Devotional Materials. Week Commencing Sunday 5th Sept. 2021
Call to worship
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits for him, my soul looks for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130: 5, 6
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2: 9-11
Hymn (keyboards)
‘At the name of Jesus.’ 41 MP
Caroline Maria Noel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7w-tDjlpgk
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus we do indeed worship you this morning. Yours is the name above every name. We marvel at your wonderful love for us- leaving the glories of heaven and in great humility being made nothing, found in human likeness. We see your love in healing the sick, doing good, showing patience, and continually giving yourself to the disciples and the crowds. At the same time making yourself vulnerable to envious and proud attack- even crucified.
But in the great redemptive purposes of God even this was turned around in order to bring us salvation. In your perfect sacrifice our sins are forgiven. Death had no hold on you, you are raised and ascended, seated above every power and authority.
Since your first coming, your light and truth have shone out, extending from nation to nation. We look forward to your return. Your Second Coming, when your glory will blaze out like the noonday sun. When all evil will be expelled and your kingdom, the home of righteousness, peace and love will be established forever.
‘Great God, in whom we live, prepare us for that day. Help us in Jesus to believe, to watch, and wait and pray.’ Amen
Reading. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Hymn (Guitar)
‘There’s a place where the streets shine’ MP 1011
Paul Oakley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k_meEp3cjk
Prayers
Prayer of Confession
We must give account of our stewardship; let us ask forgiveness for our sin and failure:
Lord, we have not used your gifts wisely; forgive us for being unprofitable.
Lord we have not kept brightly burning the light you entrusted to us: forgive us for being unprepared.
Lord, we have sometimes ended the day in anger or bitterness: forgive us for being unrepentant, in your mercy hear us and help us.
Renew our vision, restore our watchfulness, make us faithful as you are faithful, that when you come in glory we may hear you say: ‘Enter into the joy of your Lord.’
Prayer of intercession
Lord you come to us in power, to send us out in your Name. Strengthen us to proclaim the Good News without fear.
May we be able to say ‘Here is your God’, and show forth your glory in the land. We pray for preachers of the word, ministers and missionaries, for all who lead worship, for choirs and organists. We pray for spiritual leaders and writers, for all who seek to witness to your love.
We pray for all who influence the minds of your people: for the press and for broadcasters, for those who through the spoken or written word affect the way we live. We pray for teachers and leaders of young people, for all who make decisions about our future or set us standards to follow, for all who influence our minds and hearts.
Lord, in our homes let us be wise in our use of words that we may dwell in love and peace with each other. We pray for the gift of good communication. We remember all who have stopped speaking to each other. We pray for areas where words are used to hurt, for homes where there is abuse, and places where there is violence and cruelty.
Lord, you restore, you forgive, you bring peace. We pray for broken people, for the broken hearted and the broken spirited. We pray for the guilt ridden, for the disturbed, for those who are unable to communicate with others, that they may know your peace and your love. (David Adam)
We remember friends and loved ones who are ill (pause)
As we wait for your coming in glory, we remember those of our number who have gone to be with you. One day we and all who have died in you will be reunited and raised with you forever. We thank you for this glorious hope. Give us opportunity and make us willing to take the gospel of good news and assured hope to others who do not know you. Amen
Hymn (Keyboards)
‘These are the days of Elijah’ 1012 MP
Robin Mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Tpnytkxaw
Sermon. ‘The Second Coming of Christ’. Part 4.
We now come to the final part of this short series on the Second Coming of Christ.
Over the first two weeks (1/8/21, 8/8/21) we looked at the timing of Christ’s return. We saw that essentially the time of the second coming of Christ is unknown. The signs of the end times were given not to argue dates, but to warn and to strengthen faith. When such things happen- and some of the signs are being fulfilled in our generation- we can be assured that God hasn’t lost control or that His plan has gone off course. But the better is to come ‘look up your redemption draws near’.
We have also looked at what will happen when Christ returns: every eye will see him, every ear will hear him (15/8/21). It will be a glorious return. There will be resurrection and transformation. There will be judgment; the unbelieving will receive their condemnation, the believing everlasting life.
Today we think about how we can be ready for Christ’s return. What should be our attitude now? The Bible never gives mere information about the future. Rather, knowing about the Second Coming should influence our character and conduct in the present.
Watchful
We need to be watchful. If Christ’s return is sudden, unexpected then we need to watch. To some extent this can mean to watch for the signs described by Jesus preluding his second coming. The signs we looked at in the first two sessions of this series. This understanding harmonises with Jesus’ Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32-35) immediately following his discourse on those signs.
But mainly we are to watch in terms of our lives. Our moral attitudes, the development of faith, hope and love. These are clearly indicated in our passage from 1 Thessalonians 5. We should not be living in darkness that this day should surprise us as a thief. Rather we are sons of the light and should live accordingly. So when Christ returns will he find us pursuing…
Holiness and Purity
1 Thessalonians 5:8 states ‘since we belong to the day let us be self-controlled.’ Paul specifically mentions drunkenness here, but there are other ways we lose self-control. There are other forms of lust and greed; there is the temptation to serve two masters- God and Mammon (the love of money). Do we think of ‘standard of living’ in terms of money and possessions or in terms of ‘laying up treasure in heaven’ (Cf the Parable of the rich fool, Luke 12: 13-21). Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote ‘Let no one say God has blessed me with money and possessions and then live as if he and God were alone in the world.”
