First Thessalonians 5:4-7 The Day of The Lord Part 2
1 Thessalonians 5:4-7 · Roy Smith · Jun 6, 2021
Thessalonians, No. 19
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926192353696

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Today we're going into lesson number 19 in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Part 2 of the Day of the Lord is the title. And just as a small review, there are two parts in the notes that Chester McCauley has created for us. The first part is chapters 1 through 3, how the Thessalonians received the Word of God. And the second part, chapter 4 and 5, is how to live the Word of God. Very personal letters. The previous context to today's lesson, I'm going to read these verses starting at chapter 4, verse 13.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. That rest, of course, refers to the opposite of brethren. Brethren being members of God's family, and the rest being those who are not. We're gonna see that word used again in the verses that we examine a little later. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that's assumed to be true because we're brethren, right? We're in his family.

Even so, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. What a precious truth. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those that have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout. There's three things here. There's a shout with the voice of the archangel. That's the second thing. And with the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we always be with the Lord. I think of all the texts that we've been covering in these epistles, isn't that the most personally striking to our hearts? Intimate, isn't it? Therefore comfort one another with these words. I hear her coughing. Now, as to the times and the epochs or the seasons, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just as a thief in the night. While they are saying peace and safety, then destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. Remember we covered these three verses last week. Now let's take a look at the text for today and some following verses. So chapter 5 verse 4 and onward. You brethren are not in darkness that that day would overtake you like a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of day.

I can't tell you how much time it has taken this past week in reviewing those words, how intimate that is. That's a family relationship, isn't it? Sonship. It's not just sonship, but there's a dynamic involved in our sonship. Not just a relationship, but a dynamic.

There are things going on. There are things going on, and they're going on in an environment, both of which are the activity of God. We are not, and I want you to notice we. It's shifted. We are not of night nor of darkness, so then let us not sleep as others do. Oh, there's that others again. Let us be alert and be sober. For those who sleep, do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. And now I've added some verses beyond today's lesson, just for clarity of context. Since we are of the day, let us be sober.

Having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, The hope of salvation. I sort of wish I had this verse to teach along with today's lesson. But I want you to notice something. Faith and love. There are two commands that Jesus gave us. And next week's teacher will go into this. One of which was, believe on him whom he has sent. He said that both in the Gospel of John and in the first epistle of John. And the second command, like it, is repeated in both places.

And that is this, love one another, not as you love yourselves. Christ changed it. He said, love one another as I have loved you. Again, that's very intimate, isn't it? And notice the context of it. And a helmet protecting the head. The confidence of salvation. What a context this is. For God has not destined us for wrath. Second time he's mentioned that. He mentioned it back in the first chapter as well.

But for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, I like that word awake, and I like that word asleep, in both cases, we're alive. Notice that? I mean, you know, the answer is that, that's what you like to hear the answers of questions about. Well, we'll all want to be brother who died, what he'd be looking at, he says, we are asleep or we're awake. That's pretty cool.

Roger just added that whether we're asleep or awake, we will live, we'll be alive together with him. I've underlined with in these verses because that's the preposition the Holy Spirit chose to use. He doesn't say in these texts for you that he's coming back. He says he's coming back to take us to be with him. And I'm just mentioning that as a point of observation.

Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another just as you also are doing. Now, as if he didn't have enough to say, he ends it with, may the God of peace himself, personally being involved, sanctify or set you apart entirely There's a lot in that, isn't there? And may your spirit and soul and body, three parts?

Hmm, interesting. Interesting to have that taught to us when we get to it. Yeah, yeah. Be preserved. Oh, I like that word. Be preserved, complete. I like that word too. We've got a lot to look forward to. without blame. Oh, I like that one also. Yes, every word at the coming. He's coming. Notice that of our Lord Jesus Christ and faithful is he who calls you and he also We'll bring it to pass. Is there anything that's unequivocal about that? Is there a maybe there anywhere?

