Be Sober Not Suprised

Notes
Transcript
Years ago when I was going through seminary- along with going to school I also worked as a security guard to help pay for my education. It was an awful schedule. I was working third shift, then going directly to school in the morning and then sleeping during the afternoon. So I would go to work at 10:30 at night and work until 6:30 in the morning. Then drive to school and typically be in class from 8 - noon. Then go home and sleep from 1 -9. Then get up and do it all over again. It was exhausting. And I can tell you many times there I was at 3 a.m. in a dark building sitting at the security desk all alone and there was soft classical music playing in the background in the lobby of the building and it was like wagging a war against my eyelids. It was an effort to stay awake. One of the things that helped me stay awake was the knowledge that at any time on any night my supervisor could show up for a surprise visit. You knew they were coming, but not exactly when. So, you always had to be ready. Because the worst thing was for you to be surprised at their arrival. It was not a desirable outcome to be caught off guard and unprepared. You did not want that to happen. And so you had to stay awake you had to stay vigilant. You did not want to be surprised.
This is the message that Paul communicated to the believers in Thessalonica. He does not want them to be surprised when Jesus Christ comes back one day. Because no man knows the hour, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Jesus may come back to rapture His church at any moment. Beloved, we must be living in readiness for the moment when Jesus suddenly raptures us to be with him in the air. That is the point of this paragraph. Be sober not surprised for the coming day of the Lord.
Today is Palm Sunday- it is the day we normally remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and what did the people of Jerusalem do?
Matthew 21:9 ESV
9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Now as I compared the Palm Sunday passage with our passage in I Thessalonians 5 about the coming rapture- the key idea that connected them together was the idea of being surprised. Were the Jews surprised by the triumphal entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday? Well, they worshiped Jesus right? They cried out Hosanna in the highest! But were they really ready? As I thought about it I decided, NO, they were not ready at all. Because in just a few short hours the same people that cried Hosanna cried CRUCIFY! The Jews were not ready for Jesus- they were surprised by His coming.
Faith family, let’s not repeat their mistake. The next time Jesus comes- and I believe that time to be the rapture- let’s not be surprised- let’s be ready.
That is what Paul is trying to do for the Thessalonians in this passage. Why? Because Paul is a disciple-maker. And that means Paul’s goal was to teach them everything that Jesus had taught Him. That is an essential part of the Great Commission. “Teach them all that I have commanded you.” That is what Jesus said. And here we have another topic that as a disciple of Jesus you have to get.
Remember, in the last paragraph Paul taught the Thessalonians concerning the rapture and specifically what happens to believers who die before the rapture occurs- we will not precede those who have fallen asleep, the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Paul’s goal was to communicate the hope of the resurrection for the righteous dead.
Now, Paul continues his teaching on the rapture, but here he changes his focus to the idea of not being surprised when the rapture takes place.
Paul was warning the Thessalonians so that they would not be surprised by the coming day of the Lord.
We need to make sure that we are not surprised by the coming day of the Lord. I believe that one of the mercies of God to me in my life during this corona virus pandemic and this quarantine is to make me believe in the reality of the rapture. And what I mean by that is- in these last few weeks of my life the rapture has seemed more possible than at any other time in my memory. I actually started to believe in my heart, “This thing could keep getting worse and it might very well lead to the rapture and then the tribulation.” So, more than ever before I personally have embraced the idea in my thinking that Jesus might return soon. Maybe, that has happened to you before. I know it has happened in the past. I know that during WWII for instance believers were thinking, “Wow, any day now and Jesus is going to come.” But he didn’t and he might not now- but then again this may be the time when Jesus descends from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an arch angel, and with the trump of God and we are all caught up to meet Him in the air! Even so come quickly Lord Jesus! Friends, my question for you this morning is are you ready so that you will not be caught by surprise?
How do we ensure that we are ready? How do we live daily so that we will not be surprised by the rapture?
Paul gives us three ways that we must live out that will prevent us from being surprised.
If you don’t want to be surprised by the rapture then:

I. You must embrace your identity as a follower of Jesus (vv. 1-5)

1 Thessalonians 5:1 KJV 1900
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
This is the second time in his letter that Paul tells them, “I have no need to write unto you.” The first time was concerning brotherly love for one another- and he didn’t need to write to them about that because they were being taught by God to agape love one another as they gave their very lives for each other in a disciple-making context.
Here, Paul says it again- I don’t need to write unto you Thessalonians concerning the times and the seasons. What does Paul mean? He is talking about the rapture and the day of the Lord judgement, and he means the timing of the rapture in relation to God’s overall plan. Where are we in God’s plan? We are waiting for Jesus to come and rapture His church. And there is no prophetic event that needs to happen before the rapture can occur. It is imminent. That means it can happen at any moment. And Paul didn’t need to write to the Thessalonians about that. Why?
1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV 1900
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
The Thessalonians already knew that Jesus’ return was imminent, and although we don’t know the exact hour, it could happen at any moment. And when it does happen it will be unexpected like a thief coming to rob someone’s home in the night.
By the way this is one of the reasons I believe in a pre-tribulational rapture- and by that I mean I believe that the church will be taken out of this world by Jesus at the sound of the last trump, before God’s pours out His wrath on this world for seven years during the period of time we call the Tribulation or the Great Tribulation. And I believe that because of this verse right here- Paul says that it will come like a thief in the night. That is unexpectedly. A thief doesn’t announce to you when he plans to rob your house (that would make him a terrible thief)- it has to be a surprise in order for it to work. Well, if you know your Bible then you know a pretty detailed timeline of the Tribulation. In fact, there is an event that tells us the precise mid-point of the Tribulation (when the abomination of desolation defiles the temple). So all you would have to do is count 3.5 years from that point and if the rapture happened at the end of the Tribulation you would know the exact day on which it would occur. And that is not possible because of what Jesus said:
Matthew 24:36 ESV
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
So, I believe in a pre-tribulational rapture and I think that is what Paul taught the Thessalonians and I think that is what the Thessalonians taught the rest of the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 ESV
9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and 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 delivers us from the wrath to come.
What were they teaching? To wait for His Son from heaven- and I believe this is talking about the pre-tribulational rapture. And Paul acknowledges this in 5:2- when he says you yourselves know perfectly the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 KJV 1900
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
You know Thessalonians that the day of the Lord will come upon unbelievers like a thief in the night. For non-believing people will constantly say “peace and safety.” What does that mean? That means that most unbelievers think to themselves, “I am secure and I am in control.” That is until the corona virus hits, and then we find out just how little security we have and how little control we have.
That reminds me of 2 Peter 3:4
2 Peter 3:4 ESV
4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
Peace and safety- nothing is different, the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening- you don’t need to worry! And then what? Sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a woman with child, and they shall NEVER (NO, NOT) escape! Once the day of the Lord arrives, and Jesus raptures His church- the coming judgment for unbelievers will be unavoidable. Like a woman in labor. She knows that once she gets pregnant, in about 9 months there is the unavoidable outcome of labor. She can’t escape it, and neither will those unbelievers left on this earth after the rapture.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 KJV 1900
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
The word “overtake” has the idea to come upon someone with the implication of surprise. So brothers and sisters- you are not in darkness so that the coming day of the Lord should surprise you as a thief.
Now in what way will the day of the Lord surprise us? Well, along with the judgement of the wicked comes deliverance for the righteous. So when the judgment comes I believe that we will be delivered or raptured by Jesus. So don’t be surprised or in other words be ready to meet your Savior! How do we do that?
1 Thessalonians 5:5 KJV 1900
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, you are not in darkness, that that day should surprise you like a thief- For you are all children of light, and children of the day.
If you know Jesus, if you have turned from your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you- if you have received him and you have believed on His name- then this is who you are! You are sons and daughters of light! You are sons and daughters of the day. Embrace your identity as a follower of Jesus Christ. Reckon this to be true about you personally, consider it be true. It is true already you just need to embrace it! Positively, you are a child of the light and of the day!
1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Colossians 1:9–14 ESV
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Positively you are a child of the light of the day, Negatively you are not of the night nor of the darkness.
Romans 6:11 ESV
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Illustration: The Chosen-
Isaiah 43:1 ESV
1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
As I watched that final scene where Jesus calls Mary Magdalena by name, chills of joy went up my spine, and I got that lump in my throat because I saw myself as Mary was- I saw myself lost and hopeless in darkness, and then Jesus called my name- “Jonathan Anderson, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine.”
That’s who I am in Jesus- I am redeemed, praise God! I have been called by name! I am HIS! I am a child of light a child of the day I am not of the night nor of the darkness.
How about you? Dear friend, if you are watching this and you have never been redeemed out of the darkness of your sins- Jesus is calling you name right now.
Revelation 3:20 ESV
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
If Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart right now, would you please open the door? And you do that by admitting you are a sinner and repenting of your sin- turn away from your sin- ask Jesus to forgive you! Then put your faith in Jesus Christ alone- believe in Jesus with all your heart that He alone can save you- that his death on the cross is the only thing that can pay for your sins. Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior today and be saved!
For those of you that are saved- embrace your identity today- so that you will not be surprised when the rapture happens- instead you’ll be ready!
If you don’t want to be surprised by the rapture then:

II. You must live-out your identity as a follower of Jesus (vv. 6-10)

1 Thessalonians 5:6 KJV 1900
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Now I want you to dwell first of all on the word “therefore.” This word points us back to our identity in Jesus- You are children of light and of the day not of the night nor of darkness- therefore or so then- in other words once you embrace your identity it should move you to action. It should cause you to live-out your identity.
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Thessalonians (3) The Christian Life Anticipating the Return (5:4–11)

Godliness for true sons of the light is not just a matter of appropriate actions; it is an outgrowth of their essential nature, their relationship to God.

Put hands and feet to living like who you really are. And how should a child of light live?
Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Now Paul is not talking about literal sleep here. He is using this as a metaphor. Sleep in this context is talking about being spiritually indifferent. It is being spiritually unalert to what is seriously dangerous. Friends we are children of light do don’t live your life with a dull indifference to spiritual matters. Why? Because others do that- children of darkness live that way. Not children of light.
Instead, Paul says, let us watch- let us be alert and sober. We must be spiritually alert and sober.
Sober- be free from every form of mental and spiritual ‘drunkenness’, to be free from excess, passion, rashness, confusion, etc. to be well-balanced or self-controlled.
Why should we live this way?
1 Thessalonians 5:7 KJV 1900
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
People who are dully indifferent to spiritual matters they are of the night, and people who spiritually drunk (they have no control over their passions) they are of the night. Beloved, you are not of the night so don’t live that way.
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Thessalonians (3) The Christian Life Anticipating the Return (5:4–11)

Blindness to the things of God and immoral behavior are activities characteristic of spiritual darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 KJV 1900
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
We are of the day so live that way- and we do that by being sober- that is sober up from the mind numbing passions of sin- don’t live in uncontrolled immorality like you are in a drunken stupor. Be self-controlled, reasonable minded.
Putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet- the hope of salvation. Friend, you don’t have to be surprised when Jesus comes back and raptures his church. You have to live awakened lives sober lives and you do that by daily persevering in faith, love, and hope. Faith in Jesus Christ and Love for our Savior are our breastplate. The part of the armor that protects our most vulnerable organs. And our helmet- that which guards our heads or our minds or our thinking- our helmet is our hope of salvation. And what specifically does Paul point out as our hope in this passage?
1 Thessalonians 5:9 KJV 1900
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Here is our hope- beloved God has not appointed us to wrath. Now what wrath is Paul talking about? Is this the talking about the wrath of God for my sin- the wrath that Jesus propitiated when he died on the cross? I don’t think so. It is true as believes we don’t ever have to worry about the wrath of God for my sin- that is taught in many many places in the NT. But here the context of wrath is day of the Lord wrath. And what is the day of the Lord wrath in this context? It is the 7 years period of the Great Tribulation. So what is Paul saying? He is saying have hope believers- God has not appointed you for the day of the Lord wrath, but instead- He has appointed you to obtain salvation or deliverance by our Lord Jesus Christ. That means friends, if you are a child of light- you will be delivered from the tribulation wrath of God through our Lord Jesus Christ- I think this is again teaching a pre-tribulational rapture.
Illustration: Corona virus has made the rapture seem like it actually could happen in the next few months.
If that is the case I believe that believers will be spared from the day of the Lord wrath. That is not the case for unbelievers.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 KJV 1900
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 KJV 1900
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
We don’t have to be surprised and we don’t have to worry about escape. We can be ready and we have the hope that if the Great Tribulation comes God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation/deliverance by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, if that is the case we have nothing to worry about right?
1 Thessalonians 5:10 KJV 1900
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
We will obtain salvation or deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO died for us, so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we should live together with him.
Believers will be delivered from the Tribulation- whether they are awake or asleep. What does that mean. Whether you are living out your identity as a child of the day- you are living as if you are awake- you are living sober, self-controlled lives, you are putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of your salvation- that is what it means to live awakened lives or sober lives! So if you are awake or if you are asleep- that is if you are a Christian, but you are living in spiritual blindness and immorality (you are asleep and you are drunk spiritually speaking), you will still be part of the rapture, you will still live together with Jesus. But, wouldn’t you rather be living awake lives rather than asleep lives?
The difference is will you be ready? Will you be sober or surprised at the coming day of the Lord. You don’t have to be surprised!
Embrace you identity as followers of Jesus
Live out your identity as followers of Jesus
And there is one more way we can follow so that we are not surprised by Jesus’ coming

III. You must grow into your identity as a follower of Jesus with ONE ANOTHER! (v. 11)

1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV 1900
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
If we want to be ready for Jesus when he comes back to rapture His church, if we want to be sober and not surprise by Jesus when he comes back- we must constantly be growing together!
Comfort- encourage
Edify- build up one another
Notice, this command is not given to pastors. This command is given to the regular members of the church. There is only one brief mention of pastors in this letter at the very end. Otherwise these disciple-making commands are always directed at each and every member of the church. That means encouraging one another and helping build up one another is your job.
And we can never stop doing it. Paul tells the Thessalonians- even as also you do. Or, you are already doing it, but never stop. Always be encouraging and always be building up until Jesus comes- never stop.
I am convinced if we are going to be ready and not surprise when Jesus comes back, we need each other. I can’t do it alone. I need you and you all need each other.
Did anyone take me up on my challenge this past week and reach out to another person in this church to read Scripture with them and pray with them? Did you this week encourage and build up another believer in your local church. They need your ministry. They need you to help them be ready for when Jesus comes back.
Illustration: John, Matthew, Chris, Nate, Jason
Folks, what if the events that are happening in our world right now get worse and worse (they might not, but we don’t know), and what if in a very short period of time- days, weeks, months—Jesus comes back? Are you ready?
First, do you know Jesus as your Savior? Are you a child of the light? Please reach out to me if you are not! Go on our website and give me a call, send me an email. Let me help you understand how you can become a child of God!
Second, are you living awake sober lives each and every day. So that no matter the day or the hour, if Jesus comes back, you won’t be surprised you’ll be ready. And we can do that by:
Embracing our identity as followers of Jesus
Living-out our identity as followers of Jesus
And growing into our identity together!
Live in such a way that at any moment you can say with utter genuineness and sincerity- come quickly Lord Jesus!
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more