Asking the Right Question

NOTE:

This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.

Engagement

Since 1947 a magazine called the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has kept the “Doomsday Clock,” a symbolic clock that shows how close we are to global catastrophe. As the situation in the world gets better or worse, the hands of the clock are set closer or further away from midnight. The clock has been adjusted 24 times since its inception when it was set at 7 minutes before midnight. It was moved back as far as 17 minutes before midnight in 1991. In 2020 it was adjusted to only 100 seconds before midnight and it remained there in January of this year.

That doomsday clock is a reflection of the kind of panic that we see every day in our world. And we really shouldn’t be surprised at that. The world we live in can be a very scary place. No doubt the COVID pandemic has taken that panic to a new level over the last year and a half or so, but that is just one of many predicaments that we face on a daily basis. And while many of those fears are certainly real, the media and many of our politicians have undoubtedly played up those fears to drive up ratings and to try and make people more dependent on the government.

Tension

And unfortunately, Christians are not immune to getting caught up in that fear and panic. While that has always been the case, it seems that some have taken that to a whole new level recently. Some of the same Christians who claimed “God showed up” when their candidate was elected just over four years ago are now wringing their hands and acting as if God is no longer sovereign. Others have been busy promoting all kinds of theories about how the events we see happening around us are the fulfilment of biblical prophecy and begging for people to do something to put a stop to it.

So I really wasn’t surprised this week when I saw a social media post that seems to pop up every time there is a lunar eclipse. That post claimed that the red moon that would result is the fulfillment of several biblical prophecies about the return of Jesus. Now it is true that there are several passages in the Bible that connect the return of Jesus to the moon turning red. Of course what the post failed to mention is that lunar eclipses happen every year somewhere in the world and a supermoon eclipse like we had this week occurs every three to four years. So since Jesus left this earth after his first coming there have been thousands of occurrences of a “red moon”.

But, as we saw clearly last week, if in fact the events we see around us are bringing us closer to the return of Jesus, that ought to be a source of great hope, not a reason for fear and panic. That is a message that Paul is going to confirm again as we continue our study of his first letter to the church in Thessalonica.

Truth

This morning’s message is the next to last in our current sermon series - Living in Light of Eternity. We’ve been studying the letter that Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica just a few months after he had established the church there. The main purpose of that letter is to encourage the disciples there and to give them some instructions about how they were to live in light of what they believed was the immanent return of Jesus.

This morning we’ll cover the first part of chapter 5 and we’re going to see that Paul continues to encourage the disciples there to look forward to the return of Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 ESV

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 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. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Last week, we saw Paul address the concern the Thessalonians had about what would happen to their fellow disciples who died before the return of Jesus. And the answer to that question was that they wouldn’t miss out at all. In fact, their soul and spirit were already in the presence of Jesus and they would be the first to have their bodies meet Jesus in the air when He returns.

In this passage, he is addressing another question: When will the second coming take place? But as we’re going to see, Paul doesn’t really ever answer that question. In fact, his response is going to show us that isn’t even the right question to ask in the first place. But before we dig into some of the details, let me point out a couple of overall observations about this passage.

First, we clearly see that even though Paul had not been physically present when Jesus spoke about this matter, he was certainly familiar with what Jesus said. He even uses some of the same words and ideas that Jesus used when He spoke to His disciples about His second coming. In particular we see that His coming will be like “a thief in the night”. We also see the idea of remaining alert and not being asleep.

Second Paul uses a number of contrasts to distinguish between the two different fates that await people at the return of Jesus, depending on whether or not they have put their faith in Him alone. Let’s see if you can help me complete each pair. I’ll give you the negative word and let you give me the corresponding positive one:

aware - unaware

salvation - destruction

light - darkness

day - night

awake - asleep

sober - drunk

salvation - wrath

life - death

We see here that there are two distinct groups within the human race. Even though we may have fundamentally different values and lifestyles, we also often have much in common. We live side by side in the same space and it is often difficult to tell from external appearance which group each person is a part of.

But when Jesus returns, the difference is going to be perfectly clear.

These overall observations about this passage help us identify Paul’s main idea here:

Knowing how to live in the light of Christ’s return is far more important than knowing when He will return.

