THE DAY OF THE LORD

1 Thess. 5:1-11

This past week, at one of our local restaurants, I talked with a man who, after seeing all that is going on in our culture and society (the lawlessness, the sexual perversions, the corruption), is convinced that we are in the “last days” and the fulfillment of O.T. prophecy, and the fulfillment of the book of Revelation, is very near and soon time will be no more.

Consequently he is out telling everyone that the end is near and trying to persuade people to get ready. And maybe that is not a bad thing. People need to be ready when the Lord comes.

But are the things that are taking place in our society and world, are they signs of the end of the world? Or is it like the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “There is nothing new under the sun” and what we are seeing is nothing more than the conduct of sinful men?

Are we really near the end of time? Are the things that are taking place signs of the “last days?” There have been instances where people, thinking that the end has come, have gone out and sold their homes, and their property, set on the hillside waiting?

Some have even taken their own lives.
Are we really near the end of time?

Let’s look at the passage that was read and let’s be reminded of what the apostle Paul says about the day when the Lord will come.

To begin I want to take you back to chapter 4. In chapter 4:13-18 the apostle Paul says that when the Lord does come (and He will), all those who are IN Christ, whether dead or alive, will participate in a resurrection to eternal life.

Look starting in vs. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

So, no doubt, the Lord will come and those who are in Christ will participate in this resurrection unto eternal life.

But, tragically, most will not participate in it. Look what Paul says starting in chapter 5:1:

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Every year, and for years, men have claimed to know when the Lord is coming back.

In fact, there have been at least 21 such predictions since the year 2000 and some are already making predictions for next year.
But Paul says here in chapter 5 that no one knows when He will come.

In fact, he uses two metaphors here to talk about the “coming day of the Lord” to emphasize that no one knows when the Lord will come.

The first metaphor that he uses is that of “a thief in the night.”

Some years ago I got a phone call about 7 o’clock in the evening and the guy told me he was going to break into my pickup and steal it!
I really appreciated him doing that so I wouldn’t be surprised!

Thieves do not announce that they are coming!

They are unexpected.
And that is what Paul is saying about the “coming day of the Lord.”
No one knows when he is coming.

In fact, Jesus said He didn’t even know when that day was: Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

What if we did know?

If people knew they would live any old way they wanted to and everyone would be an 11^th hour Christian, “Sliding under the wire at the last minute.”

God doesn’t want that.

God wants people that are willingly faithful to Him.
People who live their lives for Him by their own free choice.
And if you are hoping to “slide under the wire at the last minute”…your thinking is wrong and you are likely in for a big disappointment.

Just a brief word of advice.

Any time someone tells you that they know when Jesus is coming back, according to Deuteronomy 18:22 that person is a false prophet and what you need to do is, try to teach them more accurately, or you may need to just turn around and walk away…or close the book…or reach up and turn the TV off.
No one knows when He is coming.
But do not be deceived…He will come.

Look at the second metaphor. He says that the day will “come on them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child.”

In our life together Anita has gone into labor twice.
Now, we knew she would go into labor but we didn’t know when.
And neither time did she begin her labor when we expected it.
In fact, the first time was 6 weeks early.

And do you know what happened both times she went into labor? A baby was born!

There was no stopping her!
When it was time, it was time!

Listen, when the Lord comes…and He will come, you can count on it.

No one knows when, but He will come.
And when the Lord comes there will be no “Hold it Lord! I’m not ready! Time out!”
When the Lord comes there will be no stopping Him.

And a lot of people are going to be caught totally unprepared. Look at verse 2-3:

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

A lot of people think there will be some kind of warning…some kind of sign.

If there is a sign or a last minute warning, they can get ready.

Paul doesn’t indicate that here.

The only warning that we have is the Lord’s word, He tells us that He is coming!
And the only sign we have is found in Acts 17:30-31 and that is the empty tomb.
The empty tomb is proof that God will judge this world.

And when the Lord does come, people will be doing what they have always done.

“It’s not going to happen. Things are just like they are every day.”
“Do what you want, God doesn’t mean what He says.”

They will be caught completely unprepared and Paul says for them it will be “sudden destruction.”

“Ruin…punishment.”

But for us who are IN Christ, things will be different. Look at what Paul says in verse 4.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

The faithful, obedient child of God…the one who is IN Christ…will escape the day of destruction…and instead will “always be with the Lord.” 4:17.

So, what do we do until then? Do we sit down and wait? Do we eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we die? Some people do that. Well, look at verse 6. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

In this verse the word “sleep” has a different meaning than the word found in chapter 4: 13-18.
This word means, “to go to sleep”…to be “careless about spiritual things.”
To be “unalert…and unsober” spiritually.

Paul says: “So then, let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”

Now, verse 7: “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.”

“Sleeping”…being spiritually inactive and careless.
Being “drunk”…spiritually unsound in your mind is characteristic of those who are sons of darkness.

But they are not characteristics of one who is a “son of the light.”

Sons of light stay prepared spiritually…they stay ready…spiritually alert and sober for the day when Christ will come again.

Once again, this is a passage that says that your Christian walk does not end at the baptistery.

And what Paul is saying is, “If you are IN Christ…if you are sons of the day…if you believe that Christ is coming again…then live like it.”
To do otherwise…to go to sleep…to become “drunk”…or dissipate…is to practice what those in the darkness do…and just like them, you will be subject to the coming destruction.

Brethren, if we do not stay alert…sober…ready for the day of the Lord…destruction will be ours.

In verse 8 Paul tells us to stay well armed. He says: 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 wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.

If you die before He comes…or if you are alive when He comes…because of Christ, you as a son of light…a child of God are destined for salvation.

Now, look at verse 11: Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

We need to talk about it to one another.

We have to speak the truth to one another about the return of Jesus.

We do not need to say, “Live each day like it is your last.”

We need to say, “Live each day like the Lord is coming back and He could come today.”

The Lord is coming back! For those of you who are IN Christ…stay alert and remain sober.

You are destined to salvation…you stay well armed so that you do not lose what is yours.

For those of you who once were sons of light and have gone to “sleep”…who have been walking in darkness…it is time to wake up!

And for those of you who are not IN Christ…those who are saying, “Peace and safety” and living your life outside of the security of Christ…

If the Lord were to come today, “destruction” would be yours.
Don’t let that happen to you.

Look at these words found in Romans 13:11:

11 And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Notice, Paul says, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

How do you do that?

Gal 3:26-27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

The Lord is on His way…a day of reckoning will come…no one knows when.

Are you ready?
If not, will you get that way?