0:05 [Music]
0:07 welcome to back to the Bible Radio
0:09 featuring bestselling author and
0:11 internationally known Bible teacher Warren
0:12 Warren
0:15 weby father help us to examine Our Lives
0:19 to rearrange our priorities help us to
0:21 live for the things that really count
0:24 remind us that life is short and we want
0:27 to make the bo most of it and so I pray
0:30 that you will help us in our study of
0:33 the word of God today for Jesus sake and
0:36 in his name
0:39 amen God expects us his children to be
0:41 different from those who don't believe
0:44 in the Lord Jesus Christ Paul has been
0:46 pointing out these differences in 1
0:49 Thessalonians chapters 4 and 5
0:52 Christians are human Christians are
0:54 tempted Christians go through pressures
0:57 that some unsaved people know nothing
1:00 about and Paul tells us that God is able
1:02 to help us through all of these
1:06 emergencies and pressures of life in
1:10 chap 4: 1-8 he reminded us to walk in
1:13 Purity to take God at his word be ye
1:17 holy for I am Holy so many people in the
1:20 world walk in impurity immorality they
1:22 they joke about things that are very
1:25 sacred and very special and yet Paul
1:29 reminds us that we should walk in Purity
1:31 verses 9 through 12 he tells us to walk
1:35 in love concerning brotherly love and
1:37 helping one another and encouraging one
1:41 another then in chapter 4:3 through chap
1:45 5:1 he focuses on the Future Hope of the
1:48 coming of the Lord Jesus Christ unsaved
1:51 people have no hope not just a little
1:53 bit of hope they have no hope you either
1:56 have hope or you don't have hope Peter
1:58 tells us we have been born again to a
2:00 living hope now a Living Hope is one
2:03 that grows it takes root it bears fruit
2:05 it's a practical thing when you have a
2:08 living hope it affects your living just
2:11 like a young lady who gets engaged and
2:13 now she's looking forward to a marriage
2:15 and what does she do well that future
2:18 hope that future plan uh guides her
2:20 whole life how she spends her time how
2:22 she spends her money the books that she
2:26 reads the things that she does all of
2:28 these things are affected by her future
2:31 plans well we plan to be in heaven we
2:34 plan to see the Lord Jesus Christ and
2:36 Paul focuses on that in chap
2:40 4:3 through chapter 5: 11 of 1
2:42 Thessalonians now you've noticed I'm
2:45 sure in your own Bible study that in
2:48 chapter 4 he Comforts The Believers he's
2:51 talking to the saved in particular there
2:54 talking about the saved and in chapter 4:
2:55 4:
2:58 13-18 he writes a word of comfort and
3:01 assurance because they were concerned
3:03 about their Christian dead had the dead
3:06 in Christ been abandoned and the Lord
3:08 said through Paul no they have not been
3:10 abandoned when the Lord Jesus comes back
3:12 there's going to be resurrection and
3:15 reunion and we're going to be forever
3:18 with the Lord that phrase amazes me
3:21 forever with the lord always with the
3:26 Lord now in chapter 5 verses 1- 11 Paul
3:29 gives us the other side of the coming of
3:32 the Lord as it relates to the unsaved
3:35 world and he gives to us here a series
3:37 of contrasts you'll notice when you read
3:41 these verses that he says we they we
3:47 they you they you see in 4:13 through 18
3:49 the contrast was between the living
3:51 Saints and the dead Saints now the
3:54 contrast is between Believers and
3:57 unbelievers how is the coming of the
4:00 Lord going to affect the world world
4:02 that's an interesting study isn't it
4:04 you'll notice that Paul presents a
4:06 series of five
4:10 contrasts in chapter 5: 1- 11 let me
4:12 give them to you now in verses 1
4:16 through3 he contrasts knowledge with
4:18 ignorance but concerning the times and
4:20 the seasons Brethren you have no need
4:23 that I should write to you for you
4:26 yourselves know perfectly accurately
4:29 that the day of the Lord so comes as a
4:31 thief in in the night for when they
4:34 notice that word they for when they say
4:37 peace and safety then sudden destruction
