Informed

Introduction:
- We’re in week 8th week of our study: The Disciple Making Church – subtitled: 10 Habits of Highly Effective Churches!
[remember our 2006 Theme: Gearing Up for Greater Effectiveness
- Last week we studied a great source for our comfort in times of trials – especially the trial of facing the death of a loved one who knows Jesus Christ
> that source of comfort is the 2nd coming of Christ – the imminent rapture of the church – the
‘catching away’ of the church, the Bride of Christ
2. Our goal was to communicate what Paul intended to communicate in the text – HOPE for this church – specifically the Disciples in this church whose loved ones/friends had died!
- last week we put our focus on . . .
I. Our Need for Hope – therefore God communicates with us from His Word about how to respond to the situation they were facing (sorrow not as others who have no hope)
II. Our Reason for Hope: The 2nd Coming [Part 1]: The Rapture of the Church .
- We get our English word rapture = from a Greek word that is translated caught up (v. 17)
- When referring to the rapture = we're speaking of the event where Christ meets His bride, the Church (living and dead) in the air and takes them back to heaven with Him forever
- while there are different theological views on this, our literal interpretation of the Scriptures leads us to the interpretations we discussed last week:
[Use the diagram to illustrate – Teachers, if you want to see what I did on the whiteboard, I’ll put a copy in your box – i.e. your ABF Box or your personal box (if you have one)]
 Israel and the church are not the same and promises made to Israel and to the church do not necessarily include the other
 Pre-Tribulation rapture of the church – the church, the Bride of Christ, will NOT face the wrath of God on the Gentile nations during the Tribulation
 A literal 7 Year Tribulation – the last ½ known as “The Great Tribulation” or “The Time of Jacobs Trouble” – this is also the 70th week of Daniel [Daniel 9]
 A literal 1,000 year reign of Christ as He fulfills the Davidic Covenant and He sits on the Throne in Jerusalem as the King of Kings and Prince of Peace and we rule with Him for a 1,000 years [Rev. 20]
> this is also where the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled and Israel will be given ALL the land God promised to Abraham!
> at the end of that 1,00 years, is a FINAL battle, where Satan is “released from his prison and comes out to deceive the nations and gather them together for the war” against Christ [Rev. 20:7-10]
 At the end of the 1,000 years and the final battle, the next event is the timeline of God is the Great White Throne Judgment [Rev. 20:11-15]
 Then God presents a New Heaven and a New Earth [Rev. 21] and the curse of sin is removed [Rev. 21:4 – and no more tears!] and ‘eternity’ begins [Rev. 21-22]
III. Our Response to Our Hope:[this is the FOCUS of the passage]
(1) we should not sorrow as others who have no hope
(2) we should be confident about the future.
(3) we are commanded to "comfort" one another with these words
(4) we should be prepared to meet him (personally in our lives) and helping others (unsaved) as we proclaim the message of Redemption
[READ 1 Thes. 5:1-11 – Paul continues to answer their questions/issues that had been raised]
• ‘times and epochs’ = refers in a general sense to the end times (e.g. (Dan. 2:21; Acts 1:7)
Chronos (time) = refers to the actual time – chronological time (the clock)
Kairos = views times in terms of events, eras, season, (e.g. times of the Gentiles – Luke 21:24)
“The fact that both of these are used together and plural indicates that many different time periods . . . and events . . . make up the end times events.” – MacArthur, 1 Thessalonians

I. The Need to Address the Issue: None – You are informed about the Day of the Lord

“The Thessalonians did not need to know when the Day of Lord would come; they already knew all that God intended them to know. To know when the Day of the Lord will come would foster spiritual indifference if it were still a long way off, or panic if it were coming soon. Beings spiritually prepared for the return of Christ does not involve date setting, clock-watching, or sign seeking. God has chose not to reveal the specific time of end-time events so that all believer will live in constant anticipation of them.” – Ibid
- the Lord made the same point when the His disciples wanted to know when He was coming back:
 Acts 1:7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
A. Definition: The Day of Lord
* A time when God will judge the world and punish the nations; it describes God’s cataclysmic future judgment on the wicked! (Wiersbe/MacArthur)
- mentioned 19 times in the OT and four times in the NT (here + Acts 2:20; 2 Thes. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10))
- it’s a time when God pours out His wrath on the wicked –
1. 3 times the Bible calls the Day of Lord the ‘day of vengeance’ (Ish. 34:8; 61:2; 63:4)
2. To be distinguished from ‘the day of Christ’ (Phil. 1:10; 2:16) & other similar phrases – refers to the time when believes receive their rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ
 2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
3. To be distinguished from ‘the day of God’ (2 Pet. 3:12) – refers to the eternal state
- at the same time, God will prepare Israel for the return of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom
- another term for this period is “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jer. 30:7) – also known as the Tribulation [Rev. 6-19]
Point: This church thought they might be facing that day, and Paul reassured them that this was not the case – he explains why
- unlike the Rapture (4:13-18) which will NOT be preceded by any signs (i.e. it’s immanent), there will be several precursors that will indicate the arrival of the Day of the Lord
- however, this will not reveal the specific time that it will come,
- Paul clearly states the . . .
B. Description: Just like a thief in the night
- the idea here is suddenly, unexpectedly, unwelcomed, and harmfully – to those who don’t know the Lord, it will be a terrifying shock
- the Thessalonians knew this ‘full well’ = describes careful, accurate, painstaking research
- but no thief is going to announce to you when he’s going to show up and steal from you!
- this is not a joyful event like the Rapture of the Church, an unexpected calamity
> specifically, the coming of the Lord in judgment at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period, and the judgment at the end of the 1,000 year kingdom of Christ on earth (2 Peter 3:10)
 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
- at that point, the Lord will RECREATE a new heaven and a new earth!
[Note: If you’d like a copy of MacArthur’s explanation of the specific signs leading up to the Day of the Lord – I can get you a copy of those]

II. The Response of the ‘darkness’

A. Description: Proposing peace and safety
- you might ask, “How can someone be saying this during a time of such a terrible outpouring of God’s wrath?”
- the only answer to such a ludicrous, absurd response is that the people will be deceived by the false prophets – Jesus warned about this in Matthew 24:5,11,24 – READ]
Input: What biblical, historical, and current evidence do we have that deception and lies can persuade people to do/believe irrational things?
[various answers – Gen. 3 – Germany under Hitler – false religions (9/11) – sexual sin (thinking that what you get will satisfy you, and it doesn’t)
Point: In the end times, the false prophets will use ‘great signs and wonders’ (Matt. 24:24) to mislead the world
- as a result of their deception, life will go on with a degree of ‘normalcy, just as it did before the Flood
[READ Matthew 24:37-39]
- but in the midst of the deception, something happens . . .
B. Destruction: Suddenly – like labor pains, and no escape
- by using the term ‘them’ (a reference to unbelievers), the Thessalonians (and us) can be assured that we will NOT face the ‘destruction’ to which Paul refers
- this is another analogy to the unexpected arrival of the Day of the Lord – you never know when the baby is coming, it just comes . . . suddenly!
- there will be no escape – i.e.
- God will accomplish this ‘destruction’ of unbelievers by casting them into the eternal torment of hell
[READ 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9]
Input: What should be our response to knowing that believers will be raptured before the coming of the Day of the Lord and not experience its horrors?
ANSWER: It should motivate us to evangelize the lost.
- remember the words of the writer of Hebrews:
 Hebrews 2:3 “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
- with all the cultural differences (color of skin, nationalities), there are really only two kinds of people:
> Saved/ unsaved; redeemed/unredeemed; children of God/children of Satan; kingdom of God/kingdom of darkness . . .that leads us to . . . .

