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Amen. 
We're going to turn in God's 

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Word. 
We're turning again to 1st 

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Thessalonians. 
We're in chapter 5 this morning 

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and we're going to read the 
first 8 verses, First 

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Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 
one through to 8. 

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Let's hear the Word of God 
reading, of course, from the 

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King James Bible. 
The words will come up on screen

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for all here online and we pray 
that the Lord will blessed us 

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this reading of the Holy 
Scriptures. 

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Let's hear God's word first 
Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 

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one, but of the times and the 
seasons. 

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Brethren, you have no need that 
I write unto you, for 

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yourselves. 
Know perfectly that the day of 

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the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night. 

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For when they shall say peace 
and safety, then sudden 

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destruction cometh upon them as 
travail upon a woman with child,

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and they shall not escape. 
But ye, brethren, are not in 

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darkness, that that day should 
overtake you as a thief. 

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But ye are all the children of 
light and the children of the 

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day. 
We are not of the night nor of 

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darkness. 
Therefore let us not sleep as do

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others, but let us watch and be 
sober, for they that sleep, 

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sleep in the night, and they 
that be drunken or drunken in 

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the night. 
But let us who are of the day be

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sober, putting on the 
breastplate of faith and love, 

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and for an helmet the hope of 
salvation. 

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Amen. 
We know that God will stamp with

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His own approval and blessing 
this reading of His own 

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precious, infallible Word. 
Amen. 

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Now this morning we are 
continuing with our series of 

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expository studies in the book 
of First Thessalonians. 

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And my text today is a rather 
long one, First Thessalonians 

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chapter 5, verses 1 to 8. 
And I want to take up the theme 

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Living in Light of our Lord's 
return. 

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I want to ask you the question, 
are you living and light of our 

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Lord's return? 
Now, as you look at this text of

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Scripture, there are three 
things that come to me. 

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One, here's the first thing. 
Now the period that is 

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discussed, look at verses 1 and 
2, but of the times and the 

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seasons. 
Brethren, you have no need that 

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I write unto you, for 
yourselves. 

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Know perfectly that the day of 
the Lord so cometh as a thief in

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the night. 
Now this is a reference to the 

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same subject that's mentioned in
First Thessalonians chapter 4 

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verse 15, namely the coming of 
the Lord. 

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Here the apostle Paul is simply 
teaching us that the second 

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coming called in verse 2. 
Here First Thessalonians 5, the 

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day of the Lord will be a sudden
and a surprising event. 

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In other words, it will come to 
pass when his leaks descended. 

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Paul is using the analogy of a 
thief. 

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A thief comes suddenly, comes 
surprisingly. 

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Now he's not saying, as some 
teach, that the Lord is a thief.

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That would be totally wrong. 
Not saying that the reference 

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and the idea behind the analogy 
is about how a thief operates at

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night. 
He arrives at the house 

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suddenly. 
It's an instantaneous coming, 

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and the times and seasons is 
about the period of time leading

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up to the Lord's return and the 
precise moment when the event 

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will occur. 
Down the ages, right up to the 

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present time, certain men, even 
professing religious men, 

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so-called preachers of the Word 
of God, have taken upon 

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themselves to predict when the 
Second Coming would occur. 

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They have presented their 
theories. 

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They have concocted dates. 
They have twisted scripture in 

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an attempt to pinpoint the 
precise moment when Jesus Christ

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will return. 
Let me illustrate a man by the 

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name of William Miller. 
He was the founder of the 7th 

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Day Advent Movement. 
He set the date the 10th of 

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October 1843. 
Jesus is going to return. 

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The date came and passed. 
Nothing happened. 

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He revised his date the 22nd of 
October 1844. 

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Now Mr William Miller was a 
fool. 

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He was a spiritual fraud. 
And the same could be said of 

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Harold Camping who said three 
deals that have all come and 

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gone. 
And of course many others. 

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Because like these men and 
hundreds of others, their 

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attempt to pinpoint the exact 
time when Jesus returning power 

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and glory was doomed to failure.
And all it did was expose the 

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folly of the human heart. 
Because the heart is deceitful 

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and above all things, 
desperately wicked. 

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And who can do it? 
And if they've taken time to 

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listen to the Lord Jesus, 
remember whenever He was 

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ascended in the presence of His 
disciples up into heaven by a 

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cloud, remember what we read 
there. 

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And this is what He said unto 
them. 

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Acts 1 and verse 7. 
It is not for you to know the 

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times or the seasons which the 
Father had put in His own power.

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We live in a world where people 
are obsessed with predictions. 

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People want to know when certain
events will happen. 

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When's the next economic crash 
coming, Mr McLaughlin? 

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When will political change take 
place in Russia or Ukraine? 

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When's the end of the world? 
When is Jesus Christ coming 

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back? 
Yet here's Paul saying, and 

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remember, this is a young church
facing tremendous persecution 

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with certain questions about 
their own beloved dead and the 

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return of Christ. 
And here in chapter 4, verses 13

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to 18, Paul tries to comfort 
them about the Lord's return and

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what's going to happen to the 
dead. 

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Now in chapter 5, he moves on 
from comforting them to 

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challenging them. 
And the challenge is not about 

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when the Lord Jesus comes, but 
the way we are to live in light 

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of us coming. 
You see, we don't know the 

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precise time, we don't know the 
particular date. 

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But what we do know is this, 
that the day of the Lord will 

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come. 
That's a major theme in the 

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Bible, the Old Testament, the 
New Testament, Joel 21 and two, 

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Isaiah 13, verse 6, Zephaniah 
114 and 15. 

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The Day of the Lord will come, 
and the Day of the Lord is also 

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a period of divine intervention 
and judgement, a time of great 

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tribulation, and that will 
culminate in the actual, 

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visible, personal, bodily, 
glorious return of the Lord 

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Jesus Christ to this earth. 
And when He returns, he will 

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establish His eternal and 
everlasting Kingdom on the 

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earth. 
This is not secret. 

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This is not silent. 
We've noted that already last 

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week. 
The coming of the Lord will 

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shake the heavens and the earth.
There will be the sound of the 

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last trumpet. 
The last trumpet sounds. 

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There's no other trumpet after 
it. 

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There'll be the voice of the 
Archangel. 

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There'll be a tremendous visible
sign in the heavens and the 

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earth that there'll be the 
tremendous power and glory. 

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You see the reference here to 
the analogy of a thief. 

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It's not about something secret.
It's not about something sad. 

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It's something that's sudden. 
It's something that's surprise. 

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See, nobody truthfully or 
accurately can say. 

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Not a preacher, I have found to 
know the precise date and time 

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when Jesus Christ will come 
back. 

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Look with me at First 
Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 

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3. 
For when they notice this shall 

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save peace and safety, then 
sudden destruction cometh upon 

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them as travail upon a woman 
with child, and they shall not 

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escape. 
You see, the second coming of 

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Christ is characterised by 
suddenness, like as a thief 

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comes to your house. 
It's characterised by a 

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surprise, but it's also 
characterised by solemnity. 

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We could add in the solemnity of
his coming. 

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Why? 
Because his coming to this earth

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and power and glory will touch 
people totally unprepared, a 

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whole multitude. 
And what are men and women 

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saying? 
Listen to it. 

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For when they shall say what? 
Peace and safety, then sudden 

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destruction. 
Has the world not gone mad to do

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with peace and safety? 
Is this not part of themes that 

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are connected to A1 world 
government that is coming and a 

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one world church that will 
eventually be set up in a 

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Pascate church? 
And in that world, they that are

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living in that generation, this 
is what they'll be saying, as 

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they're saying now, peace and 
safety, or we've got rid of 

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those fundamentalists. 
The troublemakers are gone, the 

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Free Presbyterians have stopped.
And then what's going to happen?

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Sudden destruction cometh upon 
them. 

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You see, if you turn over there 
to the Gospel of Matthew and 

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look with me at Matthew chapter 
24, the Lord Jesus said this 

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verse 36, Matthew 24, verse 36. 
Let's turn to the word of God, 

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Matthew chapter 24, verse 36. 
But of that day and hour knoweth

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no man know not the angels of 
heaven, but my Father only. 

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But as the days of Noah were, so
shall also the coming of the Son

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of Man be. 
Verse 38. 

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For as in the days that were 
before the flood, they were 

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eating and drinking, marrying 
and giving in marriage until the

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day that Noah entered into the 
ark and knew not until the flood

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came and took the mall away, so 
shall also the coming of the Son

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of Man be. 
You see, it was a big surprise 

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when the flood came. 
It was sudden and it was solemn.

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The flood came and took them all
away when they least expected 

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it, and they didn't escape. 
And verse 3 is a reference to 

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the world of ungodly men and 
women and young people. 

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Notice the word they their 
hearts and minds are in temporal

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and material things. 
They're thinking peace and 

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safety. 
The image in their mind is all 

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as well. 
I'm not in any danger, have 

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nothing to fear. 
There's no reference to God, no 

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reference to grace, no reference
to the greatness of God. 

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They they imagine the world will
not end. 

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We have many years yet let's 
live and enjoy. 

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And of course we live in a world
where not only thinking of peace

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and safety, but we're thinking 
of a world of drink and drugs 

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and and desire lifestyle. 
Judges 2125 comes to mind. 

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Then every man did that which is
right in their own eyes. 

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And as they live out their life,
then they're swept away. 

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They're suddenly gone, like the 
day of the flood when it came. 

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So will it be. 
The coming of Christ will take 

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the unconverted by complete 
surprise. 

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His coming will be like a thief.
It will be sudden. 

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It will be surprising. 
It will be unexpected. 

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It's unannounced for the 
unprepared. 

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See, no thief sends advance 
notice. 

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I'm going to rob your house. 
The whole world. 

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We'll be caught off guard. 
Remember, I've already read 

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Before the flood, Genesis 6 and 
Seven. 

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What were they doing? 
They were eating and drinking. 

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Life seemed normal. 
They were getting married. 

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They were giving in marriage. 
They were building a new house, 

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building a palace, working on a 
stadium. 

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The sun was shining in all its 
strength on a glorious day. 

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Until the judgement fell, Jesus 
compared his coming to those 

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days and the world in our days, 
proclaiming peace and safety. 

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As I said, it's gone mad, and 
yet it doesn't know that it's 

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standing on the brink of divine 
judgement, not by a flood this 

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time, but by fire from heaven, 
the period that is discussed. 

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Notice also the people that are 
described. 

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They come to verse 4. 
But ye, brethren, are not in 

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darkness, that that day should 
overtake you as a thief. 

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Ye are all the children of light
and the children of the day. 

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We are not of the night nor of 
darkness. 

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Now there's a contrast here 
being laid down by the apostle 

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Paul, a contrast between the 
ungodly and the unregenerate, 

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the unconverted who are not 
ready for Christ's return. 

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Christ's coming, as I've said, 
will take the ungodly by 

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complete surprise. 
They will not be ready, that is,

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ready spiritually to meet Him 
when He comes. 

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But the Lord's people will be 
ready. 

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The Lord's people will be 
prepared. 

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Now if you notice here, there's 
a particular distinction, but ye

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brethren are not in darkness, 
that that day should overtake 

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you as a thief. 
Here's the distinction. 

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But ye, brethren, are not in 
darkness. 

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That's a reference to all true 
believers, those that are born 

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again of the Spirit, those are 
washed in the precious blood. 

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Those that are peace with God. 
They are not in darkness. 

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00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,080
It's not a reference to physical
darkness. 

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It's not because they don't have
electricity. 

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The darkness is not even a 
reference to a lack of knowledge

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about His coming. 
God's people do know that He's 

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coming. 
They know that His coming will 

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be like a thief in the night. 
Suddenly, surprisingly, it's a 

228
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:20,040
reference to spiritual darkness.
But ye, brethren, are not in 

229
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,839
darkness that that day should 
overtake you as a thief. 

230
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:28,240
We are not in spiritual darkness
that that day should overtake 

231
00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,000
you as a thief. 
With suddenness and surprise. 

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00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:38,040
Why, ye are all the children of 
light and the children of the 

233
00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,520
day. 
We are not of the night nor of 

234
00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,080
darkness. 
The darkness here is a 

235
00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,720
particular description of the 
unregenerate state. 

236
00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:53,320
And Paul is saying you believers
are no longer in a spiritual, 

237
00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:57,440
moral dark state. 
You're no longer in a world of 

238
00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,960
spiritual and moral darkness. 
Yes, you used to be. 

239
00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:08,440
Yes, when you lived in that 
world of spiritual darkness at 

240
00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,240
that time, you had No Fear of 
God. 

241
00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,960
You had no love for Christ, you 
had no thought of the things of 

242
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:17,320
God. 
And as you sat in that state of 

243
00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:22,520
darkness in your sin, unaware 
that you're dead, unaware that 

244
00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,720
you're blind, unaware that 
you're diseased, then the gospel

245
00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:27,840
came. 
The gospel came with light and 

246
00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,880
truth, and the gospels shine or 
shone like a great light into 

247
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,360
your soul. 
Remember what Paul says in the 

248
00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:40,560
book of 2nd Corinthians 4. 
For God, who commanded the light

249
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:45,040
to shine out of darkness, have 
shined in our hearts to give the

250
00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:49,120
light of the knowledge of the 
glory of God in the face of 

251
00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:53,000
Jesus Christ. 
See, those that are the Lords, 

252
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,800
those that are in Christ hears 
our spiritual identity. 

253
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:03,840
If you listen again to verse 2, 
it says for yourselves know 

254
00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,360
perfectly that the day of the 
Lord so cometh as the thief of 

255
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,720
the night. 
For when they underline the 

256
00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,520
Word, they shall say that's a 
particular group of people. 

257
00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,000
And then you come to verses 4:00
and 5:00. 

258
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:20,080
But ye, brethren, ye are all the
children of light. 

259
00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:25,160
You see, there's a contrast. 
We are not in spiritual, moral 

260
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,760
darkness anymore because the 
light of the gospel is dawned. 

261
00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,440
We are now in Christ. 
We are now children of light. 

262
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:36,000
We we are now children of the 
day. 

263
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:43,120
And because we are now children 
of the light, we demonstrate and

264
00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:48,000
we exhibit something of that new
nature that we have in Christ. 

265
00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:52,400
The Bible says God is light, and
in Him is no darkness at all. 

266
00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:57,920
And those who are saved have 
become recipients of God's 

267
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,680
divine nature. 
Remember what we read in Peter, 

268
00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:05,400
and we read there in second 
Peter chapter 2 and in the verse

269
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,240
4, whereby are given unto us 
exceeding great and precious 

270
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,200
promises, that by these you 
might be partakers of the divine

271
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:14,200
nature, having escaped the 
corruption that is in the world 

272
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,760
through lust. 
And if you have been a partaker 

273
00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:22,240
of the divine nature, then 
because God is light. 

274
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:28,960
You have light in God and notice
we're not only children of 

275
00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,000
light, we're children of the 
day. 

276
00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,960
You see, the darkness symbolises
something. 

277
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,600
What does it symbolise? 
It symbolises ignorance. 

278
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:44,160
It symbolises sin, immorality, 
iniquity, lawlessness, no 

279
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,800
knowledge or fear of God, no 
dread of judgement. 

280
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,880
You see, by this particular 
nature, being in darkness there,

281
00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,720
there's nothing of God there, 
there's nothing of the fear of 

282
00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,040
him, there's no love for him. 
There's nothing of God, the 

283
00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,520
gospel, nothing of grace, 
nothing of the greatness or or 

284
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:09,160
goodness of God. 
But we're not of the night, he 

285
00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:14,560
says, nor of the darkness. 
Oh yes, we used to be, but as 

286
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,960
God's people were no longer in 
such darkness, He's not saying 

287
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,760
that we have a perfect 
knowledge, but we have the 

288
00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,480
witness of God's Holy Spirit. 
We have the word of God. 

289
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,440
We have been made wise unto 
salvation. 

