1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
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1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Good morning Church! We are going to be in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 this morning. But before we go there, I wanted to let you guys know, those of you that wished you could have a more in depth study in creation issues from Dr. Benjamin, I want to let you know that you can. Over the next several Sunday evenings Jeff will be doing a Creation Series at Crosspoint Church in Bangor, if you don’t know where that is, just go to Bangor Baptist church. If you go in the carport entrance there, they will be in Room 7, which is straight ahead. Restrooms are on the left before you get to the room. That is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm.
If you remember last week, we left off talking about the rapture of the church. Paul had taught this church about the end times in the short time that he got to spend in person with them in Thessalonica. He was driven out of the area under threats of death by those that opposed him. Timothy came to Paul with a great report on how this church was doing, but they had some questions and some concerns. Paul began our section last week by saying church, I don’t want you to be ignorant of these things. Or I don’t want you to lack information, and not know about two key components concerning the end times. What happens to Christians who die before the rapture and ballpark, when are we talking this thing is going to happen?
The first we talked about last week concerned those that were among them and had given their lives to Christ, but died before He returned for the church. Did they miss out? Paul told us no, the dead in Christ rise first, or their bodies go up before ours, or those that remain. But in 1 Corinthians 5 Paul tells us that as a Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So apparently their Spirits come down with Him and are joined to their bodies,... then we who are saved, those that are Christians and still alive when He comes back, go up to meet Him in the air, and are then forever in the presence of the Lord. Our chapter ended with 1 Thess 4:18
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Paul wanted this knowledge to be a comfort to them and to us, and encouraged us to be proactive about talking about these things together, reminding each other of this rescue mission of Jesus for His church. Remember those words of Jesus...John 14:3 NKJV - "3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
Knowing that’s coming should bring us tremendous comfort and relief. We then had sort of an unfortunate chapter break, because the topic continues in chapter 5 with the other thing Paul wants us to have knowledge of…when is it going to happen? Chapter 5 vs. 1
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
Let’s pray. Paul begins in verse one saying concerning the times and seasons, you have no need that I write to you. I think this is pretty incredible! Guys about the when, I don’t really have to readdress that with you do I? I mean I was with you for a few weeks, in fact in verse two 1 Thes 5:2
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
He says you know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
The Day of the Lord is an interesting study all of it’s own. It is found throughout the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New. Sometimes it is referred to as simply the Day, or That Day...
In the Old Testament…there are instances When God enacts His judgement that it is called the Day of the Lord. Many theologians want to give it a concrete definition, or even better, to be able to mark it on a Calendar like we might Christmas or Easter, and say this date in future or this event in the future is The Day of the Lord. The problem that I have with that as a student of the Bible, is God seems pretty comfortable having the definition be pretty fluid depending upon the context in which He uses it in the Bible.
So from my study, my understanding of the Day of the Lord is not just a single future day, but a period of time. It is almost as if this is the day of Man and in the future, when God sets things right, He will no longer appear passive or minimally involved in the daily affairs of mankind, but it will become His turn. No longer the day of Man, it is now God’s active involvement that radically changes everything.
On my timeline that begins with the rapture of the church, which kicks off the tribulation period, it continues on through the Second coming of Christ, the Battle of Armageddon, the Millennial reign of Christ. It certainly is a time of judgement, when God spills out His wrath on the nations and a Christ rejecting earth, the salvation of Israel would be part of the Day of the Lord. So think end times, but not one event in time.
In verse 3 Paul begins to describe these times and seasons that we should be aware of. The times and the seasons, but not the day. We should be able to look at the Scriptures and discern when we are getting close. We should not listen to an internet blogger, or a pastor, or priest that tells us the day and time. It seems like every year someone makes a new prediction. When they do, cross the date off on your calendar. Jesus said… Matt 24:36
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
If Jesus didn’t know when He was on the earth, none of His creation will know. He said so. But concerning the season…1 Thes 5:3
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
When they say, this is a time of peace, we have nothing to worry about, when everyone feels safe and it’s really worried about the wrath of God pouring out on a Christ rejecting world, then we should begin looking for it, like labor pains…you know they are coming, but you usually don’t know when, but once full blown labor has set in, it’s on. Look what Jesus said about that time…Matt 24:37-40
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Paul says, but you guys are Christians and you know what to look for. Back in chapter 5, look at verse 4 with me.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Paul says you are not what you once were. You are now followers of Jesus, Christians. Sons of light and sons of the day, no longer of the night or of darkness. So the question for them and for us really is How does this affect how we live now? What difference should it make in our lives? If the Bible makes all of these references, weather changes, earthquakes…do you guys know there was an earthquake yesterday less than 10 miles from my house. Don’t worry, we survived it. Thanks for checking. But if we look at all of what the Bible says...
