Sunday
Evening Bible Study
October 29, 2000
Introduction
Do people see Jesus?
Is the gospel preached?
Does it speak to the broken hearted?
1Thessalonians 4
:1-12 Holiness
:1 Furthermore then we beseech you,
brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how
ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
please – aresko – to
please; to strive to please; to accommodate one’s self to the opinions desires
and interests of others
abound – perisseuo – to
exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or
measure; to be over, to remain; to exist or be at hand in abundance;
“Abounding” is used of a flower going from a bud to full bloom.
:2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
commandments – paraggelia –
announcement, a proclaiming or giving a message to; a charge, a command
:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fornication:
will – thelema – what one
wishes or has determined shall be done; will, choice, inclination, desire,
pleasure
sanctification – hagiasmos –
consecration, purification; the effect of consecration; sanctification of heart
and life
abstain – apechomai – to
hold one’s self off, refrain, abstain
fornication – porneia –
illicit sexual intercourse; sex outside the bounds of marriage; adultery,
fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in
sanctification and honour;
know – eido – to see; to
know; to see with the mind’s eye, signifies a clear and purely mental
perception
to possess – ktaomai – to
acquire, get, or procure a thing for one’s self, to possess; to marry a wife
vessel – skeuos – a
vessel; an implement; metaph.; a man of quality, a chosen instrument; “Vessel”
was a common Greek metaphor for “body” since Greeks thought of souls living
temporarily in bodies.
sanctification – hagiasmos –
consecration, purification; the effect of consecration; sanctification of heart
and life
honour – time – a valuing
by which the price is fixed; honour which belongs or is shown to one; of the
honour which one has by reason of rank and state of office which he holds;
deference, reverence
Your body is a thing of value to God.
:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not
God:
lust – pathos – whatever
befalls one, whether it be sad or joyous; a feeling which the mind suffers; an
affliction of the mind, emotion, passion; passionate deed; in the NT in a bad
sense, depraved passion, vile passions
concupiscence – epithumia –
desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust
:6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter:
go beyond – huperbaino –
to step over, beyond; metaph.; to transgress; to overstep the proper limits;
trespass, do wrong, sin; of one who defrauds another in business; overreaches
Kind of like “stepping over the line”
defraud – pleonekteo – to
have more, or a greater part or share; to be superior, excel, surpass, have an
advantage over; to gain or take advantage of another, to overreach. It comes from pleonektes, one eager to have more, esp. what belongs to others;
greedy of gain, covetous
matter – pragma – that
which has been done, a deed, an accomplished fact; what is done or being
accomplished; a matter, question, affair; spec. in a forensic sense, a matter
at law, case, suit
When you are talking to a person who is married, it’s important that you
learn to see a “line” around that person, a line which you choose to never
cross.
We can get talking to a person and start to develop little emotional
connections. We might find ourselves
becoming drawn to that person and selfishly think only of our own self and that
other person. But in reality, they
belong to another.
:6 because that the Lord is the
avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
the avenger – ekdikos –
exacting penalty from one; an avenger, punisher
forewarned – proepo – to
say before; to say in what precedes, to say above; to say before i.e.
heretofore, formerly; to say beforehand i.e. before the event: prophecies
testified – diamarturomai –
to testify; earnestly, religiously to charge; to attest, testify to, solemnly
affirm; to give solemn testimony to one; to confirm a thing by testimony, to
testify, cause it to be believed
:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
uncleanness – akatharsia –
uncleanness; physical; in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious,
profligate living; of impure motives
holiness – hagiasmos –
consecration, purification; the effect of consecration; sanctification of heart
and life
:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given
unto us his holy Spirit.
therefore – toigaroun –
wherefore then, for which reason, therefore, consequently
despiseth – atheteo – to
do away with, to set aside, disregard; to thwart the efficacy of anything,
nullify, make void, frustrate; to reject, to refuse, to slight
holy – hagios – most holy
thing, a saint. This is the root word
for what is translated “sanctification” and “holiness”.
God wants us to be holy because He is holy.
(1 Pet 1:15-16 NLT) But now you must be holy in everything you
do, just as God--who chose you to be his children--is holy. {16} For he himself
has said, "You must be holy because I am holy."
When the Holy Spirit lives in us, He is going to shape us to be more like
He is, holy.
If you have a problem with this, you don’t have a problem with me, or other
people who would tell you this, your problem is with God.
:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye
yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
brotherly love – philadelphia (anyone
know the “city of brotherly love”? – Philadelphia, PA) – love of brothers or
sisters, brotherly love; in the NT the love which Christians cherish for each
other as brethren
taught of God – theodidaktos –
taught of God
When God is in your life, He’s trying to teach you to love others. It’s one of the evidences of a genuine
Christian. It’s a fruit of the Spirit,
a result of His working in your life.
to love – agapao – of
persons; to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
:10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia:
but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
beseech – parakaleo – to
call to one’s side, call for, summon; to admonish, exhort; to beg, entreat,
beseech
ye increase – perisseuo –
to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number
or measure; to be over, to remain; to exist or be at hand in abundance; to
abound, overflow; “Abounding” is used of a flower going from a bud to full
bloom.
Lesson
You can’t love enough
These people knew about love.
Paul was thankful that they had the “labour of love” (1:3)
Paul prayed that their love would increase and abound (3:12)
God had taught these people how to love each other (4:9)
But this wasn’t enough. Paul asked
them to go over and above where they were.
Illustration
I remember experiencing a new level of love when my first son was
born. I couldn’t believe the amount of
love that welled up inside me at the sight of that baby. When our second son was born, I was afraid
that I’d have to somehow stop loving my first son a bit so I would have enough
love to share with the second. I had
the “cake” mentality of love. I thought
I only had one piece of the cake called “love” and that now I’d have to share
it with two sons. But love doesn’t work
that way. Instead of cutting my love
for my first born, God seemed to add the capacity in my heart to love another
son just as much. God gave me a whole
new piece of cake.
Don’t be stingy with your love. Let
God expand your ability to love more people.
Let God expand your ability to love the people you already love with a
greater love. Keep growing in love.
Illustration
SHMILY (Author unknown)
My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met
each other. The goal of their game was
to write the word “shmily” in a surprise place for the other to find.
They took turns leaving “shmily” around the house, and as soon as
one of them discovered it, it was their
turn to hide it once more.
They dragged “shmily” with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever was preparing
the next meal. They smeared it in the
dew on the windows overlooking the patio where my grandma always fed us warm, homemade pudding with blue food
coloring. “Shmily” was written in the
steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear
bath after bath. At one point, my grandmother even unrolled
an entire roll of toilet paper to leave
“shmily” on the very last sheet.
There was no end to the places “shmily” would pop up. Little notes with
“shmily” scribbled hurriedly were found on dashboards and car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left
under pillows. “Shmily” was written in
the dust upon the mantel and traced in the
ashes of the fireplace. This
mysterious word was as much a part of my
grandparents’ house as the furniture. It took me a long time before I
was able to fully appreciate my grandparents’ game. Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love-one that is
pure and enduring. However, I never
doubted my grandparents’ relationship.
They had love down pat. It was
more than their flirtatious little games; it was a way of life. Their relationship was based on a devotion
and passionate affection which not everyone is lucky experience. Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance
they could. They stole kisses as they bumped into each other in
their tiny kitchen. They finished each other’s sentences and shared the daily
crossword puzzle and word jumble. My grandma whispered to me about how cute my
grandpa was, how handsome an old he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew “how to pick ‘em.”
Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave thanks, marveling at their blessings: a wonderful family, good
fortune, and each other.
But there was a dark cloud in my grandparents’ life: my grandmother
had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years
earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every step of the
way. He comforted her in their
yellow room, painted that way so that
she could always be surrounded by sunshine,
even when she was too sick to go outside. Now the cancer was again attacking her body. With the help
of a cane and my grandfather’s steady hand, they went to church every morning. But my grandmother grew steadily
weaker until, finally, she could not
leave the house anymore. For a while,
Grandpa would go to church alone,
praying to God to watch over his wife. Then
one day, what we all dreaded finally
happened. Grandma was gone.
“Shmily.” It was scrawled in yellow
on the pink ribbons of my grandmother’s funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners
turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members came
forward and gathered around Grandma one last time. Grandpa stepped up to my grandmother’s casket and, taking a shaky
breath, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came, a
deep and throaty lullaby. Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that
moment. For knew that, although I couldn’t begin to fathom
the depth of their love, I had been
privileged to witness its unmatched beauty.
S-H-M-I-L-Y ~ See How Much I Love You.
Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for letting me see.
:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work
with your own hands, as we commanded you;
study – philotimeomai – to
be fond of honour; from a love of honour to strive to bring something to pass;
to be ambitious; to strive earnestly, make it one’s aim
to be quiet – hesuchazo –
to keep quiet; to rest, cease from labour; to lead a quiet life, said of those
who are not running hither and thither, but stay at home and mind their
business; to be silent, i.e. to say nothing, hold one’s peace
to do – prasso – to
exercise, practise, to be busy with, carry on; to undertake, to do; to
accomplish, perform; to manage public affairs, transact public business
commanded – paraggello –
to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce; to
command, order, charge
Lesson
Mind your own business
Some people have a habit of worrying about everyone else’s business but
their own. They like to know about
everything that goes on. They may not
necessarily be a “gossip” in that they don’t go around spreading what they
know. But they can definitely stick
their nose in where it doesn’t belong.
It’s like the gal that spends the day on the telephone talking with other
women, but whose own household responsibilities go undone.
What has God given you to do as your “lot” in life?
