I figured it was time to add the ongoing midweek encounter e-mail here.  If you want back issues let me know and send me your e-mail address.  Pastor Terry

Faith part 39

Faith is being sure of what we hope for.  We hope for heaven.  That Jesus, as he promised, has prepared a place for us.  Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica talks about this hope. Please read 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.  These verses are closely linked to  4:13-18 please read them also. As you can see, both sets of verses offer reassurance concerning the fate of Christians at the second coming. It seems that the Thessalonians were either were worried that they might not be prepared for the day of the Lord or anxious about what would happen to them on that day. Paul may also be responding to a question from the Thessalonians brought to him by Timothy.  

Paul uses the terms the times and the seasons. That phrase just means: when the day of the Lord will occur or when Jesus returns. The Thessalonians’ question probably came from anxiety similar to what it seems many today are experiencing.  Everyone seems to be worried about the future.  Paul is reassuring the Thessalonians, not rebuking them.  Just as today, if you are anxious, you need to focus on your hope, the hope contained in Jesus rather than hope contained in the world.  

Paul focuses on the “how” and the “when” of the day of the Lord. Paul then says: you have no need to have anything written to you because you already know it because we have talked about it.  He had already taught them what they needed to know.  Aren’t we so like them.  We know our hope is in Jesus, our future is with him, that we should focus on him, but we get caught up in the world.  We know our eyes and our heart need to be focused on Jesus but we get caught up in the news, the fear factor, the anxiety we will lose something, someone or group is going to come in and take something away from us.  Then suddenly we find we are not focused on Jesus but on worldly things.   

In verse 2 Paul says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  What’s he mean?  First, the phrase day of the Lord refers to that great day (for us) and terrible day (for unbelievers) when Jesus comes back to punish the disobedient and to save the faithful. Second, the phrase like a thief in the night is to indicate it will be sudden and unexpected and for many unwelcome. Remember, Paul is reassuring believers who are insecure, perhaps as a result of the recent deaths in their midst. 

Notice in verse 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” What does that mean?  I think of it like this:  have you ever heard someone say “man, life can’t get any better than this”? Well, he is saying Jesus is going to come back while some who do not know him are saying isn’t life great and they will experience the wrath of God. 

Paul makes it clear in verse 4 that the Thessalonian Christians are not among the people who say “peace and security” and upon whom sudden destruction will come. The day of the Lord will not be an unwelcome surprise for the Thessalonian Christians, as it will be for unbelievers. Paul wants the Thessalonian believers to grab hold of their position in Jesus.  He tells them they are children of light.  Read it as: children of the most-high God, brothers and sisters to the “Light of the World” Jesus! Paul links this concept of “light” with the concept of “day”. Thus, because Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12, 9:5), Believers are “children of the light”; but Christians are also those who are called to live a godly life as people who “belong to the day” verse 8.   Paul reminds them and us what that means: let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. I believe what Paul is saying is be self-controlled.   The only way you can be self-controlled is by putting on (holding on) to faith, doing everything out of love-putting others first, and covering your thoughts with the hope, the knowledge of salvation.  

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul again is reassuring the Thessalonians that they have nothing to worry about.  Nothing to be anxious about.  They will not suffer God’s wrath but receive eternal life through Jesus.  

¹⁰ who (Jesus)died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. “Awake or asleep” means Alive or dead. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. At the second coming of Jesus, Believers will experience a new quality of life, a new life, in the presence of Jesus. Because of our faith, our love and our hope that all comes from Jesus, Paul says for us and the Thessalonians to encourage one another and build up each other.  

Many of you are doing that, building up and encouraging each other.  I will give you a hint what helps.  When you are focused on yourself, how others are treating you, how you are not getting what you want, or how the past hurts or the future scares you then it will be literally impossible to genuinely encourage or build up anyone.  But if you are focused on Jesus, covered in faith, controlled by love, and sure of your hope you will find it surprisingly easy to build up others.  

I pray your focus then, is on Jesus! 

Pastor Terry