The Great Judgement Heist

Introduction

There are hundreds of “heist movies” that are available to watch. Heist movies are also a popular genre. When you google search heist movies, there are different styles: Action, Western, Psychological, Thriller, Crime, Comedy, and the list keeps going. People love a good heist!

I think about the great movie, National Treasure. The actor Nicholas Cage is looking down at the Declaration of Independence and in awe of the well written document. As he talks about the document to his associate standing there, he says, “I’m gonna steal it.”

Associate: “ WHAT!?!”

Cage: “I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence.” (walks away)

Whoever was in charge of protecting the document was not ready for this random professor with an associate nerd to steal the document. This movie is a great example of the passage we’re going to read today.

As I was reading this passage I first understood it to mean that Christ is like thief coming to take His people. The reason for the use of thief was to express the unexpectedness of His return. After meditating on it and slowly repeating these verse, I realized that Christ is not a thief coming to get us (the rapture) but He will be like a thief at the Day of the Lord (unleash God’s wrath at the end of the tribulation). Christ coming as a thief for thus Heavenly Heist is not about what He is coming to take but it is talking about the unexpectedness.

Let’s read this passage together

Let’s read 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.

2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

This passage shares a message to those who are not saved and don’t expect the Day of Judgement from the Lord. This passage also addresses Christians in the church about being sober/ready/alert/aware! With this Great Heavenly Heist I want to share three observations about the Day of the Lord.

Unexpected (vs. 2)

The first observation is that this day will be unexpected! The Bible says that the Day of the Lord, which is the day God judges the earth after the Christians have been brought to heaven, this day Christ will come like a thief in the night.

When I was 8 or 9 years old, my dad and I came home, drove around to the back door (main door we use) and the door was WIDE OPEN and all the lights in the house were on. My dad said to me, “Stay in the truck and lock the door. I’ll be back.” Long story short, our house was broken into and a lot was taken. This night was unexpected! We did not plan for that to happen, but it happened either way! That’s a good word right there: “There are some who are not planning for the Day of Judgement, but it’s gonna happen either way!”

We expect/ we know the rapture is coming. We know that Jesus is returning with a loud trumpet blast and calling His children home. Our expectation is built on a promise from God. The lost’s unexpectation will result in destruction. We expect the Coming of the Lord while the world is unexpected of the Day of the Lord.

What would you do if you knew a thief was coming? Listen to Matthew 24:42–44“42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

We know that Christ is coming, as Christians we have prepared for the COMING OF THE LORD so that we are not here for the DAY OF THE LORD! If you knew someone was going to break in your house, you’d have a weapon ready! {{If you knew we were going to start a dodgeball match, you’d put your Bible down and start looking to see who has a ball.}}

We know that Christ is coming, as Christians we have prepared for the COMING OF THE LORD so that we are not here for the DAY OF THE LORD. While the world does not expect the day of the Lord, a moment is coming when it will be unescapable.

Unescapable (vs. 3)

Look at verse 3 “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

“Destruction will come like labor pains upon a pregnant woman.” I have no idea what that’s like. The one part I do understand is that when genuine labor begins, there is no avoiding the outcome! That baby is coming into world and ain’t nobody stopping it.

HERE IS THE PARALLEL: The day of the Lord/ day of Judgement is coming and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it.

We don’t know a lot of details about this day except that it will be the largest form of destruction!

Malachi 4:1 “1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”

Isaiah 13:9 “9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.”

Amos 5:18 “18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light,”

Matthew 24:21 “21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

Isaiah 13:9–10 “9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.”

After the coming of the Lord, it will be to late to escape the Day of the Lord. Do you get a glimpse of what this day will be like?

Creation affected

Buildings/homes destroyed

Land desolated “burning like an oven”

Unrepented sinner destroyed

A day is coming when it will be UNESCAPABLE, but right now there is hope to escape this day! We can be unaffected by this day.

Unaffected (vs. 4-6)

We ain’t done yet but we’re close. Look at verse 4 —— But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

Christians in the room, we are unaffected by this day! You are of the light , not darkness. The Bible says that the thief comes in the night. Those of the night are blind. They cannot see what the future is before them.

As a Christian, children of light, you have undergone a transformation from God. Children of light do not have a response of just good actions. They live out an obedient and faithful relationship with the Father. We live in joy that we are unaffected by this destructive judgement day.

…PAUSE…

Just because we are unaffected by this day does not mean we should be unresponsive before the day.

Can you look at 1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 “9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Paul is writing to a group of believers with this letter and reminding them about their salvation. You were once children of darkness but now you have obtained salvation through Christ. If we have been changed by the Gospel we have a responsibility to share the Gospel.