III. The Response of the ‘sons of light’ and ‘sons of day’

Input: What is (should be) true of the ‘sons of light’ and ‘sons of day’? [various answers]
- because we know Christ, we have transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son – and we should ACT like it!!
- Paul put it this way:
A. Description: Not in darkness, not of the night
Darkness – characterized by sleep and drunkenness
 Sleeping = metaphorically refers to passive indifference
 Drunk = refers to active sin – a person gone to the extreme, out of control
Note: The opposite of being ‘filled (controlled by the Spirit) – Eph. 5:18
- but that is not true of God’s children, instead Paul admonishes them to avoid the sleep, and be:
B. Disciplined & Prepared
1. Disciplined in the sense of being ‘alert’ and ‘sober’
‘alert’ = (gregoreo – pronounced: Greg-goor-ree-o), the source of the name Gregory = to be awake or watchful
- it’s the idea of being awake and able to rightly assess what is happening in the spiritual dimension
‘sober’ = to be free from the influence of intoxicants – To be sober-minded means to be alert, to live with your eyes open, to be sane and steady maintain proper priorities
> He/she is more of a Matthew 6:33 person [quote] and Col. 1:18 ‘that in all things He (Christ) might have first place!
2. Prepared with the armor of light
1. Breastplate: Faith and Love
- the breastplate protects the vital organs of a person, the area where the soldier is most vulnerable – similar to today’s bulletproof vest
• Faith = trust in God’s power, promises, and His plan
 Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• Love = agapa – self-sacrificial kind of love
- this love is for God & our neighbors – that what leads a person to evangelistic efforts
- as the song goes: Carry your candle, run to the darkness, . . . .
- you won’t do that if you don’t love God and love people!
“If faith forms the hard, protective outer surface of a Christian’s breastplate, then love is its soft inner lining. Love toward God involves delight in and devotion to God as the supreme object of affection. It, too, provides a powerful deterrent to sin, since all sin involves a failure to love God. The greatest command, the injunction that sums up the whole law of God, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10), because those who genuinely love God will not do what grieves and offends Him. So love and faith form an impregnable barrier against temptation; it is only when one or both are lacking that Christians fall victim to sin. Perfect trust in and love for God leads to perfect obedience.” – MacArthur, 1 Thessalonians
2. Helmet: Hope of Salvation
- the purpose to protect the head from blows that otherwise might crush his skull
- the salvation referred to here is not
 justification (the past aspect of salvation)
 sanctification (its present aspect))
- but is reference to glorification (the future aspect of salvation; the curse of sin removed)
- these three (faith, love, hope) form the supreme triad of Christian virtues:
 Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
C. Destiny:
1. Not wrath
- that’s the whole point of this passage – the church is NOT going to face ‘the day of the Lord’ – we won’t be here for one thing
- the other is: Jesus endured the wrath of God on our behalf when He died on the cross
2. But obtaining (gaining/acquiring) salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
- while Paul is referring to same salvation he mentions in v. 8, every aspect of salvation comes only through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Input: How do people turn from darkness to the light?
[ READ Acts 26:18 – last phrase is the key: ‘by faith in Me’; also, Col. 1:13, Eph. 5:8, and 1 Peter 2:9
‘Therefore’ – as a result of all the things just said . . . we are to be
D. Doers – v. 11
1. Encourage
- same word used in 4:18 – to come alongside and comfort
We must never permit the study of prophecy to become purely academic, or a source of tension or argument. Paul closed this section with the practical application of the prophetic Scriptures: encouragement and edification. The fact that we will meet our loved ones again and forever be with the Lord is a source of encouragement (1 Thes. 4:18); and the fact that we will not endure God’s wrath during the Day of the Lord is another source of encouragement (1 Thes. 5:11). The truth of our Lord’s imminent return encourages us to keep clean (1 John 3:1–3) and to do faithfully whatever work He has assigned to us (Luke 12:41–48). It also encourages us to attend church and love the brethren (Heb. 10:25). Knowing that we shall be with the Lord strengthens us in the difficulties of life (2 Cor. 5:1–8) and motivates us to win the lost (2 Cor. 5:9–21). – Wiersbe, Bible Exposition, Vol. 2
2. Build-up
Q: For what purpose?
- to be more effective as ‘sons of light’ and proclaim the message of the Gospel
- this is where being part of the Body comes into the picture – a church family, per se
- we can help each other be more effective in reaching others as we ‘build-up’ one another
Apply this to Gearing Up for Greater Effectiveness – they were doing this, but Paul wanted them to excel still more (4:1)
Conclusion: Mar. 19: #9: Action – Not Talk – 5:12-22 – Obedience to all the commands

