The Return Of Christ

1:06This song never made it to a number one on the country music charts, but it did catapult Tanya Tucker's career as one of the best-known female country music artists in Texas. In fact, the next year, Tucker performed Delta Dawn on Hee Haw, which was the most watched comedy and variety show in the U.S. at the time. In this song, Tucker sings about a woman named Delta Dawn, who wasted away her youth, waiting for a mysterious man to take her away to be his bride.

1:44The chorus says, Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on? Could it be a faded rose from days gone by? And did I hear you say he was a meeting you here today to take you to his mansion in the sky? This song expresses the deep disappointment of unfulfilled promises. And if you're a visitor here today, this is, I think, the first time anyone has referenced country music from the pulpit. But one of the reasons that this song became Tanya Tucker's signature song was because she was able to sing it in such a way as to connect with the listener.

2:29No doubt we have all felt bitter disappointment in unfulfilled promises. We've all felt the sting of regret when we trust another person to come through for us, only to see them fail to meet our expectations. And to many people who are looking into Christianity, perhaps they view Christians who are anticipating the return of Christ the same way as people looked at the fictional Delta Dawn. A little bit crazy, hoping for something that wasn't going to happen.

3:08This morning, in our back to the series, back to the basic series, we'll be learning about the return of Christ. The basic doctrine we call glorification, meaning that when Jesus returns to claim his bride, the church, we will share in his glory. We'll finally be made new and share in Christ's glory in body, spirit, and mind. And as we look at our text this morning, 1 Thessalonians 5:1 through 11, hopefully we'll see and we will walk away with new assurance that Jesus will do as he has promised. He will return, and because we have this assurance, we will be able to persevere in our faith and encouragement of one another.

3:59Let's look at our text. Paul tells the Thessalonian church that concerning the times and seasons, 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. The Thessalonians believed that Jesus was going to come back. They also believed that no one knew when, but it would catch some people, particularly unbelievers, off guard. Now, Paul wasn't the first to use this thief in the night metaphor.

4:35The Gospel of Matthew, which was believed to be the earliest gospel written, and one in which the Thessalonian church would have known about and taught from, shows Jesus uses this same language with his disciples. Take a look at the screen behind me at Matthew 24, verses 36-44. Jesus says, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away. So will be the coming of the Son of Man.

5:29Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this: that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would have not left his house to be broken into. Therefore, you must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

6:02Now, if you have one of those red-letter Bibles, you would see that this is Jesus talking to his disciples coming out of his mouth. And it mirrors the same that Paul is telling the Christians in Thessalonica. One of the beautiful things about Jesus is his humanness. Because he was God and he was human, he could relate to us. Jesus points out in Matthew: if you knew what time the thief is coming to your house to rob you, you are going to stay awake and make sure he doesn't rob you.

6:38Now, most of you are from Texas, and we all know what you most likely will plan to do if you knew someone was going to break into your house. You'll be ready to do whatever is necessary to prevent any damage this thief might do to you or your family. Perhaps you'll arm yourself. Maybe you'll be like Kevin on home alone and booby-trap the house with tar and paint cans and glass Christmas tree ornaments. Either way, you're going to be prepared to defend yourself and your property. And Jesus points this out and uses our human nature to drive the point in being prepared for when he comes the second time.

7:24Even though we do not and he does not know exactly when that might be. But Paul also uses the metaphor of labor pains. He writes in verse 3: 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. Paul tells us, just as Jesus told his disciples in Matthew, that his return, Jesus' return, is going to happen. It will happen suddenly, and it will be unavoidable.

8:04Now, I've never been in labor, but I have seen what happens once labor starts. Even if there are complications, labor continues until it ends. It does not stop. Once labor starts, it is unavoidable. And that is what Paul is telling us here. Jesus is coming. It will not be expected. And it is unavoidable. Now, I say that it's unexpected by unbelievers. As Christians, we know that Christ's return is going to happen. We have faith that that is going to happen.