Whatever it is, be sure that you are doing it well. Don’t be so concerned about how others are
doing. Just do what you need to be
doing.
Paul will write to the Thessalonians,
(2 Th
3:11-12 NLT) Yet we hear that some of
you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other
people's business. {12} In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such
people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living.
In the early church, because there was no Social Security system, the
church would take care of the needs of women whose husbands had died. Paul warned Timothy about not having the
church support a widow who was young enough to get remarried because,
(1 Tim
5:13 NLT) they are likely to become
lazy and spend their time gossiping from house to house, getting into other
people's business and saying things they shouldn't.
:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may
have lack of nothing.
honestly – euschemonos –
in a seemly manner, decently; from euschemon
– of elegant figure; shapely, graceful, comely, bearing one’s self
becomingly in speech or behaviour; of good standing; honourable, influential,
wealthy, respectable
Lesson
Heart for the lost
We ought to treat unbelievers with dignity, love, and respect. They need to see an example of the God who
loved them so much He gave His only begotten Son to die for them.
Sometimes we want to totally withdraw from unbelievers. We don’t want them to influence us or our
families. But how will they ever know
about Jesus if we don’t spend time with them?
If you are a Christian and own your own company, you should be the ultimate
example of honesty and integrity. If
you are a Christian and work for a non-Christian, they are going to be forming
their opinions of Jesus based on how you treat them.
:13-18 The Rapture
Paul is going to address an issue that is of concern to the Thessalonians.
Since the time of Jesus, Christians had been expecting Jesus to return at
any moment. Christians have always been
anxious for Jesus to come back and set up His kingdom on earth.
But a question arose with the Thessalonians, “What about people who came to
trust in the Lord, but who have now died, will they miss out on His kingdom?”
:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep,
ignorant – agnoeo – to be
ignorant, not to know; not to understand, unknown
asleep – koimao – to cause
to sleep, put to sleep; metaph.; to still, calm, quiet; to fall asleep, to
sleep; to die. The verb is a “perfect”
tense, meaning that the action happened in the past and has results continuing
on into the present.
Paul is talking about Christians who have died.
In the New Testament, death for a Christian is compared to “sleep”.
Lesson
What death is NOT
The Jehovah Witnesses teach a doctrine called “soul sleep”. They believe that when a person dies, that
their soul goes to sleep in their body in the grave until the day of the resurrection.
The Bible does not teach this.
The Bible teaches that when a believer dies, their
soul/spirit goes immediately to be with the Lord. Paul said that he preferred
to depart and “be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23), and that to be “absent from
the body” was to be “present with the Lord” (2Cor. 5:8).
Lesson
What is death
Death for the Christian is compared to sleep because:
1) Death is about as harmless to a
Christian as sleep.
Jesus said if we believed in Him, we’re never really
die (John 11:25-26). We may experience
a separation from our physical body, but we will never be separated from God.
Illustration
It’s just like naps and growing up. Kids hate naps. They detest naps. They’d
rather be up and running around wildly.
But you know you’ve become a mature adult when you grow to love
naps. You can tell a lot about the
maturity of a person by how they respond to the suggestion of taking a nap.
Death for a mature Christian should be in a sense
something that we look forward to.
After all, it’s when we get to go to be with our Savior whom we’ve
waited for.
2) A dead person simply looks like
they’re asleep. I’ve done enough
funerals, it’s true.
:13 that ye sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope.
sorrow – lupeo – to make
sorrowful; to affect with sadness, cause grief, to throw into sorrow
Lesson
Our sorrow is different
There’s a vast difference between the funeral of a believer and the funeral
of an unbeliever.
At an unbeliever’s funeral, everyone is weeping and wailing. They say things like, “He died so young,
what a waste”. There is an unspoken
sense of uncertainty over the person’s destiny. People “hope” they’re in a better place.
At a believer’s funeral, there can still be sadness, but it’s a sadness
solely because the person is missed. When talk turns to the person’s current state, there can be joy
and happiness because they are in heaven with Jesus.
:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
sleep in Jesus – those who are Christians, but have died.
will bring – ago – to
lead, take with one; to lead by laying hold of, and this way to bring to the
point of destination: of an animal; to lead by accompanying to (into) a place;
to lead
with him – note that those who have died will be coming “with him”,
or, “with Jesus”. They are not in the
grave, but “with Jesus”.
:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep.
remain – perileipo – to
leave over; to remain over, to survive
prevent – phthano – to
come before, precede, anticipate; to come to, arrive at; to reach, attain to
Those of us who are still alive in these bodies when Jesus returns (like us
right here), won’t somehow “beat out” those who have already died.
Paul is talking about the resurrection, about rising from the dead, when we
will receive new bodies. This is
clarified in verse 16 (“shall rise first”).
