The Coming of the Lord

Approximately 75% of the gliders were scuttled - they landed and were never retrieved. The personnel on those flights were to prepare areas for future landings (clearing runways). They were also intended to fight their way back to the other line of battle

25% of the gliders were retrieved with a towing system that looked a bit like a field goal post with a big bungee cord between them. The retrieving plane would pass by, hook the bungee and heave the glider into the air.

I can imagine how daunting it would be to be in either of those scenarios. working your way home r waiting rescue - both in hostile territory.

Up to this point in the letter, Paul has thanked God for the faith that he sees in the Thessalonians in spite of the suffering and persecution that they have experienced. He’s reaffirmed his love and concern for them, even as he had been hindered from remaining with and returning to them. As we saw last week, he is working to correct some incorrect thinking/acting on their part - helping them press on in their sanctification.

Today, as we look at the next couple of paragraphs in the letter (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11), Paul seems to be responding to some questions that they had. I assume these are questions that Timothy could not answer regarding what happens to people who have died before Jesus returns and when will he return, or when will the day of the Lord happen. So as Paul responds to their questions, it seems there are three principles that we can glean from these verses.

Our hope in death

Our charge in life

Our ministry in both

Let’s begin where Paul does by reflecting on...

Our hope in death (4:13-17)

They say that there are only two guarantees in life - death and taxes. Death is a reality that all of us face. For some it’s a daunting thing to fear - largely because of the unknown. For others, it’s a thing that they look forward to - in God’s perfect time, because of the hope they have.

There are a lot of different views about what happens when you die.

For people in the first century Roman culture, there were differing opinions regarding what happens to people after they die:

Separation of soul and body - soul goes to Hades - or the place of the dead - or may be deified to the realm of the gods

Soul continues in persistent existence in the grave

Death is the end - no afterlife.

In our day, for some people death has no hope, it’s simply the end. You live your best or only life and then you die.

For others, there is a sense in which generally the good things we do outweigh the bad.

Some people today, nominally or culturally Christian people, have a nebulous idea that that in death we get “wings” - and become angelic.

For the Thessalonian Christians - they were looking forward so much to the return of Christ that they assumed they would all be alive when he came and so the deaths of brothers and sisters in Christ became a source of confusion and concern. They wondered if these dead believers meant that these had missed out the second coming. It’s as though they had been dropped behind the enemy lines of death with no hope of return.

So Paul brings them this sense of hope grounded in ...

Resurrection through Jesus Christ

Paul’s justification is that because Jesus rose from the dead - God will cause those who have faith in Jesus Christ to rise from the dead as well. He writes...

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

There is almost an advantage for those who have died - they will be with Christ first!

Notice - our hope in resurrection is not just wishful thinking. It’s not based on myth or folklore. Our hope of resurrection is based on that fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death is only a permanent end when sin has victory. But since Jesus rose from the grave and conquered the deadly enemy of sin, death has no hold on us.

Jesus told his disciples that he would return (John 14). He returned from the grave and ascended to heaven. He will return again, so that we can be with him forever.

Is this the rapture?

it is a rapture, but this in not a taking away to heaven

Notice when Jesus return - the dead will rise, the alive will rise to meet Jesus in the air. Paul doesn’t give us specific information about this - but notice that Jesus is on his way here - to earth - likely to reign. Our being caught up in order to meet Jesus would be like a delegation going out to meet a dignitary and then escort them into town.

Growing up - I was taught that Christians will be raptured before the time of great tribulation (7 tumultuous years here on earth). This passage was justification for that belief - but I don’t think that is what Paul is getting at. While we do need read and read and study Scripture - we need to not read more into what the authors are saying than what is written.

Paul’s purpose here is informative - he is instructing his first century readers/hearers and us - that when Christ returns, the dead will be raised first to meet him, the alive will be right behind them.

So, beloved, our hope in death is resurrection - because Jesus rose from the grave.

But, in the next section, Paul expounds on the return of Christ and the “day of the Lord” or a day of judgment. As he does this, he gives us...

Our charge in life (5:1-10)

He roots this in knowledge/information that the Thessalonians already had, stating...

1 Thess 5:1-2 “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

Apparently they had already engaged in various conversations around the day of the Lord, this day of Judgment. Essentially, he communicates that this day will come unexpectedly. And yet how easy it is to forget. We need, I need, constant reminders.

Over the years, there have been numerous people who have tried to predict the day of the Lord. He was supposed to come in 1988 and then in 1989. In the years leading up to the year 2000, lots of dooms day prophets were writing about the end of the world that would happen at the change of the millenium. Alas - the calendar changed and nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Jesus even said: Matthew 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

The point that Paul, Jesus and the rest of the NT is communicating about the return of the Lord/the day of the Lord, is that it will come without notice. There will be some things that have to happen - and most of those have - which means that this day could come at any time.

In Thessalonica and the Roman empire, there were people who were touting the peace and security of the pax romana the political strength and peace that the roman rule brought. But for many, that peace lured them into a drunken stupor of false security and a darkened understanding of Spiritual realities.

1 Thess. 5:3-5 “While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”

Here in the USA - there is a sense in which we have a similar false security. As long as there is food on the table, money in the bank, and a general sense of peace in society - we roll from one day to the next like a hamster in a wheel. Happily scurrying along, but getting no where of significance.

But there is also a group of Christians, a growing number, who have begun to move beyond Scripture and want to usher in the reign of Jesus and the judgment by imposing a sort of Theonomy - or God-rule on our country.

Paul’s admonitions for us is not to be in a stupor. Instead, he challenges us to be alert and to be sober

1 Thessalonians 5:6-7 “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.”

So we are first urged to...

be alert

or keep awake. In other words, don’t get lulled to sleep by the false sense of security. Pay attention to the times in which we live. Not to act or lash out, but to be aware.

Jesus even said - Matthew 24:42 “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

How do we do that?

I think Paul answers that in his second charge to us...

be sober/self controlled

Throughout this passage, Paul is contrasting people of the day (awake, aware) and people of the night (asleep, drunk or impaired).

1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

As people who have trusted in Jesus as savior, we have already believed. Paul notes that we have “put on”...

Breastplate of faith and love

To the Ephesians, Paul called this the “breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14) - in other words a breastplate or protection of right living.

Think about this - while a breastplate is a protective piece of battle armor - it’s also visible. Warriors in ancient times would typically wear breastplates over their other clothing.

I think in our lives, this breastplate of faith and love is something that is visible in our lives.

But here in 1 Thessalonians - he refers to this breastplate as one of faith and love.

Faith - seems to represent the confidence in God’s sovereignty and His plan of salvation - in other words, it’s a protection. Stay the course, no need to compromise in the face of circumstances. James urged his readers that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Let your faith be seen.

Love - how we act toward other people. Working toward the good or benefit/blessing of others.

Helmet (knowledge) of the hope of salvation.

Confident knowledge that our salvation is not in political powers or wealth or ease or relationships, but in Jesus Christ.

Gene Green notes in his commentary that...

The Letters to the Thessalonians c. “Times and Dates” (5.1–11)

Paul tells this church that the fundamental Christian virtues of faith, love, and hope become the defensive armor that will insure that the Christians are prepared for the “day of the Lord,” whenever it comes

These themes of faith, love, and hope are things Paul mentioned early on in the letter.

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 ESV

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

This was something he saw in them and encouraged them to persist in. No matter the season or circumstance in which God has us, we are to continue In faith, love, and hope as well.

So our hope in death is the resurrection through Jesus

Our charge in life is to be alert and self controlled, exhibiting faith and love in how we live and confident hope of our salvation.

Finally, Paul communicates…

Our ministry in both (4:18, 5:11)

Paul concludes both of these sections with similar exhortations…

encourage one another

build each other up

There was a song that Zoe learned as a child that goes along with these verses. (Encourage one another and build each other up).

Think about the circumstances in which Paul is calling the Thessalonians and us to provide this ministry of encouragement...

the grieving - He’s not telling us not to grieve, but to be able to grieve with hope. And encourage others with the hope of the resurrection.

Those facing death - Rick Warren has said that this life is preparation for eternity. Death is not the end.

In the chaos of life: Things may feel like they are out of hand - Jesus is coming again.

In the decline of cultural values: Things may seem hopeless as our society is moving further away from God - Jesus will come and judge- we get to be faithful.

So Paul has urged the Thessalonians regarding:

our hope in death - the resurrection through Jesus

our charge in life

our ministry in both.

But there one more theme that we need to briefly address from this passage...

The coming judgment

1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 ESV

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

no one knows the time

there will be a judgment - because of the sinfulness of humanity. God’s justice requires it.

And yet, God’s desire is that no one should perish - 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

friend, there is a means of escape, salvation through Jesus

Closing thoughts:

Benediction

1 Thessalonians 5:28 ESV

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Discussion Questions:

How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ provide us hope in death?

How does the idea of meeting Jesus in the air on his return to earth impact your view of the rapture?

Paul contrasts people of the day and night. What are some of the differences? How should we live as people of the day?

Practically speaking, what does it look like to wear a “breastplate of faith and love”? How is this breastplate protective? How is it visible?

How is the hope of salvation like a helmet?

Are you confident in your salvation from the coming wrath? Why?

Would you be willing to share your salvation story?

Sources:

Constable, Thomas L. “1 Thessalonians.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

Croy, N. Clayton. “Religion, Personal.” Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Green, Gene L. The Letters to the Thessalonians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos, 2002.

Holmes, Michael. 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.

Spurgeon, C. H. “The Pastor’s Life Wrapped up with His People’s Steadfastness: A Pleading Reminder for the New Year.” In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, 30:7–14. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1884.

Stott, John R.W. The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL; Intervarsity Press, 1991.

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