Deut 7-8, “Don’t Forget!”

Deuteronomy 7 (NKJV)
1 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

A. That’s a lot of people to cast out! Were there only 7 nations? 10 were mentioned in Gen 15. Possible that some nations died out or were absorbed into other nations over 400 years time. Whatever the case, the idea is that Israel was to go in & conquer the entire land – whomever was there.
B. Note that these nations are “greater & mightier” than the Hebrews…no doubt. They were established in their fortresses, whereas the Hebrews were a ragtag band that’s been wandering in circles for a few decades. How would they conquer? They wouldn’t; God would. God empowers them for ANY thing that they would be able to do.
__a. It’s the same with us. Where Christians so often get into trouble is when we start thinking we can win battles on our own. “I can take on the devil…” … No you can’t! GOD can take on the devil, and without the filling & empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we’re sitting ducks. But WITH God, everything changes! If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)
C. Utter destruction… This can sound pretty harsh to our delicate ears, but we need to remember two things:
__a. God is God & we’re not. We need to trust God’s mercy, goodness, wisdom, and justice. If these people were going to repent, God would have given them every opportunity (re: Ninevah).
__b. Their evil warranted it. The existing nations were absolutely perverse and reprobate – to the point of infant sacrifices. God’s judgment was absolutely righteous.
D. No covenants: Their one responsibility was to enter the land & administer the judgment God was bringing. The Hebrews didn’t have the right to forge alliances & covenants with the people there. Joshua will get into trouble with this later… (Gibeonites, Joshua 9)
__a. Why? See vs. 3…

3 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

A. Mixed marriages were a bad idea for the culture – this isn’t a matter of family disapproval; it’s a matter of idolatry… A little compromise away from the Lord Jesus leads to a little more & a little more, and soon we’ve lost sight of Him all together. [Solomon] 1 Kings 11:3-5 (3) And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. (4) For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. (5) For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. []
__a. Keep in mind that idolatry against the Lord is like adultery against the Lord. He has chosen us & redeemed us for His own – we belong (literally) to Him. To turn away in idolatry should be abhorrent to us!
__b. Unequally yoked marriages still a bad idea…for the same reason. It causes compromise in the home & conflict with children…
B. What’s the consequence of idolatry? Swift punishment due to the anger of the Lord! We’ll see this cycle repeated many times in Judges. [] God loves us, but He won’t hesitate to discipline us when necessary…

5 But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire. 6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

A. Best way of dealing with idolatry: get rid of everything! Don’t leave any altars – don’t leave any images – don’t leave ANYthing around that could possibly draw you into idolatry.
__a. This is exactly what Jesus was saying regarding sin – if our eye or hand causes us to sin, get rid of it (Matt 5:29-30). Obviously Christ isn’t calling us to self-mutilation, but to take sin THAT seriously. That we would do whatever is necessary not to fall…
B. Why is this so important? Because God chose Israel for Himself…they were His people that He had bought & redeemed out of Egypt. They didn’t belong to themselves that they could worship other gods; they belonged to the Lord!
__a. God’s chosen you as a Christian…we’ve been redeemed by the blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:19) & we are no longer our own (1 Cor 6:19). 1 Peter 2:9-10 (9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (10) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. [] Glorious!
__b. Likewise, we’re to keep ourselves from idols! Idols are more than golden statues – they’re any false image of God in our mind or item that we worship in place of the one true God… [] For the Christian, idolatry is incredibly illogical. We don’t need to wonder & imagine what God is like – we’ve encountered Him in the person of Jesus Christ! Why would we knowingly put anything in His place?

7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

A. Did they do anything to be chosen by God? No. They were chosen for no other reason other than God’s favor & promise… Simply because “the LORD loves you” – what a thought! Incredible to ponder that the Creator God of all the Universe LOVES us… US! … Not b/c of anything we’ve done, but simply because of His favor & promises He’s given through Christ…
B. Does the Bible actually teach that God divinely chooses His people out of His sovereign right? Yes! We love Him because He 1st loved us…(1 John 4:19) But what exactly is wrong with that? (Chuck Smith) “God has every right to choose who He wants to associate with even as you have the right to choose who you want to associate with. Why should I deny God the rights that I want for myself?”
__i. Simply because God chooses us doesn’t absolve us of the responsibility to choose Him back. God desires the whole world to repent (2 Pet 3:9), actually commands us to do so (Acts 17:30), invites us to come to Him (John 7:37), and basically gives us the same charge that Joshua gave the Israelites: Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” []

9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.

A. God is faithful! If you memorize Scripture, add this one to the list. God is faithful – it’s part of His very character. IOW, He cannot not be faithful…it’s simply part of who He is. Whatever God says in His word, we can take to the bank…
B. God is faithful with those who love Him: He’s going to continue to keep His covenant with those who love Him & walk with Him…
__a. “But that’s impossible! There’s no way I can truly keep His commandments.” You’re right, but Jesus did. We are IN Christ – we’ve been clothed with HIS righteousness – thus for Christ’s sake, God shows us unending mercy…
C. God is faithful with those who hate Him: If someone snubs their nose at God, God will allow them. If someone rejects God all their life, God will agree with them face-to-face on Judgment Day.
__a. God is faithful – for good & bad.

11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them. 12 “Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.

A. Is this salvation by works? No…simply blessing by obedience. Keep in mind the covenant God made with Abraham was unconditional; the covenant He made with Moses was conditional…dependent on how the Hebrews kept the Law. If they obeyed, they would be blessed because God’s way is best – if they didn’t, they’d face the consequences.
__a. So was God just looking to punish them? Of course not – He loved them & chose them (vs 7). But God WAS looking to protect them, and His commandments, statutes, and judgments were the way He did it. If they kept themselves within God’s boundaries, they’d be fine. If not, they’d get hurt.
__b. It’s the same with us – we always seem to be amazed when things work out the way God told us they would…but that should be what we expect! When God tells us to be anxious for nothing & pray about everything (Phil 4:6), we should expect the peace of God that passes understanding b/c that’s what God tells us to expect. But when we live in worry & discontent, trying to handle things on our own, we also shouldn’t be surprised when things fall apart & we end up with ulcers.
__c. Does any of that change the way God loves us? Absolutely not! It only changes the results of our day-to-day experiences.

13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. 15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.

A. Results of obeying the covenant? Multiplied people, livestock, & fruit… No barrenness… Perfect health… Pretty good incentive! Even knowing that perfection is impossible, one would think that these blessings would be enough to keep Israel seeking the Lord’s face. History sadly shows that it wasn’t.
B. Don’t judge too fast – how easily do we ignore or forget the Lord to engage in some entrapping sin? We have FAR more blessing than Israel could have imagined…we’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3). It’s not enough to seek the blessing; we need to seek Christ! The more we grow in our love for our Savior, the less we’ll desire anything that is not of Him. God (obviously) knows this – that’s why the Great Commandment is all about loving Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. []

16 Also you shall destroy all the peoples whom the LORD your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

A. Reiteration about idolatry – this is crucially important to the Hebrews because it will be the cause of numerous downfalls with them.
B. We have GOT to deal with these things in our lives, or they will continue to be snares to us…even a cursory look at the kings of Israel/Judah verify this. Too many times we read of good kings, but “the high places were not removed” & they remained a snare in the heart of the people.

17 “If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’— 18 you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left, who hide themselves from you, are destroyed.

A. What if the temptation is too strong? What if we don’t think we can win the battle? Remember that it’s God who does the winning & His track record that we have faith in. God perfectly defeated the Egyptians (the most powerful army on earth) in order to free His people. God promised to do the fighting for them…even using bees & hornets if necessary! If they could trust Him for their freedom, surely they could trust Him for their inheritance.
__a. Goes back to the idea of memorial stones…[] We need to remember that God is faithful!

21 You shall not be terrified of them; for the LORD your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.

A. He’s not some mythological wimpy God; He’s the “great and awesome God!” There is no God like our God! No other god exists – He alone is the Creator God of the Universe – His power is limitless & His glory is indescribable! THAT’s the God we worship!

22 And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 23 But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, and will inflict defeat upon them until they are destroyed. 24 And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from under heaven; no one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.

A. Gotta love that. As cool as it might have been to see a “shock & awe” campaign where the entire land got obliterated for the Israelites to move right in, God had a definite plan in mind. They’d do a little at a time, in order that they’d be able to properly inhabit it along the way… [] God’s ways are best!
B. Never doubt along the way – God WILL deliver them…all the Hebrews need to do is to trust God & God will do the rest. None shall stand against them because none can stand against the Lord God!
__a. We have a cunning enemy that seeks to kill & destroy us. More powerful than any of the kings the Israelites faced, our adversary roams about like a lion seeking whom he may devour. But we don’t need to be afraid! God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. We are in Christ & as we stand firm on His word with the armor of God (Eph 6:13), we will see God gain the victory. It’s HIS work & HIS power all for HIS glory.

25 You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. 26 Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.

A. Keep this in mind for Joshua Ch 7 with Ai… [Achan]

Deuteronomy 8 (NKJV)
1 “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

A. Question: who’s fault was it that the Hebrews wandered for 40 years? The Hebrews. BUT – did God have a plan on how to use it? Absolutely! God’s ways are definitely not our ways & praise the Lord for it! To think that He can (and does) even use the consequences of our sin for His glory is incredible. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. [] Which things can be used by God? ALL things!
B. What was the plan? Humility… When we’re living for ourselves, we’re living in pride – which was not only the downfall of Satan, but ours as well (Prov 16:18). What does humility do? Take us back to the promises of God, which takes us back to God Himself…it makes us utterly dependent upon Him & that’s a great place to be!
__a. [Jesus’ temptation] Did Jesus need bread? Yes! He’d been fasting for 40 days…you bet He was hungry & needed to eat! But He needed to depend on & worship God more. He understood what was more necessary…

4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.