290
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:31,040
The Spirit of truth within us 
has given us understanding and 

291
00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:34,360
gauge us into truth. 
Do you know that in Exodus 

292
00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:37,600
chapter 10, one of the plagues 
that came in Egypt was a plague 

293
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:42,240
of darkness, Thick blanket 
darkness over the land. 

294
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,080
It was persuasive over the land 
of Egypt. 

295
00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:52,360
It was all-encompassing. 
It could be felt over the whole 

296
00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:56,040
land of Egypt, a darkness that 
they could feel, a darkness that

297
00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:00,680
caused fear. 
Yet in Goshen, read Exodus 

298
00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,760
chapter 10. 
The children of Israel, where 

299
00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,840
they lived, they had light. 
It's not amazing. 

300
00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,320
It wasn't that they had light in
their dwellings. 

301
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:15,200
It it it meant that in Goshen, 
where the Jews lived in the land

302
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:22,160
of Egypt in the days of after 
Joseph, the days of Moses, they 

303
00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,840
had light. 
The rest of the land was 

304
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:29,920
darkness. 
See the ungodly world, they 

305
00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,840
repudiate the gospel. 
They live according to their own

306
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,400
mind and sinful desires. 
They have No Fear of God. 

307
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,720
They're happy and they're sin. 
That's the environment that they

308
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,240
live in. 
It's a world of spiritual and 

309
00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,880
moral darkness, and they haven't
a clue what's happening or going

310
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,560
to happen to the world yet. 
True believers are different. 

311
00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,040
Why? 
Because God in Christ has made 

312
00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,360
them different. 
There's a particular distinction

313
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,040
I want you to see also very 
quickly. 

314
00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:01,160
There's a particular 
description, he says in verse 

315
00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,920
five year all the children of 
light and the children of the 

316
00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,800
day. 
Here's a reference again to all 

317
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,280
who are saved. 
It's a it's an illustration. 

318
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,840
It's a reference to the power 
and effect of the Holy Spirit 

319
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,280
and the new birth. 
Yes, we were once in spiritual 

320
00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,840
moral darkness, but not any 
longer. 

321
00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,000
We're now children of the light.
We're children of the day 

322
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,720
children. 
We've been adopted into God's 

323
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,560
family. 
We've tasted the power and 

324
00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,840
wonder of divine grace. 
If you're a Christian this 

325
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,440
morning, you're one of the sons 
and daughters of light. 

326
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:41,200
Remember Jesus said I am the 
light of the world. 

327
00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:46,960
John 8 and 14 in Matthew 4. 
In Matthew 514, he said to the 

328
00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,400
church, the Christians, the 
disciples year, the light of the

329
00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,720
world. 
You see, the light symbolises 

330
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:58,040
something. 
It symbolises truth, holiness, 

331
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,800
revelation. 
It symbolises a new nature. 

332
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,560
There's a contrast and the 
difference of course is, is 

333
00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,120
Christ. 
Because Christ, the light of the

334
00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:12,480
world, we who are now in Christ 
are made children of light and 

335
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,640
their attitude to the children 
of darkness is different. 

336
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:17,920
That's why we come to worship in
the Lord's Day. 

337
00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:20,840
That's why we learn the Word of 
God, have a love for the Word of

338
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,800
God and live out the Word of God
That that's why we give 

339
00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,840
ourselves in service to the work
of God. 

340
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,000
That's why we live in a beach 
and do all that God has revealed

341
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,240
and said. 
Our lifestyle is different, our 

342
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,520
words and speech is different, 
Our dress is different. 

343
00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,800
John the Baptist was a burning 
and a shining light. 

344
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,960
Why? 
Because John the Baptist, of 

345
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,360
course, remember, was full of 
the Holy Ghost from his mother's

346
00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:55,200
womb, and that burning light was
the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

347
00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:00,320
And because he had a burning 
light, he was also a shining 

348
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,320
light. 
He shone forth because of the 

349
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:09,240
Spirit of God who indwelled him 
something for the glory of God. 

