RESCUED FROM THE WRATH TO COME
1 Thess. 1:1-10
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE SANDWICHES
1. One time Angela & I went into a pizza place in a small town to eat. They only had Pepsi, but Angela had a fountain coke in the car, so I went & got it. The manager refused to let us drink the Coke (though we were spending $20 on pizza), because they had an exclusive contract with Pepsi! 2. This happened to Boudreaux and Thibodeaux, but you know, they’re sly from their knowledge of the swamps!
3. Boudreaux and Thibodeaux walked into a Burger King and ordered a couple of drinks. They then took sandwiches from paper bags they had brought with them and began to eat.
4. Seeing this, the owner approached them and said, "Excuse me, but you can’t eat YOUR OWN sandwiches in here!"
5. So Boudreaux and Thibodeaux looked at each other, shrugged and exchanged sandwiches with each other!
B. TEXT
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
C. THESIS
1. The Church at Thessalonica was known to be one of the healthiest churches in the New Testament era, even though Paul and Silas were only there 3 weeks! (Acts 17:2)
2. In addition, this church experienced terrible persecution almost immediately and as a new church had to keep going without leadership.
3. Here Paul describes the reasons for their success. Let’s read and use them as a pattern for ourselves.
4. The title of this message is “Rescued from the Wrath to Come.”
I. FORMATION AS SONS/ DAUGHTERS
A. WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (5-6)
Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters loved by God…he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with…[3 things]”
1. POWER. [Recently our power was out 3 days]
a. When the electricity goes out, none of the systems we depend on will work: the air conditioner, refrigerator, the stove, the lights, the television, the microwave, etc.
b. But when the power comes back on – what a difference. The dark & gloomy home becomes lit up with light and stirred with new air!
c. Just as dramatic is a dark and gloomy LIFE when the power of God comes on! Everything changes. There’s a dramatic difference between having that power and not having that power!
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT.
a. We have earthly life because we were born of our mothers, but if we wish to have God’s heavenly life, we must be born a second time – of the Holy Spirit!
b. Jesus said, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:6-7.
c. Paul said that one evidence of the divine sonship of the Thessalonians was the coming of the Holy Spirit in them.
3. DEEP CONVICTION. The word “deep” means “extending far down from the top or surface.” The reality of God wasn’t just a surface thing, but went to the heart of what they were. Every aspect of their lives was penetrated by God!
B. CONFORMED TO IMAGE OF CHRIST (6-7)
1. “You became IMITATORS of us and of the Lord.” Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” 2. We are GOING TO be conformed to the pattern of the world…unless we make the deliberate decision pattern ourselves after something else – the Word of God and great Christians. The Thessalonians DID this!
3. “And so you became a MODEL to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” as a result of their transformation.
4. God is looking for some people who will put the Word into practice and set the example for others. May we be such people!
C. OUTWORKING OF THEIR SALVATION (3-4)
1. “We remember…your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (3).
2. Faith, Hope, and Love became the identifying characteristics of the Thessalonians. How about us?
3. Are we known for our sweetness or our complaining? Are we self-less or selfish? Are we purveyors of faith, hope, love – or of fears and criticisms?
II. WITNESSES OF THEIR NEW LIFE
A. OUTSPOKEN WITNESSES
1. “The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.” (8)
2. HUMOR. They fit the classic description of a ‘fanatic’ – “they won’t shut up and won’t change the subject.”
3. When you’ve found something good, you can’t keep quiet about it.
B. UNASHAMED
“They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…and His Son…Jesus” (9-10).
1. Everybody around knew they no longer served the local deities – of pleasure, wealth, knowledge, reputation.
2. They’d turned to the LIVING GOD. They implied the other gods were dead. That had to offend a few people.
3. We can SAY we love people, but “Open rebuke is better than hidden love” Prov. 27:5.
4. The Living God has a Name – Jesus!
III. THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
“…to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (10)
A. WHY WE WAIT FOR JESUS’ COMING
1. WHO HE’S COMING FOR? “he will appear a second time…to those who are waiting/ LOOKING for him” Heb. 9:28, (1 Cor. 1:7). Are you looking?
a. HUMOR. One man worked at looking so hard, he had 3 pairs of glasses. “Why?” “One pair for my nearsightedness & one for my farsightedness.”
b. “What’s the 3rd pair for?” “To find the other two!”
2. HIS COMING WILL EXPOSE OUR LIVES. “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” 1 Cor. 4:5.
3. IT WILL BE A HUGE BLESSING TO US. “…while we wait for the BLESSED HOPE—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13.
4. HIS COMING WILL BE JUST BEFORE GOD’S WRATH FALLS. “…to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess. 1:10.
B. HE WILL RESCUE US FROM…
1. to rescue us from the present evil age” Gal. 1:4.
2. “rescued us from the dominion of darkness” Col. 1:13.
3. “to rescue the godly from trials” 2 Pet. 2:9.
4. “from every evil attack” 2 Tim. 4:18.
5. “from the coming wrath” 1 Thess. 1:10.
C. THE COMING WRATH
1. IS SOMETHING TO FLEE FROM. “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” Matt. 3:7, Lk. 3:7.
2. IT’S ALREADY HANGING OVER THE UNSAVED. “whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” Jn. 3:36.
3. EVERY DAY THEY DON’T REPENT, THEY STORE UP MORE WRATH. “because of your…unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed” Rom. 2:5.
4. THE SINFUL ACTIONS THAT BRING WRATH ARE NAMED.
a. Eph. 5:6, “because of such things God’s wrath comes--” “sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, coarse joking”(3-4).
b. Col. 3:6, “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming:” “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (5).
5. HOW BAD WILL THAT WRATH BE?
a. DEATH WILL BE PREFERABLE. “They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” Rev. 6:16-17.
b. ETERNAL TORMENT “…the cup of His wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.” Rev. 14:10.
D. HOW HE RESCUES US
1. BY HIS BLOOD. “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Rom. 5:9.
2. SONSHIP SEPARATES US. “You are all children of the light….God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess. 5:5,9.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. When evangelist John Wesley (1703-1791) was
returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature.
2. As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, "Stop! I have something more to give you." The surprised robber paused.
3. "My friend," said Wesley, "you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here's something to remember: 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!'" The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit.
4. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before!
5. "I owe it all to you," said the transformed man. "Oh no, my friend," Wesley exclaimed, "not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!"
[Our Daily Bread, October 1, 1994]
B. THE CALL
1. Are you still doing the very things that are bring the wrath of God on the world? Every day you delay repenting of those things your danger increases. Won’t you repent tonight?
2. Have you received the blood that saves you from the Coming Wrath of God?
3. He’s coming for those who are looking/ waiting for Him. Are you maintaining watchfulness for the coming of Christ?
