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Disciple #6: How to Prepare for your Real Future

Pastor Scott Applegate

Sermon Notes:

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.’” Matthew 16:24-27 NIV

Disciple: A disciple of Jesus is someone who has trusted in Him as Savior and is following Him as Lord. A disciple of Jesus is living with eternity as their priority and focus. By doing this, a disciple has hope no matter what, because they have staked their very life and future on the promises and truth of Christ.

Facts about the future:

  • Death is certain
  • Life is temporary, eternity is forever
  • We will either spend eternity with God, or eternally separated from Him
  • God will reward us in the life to come for how we live our lives now

“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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV

What has yet to happen?

  • His Return: “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven…” 
  • The Resurrection: “…the dead in Christ will rise first…” 
  • The Rapture: “…we who are still alive and are leftwill be caught up…” 
  • The Reunion: “…together with them in the cloudsto meet the Lord in the air.”

How to prepare for my real future:

  1. Get informed about the future

“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.” Vs. 13

  1. Tell others about Jesus

“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.” Vs. 14 

  1. Anticipate and wait for His coming

“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. 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. 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.” Vs. 15-17

  1. Stay in the fellowship

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Vs. 18 

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV