The Second Coming of Christ: Delivered from God’s Wrath

hopefully you have found it in your Bibles by now, but we're starting the new book study. And as I always like to do when we start a new study together is to kind of frame the context. So here it is, first a little bit about the letter to the Thessalonians. It was written by Paul while he was in Corinth on his second missionary journey. The year was around 51 AD when he wrote the letter. And he wrote it to the church in Thessalonica, which was made up mostly of Gentile believers, according to Acts 17. Four, Paul had planted this church about a year before he wrote this letter to them. And in regards to the city of Thessalonica itself, the modern name is Thessalonica. It is located in Greece, population today, around 300,000. Although if you take the whole metro area of Thessalonica, it's more like 800,000. But the city itself, about 300,000. And in Paul's day, in the first century, the population was around 200,000, which was considered a very large city at the time. It was an important port city located on the Aegean Sea. And it was originally named Therma because of the hot springs located there. But it was later renamed after Alexander the Great's half sister, her name was Thessalonica. So the first chapter here is only 10 verses long. I'm gonna read all 10 verses.

And today we're gonna focus on the last verse. And there's an important reason why, as you will see a theme throughout this book. Let me start reading here, chapter one, verse one. I'm reading out of New King James. And it says, Paul, Sylvanas, some of your Bible say Silas and Timothy, those are his traveling companions, to the church of Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing beloved brethren, your election by God. Let me pause for a minute. You're gonna notice through this whole first chapter, he's very complimentary of this church. He's very fond of them. They are near and dear to his heart. And he commends them here for three things, in verse three, their work of faith, their labor of love, their patience of hope. You see the emphasis there on faith, hope and love. And he goes on to say in verse five, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit

and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us on Instagram. And that would be kind of the modern way. We'd read it right. And of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples, notice this. Examples to all in Macedonia and a K.I. who believe. Please note how he commends them as examples in Macedonia and a K.I. Those were two provinces of Northern and Southern Greece. So he's like, throughout all of Greece, you served as examples. These are the kind of Christians they were, that he said you guys were examples far and wide. Verse eight, he says, "For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and a K.I, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything." In other words, he's saying, "We didn't even need to talk about you because your own reputation was reaching far and wide about your great example for the Lord." You know, and I think to myself when I read this, if Paul were writing a letter to me today, or to you, would he be his complimentary? Would he be saying to you, I didn't need to tell anybody about you because your example

in Christ was so well known, your reputation preceded you. Like he's commending them here for being such great examples in the Lord. And I wonder sometimes how far and wide is our example. What kind of reputation do we have in the Lord? Is it that well known, not for the sake of being well known, but for the sake of advancing Christ in all that we do? Remember, this is first century. This isn't even the information age like we're living in now. It's easy to get your testimony out there, get the influence out there in the culture today. But these people were well known even before there was any social media or there was any information age. He's commending them. Verse nine, "For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned to God from idols "and to wait for his Son from heaven, "whom he raised from the dead," even Jesus. That's what he's talking about, "who delivers us from the wrath to come." Now I want you to underline verse 10, and here's why. This chapter ends with this reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ. And every chapter in this letter ends with some reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ. If you have your Bibles there open, that's how chapter one ends, I'll read verse 10 again, "and to wait for his Son from heaven, "whom he raised from the dead,

"even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." Now go to chapter two, I want you to see how each chapter ends, chapter two. Look at how chapter two ends, verse 19. "For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing "is it not even you in the presence "of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? "For you are our glory and joy." Go to chapter three, chapter three, verse 12. "And may the Lord make you increase "and abound in love to one another "and to all just as we do to you "so that he may establish your hearts, "blameless in holiness before our God and Father "at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ "with all his saints." Chapter four, verse 16. "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven "with a shout, with the voice of an archangel "and with the trumpet of God, "and the dead in Christ will rise first, "and then we who are alive and remain "shall be caught up together with them in the clouds "to meet the Lord in the air, "and thus we shall always be with the Lord, "therefore comfort one another with these words." And finally, chapter five, look at verse 23. Verse 23, "Now may the God of peace himself "sanctify you completely, "and may your whole spirit, soul, and body