ABF Series: The Disciple Making Church #8
Informed – 1 Thes 5:1-11

Introduction:

• ‘times and epochs’ = refers in a general sense to the end times (e.g. Dan. 2:21; Acts 1:7)
Chronos (time) = refers to the actual time – chronological time (the clock)
Kairos = views times in terms of events, eras, season, (e.g. times of the Gentiles – Luke 21:24)
“The fact that both of these are used together and plural indicates that many different time periods . . . and events . . . make up the end times events.” – MacArthur, 1 Thessalonians

I. The Need to Address the Issue: None – You are informed about the Day of the Lord
“The Thessalonians did not need to know when the Day of Lord would come; they already knew all that God intended them to know. To know when the Day of the Lord will come would foster spiritual indifference if it were still a long way off, or panic if it were coming soon. Beings spiritually prepared for the return of Christ does not involve date setting, clock-watching, or sign seeking. God has chose not to reveal the specific time of end-time events so that all believer will live in constant anticipation of them.” – Ibid
A. Definition: The Day of Lord
* A time when God will judge the world and punish the nations; it describes God’s cataclysmic future judgment on the wicked! (Wiersbe/MacArthur)
1. 3 times the Bible calls the Day of Lord the ‘day of vengeance’ (Ish. 34:8; 61:2; 63:4)
2. To be distinguished from ‘the day of Christ’ (Phil. 1:10; 2:16) & other similar phrases – refers to the time when believes __________ their _________ from the Lord Jesus Christ
3. To be distinguished from ‘the day of God’ (2 Pet. 3:12) – refers to the ________ ________
B. Description: Just like a thief in the night
 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
II. The Response of the ‘darkness’
A. Description: Proposing peace and safety
Input: What biblical, historical, and current evidence do we have that deception and lies can persuade people to do/believe irrational things?

B. _______________: Suddenly – like labor pains, and no escape
Input: What should be our response to knowing that believers will be raptured before the coming of the Day of the Lord and not experience its horrors?

III. The Response of the ‘sons of light’ and ‘sons of day’
Input: What is (should be) true of the ‘sons of light’ and ‘sons of day’?

A. Description: Not in darkness, not of the night
 Sleeping = metaphorically refers to ____________ ______________
 Drunk = refers to _________ ________
B. _________________________
1. Disciplined in the sense of being ‘alert’ and ‘sober’
‘alert’ = to be awake or watchful
‘sober’ = to be sober-minded means to be alert, to live with your eyes open, to be sane and steady maintain proper priorities
2. Prepared with the _____________
a. Breastplate: Faith and Love
• Faith = trust in God’s power, promises, and His plan
 Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• Love = agapa – self-sacrificial kind of love
“If faith forms the hard, protective outer surface of a Christian’s breastplate, then love is its soft inner lining. Love toward God involves delight in and devotion to God as the supreme object of affection. It, too, provides a powerful deterrent to sin, since all sin involves a failure to love God. The greatest command, the injunction that sums up the whole law of God, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10), because those who genuinely love God will not do what grieves and offends Him. So love and faith form an impregnable barrier against temptation; it is only when one or both are lacking that Christians fall victim to sin. Perfect trust in and love for God leads to perfect obedience.” – MacArthur, 1 Thessalonians
b. Helmet: Hope of Salvation

C. Destiny:
1. Not ________
2. But obtaining (gaining/acquiring) ______________ through our Lord Jesus Christ
Input: How do people turn from darkness to the light?

