THE PASTOR’S POINTS
sermon ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
Dr. Russell Brownworth, D.Min., Pastor
November 23, 2003
1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For 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. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But 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. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (KJV)
There are times when people are not ready for what happens, even though they should be ready. My friend Curt Hatch went to Moody Bible Institute. He paid his own way by working at a night job. Curt had to choose, at times, which classes in which he would stay awake. One of those was not a first period study of church history. At the start of each class the professors at Moody call the roll, then call on a student to pray for the class. Curt normally waited until the prayer began, and then he would go into "deep meditation" for the duration of the lecture.
One day Curt didn’t last through roll call. By the time prayer had been offered by another student, Curt was nearly comatose. A "friend" of Curt’s sat next to him in this class, and could sometimes barely contain his jealousy over the fact that Curt was getting an hour’s sleep while he took notes. His "buddy" poked him in the side and whispered, "Hatch, wake up...He wants you to pray." Curt stood bolt upright and bowed his head, "Father, thank you for this day, and this gathering of students...bless us as we study." When Curt sat down, after a brief pause, the bewildered professor finally said, "Thank you, Mr. Hatch, for that...er...inspiring moment of spirituality; you may return to your normal activities."
The First (and only) Baptist Church of McIntosh, Florida had invited me to preach a sermon in view of a call as pastor. I was a newly graduated seminarian. At the appointed hour the brethren gathered, all 42 of them. Mrs. Bateman, a charter member of this congregation (since 1903), was in her seat, second row, one seat in from the center aisle. Dear Mrs. Bateman was stone deaf!
Somewhere between the Doxology after the offering, and the choir special from the "shape-note hymnal" the dear saint slipped off into personal meditation. Her hair, like a covering of newly fallen snow was resting gently against the back of the wood pew; her eyes were prayerfully closed, and her mouth was wide open. The ethereal sounds punctuated the points of my sermon like "Amens". Some of those sounds would have awakened the dead, but since Mrs. Bateman hadn’t heard anything for years, she slept soundly through even her own snoring!
The vote on the new pastor was to be taken after the evening service. However, Tommy Mack, chairman of the pastor-search committee, took a straw exit poll after morning worship. Tommy questioned Mrs. Bateman on the way out, "Good morning, Mrs. Bateman; what did you think of the man’s preaching?" Thoughtfully stroking her chin (pulling on those two pesky chin hairs), Mrs. Bateman responded, "Well, to give you a truthful answer, I believe I’d have to hear another one of the young man’s sermons."
Catching a few winks in a college course, or hearing a new preacher’s sermon may be lower on the scale than this morning’s topic, the return of the King of Kings, Jesus. We want to be ready when He comes!
A preacher shared about "…two misguided attitudes that people today have about the second coming of Christ. The first attitude is fanaticism. These are the people who think that every single thing that happens in the Middle East must be a sign of the end of the world. "Oh…. [t]here was a suicide bombing in Israel today. We’re one step closer to the great and terrible day of the Lord prophesied by Malachi! And I’m not ready yet! (sob, sob, sob sob)" And I feel like saying, "Calm down. Have some milk and cookies. Take a deep breath."
And then the other extreme is indifference. "People have been saying for 2000 years that Jesus is coming back. Bla bla bla bla bla. After all this time, I’m starting to wonder. And even if he is coming back, I seriously doubt he would come back during football season. I think I have a little time to work with here. So I’m going to go out this weekend and do whatever I feel like doing. I’m going to drink until I’m completely plastered. I’m going to party until the break of dawn. It’s my life! I’m not going to let a few ancient Bible prophecies affect the way I live MY life!"
Somewhere in between the fanaticism of the first guy [, a]nd the faithless indifference of the second guy, I think we can figure out how Jesus wants us to live in light of His return.
It is true; with some it is fear piled upon fear when the return of Jesus is brought up. It is the same when the subject of demons is discussed; some see a demon behind every bush. The other side is the complacency of unbelief, people who are looking for options out of living like Christ calls us to live - looking for the easy way, rather than taking up the cross daily.
This morning I would like to point you to the differences between the two extremes. I want you to see the difference between the ready believer and the one who is not ready. It is a picture of "traffic realities" - it is the same as jaywalking on 42nd Street in New York City; there are only two kinds of people, the quick and the dead! With the next appearance of Jesus Christ there will also be only two kinds of people, those who are ready and prepared, and those who are not ready who will be rejected.
Note the differences:
There is a Secrecy
1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
There will be a point in time, of God’s choosing, when He will determine that enough time and opportunities have been given to all mankind to respond to the Gospel and be saved. Then He will finally say to Jesus, Son, and go get your Bride! But, only the Father knows when this is going to happen. Even Jesus accepted the limitation of not knowing the exact time. He told us so:
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36
This past week Ben Thompson went home to be with the Lord. We can say that with some certainty because James and Brenda Emmons went to share with Mr. Thompson just a day before he was taken to the hospital for the last time. Ben was uncertain of his standing with the Lord, and needed to know. James and Brenda shared the Gospel with him and the plan of salvation, and he prayed to receive Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Friends, there is a secrecy not only about when Jesus is coming for us, but about whether we have tomorrow, or even the rest of today. He could come before I finish this sentence, or any of us could go before the next word. Ben Thompson went to be with Jesus because God gave him enough time, and he did repent of his sins and ask Christ to receive Him. That is the only way to prepare; because the end of your time to repent is shrouded in secrecy…you don’t know when He’s coming, or when you’re going! In order to be prepared you must accept Jesus Christ:
12He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 John 5:12
There is Suddenness
3For 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. 1 Thessalonians 5:3
Babies arrive at their own schedule. I learned that when our firstborn (Jennifer) came. Elizabeth had gone into labor and I drove us to the hospital. Dr. Matheson met us and sent my "great with child" bride to some other room. (Dads were not allowed in the delivery room back then). The doctor then told me "…go home and get some rest. This is Elizabeth’s first delivery, and it’s going to be an "all-nighter"; there’s no reason to hang around, come back in the morning." I followed the doc’s instructions; bad mistake. I no sooner got into bed than the phone rang. "Hi, Dad…congratulations, you got a baby girl."
Believe it or not, the same thing happened with our second child, Jason. A dozen false labors convinced Dr. Matheson to induce Elizabeth. He did, and told me it had never been less than 10 hours until delivery under these conditions…go home and get some rest. Thirty seconds in bed was all I had before the phone rang; "Hi, Dad!" It came as no surprise when Elizabeth started labor with Carrie 7 years later that Elizabeth had me in leg irons and handcuffs, chained to her side when they rolled her into delivery! It took three tries, but I finally was ready. It won’t be so in the rapture. When He comes it will be sudden - no warning. No one will get a second chance.
Remember that Ameritrade commercial, where the guy is on the couch and his wife leaves and tells him the only thing he has to do that day is open up the account, and he starts watching football and falls asleep on the couch, then he hears his wife pull up, then runs to the computer and gets the account open. When the wife makes it to the door, she asks, "Did you get it done." "Yeah." That may work to open up an Ameritrade account, but it won’t work with the Lord. We need to be ready to go now, because it will happen in a blink, in the twinkling of an eye.
Secrecy, Suddenly, and:
There is a Separation
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Children of light, children of darkness, what is Paul talking about? Well, there are only two types of people…
" those who are ready
" those who are not.
At the coming of Jesus there will be a separation of those who are prepared and those who have rejected preparation.
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33
The lost are the goats, people who were unprepared; those who never prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The sheep are the prepared ones, having humbled themselves before God, repenting of their sin, and asking for Christ to save. The separation is obvious - the saved spend eternity in heaven in perfect fellowship with God; the lost take there place with the chief rejecter of God, Satan. There they spend eternity in suffering the lake of fire, a place prepared for those who choose the life away from God.
It is common in the school system these days to pass everyone, no matter how much they have learned, or not learned. There is no such thing as pass/fail any more. That leaves children with the idea that there is no such thing as failing, only learning at my own pace and somehow it’s all going to be alright. Friends, that may work with the local school board, but that’s playing with fire when it comes to your soul. The conclusion is clear - prepare now…you are not guaranteed a "then".