A. That’s a miracle we don’t often talk about, but talk about practicality! We buy our kids new clothes every few months depending how rough they play – but for 40 years no garments wore out. Not even their feet were sore…despite wandering on foot for 4 decades!

5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. 6 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

A. God’s chastening is an indication of His love for us as children…(Heb 12:6) This is a warning, to be sure – but God’s basically telling them again “I love you! In fact, I love you enough to give you what you need when you need it.”
B. But because He DOES chasten, it’s a good motivation for us to try to obey Him…
__a. What happens when (not if) we fail to obey? Confess & repent & fall into the grace of Christ Jesus!

7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

A. This is a good land! Lots of water – lots of agriculture…even today fruits & vegetables are among its leading exports. Iron ore & copper ore have also been found south of the Dead Sea…God’s word is 100% accurate!
B. The proper response to the blessing? To bless God in return! Whatever it is that God has given us, we are to use it to glorify & bless & the Lord. Whether through tithes & offerings or through service or in worship or even at daily meals – whatever we have was given us by God. Thus we give Him thanks & praise! He deserves it!

11 “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’

A. This is what happens if they forget about the Lord…despite the history God had with them…and of course historically they did forget. God miraculously freed them from Egypt – miraculously provided for them through the wilderness – and miraculously gave them ready-built houses & vineyards to dwell in. And still they turned away.
__i. The heart of man is incredibly fickle! Why is it so important to feed on every word of God? It helps keep our priorities in perspective. When we seek after stuff, we think we deserve that stuff…and we forget Who provided it for us. Instead, we seek after God & His righteousness, and everything else will be added in His time & His way.

18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

A. God didn’t merely give them the wealth of the land; He gave them the power to get wealth at all! James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. []
B. Again, in regards to Israel, this was to establish His covenant… God is faithful!

19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.

A. Forgetting the Lord leads to destruction…always. This isn’t a threat; it’s a promise. How many marriages start off in the Lord only to neglect prayer, the word, and regular fellowship – and then end up in crisis mode? The more the Hebrews isolated themselves from God, the more they removed themselves from His blessing and protection.
B. We’re in a new covenant – but the principles ring true today. If we leave the Lord Jesus to go running after false gods (whatever they may be), we will surely find ourselves reaping the consequences of what we’re sowing. The good news is that in Christ, there is always an opportunity for repentance & confession – leave whatever it is at the foot of the cross, be reminded of His forgiveness & grace & start anew!

Conclusion:
Over & over again, the exhortation is clear: God is abundantly faithful! He promised to deliver the Israelites into the land & He’s going to do exactly that. BUT. They must seek Him & obey His word.

So often people seek the blessings of God without bothering to find out what He says. They want the benefit, but they never seek God Himself. That’s not what God wants at all! He’ll let His blessings fall on whomever He wishes (the rain falls on the just & unjust) – but He wants a people who will worship Him. THAT’s the reason He redeemed us – for His own glory! Let God provide the blessings in His time & His way (it’s always better that way) – we’ve already been blessed beyond measure in Christ Jesus anyway! God already sought after us (Jesus came to seek & save the lost); now that we’re found in Him, let us be about seeking Him day by day.

God’s Glorious Judgment

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12, “God’s Glorious Judgment”
————–

Introduction/Background:
If 1 Thessalonians was written to assure the church that Jesus would be returning for the church, 2 Thessalonians was written to assure them that it hadn’t happened yet. After all, the church was already experiencing a lot of persecution & tribulation – how could they know if this was the coming Great Tribulation that Jesus warned about in Matt 24 (and elsewhere)? And if this event was still to be in the future, but yet Jesus could return for His church at any time, what were they to be doing in the meanwhile?

These were the issues Paul addresses in 2 Thess. Probably written less than 12 months after 1 Thess, Paul was likely still in Corinth when the 1st epistle made it to Thessalonica & the messenger came back with news and questions from the church that had come out of the 1st epistle. Today, a 10 minute phone call or quick email would have sufficed – but in a day when communication was literally hand-carried from person to person, it took a little longer to resolve issues. Thus 2 Thess was born.

The early church is virtually unanimous in affirming Paul’s authorship of 2 Thess – written somewhere between 51-52AD, making it probably the 2nd or 3rd earliest epistle we have from Paul…and thus one of the earliest to start circulating among the church. So it’s no surprise that this little epistle is so foundational to much doctrine about the Great Tribulation time, which comes into play in Ch 2. As with 1 Thess, there are many points of view, and a lot of room for godly people to disagree…but there will be time to get into that more next week & following.

Question: Is God’s judgment fair? Or more to the point…is the fact that God exerts His judgment upon sinful people (which includes everyone) fair? After all, if we (as the church) are waiting for Jesus’ return to deliver us from the wrath to come, what does that say about those who will endure it? Is it a righteous thing for them to go through? … Absolutely – which is what Paul addresses in Ch 1.

2 Thessalonians 1 (NKJV)
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Almost the same opening as what was written in 1 Thess…only here, it was divided up into 2 verses instead of left as one. (Verse & chapter breaks not inspired…) Paul is the author, though he uses the 3rd person almost uniformly throughout (Ch 2:5 as the exception)…Silas & Timothy probably served as his secretary and had accompanied him into the area…
B. Note the repetition of the identification of God & the Son:
__a. God our Father: This is the only difference between the intro in 1 Thess (“God the Father”) – and an important distinction to make in light of the persecution that was ongoing in Thessalonica. The trials they were going through were not a sign that God was no longer with them; Paul’s going to teach them the opposite! Here, he affirms their salvation in Christ & their adoption in God even in the midst of their trials & tribulation.
__b. The Lord Jesus Christ: Going to see this repeated a lot in 2 Thess, especially in Ch 1. This isn’t repeating Jesus’ full name; these are repeated declarations of His Deity & Office.
____i. He is the Lord – fully God of true God, and grace/peace come from Jesus as assuredly it does the Father.
____ii. He is the Christ – the Anointed Chosen One of God, who is coming back to reign in power & glory. Since 2 Thess focuses so much on His 2nd Coming, it only makes sense that Paul presents Him not only as Savior, but as King.
C. Grace & peace: the twin sisters of Paul…virtually every epistle starts in this way, combining the Greek & Hebrew greetings of the day in a profoundly Christian gospel. When we experience the grace OF God, we then have peace WITH God…

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

A. Still thanking God for His work within the church – they had become an evangelistic powerhouse for the region (1 Thess 1)… Specifically thanked God for:
__a. Their growing faith: Why was it growing? Most likely because of the persecution they were facing! (Acts 17) Diamonds are formed out of 3 things: coal, heat, pressure…faith isn’t much different. Not much causes someone to fall to their knees as quickly as trials. During those times, we’ve GOT to have faith simply to make it through the day!
__b. Their abounding love: Their faith was persecuted, but it wasn’t silent. The church lived out their faith in practical ways with each other as shown through their abounding agape love.
B. With this kind of maturity coming about so soon in this young church, Paul couldn’t help but give thanks! He felt “bound” (obligated) to do so.
__a. Take the time to underscore this: Paul gave thanks for what God was doing through the persecuted church – which was primarily taking place because of their persecution. We often pray for the persecuted church, but I wonder if we sometimes pray with this in mind? Obviously we pray for safety – but we should also pray that they would flourish & give thanks for how God strengthens & matures them during those times…

5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

A. Interesting description of the persecution: it’s the “manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God”. IOW, “I know you might think that persecution is a sign that God has abandoned you, but it’s the opposite: God has deemed you worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. It’s His righteous judgment.” Not that anyone would wish persecution or trials upon themselves – but Jesus told us it would be a foregone conclusion that we would experience them (John 15:20). Paul went on to tell Timothy that all who desire to live godly would suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12). If we suffer for Christ, then it is good evidence that we are in Christ.
__i. Not the ONLY evidence. False religions are persecuted in other parts of the world too. Salvation comes not through persecution, but through repentance & faith in the Lord Jesus! Persecution is simply the world’s response to that faith.
B. Persecution in the present also is manifest evidence that judgment is coming in the future. See vs. 6…

6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,

A. There’s a thought we don’t ponder about much…[] But vengeance DOES belong to the Lord! (Rom 12:19) It’s a righteous thing for Him to do, because He’s the only one who can do it in righteousness… If we were to attempt to take revenge on someone, it would be hypocrisy: one sinful person punishing another sinful person for sin. God’s vengeance is just & perfect. He alone is truly righteous thus He alone can dispense vengeance on those who deserve it.
__a. Keep in mind, WE deserve it! But Jesus took it in our place.
B. Specifically, God will repay those who persecute Christians with tribulation. Greek = “anti-pay”…a negative compensation from the Lord. He will requite them with exactly what is due. Pharaoh had killed all the male Hebrew children, and in Divine retribution, God took all the 1st born of Egypt on Passover…
__a. We may think that sounds rather harsh to our ears, but keep in mind the most persecution we normally see in the US is mocking & harsh words. However, to Christians in Iran, Indonesia, North Korea & far too many other countries around the world – harsh physical persecution is a daily reality. It is a just thing for God to repay those with tribulation. Revelation actually shows the martyrs asking God when this time will come (Rev 6:9-11)… God is just! God will repay.

7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,

A. Two sides to that coin. Not only will God pour out wrath on persecutors, He will also provide rest to the persecuted. One day the persecution and trials will cease, as believers forever enjoy the presence of the Lord Jesus.
__a. With respect to Oliver Wendell Holmes (and Johnny Cash), I disagree with the thought that we can “be so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good.” Sometimes, being heavenly minded is the only thing that gets us through our earthly troubles. Knowing that our lifespan (however long) is a blip compared with the everlasting nature of eternity is an incredibly comforting thought for the Christian! Whatever we endure here during our few decades of life is nothing compared to the eons and eons we’ll spend in the rest of our Savior.
B. When does this take place? When Christ is revealed (Gk: apocalypse)… The church will have been called home to be with Christ (note: “with us”), and comes with Christ (1 Thess 3:13) at His 2nd coming in power & judgment.

8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Is this overly harsh? That God would take fiery vengeance on people who don’t know Him? Is that really their fault? YES. It may not be politically correct to say so, but it’s the truth. God reveals His goodness, grace, holiness, and more all through creation. Romans 1:20-21 (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (21) because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [] God has given a witness to every single human in all history – and if creation weren’t enough, He’s written His law on our hearts & conscience (Rom 2:15). God repeatedly calls people to repentance & people repeatedly refuse – thus God is justified to take vengeance on those who don’t know Him.
B. God MUST take vengeance on those outside His grace & forgiveness, because those people are left in their sin – and all sin has to be punished if God is truly righteous & holy. If an earthly judge winked at murderers & shrugged off rapists, people would be outraged at his lack of justice – how much more just is Almighty God? (Wiersbe) “It is a righteous thing for God to judge sin and condemn sinners. A holy God cannot leave sin unjudged. People who say, “I cannot believe that a loving God would judge sinners and send people to hell” understand neither the holiness of God nor the awfulness of sin.” … God is infinitely holy & thus sin is infinitely awful – it’s a never-ending offense because God’s righteousness is never-ending. [When is 100% pure water no longer pure? It has to be purified…]
__a. This is what Paul was leading to with the Athenians – in times past, God overlooked this in His grace; but now He’s provided Christ Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection…there is no more excuse! (Acts 17:30-31)
__b. People who ignore the cross “do not obey the gospel.” To “obey” means “to hearken” – used of a porter’s duty to answer the door when knocked. To understand the gospel & ignore it is to ignore the knocking of Christ at the door…not merely a simple “I didn’t hear it” – but a willful denial of our duty to respond.
C. Many see a distinction between unbelieving Gentiles & unbelieving Jews here. (Those not knowing God = Gentiles; those not obeying = Jews) The problem with this thought is that Paul hasn’t even hinted at any distinction between Jews/Gentiles at this point – and despite the fact that he could (of course) bring up the subject at any time, it seems out of context & forced upon the text. I suggest that these are 2 descriptions of the same person: any & all unbelievers – regardless of background. Those who do not obey the gospel by definition do not know God because the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. People can profess to know God, but deny Him by their works (Tit 1:16) – the only way is through faith in Christ.
__a. Bottom line: we know the Father because we have obeyed the gospel…

9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

A. How is God’s vengeance described? By being “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord”… In essence, describing Hell…
__a. Hell is “everlasting”: Jesus repeatedly described it as a place where the fire is never quenched & the worm never dies. It goes on & on & on – and just when we think it surely cannot go on any longer, it does. As long as Heaven endures, so does Hell.
__b. Hell is “destruction”: Some from this would argue for annihilation, but that would ignore the thought behind “everlasting.” Hell is a place where people are eternally destroyed…a process that never fully ends due to their infinite offense against an infinite God. Every human being in all history will be resurrected at some point (res. of just & unjust = John 5:29, Acts 24:15, Rev 20:13) & Scripture makes no distinction between the bodies of just & unjust people. Each body is raised for eternity, and each body will experience eternity…though in drastically different states. For the unbeliever, it will be a state of everlasting ruin.
__c. Hell is away from God: Imagine always knowing of the previous offer of the grace of God only to be denied the receiving of it for all eternity. That’s what will be ringing in the mind of those who reject the gospel. Forever away from the presence of God – always knowing what “could have” been.
__d. Hell is not a place anyone wants to be! This is not a place of parties – this is a place of torment… [] It’s no wonder that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ez 33:11) – no wonder God desires for all to repent (2 Pet 3:9).
B. When does it take place? It begins on “that Day” – Jesus’ 2nd Coming as the victorious King, when Christ comes with His church. Scholars debate on the actual timing of Judgment Day, but the thought is clear. When Jesus returns in power & glory, those who have rejected Him have seen the beginning of their eternal destruction.
C. Massive contrast between Heaven & Hell. Hell is away from God, but in Heaven, the saints (us) glorify & admire God. For all of eternity we will join in the song of the angels, no longer hindered by our own sin, and sing everlasting praises to God giving Him the glory He so wonderfully deserves. Forever in His presence, we will “admire” Him – same word could be translated “be amazed – be in wonder – be astonished – marvel.” For all of eternity, praising God will never be boring… We will continually be amazed at His greatness, holiness, and love!
D. Why do we go to heaven? Because we believed the gospel! Not that they merely understood the facts about the gospel, but that they believed with faith – the Gk actually comes from the same root as “faith.” [] The Thessalonians believed the testimony of Paul, Silas, and Timothy & now they’re included in the saints who will glorify & admire Christ Jesus for all eternity. …
__a. People are waiting for us to share the same testimony! Romans 10:14-15 (14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” [] God in His infinite wisdom has chosen to use the church to share the glorious gospel of Christ! Whether at our job or at Burger King, what a marvelous privilege we have…

11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,

A. Worthy of which calling? Their persecution. Paul’s praying that God would give them strength to endure their tribulations…which reveals our worth that He’s given us…
B. Who fulfills the good pleasure of His goodness? The church or God? God! He’s the one who empowers us for any good work & uses us to glorify Himself. Likewise any work we do in faith, He empowers us to accomplish. Anything we do for God is done through the power of God all for the glory of God!

12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. The result? That right now, in the middle of their persecution, the name of Jesus may be glorified through the church… That any glory the church experiences would be in Christ…
__a. All of us (including myself) do things that would bring shame on the name of Christ – thus what a marvelous prayer this is for the church! That because of Christ living through us – empowering us – changing us, that we would live in such a way that His name would be glorified through us…
B. All because of, and in proportion to, the grace of God. Now THAT’s a lot of glory to Christ! BTW – did you notice that the phrase “the Lord Jesus Christ” is repeated 5 times? Our standing in God is because of the Lord Jesus Christ – the grace we receive is given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ – the gospel we follow is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ – the glory we experience is the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ… It’s all His & for Him because He is Lord & Savior & King!

Conclusion:
We so often get the justice of God turned upside down. We look around & see our own suffering while wicked people prosper & ask, “Why is God blessing them & not me?” The answer? Just wait. God is absolutely just & absolutely righteous – and simply because we may not see justice in the here & now, doesn’t mean we won’t see it in eternity. We can be assured of that fact!

But for us – if we’re suffering, we can take hold of the encouragement Paul was giving to the Thessalonian church:
1. God has matured us through the trials we’ve already experienced
2. God will give us rest for all eternity with Him in glory
3. God is working in us right now, that Christ would be glorified

Be encouraged! The Lord Jesus Christ has showered you with His grace – He’s been given all authority in Heaven & on earth – and He’s coming back. Whatever you’re going through, keep your eyes on Him & His work…

What about if you’re not a Christian? Keep in mind, Christianity isn’t something we’re born into because we’re American. We have to be born into it – but it requires a 2nd birth, one of our spirit. If you haven’t been born again of the Spirit of God (by knowingly placing your hope & trust in Christ Jesus), then you’re like those in vs 8 who do not know God & have not obeyed the gospel. Because of that & because of your sin (all the stuff we do every day that we know is wrong), you are in a place of rebellion against God, and He has promised to judge all those in rebellion to Him.

Here’s the good news: God loves you so much that He has already poured out that judgment upon Jesus Christ at the cross. Jesus died because of your sin (and mine) & rose again to offer new life to all who believe & place their faith & trust in Him. But you must respond to Him.

Be the Church

It’s interesting what you do when you become a parent. Things you never thought you say all of a sudden start coming out of your mouth. “How many times have I told you to…?” “Don’t make me come over there!” Even things like when you drop your kids off with someone else: “I’ll see you soon…be good – be on your very best behavior!”

Paul tackles a LOT at the end of this letter, which somewhat boils down to, “You’ll see the Lord soon…be good! Here’s how.” Keep in mind where we’ve been so far:

• Ch 1: Thanking God for the church…their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope…
• Ch 2: Defending Paul’s character to defend the work of the gospel…
• Ch 3: Thanking God for their growth & praying for much more…
• Ch 4: The will of God in our present sanctification & our hope in the future Rapture & Resurrection…
• Ch 5: What the church is to be doing until that Day of the Blessed Hope (watching, acting sober, etc.)

Paul ends with what might seem at 1^st glance to be a rather random series of exhortations. But in context, what we see is Paul continuing in the same vein as the rest of Ch 5. What exactly is the church to be doing when it’s watching for the Lord’s return? What does being sober look like in practical terms? He answers those questions by looking at how we ought to relate to one another both in & out of the Body of Christ – what our attitudes ought to be regarding worship – and the work of God in our lives which enables all this to take place.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 (NKJV)
12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

A. Paul may not have been there very long, but he was there long enough to help them establish some leadership within the church. It’s unclear what exactly their leadership structure was, but they did have some sort of leadership team (Elders? Pastors? Deacons?). Whatever they were in title/capacity, they had the responsibility of being “over” the church. How was the congregation to respond?

a. “Recognize” them: Gk literally means “to see.” The idea is to see them for who God called them to be; to understand God is the one who put them there. Keep in mind that ALL of them were new converts, so they needed to be able to recognize who among them God had called.

i. The pastorate is not a chosen career; it’s a specific calling from the Lord…who is the only One who can equip someone to the task.

ii. Be careful about making the assumption that only pastors have the privilege of “full-time ministry.” Every single person in the Body of Christ is a vocational minister – whatever your occupation may be!

b. “Esteem” them: In a superabundant way (very highly), the fellowship was to honor their pastors & elders. Includes both providing for their physical needs and the emotional attachment between congregations & their ministers. Congregations aren’t to hold their pastors apart as somehow “more holy” – but they are to love them in the Lord.

i. BTW – you guys do great here! My family is very loved!