350
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:14,360
No longer was there a 
manifestation of the darkness of

351
00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:17,960
sin. 
See, the darkness of sin, 

352
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:22,440
remember, has to do with 
unbelief, immorality, iniquity, 

353
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,480
lack of knowledge of God. 
Remember what Paul said to the 

354
00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,960
church in Ephesians, Ephesians 5
and verse 8. 

355
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:34,320
He said this, for ye were 
sometimes darkness, but now are 

356
00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:38,640
ye light in the Lord walk as 
children of the light. 

357
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:40,760
And John the Baptist was a child
of the light. 

358
00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,760
He was a child of the day. 
And what did he say concerning 

359
00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,400
Christ? 
He must increase, I must 

360
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,520
decrease. 
There's a dying to sin, a dying 

361
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:57,840
to self, putting the Lord first.
Matthew 6 and 33 But seek ye 

362
00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,440
first the Kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these 

363
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,600
other things shall be added unto
you. 

364
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,040
You see, in the Christians mind,
Christ is present. 

365
00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,080
In the Christians mind Christ is
preominant. 

366
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,600
In the Christians mind, Christ 
is being presented as he lives 

367
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,880
out his life in the home, 
church, society, the workplace. 

368
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,240
Christ is being proclaimed. 
Remember what Paul says in 

369
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,120
Ephesians, the Philippians, 
chapter 2 and verse 15, that ye 

370
00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:30,280
may be blameless and harmless, 
the sons of God without rebuke, 

371
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:35,720
in the midst of a crooked and 
perverse nation, among whom ye 

372
00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:40,800
shine as lights in the world. 
There's a particular 

373
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,920
description, children of the 
light, very quickly here. 

374
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,120
There's a particular destiny. 
And look at this year, all the 

375
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:51,000
children of light and the 
children of the day. 

376
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:55,680
You see, the Christian belongs 
to the coming day of the Lord 

377
00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:01,000
Jesus, the day of the Lord. 
So cometh 5 and two, and you in 

378
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,400
Christ are destined for the day 
of the Lord. 

379
00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:09,120
You're destined for everlasting 
joy, everlasting glory, 

380
00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,080
everlasting bliss. 
In other words, the future's 

381
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,840
bright. 
You're going to the land of 

382
00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,560
eternal day, the land where 
there's no sin, night or 

383
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,000
darkness. 
Yes, you were once the child of 

384
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,920
wrath. 
You were destined for hell and 

385
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:28,640
destruction. 
You're now among the company of 

386
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,320
the children of the day. 
Let me ask this, do you know 

387
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,920
anything of this distinction 
this morning? 

388
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,720
Because you're a Christian. 
You're different in your 

389
00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,440
attitude, your words, your 
lifestyle. 

390
00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:46,360
Do you know this description? 
Do you see yourself as a child 

391
00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:49,760
of light? 
Do you know what your destiny 

392
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,360
is? 
Your children of the day? 

393
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,680
I asked this Where are you bound
in eternity? 

394
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,800
Are you bound for hell or heaven
and home? 

395
00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,680
Are you bound for outer darkness
and eternal blackness? 

396
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:11,600
Because you're a child of the 
devil and and you love the world

397
00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:16,800
and the things of the world, and
sin has blinded you and you've 

398
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:21,440
been bound and you're bound for 
eternal destruction. 

399
00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:30,600
Where are you heading? 
Where you belong to determines 

400
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:35,720
the way that you behave. 
There's a particular distinction

401
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:41,760
here, particular description. 
There's a particular destiny. 

402
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,680
The period that is discussed is 
very important. 

403
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,120
The people that are described is
very important. 

404
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:56,080
And let me finish this morning 
with the posture that is 

405
00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,920
determined. 
Look at verse 6. 

406
00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:00,640
And we'll then we'll, we'll 
leave it there. 

407
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,120
We'll have to come back to seven
and eight. 

408
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:08,840
Therefore, let us not sleep as 
do others, but let us watch and 

409
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:14,120
be sober. 
Because of who we are in Christ,

410
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:24,200
children of light, children of 
the day, we live differently, he

411
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,640
says. 
Therefore, let us not sleep as 

412
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,240
do others, but let us watch and 
be sober. 

413
00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:33,240
The word watch means to stay 
spiritually alert. 

414
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,720
Are you spiritually alert in the
times and seasons in which we 

415
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,640
live? 
Watch means being morally 

416
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,200
vigilant. 
Have your love for truth and 

417
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,680
righteousness. 
Do you buy the truth and sell it

418
00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:50,080
not. 
It also means to live in a sense

419
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,760
of expectancy. 
You see, the Lord Jesus 

420
00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:59,880
commanded watchfulness and it's 
all about our conduct here. 

421
00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,720
Think of this word super and be 
super. 

422
00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:09,240
Nothing to do with alcohol. 
It means being clear minded. 

423
00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:15,760
It means having self-control. 
It means not intoxicated by the 

424
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,560
world's system and the world 
values. 

425
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,680
Verse 7 connects the world's 
system and values with darkness.

426
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,280
But they that sleep, sleep in 
the night for they that be 

427
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:34,400
drunken or drunken in the night.
Notice the night is connected 

428
00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,040
with drunkenness. 
That's still true to this day. 

429
00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,000
The world is drunken pleasure. 
The world is drunken power and 

430
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,360
possessions. 
The world is drunken pride and 

431
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:51,520
possession and prominence. 
But we live differently. 

432
00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,600
We live with a spirit of 
watchfulness. 

433
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,880
We live with a a clear mind, 
self controlled by the Spirit, 

434
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,560
not intoxicated by the world's 
system because we have 

435
00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,440
experienced a a spiritual 
awakening. 

436
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:06,760
What? 
We are not sleep. 

437
00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,960
We are awakened. 
We are there for alert. 

438
00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,920
Isn't it so sad that many in the
professing Christian community 

439
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,760
have fallen into a state of 
stuff fullness? 

440
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:24,800
They've lost out with God. 
They've lost the vision of who 

441
00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,520
God is and what the Christian 
life is really all about. 

442
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,360
They don't have any burden and 
zeal for the work of God and the

443
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,880
witness of Christ in the world. 
They're forgotten to shine as 

444
00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,800
lights in their small corner and
in mine. 

445
00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,080
They're happy and content. 
And that's a danger that we all 

446
00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,400
face. 
And Paul's aware of it, even to 

447
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,680
this young church. 
And he says, therefore let us 

448
00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:51,440
not sleep as do others. 
He's aware that some have 

449
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:56,000
already gone to sleep. 
It's a a sleepy slothfulness 

450
00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,680
that has come upon the heart and
mind of those that even profess 

451
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,320
the name of Christ. 
Remember what we read in Titus. 

452
00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,920
He says this. 
For the grace of God that 

453
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,200
bringeth salvation have appeared
to all men. 

454
00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:17,840
Their sanctifying grace teaching
us, not denying ungodliness and 

455
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,480
worldly lusts. 
We should live soberly, 

456
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righteously, and godly in this 
present world. 

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Looking. 
Here's the connection for that 

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blessed hope and the glorious 
appearing of the great God and 

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our Saviour Jesus Christ, who 
gave Himself for us, that He 

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might redeem us from all 
iniquity, and purify unto 

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himself a peculiar people, 
zealous of good works. 

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These things speak and exhort, 
and rebuke with all authority. 

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Let no man despise thee. 
Remember the Lord Jesus said to 

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his disciples in the garden of 
Gethsemane, watch ye one hour 

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and come back and find them 
sleeping. 

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And he said, what could you not 
watch one hour 3 times? 

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In Matthew chapter 26 He used 
the word watch and it was in 

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relation to his disciples. 
And even the best of disciples 

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can drift into a state of 
spiritual slothfulness. 

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If we profess to be Christ, are 
we awake? 

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Are we alert? 
Are we active in the work and 

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witness and service of God? 
The posture that is determined 

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because of who we are, because 
we've experienced a spiritual 

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awakening, This is how we should
live with a spirit of 

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watchfulness. 
We should be sober in light of 

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His return, living in light of 
the Lord's return. 

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I pray the Lord will take these 
few remarks and bless them to us

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and give us understanding at 
this particular time.