Session Title: Wait in Sober Expectation

INTERACTIVE TEACHING/LEARNING GUIDE Until He Comes – Week 13

Session Title: Wait in Sober Expectation Focal Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Central Teaching/Learning Aim: The learner will be challenged to strengthen his/her level of preparedness of the Lord’s return and remain active in His work until that day. I. Hook

A. Share the following:

Disgraced televangelist now selling food for the apocalypse

The televangelist who served five years in a federal prison on fraud and conspiracy charges in the early 1990s is now selling End of the World Biscuits, Time of Trouble Beans and other survival gear for the end of days, The New York Daily News reports.

Bakker hawks his wares on his self-titled The Jim Bakker Show, where instead of purchasing items, viewers can buy “Love Gifts” --as they’re called --by making “donations” at extremely marked-up prices.

Along with the Time of Trouble Beans, which consists of 14 totes full of black bean burger mix for $3,000 and End of the World Biscuits, food items include End of the World Gravy and Kevin’s Krazy Lasagna. Viewers can get an assortment of other survival gear including a Bakker's Dozen Extreme Canteen Kit that consists of 13 packs of ponchos, thermal blankets, glow stick and whistles for $500.

A Live Warm Suit Jacket is also available that claims to keep “you warm and comfortable” at temperatures of -30 Fahrenheit, at a “donation” of $250.

Bakker served five years of a 45-year sentence for stealing millions from his ministry, The Praise the Lord Club. He was also accused of raping Jessica Hahn, a church's secretary, in the 1980s. Bakker testified that had been set up, arguing that sex with Hahn was consensual.

Published September 16, 2014, FoxNews.com

1 Ask – Is this the type of activity we are to be about as we wait on the Lord’s return?

Read – (1 Thessalonians 5:6) What do you think Paul meant by his charge to the Thessalonians that they stay “alert and sober?”

State – Today we are going to discuss what it means to stay alert and sober as we wait for the Lord’s return.

B. Optional Method –

Ask – How many of you think the coming of the Lord will happen in your lifetime? (Allow time for responses)

State – People have believed the “end was near” for centuries.

Share – The following information:

For centuries there have been innumerable theories as to when and how the world might end. Here are some highlights gleaned from alleged prophecies:

In 960 Bernard of Thuringia, a German theologian, calculated 992 as the most likely year for the world's end. As the time approached, panic was widespread.

German astrologer Johann Stoffler predicted an overwhelming flood on February 20, 1524. Believers started constructing arks. One man is said to have been trampled to death by a mob attempting to board his specially built vessel. When nothing happened, the calculations were revised and a new date given—1588. That year also passed without any unusual rainfall.

Solomon Eccles was jailed in London's Bridewell Prison in 1665 for striding through Smithfield Market, carrying a pan of blazing sulfur on his head, and proclaiming doom and destruction. Although the end of the world did not follow, the Great Fire of London did, in 1666.

After studying both the Bible and the mystical messages of the Great Pyramid, in 1874 Charles Taze Russell, founder of the sect that became Jehovah's Witnesses, concluded that the Second Coming had already taken place. He declared that people had 40 years, or until 1914, to enter his faith or be destroyed. Later he modified the date to "very soon after 1914."

Herbert W. Armstrong, publisher of the magazine "The Plain Truth," declared that January 7, 1972, was undoubtedly the date to watch. The utter failure of his prediction did not diminish his zeal.

2 The 16th-century seer Nostradamus is said to have favored 1999 as the year of a Martian invasion, while an 18th-century French prophetess, Jeanne Le Roger, established the year 2000 as the definitive one.

Adapted from "Facts and Fallacies," Reader's Digest

Ask - What does the Bible teach about trying to predict a date for the Lord’s return? (See Matthew 24:36)

C. Optional Method – Movie Clip “2012”

Location: http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/2012/apocalypse Length: 2:16

Synopsis – Scene Setup: Jackson Curtis is a failed novelist, a failed husband, and a failing father who is separated and alone. As he begins to listen to a doomsday radio program predicting that a great disaster is about to hit Los Angeles, he visits the man behind the voice to question him about his theory.

