1st Principles of the 2nd Coming

I don't know who to credit with this phrase, but it is true to a certain degree: promises were made to be broken. We who live in this "human condition" as my friend, Bob Sweeney refers to living in the flesh, often fail to fulfill promises that we make to each other. Fortunately for us, Jesus does not break His promises. One such promise is the one He gave to His apostles about His second coming when He said "...I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (Jn. 14:3). The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a promise that we are still waiting on today, and we are confident that it will be fulfilled.

In the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul takes some time to address some important matters pertaining to the second coming. The text comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:9-5:11. As we take a look at the message he wanted to get across to them, let us try to understand these 1^st Principles of the 2^nd Coming.

Principles of Propriety (9-12)

Evidently some of the Thessalonians had quit working because they wanted to make sure they weren’t going to miss the second coming of Christ (11). He tells them to “...behave properly toward outsiders...” (12), which would imply they were behaving improperly. Propriety is proper behavior (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/propriety). Paul goes on to provide more information in the second letter in chapter three about these people who were living in an undisciplined manner, living an unruly life and were therefore unacceptable. This was causing all kinds of problems among the brethren. An inference I might make here is that their love for the brethren in Macedonia was complimentary (10) but it seems the disturbances were caused in Thessalonica due to their impropriety. Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but it does seem likely given the context.

Paul gives them three specific commands to get them back on the right track. The first thing he says is “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (11). This word quiet is “said of those who are not running hither and thither, but stay at home and mind their business” (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/hesuchazo.html). It is interesting that phrase can be defined that way because Paul says as the second thing “attend to your own business” (11). We can apply this even to our lives today. We need to be bodies who are busy, but not busybodies. In the old cartoon, Scooby-Doo, one of the villains is known for saying “I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids.” He was trying to say they needed to stay out of his business.

What we need to do as Christians is find a way to avoid the extremes pertaining to ourselves and others. Paul says “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). However, Peter says one of the thing we shouldn’t suffer for is being a “troublesome meddler” (1 Pet. 4:15). There are three neighbors nobody likes: Nosy Rosie, Busybody Bobby and Snoopy Sally. We’ve got to find a way to be involved in the lives of others without sticking our noses in their business. Hank Williams’ song had the line in there “mind your own business and you won’t be minding mine.” That’s what Paul was trying to tell the Thessalonians.

The third thing he commands them is to “work with your hands” (11). Paul demonstrated this among them, as he says “...with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you” (2 Thess. 3:8). He goes on to say “...if anyone will not work, neither let him eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). They wouldn’t have time to be busybodies if they would stay busy with their bodies at work. People who are able to support themselves should do that. There are others in the world whom we should help support because of various reasons, but not those who are able to work.

Principles of Precedence (13-18)

Sometimes children have a battle over who gets to go first, such as lining up at school or for a ride, etc. There’s something about who gets to go first. Paul takes the time to explain to the Thessalonians that their dead loved ones were not only going to be there for the second coming, but they were actually going first. As he’s telling them this good news, he lays out the order of events on that day. “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 shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air...” (16-17).

Notice that Christians are the only ones being addressed in this resurrection that Paul describes. Precedence determines residence. Children of God, both those who are asleep and those who are alive will be resurrected prior to the resurrection of the children of the Devil. Judgment begins with the household of God (1 Pet. 4:17), and this resurrection described in Thessalonians takes place before the judgment. Though there is one general judgment, Jesus describes the fate of those who are saved and those who are lost (Jn. 5:29).

Jesus is coming back prior to the judgment, according to Mt. 25:31ff. However, notice that it doesn’t say anywhere that He will set foot on the earth. There is no rapture that will take place as some have advocated, nor a reign by Christ for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4 is figurative). I won’t take the time to elaborate on the falsity of this theory, but I did want to bring it up since we’re dealing with the second coming of Christ. Regarding the outcome of that day, notice that the Christians are the ones who will always be with the Lord (17).

Principles of Preparation (5:1-11)

There’s a song by the Temptations where they sing “get ready cause here I come.” We know about the idea of preparation. We prepare for many things in life: school, work, vacation, etc. We get prepared so that when the time comes we are ready to act. Paul told the Thessalonians they knew the Lord was coming as a thief in the night (2). This means we don’t know when He coming, so we have to be prepared. Jesus said “...if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect” (Lk. 12:39-40). Jesus elsewhere said that He didn’t even know when He would be coming back, but only His Father knew (Mt. 24:36). Look back to this great chapter for more descriptions of the return of Christ which I will not place in this sermon.

Preparation station requires reservation. Are you one who sleeps, or are you one who is sober? Paul uses these terms to describe the preparation or lack thereof by people. Sleeping is something that people do at night when bad things happen (7). Sober people are alert and are able to be on the watch, especially pertaining to the coming of Christ (8). Paul uses the word sleep in two different contexts here. He used it in chapter four pertaining to those who had died. He starts out using it in chapter five pertaining to those who are not ready spiritually for the coming of Christ, but then he transitions back to the sleep of death in verse ten.

He finishes up this section by telling the brethren to “...encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing” (11). We’re all in this together, and we need to encourage one another to be ready for the day when Christ returns. In his exhortation to the church at Thessalonica, he taught them about propriety: proper behavior was expected of them; he taught them about precedence: their dead loved ones would actually precede those who were still alive at the resurrection; he taught them about preparation: they needed to be ready because the Lord was coming as a thief in the night. 1^st principles of the 2^nd coming are just as applicable for those of us today who are waiting on the Lord to return.