One hot summer day, I was finishing up the last of five windows that I replaced in my parent's home. As I was pushing the caulk tube up the side of that window I noticed that the tube was fast approaching empty. I began to wonder if I would make it to the end. You already know what was most likely to happen, don't you! There I was, with two and a half inches of space to fill and not a drop of caulk left. I could have cheated, taken a knife and skimmed a little from where I had applied a generous amount, but my mother has always complained about the wind getting in around that particular window. So we went over budget and bought another tube of caulk.As we finish up this series of sermons on what I call Images of Eternity, I want to assure you that it is with the same care and sense of responsibility that I handle the application of God's word when it comes to our understanding these spiritual windows on eternity. There are two grievous errors to the handling of Scripture. On the one hand, like the liberals, we can take away from the clear meaning and understanding of revelation. On the other hand, like the charismatics, we can add to that which we find in the two testaments which we have received from the hand of our Father. I hope that as we finish this particular series you will not feel that I have squeezed too much from God's Word! By the same token, I hope that in those areas beyond my understanding, you do not feel I have fallen too far short.
I know that the subject matter is especially interesting. We all would like to know more about eternity than God has told us! We are like the innocent little children of times past who perhaps wanted to know a little more about the mysteries of human reproduction than they were told. All you could glean from the nursery rhymes and stories was the fact that a prince or princess was being prepared for the appropriate time. Until that time came, you probably shouldn't kiss too many frogs. Romantic tales of love there were aplenty, but the naked truth was not as near as HBO or other more explicit media channels. It is a tragedy that our young people today are exposed to too much trash, and especially pathetic that our popular television stars have been so tarnished by sin. Just as we used to limit sexual knowledge to those who needed to know, so our vision into the next life is probably regulated in a similar way for our benefit. A certain knowledge of the real joys of heaven would probably make our days drag on like eternity. A complete understanding of the horrors of hell would probably fill our dreams with nightmares so completely that we could not bear to sleep.
Some years ago, I spoke on these images of eternity. The passage that we are to take up today in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians was one of the ones that I explored. At that time I laid too much stress on the word sleep which occurs here as well as elsewhere. Eventually, I had to come back to the congregation and apologize for going too far with that particular image.
Also at that time, a Bible Study group was studying Hal Lindsey's Late Great Planet Earth. One of the ladies in that group observed that, if Lindsey's agenda were strictly followed, God would need to have an extremely accurate stop watch! We eventually decided that Lindsey's evidence for a pre-millennial extravaganza was a little far fetched. One of the peculiarities of Lindsey's work was his fantastic ordering of events to crowd in his personal view of the rapture. According to the popular theology of our time, there is at the end of the present era a rapture, when Jesus Christ comes for His people. Seven years or perhaps a thousand years later, depending on the author, Jesus comes again with His people. Between these assorted comings and goings history continues and according to one popular scenario, even the Jews are converted en masse before being attacked by a hostile world.
No doubt you have seen bumper stickers where the driver indicates the possibility of being taken up suddenly, leaving a driverless car to be dealt with! Even we who are outside of that particular theory make jokes about it. A couple of years ago one author had published a book telling us that the end would come that particular fall. On the way to a Presbytery meeting, we were teasing one another about who should be behind the wheel in case of such a Rapture!
Certainly, Jesus speaks of one taken and another left in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew; but the clear intent of that passage is that everyone who hears his word should be prepared for the day and the hour when Jesus returns to take His own to heaven. The Thessalonians had become worried that since Christ's coming was delayed, those who had died before that coming might be at some disadvantage. It is to comfort these concerned Christians that Paul writes our passage today. Look at verse fifteen in our passage today:
"According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep."
Then in verse sixteen we find the "noisiest verse in the Bible", as some commentators call it:
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God ..."
This is no secret rapture, with a handful of Christians suddenly disappearing and the world left wondering what happened as it goes its merry way to hell on a four lane highway! When the end comes, there will be no doubts about what has happened. Instead of building up fanciful agendas for the end times and squabbling over the meaning of each exotic image in the book of Revelation, we would do better to understand what we should be doing until Jesus arrives.
If you had company coming from a distance to stay with you, would you not hurry around cleaning the house even if it did not need too much cleaning? I remember when I was little we always had to keep the house clean, just in case someone stopped in unexpectedly. Once, Dad was sent outside to delay the preacher while Mom picked up her sewing project scattered all over the living room floor!
In the same way, Paul urges the Thessalonians in the following chapter to be prepared for that surprise coming of the Christ. Also in that chapter, he encourages the idle to get busy with the work of the kingdom. Once, we had a visitor who liked our people, and our theology. But, the small size of this congregation put them off. They thought that in a congregation this size, there would be too much work to do and so they moved on to a larger place where they could sit and watch.
The Church members at Thessolonika were encouraged to be busy about the Lord's work so that they would be found doing that work in case the Lord suddenly appeared. One of the hallmarks of the early Church is that particular sense that Christ's coming would be momentary. Like a thief in the night, eternity could break in at any moment. As members of Christ's Church we must regain that tension of our calling so that the Lord's work is rightfully accomplished.
In order to get ourselves in the right Biblical frame of mind we must put off the false concept of a Christian Rapture and then a seven year period in which the wicked may still repent. When He comes, all decisions must already be accomplished. It will do no good to tell your loved ones, "Well, if I suddenly disappear along with other Christians, you better think about repenting!"
No, the time for repentance is clearly now. The Lord could come tomorrow. Equally possible is the chance that His return might be delayed, which gives us a little time to continue to do His will. Will you be found doing the work of Christ when he appears? Or will you be unprepared for his sudden appearance? May you all be found in Christ. Amen.
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