6/8/18

Jesus Said, “Dont Worry” by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=592

Jesus Said, “Dont Worry”

Jesus Discusses Worry

Read Matthew 6:25-34

I read something about worry this week that I thought was interesting. It made a lot of sense. Someone wrote this. “Worry is a thin stream of fear that trickles through the mind. If encouraged it cuts a wide channel that drains away all other thoughts.”

Isn’t that so true? If you allow that worry to linger and if you encourage that worry in your heart, then all other constructive thoughts are taken out of your mind. So, the Lord tells us not to worry. Even though the Lord says we are not to worry the fact of the matter is we do a whole lot of worrying, don’t we?

But then there is another side: I heard this story: A young boy was driving a hayrack down the road when the wagon fell over in front of a farmer’s house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying and said, “Son, don’t worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner’s ready. Why don’t you come in and eat with us and then I’ll help you put the hay back on the rack.”
The boy said, “No, I can’t. My father is going to be very angry with me.” The farmer said, “Now don’t worry, just come in and have some lunch and you’ll feel better.” The boy said, “I’m just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me.”
The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, “Now, son, don’t you feel better after that great meal?”
The boy said, “Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me.” The farmer said, “Nonsense. Where is your father anyway?” The boy said, “He’s under that wagon.”

I guess some things are worth worrying about. Surveys have been taken and they reveals that only 8 out of a hundred thing that we worry about are really worth our concern.

But people in our society today are worried about everything. Fear has gripped people’s hearts and paralyzed them. People are anxious about:
– How they look – What they are wearing – How much money they have in the bank – Rising gas prices – Falling stock prices – falling home values – Foreclosures –Job security – Even, Are their children going to turn out right

They worry about:
– The government -Their Health – Who they will marry – If they are married, how long it will last – even the end of the world.

This has led to all sorts of health issues:
Sleeplessness – Tension headaches – Frustration – Irritability – High blood pressure – Ulcers – Heart disease – Inability to relax.

How unfortunate that Christians have joined the ranks of those who worry and fret about everything.

We have taken our cue from the world around us.
We have allowed Satan to defeat us and cause us to stumble.
Instead of trusting in the power, provision and protection of our sovereign God we have grown use to living anxiety plagued lives.

In our text, Jesus’ command is meant to keep his followers from getting hurt. Worry hurts. It affects people and their relationship. It strangles us. It chokes us. It destroys faith. It leads to a lot of trouble.

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”

The Lord Jesus is emphatic in trying to get this point across to His children. Throughout this section of Scripture He commands that we are not to be anxious. Over and over He says, DO NOT WORRY {OR BE ANXIOUS}

Medical doctors will tell you that worry inflicts both physical and psychological damage. What’s far worse than both of those outcomes is the fact that worry is sin. When we worry we are displaying unbelief in our Heavenly Father’s ability to care for us.

Jesus is saying, “Stop Worrying!” Literally: “Do not even start!”

In our text, what does Jesus tell us not to worry about? Food, or what we will drink, What we will wear, how long we are going to live, our future.

In out text Jesus provides three suggestions for a worry-free life. Notice that these suggestions require attitude, life, and value adjustments. It requires repentance, seeking divine help, and an honest to goodness evaluation of our lives.

1. So first of all one needs to MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. WHO YOU ARE GOING TO SERVE

The “therefore” in verse 25 refers back to what Jesus said in the previous text. In verse 24 He said, “24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

So first of all we need to make a decision who we are going to serve. Ultimately, who we serve will determine whether we turn out to be worriers or worshippers. A worry-free life is first of all the result of making the right decision as to who and what is going to be the most important and primary focus in my life.

If you trust in your material possessions and money you are going to have a life full of worry and concern because there is no stability when you build your life on things that are here today and can be gone tomorrow.

2. WE NEED TO TRUST IN THE FATHER (6:26, 32) Someone once wrote, wrote, “Worry is the warning light that God is really not first in my life.”

Twice in the text, Jesus points to the heavenly Father as reason for not worrying. God and His love and ability far exceed our ability and understanding and offers security. Prov. 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

If you think about it having Father in Heaven who is God of the universe, and always being worried sick about everything is silly. Why should we worry when our heavenly Father owns all and controls all? Jesus points out the obvious, “worry is useless.” It is a futile exercise, a total waste of time, of effort, of energy. What does he say in verse 27? He said you can’t add a single hour to your life by worrying.

We need to believe God’s Word and trust His promises He has given us:
In Phil. 4:19 Paul writes, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Do you believe that? I think that there are many followers of Christ who need to re-discover Father God. He is not like some of our earthly fathers who were flawed, uncaring, unable, maybe even undependable. Our Father in Heaven is not like that. He know you and loves you and promises to work all things out for the benefit of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)

In this text Jesus lets us know that He knows exactly what we need. He said ‘Don’t you think that if the Father cares for the birds of the air and the plants of the field that He not going to take care you and me; His sons, and daughters who are created in His very image?’ We need to wake up to the reality that we really have a God and Father in Heaven who cares for us and our needs.

