“Getting Ready For The Second Coming”
1 Thessalonians Part Five
4:13-5:11
A new preacher had just begun his sermon. He was a little nervous, and about ten minutes into the talk his mind went blank. He remember what they had taught him in seminary to do when a situation like this would arise- repeat your last point. Often this would help you remember what was coming next. So he thought he would give it a try. “Behold, I come quickly,” he said. Still his mind was blank. He thought he would try it again, “Behold I come quickly.” Still nothing. He tried it one more time with such force that he fell forward, knocking the pulpit to one side, tripping over a flowerpot, and falling into the lap of a little old lady in the front row. The young preacher apologized and tried to explain what happened. “That’s alright, young man,” said the little old lady. “It was my fault. I should have gotten out of the way. You told me three times that you were coming.”
Jesus Christ is coming! And we have been told a whole lot more than 3 times in the bible that He is. Therefore, the responsibility for being ready rests with us.
PRAYER
The Thessalonians were waiting for the return of Jesus, they felt sure it would happen in their lifetime... And there were experiencing many different feelings about His coming.
Some, were anxious because they had loved ones, fellow believers who had already died... and they were concerned about what would happen to those who have died -- when Christ returns. Others, were anxious because they were worried about the same thing many today are worried, "how can I be ‘really’ sure that I’ll be ready when Jesus comes back..."
So Paul, knowing of these 2 concerns, addresses them in our text today...as he talks about the second coming.... Paul will tell them 3 things about the second coming -- that will answer those concerns... First I want us to talk about:
the hope of the second coming
I THESS 4:13-15
Grief is a very powerful human experience and emotion. However firm our Christian faith may be, the loss of a relative or friend, causes a profound emotional shock... It calls for radical and painful adjustments which may take months or longer. A Canadian evangelist, put it well when he said, after the death of his first child at the age of 21, "The struggle, is to bring our faith & our emotions together..."
Grief also leads to anguished questions about those who have died. What has happened to them? Are they all right? Will we see them again? Such questions arise, because of our concern for the dead, and because their death, reminds us of our own mortality and undermines our security.
As I said earlier, many of the Thessalonians were concerned that the dead in Christ would somehow be at a disadvantage when the Lord returns. Listen to verse 13 again,
“Brothers we do not want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope...”
There are 2 things Paul does not want the Thessalonians to be; first he does not want them to be ignorant about what is going to happen to those who have fallen asleep (those who have died in Christ) And he is going to address this issue directly in the following verse...
And second, Paul doesn’t want them to grieve like the gentiles who have no hope... Now, is Paul here forbidding Christians to grieve? Is it wrong for a Christian to grieve? Did Jesus ever grieve over the death of someone? Yes he did.... So grieving is natural... And it is really unnatural, for someone not to grieve after a loss of a loved one....
(Let me make a brief practical application here; the worse thing can do when someone has lost a loved one , is to not allow them to grieve...."You shouldn’t cry you know where he is..." No they need to grieve because a very bad thing has happened in their life -- they have suffered a great loss)
So you see, Paul is not forbidding us to grieve, but rather he is forbidding us to grieve like the gentiles who have no hope. The pagan world in Paul’s day had no hope of life after death... A typical inscription on a grave demonstrates this fact...
"I WAS NOT -- I BECAME -- I AM NOT -- I CARE NOT..."
Much of our world doesn’t have hope after death... that’s why so many avoid talking about death, or try to prolong this life, freeze their bodies...etc And if they ever do talk about death they usually make jokes to hide their real fear... like Woody Allen who said, "IT’S NOT THAT I’M AFRAID TO DIE. I JUST DON’T WANT TO BE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS..."
This lack of hope in death for an unbeliever is illustrated in the following encounter from the life of Alexander Campbell (one of the founders of the Restoration Movement).
One day, Alexander Campbell was walking with Robert Owen (an atheist he was about to debate) and they were walking together on Campbell’s ESTATE in Bethany Va. And as the passed by the Campbell family’s small cemetery, Owen stopped, and turning to Mr Campbell said, "there is one advantage I have over the Christian -- I am not afraid to die. Most Christian have fear in death, but if some few items of my business were settled, I should be perfectly willing to die at any moment.."
Campbell immediately replied, "you say you have no fear in death; have you any hope in death?" After an expressive pause the philosopher replied in the negative.
Pointing to an ox standing contently in a near by field, Campbell answered, ’then you are on a level with that brute. He is fed till satisfied and stands in the shade whisking off the flies with his tail, and he has neither hope nor fear in death..."
