Jump Start # 3253

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.”

I went to the movie theatre the other day. I like Tom Hanks so I caught the movie, “A man called Otto”. That title grabbed my attention because that was the name of my grandfather. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to young audiences. I’ll try not to put spoilers in here for those that want to see it, but it is a classic demonstration of our verse today. A widower cannot deal with the loss of his wife. Time and time again he attempts suicide. Never in the movie is Heaven, God or hope brought up. And, this is the grief that one experiences when life is lived without God. It’s over. They don’t believe that they will ever see that person again. Despair. Agony. Loneliness.

The movie has some funny spots and a touching ending and there seems to be transition that takes place in the character Hanks plays, but it’s all about here, it is all secular. Hollywood left God a long time ago. No passages read. No spiritual help. Nothing. And, as Solomon wondered about in Ecclesiastes, what advantage is there over the fool and the beast? They both die. The same is true of the wise man. Death is the great leveler in life. Walk through any cemetery and you’ll find the graves of local heroes, businessmen, and the town drunk. All resting together, side by side. Same outcome. Same fate.

And, as Solomon later says in that powerful journal called Ecclesiastes, what does the labor of man accomplish? What’s the purpose, or, what’s the point, even if a person lives a long, long life? Without God, it’s all about self. It’s all about stuff. It’s all about trying to maintain happiness in a world that is broken and miserable and that destroys true joy. Life looks good until death enters. What a lonely ending it has without God.

What a different picture for the disciple. He knows where his faith takes him. He understands the divine purpose in life. Stuff and things and trips can put a smile on our faces for a moment, but that’s not what life is about. It must have a purpose. It must have a direction. It must have some meaning, some value. That’s where God makes all the difference. We were put here on purpose for a purpose.

Tears come when we think about the passing of a dear family member, but when that person is a disciple, we know that they live on with the Lord. We know that they are in the best place ever. We know that God will take care of them. Our grief doesn’t shatter us. It doesn’t cripple us. It doesn’t stop us. We journey on with a purpose and a promise. Solomon lived “a life under the sun.” He had a horizontal view of life. And, that horizontal view is depressing. Our view is vertical. We live life ABOVE the sun, that makes all the difference in the world. Not every day will be sunny. Not everything will go the way I want it to. Not every moment is joy and happiness. However, knowing that God sits upon the eternal throne of Heaven makes all the difference.

I fear that for many who see that movie, they won’t see the spiritual bridge that is missing. I expect many will walk away thinking, ‘Yep, that’s life.’ And, many may see nothing wrong with the suicide answer to loneliness. Why not, if this world is all you believe in. Why not, if God is no longer meaningful to you.

What we have in Jesus Christ is hope. We have hope in this life and we have hope in the next.

How powerful the hymn, “This world is not my home.” I do a bit of traveling. I’ve stayed in a lot of places from hotels, to Air B & B’s, to being a guest with brethren. I’ve been in some really fancy places. But, there’s no place like home. There is a comfort level at home. Coffee just tastes better when it’s from your own cup while you are sitting at your own table. We try our best to make this world comfortable, but it just not. There are always reminders that something is wrong. A shooting. A disaster. A scandal. A ugly slur. Broken and needing a good fixing, this world is not my home. This world is like sleeping on a lumpy couch. You turn this way and that way and you just can’t find a comfortable spot. By morning you are worn out. It’s like you wrestled a bear all night long. And, that’s the world for a disciple. Things are just not right. It’s hard to find comfort here. And, so, this world is not my home.

Different kinds of hope. Different kinds of grief. It’s all based upon the direction you are facing. Some are looking here for the answers. Their hope is in the state house, the court house and the White house. For the disciple, we are facing another direction. Our hope is not here, but there. Our hope is not in us, but in Him. And, that makes all the difference, both for now and for eternity.

A man named Otto. A man named Jesus. That difference, is all the difference.

Roger

Jump Start # 2778

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.”

