Preparing for the end Times
1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:15
Introduction-
We have been looking at the work of Christ in our lives. We know that He desires everyday to be a part of our lives and make us more like Himself.
We are not perfect and He is not done with any of us.
Each day, we should have an anticipation that He will return, He cares what is going on and He is working in our circumstances and situations.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:15
Prayer-
Summary: We should all be living as if Jesus was crucified yesterday; raised from the dead this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.
If I was to ask you this question… if you knew that Jesus Christ was to return today, would you live any different? If your answer yes, you would not have been prepared for his return.
I think all of us would want to make a one last time to some we have been talking to about Christ, hoping that they would respond before it was too late.
Illustration-
One night a thief broke into a house he thought was deserted. As he walked through the darkened house with a flashlight he heard a voice from the kitchen that said, “Jesus is watching you.” He stopped and said, “Who’s there?” There was no answer so he thought he must have imagined it. But after he took a few more steps, the voice said again, “Jesus is watching you.” He decided to walk toward the voice, just before he entered the kitchen, he heard it again. “Jesus is watching you.” He swung his flashlight up and saw a talking parrot in a cage. The parrot said, “Jesus is watching you.” The thief flipped on the kitchen light and said, “Why you’re just a dumb bird.” Then he noticed a huge Doberman crouching under the cage. The parrot said, “Sic ‘im, Jesus.”
Criminals can be pretty dumb.
A robber held up a convenience store with a shotgun. After the cashier put the money in the bag, the robber saw a bottle of whiskey on the shelf behind and cashier and told him to put it in the bag. The clerk told the robber he couldn’t because the robber didn’t look like he was 21 years old. The robber promptly showed the clerk his driver’s license. The clerk agreed he was 21 and put the whiskey in the bag. Then when the robber left he called 911 and gave them the robber’s name and address.
We’ve all heard about the “dumb criminal” stories, and they can do some lame-brained things.
Thieves breaking in and getting locked in the building.
Falling through ceilings and getting hurt.
You might think it strange that Jesus would compare His return to a thief.
Jesus isn’t identifying with the sin of stealing, He is letting us know that He will come unexpected and at a time you must be ready. Jesus will come quickly, probably not quietly and rapture or take away His church.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–4:18
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
That is the rapture of the church- The snatching away of believers from this earth.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5:5
“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”
The early believers we so excited about the return of Christ that it occupied their thoughts and conversations.
They were looking for Him
They were talking about His return.
They had code words.
They had the holy kiss on the cheek and would say “The Lord Comes”
We should have the same holy passion about the return of Christ.
This world is getting messy- and it is getting worse everyday. That’s why each of us should maintain hope and be prepared for His return.
G. Campbell Morgan wrote: “To me the second coming is the perpetual light on the path which makes the present bearable. I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that maybe before the morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned.”
Things we know from this text and the Book of Revelation
JESUS WILL RETURN, BUT WE DON’T KNOW THE EXACT DAY
Can you imagine a thief sending you a text or email saying, “Just want you to know that I’m coming to rob your house tonight?” Of course not. Thieves don’t announce when they’re coming. They sneak in and sneak out. (SermonCentral)
Back to the thieves- you can hear about the dumb stuff they do and get caught and if you are not involved it would be funny- but if you have ever been robbed, it is not funny. I have been robbed twice and it changes the way you think about some things
The first time I was about 15 years old and was walking down the street in Milwaukee.. Two guys on the other side of the street kept watching me, laughing, and I was uncomfortable and wondering what if anything they were going to do. When I turned the corner there was two more of them and they pushed me and demanded my wallet. I took a punch but it could have been a lot worse. I thought later what I could have done to be prepared or better yet, how I could have avoided it all together.
The second time I was 21-22 years old in a place I knew better to be and I was held up by gunpoint. He pointed the gun at my head and said did I get yours? I handed him the money from my wallet and kept my wallet. That was dumb and I could have been hurt for that but God helps stupid.
To this day, I am not comfortable if I am not facing the door.
I have trained myself to be alert of my surroundings. That will not go away.
Jesus said the same thing about His return.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:42-44)
There has been so much false prophecy of Jesus return that people think it a joke and they are not prepared.
William Miller, Baptist minister predicted Jesus return October 22, 1845
88 reasons Jesus will return in 1988- then 89 before they run him out of town.
Harold Camping predicted Jesus would return May 21, 2011… Jesus has been a no show!