#3. And then WE NEED TO GET OUR OWN PRIOERITIES RIGHT (6:33)
In vs. 6:33 Jesus tells us that instead of worrying about food, water, clothes and the like, we should seek out God’s kingdom and righteousness.

This is not a new theme that Jesus introduces here, rather we find this throughout the Sermon on the Mount. To care for God’s business and understand His ways will assure us that God will take care for you.

So again, Jesus raises the bar. He said, ‘People who do not know God run after and worry about these other things, but you are different. Pursue God’s kingdom, make it a priority, make it your ambition, make it your goal..’

So what does it mean to seek His kingdom above all?I think first of all we need to wake up to the reality of God’s kingdom. That there is more to life than what we can hears, see, touch, taste, and smell. There is a whole spiritual realm that is infinitely more broad and complex than our little world. And our God and Father is lord over it all and wants us to enjoy it’s blessings; if we will only open our eyes and seek Him. And He made it all available to us thru Jesus and what He did on the cross. We can become a active part of that Kingdom if we accept Jesus sacrifice for us, allow Him to remove our sin in the waters of baptism, and continue to trust Him as Lord.

To seek God’s righteousness involves wanting God’s righteousness. It is a gift He offers us. As a Christian we should want it. We should want it to please God and help ourselves become what we were meant to be. We should want to see God’s righteousness demonstrated in our own life as we ministering to the poor, the weak, those sick. I should desire that every department of my life be placed under His care, direction, and plan; my home, my marriage, my family, in my work, my relationships, my finances, future, and so on.

Conclusion: Worry is attitude unbecoming of the child of God. Worship is better. To fret is a useless endeavor. To believe is better. If you have lived in worry, it is time to make some important changes. Make the right decision. “When you take care of God’s business you can rest assured God will take care of your personal business.”

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

ONE STEP CLOSER TO GOD by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/04/

ONE STEP CLOSER TO GOD

God never commanded man anything unless He instructed him how to do it. God commanded Noah to build, Moses to lead, and Joshua to march, and He told each of them how to accomplish it. God commands us today to obey the gospel of Christ, and has showed us each step we must take. Noah, Moses and Joshua obeyed God explicitly, but the question is, will we? Each commandment we keep, gets us one step closer to God.

1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 10:17; Rom 10:10; Acts 2:38; Rev 2:10; 1 Pet 2:21; Jn 14:15; 1 Jn 5:3; 2 Jn 6,9

"Others have Labored and Ye are Entered into Their Labors" by J. C. Bailey

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Bailey/John/Carlos/1903/Articles/othersh.html

"Others have Labored
and Ye are Entered into Their Labors"

This is the language of Jesus to His disciples following His conversation with the woman of Samaria. The work the apostles did would not have been possible if it had not been for the prophets of the Old Testament. Their work would not have been possible without the work of John the Baptist. Then their work would not have been possible without the labors of Jesus Christ Himself.

Many people wonder how we could have gone to India about 11 years ago and have had such a harvest of souls. Let me say as Jesus said: Others have labored and we have entered into their labors. We shall probably not pay tribute to all the men who have made possible our present ingathering of souls, but I think that those whom we mention will help you to see why we have this harvest.

Those who study Restoration history have read of an Englishman by the name of Sandeman who led a movement in England that was very similar to the movement led by the Campbells in America. This man was a rich man. He spent considerable money sending workers to India. Unfortunately we have never been able to find any trace of his work. However, that does not say that his work did not play a part in making ready for the work that we did.

After World War I had started, but before the United States entered the war, there were three men who went to India from the United States. I do not recall the one name but the other two men were Jelly and McHenry. Jelly spent some time in India. He lost his first wife. He married an Indian and returned to America. He raised a large family and one of his children supports the work we are trying to do in India. McHenry and his companion turned to the Seventh Day Adventists. These three men labored in the Poona area of India. There is now a thriving work again in this area. After more than 50 years some churches have been found that did not apostatize and others that followed McHenry into Adventism have now returned to the New Testament way. McHenry is now an old man living in one of the Southern States. Brother Carl Johnson visited him not long ago. He still holds to the Seventh day Adventist doctrine.

There was a brother who went to India some years later. I do not now recall his name but I found a place where he had labored. This man was sickly when he came to India. He grew worse and return to the U.S.A. and soon died.

In a very providential way we learned about an indigenous work in the State of Assam. There was a brother in Shillong who was told that there were churches of Christ in America. These brethren had broken with the Welsh Presbyterians. Brother Presnshon Khariukhi sent a letter to the church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. This letter was delivered to Glen Wallace. Correspondence took place. These brethren were visited by two brethren. I think each brother stayed for three months. They did much to teach these men the way of the Lord more perfectly. However, the church in the U.S.A. missed a wonderful opportunity to get into India, for at that time the door into India was not closed to American missionaries. Not only was a wonderful opportunity missed at that time, but just at that time American missionaries were being chased out of China. Some Christian Church men left China and came into the Shillong area. The work was badly crippled because of these men.

