The Coming of the Lord

We're going to begin our worship this morning by singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 33 in the Scottish Psalter, page 245 of the psalm book.

Psalm 33, we're going to sing from verse 8 down to verse 14.

Here in this psalm, verse 8,

Let earth and all that live therein with reverence fear the Lord.

Let all the world's inhabitants thread him with one accord.

For he did speak the word and done, it was without delay.

Established it firmly stood whatever he did say.

We're reminded in this psalm of how this is the Lord who has created and made the heavens and the earth by his word and established it all.

And as we're going to look at this morning in this service, a day will come when the Lord will come back to earth,

back to reclaim and remake all that is his.

So we're going to sing from verse 8 to 14 to God's praise.

Let earth and all that live therein with reverence fear the Lord.

Let all the world's inhabitants thread him with one accord.

For he did speak the word and done, it was without delay.

He established it firmly stood whatever he did say.

God doth the council bring to naught, which he then folk do take.

And what the people do devise, of none effect doth make.

O but the council of the Lord doth stand forever sure.

God of his heart the purposes from age to age endure.

That nation blessed is whose God Jehovah is.

God of His standard is not able to tell.

God of his own faith inening the world has been resurrected.

For God's idolize now, He読 Kyle.

God of His Son.

God of His Son is contrary to his life.

Lord midwろう to kneel, too.

Father King of angels host Israel is with one accord.

That nation with друз and against Him.

Sh rivals or drum a man Heamethrouff on faith in every step.

God of heaven's doubt the radiation of God.

Christ in whether he consequently.

and behold all sons of men full well.

He views all from his dwelling place

that in the earth do dwell.

Well, we've come to God in prayer.

Now let's bow our heads in a word of prayer.

Our Father in heaven, as we gather this day,

we thank you for it.

We thank you that this Lord's Day, your Sunday,

is a day of coming for this purpose of worship,

of gathering together and of spending time around your word

and refreshing ourselves in it,

not just a rest for our bodies,

but a rest for ourselves from the busyness of the week

and especially to be reminded of the rest

that we have in Jesus Christ.

And we pray today, Lord,

that if we come feeling tired and weary,

if we come maybe anxious about the week ahead,

worried about what maybe lies ahead in a busy week,

especially when we think of young ones just now

who have preliminaries in these coming weeks

and children may be busy in school in different ways,

we thank you, Lord, that you hear our prayers

and that you are there for us.

We thank you that you remind us

that we have a great gift in prayer,

that all the things that worry us we can bring to you.

For you care for us, you love us,

as your people, as your children.

And we pray, Lord, that you will hear all our prayers today,

from the youngest to the oldest,

that as we look to you,

we seek your blessing on your word to us

and upon all that we do.

May we continue to learn from you,

to learn about your goodness

and your love towards us,

and also about the many warnings

that your word gives to us as well,

even as we consider them today,

Lord, that we would hear your voice

and listen to you.

So, Lord, bless us all,

bless us as families and our homes

and our communities and our schools,

Sunday school and creche and twinnies today as well,

Lord, we ask that you will bless each and every one

who attends here today.

Watch over us and take care of us today

and in all the days ahead.

So we ask all these things in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, who here enjoys watching the weather forecast

Does anybody like watching the weather forecast?

You make a point every day of sitting down

and seeing what the forecast is for the next few days.

Every evening, now you've got apps on your phones

or on your iPad or these kinds of things

and people are always looking at them.

There's apps and you're maybe looking two weeks ahead

and you're saying,

look, it's going to be a severe gale in two weeks,

there's going to be a hundred mile an hour winds.

But by the time the two weeks passes,

it's a clear sunny day,

they got the forecast wrong.

Because so often when they're trying to do a forecast

way in advance and along a week or two weeks ahead,

they don't always know exactly what's going to happen.

But yesterday we were told

that we were going to be under a weather warning

from midnight last night until midnight tomorrow night.

A warning about snow and ice.

And if you'd been checking the forecast,

you were maybe thinking this morning,

you would get up and you'd look out the window

or open the door and you'd see the place

would be white with snow.

And was it?

No.

Does that mean the forecast was wrong?

Well, maybe not.

Not yet because we're still under the warning, aren't we?

So maybe tonight or maybe tomorrow morning

when you get up, the place might be white with snow.

We wait and see, don't we?

And sometimes when we hear these kind of weather warnings,

we maybe start thinking,

great, there might not be any school tomorrow.

If there's loads of snow, we can't get out,

we'll get a day at home.

But for other people, they might be scared.

They think, oh no, what if I can't get out of the house?

Well, I've got to go somewhere.

I've got to travel somewhere.

I might not be able to go.

Some people get excited about the warning.

Some people are worried about the warning.

Well, today in our service,

we're going to be thinking about a warning

that the Lord gives in his word.

And a warning that we're all under today and every day.

And it's a warning that the Lord is going to come.

He's going to come.

Again, Jesus came into the world.

That's what we read in the Bible.

We see that Jesus came into the world.

He came into this world and lived in this world among the people.

He gave his life in this world.

We look at the cross so often and we see there Jesus giving his life.

And then he rose from the grave.

But what did he say before he left this world?

He said, I am going to come again.

And that's the warning that he's given us.

I'm going to come again.

We don't know when, but the Bible tells us it's going to happen.

But like the weather forecast, when we're looking,

maybe we're thinking far in advance,

we're just not sure what's going to happen.

Maybe the Bible got it wrong.

Maybe Jesus isn't coming after all.

It's been so long.

Surely he was going to come.

He'd have come by now.

But the warning is still there for us.

He's telling us he's going to come.

That's his promise.

For some people, we'll be excited about that.

We look forward to the day of his coming.

For other people, you may be worried about that day.

You may be afraid of that day.

But what the Bible is telling us is to be ready for that day.

If we know a weather warning's in place for snow or gales,

we maybe make preparations by getting extra food in

or these kinds of things.

Well, the Bible warns us to be ready for his coming again.

And the way to be ready is to hear what he's saying,

that we are to trust in Jesus.

To take refuge in him.

And that way, we'll be safe and secure on the day when he comes.

We'll be looking forward to that day.

We'll be excited for that day.

Because then we will see Jesus if we're believing in him.

And we'll be with him forever.

So we're under a weather warning just now.

But we're under a greater warning too.

A warning from the Bible that Jesus is coming.

So let us be ready for when he comes.

We're going to say the Lord's Prayer together now.

Our Father which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

We're going to sing again to God's praise this time in Psalm 18.

In the Sing Psalms version.

Psalm 18 on page 19 of the psalm books.

We're going to sing from verse 1 down to verse 10.

Psalm 18, verse 1.

Psalms 18:1

I love you, Lord.

You are my strength.

A fortress is the Lord to me.

My rock and my deliverer.

For refuge to my God I flee.

Words remind us that we can find refuge in God.

Not just for the day of his return,

but for every day that we can take refuge in him.

Psalm 18, verse 1 to 10.

Psalms 18:1–10

I love you, Lord.

You are my strength.

A fortress is the Lord to me.

My rock and my deliverer.

For refuge to my God I flee.

He is my stronghold and my shield.

The Lord who saves me by his might.

I'll call on him and give him praise.

I'm safe.

He puts my foes to flight.

The cords of death entangled me.

Destruction hit me like a wave.

Encircled by the snares of death.

I face the terrors of the grave.

In my distress I called on God.

I cried out to the Lord for aid.

He from his temple heard my voice.

He listened to the prayer I made.

The earth before God's anger quaked.

The mountains deep foundations shook.

Consuming fire blazed from his mouth.

And from his nostrils came forth smoke.

The heavens parted, he came down.

Beneath his feet the dark clouds lay.

Upon the cherubim he flew.

On wings of wind he made his way.

God's water llames.

We can turn to read God's word together.

Now we're going to read two passages.

First of all in the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

We'll read from the beginning down to verse 14.

And then we'll turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 1 to 5.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–5

So first reading in Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

reading from the beginning of that chapter.

Jesus left the temple and was going away when his disciples came to point out to him the

buildings of the temple. But he answered them, you see all these, do you not? Truly I say to you,

there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying,

tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the

age? And Jesus answered them, see that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name saying,

I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of war.

See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and

earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will

deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death. And you will be hated by all nations for my name's

sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets

will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many

will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom

will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will

come. We'll turn to our second reading in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We're going to read

2 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

just verse 1 to verse 5 of chapter 2. But you notice in chapter 1, there it speaks about the judgment at

Christ's coming. That section of the end of chapter 1 from verse 5 to the end speaks about the day of the

Lord's judgment. Some will be the promise of heaven fulfilled to others. Their destiny is eternal

destruction and flaming fire, as it calls it there in verse 8, what we call hell. We see the picture of

heaven and hell presented to us there. Our focus this morning is particularly on verse 1 to 3 of

the second chapter. So we'll read verse 1 to 5. Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed

either by a spirit or a spoken word or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of

the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion

comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself

against every so-called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming

himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And so it goes on.

Amen. And may God bless these readings from his word to us. We're going to join again together in a word of prayer.

Let us pray. O Lord, our God, as we approach your word, there are many subjects that we feel that we are out of our

depth with, many things that we maybe do not understand fully, and yet we still thank you that your word

contains every matter that we need pertaining to life and death and eternity. And we know that apart from

your spirit, Lord, we do not understand any of it, for it is your spirit that enlightens our minds and our hearts

to hear and to understand what you are saying to us. And so we pray, Lord, for your help today as we

think upon a subject that maybe we have maybe not every answer to, but help us to see every promise

that is in your word that reminds us of the truth of it. We pray, Lord, that you will help us in the

reminder that we have that the day is coming, that when you will come again, a day that we do not know.

It could be any time, Lord, but we know, Lord, that our greatest need in it is to be ready for it.

And we thank you that that is what your gospel gives answer to, that you have made it clear to all

people, low and high, as the psalmist calls it, we can all find refuge with you. And we thank you that

your gospel speaks and ministers to us in that way. We thank you that in all the answers we do not have,

we have your grace that is sufficient. We have your strength that is made perfect in our weakness.

And so we pray, Lord, that you will give us what we need to understand, the revealed things that we

have in your word, for we know that there are hidden things that belong to the Lord. And so help us to

just humble ourselves before you under the mighty hand of God. And we pray, Lord, that you will help

us to hear you today, help us to know you, help us to be built up in our faith or to be brought to faith

in you. Whatever we need, Lord, you know it already, and you are able to provide. And so we pray, Lord,

that you will bless your word and all that we do in your name today, throughout this day, from the

morning to the evening that as we look to you, as we call upon your name in our own private devotions,

in our prayers, in our public worship, in resting in you, Lord, we pray that it will be a day of

blessing and refreshment for us. For we are many so busy during the week and all the rest of the week,

Lord, and even our Lord's day can be busy in so many ways with family and so many things to do.

And Lord, we live in a world that is going so quickly, where everything seems to be 100 miles

an hour. We thank you that your word reminds us that there is time to be still and to know that

you are God. And we pray, Lord, that we will have these times. We'll have them not just in moments of

the day, but every day, that we would have that time, precious time, just to be still before you

and to know that you are God, to spend that time in peace with you, praying, hearing your word,

and receiving it, being built up by it, not just rushing into the day, but spending that time with

you, that that would build us up in our faith, that would help us as we go on in the week,

in all the days of the week, in the busyness of work or home or school or whatever we are doing,

that we would feel, Lord, encouraged and emboldened by you. For when we hear subjects such as the

return of the Lord, we recognize then the importance of proclaiming your name to a world

that is perishing, to a people that are perishing, to a people who are not ready for that day.

And so we pray, Lord, that you will encourage us as a people here, always to have that in mind,

to have that need in mind, that people need to hear the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus,

who is able to save. We pray that in all that we would do, we would be blessed by you,

whatever it is, whether it's collectively as a congregation or individually as a people,

that we would know your spirit with us, helping us, giving us words to speak,

bringing people into our paths on a daily basis that we can minister to, whether it's people we've

known for a long time or people we just meet for the first time. We pray, Lord, for boldness and

courage to speak of the gospel, that glorious gospel. We thank you, Lord, for your goodness to

us in that way. And we pray, Lord, that throughout the world today, as your word is preached and

proclaimed to all ends of the earth, that you will be building up your church, that your kingdom

will come in power. And the more we see in our world, Lord, the more we see that great need of

you when there are so many tensions around our world and from north, east, west, south, Lord,

from every direction we see troubles and wars and famines and earthquakes, even as your word speaks

of and as we have read. And yet you tell us not to be afraid, for these things must happen.

And we pray, Lord, that in our fears that you will be near, in our anxieties that you will give us your

peace, that you will remind us, Lord, that you have all things in your hands. And so help us to calm

ourselves before you and to know you as our Lord and as our God. We pray that for many people all over

the world today, your people who live in these situations on a daily basis just now, we pray,

Lord, your blessing, your help towards each one. We pray for our own congregation and community here,

Lord. We pray your blessing on us for those who are unwell from young to old, Lord. We pray your help,

your strength, your blessing over us, those who are in hospital or in their own homes, Lord. We pray

that you will be near to them, that you will bless them and keep them. Those who are mourning, Lord,

we pray your comfort towards them. And as we had funerals in this last week, Lord, we pray for comfort

and blessing towards all the families, the families of Bell Mackenzie and Ann Stevenson. We pray, Lord,

that you'll be near to each one. Uphold them and be their refuge, be their strength. We thank you

that even in the midst of sorrow, there was joy in the Lord and strength in the Lord for the assurance

of hope for your people. And we pray, Lord, that you will continue to bless us and watch over us,

be with us together as a people. Pardon all our sins as we come before you, confessing anew.

Thankful, though, that you hear our prayers, that you are able to answer. And we pray, Lord,

that you will continue with us now as we turn to praise your name and to hear your word. Guide us in

our thoughts and in our words and in all that we do. Protect us, Lord, we pray. We ask it all in

Jesus' precious name and for his glory. Amen. Before we turn back to our passage, we're going to sing in

Psalm 27. And we'll sing in Psalm's version, page 31. Psalm 27. We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 4.

Page 31. The Lord's my Savior and my light, who will make me dismayed. The Lord's the stronghold of my

life. Why should I be afraid? We'll sing from verse 1 to the end of double verse 4 to God's praise.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

The Lord's my Savior and my light, who will make me dismayed. The Lord's the stronghold of my life. Why should I be

afraid? When evildoers threaten me to take my life away? My adversaries and my foes will

stumble in the day. Although an army hems me in, my heart will feel no dread. Though war against me should

should arise, I will lift up my head. One thing I'll plead before the Lord, and this I'll seek always.

that I may come.

that I may come with this.

that I may come with this.

God's willing cause

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that I may come with this.

Maybe that I may come with this.

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holy

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and dwell there all my days,

that on the beauty of the Lord

I constantly rejoice,

and in his earth may seek

to know direction in his ways.

We turn back to our reading in 2 Thessalonians.

We're looking at chapter 2, verse 1 to verse 3.

You can read these words.

Now concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ

and our being gathered together to him,

we ask you, brothers,

not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed

either by a spirit or a spoken word

or a letter seeming to be from us

to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one deceive you in any way.

And so on.

These words that we sang in Psalm 27, verse 4,

Psalms 27:4

they speak of the desire of the psalmist.

One thing I'll plead before the Lord,

and this I'll seek always.

It's a desire that the psalmist has for what?

To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.

And as we turn to God's words today,

and as we think of this subject of the coming of the Lord,

is that your desire?

Do you have that desire of the psalmist?

To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.

The day of the Lord's return is a day

where everyone will appear before God.

Everyone will appear before the Lord

to give answer according to the deeds of this world.

But will we as a people be a people

who have that great desire,

that longing to gaze on the beauty of the Lord?

So we're going to look at this subject

of the coming of the Lord this morning.

And it's a subject that perhaps we have more questions

than answers for.

We don't have all the answers,

but we often have questions about it.

I'm sure we've often wondered, many of us,

what will that day be like?

What will it look like,

the day of the coming of the Lord?

But the sad fact is that there's so many people

who give no thought to that day,

or very little thought to that day

and just push it away

as something for another time

and another place

or just something that's not even worth considering.

But what does the Scripture say to us

about this day?

Well, the first thing and the key thing is this,

He is coming.

That is a key truth

that the Scripture gives to us.

That's a key warning

that the Scripture gives to us.

That the day is coming

when He will come again.

And if we believe that,

we often ask,

what will it be like?

When you look at the last words

of the Bible

in the book of Revelation,

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22,

the second last verse

in the Bible says this,

the words of the Lord,

Surely I am coming soon.

Surely I am coming soon.

There's a warning there for us.

Surely I am coming soon.

The Lord Jesus,

as He was taken up into heaven,

as He ascended into heaven,

you read it in the book of Acts,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

and it speaks there

about His coming again.

So there are plenty reminders to us

that the Lord is going to come.

And what's it going to be like?

Well, again,

the Bible describes it

in different ways.

As you read in Matthew,

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24,

we read part of that chapter,

but if you read the whole

of the chapter,

it gives a lot more information

as well.

And it reminds us

that it is going to be something

that the whole world

is going to see.

Everyone is going to be aware of it.

Now,

we read in Psalm 19,

for example,

where it says,

the heavens declare

the glory of God.

So we think of

what we see in the heavens,

the skies around us,

and how often

we look up to the skies,

and what do we see?

We see the wonders of God

in so many ways.

The heavens declaring

the glory of God.

We've seen it,

or we've seen it

even in these last week,

when we think of the cold,

frosty mornings,

or evenings,

when you see the sunrise

or the sunset,

when you see the clear sky

on a frosty night,

and you see the stars

and the moon,

all of these things

standing out.

You marvel at it.

The heavens declare

the glory of God.

Sometimes you see

a shooting star.

Sometimes you see

a meteor or a comet.

Sometimes you see

an eclipse.

You see all these marvels

in the sky,

but you think,

well, not everybody

has seen it.

Maybe only a few

have noticed it.

A sunrise,

maybe many people see,

but not all

at the same time.

A shooting star,

maybe only a few

will see.

And all of these things,

but you wonder

at the coming of the Lord

and the way it speaks

about it,

everyone is going

to see it.

The whole world

is going to see it.

And you wonder,

how is that possible?

Well,

the Lord

is coming,

is what

the Bible

tells us.

And as Paul

is writing

this second letter

to the Thessalonians,

he's writing to them

about this subject,

and he's writing to them

in light of what

has come previously

here as well.

In chapter 1,

as I mentioned,

in verse 5,

to the end

of the chapter,

you see the reality

of heaven and hell.

There,

if you read

verse 7 and 8,

it says in verse 7,

to grant relief

to you who are afflicted

as well as to us

when the Lord Jesus

is revealed from heaven

with his mighty angels

in flaming fire,

inflicting vengeance

on those who do not know God

and on those

who do not obey

the gospel

of our Lord Jesus.

It says,

again,

the revelation

of Jesus from heaven

with his mighty angels,

how he's going

to descend

to his people.

It's a wonder.

It's going to be

something spectacular,

and spectacular

as a sunrise

or a sunset

or a comet

or a shooting star.

All of these things,

they're spectacular

in their own right,

but the coming

of the Lord

is going to be

something far more

spectacular,

something we won't

be able

to avoid,

and something

that we need

to be ready for.

What do we believe

of what the Bible

tells us

of his coming?

Do we believe

the very fact

that he is coming?

Are you resting

in his word?

Do you see it

as truth,

and do you have faith

in the Lord?

Are you looking forward

to that day

of the Lord's return?

That day

when we will gaze

in the beauty

of the Lord?

The book of Revelation

again says,

surely I am coming soon.

The writer of Revelation

says,

Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus.

There's a sense

of excitement.

There's a sense

of anticipation.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Are you ready

for that yourself?

Well, that's what

Paul is addressing

here as he writes

to the Thessalonians,

and we're going

to consider it

under three headings

this morning.

Three things

I want us to see

as Paul writes

these words,

in particular

in verse 1 to 3

of chapter 2.

First of all,

do not doubt

his coming.

Secondly,

do not be anxious

about his coming.

And then thirdly,

do be ready

for his coming.

Do not doubt

his coming.

Do not be anxious

about his coming.

But do be ready

for his coming.

The first thing is,

do not doubt

his coming.

As you read

chapter 2

of 2 Thessalonians,

you can read

through it,

we come to some

of Paul's

deepest teachings

here

in terms of

trying to find

a way of understanding

just what he's speaking

about.

And when he's speaking

here about the coming

of the Lord

and what that entails,

there's many things

here that you maybe

immediately

focus in on.

And you ask

questions about.

It's only natural

for us.

For example,

at the end

of chapter 3,

there's this subject,

this issue of the man

of lawlessness

being revealed.

And the question is,

well,

who is this?

Well,

that's for another day.

But we can often

focus in on a chapter

or a verse in Scripture

and we can get

sidetracked

from the main issue.

We can get distracted

from the main issue.

And the subject

that he's speaking

about here,

the coming of the Lord,

it's one of these

subjects that is easy

to get sidetracked

in and just to debate

about and things

that we're not

really understanding.

We're putting forward

our own maybe theories,

we're speculating

as to things,

what might be.

And ultimately,

we lose sight

of the importance

of the matter.

You think about

the day of the coming

of the Lord

and how it's been spoken

about down

through the years.

In almost every generation,

it's been speculated

about that someone

has this vision

or this revelation

that the day

of the Lord's return

is going to be

such and such a date.

It's gone on

for years

and generations.

You even see it

in the Scripture itself.

Here,

they're speculating

that it's already been.

And it's something

that goes on

all the time.

You know,

convinced they know

whether this is bound

to be now

when the Lord returns.

And as you read

Matthew chapter 24,

Matthew 24 · chapter mention

you maybe read things there

and you're drawn

into this idea,

well,

surely this now

is when the Lord

will return.

It speaks about

times of war

and rumors of war

and all of these things

that are going

to take place,

earthquakes,

famines,

and we see it

all the time

when we start

to speculate,

well,

surely now

the Lord

is going to return

and we can start

speculating

about these things.

But is that

the most important thing

to talk about

in the midst of it?

To start speculating

about,

well,

will he come just now?

Will it be imminent?

Is it maybe something

that's just way off

in the future?

When the reality is

we don't know.

We don't know.

But what it's all doing

is reminding us

that we should be

drawing near to God.

We should be coming

to God

in a closer way.

We should be seeing

the challenges

and difficulties

all around us

which are many

and escalating

as it seems

all the time

just now.

When you think

of the Middle East

and the Ukraine

and the Far East

and our own nation,

the West as we call it,

there's chaos

of all different kinds.

All the rumors

and things

that the Bible

is speaking about

in Matthew 24,

we're almost seeing them

just now

on a daily basis.

Are we just

pushing that away

or is it bringing us

closer to the Lord?

As Paul is writing

to the Thessalonians,

they themselves

were living

in difficult days.

They were afflicted.

They were persecuted.

From outside,

there was all these people

who were persecuting them

and having a go at them

and bringing false truths

to them.

And within themselves

there were all these doubts

and anxieties

that they naturally had.

And yet,

when Paul writes to them,

he says in verse 3

of chapter 1,

we ought always

to give thanks to God

for you, brothers,

as is right,

because your faith

is growing abundantly

and the love

of every one of you

for one another

is increasing.

This is what he was seeing.

Even in the midst

of all these uncertainties

about the coming

of the Lord,

their faith

was growing abundantly

and the love

of every one of them

for one another

was increasing.

Is that what the Lord

sees with us today?

A faith growing abundantly

and a love

for one another

increasing.

The day of the Lord's coming

is without doubt,

but how are we approaching it?

How are we living in a day

when we don't have the answers,

but we know it is true

that he is coming?

What are we focusing on?

Well,

things in this world

will shake us

and things in the church

will shake us,

but when Christ is our rock,

then we have a security,

a certainty.

The Thessalonians

were being told

that the day of the Lord

had already come,

but Paul is assuring them

that it hasn't,

but he is also assuring them

that it will.

You know,

today the problem

of the coming of the Lord

is almost the opposite

to what they had

in the day of the Thessalonians

when they were being taught

that he had already come.

The problem today is

that he has not come

and that people think,

well,

he probably isn't.

One was bringing doubt

into their minds

that he had already come.

Today,

the doubt is in our mind

that he's not going to come

because surely after

2,000 years or more,

he would have come,

he would have brought peace

to this world,

but it hasn't happened,

so we can push it away.

But what's the answer

in both?

Well,

it is faith.

Faith is the key here.

Faith

is what we need.

And that's what Paul

is thanking God

that the Thessalonians had.

Your faith is growing abundantly.

It is ours.

It is yours growing abundantly

in confidence in God's Word.

One commentator puts it

very helpfully.

He says,

rather than having

an understanding

of everything

that every verse says,

it is to have anchor points.

Anchor points.

Things that we can focus in on

and hold firmly to that.

Keep us secure.

Yes,

there's things

we don't have answers for,

but there's things

that we can have certainty in,

and one is

the day of the Lord's coming.

He will come.

In Matthew 24,

Jesus says later on

in that chapter

in verse 43,

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 not have let

his house be broken into.

Therefore,

you also must be ready,

for the Son of Man

is coming

at an hour

when you do not expect.

Again,

it's so clear there.

Jesus himself,

the Son of Man

is coming

at an hour

when you do not expect.

That is our anchor point.

The Lord is coming,

and that

we should not doubt.

So we see

Paul's

pastoral heart

here.

His concern

for the people

is that they

hold firm

to this fact

that he is coming.

The second thing

we see here

is that they are

not to be anxious

about his coming.

Now,

concerning the coming

of the Lord,

Jesus Christ,

and our being gathered

together to him,

we ask you,

brothers,

not to be quickly

shaken

in mind

or alarmed.

Don't be quickly

shaken in mind

or alarmed.

Do not be anxious

about his coming.

We live in days

when we can be anxious

about so many

different things

and afraid

about so many

different things.

None of us

here today

will be without

our anxieties,

without our fears,

but how do we

deal with them?

And especially

we think of this idea

of the coming

of the Lord.

How do we deal

with anxieties

and fears

over that?

Well,

again,

it's to anchor

ourselves

in God's word,

to anchor ourselves

in the promises

of God's word.

Paul's really

echoing

what Jesus taught

in chapter 24

of Matthew here.

He's almost

using the same words.

Do not be quickly

shaken in mind

or alarmed.

It's just the way

Jesus spoke

in that chapter

as well.

So it's really,

don't be anxious

because you remember

who you are

trusting in.

When you look

at the situation

in Thessalonica

here,

those who are

growing in faith,

your faith

that is growing

abundantly,

how was it

growing abundantly?

How was their love

for one another

growing abundantly?

Well,

it's because

they were resting

in the truth

of God

to them.

And there must be

practical,

simple,

practical lessons

for ourselves

here today

as well.

The role

of the anchor

is to keep us

safe and secure,

to stop us

drifting

and being shipwrecked.

That's the role

of the anchor.

So what is

the anchor

of Scripture?

It's to anchor

ourselves

in the foundation

of truth

that we have

in God's Word.

All the promises

that are given

to us.

And by holding

on to them,

by seeing them,

we end up

being secure

in Christ

and not drifting

away

and being tempted

away by

false teachings

or the kind

of things

that he's speaking

of there

in verse 2

by a spirit

or spoken word

or a letter

to the effect

that the day

of the Lord

has come

when we're

being led

as straight

to say,

no,

that is not

what the Word

of God

says.

And to hold

fast to the Word

of God.

And that's what

Paul was doing

for the Thessalonians,

holding them fast

in the Word

of God.

When you think

of the book

of Acts,

Acts 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22,

after the Lord's

ascension,

how were the people

found in chapter 2?

It says in verse 42,

they devoted themselves

to the apostles'

teaching

and the fellowship

to the breaking

of bread

and the prayers.

That was their focus.

That was how they grew.

That's how the church

at Thessalonica

was growing.

All of these things

were present

and that's what we are

to be secure

in as well.

Being under the Word,

being in fellowship

with one another,

taking the sacrament,

prayer.

When our relationship

with the Lord

is right,

our faith

and assurance

grows.

So we are to

anchor ourselves

in the Word

of God.

Do not be anxious

or afraid

for this day.

How?

By being close

to God,

by trusting

in Him,

by knowing

who you are

believing in.

One commentator

speaks of the importance

of both faith

and perseverance.

Two things

that we need

as Christians.

Faith

and perseverance.

And he speaks

about it in this way.

The illustration

of getting into

a sporting event.

And he said,

a person who wants

to attend

a game

in a stadium,

for example,

a big football match

or Six Nations rugby

or something like that,

if you want to get

into the stadium

to watch,

you've got to pay

your money

and when you pay

your money,

you receive

a ticket.

But he asked

a question,

but what gets

you into the stadium?

Is it the money

or the ticket?

And he said,

it's both.

Ultimately,

the money paid

is what really

gets you in,

but you must

have the ticket

as evidence

that you have

paid the price.

And for ourselves

as Christians,

the greatest confidence

we can have

is that the price

has been paid

for us.

The Lord Jesus

has paid the price

for our entry

into heaven.

And our ticket

is faith.

Faith is a ticket.

So that by faith

in the Lord's,

the day of the Lord's

return,

we can come

and say,

I have believed

in you.

I have believed

that you paid

the price.

That in giving

your life

on the cross,

you paid

the price

for me.

The faith

and the perseverance.

The price paid

and the ticket

shone.

They both

go hand

in hand.

And when you look

at the wonderful

words of the Lord

Jesus to his

disciples,

in John 14,

there you see

that Jesus

was telling them

do not be anxious.

What he says

in verse 1,

let not your hearts

be troubled.

Believe in God,

believe also in me.

In my Father's house

are many rooms.

And he says,

I go

to prepare

a place

for you.

And then

what does he say?

That I may

come again

and take you

to be

with me.

What wonderful

words,

what confidence

they bring

to God's

people.

Let not

your hearts

be troubled.

Believe in God,

believe also in me.

I go

to prepare

a place.

That preparation

involved his

going to the cross,

his rising

from the grave

on the third day,

his ascending

into heaven,

and that promise

that he will

come again.

Is that

what you're

leaning on?

Is that the promises

that you're holding

on to?

That he will

come again.

Let not your

hearts be troubled.

Believe in God,

believe also

in me.

The word

of God

is so wonderful

in the confidence

and the hope

that it gives.

The third

and final

thing we want

to see here

is we need

to be ready

for his

coming.

We need

to be ready

for his

coming.

What is Paul's

greatest concern

to the people

of Thessalonica

here in both

chapter 1

and chapter 2

as he's speaking

of the judgment

at Christ's

coming,

where this

picture is put

before them

of the different

destinations

of heaven

and hell.

What's his

concern?

As he comes

into chapter 2

concerning

the coming

of the Lord,

it's that they

be ready.

That they be

ready for it.

When you see

what he is

teaching them,

you see

the purpose

behind it

is that they

might believe

and be ready

to have assurance

in the truth

of God's

word.

As we see,

the Thessalonians

will be,

these doubts

will be put

into their mind

that this day

had already

happened.

And for

ourselves today,

it's almost like

the opposite is true.

It's almost

that this day

is not going

to happen.

That this day

surely would

have happened

by now.

And it's easy

to waste time

speculating

about the

coming of the

Lord.

Will it,

won't it,

or when?

But instead,

we are to heed

the warnings

of his word.

Like I was saying

to the children

earlier on,

we're under

a weather

warning just now.

And we look

out and we're

wondering what's

going to come.

What's it going

to be like?

It's the same

every time,

whether it's a

gale or snow

and ice,

we're wondering

how bad's it

going to be?

What damage

will it cause?

But what about

the warning

of the Lord's

return?

Are you

heeding

that warning

today?

He's going

to come.

That he has

told us.

He's going

to come

like a thief

in the night.

You don't

know the

moment,

but are you

ready?

To know

he is coming

should motivate

us,

should drive

us to

himself,

and should

drive us in

everything that

we do as a

people.

The urgency

of this,

the very fact

that he is

coming and we

don't know

when,

what are we

doing to

tell others?

What are we

doing to

warn others?

There's a

story told

of an

American

colonel,

his name

was Colonel

Davenport,

and he was

one of the

speakers to

the House

of Representatives

in America

and Connecticut.

And on

this day in

May,

May the

19th,

1780,

there was

this meeting

taking place

of the House

of Representatives

in Hartford,

America.

It's like our

Parliament

meeting.

And as

this meeting

was going

on,

it was

June the

day,

and yet

the sky

just suddenly

started to

get darker

and darker,

to such an

extent that

some of those

in the meeting

started looking

outside and

just amazed

by the darkness

that had come

so quickly.

And the fear

that came upon

them was this,

that the day

of the Lord

was coming,

that this

was it.

And they

started calling

for the meeting

to be adjourned,

the meeting

to end,

because this

was so serious.

But Colonel

Davenport,

it said,

he calmed

the meeting.

And he

said this,

the day of

judgment

is either

approaching

or it is

not.

If it is

not,

there is no

cause for

adjournment.

If it is,

I choose

to be found

doing my

duty.

Therefore,

I wish

that candles

be brought.

The darkness

was ominous.

But he said,

well,

if this is

the Lord's

return,

I want to

be found

doing my

duty.

Rather than

fearing what

is to come,

you are to

be faithful

till Christ's

return.

And instead

of fearing

the dark,

we are to

remember the

light that we

have in Christ

and his

gospel.

And we are

to watch

and wait

for his

return.

The reality

of heaven

and hell

is clear

before us

in the

scriptures.

And the

reality of

the day of

judgment

is clear

before us

in

scripture.

The reality

of the

coming of

the Lord

is clear

before us

in scripture.

The question

is,

are you

ready?

Are you

ready?

The day

is coming

when the

sky will

light with

flaming fire

for all

people to

see and

the Lord

will come.

Some will

cry on that

day to the

mountains,

fall on

top of

them because

they will

be so

afraid.

They will

not be

ready for

the day

to appear

before the

Lord.

But for

us may

it be a

day when

we delight,

a delight

that we

will see

the beauty

of the

Lord and

gaze on

him,

for we

are ready

for it.

But while

we have

time and

opportunity,

as we

think of

the coming

of the

Lord and

the day

is going

to come,

and as we

think that

there are

people out

there who

know nothing

of it or

who are not

interested in

it, the

reality of

heaven and

hell and

the judgment

and the

coming of

the Lord

should drive

us in

telling others

that he

is coming

and to be

ready.

May the

coming of

the Lord

not be

something.

We just

speculate about

the things

that we do

not understand,

but may it

instead be a

day that we

see is

true and

is the

great hope

of the

Christian,

but is our

great motivation

in reaching

out with

the gospel.

Let us

pray.

Our

Father in

heaven, we

thank you for

your word

that is

truth, and

even though

the world

will cast

so many

doubts over

it, and

tell us that

it is not

true.

Tell us that

if the Lord

was going to

come, we

would have

done so by

now.

Help us to

realize that

that was

true in

the days of

our Lord,

in the days

of the

apostles, and

down through

all the

generations, but

it doesn't

mean that

it's not

something to

be believed

in.

For your

word tells

us that the

day of the

Lord will

come like a

thief in the

night, and

help us to

be ready, and

help us to

be urgent in

our work for

the gospel, to

tell others to

be ready for

it too.

But Lord, we

thank you that

it's a day that

your people can

look forward

to, a day of

joy, a day of

delight, when we

will gaze on the

beauty of the

Lord.

And so we

pray, Lord, that

you will bless

your word to

us, and go

before us in

the rest of

this day,

pardoning our

sins, in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

We're going

to conclude by

singing to

God's praise in

Psalm 33

again, page

246 of the

psalm book,

Psalm 33,

page 246.

We'll sing from

verse 18 down

to verse 22.

These three

stanzas,

Behold, on

those that do

in fear, the

Lord has said

as I, even

those who on

his mercy do

with confidence

rely.

We'll sing

these verses

to God's

praise.

Amen.

Behold, on

those that do

him fear, the

Lord has said

his eyes, he

those who on

his mercy do

with confidence

rely.

From death to free

their soul in death,

life unto them

to yield,

her soul doth

wait upon

the Lord,

he is

our help

and shield,

our heart

our heart

shall joyful

be.

Lord, let

thy mercy

be on us

as we

do

hope

in thee.

After the

benediction, I'll

go to the door

to my right.

We'll close with

the benediction.

Now may grace,

mercy, and peace

from God,

Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit

rest upon

and abide

with you all

now and

forevermore.

Amen.

to

amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.