Those of us who are still alive won’t be receiving our new bodies before
those who have already died…
:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first:
shout – keleuma – an
order, command, spec. a stimulating cry, either that by which animals are
roused and urged on by man, as horses by charioteers, hounds by hunters, etc.,
or that by which a signal is given to men, e.g. to rowers by the master of a
ship, to soldiers by a commander (with a loud summons, a trumpet call)
voice – phone – a sound, a
tone; a voice; of the sound of uttered words
trump – salpigx – a
trumpet. This is the even we call The
Rapture.
Which trumpet?
I think some people get into trouble by trying to match this “trumpet” with
one of the trumpets in the book of Revelation.
(1 Cor 15:51-53 KJV) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, {52} In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. {53} For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
They will take the “last trump” to be the last of the
seven trumpets in Revelation and make is sound as if we’re going to go through
the tribulation.
Though this is a distant possibility, keep in mind that
both Thessalonians and Corinthians were written about 30 to 40 years before the
book of Revelation was. I would have a
difficult time saying that Paul had the trumpets in Revelation in mind.
Trumpets in the Bible –
Trumpets had a couple of uses in Bible times, but mainly as a means of
sending signals to large groups of people, such as armies or the Israelites in
the wilderness. One of the signals that
a trumpet was often used for was to gather the people, or to gather an army
together.
Judg. 3:27 – the Judge Ehud “blew the trumpet” and
gathered the people together to fight the Moabites.
Judg. 6:34 – Gideon “blew the trumpet” and gathered the people
together to fight against the Midianites.
Be careful about making the focus of the “trumpet” about when the Rapture
will occur, the focus is on gathering God’s people together.
shall descend – katabaino –
to go down, come down, descend
dead in Christ – again, Christians who have died
shall rise – anistemi – to
cause to rise up, raise up; to raise up from the dead
When a believer dies, their spirit goes immediately to heaven to be with
the Lord. If you are a believer and you
were to die right now, you would know that you are in the presence of the
Lord. But you would be without a body
for a time.
It’s when this trumpet is blown that those who have already died before us
will receive their new resurrection bodies.
Lesson
Resurrection bodies
What is a “resurrection body”?
Jesus said He was going to prepare a “place” for us, speaking of our new
bodies:
(John 14:1-3 NASB) "Let not your heart be troubled;
believe in God, believe also in Me. {2} "In My Father's house are many
dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare
a place for you. {3} "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
It is a body similar to Jesus’ resurrected, glorified body.
(1 Cor 15:49 KJV) And as we have borne the image of the
earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Jesus was able to fly, glow in the dark, walk through walls, and appear out
of nowhere. I assume we might be able
to do the same. We shall be like Him.
(1 John 3:2 KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
It is a body perfectly suited for living in heaven. These current bodies
wouldn’t survive, much like our bodies couldn’t live in outer space.
(1 Cor 15:50 KJV) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption.
Heaven will be a wonderful place.
We will be with Jesus. We will
be in a new body.
Illustration
This 85 year old couple, having been married almost 60 years, had died in a
car crash. They had been in good health
the last ten years mainly due to her interest in health food, and
exercise. When they reached the pearly
gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion which was decked out with a
beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they “oohed and aahed” the old man asked Peter how much all
this was going to cost. “It’s free, “
Peter replied, “this is heaven.” Next
they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the home backed
up to. They would have golfing
privileges everyday and each week the course changed to a new one representing
the great golf courses on earth. The
old man asked, “what are the green fees?”.
Peter’s reply, “This is heaven, you play for free.” Next they went to the club house and saw the
lavish buffet lunch with the cuisine’s of the world laid out. “How much to eat?” asked the old man. “Don’t you understand yet? This is heaven, it is free!” Peter replied
with some exasperation. “Well, where
are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?” the old man asked timidly. Peter lectured, “That’s the best part...you
can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you
never get sick. This is heaven.” With that the old man went into a fit of
anger, throwing down his hat and stomping on it, and shrieking wildly. Peter and his wife both tried to calm him
down, asking him what was wrong. The
old man looked at his wife and said, “This is all your fault. If it weren’t for your blasted bran muffins,
I could have been here ten years ago!”
The trumpet will blow, those who have died will receive their new bodies,
then it’s our turn…
:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
Then – epeita – thereupon,
thereafter, then, afterwards
remain – perileipo – to
leave over; to remain over, to survive
Those of us who have not yet experienced physical death when the Rapture
happens.
caught up – harpazo – to
seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly; to snatch
out or away. Our word “rapture” comes
from the Latin translation of this word.
to meet – apantesis – to
meet one
the air – aer – the air,
particularly the lower and denser air as distinguished from the higher and
rarer air; the atmospheric region
Lesson
The Rapture
It will happen suddenly
(1 Cor 15:51-53 KJV) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, {52} In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. {53} For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Paul says it will happen in a
moment – atomos
– that cannot be cut in two, or divided, indivisible; of a moment of time
twinkling – rhipe
– a throw, stroke, beat; a moment of time; from rhipto – to cast,
throw; to set down (with the suggestion of haste and want of care). I’ve heard people try to say that a
“twinkle” is less than a “blink” of an eye, but I’m not sure I understand what
a “twinkle” is. I think a “blink” is
quick enough for me. We blink so fast
and so often that we usually don’t notice our own blinking. But the idea is that in the time that it
takes for your eye to close and reopen, you’ll be in heaven. Your eyelid will go down and you’ll see me
talking to you at church, but when your eyelid raises again, you’ll see Jesus
in heaven. Very cool.
