Audio Access Available Above
“Informed About The Last Times” • 12.28.14
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- In chapter 4, Paul explained that the Thessalonians exemplified
people who had embraced the Christian's call. They were to be intent upon
holiness, shunning sexual immorality.
- They were increasing in brotherly love,
seeking to excel in an area that they had already been practicing. Finally,
they were to be informed about the last things.
- That ended the chapter, but really began a
new section of teaching. What does being informed about the last days entail?
First, we need first to recognize the defininiton. Christ is coming!
- That "coming" referred to in I
Thessalonians 4:15 is not a singular event, but a series of events culminating
in His physical bodily return to the earth, as predicted in Zechariah 14:4.
** In the sermon, I mentioned that it's 14:14 . . . It's 14:4 . . . Sorry . . . **
- The event which initiates this coming of
Christ is the rapture of the church which is the declaration from heaven
that the coming has begun! Take a look at chapter I Thessalonians 4:16.
• I Thessalonians 4:16-18 : "For the Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet
of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with
these words." : Paul
makes this declaration about the Rapture confidently, without an air of
hesitancy.
- He speaks in a matter of fact tonality, which
belies a confidence that can only come from the knowledge of Christ's
resurrection! Jesus will descend and His people will respond!
- Those Christians who have died will take part
in this event, as will the believers who are alive and remain, Paul believing
himself to be in that number.
- At this moment in time, which we are eagerly
looking forward to, Jesus Christ will remove His church, His bride, suddenly to
meet Him in the air. From then on, wherever He is, we are with Him!
- This opens our eyes to the definition
and the declaration. Now, note the discernment.
Intro.
• I
Thessalonians 5:1-3 : "But concerning the times and the
seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and
safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a
pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." : Paul refers to
times and seasons which relate to the beginning of the end, the
"when" of eschatology.
- In both cases, either for times or seasons,
there is a need for observation and recognition. Both refer to something that
occurs but without definitive advance notice. It's not just "Fall!"
- God will never reveal a certain date or time.
He wants us to live in expectancy like it could be today and certainly, there
is nothing that needs to occur prophetically before the rapture.
- The Thessalonians knew this perfectly,
completely that the day of the Lord would require our diligent discernment, as
one observes the time and season that they are in.
- They also knew that when it did come, it
would come unexpectedly, the way a thief would enter a home in the middle of
the night.
- Incidently, this further distinguishes the
rapture from the second coming.
- The physical second appearance of Christ on
Earth will be the most anticipated day in history for the believers who live
through the Tribulation! Every eye will see Him! (Matthew 24:30)
- But the rapture is related to an unexpected
thief! Nobody expects a thief to come and thieves tend not to announce their
coming!
- The day of the Lord will begin in just such a
way. What is the day of the Lord?
- The day of the Lord is not a literal day, but
an expression synonymous with the season of judgment that is coming upon sinful
man.
- When Paul employs this phrase, an informed
listener recalls to mind several Old Testament passages, which speak of a yet
future judgment from God upon the inhabitants of the Earth.
- A cursory glance at several of these passages
provides us with details that should encourage us as Christians, but disturb
those who are enemies of the Lord.
- Isaiah 2:12 tells us that the Day of
the Lord will be a comprehensive victory over every enemy. Isaiah 13:6
speaks of a day of utter ruin and verse 9 reveals God's anger and wrath.
- Jeremiah 46:10 and Ezekiel 13:5
read like a battle cry of God, where His sword will be covered in the blood of
His enemies and His people will stand on the wall ready to fight!
- Ezekiel 30:3 says that it will be a
time of clouds, signaling a coming storm and Amos 5:18 and 20
agree, remarking that the Day of the Lord will be a time of utter darkness for
the nations.
- There are many other verses, but I believe
you get the picture. A time is coming when Christ will come again to establish
His rightful place, as the King of the Earth in the line of David.
- He came quietly 2,000 years ago in the form
of a helpless infant and proclaimed peace when He entered into Jerusalem 33
years later. One week later, they crucified Him, the Lamb of God.
- At His next coming, He will come for those
who have peace with Him and will roar as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, to
settle accounts with those who refuse His rule.
- Today belongs to his enemies to a certain
extent. The world is allowed to blaspheme the name of Christ. They are allowed
to take advantage of God's people, who suffer at their hands.
- At the same time, God's allowing them to have
their day is also a signal to His desire to settle out of court with them!
Today, this season of time, is a day of rescue, of salvation!
- But there is a day of reckoning coming and
that is the Day of the Lord! There will come a time when God's loving patience
must give way to His perfect justice!
- When His judgment has been fully vetted, the
other part of the day of the Lord will be the vindication of His people, who
will rule and reign alongside of Him.
• Joel 3:16, 20, 21 : "The
Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from
Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord
will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. .
