A Thief In The Night

What were fighting studios.

Tyler here with you revolves you fighting.

We continue our febrile mood. We want to make the most of the time before Jesus returns. As we reach out to those who need to know Jesus well and I think many times were trying to get our house in order. Nothing wrong with that but when do you ever get your house in order right. My life happens when you're getting ready for it in the in the more important question is are we ready for eternity is a great word. You know I was praying for my neighbor for many years looking for an opportunity week.

We had fellowship you know passing which is the opportunity to have that gospel witness and piece of mail was in his boxer blogger my box and he brought it to me and that was the opportunity to have a wonderful casual just loving conversation about the gospel and jazz that was the spark that you've heard offered always preach the gospel and when necessary use words know what we need to use words that's totally true friends. You can find out more about this month's theme and other resources available@lwhave.org that's LWF.org. This all goes along with the theme this month in the series. The edge of eternity and you'll carry today's message a thief in the night. Remember back when we were in high school I was at Louisville handout called a thief in the night yeah and in the whole essence is, are you ready you know are we really ready if Jesus would return at any moment and you think as we reflect on the series this message. It's a reminder to believers that we have work to do, we have we have work to do. The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few will carry when we talk about the coming of Jesus we have the first coming in the second coming, but we are really what's the difference Adrian Rogers was asked that question and here's what he had to say.

The difference is that God wanted them to know the coming of the Messiah, the first time, but it does not want us to know that his second coming.

That is a sacred secret known to God alone and by the way, anybody who does set a date has is bordering on blasphemy.

If it is not already crossed the line.

The reason that God wants us to not know the time of his second coming is to keep us always in anticipation and to keep us from indolence and laziness. Our presumption so we live in a time known as any moment at any moment at any moment Jesus may come more. That's a sobering thought, you know it any time and doesn't change the way that I talk or think or pray or serve, or minister or support. Does it also Byron allow me to maybe purge my calendar of things of clutter right to clear the mechanisms to get ready for the second coming. Yeah it is a great word carry out say I love a great word from our friend Nicole in ministry services who's back this week to have another wonderful letter from a listener.

Thank you Byron for inviting me back today to share testimony that we recently received this lesson around in and said God continues to use Adrian Rogers to edify the body of Christ and reach the unsaved. We know firsthand that God uses Adrian Rogers to speak into our lives in a deep and personal way.

Thank you for keeping the sermons going so that he can continue to bless so many people. Wow, what an encouraging word from one of our listeners on how God continues to use the teachings and Adrian Rogers in a deep and personal way. All Nicole what a great word.

Thank you for that well with today's message of thief in the night.

Here's Adrian Rogers, Amanda Park is automobile in front of his house and he did what no man should do. He left the key in the ignition, thinking he'd be right back out when it came out the automobile was gone as house keys and other keys were there and ignition, and he felt that horrible sinking feeling that anybody would feel if done such a thing. He reported the automobile is stolen about the police did not find it immediately, but behold the next morning. That automobile was parked in his driveway, washed filled with gasoline the keys back in the ignition. Sitting there pristine in condition and there was a note and the note said I am sorry that I took your car.

I was in an emergency.

I had that transportation the cars been washed is been taken care of. It is filled with gasoline and here are some complementary tickets to the Dallas Cowboys for you and your wife. You know nobody since Caleb automobile, but this man can't be all bad. Whoever it was that stole my car can't be all bad. And so the man and his wife normally would not go to see the Dallas Cowboys go play football. Went to see the Dallas Cowboys play football when they return home.

The house had been cleaned out a thief had come a very clever thing thought of the message. A fee in the night. Look, if you will hear in first Thessalonians chapter 5 of the times and the seasons, brethren, you know me that I write you for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come are so, as a thief in the night when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that they should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day ye are not of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober, for they that sleep sleep in the night they that be drunken are drunken in the night, but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet, the hope of salvation for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Now the purpose of our message today is to get you ready for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we believe with all our heart that Jesus is coming and what an incredible time. This is to be living between two mountain peaks the blood great slopes of Mount Calvary in Mount Zion, the sunlit takes of glory living between the crucifixion and the nation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I want to be ready when he shall come with trumpet sound know may I then in him we found dress in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne there for things that will help you to get ready for things you need to understand for prunes that are in the passage that I just read the number one is something you can expect. You can expect. You can expect a surprising day.

We can expect a surprising day look again in verses one and two but the times and the seasons, brother got no need that I write of you for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord. So, as a thief in the night, not as a thief in the night comes what he come surprisingly no thief never wrote a note to you and said tonight I'm going to rob your house becomes when you're not expecting it. And so it is with the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and faultless people. I don't need to remind you again of the times and the seasons.

Now Paul is not setting a date what he was saying is two things. First of all the certainty.

