The Coming of the Lord

1. Believers are called to persevere until Christ comes. (vs. 1-2)

Ephesians 1:4–5 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

We are to have peace about the coming of the Lord and not to be overly concerned about exactly when it will happen.

The day of the Lord is a time of God’s dramatic intervention into human history where God will judge his enemies and save his people. There was not fear that Jesus had already returned but that the persecution was part of God’s judgement and the day of the Lord. The Thessalonians were living like Chicken Little that the sky was falling just because an acorn fell on his head. They were scared that they would not avoid the wrath of God.

2. Before Christ returns, we will enter a time of apostasy, but Jesus will win the victory. (vs. 2-12)

1 John 2:18 ESV

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

The Lawless One - Antichrist that will rise up at the time of the tribulation.

Matthew 24:14–16 ESV

14 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. 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Psalm 2 ESV

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Romans 1:28–31 ESV

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

3. In the challenging times before the Lord’s coming, God’s love sustains us. (vs. 13-17)

Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

In these last days, we must hold fast to the teaching of the apostles and not be swayed by the ways of the world. We cannot hold to a different gospel than the one that has been given to us for over 2,000 years just because it is not popular in society. The world will reject the gospel.