Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Michael L Grooms
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Spirituality
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A daily chat with Pastor Mike and other resources to encourage listeners to connect with the Word of God and grow in their faith.

  1. 3h ago

    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

    Today we come to three of the shortest verses in the NewTestament. But although they are short, they contain enough truth to challengeus for a lifetime. First Thessalonians 5:16–18 says: “Rejoice always, praywithout ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God inChrist Jesus for you.” Three commands: Rejoice always. Pray withoutceasing. In everything give thanks. Let's look at them one at a time.   First:“Rejoice always.” Paul does not say rejoice only when everything isgoing well. He says always. How is that possible? Because Christian joy is notbased primarily upon our circumstances. It is based upon the Lord. Paul wrotefrom prison in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I willsay, rejoice!” Circumstances change. Our health changes. Our financeschange. Relationships change. But Jesus Christ does not change. Hebrews 13:8says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” So evenwhen we cannot rejoice in what is happening, we can rejoice in the Lord. We canrejoice that our sins are forgiven. We can rejoice that God loves us. We canrejoice that He will never leave us. We can rejoice that heaven is our home.   ThenPaul says: “Pray without ceasing.” Does that mean we should spend everywaking moment on our knees? Obviously not. Paul himself worked, preached,traveled, and ministered. The idea is that prayer should be the continuingattitude of our hearts. Our communication with God should never be permanentlydisconnected. We can pray while driving. We can pray while walking. We can praywhile working. We can whisper a prayer before a difficult conversation. We canthank God when something good happens. We can ask for wisdom the moment we needit. Prayer should become as natural to the Christian as breathing.   ThenPaul says: “In everything give thanks.” Notice he does not necessarilysay for everything. There are painful things in life for which we do notnaturally give thanks. We do not call evil good. But in everything, we canstill find reasons to thank God. Why? Because we know God is still with us. Weknow He still loves us. We know He can work even through difficultcircumstances. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that all things work togetherfor good to those who love God.” It does not say all things are good. ButGod can work through all things for our ultimate good and His glory.   Andthen Paul makes a statement we should not overlook: “For this is the will ofGod in Christ Jesus for you.” People often ask: “What is God's will for mylife?” Here is part of the answer. God wants you to be a rejoicing Christian. Apraying Christian. And a thankful Christian. That doesn't require discoveringsome hidden secret. God has clearly revealed it in His Word. Sometimesgratitude changes our entire perspective. We can become so focused on what wedon't have that we forget what God has already given us. Perhaps today weshould stop and count some blessings. The gift of life. Family. Friends. Oursalvation. God's Word. The privilege of prayer. The promise of heaven. Andabove everything else: Jesus Christ.   Nomatter what today holds, if we belong to Christ, we have reasons to rejoice,reasons to pray, and reasons to give thanks. So maybe we can carry these threeshort commands with us all day: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Ineverything give thanks.   Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for these simple but powerful instructions.Teach us to rejoice not merely in favorable circumstances but in You. Help usto develop a continual attitude of prayer so that throughout the day our heartsremain in fellowship with You. And Lord, make us thankful people. Even indifficult circumstances, open our eyes to Your goodness, faithfulness, andpresence. Help us to live today according to Your will—rejoicing, praying, andgiving thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. In His name, we pray. Amen.   Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