There was a well-educated Indian from the State of Kerala who came to the U.S.A. to attend a denominational school in America. He learned of the church of Christ and attended the Harding Graduate School at Memphis as well as either Vanderbilt or Peabody in Nashville. He came back to India about three months after I arrived there. He has done a good work in the state of Kerala. While this work by brethren may have had some influence in the work that has been done since I went there, their influence has been limited. True, if it had not been for the work in Assam, I would not likely have gone to India. For about ten years these brethren had begged for someone to come over and help them. Several had tried but they were not able to enter, only as visitors. Members of the Commonwealth had special privileges (that is how I came to go). There are two men who made our work possible much more than what was done by our own brethren. First I want to mention William Carey. He was an English Baptist.

In his time India was not ruled by England but by the English East India Company. They did not want any missionaries in India. So William Carey had to land in a small enclave that was under the authority of the King of Denmark. After some time, Carey got permission to enter India. India was not then a field white unto harvest. It took Carey seven years to make a single convert. India at that time still burned widows with their dead husbands. The first-born child was still thrown into the River Ganges if the first-born was a girl. INDIA WAS NOT ASKING FOR THE GOSPEL. This man Carey was not a professional preacher when he went to India. He had been a shoe cobbler. He was a remarkable man. In his lifetime he translated the New Testament into at least 14 of the India languages. This was the main thing in making our work possible. One of the languages that Carey translated the Bible into was Telugu. So before we went to India, the Telugus had been blessed with the Bible for more than 150 years. So these people were ready for the plea: The Bible as it is, is sufficient for man as he is. They had the Bible in their mother tongue and could, and did, check each Scripture that we presented. Unfortunately William Carey did not preach all the truth but that did not keep him from faithfully translating the Bible into the various languages of India. Our work would not have been possible without Wm. Carey. This man, though a young man when he went to India, never returned to England. He had an idea that when a man goes to another country to preach he should live off the country where he lives. I am sure that there is just as much Scripture for this as for the idea that you cannot support native preachers with American money. If men who go to a foreign field had to thus live I am sure we would never hear one word again about not supporting native preachers with American money. If God is no respecter of persons then why should we be supported in another country when the native cannot be supported to preach? Truly, the legs of the lame are not equal. Carey also started a College in India that survives to this day. It has fallen under control of Liberals. Carey was persecuted by the Clergy of his day. They despised the poor shoe cobbler. He lives in the hearts and lives of millions of people. His tormentors have so faded that their names are largely forgotten.

There is another man to whom I would like to pay tribute. His name was Clough. He was an American Baptist. There were not many converts made in India up to his time. The MISSION idea reigned supreme. When a group came to India they obtained a piece of land from the government and started with a school. Then a hostel. If possible a hospital. Any converts were brought to the Mission Compound and often those living on the compound would number into the hundreds. This man Clough came up with the idea of village evangelism. The result was that a few years after this plan was started the Baptists baptized 2,222 at one time. If this work had been pushed, the Baptists might have won several millions of people to the Baptist Church. However, liberal elements prevailed and the social gospel became the order of the day. For many years there has been little growth either in the American Baptist Mission or the Canadian Baptist Mission. The Lutherans kept up their evangelistic thrust better than the Baptists and they are now much larger than the Baptists in India. These men, Carey and Clough did not preach the true gospel. They could not bring the knowledge of the New Testament Church, but God did use them to prepare the way for the work that we have done.

God wants men to be saved. God has given His church the work of preaching the gospel.

Now I would like to tell you about a Canadian Prime Minister who helped pave the way for our going to India. This man was named William Lyon Mackenzie King. He was Prime Minister of Canada longer than any other man. Shortly after India got her independence in 1947 there was war between India and Pakistan. Nehru, Prime Minister of India, thought that England and the United States favored Pakistan in that war. I do not know if that was true or not. I am merely reporting. Nehru came to the Commonwealth's Prime Ministers' Conference not knowing whether he would take India out of the Commonwealth or not. The Prime Minister of Canada persuaded Nehru to stay in the Commonwealth and out of this meeting grew the special concession for missionaries from the Commonwealth. So God uses men of the world that He may save the souls of men. Little did Nehru dream that he was being used for this great harvest of souls. Nehru may have nominally been a Hindu, and seemed to turn more toward religion in his latter days. His funeral was conducted according to the rituals of the Hindu faith but he was more an agnostic than anything else during his lifetime. William Lyon Mackenzie King was a Presbyterian but according to numerous reports was a Spiritualist. So God has His way still in the kingdoms of men.

If the Lord tarries in years to come, can it be said of you that you labored and others have entered into your labor?

We need your fellowship in the work in India.

J. C. Bailey, 1975, North Weyburn, Sask.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

A time to howl for yourself by Gary Rose

Howling lessons. Parents teach, children learn; its just a fact of life. If you raise them right, then they will learn to view life through your eyes. They may make different decisions than you make, but they still will retain something of your personality as long as they live.

As I thought about these things, I thought of a miracle and the parents of the man who was healed. I wonder how they felt as he was interrogated by the Pharisees...

John, Chapter 9 (World English Bible)

¹ As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. ⁴ I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing. ⁸ The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” ⁹ Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.”

He said, “I am he.” ¹⁰ They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?”

