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Preached in Markham Baptist Church, November 4,  2007

Throughout our study of 1 Thessalonians we have we have heard the echo “Christ is coming again, Christ is coming again.”  This echo reaches a crescendo at the end of chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5 as Paul details the events of Christ’s second coming and encourages Christians to live lives that please God and to be steadfast in the faith. 

Throughout our study we have learned that the second coming of Christ is far from being a frightening theological truth – it is an event that we can look forward to with eagerness. It will be a time when we the dead in Christ will come with Him – there will be a resurrection and there will be a reunion. 

We have this living hope, don’t we? 

Alan Alda who played Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce on the once popular MASH series has just written a new biography entitled, “Things I Overheard When Talking To Myself.”  In an interview recently published in the Toronto Star (September 15, 2007) he was asked, “What do you think will happen when you die?”

He responded simply, “Nothing.  I don’t look forward to anything after that, which is one of the reasons I want to make this life count.  I don’t have any evidence that there’s anything after this life.  If it turns out there is, fine, then I’ll get on that train, but I’m not counting on it.” 

My friends, how depressing is that?  Scripture says that, “we do not grieve like those who have no hope.”  There is something to count on after death.  There is indeed something to look forward to, isn’t there?  We learned last week that there is a resurrection to look forward to. There is a marvellous reunion to look forward to.  There is a glorious banquet to look forward to. 

Our Lord has promised it – there is life after death – and because He has promised it we can count on it.

But we Christians aren’t about the future only.  We want to live in the here and now.  And what we have seen is that because we Christians believe in life after death, because we believe that Christ is coming again – we seek to make this life count.  We want to be able to stand before the Lord who asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Will there be those who are persistent and steadfast in the faith?  And we want to be able to say, “Yes.”  Because He is coming again we seek to live a life that is pure and blameless and full of faith. 

And so we turn our attention to chapter 5 and discover that there are two ways to prepare for our Lord’s return.  One way is to the know the dates and times and try to predict when He will come again and be prepared for that event.  The Thessalonians, we gather from verse 1, seemed to be living like this, wanting to know the times and dates.   If they knew the date then they would be ready. 

And it is a popular way to live in our day, all sorts of preachers, teachers, Christian and non-Christian alike have tried to set a date and time for our Lord’s return.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses are famous for doing this – they set a date for 1914 as the time of our Lord’s return, when that did not happen they moved the date.  But also many Christians have tried to set a date for our Lord’s return. 

But clearly that is a sinful way to live.  When we try to set dates for our Lord’s return we only deceive ourselves, discredit the faith and disillusion so many followers. 

Scripture clearly teaches us in verse 2 that Christ will come unexpectedly like a thief.  How many thieves do you know who have called you before they break into your home?  “Hello Kevin, I’m coming over to steal your big screen T.V.  Are you going to be in?” 

His coming will be sudden – verse 3 – when people are saying “Isn’t everything wonderful.  The sun is shinning and we have it all together”.  And Christ will come again suddenly.

And in the last part of verse 3 His coming will be inescapable - like labour pains on a pregnant woman. 

It’s impossible to set a time and date for our Lord’s return, for it will be unexpected, sudden and inescapable. 

But there is another way to prepare for our Lord’s return.    And that is to stay alert, or to pick up a theme we discovered in chapter 3 – remain steadfast in the faith. 

There is a danger, isn’t there, in knowing the date. If we did know the date we might treat it like many men treat their wife’s birthday. “Oh, it’s in February – I’ve got lots of time. I don’t need to think about it now. I don’t need to prepare for it now.  I can take it easy.” And what happens when February comes? You find yourself scrambling frantically trying to put together something for Janet’s birthday.

So if we knew the date of our Lord’s return – “Oh, I’ve got lots of time to live a holy life.  It’s not until 2010 - I don’t need to prepare for His return now.   Around 2008 I’ll start taking it seriously.”  It doesn’t work that way.

No. Instead, don’t worry about the date – no one knows what it is except for our Heavenly Father anyway, so live a life that pleases God now.  Don’t even think of the date – the primary thing to think about is living a life that pleases God – living a life that is steadfast in the faith.  That way you’ll be ready for when the Lord returns.  

In verses 4 through 11 – this is what Paul is saying.  He says realize that your citizenship has been transferred.  You no longer live in darkness but in light.  And unlike people who live in darkness, you know where you stand. And he says in verse 7 that people who don’t know God are like those who are asleep – unaware of what is happening.  They are like people who get drunk – they lack self-control.  

But this isn’t you!   You live in the day light of Christ’s love, you live in the day light of the truth that Christ will come again.  So be like people who live in the day light – be dressed.

What do we dress ourselves with? Verse 8 - put on faith and love and hope.  But not only this. Think of what you know Verse 9 – You know that God is for you.  He has not set us up for rejection but for salvation through faith in Christ. 

Verse 10 - you know that God is not only for you but God is with you.   Every minute of the day God is with you, even when you aren’t aware of His presence – when you are sleeping through Pastor Tom’s sermon, God is still with you. 

It’s okay – you do not need to worry about dates and times because God is for you, God is with you.  So Scripture says at verse 11 encourage one another with these words – God is for you and God is with you. 

Look at your neighbour in your pew and say it with me – God is for you and God is with you.  Do you realize the encouragement of those words?  It means that we can face the coming our Lord with joy because our standing before God is based not on our performance. Do you ever go through those performance reviews at work and wonder what’s going to be said? What a painful time of year that is. 

Well when you meet God face-to-face I can tell you what will be on your performance review. For everyone one of you who has placed their faith in Christ - I’ve seen your performance review! It says, “Here is a child of mine without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless.”  (Ephesians 5:27) 

And we say, “Have you got the name right?”  And the word of God responds, “Let me check – have you recognized that Jesus Christ is your Saviour and sought to live for Him with all your heart?”

And we say, “Yeah.  I haven’t always succeeded with that wholehearted stuff.  But when I’ve failed I’ve asked God to forgive me and with His help I carry on.  How did I get that review – that holy and blameless thing? I mean I know I have a high estimate of myself but holy and blameless????”    

And Scripture says, “You got that review because of Christ.”  What does our text say at verse 10?  You will receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (That is, through faith in Christ.)  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. 

That’s the encouragement.  Our performance review before God stands firmly on the Rock of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for you and for me – not on the shifting sands of our performance.   That’s an encouragement – God is for you, God is with you.

Notice who has responsibility to offer this encouragement.  Verse 11 – Encourage one another.  It is up to each one of us to encourage one another. It isn’t the pastor’s job alone, it isn’t the deacons’ job alone – we are to encourage one another with these words.   God is for you and God is with you. 

And our text goes on to say – live lives that reflect that truth.   We’ve seen this pattern throughout the book, haven’t we?  We hear the echo,a “Christ is coming again, Christ is coming again,” and the response is so live lives that reflect that truth.

Our reigning King and Master is going to return, so be ready. Live holy lives, live faithful lives.  He’s already declared you to be a holy child of His through faith in Christ, so now live like it. 

And like chapter 4 – we are given pictures of what this looks like practically. First of all, in your life together as a church. In verses 12-15, first we are told to treat leaders in the church with respect.  Verse 12 speaks of those who are “over you in the Lord.”

Now we have to understand that word “over” in light of Christ’s words. He said in Mark 10:42-45, “You know that those how are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.  And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

So a Christian leader is one who humbles himself, who wraps a towel around his waist and serves. 

So in our text, when it speaks of leadership being over a congregation, it is speaking not of privilege but of responsibility.  I have a responsibility before God for you.  I have responsibility to admonish you. That means I have responsibility to teach you the truth of Scripture, I have responsibility to help you mature in your faith.  I have responsibility to encourage you to obey the truth of Scripture. I have responsibility to correct you when you are travelling the wrong path.  All of that is included in that word admonish.

And how are we to relate to those who are serve us as leaders?  We are to hold them in highest regard in love because of their work. 

Pastoral work is difficult. There are more than a 100 opinions about how it is to be done, there more than 100 bosses who have a say.   There are a million and one things to be done.  There is pressure to perform and produce, create and stimulate.  There are innumerable temptations, huge forces at work against what we seek to do,  and never a sense that the work is completed, that it is finished. 

The Southern Baptist Convention estimates that nearly 100 Southern Baptist pastors leave their ministry every month.  Sunscape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy in crisis, reported that in all denominations nationwide, 1,600 ministers per month are terminated or forced to resign their pulpit. That’s just in the United States. 

We all know pastors who make a mess of things and are forced to resign.  And that’s a great shame.  But we also know of congregations who make a mess of things and treat their pastor with such disrespect, with such callousness, with such indifference that the pastor is forced to resign that way. 

Both behaviours are wrong.  What needs to happen is that a church’s leaders need to respect and love the congregation and the congregation needs to respect and love its leaders. And what will happen?  We will live in peace with one another.

Continuing to think of what this means for the Christian community it goes on at verse 14. Listen to this, and then I’m going to get you to turn to your neighbour and talk about how we can do this practically.  “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”

Just turn to your neighbour and discuss how we can do any one of those things practically in our church. 

If verses 12 – 15 speak of how we are live practically in light of Christ’s return in our church – I would suggest that verses 16-22  and 25-27 speak of our worship.  “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.”

Then down to verse 25 –27: “Beloved pray for us.  Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.  I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all.”

It’s a description of worship.  It’s a holy exchange where we give to God and God gives to us.

Think of it.  Here we are celebrating the goodness of God with joy.  Let there be joy in our worship – joy in the fact that God is for us and God is with us.  Let there be joy in the fact that Christ is coming again. 

Pray continually – that is, talk with God. Keep the lines of communication with God open all the time, especially in worship.  We could add verse 26 here, “Be sure to pray for one another.”

Give thanks. Let thanks be expressed in your worship. No matter what the circumstances, let there be thanksgiving – for in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, we can know that God is for us and God is with us.   

Don’t put out the spirit’s fire in worship. That is, let the Spirit reign in your worship.  Don’t suppress His proddings.  Don’t stifle His leadership.  Enthrone Him in your life and in your worship.  Come into worship asking Him to lead you and to speak to you. 

And verse 26:  “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” That simply means make sure each one is welcomed into worship and made to feel a part of the event.

That’s what we give to God in worship, but worship is an exchange – we are responding to what God has done in our lives with joy, prayer, thanksgiving, enthroning His Spirit – and God speaks to us.  How?

Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Hat’s not referring to those who predict the future - it’s referring to a word from God.  A prophet is one who speaks the word of God – who proclaims the thoughts of God.   We’re not to stifle the proclamation of such words, and at the same time – the text continues – don’t be gullible.  Check out everything and make sure it’s true and sound.  Avoid the evil and hold on to the good.

This whole idea is repeated in verse 27 where Paul says, “I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all.”  The word of God was to be read to all. 

Isn’t that a wonderful picture of worship?  God’s word is proclaimed, expounded and applied and His people respond to it with joy, thanksgiving, prayer and enthroning the Holy Spirit.   So all worship should have this grand movement - God addressing His people through His Word and His people responding to Him in confession, faith, adoration or prayer.

To conclude this letter you have this beautiful benediction:  “May God himself, The God of peace, sanctify you – that is set you apart – through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We’ve heard that refrain before – now here it is in the form of a prayer. “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

So you are not on your own in this. The Lord is coming again and He calls us to live lives dedicated to Him.  He calls us to live steadfast lives, but not in our own strength. The one who calls you is faithful – He will empower you; He will enable you, so that you can do what you are called to do.

May the truth of this letter be realized in our lives and in our church.  May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Amen. 

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - November 2007