1. More than a few men and women have come by promising you and me to reveal the future.
a. Come & follow me and I’ll let you know what’s in store for your life. SO Why are they so successful?
b. How can people make a living on predicting the future?
NOTE: Because man naturally wants to know what the future holds!
• It’s a vulnerability that we all share to some extent.
• Many would sleep better, eat better, and even live better if they only knew what tomorrow might bring.
• If they only knew what next year looked like!
APP: It’s always a good thing to TRUST AN UNKNOWN FUTURE TO A WELL KNOWN GOD.
• It’s in the Bible that we learn of God; of His love, His care, and His concern for every man, woman, and child.
Jer. 29.11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
So we know, WHATEVER THE FUTURE HOLDS, we can be CONFIDENT IN THE One WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE!
Matthew 24.36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
• You can mark v36, NO ONE KNOWS.
• So the pamphlets, the emails, the books, the web sites.
• They are ALL WRONG if they predict the future, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the day, the hour!
• But even though the Bible says this, there have been those, and continue to be some who PREDICT THE FUTURE.
In 1988, Edgar Whisenant, a former NASA rocket engineer turned prophecy teacher became famous through a booklet that included two of his works, “88 Reasons Why the Rapture could be in 1988 and On Borrowed Time.” 3.2 million copies were distributed.
And when his September prediction failed, the day was updated, and many people fell away from the faith because of him!
NOTE: We want to know what God has in store for the future.
• Israel had the same kind of yearnings but with them, God gave them prophets who spoke to them the truth.
• They spoke of a time when God would reign on the earth and would bring in everlasting peace.
• All of this revolved around the Messiah.
• AND… the Messiah came and left… but with a promise.
• I will return to this earth. That’s the great promise of the future, the soon return of Jesus Christ!
The young church in Thessalonica knew that Jesus was returning & heard about the end times, but were confused about the details.
• So Paul, continuing His thought from CH4 on the rapture, begins to clarify the Day of the Lord!
I. (5:1-3) Soon & Unexpected
1. (1) Times & Seasons.
a. Paul uses 2 words here to describe the timing.
b. Times, (Gk. Chronos), lit a ‘sequence of events.’
c. Seasons, (Gk. Kairos), Lit. a ‘fixed & definite time.’
d. So, considering the sequence of events and the point in time that the DAY of the Lord will come, you guys know.
1 Thess 5.1 (NIV) Now, brothers, about times & dates we do not need to write to you,
NOTE: The church was thinking about the future & wondering when all this will take place.
• He taught them about death & dying, about the rapture, and now he begins to encourage them about the Day of the Lord.
• As we will see, the issue is not really WHEN HE COMES but truly how we live UNTIL HE COMES. Jump to v6, v8
2. (2) What is the Day of the Lord?
• Of all the prophecies in the Bible, there is none so detailed as this thing known as the Day of the Lord.
• It’s used over and over again in the Old Testament.
Isa 2.12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up--And it shall be brought low--
Joel 2.1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:
NOTE: It’s not a term filled with a whole lot of joy or hope.
• The Day of the Lord is a painful time, a time of judgment.
• Important to note that the Day of the Lord is not a 24 hour day.
• Rather it’s a period of time.
• Today, we live in the Day of Grace.
2 Peter 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
• Right now, God is patiently holding back judgment, so that many would be melted by His love and grace and be saved!
Romans 2.4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
But one day, we believe soon, the Day of Grace will and the Day of the Lord will come…
• A time when God will judge the world and punish the nations!
• Let’s flip over to Isaiah 13:6ff
• Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:
2 Peter 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
• The Day of the Lord will be a period of final destruction and punishment upon the earth.
• If you want to see it in detail, Revelation 6-19.
3. (3) Peace & Safety.
a. A lulling effect will come upon people just before this time of judgment comes. Peace & Safety. All is well.
b. See, we’ve visualized world peace. Don’t worry, be happy!
c. How did it happen?
NOTE: Jesus said that right up to this time, the world will be swirling in chaos & confusion.
Luke 21.25 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
• Literally, there will be that feeling like there is no way out!
• Then the Bible predicts a world ruler who comes on the scene.
• And the nations of the world will yield their sovereignty to him.
• He will form a treaty with the Jews to rebuild their Temple and there will be a false peace for 3.5 years!
Paul says the destruction comes as “Labor Pains”.
• Even as Jesus says in Matthew 24:8:
Matthew 24.8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows.
NOW our fellowship has been fortunate to see many women give birth. It’s a wonderful blessing & difficult at the same time.
When a woman is going to give birth there are certain signs.
• FIRST… she gets bigger, in ONE PLACE.
• THEN… she feels movement, as that baby stretches & grows.
• THEN… there is that general growth over a 9-month period.
• TOWARD THE END she knows as labor pains come.
• Small and infrequent in the beginning but over time.
• They become more intense and closer together.
• It’s the frequency & intensity of those pains that tell us that the baby will soon be here! WHOA!!!
That’s what Jesus is saying here… these signs are obvious and have been over the centuries… but toward they end they will become more frequent & more intense.
• And then sudden destruction, great tribulation.
Matthew 24.21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
II. (5:4-7) Sad & Surprised
1. (1) Sharp Division.
a. As we read through this section we see that there are sharp division between 2 groups of people.
b. They & we, us & them, light & darkness.
c. Paul didn’t expect the church to here for that time.
d. He says, it will come upon THEM like a thief.
e. I don’t want to camp to much on this, but it’s very important for us to grasp and hold on to.
f. If the church were to go through the GT, then the words of Jesus ring very hollow…
Luke 21.36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Rev. 3.10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
• And Paul reaffirms this in v9… not appointed unto wrath.
SO KNOWING THE DAY OF THE Lord IS Coming…
• And KNOWING There WILL BE THOSE WHO DO NOT CARE.
• What are we to be doing in the days in which we live?
2 Peter 3.10-11 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
III. (5:8-11) Sober & Expectantly
1. (8-9) Awake & ready!
a. To be ‘sober-minded’ means to be alert, to live our lives with eyes wide open.
b. Living spiritually alert & prophetically aware.
c. We’re to be watching and waiting.
d. Ready at any time to do anything for the sake of God’s kingdom, winning people to Jesus Christ.
APP: There is more danger in a time of grace & mercy to fall asleep and shift into a spiritually neutral gear.
• The times of ‘peace & safety’ in our own lives can lull a Christian to sleep and render him ineffective.
SO WE must not only live soberly, but also spiritually armed.
• Again, putting on the breastplate of faith & love
• The helmet of salvation.
• Those are pieces of our spiritual armor.
• Let’s flip over to Ephesians 6:10ff
NOTE: We’re reminded that knowing the days in which we live, the blessed hope of Jesus soon return…
• That we want to be prepared for the Coming of the Lord.
• We need to be prepared daily by spending more and more time with Him, in His Word and in prayer.
• Setting aside the cares and hassles of this word and seeking God’s will for our lives daily.
2. (9-11) Rescued from wrath.
a. What a wonderful way to close off this section.
b. If you’re in Jesus this morning, you are not appointed to this coming wrath. Jesus took it upon Himself.
2 Cor. 5.21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
c. Those are the greatest comforting words to share!
d. Comfort one another, build one another up.
NOTE: This world can be very unfriendly and hurtful.
• People feel so pressured and weighed down and stressed out.
• But God can change their lives!
• As the Body of Christ we need to build one another up.
• So often we think that encouragement and counseling comes from the professionals, from the pastoral staff…
• But we’re here to minister to one another.
• Let’s close with Hebrews 10.24-25
The Day of the Lord will come… SOON & UNEXPECTEDLY.
The People apart from the Lord will… be SAD & SURPRISED.
But believers who love the Lord will… live SOBERLY & EXPECTANTLY!