¹¹ He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

¹² Then they asked him, “Where is he?”

He said, “I don’t know.”

¹³ They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶ Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” So there was division among them. ¹⁷ Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ The Jews therefore didn’t believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight, ¹⁹ and asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰ His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

²⁴ So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

²⁵ He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

²⁶ They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?”

²⁸ They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”

³⁰ The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God, and does his will, he listens to him. ³² Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

³⁴ They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” Then they threw him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

  ³⁶ He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”

  ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”

  ³⁸ He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

  ³⁹ Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”

The blind man saw because of Jesus. I really don't think he knew exactly what was going on, but he realized one thing- HE COULD SEE!!! And when he spoke with Jesus after being thrown out of the synagog he believed.

Now, I have never had a child who was born blind, so I can't really say to to raise one, but its obvious that his parents did something right, because this child became a man who could think for himself.

He learned "to howl" for himself-- and that's a good thing!!!

6/6/18

"THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS" The Comfort Of Christ's Coming (4:13-18) by Mark Copeland

"THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"


                The Comfort Of Christ's Coming (4:13-18)

INTRODUCTION

1. In previous studies we've noted that Paul makes frequent mention of
   the second coming of Christ in this epistle to the Thessalonians...
   a. In every chapter there is some reference to this great event
   b. So far we have seen the following references:  1Th 1:10; 2:19; 
      3:13

2. In our text for this lesson, Paul discusses "The Comfort Of Christ's
   Coming"...
   a. How we ought to be comforted by the "fact" of His coming
   b. How we should be comforted by the "events" of His coming

[Our text is 1Th 4:13-18, a well-known passage often read at funerals. 
And rightly so, for it deals with...]

I. THE PROBLEM OF SORROW (13)

   A. THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES IS GREAT...
      1. The sorrow is great, the grief is so hard to bear
      2. It is the most stressful event that one can endure

   B. THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT IMMUNE TO SORROW...
      1. We experience the sorrow of separation - e.g., Ac 20:37-38
      2. But we need not experience the sorrow of desperation
         a. The despair of having no hope
         b. The despair of not ever seeing a loved one again

[What can alleviate the problem of sorrow?  It is knowledge concerning
the events of Christ's coming; and so Paul does not want them to be
ignorant concerning...]

II. THE PROMISE FOR THOSE ASLEEP (14-15)

   A. GOD WILL BRING THEM WITH JESUS...
      1. Just as He raised Jesus from the dead, so He will bring those 
         who "sleep in Jesus"!
         a. In this text, he limits his discussion to the righteous dead
         b. Elsewhere, we read of the of resurrection of the wicked 
            - e.g., Jn 5:28-29
      2. What do the terms "fallen asleep" and "sleep in Jesus" mean?
         a. The scriptures often speak of death as a "sleep"
            1) Mt 27:52 - ...bodies of the saints who had "fallen 
               asleep"
            2) Jn 11:11-14 - Jesus says of dead Lazarus, "our friend 
               sleeps"
            3) Ac 7:60 - As Stephen is stoned to death, it is said "he 
               fell asleep"
         b. Some believe these passages support the doctrine of "soul
            sleeping"
            1) That souls are unconscious between death and the 
               resurrection
            2) Not to be confused with the doctrine held by JW's, who 
               teach there is no consciousness until the resurrection 
               because the dead cease to exist
         c. Yet the following points should be carefully noted:
            1) Nowhere do the Scriptures say that the soul of the 
               departed one fell asleep
               a) It was the person who "fell asleep"
               b) Thus it can have reference to the body, not the soul
            2) The term "sleep" is a figurative reference, and a very
               appropriate one:
               a) For sleep implies REST...
                  1) When one sleeps literally,  there is rest from 
                     one's labor
                  2) So it is that the dead also "rest from their 
                     labors" - cf. Re 14:13
               b) For sleep implies a CEASING OF PARTICIPATION...
                  1) In literal sleep, one ceases in the activities 
                     pertaining to the sphere in which one has been busy 
                     during the hours of wakefulness
                  2) So it is with the dead, they are no longer active 
                     in the world which they left
               c) For sleep is generally a PRELUDE TO AN AWAKENING...
                  1) In literal sleep, it is followed by an "awakening"
                  2) So it is with death:
                     a/ Though the souls may be conscious during the 
                        intermediate state...
                     b/ ...at the resurrection there will be the 
                        "awakening" of the glorified and transformed 
                        bodies in which to house our souls
            3) The term "sleep" became a euphemism for death because of 
               the sleep-like appearance of the body
      3. That God will bring "them with Jesus" implies they are with 
         Jesus now!
         a. As stated later in this epistle - 1Th 5:10
         b. As stated elsewhere in the Scriptures - 2Co 5:8; Lk 23:43; 
            Php 1:21-23

   B. THEY WILL PRECEDE THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE...
      1. It seems some in Thessalonica feared those who had died would 
         miss out on the blessings of Christ's coming
      2. Paul reassures them (and us) that such is not the case...
         a. God will bring them with Jesus! - 1Th 4:14; cf. also 3:13
         b. Therefore, "by no means" will those alive precede those who 
            are dead! - 1Th 4:15
         c. This assurance we have "by the word of the Lord" - 1Th 4:15
            1) The same "word" which foretold and brought about the 
               flood - 2Pe 3:3-6
            2) The same "word" now tells of Christ's coming - 2Pe 3:
               7-13
            3) This "word" lives and abides forever! - 1Pe 1:23-25

[To reinforce the promise for those asleep in Christ, Paul next
describes...]