"be preserved, blameless, "at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." You get the idea, everybody? Jesus is coming again. - Amen. - Jesus is coming again. (audience applauding) And Paul writes this letter with that emphasis. He wants everybody to be ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ. And so I'm gonna teach through this book with that theme in mind each week. We're gonna look at one chapter a week and primarily focus on the way the chapter ends because he ends with some emphasis on some aspect of the second coming of Jesus Christ. And so here's a preview of the next five teachings as we go through these five chapters. Today, from chapter one, we're gonna talk about how we are delivered from God's wrath as it relates to the second coming. Chapter two, we're gonna talk about reasons to rejoice when we see Jesus. Chapter three, loving others while we're waiting for his return. Chapter four, we wanna be ready for the rapture. And chapter five, spirit, soul, and body transformation. So that's where we're going over the next five chapters as we study through this. And before we look here at the way chapter one ends

with verse 10, I first wanna make sure that we're all on the same page. I don't want to assume that everyone here or watching online understands what we mean when we talk about the second coming of Jesus Christ. For some people, they don't even necessarily believe he came the first time, but for some other people, they believe he was here the first time, but didn't know he's coming again. And so I wanna make sure we start there. Here's a quick summary of what we're talking about. Jesus Christ lived, was crucified, dead and buried. Three days later, he rose from the dead. And then the Bible says he appeared over a period of 40 days to many individuals giving many convincing proofs that he had risen from the dead. And after those 40 days, he ascended back into heaven where he presently is seated at the right hand of the Father. But the Bible says, but he's coming again. And so here's a summary of that right out of the book of Acts. I'm gonna put some verses on the screen just for the sake of turning quickly in your Bibles. This is Acts chapter one, verses one, two, and three. Acts was inspired by the Holy Spirit through the pen of Luke. So Luke is writing here and he starts out in verse one and he says, the former account I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. He's talking about his gospel, the gospel of Luke, which he also addressed to a guy named Theophilus. And he's saying, "Remember the first account I gave you."

Well, verse two, until the day in which he, Jesus was taken up after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And then Luke goes on to say in that first chapter, verse nine, now when he had spoken these things, meaning when Jesus had said these things, while they watched his disciples, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, these are angels, who also said, "Men of Galilee, "why do you stand gazing up into heaven, "this same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, "will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven." Okay, so Jesus is buried, three days later, rises from the dead, 40 days after that, he ascends back into heaven. And this is that scene in Acts chapter one, and Luke says that the disciples were standing around, mouths hanging open, just watching as Jesus ascends back up into heaven. When then, suddenly two angels appear, and they comfort the disciples and basically say, "Look, he's coming again."

The same Jesus that you saw just ascend is coming back to the same place from which he ascended, the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. So don't lose hope, he's coming back. And the early church lived with that constant expectancy of the second coming of Christ, even though here we are 2,000 years later, and he still hasn't returned. But here's a true statement, we're closer to a second coming now than they were, right? And we have reason to be ready, 'cause you can see some of the signs of the times. So this is the second coming of Jesus, and he himself, Jesus, spoke about his second coming when he was here the first time. In Matthew chapter 24, verse 30, he said this, "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, "and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, "and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds "of heaven with power and great glory." Jesus also said in John 14, verses two and three, "In my Father's house are many mansions. "If it were not so, I would have told you, "but I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go to prepare a place for you, "I will come again and receive you unto myself "that where I am, there you might be also." So Jesus spoke of his second coming. Various writers of the New Testament, testified to the second coming.

The writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 928 said this, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. "To those who eagerly wait for him, "he will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation." In other words, Jesus came the first time to die in a cross for the sins of the whole world. He's coming again, this time not for salvation. He doesn't need to be crucified all over again. This time it's the fulfillment of our salvation when he comes again that we will enjoy eternity with the Lord. Paul would write in Titus 2, verse 13, "We are looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing "of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." Peter would write in second Peter, three, nine and 10. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some understand slackness or slowness. Like, you know, where's this coming that he talked about? But Peter writes, "But he is long suffering toward us, "not willing that any should perish, "but that all should come to repentance, "but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Peter says the same thing Jesus says. Son of man will come like a thief in the night. John would write in Revelation 1, 7, "Behold, he is coming with clouds, "and every eye will see him even they who pierced him." So Jesus talked about his second coming. Paul talked about it, Peter talked about it, John talked about it, it's all through the Bible. Even throughout church history,