  2. 1d ago

    1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 - Ministry to One Another

    Yesterday Paul spoke about our relationship with spiritualleaders. Today, in 1 Thessalonians 5:14–15, he reminds us that ministry is notsomething that belongs only to pastors. Every Christian has a ministry to otherbelievers. Paul writes: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who areunruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” NoticePaul is speaking to the brethren. These instructions are for the whole church. Thennotice something very important: Paul does not tell us to treat everyoneexactly the same way. Different people have different spiritual needs.   Firsthe says: “Warn those who are unruly.” Some people need correction. Theword “unruly” was sometimes used of a soldier who was out of line. There aretimes when a believer begins walking in a direction that is spirituallydangerous. Love does not simply ignore that. Galatians 6:1 says that if someoneis overtaken in a fault, spiritual believers should seek to restore that person“in a spirit of gentleness.” Correction should never come from pride. Itshould come from love.   ThenPaul says: “Comfort the fainthearted.” Some people do not needcorrection. They need encouragement. The fainthearted are those who have becomediscouraged, fearful, or overwhelmed. Maybe life has hit them hard. Maybe theyhave suffered a loss. Maybe they are battling anxiety about the future. Maybethey simply feel like giving up. Paul says: Comfort them. Come alongside them. Remindthem of God's promises. Sometimes the greatest ministry we can give someone issimply being present and saying: “I'm here, and I'm praying for you.”   ThenPaul says: “Uphold the weak.” Some believers are spiritually weak. Perhapsthey are new Christians. Perhaps they struggle with temptation. Perhaps theirfaith has been shaken. Paul doesn't say criticize the weak. He says: “Uphold”them. Hold on to them. Support them. Help them keep standing. Then comes aphrase that probably applies to all three groups: “Be patient with all.” Thatmay be the hardest part! People don't always change as quickly as we wouldlike. Spiritual growth takes time. And we need to remember how patient God hasbeen with us. Second Peter 3:9 speaks of the longsuffering of God. If God hasbeen patient with me, surely I should learn to be patient with others.   Thenverse 15 says: “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but alwayspursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” Our natural reactionwhen someone hurts us is to hurt them back. They criticize us—we criticizethem. They say something unkind—we respond with something unkind. They mistreatus—we want to get even. But Paul says: “Do not render evil for evil.” Jesustaught the same thing. He told us to love our enemies and pray for those whomistreat us. Romans 12 says: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evilwith good.” That is completely contrary to our natural instincts. Itrequires the grace of God. Paul says instead: “Alwayspursue what is good.” The word “pursue” is strong. Don't merely wait for anopportunity to do good. Go after it. Look for ways to bless people. Look forways to encourage. Look for ways to restore. Look for ways to strengthen. Lookfor ways to respond to hurt with grace.   Thinkabout the different people God may place across your path today. One may need aloving warning. Another may need encouragement. Another may need someone tohold them up. And all of them need patience. The Christian life was neverintended to be lived alone. God has placed us in a spiritual family where weare to help one another keep walking with Jesus. So today ask: “Lord, who needsme to come alongside them?” And when He puts someone on your heart, don't justthink about it. Call them. Visit them. Pray with them. Encourage them. Ministerto one another.   Godbless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

    1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 - Ministry to One Another

  3. 1d ago

    1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 - Appreciate Those Who Serve

    As Paul begins the closing section of 1 Thessalonians, hegives a number of short, practical instructions about relationships within thechurch. Today we begin with verses 12 and 13: “And we urge you, brethren, torecognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonishyou, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peaceamong yourselves.” Paul begins by talking about spiritual leaders. Hedescribes them in three ways.   First,they “labor among you.” Ministry is work. The word Paul uses carries theidea of working to the point of weariness. Faithful ministry requirespreparation. Prayer. Teaching. Counseling. Visiting. Encouraging. Correcting. Caringfor people in times of sickness, grief, family difficulty, and spiritual need. Muchof that ministry happens where nobody else sees it. Then Paul says theseleaders are “over you in the Lord.” That speaks of spiritual leadershipand responsibility. A pastor is not called to dominate people. Jesus said thatleadership among His followers should not imitate the authoritarian leadershipof the world. A pastor is a shepherd. He leads. He protects. He feeds the flockwith God's Word. And he understands that ultimately the church belongs to JesusChrist.   ThenPaul says they “admonish you.” Sometimes spiritual leadership requiressaying things people may not necessarily want to hear. The word admonishincludes warning, instructing, and correcting. A faithful pastor cannot simplytell people what makes them comfortable. Paul told Timothy to: “Preach theword!” And then he added: “Convince, rebuke, exhort, with alllongsuffering and teaching.” So how should believers respond to faithfulspiritual leadership? Paul says: “Recognize” them. That means appreciatethem and understand the responsibility they carry.   Thenverse 13 says: “Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.” NoticePaul doesn't say esteem them because they are celebrities. Or because they haveimpressive personalities. Or because they preach in large churches. He saysesteem them: “For their work's sake.” The honor is connected to the workGod has called them to do. I have had the privilege of serving in pastoralministry for many years, and I can tell you that one of the greatestencouragements a pastor can receive is simply knowing that his peopleappreciate him, pray for him, and support the work of the ministry.   Hebrews13:17 reminds us that spiritual leaders “watch out for your souls, as thosewho must give account.” That is an enormous responsibility. Pastors willanswer to God for how they shepherd His people. That ought to make us pray forthem. Your pastor needs prayer. He faces temptations. He experiencesdiscouragement. He carries burdens that he often cannot share publicly. Hefeels deeply the hurts and struggles of the people he serves. And sometimes asimple word— “Pastor, I'm praying for you.”—can mean more than you realize.   Butnotice how Paul ends verse 13: “Be at peace among yourselves.” Thattells us something else about healthy churches. They should be places of peace.Churches are made up of imperfect people. That means disagreements will happen.People will have different opinions. Different personalities. Differentpreferences. But our unity in Jesus Christ should be greater than ourdifferences. Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Paul wrote inRomans: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably withall men.” What would happen if every member of every church determined: “Iwill not be a source of unnecessary conflict.” “I will pray for my leaders.” “Iwill encourage them.” “I will support the work of the gospel.” “And I will doeverything I can to promote peace among God's people.” That would make atremendous difference.   Sotoday perhaps we can do two simple things. First, pray for your pastor andspiritual leaders. And second, ask: “Am I helping create peace in my churchfamily?”

