Thank God I am a Prepper 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1. Paul begins by saying "you know" Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
• his audience is not in the dark when it comes to preparation for the arrival of that day. Thus,
• Paul suggested that the followers at Thessalonica need to be prepared or ready for a certain Day. It is the "the day of the lord"
2. Let’s look at “The Day of the Lord” The expression goes back to Am 5:18. In the OT it is a time when God will come and intervene with judgment and/or blessing.
• In the NT the thought of judgment continues (see Ro 2:5; 2Pe 2:9),
• The Day of the Lord is also the "day of redemption" (Eph 4:30);
• the "day of God" (2Pe 3:12), or of Christ (1Co 1:8; Php 1:6); and the "last day" (Jn 6:39), the "great Day" (Jude 6)
• or simply "the day" (2Th 1:10). It is the climax of all things. There will be some preliminary signs (e.g., 2Th 2:3), but the coming will be as unexpected as that of a thief in the night
• It is the moment it is the day that Christ will return The day of the Lord “Is a familiar Old Testament expression. It denotes the day when God intervenes in history to judge His enemies, deliver His people, and establish His kingdom.” (Hiebert) His return brings forth an act of judgment over the world bringing Gods work to completion
• Day of the lord can provoke fear "When they say, 'There is peace and security,'" warns Paul, "then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!" (v. 3). Sudden destruction! Labor pains!
• No escape! These are apocalyptic images as frightening as nuclear war.
3. People today are preparing for that day they call it the Apocalypse, Armageddon, Even today we have doom days prep-pers. ". Apocalyptic Literature Joel 2, Daniel 7-12, the last half of Zechariah, and Ezekiel's valley of dry bones.
• There are tv shows sharing how people are prepping for the apocalypse. These are not the wilderness type folk but the luxury bunkers.
• Luxury bunkers cost more than $500,000 have increased 700 percent in one year! One model includes "a gym, a workshop, a rec room, a greenhouse and a car depot."
• Clients include Hollywood actors, sports stars, bankers and businesspeople. Bill Gates is rumored to have bunkers under his houses in Washington State and California. Lots of people are motivated by anxieties about nuclear war or civil unrest. Others fear climate change, disease, terrorism.
4. Paul also shares in the text how to be prepared for that day. Paul claims we need to be a prepper.
• What Paul doesn't recommend building a bunker with a gym, a workshop, a rec room, a greenhouse and a car depot.
• Instead, he wants us to be "preppers" who "put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation" (v. 8).
Paul Recommends we be Preppers Paul feels those who prepared their faith, their hope and their love. Will survive the apocalypse These qualities are gifts of God that will endure until the very end of time, Paul feels what is really durable in the face of "the day of the lord" is faith, hope and love.
• Paul suggests that during apocalyptic times we are not to hide but go forth with confidence determined to live by Christian values be children of light not children of darkness.
• We are to go out into the world and live life of Faith hope and love like the welcome mat at the house commercial where instead being welcomed in the safety of home the mat is turned and welcome mat says step out into the unknown.
In his book Strength to Love, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." When we live by our values, we shine light into dark places and put love in the place of hate.
5. In conclusion, .Paul believes Preppers Build UP: 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. In apocalyptic times, we are not supposed to hide in a bunker or build a bunker
• Paul encourages us to Build UP Faith . I am a Prepper I have faith I am a follower of the light 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
• Paul encourages us To Build UP Hope I am a Prepper I have Hope of an eternal future . 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
• Paul encourages Us to Build Up Love I am Thankful I am a prepper I have confidence and courageous in life’s battles because of the Love of God that dwells . Recall an text “Perfect love casteth out all fear “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
