Title: TipToe Christians - The Return of Jesus
Bible Book: 1 Thessalonians 4
Author: J. Mike Minnix
Subject: Resurrection; Hope; Rapture; Return of Jesus
Objective:
[Editor's Note: There is more here than likely can be preached in one sermon, but one may easily divide this into a two-part sermon series, or simply take what you wish to use and leave out the rest.]
TipToe Christians - The Return of Christ
Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Editor, www.pastorlilfe.com
Introduction
1 Thessalonians 4
One day Jesus is going to come for His people. He will ride upon the clouds and call all who are saved to meet Him in the air. We can and ought to live on tiptoe watching for His return.
There is the story of a little boy who had been to church and heard the preacher talking about such an upward journey to heaven with Jesus. The next week he went with his father to a large building in downtown Atlanta. The elevator shot up at lightning speed, past the fifth floor, then the tenth, it shot past the fifteenth floor, and kept srising like a jet - up, up, up it went. As the elevator roared passed the fiftieth floor, the little boy looked over at his dad, gulped and asked, "Daddy, does God know we’re coming?"
The real question isn't does God know we are coming, but rather it is do people know the Savior is coming one day soon? It is God's plan to have us come home to live with Him one day. He will call all the redeemed to do so. He would have us to understand the nature and manner of the event called the rapture. Not everyone comprehends this subject properly, even if they are Christians. In fact, there was a church in the Bible that needed instruction concerning the coming of the Lord.
- The church at Thessalonica had problems understanding the return of Jesus Christ.
- They did not have the problems of Galatia - that of being legalistic.
- Nor did they have the problems of Ephesus – the church that worked hard but had left its first love - Jesus.
- They did not have the problems of Corinth - that of being divided with different groups desiring to control the agenda of the church fellowship.
- The Church at Thessalonica totally misunderstood the doctrine of the return of Jesus.
It is fortunate for us that Thessalonica had this problem, because this issue was part of the reason that Paul penned two letters to this church. Let's look at the subject of Christ's return under four headings.
I. Grieving
It appears that the Church at Thessalonica heard that Jesus was coming soon and they apparently were preparing for His coming. They got ready for Him to come, but He did not come as quickly as they had estimated He would, and that left them confused. They misunderstood time in its eternal sense. In eternal terms, Christ has been back in heaven less than three days, for we are told that a thousand years is as a day to the Lord.
2 Peter 3:8 states...
"But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (NKJV)
The Thessalonians became alarmed at what they saw as a delay in the return of Jesus. Why were they so dismayed? The Thessalonians felt that anyone who died before Jesus returned missed the kingdom and would not be taken to heaven. The fact of Christ's return was obscure to them, so Paul wrote to them to correct their ignorance.
The Thessalonians grieved over their loved ones like the world grieves when someone dies. Paul wrote to tell them not to grieve like the rest of the world. Now, do not misunderstand this, Paul did not tell them not to grieve at all. When someone we love passes from this life, it causes us great emotional stress, even if we are Christians. However, we do not grieve as world grieves. Paul wrote to tell the Thessalonian Christians that the world has no hope following death. In fact, this world has no hope at all in its attempt to create a perfect civilization. That doesn’t mean that we are to be passive in seeking to make our world this best place it can be, for believers and unbelievers, but we are told that sin has scarred this old world and continues to rend hearts, homes and lives apart every day.
There is, however, hope for the human race and that hope is found in Christ alone. He makes our lives abundant now and promises us a utopia beyond this life.
In the 1800s people came to believe that the world could be made perfect. Then WWI came. After it was over, the people called it "the war to end all wars." Then came WWII, with Adolf Hitler. The world was not getting better, then and it certainly isn't getting better now. It is the same as it has always been. Today we face terrorists who behead people, blow up women and children and are determined to make slaves of the entire earth. We have been enduring a worldwide pandemic with Covid 19. Now we have war in Ukraine, and that war may bleed over into all Europe - even to a point of engulfing the world. This world will never be as God meant it to be until Jesus returns. Indeed, a person who has life only in this world has a right to grieve even before death occurs.