    1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 - Appreciate Those Who Serve

  4. 2d ago

    1 Thessalonians 5:7-11 - Awake, Armed, and Encouraging

    Verse 7 says: “For those who sleep, sleep atnight, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.” Paul is drawing aspiritual contrast. Night is the natural setting for sleep and drunkenness. Butbelievers belong to the day. Therefore verse 8 says: “But let us who are ofthe day be sober.”   ThenPaul uses a picture that he often used in his letters—that of a soldierpreparing for battle. He says we should put on: “The breastplate of faithand love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Those three familiarwords appear again: Faith. Love. Hope. We saw them in the very first chapter ofthis letter: A work of faith. A labor of love. And a patience of hope. Now Paulpictures faith and love as a breastplate protecting the heart, and hope as ahelmet protecting the mind. The Christian life is a battlefield. We have anenemy. Satan attacks our faith. He wants us to doubt God's goodness. He attacksour love. He wants bitterness, anger, and division to enter our hearts. And heattacks our hope. He wants us to become discouraged and believe that ourcircumstances will never change. So Paul says: Protect your heart with faithand love. Protect your mind with hope. And then he reminds us what our hope isbased upon.   Verse9 says: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvationthrough our Lord Jesus Christ.” What an encouraging promise. God's purposefor those who belong to Christ is not wrath but salvation. Why? Because Jesustook the judgment for our sins upon Himself at the cross. Verse 10 says thatJesus: “Died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live togetherwith Him.” There is the heart of the gospel: Christ died for us. Jesus didnot die merely as a martyr or a great example. He died for us. He took ourplace. Isaiah said: “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Petersaid: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” Paulsaid: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” Oursalvation rests entirely upon what Jesus accomplished for us.   Andnotice again Paul's wonderful promise: “We should live together with Him.” Whetherwe are alive when Jesus comes or whether our body has been laid in the grave,our destiny is the same: We will live with Jesus. That is Christian hope. ThenPaul says in verse 11: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another,just as you also are doing.” This sounds very similar to the final verse ofchapter 4: “Comfort one another with these words.” Christian truthshould produce Christian encouragement. Paul doesn't want prophecy to make usargumentative. He wants it to make us encouraging. The word “edify” means tobuild up. Every day we are either building people up or tearing them down. Ourwords can encourage someone. Or they can discourage someone. Our attitude canstrengthen someone. Or it can weaken someone.   Paulsays: “Build one another up.” Maybe there is someone God has placed onyour heart today. A friend who is struggling. A family member who isdiscouraged. Someone at church carrying a burden. Maybe God wants you to callthem. Send them a message. Pray with them. Remind them that God is faithful. Sometimesa few words of encouragement can change someone's entire day. And remember whatPaul says our encouragement is based upon: Jesus died for us. We belong to Him.We are not appointed to wrath. Our salvation is secure in Christ. And one daywe will live together with Him. So today: Stay awake spiritually. Put on faith,love, and hope.   HeavenlyFather, thank You that Jesus died for us and that our hope of salvation restsin Him. Help us to put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet ofthe hope of salvation. Guard our hearts from doubt and bitterness, and guardour minds from discouragement. Lord, show us someone today whom we canencourage and build up. May our words bring hope, strength, and comfort tothose around us as we look forward to living forever with Jesus. In His name,we pray. Amen.

    1 Thessalonians 5:7-11 - Awake, Armed, and Encouraging

  5. 3d ago

    1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 - Children of Light

    Verse 4 says: “But you, brethren, are notin darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” Notice againthe contrast. In verse 3 Paul spoke about “they” and “them.” Nowhe says: “But you, brethren.” Why is there a difference? Becausebelievers belong to Christ.   Paulsays in verse 5: “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are notof the night nor of darkness.” Throughout Scripture, light and darkness arepictures of two completely different spiritual conditions. Darkness representssin, ignorance, and separation from God. Light represents truth, holiness, andlife in Christ. Jesus said in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Hewho follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Whenwe trusted Jesus Christ, we were brought out of spiritual darkness and into Hiswonderful light. Peter described believers as those whom God has called “outof darkness into His marvelous light.”   SoPaul says: “You are children of light.” That tells us who we are. Andthen verse 6 tells us how we should live: “Therefore let us not sleep, asothers do, but let us watch and be sober.” In this verse, sleep is notreferring to physical death as it did in chapter 4. Here sleep picturesspiritual carelessness and indifference. Paul says, “Don't live as thoughnothing important is happening.” Wake up spiritually. That is a messageChristians need in every generation. It is possible to know Christ and stillbecome spiritually sleepy. We can become comfortable. We can lose our sense ofurgency. Our prayer life can become routine. Our Bible reading can becomemechanical. We can become so occupied with this present world that we forgetJesus is coming again.   Paulsays: “Let us watch.” To watch means to stay spiritually alert. Jesusrepeatedly used the same word when speaking about His return. He said: “Watchtherefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Watchingdoesn't mean standing outside staring into the sky. Watching means living everyday in readiness. It means keeping short accounts with God. It means staying inHis Word. It means maintaining a faithful prayer life. It means using ouropportunities to serve Christ. It means refusing to become comfortable withsin.   ThenPaul says: “And be sober.” The idea is being clear-minded, disciplined,and spiritually self-controlled. A sober Christian sees life from God'sperspective. The world says, “This life is all there is.” The Christian says,“Eternity is coming.” The world says, “Live for yourself.” The Christian says,“I belong to Christ.” The world says, “Gather everything you can here.” Jesussays, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Being a child of lightshould make a difference in how we live. Ephesians 5:8 says: “For you wereonce darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”   NoticePaul doesn't say we merely have light. He says we are children of light. Ouridentity should affect our conduct. Sometimes we approach the Christian life bysaying, “Here is a long list of things I shouldn't do.” But Paul startssomewhere deeper. He reminds us who we are. You belong to Jesus. You are achild of God. You are a child of light. Therefore, live like who you are.   Maybetoday would be a good time for a spiritual wake-up call. Has something causedyou to become spiritually sleepy? Have you lost some of the excitement you oncehad about serving the Lord? Have the things of this world crowded out yourawareness of eternity? Heavenly Father, thank You that through Jesus Christ You have brought usout of darkness and into Your marvelous light. Help us to remember who weare—children of light and children of the day. Guard us from becomingspiritually sleepy or careless. Wake our hearts to the reality of eternity.Help us to watch, to be sober, and to live every day in fellowship with You.May the light of Jesus shine through our lives so that others may see Him inus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

