Recently someone gave me a Dear Abby column. I’d like to share a little of it with you.

You know you’re getting older when....

You need a fire permit to light all of you birthday candles and you need oxygen after blowing them out.

You sink your teeth into a thick steak and they stay there.

You stop to think and sometimes forget to start again.

You finally get it all together but can’t remember where you put it.

Your knees buckle, but your belt won’t.

Everything hurts. And what doesn’t hurt, doesn’t work.

You have too much room in the house, and not enough in the medicine chest.

We joke about getting older. We joke, often because we know that beyond aging is death. And death is a serious concern in our minds. We all face issues of physically failing - feelings of sorrow and loss - concern with the legacy we leave behind - the uncertainty of what comes or doesn’t come next.

Paul had been teaching in Thessalonica for 3 weeks and then he moved on. During those 3 weeks Paul had shared the Gospel - many had come to faith in Jesus - he had shared the great doctrines of our faith - and the church was maturing in their walk with God. Paul had shared about eternal life in Christ and the return of Jesus.

But time was passing. The believers in Thessalonica had made too many trips to the cemetery. Too many of their loved ones - those who had trusted in Jesus as their Savior - too many had died. They we’re beginning to question if they had understood what Paul had said.

In Thessalonica there were some who had begun to teach that the Messiah had already returned - the resurrection had taken place - and they’d missed it. And so, the believers in Thessalonica were beginning to doubt that they would ever be reunited with their loved ones. They were wondering what would happen when they died.

With these doubts in mind, Paul writes these reassuring words here in 1 Thessalonians 4. Look with me at what Paul writes - starting in verse 13: “But we do not want you to be uniformed brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have not hope.”

Let’s pause there. We need to know what happens to those who have fallen asleep.

One day, when Jesus had come to a large crowd out by the Sea of Galilee, a synagogue official named Jarius came and fell at the feet of Jesus. And Jarius began begging Jesus, “My little 12 year old daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” Imagine the grief of this man. This is every parent’s worst nightmare.

Jesus starts to go with Jarius. After some time and delay - as they’re slowly making their way towards Jarius’ house - some people come from the house and tell Jarius, “Your daughter has died. Its too late. Don’t bother Jesus any more.”

When Jesus hears this - He turns to this distraught father and says, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe and she will be made well.”

When they finally get to the house its really obvious that this little girl - the apple of her parent’s eyes - is dead. The professional mourners - the people who made a living mourning for others - the professionals are already there - wailing and weeping. There’s this loud commotion - a large crowd. Its hopeless - grim.

Jesus comes and says, “Why are you weeping and wailing? The child hasn’t died. She’s asleep.” And they all start laughing at Him. Because they know she’s dead. Sleep is sleep. Death is death.

Jesus takes Peter, James, John, Jarius - the father, and the girl’s mother into the house and goes to the room where this lifeless child is laying. Jesus takes her by the hand - and in the presence of her grieving parents - Jesus says to her, “Little girl, arise.”

And this little girl - who was dead - gets up and starts to walk around the room. Jesus turns to the amazed parents and tells them to get something to eat for the girl - who’s hungry. (Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41-56)

When someone we love goes to sleep we don’t immediately call an ambulance. We know that they’re resting and that they’ll wake up and we’ll go on with our lives together. That’s the way the New Testament regards the death of believers - they’re asleep.

We struggle with this because we struggle with eternity. For us time has a past, present, and future. We’re here in this sanctuary sharing this moment in time together - the present. Before this we were at our homes - getting ready - on the road coming here - past time. After this - we’ll have coffee and share together - and go our separate ways - future time. We’re locked physically into time that moves from past to present to future.

But eternity isn’t like that. Eternity has only one dimension - it exists. Its happening - simultaneously. When we stop to think about that our brains begin to go into overload and shut down. How can someone who has died be asleep and we’ll see them again and it’ll be for them like they’ve been asleep and haven’t noticed the passage of time like we have?

But that’s the way it is. And we need to know that. Those who are in Christ are not dead. They’re asleep. And when they awaken we’ll see them again and go on with our lives.

Paul says I’m telling you this, “so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have not hope.”

I’ve always appreciated this passage for what Paul does not say. Paul doesn’t say, “Stop grieving. You’re all Christians. We have hope in Jesus. So stop all this grieving nonsense.”

There are far too many times when this world hurts - times when all we’re left with are questions - no answers. Life is unfair. There are times of loss when all we can do is grieve - times when grief is the only way we can cope with pain and loss. God created us with the ability to grieve. But, there’s a difference between the grief of someone with hope and the grief of someone without hope.