We as Christians have hope in death.... Death is where we will finally cross to that other shore, it’s when we will see Jesus face to face, it’s when will walk those streets of gold.... Death is when, we will finally get to go home..... Geoff Moore; wrote a song called that’s when I’ll know I’m home...
There is a place where truth will always be spoken, and promises can be believed.
A place where your heart can’t be broken and love ones will never leave.
So if you are longing for a place of belonging the home you dreamed of is waiting for you.
Where no one will ever be hungry or cold, no one will hurt or will ever grow old
No one will die and leave someone alone
That’s when I’ll know I’m home,
I’m home forever no pain or disease, and all will be equal and all will be free.
True love will come and we’ll fall at his feet,
That’s when I’ll know I’m home!
That’s our hope: and what a hope it is. (Is it your hope?)
AND UPON WHAT IS THIS HOPE BASED?
This hope is based on 2 things, an expectation and a belief...
AN EXPECTATION;
An expectation, that Jesus is coming back to take us home... Jesus said to his disciples when they were troubled, by thoughts of both His death and His departure;
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am...”
And Paul in 2 Corinthians 5, in talking about our going home, In describing how we now live in a tent (a body that is; unstable, uncomfortable and at times insecure) He then goes on to say how someday we will be clothed with a heavenly dwelling/we will get a new body he writes;
"Now it is God who made us for this very purpose (to leave this tent, “body,” and get a much improved body, and live with Him forever) and God has given us the spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come...”
And after Jesus had ascended into heaven, the 11 stood gazing upward at the sight -- and angel appeared to them and said;
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
So you see our hope is based on an expectation, an expectation that Jesus will come back again.......... An expectation That the King of Kings someday will return..
Shepherd’s Home, in Union Grove, Wisconsin, is a loving home for the mentally ill, but it has a problem. They can’t keep their windows clean. For you see, many children have been nurtured in Christian love through this home. Many have also come to know Jesus as their Savior. They have also learned about the soon return of Jesus. This is a teaching the children of Shepherd’s Home have taken seriously. And that’s the problem--each day the children run to the window and press up against it, to see if this is the day Jesus will return. That’s why they can’t keep the windows clean.
But not only is our hope based on an expectation -- it is also based on a BELIEF;
I THESS 4:14,15
Our hope is based on our belief that Jesus Christ died and was buried and that he rose again... And Because Jesus rose, our faith has meaning, The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very foundation and core of our hope.... And because Jesus has risen -- we too will rise....
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Jn 11:25
The return of Christ gives us hope... Hope of a better Life, HOPE of no pain, OF no sorrow, Hope no more death or disease... and a hope of no more disappointments or discouragements
Missionary Gregory Fisher writes: “What will He say when He shouts?”
The question took me by surprise. I had already found that West African Bible College Students can ask some of the most penetrating questions about minute details of scripture.
“Pastor, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says that Christ will descend from heaven with a loud command. I would like to know what that command will be.”
I wanted to leave the question unanswered, to tell him that we must not go past what Scripture has reveled, but my mind wandered to an encounter I had earlier in the day with a refugee from the Liberian civil war.
The man, a high school principal, told me how he was apprehended by a 2 man death squad. After several hours of terror, as the men described how they would torture and kill him, he narrowly escaped. After hiding in the bush for 2 days, he was able to find his family and escape to a neighboring country. The escape cost him dearly: 2 of his children lost their lives.
I also saw flashbacks of the beggars that I pass each morning on my way to the office. Every day I see how poverty destroys dignity, robs men of the best of what it means to be human, and sometimes substitutes the worst of what it means to be an animal. I am haunted by the vacant eyes of people who have lost hope.
“Pastor, you have not given me an answer. What will He say?” The question hadn’t gone away. “Enough,” I said, “He will shout, “Enough!” When he returns.” The student had a look of surprise on his face, “What do you mean, enough?”
“Enough suffering. Enough starvation. Enough terror. Enough death. Enough indignity. Enough lives trapped in hopelessness. Enough sickness and disease. Enough heartache & sorrow. Enough pain and broken families. ENOUGH!!!!”
The return of Christ gives us HOPE.....
In verses 16-18 Paul talks about
the reality of the second coming
4:16-18
All of human history is moving towards 4 great climatic events; History is moving towards;
A Return - Resurrection - Rapture - Reunion
A RETURN;
Jesus is coming back again; Paul writes, "The Lord Himself will come down..."