I'm sorry, folks, but I'm reading this and I'm getting overwhelmed, but you, brethren, are not in darkness. That's where our text today takes off, that the day would overtake you like a thief. So he's giving you a little bit of a contrast here. He's saying that you're not like the ones who would be surprised, okay? You're different. And why is that true is the question that we would look to answer. You but brothers. I am so amazed that Paul uses over and over and over again the word brothers.

I think that that's omitted in our observations sometimes. I went through and marked it in my Bible. I came up with 14 times he uses it here in 1 Thessalonians alone. I hope my count's right because I don't know. I go over these things and sometimes I wonder if I'm being accurate. So, forgive me if I've got it maybe not quite high enough. I think there might be some more references. But one of the things I want you to notice is that he addresses in a personal, family way the Thessalonians. He includes himself. And then it goes on.

It says, not you are being in darkness. That the day, and we're referring to the day of the Lord here, you, like a thief, will be caught or should be caught. My literal rendering is, but you brothers are not in darkness that the day like a thief should overpower you or catch you unawares. You won't be surprised by the day of the Lord.

How come? Good question to ask, isn't it? For you are all sons of light. Here's the reason. and sons of day. We're not, notice he shifts from you to we, including himself. We are not of night nor of darkness. And he doesn't say some of you, he says all. Wow. Yeah. None accepted. It's one of the greatest Well, I won't go there. That's a rabbit trail that we could take. Sons of light you are. I, me, verb, status, indicative, present, active, second person, plural. You are being sons of light. And he repeats it in another form. And, or indeed, sons of day.

In both cases, we do not have the article. In both cases, we're looking at quality of relationship. Not specificity, but quality. Not we are of night, nor of darkness. Though a lot can be said about this, I'm going to say quite a bit more, so I'm going to go through with the translation at this point. Forgive me, okay? You are, you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness.

So then, Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober, and the so then is that the particle here accordingly, or as a result of this, since we're not of the night, but of the day, therefore, consequently, not we should be sleeping. Isn't that interesting? Like indeed the others. the rest, the remaining ones that are not brothers.

But we should be alert and or indeed sober, self-controlled, not under the influence of anything. And quite often we use that word sober to have to do with alcohol. But it really has to do with being self-controlled. In other words, The Holy Spirit living within us gives us clarity of thinking in our physical body. Isn't that something? Sober, big word. Accordingly, therefore, we should not be sleeping like indeed the others, but we should be alert and sober.

And now verse seven, for they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. It's a sphere of activity of ignorance that is being seen here. Those are they for sleeping. At night they are sleeping. There's a period of involvement here, not so much of day and night as it is unenlightenment or uninformed status. Indeed, Those being intoxicated, at night they are drinking.

Why is that? Why do people do this? Why are people, the others, without hope, without confidence, about God's plans and about his future, acting in a realm of ignorance, acting in a realm that says, the only escape I have, because I have no hope, is to sublimate with chemical or something else looking at myself or something else looking at Joe or Pete or Mary or whoever that we want to substitute for God himself. I'm sorry, folks, I'm chasing too many rabbits.

I got to... Yeah, for these... Sure. You want to turn your mic on now? Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I'm not hearing it, so. Oh, okay. Thank you, Bill. So, if you read in the first Gospel of John, it gets down, you know, he talks about first the Word and flesh and all of those in there. He talks about how he's the light of the world in contrast to darkness. So I was trying to explain to my sister about that.

But it's hard. It's actually hard for people that don't know the Lord to see that sharp contrast. They can't distinguish. They don't have a Holy Spirit. They can't distinguish that. So in talking with somebody, it's hard to say, well, he's trying to tell us he's the Christ came as light of the world. He's the moon in the darkness. It's hard for people who don't know the Savior to grasp what that, you know, means. Only the Holy Spirit can show them that.

You're right, Roger. I agree 100%. Okay, sorry. No, that's great. That's where we're going. You brethren are not in darkness that the day will overtake you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. This is the new American standard. Here's my literal. But you brothers are not in darkness that the day like a thief and should overpower you. You are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness.

Accordingly, therefore, we should not be sleeping like indeed the others, but we should be alert and sober. For those sleeping at night, they are sleeping. Indeed, those being intoxicated at night, they are drinking." I'm going to give you weasts and you can read that a little bit later, okay? It's really good, too.

