Preached in Markham Baptist Church, September 23, 2007

We Christians believe that Jesus is coming again.  We state that fact every time celebrate communion.  “For when you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death, until he comes.”  We are sure that our Lord is coming again.  Jesus promised it. 

But with that assurance comes all sorts of questions.  If Jesus is coming again, when?  And what will it look like?  

If He is coming soon should I stop working and simply “serve Him” until He comes?  Or maybe I should live life to the hilt so as to taste all life has to offer before He comes?

And what will happen to those who believe in Jesus Christ when He does come?  What will happen to those who have waited for Jesus in faith to return but have died?  And if the coming of our Lord is marked by darkness and destruction what will happen to me when it happens?   

And what will happen to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ – indeed what will happen to those who openly mock the message of Christ and persecute the church of Jesus Christ – what will happen to them when Christ returns?  

Well if you’ve ever asked any of these questions then you will love the letters to the Thessalonians because in these letters the Holy Spirit seeks to answer these questions. 

Indeed it is the central theme of these two letters - what does it mean to live in the light of Christ’s return. 

And before we get into a verse by verse study of these two books I feel we need to do just a little bit more background to understand this theme.  And I want us to drop into the middle of this book at chapter 4:13-5:11.

Here we see that the Thessalonians have some very specific concerns.  They are worried about those who had died – they were Christians but the Thessalonians think that because they were now dead they would not share in the victory of our Lord’s second coming. And they were mourning not only their death but the fact that these dead believers would not see the coming Lord. 

And Paul has to write to them and correct them and says at verse 13, “But we do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”  

Verse 14 - “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus [that is through your faith in Jesus] God will bring with him those who have died.” 

They won’t miss the event.  In fact says Paul in verse 15, “We declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [at the time of Christ’s second coming] who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died.”

So Scripture clearly teaches that when you die you will go to live with God immediately.  Your soul will be in Christ’s presence immediately. 

But your body will be in a coffin some place or in an urn on the mantle - but not forever.  Jesus Christ redeemed the whole of you and there will be a day when your body will rise again from the dead.  When you go home, read 1 Corinthians 15 and there you will read all about it –

“The body that is sown is perishable it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

“Listen I will tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.”  (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Scripture tells us that it will be a new body.  Just as your soul has been reborn, so your body will be reborn.  That’s good news for many of us - I don’t know why many don’t become Christian just for that fact! 

So Paul says, you need to know that those who have died will rise first when Christ returns - they won’t miss that grand event.   

At verse 16, Paul tells us the order of events as they will occur at our Lord’s second coming. 

Now before we study our text in detail, you need to know that there are many interpretations in the Christian church about the order of events surrounding the coming of our Lord.  Let me for a moment outline three of the most prominent.  All three are based on Scripture.  All three have experienced popularity among Christians throughout the history of the church.  All three have faithful bible-believing, evangelical, Christ-centred men and women as advocates. 

The first view is called the pre-millenial view – and believe it or not there are two ways to interpret this view.  But for simplicity sake I will give you one - this interpretation of Scripture states that there will be a day when the people of God will be swept up into heaven.  This sudden sweeping of the people of God into heaven is called the rapture.  The word rapture expresses the idea of being seized in a sudden manner.  Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 24:40 saying that, “This is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”

So there will be a time called the rapture when the people of God are swept up into His presence this will include believers who have died – their bodies will rise from the grave, and we will live with the Lord forever.  

What will happen to those left behind?  This will begin a time of horror and strife.  A time when the Antichrist will rule the world.  It is a time commonly called the tribulation. 

This tribulation, or time of wrath as it is sometimes called, will last according to their reading of to Revelation 20 and Daniel 9 a period of 7 years. 

Now, in this view the nation of Israel figures prominently. The Jewish people will suffer horribly at the hand of the Antichrist during this seven years but it will be a means by which they will turn to God.  Finally when the Jewish people are just about to be wiped out in the great battle called Armageddon it will be terminated by the appearance of Christ.  He will return, destroy the Antichrist, judge the nations, and rescue the Jewish remnant, they will recognize Him as Saviour and Lord and all the promises that have been made to them will be fulfilled.  Christ will set up His millennial Kingdom.  That is a kingdom that will last 1,000 years and it will be a time of genuine peace and prosperity.

This view would be called the pre-millennial – meaning that Christ will return before, or pre-, the millennial Kingdom.

