Well, this morning we're going to be partaking together of the Lord's table.
And it's a familiar thing that we do each month, the bread and the cup.
But it's also one of the most precious things that we do as a church.
We celebrate something very special when we do it.
And so to help us reflect again on the meaning of this table,
we're looking to what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians,
a letter to the church at Thessalonica.
In this letter, Paul celebrates how the good news of Jesus
caused a massive impact on the people who believed in this city of Thessalonica.
There were many in Thessalonica who were hostile to the message about Jesus.
But there were some there who embraced it.
And it was obvious that they accepted it
because doing so was risky, very dangerous.
And yet Paul tells us about how they began to follow Jesus with joy,
even in the midst of suffering.
You could imagine how opposition like this might tempt us to withdraw,
to retreat, to stay quiet about our faith in Jesus.
But Paul says that it wasn't that way when you Thessalonians believed.
You began to tell people all around you about Jesus.
The Lord's message rang out from you into the surrounding region, says Paul.
And it was obvious to all the people around them that they truly believed in Jesus
because all the people around them saw how they just stopped worshipping idols.
That was a prevalent practice in that city.
And instead they began worshipping the one true God.
Paul says that their faith, even from the early days,
was marked with an eager expectation.
They believed everything they heard about Jesus
and they were waiting for something.
Paul says,
You turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God
and to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead.
Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
So almost 2,000 years ago,
there they were in the city of Thessalonica
embracing what they heard about Jesus,
turning away from the cherished idols of the city in which they lived,
telling the people all around them about Jesus
and waiting for Jesus, the Messiah,
to come back and to rescue them from the coming wrath.
This is such an interesting description of Jesus here in verse 10.
Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
You know, there were so many other ways
that Paul could have finished that sentence
or described Jesus here.
Jesus, the good shepherd.
Jesus, the gentle and lowly of heart.
Jesus, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sins of the world.
Jesus, the one who put those religious hypocrites in their place.
But this is how Paul describes Jesus.
Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Somebody, I forget who, said that this little snippet of the verse
is the gospel in a nutshell.
The good news of Jesus.
He is the one who rescues us
from the wrath of God that is coming.
Now, when we hear the coming wrath,
I'm guessing that for some of you,
those words strike a nerve.
For some of us, they may get us thinking
that God is just angry with us
and just waiting to punish us.
For others, you may be thinking
that Paul is just using this kind of language
to guilt them into believing
or submitting.
Some of you may be embarrassed by these words.
The coming wrath.
Don't talk about that, Josh.
Or at least if we talk about it here in church,
that's fine.
But don't talk about that outside these four walls
because we don't want to offend people
or turn them off.
But Paul didn't shy away from telling people
the truth
about the coming wrath of God.
And with that,
he gave them the good news
that Jesus rescues us
from that wrath
that's coming.
So let's talk about this coming wrath
for a moment.
Why is there a wrath of God
coming
in the future
on our world?
The Bible's answer
is that all of humanity
sinned
against God.
In the beginning,
we rebelled.
God created us.
He loved us.
He was good to us.
He gave us
good commands.
He gave us freedom
to obey
or disobey
those commands.
And long ago,
the Bible tells us
that in the beginning,
we chose to disobey.
And we received
the consequence
for our actions
guilt
came on all humanity.
And ever since
that day,
every single one of us
has been choosing
personally
to disobey,
to do
things
that are sinful.
And not just a little bit,
but a lot.
Paul describes
in this letter
what some of the people
in Thessalonica
were doing
to the Thessalonian
believers.
They were
persecuting anyone
in Thessalonica
who believed
in Jesus.
They were doing
everything in their power
to stop
the message
about Jesus
from spreading.
and referring
to these opponents.
Paul says
in chapter 2,
verse 16,
in this way,
they always
heap up
their sins
to the limit.
And so,
he says,
right after,
the wrath of God
has come upon them
at last
or
fully.
so,
it's not just
that we've done
a teeny
little bit
of bad stuff
here and there.
These persecutors
in Thessalonica
are an example
of what we are all
naturally
bent towards
because of sin
in us.
