Sunday Service

So let's jump into our text its first Thessalonians 5 or in a read these first 11 verses of that.

Now as to the times and the epochs brother and you have no need of anything to be written to you for you yourselves know full. Well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night while they are saying peace and safety then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child and they will not Escape but you Brethren are not in darkness that that day would overtake you like a thief for you are all sons of Light and Sons of day We are not as night nor the darkness. So then let us not sleep as others do but let us be alert and sober for those who sleep do their sleeping at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober having put on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation for God has not destined us for Raff before obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another just as you are also doing Heavenly Father. We thank you this morning for this. For this word Lord. I think you this morning that we are here watching it home with our families Lord that people are safe Lord that you've made this beautiful world that we live in and Lord. We've enjoyed it. But this isn't yet. This isn't it Lord and we look forward to as we look at this passage today looking forward to what is coming next the Lord. I just asked this morning that you would help me to keep my focus and stay on track of this is a big subject. I Lord help us to hear your word and Lord help our hearts to be open and our minds to be engaged Lord It's hard sometimes to stay engaged when you're sitting at home on a nice comfortable couch flirting pray that you help us to get our minds engaged this morning into your word and it what you want to have what you want us to know this morning. That's what we want. We want to know what you want us to know that we just thank you for in Jesus name. Amen. The last week we bit off a pretty big chunk of the doctrine of the eminent return of Jesus Christ known as The Rapture. So this is for the part two to that. And so we're going to we're going to talk about this thing called the day of the Lord which I believe culminates or be getting was actually our culminates but begins with the Rapture of the church. So if we go back to the selonians chapter 4, we saw their the Paul said to them in verse 13, I don't want you to be ignorant brother. I don't want you to not have a clue about what's going to take place in the future. But the reason he was saying that is because this was sort of confusing for people and it's been confusing for people down through the centuries, right? It's understanding what's going to happen in the future. What's God's plan for the future is kind of difficult to understand if you don't spend a lot of time and energy studying it and so it has added to some confusion in the church as to what is going to take place in the future not to mention that a lot of times things are interpreted from the scripture based on what's going on in the world at that time. And so these things can be confusing and people at the early church. They were confused about it too right now. Paul had been to thessalonica and he was only there for maybe maybe three weeks at the most probably somewhere between two and three weeks before he was run out of town. So we had a very short time with the with the Thessalonians. And he taught them a lot and he packed a lot into that short time that he was there, but they still had questions obviously and he wanted them to understand that it was not his intention for them to not go and so he was going to clear some of these things up. But the thing that he was going to talk about he told the Corinthians that it was a mystery 1st Corinthians chapter 15. So behold, I tell you a mystery as in something that wasn't a known really to the church. It had been alluded to as I spoke about last two weeks ago. I was alluded to in the Old Testament, but it was never spelled out clearly as to how Christ return would affect the church until Paul begin to have this Revelation from God testimony chapter 4. He says aye this is the word of the Lord, right? He says this is not something by the power of the holy spirit. This is a mystery and it's something I don't want you to be ignorant if I want you to understand it and that is that The Lord is returning for his church. Now that that's one icons were concerned that those who had already died because they were confused about this. There were concerns that those who had died or missing going to miss the return of the Lord his father taught them about Christ's return for his church and then establishing his kingdom into those who are Christians were going to be in his kingdom, right? Because that was the message that Jesus preached repentance. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and so probably told them that's what's going to happen. You are going to when the Lord returns were going to go into his kingdom and that's when I were concerned. What about those people who died now they've missed out on the kingdom. And that's when Paul as we studied two weeks ago Paul reassured them know know know when he returns. He will bring those who have fallen asleep. That is too. Who died you will bring those with him because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord when we leave this earth through death were immediately in God's presence and in the presents, right? It's a it's a present tense sort of thing. We are immediately with him, but we're also returning with him. It's hard to get our minds around not being in a linear time domain, but once we get into heaven, that's no longer an issue for us. So basically he's saying you don't understand that. I don't want you to understand that the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel with the Trump of God and at that moment the dead in Christ will rise. First and those of us who are alive and remain will be caught up with them. And that's the Rapture. That's where we get that idea of being caught up. with the with the Lord in the air When will this happen?