This view has been prominent in the evangelical church, especially for the last 100 years.  It has been held by such great evangelical thinkers as Henry Moorhouse, D.L. Moody, C.I. Scofield, and Charles Ryrie.   It is so prominent in the church that many believe it to be the standard of right belief.  I remember before coming here, I was looking at joining another denomination and if I was to do that I would have to sign a statement saying that I believed in the premillenial view.   

The second popular interpretation of Scripture has a different read of Revelation 20 and it is called post-millennialism.  This view contends that the tribulation has past; it was an event in history that occurred already, specifically the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.  Further it is believed that the millennium Kingdom will be much like our own but it will have a “heightened experience of goodness, due to the pervasive influence of Christian principles throughout the world.”¹   When Christ rose from the grave, Satan was defeated and Christ was proclaimed as King and we now are living in the light of that Kingdom.  We’re not there yet. This Kingdom is close and is brought into being through the work of the Holy Spirit and the church preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. 

It is thought that as the gospel is preached and people are transformed Satan is bound and evil restrained and we enter into the millennium.   After the 1,000 years Satan is temporarily loosed to lead a short-lived rebellion but that is ended with the triumphant return of Jesus Christ.  The second coming then is followed by the general resurrection, the judgment and the eternal state – heaven and hell. 

Hence this is the post-millennial view – it is believed that Christ will come again, post- or after the millennium.   This view has been held by such great evangelical thinkers as Jonathan Edwards and Archibald Hodge.  It is characterized by an enthusiasm for missions, the idea that we have a responsibility to work with the Holy Spirit to bring about the Kingdom of God.  It was popular during the mid 1800s and its theology was incorporated into popular hymns like, “Lead On, O King Eternal”.  “for not with swords loud clashing, Nor roll of stirring drums; With deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes.” 

In this view there is no special place for the nation of Israel.  The promises given to them in the Old Testament they argue are for the church.  The old covenant has been replaced with a new covenant through the person of Jesus Christ.     

One of the problems with this view is that it is hard to identify when we have entered the millennium.  If it is much like the world we have now, only with a heightened sense of peace, how do we know we have reached it?

There is a third view and it is called amillennialism. This view states that there will be no millennium at all.  The 1,000 year reign of Christ is described in Revelation 20 is interpreted and depends on which amillennialist writer you read, but basically they do not believe in a 1,000 year reign of Christ.  He will simply come again and it will mark the beginning of eternity.

They believe that we the church are already reigning with Christ – Satan is in some sense already bound and we are experiencing the reign of Christ now. 

In terms of chronology of the end times, this is the simplest.  The time between Christ’s first coming and second coming is characterized by a mixture of good and evil.  “At the close of the age this conflict will intensify as the church completes its mandate of evangelism and the forces of evil unite in the appearance of the antichrist.  In the midst of a final, intense time of persecution of the church, Christ will appear in the fullness of his glory.”² 

The wicked will be destroyed, the dead in Christ will be raised, and all the faithful will enter into a new Kingdom and a new earth.

This view also does not hold out any special privileges to the nation of Israel.  The church is the new Israel. 

Perhaps the most famous supporter of this truth is Augustine, even the Protestant reformers, Calvin and Luther held variations of this view. 

Now that is a very simplistic explanation of what can be a very complex interpretation of Scripture. 

And you may want to pin me down and say, Pastor what do you believe, what does this church believe, and what do you suggest I believe?  And I can’t do that.  You can think badly of me if you like – but I have tried to pin it down for myself - and you know me – the measure of authority and truth for me is the Word of God. All three are faithful to Scripture as far as I can tell, following their own ways of interpretation. 

But I do know that there are some fundamentals about the second coming that Scripture clearly teaches and we need to proclaim and hold on to.

These concern the moment, the method and the message of the coming of Christ.  All of which add up to encourage us to live lives in obedience to Christ. This is what Paul is seeking to help the Thessalonians to do.  And this is what the help for us today.  

First there is the fundamental truth about the moment of our Lord’s return.

Christians have always tried to pinpoint the moment when Christ will return again.  I had a conversation with some of you at pizza lunch this week and you were saying how this comes out of a need to be in control.  And that can be a sinful need – why can’t we leave it in God’s hands, trusting Him, having faith in Him and His goodness?

The Thessalonians wanted to know about times and dates. Jesus however states clearly in Matthew 24:36 and again in Mark 13, “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  (Mark 13:32)

And our passage echoes that thought saying that the “day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (5:2) That is, Jesus will come unexpectedly. 