The writer Everett L. Fullam pointed out that when an eagle senses it is about to die, it leaves its nest, files to a rock, fastens its talons on it, looks straight into the setting sun, and dies. He told how his father, who was a Christian, "saw beyond the sun," just before he died. Unexpectedly awakening from a coma, the dying man spoke appreciatively to each family member at his bedside. Then, noticing the tears coursing down their cheeks, he told them that if they could hear what he had been hearing and see what he had just seen, they would not want him to recover. Finally, gathering up his last ounce of strength, he exclaimed, "Rejoice with me! This is my crowning day." With that he died. What joy, what jubilation there is for the child of God who goes out to meet God. Only Christ can provide such joy in death.
II. Believing
Next we are told that the Christian believes some things that are very important. We believe! The Bible does not say we ought to believe, but that "we believe." We believe that Jesus died and rose again. We believe in a living Lord. We believe this, if we are indeed Christians. This is the foundation of the Christian faith.
The word "will" is used six times in just a few verses. There is no chance that Jesus will not do what he promised to do. There are some things that "will" happen. You can bank on it! You can believe it! You can put your faith in it!
The resurrection of Jesus is the proof of our resurrection. How do we know that we will be raised? How do we know that Jesus will come again? How do we know that our loved ones in Christ will be with us in the rapture? It is all based on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jesus rose and He is the first fruits of all those that shall be raised.
Note the word "sleep" which Paul used in our text for today. Does this mean that our souls sleep in the grave until they are awakened in the rapture? In the days of Paul there were two words for death. One spoke of a horrible death and the other spoke of a pleasant death. Paul used both. He spoke of the death of Jesus as a horrible death. The death of Jesus was horrific, indeed. But when Paul spoke of the Christian's death, he spoke of it as sleep. He used a word to express the pleasant nature of Christian death. Jesus died in our sins, but the Christian simply falls asleep in the arms of Christ who rose from the grave.
Those of us who have trusted in the death and resurrection of Jesus, having confessed our sins and recognized Him as Lord, will never have to die the way Jesus died. Paul is telling the Thessalonian Christians not to carry their loved ones out to the grave grieving like the world.
Then, look at the word ...
III. Leaving
Verse 15 - We are going to leave this world when Jesus comes for us.
A. The Return
Note the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The return of the Lord is going to be personal. "Jesus, Himself, will come." He is not sending a chariot for us - He is coming in PERSON to take us home.
Once the great preacher McCheyne asked several men in a room if they expected Jesus to come today. They said, "No." McCheyne said, "In such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." Yes, He is coming and it could be today.
We are going to be leaving this world and we are to live in the reality of that truth. We must live daily as if this very day is the day our Lord shall come for us. The Christian is to be so deeply love the Savior that he is constantly watching for His return. The Christian willingly treads the unpleasant roads of this life because of the glorious future that awaits him. An anonymous poet put it like this:
“One little hour of watching for the Master,
Eternal years to walk with Him in white;
One little hour to bravely meet life's duties,
Eternal years to reign with Him in light.
One little hour for weary toils and trials,
Eternal years for calm and peaceful rest;
One little hour for patient self‑denials,
Eternal years of life where life is best.”
B. The Resurrection
The Lord Himself will come with a shout! You recall that Jesus had the stone moved and and then called Lazarus from the tomb. He will do that on the day of the rapture for all those who have trusted Him. No place of burial or death can keep us from being taken up to be with Him.
D. L. Moody said, "I am glad there's a depth in the Bible I know nothing about, for it shows its Divine authorship. A man once came to me with a very difficult passage and said, `Mr. Moody, how do you explain that?' I replied, `I don't.' `But how do you interpret it?' `I don't interpret it.' `Well, how do you understand it?' `I don't understand it.' `What do you do with it?' `I believe it! I believe many things I don't understand. In John 3, Jesus reminded Nicodemus that if he was unable to grasp earthly things, heavenly things would be far beyond him. Nature itself is filled with wonders we cannot fathom so how can we expect to know everything spiritual?'"