Underlying use of money and an attitude to possessions is a general belief about life. If you think this life is all there is, you will only live for the present. You will look for instant satisfaction here. You get religious versions of it too- ‘What am I getting out of church?’, ‘Why don’t I feel God is doing much for me now?’ Such questions arise because that person is living for the present. They have adopted the consumer attitude- I want it here, and I want it now. Such attitudes are alien to Christianity. They inflate self rather than encourage self-control.
We Christians are not to be worldly in our thinking. Rather we are called to be sober and alert, not as absorbed in the affairs of this age as the people of Noah’s day (Matthew 24: 37-39, 44)1. Christ will return. This present world is passing away. So it is folly to live for this world as if it were all there was. Further we know when Christ returns we must give account of our lives to him.
So, thinking on end times reminds us afresh we are God’s possession. That’s what holiness means- we are ‘set apart’ for him. We belong to him. So, yes, we enjoy earthly blessings as gifts from God. But we do not idolise them. God’s gifts are temporary, transient. Our love for God is eternal. So today we devote ourselves to him. We love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Luke 10:27).
Leonardo da Vinci painted the fresco ‘The Last Supper’ in a church in Milan. One of the reasons the painting took four years to complete was that da Vinci was almost finished when a friend commented on how incredibly moving the painting was- especially the silver cup on the table- ‘It was brilliant, beautiful!’ he said ‘My eyes were immediately drawn to it.’ Da Vinci got so angry he immediately painted over the cup, blotting it out. The focus of the painting was to be Jesus, not the cup. All attention had to be drawn to him, anything that detracted from him had to be removed.
What is the focus of your life? The things of this passing life or Christ? When Christ returns will he find us living in the light; pure, holy, self-controlled. Living in devotion to him?
Living in the light also means:
Faith
‘Put on faith’ (8).
James in his letter exhorts his readers to patience in the light of Christ’s return. The believers were being oppressed, but James points them to Job’s perseverance ‘Be patient until the Lord’s coming’ (James 5: 7-11). Job went through catastrophic suffering, losing all his wealth, then all his children and finally suffering from the most horrific of diseases.
Sometimes, to a lesser degree, we are battered by suffering and there seems no way out. Hopes are dashed. But we can put on ‘faith as a breastplate’ (1 Thess.5:8). We cling to the Lord and his promises. We may not feel great. It will be like ‘seeing in the dark.’ But this is true faith.
Philip Yancey’s book ‘Seeing in the Dark’ describes discouraged and disappointed people questioning the nature of their faith. They ask the question ‘What about when God appears to be unfair, silent or hidden? How can one still have faith when that happens?
Interestingly Yancey shows how in the Old Testament God often did appear to the Israelites. Also he did reward and punish his people with obvious fairness. He spoke and guided clearly- 613 laws covered a range of behaviour. He led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Yancey writes ‘There were few, if any, atheists in those days. No Israelite wrote plays about waiting for God who never arrived. They could see clear evidence of God outside the tent of meeting or in the thick storm clouds hovering around Mount Sinai’ (p47). But Yancey shows in example after example the Israelites responded time after time with rebellion, not with faith.
We say- if only God would appear to us in such ways, we would have faith. Would we? What kind of faith? Not the kind God is interested in. The human heart is deceitful. Even the miracles Jesus performed, as he himself, predicted; to those who chose to believe him, they gave even more reason to believe. But for those determined to deny him, the miracles made little difference.
God desires your genuine love and faithfulness; displays of power will not make you trust and follow him. But true faith comes from genuine love for God and a trust in his promises even when circumstances suggest no encouragement to do so. When God is all we have to keep going and do what is right. He has been faithful in the past, he will be faithful again:
“God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We thought earlier about Job. James writes “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.” At the end of the book of Job we read how the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. As well as great wealth, Job had seven sons and three beautiful daughters. He lived to a great age and saw his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Can you yield your disappointments, sufferings, trials and even persecutions to Christ? Not only does he identify with your suffering but he can take these painful experiences and redeem them for good.
But beyond even temporal hopes we are promised something greater to come- the hope of a new heaven and earth. We endure. We persevere in faith because of this assured hope.
Paul says “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Gavin Reid, one time Bishop of Maidstone, tells of a boy in his congregation, who shattered his back falling down the stairs at the age of 1 and had consequently been in and out of hospital. When Gavin interviewed him in church the boy remarked that God is fair.
Gavin stopped him and asked ‘How old are you?”
The boy replied “Seventeen’’
“How many years have you spent in hospital?”
The boy answered “thirteen years”
He was asked “Do you think that is fair?”
He replied “God’s got all of eternity to make it up to me.”
That’s true. The New Testament is full of promises about how wonderful heaven will be. No more crying, no more pain or suffering. So feed on his promises, faith comes from hearing God’s word (2 Cor.5:17). Don’t break faith, but persevere despite the contradictions of the present. The Lord is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thess.5:24)
And when the Lord returns will he find us living in the light of…
Love
‘Put on love…’ (8)
Will he find us ‘grumbling’ against each other as James puts it (James 5:9) or ‘loving one another’
Going back to Leonardo da Vinci and his painting of the Last Supper. There is another interesting incident linked with this painting. At that time da Vinci had an enemy who was a fellow painter. Da Vinci had a bitter argument with the man and despised him. When da Vinci painted the face of Judas Iscariot at the table with Jesus, he used the face of his enemy so that it would be present for ages to come as the man who betrayed Jesus. He took delight while painting this picture in knowing others would notice the face of his enemy on Judas.
However, as he worked on the faces of the other disciples he often tried to paint the face of Jesus, but couldn’t make any progress. Da Vinci felt frustrated. But in time he realised what was wrong. His hatred held him back from finishing the face of Christ. Only after making peace with his fellow painter and repainting the face of Judas was he able to paint the face of Jesus and complete his masterpiece.
We are called to show the love of Christ too. Agape love, the kind of love where we feel the recipient does not deserve it. Just like Christ who loved us when we were his enemies (Romans 5:10). Forgiving others as Christ has forgiven us. Showing the fruit of his Spirit in our relationships; patience, kindness, gentleness and so on.
When Christ returns will he find us showing his love in forms of service and evangelism: (Cf Parable of the bags of gold Matt.25:14-30)
Lord Shaftesbury (1801-85) was heir to the great estates of his father with the possibility of a successful career in Govt. he chose instead to devote himself to the needs of the poor and under privileged. Children often suffered great cruelty in the 19th Century. Shaftesbury believed that every child was created in the image of God and he therefore made it his business to fight for their welfare. He guided bills through parliament to bring women and children up from the mines and the climbing boys down from the chimneys. He fought to improve factory conditions and reduce working hours. He supported ‘ragged schools’, orphanages for homeless children and the campaign against child prostitution. ‘The Times’ commented that he did as much for children as William Wilberforce had done for slaves.
Among his wide ranging interests during nearly 60 years in public life, Shaftesbury fought hard to stop the opium drug trade. He campaigned for homes to have clean water and proper sanitation. He joined with others to make sure workers had a half day holiday on Saturday so that Sunday was free for rest and to attend church. He introduced Laws to provide proper care for those in mental hospitals
He became vice president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and was a founder member of a society working against experiments on animals
Shaftesbury’s life was devoted to the Lord. His love for God was expressed in compassionate service. Where did his motivation come from? ‘I do not think that in the last 40 years I have lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord’s return’ He watched his life. He got on with serving the Lord. The Lord will return. Are you serving him or sleeping? Will he say to you ‘well done good and faithful servant’ ?
Torrey wrote ‘The imminent return of our Lord is the great Bible argument for a pure, unselfish, devoted, unworldly active life of service’
Finally, when the Lord returns will he find us living in the light of…
Hope
We have thought about hope already under faith through suffering, but here specifically our passage refers to our hope of salvation (verse 8).
Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1:10 Christ will be marvelled at among those who have believed when he returns. It will be a day of salvation for believers. If we had already died we will be brought back with Christ, receive our new bodies, undergo glorious transformation and we will be with the Lord forever. This is something to look forward to! Hope indeed.
And all because of Christ!! All because of his salvation. We will be saved then because of our faith in Christ now: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). And verse 9 of our passage also affirms we are appointed to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. An appointment is something we are yet to keep, but it is assured on account of our position in Christ now.
Our faith in Christ now will result in the kind of holy, faithful and loving deeds we have been thinking about. But we are not saved on account of these, but on account of Christ’s sacrifice for us. You will be saved on that day because you believed the gospel today. Paul also writes this in 2 Thessalonians 1:10 and there Paul adds ‘this includes you because you believed our testimony to you.’
Conclusion
About 380 verses in the New Testament refer to Christ’s second coming. God always keeps his word. He will complete what he has begun. The question is are you prepared?
Are you watchful? You dare not claim he must come in your lifetime, but he certainly may. More significantly are you watching your life? He expects to find you acting and living in the light of his return, showing the fruit of holiness, faith, love and hope.
If we are ready we have nothing to fear. The Second Coming will be a time of great joy. We will be with Christ, all suffering and sorrow in the past will be forgotten, we will marvel at him and all he has accomplished for us. Luther wrote ‘I would not give one moment of heaven for all the joys and riches of the world, even if these lasted for thousands and thousands of years.’
Come Lord Jesus come
1 Good article ‘As in the Days of Noah: Warnings for today’ https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/end-times/as-in-the-days-of-noah/
Hymn (Keyboards)
‘In Christ alone’ 1072 MP. Stuart Townend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C77pE9-V0vU
Blessing
May our hearts and minds be set on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen. David Barnes 1/9/21