I implore you to never, ever, ever listen to anyone who begins to set dates.  It is a blatant sin.  The word of God could not be plainer, we don’t know when he will return.  The truth about the moment is that we don’t know the moment.

The second fundamental truth revealed here is in regards to the method of Christ’s return.

As I have said it will be unexpected - the image of the thief tells us this.  It will be a surprise event when says Paul in verse 3, everyone in the days leading up to Christ’s return will be saying “peace, and safety” in other words they will be saying, “everything is fine, we have nothing to worry about,”  while all the while destruction will be right upon them.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39 that his return will be as in the days of Noah, “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day of Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”

And, so many today have failed to keep watch and many are unready for the return of Jesus Christ.

Not only will be unexpected it will be unavoidable.  We understand this from last part of verse 3 – Paul uses the image of labour pains coming upon a pregnant woman.  Once a woman is pregnant, labour pain is unavoidable. So with Christ’s second coming. It will be unavoidable, not one will escape, says Paul. 

Note that it will be a day of destruction – that it will be a day of ruin, a loss of all that  people believe gives worth to existence.

The moment of the day of the Lord, the method of the day of the Lord, and we have the rest of the passage, the message of the day of the Lord.

Having mentioned the horror of the day its unexpectedness, the inability to avoid it, we have these significant words, “But you.” In other words, says Paul, “What I have said before in these 3 verses does not apply to you – that’s the way it will be for those outside of Christ.” “But you” he says, “are different, you will not be taken by surprise by that day.”

And we respond, “We won’t? If we don’t know the day when Jesus Christ will come again, and He is going to come like a thief in the night, how can we help not being surprised?” And Paul goes on to tell us - this is the message of the day of the Lord.  He says you are different than the rest of the world even though like the rest of the world you don’t know the day or time of Christ’s coming.  How are we different?  We are different because we are ready.

And in verse 4 Paul picks up a new image of darkness and light.  And he says that we live in the light of God’s love. You have been born again and by virtue of the that fact you have been taken out of the world – characterized by darkness, sin, immorality, and impurity, and put into another world of light, holiness and purity.

You know the story of Disney’s The Little Mermaid?  Of how Ariel longed to be part of the human world?  How she longed to walk on feet, feel the heat of the burning fire, and how she longed to be with the Prince?  But she belonged to a different world.  She belonged to the sea world – her world was characterized by water, and the darkness of the depths.  This world was the exact opposite it was characterized by air and by the light of the sun.  In order to enter his world she would have to be transformed, she would have to have legs instead of fins; she would need to be able to survive on land.  She needed to be reborn and then she would be with her prince.  But as it was she belonged to one world and her prince belonged to another.

So with us.  We long to be with Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, but we  belong to different worlds.  We cannot enter his world as we are – full of sin and selfishness – but when we pray for His forgiveness and ask Him to be our Saviour and Lord He forgives our sin and transforms us.  He makes us into new creations – and now we are able to be with Him in His world forever.

So Paul uses an image here – the old world is dark – the new world is full of Christ’s light we now belong to Christ’s world of light.  Verse 5 - “You are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.”

So what is the message of the day of the Lord?  The message is two-fold and we will encounter it throughout these letters.  A word that exhorts and a word that encourages.  There is a word that exhorts us to live a life of watchfulness and a life of self-control.

Don’t be like the world, says the text.  The world is characterized as being asleep - verse 6: “So then let us not be like others who are asleep.”  As we look around us at the world we see so many who are asleep spiritually, so many who are asleep morally. But that is not us. We are to be alert spiritually.

Some of you wonder about the benefit of all this end times theology. It all seems so confusing and the theories in conflict – but do not miss the fundamental truth that the time of Christ’s appearing is drawing close and it is time for us to awaken out of our spiritual sleep.  We think we have the ability to treat this whole Christianity thing so casually, there’s no urgency, no passion, there’s no immediate need, we can do evangelism tomorrow. We can worship next week if we don’t go this week.  We can pray tomorrow if we don’t pray today.  We don’t have to resolve that conflict with that brother - we can do it later.  

Also we are to be self-controlled.  We live in an age of hopelessness, a culture of narcissism.  Everyone is living for the day, for personal well being, health – to live for the moment is the prevailing passion – to live for self.