Going on in verse 14 - this is why we have hope: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again - and we do believe this - even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

Often times I find myself in cemeteries. Sometimes I go by the gravesites of your family. Mine are there buried next to yours. And I think about them and you - dreams - memories. I go there sometimes to have my devotions or just to pray or to think about life.

In the Chinese section of one of our cemeteries I read this quote on the tombstone of a sister in Christ - someone I hope to see someday.

When I am gone, release me, let me go,
I have so many things to see and do.
You must not tie yourself to me with tears,
Be thankful for our many beautiful years.

I gave you love, you can only guess,
How much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you all for the love you each have shown,
But now, it is time I traveled alone.

So grieve a while for me, if you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It is only for a time, that we must part,
So bless the memories within your heart.

And then, when you must come this way alone,
I will greet you with a smile and say, Welcome Home!

We may feel sorrow and loss. But we do not need to feel hopeless. Jesus cried at the death of His friend Lazarus. But Jesus brought Lazarus back to life. Even the deepest sleepers wake up. Eventually our relationship will begin again. We know this because Jesus is alive and returning. Jesus is victorious over death and if we are in Him we shall be victorious over death.

Verse 15: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord - not our imagination - not by our philosophy - this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

Many of the new airplanes today have a video screen. As you’re flying, on the screen, there’s a display showing where you are. A little picture of an airplane superimposed on a map of the world. As you move, the plane moves, showing where you are. How many of you have seen these?

From time to time they display other information - like how fast you’re moving. And they give information about where you’re going - your destination: what time it is there - how long until you get to where you’re going. We’re on a journey that will end at a certain destination.

The difference with the return of Jesus is that we don’t know when. But, it will happen - maybe today - maybe tomorrow. But, it will happen.

Many people today - including a number of Christians - view the return of Jesus Christ as a philosophical or religious idea to be discussed or debated. It may or may not happen. Some equate the return of Jesus with some type of cosmic planetary alignment or a reunion with our Mother Goddess the earth.

But, Paul believed that the same Jesus who walked this earth - was crucified - resurrected - and ascended into heaven - this same Jesus would return bodily to earth - just as Jesus said He would. For Paul this was a certain future historical fact. Resurrection will happen. Reunion will happen. When Jesus comes back we will all be together again.

Verses 16 and 17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

Three things we know will happen when Jesus returns.

First, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout.” This is going to be a powerful scene. Jesus, in all His majesty as God, descending from the clouds with a loud shout - a cry of command.

Jesus speaks in John 5:25 and says, “I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” The cry of command is addressed to those in the tombs who have fallen asleep in Jesus. When they hear the command they will come forth from the grave.

Second, “the voice of the archangel” - Michael - will be heard. In Daniel 12:1-2 we’re told that the Archangel Michael will call the righteous of Israel from the grave into eternal life.

Third, “the trumpet of God” will sound. In 1 Corinthians 15 - another great passage about the return of Jesus - in 1 Corinthians 15 - Paul writes this: “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52)

I’ve heard that some church nurseries have a sign that says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”

We shall not all sleep. We’re not all going to die before Jesus comes back. Some believers will be alive. And, when those who are alive hear the trumpet sound they will be caught up - changed into immortal bodies that can inherit eternity - and they will be reunited with those who have been asleep.

Because of this certain hope - Paul says, when you grieve - verse 18 - when you grieve, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

A couple of weeks ago the brother of one our friends died. This was a man who knew Jesus intimately - personally. Who lived trusting in Jesus as His Savior. A little before noon, on the day he died, his son read 1 Corinthians 15 to him - this passage about the return of Jesus - about our victory over death.

As the son finished reading, this dying man began to share from this passage - to share with his family gathered there around his bed. He reminded his children and grandchildren about the promises of God for them. He called on them to be warriors for Christ. When he was done he asked his son to pronounce the benediction. And shortly afterward fell asleep and later that night God called him home.

There is such a difference between the home goings of those who fall asleep knowing Jesus and the funerals of those who die without hope.

This morning if the return of Jesus Christ is a philosophical or religious idea and not a certain hope in your life - you need to come to trust in Jesus as your Savior. You need to know with certainty that when He returns you will spend eternity with Him.

If you have that hope - rejoice in it - be comforted even in times of grief. And share it with others. Comfort them. If they are without hope - let them know that they - as we are - in Jesus - they too can be victorious in death.