1 Thessalonians Ch5v1-11 - Being Ready For Jesus' Return

So it's page 1188 in the Red Church Bibles, and we're reading from chapter 5, verses 1-11.

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

While people are saying peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

You are all children of the light, and children of the day.

We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He died for us, so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just in fact as you are doing.

Jesus will return.

Jesus will return.

The death-defeating king of the universe has told us that he himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God.

And he will judge the deeds of every man and woman that ever lived.

God's just wrath will be poured out on all evil and sin.

God's just wrath will be poured out on all evil and sin.

There is nothing more serious.

There is no future event matters more.

Whatever about Trump's tariffs and what they mean for your livelihood, whatever about Putin's threats,

and what they mean for world peace,

this is absolutely nothing compared to what faces us on the coming day of the Lord.

Peter says this in 2 Peter 3,

The heavens will disappear with a roar.

The elements will be destroyed by fire.

And the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

This is the coming day of the Lord.

The only day the world really needs to worry about.

And when we first hear about this coming day,

I think it's natural to fear, isn't it?

And it seems these young Thessalonian Christians feared

they would not be saved from this coming wrath.

And for the coming minutes, we're going to stop everything else.

And we're going to focus our minds entirely on that moment

when we will come face to face with our maker.

Whether Jesus comes again before today is out,

or we die before he comes,

we are going to come face to face with him,

the holy judge.

And there is nothing more important in your life

than knowing where you stand with Jesus.

And in this text, the Apostle Paul tells us

how we can be ready for his return.

So will you pray with me now?

That we would hear what God wants us to say.

Our Lord Jesus Christ,

we have an enemy

that wants us to forget all about you

and ignore your return.

Help us to hear your word now and tremble.

Convict us of sin

where we need conviction.

Fill us with hope

where we are afraid.

Make us ready

for your return.

Amen.

Firstly,

Jesus will return

like a thief

in the night.

Look at verses 1 and 2 with me.

Now, brothers and sisters,

about times and dates,

we do not need to write to you,

for you know very well

that the day of the Lord

will come

like a thief

in the night.

Now, what thief rings your house beforehand

and says,

listen,

we'll be down there

at around 3 a.m.

Would you mind leaving the front door open

and the cash on the counter?

It'll make the whole process smoother.

Said no thief ever.

Okay?

The thief comes

when the homeowner

least expects.

Expect.

I hope that's never happened to you.

It happened to me once

when I was a kid.

It wasn't a nice experience

walking into our house

and realizing

that the thief

had gone through all our rooms

and taken all the cash

you could find.

We didn't expect it.

And Jesus is not

some dangerous thief

seeking to steal something from you.

No.

He's the righteous

returning judge.

But his coming

will be like that of a thief

because it's going to catch

many people off guard.

Now, Paul would call such people

who are going to be caught off guard

children of darkness.

And he tells us more about them

in verse 3 and 7.

Let's read that now.

Verse 3.

While people are saying

peace and safety,

destruction will come on them suddenly

as labor pains on a pregnant woman

and they will not escape.

Look at verse 7.

For those who sleep,

sleep at night.

And those who get drunk,

get drunk at night.

So here's what we know so far.

Children of the darkness

are spiritually asleep.

They can't see the spiritual reality

of what's really going on

in this world.

Are you a light sleeper?

I am 100% not.

About 5 minutes after my head

hits that pillow,

I am dead to the world.

Kids could be crying.

Wife could be coughing up a lung.

Sam snores on.

And I wake up in the morning

and say,

what a peaceful night.

Blissfully unaware

of what was really going on.

Can anyone relate?

Now children of darkness

are spiritually asleep,

unconscious.

There's this faint noise

in the background of their minds

of Jesus coming back.

But do you know what?

It doesn't even register.

They just keep telling themselves,

peace and safety.

Everything's just fine.

They live as if Jesus

won't ever come back.

Is that you?

Secondly, Paul says in verse 7,

children of darkness

are spiritually drunk.

Now God condemns drunkenness.

That's plain.

But people get drunk

oftentimes to escape

some reality

they just don't want to face.

So also children of darkness

drink in excess

of career,

travel,

children,

shopping,

Netflix,

relationships,

all the different things

they try and fill

their lives with

to escape

the ultimate reality

of Jesus.

They don't want to face up

to the righteous

returning judge.

Is that you?

It's very easy

to be that way

in Cargilline.

It's a wealthy,

convenient town.

We've everything we want.

Our text warns us,

if you are ignorant

of Christ's return,

asleep,

or if you're trying

to escape that reality,

drunk,

either way,

you are not ready

for Jesus' return.

And here's the horrifying

consequence

which you need to know.

children of darkness

would be destroyed.

In verse 3,

we read that

just like a soon-to-be mum

coming up to full term

cannot escape

those labour pains

coming,

so the children

of darkness

can't escape

God's just wrath

on their sin.

