The Wrath To Come

Temple Baptist Church - 6-7-2015

1 Thessalonians 1:10

Introduction:

A.  I could not end chapter one without dealing with this last phrase.  In verses 9-10, we found that:

1.  God saved the Thessalonian believers to serve the Lord, not to just sit and relish their salvation.

2.  God saved the Thessalonian believers to wait for the Lord which speaks of their patience in service.

B.  Paul ended the verse reminding them that the Lord not only saved the Thessalonian believers to something, He saved them from something. Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 

1.  Death is an appointment that none will miss (the saved will if the Lord returns in their lifetime).  Saved or lost, death is a reality.

2.  Judgment is an appointment that none will miss though there are two separate ones.  The Judgment Seat of Christ is the judgment of the saint’s works, not sin.  The Great White Throne Judgment is the judgment of the unsaved’s works and is their sin.

C.  The wrath to come is both Jacob’s Trouble or the Tribulation Period and, later, the Lake of Fire.

1.  Hell is a Real Place.   Luke 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

a)  Hell is not the fantasy of some religionist’s mind.

b)  Hell is not a fear factor used by preachers to manipulate people.

c)  Hell is not something to be joked about or made fun of.

d)  Hell is a fact to accept.  The One who said, “I am the truth” declared it.

2.  Hell is an Eternal Place.  Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

a)  There is no possible escape.

b)  There are no second chances.

c)  There is no time limit.

3.  Hell is a Terrible Place.   Luke 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

D.  Paul mentions the wrath to come for two reasons:

1. To ensure that these believers never forgot where they came from and the blessing that the Lord bestowed upon them in light of it.

a.  We are to thank the Lord for our salvation from sin.

b.  We are to thank the Lord for our salvation to heaven.

c.  We are to thank the Lord for our salvation from hell.

2. To ensure that these believers never lose their burden for the lost multitudes of people around the world. 

a.  Hell is too often a reality realized too late.  That is to the shame of believers who are not active in soul winning and missions around the world.

b.  People still go to hell if they are not saved!  I thank the Lord for two people, one lost and one saved.  The saved man witnessed to me and invited me to the church that Barbara and I were eventually saved in.  The lost woman, as a lost person, invited us to the same church.  She got out and we GOT IN!

c.  May we never lose our burden for souls in our family, community, work place, schools, county, state, country, and around the world.  They cannot be saved without a biblical witness!