1 Thessalonians 1:6-10- Wait For His Son From Heaven

J Patrick McDonald

1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted 8 months ago • Presented 3 years ago

1 Thessalonians 1:6–10

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6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Target Date: Sunday, 3 April 2022

Word Study/ Translation Notes:

Wait - ἀναμένω – to await. – active voice

The infinitive ἀναμένειν (“to await”) is a hapax legomenon not only in Paul but also in the NT as a whole.

The picture is of someone waiting for a promised arrival in spite of the distractions, doubts, and opposition.

In “waiting” on the return of Jesus Christ, we confess

that our salvation, while accomplished, is not yet complete.

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

That His appearing is more to be desired than anything else.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

That our life is no more built on the desires of this world, nor our hopes in this world’s system.

Believers live anticipating a coronation (2 Tim 4:8) rather than a condemnation.”

That all our hope is found in His appearing.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to 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, Christ Jesus, - Titus 2:11-13

so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ - 1 Corinthians 1:7

The deity of Jesus Christ: only God can return, not only from the dead, but from beyond – from heaven.

This passage can be seen as a group of bullet points:

Knowing…His choice of you

Gospel not in word only

But in power

And the Holy Spirit

And with full conviction.

You saw what manner of men we were

And you became imitators of us

and the Lord

Having received the word in tribulation

With the joy of the Holy Spirit

To the result that you became an example to all the believers around you,

And your example is still rippling out

They are proclaiming YOUR testimony (to God’s glory)

And you hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

You hope in the return of Jesus Christ

3 Great Evidences of God’s Election:

5 – Their faithful initial response to the gospel.

6-7 – Their faithful growth in the gospel.

8-10 – Their faithful proclamation of the gospel.

Thoughts on the Passage:

Part of Paul’s mission proclamation included the promise of the return of Jesus from heaven to complete the eschatological events begun with his resurrection. This was a foundational belief both of Paul’s apocalyptic theology (see Beker, Paul the Apostle, 135–181) and of earliest Christianity in general (see Hengel, Between Jesus and Paul, 48–64, esp. 60; Schillebeeckx, Jesus, 410–416).

From Peter’s Second Sermon in Acts 3:19-21:

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, - Ephesians 1:19-20

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, - 1 Peter 3:21-22

I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” – Matthew 26:64

His coming is seldom called his return (Jn 14:3); because the two advents are regarded as different phases of the same coming; and the second coming shall have features altogether new connected with it, so that it will not be a mere repetition of the first, or a mere coming back again.

And to wait. The faith of the Thessalonians took the form of hope or expectation for the coming of the Lord; an element of Christian feeling, perhaps, not so prominent in the present day. For his Son from heaven; referring to the second advent. Christ on his departure from this world went to heaven, where he resides, making intercession for us, but from thence he will come to judge the quick and the dead. In the primitive Church the advent of Christ was not regarded as at a distance, but as an event which might at any moment occur.

The expectation of the advent. Believers are here described as waiting for the Son of God from heaven. Certainty of the fact of the advent; Christ shall come from heaven. Uncertainty of the time of the advent; “Of that day knoweth no man, not even the angels who are in heaven.” It would appear that the early Christians believed that Christ might come at any time, even in their days; the first advent, being so recent, excited within them the expectation of the immediateness of the second. Hence the doctrine of the second advent occupied a much more prominent place in the thoughts of the primitive Christians than it does in ours. It was to them a living power; believers then lived in constant expectation of the coming of the Lord; whereas the teaching of the present day has in a measure passed from it; its uncertainty, instead of exciting us to holiness and watchfulness, is too often abused as an encouragement to sloth and security.

Does it thrill us to anticipate the return of Christ?

Applications:

For the Christian:

Does it thrill us to anticipate the return of Christ? Are we moved by the love of our beloved Lord, or do we dread the end of this age and its lusts?

Sermon Text:

We come again this week to this great passage.

