1Thessalonians Encouragement to a fledgling Church

Last Week Sanctification Positional Practical/Progressive Our Ambition To live a quiet life Pay attention to our own business Work with our hands to be useful Any follow-up thoughts?

Chapter 5 About the times and seasons… Where do we stand in God’s timeline?

Chapter 5 We know we aren’t supposed to know the time or the hour… We would love to know it Don’t get to know it Probably shouldn’t know it so we won’t do something wrong with the knowledge

You don’t need to be reminded Why does Paul keep saying this?

You don’t need to be reminded Why does Paul keep saying this? To encourage them to continue on and not feel like they have already perfected this…keep on growing This letter is divinely inspired and meant to speak to every Christian of every age…just because Thessalonica is doing it right doesn’t mean I am

The Ultimate Dichotomy The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night When they say “Peace and Security”; sudden destruction comes on them When things seem to be at their best to the unwise, they aren’t really. They just don’t even know how close total calamity really is. It comes like death. We do not usually know when our last minute is supposed to be. Like labor pains of a pregnant woman, and they will not escape Once the final piece of the process starts, there is no going back, it is simply going to be happening.

The Ultimate Dichotomy The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night But you are not in the dark for this day to overtake you like a thief Two different outcomes and viewpoints of the same historical moment You are sons of the day, not the night. Sons of the light, not the darkness. Although we may have started out like our father the Devil, we are no longer identified as such.

The Ultimate Dichotomy Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, get drunk at night. There are not two different truths at work here. The light is true, and exists…those in the dark are not aware of it They believe that their “living” is done in the night Since we belong to the day We aren’t just aware of the day We aren’t just living in the day We are “owned” by the day…

Living in the day Doing the things of the darkness is like living in some foreign land to us Living in the dark should seem frivolous, ignorant, and lost…instead of appealing or tempting. So we must be serious and put on the armor of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation

Not appointed to wrath God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ. This is not so much about election as it is about the surety of the promise of salvation, because it is of God, who cannot be moved, not ourselves, which would be quite tenuous. In other words, because we know Him, and we know He did it, we can have surety that we are “morning people” not “night people”…so we don’t need to fear this day for ourselves. He did not create mankind to perish…but to come to glorify His name. Hell was not made for us, but we willingly put ourselves in the devil’s place of punishment by taking part in the “family business”

Relationships in the Church Labor among, not labor for, or labor in place of… Lead you…not in a way of human rulership or rule over someone…but lead you in the Lord…lead you in the way that the lord is already leading you. Being at peace among yourselves is a two way command to those in ministry and those in the general fellowship.

Live like we know better The dual reality of the Day of the Lord, should cause us to act in sober and responsible way. Warning, comforting, helping those who cannot help themselves, being patient. Not seeking revenge to anyone, but doing the best you can for others.

Paul’s conclusion Pray Be thankful Hold on to what is tested by the Word of God to be true Get away from things that are contrary to God Continue to become more sanctified with every ounce of themselves

Next Week 2 Thessalonians Chapter 1-3 It’s only 47 verses! Probably no chance I get through 47 in one week…but I don’t know where I will break off next week yet! Entire book on the endgame of God’s Plan