So here's the point.

Don't fool around

with Jesus.

if you think

that you can keep

the king of the universe

at arm's length,

maybe throw

some church attendance,

good works,

and prayers

his way

just to keep him happy,

you are in

ultimate danger

and you are a fool

because you can't

mess around

with the judge

of all things.

He says,

either you are for me

or you are against me.

there is no

middle ground.

He says,

either you believe

and act on my word

that I will return

or you don't believe.

Listen to him

and act

on his word.

If you don't,

you will be caught

off guard

by his return

and you will suffer

eternal destruction

separate

from God.

Jesus will return

like a thief

in the night

but secondly,

fear not

the coming judgment,

O children

of the light.

Read with me

from verse 4.

But you,

brothers

and sisters

who have believed

in Christ,

you are not

in darkness

so that this day

should surprise you

like a thief.

You are all

children of the light

and children

of the day.

We do not belong

to the night

or to the darkness.

What a relief

for these believers

in Thessalonica

to hear.

They don't need

to fear

the coming judgment

of Christ

because they are

children of the light.

Now,

why don't they have

to fear the judgment?

Is it that they don't

have any sin

to be judged?

Are they some

super holy people?

No,

not at all.

They're still

very much

in the battle

with sin.

Here's the reason

why they don't

have to fear

the judgment.

Their lives

are found

in Christ

who took

their judgment.

He lived

the perfect life

they could never live.

He died the death

they deserved

for their sin.

He rose again

so that one day

they could rise

with him

to eternal life.

Are you a child

of the light?

Here's how you know.

Have you believed

in Christ?

that he died

for you

and rose again

for you?

Have you repented

of your sin

and said,

I don't want that anymore.

I'm following

Jesus now.

I'm still going

to battle with sin

but I serve

a new master now.

My life is found

in Jesus.

If that is you,

you're a child

of the light.

you have no need

to fear

the coming

judgment

of Christ.

When Jesus comes,

it won't really

be a surprise.

I mean,

it will in one way

but another way

it won't

because this is

the moment

you'll have been

waiting for

your whole life.

And on that day

you will rise

to meet

your Lord

in the air

and so you

will be with

Jesus forever.

His treasure,

his bride

united to him

in love.

You don't belong

to the night

or the darkness

anymore

so live

like it's true.

That's what

Paul's next point is.

Live like it's true.

Be who you

truly are.

Number one,

Jesus will return

like a thief

in the night.

Fear not

the coming

judgment.

O children

of the light.

Thirdly,

awake

and sober

minded,

arm yourselves

to fight.

What distinguishes

a child

of the light

from a child

of the darkness

is they

want

to fight

to stay

awake

to Jesus.

children

of the darkness

are spiritually

asleep

and drunk.

They either

can't see

or don't

want to see

who Jesus

really is.

And they don't

see the problem

with that.

But look

at what Paul

says

in verse

five

and six.

You are

all

children

of the light

and children

of the day.

We do

not belong

to the night

or to the

darkness.

So then,

let us

not be

like others

who are

asleep,

but let us

be awake

and sober.

So children

of the light

are spiritually

awake

and sober

minded.

Now sleep

is good

for our bodies,

right?

I don't

need to

tell you

more about

that for me.

I can see

some teenagers

nodding.

Absolutely.

Paul tells

us,

however,

that spiritual

sleep

has the

opposite

effect

on our

souls.

It's bad

for our

spirits.

That ignoring

or escaping

the reality

of Jesus

leads us

further

and further

away from

him.

You've known

that in your

life,

I'm sure,

just like I

have.

And as

children of

the light,

how easy

to slip

back into

those old

ways we

used to

live in,

like not

caring to

spend time

with Jesus,

getting absorbed

in career

or leisure

or entertainment,

not engaging

with church

life,

not reading

the words.

But we

don't have

to be like

that anymore.

We must

stay spiritually

awake and

sober-minded

or alert

to Jesus

and his

return.

Now,

most of us

have been

there,

right?

You're

driving home

on the

M8 after

a big

day out

in Dublin.

Maybe it

was a

concert,

maybe it

was a

shopping

trip or

a match,

or maybe a

hospital

appointment,

who knows?

But anyway,

it's late,

you feel

the eyelids

begin to

droop.

What do

you do?

How are

you going

to fight

to stay

awake when

all you feel

like doing

is falling

asleep on

that motorway?

Here's what

you do.

Number one,

recline your

seat further

back.

Switch on

Bram's

lullaby to

softly play

in the

background.

And you

turn to

the person

in the

passenger seat

beside you

and you

say,

would you

mind not

speaking to

me for

the next

half an

hour or

so?

I just

want some

peace and

quiet.

Would you

do that?

No, you

would never

do that.

What a

fool you'd

be.