Having the facts makes all the difference. Error doesn’t stand much chance when a person knows what is right. Fear, worry and doubt all seem to go away when a person knows. And, this passage begins, as Paul said in other places, “we do not want you to be uninformed.” In the Corinthian letter we find the words, “do not be unaware.” The N.T. model was driven by the teaching of God’s word. This was not a movement based upon feelings, emotions and happy thoughts. Rather, it was built upon solid teaching of God’s word. This is why in Ephesians the text tells us that God sent apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

When a person is not informed, they are likely to believe anything. A persuasive messenger, with a slick message, can fool the masses when they do not know. “Sounds good to me,” is all it takes for the wrong ideas to get a foothold in our faith and in our hearts.

In our passage, Paul wants the brethren to know about what happens when one passes through the doorway of death. “We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren about those who are asleep.” There isn’t a lot said about what happens at death. Most of the Bible is directed towards how one lives on this side of that door. The right choices here, will mean we will be right on the other side. And, since there isn’t much info, the winds of speculation blow strongly.

Paul refers to two types of grieving– grieving with hope and grieving without hope. Hope makes all the difference. Without that hope, there is no hope. And, that hope is much more than positive thinking. It’s not the same as being optimistic. It is a hope that is real, alive and supported by faith in Jesus Christ.

Have you given much thought to the two forms of grieving? Hopeless grief and hopeful grief.

First, the hopeful grief understands. This is why the apostle said, “we do not want you to be uniformed.” I want you to know. And, one of the thing a Christian understands is that with the passing of another Christian, it is never “good-bye.” It’s only, “See you later.” The grief will end. The promise of being in Heaven fills the heart and helps to dry the tears. The Christian understands that the departed righteous is safe and at peace in the Lord. He understands that as much as he misses the righteous, he would not want them to be back here. Trials, trouble and pain plague our days.

Second, the hopeful grief knows that the Lord understands. We sing, “Does Jesus care,” and the answer is always “Yes.” He not only knows of our sorrow, but He does care. The righteous knows not to blame God. Death is the enemy of God. Death is allowed, but not the way God intended for things to be. The comfort of the Scriptures assures the heart more than anything else.

Third, the hopeful grief knows that with God is where we are supposed to be. Since the banishment from the garden, man has been separated from God. The Lord wants us to be with Him. At home in Heaven is where we are supposed to be. The Christian views the death of the righteous as a life well lived. It is a course completed. It is a battle fought and won. It is a race that has been finished. It is a victory.

However, the unhopeful grief holds on the wishes, speculation, and ideas that come from the heart and not from God. They want to believe that their departed is in Heaven, but there’s nothing to support that wish other than a broken heart. They want to believe that their departed is having a time of their life on the other side. Yet for so many, they do not understand. They have no true concept of what Heaven is like. They do not understand death. Some are even angry with God. Some will blame God.

It is even worse for those who believe that there is nothing beyond the grave. For those who are wholly materialistic, this life is it. Death closes the book. There is no anticipation of anything else. Life ends and that’s it. So sad. So secular. Nothing to calm the heart. Nothing to hold on to. No purpose for life and definitely no value in death. The shallow, emptiness of now cannot comfort a broken heart.

The words of Paul in this Thessalonian passage shows us that there is life beyond the grave. Jesus is coming. And, through faith, these words can comfort the grieving and broken heart.

Two people can walk away from the cemetery. One walks away with a puzzlement, confusion and questions. Is this it? Why do what I do if this is the way we all end up? For some, it will be the bottle that numbs the pain but never brings comfort. Time passes. More funerals. Those questions remain. Fear of dying fills this person’s heart. But the other person, a Christian, walks away from that same cemetery with understanding, hope and even comfort. He realizes there has been incredible footprints left for him to follow. He sees the value of worship, prayer and walking closely with the Lord. He doesn’t fear death. In fact, he longs to be on the other side.

One walks away broken, empty and unable to stop the grief. The other walks away with tears, but a sense of comfort, joy and peace. He is thankful for the resurrection of Jesus. He is thankful for grace and forgiveness. He is thankful that God allowed their lives to intersect.

Grief with hope and grief without hope. The difference, as always, is Jesus.