C. The Rapture
He shall come Fully! What do I mean? Just think of it like this...
1. ForceFULLY
No one can stop or delay His coming again.
2. RightFULLY
This is His earth and we are His people.
3. JoyFULLY
What joy on earth for believers and what joy in heaven for a homecoming day.
A true story is told about a distinguished man, the only white person buried in a Georgia cemetery reserved exclusively for blacks. He had lost his mother when he was just a baby. His father, who never married again, hired a black woman named Mandy to help raise his son. She was a Christian, and she took her task seriously. Seldom has a motherless boy received such warmhearted attention. One of his earliest memories was of her bending over him in his upstairs bedroom and softly saying, "Wake up, my boy! Mornin' is come." As the years passed, this devoted woman continued to serve as his substitute mother. The young man went away to college, but when he would come home each summer she would climb the stairs again - more slowly now - and call him in the same loving way. One day after he had become a successful statesman, the sad message came, "Mandy is dead. Can you attend her funeral?" As he stood by her grave in the cemetery, he turned to his friends and said, "If I die before Jesus comes, I want to be buried here beside Mandy. I like to think that on resurrection day she'll speak to me again and say, `Wake up, my boy, God's mornin' is come!'"
D. Reunion
We will meet Him and all believers in the air. We will meet the great believers of the past. All those who have trusted the Lord will meet in a great union. Most importantly, we will desire to see our Savior first of all!
E. Residence
We shall ever be with the Lord, and we shall occupy the Home He described in John 14.
The promise of Christ should improve us in several ways.
1. First, our Worship is Improved
We are praising and worshiping the King of Kings who is coming for us one day. Our worship is improved greatly, if we understand the promise of His coming.
2. Second our Witness is Improved
When we are aware and conscious of His coming, we know that our time is limited to share the love of God with those around us. We must work for the night is coming when on one can work for the Lord.
3. Third our Walk with Christ here and now is Improved
A pastor who visited an one‑room country school many years ago. As he was leaving, he promised the children that he would come again, but he did not indicate when. He also said that when he returned, he was going to give a prize to the child who had the cleanest desk. After he left, one of the girl, who was notorious for her cluttered desk, announced that she was going to win the award. Her schoolmates laughed out loud at her statement. "Your desk is always a mess!" they said. Mary responded, "From now on, I'm going to clean it out every Monday morning.” One of her friends asked, "Suppose the man comes on Friday?" Mary quickly answered, "That's no problem, I'll clean it out every morning." Then her friends asked, "But what if he comes at the end of the day?" Mary was silent for a moment and then her face lit up. "I know what I'll do! I'll just keep my desk clean all the time!"
That's the kind of attitude Christians should have in the light of the promised return of Christ.
IV. Relieving
He closes the chapter by telling them to encourage one another. He told the story of the rapture to relieve their broken hearts and to lift their spirits. He told the story to relieve the pressure of this world upon their minds and lives. He wrote to them about the return of Jesus and all the promise it holds for Christians to relieve their feeling of hopelessness in this broken world.
Conclusion
Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ's second coming, Roy W. Gustafson said that in southern England there is a village with the curious name of Tiptoe. It seemed natural to call it that because years ago before the streets were paved and sidewalks were installed, the muddy condition of the lanes in that area often made it necessary for the people to walk on tiptoe. Gustafson remarked, "The child of God who walks the streets of this life faces a similar situation. He is to go forward on the tiptoe of expectancy, not only because of his evil surroundings, but also because he is waiting for Someone who is coming very soon!"
Are you ready, if Jesus comes today? You can be. Are you downhearted because of some issue you or your family is facing? Look up, dear Christian friend, Christ is coming for you! Stand on tiptoe - your Lord is coming to take you out of this muddy world.