III. THE PROCEDURE FOR CHRIST'S COMING (16-17)

   A. THE LORD WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN...
      1. Note what is said about His coming - 1Th 4:16
         a. It will be with a "shout"
         b. It will be with the "voice of an archangel"
         c. It will be with the "trumpet of God"
      2. This is not describing some silent rapture!
         a. This very passage is used to teach the premillenial concept 
            of the rapture
         b. Yet Paul ties the coming of the Lord and our gathering 
            together into one event - cf. 2Th 2:1-2
            1) In which Jesus comes for His saints - 1Th 4:13-18
            2) In which Jesus brings judgment upon the wicked - 1Th 5:
               1-3; cf. 2Th 1:7-8

   B. THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST...
      1. Their souls will be coming with Jesus - 1Th 4:14
      2. But their bodies will be raised from the grave - 1Th 4:16; cf.
         Jn 5:28-29
      -- This will happen first, so we who are alive will not precede 
         those who are dead

   C. THOSE LIVING WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITH THEM...
      1. Those alive will be transformed - cf. 1Co 15:51-53
         a. Their mortal bodies will put on immortality
         b. Their corruptible bodies will put on incorruption
      2. The righteous living will then join the righteous dead - cf. 
         1Th 4:17
      3. Together in the clouds we will meet the Lord in the air - cf. 
         Ac 1:9-11

[In this wonderful way we shall come to be with the Lord forever (1 Th
4:17)!  As Jesus said, "that where I am, there you may be also" (Jn
14:3).  What a blessed hope!  As we consider our final point, it should
be obvious what is...]

IV. THE PURPOSE FOR THESE WORDS (18)

   A. TO BE COMFORTED...
      1. The wonderful promise in our text certainly provides comfort
      2. Comfort that can sustain us in times of great loss
      -- While we may sorrow when a fellow-Christian dies, it is not the
         sorrow of those who have no hope!

   B. TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER...
      1. Comforting others in their loss of a loved one is a common 
         human trait - cf. Jn 11:19
      2. Certainly Christians are to "weep with those who weep" - Ro 12:15
      3. But for those who are fellow Christians, we can do more - we 
         can provide comfort!
         a. Comfort them with the comfort we have in Christ - 2Co 1:3-4
         b. Especially the comfort provided by the hope we have in 
            Christ - 1Th 4:18; 5:10-11

CONCLUSION

1. Paul will have more to say about the coming of Christ in the next
   chapter...
   a. In which he writes about the timing of Christ's coming
   b. In which he writes about the preparation for Christ's coming

2. But in a passage that addresses...
   a. The problem of sorrow
   b. The promise for those asleep
   c. The procedure for Christ's coming
   d. The purpose for these words
   -- We are reminded that death need not be "good bye", but only "good
      night" (relate the story of the father who on his death bed told 
      all his children "good night" except the one unfaithful son to 
      whom he said "good bye")

When the time comes for our loved ones pass on, will we be able to find
comfort in this passage?  Will those who survive us be comforted by its
promise when they grieve over our death?

Could There Have Been Any Death Before the Fall? by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5321

Could There Have Been Any Death Before the Fall?

by	Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

If the Bible is from God (and it is¹), then we can know that it is accurate when discussing historical science. In order to interpret properly the natural evidence, then, one must know what the Bible teaches about the history of the Earth. There certainly are differing views about some of the particulars of the biblical Creation model, based on how one interprets certain passages. Some Scriptures are not explicit about precisely what happened at various times in Earth history (e.g., during the Creation week or during and immediately after the Flood). But the Creation scientist understands the importance of not contradicting Scripture when attempting to develop a comprehensive scientific model or framework within which all scientific disciplines must fit.

That said, the question of when death on the Earth began can have implications that affect our understanding of various questions in Creation science. It is clear, biblically, that humans would not have died had they not sinned (Genesis 3:22), but what of the rest of the Creation? If animal death could occur before the Fall (i.e., before Adam and Eve’s first sin), for example, then we would have to assume that death was a design feature of the planet from the beginning, rather than being a part of the Curse placed upon the Earth as a result of the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). And if that is the case, one cannot argue against theistic evolution by claiming that there was no pre-Fall animal death. Pre-Fall animal death could also affect creationists’ attempts to understand cases of so called “natural evil,” where, for example, various living things seem to have been designed to kill (e.g., parasitoids, pathogens, and phages). If all death was solely a result of the Fall, then we would assume that such cases of “natural evil” were not part of God’s original design, but were part of the Curse. If death could, in fact, occur prior to the Fall, then a different response to some forms of “natural evil” might be more relevant (e.g., microevolution and/or diversification, displacement from intended habitat, or degeneration), although some forms of “natural evil” still might have been directly due to the Curse.

