1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
“Walk Steady – Be Ready”
This letter is full of reminders and encouragement to stand fast and keep progressing in the faith! It is not primarily a problem-solving letter seeking to change belief or behavior.
A Quick Review of 1 Thessalonians.(Date of letter:Late AD 50/early AD 51)
This was a model church!
- Truly a church with genuine conversions
- Work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope
- Loved and elect by God
- Imitators of apostles and of Jesus
- Examples to others in the region
- Evangelistic—gospel echoed out from the assembly
- Living transformed lives as they waited for Jesus’ return
Paul’s prayer to God for the Thessalonians (3:10-13):
- That their faith might mature (4: 13-18)
- That their love might abound (4: 9-12)
- That they be established in holiness (4:1-8)
- God’s judgment is coming! (5: 1-3)
1. A solemn warning (5:1-2)
God’s judgment on the Earth is coming like a thief.
- The world doesn’t care (5:3a)
The world is saying “peace and safety”.
- The tragic result (5:3b)
Sudden destruction—the lost will not escape.
2. God’s people are not overtaken by it! (5: 4-8)
1. We have a different _________________________. (5: 4-5)
we are all sons of light
we are not of the night or darkness (opposed to God)
2. We have a different _________________________. (5: 6-8)
we watch and are sober
we are not asleep or drunk, (unprepared, living in sin)
3. We have a different _____________________. (5:9-10)
we are not appointed to wrath (Tribulation period)
we are guaranteed deliverance from sin & wrath
3. God’s deliverance guaranteed (5: 9-11)
1. We are delivered before the Tribulation (5:9a)
2. We are delivered from sin (5:9b-10)
Jesus Christ died “for us”—in our place, for our sin
whether we are alive or dead we will be resurrected or raptured to live together with Jesus!
3. We are delivered from discouragement (5: 11)
we are to comfort one another with God’s Word
we are to build one another up in Christlikeness.