DAY OF THE LORD

Sunday Morning: April 2, 2000

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

BRETHREN

1 Thessalonians 5:1 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you."

ELECT, BELOVED

1 Thessalonians 1:4 "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."

WHO HOPE AND SORROW NOT

1 Thessalonians 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE

1 Thessalonians 5:2 "For yourselves know perfectly [circumspectly] that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."

WHO ARE NOT IN DARKNESS

1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5. Ye are all the children [uji>ov, sons] of light, and the children [uji>ov, sons] of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."

WALK HONESTLY

Romans 13:13-14 "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting [carousing] and drunkenness, not in chambering [sexual promiscuity] and wantonness [sensuality], not in strife and envying [jealousy]. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

TIMES AND SEASONS

1 Thessalonians 5:1 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you."

DEALING WITH ISRAEL

Acts 1:6-7 "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7. And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."

THE DAY COMES AS A THIEF

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

AS TRAVAIL IN BIRTH

3. 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."

BIRTH PANGS

Mark 13:6-8 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows [travail, birth pang]."

THE DAY OF THE LORD

2 Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; . . . the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

ONE DAY

2 Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

NEW EARTH

Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."

BEFORE THE DAY OF THE LORD

Malachi 4:5 ". . I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"

MOSES AND ELIJAH

Revelation 11:3 ". . . my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3.5 years), clothed in sackcloth."

Matthew 17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias [Elijah] talking with him."

MID-TRIBULATION

Revelation 11:12 ". saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven. . ."

DAY OF THE LORD PROPHESIED

Isaiah 2:12 "For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:"

AGAINST SINNERS

Isaiah 13:9 "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it."

AIR POLLUTION

Joel 2:31 "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." Also in Acts 2:20

OTHERS SLEEP

1 Thessalonians 5:6 "Therefore let us not sleep [kaqeudw, present active subjunctive; better, may we not sleep not the same as in 4:13], as do others [loipov, and in 4:13 in 1 Thess.]; but let us watch and be sober.

Mark 13:33 "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is."

Mark 13:36 "Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping [present active kaqeudw, indifference]."

Luke 22:53 ". . . this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

"OTHERS" WITH OUT "HOPE"

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ". . . concerning them which are asleep [koimaw, died], that ye sorrow not, even as others [loipov] which have no hope."

"THEY" WHO "SAY", SLEEP

1 Thessalonians 5:7, 8 "For they that sleep [present active participle] sleep [present active indicative] in the night; and they that be drunken [present active participle] are drunken [present active indicative] in the night.

8. But let us, who are of the day, be sober [present active subjunctive, may be sober], putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

PUT ON THE AMOUR

Ephesians 6:13-18 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

ARE YOU AWARE?

Luke 21:34-36 "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (wasteful pleasure), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things (excessive live style, drunkenness, cares of life) that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."