Homework question one, do you remember this? Okay, the question was, how does God speak to us? What? Okay, question one, how does God speak to us in 1 Thessalonians about his return for or with us? I have some answers, but I want you to notice this primarily. The confident hope of our Lord and in his coming is repeated in this letter in 1.3 and 10, in 2.19, in 3.13, in 4.16 through 17, and in 5.23 through 24. That's six times. And if you count chapter five, verse eight, it's seven times the hope of salvation. So, how does God speak to us?

I don't know if we can open it up to a general discussion or not. And the reason I say that is this. I got too much material. And I'd like to go on if you will let me. But I'm interested. We've got six people in the room. I don't know how many people on the web How many people answered this question on your own? Anybody willing to raise a hand? Nobody in the room did. I'm hoping some people did this.

It's not God's will to have us hopeless about future events. You'll see that in verse 13 of chapter 4. It is God's will that we be comforted, encouraged, and built up Verse 18 of chapter 4, as well as 5.11, which we're coming to. He has made us creatures of light and day, not darkness and night. What assurance that is. Verses 4 of chapter 5.

It's God's will that we be aware and mentally alert for his coming. That's his will. He wants us to have that as a characteristic of us. He has given us the armor of faith and love with hope of salvation. He has not destined us to receive his wrath. Twice he mentions that. Verse 10 of chapter 1 and verse 9 of chapter 5. He has destined us to receive only his blessings.

And the sum of that is life with him, personal relationship forever. And that's mentioned in at least three places, 417, 510, and 23. He will make us to be without fault, it says in verse 23. He will make us to be like him, it says in verse 23. He will display us as his perfect work before God, our father, his father, our father, in verse 23 of chapter five.

And finally, his perfection or his glory is the basis for all of this happening, verse 24. He will make it happen. That's an awful lot about his return with us, isn't it? Would you say his return with us is important to God? I would say it is. Do we have his thinking?

It's a question I ask myself I don't know how many times. Things to observe in the Old and New Testaments about the day of the Lord. This was Homer question two. What are the two main things that describe this day and these five texts? Anybody do this one? Yes, that one I was looking up.

Basically each of them talk about the two different aspects of the day of the Lord. The first part being the tribulation, the the Lord, you know, the battle and the, I don't know, restoring, and then the second half, the contrast is the kingdom, basically, when everything is made right. Anybody else? Yeah, I think God's judgment in an unbelieving world, and then Santa Claus.

Okay. Those are great. Good summaries. Appreciate that. These are the summaries I gave it just to add to that. The focus is number one, primarily on the nation of Israel and the surrounding nations. And secondly, first there's wrath and then there's blessing over and over and over. Have you guys noticed that? That's quite a contrast to what we just got through reading, isn't it? Hmm. First, the wrath. Joel 2, verses 1 through 11.

I'm going to read these because it's important. Blow a trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm for my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. The day of the Lord is coming. Surely it is near. A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people.

There has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it, to the years of many generations. A fire consumes before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them. Nothing at all escapes them.

Verse 10, I've jumped to. Before them the earth quakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. Must be a lot of smoke. Notice the shift here. In verse 11, the Lord utters his voice before his army. Surely his camp is very great, for strong is The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome. Who can endure it? Two aspects. Look at the second aspect in more detail. The contrast is blessing.

In chapter three, verse 16, it begins, the Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble But the Lord is a refuge for his people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. What better refuge for his people is to be with him? I looked at that, I wondered, is the Holy Spirit thinking of the rapture there? Not really sure, okay. But isn't that interesting that there's a contrast or an explanation, one or the other here, right? Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. Who's he talking to?

Israel. Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain, Zion being Jerusalem, his seat of authority or administration. So Jerusalem will be holy and strangers will pass through it no more. That's part of his blessing. And in that day, the day of the Lord, the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will go out from the house of the Lord to water the valley of Shittim. Egypt will become a waste and Edom will become a desolate wilderness because of the violence done to the sons of Judah in whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem for all generations. I want to just say one thing in regard to that last phrase. unto all generations, implies there is an end to generations. I will avenge their blood, which I have not avenged, for the Lord dwells or is at home in Zion. Looking at this in Acts 2 verse 17 and onward, I want you to notice in the New Testament what Peter says.

