Be Ready For Christ's Return

Alba 2-11-2024

BE READY FOR CHRIST'S RETURN

I Thessalonians 5:1-11

Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish theologian and philosopher of the 1800's, once told the story of a variety show in a crowded theater with various acts. Each act was more fantastic than the one prior, so it created louder and louder applause from the audience.

Suddenly, a clown rushed on to the stage and said, “I apologize for this interruption, but I regret to inform you that our theater is on fire! You need to leave right away, and in an orderly fashion.”

But the audience thought he was part of the act, so they laughed and applauded. They thought he was very committed to the role. But the clown again implored them that they needed to leave right away or they would get seriously injured, maybe even die. And again, they greeted him with loud and thunderous applause.

At last, he could do no more, and so he left the building, and the people were destroyed. Kierkegaard concluded his story by saying, “Our age will go down in fiery destruction not to the sound of mourning but to applause and cheering.”

God has sounded the warning time and time again. And each year that warning is louder than ever before: Judgment is coming, but there is a way out through Jesus Christ.

There was a cartoon that showed a scraggly man holding a sign that says, “The World is about to end.” Onlookers hear him as he looks at his wristwatch, saying, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six . . .” Yes the world will come to an end! Jesus is coming again. The message of Scripture is to always be ready.

The apostle Paul was in Corinth, in either late 50 AD or early 51 AD when he wrote his first letter to the Thessalonian church to express his joy at their steadfastness, to encourage them while suffering, and to correct misconceptions about the Lord’s return.

It appears that in addition to being concerned about those who had died, the Thessalonians were also concerned about when the Second Coming was going to take place. So he writes to them in I Thessalonians 5:1-11 so that they will be prepared. So they will be ready.

Let's read the first four verses. “1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.”

1. In other words, the Lord's coming will be SUDDEN.

Paul uses two comparisons to illustrate the suddenness of the Second Coming: A thief in the night, and a woman's labor pains. In the middle of the night a burglar breaks in suddenly. It is the same during the pregnancy; suddenly labor begins.

Because the Second Coming will come unexpectedly, many people will be unprepared. And as Jesus said in Matthew 24 it will be at a time that life will seem normal. People will be eating, drinking, marrying and feeling just as secure as were the people in Noah's day before the flood.

There will be some who will be lulled into a sense of stupor saying “peace and safety” but destruction will come. It will happen unexpectedly, just like a thief in the night. So Jesus urged us to be ready at all times. Because in Matthew 24:44 He said, “the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

The thief certainly doesn’t let anyone know when he intends to strike. He doesn’t send a note encouraging you to be gone on a certain date and time so he can rob your home. A thief comes unannounced. Could you imagine receiving an email: “Tomorrow at 3a.m. I plan to break into your house and steal your valuables. Sincerely, U. Ben Took”

That won't happen. And there will be no warning when God the Father says, “Jesus, its time!”

We are told it will also be like the pains that come announcing the birth of a baby. They come suddenly. And it can cause quite a bit of excitement. There was a man who called 911, saying, "My wife is pregnant, and her contractions are only two minutes apart!"

"Is this her first child?" he was asked. "No, of course not!" the man shouts. "This is her husband!" When that first baby is about to come into the world both mom and dad can be pretty shook up.

There is an obvious similarity between the thief and the labor pains. It is suddenness. But there is also a difference. In the case of a thief, there is no warning. And, once the powerful labor pains begin to do their work, they can’t be stopped. There is no escape at that point.