The Hope of the King
The Coming Christmas King • Sermon • Submitted
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The Coming Christmas King
Point: To whom are we their hope, joy, and crown? To what hope are we living or looking forward to? Who will be our crown of boasting at the return of Christ?
But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
Who will be the source of your hope and joy, a crown of boasting, on the day when we all stand before the Lord Jesus? Of whom are you anxious about, seeing that they get to the finish line with you, and receive the crown of life?
Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away.
The Apostle Paul was anxious to see that the Thessalonian believers would make it to the finish line and that his work would not be in vain.
For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.
What is the ‘finish line’? To have life. To be restored to life, to God. To live once again with Him. To receive the crown of life, eternity in the Kingdom of God, and be with God, as He desires.
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life.
But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.
Paul uses the term ‘crown’ meaning victory, not royalty, as in a laurel wrealth placed on the head of the victor in an athletic event. Paul’s glory will be found in the Thessalonian believers being crowned with life at the return of Jesus. This will be Paul’s joy. This is Paul’s hope, this will be Paul’s boasting. Who will be ours? Who will we ‘glory in’ standing before the Lord with us?
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.
Boasting in someone is not bad. Boasting in someone means ‘to glory in them’. Paul’s desire is that he will stand before Jesus, at His return, glorying in those, who have believed his words, and believed and lived in, obedience to Jesus Christ. Who will we glory in, standing with us, when we meet Jesus face to face, at His return, His second advent?
Why the anxiety of Paul?
Paul is anxious about the Thessalonians because as he has been thwarted at returning to them, by Satan, he fears they may have fallen to the same anti-Christ opposition and affliction in Thessalonika and lost their hope in Jesus.
that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
Being unable to bear the unknowing of his Thessalonian brothers and sisters fate, Paul and Silvanus send Timothy to get an update. Just as you and I would call concerned about the wellfare of one we love, Paul is doing the same. Our brother, Paul, a great man of faith, is human just like us. He experienced anxiety, “the not knowing”, out of our hands situations in life. If Paul is susceptible to it, we are all susceptible to it, but he came to learn to be content in all situations, through His Lord Jesus Christ.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Paul records these words amongest running out of town in the middle of the night, with blood thirsty men after his life, because He preached in power, the love and supremacy of Christ…and people believed him, turning away from their idols, and making the idol business crash.
Are we living content today because of our faith and hope in the power, promises, and person of Jesus Christ?
The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
In the times we face today, a potential recession, inflation, rising costs of groceries, rents, and mortgages, where are you placing your hope. What gives you peace? What gives you contentment in whatever circumstance you are facing? Put your hope in Christ! He is, and still is, on the throne! In your corner. But are you in His corner?
Hope Fulfilled in the Provision of a King
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The need of every man, woman, and child is saving. For in the Garden of Eden, humanity lost access to the Kingdom of God and an unmitigated relationship with God. Because we chose to believe the lie that we can be God, we became captives to sin and death. All creation was cursed and hostility between Satan and humanity now exists until Jesus returns and destroys Satan.
The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Satan’s prime goal is to destroy God’s creation, you and me.
You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
The Good News is that God provided a solution, Jesus Christ, the hope for all creation.
Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
The term ‘Parousia’ was the offical term for a visit of a person of high rank, especially of kings and emperors visiting a province, in the Greek-speaking world. Paul uses the term exclusively in the letters to the Thessalonians, and only in one other place to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 15:23.
Parousia in our context, Paul is refering to the return of Jesus Christ from Heaven.
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.
and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians is that ‘the real Ceasar’, the real coming of the Lord is in their future, and he does not want them to miss Him. He is their coming hope! Are you ready for the return of our Living Hope?
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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
This is our hope:
Jesus will return - Acts 1:11
They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.”
We will recognize the signs of Jesus’ return - Mt 24
Jesus return will not be secretive, but known - Mt 24:27
For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Jesus will destroy Anti-Christ and all Evil - 2 Thess 2:8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
Jesus will take an accounting of right and wrong, giving out rewards and punishment - 2 Cor 5:10
For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
Both the righteous elect, dead and alive, will be redeemed - 1 Cor 15:22-23
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Why was Paul anxious? Because he so desired that his Thessalonian brothers and sisters would be standing with him at the return of Christ. That they would not fall faithless in the face of the world they faced that was anti-Christ.
We face a world that is anti-Christ. But we face the world in Christ. To Paul, the success of his mission would not be confirmed by how many people he won to the Lord, but by how many stood beside him when the Lord returned. This is the difference between mere sharing the Good News of Jesus, and being and making disciples of Jesus - how many are standing beside us when Jesus returns. Who will be standing beside us when He returns? Who will be your joy? Who will be your crown of glory in which you boast at Jesus’ return?