4:40 comes upon them as labor pains upon a
4:43 pregnant woman and they shall not Escape
4:45 there's a contrast here between
4:48 knowledge and ignorance God's people
4:51 know what is going on the crowd on the
4:53 outside does not know Paul calls him The
4:56 Outsiders in chap
4:58 4:12 that you may walk properly toward
5:02 those who are outside in chap 4:3 he
5:05 calls them others others who have no
5:08 hope so the outsider is ignorant of
5:10 these things but the believer has
5:12 knowledge then verses four and five
5:14 there's a contrast between light and
5:17 darkness but you Brethren are not in
5:19 darkness so that this day should
5:22 overtake you as a thief you are all sons
5:25 of Light and Sons of the day we are not
5:28 of the night nor of Darkness so there's
5:30 a contrast between light and darkness
5:33 now that being the case in verse 6 you
5:37 have a third contrast between watching
5:40 and sleeping therefore let us not sleep
5:43 as others do those are The Outsiders but
5:48 let us watch and be sober knowledge
5:52 ignorance light Darkness watching
5:54 sleeping now he picks up this idea of
5:57 soberness and carries it on in verses 7
6:00 and 8 and here we have the four contrast
6:02 between soberness and
6:06 drunkenness for those who sleep sleep at
6:09 night and those who get drunk are drunk at
6:10 at
6:12 night let me pause to say that sad to
6:14 say this is not always true there are
6:16 lots of people who can hardly wait to
6:19 get their first drink in the morning
6:21 it's tragic the way alcohol takes over
6:25 in so many homes but let us who are of
6:27 the day be sober putting on the
6:30 breastplate of faith and love and as a
6:33 helmet the hope of Salvation so in verse
6:36 six watching and sleeping verses 7 and 8
6:39 the contrast between soberness and
6:41 drunkenness and of course the
6:44 consequence of all of this verses 9- 11
6:48 the contrast between salvation and wrath
6:51 for God did not appoint us to wrath but
6:53 to obtain salvation through our Lord
6:56 Jesus Christ who died for us that
6:59 whether we wake or sleep we should live
7:02 together with him therefore and here's
7:04 the Practical result of this therefore
7:06 comfort each other that means encourage
7:09 each other and edify one another build
7:13 each other up just as you also are doing
7:15 Paul was not scolding them because of
7:17 what they were not doing he was
7:19 encouraging them to keep on doing it
7:21 it's hard to keep on keeping on
7:25 sometimes now let's begin with verses 1
7:28 through3 the contrast between knowledge
7:30 and ignorance have you ever noticed in
7:34 your Bible that uh the people of God
7:37 know what is going on so often in
7:40 scripture you find The Outsiders are
7:42 just blind to what's going on the
7:44 Egyptians could not understand what was
7:47 going on Moses knew God made known his
7:50 ways unto Moses his acts unto the
7:51 children of
7:55 Israel so often the rulers the Civil
7:57 rulers during the days of the prophets
7:59 didn't know what was going on they were
8:02 God less Kings and rulers and yet Along
8:05 Comes Jeremiah or Isaiah or Amos or some
8:07 other prophet and they know what's going
8:10 on God keeps his people up to dat on
8:12 what is going on that's why he gave us
8:15 the Bible Paul did not want these people
8:18 to be ignorant concerning these things
8:19 they're very important therefore when he
8:22 was with them in thessalonica he taught
8:26 them now he had to remind them about it
8:29 so we have knowledge versus ignorance
8:31 now there are four terms in verses 1
8:34 through3 that demand our
8:37 attention we must know what they mean
8:40 the day of the Lord in verse
8:44 two times and seasons in verse
8:48 one thief in the night in verse two and
8:50 it's referred to again in verse 4 and
8:54 then travail or labor pains in verse
8:58 three now these four terms are very
9:01 important in the study of Bible prophecy
9:04 let's begin with day of the Lord but
9:06 concerning the times and Seasons
9:08 Brethren you have no need that I should
9:11 write to you for you yourselves know