It will happen unexpectedly
This is one of the main reasons why I believe in a “pre-tribulational”
Rapture.
One aspect of His Second Coming will be very predictable.
His coming will be preceded by the time known as the Great
Tribulation. This is a time of God’s
wrath being poured out on the earth, a period of seven years, with a definite
time marker right in the middle, an event known as the “abomination of desolation”.
This is when the man known as the antichrist will enter
into the rebuilt Jewish temple, stop the sacrifices to Yahweh, and demand to be
worshipped as God. This will be such an
“abominable” thing that it will bring “desolation” to God’s temple. Jesus said,
(Mat
24:15-16 KJV) When ye therefore shall
see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in
the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) {16} Then let them which
be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Daniel referred to this same event (Dan. 9:27; 12:11) and
said that when it occurs, there will be 1290 days until the end, when Jesus
returns. This sounds very
predictable. If you are alive on planet
earth, and you see a rebuilt Jewish temple being desecrated and a man claiming
to be the Messiah, you can start counting the days until Jesus returns.
One aspect of His Second Coming is completely unpredictable.
(Mat 24:32-42 KJV) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When
his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is
nigh: {33} So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is
near, even at the doors.
When you begin to see the things that Jesus talks about in
Matthew 24 beginning to happen, understand that He’s almost here.
{34} Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
The generation that sees the beginning of these signs
coming to place will not pass away until it comes to pass. Are there any folks alive on the planet that
were around when the nation of Israel was founded in 1948?
{35} Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my words shall not pass away. {36} But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
There is an aspect of Jesus’ coming in which no one can
know the day or hour.
{37} But as the days of Noe
were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. {38} For as in the days
that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, {39} And knew not
until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be. {40} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and
the other left. {41} Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be
taken, and the other left. {42} Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your
Lord doth come.
How could the Lord’s coming be so “predictable” from the
timing of the abomination of desolation, and yet be “sudden” at the same time?
Because these are two separate events.
The Rapture will happen suddenly, unexpectedly, before the
Tribulation occurs. Jesus will come and
snatch away His church.
Some people believe the Rapture might happen in the middle
or at the end of the Tribulation, but to me, this takes away the sense of the
unexpected.
But the Second Coming, when Jesus returns with us to
conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom on earth, will occur like
clockwork from the time of the antichrist’s desecration of the temple.
:17 and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.
This is our “blessed hope”
(Titus 2:13 KJV) Looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
This is what we are waiting for, to be with the Lord.
Lesson
Are you ready?
For some of us, we struggle a little with this. We’re not quite sure we’re ready for the Lord to come back just
quite yet.
Perhaps we want the Lord to come back after we get our Sony
Playstation 2 game console. And that
might not be until sometime after Christmas!
Let’s suppose that you were to travel to some isolated
tribe in New Guinea, where the latest, coolest game the kids play is a game
with twigs and rocks. Suppose that the
kids are all excited because a new game has been invented by a neighboring
tribe, and they can hardly wait to see what the game is like. Meanwhile, someone with a SUV breaks into
the village for the first time and offers to take anyone who wants to go for a
free trip to America, where their life will be transformed and they will live
in luxury for the rest of their life.
“But no!” the children cry, “we can’t go until we learn our new game
with twigs and sticks!”
The difference between New Guinea and America isn’t even
close to the comparison between earth and heaven, yet it still makes a
point. Why are we so attached to the
things on this earth when heaven is going to be so much better?
:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Illustration
There was a story about a man named Fred, who inherited 10 million dollars,
but there was some catches, he had to make some choices, and he made the wrong
ones. The will provided that he had to accept the 10 million either in Brazil
or in Chile. Well, he chose Brazil, unfortunately it turned out that in Chile
he would have received his inheritance in land on which uranium, gold and
silver had just been discovered. Once in Brazil he had to choose between
receiving his inheritance in coffee or
nuts. Well, he chose the nuts. And that was too bad, because the bottom fell
out of the nut market, but coffee went up to 5.34 a pound wholesale. And poor
Fred lost everything he had to his name, he went out and sold his gold watch
for money, and he did that so that he could get enough money to fly home. It
seems that he had enough money to buy a
ticket to either New York or Boston. But he chose Boston. When the plane for
New York taxied up, he noticed that it was a brand new super 747 jet with red
carpet and chic people and wine popping hostesses. The plane for Boston arrived
and it was a 1928 Ford tri motor with a swayback, it took a full day to get off
the ground. And it was filled with crying children and tethered goats. Well,
over the Andes, one of the engines had fell off. And our man Fred had made his
way up to the cockpit and captain said, Look I’m a jinx on this plane, let me
out it you want to save your lives, give me a parachute. And the pilot agreed
and looking at him said, “Okay, but on this plane, anybody who bales out must
wear two chutes.” And so Fred jumped out of the plane whirling through the air,
trying to make up his mind, which ripcord to pull. Finally he chose the one on
the left, it was rusty and the wire pulled loose. So he pulled the other
handle, the parachute opened but the shroud lines snapped. In desperation, the
poor fellow cried out, “St. Francis, save me!!” A large hand reached out of Heaven and seized the poor fellow by
the wrist and let him dangle in mid-air. And a gentle but inquisitive voice
asked, “St. Francis of Xavier or St. Francis of Assisi?”