Quoting Joel, he says to those listening who were accusing that the people speaking in known languages about Christ must be drunk. They couldn't understand, could they, in Israel? Not everybody could understand a whole bunch of languages being spoken at once. But the people present were from all kinds of places. They heard in their own tongue about Jesus. It was not wine that made them hear about God's son in their own languages, but it was, and these are Peter's words, what was spoken of through the prophet Joel.

Any quotes from verse 28 and onward of Joel chapter two? It will come about that this, that I will pour out my spirit on all mankind. And verse 20 goes on. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious date of the Lord shall come. Verse 21, and it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Verse 32, this Jesus God raised up again. to which we are all witnesses. So the people that he was talking to were witnesses. Interesting, as well as himself.

Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, that's the position of authority, by the way, that would be understood instantly by the listeners. And Having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, notice the intimate relationship between the Son and the Father there. The promise of the Holy Spirit. He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. This was visual, this was auditory. They could hear this message, they could see this happening.

It was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool at your feet. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, absolutely supreme, and absolutely the promised one. This Jesus, whom you crucified." Oh man, the next verse.

And when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

And you will receive this gift of the Holy Spirit for the promises to you and your children and for all who are far off. As many as the Lord our God will call unto himself. Peter, by the Holy Spirit's inspiration, is talking about us there, isn't he? We are far off from Israel.

In 2 Peter 3.8, we also have these words, but do not let, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved. Look at that, beloved again. Isn't that something? Even Peter uses it.

That with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promises. Some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not willing or not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar.

Hmm. It's not quite what Joel said, is it? There's something more in Peter's view here, isn't there? And the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Ufti. That's what Ruthie would say. Ufti. Ruthie's my daughter, by the way.

Since all these things are to be destroyed, wow, in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. Isn't that something? It's a little bit more inclusive, isn't it? All three members of the Trinity. Because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat.

But according to his promise, we are looking for new heavens and a newer in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, it wasn't just the Thessalonians that looked, was it? But the people that Peter was addressing were looking for these things, wasn't he?

He reveals that to us here. Be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless, blameless. and regard with patience of our Lord, or regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. Just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you. I stopped there because he's referring to something that had been already written and distributed to the churches that Peter is addressing. So they had these words to the Thessalonians that we're now studying. Isn't that interesting? Peter had them too. He refers to it. So what's holy conduct and godliness? Look at 1 Thessalonians 1 9 with me. You turn to God from idols to serve a living and true God.

Oh, I'm not going to have time. I'm going to go a little faster. I'm sorry, folks. I want to cover this for the last slide. Yeah, you turn to God. Look at the Thessalonians. What did they do? You turn to God from idols. I'm interested because most people nowadays talk about how bad an idol is and how unworthy it is. What did these people do? No, they turned to God. from idols. It was God first. And the idols went into a secondary consideration, or tertiary or whatever. Okay. And to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, that is Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.

They turn to God to serve the living and true God. It reveals a change of thinking about God being alive, not like an idol. What a contrast, right? And the only reality that really exists, God himself. This eager expectation of God's son from heaven reveals the treasure of these believers. What did they value? They were focused on God's son. They were looking for him to come.

They come back here to rescue from the coming wrath. The rescue from the coming wrath, I don't think was so much in their minds as it was, we're going to see him. We're going to be like in contrast to the persecution we're getting from our countrymen and from the estrangement that we're getting even from the nation of Israel people, the people who ought to be loving him. They had to take Paul, didn't they, and take him over to Berea and accompany him all the way down to Corinth because of that persecution that they were experiencing. Are there strong people like that in Holly Hills Bible Church? Should we have persecution that would protect and enable others to continue on teaching? This is after how many weeks? Three to four, maybe six, seven, eight weeks, not long. What a work of God in their hearts. This is church age truth, by the way, that he's coming to rescue us.

