1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:05,760 The closest I've been to standing before a judge was when 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,000 I hit a Porsche when we lived in Dubai. 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,280 In Dubai, if you get into a Fender Bender and this was a 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:16,920 very minor collision, you don't call the police to come to you. 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,000 You go to the police station. And so this lady I hit, we were 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:22,640 in the Mall of the Emirates parking lot. 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,280 I was backing out very slowly. I was a little distracted, You 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,640 know, I hit her. We immediately said, OK, let's 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,160 go to the nearest police station. 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,080 We showed up there and, you know, there was a case being 11 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,160 solved before our eyes. We had to wait in line. 12 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,600 Someone else had gotten in an accident. 13 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,960 And I remember watching as the lady in front of me was pleading 14 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,960 with the police officer. She was saying, hey, before I 15 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,800 got here, he said it was all his fault. 16 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,760 Now he's saying it's my fault. He's lying. 17 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,840 And I was like, whoa, OK. And the guy was like, no, no, 18 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:59,600 no, she did it. It's her fault. 19 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,640 The police officer listened for 60 seconds and then he cut them 20 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,320 off both. And he just said 6040. 21 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:13,200 And I was like 6040. What's 60% the woman's fault, 22 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:18,240 40% the man's fault? She started weeping, and the man 23 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,160 had a little smile on his face. And that was it. 24 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,040 The case was settled and then it was our turn. 25 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,480 I immediately said it is 100% my fault. 26 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,520 I did it, I'm guilty. The woman I was with agreed. 27 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,840 I got a small citation, 400 dirhams. 28 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,720 It's about $100. And then we moved on with our 29 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,800 lives. Justice was served. 30 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,720 We live in a world with imperfect justice. 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,200 Sometimes the judge gets it right, like in my case, it 32 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:58,160 really was 100% my fault. Other times partiality is at 33 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,760 play. Sometimes the punishment fits 34 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,040 the crime. Other times it depends on who 35 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:09,600 committed the crime. Sometimes the guilty walk, other 36 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,800 times the innocent don't. If you're not a believer in 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,360 Jesus, do you believe in justice? 38 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:24,640 Should wrongs be made right? Should evil be punished? 39 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:29,880 Is there such a thing as good and evil? 40 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,840 Or are good and evil really just illusions? 41 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,840 Is there a moral calculus to the universe? 42 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:48,480 Imagine living in a world with no justice, no accountability, 43 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:55,360 no morality, no recompense or reparation for evils. 44 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:01,760 Such a place would be a terror. It would be intolerable. 45 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,400 It would be meaningless and hopeless. 46 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:15,080 In the end, when all is said and done, will there be justice? 47 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,360 Turn your Bible to the book of First Thessalonians. 48 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,480 If you don't have a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand. 49 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:23,760 Somebody would be glad to bring you a Bible. 50 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,160 First Thessalonians in the New Testament. 51 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,760 We're in chapter 5. We've been studying this letter 52 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,320 Paul wrote to a one year old church plant in Thessalonica. 53 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:38,400 Repeatedly throughout the letter, Paul reminds the 54 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:44,080 Thessalonians of the end, the last day, the day when Christ 55 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,960 returns to judge his enemies and to save his people. 56 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,800 Couple weeks ago, chapter 4 ended with how believers should 57 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,960 grieve with hope as they face the death of believers. 58 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:03,800 Paul's comfort to grieving believers is the day of the 59 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:10,200 Lord, the day when Christ returns, resurrects and reunites 60 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:15,880 all believers. In chapter 5, Paul again 61 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:22,160 considers the day of the Lord. The question for the believer is 62 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,440 how should you live in light of that coming day? 63 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,560 Listen, as I read first Thessalians 51 to 11. 64 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,840 Now concerning the times and the seasons. 65 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:41,680 Brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you, 66 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,760 for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord 67 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:52,320 will come like a thief in the night, while people are saying 68 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,720 there is peace and security. Then sudden destruction will 69 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:02,320 come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and 70 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:08,000 they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, 71 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,720 brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 72 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,160 For you are all children of light, children of the day. 73 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,560 We are not of the night or of the darkness. 