    1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 - Children of Light

  6. 5d ago

    1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 - The Day of the Lord

    In chapter 5, Paul turns from the comfort of Christ’s coming for believers to theseriousness of “the day of the Lord.” He writes: “But concerning the timesand the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.”Apparently, Paul had already taught them about these things. Notice that Pauldoes not give them a date. Throughout history, people have tried to calculatethe exact time of Christ’s return. But Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: “But ofthat day and hour no one knows.” Our responsibility is not to set dates.Our responsibility is to be ready.   Paulcontinues: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord socomes as a thief in the night.” A thief does not normally send a noticesaying, “I’ll be at your house tonight at 2:00.” The point is unexpectedness.The day of the Lord will come suddenly upon a world that is unprepared. Thephrase “day of the Lord” is used throughout the Bible to describe a timewhen God directly intervenes in human history in judgment and ultimatelyestablishes His righteous rule. The Old Testament prophets spoke repeatedlyabout it. Joel called it “the great and terrible day of the LORD.” Isaiah,Zephaniah, Amos, and others warned of a coming day of divine judgment.   ThenPaul says in verse 3: “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then suddendestruction comes upon them.” Notice the words “they” and “them.”Paul is describing unbelieving humanity. The world will believe thateverything is secure. People will be saying, “Peace and safety.” Yet suddenlyGod's judgment will come. Paul compares it to labor pains upon a pregnantwoman. That illustration tells us two things. First, the event is certain. Oncelabor begins, the birth is coming. Second, the event becomes inescapable.   Paulsays: “And they shall not escape.” That sounds serious because it isserious. The Bible presents the return of Jesus Christ as both a wonderful hopeand a solemn warning. For the believer, Christ’s coming means reunion,resurrection, transformation, and being forever with the Lord. But for theunbelieving world, the day of the Lord means judgment. And that raises the mostimportant question: Are you ready? Not, “Do you know all the prophetic charts?”Not, “Can you explain every detail of Revelation?” But: “Do you know JesusChrist as your Savior?” Jesus came the first time to provide salvation. He diedon the cross for our sins. He was buried. He rose again. And today He offerseternal life to everyone who will trust Him.   SecondPeter 3:9 tells us that God is “not willing that any should perish but thatall should come to repentance.” God's warning of judgment is actually anexpression of His mercy. He warns us because He wants us to turn to Him.Perhaps there is someone listening today who has never personally trusted JesusChrist. You may know about Him. You may attend church. You may be a good personby human standards. But have you received Christ? The question is not whetherwe know when Jesus is coming. The question is whether we are ready when Hecomes.   Andfor those of us who know Christ, these verses should cause us to live withurgency. There are people around us who are not ready. Family members. Friends.Neighbors. Coworkers. We should pray for opportunities to share the good newsof Jesus Christ with them. The day of the Lord will come. God's Word says it iscertain. So today, let us make sure that our hearts are ready and that ourlives are faithfully pointing others to Jesus.   Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise that Jesus is coming again.Thank You also for the warning in Your Word concerning the day of the Lord.Help us not to become distracted trying to determine dates and times, but helpus to live ready. For anyone listening who has never trusted Jesus Christ, maytoday be the day they turn from sin and receive Him as Savior. . InJesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

    1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 - The Day of the Lord

  7. 6d ago

    1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 - Forever With the Lord

    Today,in verses 15 through 18, Paul gives us more details about what will happen whenJesus comes again. Paulbegins in verse 15: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” Ilove that expression. Paul wants them to understand that what he is about totell them isn't speculation. It isn't Paul's personal theory about the future. Hesays it is “by the word of the Lord.” Then Paul says: “That we whoare alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precedethose who are asleep.” Verse16 says: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, withthe voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” The Lord Himself is coming! The same Jesus who left this earth is comingagain. Acts chapter 1 tells us that when Jesus ascended into heaven, two angelstold the disciples: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”  Thensomething incredible happens: “And the dead in Christ will rise first.”   ThenPaul says in verse 17: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught uptogether with them in the clouds.” That expression “caught up” means to besuddenly seized or taken away. It is from the Latin translation of thisexpression that we get our familiar word “rapture.” Someone might say, “Theword rapture isn't in my English Bible.” That's true, but the truthdescribed by that word certainly is. Paul says believers who are alive whenChrist comes will be “caught up.” First Corinthians 15:51–52 describesthe same wonderful event: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not allsleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”   Butnotice something else that I especially love. Paul says we will be caught up “togetherwith them.” Remember what the Thessalonians were worried about? Their lovedones who had died. Paul says there is going to be a reunion! The dead in Christwill rise, living believers will be changed, and together we will meet theLord. I've often thought about what that reunion will be like. Parents reunitedwith children. Husbands reunited with wives. Brothers and sisters togetheragain. Friends and fellow believers separated by death embracing once more. Whata day that will be!   Butas wonderful as that reunion will be, it isn't even the greatest part of thepromise. Paul continues: “To meet the Lord in the air.” We are going to seeJesus! The One we have believed in but never physically seen. The One we haveprayed to. The One whose Word we have read. The One we have worshiped. The Onewho loved us and gave Himself for us. One day, we are going to see Him face toface. And then comes what I believe may be the greatest phrase in this entirepassage: “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Forever withJesus. Never separated again. No more death. No more funerals. No more hospitalrooms. No more cancer. No more heartache. No more goodbyes. No more temptation.No more sin. Forever with the Lord.   Andnotice how Paul finishes this great prophetic passage. He doesn't say: “Therefore,argue with one another about these words.” He doesn't say: “Therefore,speculate about dates and times.” He says in verse 18: “Therefore comfortone another with these words.” Bible prophecy isn't given merely to satisfyour curiosity. It is given to produce hope, holiness, faithfulness, andcomfort. When we stand beside the grave of a believer, we can comfort oneanother with these words. When the world seems increasingly uncertain, we cancomfort one another with these words. When our bodies grow older and weaker, wecan comfort one another with these words. When we miss those who have gonebefore us, we can comfort one another with these words. Jesusis coming again. The dead in Christ will rise. We will be caught up together. Wewill see Jesus. And best of all: “We shall always be with the Lord.”