A recipe

for disaster.

Instead,

you would

sit up

straight,

you'd wind

down that

window and

you'd drink

your coffee,

you'd switch

on Bon

Jovi,

full blast,

karaoke mode.

And you

would plead

with the

person beside

you to

join in

and say,

don't you

dare go to

sleep on

me.

I need

you to

stay awake,

to get to

where we

need to

go.

And Paul

says this,

we are in

a battle

to stay

spiritually

awake.

we are

in a

battle to

stay alert

on the

journey to

eternity

with Christ.

And your

enemy, the

devil, he's

trying to

lull you

back into

spiritual

sleep.

And it's

so easy

to give

in.

He wants

you to

switch off

and grow

cold to

Jesus.

He doesn't

want you to

be ready

for him.

He wants

to distract

you and

pull you as

far away from

Jesus as he

possibly can.

what distinguishes

a child of

the light

from a

child of

darkness

is they

want to

fight him.

They don't

want to

fall asleep.

And in

that daily

battle to

stay alert

to Jesus,

there will be

good days,

there will be

bad days,

there will be

days we

forget.

But what

matters is

we're

fighting.

We're

fighting to

stay awake.

And in

verse 8,

Paul tells

us how

we can

fight,

how we

can stay

alert to

Jesus.

Look at

verse 8

with me.

Paul says,

but since

we belong

to the

day,

let us

be sober

in a

spiritual

sense,

putting on

faith and

love as a

breastplate,

spirit and

the hope

of salvation

as a

helmet.

Arm

yourselves to

fight,

Paul says,

firstly,

with faith.

Remember all

the promises

that God's

made to

you in

Christ.

And whenever

you hear the

devil tempting

you to

switch off

Jesus for

the empty

promise of

some other

joy or

pleasure or

pursuit,

fight him

with faith

in God's

superior

promises,

just like

these.

God,

you will

fill me

with joy

in your

presence,

with eternal

pleasures at

your right

hand.

God,

your goodness

and mercy

will follow

me all

the days

of my

life.

God,

you will

make all

things work

together for

my good.

God,

don't scroll

your day

away on

your phone.

Spend

quality time

with Jesus

in his

word.

Get these

promises into

your heart

and put

your faith

in them

day after

day.

Stay awake

to Jesus.

Here's the

second thing.

Arm yourself

with love.

You know,

when you

serve your

brothers and

sisters in

the church

family or

outside in

love,

you get

closer to

Jesus because

he loved.

He's our

example of

love.

So evenings

and weekends

are not made

for Netflix

or games

or sport

or whatever

you do.

It's tempting

to think that

they are.

We can enjoy

entertainment and

rest, but

never let it

get in the

way of us

serving each

other in

love,

keeping

each other

awake and

alert, ready

for Jesus'

return.

So just

think about

those two

things.

Are you

making the

use of the

armor of

faith and

love in

your fight to

stay awake

to Jesus?

There's a

third one

though.

Arm

yourself

with hope.

And not

just any

hope.

The hope

of salvation.

And Paul

singles this

out.

He leaves

this to

last.

It seems

he thinks

this hope

is the

single

most effective

tool for

you and

I to

stay

spiritually

awake and

alert,

ready for

Jesus.

Now how

is that

so?

Well it's

Paul's

last point.

Jesus will

return like

a thief in

the night.

Fear not

the coming

judgment.

O children

of the

light,

awake and

sober-minded,

arm yourselves

to fight.

Why?

For God

has destined

you to

live with

Christ in

endless

light.

Look at

verses 9

to 11.

for God

did not

appoint us

to suffer

wrath,

but to

receive

salvation

through our

Lord Jesus

Christ who

died for

us,

so that

whether we

are awake

or asleep,

we may

live together

with him.

Therefore

encourage one

another and

build each

other up,

just as in

fact you

are doing.

This is the

hope.

we are to

arm ourselves

with in the

fight to stay

awake with

Jesus.

God

appointed us

to receive

salvation,

not wrath,

long before

you or I

ever reached

out for

him.

That's the

ultimate

reason why

we can stay

spiritually awake

to Jesus,

why we can

be ready

for him.

You see,

if God has

already chosen

us to

receive this

salvation,

it's going

to happen.

Nothing can

stop it.

We will

be ready

because God

has destined

us to be

ready.

That is an

incredible

comfort.

But some

people will

hear that

and say,

well I can

just relax.

Now is

the time for

me to kick

back.

Jesus has

got this

whole thing

sorted.

He's won

it for me.

I don't

need to

stay awake

or alert

to him.

Now let's

get back to

living my

normal life.

Jesus is

just the

ticket to

heaven in

my back

pocket.

Well,

anyone who

thinks that

way or

lives that

way is

completely

deluded.

They don't

know Jesus.

They show

all the

signs of a

child of

darkness.

darkness.