. 20 But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to
generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not
acquitted; For the Lord dwells in Zion." : The promise of the day of the Lord is
revenge and retribution upon the enemies of God, but is simultaneously a
promise of restoration and renewal for God's people! So beautiful!
- It's coming friends. Some day, we will live
on a restored planet where righteousness will reign perfectly because Jesus
will reign presently! The Thessalonians lived with this anticipation.
- They knew very well that this was coming, but
they also knew that it was coming at a time when it was least expected, during
a time of peace and safety!
- At some point in the future, one will sound
the bell that all live in harmony and the threat of conflict will have passed,
likely due to the emergence of a global leader, the Antichrist.
- We'll address that in the next book, but
there is one problem with the peace that the world will be led into: It is not
peace with God!
- The world will eventually learn to live in a
period of false peace, because they will have united their hearts in rejection
of the God who created them!
- They will applaud the unity of mankind and
the charity of all who have funnelled themselves into the cause of ridding the
planet of social ills.
- Like the people of Genesis 11, they
will raise the flag of humanity high, in the hopes of finally ridding
themselves of the need for God. They will think that they have shut God out!
- Like the people of Babel, that's when God's
hand will come upon them unexpectedly and bring them to ruin! Paul likens this
to the moments that come upon a woman about to give birth.
- One minute she is working in her home and the
next, a baby begins to make it's demands to get out known! She won't birth for
a while, but the pain comes on that suddenly!
- For the unbelieving world, there will be no
escape, literally, nowhere to flee from the day of the Lord! They will be
trapped and forced to face the wrath of the Lord!
- There is not a socio-economic divide. The
rich and wealthy, the poor and needy, the sick and healthy must all face the
wrath of God, equally on the basis of their response to His Christ!
- The church must always discern these things,
recognizing events and putting them in the proper perspective, knowing that a
time and season is upon us.
- We've seen the definition, the declaration,
the discernment. Notice, next the distinction.
• I Thessalonians 5:4-8 : "But you, brethren, are not in
darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons
of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as
others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at
night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be
sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope
of salvation." : "When
THEY say peace and safety." "Destruction comes upon them."
"They will not escape!"
- But you brethren! There is a difference that
God makes between the world which is awaiting judgment and the believers who
have escaped it in Christ!
- God has always acted this way toward His
people. He waited for all of Noah's kin to enter the ark before bringing the flood
upon the earth. (Genesis 7:13-16).
- Before fire and brimstone rained down upon
Sodom, Abraham negotiated the escape of his nephew Lot. The angels confessed
that they could do nothing until he left. (Genesis 19:21)
- When God brought the fourth plague came upon
Egypt, the biting flies, God said, "I will make a difference between my
people and your people." (Exodus 8:23)
- Finally, when the Angel of the Lord came over
the land of Egypt, the Lord made a distinction between those who had the blood
of the Lamb on their doors and those who did not! (Exodus 12:23)
- God will not judge the righteous with the
wicked because we've already been judged! Christ has taken our punishment! But
that is not the case for the unbelieving world.
- The world is in darkness in it's activity and
in darkness about it's fate. It cannot see what is well clearly illumined in
scripture because the world refuses God's Spirit, who brings that illumination!
- For those in Christ, the Day that is rapidly
approaching, will be anticipated. The Day is anthropomorphised as one in
relentless pursuit of another. This Day won't catch you by surprise!
- You are children of light and the day! God
has lit up your souls, enlightened your eyes, shed light upon your paths! You
are different than the ones who live in darkness!
- They will find themselves caught when the Day
of the Lord comes. For many, they will not know what hit them. On the other
hand, when the Rapture happens, many will come to Christ!
- Those who lose Christian friends and family,
the light will be immediately turned on!
- These will be known as "Tribulation
Saints," men and women who give their lives to and ultimately, for Christ
during the time of God's wrath.
- This is what the Prophet Joel refers to in Joel
3:14. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the
day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."
- So, on that account, for that reason that we
are distinct in Christ, let us not be found sleeping!
- Paul is not referring here to the believer's
death as he had earlier in the text, but makes use of the metaphor to relay an
attitude of laxity.
- The warning had to be there because there
were others that were sleeping! They weren't found on the wall watching!
- It's hard to believe, but there are
Christians who act indifferent about the coming of the Lord!
- In this day and age, such an attitude is
linked to those who overemphasize dates and times.
- It's easy to become jaded and cynical. But
let us follow God's word: Watch and be sober! Literally, we are to be watching
now and be in a state of sobriety now!
-
"Watch" means to give strict attention to something. Listen to
how Blue Letter Bible describes this word:
˚ "To take
heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly
overtake one." BLB
- How would you watch on the wall of a city
under impending invasion? How would take that responsibility? You would not
fall asleep on that watch! You'd fix your eyes and keep your attention!
