Book of 1 Thessalonians - Ch. 5, Vs. 1-28 (11/23/03)

The last chapter of First Thessalonians, chapter five. Brian, I have a question for you. Did God make the entire human race from the first couple, Adam and Eve? Andrea, what do you say? From the first couple, Adam and Eve.

You influenced him, Andrea. No, he did not make the entire human race from the first couple, he made it from Adam. Eve was a descendant of Adam. Now, Brian, was man made mortal or immortal? Andrea? You can't answer yes.

Was he made mortal or immortal? Dennis? Joy? Well, tell them, Greg. They're saying immortal. What makes you say that he was made mortal? Russell, I've asked the question, was Adam made mortal or immortal?

I've been getting various answers, so you answer. Yes, yes, it's a good answer. He was made mortal. He was subject to death. He had a choice. Jesus was the second Adam. He also had a choice, but he was innocent.

Adam was innocent. See, free will means you have a choice. So Adam had a choice. He could sin or not sin, and he sinned, plunging the entire human race into sin. Now, one last question. Is physical death an outworking of a natural process?

I'm gonna start with you again. Oh, you're right. Sin or death is not a natural process. Death come about by sin. All right, yes. Yes, he had a free will. That's right, that's right. That's right. We do not have a free will.

I don't care what the world teaches you. You don't, that's right. You do have the right of choice, and you don't have that of salvation, but you can choose what you want. All of it is ordained of God.

That was right, but Adam didn't know that. Any more questions? All right, come to 1 Thessalonians 5. Follow the pronouns. But of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.

Times and Seasons, the Day of the Lord, and the Church's Hope

Now, Dennis, time and seasons. The believer in Christ is to be awake and alert in view of Christ's coming because the believer will not enter into that awful night of the great tribulation, which is labeled the day of the Lord.

That day of the Lord begins with night because that's the way God had of marking time. He begins that way in Genesis where it says the evening and the morning were the first day. God begins with night but moves to light.

So the great tribulation leads us into glorious millennial reign of Jesus Christ when the son of righteousness will rise with healings in his wings. Now, Dennis, times and seasons. Are these heavenly terms or earthly terms?

All right, these times and seasons are not the property of the church. They belong to this earth. It's a worldly term. Both Israel and Gentiles who will be saved in that day, the church is looking for a person, not for time and seasons.

But the time and season is an earthly term. The word for time in the Greek gives us chronosa, from which we get our word chronology. The times and seasons are the chronology is not for the church. The day that God has appointed for this judgment, we do not know.

Brian, I don't know when it'll be, do you? It's like a student in a Bible class, the teacher asks, do you know where Moses was buried and he held up his hand. Way in the back, shocked the teacher because nobody knows.

He said, well, I wish you would stand and tell us. Well, after a little bit, he got up and he says, I forgot where it was. I knew, but I forgot. The day that God has appointed for this judgment, we do not know.

But this is sure that it will come upon men when they're not expecting it. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord is so cometh as a thief in the night. Now, let's be sure we understand that we are looking for it, but the world is not.

The Lord Jesus will not come for the church like a thief in the night. The church is looking for him, but he will come to the world as a thief. That day of the Lord will come suddenly to the earth. Notice the pronoun change.

For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. You've heard the story of a woman pacing back and forth on top of a six-story house.

Time after time, she would approach the precipice and turn and walk back, smiling, humming to herself, evidently dreaming of some coming festival. But she would turn and walk back. At length, her eye caught the light of a candle in an opposite house.

She awoke. There was a cry, a heavy fall, and all was over. So will it be at the last for the ungodly. The light of the other world, as it streams in upon them, will awaken them from sleep. But as they awake, it will only be to discover the precipice on which they have long been standing, and over the edge they must now plunge.

Four, but ye, that's you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you as a thief. You're looking for him. That is, sincere Christians are freed from the gross darkness of that day, from the darkness and ignorance of sin, and do walk in the light of the holy conduct so their knowledge and practical holiness will be a good security against the terror of surprising afflictions, and particularly against the dread and terror of the night of judgment, day of judgment.

You're not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. Five, ye are all the children of light. The Greek says, for you are all sons of light. And the children of day, we are not of the night or of the darkness.

In Luke 16, eight, we find these words. And the Lord commended the unjust Stuart, that's little L, because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

While ye, in John 12, 36, while ye have light, believe in the light, that you may be children of light. These things spake Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them. What does it mean, Dennis, when it says that the generation of the world is wiser than the children of light?

