In Acts chapter 16, you can read
the account of how Paul ended up in Thessalonica. We read there that a man appeared
to Paul in a vision, pleading with him, come over into Macedonia. Thessalonica
was the capital of Macedonia. Come over into Macedonia and
help us. Help us. We need help. And we read in the next verse
of Acts 16, verse 10, that Paul was sure that God was sending
them there to preach the gospel, to preach the gospel. Just another
example of the importance of the gospel. You can't do without
it, can't do without it. One verse comes to mind, but
there are so many others. But remember this, it pleases
God through the foolishness of preaching to save those that
believe. John, that's the means he's ordained,
nothing else. Nothing else. Are you concerned
about the salvation of your soul? Do you have any concern at all
about it? At every opportunity, you should avail yourselves to
hear the gospel. So Paul, being certain that God
would have them to go there and preach the gospel, he and Timothy
and Silas go first to Philippi in Macedonia. You know that story
well. Lydia is saved. God opens her
heart, we're told. Then the Philippian jailer and
his family are saved. And then Paul leaves and goes
to Thessalonica. And in Acts 17, we're told when
he got there, he did the very same thing that he did in Philippi,
and everywhere he went, he preached the gospel. For three weeks,
he was there preaching and affirming that Christ must need suffer,
the Messiah must need suffer and die and raise again from
the dead, and that this Jesus that he preached was, is that
Messiah. Afterwards, After they left there,
after their run out of town, Paul stayed three weeks there
preaching the gospel until he ran off, but after that he sends
Timothy back to this young church, these young believers. He's concerned
about how they were doing. Look, if you will, in chapter
3 of 1 Thessalonians. Paul speaks of that here, and
the record of it is in Acts, but here Paul makes mention of
it in verse 1. Wherefore, when we could no longer
forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone, and
sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow
laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort
you concerning your faith, that no man should be moved by these
afflictions, what they were enduring, they were being persecuted. For
yourselves know that we are appointed thereto, for verily, When we
were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation,
even as it came to pass, and ye know. For this cause, when
I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some
means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain. but now when Timotheus came from
you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith in charity,
and that ye have good remembrance of us, always desiring greatly
to see us as we also to see you. Therefore, brethren, we were
comforted over you in our affliction and distress by your faith. For
now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. Paul was refreshed
hearing that he had not labored or run in vain. And after Timothy
comes back with that good news that this church was flourishing
spiritually, being persecuted on every hand, being slandered,
and yet flourishing, flourishing during that persecution. As it
was said concerning the children of Israel and Egypt, whom Pharaoh
afflicted daily. We read in chapter 1 of Exodus,
the more he afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. So it is in the kingdom of God. And Paul, after receiving that
good news from Timothy, He writes this epistle, this letter, back
to the church at Thessalonica. As a matter of fact, this is
Paul's first epistle. This is the first thing he ever
wrote. I know it's not listed as first, but in order of time,
it was the first one he wrote. Let's begin at the last verse
we ended our reading with, verse 11 of chapter 5, and then we'll just work our
way back. Paul says, wherefore, comfort yourselves together and
edify one another even as also you do. What did Paul say that
would be such a comfort to them? What did he write that would
help them and help you and I as well? Because things haven't
changed whatsoever. You perhaps are familiar with
an old hymn entitled, Count Your Blessings.
The chorus says, Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your
blessings, see what God hath done. Count your blessings, name
them one by one. Count your many blessings, see
what God hath done. Well, the psalmist said, David,
in Psalm 139, that if he would count up God's wonderful thoughts
to him, they were more than he could number. more than he can
number, but Paul here mentions a few, and we'll look at them.
We'll look at what he wrote. Now, most of you are aware that
I've reached somewhat of a milestone in my life today. I'm 62 years
old. Terry, you look 62, but I don't. And I've been blessed all my life,
all my life. God has blessed this man standing
before you with rich blessings, brother Lowe, in Christ Jesus. When there's a young man in his
20s running around doing horrible, unspeakable things. And the only time I ever used
the name God was to curse Him. Even then, God had His hand on
me. He wouldn't let me go, God. Wouldn't
let me die in that state. Wouldn't let me die in darkness
and opened my eyes in eternal, everlasting darkness and separation
from himself. Oh, no, he kept me until he called me by his grace, like
Paul said, and revealed his Son to me and in me. I've been blessed all my life. As David said, surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Today is my salvation nearer,
nearer. That's how I view the passing
of time. My salvation now is nearer. I'm nearer to glory. I'm nearer
to heaven. I'm nearer to seeing Jesus Christ
than I've ever been before. So just let the ages roll on.