Sometimes we get this feeling that our life is a lot like Fred’s. We can feel like we’re just narrowly missing
all the good stuff by making bad choices, choices that we couldn’t have
foreseen. We can feel like nothing is
ever going to go right.
But the real decision to make in life is, “Am I going to follow Jesus, or
am I going to follow Jesus?” There is
not much choice beyond that. And with
Jesus, even when life gets tough, you have a hope of a place in heaven that is
reserved for you and one that you don’t have to worry about “missing it by that
much”.
Lesson
Comfort from the rapture
comfort – parakaleo – This
word has more than just the simple idea of “comfort” to it. It means – to call to one’s side, call for,
summon; to admonish, exhort; to beg, entreat, beseech; to console, to encourage
and strengthen by consolation, to comfort; to encourage, strengthen
How can understanding the Rapture give us “comfort”?
1. It encourages us to be pure.
John wrote,
(1 John
3:3 KJV) And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
When we realize that at any moment we could blink and be
with Jesus, there’s a part of us that wants to be ready, to be presentable.
For most of us, when we are expecting an important person
to visit us at our house, we tend to clean the house to make it
“presentable”.
Get the house ready.
The King is coming for a visit soon.
2. It encourages us to keep going.
Last week we talked about the “patience of hope” (1Th.
1:3), about how hope can help us to keep on moving ahead in life. As long as we know that there is an end to
the tunnel, as long as we know that there is light up ahead, we can keep going.
1Thessalonians 5
:1-11 Ready for the Lord’s
Coming
:1 But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
times – chronos – time
either long or short; time in general
seasons – kairos – due
measure; a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis,
the decisive epoch waited for; a definitely limited portion of time with the
added notion of suitableness
:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night.
perfectly – akribos –
exactly, accurately, diligently
These people completely understood that the Lord’s coming would be
suddenly.
thief – kleptes – an
embezzler, pilferer
(Mat 24:43-44 NLT) "Know this: A homeowner who knew
exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to
be broken into. {44} You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man
will come when least expected.
:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape.
peace – eirene – a state
of national tranquillity; exemption from the rage and havoc of war; peace
between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity,
felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
safety – asphaleia (“asphalt”)
– firmness, stability; certainty, undoubted truth; security from enemies and
dangers, safety
sudden – aiphnidios –
unexpected, sudden, unforeseen
destruction – olethros –
ruin, destroy, death
travail – odin – the pain
of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs; intolerable anguish, in reference to
the dire calamities precede the advent of the Messiah
A pregnant woman knows that her time is getting near. Her tummy grows bigger and bigger. The doctor gives her a time frame of when
the baby might be coming. She knows
that one day it will really happen. At
least she thinks it will. And then
suddenly it happens.
This is just like Jesus’ return.
with child – gaster (“gastric”)
– the belly; the womb; the stomach
escape – ekpheugo – to
flee out of, flee away; to seek safety in flight; to escape
There is a sense in which things will be going quite well on the earth and
those that aren’t looking for the Lord’s coming will be caught off guard.
:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you
as a thief.
There is a sense in which the times will be evident that the Lord’s coming
is near.
(Mat 24:33 NLT) Just so, when you see the events I've
described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at
the door.
If you are looking for the Lord’s return, it will be evident that He’s
almost here.
:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
In the daylight, you can see things.
In the light you can see what is going on.
If we were children of the night, we wouldn’t see what is going on around
us.
:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
sleep – katheudo – to fall
asleep, drop off to sleep; to sleep; to sleep normally; euphemistically, to be
dead; metaph.; to yield to sloth and sin; to be indifferent to one’s salvation
Paul is using “sleep” here differently than he did in 4:13, where he was
talking about those who have already physically died.
Here he’s talking about people who aren’t alert and looking for the Lord’s
return.
watch – gregoreuo – to
watch; metaph. give strict attention to, be cautious, active; to take heed lest
through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one
be sober – nepho – to be
sober, to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate,
circumspect
:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night.
:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
faith – pistis –
conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or
belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with
the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
love – agape – brotherly
love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
hope – elpis – expectation
of good, hope
We are in the middle of a battle.
The battle requires that we be alert and protected.
We protect our heart with faith and love.
We protect our minds with the hope of heaven.
:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ,
appointed – tithemi – to
set, put, place; to set, fix establish; to establish, ordain
wrath – orge – anger;
anger, wrath, indignation; anger exhibited in punishment, hence used for
punishment itself
We can protect our minds with hope because God has promised to save us from
His just punishment through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for us.
I do not have to be fearful of hell because Jesus has bought my ticket to
heaven and paid it in full.
But I think it goes a step further.
Lesson
More pre-trib points
The Great Tribulation is known as the time of God’s wrath. It is when God will pour out His wrath on
the earth.
(Rev 6:16 KJV) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on
us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb:
(Rev 14:10 KJV) The same shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his
indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence
of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
This is not proof positive for a pre-trib rapture, but I think that it certainly
supports the idea, that the Gentile church (Paul is writing to Gentile
Christians in Thessalonica) would not be destined for the Tribulation.
Jesus seemed to hint that it could be possible to “escape” the time of the
Tribulation:
(Luke 21:36 KJV) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye
may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and
to stand before the Son of man.
Jesus wrote to the church of Philadelphia,
(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My
perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is
about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.
:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with him.
Jesus died on a cross for us, so that we could live with Him forever.
:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as
also ye do.
comfort – parakaleo – This
word has more than just the simple idea of “comfort” to it. It means – to call to one’s side, call for,
summon; to admonish, exhort; to beg, entreat, beseech; to console, to encourage
and strengthen by consolation, to comfort; to encourage, strengthen
edify – oikodomeo – to
build a house, erect a building; to restore by building, to rebuild, repair;
metaph.; to found, establish; to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection,
grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness; to grow in wisdom and piety
:12-28 Miscellaneous
Exhortations
:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and
are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
beseech – erotao – to
question; to ask; to request, entreat, beg, beseech
to know – eido – to see;
to perceive with the eyes; to know; to have regard for one, cherish, pay
attention to (1Th 5:12)
labour – kopiao – to grow
weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief); to labour with
wearisome effort, to toil; of bodily labour
are over you – proistemi –
to set or place before; to set over; to be over, to superintend, preside over;
to be a protector or guardian; to give aid; to care for, give attention to
admonish – noutheteo
(“mind” + “to put”) – to admonish,
warn, exhort. Very similar to
“counseling”.
Lesson
Who is “over” you?
I think we have several aspects of our lives where we need to learn where
we fit in. Home, work, even church.
I think when we get to the place where we don’t allow anyone to be “over”
us or to “admonish” us, we can get ourselves into trouble.
I have people I consider “over” me.
In a sense, I am responsible to you and the elders of the church. I also have several people in my life such
as Mark Bove and Jim Hesterly whose counsel and advice I hold very dear and
weighty. If Pastor Chuck told me to
jump, I’d like to think I’d ask, “how high?”
Keep in mind, Paul is qualifying this as those who meet three
criteria: Hard work among you, position
over you, those who advise you.
:13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at
peace among yourselves.
esteem – hegeomai – to
lead; to consider, deem, account, think
very highly – perissos –
beyond measure, extraordinary; greatly, exceedingly
love – agape – brotherly
love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
Lesson
Remember to say “thanks”
We’ve just gone through “Pastor Appreciation” month at the church. I have to confess to you that I look forward
to it every year, just people saying “thanks”.
But there are more people in the church who fit this category than just
me. A lot more. Be sure to “esteem them highly in love” too.
Dave Dunagan, my wife, Craig Campbell, Jon Osmundsen, Debbie Campbell,
Daniel Wassink and Greg Senecal, Jose Luis and Margarita Ornelas, and many,
many others.
:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the
feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
exhort – parakaleo – to
call to one’s side, call for, summon; to admonish, exhort; to beg, entreat,
beseech; to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort
warn – noutheteo – to
admonish, warn, exhort. This is the
same word translated “admonish” in verse 12.
unruly – ataktos –
disorderly, out of ranks (often so of soldiers); irregular, inordinate,
immoderate pleasures; deviating from the prescribed order or rule; Used in
Greek society of those who did not show up for work.
Though we are to “warn” the unruly, it’s not always a fun thing to do.
You will often get one of two responses.
If the person is a “wise” person, they will respond and change. If they are a “fool”, they won’t change.
(Prov 17:10 KJV) A reproof entereth more into a wise man than
an hundred stripes into a fool.
comfort – paramutheomai –
to speak to, address one, whether by way of admonition and incentive, or to
calm and console
feebleminded – oligopsuchos (“feeble”
+ “soul”) – fainthearted
support – antechomai – to
hold before or against, hold back, withstand, endure; to keep one’s self
directly opposite to any one, hold to him firmly, cleave to, paying heed to him
weak – asthenes – weak,
infirm, feeble
be patient – makrothumeo –
patience with difficult people; to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart; to
persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles; to be
patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others; to be mild and slow in
avenging; to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish
Lesson
Treat people according to their
needs
Some people need a swift kick in the rear.