They seem to know more of how to make money, how to save money. That's not always true, but it seems like bad people of the world are increasing. Well, you do not belong to the darkness. The change of the person from ye to we implies this.

Ye are sons of light because ye are Christian. And we Christians are not of the night or darkness. Of the children of the light are the saved people. The children of the dark are the devil's people. How many of you understand and believe that there's two seeds in this world?

Absolutely. Read the Bible with that thought in mind. In Ephesians, we find for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light of the Lord, walking as children of light. Five and six. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.

Joy of the rapture is going to do two things. First of all, it ends the day of grace, the age in which we now live. Second, it begins the day of the Lord. The great tribulation will get underway. The reason that the day won't overtake us is what?

We'll be gone. In 1 Thessalonians 4 .14, we had the word sleep. I don't suppose you remember, but we have the word sleep in here. And the first sleep is coimeo, to be dead, deceased. The second is found in verses six and seven, is cathiodo, to lie down, to fall asleep.

So we should be watching, alert, looking for his return. Verse seven, for they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. God has appointed us to obtain salvation.

Now, Andrew, can you defeat that? Well, let me ask again. God has appointed us, appointed you, to salvation. He has appointed you to salvation. Is there any way that you can defeat that? No. The wrath is the great tribulation.

The us is singular, collective, meaning each of us individually as a group. Verse eight, but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Putting on, that means, Brian, that you can do it. We're not only called to work, but we're called also, Dennis, to fight. That we may not be surprised, we must watch. That we may be in condition to defend ourselves, we must be sober.

And that we may be enabled to conquer, we must be armed. What the breastplate and helmet are to the soldier's heart and head, such are faith, hope, and love to us. Faith enables us to endure, as seeing him who is invisible.

Love excites us to diligence and activity, and makes us bear our troubles and difficulties pleasantly. Hope helps us to anticipate the great end, the glory that shall be revealed, and which we know we shall in due time obtain.

We must fight with faith and hope, and therefore we should certainly not be someplace snoring. Stay awake all of the time, mentally. Nine, for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joy, what is the wrath of God? It's a judgment. So we learn from this verse that there are those that are appointed to wrath. Do you see it? When it says that we're not appointed to wrath, it means that there are those that are, and they're the seed of Satan.

10, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Live together with him. That's another place that we see the fact that we are in the Christ. We are in Jesus the Christ.

In John 10, 15, as the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Romans 5 and 6, for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

That's what you were, Russell, ungodly. Romans 5, 7, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man, some even would dare to die. 5, 8, but God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Now, I don't want you to get the idea that he died just for you. I want to make a difference. I was taught that when I was younger, that he died just for you, that if you had been the only person on earth that was a sinner, he would have died just for you.

Well, he did all of that, but that wasn't his primary reason. Dennis, do you know the primary reason for the cross or why Jesus died? Well, he did that, but that wasn't the primary reason. Greg, what do you mean by his creation?

That's right. Yes, that is the primary reason. It was to please the heavenly father. Now, it pleased the father not only to save you, but to save his creation. It was all under a curse. Do you understand?

I'm not sure of what I'm saying, but do you understand, Russell? Brian, do you? Will a farmer, will a farmer, pour his strength into his field by the heat of the day, working until he is exhausted, and when the grain is ripe, to harvest and not reap the crop?

You wouldn't do that, would you, Dennis? Shall the Lord Jesus toil and groan and grieve and die and then leave us to perish in our sins? It's impossible for anything in creation to be between you and eternal life.

It's impossibility. Verse 11, wherefore, comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even also ye do. Paul says you're doing it, continue to do it. We must not only watch ourselves, but we also are bound to stir up and to strengthen and encourage one another.

12, and we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. The ministers of the gospel are described by the work of their office. Think about it.

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves. We are to know them which labor among us as your ministers with affectionate love and obedience to their instructions.

I trust that each one of us are following exactly what the Lord has for us willingly, not unwillingly. You're following, but be sure it's willingly. This life is really very simple. He makes all the decisions for us.

He protects us in our way. He brings us through. He will see us to the end and we physically die. And he is still with us. It's so good that he makes all the decisions. 14, now we, now that doesn't relieve us of making decisions on the second level.