Let them roll on. They go swiftly. That's not a
problem. That's not a problem. Four times
in these verses that we read in chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians,
Paul points out a distinction. He makes a distinction in those
that he wrote to and every believer and those who were yet unsaved. And each time that he makes this
distinction, he does so by introducing the little word, but. But. That's a good word, isn't
it? That's a glorious word. The first
one is in verse 1, then again in verse 4, then again in verse
8, and then fourth and last in verse 9. and that little word
speaks of the great difference that God made. It introduces
us to what God did, but. You were in darkness, but. You
were like all others, but. Let us who are of the breastplate
of faith and love and have a hope of salvation, God's not appointed
us to wrath but to obtain salvation. Look in chapter 1 and then we'll
come back, but just briefly look at chapter 1, verse 4. Now remember,
remember, this is the first thing Paul
ever wrote in his life. He would write much more after
this, but this is the first thing he ever wrote under divine inspiration,
first thing. and he's writing to young believers,
and he does what preachers have told me you should never do.
Don't mention that. If you do, whisper it, election,
election. Don't mention that. It'll confuse
people. No, no it won't. It'll give glory
to God. and it'll bow the soul down in
true worship. Look what he says in verse 4,
knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. I think God,
better than any of us, knows what his people need. And Paul
says, don't forget this. God's chose you. Yes, you're
being persecuted. Yes, you're being tried. Perhaps
you're tempted to throw up your hands, but remember this, brethren,
Your beloved, like Bobby sang a moment ago, with an everlasting
love, the love of God, and he proved it, having elected us
to eternal salvation. Verse 5, for our gospel came
not unto you in word only. This is how Paul knew they were
chosen of God. When he went there and preached
for those three weeks, the gospel came not unto you in word only
like it did so many, but also in power. God made a difference. Many folks just sit and hear
the gospel, not another gospel, but the gospel, the gospel of
God's grace, and just sleep, if not literally, spiritually,
just sleep the sleep of death, but that same message, God in
his mercy drops it into a heart of a sinner, and for the first
time, he wakes up. He wakes up and seeks mercy. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and
in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among
you for your sake. And ye became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction and
with joy of the Holy Ghost. And ye became examples to all
that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. Knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God." Remember what he wrote again in chapter
2 of his 2nd letter to them, his 2nd epistle, describing the
dark time that would come upon the world, the time that you
and I are living in, when men believe everything but the truth. Read 2 Thessalonians chapter
2. Believe a lie and be damned. As he said to Timothy, the day
will come they'll heap themselves teachers having itching ears
and we'll pay you big bucks to tell us what we want to hear. Paul says a dark time, terrible
time, spiritual darkness engulfing the world, but he said we're bound. Notice the word. We're bound
to give thanks. We're obligated. We're bound
to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, because God
had from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Oh, glorious
mercy. Why? Why? Why, my soul? Why such love for me? We're bound to give thanks. One
hymn writer put it this way. "'Twas with an everlasting love
that God his own elect embraced "'before he made the worlds above
"'or earth on her huge columns placed. "'Believer, here thy
comfort stands, "'from first to last salvation's free, "'and
everlasting love demands an everlasting song from thee.'" We are bound
to give thanks. The title of the message is the
hope of salvation. the hope of salvation. Those
are the words that Paul uses in verse 8 concerning the redeemed,
the called, the chosen, the elect. They have a hope of salvation
because God made a difference. Let me read you a few scriptures
from Exodus chapter 11. These were Moses' words to the
children of Israel just before the just and holy God, the just
and holy God, not the God of your imagination, no, not that
God that you've carved out of your own warped imagination,
that God that you're comfortable with, no, the true God, that
God that you can live in rebellion against and have no fear of,
no, no, he's an imposter. That's another Jesus. of the
God of absolute holiness, he declares, and it's still on the
book, he's not changed his mind. God doesn't change his mind.
He changes not. He said, the soul that sinneth,
it must die. It must die. You have an example of that in
Exodus chapter 11, and listen to Moses' words. And Moses said,
verse 4, "'Thus saith the Lord, "'About midnight will I go into
the midst of Egypt.'" Pharaoh didn't believe that. The Egyptians
didn't believe that. They thought it was a fairy tale.
