I THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 5
THE MODEL WALK
I. INTRODUCTION
Jesus Christ both unites and divides. Those who have trusted Him as Saviour are united in Christ as God's children. We are members of His body and "all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). When Jesus Christ returns in the air, we shall be "caught up together" never to be separated again.
But Christ is also a divider. "So there was a division among the people because of Him" (John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19). Faith in Jesus Christ not only unites us to other believers; it also separates us spiritually from the rest of the world. Jesus said, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:16). There is a difference between believers who are looking for the Lord's return and the people of the world; it is this theme that Paul developed this section.
His purpose was to encourage the believers to live holy lives in the midst of their pagan surroundings. He did this by pointing out the contrasts between believers and unbelievers.
II. KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE
A. Times and Seasons ----This phrase is found only three times in the Bible, and refers
primarily to God's plans for Israel
Dan 2:21 Acts 1:7 I Thes 5:1
1. Knowing the Day and the Hour (of the Rapture)
W.W. Well-meaning people have tried to set dates for our Lord's return,
only to be embarrassed by their failures. However, it is possible to expect
His coming without setting a specific time. No "signs" must be fulfilled before
He can return for His church.
2. Millennium Fever
3. It is unscriptural, illogical, and unreasonable to set dates for some
prophetical events when Paul would not, and Christ did not.
4. Perhaps Today: The Imminent Coming of Christ
5. Instantaneous Nullification
B. The Day of the Lord
1. Warren Wiersbe
a. In the Bible, the word day can refer to a twenty-four hour period, or to
a longer time during which God accomplishes some special purpose.
b. The Day of the Lord is that time when God will judge the world and punish the nations. At the same time, God will prepare Israel for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom.
c. Another term for this period is "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7)
d. Many prophetic students also call it the Tribulation.
2. John F. Walvoord
a. Coming immediately after the revelation concerning the Rapture of the church, it is natural to consider the question of when this will
occur.
Here the apostle appeals to a much larger doctrine of Scripture, the
Day of the Lord, which is a time of special divine visitation mentioned often in the Old and New Testaments. pg 484
b. The placing of this doctrine next to the revelation of the Rapture is
because of the similarity of both events not having signs prior to their beginning.
Like a thief in the night, who comes without warning, the Rapture
will occur and also the Day of the Lord will begin.
c. The future period of God's intervention in the world will begin at the
Rapture and will include the period of trouble preceding the second
coming of Christ and the establishment of God's kingdom in the
Earth. The Day of the Lord will also include the millennial
kingdom.
The Day of the Lord will begin as a time period at the Rapture, but
its major events will not begin immediately. As the Rapture must
precede the signs, it necessarily must occur when the Day of the
Lord begins.
d. The Christian's day will be climaxed by the Rapture; the day for the
wicked will begin at that time, and the judgments related to the Day of the Lord will take place according to the time sequence of this period, with the great judgments occurring in the Great Tribulation, climaxing in the
Second Coming. pg 488
*Use Diagram "The Day of the Lord"
e. For the Christian, his appointment is the Rapture; for the unsaved, his
appointment is the Day of the Lord.
3. G. F. Taylor The Second Coming Of Jesus pg 38-39
a. While God permits the world to go as it is now going, and Satan holds
the reins of government, it is recognized as the devil's day; but
when the devil is put down, and God comes to judge the world, it will be known as "The Day of the Lord." A more correct idea, then, of "The Day of the Lord" is that it refers to the day of judgment.
b. From this Scripture we learn that the day of judgment hath been
appointed, and that when that day arrives Christ will judge the world in righteousness. This is the devil's day, but the day in which Christ shall judge the world will be "The Day of the Lord."
C. "Thief in the Night"
1. It describes the suddenness and the surprise involved in the coming of the Day
of the Lord.
2. Since we do not know when the Lord will return for His people, we must live
in a constant attitude of watching and waiting, while we are busy working
and witnessing.
3. These "times and seasons" that relate to Israel and the nations do not apply to
The church or affect the truth of the Lord's coming for the church. He may come at any time, and this will usher in the Day of the Lord.
III. EXPECTANCY AND SURPRISE (5:3-5)
A. They
1. They are the unsaved
2. They will be saying, "Peace and safety!"
3. They are in the dark.
4. They are of the night.
5. They will be surprised.
a. As the people in the day of the Flood -- Eating, drinking, marrying, etc.
b. As the people of Sodom and Gomorrah -- giving themselves over to
unnatural lusts
6. They will be overtaken.
B. You (we)
1. We are the saved
2. We are saying, "Jesus is coming, and judgment is coming!"
3. We are in the light.
4. We are of the day.
5. We are expecting it to happen any moment -- imminent
Define Watch –1127 greoreuo – to watch, give strict attention to, becautious , active; give strict attention to,
6. We shall be taken up.
IV. SOBERNESS AND DRUNKENNESS (I Thes 5:6-8)
A. The Sober
Define Sober – 3525 nepho – to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit
1. To be sober-minded means to be alert, to live with your eyes open, to be sane
And steady.
2. Christians who walk in the light are sober.
3. The sober-minded believer has a calm, sane outlook on life. He hears the
Tragic news of the day, yet he does not lose heart. He experiences
the difficulties of life, but he does not give up. He knows his future is secure in God's hands, so he lives each day creatively, calmly, and obediently.
B. The Drunk
1. To be drunken means to have a false sense of security and a feeling of
invincibility.
2. The unsaved walk in darkness and are drunk on false hopes.
V. SALVATION AND JUDGMENT ( I Thes. 5:9-11)
A. Christians have always gone through tribulation, since this is a part of dedicated
Christian living. But they will not go through the Tribulation that is appointed
for the godless world.
I realize that good and godly students of the Word disagree on this matter, and
I will not make it a test of fellowship or spirituality. But I do believe that the church will be raptured to heaven prior to the Tribulation period. Let me share the reasons that have convinced me. W.W. pg 184
1. The nature of the church.
The church is the body of Christ, and He is the Head. When He died on
The cross, He bore for us all the divine judgment necessary for our
salvation. He has promised that we shall never taste any of God's wrath
(John 5:24). The Day of the Lord is a day of God's wrath, and it seems unjust and unnecessary that the church should experience it.
2. The nature of the Tribulation.
This is a time when God will judge the Gentile nations and also purge
Israel and prepare her for the coming of her Messiah. The "earth-dwellers" will taste of God's wrath (Rev 3:10) and not those whose citizenship is in heaven. God will judge the earth-dwellers for their iniquity. But He has already judged believers'
sins on the cross.
3. The promise of Christ's imminent return.
a. If our Lord did not return for us until the end of the Tribulation period,
then we would know when He was coming; for the sequence, signs, and
times are spelled out in Rev. 6-19.
b. It is worth noting that the word church is not used in
Rev from 4:1 to 22:13.
c. Paul lived in the expectation of the coming of Christ. ("we" & "us")
d. John has the same attitude. He closed his book with the prayer, "Even so,
come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20)
4. Encouragement and Edification
a. The fact that we will meet our loved ones again and forever be with the Lord. I Thes 4: 18 "Comfort one another with these words."
b. The fact that we will not endure God's wrath during the Day of the
Lord.I Thes 5:11 "Wherefore comfort yourselves together"
VI. FAMILY
Paul saw the local church as a family. He called them "brethren".
Paul discussed 3 matters essential for a happy, thriving, church family.
A. Family Leadership (I Thes 5:12-13)
Without leadership, a family falls apart. God has given gifts to people and
people to the churches to exercise His will.
Responsibilities of the brethren toward their spiritual leaders.
1. Accept them -- They are God's gift to the church.
2. Appreciate them -- That is the meaning of the exhortation "know them that
labor among you"
Amplified Bible I Thes 5:12
"Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among
you--recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and
respect them all--your leaders who are over you in the Lord, and those
who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you."
"give due recognition"
I Cor 16:18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours:
therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.
3. Love them --
4. Obey them -- "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves" Heb 13:17
B. Family Partnership ( I Thes. 5:14-16)
Family members must learn to minister to each other. The oldest members teach
the younger and encourage them when they are in difficulty.
1. The unruly This word means "careless, out of line." It applied to a soldier
Who would not keep rank but insisted on marching his own way. While
the loving atmosphere of the family encourages individual development, there are some things we all must do the same way. If we do not have rules and standards in the family, we have chaos.
2. The feebleminded.
This term has nothing to do with mentality. The literal translation of the Greek word is " little-souled, fainthearted." These are
the quitters in the church family. They always look on the dark side of things and give up when the going gets tough. In families where there are three or more children, usually one of them is a quitter. Every church family has its share of quitters too. These people need to be comforted -- encouraged. Instead of letting the weak brother drift away and finally vanish altogether, the Christian community should make a deliberate attempt to grapple him to
the Church is such a way that he cannot escape. W.B. pg 207
3. The weak. "Hold fast to the weak!" is the literal translation. "Don't let them
fall!"
Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
C. Family Worship ( I Thes. 5:17-28)
Elements that make up the worship ministry of the church.
1. Prayer (v. 17)
2. Praise (v. 18)
3. The Word of God (v. 19-21)
Worship that ignores the Bible is not spiritual.
4. Godly living (v. 22- 24)
5. Christian fellowship (v. 25 -28)
"I have been in churches where the congregation escaped like rats leaving a sinking ship. Fellowship is a part of worship." W.W.