Well, that is the question right? That's what everybody wants to know. When when when will the Rapture take place. I don't know. I am not I'm not even going to try and set some sort of a date or time on that. Here's the thing. The Rapture will take place when the father says it's time what I mean by that well In the in the Jewish World in the ancient Jewish marriage ceremony. There was a custom and that was that when the groom had Betroth himself to his bride the bride would stay at her father's house until it was time for the groom to come and get her and meanwhile the groom would go home to his father's house, and he would begin to prepare a place for him and his bride. He would build onto his father's house and it prepared this home for he and his bride and he was not allowed to go get the bride in the wedding was not their wedding date was not set until the Father of the Bride said, okay, your home is done. You have prepared a place sufficiently for your bride now send the friend of the bridegroom out to announce the wedding and the friend of the bridegroom would go before the groom, and he would go tell the bride get yourself ready for the broom is going to come and get you now. She would know when the groom was going to come. So she needed to be ready. She knew it was happening soon. And she needed to have herself ready Matthew chapter 25. We will talk a little bit about this later, but there was the parable of the ten foolish virgins and the ten wise virgins and that's what they were doing. They were waiting for the groom to come and get the bride because the announcement had been gone out that the brought the groom is coming. Light your lamps be ready. He might come in the middle of the night to get you. You don't know when the wedding ceremony is going to take place. You need to be ready. And then once he came and got her and the marriage was consummated, they would have this big 7 Day celebration called The Wedding feast and that's that's what would happen. Now. The Bible says that we are the bride of Christ and when the father says it's time when our groom Jesus is is when our place that he's gone to prepare for us is ready. And as we were told from Romans chapter 9 10 and 11 that that whole vignette there about the salvation of Israel and the Gentiles being grafted in we know that when the last Gentile comes to Christ the last one that that God knows will in his foreknowledge that it will be time to 2. Give me the Gentiles will be done. And that time and then only that time Jesus will come for his bride the no one knows the day but the father in fact Jesus in Matthew 24 36, he says that no one knows the day or hour not even the angels in heaven, but the father knows now we're going to do a deep dive in the Matthew chapter 24 and 25 this morning, and I hope you're ready for this cuz I'm going to go really fast. I'm going to give a lot of scripture references, but I'm not going to read all of them. Okay, cuz we're going to blow through this pretty quickly because I want to keep you here all day, but I want us to understand. The message that Paul was trying to get across to the vessel and I can Church the Thessalonians were just like us they were concerned about what's going on in the world, you know, their world was full of persecution authoritarian rulers, you know people that hating each other Pagan worship. It was not a whole lot different than our world in that regard and they wanted to know what's going on. I believe the message for them. It's the same message for us today.

These issues were were similar now. The problem was one of the issues that that's like in church at as they really believed that Jesus was returning anytime. That's not a problem, but it did create some problems because they were so convinced that some of them stopped working. They were just they were expecting it to happen any second. So they quit working Apple address that in chapter 3 earlier in chapter 3 and he's going to address it even more specifically in in when we get into the second letter to the Thessalonians later about this idea of what you're supposed to do in the meantime until Jesus returns. We'll talk a little bit about that today as well. But the problem was they had they had stopped working thinking price was going to come and Paul he's glad that they're prepared but they need to know a few things about what it looks like when Jesus is returning soon. They could go about their lives and so he really wants them to understand what? It will be like the day of the Lord are the return of the Lord and he had been throughout this letter. He had become become began preparing them for it. Right first Thessalonians chapter 1 at the end of that. He said for they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had with you and how you turn from God to Idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for his son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead that is Jesus who rescued us from the Wrath to come so he had already prepared them to kind of hear this message. Hey, I know you're waiting for the Son of God to come and he is the one who's going to rescue us from the Wrath to come and he wants them to know that's a good thing. There's nothing wrong with that in the second chapter and verse 17 and 19 you said but we brother and have been taken away from you for a short while in person but not in spirit. We're all the more eager with great desire to see your face before we won. To come to you, I pull more than once and yet Satan hindered us or who is Our Hope or Joy or crown of exultation. Is it not even you in the presence of the Lord Jesus at his coming by Paul wants and understand this whole life. Everything we've done is to fear for that moment. When Jesus returns that we will be ready. We will be watching we will be waiting for him. And then in the third chapter that prayer that beautiful prayer that he said over them now may Our God and Father himself and Lord Jesus our lord direct our way to you and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people just as we also do for you so that he may establish your hearts Without Blame and Holiness before our God and Father at what the coming of the Lord Jesus with all his Saints the pulse been prepping them for this message throughout the whole letter and now he's saying to them listen This is actually reality. Jesus is returning and he's going to descend from heaven with a shout. He's going to bring all those who died in him with him. You don't have to worry about them. But now he says here. In chapter 5 there are some things I want you to know about this. So this morning we're going to emphasize we're going to see three things that both Paul and Jesus emphasized about his return when it how it relates to that day as Paul calls it here in chapter 5 three things that the Lord wants us to know concerning that day. Right understand the times understand what's going on. That way you won't be taken by surprise be watching. Be people who are watching for the Lord's return. So not only do you need to understand the Science movie watching. What's happening to see are we in those times? That way you won't be taken by surprise and the third thing be ready had your heart prepared so that when he does come you're like this that's alone Thessalonians where you can say, we're eagerly waiting. And that you are the joy and Crown of those who minister to you because you're ready to when the Lord returns you're ready to see him. You're ready to meet him. And if you're ready, you won't be taken by surprise. We need to understand the times.

So let's jump into that first understand the time. Let's look at verse 1 now as to the times and the epoch brother and you have no need of anything to be written to you for you yourself know full. Well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night while they are saying peace and safety then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child and they will not Escape.

Now as I said, no one knows the day or hour. That's true. But Paul here is making a point that. He's already given them enough information so that they should be able to understand the times that they are in the times and epochs. Literally, it's Seasons what we would translate to Seasons in some translations. In other words. I won't know the day or hour and no man knows the day or hour, but we should if we know God's word. We should have a clue about the times and Seasons that we live in in whether or not we are approaching that moment of Christ's return. Now as I said in two weeks ago in my message, we talked about the festivals and and how God fulfilled the spring festivals in price first coming and those prophetic a piece that God had had laid out and if you want to get more information about that go back to 2 weeks ago and listen to that message. I went more in-depth but there were also fall festivals three Fall Festival one of them the first one being Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year also called The Feast of trumpets or the Feast of coordination and again two weeks ago. I went into depth about how that applies to the Rapture. It's the only Festival that does not have a set day that it begins on. it's only indicated when two witnesses make it to the Temple Mount to declare that they have seen the new moon and so no one knows exactly when it will start. And so again, that's a picture of Christ return because price as no one knows the day or hour, but he repulses the times and Seasons we can understand and hear he refers to it as the day of the Lord not a single day, but it's an event. So no one knows the day or hour and it will come like a thief. That's what he says to him here. He says you you need to understand it will come just like a thief in the night. And while they are saying peace and safety then destruction will come upon them suddenly. So it's going to come it's going to happen very quickly. Now this day of the Lord. Let's talk about this for a moment cuz it's got a big history throughout the Old Testament. It's called the day of the Lord or referred to as that day in the Hebrew. Culture in their festivals. They would call this day the day of the Lord. They would refer to it often as Yom Kippur which means the day of atonement and is a FeFe. It's the second fall Feast Fall Festival. Now, why would they refer to that? Well, because on the day of atonement you had just spent 7 Days of introspection you had had Rosh Hashanah, which she was a two-day Festival the the the new moon the the new year that the Feast of trumpets is what it's called and then you would have these seven days where you would reflect on what you had done in your life what you had done in the previous year that maybe had offended God maybe had offended or hurt someone else and you were to reflect on those things. So that on the day of atonement Yom Kippur this High, holy day of Israel. You could go and you could make atonement for those sins that you have committed throughout the year. This was the day where God judged you and you would allow that judgment to fall on whatever sacrificial an animal you or your family offered. That was the idea of the day of the Lord Yong the poor and all throughout the Old Testament. I'm just going to throw out some some stuff for you to go. Look up Malachi chapter 4 verse Zechariah 14 verse 1 Zephaniah 1:14 through 18. Those are just a few again, Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel. Are they all talk about the day of the Lord this coming time or God is going to pour out his wrath on the earth. He's going to judge the Earth those who are wicked will be judged Israel is going to feel his judgment for their rejection of him and they are going to it's going to cause them to turn their hearts to God. That's not God's not just doing it to be mean he's trying to get their attention and turn their hearts to him this day. Of the Lord spoken of all through scriptures in Joel we get an ID a very clear picture Joel tap chapter 2 verse 36, I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth bloodfire and Columns of smoke the sun will be turned into darkness in the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes and it will come about that. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered for on Mount Zion. And in Jerusalem, there will be those who escaped as the Lord has said even among the survivors whom the Lord calls. So this will be God's way of trying to wake up this world and it says anyone who will call on him will be saved. It's not he's not just going to bring bring judgment and say well, it's too bad. It's too late. No, no, all you have to do is turn towards him and call out to the Lord and know that offer stands today. If you feel like you're going through trials and tribulations right now that offer stands today. You can call out to him.

