1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

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Ready Or Not He Will Come

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 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. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

As a kid I used to like playing hide and go seek.

It didn't matter if I was the one hiding (P) trying not to get caught, (P) or if I was the one seeking; who was trying to catch those that were hiding

You know it has been a few years since I have played that game

I do remember that the seeker, was called the "It".

The seeker would close their eyes and count to 20 (P) giving time for the others to hide.

Now sometimes the seeker would cheat a little bit (P) I must admit I did (P) and would peek around (P) But then you could hear the count, "One Mississippi Two Mississippi" All the Way To 20 Mississippi.

Then you would hear the seeker holler out Ready or not here I come."

Four things were always certain in the game:

(1 Finger) - the seeker was surely coming

(2nd Finger) - The seeker was coming when they were good and ready and not before

(3rd Finger) - The seeker was coming whether you were ready or not

(4th Finger) - If you were not ready, then you would pay the consequences. And lose the game

Little did I realize as a child how much this game of hide and seek paralleled The Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (Long Pause)

Thats the reason Paul told the church of Thessalonica and us today about the importance of being ready.

Let's look at Paul's words to the believers gathered in Thessalonica. Once again

(1st Reading From the Bible 5:1-2a)

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is one of the most repeated teachings in all of Scripture.

Paul was well aware of Christ's return and he explained it to the believers gathered in Thessalonica.

As a matter of fact, Paul told them that he should not have to remind them about this fact again. (Pause)

It is much like the story of a tourist driving through a West Texas town who stopped at a gas station.

He observed a piece of rope dangling from a sign labeled "Weather Forecaster."

The tourist was curious and asked (P) "How can you possibly tell the weather with a piece of rope?"

simple, Sonny," is what the man told him

"When the rope swings back and forth, it's windy.

When it gets wet, it's raining.

When it's frozen stiff, and it has white stuff on it well it is snowing,

And when it's gone... tornado!"