some of the early church fathers wrote about or spoke of the second coming of Jesus. Justin Martyr wrote of it. He lived 90 AD to 165 AD. Jerome wrote about it. He lived 342 to 420 AD. George Whitfield, for example, the great evangelist of the 1700s. Whitfield said, "And now brethren into God's hands, "I commend your spirits who I trust "through his infinite mercies in Christ Jesus "will preserve you blameless till his second coming "to judge the world." Americans, believe that Jesus is coming again. According to a survey done by the Pew Research Center in April of 2022, 55% of American adults believe that Jesus will return to Earth someday. This is a cross-section of American adults, not those who identified as Christian or religious. This is a cross-section of American adults, 55% believe. Yep, Jesus is coming again. I saw on the survey, you can look it up. There was even among all the stats, one atheist who believed that he was coming again. That's kind of crazy. I don't believe in God, but I think he's coming again. Now, among those who identify in a religious category, this same survey, here are the stats for those who identify by religious groups. 92% of evangelical Protestants believe in the second coming of Jesus. 86% of historically black churches, 64% of mainline Protestants, and 63, only 63% of the Catholics. You got to read your Bible's Catholics. This is not good, but by the way, evangelical Protestants, we would consider ourselves evangelical Christians. It should be 100% everybody. I hope that 8%. Nobody goes to Cornerstone Chapel. That's what I'm hoping. It should be 100%. Now, according to the same survey, and I'm just giving you the information, okay? Don't shoot the messenger. They even identified by party affiliation. 69% of Republicans believe in the second coming, only 45% of Democrats. And the socialist Democrats aren't even looking. All right, they're not even looking. Again, this should be 100%, but you know, it is what it is. Now, when they broke it down by

education level, you might find this interesting, 65% of those who only had a high school or less education believed in the second coming, only 57% who had some college had only 48% of college graduates believed in the second coming of Jesus Christ, which is evidence for the fact that you can be educated beyond your intelligence, ladies and gentlemen. And based on all these stats, just a word of warning, if you are a college educated Catholic Democrat, you're in for a rude awakening. That's what I got to say. In for a rude awakening, because here, listen, everybody, whether you believe it or not, fact, Jesus is coming again. He is coming again. [Applause] Having said that, when Jesus is coming again is only known by God the Father. Jesus said in Matthew 24, verse 36, "But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only." And Jesus added in Matthew 24, 44, "Therefore you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." And yet at the same time, the Bible teaches us to know the signs of the times. While we may not and should not identify a date when Jesus could come again and anybody who purports to know the date is a false teacher, we should know the signs of the times. We must not be guilty as they were in Jesus' day when he first came the first time. Of what he pointed out in Luke 19, 44, when he said, "You did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." That's why in Luke 19, he speaks there about a judgment, it's small J, it's not tribulation, but it was a big deal that was coming against them. He says, "The day will come when your enemies will build an embankment against you and hem you in on all sides." He prophesied about how the temple would be destroyed, about how every stone would be overturned, one upon another. You go to Israel today, you go to Jerusalem on the street level, the original street level where Jesus would have walked. They still have some of the debris, some of the fallen stones from up on the temple mount as a reminder of what happened in 70 AD. Jesus' words came to pass when the Romans came in, destroyed Jerusalem, destroyed the temple. The stones are still there to speak as a testimony that they did not believe, and that's why Jesus said the enemy was coming to build an embankment because Luke 19, 44, you did not see the signs of the times, you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you. which is why I think it is important. We need to be tuned into the signs of the times.

And here's what I mean. And I've said this before, but when you look at the chronology of events related to the first coming of Jesus and how it ties into the second coming, you have to look at the Jewish calendar of feasts because Jesus was crucified on Passover. He was buried on unleavened bread. He rose on the feast of first fruits. He sent the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost. What's the next feast on the Jewish calendar? It's the feast of trumpets. It's a Rasha Shana. The feast of trumpets. What's the next thing we're waiting for in the timeline of the church? It's the sound of the trumpet. It's 1 Thessalonians chapter four. When the dead in Christ will rise first and then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. So I personally am always on high alert at the feast of trumpets on the Jewish calendar, which by the way, starts this of this year, starts this Friday at sundown. Yeah, yes and amen. If, listen, I may not get through the other four chapters. It's okay. (congregation laughing) Now look, again, I don't want to be accused.