And when Christ comes again, it will not be like his first coming... where He was mocked, beaten, spit upon, pushed, shoved and crucified on a cross -- clothed only in the precious blood that poured from His suffering body... Men will not beat Jesus again Men will not mock Him again. Men will not do anything to him again...
Someday, and it may be real soon, the activity and sounds of this world will be suddenly and dramatically interrupted, and the entire earth will resound will the a loud shout, with the voice of the archangel and the blast of the trumpet call of God (a loud call to gather His people and announce the arrival of her King), AND THEN CHRIST WILL RETURN, AND He will return in glory, and He will be clothed in power... and all the earth will see Him -- AND on His robe and thigh He will have this name written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" And every knee on earth and in heaven will bow down, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ, is Lord!!!
And those who have rejected him, mocked him, neglected Him, and ridiculed Him, Those who in this life have refused to acknowledge his lordship, Be they kings, princess, generals, athletes, television stars, movie stars, politicians, billionaires or on food stamps -- they will all hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.. And they will call to the rocks an the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb! For the great dat of their wrath has come and who can stand?"
Yes, all of human history is moving towards this, climatic and culminating event...
And when He returns there will be:
A RESURRECTION
The Thessalonians were worried about their brothers and sisters who had fallen asleep in the Lord... They were concerned that these Christians may be at a disadvantage. But such is not the case, for when Christ returns there will be a resurrection -- "THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST..."
When we die, we are separated from our body and our spirit goes to be at home with the Lord.... But this is not to be our final state -- For you see, God has created us to be both body and spirit, and when he returns we will once again be body and spirit -- we will get a different body -- a better body -- an imperishable and immortal body...
1 Cor 15:50-53
Now what exactly is that body going to be like -- we don’t know for sure -- but we can be sure it will be a good one.... free from sin, pain, and disease...
When Christ comes there will also be:
A RAPTURE
As those Christians who are alive at Christ’s coming will meet Him in the air.....
Now we in the Christian church, don’t talk much about the rapture... And this is probably because of the mis-interpretation many have today of the rapture..(now these mis-interpretations may sell a lot of books and make great movies but they are not what the Bible teaches). Nevertheless, the word rapture is a good word and someday there is going to be one -- (and however God decides to do it -- I think I will go along with it...).
Now, the word rapture, is not used in the bible -- it is actually the English translation of the Latin word "rapto" which was used to translate the Greek word in our text "harpazo".
The Greek word harpazo carries the following meanings which help to describe the rapture...
It means; "To carry away speedily; to claim for one’s ownself; to move to a new place; to rescue from danger."
At the final trumpet call of God, Christ will return (once not twice, and He is not returning to set up an earthly kingdom, “His kingdom is not of this world” He is coming to carry us away - to claim us as His own - to take us to a new place - to rescue us from danger). And in a twinkling of the eye the dead in Christ will rise clothed in their heavenly dwelling -- and in a twinkling of the eye, those who are alive will also be changed as they put on their heavenly dwelling rising to meet their Lord in the air... (some glad morning when this life is over we’ll fly way -- literally)..
Which brings us to the 4th thing that all history is moving towards:
THE GREATEST REUNION EVER;
"As we are caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..."
We will see them again, we will see them again -- those loved ones who have gone on before us -- we will see them again... Can you just imagine how great it is going to be -- to be in your new body -- to be in the air with Jesus -- and to see once again your loved ones... (to hug them, hold them, slap them high 5’s as we streak through the heavens). Close your eyes for a moment think about those you love -- those who are with the Lord now -- and think about one day -- and it is true -- it will happen -- it will be a reality -- think about one day meeting them in the air..
Some of the Christians in Thessalonica were worried about and grieving over those who had died -- and Paul tells them that they can have hope -- Jesus, is, coming back -- and one day there will be a great reunion in the sky... a reunion like we have never seen or imagined!
Paul closes this section with the words, "Therefore, encourage each other with these words.. "
THE PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND COMING
There were some people in Thesslaonica who though they were convinced that Jesus would come again, were concerned, they were anxious, maybe they were even a little worried -- WHY? because they were not sure if they would ‘really’ be ready when that day came... "WHAT IF JESUS COMES AND I AM NOT READY?"
Do you feel ready? What if that trumpet sounded now?
Paul in Chapter 5:1-11, tells them and he tells us how we can be prepared for the second coming of Christ... I THESS 5:1-11
Paul in telling us how to prepare, first tells us the wrong way to prepare....
