1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 - The Parousia Part 5: Eternity in Christ

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Target Date: Sunday, 11 December 2022

NOTES:

Thoughts on the Passage:

References (inherent) to the Parousia:

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. - Ephesians 4:30

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:6

so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ, - Philippians 1:10

holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. - Philippians 2:16

conformed to His death, 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. - Philippians 3:10-11

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself. - Philippians 3:20-21

When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory. - Colossians 3:4

On account of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience - Colossians 3:6

But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who WILL REPAY TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. - Romans 2:5-8

on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. - Romans 2:16

For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. - Romans 8:19

that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. - Romans 8:21

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it. - Romans 8:23-25

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. - 2 Timothy 1:12

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:8

instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ - Titus 2:12-13

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. - Hebrews 9:27-28

Again the high priest was questioning Him and *said to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” - Mark 14:61-62

Events of the Parousia:

Return of Jesus Christ

Resurrection of the dead

Judgment of all people to eternal reward or punishment

Now while they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’ 14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 “And it happened that when he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know how much they had made in business. 16 “So the first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 “Then the second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ 19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a cloth; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a strict man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “He *said to him, ‘From your own mouth I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am a strict man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’ 24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 ‘But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.’” - Luke 19:11-27

Recreation of the world to purity

Building Points:

Heaven is Paradise re-created.

Heaven is reward.

Heaven is marriage.

Sermon Text:

For the last few weeks, we have been looking at the subject of the Parousia, the future coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have looked at what the Scriptures declare about this singular event.

And, as we see in the 13th verse here, that this made up one of the most basic teachings of the apostles to new believers.

We have seen the eager anticipation of the early church to this culmination of days.

The final act of God’s redemption in this fallen creation.

The physical return of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection of the dead.

The final judgment of all men.

And our entrance into our Eternal home.

We looked last week at the preparation God is making in us right here, right now.

That the sanctification He is accomplishing in us it fitting us for heaven in a very real way.

Like Peter said in 1 Peter 2:5:

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We are being sanctified, being made holy, for our eternity in God’s presence.

But for how many, if we all look deeply within ourselves, does that actually sound boring?

To spend endless ages in praise to God, searching His infinite goodness, beauty, and power?

Spending day after day declaring His holiness, His worth, and His majesty?

Is this your picture of delight for eternity?

I am ashamed to confess to you that there have been times in my life where I thought to myself “Surely heaven must be more than that! More than just an endless worship service; more than simple adoration of God for eternity.”

Sure, we may comfort ourselves with the belief that we will be changed in the Day of Christ into someone who does love all that worship, who will love to praise God day after day.

Changed into someone who does seek God for His own sake, and not for our own.

Or perhaps we tell ourselves that Paradise will have jobs that need to be done, tasks to occupy our time.

But what, according to the Scriptures, will we need that God will not provide in abundance?

Revelation 21:3-4 - the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

There will also be no hunger, no need, no night, no toil, no weariness, no enemy, no strife.

In speaking of the days following the Day of the Lord, Isaiah tells us this:

the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. – Isaiah 11:6-9

What will heaven be like if there is no strife, nothing to guard, no battles to fight?

Listen again to Jesus’s description of the person who is blessed:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. – Matthew 5:3-9

How many believers spend hours of Bible study simply to win the next biblical or doctrinal argument?

How many seek to make themselves more knowledgeable to impress others with their understanding?

How few, those powerful few, are they that spend time with God simply because they love Him and want to spend time with Him?

One man or woman devotedly in love with Jesus Christ will put a thousand scholars to flight!

It is the POOR IN SPIRIT.

It is the MOURNERS.

It is the GENTLE.

It is those who desperately hunger and thirst for righteousness.

It is the MERCIFUL.

It is the PURE, all the way down to their hearts.

It is the people of PEACE.

Those are the ones who have been fitted for heaven.

There is no blessing here for the WISE in this world;

No blessing for the skillful DEBATER.

There is no blessing even for the KNOWLEDGEABLE.

There is not even a blessing here for the great TEACHER.

It is not because these things may not be useful in the service of the gospel;

It is because without these blessed fruits Jesus outlines in Matthew 5, these earthly skills will be for naught.

It is not the GREAT, the most SKILLFUL teacher who will be rewarded in the kingdom of heaven;

It is the FAITHFUL teacher, the one whose heart was sanctified by the work of God here in this life.

Who lived in his own life the things he taught to others.

lest after preaching to others [he] should be disqualified. - 1 Corinthians 9:27

All of us, each of us, must be very careful not only in what we do devotionally, but why.

Do you read the Bible? Why? Because your greatest desire is to ingest the word of God? Or something else?

Do you pray? Why, and for what? How much of that time and prayer is spent simply seeking to be even closer to God?

Is what you do in your times alone with God preparing you for eternity in His presence?

Even more than that – is it making you more hungry for that Day?

And that brings us to the other great description of our Eternal life in Christ: as the bride of Christ.

We see the anticipation of it in Revelation 19:7-8:

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

When you consider it, this analogy is not that much different than the analogy of the living stones:

God inhabits His temple; the Son inhabits His church.

The temple of heaven is eternal; the marriage of the Lamb is also.

The tabernacle of God is with His people; Christ is in you.

God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Colossians 1:27

When Paul uses the same analogy in Ephesians 5:28-30, he is saying the same thing:

So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body.

We are joined to Christ here to prepare us to live with Him forever.

To be in Christ in eternity.

Jesus Himself tells His disciples in John 14:2-3:

I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

He goes to prepare a place to receive His bride, the church.

But not the church as an organization;

The church as His people.

We, who were given by God to Jesus Christ, will be in Him forever, to the praise of His glory. (John 10:29)

So how are you preparing for your marriage to Jesus Christ?

Clothing yourself in righteous acts?

Finding new ways and new reasons to love Him?

Salvation is not just about the wedding; it is about the life together in marriage for eternity.

Although it is the most intimate of relationships we have on earth, don’t get confused by the analogy.

Our eternal relationship with Jesus Christ is not the same as marriages here.

It is deeper, to our very soul.

It is eternally inseparable.

So many consider Jesus Christ and the salvation He gives as simply the ticket to get us into heaven.

But the Bible teaches that our relationship, and our need for, Jesus Christ will endure forever.

The “Day of Christ Jesus” is the day when we come finally to our home with Him.

Not as a tenant, or a lodger, but as a beloved spouse.

The disturbing question is whether we believe we will be content with Jesus Christ for eternity if we have difficulty spending time with Him an hour in this life?

Will our hearts leap within us when we see Him if we are not thrilled by His words here?

If we do not look for Him with anticipation?

If we do not love Him more than anything or anyone?

The promise to all those who have been called to follow Jesus Christ is bound up in our hope to see Him.

The more I consider the first apostles, that is the biggest thing for each of them: they could not wait to be reunited with Jesus.

Their hearts burned within them when they heard His word.

When they were threatened by evil men, they sought only that faithful path that would lead them again to their beloved Master.

This world faded from view, offering nothing of worth, compared to the treasure they had found in Jesus Christ.

It took only one meeting with Jesus on the seashore after the Resurrection for Peter and his companions to give up fishing in the Sea of Galilee for good;

And when Jesus ascended, they longed to go to Him.

Hear the voice of the Bridegroom speaking gently, lovingly to you:

I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!