Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers
and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the
Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is
peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant
woman’s labor pains begin. And there
will be no escape. But you aren’t in the
dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised
when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.
For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to
darkness and night. So be on your guard,
not asleep like the others. Stay alert
and be clearheaded. Night is the time
when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.
But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor
of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord
Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.
Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he
returns, we can live with him forever. So
encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11(NLT)
There are times when people are not ready for what happens, even
though they should be ready. My friend
Curt Hatch went to Moody Bible Institute.
He paid his own way by working at a night job. Curt didn’t get enough sleep so he had to
choose carefully those classes in which he would stay awake. One class he customarily snoozed-through was a
first period study of church history. At
the start of each class the professors at Moody take roll, and then call on a
student to pray for the class. Curt
normally waited until the prayer began, and then he would go into deep
meditation for the duration of the lecture.
One day Curt didn't last
through roll call. By the time prayer
had been offered by another student, Curt was nearly comatose. A friend of Curt's sat next to
him in this class, and could sometimes barely contain his jealousy over the
fact that Curt was getting an hour's sleep while he had to take notes. About halfway through the class time his buddy
poked him in the side and whispered, Hatch, wake up...He wants you to pray. Curt stood bolt upright and bowed his head: Father, thank you for this day, and this
gathering of students...bless us as we study. When Curt sat down, after a brief pause, the
bewildered professor finally said, Thank you, Mr. Hatch, for
that...er...inspiring moment of spirituality; you may return to your normal
activities.
This part of Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica is all
about being ready, and the difference between those who are ready and those who
are not.
Let’s look at those differences:
#1. Different as Night & Noon
There are considerably different values and lifestyles between what
Jesus called the sheep and goats. In Matthew’s Gospel account Jesus said at the
final hour the sheep (representing those saved) would be on his right side, and
the goats (standing for those who will be rejected into hell) would be gathered
on the left. This is as different as the
values and lifestyles held by believers and unbelievers.
It is common in the school system these days to move children
along through the system, no matter how much they have learned, or not
learned. There is no such thing as failure
any more. That leaves children with the
idea that there is no such thing as failing; there is only learning at my own
pace and somehow it’s all going to be alright.
Friends, that may work with the local school board, but that’s
playing with fire when it comes to your soul.
The very idea that there is a passing grade demands there
is a failing
grade as well.
#2. Different as Asleep & Alert
We are not called to be the sleep-walking church. The apostle Paul made it very clear that we
are to be alert because we live in perilous times; the church cannot afford to
be lazy or unconcerned about souls.
Babies arrive at their own schedule. I learned that when our firstborn (Jennifer)
came. Elizabeth had gone into labor and
I drove us to the hospital. Dr. Matheson
met us and sent my great with child bride to some other room. (Dads were not allowed in the delivery room
back then). The doctor then told me…go
home and get some rest. This is
Elizabeth’s first delivery, and it’s going to be an “all-nighter”; there’s no
reason to hang around, come back in the morning. I obeyed the doc’s instructions; big mistake! I no sooner got into bed and the phone rang: Hi, Dad…congratulations, you got a baby
girl.
Believe it or not, the same
thing happened with our second child, Jason.
A dozen false labors convinced Dr. Matheson to induce Elizabeth.
He did, and told me it had never been less than 10 hours until delivery
under these conditions…go home and get some rest. Thirty seconds in bed was all I had before
the phone rang; Hi, Dad! It came as no
surprise when Elizabeth started labor with Carrie 7 years later, that Elizabeth
had me in leg irons and handcuffs, chained to her side when they rolled her
into delivery! It took me three tries,
but I finally was ready. It won’t be so
in when Jesus returns; when He comes it will be sudden – no warning. No one will get a second chance.
#3. Different as Fear & faith
“Sober” has nothing to do with alcohol; it is a matter of taking
our faith seriously enough to put aside our anxiety and negative thoughts,
trusting Christ.
Christians should walk in
faith, not fear.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and
timidity, but of power,
love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7(NLT)
I had a difficult relationship with a church leader 30 years
ago. We were raised in different parts
of the country, so we had to spend some time getting to know each other and
figure out the differences in what our expressions meant. But we were around the same age with similar
family circumstances.
When we talked out the difficulty we had about the church’s
priorities his frustration with me came to a boil; he blurted out: I can’t stand how you’re always so sure of
yourself and calm; don’t you care about stuff? Care about stuff? Underneath what my friend saw as this a duck
swimming effortlessly across the pond was two feet below the surface paddling
for all I was worth!
His opinion of me shocked me, because, what he described was
exactly how I saw him…expressionless, hardly ever smiled, and much too serious
about whether the church softball team would win next Tuesday. What both of us failed to see is that
Christians are called to walk in faith, not fear; we are not to walk around
exploding over everything, super sensitive and moody.
#4. Different as competitors & compatriots
There is a vast sense of competition in our culture. So many people are looking to put another
gold star on their resume’ that the idea of cooperation comes way down the list
of what’s important (if it’s on the list at all).
The churches I have served in my time as a pastor have been mostly
smaller-membership. In that kind of
setting it is always a temptation for a pastor to place too much emphasis on
getting a few more members to help with the work load, and the load of bills,
that keep coming due. But that’s not
building the body of Christ; rather it is filling the seats to keep the
numbers-counters happy.
The mantra I have lived with as a United Methodist Church clergy
member since becoming part of this tribe of Christ’s church is:
Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, Transform the World
That’s a whole lot different than just filling the pews.
One day our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. It may be before this service is over. It might not be for many years. It is valueless to speculate, but all of us should
prepare.
· Accept Jesus and BECOME part of the Body.
· Love Jesus and BE the Body.
· Serve Jesus and BUILD the Body.
Do it, beloved!
In the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!