B. Keep in mind this is based on their “labor” and “work.” He who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat (2 Thess 3:10) – and that includes pastors & leaders! It’s not enough to proclaim oneself as a “pastor” and expect the church to honor them (though many attempt to do so!)… Ministers (by definition) minister/ serve the church – and if they’re not willing to labor over it through the Word, prayer, etc, it’s a pretty good indication that they’re probably not called of God…

a. What does the work include? “admonishment” – Definitely includes the idea of rebuke, but the word is broader than that. Also includes the idea of warning, exhorting, & instructing. What’s the best way of doing this? By preaching the Word! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. []

C. What does being “at peace” have to do with any of this? Contextually, Paul’s still referring to the relationship between pastors/elders and the congregations they serve. If churches need to be told to esteem & love their pastors, then there’s certainly the possibility that there might be animosity between them because of some of the admonishment pastors had to do. Thus Paul tells them to be at peace with each other.

a. This would also go the other way! Pastors/leaders SERVE the flock of God; they don’t LORD over them. There’s no reason for any sort of the dictatorial it’s-all-about-me attitude that can sometimes crop up.

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

A. Paul turns his attention from the church leaders to the rest of the church body. 4 exhortations to body ministry:

a. Warn the “unruly”: military term referring to someone who breaks ranks…could also be translated “idle.” Those who are acting asleep & drunk (vs 7) & not like Christians called by God need to be lovingly admonished & exhorted to walk as children of the light.

b. “Comfort the fainthearted”: literally “little-souled” – those who would want to quit during trials… [] We’re to come alongside them & help them endure…

c. “Uphold the weak”: speaking of being weak in the faith. Referred in Romans 14 & 1 Cor 8 as those prone to legalism because of their lack of understanding of grace. Those who are more mature are to help others grow stronger…

d. “Be patient with all”: Whomever we work alongside in the church, we are to be patient! We were all once the weak or faint-hearted & we had to grow in maturity. Praise God for those in the church who helped us grow! Now we have the privilege & responsibility of helping others do the same.

15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

A. Goes from internal relationships to external relationships. As the church (born again new creations of God, adopted into His family), how should we deal with non-believers? It only stands to reason it would be different from the world’s expectations…

a. Don’t render “evil for evil”: That’s VASTLY different from the world! The world is told to “look out for #1”… [The Untouchables] – “They pull a knife; you pull a gun. They send one of yours to the hospital; you send one of theirs to the morgue.” That’s a completely foreign thought to Christians! We have no business seeking vengeance because vengeance is the Lord’s – and if He so wanted, He could have sought vengeance against US. Since we were forgiven much, the least we could do is forgive others… (Matt 18, Parable of Servant)

i. Does this mean that Christians aren’t to seek justice when criminally harmed? Don’t forget that God’s minister for justice in this world is the government & legal authorities – they bear the sword (Rom 13). Sometimes justice is deferred till eternity; sometimes it’s swift via the judicial system.

b. “Pursue what is good”: Here’s the flip side of the coin. We don’t render evil; we do what is good. It’s one thing not to seek revenge; it’s another to seek how we can show agape love to someone who offended us. [] BTW – that’s not only good for those who are being loved (in spite of their offenses); that’s good for us, too! It helps us model the love and forgiveness our Lord showed us…when we didn’t it in the slightest (Rom 5:8).

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

A. In Ch 4:3, Paul told the church that part of God’s will is for our sanctification…but that’s not all. God’s specific will for our lives includes more than our external behaviors, but also our internal attitudes. And He desires that we would worship Him at all times.

a. “Rejoice always”: As we saw in Philippians, we’re not talking about happiness. Happiness is an emotional response to circumstances… Joy is an attitude we can have in spite of our circumstances. Christians ALWAYS have a reason to rejoice in the Lord – because we’ve been saved!

b. “Pray without ceasing”: [Hasidic Jews in airport] We’re called to more than that; but not legalistically so. The difference between Christian prayer & other religions is that we don’t have to go to a certain place or say certain words or maintain a certain posture – we simply go to God & His throne of grace boldly in our time of need (Heb 4:16). We need to understand that we are children of God – He has adopted us into His family, so we approach Him as His sons & daughters. [] Is there any place where God isn’t? No – from heaven to the grave, God is there (Ps 139:8) & thus wherever we are, we can go to God in prayer for everything all day long whenever possible…

c. “Give thanks” in everything: I’m grateful that Paul doesn’t say, “give thanks FOR everything” (b/c I wouldn’t know how) – he specifically writes, “IN everything, give thanks.” In every situation in which we rejoice, we ought to also give thanks…if for no other reason because we’re not going through it alone. [airport ordeal]

19 Do not quench the Spirit.

A. Too often, this verse is (mis)used to justify all sorts of abuse of spiritual gifts (or what some think they are)… [] The Spirit can be quenched in more ways than simply ignoring the gifts; the Spirit’s work can be quenched when we leave His truth to go follow after the false shenanigans of man!

B. What DOES it mean? Simply to not neglect the ministry of the Holy Spirit within the life of the church. There are many who think that the Holy Spirit is the Christian equivalent to “the force”…He’s far more than that; He’s the 3^rd Person of the Trinity! He is just as alive & active today as He was during the days of Creation when He hovered over the face of the waters (Gen 1:2). Thus when we ignore Him, we quench His work.

i. Where the controversy comes in is in what ways the Scripture teaches that the Spirit is active. Every Bible-believing church believes the Spirit has an active ministry; we simply differ on the particulars… [] We believe that ALL the gifts of the Spirit are active and available for the church today at His moving & will…

20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

A. In the process of not quenching the Spirit, we need to know how to deal with prophecies given to us by the Spirit… Vs. 20 deals with the cessationists; vs. 21 deals with the charismatic abuse.

B. Don’t despise prophecy: Prophecy within the church is so important that Paul had wished to the Corinthians that he’d rather speak 5 words to the church than 10K in unknown tongues (1 Cor 14:19). Thus we’re not to despise it, but we’re to be grateful for it & receive it when the Lord gives it.

C. Do test prophecy: Just because someone utters the words, “Thus saith the Lord” doesn’t mean it’s true. (Usually an indication to run the opposite direction!) We have a responsibility as a church to test the prophecy we hear according to the Scripture to see if it’s so. Toss the bad; keep the good.

a. How do we know if it’s good? Great definition of prophecy – 1 Corinthians 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. [] We don’t need to look for the fantastic date-setting; simply words from our God to His church…

22 Abstain from every form of evil.

A. Answers a lot of questions before they’re asked. What is it we should do? That which is good… What is it that we shouldn’t do? Anything that even looks like evil…Christians are to keep themselves above reproach.

a. Some take this to mean that Christians should attempt to refrain from ever offending others – but personally that seems to go beyond what Paul’s actually telling the church. Paul’s word in Greek is too strong to be used of mere offenses – the cross of Christ itself is an offense & stumbling block to others (Rom 9:33)…people WILL be offended by us at some point simply because we’re Christians. But we ought not give them reason to be offended through sinful evil actions.

B. Why? Is it because God’s an eternal killjoy? [] Of course not – God is good…ultimately good! The character of God is the very definition of good. Psalm 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (BTW, that’s repeated 10 times the Scriptures!) And because HE is good, His children should reflect Him & be representative of that.

a. We’re not to abstain from evil because we’re inherently so much better than everyone else. We’re to abstain from evil because we KNOW we’re not any better than anyone else – but God has made us new creations…

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A. I can’t tell you how much I love the fact that vs 23 comes after vs 22. J It’s a high-minded thing to abstain from every form of evil. If were even slightly possible for us to do in our own strength, then Jesus would never have had to go to the cross. [] But now we’re not the same people we were before we got saved. Now we’ve got a new nature in Christ – now we’re being sanctified. Who sanctifies the Christian? God Himself! What a perfect way to close the letter – after exhorting the church to all sort of holy behavior and actions, now we see the empowerment behind it: God!

B. How thoroughly does God sanctify us? Completely! Spirit, soul, body…everything that we are is completely set apart by God for His purpose & His glory. From our physical actions – to our inner thoughts – to even our very being…all set apart by Him in order to proclaim His own goodness and grace and that we might worship Him for all eternity. Glorious!!

C. Until when? Till Jesus’ coming… Are we going to struggle against the flesh? Yes. Are we going to battle temptation? Of course. Does it have an end-date? Absolutely! One day we’re going to see the Lord Jesus face-to-face, and this life-long process of “sanctification” will finally be complete.

24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

A. Will God sanctify you? Absolutely…He’s faithful. We’re not placing our trust in any 5-step plan to “peace in our lives” or some sort of humanistic self-help guide. Our lives change because GOD is the one changing them! It’s His work, and He will never fail.

25 Brethren, pray for us. [Amen! Please pray for me & any pastor you might have.] 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. [common form of greeting] 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.

A. Epistle meant to be read by the whole church… Seems to indicate that Paul understood this letter was inspired by God & thus wanted it shared with everyone.

B. There’s no more healthy spiritual practice we can undertake than reading/hearing the word of God! It transforms us from the inside out (Rom 12:2).

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

A. Want to wrap up 1 Thessalonians? Grace. Grace by which we’ve been saved – grace by which we are sanctified – grace by which we wait for the Lord Jesus.

Conclusion:

The Thessalonians had been asking a common question we still hear today: Is the Lord Jesus coming? The answer? YES! Without a doubt, the Lord Jesus is coming for His church! He will receive us to Himself through either resurrection or rapture, we’ll be with Him for all eternity. That truth is assured, and we can count on it.

So then, what is our response to that? We could put on a pretense of spirituality, go sell all our possessions & then wait on a hillside for Jesus to come back…and thus waste time & ignore the Great Commission. Or we could actually BE the church – which is what Paul is exhorting us to do. Love one another – help each other mature in the faith – pursue what is good rejoicing, praying, and being thankful the whole time – testing prophecy – abstaining from evil – and the whole while being sanctified by God. IOW while we are here, we are to be who Christ has called us to be – do what God has called us to do, all through the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God.

There’s one other response someone could have to this…and that’s to ignore it. Ignore the fact that Jesus died and rose again – ignore the fact that He’s returning – ignore the fact that He’s the Son of God that we will all face one day…and on that day that person will have a rude awakening. People often try to put off thinking about eternity until they’re in it; but at that point it’s too late. Today is day of salvation! This is the day the Lord has given you – don’t waste it! Make no mistake, you need to be saved. We’ve all sinned in our thoughts, words, and actions…even one sin every day is well over 23,000 sins by age 65 – and you’ve got to face God on Judgment Day where He’s promised to punish ALL sin.

Here’s the good news: God has already poured out His wrath on Jesus Christ when He hung on the cross. On that day, Jesus took the punishment you & I deserved & He paid the debt we owed in His life’s blood. Then He rose again from death, declaring Himself to be the Son of God & offering everlasting life and forgiveness to all who call upon Him. But you must receive His forgiveness in order to be saved.

He’s Ready; Are You?

In the 50’s, it would have been the “$64,000 question” – a few years back, it would have been the top question to “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”: When will the Rapture take place? Christians have been asking about the end-times & the coming of the Lord literally since before Christ ascended (Acts 1:6), so it only makes sense that we’re still asking the question 2000 years since that time.

Paul has referenced the coming of Christ all throughout 1 Thessalonians…Ch 1:10 – we wait for His Son who delivers us from the wrath to come…Ch 2:19 – the church was Paul’s glory at the presence of Christ’s coming…Ch 3:13 – Paul prayed that the church’s hearts would be established in holiness at the coming of the Lord. In Ch 4, Paul finally taught it in depth as a revelation from the Lord Jesus that when Jesus descends with a shout & a trumpet, the saints who had passed away would be resurrected & the ones left alive would be raptured (caught up) with Christ in the air. Simply a glorious event!

To the Thessalonians (and us), it’s an event we can be comforted by. They were worried that perhaps their loved ones who had passed away had missed the rapture – but Paul assured them it was still to come. All Christians are going to take part in that Day one way or another. But it’s also quite a controversial event today as Christians try to figure out from the Scriptures when this event is going to take place.

Godly people can (and do!) disagree on the timing of the rapture – CC believes that the premillenial, pretribulational view is the best explanation from the Scriptures…and it definitely seems to be what Paul is teaching here. However, although he does refer to the timing of the rapture, it’s not the only focus of his discussion [forest & trees]. Primarily he’s exhorting the Thessalonians to be watchful for the day, be ready for the day, and be comforted in anticipation of it.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (NKJV)
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.

A. Paul is transitioning topics just slightly here – broadening the scope from instruction about the Rapture/Resurrection to the timing of the events beginning with the Rapture. He’s not going to go into depth about what happens in those days, because apparently he’d already taught them about it thoroughly.

B. Interesting that in Paul’s short time there, he made it a point to teach them about the Lord’s return. We need to understand that (regardless of what position we take on the endtimes) the Lord Jesus WILL be coming back. Whatever our perspective of the timing, we want to be found ready when He does…

2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

A. Why did they know this? Because Paul obviously taught it to them…

B. Define “the day of the Lord” – isn’t this usually a reference to Judgment Day following the 2^nd coming? Many times, yes… (Isa 2, Amos 5:18, Joel 2:31). Is it a reference to the 2^nd coming here? No…at least not for the specific hour. Most likely a reference to the general timeframe of the end days. How can we know? Because the event that kicks of “the day of the Lord” is going to come “as a thief in the night” – i.e. it’s going to be unexpected.

a. This is a major difference between the Rapture & the 2^nd Coming! The Rapture is imminent, whereas there are many prophecies yet to be fulfilled prior to Jesus’ victorious 2^nd coming in glory. What must happen prior to the 2^nd Coming?

i. War of Gog & Magog has to take place. (Say what?!) Gotta go back to Ezekiel 37 where the rebirth of the nation of Israel is prophesied (dry bones). Next chapters (38-39), shows a massive axis of nations allied against Israel going to war & God miraculously delivering them. Though Israel’s been under constant attack since 1948, these particular nations haven’t yet come together – so this is still to come.

ii. Great apostasy (which we seem to be in the beginnings of this now). Some believe (particularly certain TV preachers) that there will be a world-wide revival & evangelistic outpouring of the gospel right before Jesus’ coming…the Bible actually teaches the opposite. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 (1) Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (2) speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, (3) forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. [] (also Mark 13:22, 2 Thess 2:3)

iii. Restrainer of sin must be taken out of the way (2 Thess 2:7). Seems to be a reference to the Holy Spirit, who is removed when the church is raptured to be with the Lord Jesus.

iv. Antichrist must be revealed through the “abomination of desolation” – where he sacrifices an offering in the Jewish Temple proclaiming himself to be god (Dan 9:27, Matt 24:15, 2 Thess 2:3-4).

1. Did this already take place before the destruction of the Temple in 70AD as some claim? The most likely candidate would be Antiochus Epiphanes who set up an altar to Zeus & sacrificed swine on it. BUT this took place in 167BC…long before Jesus ever prophesied about it. Other attempts before 70AD never came to pass…so this is yet to be done in the Tribulation.

v. Whole of the Great Tribulation has to take place (Rev 6-19), including the various judgments, the two witnesses, the fall of Babylon & everything else prophesied to take place over what the Bible indicates will be a 7 year time.

b. None of that is like a thief coming at a time that we wouldn’t expect. Yet that’s exactly what Jesus described this event as! Matthew 24:42-44 (42) Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. (43) But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. (44) Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. [] The Rapture is imminent! At any moment our Lord could come and take us home…

3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

A. Referring to the Great Tribulation. Christianity has often experienced trials & tribulation (Jesus promised we would) – but the world has never experienced any tribulation like that which is to come. Jesus proclaimed woe upon those who were pregnant during those days, as people would be fleeing for the hills – and apart from the mercy of God, no one would survive (Matt 24:19-22).

a. Many people try to separate the “OT God” from the “NT God”…but it’s simply impossible – there is only one God & He changes not. In the OT, God consistently reveals His mercy, grace, and promise of salvation through Christ…you would have to be blinded not to see it. Yet in the NT, God still pours out His wrath upon sin & shows His ultimate righteous justice. God is BOTH loving and just – and praise God for it! Without it, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross makes no sense! []

B. The analogy is appropriate. No childbirth is easy – but it’s certainly changed a lot in our generations. [scheduled c-section] For most of history (and much of the world), there’s nothing ‘scheduled’ about it! Wait 9 months, look for the time, but the birth pangs come suddenly & once water breaks – a baby’s coming without stopping… [] Likewise, our world is getting ready…we’re getting closer to the due date. But when it comes, it’s going to come violently & assuredly & no one who is left on earth will be able to escape it. (Rom 8:19-22).

C. Note that the unsaved world will be lulled into a time of peace & safety before it happens. The obvious question is: “How so? Haven’t Christians been warning of this for generations?” Yes – and they’ve been ignoring the warning all along. Even after the rapture, it’s safe to assume that the majority of people won’t want to believe the Scripture. If they didn’t believe Noah even as the rain was coming down (Matt 24:38-39), why would this be any different?

4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

A. Before Jesus Christ, we were in darkness…we were sinful people doing dark things awaiting the judgment of God. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:9-11), we were idolators, fornicators, thieves, covetous, etc – but that was in the past. Amen that we’re not in darkness any longer! Now we “are all sons of light” – we have been adopted into the family of God & now we are the light of the world (Matt 5:14) as we reflect Christ’s light who is the True Light of the world (John 8:12).

B. Thus the Day won’t overtake the church – because we’ve been saved! The Great Tribulation time isn’t for us; we’ll be caught up with Christ.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

A. Watch: The world sleeps (and goes on sleeping), but Christians are called to wake up & watch. Greek implies an ongoing alertness & attentiveness. [waiting for someone at the airport] … Begs the question: what for what? Christ! Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [] We’re watching for that glorious day when Christ Jesus comes back for His church & takes us home!

a. We (being humans) have a tendency to get distracted from that. We end up looking for everything/everyone BUT Christ. There’s nothing wrong with looking for fulfilled prophecy (it actually helps us remember the imminence of the rapture) – but there’s something profoundly wrong when we spend more time trying to identify Antichrist than watching for Jesus Christ. Christian: we have but ONE event on the prophetic calendar to look for – the blessed hope!

B. Be sober: Implies calm, clear-headedness. We don’t have to be panicked about the endtimes…we should be joyful! As we see the times approaching, it means it’s simply one more day until we get to start eternity with Christ our Lord! Yet because we’re approaching the Day with sobriety, we do recognize a holy urgency. We’ve been given the Great Commission, and with the fields already white for the harvest (John 4:35), we’ve got urgent work to be about until Christ takes us home…

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

A. The picture of drunkenness is appropriate – those who are drunk are unaware of their surroundings & disregard their personal safety (which is why people should never drink & drive!). It’s the same for the world regarding Judgment Day. (eat & drink, for tomorrow we die!) They completely disregard the warnings around them while they live for themselves & hedonistic pleasures…

B. If we’re sons of the day, then we should act like it. Instead of acting like we still lived in darkness & of the night, we should be sober (ready) – how so? By putting on the armor of God.

C. Sound familiar? Paul later used the same idea to the Ephesians in describing our spiritual armor, though a slightly different order. Ephesians 6:14-17 (14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; [] The important thing isn’t so much what pieces of armor we can match as a metaphor; it’s the spiritual qualities themselves!

a. Whether faith is a breastplate or a shield, it’s still something the Lord equips us with for protection. Whatever fiery darts come at us from the enemy, we can withstand them through faith and love. [trust in God & His word; not circumstances]

b. Interesting that in both lists, salvation is likened to a helmet…it’s foundational! No soldier (even today) ever walks out onto a battlefield without his helmet on…even visiting civilians are required to wear them. Likewise, everything we have in Christ is based upon our salvation. Whatever battles we face, whatever trials we endure, we know we CAN endure because Christ Jesus has saved us. We can look forward to that day when He saves us from the very presence of sin & have confident assurance that what He has started, He will be faithful to complete (Phil 1:6).

