1 Thessalonians 5:1-28
Key verse 23
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
For 4 weeks we've looked at Paul's letter to the young Christians at Thessalonica. In chapters 1 & 2, we learned how the gospel has the power to transform us. In chapter 3, we learned how our love can increase and abound for another. And in chapter 4, we learned how we should live as Christians in this fallen world. Today we're going to look at Paul's concluding paragraphs to his brothers. We’re going to learn about the day of the Lord, that is Jesus’ 2nd coming. We’ll learn when will it come, how will it come, and what happens to us when it does come. Next, we'll see what God’s will is for his church. And finally, we’ll see how God sanctifies his church for his will as they wait for Jesus to come again.
I. The Day of the Lord (1-7)
1st, When Will Jesus Come Again (1-2)? Verse 1 says, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.” The Thessalonians were wondering when Jesus would come again. They were anxious because they wanted to make sure that they were ready for him. People have always wondered when Jesus would return. Many have even tried to predict his 2nd coming. In 1832, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, said that Jesus would return in 1890 when Joseph reached the age of 85. Obviously Jesus didn’t return. Jehovah’s Witnesses also predicted Jesus’ return many times. Each time he didn’t come, they would pick another year. I remember when I was about 8 years old someone predicted Jesus would return at midnight. All night long I sat in my bed afraid, waiting for Jesus to come. So when did Paul say Jesus would return? He didn’t. The thing is, nobody knows when Jesus will come again. Jesus said in Mark 13:32 that no one will know the day or hour, not even the angels nor Jesus himself will know when. The only one who does know is God. Despite this fact, the Thessalonians still speculated. So to help them, Paul decided to address 2 important questions: How will Jesus come again and what will happen to use when he does come again?
2nd, How will Jesus Come Again (2)? Verse 2 says, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” According to Paul, Jesus will come like a thief in the night. The problem with thieves is, they don’t tell us when they are coming. They don’t send us a tweet or a post card while we’re away on our honeymoon saying, “Hey, we’re going to break into your house tonight and steal all your wedding gifts.” I wish they did, because this is exactly what happened to Angie and I while we were on our honeymoon. When Jesus comes again, it will be totally unexpected. It could happen at any moment. It could happen now, 20 years from now, or even 30,000 years from now. The point is, we don’t know. All we know is, Jesus will come like a thief in the night.
3rd, What happens to us when Jesus comes again (3-7)? Verse 3 says, “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” People will be going about their day to day activities. They’ll look around and say, “It doesn’t look like Jesus will be coming back anytime soon. I might as well go out and have some fun. Besides, I’m young. And as the saying goes, ‘Enjoy your life while you can.’” Then suddenly, while they’re enjoying themselves, destruction will fall upon them. On September 11, 2001, at 8 in the morning, all seemed well. People were entering the World Trade Centers in New York City as if it were just another ordinary day. But 46 minutes later, everything changed. Within less than 2 hours, 2976 people lost their lives. When Jesus returns, it will be just as sudden. People will be eating, drinking, partying, and marrying, then suddenly, there he is (Luke 17:27)! Jesus will descend from heaven, riding on a white horse. The armies of heaven will be following him. His eyes will be like flames of fire. Out of his mouth will come a sharp sword and he will strike down all the nations. According to Paul, those who aren’t ready will suffer sudden destruction, like labor pains that suddenly come upon women. When Jesus comes again it will be too late to be saved. When a woman begins to feel labor pains coming upon her, she knows the baby is about to be born, ready or not. There is no turning back.
Paul continues in verse 4, “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” The thought of Jesus’ 2nd coming could cause anyone to be anxious. But Paul tells the Thessalonians that they have no reason to be surprised when Jesus comes again. He says that they are no longer children of the darkness, but they are now children of light, children of the day. Only those who live in the dark and whose deeds are evil will be caught unprepared. Paul says Christians live in the light – and, no matter when that day comes, if they are watchful and sober, it will find them ready. When do thieves come? At night. Who will be the most unprepared? Those who live in the night, those whose hearts have been darkened by unbelief. But those whose hearts have been filled with the light of Christ will be ready.