Look at chapter 2, verse 19, for who is our hope or joy or crown of exaltation? This is Paul telling them this. Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? You are our glory and joy. Paul shared these two godly perspectives, didn't he? This is reality. This is God's perspective.

God eagerly is expecting the joy of being united forever with us who have believed in him. Paul was not left out of that picture. God made him eager for it too, didn't he? And God wants to give rewards to those who let him use their bodies to call out a people to share eternity with him. I know that's a little complicated, but think of it this way. What is God's purpose in all of this?

Well, I think number one is he loves us so much, he wants us to know what that kind of love is toward each other and toward him, as well as the world that does not know him. So much so that we would give our lives like he did, if just one person. would believe on the Lord. The depth of his love is to me just beyond words.

1 Thessalonians 3 2 chapter 3. May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people just as we also do for you so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. That's his purpose. That's it in a nutshell. There are two things here. First, we let God give his love as only He can both to us and as His own and even to all peoples.

And second, we let God form His unique holiness in us as He literally reveals His essence both to us and through us. We become His image, you heard. In chapter four, verse four through seven, our verses today, you brethren are not in darkness that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. Much can be learned from sons of light and sons of day, but here are three things that stand out. One, we are God's new and kind lights living in and revealing reality.

You say, where in the world did I get that? I'll show you in a minute, okay? Two, we are equipped to understand and not be surprised by His plans for His day. How do we get that? The Word. If we didn't have the Word, we wouldn't know. Bible teachers teaching the Word, right? And we should be looking and thinking factually about his plans for his day.

Those are three things, I think, that reveal this to us. What is holy conduct and godliness? In 1 John 3, beginning at verse one, see how great a love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God, and such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us because it didn't know Him. Beloved, precious words, now we are children of God. It has not appeared as yet what we will be, But we know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is.

Everyone who has this hope fixed on him, notice, is that not what the Thessalonians were doing? Fixed in their hope on Jesus Christ. Purifies himself. and I've given you a literal rendering of that last phrase, is purifying himself even as he, being our savior, is pure. Interesting.

We will see him and be like him, there's a great promise to us and it's also reflected in the words of our savior when he said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. as in Luke 12, 34, as his children, his love is sanctifying or setting us apart, making his values ours as well.

One, he will cause us to dislike and remove from us all that is not liked by him. He will cause us to enjoy and hold on to all that is liked by him. He will reveal through us his essence, pure love, focused on his values alone. He will give us rewards for the work that he does to and through us.

He does the work, we get the reward. Isn't that something? Well, I see the time, but let me finish this a little bit. He will show us as his finished perfected wife to his and our heavenly father. He will share with us a meal or wedding celebration. What in the world are we going to eat? Well, I believe that we'll eat what he likes to eat, whatever it is. We will share.

He will share with us the joy that he has to take us united together to be with him forever. He will share with us the management of his earthly kingdom, his priests and kings. He will share with us the joy of a thousand generations in his new heavens and earth. Do you know that when he gave the law, he said, I am the God of generations. And he used the term an unlimited number of generations. Interesting. He will share with us the joy of turning over this new heaven and earth to God.

Oh boy, I'll tell ya, there's an awful lot there, isn't there? But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. My favorite verse. Can you see this? It's God the Father has made his Son everything of value. to us. We are God's children. He loves us so much that he wants us to be with him and enjoy loving with his love. John 1 16 in his fullness we have all received in grace from grace for the law was given through Moses but grace and truth and that word truth there is reality were realized through Jesus Christ. We're the sons of light, sons of day, and it's our privilege by God's grace now and forever to be in sync with the qualities of the light and day family to which we belong.

I said it a little differently there, haven't I? Why? Because in meditating on these things, there is an intimacy of relationship that you and I have together in God's family. that's really real. Heavenly Father, our time is gone, and I don't know if we've messed up on some things, but if there are, we specifically ask you to clarify that. But also, keep us focused, Heavenly Father, that you're coming back, and that you're personally gonna take us to be with you in an intimate fellowship that will last forever. What a blessing, and we thank you for it, in Christ's name, amen.