In the past weeks I have pointed out that these verses, from verse 4 to 10, describe the evidences the writers of this letter saw in the genuineness of the faith of the Thessalonian believers.

But I would like to remind you of a point I made some weeks ago – that these verses also describe the basic teaching these missionaries had taught to these new converts in Thessalonica.

This passage, then, gives us a glimpse into the most basic doctrines taught in the early church, particularly to a largely Gentile congregation.

And I would invite you to look through each of these evidences and doctrines, noting particularly what lies at the root of each:

Their abiding devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they had not seen in the flesh, but who had called them through the Spirit.

Power,

Full Conviction,

Imitation of the Lord,

Joy in the Holy Spirit,

Endurance in tribulation,

Faith in Christ bursting forth,

Abandonment of idols,

Service to God,

Anticipation of His Appearing,

Confidence in His resurrection,

And rescue from God’s wrath by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Every one of these things listed in these verses flows out of their love and devotion toward God in Jesus Christ.

There would, no doubt, be more they would learn to be mature, complete believers.

These two letters from Paul and his companions give correction for some of their immaturities.

But these things are foundational to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I would not argue that they are listed in their order of importance, but they, as a whole, I think, represent the teaching of the primitive church.

We have looked at most of these things in detail over the last several weeks,

And I would like to continue in this list today by looking at the vital doctrine of the Appearing – the Parousia – of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But I would like to begin with a caution to us all:

There is a vast difference in the doctrine of Christ’s Appearing, often called the “Second Coming” and the theories men have gleaned from scriptures regarding HOW or WHEN Jesus will return, called “eschatology”.

The doctrine that our Lord Jesus Christ will return one day for the final Judgement of all people is not negotiable – it is a fundamental doctrine of the church.

The question or theories that circle this doctrine as to times, methods, order, elements, or other specific maps or plans – these are what are called eschatology.

Each one I have found, and there are hundreds of theories, claims some verse or set of verses in support of their understanding, thus giving them ALL a biblical basis.

Some may have more evidence in numbers of verses, and some fewer, but all have some basis in a reading of Scripture.

All, when held dogmatically, forget the words of Jesus:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. – Matthew 24:36

At best, these theories of eschatology provide believers with something to gently discuss over a cup of coffee or tea,

whetting our appetites for the Appearing of Christ, when we will discover by sight what we can never work out by prediction.

At worst, these theories have created divisions so severe that brothers have split over their equally-biblical postulates.

With no apology, I will say that this pulpit is no place for theories nor speculation,

And even if I backed up my personal theory with a mountain of scriptural evidence,

It would still be a theory, and unworthy of this desk where truth is to be proclaimed.

On the other hand, though, I would also invite people who have questions regarding eschatology to feel free to bring them up to the elders,

And we can certainly search the Scriptures together to try to find an answer.

Unfortunately for many of these theories, they run far past the revelation of God in the Scriptures with speculation.

So in this, as with any other question regarding God’s Word, we must go only so far as God has gone and no further.

If He has chosen to leave a detail in the secrets of His own counsel, we must trust His wisdom and goodness in faith that we do not need to work out THAT question.

For these reasons, this morning, I would like to stick to the clear teaching of Scripture regarding the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those firm doctrinal elements on which every part of Scripture agrees in full with no real difficulty.

It is those that distil down to the words of the creed we speak every Lord’s Day:

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

This is what the Thessalonian believers were waiting for: the coming of Jesus Christ from heaven.

Just a word on the terminology:

It is ok to talk about Jesus’s Second Coming,

His Appearing.

His Return.

His Revealing (or Revelation).

Or the Day of the Lord.

Each of these is a different term in Greek, and they are used interchangeably to describe the same event, the one described in, among other places, Acts 1:9-11:

And after [Jesus] had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

I tend to use the term “Appearing” because I think it conveys important aspects of the return of Christ: the suddenness and surprise, along with the idea that He is here unseen, which I think is important.