9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

A. What’s one reason to believe in the pretrib rapture? Because we’re not appointed to wrath.

B. We WERE appointed to wrath, but that wrath was poured out on Jesus at the cross. In our sin we were treasuring up wrath for ourselves as we rebelled against God & what we knew of Him through Creation & the word (Rom 1-2), but Christ intervened & bore our transgressions & took our iniquities (Isa 53:6) Now we’ve obtained salvation! Never to face the wrath of God again! Romans 5:9-10 (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. []

a. ‘So what happens when God chastises us?’ It’s not the same thing as wrath. There’s a massive gulf between discipline and damnation… We’ve been adopted into the family of God, so it’s a sign of His love for His children that we would experience the discipline of God (Heb 12:6)

10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

A. Different thoughts on this: (1) Whether we live until His return, or die before the Rapture, ultimately we’re now destined to live together with Christ for all eternity… (2) Despite our alertness to the times, our assurance is in the Lord Jesus. Paul exhorts us to be awake to the times so that we’re looking for our King, but our salvation is not dependent on it – that would lead to a works-based salvation…

i. Either way, we’re living forever with Jesus! J

B. Why? Because Jesus died for us. Those few little words say so much! In them is wrapped up the whole idea of what theologians call the “substitutionary atonement.” In plain terms: we deserved death; Jesus didn’t…He took our death and punishment for us. Thus He substituted our sin with His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). I.e., we broke the law, Jesus paid the fine.

i. This is a glorious truth for everyone who has received His forgiveness & trusted Christ as Lord…but it’s unrealized for those who haven’t. It doesn’t do any good to simply understand the facts about Jesus (many would intellectually acknowledge that Jesus went to the cross); we have to interact with those facts somehow. [unopened Christmas present] We’ve got to receive the gift through repentance & faith!

11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

A. Answers the Thessalonians’ concern. They didn’t have to worry about their friends passing away before Jesus came back for them, because whatever happens to us at the end of our lives here, we’re ultimately going to have eternal life with Jesus there.

a. This is a truth to be comforted by…because every trial has an expiration date.

b. This is a truth to be built up (edified) with…because there’s no better motivation to live for the Lord than the idea that we might see Him at any moment.

B. Note the Rapture/Resurrection/Coming of the Lord isn’t merely something for US to be comforted & edified with…it’s something that we can share with each other as the church. It’s EASY to get distracted by problems & forget about His promises [], but as a church, we can come alongside each other with comfort – with exhortation – with prayer, as we help lift each other up to keep us looking for the blessed hope!

Conclusion:

‘Come on…people have been talking about Jesus’ return for 2000 years. Surely we’re misinterpreted something!’ 2 Peter 3:8-9 (8) But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (9) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. [] If anything, the delay in Jesus’ return is a sign of His mercy! He wants everyone to be saved!

So, as Christians…what does Paul exhort us to?

1. Be watchful (vs 1-4): the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night…we can be assured of this fact!
2. Be ready (vs 5-8): We haven’t a moment to lose, so we shouldn’t spend our time acting like the world. We should be living as children of the light, b/c that’s what Jesus saved us to.
3. Be comforted (vs 9-11): We’re not appointed to wrath – we’ve been saved! One day by death or rapture, we’ll see our Lord face-to-face & we’ll spend the rest of eternity in His presence!

What about you – are you ready? Make no mistake, the Lord Jesus IS coming back, and you will face Him either as Savior or Judge. No one knows the day or the hour – and that’s true both of His 2^nd Coming AND of the day of our death. One way or the other, you will stand before Him. In that day, when every thought and action is laid bare before our Creator, how will you account for your sins? Jesus Christ has already made the provision on your behalf through the Cross – but you must receive it, otherwise you’re rejecting it. He loves you so much – He’s such a good God that He doesn’t want ANY to perish, but you must receive the forgiveness He offers.

The Hope of the Rapture

One of the great questions almost every single human being works through (whatever their beliefs about religion) is: what happens after we die? Atheists believe that everything ceases to exist – Buddhists believe our souls are reincarnated…neither reflects the truth of the Scriptures. But even among those who call themselves Christians, there is much confusion.

It seems this was the driving question that Paul was answering for the Thessalonians. Though he was only in Thessalonica for a very short time, he covered a tremendous amount of doctrine with the church – which prepared them for the persecution that followed. Yet the persecution seems to have been what confused them. With people among their numbers dying, would they miss the 2^nd Coming of Christ? Were they simply just gone? No – as Paul will show them, Christians have the hope and the promise of a resurrection – a rapture – and a glorious reunion with our Lord and King.

Obviously the rapture is one of the most hotly debated topics among Protestant Christians today…with deeply held beliefs on all sides. Calvary Chapel holds to the pre-millenial, pre-tribulational rapture & although there are strengths/weaknesses with every view – we think this best explains what the Scripture teaches.

Paul will get into the timing of the rapture a bit in Ch 5 – but as he finishes Ch 4, he demonstrates the joyful hope we have because of the rapture!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

A. There are many Christians who want nothing to do with eschatology (the study of last things). Probably because Christians are so divided over the subject, many feel it’s best not to bring it up at all. But Paul didn’t want the church to be “ignorant” of these things…he wanted them to be informed because otherwise they’d miss out on the hope that these promises offer. (Not that they’d miss out on the events – that’ll occur despite any error we may have in our doctrine. But that they’d miss out on experiencing hope in the present because of the lack of knowledge about the future.)

a. Is eschatology the most important realm of Christian doctrine? No…it’s definitely not something that someone’s salvation hangs on (like the deity of Christ – salvation by faith, etc…). And it’s certainly not something that stops us from showing respect and love to those who believe differently… [] But it IS most definitely important! Beliefs about future things affect our present actions – and having the understanding that our Lord could call us home at any time can be a huge motivator for us…

b. BTW – Paul uses this phrase often. What else did Paul not want the church to be ignorant of?

i. God’s plan for the Jewish people (Rom 11:25)

ii. Spiritual gifts for every believer in Christ (1 Cor 12:1)

iii. The comfort of Christ in our deep sufferings (2 Cor 1:8)

iv. The resurrection & the rapture (1 Thess 4)

v. Interesting that those things over which Paul desired the church not to be ignorant are some of the very things the church argues the most! But we’re told one more thing about ignorance – 2 Timothy 2:23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. [] We can get so caught up in trying to be “right” that we end up being “wrong” in how we go about it…

B. Is death sorrowful? Absolutely… [] But far more so for those of the world than those in Christ! Christians still grieve – it’s natural to miss our loved ones & be pained that they’re no longer with us (even Jesus wept over Lazarus)…BUT we don’t grieve like the world grieves. They have no hope; we have the hope of glory – we have the hope of seeing our Lord & God face to face for all eternity. Thus when our loved ones in Christ die, we can have confident assurance that they have not forever perished – that they are with the Lord Jesus – and that one day we’ll see them again.

C. Note those who have died in Christ have “fallen asleep”. The reference is a euphemism for their physical bodies; not their souls. No such doctrine as “soul sleep” in the Bible. We are absent from the body; present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

A. IF we believe this. DO you believe this? There’s no more important question you can resolve today than whether or not you believe Jesus died & rose again! Eternity hangs in the balance…this is the very core of the gospel. Romans 10:9-10 (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [] Upon this one fact we either see Jesus for who He is: the Son of God physically risen from the dead – and we fall to our knees in repentance; or we deny Him, His power, and His offer of forgiveness.

a. We have much reason to believe Jesus DID die & rise again! More evidence for this one event than the rest of the history of the Roman empire. The histories of Caesar, Livy, Tacitus, Herodotus, and Thucydides have surviving manuscripts of a combined total of 56 copies…with numerous problems of inaccuracies between each copy. The comparison with the New Testament is astonishing – nearly 25000 copies with a rate of accuracy of 99.5%! [] The Roman guards testified to Jesus’ resurrection by living to tell the tale of failing their duties to guard a dead man’s body (they should have been killed for failure). The Jewish people testify to Jesus’ resurrection by having 3000 people in Jerusalem convert on Pentecost (who would have otherwise known the truth). The disciples testify to Jesus’ resurrection through their unwavering testimony despite enduring the harshest tortures and execution the Roman empire had to offer.

i. There is no reason to doubt that Jesus Christ actually physically rose from the dead. The question is: what are you going to do about it?

b. There are many skeptics who have problems with the idea of a rapture – after all, it sounds pretty fantastic & unbelievable. [] But so is the idea of God’s Son coming to earth as a man to die for the sins of the world. After all, why would the perfect God die for sinful man? And why would He bother rising from the grave? But that’s exactly what He did! If we believe that, the Rapture certainly isn’t a problem. It simply makes sense for how a physical (not mythical or imagined) Christ will receive His church to Himself.

B. Because of the fact of Jesus’ resurrection, we can be assured of the believers’ resurrection – that “God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” This was Paul’s whole point in 1 Cor 15 – 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (20) But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. [] This is exactly why Jesus rose from the dead: it demonstrated that the wages of sin had been paid – it declared that Jesus is the Son of God – and it provides proof that we who believe will be joined with Christ in glory.

a. Note the caveat: we’ve got to sleep in JESUS. Every single person in all creation will stand before God one day, but the only ones that will be brought with Him before Judgment Day will be those who are in Christ.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

A. We get the order of events established here. There is definitely a resurrection of the dead in Christ, and once they’re raised, those who remain alive will be raised. Explains more in vs. 17…

B. How did Paul know all this? Revelation from Christ Jesus. When did he get it? No one knows…but we CAN know by the authority of Christ that it’ll happen. [] Can you imagine the assurance this provides the church? He’s basically telling them, “I know you guys have lost loved ones – but on the authority of Christ, I can assure you that they won’t miss out on anything. In fact, their bodies will be raised before yours will!” J

1. There’s a reason the resurrection/rapture is often referred to as “the blessed hope” – what can possibly bring more hope to a believer in Christ than the promise of our Lord calling us home to Himself? For all those times that you wished that you could have walked in the apostles’ shoes and sat at the feet of Jesus…one day you will! PTL!