AND THE WRONG WAY TO PREPARE IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE TIME AND DATE OF JESUS’ RETURN
Why would people, want to know when Jesus was coming? Why do workers or companies want to know when the big boss is coming into town? Why do teenagers left home alone want to know when mom and dad are coming back?
You see, if we know when someone is coming back -- then we also know how long we can do what we want to do -- and still have enough time left to get ready....
This is the wrong way to prepare for the second coming; because trying to do so, goes directly against the very nature of the Lord’s return.
Paul uses two metaphors to describe the nature of the second coming -- "a thief" and "labor pains" -- I have seen the one and have experienced the other.... (you guess which)
The trouble with thieves is, they do not tell you when it is, that they are coming to steal from you... If the guys who broke into my house several years ago, would have sent me a postcard or telephoned me, to let me know when they were arriving -- I would have stayed home, to greet them.... but they didn’t, it’s not their nature...
Neither is it the nature of the second coming... Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” I imagine Hal Lindsey and those other ‘so called’ end time prophets, don’t have that verse in their bible...
Paul says, that while people are saying "Peace and safety” (everything is cool -- we’re ok) that “destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant women”
( I have witnessed those puppies, and when they come, they come...)
By making these 2 comparisons (thief/labor pains) Paul is saying that the second coming is going to be sudden... Suddenly, in the middle of the night a burglar breaks in -- Suddenly, during the pregnancy labor begins.... But though there is an obvious similarity between the 2 (suddenness), there is also a difference. And by putting these 2 metaphors together, we conclude that Christ’s coming will be:
Sudden & unexpected, like a thief in the night....
Sudden and unavoidable, like labor pains...
In the first place there is no warning and in the second place there is no escape....
So if knowing when Christ is to return is not the answer to our preparation >> what is?
HOW ARE WE TO PREPARE WHAT IS THE - RIGHT ANSWER?
I THESS 5:4-8
Paul is telling us that there is no need for us to be alarmed by the prospect of the Lord’s return -- because there is no need for us to be taken by surprise. “Surprise” is the key word in Paul’s argument. There are 2 reasons why people are taken surprise by a thief - First, is he comes unexpectantly at night and second he comes when the homeowner is asleep. Now we can do nothing about the first reason, but we can do something about the second.
In like manner, Christ’s return is definitely going to be unexpected. Therefore, the solution to our problem lies not in knowing when he will come - but in stay awake & alert. For then, even if His coming is totally unexpected, we will be ready for Him and will not be taken by surprise.
But those who live in the night - those, who are drunk in their sin, those who are asleep spiritually - will be taken by surprise... they will be found unprepared...
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert & self controlled”
Alert to what?
To what God’s word says about becoming a Christian & living the Christian life.
To our love for Jesus, as evidenced by our obedience.
To the sin in our lives
To what we; do- say - think - where we go - who we go with
To what the priorities in our life ‘really’ are (not what we say they are)
Question; What does Jesus see when he looks at your life?
And we need to be self controlled
“Like a city whose are broken down, is a man who lacks self control...” Pr 25:28
Without walls anything can get into our city and without self control anything can get into our lives... We need to draw those lines, we need to build those walls (faith & righteousness) in our lives to keep sin out, we need to protect our city.
If we are alert & self controlled we will be ready. Understand this, when He comes there will no time left to get ready, no time left to change your mind or lifestyle. You, know when Jesus comes we’ll probably be just like we are today, after all we have been that wait for quite awhile.
Let me close our time today with 2 passages of scripture that deal with the second coming of Christ, may God bless the reading of His Word.
Matthew 24:42-51
When Christ comes, and He is coming, those who are not ready are not, simply left behind, they are cast into Hell & into everlasting torment... “weeping & gnashing of teeth.”
Revelation 20-14
Those who are not ready at His coming are “thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death...”
“Blessed & Holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6
Question What is the first resurrection?
To answer that question, let’s first answer the question what is the first death? The first death is a spiritual death... God told Adam, “when you eat of it you will surely die...” (Gen 2:17). This is when sin entered and man died spiritually... He sin separated him from God, the wages of sin is death. Now listen to 3 passages that put the first: death & resurrection together...
“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the craving of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive (first resurrection)with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions (first death) - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up (first resurrection) and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:3-6
“Having been buried with Him in baptism and raised (first resurrection) with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins (first death) and in the uncircumcision of you sinful nature, God made you alive (first resurrection) He forgave us all our sins....” Col 2:12,13
“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection (first resurrection).” Romans 6:4,5
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage each other and build each other us, just as in fact you are doing.”