Apart from Jesus,
we heap up
our sins
to the limit.
We try to get away
with as much
as we possibly can.
And it's because
of this defiance
and evil
that the wrath
of God
is coming
on the world.
Now,
it's quite common
for us to think
when we hear
that word wrath,
it's quite common
for us to point
a finger at God
and say,
see,
I told you,
God isn't good.
He's not kind.
He's not compassionate.
He's full of wrath.
He's full of anger.
He's mean-spirited.
He's vindictive.
He takes pleasure
in crushing
poor people like us.
Maybe you've heard
people say that.
But as we read
through the Bible,
we begin to see
that this accusation
just isn't true.
God is not mean-spirited.
He's not vindictive.
He doesn't take pleasure
in crushing
poor people like us.
That's what evil men
in our world do.
But God is not like that.
He is a God of wrath.
And He is a God
who gets angry.
But why does He get angry?
Why is He wrathful?
Well, the more we read
the Bible,
the better we see
that for God to be good
and love what is good,
He must also hate
what is evil.
For God to do right,
He must also deal
with those who do wrong.
What kind of God
would He be
if He just did nothing
to those who perpetrate
evil all over the earth?
What kind of God
would He be
if He just let people
do terrible things
to other people
and get away with it?
How long should God
put up with those
who promote evil?
Forever?
For God to be good,
there has to come a day
when He brings the world
to right,
when He rights the wrongs,
when He brings justice
for all the oppressed,
for all those
who have been victims.
there has to be a day
when all who act corruptly
are cleansed
from God's good earth.
God is not angry
because He is mean-spirited.
He is angry
because He sees our sins
and our sinfulness
for what it really is.
Sometimes I think
it's helpful to think
in human terms here.
Have you ever witnessed
somebody do something
hurtful to someone else?
Maybe a bully
on the playground
who's picking on
someone smaller.
Maybe a parent
who is verbally abusive
to their young children.
Maybe somebody
who's going around
and spreading
false rumors
to destroy
another person's reputation.
have you ever
witnessed something
like that
and just felt
the anger
rising up within you?
And you just want
to jump into the fray
and come to that person's defense.
It's in those moments
that I think
it's the closest
we get
as human beings
to having
a righteous
anger.
A good anger.
anger.
We are angry
at the evil
being done
because we see
how it hurts
the people we love.
That's maybe
a picture
a little bit
of what God's
anger is like
towards sin.
He is angry
at the evil
being done
because He sees
how it affects
everything.
He sees
how our sins
hurt the people
around us.
He sees
how our sinful bent
ruins what was
made good
and beautiful
and perfect.
He sees
how our sins
warp
and twist
things
and make them
ugly
and sick.
And so
His anger
about sin
is a righteous
anger.
It is a good
anger
unlike most
of the anger
that we
feel
ourselves.
Where we
might think
of it
this way.
Imagine
that you've
just finished
painting a
masterpiece.
Beautiful
fall scene
of the trees
and all their
colors.
And you
take that
beautiful
painting
off the
easel,
put it
down on
the table
for a
moment
to adjust
your
easel
and somebody
comes by
and they
accidentally
knock over
a jar
of black
ink and
it spills
right over
top of
the whole
painting.
The ink
soaks and
seeps deeply
into the
canvas
and you
look at it
and what
can you do
but just
admit that
there's a
very real
sense in
which this
beautiful
masterpiece
is now
ruined.
It's no
longer
beautiful.
It can't
really be
fixed.
It's no
longer
worthy to
be hung
on the
wall for
display or
given as
a gift.
The good
thing to
do, the
right thing
to do,
is to
throw it
away, to
destroy it,
to start
over fresh
and new.
There is a
sense in
which God's
wrath is
like that
too.
It is that
good part of
him that is
willing to
do what
must be
done at
some point
for the
masterpiece
that he
created,
which was
spoiled by
sin.
And so
there is
coming a
day in
which the
world as
we know
it, the
Bible tells
us, will
be totally
destroyed by
God.