"'And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, "'from
the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, "'even
unto the firstborn of the maidservant "'that is behind the mill. "'And
all the firstborn of beasts, and there shall be a great cry
throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it,
nor shall be like it any more." And we read of that coming of
our Lord in 1 Thessalonians, didn't we? 1 Thessalonians, when
he shall come in vengeance on unbelievers, those who abide
in darkness, those who won't come to the light. This is a picture of that. God
passes through Egypt that night in strict justice. But look at
verse 7. "'But against any of the children
of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast,
that ye may know how that the Lord hath put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel.'" God makes a difference. Yes, he does. You say, I don't like that. You'll
have to take it up with God. If I'm a believer, it's because
God gave me faith. If I'm made the dipper, it's
his grace that's made me the dipper and nothing else. Notice
the first distinction that Paul mentions in verse 1 of chapter
5. But of the times and the seasons,
brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. The world will be unaware when
our Lord returns, Paul tells us in those first several verses,
and that's exactly what the Lord Jesus himself taught. When he
left the temple for the last time and looking at it, he told
his disciples, you see all these stones, these beautiful ornaments,
this beautiful building? The day, the hour is coming,
there won't be one left upon another. They're all going to
be torn down, and they were, and plowed under. And as they
went out to the Mount of Olives and sat down, they came to him
and they asked him, Lord, when shall these things be? And what
shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? Remember the first thing he said,
take heed that no man deceive you. But he said, of that day
and hour knoweth no man, not the angels, no man, but his heavenly
Father. But he said, know this. Know
this, as in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the day when
the Son of Man is revealed. They were eating, they were drinking. There's nothing unusual about
that. That's the point. They'll be going on their normal
daily routine, the same old, same old, and they didn't know
until the flood came. Remember, that's what our Lord
said. They didn't know until the flood came and took them
all away. So shall it be in the day when
the Son of Man will be revealed. We don't know, child of God,
when. We don't know the day, the hour,
or the year, and we don't need to know. But we do know this. He will
return. Look again at verse 16 of chapter
4. for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with his
shout." Most of the people we know think that's a fairy tale. They look at you and I that profess
to believe that, that are looking forward to that, that embrace
that, and they look at us like we're just old fuddy-duddies,
just don't have good sense, but we rejoice in it, don't we? The
Lord himself shall descend. We don't know the when, don't
need to know. People have gotten rich by writing
books about prophecy. It intrigues people, doesn't
it? I mean, any blockhead can come along and write a book,
666, I figured it out. I mean, almost yearly, somebody
comes forward and tells us they figured out the date of the Lord's
return. No, they haven't. They're lying
to you. No, they haven't. The Lord says,
no man knoweth the day or the hour, but we know this. He's
coming. Doesn't matter when, where, how,
but who? Who? Who's coming? That's the
glory. He's coming back for us. He that
was entrusted with our salvation before the world was ever created.
He that received us as the gift from his Father's hands. He that
came in the fullness of time to do everything necessary to
save his people. He that came and redeemed us. Didn't take a stab at it. He
redeemed us, and now he intercedes for us. He himself shall come
again and receive us that where he is, there we shall be also,
and so shall we ever be with the Lord." What a blessed, blessed
distinction, to be with Christ forever. The second distinction, look
at verse 5, "'Ye are the children of light, and the children of
the day. Verse 4, I should have begun
at verse 4. But ye brethren are not in darkness,
that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are the children
of the light and the children of the day. We are not of the
night nor in darkness. Why? But God's interposing grace. We're no longer in darkness.
I'm not like I once was. not since he who is the light
came to my darkened soul. I'm ashamed that I don't, that
I'm no more thankful for that than I am, Joe. Shame on me. Oh, Lord, draw back the curtain
of memory now and then. Show me where you brought me
from. Don't let me forget. And where I could have been.
Old John Newton, that slave trader, that one who wrote Amazing Grace,
just in his little study on the wall, just in front of his desk,
every time he sat there, he would look up at it and say, remember,
you were a bond slave in Egypt, and I brought you out. Don't
you ever forget it. I was in darkness and I loved
it. Loved it. Didn't want to come
to the light. And one day, just because he would, not because
I deserved it, I was a child of darkness like everybody else.
