The Lord is coming

1 Thessalonians chapter 1, Paul's letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 1, verse 10. To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from wrath to come. Chapter 2, chapter 2, verse 19.

For what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. Now chapter 3, verse 13. To the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even your father, at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Now chapter 4, verse 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Now chapter 5, verse 23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord will bless to us the reading from his good word. You read the Gospels and you're impressed the Lord is coming. One verse.

Behold the bridegroom cometh. So we read the Gospels and we notice the Lord is coming. We come to the Acts of the Apostles and we read a verse like this.

This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go. You read the book of the Revelation and as our brother has just read to us, behold I come quickly, behold I come quickly, surely I come quickly, the Lord is coming. And I've read today from the book of the Thessalonians and in every chapter we have read today that the Lord is coming.

I'm one today who believes this. Many a truth needs to be revived amongst us, and the truth of the Lord's coming needs to be revived amongst us as the people of God. Now what I'm going to do today very quickly, I'm going to go through this epistle and we're going to notice certain things about the Lord's coming.

Now for example, when I come to chapter 1, it's the expectation of the saints. Those saints are waiting, and those saints are waiting expectantly for the Lord Jesus Christ to come. It's the expectation of the saints.

When I come to chapter 2, I notice it's the reward of the servant. Listen to what he says, what is our hope? What is our joy? What is our crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye at the presence of the Lord Jesus at his coming, for ye are our glory and joy. It's linked with the reward of the servant.

When I come to the chapter 3, it's more or less linked with the revelation of the saints. Notice what he says in chapter 3, at his coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with, not for, with all his saints. It's linked with the revelation of the saint in chapter 3. When I come to chapter 4, it's linked with the reunion of the saints.

The dead in Christ are going to rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, we're going to be caught up in clouds to meet the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. It's linked with the reunion of the saints.

But then when I come to chapter 5, it's linked with the perfection of the saints. I pray God that your spirit, soul, and body might be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what I'm going to do this afternoon very quickly, and there'll be lots of time for others.

What I'm going to do this afternoon very quickly is this. I'm going to go through those five chapters, and I'm going to show you how the Lord's coming should affect us. Let's think of chapter 1. In the light of the Lord's coming, no room for idols in the heart.

Listen to what you read in chapter 1. They turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven. I want to emphasize it. In the light of the Lord's coming, there should be no idols in the heart.

Someone has said this. Some have idols. I have three.

Kelly, Bellet, and JND. Remember, a preacher could become an idol. What did the old sister say? The old sister says, the saints shall do three things with you.

First of all, they'll idolize you, and then they'll utilize you, and then they'll scandalize you. No room for idols in the heart. Now, three things very quickly.

Sometimes in the Bible, we're exhorted to stand fast. Paul says to the Corinthians, stand fast in the faith. That's what they needed.

Paul said to the Galatians, stand fast in the liberty. That's what they needed. Paul said to the Philippians, stand fast with one mind, one soul, striving together for the faith of the gospel.

Paul said to the Thessalonians, we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. So remember, child of God, sometimes you and I have to stand fast. But then secondly, sometimes we've to hold fast.

Ever play tug-of-war? Remember the children's picnic? If you don't have a good foothold, you won't have a good handhold. Listen today to what the Bible says, prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Listen again to what the Bible says.

The Bible says this, that which ye have, hold fast till I come. So my point is this, sometimes we've to stand fast. Other times, we've to hold fast.

But my point this afternoon, dear child of God, is this, sometimes you and I, we've to run fast. I remember reading this, it stuck to the side of my memory. Mind you, you've got two sides to your memory.

You've a sticky side and you've a dummy side. And I remember the brother I owe much to, if he was going to say something important, he would say this, put this on the sticky side of your memory. Now what I'm emphasizing this afternoon is this, and I want to speak to every young brother, and I want to speak to every young sister, and I want to speak to every older brother, and I want to speak to every older sister, and it's this, remember, some sins demand flight rather than fight.

