The coming of Christ

First Thessalonians 5 verse 23. 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. Lord has promised to bless to us the reading from his good word.

It's of vital importance that everything you and I do we make much of the person of Christ. For example in our worship we make much of the person of Christ. Remember the Lord's parents? They brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

You remember Simeon? He takes the child into his arms and he blessed God. So remember in worship we make much of the person of Christ. What about the preaching of the gospel? In the preaching of the gospel we make much of the person of Christ.

There's one man in the Bible called an evangelist and his name was Philip. Philip went down to Samaria and he preached Christ unto them. Philip went up into the chariot and he preached to the eunuch Jesus.

He made much of the person of Christ. Somebody said this, when you preach the gospel preach Christ and nothing more. Preach Christ and nothing less.

Preach Christ and nothing else. Make much of Christ in the preaching of the gospel. What about ministry? When Paul wrote to the Romans what did he write? He wrote about Christ and the cross.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he wrote about Christ and the church. When he wrote to the Thessalonians he wrote about Christ and his coming. I'm going to speak about the coming of Christ very briefly this afternoon.

In every chapter of the Thessalonian epistle you read about the coming of Christ. 66 years ago I was saved. You heard far more then about the coming of Christ than we do now.

So we'll go through the epistle and we'll notice the coming of Christ. First of all in chapter 1 it's the expectation of the saints. Listen to what it says.

They turn to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his son from heaven. It's not just waiting patiently. It's waiting expectantly.

What did we sing yesterday? We can almost hear his footfall on the threshold of the door and our hearts our longing to be with him evermore. In chapter 1 it's the expectation of the saints. In chapter 2 it's the reward of the servants.

What is our hope? What is our joy? What is our crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye at the coming of the Lord Jesus? It's linked with the reward of the servant. Chapter 3 it's linked with the revelation of his coming. Chapter 3 speaks about him coming with the saints.

Not coming for the saints, the rapture, but coming with the saints, the revelation. It's the revelation of the saints. Chapter 3. Chapter 4 it's the reunion of the saints.

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

And when I come to chapter 5 it's linked with the perfecting of the saints. I pray God that your whole spirit, soul, and body might be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So in every chapter I read about the Lord's coming.

I'm going to go through those five chapters now very quickly and I'm going to notice the effect of his coming. First of all when I come to chapter 1, no room for idols in the heart. Listen to my verse.

They turn to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven. No room for idols in the heart. Let me ask you a question this afternoon.

When was idolatry introduced to Israel? Now ponder the question. When was idolatry introduced to Israel? Would I be right in saying this? When they lost sight of the man that went up, idolatry was introduced to Israel. And I'm going to be plain this afternoon.

There's much carnality amongst us. And there's much idolatry amongst us. And I fear we have lost sight of the man that has gone up, the dearest idol that I have.

Whatever that idol be, help me to tear it from my throne and worship only thee. No room for idols in the heart. I come now to chapter 2. No room for slothfulness in the life.

What does the devil love? You ever asked yourself the question, what does the devil love? A Christian that's half-hearted. A Christian that's lukewarm. That's what the devil loves.

Listen to what Paul says. Ye remember brethren, our labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not be chargeable unto you. We preach the gospel of Christ.

Ever notice three times in the life of the apostle you read night and day. You read it in Acts 20. You read it in 1 Thessalonians 2. And you read it in 1 Thessalonians 3. Listen to Acts 20.

I have not ceased to warn every one of you, night and day with tears. Night and day Paul warned the saints. Come to 1 Thessalonians 3. Night and day Paul wrestled in prayer for the saints.

And night and day Paul worked with his own hands that he might not be chargeable to the saints. No slothfulness in the life. When I come to chapter 3 I discover this.

No division in the fellowship. Now what is an assembly? I could speak about an assembly as a field. I could speak about an assembly as a flock.

I can speak about an assembly as a family. But you know I can speak about an assembly as a fellowship. Let me say four things very quickly this afternoon.

An assembly is a fellowship of life. An assembly is a fellowship of liberty. An assembly is a fellowship of light.

An assembly is a fellowship of love. And an assembly is a fellowship of law. It's an and a fellowship of commandments.

If you want it, abundant life, glorious liberty, marvelous light, and matchless love ought to mark every assembly. But the devil is busy. And I want to emphasize this afternoon certain things that we have to beware of.

Let me give you four very quickly. The first one is this, beware of blindness. You remember the last of the Nazarites, Samson? He was blind.

You remember the last of the priests, Eli? He was blind. You remember the last of the kings, Zedekiah? He was blind. You remember the last of the churches? Blind.

Beware of blindness. The second thing I'm going to say this afternoon is this, beware of bluntness. There's a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, it reads something like this, if the iron be blunt.

What's the thought? The thought is the axe, and the sharp cutting edge has gone. We can lose our purity, and we can lose our power. Beware of bluntness.

Thirdly, beware of bondage. You remember what Paul said to the Galatians, stand fast in the liberty, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, beware of bondage. Finally, beware of barrenness.

Add to your faith virtue, virtue knowledge, knowledge patience, patience godliness, godliness, brotherly love, and brotherly love, love. Beware of barrenness. If these things be in you and abound, they make you that you'll be neither barren nor unfruitful.

Let me say this just before I sit down. I pray God, your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless. Unto the coming of our Lord.

Let me say three things very quickly. Their sin that affects the body, every sin which a man committeth is without the body. But he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

There's a sin that affects the body. There's a sin that affects our own spirit. 2 Corinthians 7 and 1 says this, having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us abstain in the thought of the body and the spirit.

The body, the flesh, that's the body. And then the spirit, it's your own spirit. And then there's a sin that affects the soul.

We've to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Remember, look, he vexed his righteous soul from day to day. So remember, when you read the Thessalonian epistle, remember the Lord Jesus, he is coming.