Others need a supporting hand around their shoulder. We need to learn to see needs and respond
correctly.
:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that
which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
render – apodidomi – to
deliver, to give away for one’s own profit what is one’s own, to sell; to pay
off, discharge what is due; to requite, recompense in a good or a bad sense
evil – kakos – of a bad
nature; base, wrong, wicked; troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive,
baneful
follow – dioko – to make
to run or flee, put to flight, drive away; to run swiftly in order to catch a
person or thing, to run after; to press on: figuratively of one who in a race
runs swiftly to reach the goal
good – agathos – of good
constitution or nature; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent,
distinguished; upright, honourable
to all men – don’t treat non-Christians any differently. Be good to all.
:16 Rejoice evermore.
rejoice – chairo – to
rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly
:17 Pray without ceasing.
without ceasing – adialeiptos –
without intermission, incessantly, without ceasing
pray – proseuchomai – to
offer prayers, to pray
I don’t think this means going to a church and kneeling down to pray and
never getting up again. I think this is talking about making your whole life a
running conversation with God. Talk to
Him throughout your whole day.
:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.
give thanks – eucharisteo –
to be grateful, feel thankful; give thanks
will – thelema – what one
wishes or has determined shall be done; will, choice, inclination, desire,
pleasure
God wants us to be thankful.
:19 Quench not the Spirit.
quench – sbennumi – to
extinguish, quench; of fire or things on fire; to be quenched, to go out;
metaph. to quench, to suppress, stifle; of divine influence
I think that sometimes this phrase is a bit over used. I think that sometimes when a person says
this, what they’re really telling me is that I’m not doing what they want
me to be doing, not necessarily that I’m not doing what the Spirit wants.
I do believe we need to be careful about putting a wet blanket on those who
are growing in excitement over the Lord.
When you are talking with a new believer and they are all excited about
Jesus, don’t say things like, “Oh, you’ll outgrow that”. Fan the flames, don’t put them out.
:20 Despise not prophesyings.
despise – exoutheneo – to
make of no account, despise utterly
I think this is one way we can “quench” the Spirit.
When we’ve had a bad experience and have seen the abuse of spiritual gifts,
it can make us want to not have anything to do with the Holy Spirit.
But that’s only because we’ve been tasting too much of human input and not
enough of the real Holy Spirit.
If you’ve grown suspicious of anyone who would dare to say, “I think the
Lord might be saying …”, loosen up a bit!
There is a genuine gift of prophecy.
God does still speak through people.
I’ve heard quite a bit of it lately.
:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
prove – dokimazo – to
test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as
metals; to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy
Don’t just swallow everything you hear.
Everything needs to be tested.
The moment you begin to accept everything someone says to you without
testing it, you are opening the door to be led astray or abused.
good – kalos – beautiful,
handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable,
commendable, admirable; beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent; good,
excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its
ends; beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy;
affecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming
hold fast – katecho – to
hold back; to hold fast, keep secure,
keep firm possession of; to get possession of; to possess
:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
abstain – apechomai – to
hold one’s self off, refrain, abstain
appearance – eidos – the
external or outward appearance, form figure, shape
As Pastor Mark would say, “Chew the chicken, spit out the bones”.
:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
sanctify – hagiazo – to
render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; to separate from profane
things and dedicate to God; consecrate things to God; to purify
wholly – holoteles –
perfect, complete in all respects
blameless – amemptos –
blameless, so that there is no cause for censure
preserved – tereo – to
attend to carefully, take care of; to guard
:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
faithful – pistos –
trusty, faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of
business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties; that
can be relied on
God is faithful. You can count on
Him.
When He calls you to do something, He will see that it’s done.
(Phil 1:6 KJV) Being confident of this very thing, that he
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ:
:25 Brethren, pray for us.
pray – proseuchomai – to
offer prayers, to pray
:26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
greet – aspazomai – to
draw to one’s self; to salute one, greet, bid welcome, wish well to; to receive
joyfully, welcome
kiss – philema (“a work of
phileo”) – a kiss; the kiss with which, as a sign of fraternal
affection, Christians were accustomed to welcome or dismiss their companions in
the faith
holy – hagios – most holy
thing, a saint
Our greetings to one another ought to be loving but also pure. A kiss in our culture isn’t the same as in
Paul’s day. A hug might be a little
more appropriate, but today even that can be abused.
:27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy
brethren.
charge – horkizo – to
force to take an oath, to administer an oath to; to adjure (solemnly implore)
holy – hagios – most holy
thing, a saint
:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.