1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 "Let Us Be Sober" Sermon NAS text Tim Black
Introduction
Context. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, Paul told us about the Day of the Lord, the day when Christ will return. He said that it will come at a secret time, that it will be a surprise threat to the unbeliever, and on unbelievers it will bring a sudden trauma. And from these verses we gathered that we are not to try to discover the times or seasons of Christ’s return. That is not the right way to prepare for Christ’s return, and it could easily lead us to live irresponsibly. How then should we prepare for Christ’s coming?
Text. So now in vv. 4-8, Paul tells us how we should prepare for Christ’s second coming. In a nutshell, it is this: “let us be sober.” We’re going to spend our time today coming to understand what Paul means by that one phrase.
Metaphors
Some clear, some obscure. We have to introduce this passage today by making a few comments about the big-picture metaphors Paul employs. He fixes our minds on these grand realities of immense importance—day and night, light and darkness. The great and awesome and glorious Day of the Lord, the evil and ominous and terrifying darkness of this sinful world. It is only in regard to their greatness that these grand metaphors are difficult to grasp. But in this passage Paul also fixes our attention on metaphors that are more obscure and inscrutable—awake, asleep, sober, and drunk. And in fact Paul’s exhortations in this passage focus our greatest concern on these more difficult metaphors: in v. 6: “let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober,” and in v. 8, even more narrowly-focused, “let us be sober,” which is the title of this sermon.
Problem. How do all these metaphors fit together? And especially, how are we to connect Paul’s biggest big-picture metaphor here, the “Day,” with Paul’s most focused, practical, detail-oriented metaphor of being “sober?” Paul exhorts us to make that connection in v. 8, where he says: “But since we are of the day, let us be sober.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 "Living in Light of the Day of the Lord" Sermon NAS text Tim Black
Introduction
What would you do if you knew you were to die tomorrow? What would you do if you knew Christ would return tomorrow? How would you live? If you knew that Christ was coming back tomorrow, would you spend your retirement fund, and go do all the things you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for? Would you quit your job and go on a vacation? Or would you go on a mountaintop to wait for his return, as some people in fact have done? Perhaps you would begin doing all of the activities which you have thought only “super-spiritual” people do, that only the most godly members of the congregation do, and spend as much time as you can in prayer, in fasting, in giving your time to those in need? If you knew the day of Christ’s return was tomorrow, how would you live? How would you live, in light of the day of the Lord?
Isn’t it curious that we often want to ask these questions? What makes this kind of question so interesting to us? One reason they are a curiosity to us is that in fact we do not know when Christ will return. We never will know that tomorrow is the day when He will return. But we’re also curious because we know that on that day, great changes will take place in our lives, in our experience, as well as in the lives of believers and unbelievers throughout the world. In truth, on that day the whole universe will change, and it will never be the same again. So how should we get ready for that change? Should we live differently than we do now? Or should we continue on in the lifestyle we already live? There are so many questions. So many questions, but does God give us any answers?
Well, yes, He certainly does. In today’s passage He tells us about the day of the Lord, about the day when Christ will return. He tells us some of what will happen on that day, so that we will know how to be ready for it. He tells us how to live in light of the day of the Lord.
In 1 Thess. 5:1-3, God tells us three things about the Day of the Lord, and especially, He tells us what that day will be like for unbelievers. Both believers and unbelievers alike will experience that day, but while it will be a day of perfect joy and gladness for believers, it will be a day of perfect terror and mourning for the unbeliever. For the unbeliever especially, the day of the Lord will come at a secret time, it will be a surprise threat, and it will bring on them a sudden trauma. 1 Thess. 5:1-3 teaches us these 3 things about the Day of the Lord – its secret time, surprise threat, and sudden trauma. The first point is in v. 1, the second in v. 2, the third in v. 3.
If you are not aware of the movie coming out about the story of John Newton's and William Wilberforce's Christian effort to end the slave trade called "Amazing Grace," I want to recommend it to you.
There are also some study guides for high schoolers on the movie's website at http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/. These guides focus on historical facts and are concerned about social justice in fighting against human slavery, but mention positively the influence of Christianity throughout the story that is told. They are not bible study guides, but could be of use in a Christian school. Also, there are materials for churches at the following locations:
The World Council of Churches is involved in this, which doesn't convince me that the movie's Christian message will be adequately free from hints of the "social gospel." The company that wanted the movie made wanted the story to be about the key characters' Christian faith, but compromised with the producer who wanted the story to be about the abolition of slavery. Nevertheless, if you distinguish the politics from the Christianity in the movie, this is a significant film for Christians to see.
To get the fuller story of William Wilberforce's Christian faith, you should read John Piper's short book that has just come out titled "Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce." You can even read it online here for free!
"the movie can in fact be read as anti-Presbyterian and crypto-Catholic."
Becky and I had a similar take. Except, we didn't think the Latinos were Catholic. Their worship centered around the charismatic authority of their combination shamanistic pagan witch-doctor Black Baptist preacher. The movie contrasted the two religious cultures, but also showed both religions to be false, however important for maintaining a set of shared values. The Presbyterians couldn't see the common grace in dancing, but learned to dance when threatened by the aliens when they proved to be real. The Latinos valued their charismatic leader, but in the end he was a powerless liar, a showman, who tragically misunderstood or at least miscommunicated the nature of his necklace. Perhaps it's my Scottish background, but the movie delighted in the fun of song and dance at the expense of true and false religion alike.
