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http://www.ls-coc.org/sermonsSunday Evening Sermon
Preached by John Gaines at Leonard Street Church of Christ
November 9, 2003
A Second-Coming Church
1. We continue looking at the church in the Greek city of Thessalonica. In our two previous studies in this series, we've looked at characteristics of the Thessalonian church revealed in Paul's two letters written to these Christians.
2. We've seen that Thessalonica was a model church in a number of ways. They were a chosen church, a sanctified church, a surrendered church, a suffering church, and a soul-winning church. Tonight we add a second-coming church as the final item on our list.
3. The theme of the second coming of Christ is important in both 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. This was a matter of great concern to the Thessalonian Christians. Apparently, they had some misunderstandings about the Lord returning in the immediate future so 2 Thessalonians was written in part to correct these misunderstandings.
4. The subject comes up early in 1 Thessalonians. Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (NKJV) For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and 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, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
a. These people had been converted. That had turned to God from idols. The Thessalonians could look to the south and see Mount Olympus about 50 miles away. Olympus was supposed to be where the Greek gods lived. When these people became obedient believers in Christ, they rejected the idols they had worshiped all their lives.
b. The aim of their conversion was two-fold.
(1) First, they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Their lives would now be dedicated to service before the throne of the one true king of heaven and earth. Conversion is not just escape from the domination of sin; it is a commitment to give oneself in service to a new Master.
(2) Secondly, their conversion involved waiting for God's Son from heaven. Believing in Jesus as the Son of God meant believing that God had raised Him from the dead. It also means believing that Jesus will come again [John 14:3 (NKJV) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."] The Thessalonians understood that by coming again, Jesus would deliver them "from the wrath to come." They knew that when Jesus returned, it would be a time of wrath for those who were lost in their sins. Paul made this very clear in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (NKJV): and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
I. A SECOND COMING CHURCH AWAITS CHRIST'S RETURN
A. Many people today don't give enough thought to the fact that Jesus will come again.
1. Skeptics deny that Jesus is coming [2 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV) knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
2. Many Christians don't live with the understanding that every day is potentially the day of the Lord's coming.
a. They would profess to believe in the idea of the Second Coming. They know the Bible teaches it. They just don't think much about the reality that "Today could be the day!"
b. Much of our teaching about "last things" has to do with why we should not believe in the "rapture," why we shouldn't believe in a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth, and other errors of premillennialism. It is necessary to oppose error, but we must not neglect to teach the positive truth that the return of Christ is a Bible promise and it will take place. It could be today or it could be 10,000 years in the future. We don't know when [Matthew 24:36 (NKJV) "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.] We do, however, know what -- Jesus will come again.
B. Anticipation of the Lord's return motivates us to live godly lives today.
1. When Jesus returns, things will happen very quickly [1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.] The return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the changing of the living will take place "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." There will be no time for repenting and being baptized. It will be too late for conversion.
2. We know that we will be accountable to God for the way we've lived our lives [Revelation 22:12 (NKJV) "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."]
3. This should give us a strong incentive to obey the gospel and live faithful Christian lives . . . because Jesus is coming and we must be ready [1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 (NKJV) 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.]
II. A SECOND COMING CHURCH KNOWS THE URGENCY OF TEACHING THE GOSPEL TO OTHERS.
A. We know that the Bible teaches a universal judgment.
1. Romans 14:12 (NKJV) So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
2. Matthew 25:31-32 (NKJV) "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."
B. We know that a world of lost sinners must hear and obey the gospel before they can be prepared for Judgment Day.
1. Jesus commanded that His disciples must go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature [Mark 16:15]. The ones who believe and are baptized will be saved [Mark 16:16]. If they don't hear the gospel, they won't know what to do to be saved. They cannot be ready for Christ's return.
2. Our obligation is to persuade people to be reconciled to God. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
a. 2 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV) Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
b. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NKJV) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
III. A SECOND-COMING CHURCH SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT GOD OPERATES ON HIS DIVINE TIMETABLE.
A. A day with the Lord is as 1,000 years [2 Peter 3:8]. He does not look at time as we do.
B. Some in the first century misunderstood Bible teaching about the return of Christ. They thought that statements like James 5:8 -- "the coming of the Lord is at hand" meant that He would come in the immediate future.
1. Paul reminded the Thessalonians that other things would happen before Christ returned [2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,]
2. Perhaps this expectation of Christ's immediate return led to the laziness which had evidently become quite a problem in Thessalonica. 2 Thessalonians 3 speaks of people who were walking disorderly, not working at all, and becoming busybodies. Paul commanded and exhorted them to work in quietness and eat their own bread [2 Thessalonians 3:11-12]. If they still refused to work, the policy was to be -- if any will not work, neither shall he eat [2 Thess. 3:10]. If you sincerely believe Jesus is coming again next week, you're not going to be much concerned about the stock market or the unemployment rate or anything about your material future. In the 1840s, an American religious teacher named William Miller gathered groups of his followers upon mountain tops to wait for the coming of the Lord on dates Miller had calculated from Bible prophecies. His followers gave away or abandoned their property, left everything behind, and went up on the mountain to await the Lord's return. Obviously, they had a problem when Jesus did not come at the anticipated time.
C. People still get too caught up into trying to figure out the future from details of Bible prophecy.
1. For instance, we could have spent a great deal of time talking about the identify of the "man of sin" or the "son of perdition" in 2 Thessalonians 2. The Thessalonians knew exactly what Paul was talking about because he says he talked with them in person about these things [2 Thessalonians 2:5]. However, we can't have that same confidence in our ability to figure out who Paul is referring to. Some say, "It is the pope." Some say, "No, it's Hitler, or Saddam Hussein, or some other political figure." Others say, "No, it's some future antichrist who will come at the end of time." On and on it goes. We are served well not to become too dogmatic in our opinions regarding things we don't understand.
2. Study Bible prophecy . . . Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, the book of Revelation, et al, but keep everything in balance. Don't emphasize these "secret things" and neglect the plain, open, easy-to-understand teachings of the New Testament.
3. Remember the things we know for sure:
a. Jesus is the Son of God and savior of the world.
b. He is our only hope of salvation.
c. There are things we must do to receive that salvation offered in Christ. Those things include faith, repentance, baptism, and living the Christian life.
d. Jesus is going to return. After His return, we will all be judged according to the things we have done in this life.
e. It's not that important when the Lord's return will be. There's nothing we can do to affect God's timetable. It is extremely important that we be ready for the Lord's return whenever the Father wills it to happen.
CONCLUSION