you will enter heaven. You will not automatically gain all of the knowledge between this life and the next because David we're going to be in school forever.

The only difference I won't be teaching you up there the Lord will directly because he said so. But we will learn more about him but we will never equal him and that'll go on forever. It says through ages to come.

What is an age Dennis? That's a good scientific definition. Oh you mean what is 30 or 40 or 60? That's not what we're talking about. Jesse I can see you now. What does it mean age and as it's used in that sentence in that verse ages to come.

Alright that's almost right. Brian you want to straighten her out? Well let me ask you this. In what age do we live right now? In the church age. Now what will it mean ages to come? Well it's true it'll be in eternity.

It'll be true that the passing of time will mean nothing. It will be time without end. But when he said in the ages to come that there will be age upon age there's going to be different dispensations.

We're in the church age now. There was a time when they were in the age of the law. In the age of the creation. So there will be difference in heaven. I have no idea just what it to be but it'll be greater than the last age and then the next one greater than that age and the ages are unlimited.

From what I can discover there is one age after another. Now how long one age takes compared to the church age. How long have we been in the church age David? Almost 2 ,000 years according to man's calculation.

Something I want you to realize about this Y2K thing. All dates are man-made. We think this is 1999. Can you prove it to me? See it's all based on something that man decided. As far as the Lord's concerned we we do not have a clue.

Rewards, Resurrection, and Glory in 1 Corinthians 15

All right in 1st Corinthians 3 and 12. If you'll follow me over there for a moment. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire. But this I say he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

That's 1st Corinthians 3 and 12 through well that's 2nd Corinthians 9 and 6 excuse me. 2nd Corinthians 9 and 6 is the last one I read so you see it's absolutely true that the that which we will enjoy in heaven depends upon our life in this world.

Any questions? That secondary is man-made again. Let me describe it like this. Everybody is building for yourself a container and you're putting into that container all of your knowledge that you glean from the Bible and about the spiritual life.

Some of us when we get to heaven will have a symbol some will have a million gallon tank but everybody's container will be full and you will be happy. There will be no jealousy because that come from sin.

There'll be no envy nothing like that. Now if you can be satisfied with a symbol that's fine. I can't. I don't know. I may end up with a symbol that's all right I'll be happy just happy as you are but at the same time Paul's going to be one of the greatest I think Moses Noah so there will be no secondary people in heaven at all.

That's true. He reminds me he reminds me of the nursery and there's two little boys out on the yard playing and they got in a fight and they just come out of their little school and they had been teachers been teaching them to be kind one to another teacher come out and caught him and separated him and said Johnny what are you doing he says I'm teaching him to be ye kind so McGee wants all of those that refuse to listen here he's going to tell them up there you're absolutely right and that in itself will eliminate any jealousy whatsoever.

All God wants is for us to handle whatever comes to us the very best we know how to do because he regulates everything coming to us and we're to do it willingly you know and the prayer says thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven now that's not a question of whether his will will be done on earth it's just that it is to be done as it is done in heaven.

So Debbie how is his will done in heaven. And willingly that's what we want here on earth. Now come to the next chapter if you will please and it's chapter 5 along with those questions I gave you earlier for you just to think about.

I have two for you to make a report on. First one is this was man made mortal. Give your reasons. The second one is physical death natural and give your reasons all right. Let's open chapter 5. You want to ready.

The Day of the Lord, Darkness, and the Thief in the Night

Is physical death natural. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 1 follow the pronouns. But of the times and the seasons brethren ye have no need that I write unto you for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Well Fred I thought that the church was to be looking for him. So how could he come as a thief. I believe it's like this. He will not come as a thief to the church because we're looking for verse 3. For when they pronoun changed when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape.

The coming of the Christ will be sudden and unexpected. The wise and the holy will enjoy his fellowship forever. The wicked will be doomed to utter desolation diligence observation obedience is the duty of all.

Illustration. One moonlit night there was a man observed pacing back and forth on the top of a six-story building. This is a true story. It was very obvious that he was dreaming walking in his sleep and dreaming.

And he apparently was seen some kind of celebration because he would burst into song every once in a while and it was always a delightful tune as though he was joining in with those that were celebrating.

And again and again he would approach the edge of the roof the parapet and would smile and wave at all of those below that were anxiously watching. But he was asleep. But then all of a sudden his eye caught the glow of a light in an opposite building he awoke.

There was a cry and a heavy fall and all was over. Thus it will be at the last with the ungodly. The light of the other world as it streams in upon them will awaken them out of sleep. But they will awake.

But as they awake it will only be to discover the edge of the pit on which they have so long been standing and down the steps they must plunge. It'll be a surprise. Everything is going so peaceably they think.

Verse four. But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. Darkness means ignorance of the certainty of judgment. David do you believe that the unsaved in this world.

For the most part that. Well first of all do they spend much time even thinking about the judgment. And second do they realize there is a judgment. I don't think they for the most part they it doesn't never does cross their mind.