They're not

a child of

the light.

Be warned.

God's

choosing us

to receive

salvation

does not

give us a

free pass

to switch

off from

him.

No.

It enables

us to

stay alert

to him.

To fight

with all

our might

to stay

awake to

Jesus.

part of

God's

plan to

save us

is to

give us

everything

that we

need in

Christ to

persevere

in the

fight.

To be

ready for

Jesus when

he returns.

And again,

it's not that

children of the

light will

never sin

again.

It's that

we want

to fight

sin.

It's that we

know it's

wrong and we

want to

become more

like Jesus.

There's a

couple of

verses from

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

chapter 36

and we

hear about

this salvation

that God

was planning

for us

that God

would give

to the

children of

light.

Just read

it with

me.

I,

God says,

I will

give you

a new

heart

and put

a new

spirit in

you.

I will

remove

from you

your heart

of stone

and give

you a

heart of

flesh.

I will

put my

spirit in

you.

and move

you to

follow my

decrees and

be careful to

keep my

laws.

Can you see

that?

Children of

light have

been given a

new heart

that wants

to fight

sin and

stay awake

to Jesus.

In fact,

that's the

proof that

God has

chosen us

for salvation.

salvation.

There's a

scene in

Tolkien's

Lord of

the Rings

when

Saruman's

forces of

evil have

surrounded

Helm's

Deep.

This was

one of the

last bastions

for good

in Middle

Earth.

And there

is this

sea of

black

orcs

about to

break down

the door

of this

fortress and

overwhelm it,

killing everyone

inside.

But just as

they are about

to break

through the

door, I

don't know if

any of you

have seen

the film

Twin Towers,

Aragorn is

there and

he sees

this light

cracking through

the window,

the light of

dawn.

and he

remembers

Gandalf's

promise.

Gandalf had

told him

years before,

he said,

look to

my coming

at the

first light

on the

fifth day,

at dawn

look to

the east.

And whenever

Aragorn

remembers that

promise,

what does

he do?

He finds

courage to

ride out

into this

sea of

darkness

and fight

for his

life.

Because he

knows Gandalf

is coming,

he knows

that victory

is sure.

And as

Aragorn and

his men

ride out of

the fortress

into the

middle of

the battle,

it's probably

the most

epic scene

in the

movie,

by the

way,

so Gandalf

appears

on the

top of

the mountain

on his

white horse

with his

army of

light and

he sweeps

down from

the mountains

to destroy

the evil

forces.

And that's

just a

small,

tiny picture

for us,

and I know

maybe Tolkien

was thinking

about this

too.

We fight

to stay

awake for

Jesus because

we know

the victory

is sure.

Jesus is

coming back

and the

forces of

evil are

fighting a

losing

battle.

We will

be delivered

from our

sin and

from this

broken world.

And how

did Jesus

accomplish all

of this?

Well, look

at verse

10 again.

He died

for us

so that

whether we

are awake

or asleep,

we may

live together

with him.

Isn't that

just amazing?

Jesus died

for us so

that we

could live

together with

him.

from start

to finish,

God gets

the glory.

In eternity

past, he

appointed us

to receive

this salvation.

Then he

came to

earth, he

died and

rose again

to achieve

our salvation,

and now he

gives us his

spirit to

realize that

salvation in

our lives

every day

to help us

get there.

Jesus will

return like

a thief

in the

night.

Fear not

the coming

judgment,

O children

of the

light.

Awake

and sober-minded,

arm yourselves

to fight,

for God

has destined

you to

live with

Christ in

endless

light.

let's

pray.

We're

going to

take a few

moments just

to reflect.

where am I

with Jesus?

Am I a

child of

darkness?

Or a

child of

light?

Maybe you

do lots of

things that

make you

look like a

Christian,

but you

live as if

Jesus isn't

coming at

all.

He's just

an add-on

in the

side.

You're so

wrapped up

in this

world.

repent and

turn to

him and

be saved

from the

coming

wrath.

And if

you are a

child of

the light,

if you are

in Christ

today,

in what

ways are

you still

living like

a child of

the darkness?

Repent of

those ways

and think

of how you

might use

faith,

love,

and the

hope of

salvation to

stay awake

to Jesus.

Our Lord

Jesus, we

tremble at

your coming.

let every

single one

of us

be found

ready and

waiting for

you on

the day

you return

to judge

the living

and the

dead.

Lord, that

could be

today.

Help us

to do

business with

you now.

Amen.

Amen.

the

musicians

could come

up.

We're

going to

sing.

This song

is called

O Church

Arise,

and this

is a

proper battle

cry of

a song.

So can I

ask you,

if you

heard anything

from God's

word today

that made

you rejoice

in Jesus,

or spurred

you on

in the

battle,

would you

sing this

out like

a proper

battle cry?

Thank you.