Understand the times no one knows the day or hour it will come like a thief but there will be signs Joel gave us some signs. But those are things are going to happen when it comes down. But Paul you're saying you can see some things before that so that you can be prepared. It shouldn't take you over take you like a thief if you know the size you said I don't need to write to you about the sentence you can understand them when they say peace and safety that is when they're those outside of the church day. He's talking about those out there say hey, this is the time of peace and safety.

It will come suddenly. Structure will come on them suddenly it will hit quickly and there will be no Escape.

Jesus called These Times the beginning of Sorrows hear Paul Likens it to birth pains happening when a woman is in labor. And that's what sorrows in the Old Testament that was referred to as Sorrows, Isaiah chapter 13, you can get a picture of this god-like in the time of the day of the Lord right before it comes as a woman who is going into labor and Jesus says that this is the beginning of Sorrows when you when you see these things now will go more in-depth into what the specifics are of the day of the Lord in that time during the tribulation. Will we get the 2nd Thessalonians, but it's a time that Jesus often referred to as the outer Darkness or the furnace of Fire.

The Old Testament refer to it as a furnace of affliction. Were there be weeping and gnashing of teeth you remember in Matthew 22 the parable of the marriage-feast where there were many invited to the marriage Feast but they didn't come and when he sent his servants out to to implore them to come they killed the servants or mistreated them. And so the master of the of the feast the marriage Feast he he sent out his armies and he cast them into darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth and then invited others in the said go into the highways and byways and bring anyone in and give them wedding clothes to come in. This is a picture of this time the day of the Lord now again, that's it all through the Old Testament. It's it's spelled out very clearly, but in relation to the Rapture, there's a really interesting picture because it is talked about as a furnace of fire of furnace of Affliction this time of the day of the Lord or the tribulation or Great Tribulation as Jesus will call it. Time of Jacob's Trouble When God tries to wake is real up from their Slumber because they have gone so far from him and in the Book of Daniel, there's a perfect picture of this janiel chapter 3, you see Daniel chapter 2 Daniel Rises to the status of prime minister of Babylon Daniel chapter 3 Daniels nowhere to be found and yet here are his three Hebrew friends who are put to the test either bow to the idle the image of Nebuchadnezzar who at that point was a picture of this world leader who would want everyone to bow down and worship His Image and they would not do with what happened they were cast into the fiery furnace and yet God brought them through that because Jesus was with them as they went through that fiery furnace and then chapter 4 hears Daniel again. Why do I bring this up? Daniel's a picture of the church right before

Nebuchadnezzar this eve at that time evil Babylonian King before he came to know Christ. He was filled with pride and he wanted everyone to worship this golden statue of himself and Daniel all the sudden disappeared from the picture. And then a picture of the Hebrew children going through the fiery furnace, but coming out because God was with them and then next thing chapter 4 you see Danielle once again in the picture. So here's a perfect again. It's an illusion to the day of the Lord the Rapture the main point Paul's making here though. Is it the day of the Lord should not and it in fact will not come as a thief in the night to the true follower of Jesus.