And it
won't be a
mean-spirited
wrath, but a
wrath so
noble and
good that it
will do the
right thing
and do
away with
what is
spoiled.
Thankfully,
that's not
a perfect
analogy because
in the midst
of all
this, there
is this
wonderful
news.
There is a
way to be
saved from
God's wrath,
the coming
wrath of God.
And that way
is through
Jesus, the
rescuer.
He has
come to
rescue us
from the
coming wrath.
He came into
our world.
He lived a
perfect, holy
life.
And in
his death on
the cross, he
received the
wrath of God
on himself.
And it was
all part of a
great exchange,
the Bible tells
us.
For all who
will believe in
his name, he
took our
punishment and
he gave us
his righteousness
so that when
that day of
wrath comes,
God will look
at all who
accepted this
gift and say,
their sin is
paid for.
Someone has
already suffered
on their
behalf the
punishment they
deserve.
Their guilt,
their sin,
it's forgiven.
And we will be
spared and
rescued from
the coming
wrath.
Now all
this talk
about the
day of God's
wrath, it
might get us
thinking, what
is that day
going to look
like?
That's a really
good question.
Some of the
prophets who
came before
Jesus spoke
about that
day.
They called
it the day
of the
Lord.
And if you
look at those
words in your
Old Testament,
in your Bible,
the Lord is
capitalized.
It's actually
his name,
the day of
Yahweh,
the day of
the Lord.
And we see in
the Old Testament
that there have
been several
days called
the day of
the Lord.
And all of
them have this
thing in common.
God on those
days poured out
judgment on a
nation or on
a people because
of their immense
wickedness and
sin.
But we also
see in the midst
of all that,
God telling us
about an
ultimate,
final day
of the
Lord,
where God
will pour
out judgment
on the
whole world
because of
its immense
wickedness
and sin.
The simplest
way to get a
feel for what
the day of
the Lord will
be like is
to just read
through Revelation,
the last book
of the Bible.
In Revelation,
the Apostle
John receives
a vision from
Jesus.
And this
vision has
for centuries
captivated
everybody who
reads it.
The vision
tells a story
of what will
happen at
the end.
It tells of
the moment
when God's
day, the
day of the
Lord, will
break forth
upon the
world.
It begins
around the
end of
chapter 6 and
it goes all
the way through
till chapter
20.
And while
there's plenty
of debate and
speculation as
to the precise
interpretation of
all the
details of
this vision,
the order in
which it will
happen and
the duration
of that day,
the overall
sense that we
get is that
it will be a
dreadful day
for everyone
on whom God's
wrath falls.
God will send
down in
judgment
plagues,
sickness,
disease,
famine,
scorching
heat,
destruction
of many
of the
good
resources
of the
earth,
natural
disasters
of magnitudes
and frequencies
the likes of
which we've
never seen
before.
There will
be darkness,
violence,
pestilence,
wars,
and death.
And all
of it
deserved
for the
immense
wickedness
and sin
of all
who live
on earth.
To the
believers at
Thessalonica,
Paul actually
wrote about
this coming
wrath.
I'm just
going to
read a
little of
what he
wrote in
chapter 5
of his
letter.
Chapter 5
verse 1,
Paul says
this,
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 labor
pains on
a pregnant
woman,
and they
will not
escape.
Paul tells
us here that
the day of
the Lord,
the day of
God's holy
judgment,
will take
our world
by surprise.
He says,
I don't even
need to write
to you about
times and
dates for
this.
That's
perhaps a
word that
we should
all keep
in mind.
God has
not given
us the
times and
the dates
of when
this will
occur,
but what
he does
tell us is
that it
will take
the world
by surprise.
The day of
the Lord will
not be on
the world's
calendar at
all.
They won't
see it
coming.
It will
not be
expected.
It will
catch them
off guard,
just like a
thief catches
somebody off
guard,
a homeowner,
when they
break into
the yard and
steal something
unexpectedly in
the night.
The day of
God's wrath
will come
suddenly,
seemingly out
of nowhere,
just like
contractions
just come
out of
nowhere for
a woman
who is
about to
go into
intense
labor.
Paul even
tells us
that the
saying of
the day,
when this
day comes,
will be
peace and
safety.
Everybody
will be
thinking,
wow,
we've
done it,
this is
good.
And when
it's least
expected,
Paul says,
destruction
will come
upon our
world in
an instant
from God
and people
will not
escape.
But now
listen to
these encouraging
words of
Paul which
follow.
Verse 4,
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.
Jesus,
who rescues
us from
the coming
wrath.
The world
will be
caught off
guard by
the day of
God's
wrath,
the day
of the
Lord.
But you,
brothers and
sisters,
need not
fear.
You need
not worry,
says Paul.
This day
is not going
to surprise
you like
a thief
surprises
a homeowner.
For those
of us who
are in
Christ Jesus,
we're expecting
something
different.
And Paul
goes into
metaphors of
light and
darkness and
being asleep
and awake.
I'm just
going to
skip right
over that
down to
verse 9
because it's
here that
Paul gives
us the
clear statement
of how it
will turn
out for
us when
that day
comes.
For all
who believe
in Jesus,
God did
not appoint
us to
suffer
wrath,
but to
receive
salvation
through our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
I love
these words.
The terrible
wrath of
God that
the world
deserves,
that even
we deserve
for our
sins,
it will
not fall
on us
if we
belong to
Christ.
God did
not appoint
us to
suffer
wrath.
Instead,
we will
be saved
from it.
He
appointed
us to
receive
salvation
through
our Lord
Jesus
Christ.
And how
does it
happen that
we get a
pass on
that coming
day?
how does
it happen
that we're
saved from
going through
that and
suffering on
that day?
Paul tells
us in
verse 10,
he died
for us
so that
whether we
are awake
or asleep,
we may
live together
with him.
Jesus'
death
for us
is at
the center
of our
salvation.
It's the
reason we
won't have to
go through
that.
It's the
basis for
why we
will not
be condemned
with eternal
fire at the
final judgment.
it all
comes back
to the
cross.
And what
happened with
Jesus at
the cross
when his
body was
broken and
his blood
was shed
for us.
And I love
the way that
Paul says
it here.
He says
he died
for us so
that whether
we are awake
or asleep,
he's using
the metaphor
whether we
are dead
or alive
before he
comes,
he died
for us
so that
we may
live together
with him.
He did
it so
that he
might live
together
with you
and with
me.
He wanted
to have
that with
you,
life with
you,
life with
me.
It was
for love
that he
died.
It was
so that
we could
have a
sweet,
wonderful
relationship
with
him,
living
with
him
forever
that he
died.
I don't
know about
you,
but some
days I
actually thank
my wife
and my
kids for
putting up
with me,
for bearing
with me.
I'm far
from perfect
and there
are days
that I
don't even
like being
with myself.
but do
you know
that Jesus,
the Son
of God
wants to
live with
you?
Let that
sink into
your heart.
He wants
to live
with you
so much
that he
was willing
to die
that agonizing
death on
the cross.
that's
what the
table that
we celebrate
this morning
is all
about.
It's here we
celebrate
Jesus who
saves us
from the
coming wrath
and who
died for
us so
that we
could live
together
with him
forever.
So we're
going to
take a
moment of
quiet now
and I
want to
encourage
you to
pray,
to talk
to the
Lord,
to reflect
on your
own sins
and to
confess your
sins to
God in
these moments
and to
think about
the love
of Christ
for you.
And after
we've done
that for a
few minutes,
Charles is
going to
come up
and he's
going to
distribute
the bread.
Actually,
we'll have
Charles and
Rod come
up and
distribute
the bread
and the
cup.
And if
you believe
in Jesus
and he
is your
Lord,
then I
want to
invite you
to partake
and join
with us
as we
eat and
drink from
this table.
We'll wait
until everybody
has been
served and
then we'll
eat together.
and
raise
in the
a
and
notable
on
Amen.
Let's give thanks.
Lord Jesus, from the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you.
Thank you for suffering as you did to save us.
Thank you that we can have hope and life and joy and a future with you forever because
of what you did on the cross.
We love you.
Amen.