I don't know when he's coming again, but I want to be smart. I don't want to be accused, like he said in Luke 19, 44. You didn't recognize the time of God's coming because all the Jewish scriptures were pointing to the coming of the Lord Jesus and we have the prophetic scriptures to look forward to a second coming. So while I'm not saying he's coming this year, necessarily, I don't know, and I'm not saying it has to be on the feast of trumpets, I am just simply saying there's some things on the Jewish calendar that line up and we should probably be wise about it. So like on Friday, and when I'm driving in my car, I have my rapture roof open. (congregation laughing) You call it a sunroof, I call it a rapture roof. (congregation laughing) 'Cause it may be, I don't know. I don't purport to know, I know this. I know this is a true statement. This is what the Bible is basically teaching all of us. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you must always be living in the constant expectancy of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. That's what it's about. (congregation clapping) And see, if we're living like that, with the constant expectancy

of the imminent return of Jesus Christ, we probably wouldn't be doing half the things we're doing. And we would probably be doing a lot more that we're not doing in anticipation of his imminent return. So among all the things that Paul writes here, chapter after chapter after chapter, when you look at the way he ends each chapter, he emphasizes something in particular. And what he emphasizes here in verse 10 of chapter one is that we shall be delivered from the wrath to come. Look at verse 10 again. And to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. Now, I wanna emphasize, what is he speaking of here? There are two types of wrath that we can be delivered from when you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The two types are personal individual wrath and global wrath. Let me distinguish. We all deserve God's wrath. Did you know that? I mean, I'm sorry if your mom told me you're a unique snowflake and no one else is like you. But the fact of the matter is we're all alike. In that, we're all sinners. And we all need a savior. And you and I cannot do anything in our own ability

to undo the fact that we have a sin nature, okay? As much as you might try hard to do good things that you think can outweigh the bad parts of your life, the reality is the heart is deceitfully wicked above all things who can know it. We are born into sin. We have a sin nature and that's why we sin. And the only remedy for our sin is a savior. And this name is Jesus because all sin deserves to be punished. So we all deserve the wrath of God. Hell is something that is a destination for all who are in rebellion against the Lord, who sin without finding forgiveness in Jesus. But heaven is a gift to all those who would surrender to Jesus Christ because even though our sin deserves the wrath of God, by the way, quick definition, wrath, wrath, is God's divine judgment for man's sinfulness. We all deserve it, but God and his mercy make gracious provision for us so that we don't have to experience his wrath, dwell among us. His name is Jesus, God in flesh, who would offer his life on a cross. And the punishment intended for us was placed on Jesus. That's how God's wrath was satisfied at the same time that we could be forgiven. Because if God did not punish us for our sins, he would just be winking at our sin, and he would not be a just and holy God. So he must punish sin, but he determined to send his only son to take the punishment for us so that if we believe in what Christ did for us on that cross, by faith, we can have

our sins forgiven. Jesus took the punishment intended for me, he took the punishment intended for you. And if you would trust Christ as your Lord and Savior, the wrath of God is satisfied on the cross, and you can be forgiven and have the reward of heaven when you die. That is the wrath that we've been delivered from personally, individually, when we trust what Christ did for us on that cross. Now, there's a second type. That is a global wrath that is coming upon the earth, everyone. And John writes about it in detail between Revelation 6 and 18, we call it the tribulation. The last three and a half years are the worst of the seven years, we call it the great tribulation. It's all outlined in Revelation 6 to 18. God's given us a preview of it, and it is not pretty. It involves cataclysmic world events, natural disasters, plagues, meteor showers, economic collapse, famine, disease, demons, and the death of billions of people. And it is God's judgment upon a Christ forsaking, God rejecting world. But yet during that terrible time, it's also an opportunity for people to finally respond to God's gracious gift of Jesus and to get saved. People can get saved during the tribulation, but it will be a horrible, devastating, difficult time on earth. You do not want to be here for it. And this is the part that Paul is referring to here. I think he's referring to on a global sense, because he's talking about the Second Coming of Christ. And he says there in verse 10, who has delivered us from the wrath to come. I think he's talking about the global wrath in particular, related to the Second Coming. He's talking about all these things that are coming upon the earth. Now, there are some Bible teachers, I'm not one of them, who will tell you that we have to go through that tribulation period. Our position here at Cornerstone, we are referred to as a pre-tribulation position, where we believe that Christ will rescue us, will rapture us, will take us to heaven before those seven years of tribulation that are outlined in Revelation 6 to 18.