Application: Charlie Frost is a believer. He believes that the end of the world is a knowable event. Using a vague mishmash of philosophies from the world’s great religions, he has come to agree with the Aztecs who predicted that the year 2012 would be the end of the world. Frost has a natural ability that aligns with what the Bible calls evangelism. Frost feels compelled to try to tell others of their danger; but he offers no hope.

Ask – Is this the type of activity we are to be about as we wait on the Lord’s return?

II. Book

A. Utilize the discussion guide to examine the Scripture passages.

3 III. Look

A. Place members into groups and have them work through and discuss the handout “Waiting in Sober Expectation.”

IV. Took

A. Share the following:

Ready Every Day

Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot during the first Iraq war. After his 300th mission, he was surprised to be given permission to immediately pull his crew together and fly his plane home. They flew across the ocean to Massachusetts and then had a long drive to western Pennsylvania. They drove all night, and when his buddies dropped him off at his driveway just after sun-up, there was a big banner across the garage —"Welcome Home Dad!"

How did they know? No one had called, and the crew themselves hadn't expected to leave so quickly. Robins relates, "When I walked into the house, the kids, about half dressed for school, screamed, 'Daddy!' Susan came running down the hall—she looked terrific—hair fixed, make-up on, and a crisp yellow dress. 'How did you know?' I asked.

'I didn't,' she answered through tears of joy. 'Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day.'"

Are you ready each and every day for the Lord’s return? How can you strengthen your preparedness this week?

B. Optional Method – Share the following story:

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things in order she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her service, what scriptures she would like read and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. “There is one more thing,” she said excitedly.

4 “What is that?” came the pastor’s reply.

“This is very important,” the woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.

“That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the woman asked.

“Well to be honest, I am puzzled by the request,” replied the pastor.

The woman explained, “In all my years of attending church socials and pot luck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming…like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in the casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, ‘What is with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork…the best is yet to come!”

The pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew that this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She knew that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the woman’s casket and they would notice the pretty dress she was wearing, her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question, “What is with the fork?” And over and over he smiled. During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you, “That the best is yet to come!”

Do you really believe that the best is yet to be? How prepared are you for the Lord’s return? How can you strengthen your preparedness this week?

5 DISCUSSION GUIDE Teacher Copy

1. What is Paul referring to in (1 Thessalonians 5:1) when he says “times and seasons?” [This is a reference to future periods of eschatological fulfillment.]

2. What emotions do you experience when you consider the “end times?”

3. What is the “day of the Lord?” (v. 2) [It is a future day when God will interrupt the events of the world and establish His redemption and judgment.]

4. Do you think the day of the Lord is fast approaching? Why or why not?

5. How will the coming of the Lord be similar to a thief in the night? [His arrival will be a surprise to all.]

6. How should you respond to others who think they have the exact date worked out for the coming of the Lord? (Matthew 24:35)

7. Compare/contrast the differences of the lost/saved on the coming of the Lord. (vs. 3-5) The Lost – Sudden destruction, long-term pain, no escape The Saved – Rapture, Escape from tribulation

8. How does a Christ-follower stay alert and sober? (vs. 6-8) The breastplate of faith and love – Need to be prepared for battle with the schemes of the devil while showing unconditional love in order to influence the lost. A helmet of salvation – Keeping our minds clean and focused on our commission to offer hope in a hopeless world.

9. How do (vs. 9-10) offer great hope? [Through Jesus we have hope in the resurrection.]

10.What activities should we be doing with other believers? (v. 11) [We should encourage and build each other up.]

11.Who are you encouraging and building up?

6 DISCUSSION GUIDE Student Copy

1. What is Paul referring to in (1 Thessalonians 5:1) when he says “times and seasons?”

2. What emotions do you experience when you consider the “end times?”

3. What is the “day of the Lord?” (v. 2)

4. Do you think the day of the Lord is fast approaching? Why or why not?

5. How will the coming of the Lord be similar to a thief in the night?

6. How should you respond to others who think they have the exact date worked out for the coming of the Lord? (Matthew 24:35)

7. Compare/contrast the differences of the lost/saved on the coming of the Lord. (vs. 3-5) The Lost –

The Saved –

8. How does a Christ-follower stay alert and sober? (vs. 6-8) The breastplate of faith and love –

A helmet of salvation –

9. How do (vs. 9-10) offer great hope?

10.What activities should we be doing with other believers? (v. 11)

11. Who are you encouraging and building up?

7 Waiting in Sober Expectation

Knowing that the Rapture is the next event on God’s timetable, how should this fact affect me now? Look up the following Scriptures to see what your next course of action should be.

1. We should live with hope! (Titus 2:13)

(John 14:3)

(I Thes. 4:13-18)

(I Cor. 15:50-58)

(I John 3:2-3)

2. We should live expectantly! (Matt. 24:42-44)

(John 16:33-34)

(I Cor. 16:13-14)

(II Cor. 4:16-18)

3. We should live differently! (I John 3:1-2)

(Phil. 4:1-5)

(Phil. 3:20-21)

(Col. 3:23-24)

4. We should live evangelistically! (Rom. 1:16-17)

8 (I Peter 3:15-16)

(Eph. 5:16-17)

(II Tim. 1:7-9)

9 THEE WORD FOR THE WEEK

Esteem God’s Leaders 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Monday - Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13  Pastors have three responsibilities to the people of the church in verse 12, what are they and why are they important?  The people of the church have two responsibilities to the pastor(s) and staff in verses 12 and13, what are they?  Is this command “be at peace among yourselves” a command to make peace or to continually maintain the peace?

Tuesday - Read 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15  In these two verses how are the people to treat each other in the fellowship of the church?  Verse 14 presents three groups of people whose attitudes and actions needed attention, who are they and what did Paul ask them to do?  Verse 15 is a call to God's people not to repay evil for evil, but to “always” seek to do good to one another. How can you accomplish this? Romans 12:17-21

Wednesday - Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  Rejoice Always – does this mean even when you are afflicted? 1 Thessalonians 1:6  Pray Without Ceasing – does this mean repetitiously and continuously without a break? Matthew 6:7-8 - Or does it mean pray persistently and regularly? Philippians 4:6-7  How can you apply the principle found in v.18? Colossians 3:17

Thursday - Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22  Believers are instructed not to quench the Spirit in v.19, or grieve the Holy Spirit Ephesians 4:30. Instead we are to do what? Galatians 5:16  What does it mean not to despise prophecies in v.20? 2 Peter 1:19-21  What does it mean to “test everything; and hold fast to what is good?” Acts 17:11

Friday - Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24  Paul’s prayer for “God to sanctify you completely” literally refers to a state of being set apart from sin to holiness.

 What does God have to say about sanctification? 1 Thessalonians 4:3

 Is the key to Sanctification to know and obey the truth? John 17:17

 Who does the work of sanctification? V. 24, John 17:19

10 EXEGETICAL ~ THEOLOGICAL ~ PEDAGOGICAL

NOTE: The bold in each point represents the subject of the unit – what the author was talking about, while the bold underline represents the complement – the author was saying about what he was talking about. Together the subject and complement provide the proposition or big ideas of each unit.

(EXEGETICAL: what it meant for the Thessalonian believers back THEN) THE REASON THE THESSALONIAN BRETHREN WERE TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER NOT TO SLEEP IN CARELESS INDIFFERENCE OR GET DRUNK IN RECKLESS DEBAUCHERY AS OTHERS [UNBELIEVERS AND/OR FAITHLESS BELIEVERS] DID, BUT WERE TO BE ALERT, SOBER/SELF-CONTROLLED, AND EQUIPPED WITH/IN FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE, SINCE GOD HAD DESTINED THEM, THROUGH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, FOR DELIVERANCE FROM HIS COMING WRATH . . . WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE CHILDREN OF THE DAY [TRUTH] AND OF LIGHT [UNDERSTANDING] AS OPPOSED TO THOSE WHO SLEPT IN CARELESS INDIFFERENCE AND GOT DRUNK IN DEBAUCHERY OF THEIR SPIRITUAL DARKNESS, (1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11). Note: The faithful maxim, “You aren’t who you used to be, so you can’t act the way you used to act,” applies here. Because the Thessalonian believers were now children of truth and of understanding – knowing that the Lord would deliver them from the judgment to come – they were to “walk” [4:1] in light of that hope. “The preceding section (4:13–18) presented a joyful hope; this one gives a solemn warning. The Thessalonians had not heard the first exhortation before (4:18); they had heard this one. “Paul introduced a new aspect of the subject of the Lord’s appearing. His scope of attention broadened from the Rapture to the longer period of history after the Rapture, namely, the Day of the Lord. In these verses the emphasis is on the unpredictability of the time of the Lord’s return” (T. L. Constable, 1 Thessalonians in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, 705). “In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul tried to allay the fears of some who thought that deceased believers might not share in the kingdom. His explanation in that paragraph was something about which they were uninformed. But, in contrast, they were well informed about the beginning of the Day of the Lord as he explained in 5:1-11. “The beginning of that day will come unexpectedly in a time of peace and safety (v. 2), with pain (v. 3) and wrath (v. 9). In the meantime, believers are to live with alertness and sobriety. The exhortations of verses 6, 8, 10 are not to watch for signs during the Tribulation in preparation for the Day of the Lord at the end of the Tribulation, but to live godly lives in view of the coming Tribulation that believers will escape” (Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, 565). I. The reason the Thessalonian brethren had no need for Paul to write to them anything concerning the times and seasons [the Coming of the Lord] . . . was

11 because they themselves knew full well that the Day of the Lord would come just like a thief in the night [unexpectedly and imminently], (5:1-2). Note: “Paul did not simply use a de (“now”) to begin verse 1 but a phrase, peri de. This is very significant, because elsewhere in his writings Paul used peri de to denote a new and contrasting subject. . . . The Rapture [4:13-18] is not part of the Day of the Lord” (Ryrie, 566). Ryrie also makes the point that, “His coming here [4:13-18] is in the air, not to the earth, and will occur just prior to the beginning of the tribulation period. That period will end with His coming to the earth (see Matt. 24:29-30; Rev. 19:11-16)” (Charles C. Ryrie, The Ryrie Study Bible, 1809). “[Times and seasons] mean the measurement of time and the character of the times respectively (see Dan. 2:21; Acts 1:7). The Thessalonians could not know the timing of God’s final judgment, but they knew well that it was coming unexpectedly (v. 2). Paul exhorted them to live godly lives in light of coming judgment on the world, rather than to be distracted by probing into issue of prophetic timing” (John MacArthur, 1&2 Thessalonians and Titus, 43.) “In the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord is referred to by that phrase about twenty times . . . in addition, a parallel term, ‘the last days,’ occurs fourteen times. . . . There was ample reason for Paul to say that his readers knew about the Day of the Lord from the Old Testament itself. “But concerning the Rapture there is no Old Testament revelation. . . . If the Rapture is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament, and if it precedes the actual beginning of the Day of the Lord . . . then it is not strange that Paul had to inform them about the Rapture but need only to remind them what they already knew about the Day of the Lord” (Ryrie, 565-566). “[Thief in the night] is never used to refer to the rapture of the church. It is used of Christ’s coming in judgment on the Day of the Lord. As a thief comes unexpectedly and without warning, so will the Day of the Lord come” (MacArthur, 43). “The day of the Lord is a future period of time in which God will be at work in world affairs more directly and dramatically than He has been since the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time referred to by many Old Testament prophets (e.g., Isa. 13:9–11; Joel 2:28–32; Zeph. 1:14–18; 3:14–15). As these and other Old Testament verses indicate, the day of the Lord will include both judgment and blessing. That day begins immediately after the Rapture of the church and ends with the conclusion of the Millennium. “This period of history will come as a surprise to those on the earth at the time, like the visit of a thief to a sleeping homeowner (cf. Matt. 24:43–44; Luke 12:39–40)” (Constable, 705). II. The result of the Day of the Lord coming at the very time when people (“they”) will be saying, “Peace and security,” [all is well], but then suddenly destruction comes upon them like labor pains coming upon a woman with child . . . was that they would not escape [certain judgment], (5:3). Note: Paul employed two similes to describe the Day of the Lord: like a thief in the night and like labor pains upon a pregnant woman. “The Lord used this same illustration in the Olivet Discourse [Matthew 24-25]. It portrays the inevitability, suddenness, inescapable nature, and painfulness of the Day of the Lord” (MacArthur, 44).

12 “This day will begin when world conditions appear calm rather than calamitous. . . . Note that Paul did not include himself and his readers with the group who would see the day of the Lord, as he did when describing the Rapture (1 Thes. 4:15, 17). Evidently them refers to those left behind at the Rapture, that is, non-Christians. They will be ignorantly expecting peace and safety, but instead destruction will come on them. This ‘destruction’ (cf. 2 Thes. 1:9) is not annihilation, but the breaking up of their peace and security through the outpouring of God’s wrath on earth in the Great Tribulation. Destruction will come suddenly. The illustration of the commencement of labor pains suggests both unpredictable suddenness and great personal discomfort (cf. Matt. 24:8; Mark 13:8). The wrath of God that will have been building up over some time will suddenly break forth. The signs of its coming are discernible, even though the moment of its arrival is unpredictable. No more can the world escape the coming wrath of God, when it breaks out on the day of the Lord, than a pregnant woman can escape labor pains” (Constable, 705-706). III. The reason the Thessalonian brethren (“you”) were not in darkness so that the Day would overtake them (”you”) like a thief . . . was because they (”you”) were all sons [children] of the light and sons [children] of the day, not of the night or of the darkness, (5:4-5). Note: “Paul dramatically shifts from the third-person plural pronoun [they or them] (used three time in v. 3) to the second-person plural [you]. Because the church is raptured before the judgment of the Day of the Lord, believers will not be present on earth to experience its terrors and destruction (v. 3)” (MacArthur, 44). “His readers were not ‘in the dark’ with regard to these things; they had been taught about them before. But Paul meant more than this. His readers were not in the same group who would be surprised by this day. Their sphere of life was not in the darkness, but in the light (cf. Col. 1:13). Instructed Christians should not be surprised by the dawning of this day of the Lord; they have been told it is coming. It will not take believers by surprise (1 Thes. 4:13–18). “Christians live in a different sphere of life from non-Christians; it is the difference between day and night (cf. Eph. 5:8). Christians are sons of the light; they are also sons of the day. That is, they have illumination, and they also live in a realm characterized by light, warmth, and growth. Paul brought himself into the picture (we) to prepare for his following exhortation which would be more true to life and readily received if he included himself, than if he directed it only toward the Thessalonians” (Constable, 706). IV. The reason the Thessalonian brethren were not to sleep [fail to pay attention] as others [unbelievers and faithless believers] did, but were to be alert and sober/self-controlled . . . was because those who slept, slept at night and those who got drunk, got drunk at night, (5:6-7). Note: “Because believers have been delivered from the domain of darkness, they are taken out of the night of sin and ignorance and put into the light of God. Christians should not sleep in spiritual indifference and [worldly] comfort, but be alert to the spiritual issues around them, living alert, balanced, godly lives under control of the truth” (MacArthur, 44). “Knowledge is power, but it can also be used for motivation, and in v. 6 Paul turns to his exhortation based on what the Thessalonians know about the eschatological

13 situation. With Ara oun (“so then”) as a marker that he is turning to a logical conclusion or a moral consequence of what he has just said, Paul draws an ethical conclusion about how Christian behavior should differ from that of ‘the rest.’ Lightfoot distinguishes between sleepers and drunkards. The former, he says, are the careless and indifferent, the latter the profligate and reckless. “Malherbe insightfully notes that while in those Synoptic texts [Mark 13:34-37; Matthew 24:42-43] alertness is mainly grounded in ignorance of the timing of the second coming, here it is mainly grounded in one’s Christian identity – a Christian is of the light and enlightened and as such should always remain morally and spiritually alert” (Ben Witherington III, 1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, 148- 149). V. The reason the Thessalonian brethren were to be sober/self-controlled, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of deliverance, since they were of the day . . . was because God had not destined them for wrath [judgment], but for obtaining deliverance through their Lord Jesus Christ who had died for them so that whether they lived or died, they would live together with Him, (5:8-10). Note: “Paul pictured the Christian life in military terms as being a life of soberness (alertness) and proper equipping. The ‘breastplate’ covers the vital organs of the body. Faith is an essential protection against temptations, because it is trust in God’s promise, plan, and truth” (MacArthur, 44). “This [wrath] is the same wrath referred to in 1:9[-10]” (MacArthur, 44). It is, “the anguish and tribulation associated with the beginning of the day of the Lord (v. 3), from which the believer is to be delivered (1:10)” (Ryrie, Bible, 1809). “Standing on the threshold of an event that will mean sudden translation for some and sudden destruction for others, Christians should arm themselves for action with self-control. A Roman breastplate covered a soldier from his neck to his waist and protected most of his vital organs (cf. Eph. 6:14). That is what Christians’ faith and love do. Faith in God protects inwardly and love for people protects outwardly. These two graces cannot be separated; if one believes in God he will also love other people (cf. 1 Thes. 1:3; 3:5). These attitudes equip Christians to stand ready for the Rapture. In addition, the hope of salvation guards their heads from attacks on their thinking. The salvation they look forward to is deliverance from the wrath to come when the Lord returns, as is clear from the context. It is not a wishful longing that someday they might be saved eternally. Such a thought is entirely foreign to the New Testament. Followers of Christ have a sure hope; they are not as others who have no hope” (Constable, 706). “For (“because”) [v. 9] introduces another reason why believers should prepare themselves. God’s intention for them is not the wrath that will come on the earth in the day of the Lord, but the full salvation that will be theirs when the Lord returns for them in the clouds. The wrath of God referred to here clearly refers to the Tribulation; the context makes this apparent. Deliverance from that wrath is God’s appointment for believers. This temporal salvation comes through the Lord Jesus Christ just as does eternal salvation” (Constable 706-707). “This [wake or sleep] analogy goes back to 4:13-15 and refers to being physically alive or dead with the promise that, in either case we will one day live together (see

14 4:17; John 14:1-3) forever with the Savior who died as the substitute for our sins” (MacArthur, 44). “Salvation is obtained through the Lord Jesus. He is the medium or agent of salvation and one who is not connected to him cannot obtain final salvation. It is his work on the cross that makes possible the giving of the gift of salvation” (Witherington, 151-152). VI. Paul’s command to the Thessalonian brethren . . . was that they encourage one another and build up one another [so as to be alert and sober as they waited for the Day of the Lord] just as they had been doing, (5:11). Note: [Paul] here encourages them to take up the tasks of being mutual encouragers and strengtheners of one another . . . so seeking to strengthen the internal bonds of their small Christian community. The Christian does not build up himself. This is, rather an action done in relationship to one another. It is a group-building exercise” (Witherington, 153).

(Theological: What it means for God’s people ALWAYS) CHILDREN OF THE DAY AND OF THE LIGHT (THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST), WHO ARE PROMISED DELIVERANCE FROM THE COMING WRATH . . . ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER TO LIVE ALERT, SOBER, FAITHFUL, LOVING, AND HOPEFUL LIVES, (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). I. The Day of the Lord, which brings God’s judgment [beginning with the Tribulation] . . . is coming inevitability, suddenly, inescapably, and painfully, (5:1-3). II. Those who know the truth of God’s justice and understand His plan for the future . . . need not be surprised by the coming Day of the Lord, (5:4-5). III. Those who are indifferent to God’s judgment and live a sinful lifestyle . . . reside in spiritual and moral darkness, (5:6-7). IV. The promise of deliverance from God’s wrath through agency of Christ . . . motivates the believer’s alert, sober, faithful, loving, and hopeful lifestyle, (5:8-10). V. Mutual encouragement . . . builds up the believers’ alert, sober, faithful, loving, and hopeful lifestyle, (5:11).

(Pedagogical: What it means for us Now) WALK FAITHFULLY AND LOVINGLY AS YOU WAIT HOPEFULLY FOR THE DAY, (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). I. The Day of the Lord is coming, though you don’t know when, you can’t stop it, and it will be painful, (5:1-3). II. You have no reason to be surprised by the coming of the Lord, (5:4-5). III. Live like you believe the Day is coming . . . A. Watch and Wait, (5:6-7), B. Remain Sober (Self-controlled), (5:6, 8), C. Stay Faithful, (5:8b), D. Practice Love, (5:8b), E. Keep Hope alive, (5:8b), and

15 F. Encourage and Build up One Another in all these behaviors, (5:11). IV. Trust in the Deliverer who saves you from the coming Day, (5:9-10). A. God has not destined you to experience His wrath, (5:9a). B. God has destined you to experience deliverance, (5:9b). C. Your only hope of deliverance is the Lord Jesus Christ, (5:9c-10). D. Trust in the one and only Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ.