Uncertain Timing Leads to Encouragement

Introduction

I’d like to ask you a question, what is the one thing you hope for most? If we were to all answer that question honestly, I would dare say that many of the answers we’d give might not sound that different than the answers given by those who aren’t believers. When I did a quick search on the question of what people most hope for, as I read, I began to notice a common denominator in what they all said. The hopes of most people, when asked, seem to revolve around things that make their lives more comfortable, things related to financial matters like a higher paying job or in some cases hitting a jackpot of some kind that would bring financial stability in an instant. I think it’s kind of ironic that people give these answers because, biblically speaking, the Bible gives much caution when it comes to placing one’s trust in money. No, the Bible doesn’t condemn making money, or being sure you’ve got enough to live on and support your family, but it does speak rather strongly when it comes to placing your trust in it for happiness and security. That said, from the perspective of the believer, we’re told that our greatest hope is the return of our Savior. When Paul wrote to Titus he said that we should be “looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJV). Paul talks about the return of Christ in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and then in chapter five he turns to matters of readiness on the part of the believers in relation to Jesus’ return. In the first eleven verses of 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul lets us know that because the time of Jesus’ return is uncertain, we need to be ready, encouraging one another while we wait. Let’s jump in and look at this text.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 NKJV

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. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 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. 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. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

The Time is Uncertain

1 Thessalonians 5:1–3 NKJV

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.

Let’s start out by looking at vv.1-3 where Paul reiterates the fact that the time of Jesus’ return is uncertain. Paul begins here by letting the Thessalonians know that there wasn’t really a need for him to write to them concerning when the events surrounding Christ’s return would happen. Now, lots of people read what Paul says here and ask is why he would need to reiterate the uncertainty of Christ’s return to the Thessalonians. You see, Paul was an inspired Apostle so if anyone had any insight into the events surrounding the return of Jesus and when it was set to happen, then surely it would have been him! However, instead of giving a lengthy theological answer or a timeline of events Paul simply says in v.2 that his readers should be “perfectly aware that the day of the Lord so comes like a thief in the night.” The point is simply this, when all of this goes down, and the return of Christ happens, you won’t be able to predict it, although people have tried to and continue to do so today. Now, what I find really interesting about what Paul says here in relationship to the timing and events surrounding the return of Jesus is what he says in vv.3 and 4. When I hear most people, even some really famous preachers, talk about the return of Jesus, they tend to talk about how bad things are going to be when it happens, but check out what Paul says in these verses, about the situation at the time of Jesus’ return. In v.4 Paul says it’s going to happen “When they say ‘Peace and safety”. He says that it’s then when “sudden destruction will come upon them …” How suddenly? “Like labor pains upon a pregnant woman.”

Illustration: When my oldest son was born Katie had begun to have some slight pains early that morning, but nothing major. That same situation persisted until later into the evening and since there really hadn’t been much of a change I decided to go grab some supper in the hospital cafeteria. I only took around 30 minutes or so to eat, but when I came back into the room, they had her hooked up to oxygen and she was in some serious pain! Why? It was because she’d become accustomed to the slow methodical labor pains that she’d been experiencing all day, but all of a sudden when the really hard labor pains came she didn’t expect it.

Friends, that’s how it’s going to be when Jesus comes back, many people, doubtless even many believers won’t be expecting it because they’ve been lulled to sleep by the ins and outs of everyday life, but that brings up the question of how the church, you and I as believers, should live in expectation of our Savior’s return, and Paul addresses that next.

Be Ready and Alert

1 Thessalonians 5:4–8 NKJV

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. 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.

In vv.4-8 Paul points us to the fact that we should be ready and alert at all times for the return of Christ. He begins in v.4 by saying that we, that’s believers, “are not in darkness” that the day of the Lord should “surprise or overtake” us. Why? It’s because believers are “sons of light and sons of day”, and “not of the night nor of darkness” (v.5). And it’s because of this that Paul says we shouldn’t fall asleep like unbelievers but instead we should be “sober [that is self-controlled]” so as not to be surprised when Jesus does indeed return. Paul drives this point, our readiness and our being alert, home in v.7 by pointing out that those who sleep and get drunk do so at night when it’s dark, and guess when the thief most often makes his move, right when it’s least expected, when the home owner isn’t at himself, when he’s drunk or when he’s asleep. (Pause) I want to point out something interesting to you about these verses, 4-8. You can’t help but notice the contrast Paul makes here in these verses between “light and darkness / day and night”. The Bible consistently uses these terms to show the difference between good and evil, the difference between God’s people and those who belong to the world. Light represents what is good and pure while darkness what’s evil, and it’s the light that displaces and drives away the darkness because where there’s light darkness can’t exist. 1 John 1:5 says the following, “5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” This theme, light and darkness / day and night, that Paul uses should work to make us all the more cognizant of the difference that needs to be found when people look at our lives as opposed to those of unbelievers. Our lives as Christians should display a readiness and hope, a longing, for the return of our Savior. The obvious question is how, Paul, can we do this, what can we do that leads others to see it? It’s by “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”

(Appeal) Let me pause there and ask you if that’s what you, as a believer in Christ, are doing? Are you “putting on the breastplate of faith and love”? By doing this are you calling the unbelievers you meet to want to put on the “helmet of salvation”?

Encourage One Another While We Wait

1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 NKJV

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. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Lastly, in vv.9-11 Paul exhorts believers to encourage one another while we wait for the return of Jesus. He actually gives us the exhortation in v.11, but before doing so he gives us the reasoning in vv.9 and 10. First, in v.9 Paul says that, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Many Christians take this to mean that the church will be removed from the earth prior to the wrath of God being unleashed on mankind, while others believe that Christians will be protected from the wrath of God while still remaining on earth. I tend to lean toward the second option, but which ever view you choose to take, the really important matter Paul mentions comes in v.10, and that’s the fact that Jesus died for us, and whether we’re asleep in the Lord (in other words we’ve died), or we’re still alive at his return, we will live with him forever. Now, that’s something we can all get excited about, and as Paul says there in v.11, we should “comfort/encourage one another and edify one another” because we know that one day he will certainly return!

Conclusion

In conclusion, let me ask you, are you excited about Jesus coming back? Is that something you look forward to? If you’ve placed your faith in him then that should be your greatest hope. If not, I’d like to offer you that hope as well, I’d like to invite you to commit your life to Christ right now.

Invitation

Prayer