Dennis. And what was a decision that come to. And that's they use the example that good people are impressed by. They were always hoping for a rapture or a way out someone come and save them. And they explained it completely away as though it was never going to happen.

And I thought man that's so, there's a lot of people watching this that just won't fall into that. I've told you repeatedly that some of the questions you've asked here puts you far and above the seminary professors because they don't believe like we do.

Even the Baptist do not believe like we do now or do not now believe like we do. They're either worried or enjoying it. That's the most important thing of their life. If you attach your affection to that which had a beginning then that will have an end.

If you attach your love and affection to that which had no beginning it will not have an end. Verse 5. Ye are you right now. You are the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober. The word sleep as one does at night. In chapter 414 we had the word sleep which means be dead. The word watch here means as a sentry on duty of the army.

He's on watch. God has appointed us to obtain salvation. Can you defeat that appointment. Greg said no real quick. The verse 6. Therefore let us strange word in the Greek. It is a singular collective that makes sense to anybody.

But he's talking about each one that is in the group. Wonderful word meaning each of us individually as a group. To be angry is to revenge the fault of others on ourself. I don't know how that got in there.

But to be angry is to revenge the fault of others on ourself. If you're angry who does it hurt yourself. It's a little hard to get me to realize that when something just happened that makes me angry as Brother Barney used to say I'll pray for him.

But first I want to have a talk with him so they'll really know why I'm praying for him. Well if anger is not restrained it is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provoked it. And death that Paul's talking about here is nothing but ceasing to be what you were before this rapture that we've been talking about is going to do two things.

It ends the day of grace and we live in the day of grace. And it begins the day of the Lord. We have not lived in that day yet. That's another age. Verse seven. For they that sleep sleep in the night.

And they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of love faith and love. And for an helmet. The hope of salvation for God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

God hath not appointed us to wrath. What's that mean. David. Neither the tribulation. We learn from this verse that there are those that are appointed to wrath. Always look for what is not said as well as what is said.

If we are not appointed to wrath. And it must mean there are some that are you follow. They're called the seed of Satan. Verse 10. Who died for us for God. Now who died for us. That whether we are awake or sleep we should live together with him.

We're in a study of Hebrews on Friday night. And it's becoming more and more clear to me that Jesus of course I've always known that that was the human but it's becoming more clear. David is just how human he was.

Everything except the nature. He is the captain of us that are born again. He Jesus and the Saints have the same father. And that's God. I won't get off on to all of that because we'll study Hebrews in here for too long.

Instruction is profitable only to those who are capable of receiving it. Greg what's that mean. If you bring a pig to class will it change him still be a pig. He's not capable of receiving the information.

Neither is the lost world only his people. The Bible was written to whom. To his people not to the world. Will a farmer pour all of his strength into his field by the heat of the day working till he is exhausted.

And when the grain is ripe to harvest willing not reap it. He would not pour all of that work into it and then not reap it. Would he. So shall the Lord Jesus undertake to suffer. For the father shall toil and groan and grieve and die.

Would he then let the fruit of all of his suffering be lost. No way would he leave us to perish in our sins. It is impossible for anything in creation to come between you and eternal life. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another even as also you do.

To edify one another is his name Richard. I remembered Richard. What does it mean to edify one another in ten words or less. What other word commonly used word do we get from the root that gives us edify education also.

So we are to educate one another. I think that's so good. I like that. But edify one or neither another. And we beseech you brethren. Brian wants to beseech me. We beseech you brethren to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord.

And those that admonish you. Now David explain that verse all right. That's very good. Each one of us teach. You're a teacher just like I am. You're teaching me. I learned from you. If it were not for my teaching I would not know half as much as I know because I'm learning with you.

Debbie I used to tell the classes. Don't think of me as a teacher. Think of me as a student. That's always right. But we are to learn from each other and to esteem them very highly and love for their work's sake.

And be at peace among yourselves. No arguing no fussing no contention no jealousy no clicks. Now we exhort you brethren. Warn them that are unruly comfort of the feeble-minded. Support the weak. Be patient toward all men.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man. But ever follow that which is good both among yourselves and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. Well there's a lot in that. We'll come back to it next week.

But I want to give you something to think about this morning. Pray without ceasing. The more you have to do the more you can pray. When you first open your eyes of a morning pray Lord open the eyes of my understanding.

And while you are addressing pray that you may be clothed with the robe of righteousness. When you wash ask for the washing of regeneration as you begin work. Pray for strength equal to your day. That God's work may revive in your soul.

As you sweep out the house or shop. Pray that your heart may be cleansed from all impurities. While partaking of breakfast desire to be fed with the hidden manna and sincere meat of the word. As you are busy with the children look up to God as your father and pray for the spirit of adoption that you may be his child and so on and so on throughout the entire day.

This is to pray without ceasing. Everything you do furnishes you with a thought for prayer. Anything from anybody. Strangely quiet little. Do we know Dennis would you dismiss us today please.