I was a child of wrath just like everybody else. There was nothing
in me that attracted him. There was everything that reforced
him, but he came to me. He came to where I sat in darkness
and said, let there be light. Let there be light. Remember,
child of God? Remember? It's like you woke
up from the dead. You had. You had. I'm not talking about going forward
in the church. That won't change you. That don't
amount to nothing, and you know it doesn't. It doesn't change
the heart. Man, I trotted the altars until
the pastor got sick of looking at me. Oh, but when he came and
said, let there be light, he opened my eyes. The scales
fell off my eyes. God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined into our hearts to give
the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Let there be
light. And then, with that vision, that
spiritual eyesight, he said, now look unto me. Look unto me
and be ye saved. For I am God, and there is none
else. Oh yes, I once was blind. I once
was blind, but now I see." I see. My aunt, until she died, used
to send me poems all the time, little tracts. in a birthday
card or such. And one she sent me in 1998. I was a few years younger then
than I am this morning. But part of it is like this. They say that I'm growing old.
I've heard them tell it times untold in language plain and
bold, but I'm not growing old. What if my Hairs are turning
gray, gray hairs are honorable, they say. What if my eyesight's
growing dim? I still can see. To follow him
who sacrificed his life for me upon the cross of Calvary. Ere long my soul shall fly away
and leave this tenement of clay. This robe of flesh I'll drop
and rise to seize the everlasting prize. I'll meet you on the streets
of gold and prove to you I'm not growing old. not growing
old, but God. Look at verse 8, the third one,
the third blessed distinction by the God of all grace. "'But
let us who are of the day be sober, "'putting on the breastplate
of faith and love, "'and for an helmet the hope of salvation. "'Yes, the children of light
have the hope of salvation.'" Salvation. Eternal, complete
salvation. Salvation to the uttermost. Such a great salvation that in
glory there'll be no remnants of the serpent's trail. There'll be no evidence of my sinnership. Isn't that
something? Isn't that something? Save to the uttermost so that
I stand before my Redeemer like Him without any trace of sin. I'll never utter any words like
this then. Oh, wretched man that I am. yet, then I shall be known as I am
known and I shall see perfectly and know perfectly and appreciate
perfectly and worship perfectly without sin. Man, what a day. What a day there will be when
my Jesus I shall see and he takes me by the hand and he leads me
through the promised land. Oh, what a day, what a glorious
day that will be. We, child of God, have a good
hope of that great salvation. This sinner standing before you
has such a hope. Notice what it says in verse
8. It doesn't say that they have a hope of salvation. A hope of
salvation. Everybody has that, don't they?
About everybody we know will tell you about a hope of salvation
they have. Oh, yes, I hope to go to heaven
when I die, and everybody's concerned about it as the next program
on television. Everybody has a hope. Brother Scott Richardson used
to say, the gospel's good news. That's what the word means, and
I've got good news for sinners, but I can't find a sinner anymore.
Everybody's safe. Everybody's made a decision.
Everybody's walked out. Everybody's signed up. That's
a hope, and it will wither, wither like the morning dew. But look
what Paul says. Hope, the hope of salvation. The hope of salvation, singular,
singular. There's only one, a good hope
through grace. And what makes it good? What
makes this such a sure and certain hope? How do I know? Because I still sin. There's
enough sin. I've said it before, but it's
true. There's enough sin in what I'm doing right now. There's
enough pride mixed with this. So much pride in this message to merit hell. I mean, what hope
can a sinner like me have? What gives me a good hope? What's
it built on? What's the foundation? How can
I go home tonight? and I'll sin in thought, in word,
in deed, until I lay down my head on my pillow tonight, but
I can lay there and have good hope, the hope of salvation. How's that so? Because it's in
Christ Jesus. He's given us a good hope through
grace. And that's why this sinner, I
don't try to deny my sins, I don't whitewash my sins, there's no
excuse for my sins, but I lay down my head on the pillow of
that one. who loved me and gave himself
for me, and his grace is sufficient to bring me all the way to glory. Praise his name. That's a good
hope through grace, is it not? The foundation of our hope, the
reason for it, what makes it good, everlasting and certain. Verse 9 is the last distinction.
For God had not appointed us to wrath, He's not appointed
us to wrath. God has not. God has not. Well, does that matter? Does
that matter? Does that make a difference that
God appoints something? Does God's will matter? Oh, yes,
and I hope the very suggestion Sounds absurd to you, does it? Does it? Or does your concept
of God allow for failure? Does it? Does your idea of God
allow for a God that can fail? Does it? If it does, you're worshiping
a false God. If that's the God you're trusting,
you're both in trouble. If God needs your help for anything,
you're both in trouble. Oh, but the God upon which we
rest our immortal souls, he's given us a good hope through
grace, and what he appoints, what he purposes, what he wills,
makes all the difference. What he appoints has to come
to pass. Nebuchadnezzar. walked out on
the balcony of his palace, as they say, popping his suspenders,
and he looked out over Babylon, and he said, oh, great Babylon,
look what my hands has made. There's not a greater kingdom.
And he said, man, I'm something. And while the words were still
in his mouth, the God of heaven, the king of kings, brought him
down. And the next picture we see of
that proud king, he's out in the field, down on all fours,
eating grass like a cow. Proud man. And God, that took
his sanity, gave it back to him. And when he came to his senses,
you remember what he said, He said, the God that ruleth among
men, he has his way in the armies of heaven. He has his way always,
everywhere. and among the inhabitants of
the earth, and none," oh, I rejoice in that, don't you? None can
stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? Nebuchadnezzar
said, I also learned this, those that exalt themselves, he's able
to abase. He's able to bring down. Oh, he has made an appointment.
that we might obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, bless his name. We're not
appointed to wrath. Why not? In Ephesians chapter
2, Paul says concerning those who were quickened to life, those
who were saved, he said, by nature, you are all children of wrath.
There's no difference in you and those God chooses to pass
by. No difference. except that which
grace has made, but God." God made this appointment. How can it be broken? This sinner
has an appointment in glory. I have an appointment, Lois,
in glory. The Son of God's going to meet
me in glory. and when I go through the gates
of heaven, he'll meet me there and say, welcome home. Welcome
home. Enter into the joy. This is all
for you. I prepared all this for you,
my soul. An appointment in heaven with
my God and Savior. If you would go to the Library
of Congress, You wouldn't find my name listed there, not to
my knowledge. Or any other prominent place
of records, of men of significance or renown,
Larry Criss, most people ask me when they first hear that
name, why do you have two first names? Just nobody, just nobody. Oh,
but listen, my name's not written in too many in any prominent
places I'm aware of. But the Lord Jesus says, "'Rejoice,
Larry.'" Your name's written in heaven. In Luke chapter 10, he said,
"'Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.'" In the
Lamb's book of life, his name is first. Thou art my first elect,
God said, and then chose us in Christ our head. For God hath appointed, because
God hath appointed, not appointed us rather to wrath but to obtain
salvation, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. My
salvation is his work. He obtained eternal redemption
for us, and he will obtain eternal salvation for all those that
he obtained the redemption for. Not what my hands have done can
save my guilty soul. Not what my toiling flesh has
borne can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do can give
me peace with God. Not all my prayers and sighs
and tears can bear my awful Look at verse 10 and we'll wrap
this up. Jesus Christ, who died for us,
that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with
him. In a moment, when we observe
the Lord's table, we celebrate his finished work. We celebrate. When we take the
bread, that's that body in which he lived a perfect life before
God on the behalf of his people. And then he went to Calvary and
suffered the wrath of God as the substitute for his people.
Take this, he said, eat the bread, drink the wine, and remember
me. I'm doing this for you, for you, every believer. In the Lord's Supper, we remember
him. God help us to do so. And his
finished work, when Louie and Lonnie pass out the bread and
the wine, oh, would you pray with me? When we take the bread
and we drink the wine, hear him as he instituted it that first
night and said to his disciples, this is my blood. I'm sharing it for you. I'm sharing
it for you. I'm redeeming you with my blood. Thy work alone, O Christ, can
ease this weight of sin. Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
can give me peace within. Thy love to me, O God, not mine,
O Lord, to thee, can rid me of this dark unrest and set my spirit
free. Anyone in that boat? Thy grace
alone, O God, to me can pardon speak. Thy power alone, O Son
of God, can this sore bondage break. No other work save thine,
no other blood will do. No strength save that which is
divine can bear me safely through. I praise the God of grace. I
trust his truth and might. He calls me his, I call him mine. My God, my joy, my light. It is he that saveth me and freely
pardoned gives. I love because he loveth me.
I live because he lives. Amen. God bless you.