A newspaper (Houston Chronicle, 11/3/92, p.11a), printed an article some years ago about the church known as Mission for the Coming Days. That “church” disbanded on Nov 2, 1992. The pastor had been put in jail...(for a very good reason)! It seems that his central message was the return of Christ on Oct 28, 1992. The members of this group numbered in the thousands, and many of them had sold property, quit schools and jobs, left families and deserted military duties. They should’ve checked the pastor’s financial portfolio first. The Korean-born minister had swindled $4 million in donations, and had $380,000 invested in bonds that wouldn’t mature until May ’93.
The Bible very plainly teaches (from cover to cover) that every person ought to be prepared for the coming of Christ. It is just as specific in telling us that we have no business setting dates on speculation.
1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 1 Thess 5:1-3
If we accept this as so (which I do), then why study the events of the return of Christ? If I can’t know when, what difference will it make in my life today? Answer - Lots! It has to do with being obedient with what we know to be the will of God.
A church member was always speculating about odd questions. Whenever his pastor visited him he would ask questions like, Will Japanese people have yellow skin in heaven? or Will we eat animals in heaven? This man was interested in the obscure,insignificant, irrelevant theological minutiae. But he showed no concern about such clear passages as Hebrews 10.25, which warns us against forsaking our worship responsibilities. Even a practical atheist like Mark Twain knew better. He once reportedly said, It isn’t what I don’t know about the Bible that bothers me, but what I do know. Speculation isn’t serving God.
We must be more like the young supply clerk in a factory. When he came on his shift he noticed a box left on the loading dock that had "DANGER! DO NOT TOUCH" stenciled on all sides. He called his supervisor, who advised him to leave the box alone until management could make a decision on it. He wouldn’t even breathe on the ominous-looking package until the supply foreman arrived with the morning shift. He put on safety equipment and carefully opened the box. Inside were 25 signs that read "DANGER! DO NOT TOUCH".
We can be obedient to the command of God’s Word to be personally prepared for His return. The first and foremost preparation for that return is to be saved. God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us (1 Thess 5:9,10a).
Beyond salvation, we must be serving. Christians don’t know when He will return, but we know WHAT He expects! We know what to BE, and what to DO.....
We can BE the Body of Christ
"Being the body" carries the idea of living in character as the people of God. Paul describes it in several ways:
AWARE OF JESUS’ RETURN
But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; 1 Thess 5:4-5a
Christians are to live in daily contemplation of the return of Christ. We ought not to be like the Houston church people who sold all their stuff and sat down to wait. That’s not in agreement with much of the teaching of the Bible (ie: those who won’t work shouldn’t eat...occupy til I come, etc..).
An awareness of the return of Jesus means faith in the FACT that He is coming, and less concern over when that return might happen. And, as we learn from James 2.26, "Faith without deeds is dead."
So, our faith in the return of Christ is rather useless if we keep it to ourselves. The whole reason Jesus allowed us to know of His return is so we can share it with others.
ALERT TO SATAN’S RESISTANCE
…we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 1 Thess 5:5b-7 NRSV
Getting drunk speaks of losing control of one’s ability to accurately perceive his surroundings. Reality is lost to a drunk. It is told that President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s favorite story was of a drunk who wandered into a funeral parlor late one night, and fell asleep in one of the caskets. In the morning he awoke and noticed his surroundings. He immediately attempted to figure-out his fate; he thought to himself, if I’m alive, why am I in this box…but, if I’m dead, why do I have to go to the bathroom?
The god of this world is good at desensitizing even mature believers to the state of things. On the contrary, Paul says, Don’t sleep, be alert - be a soldier on sentry, ready to do your Commander’s will.
Jesus is our example for ministry. He was always alert to the needs of others, and the spiritual temperature around Him. Jesus never went to sleep on the job. Now, that doesn’t mean we should get less sleep, but it speaks of priority. Being the body of Christ means staying alert, so we can respond to God’s call to serve, and not be deceived by Satan’s traps.
In a day where the trend is to get busier, richer (or at least deeper in debt), work longer hours, and have more commitments, most Christians who follow the trend are too worn out to be alert!
Paul is telling us to look at the world in light of spiritual priority. If you have to cut some things out of your schedule in order to give God the place He deserves in your life, you’d better do it!
• A soldier who smokes a little dope on guard duty won’t help me to sleep peacefully.
• A policeman who is too busy buying lottery tickets to answer a distress call is not alert.
• And a Christian who can’t find time for the study of God’s Word, worship and prayer, is more of a deceiver than a believer. Aware, Alert, and…
ANTICIPATING THE REWARD OF THE FAITHFUL
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
1 Thess 5:8-10 NRSV
"Salvation" is in the past tense in that sentence. It is something we already possess; we are simply looking forward to the time of completion.
When an expectant mother walks into the hospital, she is already the mother of a baby, she just can’t see it. Soon it will be plain for all to see. The one she’d talked to for all those months, and wondered what she’d look like, and feel like, suddenly is there, in her arms; anticipated - realized.
Our salvation is like that; we possess, and are possessed by it. Others may see our condition, and know that something is different; but some day it will be revealed in all of its glory. That’s what "being the body of Christ" is all-about.
We have this treasure in earthen vessels – host to the very Spirit of God, resident inside a fragile human being. We are the body of Christ! While we’re waiting for the return of Jesus we can live like it!
We Can Build Up the Body of Christ
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. 1 Thess 5:11 NRSV
In the verses that follow, Paul gives us a list of both attitudes and actions that will strengthen the body of Christ, and the body’s ministry in this world. Paul looked at the church at Thessalonica and saw that those folks were already building each other up, so he simply went over the list, and encouraged them to continue the good work.
The church of the present day needs this kind of medicine. There are both passive and active ways we can build the body. Paul says we are to:
• warn the idle (lazy), encourage the timid, help the weak (5.14),
• refrain from "paybacks," but live in kindness (5.15),
• pray (5.17),
• give thanks (5.18),
• and always examine our own actions (5.21,22).
I have been a Christian a long time. Years ago, when I first began to realize that being a Christian meant living radically different from the world, I wasn’t always pleased to BE a part of the body of Christ. And BUILDING the body sounded easy, until I saw that it takes courage and unselfishness to give your strength away to others. This following Jesus isn’t for wimps!
In Costa Rica the traditional Spanish bullfight has undergone some changes. The government no longer allows the matador to kill the bull as the fight ends. Consequently, there are fewer "quality" bullfighters. So, these days in Costa Rica, the standard has been lowered. You simply have to be 18 sober and have a pulse, and they will allow you in the ring.
Many times the fight begins with as many as 150 young men, standing in the ring proudly awaiting the bull to break thru the entrance gate. When the bull does enter, immediately 140 sets of heels and elbows are scrambling over the safety wall. Many wanted the name - few were willing to pay the price.
One day our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. It may be before this service is over. It might not be for many years. It is valueless to speculate. But all should prepare. Accept Jesus and become part of the Body. Love Jesus and BE the Body. Serve Jesus and BUILD the Body. Do it, beloved!
