Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Cascades Fellowship CRC, JX MI
July 13th, 2003
Last week, I mentioned that “End Times Fever” was nothing new to the Christian
church. Listen to this list which gives expression to that very point – (read article on list
Pretty frightening stuff, if you ask me. Possibly the most frightening are the ones
that become self-fulfilling prophecies, like the Branch Davidians. Another disturbing
trend that comes with an end times obsession is reactionary behavior. As the year 2000
approached, numerous articles began appearing about the preparations some Christians
were making in reaction to all the doomsday prophecies that surfaced during that time.
Unfortunately, they made compelling reading – the public loves an earnest fool – and
were just general enough for all of Christianity to be implicated. Here are some excerpts
Now, lest you think that we in the Reformed faith – who certainly know better –
As demonstrated in the three articles I just read, end times fanaticism is a powerful
influence in the life of many. Those captivated by its titillation often act in bizarre and
nonsensical ways. I heard of people in the year 2000 that emptied their bank accounts of
tens of thousands of dollars and hid their cash stash somewhere in the house. And then
spent the rest of their savings on large stores of canned goods, gas-powered generators
and 55 gallon drums of fuel. Others sold all they had, believing that on January 2 they
would have no need for material riches. As I noted last week, such preoccupation with
end times prophecies often leads to a scandalous waste of resources and time.
In our passage this morning Paul writes to the Thessalonians and says that about
times and dates he did not need to write to them, for they knew very well that the day of
the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Time and dates. The real centerpiece of the
end times furor. Trying to nail down times and dates is the passionate core of much
research and biblical study on the end times or the field of theological study known as
eschatology.
The word eschatology literally means “the study of last things.” In other words,
studying the Scriptures to discern or glean how things end up. And Paul, true to the form
Can I offer you the final and definitive word on this matter? Turn with me in your
Bibles to Matthew 24:36. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels
in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Folks, this is Jesus speaking here. Note
that there are no qualifiers, no exceptions, no caveats. Jesus says “No one knows….”
He doesn’t say that as the time draws near he will give some special visions, insights or
words of prophecy to help narrow down the date. He doesn’t say that you will be able to
read the current events like a time map and therefore guestimate when he is returning. It
is significant that Jesus makes this statement about no one knowing immediately after he
talks about the signs leading up to the end times. When he says no one, he means no
one. Can we please just accept Jesus at his word and drop the whole discussion on times
and dates? Can we please stop watching every political and cultural shift in the nation of
Israel and start paying attention to our own culture so that we can discern how best to
present the Gospel to the people in our own community. If those who spend so much
energy and time on noting so called “signs” and how they fit into the overall end-times
scenario spent that time and energy on studying their own community and how the
opportunity, whatever you want call it is utter foolishness in the face of Jesus’ own words.
That’s what Paul means when he says he doesn’t need to write about dates and times. To
do so would engage in idle speculation – a practice that way too often leads to error.
So why does Paul carry on the conversation and why do we have a sermon this
morning called “Stop the Madness, Part II?” Because there are two sides to the hope that
Paul wants to convey to the Thessalonians. In the previous passage, Paul comforted the
Thessalonians concerning those who had died before the return of Christ. In this passage
perhaps some among them lived in fear of the return of Christ because of the x-factor
involved, the unknown element – or he is just naturally following a line of thought, the
Scriptures do not make clear. What is important to note though is that Paul immediately
(as we have already talked about) turns the Thessalonians away from idle and worthless
speculation and jumps right into what is the only critical thing to know about the timing
master who is returning, expecting all to be ready for a wedding feast, Jesus teaches his
listeners that the servant who his master finds ready and waiting will be greatly rewarded.
But the servant who says, “Aw, he ain’t coming today. I’ll get ready tomorrow,” will be –
and this is the image Jesus uses – cut to pieces and assigned a place among the
unbelievers. The Lord’s return will be like a thief coming. If the master of the house had
known at what hour the thief was coming, he would made sure the cops were there to
That’s how Paul says the return of Christ will be for those who do not know Christ
– who do not believe he will return. Like a thief. They will be saying to themselves
“peace and safety” thinking that their existence will continue in the circle of life they
have come to expect and take for granted. As Jesus warned in Matthew 24, people will
be getting married, life will be going on in the cycles we have become accustomed to –
when bam! Jesus will return. And they will never see the danger of continuing to reject
Christ; it will never cross their mind that their days are numbered. The hour of escape –
the time allotted to believe on the name Jesus Christ – will pass and the only thing left for
Note, I have just said more than Paul writes to the Thessalonians. He says nothing
of judgment in the sense of who God’s wrath will be poured out against. He only says
that we who are in Christ will not suffer wrath. But he never speaks specifically in this
passage on the judgment coming for those who reject Christ. Instead he concentrates on
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise
you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons 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 alert and self-controlled.