Just because Christians live in the light, it doesn’t mean that they can do whatever they want until Jesus returns. The Thessalonians knew about Jesus’ 2nd coming, but they weren’t sure how to live until his return. So, in verses 8-22, Paul tells them God’s will for his church as they wait: 1st, they must be dressed with faith, love, and hope (8-11). 2nd, they must show respect and care for others(12-15). And 3rd, they must rejoice always, prayer without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances (16-22).
II. God’s Will for His Church (8-22)
1st, Be dressed with faith, love, and hope (8-11). Verse 8a says, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love…” Verse 8 is a common Pauline triad of Christianity – faith, love, and hope. Paul mentioned this at the very begging of his letter in chapter 1:3. Why does Paul keep mentioning faith, hope, and love? It’s because they are the center of Christianity. The Breastplate of faith and love is impenetrable. Our faith rests on what God has done for us through his Son Jesus Christ. And we as a church love one another and all people because of what Christ has done for us on the cross.
Verse 8b says, “and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” What is this helmet? Verses 9-10 say, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” When God created the world, it was very good in his eyes (Gen 1:31). God didn’t create the world for wrath, but he created it for his glory. But after the fall of man, God who is holy and just, had to punish mankind for their sins. Now, because of our sins, we do deserve God’s wrath. But God has graciously provided a way out for us. He has given us salvation by redirecting all his wrath from us towards his Son. This is known as God’s grace. But God’s grace wasn’t without cost. To redirect his wrath, our Lord Jesus had to be punished in our place. He had to suffer and die, not for what he did, but for what we did. Jesus diverted God’s wrath upon himself so that we might be saved from God’s judgment and live with him when he comes again. Those who accept this truth, have assurance of salvation and eternal life. This is the helmet that Christians wear.
2nd, Show respect and care for others (12-15). In verses 12-13, Paul asks the Thessalonian church members to respect and to hold very highly in love those who labor to serve them with love and with the word of God. They say that pasturing is one of the most thankless jobs in the world. A pastor struggles each week to serve God’s children with the word of God. He counsels the faint-hearted, he visits the sick, he presides over weddings and funerals. He has to be available almost 24/7. For our pastors here at West Loop, they are all working full time in other jobs to support their families. Everything they do is on a volunteer basis. We as a church really need to recognize and show love for those who sacrifice themselves for us. Many times we just complain. “They said this. They said that. They didn’t do this. They didn’t do that.” Of course, this just doesn’t mean we should respect pastors. But it means everyone who is serving the church. The praise band sacrifices a lot each week to serve our music. What they do is just as important as the sermon. The opening greeter, the offering servants, the prayer servants, the closing prayer topics, the benediction, those who make the lunches and prepare our sports all are equal in God. When we appreciate and have affection for whom Jesus appointed to serve his church, then, as Paul said in verse 13b, we can be at peace with one another.
In verses 14-15, Paul urges the Thessalonians to pay attention to those who need special care. He first urges the church to admonish the idle. The word used for idle originally described a soldier who left the ranks. It literally means “Warn the quitters”. Next, Paul urges the church to encourage the faint hearted. The word for faint-hearted relates to those who fear the worst. They fear that they’re going to die. They fear that they’re going to suffer great loss, such as losing a job or a family member. Fear is the worst thing that anyone could ever have. It cripples one’s very life. That’s why Paul urges the church to encourage such people. When I began Bible study, I had a major fear of death. It was so bad that I began skipping classes in college and stopped watching western movies because of all the killings, which I really loved. One day, my Bible teacher encouraged me to memorize 1 Corinthians 15, all 58 verses. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but it solved my fear.
Next, Paul urges the Thessalonians to help the weak. There are people out there who really need our love and attention more than they need correction. They’ve been hurt so much from life’s past, such as divorce, abuse, hatred, loss of a job or death of a loved one. Whenever we see the idle, faint-hearted, and the weak, we really need to have compassion on them and be patient with them all, as God has long-suffering patience with us. Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Finally in verse 15, Paul tells us not to seek revenge. Even if someone has harmed us or shamed us, we should never seek to get revenge on them. Jesus even goes to the point of saying that we need to forgive them. Mark 11:25 says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
3rd, Rejoice always, prayer without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances (16-22). Verses 16-18 say, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In these verses Paul gives us 3 marks of a genuine church. 1st, a church should always be rejoicing. A sorrowful church, miserable church, a fighting church does not reveal Jesus Christ. When a new person comes into a church that looks miserable, or when they sit by a miserable person, more than likely they won’t want to hang around. Even if we suffer as an individual while serving others, we must see it as not suffering for ourselves, but suffering for the sake of Christ in order to win them over to him. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Next, a church should always be a praying church. God really answers prayer when 2 or more gather in his name. Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." We as a church should be involved with intercessory prayer. We should be praying for other church members, near and far. We should pray for each other’s faith, God’s truth to be revealed, for our government, for non-believers, for the poor, oppressed, abused. Prayer should be our default mode. And it should never be stopped. What happens when we don’t pray? We wind up thinking about ourselves and all of our problems and then we fall into despair. David prayed in Psalm 119:36 saying, “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.”
Also, a church should give thanks in all circumstances. There is always something for which we can give thanks to God for. Even on the darkest of days, there are blessings to count. Louisa Stead married and had a daughter named Lily. When Lily was 4, her family went on vacation to a nearby beach. They were having a good time together when suddenly they noticed a young boy drowning in the ocean. Louisa’s husband swam out to rescue him but he was pulled under by the boy and they both drowned. After her husband’s death, Louisa had no means to support her and her daughter, so they lived in dire poverty. One day, someone left groceries and some money at her door. Upon seeing this, Louisa realized that even in the darkest of hours, she always had something that she could thank God for. So that day she sat down and began to write the famous hymn song, “Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” Even in the darkest of hours, there is one thing we can always be thankful for - Jesus Christ who died for my sins and rose again from the dead.
III. God Sanctifies Our Hearts (23-28)
Verse 23 says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul says that the only way we can live as God wants us to live until Jesus comes again is by being completely sanctified. He even goes as far as saying that our whole spirit, body, and soul must be keep blameless until Jesus comes again. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we have to be 100% blameless to get into heaven. This would go against grace and justification. By God’s grace, we have been justified through the blood of Jesus. But this does not nullify sanctification.
What is sanctification? Sanctification means, “to be separate” or “set apart.” In the Bible, God set apart people in order that his purpose might be accomplished through them. In the same way, when we accept Christ, we are immediately sanctified. We have been set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. So sanctification is the result of salvation. But sanctification does not stop with salvation. We are still sinners who need God’s help. Our default mode is usually not towards doing the will of God. Rather, it’s living for our own selfish benefit and gain. So in order to live as God wants us to live, we need sanctification. But how does God sanctify us? John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Sanctification happens when God reveals the truth in our hearts; the truth about ourselves, our sins, our weaknesses, and the truth about God. It happens when we come to God through his word, through his Bible. We need God who can bring holiness and change in our lives. We need the Holy Spirit to convict us in areas we need the most change in. If you lack faith, pray that God may sanctify you. If you lack hope, love, and care, pray that God may sanctify you. If you lack joy, prayer, and giving thanks in all things, pray that God may sanctify you. Paul says in verse 24, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” God wants to sanctify us so that we can live a life pleasing to him.
In closing, Paul says, “Brothers, pray for us.” We all need prayer, including Saint Paul. He then has them greet all the brothers with a holy kiss, a kiss on the cheek. Then he puts them under oath to read this letter to all the brothers. And his final sentence he says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” In everything that we do as church and as a Christian, we need the grace of Jesus in our lives. So as Paul prayed, I also pray for you, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”