Roger

Jump Start # 2422

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.”

I was at a funeral the other day. The person who died was a Christian. Her family are Christians. Kids, grandkids, and even great grandkids—so many Christians. The audience was packed with folks from our congregation. The message was about hope. I thought of this verse. Some have no hope. Some do. That difference determines how one grieves. That difference determines how dreadful death is. That difference turns what could be the worst day of your life, into a celebration of life. Hope. Some have it and some don’t. And, that difference is Jesus. Jesus is the hope. Jesus is the reason some are not destroyed by death. Jesus is the reason that some can see beyond death. There is hope and there is no hope.

Just what is it that the Christian hopes for? There has been a death. Death hasn’t escaped the Christian. We see that in the Scriptures. Stephen died. James died. Antipas died. All the apostles eventually died. Every name we read about in those early churches died. The hope isn’t in escaping death. The hope isn’t in finding a cure for death.

What is there to hope for:

First, to live on in the joy of the Lord. We cross through that ugly doorway of death and enter a new realm. We are still very much alive. Our bodies are left behind, but not us. Our memories, our feelings, our experiences, all cross through that doorway. The rich man and Lazarus illustrates that for us. The death of a Christian means one has completed what God wanted. He was a light in the world. He was God’s hands and feet. He was walking faithfully with the Lord. As found in the parable of the talents, “enter into the joy of your master,” is the hope that we have. We leave this broken world. We leave temptation and trials. We leave pain and sorrow. We leave heartache, disappointments and sin. We leave the bounds of earthly life, such as growing older, having to eat, dealing with the weather, bugs, sickness, and even the process of going through the doorway of death. For the Christian, things just get better after death.

Second, there is that grand reunion with those who have gone on before. Not with everyone, but with those who belong to Christ. There is that hope of Heaven that we all carry within us. Moms and dads who loved Jesus and followed him closely, won’t it be wonderful to see them again? Beloved brethren that have touched our lives and made us better. Can you imagine seeing them again? Death separates us here. The living must go on and those who have died, have gone through that door of death and they cannot return. Only faded memories and photographs is all that we have. But among the righteous, there is more. There is that hope of seeing them again. Can’t hardly wait to see some again, how about you?

Third, there is that wonderful hope of being with the Lord forever. Here, we must busy ourselves too much with secular things. We have to go to work. The yard needs mowing. The house needs cleaning. There are things that require our time, energy and thoughts. But to be with the Lord and not have those distractions, won’t that be great? To be with the Lord and not to have any other place to go, can you imagine? We always have to go somewhere else. After worship, we have places to go. There is always another place you have to go to. You go to work, but after work, you go home. You go home, but then you have to go back to work. We go to weddings, but after the wedding, we have somewhere we need to go. We go to funerals, and after the funeral, we have some other place that we need to go. But once we cross through that door, there is no other place we have to go. Our tired and weary little hearts will finally be with the Lord and that’s the end of the journey.

The hope of seeing Jesus, the one we have read about, talked about, preached about, sang to, prayed to, thought about, imitated our lives from, we finally get to see. Forgiven. Wrapped in grace. Loved throughout our lives. The Lord welcomes us home. The Lord welcomes us to Him. And in the presence of Jesus, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, everything will be fine. We will have no worries. Oh, we worry now, but we won’t in His presence. We will have no fears. Oh, we have fears now, but we won’t in His presence. At peace. Calm. Not having to try to run the world like we do. Not having to find all the answers, like we do. Not having to make decisions like we do. In the presence of Jesus, that’s where we belong. That’s where all things are right.

Now just about everyone thinks that they have this hope. Just about every funeral you go to, you hear that the deceased is going to Heaven, even those who never believed in Heaven. But that’s not hope, that’s wishful thinking. There is a difference between wishing and hoping. You may wish that you had an unknown uncle out there you left you a million dollars. But you don’t have any hope for that. You know the family tree. You know there are no unknown uncles and no one has that kind of money. Hope is something that is sure. It’s going to happen, you just don’t know when. Hope is built upon evidence, truth and a foundation of faith. Hope stands upon the promises of God. God never lies. If He said it, it will be. The Christian has the assurance, the hope, for Heaven. It’s based upon God’s promises and the walk he continues with the Lord.

Someone who has lived a life ignoring God may want to go to Heaven and his family certainly wishes that he is in Heaven, but there is no hope. He has not sought the forgiveness of Christ. He has not honored God by his life. He has not worshipped God as the Lord wants and has directed. He has not built his life upon the word of God. He has lived a secular life as if there was no God. And, now in death, his family, doesn’t even know a preacher among them. They search and search for anyone to preach dear ole’ daddy into Heaven. So twisted and so confused are these families that they are likely to offer a toast of alcohol at the funeral as they are to pray. But if anyone was to say a word about dear ole’ dad not making it, a real dog fight would take place.

But as our passage reminds us, there are those with hope and those who don’t have hope. At death, it’s too late. That hope was either made or lost during one’s life. The choices, the attitudes, the worship, the kindness, the righteousness, the forgiveness, the grace—all of those things wrapped around the word of God gives real and eternal hope, or they reveal that hope is lost.

Are you living with this hope? Your life will show it and it won’t be a question to those who know you.

Roger

Jump Start # 2207

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

Hope is such a powerful word and a necessary part of our lives. Hope is what motivates us and keeps us going. Hope is what the cancer patient hangs on to. Hope is why a losing team believes next year might be better. Hope is what keeps rescuers working through the night trying to find a trapped person. Hope puts a smile on our faces and allows us to welcome the next day.

Here in our passage, the subject is death. Not just any death, but the death of a Christian. Death saddens our hearts and leaves an emptiness among us. There is a hole that just cannot be filled. The color black is connected with death. Those in mourning, years ago, wore black. Some wore it for a long time. However, in this sadness, there was rays of sunshine. There was hope. Even in death there was hope. Through God and with God, even the darkest moments in our lives, find hope. The Psalmist declared, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Thou art with me. There was hope. There was God.

Interestingly, hope and wishing are not the same. We may wish upon a star or a lucky four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, cross our fingers and do all sorts of odd things, such as wearing a lucky outfit when our team plays, because we think that will help them. We wish we got a promotion. We wish for sunny days. We wish the election was over so all the ugly campaign commercials would go away. We wish someone would call today. We wish to find an empty parking space near the front door. Wish and wish and wish. We do it all the time. Wishing and hoping, in our terminology, seems the same. It’s not Biblically. Hope was something that was certain to happen. It was built upon the promises of God. The only thing the person didn’t know was when it would happen.

Our passage looks at those who have hope and those who do not have hope. Having that hope regulated and effected the way they grieved. The Christian has hope. The Christian has hope when an fellow believer dies. His hope is supported by the promises of God. There will be a resurrection, Jesus said so. Those whose names are in the book of life, will be raised to life. That’s the hope for the Christian. As much as he misses his beloved brother in Christ, he knows that the Lord has him. He knows that his suffering is over. He knows the best is right before him. He is finished with temptation, trials and trouble. His journey is complete and awaiting him is the glorious crown of righteousness. He in many ways longs to be with his departed brother. He would love to trade places with his departed brother. Home with God is such a comforting thought.

That hope guides his grief. Certainly there will be tears. Certainly there will be an emptiness. However, there is a precious thought of knowing that the departed Christian is with the Lord. He wonders and imagines what that would be like. What must it be like to close your eyes here and then open them on the other side. Those thoughts warm his heart and softens his grief. He presses on, looking for the day when he can join his brother on the other side.

