Christ is returning – it is still part of the gospel and a big part

“All over the world the Spirit is moving” Remember singing that?

“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1 v 8-10)

The team didn’t have to tell people of what God was doing in Thessalonica, the news had spread. The gospel had a starting point but it continued and it still is doing so 2,000 years later.

There are more than 1050 church planting movements which have been reported in the world so far. The top 10 countries with the largest Christian populations include Brazil, Russia, India and China. Iraq is the fastest growing Evangelical population at 19.6% (ten years ago). There are 1,392 Christian groups in the 10/40 Window. The largest being the Yoruba of Nigeria (34,362,000). The Jesus Film has been shown in 11,421 people groups in the world to a total of 7,136,000,000!

There is still so much more to be done but we can rejoice that throughout the world the gospel is growing.

Paul’s team discover what the world are saying of the Christians in Thessalonica. Firstly they have turned from their idols to serve the true God who is alive. They sought in worship the real divine presence not a counterfeit. This is still important today. But then we are taken into what keeps coming back as the theme of this whole letter and the second one, the return of Jesus. It is clear that this generation and including Paul believed that Jesus would come back in their lifetime. They at least had a firmly held hope they would see His coming and that He would come and rescue them from some coming doom which was also near. Should we live like this? Do we?

Do we resist trusting the things of the world because we know they are not permanent?

Do we find ourselves more joyful than those in the world because we know who is coming?

Do we filter our decisions based on the fact we will not be in this world for much longer?

Finally when we speak the gospel do we focus on turning from idols and living for the return of Jesus Christ?