Now, you don't have to agree with me, you're welcome to be wrong. But I'm just telling you, I love to quote my friend who's now gone to be with the Lord, Dr. Ed Hindson. Dr. Ed Hindson had more degrees after his name than a thermometer. And he wrote more than 40 books about the Second Coming, about End Times. Dr. Hindson was the Dean of Religion at Liberty University, he went home to be with the Lord just a couple years ago. He was here a couple of times, and I'll never forget in his raspy voice, Dr. Hindson, who took a pre-tribulation position, and he said, "Doesn't really make sense that God would allow His bride to get all beaten up, and then say, 'Now come to the banquet.'" Does it make sense? I'm going to let the bride get beaten up, and then invite her to the wedding banquet. It doesn't even make sense. And this is what Paul is talking about here, that we will be delivered from the wrath to come. And it's not just what he wrote here. Jesus speaks about it in Luke chapter 17. I was on this podcast a year ago with this guy, and he said to me, "My wife is a pre-trib, and I understand your pre-trib," and he goes, "I'm not." He says, "Convinced me." And all I had to do was quote Luke 17 when I'm about to read to you. And by the end of the conversation, he goes, "Okay, I'm pretty convinced. Listen to what it says." In Luke 17, Jesus says this, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of man, they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all."

Then he adds this, this is Luke 1730, "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." In other words, when he comes again, But notice the parallel. Jesus says, "End times will be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot." What did Noah and Lot have in common, everyone? The answer is they were two righteous men living in unrighteous times, and what did God do for both of them? He rescued Noah and his family before the flood of judgment came, and he rescued Lot and his family before Fire and Brimstone came upon Sodom and Gomorrah. And Jesus says, "As it was in the days of Noah and Lotso will be at the coming of the Son of Man." God will rescue the remnant. God will take the church before the judgment of the tribulation comes upon a God forsaking Christ rejecting world, because he loves his bride, and he will prepare his bride for the banquet by preserving her from the wrath that is to come. Now, one last thing, and then we'll wrap it up because I know I've already gone over time. But if you go to chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul writes about it right here as well. In chapter 5, just so you know the context, verse 1, "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." Okay? Just like what Peter said. So he's talking about the second coming. Go further down to verse 9. "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we wake, whether we're alive or sleep, dead, we should live together with Him, therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing." I ask you, would it be reasonable to say comfort each other with these words if He meant we're going to suffer through the wrath? No. He says, "God has not appointed you to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation. The fullness of our salvation will be the protection of the bride through the global wrath that is coming upon the earth." And individually, as well, when you trust Christ, you've been delivered from the wrath that you deserve, and He has given us heaven as that promise because of what Christ did on that cross. So both personal and global wrath, everybody, we've been delivered from because of what Christ has done for us. Amen? Amen. Praise His name. So, much more to say about the second coming of Christ, we'll look at each chapter as we go through the next several weeks, but for today, let's just give thanks, we've been delivered from the wrath that is to come. Father in heaven, we thank You for Jesus, we thank You for our salvation, we thank You, Lord, that You have delivered us from the wrath that we deserve individually, and the wrath that is coming upon the whole earth. You are a just and a holy God, but we thank You that You also are merciful, and You provided for us through the mercy of the cross, a way to be forgiven, a way to be saved, a way to be rescued and delivered.

Lord, thank You for that. Thank You for that. If it was just simply based on who we are, we all deserve hell. We all deserve Your divine judgment. But You determined to send Your Son Jesus, and You placed Your wrath on Him. The punishment that we deserved was placed upon Him, and by His stripes, by His crucifixion, we've been made whole, we've been healed. And so, Lord, we thank You for that. We give You praise and glory and honor, and I'm just going to pause in my prayer right now with Your head still bowed, because if You don't know Jesus as Your Lord and Savior, open Your heart to Him. I invite You, like right now, just open Your heart to Him. You can just pray a simple prayer and invite Him into your life. You can just say, "Lord Jesus, I confess I'm a sinner like everyone else, and I need Your mercy today." Forgive me of my sins. Come into my life, Lord, and be my Savior. I surrender my life to Your Lordship, and I trust You today. Save me, Lord. I trust You by faith. And we thank You, Lord, for our salvation. We thank You, Jesus, that You died for us, so that we might be redeemed and forgiven. from the wrath that is to come. We praise you in Jesus' name, and all God's people said, amen, and amen. God bless everybody, have a great day. (audience applauds) You