Belonging to the Day

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

We are continuing our series in 1 & 2 Thessalonians titled “Follow Christ. He Comes!” Last week, John Farmer shared with you some of the details that the apostle Paul revealed to the Thessalonian believers concerning Jesus’ second coming—specifically that those who had died in Christ will not proceed those who are still alive in Christ but instead the dead will be caught up together with those who are still living at the time to meet the Lord in the air and thus we will all be with the Lord for all eternity. Our passage today will deal with living for Christ until He comes back for us or until we die and await His return for us like those who have died in Christ for the past 2000 years or more.

Let’s pray and ask the Lord to make this message both meaningful and applicable to each one of us.

Today we are going to examine I Thessalonians 5:1-11. In the beginning of today’s passage Paul wrote the following to the Thessalonians:

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. –1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (NIV)

In Matthew 24:36-44 Jesus said the following regarding the day of the Lord:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” --Matthew 24:36-44 (NIV)

In obedience to Jesus we must be ready at all times and keep watching for His second coming.  We by faith believed the gospel, that the Lord suffered and died for our sins according to the scriptures and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.  Because of our faith in Jesus, God the Father has given us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us as a deposit and guarantee of His promise of eternal life. The Holy Spirit will help us when times get rough.  In one of my favorite passages that I claim as a promise Paul says:

“And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” – 2 Timothy 1: 11-14 (NIV)

Paul had entrusted everything (his whole life) to Christ for that day of the Lord’s second coming and so should we.  Tough times will come in our lives as well.  Jesus said in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

Paul also tells Timothy, ^“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12 (NIV).

The unbelieving world had at that time set their hope on peace and safety.  Here’s what Paul has to say about that:

“While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” –1 Thessalonians 5: 3 (NIV)

An alternate translation of “peace and safety” used by The New English Standard Version is “peace and security.” People were saying this phrase back then, which was more than 2000 years ago.  The Romans even went so far to inscribe this phrase (peace and safety) on their coins. Today people are still setting their hope on peace and safety. On May 11, 2018, during a campaign rally, President Donald Trump used this phrase (Peace and Security) in his announcement of his meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore.  He said “and on June 12 in Singapore I’ll be meeting with Kim Jong Un to pursue a future of peace and security for the world, for the whole world.”

I also found a YouTube video of the opening address at the 2018 NATO Summit in Brussels.  The opening speaker speaking for the 29 Nations that make up the NATO Alliance stated: “together we have achieved an unprecedented period of peace and security and we are here today so that future generations can enjoy that same peace and security.  We owe our success to our unity, to our resolve, to our ability to change as the world has changed and above all to the men and women of our armed forces.”

Note the speaker made no mention of God in this declaration nor does he give any praise or credit to God for this unprecedented period of peace and security.  Why do you think that is?  Christians have prayed to God over the past 2000 years that God would bring the various wars to an end. God did eventually end those wars and Christians gave Him thanks and praise for the prayers that He answered. 

Proverbs 21:31 says: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.” Yet in their speeches these two men claim success was brought about not by God but by the efforts of men.

The Apostle John speaks of the last hour in 1 John 2:18 where he says:

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know that it is the last hour.  –1 John 2:18 (NIV)

But the Apostle Peter reminds believers in 2 Peter 3:8-10 that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and vice versa.  Peter also reminds us in these verses that the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  There Peter says:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. –2 Peter 3:8-10 (NIV)

Back to today’s passage, the apostle Paul goes on to tell the Thessalonians believers:

But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. –1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NIV)

Apparently it was a common occurrence for thieves back then to rob people at night.  That hasn’t changed much in 2000 years either. I read of a study that was conducted just looking at when crime takes place and an interesting statistic came out of the study concerning Daylight Savings Time changes, in particular the three week extension of Daylight Savings Time.  You may remember that in 2005 President Bush signed into law a broad energy bill that extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks beginning in 2007. The provisions of the bill called for Daylight Saving Time to begin three weeks earlier on the second Sunday in March and end one week later on the first Sunday in November. The provisions took effect on March 11, 2007.

Now, most people think that Daylight Savings Time is inconvenient and extending it seems even more inconvenient.   However, there is one interesting bright side to the extension: Robbery rates dropped significantly during the starting three week extension period of Daylight Saving Time. In 2015 The Review of Economics and Statistics published a paper in which Jennifer L. Doleac and Nicholas J. Sanders presented empirical estimates of the effect of ambient light on violent crime.

They found that fewer robberies are committed when Daylight Savings Time begins in the spring, with a particularly significant drop during that extra hour of sunlight in the time right after work: "Results show that daily cases of robbery, a violent and socially costly street crime, decrease by approximately 7% in the weeks after DST begins, with a 19% drop in the probability of any robbery occurring. A 27% decrease in the robbery rate during the sunset hours drives much of this result." The authors of the study hammered out several factors why this might be the case, highlighting the fact that the "prime time for crime" is during the hours that people are on their way home from work. However, they conclude that "Regardless of the mechanism, it is clear the relationship between daylight and clock time matters when it comes to crime." 

Paul tells the Thessalonian believers that:

You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. –1 Thessalonians 5: 5 and 6 (NIV)

He goes on to say:

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. –1 Thessalonians 5: 7 (NIV)

I suspected that this was still true today.  So I googled the subject and found an interesting statistic.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Saturday is the most dangerous day of the week to drive, primarily because there are more cars – and more drunk drivers – on the road than any other day. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety, 31% of fatal drunk-driving accidents occur on the weekend, and the highest number of drunk drivers is on the road between midnight and 3 a.m.  Fatal crashes are also four times higher at night than they are during the day.

Again this data on getting drunk seems to corroborate what Paul told the Thessalonians over 2000 years ago.

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. —1 Thessalonians 5: 8 (NIV)

Paul told the Ephesians to do the same:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.—Ephesians 6:10-11

Finally, Paul goes on to tell the Thessalonians belonging to the day:

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. –1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NIV)

So as people belonging to the day, we must clothe ourselves with the full armor of God and encourage each other and build each other up while we wait expectantly for the Lord’s second coming.  Today we ae going to obey the Lord by taking the bread and cup in remembrance of His body being broken for us and His blood being shed for the forgiveness of our sins.  Afterwards we will build each other up during our sharing time.  Let’s pray.