Many of us love sports and very much enjoy watching our favorite teams play. However, as we all know, conflicts arise and we often cannot watch a game live; thus, we record the game and plan to watch it later. In the interim, we try our very best not to learn who wins before we watch it. However, there are times when we accidentally find out the final score anyway. Now, does knowing the final score stop us from watching the game? Of course not. We still watch the game, but differently, because we already know the outcome. Assuming that our team won the game, we watch it stress free. When the opponent gains momentum or a star player is injured, our hearts do not race because we know the positive outcome. Today’s passage, From 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, provides comfort by showing believers that this life is much like watching a game and knowing beforehand that our team won. Christian, because God’s word tells us that Jesus wins in the end, we can watch today’s media headlines and be encouraged. Likewise, we can also observe the cultural craziness, political foolishness and governmental incompetence with the peaceful knowledge that, in the end, Jesus wins. So, while we wait for this end to come, what should believers do? How do we best follow Jesus? In this passage of scripture, Paul gives Christians three commands to best navigate life until the end arrives. One such command is….
Be worshipful, God provides Salvation in Jesus
Friend, Jesus died so that you might live, endured the Father’s wrath so that you might receive God’s adoption and experienced hell on the cross so that you might experience heaven. However, Jesus’ death on the cross is not a blanket universal salvation. Instead, this salvation is offered personally to each individual and it requires a response to receive. Only those who bow the knee to make Jesus king of their life receive the forgiveness of sins! In order to receive this salvation, you must admit that Jesus, the Son of God and born of the Virgin Mary died for your sin and, after being buried for three days and nights, rose to life again. By doing so, Jesus Christ, demonstrated two things: 1) that God the Father accepted His sacrifice and 2) that He (Jesus) is God because the cold clutch of death was broken after three days in the grave! Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Now, while accepting God’s salvation is simple, it is not easy. Believing God’s words and accepting this salvation comes with the price of looking foolish to the world. One American Pastor and author states it this way: “Noah looked foolish building a boat in the middle of a desert. The Israelite army looked foolish marching around Jericho blowing trumpets. A shepherd boy named David looked foolish charging a giant with a slingshot. The Magi looked foolish tracking a star…. Peter looked foolish getting out of a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. And Jesus looked foolish wearing a crown of thorns. But the results speak for themselves. Noah is saved from the flood; the walls come tumbling down; David defeats Goliath; the Magi discover the Messiah; Peter walks on water; and Jesus is crowned King of kings” (Batterson, 64-65). Brothers and sisters, life will disappoint and sin will destroy. You will face many trials (illness, financial, family, employment, etc) that will leave you feeling discouraged. There will be many times when you will be overcome with temptation and fail your Savior. But, let us take heart and always remember this: For those who have received God’s salvation, WE KNOW WHO ULTIMATELY WINS! And, for those who have yet to believe, this same salvation also awaits you!
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