We will understand the times and the seasons. So let's go over to Matthew chapter 24 get your Bible out or turn over there electronically or have you get there and I want to just walk through a little bit about this. Okay, because Jesus talked about this and Matthew 24, he was there on the Temple Mount and the disciples were bragging. Wow, look at who is real. So great-looking are really shiny Temple That You Can See For Miles Away was overlaid with gold and it just really stood out and sparkled and Jesus told them, you know, you look at that but not one stone of this building will stand on the other. A day is coming very soon. And in fact you did in 70 AD when Rome came in and burned down the temple in the gold ran between the cracks and they had to force the the stones off one another to get out the gold when they ransacked the temple and just as Jesus predicted. But then they asked him while they're on the Temple Mount he said they said tell us when these things will happen. What is the sign of your coming in the end of the age of three questions? When will that happen about that horrible destruction of the temple. When will you come and what is the end of the age in other words? When does this all wrap up until Jesus begins to talk to them about the signs of these things? Right? And he's he's telling them, you know, there's going to be coming people who come pretending to be the Messiah right? I am the Messiah they're going to claim to be him and deceive many and then he goes on and tells them some of the signs that they would see the beginning of Sorrows as he calls it here at the beginning of labor pains some translation say he said, so what is it you said verse verse 6 you're going to see wars and rumors of wars. That has to happen. He says the end is not yet. You're going to see Nation Rise Against Nation Kingdom against Kingdom. There will be famines. They'll be pestilences. There will be earthquakes in various places. Are we not seeing all of that? Right? And if you go back and you look historically we are seeing more earthquakes now, we see it had more earthquakes. I believe it's in the last 50 years been in all of the previous history of the world as far as we can tell course we see all of the effects of this world has fallen world. We live in as it's a winding down of the melting of the ice caps. All of these kinds of things are taking place pestilences viruses that are running rampant. All of these kinds of things. You said, these are just the beginning of Sorrows. Now, here's the thing they have been in the beginning of Sorrows. Since Paul wrote this right the beginning of Sorrows has been happening, but it's just like a woman in labor. And if you've ever been with a woman in labor, I'm sorry first of all, cuz it's not a pretty sight. It's a beautiful result, but it's tough in the mean time. Right? So if you're the husband, especially you you know, you're not you're not the most favorite person in the room at that moment, but just as a woman's in in labor, it ramps up right as she gets closer to going in labor the labor pains get closer together the contraction start happening quicker and they're more intense. And so even though we've been in the beginning of Sorrow, since Paul wrote this since Jesus said this in fact when he from the time he died and rose again these things began, but they began to increase and now they are increasing with more and more rapidity and happening in Greater intensity more. Typhoons more hurricanes more Tornadoes more earthquakes stronger earthquakes tsunamis all these kinds of things as we wind down towards this culmination of the day of the Lord happening. Jesus returning we see these things taking place. That's one of the sites. Is this beginning of Sorrows the second sign is the fig tree right now Paul doesn't say this expressly here, but Jesus talks about the sign in Matthew 24, and he says that's the parable of the Fig Tree. Look at verse 32 learn this lesson from the Fig Tree as soon as its Branch becomes tender and Sprouts leaves, you know, this summer is near in the same way. When you see all these things recognize that he is near even at the door truly. I tell you this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Now he's saying to them listen when you see the Fig Tree Blossom now, the parable parable of the Fig Tree is an important one for us to understand here.