    1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 - Forever With the Lord

  8. Sep 9

    1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 - Sorrow, But Not Without Hope

    Today we come to one of the most comforting passages in allthe New Testament. Apparently, the Thessalonian believers had questions aboutChristians who had already died. They believed Jesus was coming again. Paul hadtaught them to expect His return. But some of their loved ones had died beforeJesus returned. So naturally they wondered: “What happens to them? Will theymiss the coming of Christ?” Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “But I donot want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep,lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”   First,notice that Paul doesn't tell them not to sorrow. Christians grieve. Whensomeone we love dies, it hurts. Death separates us from someone whose presencehas been woven into our lives. Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Sotears are not a sign that we lack faith. Grief is the price we pay for lovingsomeone deeply. But Paul says there is a difference between Christian grief andthe grief of those who have no hope. We sorrow—but not without hope.   Pauluses the beautiful expression “fallen asleep” to describe believers who havedied. He isn't teaching that the soul becomes unconscious. Scripture teachesthat the believer who is absent from the body is present with the Lord. Rather,sleep is a beautiful picture of what death means for the believer's body. Whensomeone goes to sleep, we expect them to wake up. And when a Christian dies,their body is laid to rest with the expectation that resurrection morning iscoming.   ThenPaul tells us why we have hope. Verse 14 says: “For if we believe that Jesusdied and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”Our hope is rooted in two historical realities: Jesus died. And Jesus roseagain. Notice that Paul says believers “sleep,” but when speaking of Jesus hesays Jesus died. Jesus experienced death in all its terrible reality. He boreour sin. He endured death. He went into the grave. But on the third day, Hecame out victorious! And because Jesus lives, those who belong to Him will livealso. Jesus said in John 14:19: “Because I live, you shall live also.” Thatis our hope. Our hope isn't wishful thinking. Our hope isn't simply thateverything somehow works out after death. Our hope rests upon an empty tomb. JesusChrist conquered death. And therefore death does not have the final word overanyone who belongs to Him.   Paulthen says something wonderful: “God will bring with Him those who sleep inJesus.” Think about those words: “Bring with Him.” When Jesusreturns, He will not come alone. Those believers who have gone to be with theLord are with Him. That means when a Christian loved one dies, we have not lostthem forever. We have simply been separated for a little while. There is areunion coming.   Ihave stood beside many graves through the years. As a pastor, I have watchedfamilies say goodbye to people they dearly loved. And one of the greatestprivileges I have ever had is to remind grieving believers: This grave is notthe end. Because Jesus died and rose again, resurrection is coming. Maybe todayyou are missing someone you love. Perhaps it has been many years, but there arestill moments when the memories bring tears. Those tears are all right. Pauldoesn't say, “Don't sorrow.” He says: Don't sorrow like people who have nohope.   Forthe believer, death means absent from the body and present with the Lord. Andone day Jesus is coming again. The graves will open. The dead in Christ willrise. We will be reunited. And, as Paul will tell us in the verses that follow:“So shall we ever be with the Lord.” My friend, wehave hope beyond the grave.   Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful hope we have because Jesusdied and rose again. We pray today especially for those who are grieving andmissing someone they love. Comfort their hearts and remind them that for thosewho are in Christ, death is not the end. In Jesus’name, we pray. Amen.

    1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 - Sorrow, But Not Without Hope
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A daily chat with Pastor Mike and other resources to encourage listeners to connect with the Word of God and grow in their faith.

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