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Day of the Lord

Day of the Lord

Oct 11, 2015

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Preacher: Jared Longshore

Series: Book of 1 Thessalonians

Category: Sunday Morning

Keywords: awake, condemnation, grace, judgment, mercy, wrath

Detail:

Pastor Jared Longshore continues his series on 1 Thessalonians with a message on Chapter 5, Verses 1-11 entitled “The Day of the Lord.” The Bible clearly teaches a coming day of judgment. Whether we believe it or not that day is coming. Since Paul writes of the coming Day of the Lord in the passage at hand Christians should wonder how then they ought to live? Christians are to stay awake and alert!

The nature of the Day of the Lord, the need for believers to stay awake, and the reasons to stay awake are all apparent in this passage. The day will be dreadful. It will be a day of sudden and certain destruction. Pain and sorrow, mourning and grieving will all be part of this destruction. Rather than a day of annihilation, however, it will be a day ushering in an eternity of judgment for all those living in darkness As bad as all this will be, fortunately for believers, destruction will not come those living in the light of Jesus Christ. Believers must stay awake watching for the day so they can warn the world. God’s Word notes that “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). Believers have a responsibility to warn the world. Thus, Christians need to stay awake.

Since believers are not children of darkness they need not fear the coming day. Once again Paul draws a distinction between believers and non-believers. The world is in darkness having rejected the Lord Jesus Christ; believers are in the light of His love and provision. Since Christ has purchased believers with His blood at Calvary’s Cross, Christians cannot legitimately claim life as being too hard. This passage rings with the truth, “Obedience may be hard, but it is not too hard.” Besides God has provided means for believers. He has given His Word to be read, meditated upon, and memorized. Furthermore, He has given believers fellow Christians. These means of grace help believers stay close to the truth.

Great reasons for staying awake exist. Verse 9 informs us that “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The day of destruction will not be visited upon those who are His. Our destiny is an eternal inheritance, a great joy. As great as eternal security may be the greater blessing is that the security comes through Jesus Himself. The One Who gave Himself for us will be with us forever, “whether we are awake or asleep” (v. 10). Death, rather than separating us from God, only brings us closer. And so we are to encourage one another” (v. 11).

The pastor closes with a word to unbelievers. Reading this passage one sees both the kindness and severity of God. God will by no means let the guilty, those in darkness, escape judgment. But, through trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, He has provided a substitution for that guilt. Come to Jesus, receive forgiveness, be secure for eternity.