How We Comfort One Another

We're pausing in our Covenant Theology series, and this summer we'll be back in the Psalms.

So next week we'll be in Psalm 139, and then we'll continue where we left off last summer in Psalm 9 and onward.

So we have a special little message today unrelated to Covenant Theology or the Psalms,

and it's a message of comfort.

It's a message for those that will face death and dying.

So hear these words, 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 13 through 18.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

As I read this, I read it believing that this is God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear and sufficient word.

It's God's very own word for you, His people.

When I'm done reading, I'll say this is the word of the Lord.

If you receive it that way, you can say thanks be to God.

1 Thessalonians 4, verse 13.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep,

that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus,

God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,

that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,

will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command,

with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we will always be with the Lord.

Therefore, encourage one another with these words.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. You may be seated.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Let's pray.

Lord, may your word go forth like the rain.

May it bring refreshment to those who are in a desert.

May it bring food to those who are hungry.

May your word wash over each one of us,

making us more like your Son, Jesus Christ.

For your glory we ask. Amen.

There was an old preacher,

and he confessed that his goal was simply to preach,

as never to preach again,

and as a dying man to dying men.

That's been my prayer as I think about each of you this week

in preparing for this message.

There's nothing more important we could think about

for the next 30 to 40 minutes

than your life and the life to come.

John Flabel,

I told you a little bit about his life and biography back in the fall,

so I won't repeat that now,

but he was a faithful Puritan minister

at the height of persecution in the 1600s.

Listen to his words on this topic.

Neglecting to prepare yourself for death

is not brave but foolish,

like going blindly into war.

If you're wise,

you will use your life

to prepare for your death.

That's the end of Flabel's quote.

To prepare for death in a time of peace

without physical persecution

is a discipline.

In persecution,

preparation for death

is a daily requirement.

This was the case for the church

in Thessalonica.

It was planted by Paul.

We read of this in Acts 17.

It's that story of when

the Judaizers of Thessalonica,

who were among the most fierce

and the most aggressive,

they chased him,

and he had to be lowered out the window

of Jason's home.

Do you remember that story?

Christians in Thessalonica

were hunted down.

They were often hurt.

Thinking about death

was routine.

That's what it meant

to follow Christ.

John Gill commented on

this church in Thessalonica.

Those who had not been

directly attacked

or persecuted

would have had someone

close to them

removed from the church

by violence

through the rage

and fury

of their persecutors

for whom their surviving friends

were pressed with sorrow

and grief.

Think of a church like ours.

If only one of our members,

one of our regular

brothers and sisters

with whom we are used

to fellowshipping every week

is all of a sudden removed

because of persecution,

we would grieve this.

We would grieve it

most likely

for years and years.

The clinical definition

of grief

is anguish

experienced

after significant loss.

Each of us

has experienced

significant loss.

Grief often includes

physiological distress,

separation anxiety,

confusion,

yearning,

obsessive dwelling

on the past,

and apprehension

about the future.

So beloved congregation

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the message I want to bring

to you today is

how do we as Christians

comfort one another?

That's what Paul

is doing with these words

to the church

in Thessalonica.

That's what I pray

the Holy Spirit

will do among us.

Teach us

how to comfort

one another.

Christians need comforting,

don't we?

So I've got five ways

in which I think

we can learn

to do this from Paul.

The first is that

we recognize

Christians must grieve

to.

Christians must grieve

to.

When you have

the opportunity,

we should hear this story

from one another.

When have you felt

the burn

of pain

and grief?

I see three things

in verse 13.

The first is this.

Grief

over a loss

is not a sin.

It's a necessity.

To grieve loss

is not a sin.

It is a necessity.

Look at verse 13

again with me.

We don't want you

to be ignorant brothers

concerning those

who have fallen asleep

so you don't grieve

like the rest

who have no hope.

He's implying

that Christians

do grieve

but we grieve

differently.

John Flavel

acknowledged this as well.

To bury a child,

any child,

must needs

rend the heart

of a tender parent.

A child is part

of the parent

made up

in another skin.

To lay a son

in the grave,

a son who would

continue the name

and support the family,

this is a very

great affliction.

How could a Christian

not grieve

great loss?

It's not a sin

to grieve

because Jesus grieved.

In John 11, 33,

we saw this.

Jesus,

as he's approaching

the tomb of Lazarus,

he sees Mary,

Martha,

and the Jews

weeping.

And Jesus,

our sinless God

in the flesh,

he groaned

in the spirit

and he was troubled.

Ecclesiastes 3, 4,

can be paraphrased

as the ancient

Hebrew paraphrase

gave it,

there is

a time

to weep

for those

that sleep.

But God

doesn't waste

the grief.

He uses it.

Flavel pointed out,

God often uses

a person's grief

to get your attention.

God could continue

stripping a person

of all he cares about

until he is finally

willing and ready

to face

his own death

as well.

I know some of you

are grieving.

Some of you

had loss

very recently.

The Lord wants you

to think about

your own life

and yes,

even your own death

because there is

a time for Christians

to grieve

painful loss.

You must grieve

but you must grieve

differently.

Second observation

on verse 13.

Without hope,

your grief

will paralyze you.

Here's why

you must grieve

differently.

To not grieve

differently than the world,

it's devastating.

Hopeless grief

degenerates your nerves.

It numbs your soul.

It holds your mind

hostage.

And grief

can paralyze you.

Have you experienced

something like that?

In verse 13,

Paul writes,

don't grieve

like the rest

who have no hope.

They have no hope

of ever seeing

their friends anymore.

The thought of that friend

must be entirely

lost to them.

They will never meet,

see,

or enjoy

those loved ones

that they lost

outside of Christ.

Christ.

And this would drive

the church

in the ancient world

to extravagant actions.

One commentator said

it would make them

do bizarre things

that we would see

now as culturally

crazy,

you know,

like downright madness,

furious transports.

We get a glimpse

of this also

in the pagan world

in Deuteronomy 14.1.

Part of the civil law

for national Israel

was to not grieve

over the dead

the same way

the pagan nations do.

That verse says

that you are the children

of the Lord your God.

Do not cut yourselves

or shave the front

of your heads

for the dead.

That's what the pagans do.

But you're children of God.

You grieve differently.

Humans can be driven

to those extreme actions

because

death is so real.

No one can deny

the reality of death.

And our conscience

can be pricked

when we see that so close.

That's why the western world

has tried to sanitize death

is because we don't want

to have to deal

with our conscience.

John Flavel wrote

your conscience

is either your best of friends

or your worst of enemies

because it indicates

to your body

in this life

what destiny

you are headed to

for eternity.

So without hope

grief

will paralyze you.

But the third observation

in verse 13

is that

there is

a medicine

for this pain.

The balm

for grief

is truth.

The balm

or ointment

for grief

is truth.

Notice what he says

at the very beginning

of verse 13.

Here's why

we don't want you

to be ignorant.

You need to treat

that burning pain

of grief

with the right

ointment.

The only ointment

that can soothe.

And that's truth

from the word

of God.

Spurgeon said,

Oh, there is

in contemplating Christ

a balm

for every wound.

Well, how do you

get this medicine?

How do you get that?

That's the fourth

observation

on verse 13.

As your soul

receives the truth

from God's word,

it leaves a residual

effect on the pain

and that's hope.

He says,

don't be ignorant

as those who have

no hope.

Instead,

through the truth

of God's word

washing over us,

what we're left with

is a hope

that's different

than what the world

can offer.

So if you

are suffering now

and you are grieving,

you must grieve.

You don't grieve

like the world,

though.

What you do

is you put yourself

like you are now

under God's word.

You let God's word

wash over you

as truth.

The residual effect

as you go home again

after the service,

you will have more hope

than someone

outside of Christ.

Psalm 34,

Psalms 34:18

verse 18 says

that the Lord

is near

to the brokenhearted

and he saves those

who are crushed

in spirit.

If you are crushed

in spirit,

if you feel like

your heart is broken

and you are grieving,

the Lord is for you

and he is near you.

So Christians

must grieve too.

The second way

that we ought

to comfort one another

in grief

is to remind

one another

of what we believe.

Remind one another

of what we believe.

What is that truth

that gives Christians

hope?

Notice how Paul

gets right to it.

Here is the crux

of the matter.

In verse 14,

he says,

for if we believe

that Jesus died

and rose again.

I want to point out

to you in verse 14

two things.

First,

what the Lord Jesus

secured

and secondly,

for whom he secured

this.

So first,

what did our Lord Jesus

secure?

He secured

eternal life.

He says,

for if we believe

that Jesus died

and rose again,

even so God

will bring with him

those who have

fallen asleep

in Christ.

Your eternal state

and mine,

it hinges on that

one little word,

if.

First John 2.23

says,

no one who denies

the Son

has the Father.

Whoever confesses

the Son

has the Father

also,

you must believe

in Jesus Christ

savingly

to have the hope

of the gospel.

We confess this

with the Apostles' Creed.

We believe

in the Lord Jesus Christ

who for us

and for our salvation

came down

and was made flesh

and entered humanity

and suffered

and rose the third day.

Why did Jesus do this?

To secure eternal life.

He didn't need it.

He secured eternal life

for you

who believe in him.

Octavius Winslow

pointed out,

Christ did this

because he took

your cup of grief,

your cup of the curse,

and he pressed it

to his lips

and he drank it

to the dregs,

every last drop.

Then the Lord Jesus

filled it

with his sweet,

pardoning,

sympathizing love

and he gives it

back to you

to drink

and to drink

forever.

forever.

That's what the Lord

accomplished.

He secured

eternal life

by coming to earth,

dying,

and being risen again.

Now for whom

did he accomplish this?

There's still

the condition,

if you believe.

Even so,

God will bring with him

those who have

fallen asleep.

Notice the next two words.

Those who have

fallen asleep

in Christ Jesus.

There is nothing

more certain

or more comfortable,

one commentator

pointed out,

there's nothing

that we should

more firmly believe

than this.

If you die

in Christ,

you are secure

in Christ

forevermore.

1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:21

verse 21

gives clarity.

For since death

came by man,

Adam,

the resurrection

of the dead

also comes

by man,

Jesus Christ,

the last Adam.

Jesus Christ

secured

eternal life

for all

who believe

in him

as Lord and Savior.

He secured

this now,

applying it to you

by the Holy Spirit

while you are alive

so that when you die

and go to sleep

in Christ,

you can know

forever

your soul

is in him.

You are united

from him

that will never

be undone.

how can this

truth be balm?

How can this

give us hope

and comfort

and how can it

be medicine

for our suffering

soul?

John Flavel

preached a sermon

and the title

of the sermon

I think answers

that question.

It was a funeral

sermon entitled

The Balm

of the Covenant.

That's the covenant

of grace

applied to the

bleeding wounds

of afflicted

saints.

And in this sermon

he tells the

widow

who lost

her husband

this is a

sovereign balm

the blessing

of the Holy Spirit

on you

for your wounded

spirit

who are groaning

under the strokes

of God.

Here's the promise

that same moment

that your soul

came to Jesus

in faith

had passed

from death

to life

that soul

is no longer

under the law

condemning unto death

but it's under

the grace

that Christ

secured forever.

So you and I

have the opportunity

every time we

think about our death

every time we think

about resting

in Christ

we have the chance

to prepare

for that eternal

state

what comes after

this life.

Did you notice

how the apostle

Paul calls

death

falling asleep

if you're in Christ?

If you're in Christ

to die

is simply

to fall

asleep.

Every night

that we lay

our heads down

on the pillow

we are practicing

for our death.

We fall asleep

in Christ

we trust

that he will bring

his own

back to life

with him.

John Gill

pointed out

what do death

and falling asleep

have in common?

In both death

and sleep

there is no

exercise of the senses

the persons

are at rest

and both

rise again.

Both death

and sleep

are common

to all men

and they are

proper

and peculiar

to the body

only.

That's why

you can have

a dream

while your body

sleeps.

It's a wonderful

analogy

that the Lord

has given us

and even wiring us

and he makes you

sleep

not just once a month

he makes you sleep

every day

learning to rest

in him

practicing for your own

death one day.

Well let's remind

ourselves next

this is our third way

to comfort one another

remind one another

by the word

of the Lord

how it all

ends.

So having said

that there's only hope

for those in Christ

he reminds us

next of how

this all ends

and this is another

way that we comfort

one another.

Look at verse 15

for we tell you

by the word

of the Lord

that we who are

alive

who are left

until the coming

of the Lord

will in no way

precede those

who have fallen

asleep.

He says that

if you're in Christ

now and you're

still alive

this is how

it's going to end

for you

and what about

those who are

already dead

when Christ returns?

Well this is how

it will end

for them.

Verse 16

the Lord himself

will descend

from heaven

with a shout

with the voice

of the archangel

and with God's

trumpet.

This is imagery

of war.

it's a cry

of command

coming from

heaven

with the Lord

Jesus Christ

in his glorified

body

descending

coming to take

what's his

which is the

whole world

as the supreme

authority

and it's a command

to all his

soldiers

living and

dead

and the voice

of the archangel

that's the general

of the angelic

army

and with the

sound

of the trumpet

this is imagery

of a Jewish

shofar

which was the

trumpet made

out of a ram's

horn

that was used

when the

walls of Jericho

come tumbling

down

and the first

Yeshua

is calling the

people to take

the land

Jesus Christ

will be coming

back leading

the army

taking the land

taking the whole

world

that is his

own

this is how

it all

ends

in Luke 12

Luke 12:49

verse 49

Jesus said

in his own

words

I came

to throw

fire on the

earth

and I wish

it were

already

kindled

the Lord

Jesus

with the

gospel

in his

first coming

is gracious

he's inaugurating

the kingdom

of heaven

on earth

and this

fire will

spread

throughout

the world

it's the

fire of

the gospel

it's the

image of

the Holy

Spirit

hovering over

the church

as they

gather in

his name

until every

one of the

nations

peoples and

tribes are

gathered

under

Jesus

their

king

and as

one

generation

passes

and their

bodies

are buried

they're being

prepared for

that great

day

when the

fire

of the

heavenly

kingdom

will consume

the whole

earth

the new

heavens

and the

new

earth

are brought

down

by the

Lord

Jesus

himself

with the

host of

the angels

armies

with all

of those

who had

died in

Christ

being risen

and all

those who

are still

living

when he

returns

being

transformed

and brought

with him

this is how

it all

ends

this should

comfort

us who

mourn

now

Jesus

ascended

into heaven

we read

in our

creed

he is

seated

at the

father's

right hand

and he

will come

again

to judge

the living

and the

dead

his first

coming

was gracious

calling all

to repent

and his

second

coming

is a

time for

his

kingdom

to be

here

constantly

where every

knee

will bow

to king

Jesus

one way

or the

other

remind one

another

by the

word of

God

how this

all ends

the fourth

way we

comfort one

another is

we think

of him

with whom

all believers

will be

think

of him

with whom

all believers

will be

verse 16

we read

that the

dead

in Christ

will rise

first

there are

Christians

who have

been tossed

over ships

there are

Christians

who have

been burned

alive at

the stake

their bodies

were consumed

by the fire

there are others

who have been

buried in the

dirt

and turned

to dust

their bodies

have been

eaten up

by worms

the Lord

Jesus says

that when

he comes

those who

died in

him

will rise

the one

who created

you

who formed

you and

me

and this

whole world

out of

nothing

he will

recreate

each one

of us

he will

join

body

to soul

that's the

only way

we can be

with him

the Lord

Jesus

died

and his

own body

was resurrected

and his

own body

ascended

to the

right hand

of the

father

this mystery

is explained

at least

as much as

God wants us

to know

for now

in 1

Corinthians

15

42

notice how

Paul explains

this

you're welcome

to turn

there

I'll read

it for

us

1

Corinthians

15

starting

at 42

the body

is sown

perishable

it's the

image of

our body

once the

soul has

left it

being put

into the

earth

into the

dirt

perishable

but it

is raised

imperishable

the body

God will

raise to

life

when he

comes again

will not

perish

it is

sown

in

dishonor

a funeral

is a picture

of what

our sin

deserves

it's the

curse

that we're

under

that we've

piled onto

with our

own sinning

but that

same body

because it's

united to

Christ

by his

work

will be

raised

in glory

the body

is sown

in weakness

but it

will be

raised

in power

so if

you die

in Christ

your soul

will be

separated

from your

body

until the

second coming

of Christ

but you

can look

forward to

that day

that great

reunion

your body

will be

transformed

so that

you can

be with

the Lord

body

and soul

and what

about those

who are

still alive

when Christ

returns

we read

in verse

17 of

our sermon

text

then we

who are

alive

who are

left

will be

caught up

together

with them

in the

clouds

to meet

the Lord

in the

air

the phrase

in the

air

is used

throughout

the Bible

and the

Old Testament

as not

the seventh

heaven

or the

highest

of heaven

but that

place

between

heaven

and earth

it's the

mediating

presence

of Christ

in the

air

it means

the

presence

of the

Lord

where he's

bringing

heaven

and earth

together

and there's

going to be

a great

reunion

of all

those

who

died

in

Christ

and all

those

who are

now

still

living

in

Christ

1 Corinthians

15

51

says

behold

I tell

you

a mystery

we will

not all

sleep

but we

will

all

be

changed

in a

moment

in the

twinkling

of an

eye

the last

trumpet

will

sound

the dead

will be

raised

incorruptible

and we

will be

changed

this perishable

body must

become

imperishable

and this

mortal body

must put on

immortality

the Lord

will transform

all of us

those who

died in

him

those who

are still

living in

him

at his

second

coming

the reason

he will

transform

our bodies

is so that

we can be

with him

in his

glory

John

Flavel

explained this

mystery this

way

your body

must be

refined

it must be

cast into

a new

mold

or else

that new

wine

of heavenly

glory

would break

it is not

union with

Christ

infinitely more

desirable

than union

of your soul

with this

body

oh cherish

your union

with him

then shall

your souls

be happy

when your

bodies drop

off from

them at

death

and what's

more

your soul

and your

body

shall be

happy in

him

in that

great

resurrection

at the

second

and final

coming

of our

Lord

look at

verse 17

think of

him

with whom

all believers

will be

verse 17

we have

this glorious

promise

in this

way

so

we

will be

with

the

Lord

forever

we

will be

with

the

Lord

forever

Romans

6 5

says

if we

have

become

united

with him

in the

likeness

of his

death

we

also

will be

part

of his

resurrection

that's

how we

will be

with the

Lord

forever

we're

with the

Lord

now

spiritually

one day

we will

be with

the

Lord

body

and soul

the new

heavens

the new

earth

forever

forever

whatever

what

greater

comfort

could

a person

ask

for

this

is the

high

part

of our

passage

it's

the

Lord

Jesus

himself

your

savior

your

creator

your

good

shepherd

you are

with

him

for all

eternity

but that's

not where

he ends

this thought

because you

and I are

still here

in the

church

we're still

in this

life

in these

bodies

and we

long for

that day

that we'll

be with

our

Lord

forever

but now

what do we

do while

we grieve

while our

flesh is

weak

and he

ends with

verse 18

comfort

one another

with these

words

comfort

one another

to

comfort

is to

lessen a

friend's

sadness

or sorrow

it's to

minister

comfort

to give

someone a

pleasant

feeling

or being

relaxed

more free

from pain

it's to

restore

a cheerful

outlook

to strengthen

by inspiring

them with

hope

and how

is it

that the

Lord

does this

well he

does it

through the

church

we are

part of

ministering

such

comfort

to one

another

and how

do we

comfort

one another

with

these

words

if it's

man's

words to

one another

it brings

no hope

but from

God

who alone

has the

words of

eternal

life

through

his

people

the

church

there

is

great

comfort

Jesus

said in

Mark 13

Mark 13:31

verse 31

heaven and

earth will

pass away

but my

words shall

never pass

away

we take the

word of God

that shall not

pass away

and we

minister God's

word to

one another

the Holy

Spirit takes

our humble

attempts at

comforting one

another from

God's word

and he

blesses

that

Psalm 55

Psalms 55:22

verse 22

says cast

your burden

on the

Lord and

he will

sustain

you

he will

never

permit the

righteous

to be

moved

comfort one

another with

these words

we all need

comfort from

one another

we come to

the church

we want to

hear from

God and

God ministers

and he

speaks to

the church

through the

church

hasn't that

been true in

your experience

you're so

blessed every

time you

leave and

you just

never know

where the

Lord's gonna

minister to

you but it

happens as

you're setting

up an element

of the service

in the meal

just passing in

the hallway

we listen to

one another

we minister

to one another

just as we

prepare for

death as a

discipline now

we also need

to be prepared

for persecution

and for more

serious grieving

within this body

we need to be

equipped to

minister and to

comfort within

this body

we don't know

what the Lord

will bring

I'm reminded

every time I

read of another

part of the

world or another

time in Christian

history how much

persecution little

churches like ours

seeking to be

faithful to God's

word have

endured

one last example

from John

Flavel's life

during the

the reign in

England when it

was prohibited to

minister from

God's word to

one another

you had to use a

book of common

prayer and be

regulated by the

government

pastors like

John Flavel

spent time in

prison then

there was a

five mile act

where they had

to be five miles

away from the

village where

there was an

official parish

because it was

outlawed to

minister God's

word to comfort

one another

and John Flavel

was not popular

his opponents

made an effigy

of him and

burned it as a

protest against

puritanism and

the free ministry

of the word

on another

occasion his

congregation would

meet him in a

field just to

minister the word

of the Lord to

one another and

worship with

freedom of

conscience

there the city

of darts is on

the mouth of

the ocean and

these rivers bring

that salty water

in and so there

was one island

called the

south stone rock

and this is an

estuary in

England and here

the sailors would

come and they

would they would

put their ships

and they would

march out and the

people from the

village would

join while the

tide would blow

they would take

their little boats

onto this rock

and they would

hold a worship

service where they

couldn't be

persecuted and

then as the tide

would rise that

same little island

would get buried

by the water

John Flavel took

the truth of the

gospel and he put

it as a question

and answer for

these simple

sailors it was

called a catechism

for sailors and

listen to his

words on death

ministering this

comfort to men

like that

to die is to

pass through a

raging maritime

tempest that

strips the ship

of its worldly

cargo and though

all earthly things

fail at death

yet neither the

soul nor its

well-grounded

hopes can fail

the anchor of a

believer's hope

is firm and

sure amen

Jesus Christ is

the anchor of

every believer

well Satan wants

to attack you in

your grief

he wants to

accuse God to

you in your

grief as you

suffer loss you

can feel empty

bruised deserted

and spiritually

parched and

Jesus says to

you you who

mourn in him

are blessed

Matthew 5

4 how can a

person mourning

be blessed

Jesus says

because you

shall be

comforted

Christ comforts

you in your

grief he

fills you who

are empty

he brings water

to you who are

in a desert

I love how

John Newton

the same pastor

who composed the

lyrics to amazing

grace he put it

this way in a

poem see the

streams of living

water springing

from eternal

love well supply

thy sons and

daughters and

all fear of

want remove

who can faint

while such a

river ever flows

their thirst to

assuage grace

which like the

Lord the giver

never fails from

age to age

so church

comfort one

another with

this all you

who are in

our Lord Jesus

Christ all your

loved ones who

die in our

Lord Jesus

Christ and

the whole

church who

is united in

the Lord Jesus

Christ from

all generations

all peoples

nations tribes

and tongues will

be with the

Lord forever

comfort one

another in this

truth let's

pray

Lord now we

receive your

truth by

faith

we believe

help our

unbelief

we do pray

Lord for those

who are still

grieving

those who have

suffered great

loss

we pray that

the truth

that we are

secure in

Jesus Christ

and that the

anchor of our

hope will not

fail we pray

that that truth

once again today

Lord will stir