D. _________ – v. 11
1. Encourage
We must never permit the study of prophecy to become purely academic, or a source of tension or argument. Paul closed this section with the practical application of the prophetic Scriptures: encouragement and edification. The fact that we will meet our loved ones again and forever be with the Lord is a source of encouragement (1 Thes. 4:18); and the fact that we will not endure God’s wrath during the Day of the Lord is another source of encouragement (1 Thes. 5:11). The truth of our Lord’s imminent return encourages us to keep clean (1 John 3:1–3) and to do faithfully whatever work He has assigned to us (Luke 12:41–48). It also encourages us to attend church and love the brethren (Heb. 10:25). Knowing that we shall be with the Lord strengthens us in the difficulties of life (2 Cor. 5:1–8) and motivates us to win the lost (2 Cor. 5:9–21). – Wiersbe, Bible Exposition, Vol. 2
2. Build-up
Apply this to “Gearing Up for Greater Effectiveness”:
Conclusion

ABF Series: The Disciple Making Church #8
Informed – 1 Thes 5:1-11

Introduction:
• ‘times and epochs’ = refers in a general sense to the end times (e.g. Dan. 2:21; Acts 1:7)
Chronos (time) = refers to the actual time – chronological time (the clock)
Kairos = views times in terms of events, eras, season, (e.g. times of the Gentiles – Luke 21:24)
“The fact that both of these are used together and plural indicates that many different time periods . . . and events . . . make up the end times events.” – MacArthur, 1 Thessalonians
I. The Need to Address the Issue: None – You are informed about the Day of the Lord
Quote
 Acts 1:7
A. Definition: The Day of Lord
* A time when God will judge the world and punish the nations; it describes God’s cataclysmic future judgment on the wicked!
1. 3 times the Bible calls the Day of Lord the ‘day of vengeance’ (Ish. 34:8; 61:2; 63:4)
2. To be distinguished from ‘the day of Christ’ (Phil. 1:10; 2:16) & other similar phrases – refers to the time when believes receive their rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ
 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
3. To be distinguished from ‘the day of God’ (2 Pet. 3:12) – refers to the eternal state
B. Description: Just like a thief in the night
 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
II. The Response of the ‘darkness’
A. Description: Proposing peace and safety

Input: What biblical, historical, and current evidence do we have that deception and lies can persuade people to do/believe irrational things?
B. Destruction: Suddenly – like labor pains, and no escape
Input: What should be our response to knowing that believers will be raptured before the coming of the Day of the Lord and not experience its horrors?
 Hebrews 2:3 “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
III. The Response of the ‘sons of light’ and ‘sons of day’
Input: What is (should be) true of the ‘sons of light’ and ‘sons of day’? [various answers]
A. Description: Not in darkness, not of the night
 Sleeping = metaphorically refers to passive indifference
 Drunk = refers to active sin – a person gone to the extreme, out of control
B. Disciplined & Prepared
1. Disciplined in the sense of being ‘alert’ and ‘sober’
‘alert’ = to be awake or watchful
‘sober’ = to be sober-minded means to be alert, to live with your eyes open, to be sane and steady maintain proper priorities
2. Prepared with the armor of light
a. Breastplate: Faith and Love
• Faith = trust in God’s power, promises, and His plan
 Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• Love = agapa – self-sacrificial kind of love
Quote
b. Helmet: Hope of Salvation
 Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

C. Destiny:
1. Not wrath
2. But obtaining (gaining/acquiring) salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
Input: How do people turn from darkness to the light?
D. Doers – v. 11
1. Encourage
Quote
2. Build-up
Apply this to “Gearing Up for Greater Effectiveness”:
Conclusion: