Be ready for Jesus' return!

The Day of the Lord 5 1 Now concerning w the times and the seasons, brothers, 1 x you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that y the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then z sudden destruction will come upon them a as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you b are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all c children 1 of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then d let us not sleep, as others do, but let us e keep awake and f be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, g are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, h having put on the breastplate of i faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for j wrath, but k to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 l who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

na28

5 1 Περὶ δὲ τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν, ἀδελφοί, οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε ὑμῖν γράφεσθαι, 2 αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκριβῶς οἴδατε ὅτι ἡμέρα κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ οὕτως ἔρχεται. 3 ὅταν λέγωσιν• εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν. 4 ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σκότει, ἵνα ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμᾶς ὡς κλέπτης καταλάβῃ• 5 πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς υἱοὶ φωτός ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ἡμέρας. Οὐκ ἐσμὲν νυκτὸς οὐδὲ σκότους• 6 ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν. 7 Οἱ γὰρ καθεύδοντες νυκτὸς καθεύδουσιν καὶ οἱ μεθυσκόμενοι νυκτὸς μεθύουσιν• 8 ἡμεῖς δὲ ἡμέρας ὄντες νήφωμεν ἐνδυσάμενοι θώρακα πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης καὶ περικεφαλαίαν ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας• 9 ὅτι οὐκ ἔθετο ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς εἰς ὀργὴν ἀλλʼ εἰς περιποίησιν σωτηρίας διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 10 τοῦ ἀποθανόντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα εἴτε γρηγορῶμεν εἴτε καθεύδωμεν ἅμα σὺν αὐτῷ ζήσωμεν. 11 Διὸ παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους καὶ οἰκοδομεῖτε εἷς τὸν ἕνα, καθὼς καὶ ποιεῖτε.

lookup

Sermon notes

Be ready for Jesus' return! Introduction Two subsections here, both ending with a statement about what's real: 'for you are children of light' (v5) and 'for God has destined us...to obtain salvation' (v10). Indicatives and imperatives. Why I keep hammering this distinction/relationship! Again, the purpose is encouragement (v11) 1. Jesus' return will be a surprise to unbelievers, but not to his faithful people (5.1-5) v1 times and seasons v2 what is the 'day of the Lord'? OT backdrop v2 thief in the night, cf Matthew 24.36-43 v3 'all of a sudden'; cf Luke 17.20-37 v4-5 but not a surprise to the children of the light. And that is what 'you all' are. Application You cannot crack God's timetable - so many have tried and failed spectacularly. But we can live expectantly. What his 'imminent' return means. 2. Live as children of the light, since that is what God has made us in Jesus (5.6-11) v6 keep awake and be sober [vigilance vs paranoia] v7-8 we belong to the day, not the night v8 spiritual armour - cf Isaiah 59 v9-10 this is what we already are, through God's election and Jesus' redemption Application Indicatives and imperatives. Get the indicative here [we are children of the light through God's salvation], and the imperative [live as watchful children of the light] follows. Living a life of faith, hope and love. Glory of God: He does indeed have a day of the Lord, when he will give justice to his enemies and deliverance to his people. FCF: Sleepiness; not being watchful. Either through obsession with times and seasons, and therefore not living faithfully. Or through compromise with the world's temptations. Not being ready, alert, vigilant. Person of Jesus. He is the dread warrior who put on breastplate and helmet of hope, faith, love. He is the true son of light and of day. Work of Jesus. He has endured the day of the Lord; he suffered the punishment for God's enemies, and achieved the deliverance for his people. But the dread warrior was put to death, and became subject to darkness and night of death. So that what was due to us might be satisfied and put away. Raised a son of the day, of the light. Union with Jesus. I share in this same life, as a son of the day, a son of the light. I put on the armour which is already mine in Jesus. Don't worry about how long or hard the journey may be, focus on good form right now and the miles will take care of themselves. Wrap-up Will we be found to be loyal servants at his return? The purpose is encouragement (v11)

notes

Comments

About Biblearc · Online courses · Report abuse

Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.

Biblearc app Path Courses Courses Learning Resources Login / Free Account Subscription
Glories Authors Groups Donate Gift certificates Ownership, thanks, copyrights and terms