8:45And even though we might not know the exact date or hour, we know and believe that it's going to happen. Look at verses 4 through 7 in 1 Thessalonians 5. It says, You are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

9:20For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. Again, this is not the first time that darkness and light is referenced in the Bible, or even the first time that being awake is referenced in the Bible versus being asleep. Let's look at Ephesians 5:8-14 on the screen behind me. It says, For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

10:00For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them, for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead. And Christ will shine on you. The prophet Isaiah said it like this: Your dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy, for your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

10:51As we enter into the Advent season, Luke quotes from the prophet Zachariah when he writes in his gospel, telling us to who is brought us into the light. No doubt we'll read Luke 1 at some point in the next month. But Luke 1, 78 through 79 says, Because the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.

11:23As believers, we live in the light. We do not walk around in fantasy. We do not walk around drunk. We are sober. The Greek word used here for sober is nephomen, which is a first-person active verb that means to be self-controlled. So as Christians, we are not to be under the influence of a foreign substance or foreign influence that gives us the illusion that all is good, but rather we see things How they actually are. We shine light on the darkness.

12:06We know that we live in a fallen world with sickness, hurt, injustice, confusion, marital issues, government lunacy, societal upheavals, death, war, and famines. But that is not how things are meant to be, nor is that how they will remain. That is not how they will remain. Because Jesus will return to make all things new. This should give us hope. But understand that it does not come easily. It does not come without a fight. Ask anyone who struggled with sobriety.

12:56It's a daily battle. It's a daily battle worth fighting for. Because seeing things soberly gives us hope based on truth, not lies. Nonetheless, it is a battle. Look at verses 8 through 10. Paul says, 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. 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.

13:41Now, this tells us two things: first, we're in a spiritual battle. Second, our victory can only be found in Christ and our hope in Him. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells the Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day. Now, you don't put on armor unless you are anticipating a battle. But you notice those weapons are not weapons that we fashion. So often we fight this battle, forgetting that the battle does not belong to us.

14:25And we use weapons fashioned by our own designs to try to gain victory that isn't lasting. A real easy example is politics. Some will yell at the top of their lungs to use your vote, only to find that eight to four years later, another politician comes along and makes decisions that go against everything you stand for. Even in political victory, even in war, it's not lasting. It only takes a few generations or less to undo everything that an army might fight for.

15:14Take a look at the screen behind me. Greg Gilbert says it this way: But I think the biblical storyline forces us to recognize that until Christ returns, our social and cultural victories will always be tenuous, never permanent. Christians will never bring about the kingdom of God. Only God Himself can do that. The heavenly Jerusalem comes down from heaven, it is not built from the ground up. Now, in this language of being awake, this is what it means to be truly woke.

15:50When we realize that the solution of societal wrongs, injustices, cultural issues cannot be fixed by any human solution. They are not fixed politically. They are not evened out by taxes. No program reformation can undo it, and no philosophy can fix it. They can only be healed permanently when Jesus returns. When this earth and this heaven has passed away and we stand in the new earth and the The new heaven, as it says in Revelation 21. Now, some of you might say, but Pastor Chris, our justice system is unjust and it needs reform.

16:44Pastor Chris, there is racism and bigotry all around us, both personal and systemic. It's a problem. Pastor Chris, the welfare system needs fixing. The political system is flawed and it doesn't really represent the people anymore. It needs to be fixed. Duh. You're right. But understand that none of these have eternal significance. Every one of them are invented by men and are a result of living in a fallen world. So many times I see my brothers and sisters pour into the wrong fight, using worldly weapons and preaching the wrong message.

17:34Our fight depends and relies on the certainty that Christ will return to exact complete justice on his enemies and glorify himself and all the saints for all of eternity. Now, I'm not saying that we should not speak up or fight for what is socially or culturally right, but we should. Should use wisdom, and our fight should not be to change society, but to save souls. Our fight should be to point others to everlasting victory, the victory that we have through Jesus, our Savior, because He's the Savior, not the President. He's the Savior, not the governor.

18:26He's the Savior, not a court of law. Our faith should influence our views, make no mistake, and it should change how we relate to each other and to our world. We should not just sit around saying to ourselves, well, Jesus will take care of it when he returns. Remember that we pray every Sunday together for God's kingdom to come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So don't misunderstand what I'm saying.

19:04What I'm saying is that too often we look for short-term victories when we are people that should have a long-term, eternal victory in mind. And most of the fights we should be fighting, the eternal fights, are against our own sin and becoming more like Jesus. Because our hope is in the return of Christ. Christ and His glory and our glory through him. Let's look at what Sinclair Ferguson says in the Christian life. He says, If these things will take place, then, Christ's return, they possess life-transforming relevance now. No man can believe he has such glorious destiny when he will be changed into perfect likeness of Christ without living a life that has already changed, that is already changed by that prospect.

20:01But as I said before, this is not easily done, it is a fight, and there will be those who fight against you and persecute you. They'll call you crazy, they might try to destroy your reputation. Those who oppose Jesus and his gospel will come against you in many different ways. There will be suffering for you because you believe in the gospel. But our hope is in the absolute assurance that Jesus will come again to repay with affliction those who afflict us, to grant relief to us, according to 2 Thessalonians 1, 6, and 7.

20:52But I think if we're honest, not all of us do suffer. We kind of live in a bubble here in College Station. The university has thousands who gather together every Tuesday to sing praise and worship songs and hear a devotional. We have hundreds of paraministries like Impact or the BSM. We have hundreds of churches in this community, for that matter. Multiple churches for every denomination. So we can choose when and where we want to go. We can decide we don't like the praise and worship at this church. I like it, Caleb. Don't worry about it.

21:37But if we don't like it, we can go on to the next church. We can move on to another church with a more dynamic preacher or a better youth program. We have choices. And I think sometimes it's the abundance of choices that make it difficult to hope and depend on Christ's return. We have everything we need. We have an overabundance of everything we need and sometimes of what we want. But for just a minute, let's step outside of our own life and experiences.

22:15Recently, I went to New Mexico on an elk hunt. And every time I leave this little bubble we live in, I'm reminded that there are those out there who have grown up, grown up, lived their entire lives in need. Want and helplessness. It's pretty common to see people living in shacks made of scrap wood and metal in freezing temperatures. It's common to see hunger or to see those who have very little other than their basic needs.

22:47Perhaps you grew up that way. Maybe you've never experienced it. But I have to ask you: what hope can you offer to those who do not live in the same comfort and provision as you? I'm not just talking about Africa or Mexico or Honduras or any other impoverished country, although there is a need to minister to those places, and we'll talk about that later. I'm talking about people from the next town over, the next state over.

23:27Believe it or not, there are Christians all over this state, all over this country, all over the world, who are believers and have nothing as far as any type of financial stability or assurance other than their hope in Christ. In truth, most people who come to know Jesus gain nothing materially when they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. In fact, most become outcasts, alienated, and are labeled as weird. At the very least. Coming to faith is much more than forgiveness of sin, though that's very, very important.

24:13But it's this forgiveness of sin and righteousness that is imparted to us through the work of Jesus on the cross that brings us into an inheritance of eternal life and glory when Christ comes in the end to claim his bride, the church, to claim you. Look at what E. D. Burns says in his book, The Transcultural Gospel. I know Pastor Allen usually holds up a book, free book, for you to take, but if you get a chance to get this book, please read it. It's worth your time.

24:46He says, Many Christians among the world's urban poor, migrant workers, factory laborers, and village farmers, work long hours every day, Sunday through Saturday, just to eat and acquire basic necessities. Such impoverished Christians' greatest concern is not the transformation of society. They struggle with heavy discouragement, infirmity, weakness, and the pervasive sense of helplessness. They have no insurance and no workers' compensation. Their workplace injuries corrode their well-being and jeopardize their livelihood. They view life through the value and system of weakness and strength, poverty and power.

25:31Their hope is not a better life now. Their hope is in the return of Christ, the beatific vision. And in that hope, they rejoice and find the strength to endure another day. What makes them love and honor their King is that He is their Savior who is coming back to finally deliver them. That's where we're at. Finally, Paul tells the Thessalonian church in verse 11 to encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing.

26:14How do we encourage one another? I mean, we live in some fairly weird times, do we not? The world seems to have completely dismantled itself and gone crazy. We have pandemics, endemics, politics, wars, floods, hurricanes, hunger, poverty, revolutions, and civil unrest. Right now, there's zero peace in our world. Everywhere we turn, it's something coming against everything we believe. Sometimes it's up in your face and very blatant. At other times, it's quiet and sneaky, and you turn around and you're like, How did this get here?

27:10But it's there. And Paul knows this. And this is why he's reminding the Thessalonian church of the end game. He's kind of like Doctor Strange in the Marvel character who can see into the future because he travels all through time. He knows that the victory is won, even if it looks hopeless at the moment. Paul sees the victory, and he's encouraging the church that Jesus will return and make all things right. Complete justice will be done, and complete deliverance will be delivered. Jesus will come back, and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. You'll either do that willingly, or you'll do it in shame.

28:05He will claim the church as his bride, and he will be glorified, and we will also. Now, brothers and sisters, I don't know exactly what you're going through right now. I know some, but not everything. Some of you may be dealing with sickness and disease. Either with yourself or with a loved one. Maybe you're walking with a brother and sister who is dealing with incredibly complicated things. And it's discouraging and saddening. Maybe you're struggling with believing that you are created in God's image and you have worth and dignity, that you are precious and valued.

29:07Perhaps you're struggling with pride and find it hard to suffer incompetence and stupidity. Maybe you've lost a loved one and you're struggling with loneliness and despair. Perhaps you just don't feel understood at all and feel alone. There's no doubt that there's someone here today that is struggling with their faith and in their crisis of faith, asking whether Jesus is the Son of God and worth following with your whole heart and life. I want to encourage you this morning.

30:01And I want you to encourage those around you, those who are believers in Jesus as our Savior. If you're dealing with sickness and disease, I'm going to tell you that there will be no sickness and disease when Jesus returns. Revelation says there will be no pain. You'll be clothed in white for those of you who are struggling with whether or not you have worth and dignity. You'll be clothed in white, and whatever it is that you think that spoils you will be as if it never was.

30:48If you're struggling with pride, know that God despises the proud, and you will be humbled. If you struggle with being misunderstood, know that God knows your heart, even when you don't. The Bible says that only he can discern the heart of man. You are completely understood and completely known. And if you're struggling with faith in Christ, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you. Jesus said, if we ask, we will receive, and if we seek, we will find.

31:39That's a statement. That's not a question. That's not an if-then. You do it, and it will happen. Because in the end, we know that this is true. That Jesus will return and claim us for himself. It's this hope and this end that we look forward to. It's the foundation of our faith. When Christ, the cornerstone, comes to fulfill completely all that he said he would. So we're not like Delta Dawn, waiting on some mysterious dark-haired man.

32:30We're waiting on the truth and the life of the world, who is the only one who can bring us into an inheritance and make us children of God. This morning, if you're not a believer in Jesus, you should know that when Jesus returns, it will look very different for you. Those who do not believe in Jesus. And believe that he is Lord, are known as enemies of God. And the full wrath of God will be placed on your head for all eternity.

33:142 Thessalonians say, God will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel. You will suffer punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and his might. Revelation 21 says, There will be two sets of people in the end. The one who conquers will have his inheritance, and he will be their God, and they will be sons and daughters. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexual immoral sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

34:13We do not know when Jesus will come. It could be tomorrow, next year, 20 years from now, 549 years from now. Or it could be while we're at lunch today. We don't know when he's coming again. But when he does, the old will pass away, and we will be made new, completely and wholly his, as his children are under wrath. So it's important that you make the decision today and become a believer and take part in this glorious inheritance that we have through Jesus.

35:20Let's pray. Father, you are the beginning and the end. You created the world and you created us perfectly. And through our sin, we fell away from communion with you. But as we celebrate over this next month, you gave us your Son. You gave us light to step down. Into darkness. Jesus, who came to be with us, who lived a perfect life, who chose to die a criminal's death as a ransom for us. Jesus, who died and was buried, but rose again on the third day.

36:29And he ascended into heaven and sits at your right hand, waiting to reclaim his bride, to bring us glory through himself once and for all, eternity, and to defeat his enemies, giving them to eternal destruction. Father, help us to persevere to the end, to persevere until our faith becomes sight when we see Jesus face to face. And give faith to those who do not yet see, who are walking in darkness, not in the light. Let the light of the Holy Spirit awaken them from spiritual death into new life through Jesus, your Son.

37:30And it's in His name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.