Ready Or Not, Here I Come!

 

 

 

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. ³ While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; ⁵ for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; ⁶ so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."

I Thessalonians 5:1-11

 

Good Morning my beloved,

 

Welcome to worship this Lord's day!

We so glad to all of you here with us today.

 

I believe that clearly the church today. had ought to be living in expectation and earnest anticipation of the Lord’s coming. Despite what some may claim, this is not a fairy tale or some myth. This isn’t something that we hope might happen one day. The Lord Jesus will certainly come for the church and rapture us out. 

 

I believe that the church is still the best hope for the world, the problem is, however, the church is in trouble. Now, I could list the problems, but the list would exceed the time that we have allotted for this sermon. I am not sure, that listing the challenges are really necessary anyway, because most of you know the problems already. A simplistic explanation of why the church is in so much trouble is that we have allowed ourselves to become exactly like the world. Where is the contrast? The problem is, rather than to try to influence our culture. we have become just like them.

When the church works with power and influence in a culture, it is because the people who are in the church stand up and stand out and offer a different way to live. They model a changed lifestyle. In every historical occurrence, where the church has significantly changed the world it did so through the blood of martyrs, it moved forward on the tears of powerful prayer warriors and in the wake of influence left by people who were not willing to compromise their faith to please man. I believe, the power of a changed life is so magnetic, that it attracts people who are hopelessly lost, crying for help. When that power is absent everyone notices it, far worse, everyone suffers. And furthermore, rarely does anyone want to talk about it, because it is so controversial. As we go through our study of God's Word today, I ask you, "Are we changing the world, or are we simply an organized institution that exists to maintain itself?

There are areas in which a church must set the pace. If we are no different than other professional and social organizations it is easy to see why the church is not dominant force in society. We must find out wherein lie our differences and make restoring church power our daily bread.

 

Let us bow our heads in prayer. 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Father, we give You thank today for this Word that You have provided for us. Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for the promise of eternal life.

We know that we are so unworthy of such a tremendous gift. Thank You for saving us from the day, Your day, the day of the Lord. Thank You for giving us the gift of peace, that we may wait in peace and anticipation for Christ's return. Lord, thank You that You will take us to glory. Our hearts are full of praise, worship and gratitude.

In Jesus' name we pray

Amen

 

Today's Message: Ready Or Not, Here I Come!

 

As we come to I Thessalonians chapter 5, it’s important to know that Paul is now addressing the "Day of the Lord," and not the Rapture. Keep in mind that believers are raptured in chapter 4 and in chapter 5, those who are left behind face unprecedented tribulation and terror. We could say it this way, In chapter 4, the Rapture comforts the troubled; in chapter 5, the Day of the Lord troubles the comfortable.

 

The Bible is the worlds barometer. In our study today, we’re going to see that it’s pointing to a holy hurricane, to a terrible time for the world, the Great Tribulation.  

 

As I was studying, preparing for our message for today, I was reminded of how close we really could be to the Lord’s coming for the church and the ushering in of the Great Tribulation upon the earth. In the prophetic calendar, there isn’t one thing that needs to happen prior to our Lord’s coming. When He comes the judgment will begin. When we look at the big picture, we will see that the second coming will actually be a surprise. It will occur at a time we don’t expect it. Beloved, I believe, the constant application of this truth is be ready now. We mustn't wait to get ready at a later time. God does not always send us a memo on when he plans to act.

 

Open your Bibles with me to the Book of I Thessalonians, chapter 5. Today, we will be looking at verses 1-11. I know that many preachers, avoid teaching this portion of God's Word, it doesn't suit the modern church culture. It doesn't affirm some great and wonderful blessing that is in store for us, just for showing up to church. It doesn't promise health, wealth and prosperity. 

As I have stated many times before, I am called to serve God and His flock, to teach the truth about what God's Word says, without sugar coating it to please the culture. I also know that its not popular to stand against the culture.

I would like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read to you to set the text in our minds. 

I Thessalonians 5:1-11.

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 

 

Before we begin, allow me to give you some Old Testament insight into this event, from Isaiah chapter 13, verses 6-13. Listen, as I read. "Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man’s heart will melt. They will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises
 

And the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts
In the day of His burning anger." As the prophet Isaiah looks to the future day of the Lord, he speaks to us with some rather severe and graphic language. 

 

The "Day of the Lord," is a phrase that is used many times in the Old Testament. The prophets used the term to describe God’s judgment on the pagan nations surrounding Israel. In fact, throughout history there have been many periods that might be called "the day of the Lord." But all of those were small days, that look forward to be the big day, at the end of history. 

 

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus made it clear that no one knows the exact time when He will return. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." 

 

The birth of Jesus was not expected. Notice that angels told shepherds, not political and religious leadership. The birth generally took many by surprise. The Roman proletariat didn’t see it coming and reacted angrily when they discovered the truth by killing Jewish baby boys. The Jewish leadership didn’t see the Messiah coming, although they were looking for him.