74 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:28,360 So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake 75 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,320 and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at 76 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:36,040 night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 77 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:42,520 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on 78 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:47,480 the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope 79 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,000 of salvation. For God has not destined us for 80 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:57,480 wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ 81 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:05,920 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might 82 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:12,120 live with Him. Therefore encourage one another 83 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,760 and build one another up, just as you are doing. 84 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:23,440 These verses are about the day of the Lord. 85 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,520 You can see that clearly in verse 2. 86 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:31,240 Paul calls the Thessalonians in verse five children of the day, 87 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,880 and he encourages them in verse 8. 88 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:40,240 We belong to the day. So He exhorts them, verse 11, in 89 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:45,600 light of that day, to encourage one another and to build one 90 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,440 another up. Here's the main point of the 91 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:54,040 sermon. Prepare together for that day. 92 00:06:55,120 --> 00:07:01,560 Prepare together for that day. What is the day of the Lord? 93 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:10,360 3 points .1 a day of destruction versus one to three a day of 94 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:18,240 destruction, .2 a day of salvation, verses 4 to 10 a day 95 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:28,280 of salvation, and .3 a day we prepare for together, a day we 96 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:33,600 prepare for together. .1 verses one to three a day of 97 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,920 destruction. Look again at verses 1 to 3. 98 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,520 If you remember in chapter 4, Paul did not want the 99 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,880 Thessalonians to be uninformed about those who are asleep. 100 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,760 The Thessalonians wondered what happened to their believing 101 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:55,040 loved ones who died. But here in verse one Paul says 102 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:59,120 concerning the times and the seasons, they have no need to 103 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:04,880 have anything written. Paul pulls that phrase times and 104 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,520 seasons from the book of Daniel. Daniel uses that phrase three 105 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:14,360 times to consistently point to the appointed times in God's 106 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,880 plan of salvation for the rise and fall of kingdoms, ultimately 107 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,920 leading to the coming of the Son of Man. 108 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,760 Or you could refer to the coming of the Son of Man as the day of 109 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,680 the Lord. That's what Paul calls it in 110 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,120 verse 2. The Thessalonians don't need 111 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,360 anything more written, for they are fully aware that the day of 112 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,360 the Lord will come. In the Old Testament, as we 113 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,840 heard in Amos chapter 5, the day of the Lord is a day of 114 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:52,520 judgment, but it's a day of destruction and salvation. 115 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:59,320 It's a day when God comes to judge his enemies and redeem his 116 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,520 people. It's a day that will come, Paul 117 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:08,080 says in verse 2, like a thief in the night. 118 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:12,680 Paul refers to what Jesus taught about the coming of the Son of 119 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:15,520 Man, which we can read about in Matthew chapter 24. 120 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:20,760 Jesus said stay awake, for you do not know on what day your 121 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:26,040 Lord is coming, but know this, that if the master of the house 122 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,360 had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he 123 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:34,560 would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be 124 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:41,960 broken into. Jesus and Paul teach us that 125 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:47,040 when thieves strike tells us something we didn't know about 126 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:54,400 when Jesus will return. On March 18th, 1990, the 127 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:58,720 security guard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum looked up 128 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,640 from his homework. He was a college student when 129 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:05,840 the buzzer rang and two uniformed police officers were 130 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,320 standing outside. The officers told him, we've 131 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,200 received a report of a disturbance. 132 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:16,080 We need to check it out. It was 1:24 AM in the morning in 133 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,960 Boston's Fenway neighborhood. Once the guard let the officers 134 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,080 in, the officer looked at the guard, studied his face and he 135 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,760 said, you look familiar. Is there a warrant out for your 136 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,520 arrest? The guard said no, of course 137 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,840 not. Well, the officer said, let me 138 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,880 see your ID. And so the guard stepped away 139 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:41,160 from the desk, from the only place in the museum where he had 140 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,400 access to the alarm, and he handed over his ID. 141 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,720 The officer said, I'm going to arrest you now. 142 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:52,440 And he called the second guard. The second guard showed up, also 143 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,080 a college student. And the officer said, you're 144 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,320 also under arrest. The man said, what? 145 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,120 What did I do? I didn't do anything wrong. 