Can I Ask That? – Part Twenty Eight – Why is Jesus Returning?
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%204%3A13-18&version=NIV
Welcome
Good morning, church.
Let me be clear right from the start: I’m trying to persuade you of something that matters deeply. I want to convince you that Jesus is coming again—and that this isn’t something to fear or brush aside. It’s the hope we stand on. It’s the promise that God hasn’t given up on this broken, beautiful world.
You see, God is not indifferent to injustice. He’s not blind to grief. He sees every tear, every act of cruelty, every lost dream. But He also sees what this world could be—and will be—when Jesus returns to set things right.
This is not just about heaven after we die. It’s about Jesus returning to reign as King—to bring justice, to raise the dead, to heal what’s broken, and to establish his kingdom of peace.
And so today, I want to invite you to trust him. To believe, not in a distant God, but in a returning King. To receive him in faith. To be baptized into his death and resurrection. And to become part of the people who live today like his kingdom is coming tomorrow.
That’s where we’re headed this morning. And I hope you’ll come with me.
Let’s begin.
Sermon Title: Why Is Jesus Returning to Judge the World?
Introduction
Have you ever looked around and asked, “Is this really how the world is supposed to be?”
School shootings, corruption, loneliness, broken families, war after war, and yet, somehow, people still say everything’s fine.
I’m here to tell you everything is not fine. But I’m also here to tell you that God hasn’t left us to figure this out on our own.
This morning, I want to show you that the return of Jesus is not some strange, distant theological idea. It is the heartbeat of our hope. Jesus is returning to judge the world, not because he wants to destroy it, but because he loves it too much to let it keep breaking.
HEAD – What’s Going On in 1st Thessalonians?
Let’s rewind to the beginning. Thessaloniki was a bustling, loyal Roman city. When Paul showed up preaching a different king, Jesus, he was met with hostility. Imagine a visiting pastor in Washington, D.C. standing on the Capitol steps saying, “I’ve come to tell you there’s a different king, and it’s not the one in office.” That’s what Paul was doing. It was bold. It was dangerous.
He only had three weeks with them. Just imagine planting a church in three weeks and then being forced to flee under cover of night. He worried constantly about them. Would they stay faithful? Would fear win? Would their faith survive the constant tension?
When Timothy returned with news that the church wasn’t just surviving, but thriving, Paul was overjoyed. But there were still questions. Especially one that hits close to home for many of us:
What happens when the people we love die?
What do we do with grief and hope and uncertainty?
Paul writes to answer that, and in doing so, gives us a glimpse of something greater than heaven: the return of Jesus, the renewal of the world, and the resurrection of the dead.
HEART – Why This Matters to Us
Let me ask you: Have you ever lost someone you love and wondered if you’ll ever see them again?
Or looked at the mess in the world and wondered if anything will ever make it right?
That’s the world the Thessalonians lived in; one where following Jesus meant your family rejected you, your neighbors slandered you, and some believers were even killed. They needed hope. Not a band-aid. Not a vague “they’re in a better place” sentiment. They needed something solid.
Paul gives them something stronger than sentiment. He gives them the promise of Jesus’ return.
And when Paul talks about that return, he uses a word that meant something powerful to Roman citizens: Parousia. That was the word they used for the emperor’s official visit.
Imagine Collierville finding out the President is coming: streets would be swept, flags raised, bands prepared. Dignitaries would meet him outside the city and escort him in with fanfare.
Now imagine Jesus, the rightful King of the world, coming not just to visit, but to reign. The dead are raised. The living are caught up with them. We meet our King, and we welcome him, not to leave the world, but to bring heaven to earth.
He is coming not just to take us somewhere else, but to set this world right.
HANDS – What Do We Do with This?
So what now? Do we just wait around for Jesus to return and zap everything into perfection?
No. Paul says:
“Live like the Kingdom is already here.”
That means we live as people of hope, not fear.
We work for justice, not vengeance.
We practice purity in a culture that celebrates indulgence.
We serve with humility in a world obsessed with status.
We stay awake, sober, watchful; not paranoid, but purposeful.
Let me get practical.
- When you tutor a struggling student, you are preparing the way for the King.
- When you invest in your marriage or serve in your neighborhood or care for an aging parent, you are living like Jesus really is coming back.
- When you choose hope over cynicism, when you show love in the face of hostility, you become a living sign of the world to come.
But let me ask you: Are you ready to meet him?
Not out of fear, but out of longing?
Jesus is coming again—not to scare us into submission, but to finish what he started. Will will wipe away every tear, restore every injustice, and reign forever in love.
Conclusion and Invitation
The Thessalonians held onto their faith because they knew something we must not forget:
This world belongs to Jesus.
And when he returns, he will make it what it was always meant to be.
So let me ask you plainly:
- Do you trust this Jesus?
- Have you received his grace?
- Have you been baptized and joined yourself to his Church. The Church not just an institution, but as a living body of people preparing the way for their King?
If not, I want to invite you—today—to take that step.
Jesus is coming again. Let’s live like it. Let’s hope like it. Let’s be ready.
Amen.
Invitation
Friends, let me return to what I said at the beginning.
I’ve been trying to persuade you that Jesus is coming again—not to destroy, but to restore. To judge, yes—but with justice, truth, and mercy. His return is not a threat—it’s a promise. A promise that the world’s pain will not last forever. That evil does not get the final word. That the dead will rise, the tears will be wiped away, and Jesus will be King.
So I want to ask you:
- Do you know this Jesus, not just as a name, but as your hope?
- Have you trusted him with your life, your past, your future?
- Have you been baptized as a declaration that you belong to the King who is coming again?
- Are you part of his people, a church that lives with hope, serves with love, and stands with courage?
If not, why not today?
Don’t wait until the pain is gone. Don’t wait until you have every answer.
Jesus is coming,and he’s calling.
Come. Trust him. Be baptized. Join his people. And live as a sign of the kingdom that’s already breaking in.
Let’s pray.
Closing Prayer
Gracious and Coming King,
You are the One who was, who is, and who is to come.
You see the injustice, the sorrow, and the fear that surround us
and You promise that it will not last forever.
You will return to judge with righteousness,
to reign with peace,
and to make all things new.
Thank You for the hope that sustains us;
hope that even death cannot steal,
hope that one day we will rise with all Your people
to welcome You as King over all creation.
As we go from this place,
make us a people of the coming kingdom.
Let us live like citizens of heaven,
right here on earth.
Help us to love boldly, work faithfully,
and shine with the light of Christ.
For those carrying grief, bring comfort.
For those weary of evil, give strength.
For those longing for justice, let Your Spirit awaken hope.
And for all of us, keep us watchful and ready,
not with fear, but with joy.
May our lives proclaim with confidence:
Jesus is coming.
Jesus is Lord.
Jesus is worthy.
In His name we pray,
Amen.