1 Thess. 5:1-11 Belonging to the Day

Introduction: Good morning, we’ll be back in 1 Peter next week

Today we’ll be in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 1

Context: 3 Sundays of training….then gone.

In this Letter, Paul continues to press home to the Thessalonians what living as a Believer looks like. What the life of the Christian community looks like. A community gathered around a Great salvation is necessarily a changed people. And Paul sees that change and he is exhorting for it to continue and abound: He says things like, “Let there be brotherly love among you”, “work diligently and faithfully so that you might be generous”, and in our previous passage and today's passage Paul reassures us that: for those who die before Christ’s return, there is a firm hope that All of us whether dead or alive at Jesus’ second coming will be fully with the Lord. We do not need to fear His Coming. We do not need to fear Judgement if we are in Christ Jesus. And once we do not fear judgment in Christ – then you are free indeed in this life and the next.

Paul is arguing in today’s passage that there is a difference between the Light and sobriety of Christian hope and the darkness and drunken stupor brought about by sin.

READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 Whilepeople are saying, “There is peace and security, ”then sudden destruction will come upon them as laborpains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, forthat day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of thenight or of the darkness.

6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleepat night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober,having [already] put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For Godhas not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us sothat whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another andbuild one another up, just as you are doing.

Brothers and Sisters Paul has Three Reminders for the Thessalonians and for Us this Evening:

Reminder #1: The Believer’s Awareness vv. 1-5

Reminder #2 The Believer’s Assurance vv. 6 – 9a

Reminder #3 The Believer’s Salvation vv. 9b-11

Reminder Number 1: The Believer is fully Aware because he walks in the Light. The believer is fully aware because she walks in the Light.

Paul contrast this with the Uncertainty of Darkness: Unbelievers Speculate about or deny the seriousness of “the Day of the Lord” because they are in darkness and indeed cannot escape judgment. Believers watch faithfully with a posture of expectancy and need not fear judgment.

A) First be fully aware that in v. 1-5 Paul teaches us that it is unprofitable to speculate about times and seasons.

a. Why? Because the timing of Jesus’ return is Unknown. Instead of speculation about the end times we take a posture of preparedness living daily as a member of his Kingdom, ready for him to return as judge on that last day or for us to join him in heaven if we pass away.

Look again in your bible verses one 1-5 and you’ll see 3 images that all speak to this.

B) Paul says they already know the meaning of these three images

a. He says, Some sit in darkness saying saying “peace” “security” when sudden destruction is the reality!

b. These people get the time wrong by outright denying that the Day of The Lord is coming in Judgment.

c. Next Image the thief: The thief, sneaks in and robs at night while people sleep. Thieves do not publish hit list calendars ahead of time like a trash pickup date.

i. Our Lord Jesus, Paul, and the Apostle Peter all use this image.

ii. The Apostle Peter says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar…and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

d. Next image: labor pains, Labor Pains indicate It is Sudden and Inevitable

1. There will be no 2 minute warning at the return of the Lord

2. It is like the flu shot where you look away you know its coming but the nurse does not say when.

3. It is like the pop-quiz, the tax audit, It is a surprise of when but not that it will come.

4. And the s