Cornerstone Class: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

Cornerstone Class Outline for 1/13/19
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

·         Prayer requests—Vicki Kerns

·         Jody Angier introduces Tom

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·       Who I am in Christ:

·         Jody explained what I do. I’d like to spend 3-4 minutes describing who I am in Christ. I might add that this also describes who you are. Everyday, I pray these four truths to God to remind myself of my identity in Christ.

1.      First, I am loved by God

·         1 John 4:9-10 NIV says, “9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

·         The greatest expression of God’s love is that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins

2.      Second, I am completely forgiven and justified—in right standing before God

·         Romans 3:21-22 NIV says, “21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

·         There’s an old saying that states, “All my sin was imputed to Christ. All his righteousness was imputed to me.”

·         God is pleased with me, not based on my own righteousness, but because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to me.

3.      Third, God accepts me as I am

·         Romans 5:10 NIV says, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

·         I am no longer God’s enemy. I’m now His friend, thanks to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

·         John 15:14-15 NIV says, “14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

·         Of course, this friendship is an unequal relationship. God is the heavenly Father and we are His created children.

4.      Fourth, I am born again; my heart has been regenerated

·         2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

·         Because God regenerated my heart, my life has been transformed and I am being transformed by the Holy Spirit.

That’s me in a nutshell! Let’s discuss 1 Thessalonians.

·         Discussion:

·         I love discussion because:

o   It gets us in the practice of talking about the Bible and spiritual things. We need to move beyond small talk and intentional discussion helps accomplish that.

o   God wants us to learn how to express what we believe and discussion groups help accomplish that goal.

o   By discussing Biblical truth with each other, it may help us to better share Christ with unbelievers.

·         Today’s scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NIV: “15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

·         Riddle: The three most common camps of end-times theology are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. There is a third less common view called panmillennialism. Can someone explain panmillennialism in one sentence? Answer: It will all pan out in the end.

·         Opening question:

o   Mark Kelly suggested that I start off with a provocative question, so here goes: Let’s say we have two people with conflicting views of the last days. Is it possible for them to discuss end-times theology without hard feelings? If so, what attitude should they have that will promote peaceful fellowship in Christ?

o   Answer: Evangelical scholar Robert Lightner wrote, “I want to suggest that evangelicals begin to practice in their use of prophecy what they preach in their doctrine of the family of God. It is time that we start behaving like brothers and sisters in the heavenly family. Each child in the household of faith is needed, and we must never forget that the exercise of Christian love is just as essential in eschatology as it is in every other area of God’s truth and Christian living.”

o   When discussing prophecy, what are two attitudes that Dr. Lightner recommends? Answer: view each other as valued members of God’s family. Practice Christian love.

·         Questions on 1 Thes. 4:15-18:

o   In verse 15, what does Paul mean when he states that those who are alive won’t precede those who are asleep? (answer in verse 16) The dead in Christ will rise first.

o   Is verse 16 to be taken literally—that Jesus will come down from heaven with a loud command, the voice of the archangel and a trumpet call?

o   Is verse 17 describing the resurrection, the rapture or both?

o   Do you think that we’re going to continue up to heaven with Jesus, or will He proceed to land on the earth with us joining Him? Answer: this position implies a post-tribulation rapture—that the second coming and the rapture are the same thing.

o   Verse 18 says, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Why is the preceding description of the resurrection/rapture encouraging to the Thessalonians and us?

o   Why do you think Paul describes the dead in Christ as “those who have fallen asleep?”

o   As believers, where do our spirits go when we die?

o   When the dead in Christ rise, just what part of them is rising?

o   How does the fact of our future resurrection affect our current thinking as well as how we live our lives?

* * * 

Nazarene Articles of Faith concerning the second coming, the resurrection, judgment, and eternity:

XV. Second Coming of Christ

15. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord.

(Matthew 25:31-46; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessa­lonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:26-28; 2 Peter 3:3-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 22:7-20)

XVI. Resurrection, Judgment, and Destiny

16. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bod­ies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits—“they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

16.1. We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.

16.2. We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell.

(Genesis 18:25; 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm 50:6; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2-3; Mat­thew 25:31-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; 20:27-38; John 3:16-18; 5:25-29; 11:21-27; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 2:1-16; 14:7-12; 1 Corinthians 15:12-58