David stood where Joseph fled. Joseph triumphed where David failed. Now listen, young brother, young sister, to three verses.

Flee fornication. That's what Paul says to the Corinthians. Flee youthful lust.

That's what Paul says to Timothy. But then come again, we have to flee idolatry. And living in the light of the Lord's coming, chapter 1, there will be no room for idols in the heart.

Now chapter 2, very quickly, no room for slothfulness in the life. You go through this epistle and you'll notice the thought of labor, and you'll notice the thought of work. Go through the epistle, chapter 1, work of faith, labor of love, Mark the Saints.

Chapter 2, ye know our labor untravail. Chapter 3, that our labor be not in vain. Chapter 4, mind your own business.

Study to be quiet. Work with your own hands. And I come to chapter 5. We've heard about shepherds today.

Listen to chapter 5. Know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord. So when I come to chapter 2, in the light of the Lord's coming, remember no slothfulness in the life. When I come to chapter 3, in the light of the Lord's coming, no division in the fellowship.

Now for example, what is an assembly? Sometimes we speak about an assembly being a flock. Other times we speak about an assembly being a field. Other times we speak about an assembly being a family.

Listen to what Paul says in chapter 3. He says this, I want you to increase and abound in love, one towards another and towards all men. I tell you today, dear child of God, an assembly, it's a fellowship of life. It's a fellowship of liberty, and it's a fellowship of love.

And I believe in the light of the Lord's coming. No division in the fellowship. The importance of love, one towards another.

When I come to chapter 4, very quickly, no depression in the mind. Listen to what Paul says to the Thessalonians. He says this, we sorrow not as others, which have no hope.

We heard about separation yesterday from our brother Scott. You read the Thessalonian epistle, and you'll discover this. Those Thessalonians had to be different in three different ways as from the world.

You might say to me this afternoon, what are the three different ways? You come to chapter 5, you read a verse like this, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. And the thought is this, the sleep that marks the world should never mark you and I as the people of God. And that word sleep simply means this, carnal indifference to spiritual things.

So the sleep that marks the world should not mark you and I as the people of God. Secondly, the sin that marks this world should not mark you as the people of God. Listen to what Paul says in chapter 4. He says this, not in evil concupiscence as the Gentiles, which know not God.

And then thirdly, the sorrow that marks this world should not mark you and I as the people of God. Let me ask you a question this afternoon. How long did Egypt weep for Jacob? How long did Joseph weep for Jacob? You turn to the book of Genesis 50, you'll discover this.

Egypt mourned 70 days for Jacob. Joseph mourned seven days for Jacob. I say this Paul, we sorrow not as others, which have no hope.

Now finally, very quickly, the sin, I pray God, that your whole spirit, soul, and body might be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me stop for one moment and ask this audience a question. Have you ever noticed in reading the Bible the far effect that sin has? The far effect that sin has.

Notice six things very quickly. Sin affects God. Sin affects Christ.

Sin affects the Holy Spirit. Sin affects the assembly. There's a sin that affects the spirit.

There's a sin that affects the body, and there's a sin that affects the soul. And I'll prove that before I sit down, the far-reaching effect that sin has. Does sin affect God? Listen today to the words of Joseph.

How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Sin affects God. Does sin affect Christ? You turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, listen to the verse. If you sin against a brother and you wound his weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

Does sin affect the Holy Spirit? Acts chapter 5 says this. Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? Why have ye agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? I believe there's a sin that affects our body. There's a sin that affects our spirit, and there's a sin that affects our soul.

Let's take the body first. Every sin that a man committeth is without the body. But he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

Sin against the body. Sin against our spirit. Brother Scott quoted 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1 yesterday.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourself from all filthiness of the flesh, the body, and the spirit, the mind, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. What about the soul? You vexed his righteous soul from day to day. Habit living in the light of the soon-coming Lord Jesus.

And remember, the Bible says this, in a very little while, he that shall come will come and shall not die.