But our passage talks about those who have no hope. For them it’s a wish. There is no hope because their loved one never walked with the Lord. They never took time for worship. They never made righteous choices. They never used opportunities to help others. God was ignored in life and now they will be without God in death. Certainly, family members are hoping that they are in Heaven. They hold out for some miracle. I’ve seen this. I’ve had to preach those funerals. Someone dies. A funeral is planned. No one knows a preacher because no one in the family worships nor has time for God. A friend of a friend of a friend reaches out to a preacher. Please come. Bring your Bible. Preach dear ole’ dad into Heaven. Comfort us. The family who never darkened a church building, never opened a Bible in decades now wants a man of God to pull a rabbit out of his hat and get dad into Heaven. They don’t think to call the bartender to say some words. They don’t think to call the editor of the sports paper to come and say some words. They don’t call the guy at the pro-shop of the local golf course. That’s where dear ole’ dad spent his time. But now that he’s gone, it’s time to find religion. It’s time to pull strings and get dad into Heaven.

The preacher comes. The Bible is read. Solemn words are spoken. Prayers are offered. There are handshakes, hugs and tears. A week later life goes on. The family doesn’t change. The Bible isn’t read. No one shows up at worship. All continues the same until the next funeral and then a mad scramble to find us a preacher. This is all too common.

What basis does someone have for hope here? Someone who never truly believed in God. Someone if he ever mentioned God, it was in cursing. No, there is no hope. They wish. They want. They convince themselves, but upon what basis? No faith. No love for the Lord. No choices reflecting God. No desire for Heaven when alive. No righteousness. No spiritual life what-so-ever. If a college student never went to class, never did any of the assignments, flunked every test, he may wish he would pass, but there would be no hope of his passing.

Hope and wishing are not the same. We have hope. It’s built around our faith in the Lord. Our hope is lived every day by our choices to walk with the Lord. Our hope is illustrated through prayers and worship. God is near to us. God is part of our lives. And when our time here is finished, it will be to God that we go. There’s a promise that stands behind all of us. God’s grace and our faith untied and makes all of this possible.

Living with hope or living with a wish. Not the same. Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but only a few actually act that way. Our lives are structured around God’s word. It is here that our hope is built and sustained.

My hope is built on nothing less…

Roger

Jump Start # 2113

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are sleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

Paul’s words here introduce a section about the death of Christians and the coming of the Lord. Death is never easy nor pleasant. Even when family realizes it’s going to happen, it’s still hard. Death is going through a door that swings only one way. Folks do not die on the weekend and are back to work on Monday. That doesn’t happen. An empty chair is a reminder of how permanent death is.

However, tucked neatly in this one passage are several thoughts for us.

First, we need to know. Do not be uninformed. Paul wanted the brethren to understand death and what happens afterward. Plenty of passages add to this insight and understanding. The Lord’s account of the rich man and Lazarus shows us that our memory, desire, love, recognition and even communication were still working after death. The bodies had been taken to the cemetery, but that wasn’t the end of the story. That wasn’t the end of them. There is no “The End” to our story. They lived on.

Not knowing fuels speculation, theories and ideas that cannot be supported Biblically. We hear about people who claimed they died, went to Heaven and some how came back. They write books. They tell about all the wonderful things that they saw. Fascinating that no one in the Bible ever said what they saw or heard after they were resurrected. Not knowing allows us to believe things that may not be true. Not knowing encourages us to put everyone in Heaven, even those who never walked with the Lord.

The source of information is the Bible. Gather all those passages that talk about death and study them. Wrap your faith around what God has revealed, not around unproven speculations generated by those who do not know the Lord. Have Bible classes on life after death. We will spend more time on that side of things than we will here. Walk through any old cemetery and you’ll notice that the people have been dead longer than they were alive. We ought to spend some serious time thinking about what’s on the other side of that door we call death.

Second, this passage focuses upon those who are “asleep.” That tern is used in the N.T. for the death of the righteous. Lazarus was considered ‘asleep’ by Jesus, when he had died. Jairus’ daughter was said to be asleep when she had died. Christians die. God doesn’t prevent that. Even though we have been redeemed and forgiven, we are part of the curse of this broken world. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why the young, the innocent, the believers die. The process of death for the righteous and the wicked is the same. Our bodies shut down and our spirit departs. This is how Jesus died upon the cross.