OK, we don’t have time to do it today, but let me encourage you to check out places like the beginning of Mathew 24 where it talks about the return of Jesus at a time of global catastrophe in the world, destruction, etc. That’s not a surprise! No one expected Me today, Jesus gathering His church together in the Sky type of event. Those contrasting descriptions are one of the ways that we know the return of Christ is two separate events. The first being the rapture of the church and the second the return of Christ at the end of the Tribulation Period, coming down on the Mount of Olives, splitting it in two, that’s an attention getter.
But let me ask you this. If all of these birth pangs are increasing and are present like at no other time in the history of the world. If we are apparently this close to the events that take place at the end of God pouring out His wrath on a Christ rejecting world during a 7 year tribulation period, if the times and the seasons are looking like the times and the seasons on our news channels and out our front doors, then how close are we to the rapture of the church that happens first?
Now those that don’t believe in a pretribulation rapture might accuse me of giving people false hope or preaching easy escapism, I’m convinced I’m doing none of those things, I’m comforting people with these words. This is what the Bible says and teaches, and is should radically change the way that we live and as I said last week the way that we witness.
If this is true, you Mom, your child, neighbor, co-worker, I hope not, but maybe even the person sitting next to you this morning may not be ready for His return, and will then have to endure suffering as the world has never seen it. Paul tells us how this should affect the way that we live, verse 6
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
continue on active and engaged, serving others, sharing the gospel with others, not a passive consumer, this word for sleep is different than the one he used for death in the last chapter. Here is means more like lethargic or indifferent to the spiritual responsibilities and apathetic to the spiritual condition of those around you. That is heartbreaking to think of. That someone could possibly be saved, and somehow not be moved with compassion to tell those who are not.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Vs. 9 We no longer have an appointment with wrath. That is one of my favorite verses of all time. Praise God! Hallelujah! God did not appoint us to wrath Christian. Do you understand that means that at one time we had an appointment with wrath. We may endure suffering here on earth or even the wrath of man, but nothing should be feared more than the wrath of a Holy God. His Holy and righteous justice must be satisfied.
Adam made that appointment for you when He sinned and passed that sinful nature on to you and I. But of course, we confirmed that appointment all on our own when we chose sin for ourselves. When we chose sin over God. But Christian in Thessalonica and Christian in Old Town, or wherever in the world you might be hearing this from. Christian, God id not appoint us to wrath. But that appointment was cancelled or satisfied by Jesus for those who have placed their faith and trust for salvation in Him. Verse 9 says that we were then appointed to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 10, if we obtain salvation through Jesus who died for us, we will live forever with Him.
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Another way we can know that there are two separate events. Paul, their Pastor. The Shepard that loves them, would not be saying comfort each other with this if they were heading into the tribulation. He wouldn’t be saying Church, I know you are suffering persecution for your faith in Jesus and times are tough. However, take comfort in this, this is nothing, just wait till you get to the tribulation period. Wait to you have to make a decision about taking the Mark of the Beast and not being able to buy or sell. Wait till many, many of you are killed for your faith, till there are bowls of judgement being poured out. Oh, you guys should read Revelation so you can take comfort in the suffering to come. No, a good Pastor would have warned them about all those things, were He not convinced that Jesus was coming back for his church to catch up, snatch up, the Harpazo, rapture His church.
Let me also correct something that I just said. I said if they were going into the tribulation period then Paul would not be saying take comfort in this. Well they are not, they, like us are waiting for the rapture of the church, the beginning of the Day of the Lord, as the next event on the prophetic timeline, but Paul doesn’t say take comfort in this, he says comfort each other.
Notice again as Christian, young and old, we are to take a role of active engagement, and not be just passive spectators. He says comfort others, and edify one another that means build each other up. Let me let you in on a little secret in the economy of God. If you comfort others, you will be comforted. That’s how it works. Need to be built up, feeling weak, feeble, build someone else up, and you will be built up! That is just how it works. Listen church! Focus on serving others, comforting others, building others and the Lord will do the same for you.
This is going to sound radical…what if we did this? Man I would love it if every Christian would. But what about if just us in this little church, and those that join us on line were to do this? To comfort each other and to edify one another! SO that every single one of us was then comforted and being built up. For starters we would be the healthiest church in Maine. God might use us. These guys were already doing this, I don’t know that we are, some are, but not all. Paul says the therefore, in light of all this, in light of the soon return of Christ to rapture His church, comfort each other, edify one another, just as you’re doing, but keep on in faithful endurance in it.
Listen, for those that are joining us for our week of prayer and fasting. The fasting starts tomorrow but the prayer starts today. So make sure that you look at your packets or go to Oldtowncf.com and click on the prayer week link and you will see the information there. Monday through Friday some of the Elders will be here to pray with you. You can come in through the side door here 6am and/or 6:30 pm, everyday has a different theme or items to pray for.
Grace and Peace