Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from 1 Thess. 3:9-13. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- The author of text, and virtually all of the others writers of Holy Scripture, offer encouragement to Christians in view of “the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” As we go through life, there are many things that we “look forward” to. These things dictate much of what we do in preparation, say for a driver’s license, or a college education, preparation for a great career, for a spouse, for children, for retirement. The most important thing in our future is the “coming of the Lord Jesus” in all His glory on the Last Day. This is the chief thing that we should be “looking forward” to, and something that should dictate much of the decisions we make in the present time.
- We look back at the first coming of Jesus with wonder, and perhaps wish that we could also experience a remarkable and dynamic time. Well, the good news is that such a time is coming – and it will be even more glorious and amazing than Jesus’ first coming. And no one is going miss it!
- However, the Day of the Lord will be quite a different experience for the two categories of people on earth, those who believe God and rejoice in Jesus, and those who reject God and repudiate faith in Jesus. It is as Jesus taught: “He that believes the Son has everlasting life, but he that does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” [Jn. 3:36]
- “God wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” [1 Tim. 2:4] So we know that He wills for us, we who believe in Him: to be kept and preserved in faith during the intervening time, until He comes again. He desires this so deeply that He has given us instruction as to how we can be “PREPARING FOR HIS COMING.” Our text provides some of this instruction.
- So let’s look at what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians, and take it to heart. First:
I. God Want Us To Be Growing Perfect In Faith – So He Has Given Us The Ministry Of His Word And Sacraments
Text: “What thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith!”
Eph. 4:11-13 “And Christ gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Statement: Some of these Thessalonian Christians likely had a good strong faith. Others perhaps needed more instruction and encouragement. Nonetheless, to all Paul expresses his desire to complete their faith, to supply what is lacking in their faith. No one has perfect faith, although we aspire to this, and so there is need to continue growing in faith. This prayer of Paul’s, quite frankly, is a wonderful and beautiful expression of Christian love and concern.
Application: Your pastor has the same desire – both for himself and for all of you. It is perhaps the most natural desire for a pastor that he might “supply what is lacking in your faith.” Each day this is his principle goal and desire. And to this end God has established His church, and called His pastors, to fulfill this His desire – that we all benefit from stronger, more robust faith.
Transition: And there is a beautiful and important “fruit” of growing in faith, and this is something that God – Who is love – is also very eager to bring about in us in this intervening time. It is God’s will and desire that:
II. We Are To Be Increasing And Abounding In Love
Text: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.”
Statement: We love because He first loved us. We grasp and see His love by faith, faith in His Word and promises. God is love, so of course He wills and desires that we love just as He has loved us! Love, of course, is good – good for others, and good also for us, for who we are.
Application: So again, this is a prayer and desire that your pastor also has for you – and this is also a goal of his preaching and teaching the Gospel and God’s Word. In his second letter to these Thessalonians Paul wrote: “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” [2 Thess. 3:5] This is the principle purpose of every sermon and every Bible Study! It is God’s deepest goal and desire for us – that we be perfect in faith and abounding in love!
Transition: And just as it is God alone Who brings us to faith, it is also true that:
III. It Is God Who Establishes Our Hearts – Blameless In Holiness – Before His Very Presence, And In The Day Of Jesus
Text: “So that the Lord may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
A. We Are Justified By Faith In Jesus, Accounted To Be Righteous For “The Lord Is Our Righteousness” [Jer. 33:16]
B. We Are Being Sanctified – Growing In Love And All Good Works
Statement: In His letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote: “Christ Jesus has become to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” You see how God has already provided us with everything “in Christ Jesus.” This is how great His love for us truly is!
Statement: Yes, we are “PREPARING FOR HIS COMING” by growing in faith and love, but it is God doing the work within us. This is His good and gracious will for us, and also the principle aim and goal of the ministry of God’s Word and Sacraments, and of the fellowship of the church! The Lord is surely coming “with all His saints.” We want to be among them, and God wants us to be among them also.
Application: So let us properly value the blessings of God that come to us through our fellowship together in the holy Christian Church! Let us understand God’s will for us, to richly bless us in faith and love. And let us also rejoice to be included in God’s restoration of humanity!
Conclusion: Christ is coming again, to usher in new heavens and a new earth – the home of righteousness, His home. We are heirs of these great blessing by faith, faith and trust in Christ which give us a true knowledge of God.
In the interim, we are privileged and blessed to be joined to God and to one another. It is this great blessedness which moves us to continue “PREPARING FOR HIS COMING.” It will be glorious and blessed indeed. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.