You’ll notice that Paul really never answers the question about when Jesus will return, although, as we’ll see in a moment, he does tell his readers that they shouldn’t be caught off guard when it does happen. Instead, he points out that the more important question is: How am I to live knowing that Jesus is going to return? In fact, that is the question he has been addressing throughout this letter.

Paul is writing here about an event that he calls “the day of the Lord”. That exact phrase is used frequently in the writings of Old Testament prophets and three other times in the New Testament. In the New Testament it is also called by several other similar names. It does not refer to a single day but to a season when God intervenes in history to judge His enemies, deliver His people and usher in His physical kingdom. That is why Paul refers here to “times” and “seasons”.

Obviously Paul knew he couldn’t answer the question about when Jesus would return because, as Jesus told His disciples, He doesn’t even know that:

Matthew 24:36 ESV

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

For those who have not placed their faith in Jesus, His coming is going to completely catch them off guard. Paul and Jesus both compared their situation to a thief who comes at night when nobody expects it. And because they are unprepared, destruction is going to come on them. Unfortunately for them, it is going to be too late for them to change their mind and trust Jesus. That is why we constantly urge anyone who had not yet made that decision to do it now and not wait. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Day of the Lord is a date with wrath and judgment. And you will not escape.

But for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus, even though we can’t know the day and time, we shouldn’t get caught off guard like that. Because we are children of light, we have the ability to discern at least the times and seasons of Jesus’ return.

Paul likens this to a pregnant woman. I suppose in a time when doctors now schedule c-sections and induce labor for their convenience perhaps that illustration has lost some of its meaning. But certainly in Paul’s day and for most pregnant women even today, the woman has an idea of when she is going to give birth, but she doesn’t know the exact day or time. But as the time gets closer, she begins to prepare for the birth so that she’ll be ready when that time comes.

Likewise, even though we can’t know exactly when Jesus is returning, we should constantly be ready for that day because we can be assured that it is going to happen. So let’s use our remaining time to study what Paul teaches here about...

Application

HOW TO LIVE AS WE AWAIT JESUS’ RETURN

Paul gives four commands in this section as he instructs the Thessalonians on how they are to live as they awaited the return of Jesus. We’ll use these four commands to help us understand how we are to live today as we also await His return.

Stay alert

Last week we saw that Paul used the idea of sleep to describe what happens to our bodies when we die. In this section, except in verse 10 where he is writing about death, he uses a different Greek word for sleep. While that word can be used to described physical sleep, Paul uses it in a metaphorical sense here to describe those who are unaware spiritually. He uses that word to describe the person is no longer concerned about his or her sin or about living in a way that is consistent with who God made them to be.

The command to “keep awake” in verse 6 literally pictures someone who rouses himself from sleep in order to become mentally alert. So for me this would be after I’ve had my first cup of coffee. Paul uses that command here to convey the idea of being mentally alert to what is going on around us.

Jesus used this very same verb when He told His disciples how to prepare for His return:

Matthew 25:13 ESV

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

So even though we don’t know the exact time of Jesus’ return, we are to be watchful so that we are aware that the time is getting close.

I am convinced that as the return of Jesus gets very close, those who are watching will see the events that are happening around them and be able to discern that they are the same events written about by the prophets, by John in the book of Revelation, and spoken about by Jesus.

That being said, staying alert is not about looking for signs and trying to make predictions or about trying to make the events of the day fit our pre-conceived ideas about the return of Jesus. Every time there is a lunar eclipse, it doesn’t automatically mean that Jesus is going to return when that happens.

But it is about making sure that we are ready, even though we don’t know when He will return. It is about being vigilant every minute of every day.

Be level-headed

The verb “be sober” in verse 6 and again in verse 8 does literally mean “to refrain from drunkenness”. But every single time it is used in the New Testament it has to do with keeping our minds free from things which might draw us away from the truth. That is why it is frequently translated “sober-minded”. It is very similar, if not the same as being “self-controlled” as part of the fruit of walking in the Spirit.

It is the idea of having a calm, steady state of mind that evaluates the things around us correctly. It means avoiding the extremes or living based only on our emotions.

A person who exhibits this kind of spiritual level-headedness is alert to what is going on around him, but he doesn’t get carried away with the latest theories about the return of Jesus.

Again, Paul seems to be giving exactly the same warning that Jesus had given to His disciples:

Matthew 24:4–5 ESV

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

The level-headed person will carefully evaluate things in the light of Scripture and seek discernment through prayer.