Also, if death could occur before the Fall, there might be implications of that fact when we examine the fossil record. Creationists generally interpret the bulk of the fossils that are found at the base of the fossil record to be a result of the Flood, since it is thought to be the first major catastrophic event in Earth history. It is thought that only local catastrophes happened in the 16 centuries up to the Flood. If death could occur prior to the Fall, however, then there may be another catastrophic event of global proportions that could be relevant when studying the fossil record as well: day three.

According to Genesis chapter one, prior to day three of the Creation week, the Earth was covered with water. On day three, God created the dry land and then created grass, seed-bearing herbs, fruit trees—the plants. Swimming and flying creatures were created on day five, and finally, land life on day six. It is easy for us to read through this simplified narrative of what God did on those four days without stopping to consider the possible geologic implications of His activity. On day three, God said, “‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear’; and it was so” (Genesis 1:9). This passage may be saying that God, in essence, scraped the surface of the ocean floor, piling up a massive amount of Earth to cause some of it to be exposed from the water, forming land.² If so, it seems likely that mudslides would have occurred over the next several hours and possibly days, due to the wet material from the ocean floor being raised in elevation and water rapidly running off the continental surface. This activity could have begun the fossilization process of some of the plants and aquatic creatures created on days three and five, respectively. There are other options that would not have caused such mudslides,³ but the point is that the Creation scientist must at least consider the possibility that the earliest fossils in the record were a result of day-three activity.

So could there have been death prior to the Fall? And if so, are there theological implications? First, we know that plants were certainly able to die before the Fall, because they were to serve as food for humans and animals throughout the Earth (Genesis 1:30). Nobody seems to dispute that truth. It is argued, however, that plants are not thought to be “alive” in the same sense as animals. Unlike animals and humans, plants are never described as being “living creatures” (nephesh chayyah).⁴ God seemed to be making a distinction between kinds of life in Genesis 1:30 when He said, “Also, to every beast of the Earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the Earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food” (emp. added). While that is true, it is also true that plants can die in some sense (Job 14:7-12; John 12:24),⁵ which tells us that not all death must necessarily be regarded in a negative light.

It is true that Adam, Eve, the flying creatures, and the land animals were told by God originally to be herbivores (Genesis 1:29-30).⁶ So it is clear that it was not part of God’s original design plan for there to be bloodshed by the hand of another, at least among humans, birds, creeping things, and the “beast of the Earth” (apparently the land animals created on day six, Genesis 1:24-25,29-30). But that does not mean that catastrophic activity, natural disasters, or natural death could not have still killed animals. Some argue that God’s creation could not have been “very good” (Genesis 1:31) if animals could suffer and die, since the creation was perfect.⁷ But this assumes (1) that animals, which are soul-less beings,⁸ can truly suffer in the same way humans can; and (2) that the creation could not still be “very good” and there be death. We have already seen that due to the occurrence of pre-Fall plant death, the creation could still be deemed as “very good” by God, even with death occurring simultaneously. So the question then becomes, what did God mean by calling the creation “very good,” and what kind of death, if any, would not have been considered “very good” to God? It seems logical to infer that a “very good” creation simply meant that the created order was exactly as God intended for it to be, whatever that might be—death or no death. As one Creation scientist acknowledged concerning the pre-Fall world, “Although the pre-Fall world was ‘very good’ (Gen. 1:31), it was not ‘perfect’ (i.e., it did not exhibit every meaning of ‘perfect’).”⁹ What kind of death was a part of that “very good” creation must be gleaned, if possible, from the text.

It is argued that “Death is ‘the last enemy’ (1 Corinthians 15:26) which Jesus Christ came and died to defeat. And this would include animal death.”¹⁰ In the context of 1 Corinthians 15, however, Paul is not including animals in referencing the defeat of death, but rather, humans—those capable of sin (vs. 17).

Isaiah 11:6 is sometimes quoted as evidence that there was no animal death prior to the Fall.¹¹ “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” The claim is that in the end, God will restore on Earth the conditions that were in effect in the Garden, where animals were not violent towards one another. Once again, however, in context we see that Isaiah 11 is a Messianic prophecy (cf. vss. 1-5), discussing the coming of Jesus and His kingdom in the first century using highly figurative, not literal, terminology. As evidence, consider that in Romans 15:12, Paul quotes from Isaiah 11 and applies Isaiah’s prophecy to the first century, noting that the prophecy had already been fulfilled at that time.¹² Isaiah may have simply been referring to the peace and harmony that would exist in the coming Church. In Christianity, for instance, those once viewed as predators—ferocious wolves, leopards, and young lions—are often found dwelling peaceably with those who would have once been their prey. If we understand Isaiah 11 to refer to the coming of Christ and the Christian dispensation, therefore, we could reasonably conclude that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled when the Kingdom (i.e., the Church¹³) was established in Acts 2.¹⁴

It is also argued that God’s Curse after the Fall included the animals according to Genesis 3, and by implication, humanity’s death curse would have applied to the animals at that point as well.¹⁵ But that assertion is an assumption—the text does not say that was the case. Second, the serpent was, indeed, “cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field” (Genesis 3:14), implying that the animals were all cursed, though not as much as the serpent. But it is also true that the plants were included in the Curse as well(vss. 17-18), and we have already seen that they were capable of death prior to the Fall.

