Preparing for the battles ahead

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

It would appear that any concerns over their departed loved ones had been answered or at

least their minds were moving on to other issues.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 NKJV

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–16 NKJV

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

A. We as believers have every bit of information we need.

You yourselves know. (Or have the ability to Know)

WE KNOW.... (This really has to do with the THEY group as opposed to the Brethren group)

What information is it that we have?

1. That Jesus Christ is coming again. Day of the Lord.

End Times: The times we live in now (Identified by the watchfulness of believers)

The Day of the Lord: (Begins at the Rapture)

The Day of the Lord begins at the Rapture.

Two major identifiers.... 1. Reward for the believers.... 2. Punishment for non-believers

Tribulation: 7 years of God’ Punishment upon the Earth

Two Divisions.... First 3 1/2 Years (False Prophet and Anti-Christ establish themselves)

Second 3 1/2 Years (The Great Tribulation (Time of unimaginable wrath)

The Second Coming of Christ: He will appear in the clouds

The Trumpet will sound

People will Morn because they will know He has come to Judge

He will stand on the Earth again

Millennial Reign:

New Heaven and New Earth:

1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Cor 15:52

John 14:3

John 14:3 NKJV

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

2. It will be unexpected, violent and tragic.

This isn't trying to be explained to the Thessalonians but it was called to their remembrance of how their loved ones had died.

Matthew 24:37–42 NKJV

3. That there is absolutely no escape. (And they shall not escape)

B. We as believers have already been provided an escape. (Vs 4-5)

1 Thessalonians 5:4–5 NKJV

4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

1. We have been set free from darkness.

Colossians 1:13 NKJV

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

2. We are Sons of Light and of the Day

Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Eph 5:8

This is a clear admonition to walk as what you have become.

3. We now are totally removed from any connection to the darkness.

C. We as believers have been given a task.

1 Thessalonians 5:6–10 NKJV

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

This idea of preparation and preparedness are a thread that runs from Christ

till the book of revelation.

Matthew 24:43–44 NKJV

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:37–44 NKJV

37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matt 24:43-44

So why do you and I need to be awake and sober? When He comes I’m going home?

Opening Up 1 Thessalonians A Thief in the Night (vv. 1–3)

The day of the Lord will take unbelievers by complete surprise. While they are speaking to one another about ‘peace and safety’, destruction will ‘come on them suddenly’. As they go about their daily lives, sunk in a deadly spiritual apathy, the wrath of God will unexpectedly sweep them away.

Unbelievers only believe what they can see. As they cannot see the judgement of God approaching, they dismiss it as fantasy or scaremongering. They encourage each other with false hopes when they talk optimistically about the future, unaware that eternal damnation is on the horizon and about to engulf them. They are not realistic about what is going to happen. They are deaf to the warnings of God, absorbed in their own selfishness, and utterly blind to the judgement that is hanging over them. In every sense they are unprepared for that fast-approaching day.

Matthew 24:38–44 NKJV

38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matt 24:38-44

The day of the Lord will take unbelievers by complete surprise.

While they are speaking to one another about ‘peace and safety’, destruction will ‘come on them suddenly’.

As they go about their daily lives, sunk in a deadly spiritual apathy, the wrath of God will unexpectedly sweep them away.

Unbelievers only believe what they can see.

As they cannot see the judgement of God approaching, they dismiss it as fantasy or scaremongering.

They encourage each other with false hopes when they talk optimistically about the future, unaware that eternal damnation is on the horizon and about to engulf them.

They are not realistic about what is going to happen.

They are deaf to the warnings of God, absorbed in their own selfishness, and utterly blind to the judgement that is hanging over them. In every sense they are unprepared for that fast-approaching day.

1. Do not sleep.

This is different that asleep or sleep in Chapter 4:13-15.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 5:6

Here it means spiritual lethargy and insensitivity.

2. Be watchful

We know fully the signs of His return.

Matthew 24:5–8 NKJV

5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 Timothy 3:1–9 NKJV

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

3. Be sober

1 Corinthians 1:7 NKJV

7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,