Now, that is what the text says about the coming of Jesus - secret, sudden, and causing a definite separation. The question becomes, what shall we do as believers, sheep waiting for the Shepherd to return? Paul has some definite suggestions, five, to be exact. Notice how sheep live, as opposed to goats…
I. Sober
6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8a
Now, this isn’t a temperance point; the word "sober" refers to the seriousness with which we take our relationship to Christ. Some people, even leaders in the church tend to separate their "church life" from their business or personal lives. Friends, there is no such thing. Christians are compared to those who live in the daylight. That means all the time. Living "sober" means we are always seeking to bring honor to our Lord.
Thanksgiving is this week…or, is it all year long? To be found faithful at this point of sobriety is to be found living as a thankful Christian, telling the world that Jesus died for you, and is alive again; and because He is, you will be! Sober, and…
II. Faith-filled
…putting on the breastplate of faith 1 Thessalonians 5:8b
Living in faith is a matter of growing in your relationship to Christ. Do you have a time every day when you get apart from the crush of urgency and the tyranny of your schedule to delve into God’s Word? The Word tells us (Rom 10:17) that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." The breastplate is that piece of armor which protected the heart of a warrior. Your faith guards your heart, the center of operations in your relationship to Jesus. Be ye faith-filled!
45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Matthew 24:45
21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21
Sober, Faith-filled, and…
III. Loving
…and love; 1 Thessalonians 5:8c
Loving is not connected to our feelings (although truly loving will produce in you feelings of joy and peace). Love, in the sense the Bible uses it here is a matter of actions that are centered in doing the best for another person. That is the kind of love Jesus had for us when He chose to go to the cross for us.
Paul is telling us that sheep love - they look to the welfare of others, starting at the household of faith and extending that love to all men. It means we must be the most involved citizens of the world, making a difference like salt makes a difference on the meat, or light makes on a dark night. We should be different.
Sober, Faith-filled, Loving, and…
IV. Saved
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 1 Thessalonians 5:8d-10
Don’t forge that this passage is connected to Paul’s teaching on the rapture. There are Christian people today who believe the church is going through the Great Tribulation. I am not one of those people. God has not appointed, or predestined that as His child I am supposed to receive the wrath of God. Salvation is from wrath! Like the hymn-writer penned it:
Be of sin the double cure,
save from wrath, and make me pure.
Sober, Faith-filled, Loving, Saved, and…
V. Caring
11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
The Greek word we have as "comfort" can appropriately be translated "strengthen". The Holy Spirit is our Comforter; He strengthens us with gifts and boldness to labor for Christ’s Kingdom. This is the picture of the church edifying, building-up each other for the purpose of developing a strong army to serve the king.
The church best edifies or teaches by doing. Most of Christianity is "On the Job Training". The older or more mature are to lead the young in Christ. That means there must be some parenting going on. Now, there are lots of ways that can be done, and I don’t intend to list them all here. But let’s look at the principle involved.
The principle is illustrated by a cartoon I once saw, where two big guys were moving a big piano. They were on the stairs with the massive instrument and both were struggling with major "huffing and puffing". The one guy says, "Let’s take a break. We been moving this thing up the stairs for two hours and haven’t budged an inch." The other guy blurts-out, "UP the stairs?"
If we struggle against each other, preferring our own way, our own style, our own agenda, we are no better than the world. We may be the church, but we aren’t living like the church. Building one another up often means we put aside what we want and do what will benefit the Kingdom of Christ. It is not necessary for me to elaborate on this; in fact it isn’t even possible for me to elaborate on it, because I am not equipped to look inside anyone’s heart and judge their motives. But each of us is equipped to look within. My job today is to ask you to take that look.
" Are you being sober-minded? Are you serious about serving, are you committed?
" Are you faith-filled? Are you putting in time growing in relationship to Christ?
" Do you love? Are you really attempting to do what is best for the other sheep?
" Have you been saved? Can you give testimony of Christ-in you, your hope?
" Do you care? Do you care enough to live your life in the body of Christ in such a way as to be a blessing to Christ and His church if you never….EVER got your way again?
These are the ways Paul told the church in Thessalonica they could be found faithful and thankful. He wanted the church at Thomasville to know it too.