Arguments have been made from various passages that tell us death was a result of sin (Romans 5:12-21), that shedding blood is necessary for the remission of sin, but would not have been necessary, by implication, without sin (Hebrews 9:22), and that Christ’s physical death and resurrection made it possible for physical death, initiated by Adam and Eve, to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:21,22,26).¹⁶ Such passages, however, contextually, are talking about mankind, not animals, which are not imputed with sin. It is argued that Romans 8:19-22 indicates that the “whole creation”—which is thought to include the animals—suffers, groans, labors, and is under a bondage of corruption (vss. 21-22) due to man’s sin, and therefore, that the whole creation would not have so suffered prior to man’s sin—i.e., animals would not have suffered death.¹⁷ In the end, however, “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (vs. 21, ESV), apparently returning to a pre-Fall state. Understand that there is considerable argument over the meaning of the word “creation” in Romans 8—whether or not it is referring to all of the created order, or merely humans. To base an entire argument on such a disputed passage would be unwise, to say the least. It could be argued from the context, that “creation” is referring to humans—the only ones who can “eagerly wait for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). More specifically, the “wholecreation” (vs. 22) could be referring to mankind in general (which “labors with birth pangs,” referring back to the punishment which female humans would have due to Eve’s sin), while “creation” (vss. 19,20,21) could be referring to Christians—i.e., the “sons of God” whom Paul has been discussing in the preceding verses. After all, “whole creation” is used in precisely that way—to mean mankind in general—elsewhere in Scripture. In Mark 16:15 (ESV), for example, Jesus tells the apostles to go preach the gospel to the “whole creation,” which is another way of saying to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and does not include animals. Regardless, Romans 8 cannot be used as conclusive evidence that animals did not die prior to the Fall.

The hallmark passage that seems to be used to try to sustain the idea that death did not occur prior to Adam and Eve is Romans 5:12-19:

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses…). Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous (emp. added).

Notice that, contextually, while this passage does discuss death as being a result of sin, it is clearly referring to humans and the effect of sin with regard to mankind, not animals. It was humans, not animals, that were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), giving them the capacity to sin.

A passage that provides weight to the viewpoint that animals could die prior to the Fall is Genesis 3:22-24. After Adam and Eve sinned and God confronted them, pronouncing their punishments and making modest clothes for them, the text says:

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden…and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life (emp. added).

Notice from this text that man’s ability to live forever was not a direct miraculous act by God, or something inherent in the physical body of mankind (i.e., part of God’s original design of the human body), but rather, was coupled with his eating from the Tree of Life, which apparently possessed miraculous healing qualities (cf. Revelation 22:2). The implication is that Adam and Eve could have still lived forever, even after sinning, if they were able to access the Tree of Life and eat from it. That is the very reason why God used cherubim and a flaming sword to guard Eden and the tree. A further implication is that physical death was always possible from the beginning for anyone (and apparently, anything) that did not eat of the Tree of Life—i.e., entropy or the Second Law of Thermodynamics was in place from the beginning, governing the Earth. Adam and Eve were able to eat from the anti-entropy tree and not be subject to the effects of the Second Law; but without it, the effects of God’s natural laws would have taken their course.

With that understanding in mind, what are the implications for the rest of the living beings on the planet? A straightforward reading of the text in Genesis 2:9 and 3:22,24 leads us to believe that God made and placed in the Garden a single fruit tree that, unlike the other fruit trees throughout the Garden that humans and living creatures could eat from, had physical life-giving qualities tied to it. Any living being that did not eat from that Tree would apparently eventually suffer physical death—hence, the name given to it: “the Tree of Life.”¹⁸ If so, could the animals which were created throughout the Earth, which could not reach the Tree of Life to eat it, live forever? Could the swimming creatures that God had created on day five eat from the tree? If not, then how could they live forever? What about all of the animals that God created, surely spread out over the Earth, playing the crucial roles for the Earth for which God designed them? Were they able to access the Tree of Life and live forever? Surely not. If we suppose that perhaps animals could live forever apart from the Tree of Life prior to the Fall, we would be going beyond the clear message of the text regarding the nature of the Tree. God seemed to want to emphasize in Scripture the fact that He tied eternal life to the Tree of Life.¹⁹ One would need more biblical evidence before arguing that the animals received eternal life apart from the Tree. If humans needed the Tree to live forever and were denied access to it after the Fall, it seems logical to conclude that the animals were affected in the same way.

SUMMARY

The implication of the text seems clear on the matter: animals throughout the Earth, not made in the image of God, were never intended to live forever. They always had the ability to die, from the beginning. They were designed to die. Like plants, they were not made in the image of God. Their deaths are not in the same category of importance as that of humans. No wonder God, Himself, killed animals in order to clothe Adam and Eve properly (Genesis 3:21), even though there is no indication that those animals did anything to deserve death. It seems that animal death, like the “death” of a plant, is not a moral evil, but rather is part of God’s plan for animals. Notice God’s words to Noah and his sons after the Flood. After sanctioning the killing of animals as food for humans, God highlighted an important distinction: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for [i.e., because] in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6, emp. added). Human death is said to be significant, because we, unlike animals, are like God.