People will sometimes declare that it’s not fair that a young person, a godly person dies. It’s not. Death doesn’t just come to the old. The young. The powerful. Those who are needed. Those who are doing a lot of good. Death doesn’t care. It takes a young mother who is so needed at home. It takes CEO’s that are running major corporations. Death doesn’t wait until we have completed a semester, finished writing a book, retired from work, or even gotten old. Death comes while at home, at work, and even on vacation. Wrapping all of these thoughts in a large package, we agree that life is not fair. This is why James reminds us that life is just a vapor. It’s here for a moment, and then it’s gone. Somehow, people want our time on earth to be Heaven. It’s not. There is pain. There is sorrow. There are tears. There are things that are not fair and right. Some get away with murder, literally. Some crimes are not punished. The innocent and the righteous are often shoved to the side for others to get away with filthy and immoral agendas. Why is it in these times that a comedian, sports figure or politician can say anything vulgar, offensive, rude or hurtful and when called out on it, offer some lame apology and that is suppose to make everything right. Things are just not fair down here.

Third, there are two types of grieving indicated here. There is grieving without hope and grieving with hope. How we mourn, how we cry at funerals is built around what hope there is. Paul is not saying that the righteous should not mourn or grieve. It is common today to refer to funerals as celebrations of life. Pictures, laughter and good times are a part of it. Most funeral homes in my area now have liquor licenses so they can make those celebrations a real party. It seems that much of that is a mask and a cover to hide the emptiness and the hopelessness that fills those lives.

It’s not wrong to grieve. Remember, Jesus wept. He wept at the grave of Lazarus. Crying is not a sign of faithlessness or a lack of hope, it means that someone touched our lives and our hearts are broken. Tears are shed because of love. Don’t rebuke a Christian because they cry at a funeral. I’ve heard heartless things said such as, “Why are you crying? You’ll see them again someday in Heaven.” Really? The lack of tears is not a badge of spirituality, it probably means someone has a heart that is no longer beating even though they are alive.

Hope here is the key and the foundation. Those without hope grieve in a certain way. Those with hope grieve, but not like those who lack hope. The hope is in Jesus. The hope is that they have walked with the Lord, been forgiven and are disciples of Jesus. The promise of God is that they will live on eternally. There is the hope of Heaven. There is the hope of the grand reunion with the righteous. There is the hope of the land of no sorrow, death or tears. There is the hope of seeing the face of God. This hope isn’t a wish. We’d all wish for those things. This hope is a reality. It will happen. It will happen because God promised and because the one fallen asleep has made the right choices in his life. He has chosen to be a worshipper of God. He has chosen to invite the word of God into his heart. He has chosen to talk often to God. He knows God. He has followed God. And, now, that path has taken him to where God is, Heaven. That’s the hope.

For the unrighteous, they want the same. They want their loved ones to be in Heaven. The preachers will do all that they can to put that person there during the funeral. For some, having a preacher at a funeral is so unnatural. They never spent anytime listening to sermons while alive. They never opened the Bible when they could. They never worshipped God as the Lord directed. But at death, they now want a preacher. Why not read the sports page at the funeral? Why not call the bartender to speak at the funeral? No, the family will declare, “the loved one was a good person” and they want preaching, prayers and Heaven. No time for those things while alive, but at the funeral, bring them out. They may have been good, but without God. Good, but living a life that chose to be apart from God. Good, but without any hope.

For the unrighteous, their hope isn’t real. It’s a wish. It’s a dream. They fool themselves into thinking that their loved one is in Heaven, and they go on their ways, living as he had, ignoring God, fulfilling self and dying without any real substance of hope.

We are not that way, is what Paul says. There is something to all of this. It’s not just being good people here. It’s not just filling your Sundays with something to do. It’s not just being nice. It’s living for Christ. It’s dying in Christ. It’s being resurrected through Christ. It’s living eternally with Christ.

Our lives do not end at the cemetery. The journey ends at the throne of God. There, by God’s grace and love, our hope is realized and we are invited into God’s house forever.

We need to spend some time talking about these things. Death is coming for a visit some day and more than that, we need to have real hope that has been built upon a real faith in Jesus Christ.

Roger