Review
• The church is dealing with persecution – unsettling.
• Now there are questions about what will happen to those who have died
• Three passages we will look into
• Look in our resources for two series we did on this issue –The Return of the King and One Minute After You Die.
The first question—what about those who have died as believers?
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NIV) 13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 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.
Important thoughts
1. Those who do not have Jesus have no hope – and those who do.
2. Jesus is the first of what will become part of all believers story
3. Therefore those who know Jesus do not grieve like the world because we know where believers are and we will see them again if we are in Christ Jesus
4. Differing views of the end – Rapture, then Day of the Lord—or Day of the Lord entails both happen at the same time.
5. The Lord will come down from heaven—
6. The dead in Christ are already raised and with the Lord.
7. Those who are left alive will be transformed in a blink of an eye (1 Corinthians 15)
8. To be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8–9 (NIV) 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
1 Corinthians 15:51 (NIV) 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
The second question: Did we miss it? What signs should I be looking for?
1. False teachers are unsettling people.
2. Some will be experiencing their own form of peace —
3. It will catch people by surprise.
4. The spiritual condition of people – characteristics
2 Thessalonians 2:1–15 (NIV) 1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. 13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
Matthew 24:9–14 (ESV)
2 Timothy 3:1–9 (NLT) 1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

Third question_ So what do we do – we stand firm – alert and awake.
• Standing firm in the scriptures teachings –knowing and being
2 Thessalonians 2:14-15 (NIV) 1He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
1 Peter 3:13–16 (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 5:4–11 (NIV) 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

We know how it ends – we are alert and awake –it will come like a thief in the night for some –not us —Who we are – who I am – who you are – and this is what we do.

For Small Group Discussion

Opening Question: Has someone ever shown up at your house unexpectedly? Why did they come?
Main Point: We are hopefully expectant that the Day of the Lord is near. In the meantime, be about the Lord’s business. Stay awake. Stay alert. Stand firm.
Main Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2
Head Questions
• When it comes to the return of Christ, according to 2 Thessalonians 2, what do we know for sure?
• What does the Bible say that we are supposed to do with what we know?
Heart Questions
• When is it difficult for you to stand firm in the midst of the culture we live in?
• What word or phrase stands out to you the most from verses 13-17? Why did you gravitate to that word/phrase?
Hands Questions
• What area of your life, or topic, would you say you are overinformed in?
• Are there areas in your life that you need to be more alert in, that God wants you to focus on?
Additional Scripture: 2 Timothy 3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Tips and Resources:
To watch Jim and the Sermon Team on The Overtime Podcast, go to: https://bit.ly/RLOvertime

To find additional end times resources go to: https://realliferesources.org/current-series/