- He adds that we are to be men and women who
are sober. Watching may produce some emotions and for those in a tense
situation, there might be a tendency toward anxiety.
- Sober refers to a calm calculated demeanor
which is careful but not overtaken in emotion!
- Listen to the NLT's rendering of this verse:
"So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be
clearheaded."
- The character of those who are not taken by
the Day of the Lord are those who are alert and clearheaded. Responsibile.
Their behavior is different as well.
- Those who are asleep, not watching, lax in
their attitude toward the Lord's coming, are those who are busying themselves
in night appropriate activities.
- Being asleep refers to the lack of concern, a
passive indifference. Being drunk represents the other end of the spectrum.
- Some can hardly bring themselves to care.
Nothing rouses them. Nothing causes their concern and they are sinfully
unwilling to keep their watch.
- The other side presumes that they have the
time to act in a wanton way, living carelessly!
- They continue to engage themselves in
behaviors that would look like anyone who loves the darkness! We're not to be
that way!
- We are called to be sober, focused, clear
headed about what is important in this life! That will show in the way we
dress!
- Paul tells them to go around as if we are in
a perpetual day. Be prepared as a soldier would, walking around in battle
array! Put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope!
- The breastplate was the attachment which
covered the vital organs of the soldier. It was metal, covered with a wet
leather, which would extinguish flaming arrows.
- Faith in and love for the Lord serves to
protect our most vital spiritual organs. Our heart is primary in consideration.
What covers our head?
- The helmet of the expectation of salvation!
Our mind is covered when we know the truth of God's Word and we trust that what
He said will be done!
- Notice the triad: The believer is to be
dressed in such a way that he or she is clothed in faith, hope and love!
• I Thessalonians 5:9,10 : "For God did not appoint us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who
died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." : Understand that there is a reason for
our behavior to be consistent. We live in a state of readiness because God has
not appointed us to wrath!
- "Wrath" speaks directly
of God's hot displeasure against those who refuse to bow their knee to Him! God
has not made an appointment for His people to endure any part of His coming
wrath!
- God's wrath was poured out upon
Christ and those who believe upon Christ have had their wrath sentence
propitiated or satisfied. That isn't the case for the blaspheming, unbelieving
world!
- Why would God add further wrath
against His own people whose wrath has been absorbed in Jesus? Was Jesus
mistaken when He cried out from the cross that redemption was finished!?
- A few years back, we had a brother
arguing consistently that the church needed to be "purified through
suffering and persecution."
- We agree that suffering and
persecution are required subjects in this time and they do cause us to cry out
to the Lord.
- But what is coming upon the earth
will be a measured, appropriate, justified outpouring of God's unrelenting, all
encompassing wrath! That is not for the believer!
- We can be encouraged that the
rapture is a part of God's consistent treatment of His people.
- Jesus absorbed God's wrath
against us so that we can obtain salvation or rescue! That is true for those
who have died and those who are alive when He comes!
- When it comes to being informed
on the end times, we've noted the definition of Christ's coming. It's a
series of events beginning with the rapture and culminating in Christ's
physical return.
- We've understood the declaration
of the Church's rapture. We will be suddenly caught up into the air to be with
Jesus for time and eternity!
- We've seen the necessity for the discernment
of the times and seasons, knowing that something imminent approaches which will
take the unbelieving world by surprise.
- We've covered the distinction
of the Church, in that we will not be caught by surprise and we will not be
appointed to wrath.
- We come now to the directive
for the church, found here in verse 11.
• I Thessalonians 5:11 : "Therefore
comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." : Paul commands us to be superior to
other believers. No. He calls us to freak out at every piece of Israeli news?
No. He does call us to comfort and edify each other!
- Could you comfort anyone who
believed that they were going to face the Great Tribulation?
- "Hey Pal, I know your life
is hard, but be encouraged: It's going to be phenomenally worse when Jesus
comes back! Want some coffee!?" That would be insane!
- Because Jesus is coming
imminently. Because a rapture will take place suddenly. Because we can discern
the times biblically. Because we are treated differently, we can live
positively!
- Be encouraged. You are suffering
and you are in difficulty, but Jesus Christ is going to take us to be together
with Him! Someday, your worst day will be forgotten, a wisp of memory lost in time!
- This is the second time Paul has
called upon them to do this. He said this in 4:18. The rapture of the
church is an encouragement to the body of Christ!
- He adds here that we are edify
one another. The word refers to building something, either in a foundational
way or in an additional way.
- We will build each other up by
the used of this doctrine! At the same time, we will make corrections or add to
one another when we employ this doctrine.
- Because it is imminent, how
should we live today? What should be our focus and what should be avoided?
- This was what the Thessalonians were
already doing. It's what we must be committed to as well.
Conclusion
Let's pray!