2010-03-07
1 Thessalonians - Be Alert. Walk in the Light. Put on Your Armor of Faith, Love and Hope
Steve Lane

A. Review
1 Thessalonians gives us a good picture of a vibrant, growing church and individual.
Share the gospel and our lives as well. This is where the Thessalonians moved ahead.
Persecution and spiritual warfare — God-centered friendships.
Don't waste your life. Be sanctified - set apart as God's holy vessel for His purposes.
A picture of the church on fire, and then how to live!
Sanctification and sexual purity. Abounding in love.
The parousia, raptus - Rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13 They were looking for the Lord's return in their lifetime.
The Bema - the judgment seat of Christ.
(Revelation 4: 1 - 6, 1 Corinthians 3: 13 - 15)

B. Be Alert and Sober

1 Thessalonians 5: 6
So then, because of all of this, be alert. Live differently.
"Sober" is sometimes translated as "temperate" or "clear-headed" - Mentally and emotionally stable.
A combination of alertness and soberness is sometimes pictured in a sprinter.

1 Thessalonians 5: 7
Paul wants our conduct to belong to the day - not the night.
Jesus is the light, and we should walk in the light.
1 John 1: 5 - 7
1 John 2: 9
2 Corinthians 4: 6 - 11

C. Walk in the Light. Put on Faith, Love and Hope

1 Thessalonians 5: 8
Think clearly. Don't be knocked around - forgetting your armor.
Put your armor on (Romans 13: 12, 2 Corinthians 10: 4, Ephesians 6: 10 - 13)

A quick focus, a reminder to put on faith, love and hope.
If not, you are open for attack. Salvation is not just redemption, but the big picture which will be fully realized. (Ephesians 1: 1 - 14)

Put on faith, love and hope, and let the light of Jesus shine out of darkness.

D. All that has been, So that We can Walk in the Light

1 Thessalonians 5: 9
We are destined to receive salvation, so live like it!
To fully appreciate salvation, we must understand the terrible fate of wrath.

1 Thessalonians 5: 10
Our substitute, Jesus, received the wrath of God. (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
They understood the truth deeply, as they were humbly bringing and taking the gospel.

The death of Christ brought us union with God, and death cannot affect it.
Communion:
Romans 6: 1 - 11
Ephesians 4: 22 - 24
John 15: 5

Put off the flesh and put on Christ, and daily put on faith, love and hope.
Recon it to be true.