The crucifixion was not expected, even though the disciples were repeatedly told by Jesus himself that he came to die. They still didn’t get it. Although they had a perfect Teacher, they often failed to understand him correctly. Peter cut the ear off one of the men who came to take Jesus into custody. He just didn’t get it and I feel he was not alone. This further demonstrates that the disciples’ success was a result of God’s handy work, not human achievement.

The second coming will happen like a thief in the night. A number of years ago, I came home from church one Sunday  to find my home had been broken into and robbed. Can you believe that hose crooks didn’t have the decency to send me a note, warning me of their plan to rob me. No, they came when I least expected it.

One of Jesus' clear teachings about the second coming, is that it too, will be a surprise. It will come when world events are becoming peaceful and safe. It will take the world by surprise, the world will be indifferent to His coming and not looking for His imminent return!

Beloved, I know some of what Scripture has to teach is the strongest language found in the entire Bible and some of it is not very "positive or uplifting," however, it’s the truth. And, I am called to teach it to you. The Day of the Lord is the culmination of God’s fury in a final blast that consumes those who have not put their faith in Christ.

Jeremiah 46:10 tells us, "For that day belongs to the Lord God of hosts, A day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the sword will devour and be satiated And drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a slaughter for the Lord God of hosts, In the land of the north by the river Euphrates."

 

Zephaniah 1:14-15 warns us "Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly;
Listen, the day of the Lord! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day,
A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness."  

 

Beloved, this is not just an Old Testament truth. The Book of Revelation records many holocausts that take place, as God’s wrath is unleashed in the Day of the Lord!

 

Revelation 8:13 warns us "Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"

 

Revelation 9:6 tells us that "And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them."

 

Revelation 16:18-21 tells us "And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, *came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague *was extremely severe."

 

In verses 1-2, "Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night."

 

Here, Paul speaks of the times and seasons prior to the Lord’s return. He reveals there is no need for him to devote time to that; it has already been dealt with extensively in the Old Testament. No man knows the day or the hour anyway. It is foolish to seek signs and predictions.  Paul is speaking of the times that men look toward. This is from the Greek word chronos and deals with chronological time, clock or calendar time. He also deals with seasons, from the Greek word kairos, and it deals with "events, eras, or seasons." Two different and distinct indicators that men look toward to estimate the Lord’s coming. Paul declared there was no need to invest their time in such things, but live each day in full expectation of His coming.

 

Then Paul reminds them of a fact that Jesus spoke of Himself. That the Lord will come as a thief in the night, at a time when no man knows or expects His coming. It could happen at any moment. The world will not be ready or prepared for the day when it comes. 

 

In verse 3, we discover the attitude of mankind in that day. They will be indifferent to His coming and not looking for Him. "While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape."  This word refers to the loss of everything worthwhile causing the victim to despair of life itself. This is summed up with the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:21, "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will."

 

Beloved, we need to know about the future. When the Day of the Lord finally comes, and it will, God’s fury will be poured out on the earth, there will be no place to run and no place to hide. He uses a fascinating analogy to make his point. He compares it to a woman who is having labor pains. 

 

Before we move forward, I'd like you to notice something. Notice the change in subject and pronouns. In verses 1-2, Paul is speaking of believers: "brothers," "you," and "you." In verse 3, when speaking of the Day of the Lord, Paul makes it clear that believers will no longer be here, that is because the rapture has already taken place. This is evident by his use of: "people," "them," and "they."

 

In verse 4, Paul begins with a contrast and introduces an appeal to believers: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief." We won’t be here for the Day of the Lord, however, we are here now. So, the first thing Paul wants us to know is that we have a new identity because of Christ. Look at verse 5, " for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness." Notice that Paul says, "You are all." There really are no categories of Christians. Beloved, you are either in the light or you are in the darkness and if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you are in the light. And, if you do not, you are in darkness.

 

Listen, as I read to you Colossians 1:13, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son"

 

And, in Ephesians 5:8-9, "for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)."

 

The world around these Thessalonian believers was filled with darkness, those who lived according to the lusts of the flesh and with no reflection of the Lord or His coming. Because they were not of the world; they were of the light and of the day. They had been born again into the glorious light of Christ. He was their source and their strength. Even if others denied His coming, the church was to live a life that honored the Lord and expected His return. 

 

Paul is saying that those who are spiritually asleep, live in darkness. We must not be like those who do their deeds in the dark, because we are children of the light. Paul reinforces the need to be alert and self-controlled by contrasting these qualities with drunkenness. A person who is drunk is out of control and inattentive.

 

Beloved, I believe that our conduct demonstrates the true condition of our hearts. Our new identity gives us the power to be who we were created to be, therefore, we can and must act differently than those who remain in darkness. We are children of the light, and its high time, we started to act like it.

