UNROLL
Dawn over a quiet ancient burial ground on a hillside above the sea: plain stone grave markers, a rock-cut tomb, low mist and a brightening gold sky.

The Book of

1 Thessalonians 4

How do you live while you wait for Jesus, and what about the friends who died before He came? Paul answers both.

18 verses≈ 3 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1Thank GodFaith, love and hope at work
  2. 2:1–16Among youGentle as a mother, firm as a father
  3. 2:17–3:13Torn awayTimothy brings good news
  4. 4:1–12Please GodHoly, loving, quiet livesChapter 4
  5. 4:13–5:28Until He comesHope, readiness, life together

Living to Please God

Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more. For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

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For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.

For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.

1 Thessalonians 4:7

Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.

Pray

Holy, and helped

God’s will is plain: “that you should be holy.” Ask Him for a clean heart and a pure life, and for help to honor others. Then thank Him that you are not left to manage it alone. He is “the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.”

Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia.

But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

A quiet life

Keep growing“to excel more andmore”Live quietly“to aspire to livequietly”Mind your ownwork“attend to your ownmatters”Work with yourhands“as we instructed you”A good witness“behave properlytoward outsiders”No one’s burdendependent on no one

Whiteboard

Paul’s picture of an ordinary Christian life: love that keeps growing, a calm heart, your own work done well. Lived like that, the gospel earns respect from neighbors who don’t yet believe.

The Return of the Lord

Paul

so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

What the Lord will do

The LordHimself comes“will descend fromheaven”The dead risefirst“the dead in Christ”Caught uptogether“to meet the Lord inthe air”Always with theLordthe point of it all

Whiteboard

Paul gives only a few steps, in this order. The Lord Himself comes. The dead in Christ rise first. Then those still living are caught up together with them. And the point of it all is the last line: with the Lord, always.

Question

Quick question

Some of the Thessalonian believers had died, and their friends were grieving.

Why does Paul tell them about those who have fallen asleep?

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, 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 will always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Towering clouds over the open sea at sunrise, lit gold from below, with shafts of light breaking through to the water.

Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, 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 will always be with the Lord.

Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Reflect

Words worth sharing

Paul wrote these lines to people standing beside fresh graves, and he ends: “encourage one another with these words.” Who do you know who is grieving, or afraid of death? Write down one thing from this passage you could say to them, and think about when you might say it.

You’ve experienced

1 Thessalonians 4

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A verse to carry with you

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

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