But that’s not the way we are to be – we are to be self-controlled – to control self and realize that there is another world beyond this one, there is another day beyond this, there is a King who will be revealed fully and we live with an eye on that Kingdom – a seeking to live for Him who is about to come back.  And living for Him means we live for others.   

We are being lulled to sleep by our culture of comfort, sapped of our strength by our need to work and so any idea of being alert and self-control is being lost on us. We need to wake up – we know the people we want to be, we know the service we need to offer – and we need to get to it for our Lord is coming again. 

And Scripture says,  “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.”

The other description used here in verse 7 is that of drunkenness - that is to say, the world is unstable, and unaware of what is happening because of their dullness and weakness.  That’s the picture of the world; as a result the day of Christ’s return will come upon them unexpectedly like a thief. 

But that’s not the way it is with us who are in Christ. We are watching waiting, busy about His work, expecting His return at any moment so we will not be taken by surprise.

Have you ever been working away – vacuuming or typing at the computer, or working in your yard and you’ve been so intent on your task that when another person walked up to you and said something you were startled and surprised right out of your socks?  But when you expected the other person to come – you worked with one ear cocked to listen for their coming and one eye glued to the door way – all the while working diligently – so that when the person arrived you were not surprised at their coming. 

“Did I surprise you?” they say.

Not at all, you respond, “I’ve been expecting you.  Come and sit down.”

So with the Christian, we are live with one eye looking to the horizon, and one ear cocked listening for His voice, always having the desire to do His will.

Verse 8 reinforces verse 6 and 7.  Those who live for the world live in a world of darkness – far from God and far from His light.  But those who live for God pick up their spiritual armour and march forward for Christ and in Christ.

But not only does this message of the Day of the Lord exhort, but it also encourages.  The whole message of Christ’s second coming was never given I believe to scare us, or to scare people into making a decision for Jesus Christ.  It was meant to encourage us – and this is what we will see throughout the letter to the Thessalonians.  This is a great truth that is to strengthen us.

In verses 9 and 10 we have two wonderful facts that give encouragement.

Verse 9 and 10 read, “God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.” 

Do you hear the good news of those words?  While there will be a time of horror to come, it is not God’s plan for His people to suffer it.  We will be spared.  And we know we will be spared because of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross.

The hope of our salvation stands firmly on the solid rock of God’s will and Christ’s death and not on the shifting sands of our own performance and feelings.

We can face that day because the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, says the text. He died our death that we might live His life.  It does not matter if our bodies are dead, that is asleep, or if we are walking on this earth – since He died for us and we have committed our lives to Him, we will live forever with Him.  And we have this encouragement to keep on in service. 

If you were to ask the people of the French underground a simple question, Do you really think you can beat the Nazis?  This huge force with its equipment, and its discipline - do you really think you can defeat the efficiency of the Nazis - their power, their organization, their structure?  You ragtime soldiers with a few hand grenades and few machine guns - you’re going to take on the Nazis?  Why do you even bother? You can’t beat them.

They would say, I know we look like a ragtime force that has no effectiveness whatsoever, but what you don’t know is that across the English channel even as we speak, a huge invasion force is being assembled. We don’t know when it’s going to happen, no one told us the day.  But there is going to be a signal given and on that day and that huge invasion force will come across the channel and join up with our feeble efforts and carry us to victory.

We are God’s underground.  And they laugh at us as we try to transform the world and transform society without power, but through sacrifice, through giving and they say you can’t win. Satan is in control, darkness rules.  And we say, I know it looks bad but what you don’t understand is that there is huge invasion force being assembled and I don not know when the signal will be given.

But one of these days - one of these days a trumpet is going to sound and He is going to lead a force and He is going to come again.  And on that day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

So we can face that day not because of who we are but because of who God is.  This is the source of our encouragement, and is these words we are to use to encourage one another.

Here then are the fundamentals of the coming of the day of the Lord.  It’s a message is a call to alertness.  There is a day that we are to anticipate.  Stealthily and suddenly it will be upon us.  We are exhorted therefore to live lives of watchfulness, of alertness, wearing our spiritual armour to please our Saviour.  But there is a word of encouragement here. We are firmly in God’s hand by the death of Jesus Christ.  So let us be alert, and awake to His coming, Jesus could very well come today. 

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - September 2007

ENDNOTES:

1. Stanley J. Grenz, The Millennial Maze, (Downers Grove Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 25.
2. Ibid., 152.

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