Sermon Tone Analysis

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.

For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

For you are all children of light, children of the day.

We are not of the night or of the darkness.

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

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

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

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

[1]

At the initiation of each session of Parliament the government through the Crown's representative, the Governor General of Canada, delivers a throne speech in which the challenges and aspirations of the government are outlined.

In a similar manner, tradition dictates that the President of the United States of America delivers the State of the Union Speech to a joint session of the Senate and the Congress in.

In that speech the President proposes his agenda to the elected representatives and senators of the people.

An annual address to elected representatives in which the government recognises and responds to the challenges facing the nation is a tradition in most nations of the free world.

Should there not be, then, a means by which leadership of a particular church can address the challenges facing that congregation, outlining the hopes and aspirations of that leadership for the coming year?

Such a concept is not at all foreign to the churches of our Lord, and especially is that true among Baptist churches, for they are impelled by their polity to inform the congregation of challenges and the direction in which they hope to lead the church.

Impelled by my responsibility before this assembly to address the congregation, I now deliver the 2014 Throne Speech for *NEW BEGINNINGS BAPTIST CHURCH*.

Certainly God has spoken through His Word.

As an undershepherd appointed to this service and as a herald of His grace I have endeavoured throughout the brief time of our service together to faithfully deliver that message which is given to this community.

As those who believe the Word of God we are confident that God shall yet speak.

To the lost, those yet outside the pale of Christ's love, no other message may be given except for a warning of coming wrath delivered with a plea that they should flee to the Son of God for refuge from divine judgement.

To disobedient Christians we must likewise warn of the consequences of continued rebellion.

With the author of the Hebrews letter we would caution any who are prone to disobedience, “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.”

Referring to those assembled Israelites who saw the awesome display of God's might, the author continues, “If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.”

[HEBREWS 12:25]?

To the church assembled, the message must be one which seeks to address the challenges facing us as a congregation and as a Community of Faith.

The message must endeavour to outline broad hopes and aspirations of Pastor and leadership as they seek to unite us in service to Christ.

We want to build one another, making each believer strong in the Faith.

But how may we accomplish that task?

We want to exercise our gifts wisely as we serve one another in love.

But how may we so serve?

We long to see the lost saved and brought into the fellowship of Christ.

But how shall we realise that hope?

In order to address such challenges, I invite you to join me in review of Paul's words in his first letter to the Thessalonian saints.

At various times in the past, I have stated that I find an identity in several critical respects between this congregation and the Church in Thessalonica.

The message has special significance to this congregation in my estimate.

The first matter noted, and which is true of our day as well, is that *WE LIVE IN MOMENTOUS TIMES* [vv. 1 3].

It is easy to draw the conclusion that the inmates are running the asylum from even a casual review of the religious scene in North America.

Spokesmen of the Faith are more frequently chosen and followed on the basis of personal charisma and rhetorical ability than chosen for fidelity to the truths of God’s Word.

As a result, the weird, the aberrant and the speculative frequently predominate in popular theology instead of the steady and the substantial.

Therefore, we live in a day of urgency, a day in which solid teaching of the truths of God is lacking, and in a day in which sound instruction is sorely needed.

Two thoughts are immediately apparent from Paul’s words in verses one through three.

First, strained interpretations of doctrines intended for the comfort of saints were even then being bandied about.

And second, in light of the hope of Christ’s return there would be a growing tendency to turn from teachings designed to inure against hardships, even as teachers would seek personal comfort as the age progressed.

Each issue needs to be examined in its turn to demonstrate the urgency of the hour and momentous times in which we live.

The doctrine of the return of our Lord is a precious comfort for the child of God.

We believe that Jesus died, that He rose from the dead and that He ascended into Heaven from whence He shall return.

The Christian dies in hope of the resurrection, not in a state of despair.

This is true because the Christian, though living in this world, has fixed his hope on the world to come and therefore lives for God's glory.

Already, at this early date in Church history there were individuals spreading the rankest myths concerning this precious doctrine of hope and comfort.

Apparently some were teaching that loved ones who had passed on before would be left at the coming of the Lord [see 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 ff.].

