Death: One of the most difficult issues we face, it is not a pleasant subject to think about.
When a loved one dies the feelings of loss go deep
Our text is a message that contrasts believers and non-believers in death.

1. About the resurrection of the dead.
2. About the return of Christ.

We are going to look at the difference between

• Hope and no hope
• Believing and not believing
• The first and second resurrections

The Difference Between Hope and No Hope

read 1 Thessalonians 4:13 What hope do we have when a loved one dies?
The Bible gives us an answer.
Know this: Death brings sorrow for those who remain, some think that christians don´t or shouldn´t have sorrow or grief
Christians have grief, but there is a difference between how christians sorrow and grief, and how non-believers sorrow.

1. Our sorrow is tempered by God´s promises.
2. We have hope of better things to come.
3. Our departed christian loved ones are in heaven. read 2 Corinthians 5:8
4. We will get to see them again.

The difference: The world does not have this hope!

The Difference Between Believing and Not Believing

read 1 Thessalonians 4:14

Faith brings hope: To believe is to trust or rely upon God.
It is more than just an intellectual agreement.

read Romans 10:10

There is no hope apart from receiving Christ by faith.

There is no doubt if He has become your personal savior

The Difference Between The First
and Second Resurrection

read 1 Thessalonians 4:16

What is going to happen when Jesus returns?

First Resurrection

The dead in Christ will rise from their graves
They will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds.
Living believers will be caught up in the clouds.
All will have new bodies read 1 Corinthians 15:42-54
We will be like Jesus read 1 John 3:2-3

The second resurrection comes 1000 years later  read Revelation 20:7-15

The resurrection of unbelievers
The judgement of the Great White Throne
Then the second death!

Faith In Christ Makes The Difference

Jesus Gives Hope and Assures Us of Heaven!

Bible Studies Home

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
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Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
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1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.
⁴³ It is sown in dis honour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
⁴⁵ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
⁴⁶ Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
⁴⁸ As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
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1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
³ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
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Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.
⁸ And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
⁹ And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
¹⁰ And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
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1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
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1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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Last updated on ... February 19, 2005