Welcome Home: Where you are perfectly safe

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 This is evidence of God’s righteous verdict that resulted in your being counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also suffer. ⁶ Certainly, it is right for God to repay trouble to those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give relief to you, who are troubled along with us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels, ⁸ he will exercise vengeance in flaming fire on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious strength, ¹⁰ on that day when he comes to be glorified among his saints, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:19). Amen.

Jason stared at the makeshift barricade against his door. He rubbed his back and shook his head. “Will that keep them out?” Jason had been afraid when he heard the crowd gathering outside his window. He was scared when he heard them pounding on the door. The hinges started to shake. Then, BOOM! And just like that, they were inside, and the nightmare begins.

“Where are the missionaries?!” “They’re not here.” Where is Paul?!” “They’re not here.” “Where are Silas and Timothy?!” “They’re not here.” Jason was telling the truth. There were no apostles in his house. So the mob grabbed him.

Do you know how it feels to have your back scraped across your floor as your wife watches her man dragged out of his own house, kicking and screaming? But that’s how those jealous Jewish leaders in the Greek city of Thessalonica did things. They dragged Jason before the city officials. Thankfully, Jason was able to pay a security bond and escape the mob. So when he got home, Jason stared at the makeshift barricade against his door. He rubbed his back and shook his head. “Will that keep them out? What if next time they come back with torches? What if next time they take my daughter?” And Jason was afraid all over again.

Do you see why the Apostle Paul wanted to write a letter to the Christians in Thessalonica? He had visited them for three weeks, and then he ran for his life. But not Jason. Not those other Thessalonian Christians. They lived in the nightmare, and they wanted to feel safe. Paul didn’t write that they should tone down their Christianity. He didn’t write that they should start a militia. He wrote about Judgment Day. To give Jason peace in the middle of his nightmare, Paul wrote about the day when Jesus will come back and judge every soul, even you and me.

Paul wrote about the persecutions facing the Thessalonians: “This is evidence of God’s righteous verdict that resulted in your being counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also suffer. Certainly, it is right for God to repay trouble to those who trouble you, and to give relief to you, who are troubled along with us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels.”

That story from Jason is a true story about a real man named Jason; his story is in Acts 17. As I retold it, did you feel a sense of injustice or unfairness? Have you felt that in your life? So what will happen if Jason finds his security in the barricade on his door? They’ll break it down, or come in the window. What will happen if Jason finds his peace of mind, by arming himself and a militia of Christians? They’ll take him to court or slaughter him. Jason needs a peace of mind - and so do you - that cannot be destroyed by people, a security that doesn’t depend on a crooked court ruling in his favor, a peace that will survive even if the whole world is destroyed. Jason needs to know that God has judged him worthy of heaven.

So imagine his face when he opens Paul’s letter and reads, “it is right for God … to give relief to you, who are troubled ... [This will happen] when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven.” We don’t have to look for justice now. Justice is coming. It is coming when Jesus returns on the Last Day. Jesus will come down from heaven, clothed in fire and accompanied by angels. He will gather everyone who is alive and awake those who are asleep in the grave. He will gather everyone before himself and make things right.

We heard in our children’s devotion about the dangers of playing with fire. King David’s boredom led to lust, which led to adultery, which led to scheming, murder, lying, covering up and unconfessed sins. David played with fire. He was burned. His infant son died. What David did in secret would be done to among his family in public (2 Samuel 12:12).

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives a list of fiery sins that will burn your mind, body and soul. Anger that consumes you (Matthew 5:21-22). Unforgiveness that melts your relationships (Matthew 5:23-24). Disagreements that continue to smolder under the surface (Matthew 5:25-26). Lust that ignites into adultery (Matthew 5:27-30). Adultery that scorches your family (Matthew 5:31-32). Lying that kinds mistrust (Matthew 5:33-37).

If we play around with these sins and envision that we will be fine, we need to listen to Paul’s heated warning: “Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord.” When we play with fiery sins, we can be in danger of burning in eternal hellfire.

Hell is not only for the unbelievers, atheists and pagans who never believed in Jesus as Savior. Hell is also for those who were baptized and confirmed as Lutherans, but did not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus and renounced their saving faith. Hell is for those who chose sin over their Savior. Hell is for those who gave away eternal treasures for short-term pleasures. Hell is for those who played with fiery sins, did not come to the Great Physician for healing, and instead received God’s divine vengeance of flaming fire.