With this understanding about life and death in place, it becomes important to consider various implications. Arguing that theistic evolution is not biblical on the grounds that it would require billions of animal deaths prior to the Fall is not a valid argument. Theistic evolution (and related old Earth options) are false for several biblical and scientific reasons, but not that one.²⁰ Creation geologists must also consider the possibility that some of the fossils in the record could have been from day-three activity. We can also see that some cases of “natural evil” among the animals may have been in place from the beginning. Calling such cases “natural evil” is, therefore, not appropriate. It cannot be said to be “evil” at all, if it was part of God’s design for those creatures all along.

The world was designed to serve as a “vale of soul-making”²¹ for humans. It was intended to prepare them for the afterlife, giving them an opportunity to make their choice about where they will spend eternity. A fundamental component of that design for the Universe is life and death. As part of our studies on Earth, while preparing for the afterlife, God seems to want us to understand life and death and their ramifications. We simply cannot escape death. Everywhere we look, whether by the naked eye or when studying bacteria under a microscope, we are reminded of mortality. It is clearly important to God for humans to acknowledge the reality of death. It appears that even before their first sin, Adam and Eve were capable of observing the evidence around them that death was a real thing—that God knew what He was talking about. They could know, by His mercy, they were not being subjected to death. They could understand the concept about which God was warning them: “in the day that you eat of it, you [also—JM] shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). When they sat on an ant, it could die. When a sauropod dinosaur stepped on a snake, the snake was not protected from death by a force field. Rather, the dinosaur’s weight would most certainly crush it, in harmony with God’s natural laws.

A wise man certainly “regards the life of his animal” (Proverbs 12:10), but he also understands that humans are different from animals. According to Jesus, we are “of more value” than them (Matthew 6:26; 10:31; 12:12; Luke 12:24). Those who submit to the will of God in faith will be able to live forever, spiritually (John 3:16); but not the animals. They were never intended to live forever. They serve as a reminder that we should seek life (John 10:10).

ENDNOTES

¹ Kyle Butt (2007), Behold! The Word of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

² NOTE: This is, no doubt, an oversimplification of what could have actually occurred on day three if God created land from sea floor material. God could have used basaltic rock from the base of the ocean to form the granitic rock that comprises much of the land continents today. Granitic rock is less dense, causing it to float higher in the mantle (exposing land), while the basaltic rock of the ocean floor tends to float lower in the mantle, lowering the sea level.

³ It is possible that the Earth was completely made of water to this point, and God created the infrastructure of the Earth on day three, including the core, mantle, and crust, from that water (2 Peter 3:5), rather than raising material from the sea floor. There would likely be no mudslides if He chose to create land in this way.

⁴ Ken Ham (2014), “Was There Death Before Adam Sinned?” Answers in Genesis On-line, April 25, https://answersingenesis.org/death-before-sin/was-there-death-before-adam-sinned/.

⁵ Jeff Miller (2012), “Did Jesus Contradict the Law of Biogenesis in John 12:24?” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=106&article=1590.

⁶ Kenneth Ham (1991), “Adam and Ants,” Acts & Facts, 20[9].

⁷ Avery Foley (2015), “Did Adam Step on an Ant Before the Fall?” Answers in Genesis On-line, December 4, https://answersingenesis.org/death-before-sin/did-adam-step-on-an-ant-before-fall/.

⁸ Bert Thompson (2001), The Origin, Nature, & Destiny of the Soul (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), http://www.apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/onds.pdf.

⁹ K.P. Wise (2014), “Spectra of Perfection: A Case for Biological Imperfection before the Fall,” Journal of Creation Theology and Science Series B: Life Sciences, 4:28, emp. added.

¹⁰Foley.

¹¹ Ibid.

¹² Bible scholar Homer Hailey highlighted that Isaiah 1l:10 is quoted by Paul “and applied to the present time under Christ in which the Gentiles hope in Him (Rom. 15:12). If the prophecy is not now fulfilled, the Gentiles have no hope. But they abound in hope at this present time (Rom. 15:13); therefore, the passage is now fulfilled.” (2006), Prayer and Providence (Las Vegas, NV: Nevada Publications), pp. 177-178.

¹³ Matthew 16:18-19; Daniel 2:31-44.

¹⁴ Mark 9:1; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9; Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7.

¹⁵ Foley.

¹⁶ Ibid.; Ham (1991).

¹⁷ Foley.

¹⁸ Why would God give it that name if its purpose was not to sustain life? Further, if living beings could live forever without the Tree of Life, what would be the point of the Tree?

¹⁹ Genesis 2:9; 3:22,24; Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14.

²⁰ cf. Jeff Miller (2017), Science vs. Evolution (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), 2nd edition.

²¹ John Keats (1895), The Letters of John Keats, ed. H. Buxton Forman (London: Reeves & Turner), p. 326.