146 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,760 But they handcuffed him. And that's when the officer told 147 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:05,880 them, you're actually not under arrest. 148 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:13,320 You're being robbed. This was when Rembrandt's famous 149 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:20,600 painting The Storm on canvas over 5 feet tall was stolen. 150 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:24,080 That painting has never been seen again. 151 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,960 It's the largest property theft in America's history, with an 152 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:33,200 estimated value of more than $500 million. 153 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,720 Now listen. The thieves did not announce 154 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:42,320 their arrival. They came in the middle of the 155 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:46,040 night. They came unexpectedly. 156 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:53,840 They came without warning. Jesus made it clear you do not 157 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,440 know on what day your Lord is coming. 158 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:04,760 Meaning you can't predict Christ's coming by poring over 159 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,760 details in Daniel and the Book of Revelation. 160 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:11,720 If there's one thing certain about the timing of Christ's 161 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,000 coming, it is that you cannot be certain of the timing of 162 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:21,200 Christ's coming. Christ's coming is unpredictable 163 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:28,240 and yet in verse 3 Paul also says Christ's coming is sudden 164 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,320 and inevitable. Look at verse three. 165 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:40,200 People will be saying there is peace and security, then sudden 166 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,080 destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a 167 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:48,160 pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 168 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,280 When Jesus teaches about the coming of the Son of Man in 169 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:56,160 Matthew 24, he also reminds us of the days of Noah. 170 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,400 The days of Noah. People are eating and drinking. 171 00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:05,120 They're marrying and giving away in marriage, and only Noah and 172 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,320 his family are preparing for impending judgment. 173 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,360 The flood swept everyone else away. 174 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:18,680 False prophets throughout the Old Testament proclaimed peace, 175 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:25,160 peace to God's people, when in reality God was preparing to 176 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,120 bring judgment for their idolatry and their rebellion. 177 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:35,760 When Paul wrote this letter, both peace and security were 178 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,640 common expressions of the Roman Empire to state what it had 179 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,720 accomplished. Everything's fine. 180 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,840 We've got everything covered. There's nothing to worry about. 181 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:51,560 You don't need to think about death and judgement. 182 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,280 Jesus teaches us, and Paul teaches us that the day of the 183 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:01,800 Lord will be a day of sudden destruction. 184 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:07,440 It will be a day like when labor pains arrive for a pregnant 185 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,280 woman. Three months ago, my wife Hannah 186 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,400 went into labor with our daughter Sunday. 187 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,080 She was nine months pregnant, so of course we knew that she was 188 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:21,120 going to have a baby. We just did not know when that 189 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,880 baby would come. And our daughter Sunday really 190 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,280 surprised us because Hannah had her in triage just 10 minutes 191 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,240 after arriving to the hospital. The birth was sudden. 192 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:35,440 Paul saying it's also inevitable. 193 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,680 I remember the birth of our son Shepard during labor. 194 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,640 Hannah and I got permission to share the story from Hannah 195 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,840 during labor. She kept saying I can't do this, 196 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,080 I can't do this. And I remember looking at the 197 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,840 nurse and we were both thinking. Sorry. 198 00:14:54,800 --> 00:15:00,600 You're doing this, it's happening, it's inevitable, Paul 199 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,240 says. There's a suddenness and an 200 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,280 inevitability to the day of the Lord. 201 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:15,920 And Paul says on that day, when it comes, they will not escape. 202 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,840 If you're not a Christian, what do you make of Paul's 203 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:26,360 assertions? Many believe that Christianity 204 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,720 is a set of private beliefs. You know, kind of like, that's 205 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,960 good for you Christians. It doesn't really affect me. 206 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:40,680 Satan has convinced many that a threat of judgement is really 207 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,360 just an empty one. But Paul is shouting to you, 208 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,720 friend. He's shouting, warning the day 209 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:53,400 of the Lord is coming. It will take you by surprise. 210 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,000 It doesn't matter when you whether you believe in it or not 211 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:04,200 and he's warning you, you will be tempted to say peace and 212 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:08,040 security. There are illusions of peace and 213 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:12,360 security that blind us from spiritual realities at play. 214 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,360 Big bank accounts can be a temptation for many that they're 215 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:22,360 protected. A dream home, a successful 216 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,840 career, none of these things can stop the day of the Lord. 217 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,760 In that coming day of destruction, friend, how will 218 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:36,920 the peace and security that you claim protect you on that day? 219 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:45,080 Brothers and sisters, Paul writes to us about the fate of 220 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:47,480 unbelievers. Why? 221 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,880 One reason, which we'll look at in .2, is to urge us to 222 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,520 persevere. Paul wants us to persevere in 223 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,840 the faith and prepare appropriately for the day. 224 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,600 Another reason, though, if you remember the context of the 225 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,160 letter of First Thessalonians, is for our comfort. 226 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:09,760 The Thessalonian church was a new church. 227 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:14,000 They were a struggling church. They were a persecuted church. 228 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:19,640 They were a church with enemies, members of Trinity Baptist 229 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,359 Church. We can also be comforted as we 230 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,319 look at the future. Whatever wrongs we may face, 231 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,240 whatever enemies we must suffer, whatever persecutions we must 232 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:37,040 endure, all of that will be light and momentary affliction 233 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:43,960 compared to the day of destruction that awaits our 234 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:50,000 enemies. The day of the Lord is a day of 235 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:55,520 destruction for God's enemies, but not for the believer. 236 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,520 For the Christian, the day of the Lord is not a day of 237 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:04,560 destruction. It's a day of salvation .2 238 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,760 verses 4 to 10. A day of salvation. 239 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,480 In verses 4 to 10. Paul first tells the 240 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:20,080 Thessalonians who they are, their identity in verses 4:00 241 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,640 and 5:00. Then Paul reminds them how they 242 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:29,360 should live in verses 6 to 8, and he encourages them in verses 243 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:33,440 9 and 10 with their great salvation. 244 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:39,920 Look at verses 4:00 and 5:00. But you are not in darkness, 245 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,200 brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 246 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,560 For you are all children of light, children of the day. 247 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,880 We are not of the night or of the darkness. 248 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:58,200 Who are they? Here are the indicatives. 249 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,800 They are not in darkness, verse 4. 250 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,120 Not of the night or of the darkness, verse 5. 251 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:10,680 Who are they? They are children of light, 252 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:16,600 children of the day, and so that day, the day of the Lord, 253 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:21,640 shouldn't surprise them. Surprise is the keyword in 254 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,720 Paul's argument. The day of the Lord is 255 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,760 unpredictable, yes. It's inevitable, yes. 256 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,480 But it is not a day the Christian will be surprised by, 257 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,920 because Christians are children of the day. 258 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:41,040 Paul draws on imagery of light and darkness from Isaiah 59 and 259 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:46,720 60 here in this section. Sin and idolatry 'cause people 260 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:51,560 to live in darkness. Sin and idolatry are morally 261 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,000 blinding. It's like walking through life 262 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,800 with a blindfold everywhere you go, stumbling left and right. 263 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:04,120 But when God's people turn to him for salvation, Isaiah 264 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:09,480 writes. Arise, shine, for your light has 265 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:14,480 come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. 266 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:19,040 For look, darkness will cover the earth, and total darkness 267 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:24,600 the peoples, but the Lord will shine over you. 268 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,480 Isaiah promised today when the people who walked in darkness 269 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:36,360 would see a great light, and those who dwelt in a land of 270 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:40,840 deep darkness would have light shine on them. 271 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:47,360 Friends, that day has dawned in Jesus Christ. 272 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:53,760 Believer, you've been brought from darkness into light by 273 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:59,680 Jesus, the light of the world. And so, as Paul says in verse 5, 274 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:07,880 your identity, believer, is children of light, children of 275 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,440 the date. Believer, that is who you are. 276 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:17,160 How then should you live? Look at verses 6:00 and 7:00. 277 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:25,480 So then Paul says this is who you are, so this is how you 278 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,440 should live. The Christian life is not earn 279 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:33,520 your salvation. The Christian life is live out 280 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:38,760 your salvation. So then verse 6, let us not 281 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:43,960 sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 282 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,280 How should the Thessalonians live? 283 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,520 Paul gives 2 pictures, 1st and verses 6:00 and 7:00. 284 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:57,400 This is my paraphrase. Stay spiritually sober. 285 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,760 That's the first picture here. Falling asleep is a metaphor for 286 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,960 evil. Paul saying stay awake. 287 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,520 You can hear echoes of Jesus in Matthew 24. 288 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,920 Don't sleep, stay spiritually sober. 289 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:14,680 Those who sleep are of the night. 290 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:19,760 They belong to the darkness. Ironically, in chapter 4 verse 291 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:24,200 14, the believing dead were called those who were asleep. 292 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:30,000 But here in verse 6, the living believers are exhorted to not 293 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,240 spiritually fall asleep. Or in other words, Paul warns us 294 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,480 of the danger of being spiritually drunk. 295 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,200 When Christ returns, Benny will be walking in darkness. 296 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,880 You don't need to use your imagination of the things that 297 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,400 go on in the middle of the night. 298 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,600 People will be morally intoxicated with evil. 299 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,760 They'll have imbibed the ideologies and the ways of the 300 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,720 world, and Christ himself will shock them out of their 301 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:09,080 spiritual sleep. Believer Paul saying here, don't 302 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:13,160 get spiritually drunk. Don't fall asleep. 303 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:18,880 Don't be someone who will be ashamed of how you're behaving 304 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:24,520 when Christ Jesus returns. One essential way to. 305 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:30,120 Say spiritually sober, To stay awake is to keep walking in the 306 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:33,800 light. Children of the Light. 307 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,520 Walk in the light. Children of the light serve the 308 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,760 Father of lights. The apostle John says God is 309 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:47,880 light. In him is no darkness at all. 310 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,280 Not even. A hint, If we walk in the light 311 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,120 as He is in the light, we have fellowship and forgiveness. 312 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,800 What does it look like practically to walk in the 313 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,760 light? It looks like continually 314 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:10,400 confessing your sins. Who of us doesn't? 315 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,560 Sin. Who of us isn't? 316 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:21,240 Renewed by the honesty of confession, confessing sin helps 317 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,840 us stay spiritually sober by splashing cold truths in our 318 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:31,800 face, truths about our sin and truth about our Saviour. 319 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:38,280 Yes, we are sinners and we sin, but we have a Saviour, and His 320 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:43,520 blood cleanses us from our sin. But friend, when you. 321 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:49,440 Refuse to confess your sin. When you conceal your sins from 322 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:55,640 God, from yourself, from others, you walk in darkness. 323 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:02,520 You act as a child of the night. You choose fiction over fact, 324 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:07,240 fantasy over reality. You imbibe lies and get 325 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:11,400 spiritually drunk. And it is dangerous to be drunk 326 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:16,520 at night. Friend, what sin is Satan 327 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:21,720 tempting you to conceal for yourself, to cover over 328 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:26,080 yourself? Where are you most tempted to 329 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:31,520 hide in the dark? Brothers and sisters. 330 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:33,520 The. Way to? 331 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,840 Forgiveness is not through secrecy and hiding in the 332 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:42,000 darkness. It is through the burning light 333 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,920 of God's holiness. When we uncover our sins, God 334 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:52,680 himself covers them and he blots them out, and he puts them as 335 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:58,920 far from us as the east is from the West, and he remembers them 336 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,640 no more. That is the beauty. 337 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:07,160 And the freedom of confessing your sins. 338 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:12,440 There is fellowship with your brothers and sisters and with 339 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:18,000 God Himself in the light. So stay. 340 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:23,600 Spiritually sober by honestly confessing your sins. 341 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:31,440 The second picture Paul gives in verse 8 is to get spiritually 342 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,120 dressed. You can see that look at verse 343 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,160 8. But since we belong. 344 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:42,960 To the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of 345 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:49,040 faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 346 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:55,520 Paul continues to draw from Isaiah 59, which would have been 347 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,120 very convenient to read this week, but we read it last week, 348 00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:00,440 so I hope you remember from last week. 349 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:03,840 They're the Lords depicted as a divine warrior. 350 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,640 He's depicted with righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of 351 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:14,360 salvation on his head. Here Paul applies the Divine 352 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:16,800 Warriors clothing to the Christian. 353 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,040 If it's freezing. When it's when it's time for my 354 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,960 kids to go outside, I as a good father tell them you need to 355 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,920 wear a thick coat and they usually fight me on that. 356 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:31,320 And I say you need to wear a warm hat and you need to wear 357 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,360 gloves. These are the essential clothing 358 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,600 items to stay from being freezing outside. 359 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:43,520 The Christian. Needs proper clothing, and in 360 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:47,880 many jobs, if you're not properly clothed for your job, 361 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,080 you could get seriously hurt. What does the Christian's 362 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:57,760 clothing reveal about their job? A breastplate. 363 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,720 A helmet. The Christian is a soldier in a 364 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:06,600 battle and must get spiritually dressed with the armor of faith 365 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:12,640 and love and hope. The breastplate of faith is 366 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:14,760 learning to take God at His Word. 367 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,960 It is learning to walk by faith, not by sight. 368 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:23,000 It is learning to trust God who is always faithful, especially 369 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,280 when the evidence suggests otherwise. 370 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:31,880 Without it. Doubts can cause you to forget 371 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:36,640 what's true. The breastplate of love is 372 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:41,880 learning to love God and God's people and even your enemies. 373 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,000 It is learning to love the things of this world loosely, 374 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,200 with open hands, with generous hearts. 375 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:52,840 It is refusing to love the pleasures and the pursuits of 376 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:57,000 the world which constantly vie for your affections. 377 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:03,760 Without it, bitterness, unforgiveness can harden your 378 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:07,160 heart and hinder your relationships. 379 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:13,040 The Helmet of Hope is learning to meditate on eternal matters 380 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:17,120 that are here now but also coming soon. 381 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:22,360 It is learning to hope in heaven and the new creation and our 382 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:25,360 forever union with God and with his people. 383 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:30,640 It is letting the hope of heaven shape and mould your troubles 384 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:36,520 today. Without it, earthly concerns can 385 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:40,640 crowd out spiritual realities you need. 386 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,160 John Calvin. Asks us regarding this passage. 387 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:50,600 He says Satan is always alert and seeking our downfall with 388 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:56,680 his 1001 schemes. Should we not be at least as 389 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:01,320 vigilant as soldiers? Stay. 390 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:06,120 Spiritually sober, Get spiritually dressed. 391 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:12,280 Don't be surprised or caught off guard or be found in darkness on 392 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:18,520 that day when Jesus Christ returns, brothers and sisters. 393 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,680 Children of Light. Children of the day, that day 394 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:29,120 will be the day of our salvation. 395 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,480 That's what Paul looks forward to in verses 9 and 10. 396 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:38,160 Look at verses 9 and 10. Paul ultimately grounds the 397 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,400 Thessalonians. Hope not in how they live. 398 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:47,240 Keep that mind. Not in how they live, but in how 399 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:52,000 Christ died for them. Verses 9 and 10. 400 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:57,480 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation 401 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,080 through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. 402 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:06,120 So that whether we. Are awake or asleep. 403 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:12,080 We might live with him. If you remember earlier. 404 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:18,120 In this letter, Paul reminded them they were destined for 405 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,680 suffering. But here Paul assures them 406 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:27,880 you're not destined for wrath, you're destined to obtain 407 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,560 salvation. Yes, you're destined for 408 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,920 suffering in this life, but ultimately you're destined for 409 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:38,160 salvation in the next. The security of every believer, 410 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,160 the hope of every Christian, is never ultimately on their 411 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:48,960 behavior, but on God's sovereign goodness in choosing them for 412 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:52,960 salvation. He has chosen us. 413 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,800 That's what Paul told the Thessalonians in chapter 1, 414 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,760 verse four. He has destined us. 415 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,200 For salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, 416 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,920 who died for us so that we might live for Him. 417 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,720 This is the good news of the gospel. 418 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:16,680 If you're not a Christian because of your sin, you live in 419 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:20,720 the Kingdom of darkness. You are a. 420 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:26,920 Child of wrath, you deserve judgment, and on the day of the 421 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,240 Lord you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 422 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,600 Christ is the perfect judge. He is never impartial. 423 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:39,560 He is always fair. His judgment is not arbitrary or 424 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,880 whimsical. He does not throw down 425 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:50,160 thunderbolts without 'cause He always and only gives what is 426 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,200 deserved. Friend, will you? 427 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:58,800 Dare to face the wrath of Christ on that day. 428 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:04,520 Or will you, before that day, turn from your sin and find 429 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:10,280 refuge in Jesus Christ? Though you have walked. 430 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,040 In darkness. You can be. 431 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,840 Transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of 432 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:24,400 Life, Christ died our death so that we might live his life on 433 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:28,360 the cross. Jesus took the wrath that 434 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:32,360 sinners deserve, so that if you've trusted in Him, you'd be 435 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,600 rescued from the wrath that is to come. 436 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,280 And Jesus rose from. The grave so that you could be 437 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:47,360 confident that whether you live or die, ultimately you will live 438 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:51,480 with Christ. If Christ is your. 439 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:58,880 Saviour, you are destined for salvation, and if Christ is your 440 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:03,080 Saviour, your salvation is secure. 441 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,440 And if Christ is? Your Savior, one day you will 442 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:13,960 meet Him, the one who died for you, so that you might live with 443 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:21,120 Him forever. Christians, we belong to the 444 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:25,159 day. We are children of the day. 445 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:30,320 For us, it is a day of salvation. 446 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:36,880 It's also a. Day that we prepare for together 447 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:39,520 .3. Finally, verse 11. 448 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,159 A day we. Prepare for together. 449 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:50,600 What do we do? With these wonderful truths, 450 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:55,679 these glorious spiritual realities that Paul has placed 451 00:34:55,679 --> 00:35:02,560 before our hearts, verse 11 therefore, encourage one another 452 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:08,520 and build one another up, just as you are doing. 453 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,800 Paul follows the same pattern of chapter 4, the ending. 454 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,560 He wants them to do something with these truths. 455 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:20,760 He wants the Thessalonians to speak these words back to one 456 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,760 another for one another's encouragement. 457 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:31,760 He wants them to prepare for that great day together In the 458 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:34,960 spring, birds build their nests in the. 459 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:37,560 Fall. Squirrels bury their nuts in the 460 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:41,160 winter. Bears store up their fat in 461 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:46,000 every season. Christians prepare together for 462 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:50,080 the day of the Lord. Believers do not come to faith, 463 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:54,520 then get cryogenically frozen until they awaken the new 464 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,320 heavens and the new earth. That is not the Christian life. 465 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:02,960 Believers know that the dawn is coming, but that it is a long 466 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,280 night to endure. Believers do not come to faith, 467 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,440 then fend for themselves until Christ returns. 468 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:16,120 No believers belong to the day, and they belong together. 469 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:21,280 Paul is extremely practical. He gives two ways we prepare 470 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:23,800 together. First, encourage one another. 471 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,520 Second, build one another up. What believer is too encouraged? 472 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,040 What believer does it need these encouragements? 473 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,200 The person does not exist. These truths should. 474 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,840 Be an encouragement to you. We are not in darkness. 475 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:44,000 We bask. In the light of the light of the 476 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:49,680 world, we have an eternity of sunny days ahead of us. 477 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,280 Those are truths we need to hear. 478 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:55,800 Because it's a long. Journey. 479 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,120 I've been on some. Long flights. 480 00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:02,800 The longest flight I've been on is 17 hours. 481 00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:09,120 You can get a good night's sleep and still have 8 hours to go on 482 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,680 a 17 hour flight. You can read a couple books. 483 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:17,560 You could watch. Many movies you will eat 484 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:22,120 multiple meals unless you have children. 485 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:26,080 If you have. Children, that flight is a 486 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,160 survival mission you're just trying to endure. 487 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,120 In order to endure. When Han and I would fly with 488 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:36,400 our kids, we would have a mantra that we'd repeat to one another. 