The bottom line is that whenever you hear ANYONE start giving a day and date, you know without any doubt they are wrong, in fact, they become false prophets.
Jesus said NOBODY knows the day and the date except for the Father.
It has been said we are not the scheduling committee, we are the welcoming committee.
How many of you believe, like me, that Jesus could return in our lifetime?
“The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:44)
I do not claim to be an expert on the end times and I have a hard time like most putting all the events in order and understanding the events as they happen.
Let me try to give you a piece of the end time pie.
Breaking of the seven seals-
Rev 5:1 “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.”- Each seal broken is an increase of war. Famines, natural disasters begin to happen. This is the first stage of the Great Tribulation.
Rapture of the church- This is where the church is divided on when the rapture of the church will happen in the tribulation period. Pre-millennial believe it will happen about 3.5 years into the seven year tribulation period. God will raise the dead in Christ and snatch believers from earth and we will meet Jesus in the air. This is our text this morning from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
This is not the same event as the second Coming of Christ which takes place at the end of tribulation.
The Marriage supper of the Lamb- the great feast of Jesus and His bride. Rev. 19:7-9- ‘let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then He said to me, write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the lamb! And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God.”
The Blowing of the seven Trumpets- After the church is raptured or snatched away, 7 angels will sound the trumpets and begin to see the rise of the beast and antichrist against God. Each trumpet blown will bring new plagues to the earth. Rev. Chapter 8-11. God will begin to pour out his wrath and judgment.
The emptying of the seven bowls- The final stage of the Great tribulation. God has taken the first fruits-(raptured church) and the second fruits (those that receive him during tribulation) and now what is left is Satan, Antichrist, the beast, and those who are beyond repentance. They will experience God’s wrath and see the plagues upon the earth. During this period of time, only the nation of Israel will be stable and safe. God promises to hold Israel fast and the enemies will gather to come against Israel. Jesus promises Israel to hold fast. Rev. 16
Jesus Second Coming- The end of the Great Tribulation, when all the nations are gathered to make war on Jerusalem, Jesus will come back with His bride. He returns to defeat the Anti Christ, beast, and his followers.
Rev. 17:14- “They will wage war against the lamb, but the lamb will triumph over them because He is lord of lords and king of kings- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
After the battle Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. Jesus will cast the antichrist and the beast into the lake of fire. Christ along with the saints will reign for a 1000 years called the Millennium
At the end of the millennium Satan will be loosed from his chains for a short time, though it is unclear exactly how long this time is. He will gather his army and will surround Jerusalem and God will send fire down from heaven to devour them. The devil will be cast into the lake of fire where the Antichrist and the beast are already and will be tormented there for eternity.
Final Judgment-takes place at the end of the millennium, after Satan’s last rebellion. This judgment will be for all that have not already received God’s judgment.
Eternity and the New Heaven- Where God makes everything new. This includes a new heaven and a new earth because both have been tainted by sin. Even heaven was blemished by Satan trying to exalt himself above God.
Rev. 21:1-5- “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the older order of things has passed away.”
You want to be ready Amen!
Here’s how Isaiah described the Day of the Lord, “See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it…I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.” (Isaiah 13:9, 11)
Paul used the analogy of birth pains to describe this time of tribulation. He wrote, “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Once an expectant mother starts having contractions, then there’s no way to stop the process—a baby is coming, ready or not. He said once these end time events start happening, there’s nothing to stop it. Judgment is coming whether you’re ready or not.
And Paul wrote that many people will be living their lives totally separate from a relationship with God, and they scoff and laugh at the idea of the second coming. But like birth contractions, when Jesus returns, everything else is going to happen just as the Bible predicted.
C.S. Lewis was one of the most respected scholars of the 20th century. For many years he was an atheist, having rejected his Anglican upbringing. But another brilliant scholar, J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy, befriended C.S. Lewis and led him to faith in Jesus Christ. Then Lewis became one of the most influential Christian intellects in history. Here’s what he wrote about the Second Coming: “God is going to invade this earth in force. For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing. It will be the time when we discover which side we have really chosen whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.” (The Case for Christ)
These words in the Bible are intended for us to encourage one another. Christians, I encourage you to live in a way that you can meet the Lord with confidence.
Believers, I encourage you to share your faith with everyone you care about.
Friends without Christ, I encourage you to surrender your heart to Jesus today. Do you know why Jesus hasn’t come yet? I believe He is waiting on you.
2 Peter 3:9 says “God is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