Give comfort and exhortation

This is not the first time in this letter where Paul has given the command to “encourage one another”. The verb Paul uses here literally means “to call alongside”. In the New Testament, that verb includes both the idea of giving help or comfort and the the idea of exhorting someone to take action. It almost always is used in the sense of helping another person to meet some difficult situation in their life with confidence and courage.

When my kids were young I taught them to ride a bicycle. At first, that meant putting training wheels on their bikes so they could get comfortable and learn how to balance. But at some point, I had to take those training wheels off. But I didn’t leave them alone, at least not at first. As they rode, I would come alongside them and hold onto the bike while they pedaled. I did that until they were confident enough to ride on their own.

That is a great picture of how we are to come alongside others spiritually. We just need to be there for them and to provide what they need so they can confidently and courageously live a life which is consistent with who Jesus made them to be.

Instead of pointing an accusing finger, I am to give a helping hand

I have a very dear Christian brother who has recently spent a lot of time finding fault with the body of Christ, the church, and with Christians. I believe that he is doing that with good intentions and from a desire to see disciples of Jesus live a godly life. But unfortunately, even though he certainly has gifts that could be used to build others up in their faith, I just don’t see him using them like that.

I’m not saying that there aren’t times when we need to go to a brother or sister in Christ and confront them about sin in their life and try to help them restore their relationship with God and with others. In fact, we are commanded to do that. But constantly pointing fingers at others or criticizing the bride of Christ has to be just as irritating to Jesus as it would be to me if someone was constantly criticizing my bride.

The verb “build one another up” is a compound word that literally means “to build a dwelling”. But Paul uses it frequently to describe the process of helping others to grow in their relationship with Jesus. It is the patient labor that lead to progress in the lives of others. In the church, it is lending a helping hand to others so that both the individual and the body as a whole will continue to grow and mature.

Knowing how to live in the light of Christ’s return is far more important than knowing when He will return.

Action

As we’ve continuously pointed out throughout this series, for those of you who have placed your faith in Jesus, the fact that Jesus is returning to this earth one day ought to give you unsurpassed hope. And it also ought to impact the way that you live your life on a daily basis. I’m going to come back to that idea in a moment.

However, for those of you who have not yet placed your faith in Jesus, the return of Jesus ought to generate the kind of fear that will drive you to make that decision today. The moment that Jesus returns to this earth, and that return is 100% sure to happen, it will be too late to make that decision. Your fate will be sealed for eternity, and as we have seen this morning, that means facing God’s wrath, and that is going to be so horrible that I don’t wish that even on my worst enemies.

That is the fate that all of us deserve. That is what would be fair because all of us have rebelled against God and our sin deserves His wrath. But because He loves us so much, Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for that sin. Our salvation was costly for Jesus. It cost Him His life. But for us, it is a free gift. But the only way to accept that gift is to humble ourselves and admit that we are incapable on our own of living up to God’s standards and to trust 100% in what Jesus did for us on the cross.

If you have never done that, please don’t procrastinate. Tomorrow, or even a few minutes from now will be too late if Jesus returns. So we would love nothing more than to come alongside you and encourage you and build you up by helping you to understand how to do that.

For the rest of us who have already made that commitment, the certainty of the return of Jesus should motivate us to live in line with who we are in Jesus. So I want to ask each of you to consider just one practical step you can take in your life to apply what we’ve learned today:

What is one practical thing you can do in your life to make sure that you stay alert so that you are ready for the return of Jesus, whenever that might occur?

What is one practical step you can take to remain level-headed and not get caught up in some of the hype that is continuously generated by the events going on in our culture?

What is one practical step you can take to encourage others rather than incite fear and panic?

What can you do to reign in a critical spirit and instead lend a helping hand to a brother or sister in Christ and help to build them up?

Go ahead and write down whatever God impresses on you this morning so that you can follow up this week and actually put that idea into practice. And, if there is anything we can do to help you with that, please let us know.

Inspiration

The doomsday clock is just one reminder of the fact that if we look at the world around us through our own eyes, it is indeed a scary place to live. But the good news is that because we can be 100% sure that Jesus is returning again, those who have placed their faith in Him don’t need to live in panic and fear. No matter how bad things might get here on this earth, His sure return is our guarantee that no matter how bad things might get here on this earth, we have an eternal destiny that is far better than we could ever imagine.