Israel in the Old Testament is referred to as the Fig Tree many times. I need to go through all the times but really there's three trees that are symbolic of Israel. The vine is symbolic of Israel's spiritual privileges that they have with the Lord. The Fig Tree is symbolic of Israel's National Privileges. And then the Olive Tree is symbolic of their religious privileges right there. The the religious aspect of Judaism and that the people of Israel and Jesus just this morning that he was talking to them here on the temple now as they had been walking back into Jerusalem from Bethany. He had saw a fig tree from a little ways away and it had leaves on it now at that time of year. There should have been right fruit from the previous season ripen on the tree and if it still had leave that would be an indicator that there would be fruit on it. And so he goes to this tree now. He had just previously told them a parable about the Fig Tree and that they had there was a man who planted a fig tree and the when it came up there was no fruit on it. And so we told the servant go cut that fig tree down and the service said we'll wait what if there's what a fruit appears on it. Let's not cut it nice and he said if there's no fruit cut it down and cast it into the fire. So then Jesus comes up to this fig tree and he looks and he sees no fruit which I suspect he knew good while there was no fruit on the tree, but he Caesars in fruit and he curses the tree and it shrivels up and dies. Then they go into Israel and a few hours later. He says Now understand the parable of the Fig Tree what Parable we doesn't tell him a parable here. He's referring to the parable that he had told them earlier about the fig tree that if it doesn't bear fruit, it's to be cut down and thrown the fire, but he won't lay an axe to the root and other words leave the root what happens if you cut down a tree in your yard, but you leave the stump for the route. I know cuz I had a big Willow Tree in my backyard which last summer I cut down and I can my dad cut down cuz it was a little bit dangerous so he cut down and safely got it on the ground. You wouldn't believe that stupid thing today. I mean, what is there about 10 ft? Willow Tree coming out of it already. It's just ridiculous. You can't you can't stop them, right? Jesus said this is the parable if there's no fruit. It's going to be cut down and cast Into the Fire what fire the fiery furnace, right? And if that's the case it is don't don't play in Acts. The route. They were to leave the route because out of that route. There will be a tender. A tender plant come out of that and hear Jesus says, this is the parable if you see that. That a fig tree that we talked about earlier that have been cut down in cash if you see it start to sprout again. Understand that these things are going to be happening at that point very quickly, right? That's what he says know that summer is near and in the same way when you see these things recognize that he is near at the door. Who is the fig tree while it's Israel. And what does it represent Israel's National privileges. That is Israel the nation when you see Israel become a nation again, which encourages hopefully the prophet Ezekiel said could that even happen? Could they become a nation again? After God had to wipe them out Ezekiel? He said the house at possible. Will they return again to the land? Yes, and in fact, they did May 14th 1948 Israel. Once again became a nation the only people group ever on the history of the planet to be dispossessed of their land for over a generation. In fact in their case to thousand years and then two thousand years later be re-established as a nation in their land. Never happened in the history of the world and yet here it is. Here we are Israel as a nation not just a nation but a thriving Nation but a blooming and blossoming Nation. And I tell you if you get a chance to go there you really should we've been a couple of times and it's amazing. It is truly a nation blossoming in the desert and back to I just was reading an article right now. The the Galilean sea the sea Galilee is as full as it's been in years and years. Water as God is blessing the land of Israel. Jesus here is letting them know that when you see that happen understand that these things now it's coming towards this moment of his return cuz that's in the context of his return the the previous verses to this there in chapter 24, the previous versus are him telling them. This is what's going to happen right before the son of man returns, right and you will see him coming clouds with of heaven and great Glory speaking of his second coming right, but then he's going to tell them but you have to be ready because it's going to come like a thief in the night. Now this is where it gets confusing for people cuz they're saying we'll wait a second if we know That all these things have to take place and we're going to feed these things happen in earlier. He tells when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the temple, so there's a specific event that's going to happen during this time of tribulation. When you see that you will know they're going to the well, how could that come as a surprise to anyone will because he's talking about those who we caught off guard in regards to God's judgement coming upon them. That is what will we will be taken out as if a thief came and stole us but they will be surprised as if a thief showed up in their house right now. That's what he's talking about here. When you see the Fig Tree put forth its blossoms know that that time when the when he's going to come like a thief is very close. It's very close understand the times. Wow, can't believe how quickly this is going. All right. The second thing understand the times and also because he's going to overtake them like a thief we don't want to be caught unawares. We need to be watching. Let's look at verse for 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, but you Brethren are not in darkness that the day would overtake you like a safe for you are all sons of Light & Sons of day. We are not of night in order of Darkness. So then let us not sleep as others do but let us be alert and sober for those who sleep do their sleeping at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night. We have to be watching that's what he's talking about in Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 24 again here. He's going to give some insight into this day of the Lord. He says in verse 36 now concerning that day our no one knows neither the angels of Heaven nor the sun except the father alone as the days of Noah were so the coming of the son of man will be over in those days before the flood. They were eating it. Drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day no aboard the ark they didn't know until the flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the son of man will be then two men will be in the field one will be taken and one left two women will be grinding rain with a hand Mill in one will be taken in one left there for be alert, since you don't know what day your lord is coming but know this if the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into this is why you were also to be ready because of son of man is coming in an hour. You do not expect Jesus says the numbers 40 to watch the thief is coming mark 13 even says he has a thing tonight. In other words. You don't know if it happened in the middle of the night depending on where you are you are you need to be alert. You need to be sober and that's Rcgroups, I forgot to give us our first point. We are not of the night. He says here in the first Thessalonians and we are to be alert and sober when he comes it's going to be like the days of Noah. What were the what was the days of Noah like Luke 17 also adds and the days of lot, right? They were eating they were drinking. They were making Mary they were partying it up. They were marrying and giving in marriage and otherwise life went on as usual but they were also giving into all kinds of pleasure and they were living basically to just please themselves. You don't get whatever they could get. That's when judgment will come is when everyone thinks everything is just fine and nothing is out of the ordinary.

