Children of Light
New Year Fear • Sermon • Submitted
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· 27 viewsIn a World filled with invisible enemies - death, disease, and evil - how are we to face what feels like an unknowable future? What do we do with our anxiety regarding the days ahead? Thessalonians provides comfort and reassurance to those living in uncertain times. These letters discuss the future of Christ's Second Coming, and what believers should do while waiting his return.
Notes
Transcript
The passage we address this morning ends with the same admonition as the text before it.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The Apostle encourages the believers to lift each other up and comfort each other with edification. Literally to build up other people.
Last week we discovered the reason for this need to comfort was
Losing someone it death is hard.
The text answers for us the question with what shall we comfort each other. And the passage ultimately declares that we comfort each other with the promises of God’s word to develop hope.
Our text encourages our comfort because Jesus is coming back soon.
Like a thief in the night no man knows the hour.
It will be for SOME, BUT NOT FOR OTHERS… The Enlightened
The Lord's coming will be a surprise for many, as the "thief in the night" motif clearly indicates - 1Th 5:2; cf. 2Pe 3:10
But for those who heed the warnings of Scripture-
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Because they will be ready for His coming, though we don't know when it will be.
FOR SOME, AN INESCAPABLE DESTRUCTION… The Doomed
He will come when people are saying "Peace and safety!" - 1Th 5:3
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.
Let me introduce you to the Nato sculpture according to CBN news Not in troublesome times, but in peaceful times
According to CBN News’ Steve Warren.
”"A guardian for international peace and security sits on the Visitor's Plaza outside #UN Headquarters. The guardian is a fusion of jaguar and eagle and donated by the Government of Oaxaca, Mexico."”
He goes on to say…
Countless critics on social media are saying the statue appears to be the likeness of the "beast" the Prophet Daniel wrote about in the Old Testament and the Apostle John wrote about in the Book of Revelation.
Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
What will this "Day" mean for us, when the Lord comes "as a thief in the night"? A day of destruction, or a day of delight? It depends upon whether we are prepared for His coming, and proper preparation means...
The difference is found in the two people mentioned The people in darkeness and the children of light.
LIVE AS SONS OF THE DAY (5-11)
We are "children of light" and "children of the day" (5)-
Because we follow Jesus, the "light of the world" - Jn 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Because we are now in Jesus, and walk in the light - Ep 5:8
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Because we cast off works of darkness, and seek to walk properly - Ro 13:11-14
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
I. We Watch and Wait…
We watch for his coming as we saw last week. (6)
We watch in prayer 1Pe 4:7
Watchful in repentance Re 3:2-3
Encouraged to wait because God has appointed us to salvation - 1Th 5:9-10
He has not appointed us to wrathA day of wrath is coming - cf. Ro 2:4-11
Yet Jesus has come to deliver us from that wrath - 1Th 1:10
He has appointed us to salvationThrough the blood of His Son - Ro 5:8-10
So that whether we "wake or sleep" (live or die), we live together with Christ! - cf. 1Th 4:14,17; Php 1:21-23
II. We are Armed and Waiting.
In all soberness (seriousness), putting on "the armor of God" - 1Th 5:8
Such as the breastplate of faith and love
Faith and love protect our hearts from much evilFaith comes from the word of God, and love comes from Him who is the Word.
Such as the hope of salvation as a helmetOur hope of salvation protects our mind from much fear and doubt
Compare this description of "armor" with one more detailed - Ep 6:11-18
Something to consider the Believers willingness to believe His holy Word is the centerpiece of every weapon in our armor.
III. We are Comforted and Edified
We are to comfort one another - 1Th 5:11
With the comfort we each receive from God - cf. 2Co 1:3-4
With the comfort of our hope we have in Christ - cf. 1Th 4:18
We are to edify (build up) one another - 1Th 5:11
The primary work of the church is edification - Ep 4:11-12, 15-16
CONCLUSION
Why do we need this reminder from Paul. Because if we are honest it is easy for the church to fall asleep and live as the doomed enjoying our peace and safety.
Remember that our Savior didn’t speak of peace and safety apart from a right relationship with God. We would be fools to find our peace this side of heaven and instead keep our sheild and sword up and watch for his soon return.