Hell is horror. Hell is suffering beyond our darkest nightmares. Working on a hot and humid Wisconsin sun doesn’t come close. We really have no idea of how horrible hell is.

And thanks to Jesus, we never will!

Honestly, we deserve to burn forever in the lake of fire. St. Paul tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The punishment of just one sin is an eternity in the prison of hell. Looking at Matthew 5 points out that each of us have a lot more than just one sin. Every little lie, every dirty thought, every ugly word deserves the flames of hell.

But Jesus suffered that hell for us. When he hung on the cross, he didn’t just suffer the nails in his hands and thorns in his brow. He didn’t just suffer the physical agony of slowly choking to death under the weight of his own body. On that cross, Jesus suffered the punishment of hell.

When we confess in the Creed that Jesus descended into hell, that wasn’t when he suffered hell. His descent into hell was part of Jesus’ victory parade. Jesus’ suffering of hell was during his hours hanging on Calvary’s cross. He suffered complete separation from God. He was forsaken by his heavenly Father. He drank every drop of the cup of God’s wrath. A cup of wrath that should have been poured out on us … but was consumed by Jesus instead. During his hours on the cross, Jesus suffered an eternity of pain and horror. He suffered the punishment of hell in our place.

Jesus suffered hell for us. Not because we are good and godly. Not because we are righteous and holy. But because we are thieves and murderers, liars and adulterers. Jesus came to change us from sinners into saints.

Jesus endured the fires of hell in our place. Through faith in Jesus, the fires of hell are quenched for you. They will never touch you. God promises that whoever believes in his Son will not perish in hell, but have eternal life in the paradise of heaven. All those who believe in Jesus will never know what hell feels like.

Isn’t crazy that God would love people who cause so much pain? Isn’t it absurd that God would see all of our injustices, all of our crimes, and know that we deserve hell … but then not give us that punishment? Isn’t it ludicrous that God would make his Son suffer our punishment in our place? Isn’t it unbelievable that someday soon, Jesus is going to appear in the clouds and call us his “saints”?

St. Paul describes what will happen on Judgment Day: “on that day when he comes to be glorified among his saints, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.” God’s amazing love is unbelievable! But by the miracle of conversion, you believe it. And so do I.

All of our burns from playing with fiery sins will be cleansed and healed. All scars will be removed. Ther won’t even be the smell of sulfur on us.

When Judgment Day comes, we will not be horrified. We will marvel at Jesus, who has come to give us relief from our troubles and take us home with him.

Now do you see why St. Paul wrote about Judgment Day to Jason and the other Thessalonian Christians? He wanted them to know that they are perfectly safe.

How do you think Jason felt when he was safe at home? How do you feel when the firefighters have rescued your home from a possibly devastating fire? You are grateful. You are comfortable. You are at peace.

To show gratefulness to the firefighters, you might bring a meal and thank you cards to the fire station. You brag about them. You might help them raise money for better equipment or encourage politicians to give them better wages.

Jesus has rescued our souls from the fires of hell. What can you do to show gratefulness that you are perfectly safe?

Work hard at keeping your hands away from the fire of sin. “By the sanctifying work of the Spirit, be obedient and be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2).

Read your Bible on your own and with your family. “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the words of Christ” (Romans 10:17). 

Don’t stop coming to Jesus’ home to say thank you. “Don’t give up meeting together [here at church,] but encourage one another all the more as you see the day of Jesus approaching” (Hebrews 10:25)! 

Support the Lord’s ministries with your offerings and special gifts. It took a lot of money and effort by those who have gone before us to build our church and school. It continues to take money and effort as we strive for excellence in our sanctuary, sacristy school buildings, Friendship Room, parking lot, entrance ways, parish house and more. The psalmist asks, “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me” (Psalm 116:12)? Jesus can never be repaid with cash or checks for his holy, precious blood. But generous gifts are a gospel-inspired response to the treasure we have in Christ.

Keep your eye on the sky. Like Jesus said, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Matthew 21:36).

When that day comes, you will see Jesus with your own eyes, and he will send his angels from one end of the earth to the other to gather all believers to heaven. At the Last judgment, Jason and you and me, we’ll all have peace of mind because we’ll be perfectly safe.

Welcome home, where you are perfectly safe in Christ. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. (Revelation 22:21). Amen.