And then he says when that happens, this is how it's going to look. Two people will be working in the field and all the sudden want to be gone. Two women will be grinding in the mill or working side-by-side and they'll be gone two people in Lucca tells us it adds this to people will be in bed and one will be gone. In other words. It'll happen globally right though, cuz it's 9 somewhere everywhere. So some people be working some people be in bed, but going to happen people will be left here at some will be taken. Now. I have to speak to this just a moment cuz there is a there's a doctor a teaching about this as well. Jesus is talking about the one being taken and the other left the one being taken and being taken to judgment right because of the the wording here. He's talking about the flood coming and swept them all away. And then the next thing he says this is how the the coming of the son of man will be and then two will be working in one taken and the ideas that those who are Swept Away in the flood were taken into judgment. And so the one taken is going to be taken into judgment. Am I eating where I could see why a person would think that but you have to not just consider context but consider the wording and what's words are being used. Right? So in the Greek here for being swept away or taken away by the flood. Jesus uses this word and it's translated by Matthew into the Greek here as Arrow or Eero in the Greek. Now, there are a lot of words for being taken away in the Greek a lot. I'm not going to go through them all but taken away in the sense of being being taken out or taken away to judgment. You would use the the if you wanted to talk about that about these people being taken away like those in the flood. Why wouldn't you use the word taken for ear out which would be either Fiero or apeiro either one of those could have been used and that would have made sense because he's saying hate. Those were Swept Away in the flood were o those who were taking away taken past tense and who will be now taken one is left one is taken one is left would be a hero or fearow, but no he doesn't use those words to talk about the one who was taken and the one left. It would have made sense because that would make sense in context about Euro those taken away by the flood and then as past tense and then nose being taken present past tense would be one of these other derivatives but no, he uses a completely different word for those one being taken in one being left in the Greek. That word is Pearland Bono and you might remember me teaching about that before we were in John because that word is the same word that Jesus used in John chapter 14. Jesus said let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God believe also in me. I'm going to my father's house where there are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you and if I go I will come again. And receive you to myself. So wherever you are, wherever I am. You may be also John 14 1 through 3 the word that Jesus use there when if I go I will return and receive you to myself. It's the word peril in Bonneau hear Jesus says when one is taken and one is left that one that is taken is Peril MBA know, it doesn't mean to just be taken like to be taken into judgment. It means to be lifted up and received to oneself. It's a completely different kind of take a nap if they were going to judgment. Why would you even say I will pick them up and take them to myself? They're not going to judgment. So this is a place where context isn't the only thing you need to consider. You need to consider. What were Jesus used and we've translated to one will be taken and the other left the really use that one will be brought to me at the other will be left. Two will be in the be working side-by-side in the middle one will be brought to me and the other left. That's what this coming of the son of man will be like that's why you need to watch that's why you need to have your have your eyes open to what's going on because this is how it's going to be it's going to happen quickly in if the Master of the House had known when the thief was coming he would have been awake and alert and sober and we too need to be awake alert and sober. Because there is coming a day when Pearland Bono either going to take you to himself you need to be ready for that. And that's the third point. We need to be ready for this day of the Lord. Let's look at verse 8 of chapter 5 but since we are of the day, let us be sober having put on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of what's missing a piece that are alright. The hope of salvation for God has not destined us for Raff before obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we will live together with him.