If no one knows the day or the hour, how can we not be surprised by it? Because,
though we do not know the timing, we do know it is coming. So what Paul is implying
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins who are waiting for the
bridegroom. None of the virgins know when the bridegroom will arrive. It would be
easy for all of them to think to themselves, “Our Lord tarries. I have time to get things in
order. I’ll trim my lamp and get oil another day.” But five of them maintain a vigilant
watch – they take oil out with them to keep their lamps alight throughout the night. The
other five take a chance – they don’t prepare. Suddenly the word goes out that the
bridegroom is approaching and the foolish virgins are running out of oil. While they are
away trying to procure some more oil for their lamps, the bridegroom arrives – they are
surprised and excluded from the wedding feast. The wise virgins who had oil with them
When Paul says that we who believe in Christ will not be surprised, he is not
saying it is possible to know the date and time; he is saying that we know for certain that
Again, it is worth noting that the parables Jesus tells immediately after the one
concerning the virgins. He first tells the parable of the talents – it matters what you do
with the gifts and resources God has entrusted to you. How you use them defines the sort
of servant you are – in the words of Christ “good and faithful or worthless.” The parable
after that is about the sheep and the goats. The good and faithful servants are identified
by the works that they do in Christ’s name. Despite the fact that the Lord tarried, they
“In short, Paul is calling us to stay alert and to keep busy: to conduct ourselves as though
Jesus may return soon (he might), and to minister as though his coming may be delayed
term attitude with long-term planning…To summarize, Paul wants us to plan to minister
for the long haul, but to do so with the attitude he shared with James: ‘If it be the Lord’s
a short-term attitude with long-term planning? I suggest three things. The first is that we
Let me ask what may sound like a silly question. Of the people here that are or
have been married, how many of you really enjoyed your wedding day? And I mean
enjoyed it while you were going through it, not on reflection and looking back. One of
the saddest things to hear is how a bride or groom cannot wait for the wedding to be over
– and not so that they can get to the honeymoon. They want the wedding over so that
they can relax. Every muscle, every nerve is strained with anxiety – apprehension. The
couple – particularly the bride – wants every detail to go perfectly and they live through
the wedding ceremony in the constant fear that something will go wrong.
trying to determine if something fits into our prophetic scheme that our anticipation of
Christ’s return turns to apprehension. We start focusing on details and forget the big
picture. To help refocus our vision, allow me to draw the big picture again.
As I stated before, we are not destined for wrath. Do you know what that means?
with him. Instead of enmity with God we experience love – eternal love that nothing can
separate us from. Not even death – as we learned last week. But there is more to the big
picture. Because we are preserved for salvation in Jesus Christ, the coming of Jesus will
mark a progression to a level of friendship and fellowship with Jesus Christ not seen
since the Garden of Eden. Get this, we will know full, uninterrupted, uncorrupted
intimate fellowship with God. No sin will stand in the way our service to him. Talk
about something incredible to anticipate! To finally live faithfully before God without
the struggle against sin. That’s the big picture – something to really look forward to.
The second thing I’d like to suggest is that we be self-controlled. Paul says in v.8
says that being self-controlled is “putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the
hope of salvation as a helmet.” In other words, rather than following after the sinful
nature in drunkenness and debauchery, in greed and lust, in hatred and violence let us do
the things in keeping with our faith in Christ. If you need a short list of what that looks
like how about this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your
mind and all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” Recall often your
redemption in Christ and let it become a spring of gratitude overwelling in you onto
works that show the fruit of righteousness. Engage God’s Word, approach him in prayer,
and fellowship with him among the saints to know his will and then do it.
The final thing I want to suggest as a way of preparing ourselves is to study long
and hard Lord’s Day 1. What is my only comfort in life and in death? That I belong
body and soul to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. I don’t know if you have ever sat down
and really thought about the truth of that statement, but you really should. The first
truth and doctrine. It assures us of one thing – it captures one central truth of the
Scriptures – that our lives are hidden in Christ and in him we are secure.
Security is a tenuous thing these days. Shifts in the stock market, terrorist attacks
and warnings, new diseases that defy conventional treatment all vie for our concern – a
piece of our anxiety. Nothing seems secure. The truth is, we live under the illusion of
“peace and safety” everyday when in reality we enjoy very little of either. True security –
the security that allows us to live in anticipation – comes only through Christ. Take some
time to absorb Lord’s day 1 into your heart and mind. For it is when we are secure in
Christ that we are able to truly live in anticipation of his coming again.
It is an easy thing to get caught up in the temptation – and that is precisely what it
is – of trying to read the signs of the times to declare if this is the day, month, year or era
of Christ’s return. Let’s not be so apprehensive about the future return of Jesus that we
neglect what he has called us to be – a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people
meant to be a blessing to the nations through the proclamation of the gospel. Instead,
dwell on your security in Christ – in life or in death. Then live in the joyful anticipation
of his return.