1-2 Thessalonians, Believe The Truth About The Day Of The Lord
1. Believers Who Have Died Are With Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
2. Living Believers Will Meet The Lord In The Air (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
3. Believers Will Not Be Surprised By That Day (1 Thessalonians 5:4)
4. A Believer’s Protection Is In Faith, Hope And Love (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
5. Believers Should Not Be Easily Shaken Or Alarmed (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:00:00]:
As we look at the letters to the thessalonians this morning, I've titled the message believe the Truth about the Day of the Lord. Believe the truth about the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is a subject that Paul addresses in both of his letters. First thessalonians as well as second thessalonians. And what's really interesting about that and the depth that he goes into in these letters is really that he's just reminding the thessalonians of what he taught them while he was there. And that becomes really significant as you go back to Acts chapter 17 and understand the context and see that Paul was only in thessalonians for about two weeks, two Sabbaths. He was there in thessalonica ministering there and establishing the church. And so what he was dealing with during that two week period was brand new believers hearing the Gospel for the first time, believing it, believing in Jesus, and beginning to start a new walk and a new life of faith in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:01:13]:
And in that those two weeks that he was there, he of course, spent much time instructing them and encouraging them in the truth and in the things of the Lord. And what's noteworthy about it is that we see in these letters, these callbacks to the Day of the Lord, the Rapture of the Church, the Antichrist, and all of these prophetic details that many times believers today who have been around the Lord for a very long time are really ignorant about some of the things that Paul had already taught the thessalonians within the first couple weeks of their coming to know the Lord. And it's significant because it kind of teaches us a lesson and gives us a little bit of an understanding that these are things that are not just for prophecy fans. You know, there's some prophecy fans, right, like people who really enjoy prophecy. They want to attend all the prophecy conferences and find out about all the things and how they connect to the headlines. And there's some people who really enjoy that. It's almost like a hobby to see the prophetic in the events that are happening around us. And then there's some of us who were like, that's nice for them and I don't mind that they do that, but I don't have that same kind of excitement over those things.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:02:35]:
But here, looking at this situation with thessalonica, we see that this isn't just things that we need to know if we're prophecy buffs. These are things that we need to know as believers in the Lord. These are things that we need to believe and understand. This is what the Lord reveals and this is what the Bible teaches. And verse twelve here of second thessalonians, chapter two, kind of drives that home a little bit more. Again, verse twelve of second thessalonians two says, then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. Talking about the Antichrist, the end days and that deception that will come. And there will be those who will be condemned because they made a decision.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:03:26]:
There is a decision that every one of us must make to enjoy evil or to believe the truth. We need to be those who believe the truth, recognizing that there's a great deception, a great effort to deceive us into enjoying evil, into pursuing things that are not of the Lord, as opposed to immersing ourselves and investing in the things that God has revealed and that God has declared specifically about the Day of the Lord. Now, we're not going to cover all details in every aspect of the day of the Lord, but just kind of an introduction that would be appropriate for someone who's been around the Lord for two weeks, that this is some of those things that we need to know. It's really the basics of the Day of the Lord that we need to be able to grab hold of and know with certainty that this is what the Lord reveals about these end times and the things that are to come. Now, as we get started in this, I want to start out with just a little bit of an overview, talking about the concepts that we're thinking about in regards to the day of the Lord. And so here's a quick chart. We'll kind of develop this a little bit over the next couple moments, but we are living in what we would call right now the church age. It's the age where the Lord has established the church.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:04:50]:
The Holy Spirit is moving in the church and upon the church. And that church age is going to come to an end at a certain point. It began after the resurrection of Jesus in Acts chapter two, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples there in the upper room, the church began. And that church age continues until the age of well, the Day of the Lord. It's called the Day of the Lord. But don't think of it as a 24 hours time period. The Day of the Lord is not just a single day, but a time period. It's like when Rick says, back in my day, I had to walk to school uphill both ways, right? He's not talking about that one time.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:05:33]:
He's saying, my whole school life I had to do that. There was a whole age that I had to walk uphill both ways to school, right? The Day of the Lord is an age. It encapsulates a few things. Here's a few of the key elements of the day of the Lord. The rapture of the church, the seven year tribulation period, the second coming of Jesus, the 1000 year reign of Jesus, and then finishes with the White Throne judgment. And so this is the contents of the Day of the Lord. And to kind of place those throughout the different time periods here in the church age beginning with the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In 32 Ad.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:06:21]:
The church age will come to a conclusion. When the Lord gathers the church to meet the Lord in the air, the rapture of the church will conclude that portion that season and then will usher in the day of the Lord, which will include things like the antichrist being revealed, the seven years of tribulation, the second coming of Jesus and the thousand year reign of Jesus. And so, again, not trying to get into all of the details with this, but that's just a quick snapshot of what we're talking about when we say believe the truth about the day of the Lord. These are some of those things that we'll be talking about today. And the things that the Lord wants us to know, he has established these things. They are true events that are yet future and they will come to pass. And we have to grasp hold of these things because the Lord has declared them. We don't have to understand them all completely, we don't have to know exactly all the details about how it will all be fulfilled.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:07:22]:
But we do need to believe what God has declared about these future events. Again, two, thessalonians chapter two, verse twelve. There was that choice made, those who enjoyed evil rather than believing the truth. We need to make the choice to believe the truth even about things we don't understand, that are yet future. We need to make the choice to believe the truth of what God has said. And so we're going to look at five things today to help us believe this truth, to help us grasp hold of these things that God has revealed. Five verses really that we'll see in first thessalonians chapter four, first thessalonians chapter five, and then second, thessalonians chapter two. So let's start out with the first one.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:08:14]:
We're going to go back a few pages to first thessalonians chapter four. Here's point number one. Believers who have died are with Jesus. Here's the first thing to grasp hold of. Here's the first thing you need to know and to choose to believe that those who have believed in Jesus, those who have been born again, who have already passed on into eternity, they are with Jesus presently. Let's take a look at first thessalonians chapter four, verse 14. Here's what it says. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, god will bring back with him the believers who have died.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:09:10]:
It's always a little bit dangerous to just look at one verse. In this case you can look at the verses before it and after it, get a sense of the context and understand. Paul here is talking to the thessalonians who are a little bit confused. He had taught them about the day of the Lord and end times and the rapture of the church and they were excited about it, but they were also a little bit confused and concerned because, well, what about those who had already died? They had believed in Jesus, perhaps even when Paul was in there. And even though it's not too long after Paul had visited Thessalonica, perhaps they had to do a couple funerals. Perhaps there was some situations that required them to address this and to begin to ponder this question. We're looking forward to the return of Jesus, but what about those who aren't alive at that time? Verse 13 here of first thessalonians four, it says, and now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. And so Paul is writing to the Thessalonians to help address this concern that they have.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:10:35]:
They're concerned about those who have already died and kind of feeling like, oh man, they missed out because they didn't get to be here when the Lord returned. Maybe it's a little bit like how some of you feel today as you look around and you're like, oh man, they missed out. They weren't here at VBS this week. They didn't get to see, they didn't get to participate. Oh man, they missed out. How sad that is. And there was some thessalonians feeling a similar thing that, oh, no, that they're going to miss out on some of these cool things that are going to happen when the Lord returns the day of the Lord. Oh, man, they're going to miss out on that.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:11:20]:
And so Paul is correcting this concern, this misunderstanding that they have, and he's saying, look, you need to understand how this all works, then the truth that has been revealed, he ties it to the core gospel message here in verse 14. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, the core of the gospel message here, paul says, think about the truth of the Gospel. Think about what we know to be true. Jesus, he died upon the cross. He was buried in the tomb. On the third day, he rose to life again. He was resurrected. Think about eternity in your doctrine and in your perspective on life.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:12:16]:
And these things that those who have died, they're not gone, they're not missing anything. They have entered into eternity because what we believe in is a savior who resurrected from the dead, who conquered both sin and death. And so death does not limit our opportunity to experience God's plans and what God has declared. It was just a couple of weeks ago that we got to celebrate the baptisms together and see those who were testifying to that work of Jesus in his death and burial and resurrection and testify a similar declaration that they themselves had experienced that personally by believing in Jesus. There was this death of the old life, this burial of the things of the past. And this resurrection to walk in newness of life, that is the result of being born again and believing in Jesus Christ. And so this is the reality of what we believe, Paul says, and because we believe in resurrection at the core, that's the Gospel message, our Savior resurrected, promising to us everlasting life as well. Well then, if that's the case, Paul goes on to say, we also believe that when Jesus returns, god will bring back with Him the believers who have died.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:13:55]:
So as we think about the day of the Lord and those who have gone into eternity ahead of us, paul says, you need to understand, because of what we believe, because of the Gospel message, nothing is lost, nobody is lost. When Jesus returns, those who have died, they will be coming back with Him. They're not going to miss out because they're not here. They'll have a different perspective for sure, right? They'll be looking at the whole thing from a different angle as we look up in anticipation. They're looking down as they return with Jesus. But they won't miss out on the day, they won't miss out on the events, they won't miss out on the glorious things that God has in store for his people. We believe that when Jesus returns, god will bring back with Him the believers who have died. And how is he able to do that? Well, the believers who have died are with Him presently, so when he comes, when he returns, when he descends, he's up there in heaven.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:15:16]:
He says, all right, I can't do that whistle. But you get it like, hey, everybody, come on, let's go, time to go, we're going down. We're going to meet the believers who are alive in the clouds. But they're with Jesus is the point. They're with Him now, so he's able to bring them with Him when he returns. The apostle Paul talks about this a little bit more in detail in Two Corinthians chapter five. Two Corinthians, chapter five, paul says, God Himself has prepared for us this as a guarantee. He's given us the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:15:53]:
So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies, we are not at home with the Lord, for we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. There's a toggle that happens. If you're in this earthly body, then you know you're not with the Lord in eternity. But if you're not in this earthly body, then you know that you're with the Lord in eternity. If you're with the Lord in eternity, then you know you're not in your earthly body. If you're not with the Lord in eternity, then you know that you are in your earthly body. It's a toggle.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:16:40]:
You're either in this earthly body and not in eternity with the Lord, or you're away from this earthly body and in eternity with the Lord. Those who have believed in Jesus who have died. In fact, the Bible typically refers to death of a believer as sleep. It's not obvious in this translation that we're looking at the new living translation, but Paul is actually talking about believers sleeping. He's talking about death. But it's such a mild kind of death that it's called sleeping because the emphasis is on the rest, that we're at rest when we die because we are in the presence of the Lord. Believers who have died are with Jesus. Pastor Warren Wisbe tells this story.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:17:40]:
He says, I recall stating to a friend, I hear you lost your wife, I'm very sorry. He replied, no, I didn't lose her. You can't lose something when you know where it is. And I know where she is. On the authority of the word of God, we also know what will happen. Jesus Christ will one day return and bring his people with Him. Here's a truth you must believe clearly revealed in the word of God. Believers who have died are with Jesus.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:23]:
They're in his presence. They're in glory. No more pain, no more sorrow, no more suffering. And they're not going to miss out. They're not missing out on anything that God has planned. They're not missing out on the prophecies, on the promises. They're experiencing the fulfillment of them, perhaps in a different way, in a different angle, different perspective. But they're fully involved in all that God has promised to us, and so they're with the Lord.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:57]:
And Paul is going to make the point here. We're going to be reunited with them when we meet the Lord. And so there will be a grand reunion of those who have believed in Jesus and have gone on into eternity before us. Well, moving on to verse 17 here of first thessalonians chapter four, we get point number two for this morning. Believe the truth about the day of the Lord. Here's truth number two. Living believers will meet the Lord in the air. Those who have died, they're already with the Lord.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:19:32]:
They're in his presence. Those who are alive at the time these events start to unfold, they will meet the Lord in the air. Verse 17 says this then together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So we're looking at the contrast, those who have gone before us into eternity, those who are alive and remain at the time of the rapture of the church. And here Paul is talking about the rapture of the church. He says, we will be caught up. That word caught up is where we get the idea of this word, rapture.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:20:25]:
The Greek word is harpodzo. The Latin word is Rapto. Or raptus. And so it's from that that we get the word rapture. But literally the word in the Greek is harpodzo, which translated here is caught up, has several different meanings and usages that we could consider and I think is a little bit helpful for us to consider. And so I'm going to walk through a couple of these with you here to caught up. The word harpadzo can be used for the idea of snatching away quickly, very swiftly, speedily, snatching away. It can also be used to communicate seizing something by force.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:21:15]:
It can also be used, this word in the Greek to move something to a new place. And finally it can be used to communicate the claiming of something for yourself or for oneself. And this word is used in all of these different ways in the Greek language. I think each of them communicates something that is worth meditating on and considering in regards to the rapture of the church. First to snatch away speedily. Paul tells us in One Corinthians chapter 15 that this is going to happen fast. It's going to happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye or the twinkling of an eye when the last trumpet is blown, those who have died will be raised to live forever and we who are living will also be transformed. One Corinthians chapter 15 also gives us that same thing that Paul is revealing here in one thessalonians four, those who have died, they're with the Lord, their bodies will be resurrected.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:22:26]:
The physical resurrection takes place at this time and we who are alive will be transformed. We'll be raptured, we'll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. But it's not just that we'll be caught up, our bodies will be transformed and there will be that glorified body where immortality, no mortality puts on immortality, where corruption puts on incorruption. The rest of the verses around One Corinthians chapter 15 give you a full picture of that. But it's going to happen fast. It's not that there's going to be a loud sound and then many seconds of pause. Slowly people will start to ascend. It's going to be in a flash, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, the twinkle of an eye.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:23:18]:
We're talking about seconds, less than seconds, milliseconds, nanoseconds, I don't know how to measure all those things, but this is the idea. It's going to happen fast. And that's what that word harpazo means. It means to snatch something away fast. In an instant, all believers across the face of the earth will be caught up, snatched away speedily to meet the Lord in the air. But the word also can talk about being seized by force as opposed to there's a different kind of seizing. This is actually a word that is used in the idea of thievery and stealing. And this isn't robbery that we're talking about here in the context of the Lord, but the picture is interesting to consider because there is the kind of stealing Greek word, klepto.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:24:14]:
Sound familiar, right? That's sneakily stealing. Let me just put it here in my pocket and I'm going to walk out with it. That's klepto. That's sneakily stealing. But to seize by force or another way is to seize openly and boldly is a different kind of robbery, right? Like, hey, look at this, it's yours, but I'm taking it and I'm walking out the door with it. That's that kind of seizing, taking by force. There's a boldness to it. There's an openness to it, there is a loud sound associated with it, and it comes with a very violent or physical or powerful sense to it.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:25:03]:
And the word is actually used this way in the New Testament. In Acts chapter 23, verse nine and ten, this is when the apostle Paul is on trial and the Roman soldiers are trying to figure out what's going on and why the Jewish people were trying to kill him. And so they reconvene, and the Jewish people are getting really upset as the trial goes on. It tells us in Acts chapter 23, verse nine, that there was a great uproar. The teachers of the religious law who were pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. We see nothing wrong with him. They shouted. Perhaps a spirit or angel spoke to him.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:25:43]:
Then in verse ten tells us, the conflict grew more violent and the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart, so he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and to take him back to the fortress. Can you picture the scene? The religious leaders are all in an uproar and it's so violent. The Roman commander is afraid for Paul's life, and so he sends his soldiers in to rescue him by force. Rescue him by force. Can you guess what word that is? That's harpadzo that is to rush in again. They're not sneaking him away quietly underneath, right? They're pushing everybody out of the way. No, this is our prisoner. We're protecting him.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:26:34]:
You're not going to have him. And they rush him by force to rescue him from that mob. The Rapture, when the Lord comes for his people, is going to be a rescue by force, allowed violent open. There's no holding anyone back that the Lord wants. He will reach in, he'll bring out all who are his. All of his children will be seized by force. That's not forcing people against their will, that's forcing away the forces of darkness. Every single child of God will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at that time.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:27:22]:
Well, the third aspect to this is to move to a new place, and there is going to be a movement that happens. It's not just a rescue, and you stay in the same spot. All right, we got those bullies out of your way now. Keep on going about your merry way. No, it is going to be a move that happens. The word is actually used in this sense in Acts chapter eight in the case of Philip, remember when he was ministering to the Ethiopian eunuch? And the Ethiopian eunuch believes in the Lord and says, hey, look, here's some water. Can I be baptized right now? Philip says, sure, if you believe with all your heart, you can be baptized. And so they get down into the water and Philip baptizes him.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:28:07]:
And then it tells us in verse 39 of Acts eight, the spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. Can you guess what word that is? harpazo snatched away from the eunuch's perspective? He went under the water, he comes up, where'd he go? He's gone. Because Philip was raptured not to meet the Lord in the air. But it tells us in verse 40 he was raptured to Azodis. Now, hopefully, if you get raptured, it's to meet the Lord in the air, not to a town named Azodis, right? But it's the same idea. He just boom. He was moved to a new location and that's what's going to take place at the rapture of the church. We will be moved to a new location to meet the Lord in the air and then to forever be with the Lord.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:28:59]:
Well, the final sense of this word harpadzo is to claim for oneself. To me, I don't know why I get the maybe it's the week of VBS that we just participated in. I get the picture of a child saying mine, right? It's a toy. Bring it, clutch it, bring it close to your chest. No, it's mine. Claiming it for yourself. And this is a cool sense of the rapture as well, where Jesus looks at his followers, those who've been born again, and says Mine. And he grabs us and he brings us to himself.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:29:37]:
Jesus told his disciples in John chapter 14, don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust. God. Trust in me. There's more than enough room in my Father's home. If it wasn't so, I would have told you. When everything is ready, I will come and get you. And I'll say mine.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:29:56]:
And so you will always be with me where I am, you're always going to be with me because you're mine. You're my child, you've believed in me. This is what it means to be caught up. Paul says, we will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and then we will be with the Lord forever. The point of all this, of course, we tend to focus a lot on the rapture and we can talk a lot about harpadzo and rapturo and all that stuff, right? But the real emphasis here is to meet the Lord in the air and then we will forever be with the Lord. The rapture is cool, it's fun to think about, but the real value of it is how it unites us with the Lord. Pastor David Guzick says the manner in which Jesus will gather us to himself is impressive. But the main point is that whatever the state of the Christians, dead or alive at the Lord's coming, they will always be with the Lord.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:31:08]:
This is the great reward of heaven, to be with Jesus. Death can't break our unity with Jesus or without other Christians, death cannot break our unity with Jesus. Those who have believed in Jesus, who have already died, they're with the Lord. Those who are alive at this event, the rapture to be caught up in the clouds, they will be joined together and united with Jesus and with those who have gone before us. Living believers will meet the Lord in the air. This is an important truth. It's going to happen in a moment, a time that is not specified, we're not told. It's going to be, in some ways, a big surprise and shock to the world, but it shouldn't be to us because he revealed it in advance.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:32:08]:
We will meet the Lord in the air at the conclusion of this portion. In one, Thessalonians, chapter four, verse 18, paul says, encourage each other with these words. These are words, these are truths that are encouraging, that give us hope and strength. We will be united with the Lord. We will be reunited with our loved ones. We will meet the Lord in the air. It will be in a moment, in an instant. And next thing we know it we'll be together with Him and all the saints.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:32:45]:
Well, truth number three as we continue on, we're going to jump now to chapter five of first thessalonians looking at verse four. Believers will not be surprised by that day. Believers will not be surprised by that day. Verse four. 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. Did you know that? You won't be surprised, believers will not be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. Now again, the surrounding verses here around verse four of chapter five give some important insights and details. And I would encourage you to spend some time reviewing and reflecting on those things as well.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:33:42]:
But just to get the highlights here, we're looking at verse four and he's singling us out. You, he says, are not in the dark because you've believed in Jesus. And so you know what he said and you know what has been revealed. You know the truth. You are not in the dark about these things. You have the teaching of the Scriptures and the Word of God to understand the things that will take place. The end time events, in many ways they're mysterious in that we don't know and can't figure out exactly how everything will be fulfilled, but that it will be fulfilled. We know with certainty.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:34:32]:
Believe. The truth about the day of the Lord. Even when we can't figure out how, we can't see how it's all going to happen. We can't understand it. We can't do the math and come up with the right what's the final result of a math equation? We can't come up with the right answer solution. We can't figure it out. We can't calculate it, but we can believe it because it's the truth that he has declared and revealed to us. You're not in the dark about the end times.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:35:05]:
You're not in the dark about the day of the Lord, and you won't be surprised. And still we might think, well, I don't know. I think I'm going to be surprised. Well, if you're going to be surprised, then you need to believe the truth about the day of the Lord. And the truth about the day of the Lord is believers will not be surprised because you know for sure that it is going to take place, but we don't know when. That aspect of surprise is, okay, we know what. We don't know when. In that sense, it will always be a surprise because we don't know the exact time.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:35:51]:
But what Paul is saying here is, you won't be surprised that it takes place because you have the truth. It's been revealed to you. How do you not be surprised about something when you don't know when it will take place? The very simple answer to that is for it to be ready for it to happen at any time. If you know what's going to happen, you just don't know when. How do you avoid surprise? Well, in one sense, you'll always be surprised because you don't know the time. But the way that you're not caught off guard is by being prepared all of the time. Did you know that California building code operates as if earthquakes are inevitable? It does. It requires things not on the chance that perhaps one day, a rare occurrence, there will be an earthquake.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:37:00]:
It anticipates. No? This building at some point will experience an earthquake, and so it needs to be ready for it at all times. You're not going to get an advanced notice about an earthquake and then, okay, now let's go retrofit all of the buildings so that they're ready for an earthquake, because we know it's coming in 60 days from now. That's not going to happen. We don't know when the next one is going to happen, but we can reasonably expect there is going to be another one. Each building that is built will experience an earthquake in California, and so you must be prepared always. Earlier this year, the county of La decided, you know, we need to take this a little bit more seriously. And so they decided to update their building codes.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:37:57]:
After the earthquake that took place over there in Turkey and Syria, building codes had already been implemented for new buildings, so all new construction for many years has been required to have earthquake whatever meet the code for earthquake tolerance and survivability and all that stuff. But there was a lot of buildings that were kind of grandfathered into before there was those codes for earthquakes. And so the decision at that point was, okay, now all of those buildings that were grandfathered in, you got to bring your buildings up to code because for sure it's going to happen. You have to get ready. There is going to be an earthquake at some point, at some time. In a similar way, the Lord is returning. The day of the Lord is going to happen. We don't know the day.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:38:51]:
We don't know the hour. We just have to always be ready. You're not in the dark. You know it's going to happen. You will not be surprised because the Lord has told you in advance. Now, again, this is Paul writing to believers who are brand new in the faith. He was only with them for a couple of weeks. How long did it take for him to write this letter? We don't know exactly.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:39:25]:
Maybe a few more weeks. They've been walking with the Lord for a month, and he says, you aren't in the dark about end times. And yet so many times as believers, we might feel like we're in the dark. The Lord says, no, you're not. Knowing all of the specific details doesn't determine whether or not you're in the dark. You're not in the dark because you've believed of the Lord. And here's what he said. These things will take place.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:39:53]:
The rapture of the church will happen. The day of the Lord, the revelation of the Antichrist, the seven years of tribulation, all of these things will take place. You will not be surprised by that day. The world, on the other hand, does not believe. The Lord does not believe the rapture of the church is going to happen, does not believe there's going to be seven years of tribulation, does not believe the world does not believe they will be surprised. But you're not like that. You know what God has said, and so you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes. As you read through the verses surrounding this, you'll understand when Paul says you are not surprised when the day of the Lord comes, he's not saying you will not be surprised because you correctly guessed who the Antichrist is.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:40:53]:
And some people approach this that way. If we can figure out who the Antichrist is, then we can really rest and have peace, because we know we've got it figured out. We know who it is that's going to be raised up. But that's not the source for not being surprised. The source for not being surprised is God has declared this is going to take place. So you will not be surprised because you believe the Lord. And the Lord said, this is going to happen. It's not by guessing, calculating the number of people's names.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:41:33]:
As you read through these verses surrounding this in one, thessalonians chapter five, you can understand really the way that we're not surprised is by developing good character, by trusting in the Lord, by walking with the Lord. We will not be surprised when the day of the Lord comes, even though he says at the end of verse four, the day of the Lord comes like a thief. This isn't the seize by force kind of thief. This is the Klepto kind of thief. This is the stealing away unexpectedly, the day of the Lord comes like a thief. And for the world, it will be a surprise. It will be like someone snuck in and stole all the Christians. But for the believers, the Lord told us, it's not going to be a surprise.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:42:29]:
We must live expectantly, knowing this is what God has declared. Pastor Warren wearsby says, the sword of God's wrath hangs over the world, yet people live. Godless lives empty lives and rarely give any thought to eternal matters. That's not us, that's not believers. We believe the truth about the day of the Lord. We live in anticipation of an expectation of eternity. Well, the next point, we're going to look at verse eight here in first thessalonians chapter five. Here's point number four.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:43:06]:
A believer's protection is faith, hope and love. A believer's protection is faith, hope and love. Verse eight says, but let us who live in the light be clear headed, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. This is continuing the thread of the previous point because it's in the same text where we drew that from here in one, thessalonians chapter five, Paul says, here's how we live in the light. Here's how it is that we're not surprised because we're clear headed. We believe the truth, we have clear heads about this, and we are protected by the armor of God. Now, he balances out the armor of God a little bit differently than he does in Ephesians chapter six. No problem.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:44:00]:
These are all illustrations. They're meant to help us understand how we're protected, not that every single individual thing has incredible significance to the individual elements. So the helmets of salvation versus the breastplate of righteousness and so on and so forth, the specific of the armor is not as crucial as the elements it's representing and what it's teaching us about us and our faith in the Lord. We're protected by the armor of faith and love. Faith and love are armor for you. How do you stand strong? How are you not surprised? How are you protected in the dangerous last days? Well, you have armor that God has provided. Faith and love protect you from deception, from the attacks of the enemy, from weariness and falling asleep and being surprised because you're living in darkness. When the day of the Lord comes the protection that you have is in faith and love, and then also the confidence of our salvation.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:45:08]:
Or another way to express that is hope. Faith, hope and love. He says, Let us who live in the light be clear headed, keep your head on straight. The thing that we need the most, again, is not calculations. Let's figure out who the antichrist is. No, the thing that we need the most, the best protection for us is faith, hope and love. This is what we need. Faith, hope and love are a continual thread throughout first and second.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:45:42]:
Thessalonians Paul repeats these things and refers back to them over and over again in different forms and fashions. These are the things that are core to us and essential for us. And so faith, hope and love, we need to consider them to help us do that. I'm pulling out again. Jerry's big book of little meaning. Faith. Obedience to God at his word. Your best protection in this life is to believe God at his word and obey it.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:46:14]:
That is the scriptures that have been recorded for us. That is God's word to you personally and directly ministering to you by the Holy Spirit. The word of God is constantly being poured out in your direction. Receiving it and obeying it protects you. And so what the Bible says do it, obey it how God directs you, put it into practice. That is your best protection to stay awake, to stay alert, and to be ready for the return that will come at any moment, that will keep you awake and alert when the world around you is falling asleep. Hope I like to define as a confident expectation of eternity. There is no uncertainty in the word hope the way that the New Testament uses it.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:47:09]:
There's no like, oh, maybe, hopefully, but what if there's none of that? It's a confident expectation. It's almost the same as faith. Faith believes God at his word and takes it. For right now, hope believes God at his word and leaves it for a future time. But it's the same basic element believing God at his word. I know the rapture will take place. I know it. God has said it.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:47:43]:
It's clear. And so there's this hope, the confident expectation of eternity. And all that God has promised is something that we can have as a foundation. It's solid, it's secure. And your best protection your armor while the world around you is covered in darkness and falling asleep for you to fix your eyes on eternity. And all that God has promised is your best protection. No matter who's up for election this next time around, no matter what new technologies develop, no matter what natural disasters take place, faith and hope protect you. They're your armor to protect you and preserve you and the things that God has for you and then love doing what is best for people not always doing what they want.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:48:45]:
What people wish for, not putting ourselves before others, but putting others first, thinking of their eternity, what is best for them. This is the way that God operates towards us. This is the kind of love that he expresses to us. He doesn't give us wish fulfillment and just give us everything we wish for, but he does provide for us exactly what we need. Sometimes it's discipline that he provides because he loves us, not because it's pleasant, not because he likes it, but because it's good for us. Love is doing what is best for people. This protects us in your relationships with your family, in your relationships with your coworkers, in your relationships within the church and without the church, doing what is best for people protects your heart, protects your mind, keeps you awake and prepared and ready for the return of the Lord. This is how you're able to not be surprised because you've got on this armor faith, hope and love.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:49:53]:
Again, our protection is not that we're able to correctly guess what's going to happen, that we're able to correctly forecast how all of these details are going to come together. That's not our protection. Our protection is faith, hope and love. Pastor Warren whereas he puts it this way, the purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character. What we need most is to develop in our relationship with the Lord. Your best protection is to know the Lord, to stay close to Him, and to seek to live out what he has called you to. Well, finally, point number five. We're going to jump now to second, thessalonians chapter two, and we're going to look just at verse two, although we'll be very tempted to look at all the other verses around it.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:44]:
Verse two gives us point number five. Believers should not be easily shaken or alarmed. Verse two tells us, don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter, supposedly from us. Wow. Verse two. Very interesting. So early in the church's history, so early in the church of Thessalonica's history, there's already confusion, paranoia, alarm around the idea of a message that the day of the Lord had already begun.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:51:34]:
This is not something that is limited to our day and age. It's something that has been around the church since the very beginning. There's false prophecies, false ideas, false messages. You've missed the rapture. The day of the Lord has begun. We're living in the end times, we're living in the tribulation period. All of these things, they're not new. And yet at the same time, what still exists today is not just all those false messages and false teachings about the end times, but what still exists today is the first part of verse two.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:52:15]:
Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed. Can I encourage you? You need this verse, you need this phrase. You need to take this to heart. Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed. We can get so if and then that person said and then I saw this YouTube video and they were talking about this and all these things tie together and here I am, shaken and alarmed. Listen, believe the truth about the day of the Lord, not the speculation. If you want to speculate, speculate, but believe the truth about the day of the Lord and not the speculation. And even the things that you might be convinced of in the speculation, don't give them the same weight as the truth of what God has said and God has declared.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:53:15]:
And I think that we have hurt ourselves much and many times by grasping hold of speculation as if it's the truth. We give it more weight than we should and it ends up hurting us. How do I contend with worldwide conspiracy theories about all the things that could be happening and could be going on? I don't. I focus on faith, hope and love. So I don't have to be shaken or alarmed if the election is rigged. I don't have to be shaken or alarmed if the mark of the beast might have been introduced. I don't have to be shaken or alarmed if the antichrist might be on the scene. Oh, no.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:12]:
What are we going to do? Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed. That person might be the antichrist. Who cares? Seriously? The Lord never instructs us to find out who it is so that we can prevent what are we going to prevent? We're going to fight against the things that God has declared are going to take place. No, we're just trying to protect ourselves. Here's your protection. Here's your armor. Faith, hope and love. Within my lifetime, I've heard teachings, not just speculations, I've heard teachings.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:49]:
The mark of the beast is rooted in this computer in Europe. It's called the beast. It's going to be significant factor. The mark of the beast is secondly, credit cards with microchips, called a smart card. It's going to be the mark of the beast. Don't use those things. Microchip implants, that's for sure. The mark of the no.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:55:09]:
Now it's vaccines are the mark of the beast. No, it's barcodes. Barcodes are the mark of the beast. Tattoos, that's the mark of the I've heard all of those taught and none of those are taught in the scriptures. The fact that there is a mark of the beast, that's clearly taught, lots of speculation about how that might unfold. Absolutely. But do not give that the same weight as the truth that God has revealed. And so don't be easily shaken.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:55:42]:
The scripture is quite clear. Revelation, chapter 13 walks through the beast and the mark of the beast. There's no reason to be shaken by anything that is introduced today because it's not going to be received by accident. It's not going to be received ignorantly. It is going to be a willful choice that is made, and you either receive it or you're executed. That is the reality and we haven't faced it. That is not at all what is being presented in the scriptures, in my lifetime teachings. Ronald Reagan is the antichrist.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:56:27]:
You know why? Ronald, six letters, his middle name, Wilson. Six letters, his last name, Reagan. Six letters. Six, six, six. Ronald Reagan must be the antichrist. George W. Bush, pretty sure he's the antichrist. Many people taught that.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:56:45]:
Bill Clinton. He's the antichrist. Many people taught that. Javier Solana, you're like who he was a guy that many people were proclaiming as a potential antichrist candidate for a long time. Spanish politician in NATO, barack Obama, Donald Trump. We can go down and down and down and down. Listen, don't be so easily shaken or alarmed. There's always going to be theories.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:57:10]:
There's always going to be some new person, some new technology, some new thing that is, well, maybe it's the mark of the beast. Maybe that person's the antichrist. Who cares? The point that Paul is making here in chapter two is, you know clearly how these things are going to unfold. You know clearly what God has declared. Those things are no threat to you. You don't need to be worried or shaken or alarmed by them. Believe the truth about the day of the Lord. Believers who have died, they're with Jesus in his presence.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:57:46]:
Those who are alive when he returns will meet the Lord in the air and be reunited with those who have gone before. Believers will not be surprised by that day because they're protected. They got their armor on faith, hope and love. And so we're ready and we're not shaken or alarmed because God has prepared us with everything that we need. Lord, we thank you that you reveal to us and give us a strong foundation to stand upon, to build our lives upon, to rest our hearts and our souls upon the truth that you have revealed. And Lord, no matter how all these things are fulfilled the truth that we are your children. By faith in you, we have the guarantee and the promise of eternity. With you, Lord, we can rest.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:58:47]:
And we need to. Be ready, and we need to be prepared. But we can rest in that preparation, in that readiness, enjoying communion with you, fellowship with you and anticipating that full and unrestricted and unrestrained unity that we'll have with you for the rest of eternity. Lord, would you help us to believe that as life presents different things, as what is before our eyes makes it hard and challenges our faith and our trust in you? Lord, help us to not look and focus on the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen. Help us to believe you and Your Word above all else. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.