REVOLUTION TO THE END! 1 Thessalonians 5a

The Future of God’s Revolution 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 (NASB) Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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. It IS ‘Revolution’  Culminates: “Day of the Lord”  NOT Our Initiative Mt.24:36  Upheaval: War (Mt.24:22)  New King (Mt.24:27ff)  God’s Revolution: Slow/Patient  Despite Scoffing: 2 Pet.3:3ff  Because: v.9 ‘Win More’  The problem today: “Duh…forgot”

Never Compromise!  While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" Trading-in our Revolutionary Faith The Greatest Temptation Counter-Revolutionary Pressures:  “You People are CRAZY!” (2Pt.3)  Why be radical? Be more like us! 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NASB) Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."

Never Compromise!  While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" Trading-in our Revolutionary Faith The Greatest Temptation Counter-Revolutionary Pressures:  “You People are CRAZY!” (2Pt.3)  Why be radical? Be more like us!  “We’ve got the answers!” 1Th.5:2  “Love..will grow cold” Mt.24  Sex & Success Matthew 24:12 (NASB) "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.

Never Compromise!  While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" Trading-in our Revolutionary Faith The Greatest Temptation Counter-Revolutionary Pressures:  “You People are CRAZY!” (2Pt.3)  Why be radical? Be more like us!  “We’ve got the answers!” 1Th.5:2  “Love..will grow cold” Mt.24  Sex & Success  Violent Opposition (2 Tim.3:2f)  Cold: ‘lovers..money’  ‘haters of good, brutal!’ Our Post-Modern Era! 2Ti.3:5 2 Timothy 3:2-3 (NASB) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 2 Timothy 3:5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Wealth Family Breakdown E-Commerce Mass Communications United World Large-Scale Warfare Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW Luke 21:24 (NASB) and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Family Breakdown E-Commerce Mass Communications United World Large-Scale Warfare Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW 2 Timothy 3:2 (NASB) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers…

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Love Breakdown (" 3:3) E-Commerce Mass Communications United World Large-Scale Warfare Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW 2 Timothy 3:2-4 …disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Love Breakdown (" 3:3) E-Commerce (Rev.13:17) Mass Communications United World Large-Scale Warfare Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW Revelation 13:17-18 …no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark…Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Love Breakdown (" 3:3) E-Commerce (Rev.13:17) WWW/etc. (Rev.11:9) United World Large-Scale Warfare Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW Revelation 11:9 (NLT) And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Love Breakdown (" 3:3) E-Commerce (Rev.13:17) WWW/etc. (Rev.11:9) United World (Rev.13:8) Large-Scale Warfare Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW Revelation 13:7-8 …And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast…

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Love Breakdown (" 3:3) E-Commerce (Rev.13:17) WWW/etc. (Rev.11:9) United World (Rev.13:8) HUGE Armies (Rev.9:16) Nuclear Warfare Signs Fulfilled NOW Revelation 9:16 I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops. Revelation 9:17 (NLT) And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths.

Don’t Be Surprised!  1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NASB) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;  Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, 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… Israel (Lk.21:24) Proud Wealth (2 Ti.3:2) Love Breakdown (" 3:3) E-Commerce (Rev.13:17) WWW/etc. (Rev.11:9) United World (Rev.13:8) HUGE Armies (Rev.9:16) Nuclear War (Is.13) Signs Fulfilled NOW Revelation 8:10-11 (NASB) The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. Isaiah 13:12-13 (NLT) I will make people scarcer than gold— more rare than the fine gold of Ophir. For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath in the day of his fierce anger.” Isaiah 13:7-9 (NASB) Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger…

BE a Revolutionary! 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor 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. But since we are of the day, let us be sober…  A Whole New Identity 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts… You are all sons of light and sons of day. Ephesians 5:14 (NASB) For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." We are not of night nor of darkness.

BE a Revolutionary!  1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor 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.  But since we are of the day, let us be sober…  A Whole New Identity  New Capabilities Ephesians 5:13 But all things become visible… Never get manipulated! Impacting others… The ability to see & reveal 2 Corinthians 4:6 …to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God… Illumination from the Word To know & understand God.

BE a Revolutionary!  1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor 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.  But since we are of the day, let us be sober…  A Whole New Identity  New Capabilities Ephesians 5:13 But all things become visible… Never get manipulated! Impacting others… The ability to see & reveal 2 Corinthians 4:6 …to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God… Illumination from the Word To know & understand God.

BE a Revolutionary!  5:9-10 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for 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.  A Whole New Identity  New Capabilities  Great HOPE!  “Wrath”– God steps back 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

BE a Revolutionary!  5:9-10 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for 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.  A Whole New Identity  New Capabilities  Great HOPE!  “Wrath”– God steps back  The job is done: we’re gone! 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 (NASB) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

BE a Revolutionary!  1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.  A Whole New Identity  New Capabilities  Great HOPE!  Great Fellowship Now!  Not “Pie-in-the-Sky”