Others, Hymenaeus and Philetus to name two whom Paul denoted, were teaching that the resurrection was already past [see 2 TIMOTHY 2:17, 18].

Yet other teachers were apparently teaching a spiritual resurrection [see 1 CORINTHIANS 15:35 ff.].

Each of these was a strange, unwarranted eschatological teaching.

Today, distortions of biblical teaching are presented as truth accepted by the unthinking and the unwary.

A growing number of Canadians, some of whom may be fellow believers in the Lord Christ, appear to live for the present only.

They tacitly adopt the position of a spiritual resurrection, or at the least minimise the importance of the resurrection.

Hence, they unconsciously adopt the view that this life is all that matters, thus destroying the hope of many.

Others openly question the historic hope of the Church, the presence of departed saints with the Lord.

There is for them neither accountability nor recompense, but only the pleasure of the moment.

Yet others so emphasise the doctrine of the blessed hope that they deny the doctrine of service in the present.

All such aberrations need to be exposed as unbiblical and destructive.

Another matter of significance deals with the expected response of believers to the coming of Christ.

Too many today, though believing that Christ shall return, view that coming in a self centred manner emphasising only their anticipated rewards.

Like the Millerites of another century they set dates and map out times and boast of supposed superior knowledge as they ready themselves for His coming.

The preparations have little to do with holiness of life or with rescue of the lost; instead, they dress themselves in robes of their own making and situate themselves where they wish to be while the work of God languishes.

Yet others in derision ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” [2 PETER 3:4a], ignoring the message of repentance.

Dear friends, Christ shall come just as He promised.

The fact that His return has been delayed this long is a mark of divine patience toward our fallen race.

Though we dare not assign dates and times we are to live our lives in anticipation, in expectation, in hope, knowing that His promise is sure.

In the certainty of that knowledge we should be impelled to live lives worthy of His Name, reaching out to rescue the lost even while building one another in the Faith.

Our challenge is to provide sound instruction in the Faith even while living as a people whose lives have been changed by the hope arising from His presence.

Our challenge is not only to know the truth but also to live the truth, thus serving as lights in a darkened world.

If you are taking notes, and I hope you are, the second point from Paul's concluding remarks, and again of vital importance for our own day, is that *WE HAVE GRAVE RESPONSIBILITIES* [vv.

4- 11].

Knowledge confers responsibility, and how much greater is such responsibility when the knowledge possessed relates to judgement of our fellow man?

For what we are has an impact far greater than we might imagine.

Our lifestyles both strengthen fellow believers and attract outsiders to the Faith of Christ Jesus the Lord.

There is a strong phrase employed in the sixth verse to point out the responsibilities of believers.

That phrase, /ára oun/, is translated in our English version, “So then.”

The English is such a common expression that it may easily escape our notice.

However, the Greek is a relatively rare expression in the New Testament, being used only by Paul; the phrase introduces an inescapable conclusion.

It is a strong expression for a necessary logical inference from the information presented.

As Christians we “are not in darkness,” we are “children of light, children of the day.”

Therefore, certain activities should necessarily mark our service and our lives.

The teaching of the imminence of the Day of the Lord should not surprise you.

As Christians we are not only called but we are empowered by God to live as “children of light, children of the day.”

This means we must “keep awake,” we must “be sober,” we must “encourage one another,” we must “build one another up.”

Each aspect of our responsibility as children of God mentioned is related to the proper response our knowledge should elicit.

Let's examine each feature in its turn.

Unlike “others,” referring back to those “in darkness” and who are of “the night,” we Christians are to be awake.

This concept is best understood by way of contrast with the condition of those “in darkness”; those who are “of the night” are said to sleep.

However, the word used for “sleep” in this passage, /katheúdō/, differs from the word used to describe the saints who have passed on, /koimáō/ [see 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13] The word here carries the thought of moral indifference, as is evident from the words of Jesus recorded in MARK 13:36 and from Paul's words in EPHESIANS 5:14.

This is the condition of non Christians; but Christians are to be awake.

In particular, we who are Christians are to be mentally alert, watching for the return of Christ.

We are to live in anticipation of His return, as Christ Himself taught.

Jesus warned His disciples, “Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Be on guard, keep awake.

For you do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.