C. “coming of the Lord”: Is this the 2^nd Coming? That’s a matter of much debate. Those who hold to a pre-trib rapture argue that it’s not…that Paul is actually referring to the rapture itself. What’s the difference between the 2^nd Coming of Christ & the Rapture? Some claim Jesus’ teaching during the Olivet Discourse is teaching the same thing – is it?

Rapture – 1 Thess 4	2nd Coming – Matt 24
Believers ascend in the clouds (vs 17)	Jesus comes in the clouds (vs 30)
Jesus gathers the church (vs 16)	Angels gather the elect (vs 31)
Dead in Christ are resurrected (vs 15)	No resurrection mentioned
No preconditions – imminent timing (vs 17)	Preceded by the “Abomination of Desolation” and Great Tribulation (vs 15-22)

1. Want the best summary? In the Rapture, Christ comes for His church; in the 2^nd Coming Christ comes with His church (1 Thess 3:13). Revelation 19:11-14 (11) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (12) His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. (13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. [] Awesome description of Christ! And who follows Him? The church: those clothed in clean fine white linen – the picture of righteousness given to the church by God. We’ve got to be with Him to follow after Him.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

A. What does the rapture look like? It’s glorious! Jesus Himself coming for His bride & calling us hope with a massive voice and divine trumpet…awesome! A lot here – break it down:

B. Jesus Himself comes…this isn’t left to the angels. He may come with the voice of an archangel, but this is our Lord coming for us. Jesus referred to the event Himself – John 14:1-3 (1) “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [] The whole picture is one of a Jewish wedding, where the bridegroom goes off to prepare a place (chuppah) for his new bride – he returns with pomp at an hour the bride does not expect & takes her home to be wed. [] Bottom line, this is too important to Christ to leave it to anyone else…He’ll personally receive us to Himself!

C. Jesus “will descend from heaven”: Note what Paul doesn’t say – he doesn’t say that Jesus will set foot on the earth (which is what happens with the 2^nd Coming when He’ll judge and reign for 1000 years). Jesus descends – why? Because He ascended…this is a literal physical event taking place.

D. There’s a shout – a voice – and a trumpet…this is a tremendous event!

a. “Shout”: described as the “voice of an archangel”…whether this is Michael (the only archangel mentioned in the Scriptures) or actually Christ Jesus using that “kind” of a voice is conjecture & debatable. What we do know is that it’s a shout of a command – as a commander shouts out to his soldiers. As Lazarus was commanded to “Come forth!” so we shall be commanded to “come up here!”

b. “Trumpet of God”: Along with the commanding shout is a trumpet call – continues the military picture…wasn’t that long ago where our own troops responded to bugle calls in battle. Also referred to in 1 Cor 15:52 – we’ll hear the trump & be changed.

i. Knowing that major events with Christ are often prefigured by the Jewish feasts (Passover = crucifixion, firstfruits = resurrection, Pentecost, etc) – is there a feast that would correspond to something this magnificent? Yes! Rosh Hashahna – the feast of trumpets…

ii. “Is this the 7^th trumpet in Revelation 11?” No. There are key distinctions…primarily that the 7^th trumpet is described as a “woe” (Rev 11:14), proclaims more of God’s wrath (Rev 11:18), and ushers in terrible catastrophes of lightnings, earthquakes, and hail (Rev 11:19). By contrast, the trumpet of God at the rapture ushers in a joyful reunion of Christ & church.

c. ‘How does relate to the idea of a “secret” rapture?’ It doesn’t. But then again, the Bible never gives the impression that the rapture would be “secret.” Virtually the only time the pre-trib rapture is labeled “secret rapture” is when it’s being used as a pejorative by critics. (And then they argue against its ‘secrecy’!) [] On one hand, the rapture is secret because the Lord will come as a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2) – at a time when the world is not expecting Him. But the rest of the world is absolutely going to notice millions of Christians gone… Let’s have no more talk of a secret rapture; it’s simply the glorious rapture – the blessed hope!

E. 1^st thing that happens is the dead in Christ rise first…reiterates the order of the resurrection/rapture. [] Question: If the dead in Christ have to rise, does this mean that burial is the only option for Christians (vs cremation, etc.)? Absolutely not. Keep in mind that ALL saints of the Lord that have died throughout all history will rise at that time – some dead for thousands of years with no physical remains of their bodies. Yet the promise of the resurrection is true for them too! The God who created the world by His very word surely has no problem in raising people to life whose bodies are gone.

a. Takes us back to 1 Cor 15 – the dead are raised with new bodies. The old body was simply a seed for God to bring forth something totally new…

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

A. Who comes next? We do! J At least, if we’re still alive…[] Make no mistake; we will ALL take part in this event somehow – either by resurrection or rapture. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. []

B. What actually happens? Apparently believers who are still alive will be physically changed (like Jesus at the Transfiguation), and will physically rise in the air to be with Christ. “caught up” = Gk harpazo & Latin rapio (hence “rapture”)…literally means “to seize; take by force.” ‘Sounds violent!?’ Not necessarily – simply appropriate language to use when taking someone who’s not expecting to be going anywhere. Obviously it’ll happen quickly (in the twinkling of an eye)…so “seizing” is the right word to use.

a. Pop quiz: Is this the only rapture in the Bible? No – throughout the Scriptures, God left examples for us. It remained a mystery till Christ, but God definitely gave us hints in Enoch (Gen 5:24), Daniel (Dan 3), Elijah (2 Kings 2:11), Philip (Acts 8:39), and possibly John (Rev 4:1). [] Keep in mind that although this is mysterious, God WANTS us to know about these things. Keeps us expectant; keeps us hopeful…

C. Note the “we” – Paul fully expected to be there…he obviously believed that Christ could call him home at any time. Common belief for the church fathers – as a whole they didn’t understand pretribulational rapture, but they definitely held to a premillennial rapture – it was the predominant view until Augustine.

a. Paul gets into it more in Ch 5, but over & over when the Scripture refers to the rapture, we’re reminded of the imminency of it. There is absolutely nothing stopping Jesus from calling us home – it literally could happen at any moment. (Personally, I always thought it would be cool to be taken when we were teaching on it! J)

b. Because it’s imminent, it’s also urgent. There is no time to waste for those who have not repented & trusted Christ… There is no time for Christians to be goofing off & jumping into sin… Jesus can (and will) come at an hour we are not expecting it – thus we must always be ready.

D. Guess what else? We’ll always be with Jesus. ALWAYS. J It’s impossible to imagine anything better.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

A. The Rapture isn’t something to fight over; it’s something to be comforted with! Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can be assured that our loved ones will rise from the dead as well. Because Jesus promised to take us home, we can be assured that He’ll actually come and do it.

B. Whatever troubles you’re experiencing (and we all do) – we can be comforted because every single one of them has an expiration date. If you’re in Christ, one day by death or rapture, you’ll see the Lord face-to-face. And it will be absolutely glorious!

Conclusion:

Does the promise of seeing Christ Jesus bring you comfort? The answer to that question says a lot about your readiness to do so. For every believer in Christ, we have marvelous promises from this little section of Scripture! To those who die before the Day, there is a promise of resurrection… To those who live to see it, there is a promise of rapture… To ALL of us, there is a promise of a reunion with our Lord & King!

Are you ready? As a believer, would you be ready to see Jesus face to face right now – or would you be begging for 1 more day to not leave things undone or unsaid?

What about if you don’t believe – if you haven’t repented and trusted Christ for salvation? Then none of these promises are for you. If you’re left alive, you’ll go through the Great Tribulation & experience the wrath of God poured out on the earth. Far worse than that – if you died in this state, you’d experience the judgment of God for your sins & spend eternity in what the Bible calls Hell. God doesn’t want that! He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to the cross to take the punishment you deserved for your sins. His desire is to shower His grace upon you and forgive you – but you must turn to Him and receive it.

The Ten Commandments – Deut 4-5

For the 1^st few chapters of Deut, Moses took the time to outline how they all got to where they were. They weren’t about to cross over into Canaan by accident – it was by God’s promise that they were there, and it was by their own rebellion that they were 40 years late. But now that they’re finally ready to enter, it becomes imperative that they review the commandments of God. After all, they aren’t inheriting the Promised Land because they’re such a worthy people; it’s being given to them based on the grace and goodness of God alone. Thus to know the grace of God, they must learn of the character of God – and that only happens through the word of God.

Deuteronomy 4 (NKJV)
1 “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

A. Listen to the commandments: This might seem obvious, but it’s easy to take for granted. They may have listened the 1^st time, but people kept ignoring the Law till the point where King Josiah “rediscovered” the book of the law when doing spring cleaning in the temple. The result? They neglected it so much that once it was read, King Josiah ripped his clothes & bewailed the wrath of God that they were due! (2 Kings 22).

a. There are a ton of Christians who don’t have a clue what the Bible says…yet we worship and serve the Word (Logos) of God! We need to echo the prayer of the psalmist – Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. []

B. Don’t alter the commandments: They weren’t to add to it; nor take away from it. God’s word is simply that: God’s word. It’s not ours to tamper with! Cults do this regularly…[JW’s take away; Mormons add]

C. Keep the commandments: Knowing what to do didn’t mean much to Israel if they didn’t actually do it. God’s word is supposed to be vastly more than head knowledge; we’re to be doers of the word! (James 1:22)

a. Is this possible? Not fully, no… [] Except for Jesus Christ!

3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor; for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

A. Reference to the plague God sent among the Hebrews for falling into idolatry after Balaam counseled Balak to send Midianite women among them to sexually tempt them into following false gods (Num 25). 24000 died in the plague – but the rest remained alive after Phinehas showed his zeal for the Lord.

5 “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

A. Note whose commandments these are – not Moses; God’s. These aren’t merely the words of men []; these are the very words of God!

B. Why were they to strive to observe them? In the Law is wisdom. We tend to place a lot of value on knowledge these days (re: technology), but if we want to do more than merely survive on better toys, we need wisdom! How much is wisdom worth? Proverbs 3:13-15 (13) Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; (14) For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. (15) She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. []

7 “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?

A. Israel’s relationship with God was truly unique! No other nation could claim anything close to it…Israel was blessed to receive the Law – to them were committed the oracles of God! (Rom 3:2)

B. THAT’s the relationship we’ve been grafted into in Christ! We’re now a special people of God (1 Pet 2:9). What other people on earth can claim the relationship with our Creator as Christians can? No other religion compares… …

9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

A. Moses reiterates the need to actually do/keep the law. But in addition to keeping it, they were also to perpetuate it – teach it to their children.

a. We still have this same responsibility… Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. [] Every father’s 1^st ministry is to his children!

B. Setting up the giving of the 10 Commandments.

11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. 13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

A. Review the scene (Exo 19)… Fire = holiness… Dark clouds = glory…

B. Voice proclaims the Word…not an image, because the Son was not yet incarnate. But He is still the WORD – just as the voice declared the word to the people, so the Word declared God to us as well. (John 1:18)

a. People often try to separate Christ from the Law/word of God…but it simply cannot be done. Jesus Himself actually fulfills the law (Matt 5:17) & completely takes on the penalty of the commandments – to separate Jesus from the law is to proclaim a meaningless gospel. The cross simply doesn’t make any sense without understanding it was meant for us 1^st…

15 “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

A. Why didn’t they see any form of God? Because God is spirit & those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit & truth…

B. Why not give God a form? Because God was going to take on a form of His own in Christ Jesus… (Col 1:15)

a. Everything else falls short! Humans are made in the image of God; not the other way around. Animals and birds fall short of anything approaching His person. The sun & stars are part of Creation; they can’t represent the Creator.

b. This is the problem with idolatry – it ALWAYS takes us away from what God is really like. It’s always settling for less than the truth of God…

20 But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.

A. Why not serve idols? Because God took Israel from a land of idolatry to be His own people…to serve idols is to go backwards. Even worse, it was breaking the covenant God had made with them & acting like an adulterous wife. God had already proven His love for them by redeeming them; they weren’t to go back to it.

21 Furthermore the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 But I must die in this land, I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and possess that good land.

A. Review of Moses’ discipline…

B. Moses has to die: Keep in mind that Moses represents the Law, whereas Joshua prefigures Christ’s deliverance. Carry the picture further: the Law brings death, so death must be meted out prior to deliverance into rest. As Moses died, Jesus had to die because of the Law; but He rose again in the grace and power of God which promises deliverance to all who trust in Him!

23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

A. What does it mean that God is jealous? Is Moses saying that God is petty & struggles with the “green-eyed-monster?” No… God is supremely holy – He is jealous for His glory… He is jealous for His people… He desires people to be saved & to live in covenant with Him.

25 “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

A. Note the “when” in vs. 25. Moses knows this IS going to happen at some point…

a. We are bound to sin & mess up. It’s simply the ongoing war between our spirit & our flesh (Rom 7).

B. What will happen when the people fall into idolatry? God will bring discipline… … Historically speaking, that’s exactly what happened. [Judges – Assyria – Babylon - Rome]

C. In those places they will still worship; but they won’t worship the One True God. [] Every single human being worships something (even if it’s just themselves) – it’s simply how God created us to be. But just because someone worships, doesn’t mean that they’re worshipping in Truth. … We’ve got to worship God!

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

A. God always provides an avenue of repentance! Until the day we die, it’s never too late. (So keep praying for your loved ones!)

B. Question: how can anyone seek God with all their heart & soul if the Scripture tells us the no one seeks God, “no not one”? The unrepentant heart cares nothing about God; but the ones brought under conviction by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8) can – and thus we’re exhorted to seek the Lord while He may be found (Isa 55:6).

a. What’s the difference? Faith! Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. []

32 “For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. 33 Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? 34 Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. 36 Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. 37 And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, 38 driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day.

A. Want proof this is all going to take place? Just look at Israel’s history! They’ve had non-stop interaction with the God of the Universe! Through all this, God wanted them:

i. To know God is God. (And that’s just the way it is…)

ii. To be instructed in His ways…

iii. To be blessed – though deliverance & through inheritance…

39 Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. 40 You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

A. Summary of the prologue to the Law… (The Law is good!)

41 Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.

A. Reference to the cities of refuge (Num 35)

44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. 45 These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, 46 on this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt. 47 And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 48 from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49 and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.

A. The scene’s been set. The people are ready. Now Moses is going to review the 10 Commandments.

Deuteronomy 5 (NKJV)
1 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.

A. The Law is a covenant…a relational promise cut between God & His people.

a. We have a new covenant – and like Abraham’s, it’s unconditional…

B. To the people Moses was speaking to, the Law was also freshly relevant. Remember that although a generation of Hebrews died out in the wilderness, everyone 19 years old & younger were left alive – many had been there at the foot of Mt. Sinai watching all this unfold…

4 The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. 5 I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said:

A. They were rightly afraid! God is HOLY!

6 ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 7 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

A. Commandment #1: no other gods…1^st injunction against idolatry. Obviously, God is the only God in existence; there are no others in reality. But there are multitudes in our imaginations and superstitions. Every time we start creating a version of a god in our mind that’s not representative of the God of the Bible, we’re engaging in idolatry.

8 ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

A. Commandment #2: no carved (graven) images…2^nd injunction against idolatry. In this case, it’s a misrepresentation of God. As in Ch 4, nothing else comes close to envisioning God other than the very Son of God, who is His image.

B. What does this say about the character & nature of God Almighty? Is He mean & vindictive? Of course not. He IS realistic…the consequences of the sin of the fathers naturally trickle down to future generations. But God is supremely merciful! He shows forgiveness to thousands upon thousands more as they call out in repentance and love.

11 ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

A. Commandment #3: no blasphemy…using the name of the God who gave us life as a curse word or casual throw-away.

B. This is serious! Far more serious than we give it credit. Keep in mind that God’s name reflects His character (I AM – Jesus – El Shaddai, etc.)…to blaspheme God’s name is show disgust for God Himself.

12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

A. Commandment #4: keep the Sabbath… For everyone in the land, including servants. This was the sign of the Mosaic covenant…

B. What do Christians do with this today? We are not judged by days & feasts (Col 2:16). Neither Christ nor the apostles commanded Gentile believers to keep the Sabbath (Acts 15), and He has already provided our rest (Heb 4). Ultimately, we do with it as our conscience dictates (Rom 14:5-6). Keep in mind that Christ is the substance of the Sabbath (Col 2) – if we remember that, everything else falls into place…we now have the freedom to worship God every day of the week!

16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

A. Commandment #5: honor your parents… Why? Because they are a child’s earthly representation of God. Thus we honor them simply because they deserve honor.

B. Commandment with a promise! (Eph 6:1-3). Does this mean we need to obey them all our lives? No – but we should honor them because of our love of God.

17 ‘You shall not murder.

A. Commandment #6: don’t murder. Not “kill” – specifically “murder.” []

B. Jesus’ interpretation… (Matt 5:21-22)

18 ‘You shall not commit adultery.

A. Commandment #7: no adultery…

B. Jesus’ interpretation…(Matt 5:27-28)

19 ‘You shall not steal.

A. Commandment #8: don’t steal…

B. Christians should have nothing to do with this! Instead of stealing, we should be providing & giving… (Eph 4:28)

20 ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

A. Commandment #9: don’t lie… And more than simply “lying” – bearing false witness includes things like slander & tale-bearing…even omitting the truth. If it’s a falsehood of any sort, we’re not to partake.

B. Why is this so wrong? Because Jesus is the Truth! (John 14:6)

21 ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

A. Commandment #10: don’t covet… Coveting leads to the lust of the eyes…

B. What’s the positive to this negative? Don’t covet; be content! Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Tim 6:6)

22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 “So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.

A. What showed the glory & greatness of God? The physical manifestations or the Law? Both. God’s visible manifestations got their attention, but hearing the Law grabbed their conscience…they got a glimpse of His holiness & were left in awe…

25 Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’

A. Review…asking Moses to intercede…

B. God’s holiness does consume us! That’s exactly why we need to be covered by the blood of the Lamb of God…

28 “Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

A. Note God’s reaction to their request: They are absolutely right! And God wants them to fear Him… Why? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10).

B. Following after the Lord is a good thing! If they kept the commandments, it would be well with them & their children. ‘But I thought it was impossible to fully keep the law?!’ It is – the law is our schoolmaster that brings us to Christ. But that doesn’t negate the fact that it truly is good. God didn’t give the Hebrews a bunch of bad commandments; He gave them His truly good law – it’s simply that our truly fallen selves cannot abide by it.

a. Praise God for Christ Jesus!

30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.’

A. God granted them their request regarding Moses…

32 “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

A. Summary…

Conclusion:

Praise God for the Law! ‘What?!’ Sure… If it weren’t for the law, we wouldn’t realize the extent of our sin against God. If we didn’t realize how much we had sinned, we’d wouldn’t realize our need for a Savior. If we never knew we needed a Savior, we’d never call out to Jesus – and we’d be lost for all eternity. Yet God through His grace gave us the law – not to save us (or Israel), but to show us our need for salvation. Thus the law always points us to one thing: the gospel. And we can ALWAYS praise the Lord for that. J