Confidence for the Christian

I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

Paul addresses two important issues here, the matter of death for the believer and the return of Christ to this Earth.

• Assurance concerning the resurrection (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
  • How God will deal with the saints who have died before Christ’s return
    • A guard against confusion (I Thessalonians 4:13)
      • They are now asleep
        • I Corinthians 15:51-54
        • John 5:24-29
        • Ecclesiastes 12:4
      • This guards against unwarranted grief
    • Guarantee a future (I Thessalonians 4:14)
    • Gives a guide for the resurrection (I Thessalonians 4:15-17)
      • The authority – the Word of God
      • Answers a concern
        • What about the dead?
          • Christ appears
          • Christian dead raised
          • Christian living and resurrected rise to meet the Lord
        • The result is comfort (I Thessalonians 4:18)
• A matter of time (I Thessalonians 5:1-11)
  • With suddenness and unexpectedly (I Thessalonians 5:1-2)
  • With certainty
  • We have a safeguard (I Thessalonians 5:4-5)
    • Knowledge
    • Truth
      • Light = enlightened children of God
      • Darkness = expressing both ignorance and evil
    • A special call and challenge (I Thessalonians 5:6-8)
      • Be alert and sober
        • Sober meaning temperate, abstinent, watchful, proper living
    • We have confidence (I Thessalonians 5:9-11)
      • Our confidence is in salvation
        • The source is Jesus Christ
        • The strength is regardless of if we are awake or asleep
        • The security is we will be together with Him