489 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,440 These are lessons learned through affliction. 490 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:45,080 We'd say to one another, I could do anything for 17 hours, do 491 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:48,160 anything for 17 hours. We'd do anything for 17 hours. 492 00:37:48,720 --> 00:37:53,480 We'd also have a mindset that we'd remember to stay United. 493 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:57,280 It would be easy to turn on one another on one of those 17 hour 494 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:58,400 flights. You're trapped. 495 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:00,280 We. Tell each other we're. 496 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:02,800 A team. We're in this together. 497 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:04,960 We can't turn against one another. 498 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:10,000 We need to help one another. And by God's grace, we did 499 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:13,240 endure those flights. Brothers and sisters, we're 500 00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:17,160 travelling together to a glorious destination. 501 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,560 Our journey is long, but it's temporary. 502 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,400 We must help one another on the way. 503 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:30,440 Remind your brothers and sisters of their destination. 504 00:38:30,720 --> 00:38:35,600 They're heading to heaven. Encourage them of who waits for 505 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:40,600 them at the end, the Lord Jesus Christ and all his Saints. 506 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,640 Exhort them to dress appropriately for the journey, 507 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:51,760 with faith and love and hope. Encourage them and build them 508 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:55,080 up. Paul used the verb here that 509 00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:59,000 often refers to building construction, and yet when Paul 510 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:03,480 uses it every single time in the New Testament, he uses it to 511 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:09,440 describe spiritual edification. Build one another up. 512 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:13,040 And that every member is responsible for this is implicit 513 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,280 because Paul uses that little phrase. 514 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:19,720 One another build one another up. 515 00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:22,680 There are a billion ways to do this. 516 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,720 Like joining yourself? Like a living stone to God's 517 00:39:27,720 --> 00:39:32,240 temple, the local church. Like prioritizing the weekly 518 00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:35,520 gathering of God's people around God's Word. 519 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:39,280 Like studying God's Word and seeking to apply it with other 520 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:41,840 members. Like fellowshipping together 521 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:44,480 over a meal in one another's home. 522 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,800 Like praying together through the great joys of life and in 523 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:52,440 the deep valleys. Like discipling one another, 524 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:56,000 mentoring one another in the faith, investing in new 525 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:59,280 believers. Like selflessly serving side by 526 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:02,440 side. Like a community that cares for 527 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:04,680 one another. Like rejoicing at each other's 528 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,600 joys and weeping in each other's sorrows. 529 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:12,000 Like fighting for unity together with people you sometimes 530 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,400 disagree with. Like singing cheerfully during 531 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,200 corporate worship of heavenly truths. 532 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:23,320 Like out doing one another in showing honor and cheering one 533 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:27,400 another on and pointing out every evidence of God's grace 534 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:33,040 along the way. It looks like Paul says as you 535 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,720 are doing. That's what Paul says. 536 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,360 Don't you love Paul? He's always ready to give credit 537 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:45,080 where credit's due. As you're already doing these 538 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:49,200 things, do these things more and more as one of your pastors at 539 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,600 Trinity Baptist Church. It's a joy to say to you, just 540 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:55,640 as you're doing. Do so more and. 541 00:40:55,640 --> 00:41:04,920 More, keep preparing for that day together, friends, the day 542 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:09,920 of the Lord is coming soon. It's a day of. 543 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:13,360 Perfect justice. It will be. 544 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:17,240 Unexpected. It is inevitable. 545 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:20,520 It's a day of destruction for some. 546 00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:24,760 It's a day of. Salvation for us. 547 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,600 It's a day when. Some will get what they deserve. 548 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,640 The wages of sin. Is death. 549 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:40,640 It's a day where we'll get more grace, the gift of eternal life. 550 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:46,560 Brothers and sisters, you belong to that day. 551 00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:53,040 You are children. Of that day, let's live and 552 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:57,280 prepare together. For that day, let's pray. 553 00:42:05,750 --> 00:42:10,470 Father, we do pray. Come Lord Jesus. 554 00:42:11,870 --> 00:42:15,750 We long for that. Day we look forward to that day. 555 00:42:15,750 --> 00:42:20,880 We pray that our days would be shaped by that day. 556 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:26,320 Lord, help us as children of the day to walk in the light. 557 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:33,480 Help us as a church to prepare well for that day when we'll see 558 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:40,720 our Saviour face to face. Lord, come, come soon, we pray 559 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:42,560 in. Jesus name. 560 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:43,120 Amen.