To be “in the dark” is a cliché that means to be without information about something or to be uninformed. From a spiritual perspective, to be “in the dark” pictures being ignorant of God’s Word. Unbelievers are in the dark about God’s Word, but Christians should not be in the dark.

In our text today, Paul described those who were in the light and those who were in the dark.

Transition

This morning we are going to examine three things Christians should not be in the dark about.

Christians should not be in the dark about

The Future Times and the Seasons (5:1-5)

1. The Bible tells us all we need to know about the future.
   1. Paul taught the Christians about the times and seasons of the future. No doubt, he taught them the words of Jesus. (Matthew 24:36) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. No one knows the exact time of the Lord’s Rapture that will be followed by the Tribulation and Kingdom. Anyone who claims to know is a false teacher.
   2. Paul taught them about the “Day of the LORD”. This is a term that describes a period of time not a single 24-hour day.
      1. The Day of the LORD will begin immediately after the Rapture and continue unto the end of the Millennium (1,000-year reign of Christ on earth). It will begin with the Tribulation judgment. It will calm during the 1,000-year Kingdom and will end in the destruction of the earth. (2 Peter 3:10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
      2. The Day of the Lord will come as a thief, without warning, unexpectedly, and suddenly.
   3. Paul taught the Thessalonians, but we have the completed Bible. We have no excuse for being ignorant of future events. We may not comprehend every detail as some of it is hard to understand, but we can certainly understand the basic future events if we will study.
2. Unbelievers are in the dark about the future
   1. They talk about peace and safety. Many have their hopes on the world getting better and better. They mock the idea of God judging the world for its sin.
   2. However, sudden destruction will come to this world.
      1. Judgment will come suddenly as the birth pains of a pregnant woman, v.3.
      2. No one will in any wise escape, v.3. This is emphatic in the original language – “no never!”
   3. Christians are not in the dark (v.4). We have the Bible to enlighten us. We are children of light and of the day (v.5).
   4. Many Christians live as if they are in the dark because they do not study the Bible themselves and attend a church that clearly preaches and teaches the Bible. Future events are only one aspect of Bible information. How many of you think you could accurately explain this chart of future events to someone? __ If you are an uninformed Christian, don’t make excuses. Begin a serious study of the Bible. Attend all the services of this church. Ask me to help you if you don’t understand something.
      Christians should not be in the dark about

Their Duties While They Wait for Christ (5:6-8)

Paul describes for us one negative duty and two positive ones.

1. Do not sleep as do others
   1. The word “others” literally means the rest. Unbelievers around us are spiritually sleeping.
   2. It is not right for us to be sleeping spiritually. Christians are to be awake spiritually.
   3. The word “but” in the middle of verse 6 is the Greek word alla which emphasizes a strong contrast.
2. Do watch
   1. This is an instruction to give strict attention to something. It means we are to take heed lest some destruction calamity overtake us. Here God is telling us to give strict attention to what the Bible teaches about the future.
      1. Watch for the Rapture, when Christ will take all true Christians to heaven, and keep your heart ready.
      2. Remember that you will then stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ where Christ will evaluate how you have lived for Him. He will either reward or rebuke you accordingly. You will either gain or lose reward based on your Christian witness and service (2Co 5:10).
   2. Watching requires that we continually take action to stay close to the Lord and never get lazy.
   3. We live among people who deny the Bible, teach the theory of evolution as fact, reject God, and live as if God will never judge their sin. If we are not watching, that Godless philosophy will weaken our stand on Bible facts.
3. Do be sober
   1. The word “sober” can refer to not intoxicated, but in a broader sense it describes being self-controlled and circumspect (careful what we do).
   2. Verse 8 tells us how to be sober or self-controlled:
      1. We must put on God’s breastplate of faith and love. Faith in God and love for God work together as a shield to protect our spiritual vital organs. When we begin to distrust God or neglect a loving time with Him in devotion, the devil will begin to get us to think wrong and to live as if we will never give account to God.
      2. We must put on God’s helmet, the hope of salvation. Our spiritual helmet that protects our head or mind is the hope of salvation or salvation’s hope. Remember, the word hope in the Bible is not a wish but a confidence. Confidence that you have been saved and that God will save you from His wrath will protect and comfort your mind.
         Christians should not be in the dark about

Their Exemption from God’s Wrath (5:9-11)

1. Christians will not experience God’s wrath.
   1. Some Bible teachers claim that Christians will go through the Tribulation. This cannot be true since the Tribulation is part of the “Day of the LORD” which is clearly a time of God’s wrath.
   2. Here in verse 9 God assures us that God has not placed us unto wrath. Ultimately, this means that true Christians will not go to hell and the lake of fire.
2. Instead, Christians will obtain salvation
   1. Here again is the contrasting word BUT assuring us that the opposite is true.
   2. Instead of wrath, Christians will possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
   3. Paul again alludes to believers being either alive or asleep in Christ as we saw in 4:13-18. Whether a believer is alive or dead, he will be with the Lord when God’s wrath is poured out on unbelievers.
   4. Christians are to comfort or encourage and edify or build up one another with this information.

Conclusion

God does not want you to be in the dark about future events. If there has never been a time when you repented of your sin and trusted Christ to save your soul, you are still in the dark spiritually. The Day of the Lord will come upon you as a thief and you will experience the wrath of God. Only those who are saved through personal faith in Christ are in the light and will escape God’s wrath. I urge you to examine your heart. If you are not 100% positive God has saved your soul, make sure today.

Christian friend, if you are not as informed about future events as you should be, begin studying your Bible. I have materials that can help you if you will ask for them. God has not revealed every detail of the future; but what He has revealed we need to know. Be watching! Be self-controlled! Don’t let the devil deceive you into living like the unsaved world.

Song: God’s Final Call – 250
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Don’t be in the Dark
10 April 2016 AM – 1Thes 5:1-11 – 1Th2016 – Scott Childs