But it makes no difference if you use one or all the terms – the Apostle Paul used them all at one time or another.

I have heard people theorize that each of these terms points to a different event, but I have not found the evidence to hold up.

It seems to be much more in line with the evidence of Scripture that the use of the different terms is designed to highlight a different aspect of the singular return of Jesus Christ.

Causing us by the word chosen to see a coronation, or an unveiling, or a sudden bolt of lightning in the use of the terms.

So what must we believe about the Appearing of Jesus Christ?

1. He is, most assuredly, coming again.

2. His return will be unexpected and sudden.

3. His return will be from heaven.

4. His return will complete our salvation.

5. His return will result in the final judgment.

1. Jesus Christ is, most assuredly, coming again.

We see in our passage this morning, these Thessalonian believers were WAITING for His Son from heaven…

This word for “wait” is only used once in the New Testament, but it has rich shades of meaning.

The word describes anticipating and waiting for a promised arrival in spite of doubts, distractions, and obstacles.

Like a boat on the sea that is sitting at anchor awaiting another that has promised to come alongside, but doing so in the middle of a storm.

There would be little use to wait for the Lord if He was never to return.

so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ - 1 Corinthians 1:7

All these verses refer to the same promise of Jesus from Matthew 24:29-31:

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Coming in the clouds.

With power and great glory.

To gather His elect.

It is no wonder that His church anticipates His return so much.

For those whose hearts are not moved by the anticipation of His return, why are you not?

Do you love or rely on the things of this world so much for your worth or happiness?

Have you given up on His return? Have you lost faith He will ever return?

Have you grown weary of watching?

Each generation of believers has believed they might be the last before His return.

And that is exactly the way we should live.

Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. - Matthew 24:45-46

2. The return of Jesus Christ will be unexpected and sudden.

We can stay in this 24th chapter of Matthew, looking to verses 42-44:

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. – Matthew 24:42-44

And even when it is unexpected and sudden, it will also be universally recognized:

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. – Matthew 24:24-27

One of the distinguishing marks of the Appearing of our Lord is that He will not come as a baby in a manger, but as the powerful Lord of glory, coming to save His people and destroy His enemies.

On that day, just like the day of a man’s death, there will be no more opportunity for grace if he has not cried out to God through Jesus Christ to be saved.

The time of God’s common grace will be over; the Day of His Judgment will begin.

3. His Return will be from heaven.

Like we saw a couple of minutes ago, false Christs will walk the earth;

The true Christ will split the sky.

He has already risen from the earth, the tomb of death;

He will return from where He went – heaven – the sky.

At His trial, Jesus told the high priest:

I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” – Matthew 26:64

Just like our creed says: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, - 1 Peter 3:21-22

4. His return will complete our salvation.

We will look more at this, God willing, in the coming weeks.

But while our salvation is fully accomplished, it is not yet fully complete.

By that I mean that while we who are in Christ are saved eternally,

Our struggle with the flesh, sin, and the world’s lust remains.

We are not yet free from those influences that would tempt us away from our God.

When our Lord returns, our salvation will be complete.

The great promise found in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 should make us shout with joy and hope:

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. His return will result in the final judgment – the Day of the Lord.

The Old Testament prophets looked at that day and proclaimed repentance to the people of their day.

The apostles and faithful followers of Jesus Christ proclaimed and continue to proclaim the need for repentance prior to that day.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. – 2 Peter 3:10

In this way, God will erase the fallen things, making everything new, unblemished.

For His children, paradise will be remade.

For His enemies, His full wrath will be poured out.

They will hear the terrible words:

Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; - Matthew 25:41

So how shall we who are in Christ live until that day?

We live in hope – looking forward to the day when our struggle against sin is over forever.

We live in obedience – training ourselves in righteousness.

We live in godliness – allowing our light shine in the darkness of our world so that others may come to glorify God.