 

In verses 6-7, "so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night."

 

Here, Paul is yet again, giving us another reminder of our obligation to live in anticipation for the Lord and look for Him. The world lives in darkness, desiring that darkness rather than light. The church was not, and is not, to be consumed with the desires of the flesh. They were admonished to watch and be sober, just as we are today. That means they were to be "alert and on guard, constantly looking for the Lord to come." Their lives were to be lived with a rigid discipline, one of holiness, purity and righteousness. 

 

In verse 8, Paul lays out the contrast again, when he says "But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation." In other words, as Christians, we are to be spiritually awake, sober, and living in daily anticipation of the Christ’s imminent return. With the mention of a breastplate and helmet, Paul uses the metaphor of a soldier. As I am sure many of you know, this was one of his favorite illustrations for the Christian life. We have the unique responsibility to live soberly, standing watch like a soldier on duty.

 

Here, again, Paul uses the trilogy of faith, love, and hope to summarize a Christian’s responsibility. A Roman breastplate covered a soldier from his neck to his waist and protected most of his vital organs. Our faith in God is like the hard outside of the soldiers armor that protects us. Underneath the hard armor was a soft cloth to warm the body, that’s love, which is directed to God and in tenderness toward others. If we have resilient faith, we will have love for others.

In addition, the hope of salvation is the helmet that guards our heads from attacks on our thoughts. This armor equips us to stand ready for the Rapture. This hope of salvation is not a vague or wishful longing that someday we might be saved. Followers of Christ have a sure hope. The hope of salvation is the certainty that if we die before Jesus returns, we who believe will go directly to heaven. If we are alive when He returns, it is the certainty that we will be raptured off this earth to meet with the Lord in the clouds. Either way, we’re going to be delivered.

The Apostle Paul is telling us, there is a moral value to the Second Coming of Christ. There are certain standards that go with following the Savior. The exhortation to put on the breastplate and the helmet is in the present tense: "keep putting on." While we wait for his return, we live in a world of spiritual darkness that is hostile to spiritual truth. There is a battle raging all around us, a battle for the hearts and minds of men and women and every Christian is a soldier in that battle. We must keep putting on our armor. Every day, every hour, every minute. Our best defense against the debilitating deeds of darkness is fiery faith, a burning love, and a purifying hope for the day we will see Him face-to-face. 

 

Why does Paul mention this? Because those in darkness, cannot do the deeds of the light, however, those who are in the light, can indeed, do the deeds of darkness. We can sink back into the patterns and behaviors of the past, if we do not stay alert. I believe that we are witnessing a great deal of this in the church today. 

 

Verses 9-10, Paul tells us "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him."

 

Our new identity is that we are children of the day. It is our unique responsibility to act like who we are. And we can do that because we have a different destiny. Just look at verse 9 again, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." The word "destined," means "a destiny, an appointed end." We all plan for the future.  However, we know that our plans do not always work out the way we intend, but God’s plan for us is so certain that we can call it a destiny, or an "appointment." 

 

Beloved, if you know Jesus Christ and have been born again, your destiny is deliverance! You will not suffer wrath. You will not go through the Tribulation period, you will be raptured before God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth's inhabitants. When God, does indeed, pour out His wrath on the Day of the Lord, we will not be targeted. And when He pours out His final wrath in eternal Hell, it will not be for us either. What a tremendous hope we have in Jesus!

 

This phrase means, "Full deliverance." Jesus Christ does not appoint us to wrath but to "full deliverance." When the seals are broken and the four horsemen ride across the earth, when the trumpets blow and the sea turns to blood, when the bowls of God’s judgment are emptied, the world will be caught off guard, completely unprepared. However, we will not be surprised. In fact, we won’t even be here. We’ll be with our Lord and Savior, for eternity!

 

Verse 11, says "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."

I'm sure you may have notice, the last verse in chapter 4 is almost identical.

 

To "encourage," as I stated previously, means to come alongside someone and give them whatever help they need. The phrase "build each other up," was used when someone constructed a house, or remodeled a room. Beloved,, every believer around you is undergoing a spiritual reconstruction project and God wants to use you to come alongside and build into your brothers and sisters.

 

In Closing...

 

Beloved, there is no easy way  to say this. If you don’t know Jesus Christ,  as your personal Savior, then you have an appointment with judgment. Your future is wrath, judgment, and tribulation. And there is no escape unless you put your faith in Him before the Day of His coming! Since none of us know the exact or hour, may I submit to you, that you would take full advantage of today, right now. Ultimately, the choice is yours. However, I cannot want more for you than you want for yourselves. If you’re ready, please by all means reach out to me and let me know.

 

I have to ask where you stand today with the Lord. If this message has stirred something in you, I encourage you to act upon it today, Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart. It is my prayer, that you will answer it today.

 

May it be so...

 

 

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen

 

 

 

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