Now we exhort you, brethren, to honor, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. The word that jumps out at me, Dennis, is feeble-minded. What's he talking about?

All right, and what do you mean strong in the Lord? You would say what? All right. Feeble-minded. All right. Darling, young Christians, those who are easily disheartened, discouraged, the weak, weak in faith, we must have consideration of every man.

The remedy must be applied according to the disease. 15, see that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men. See that none render evil for evil to any man.

Dennis, hasn't there at times been people that you'd like to get even with? I dare say Brian's even thought about that. What should we do, Russell, when the thought comes in my mind, I know how I can get even with him.

Now, we're to see that no one does that, but ever follow that which is good. Follow that which is good. Brian, what is good? All right, I like to say follow your good intuition. There is within each one of us a person that tells you whether it's right or wrong before you do it.

Learn to listen to him, that's God. There is no believer who needs not exercise the patience toward him. 16, rejoice evermore, constantly joy. That should be easy for Christians because of the deliverance which they have experienced, what they have in possession, pardon, grace, the Holy Spirit, what they have laid up for them, a crown of righteousness.

Religions not sympathetic with idleness. Christians should rejoice evermore because nothing, nothing can injure him. Everything must benefit him in proportion as it aims to injure him. Joy, everything that we do, how does it get turned into sin?

I said everything. Well, everything, everything in the original state is of God, is it not? All right, Greg, when do you know that you're sinning? That's exactly right. See, he has built into each person what we call a conscience.

Now, our conscience is guided by God because we belong to him. It's directed by the devil in those that are not of him. On top of all of that, or intermixed with it, is our moral life and our society in which we live.

But God overrides everything and he sends only good to us. And it's when we listen to Satan. Now, you may never know you're listening to him, but I dare say that your conscience will, if you haven't suppressed it so much, it will guide you every day to bring us closer to our inheritance.

17, pray without ceasing. In order to rejoice evermore, we must pray evermore. He who thanks God for all things as happening for the best will have a continuous joy. And everything gives thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you while you're in it.

In everything, give thanks. Now, that did not say give thanks for everything. It's while you're in it, Greg. You must, if you can do that, you must be aware of where you are. God has decreed all things and it can refer to thanks that for this is pleasing to God.

And Dennis, after all, all we are here to do is to please God. 19, quench not the spirit. Russell, what's the word quench mean? Quench not the spirit. Brian, that spirit has a capital S on it. What does it refer to?

Quench not the spirit of God. Dennis, how can you quench the spirit? This Holy Spirit, co-equal, co-eternal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is represented as a fire because it is of his providence to enlighten and quicken the soul, to purge, purify, refine it.

The spirit is represented as being quenched when any act is done, word spoken, or temper indulged, contrary to the dictates of God. Now, Greg, it is so good that I can quench the spirit, but I cannot quench him away.

No matter how evil and bad I get, I'm still the Son of God. Despise not prophecies, prophesying, used in the New Testament of Old Testament prophets, prediction of events related to Christ's kingdom, of the endowment and speech of a Christian teacher called prophets, the gifts and utterances of these prophets, especially of the predictions of the works of which set apart to teach gospel will accomplish for the kingdom.

Do not suppose that you have no need of continually being instructed. There are those that grow to that point. Without it, you cannot preserve the Christian life, go on to perfection. God has a way, and I say that because I don't know the way, but he will always send the messenger of salvation to us, to me, to you, by way of a messenger, to every faithful, attentive hearer.

Do not suppose that you're already wise enough, no longer need to study how to be holy. They who slight or neglect the means of grace and especially the preaching of God's word are generally vain and empty, self-conceited people and exceedingly superphysical, both in knowledge and piety.

21, prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil. What's that mean, Greg? That's right. Your actions alone determine your worth to men. You have to remember that, that as you act in this world, and we all do, I can see you, you can see me, we can see each other, we can see John Doe that lives across the fence.

And his actions alone, I determine the worth of that man. 23, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus.

So we have a spirit, a body, and a soul. And every God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God, your whole spirit and soul and body, we are made up of three parts. Paul proves that you have a spirit, a soul, and a body.

24, faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. Now, Russell, who also will do it carries a lot of doctrine in there. But what do you see? The word it refers to preserving you blameless and effectual calling, safe and sure.

God's going to see to it. He's already seen to it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all of the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen. Finishes the first book of Thessalonians.