9:13 perfectly that the day of the Lord so
9:16 comes as a thief in the
9:19 night that phrase day of the Lord is
9:22 used 18 times in the prophets in the Old
9:25 Testament and there are some synonymous
9:28 phrases it's called the day of trouble
9:30 uh that day the day of Vengeance the day
9:34 of Wrath it refers to that time and here
9:37 I'm borrowing a definition from Dr D
9:40 Edmund Hebert Dr Hebert says the day of
9:43 the Lord is that time when God
9:46 intervenes in history to judge his
9:49 enemies to deliver his people and to
9:51 establish his kingdom now let me repeat
9:54 that the day of the Lord is a period of
9:57 time in which God intervenes in history
9:59 to accomplish three purposes one to
10:02 judge his enemies two to deliver his
10:06 people and three to establish ultimately
10:08 his kingdom I mentioned to you that
10:11 eight of the Old Testament prophets
10:14 mention the day of the Lord or the day
10:17 of trouble and Joel is perhaps the most
10:19 important so let me invite you to turn
10:22 back to the Book of Joel now this is
10:26 important because Joel is quoted by
10:31 Peter in his Pentecostal sermon now in
10:36 chapter 1 of Joel uh through o chap 2:
10:40 27 we find the day of the Lord typified
10:42 that is he's talking about the Locust
10:45 plague he's talking about this awful
10:46 thing that's happened to the land when
10:49 you read this he he talks about how the
10:52 animals can't find anything to eat and
10:54 how all the vines have dried up and the
10:57 farmers are repenting and he calls upon
11:00 everyone to lament and to repent that
11:03 God might take away this awful plague
11:06 now this goes from chapter 1 verse 1
11:07 through chapter
11:11 2:27 the day of the Lord is typified now
11:14 the prophet uses this experience to talk
11:17 about the day of the Lord prophesied
11:22 chapter 2: 28 through chapter 3: 21 and
11:24 he uses this as an object lesson notice
11:28 verse 28 of chapter 2 and it shall come
11:29 to pass after
11:32 word that I will pour out my spirit on
11:35 All Flesh your sons and your daughters
11:37 shall prophesy your old men shall dream
11:40 dreams your young men shall see visions
11:42 and also on my men's servants and on my
11:44 maid servants I will pour out my spirit
11:50 days now before the day of the Lord
11:52 certain things are going to happen and
11:55 we have them listed in verse
11:57 28-32 number one he talks about the
11:59 spirit he says the Holy Spirit will be
12:02 given not just to Jewish people but to
12:05 Gentiles as well Sons and Daughters not
12:07 just to men but to women not just to the
12:11 old elders but to the young men then
12:13 there are going to be some signs after
12:15 talking about the spirit he talks about
12:19 the signs in verse 30 and I will show
12:21 wonders in the heavens and in the earth
12:24 blood and fire and pillars of smoke the
12:26 sun shall be turned into darkness the
12:28 moon into blood before the coming of the
12:32 great and able day of the Lord you see
12:34 uh before the day of the Lord You're
12:37 going to have the the spirit being
12:39 poured out you're going to have uh
12:42 certain signs that are going to be given
12:44 and of course it's going to end in
12:46 Salvation verse 32 it shall come to pass
12:48 that whoever calls in the name of the
12:51 Lord shall be saved for in Mount Zion
12:53 and in Jerusalem there shall be
12:55 Deliverance now this is before the day
12:57 of the Lord Peter quoted this but you'll
12:59 notice at Pentecost there were no
13:02 wonders in the heavens or on the earth
13:04 they didn't see any blood or fire or
13:06 pillars of smoke the sun didn't turn
13:08 into darkness the moon didn't turn into
13:11 blood and these awful judgments did not
13:14 come why because Peter did not say that
13:18 Pentecost was a fulfillment of Joel's
13:22 prophecy all that Peter said was this is
13:26 that which was spoken by Joel The
13:29 Prophet now what was Joel speaking of
13:32 about the holy spirit of
13:35 God uh this is that which was spoken by
13:38 the prophet Joel what is that the Holy
13:41 Spirit the same holy spirit that Joel
13:43 said would be poured out now has been
13:45 poured out but the great and terrible
13:48 day of the Lord has not yet come now in
13:52 Chapter 3 of Joel veres 1-1 17 he tells
13:56 us not what's going to happen before the
13:58 day of the Lord but during the day of
14:00 the Lord talk about the Judgment that is
14:04 coming then after the day of the Lord
14:07 verses 18- 21 he's going to set up the
14:10 kingdom and there's going to be peace
14:14 and forgiveness for God's people Israel
14:16 now the day of the Lord is that period
14:18 of time when God is going to intervene
14:21 in history he's going to judge his
14:25 enemies he's going to deliver his people
14:28 and he's going to establish his kingdom
14:31 the day of the Lord is a day of judgment
14:33 it is a day when the wrath of God will
14:36 be poured out upon this world you'll
14:39 find it described I think in Revelation
14:44 6- 20 when God intervenes in history and
14:48 when God brings about judgments on this
14:51 world now the people in thessalonica
14:54 thought that they were already in the
14:57 day of the Lord look at chapter 2 of 2
15:00 Thessalonians chapter chapter 2 of 2
15:03 Thessalonians verse 1 now Brethren
15:05 concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus
15:08 Christ and our gathering together to him
15:12 we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind
15:15 or troubled either by Spirit somebody
15:17 got up in the meeting and said we're now
15:19 in the day of the Lord well they weren't
15:23 led by the Holy Spirit or by word
15:25 someone gave them some word of knowledge
15:29 or by letter uh as if from us was a
15:31 forgery apparently somebody forged a
15:34 letter in the name of Paul and said that
15:36 we are now in the day of the Lord as
15:39 though the day of the Lord had come they
15:41 thought because of all the persecution
15:42 they were going through that they were
15:44 already in the day of the Lord he said
15:46 no you are not in the day of the Lord
15:48 and then he goes on to explain certain
15:50 things have to happen before the day of
15:53 the Lord can come and of course first I
15:56 think on that schedule is we must be
15:58 caught up together to meet the Lord in
16:00 the air that's what Paul dealt with in
16:02 chapter 4:
16:05 13-18 he explained what will happen when
16:08 Jesus comes now he's going to explain in
16:12 chapter 5: 1- 11 what will happen
16:16 afterward you see I do not believe I am
16:19 going to be here I base it on chapter
16:22 5:9 for God did not appoint us to wrath
16:25 but to obtain salvation through our Lord
16:27 Jesus Christ now let me hasten to say
16:30 that good and godly people disagree on
16:33 prophetic matters nobody will ever be
16:36 kept out of Heaven because he disagreed
16:39 about prophecy we don't make prophecy a
16:42 test of fellowship or spirituality but I
16:43 do believe God is encouraging these
16:46 people through Paul and encouraging us
16:49 by saying the day of the Lord deals with
16:53 them not with you it's going to be a day of
16:54 of
16:57 judgment now the little phrase times and
17:00 seasons verse one but concerning the
17:03 times and the seasons Brethren you have
17:06 no need that I should write unto you the
17:09 day of the Lord is a specific event and
17:13 the day of the Lord is a sure event God
17:16 has his plan God has his times and his
17:20 Seasons we don't always understand these
17:23 things in Acts chapter 1 you recall they
17:25 asked the Lord about the establishing of
17:29 the Kingdom acts 1:7
17:31 the reply was given it is not for you to
17:34 know the times or the seasons which the
17:37 father has put in his own authority now
17:39 we don't know all these details our job
17:42 is to witness not to be Spectators or
17:45 speculators but God has his times in his
17:48 Seasons he's working his plan the day of
17:50 the Lord is a specific event and the day
17:53 of the Lord is a sure event and the day
17:57 of the Lord is a secret event like a
18:00 thief in the night when people have a
18:03 false sense of security then this is
18:05 going to happen finally it's going to be
18:08 a sudden event because it's going to be
18:11 like a woman whose birth Pains come upon
18:13 all of a sudden and there's going to be
18:17 the coming of the day of the Lord now
18:19 the Lord Jesus used a similar kind of
18:22 language when he talked about future
18:25 events and uh in fact this phrase
18:28 travail a woman in travail is often used
18:31 in the old Old Testament as a picture of
18:37 sudden judgment coming travail a sudden
18:41 event Matthew chap 24 the Lord Jesus
18:43 talks about that and you'll find it in
18:47 verse 8 he talks about this all these
18:49 are the beginning of Sorrows now the
18:51 word sorrows in the Greek is the word
18:54 birth Pang he talks about the birth
18:57 pains that are going to come the pain
19:00 that's suddenly going to come to society
19:02 when the day of the Lord arrives a
19:06 sudden event now it's also a secret
19:11 event he talks about the thief verse Two
19:13 For You yourselves know perfectly that
19:15 the day of the Lord so comes as a thief
19:17 in the night by the way the Lord Jesus
19:20 used that same phrase uh in his oliv it
19:23 discourse he talked about the thief
19:24 coming if the man had known when the
19:27 thief was coming then he would have
19:28 watched and would not have allowed his
19:31 house to be broken into and so the day
19:34 of the Lord the times and the seasons
19:37 the thief in the night and the travail
19:40 these four terms tell us what the day of
19:43 the Lord is like it is a specific event
19:46 it is a sure event it's a sudden event
19:50 and it is a secret event when people are
19:52 in false
19:55 security then they are going to uh say
19:58 peace and safety and then sudden
20:01 destruction is going to come you might
20:04 want to turn in your Bible to Matthew chap
20:05 chap
20:10 24 and verse 36 Matthew
20:13 24:36 the Lord Compares this time of
20:16 judgment to the days of Noah but of that
20:20 day and hour no one knows know not even
20:23 the angels of heaven but my father only
20:27 but as the days of Noah were so also
20:29 will be the coming of the son of man
20:31 for as in the days before the flood they
20:33 were eating and drinking marrying and
20:35 giving in marriage until the day that
20:37 Noah entered the Ark and did not know
20:39 until the flood came and took them all
20:42 away so also will be the coming of the
20:45 son of man knowledge in contrast to
20:48 ignorance now what's he saying simply
20:51 this life was going on normally uh
20:53 people were getting engaged and married
20:55 they were having parties and banquets
20:56 they were eating and drinking and their
21:00 everyday activities and Noah had
21:01 ministered and witnessed and they
21:04 wouldn't believe him they did not really
21:06 believe that a flood was coming and then
21:09 it came it came like a thief in the
21:12 night all of a sudden Bang there it was
21:16 a secret event and when it suddenly
21:18 appeared they were caught
21:20 unprepared our Lord also tells us in
21:24 Luke 17 it will be like the days of lot
21:28 lot was living in Sodom and Sodom was
21:31 going to be destroyed along with gamor
21:33 and the other cities of the plain where
21:34 there was such awful
21:37 wickedness and the people got up that
21:39 morning the sun rose like it had for
21:42 years and uh they went about their
21:44 business the paper boys were delivering
21:46 the newspapers and the baker was baking
21:48 bread and the storekeeper opened his
21:52 store and then all of a sudden bang the
21:55 Judgment came false security it's going
21:58 to be a secret event it's going to catch
22:01 people by surprise now he says it's not
22:03 going to catch Believers by surprise
22:06 because we know that these events are
22:08 coming we don't know when we're going to
22:10 be prepared for
22:12 them we're glad you joined us today if
22:14 you missed part of the program or you'd
22:16 like to listen again just come to
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