Secondly, the uncertainty, the certainty is coming the uncertainty. We do not know when he come but he comes as a thief in the night. Acts chapter 1 verses six through eight. The disciples were there with our Lord on the amount of Ascension is getting ready to go back to heaven. They like you. They wanted to know about prophecy beginning in verse six when they therefore were come together, they ask of him, saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel and he said unto them, it is not for you to know that times are the seasons which the father had put in his own power. Anybody who sets a date is disobeying the Lord. The Bible says is not for you to know, but he goes on to say, but ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, and what does he say don't go around setting dates, get your heads out of the clouds of prophecy and get your feet on the pavement of soul winning and share and get people ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Now I don't know what is coming. You don't know what is coming will have a feeling that we are living on the edge of eternity and that's what this series of messages is about and I'll take one thing is 2000 years near than it's ever been before. Jesus Christ is coming. Listen, he came on time. He was born sometime. He died on time.

He rose on time and he's coming again in his own time.

He may seem slow but he will never be late and the Bible says that God is not in a hurry. Second Peter three verse 81 days with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand news as one day may say well spent. 2000 years since he promised to come again in God's heart God's mind is been no longer than two days, but he goes on to say in that same second Peter passage but the day of the Lord will come.

It will come, and the day of the Lord as we have seen a moment is a very troubling time, the church will be taken out of the rapture but there's coming a time known as the day of the Lord when God is going to pour out his wrath upon this world and I'm hunting this, but even now. Right now the raging waters of God's wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of his mercy. I don't know when I know God in mercy is holding back this day because second Peter chapter 3 verse nine he says the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but is long-suffering to us were not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But you can expect a surprising day. The second thing, not only can you expect a surprising day but you can escape a sudden destruction looked down verses three and four for when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape my notice, they shall not escape.

But he's not talking to you if you know the Lord you will escape the rapture of the church will take you out before this day comes, this day of sudden instruction. Now what is he talking about. He's talking about the great tribulation. But there's coming a day that the Bible calls sudden destruction is right there in verse two he calls it the day of the Lord.

Remember when they were crucifying Jesus he's going down that Via Dolorosa and the women are weeping, and he says don't wait for me weep for yourselves. This is your day my day is not yet come.

His day is going to come and it's going to be a very solemn day. Let me give some scriptures that talk about the day of the Lord example Joel chapter 2 verses one to blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord cometh, it is nigh at hand a day of darkness and of gloominess, I day of clouds and thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains a great people and the strong man notices phrase there hath not been ever the life, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

What you say he say the day of the Lord is a day that is absolutely totally distinct as there been a day like it's a matter of fact, the Revelation chapter 6 the Bible says that men are going into the caves and the dens of the Pentagon asked the mountains to fall upon them because they say the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand the antichrist will route this time will make Hitler say Micah Boy Scout is going to be a solid base can be a sudden day notice again in verse three when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction is like the calm before the storm. This kind of preaching your call to calamity. How are but this world is going to be caught by surprise because it will not here, and it will not heed God's word.

It was the same in those times. This is one reason I don't believe the church is going to go through the great tribulation because the great tribulation is not a time of peace and safety, but the time of peace and safety is when the state comes when it comes in we delivered out of notice how it was in Noah's time putting your margin. Matthew 24 versus 36 and following Jesus said again talking about is coming up that day and that hour to no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only what's this, but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be not what were the days of the line.

Listen wise of the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and do not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

Now what was it like what the daily round of life was going on. They were having weddings they were having parties they were having business late. They were just going on. That's the day of Noah and then one day God said no come on into the art and then the flood came, and then it was too late. It will be a solemn day it will be a seven day and then I'm on a say folk. It is a sure day look again if you will. In this passage of Scripture verse three for when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, you see the world is pregnant with judgment and this solemn day this Sunday is assured what what he is saying is it's like a woman is going to give birth. One woman was about seven months along. Somebody said to use her husband is your wife expecting is that you not expecting it's a sure thing and so it is with this judgment. First of all, we can expect a surprising day number two we can escape a sudden destruction number three.

We must endure a surrounding darkness, look in verses four through eight but ye, brethren talk about the saved are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief year. All the children of light and the children of the day you're not of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober, for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunken are drunken in the night, but let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet, the hope of salvation for God is not appointed us to wrath now we must endure a surrounding darkness the world right now is already in darkness tomorrow.

Darkness spiritual darkness social darkness political darkness and we must not be asleep. The world is asleep. The world has been called upon by the devil and the world is asleep and it drunken stupor not limiting what you should do as a child of God today.

Listen to number one, you should be aware and wise up looking verse five, ye are all the children of the light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of the darkness. And so what you need to do is to be aware the wise up with all the wants the only ones in this world today who can make sense of what is going on. We need to be aware. Are you aware of these think that's why preaching a series of massive Jesus is coming you say when everything looks fine. That's exactly my point.

When I say peace and safety, then sudden destruction we should be aware and wise up and we should be awake and get up, look in verses six and seven. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober, for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. Get busy bringing this world to Jesus Christ is the third thing. Not only should you be aware and wise up and be awake and get up you should be alert and dress up looking verse eight let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and fun helmet, the hope of salvation.

But two things that you need to be wearing.

First of all you need to get your heart right. That's the breastplate of faith and love that covers your heart, you need to love Jesus, you need to love one another. You need to put your faith. We got put your sins on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the breastplate you need aware that if you don't wear that you're not ready to live in the dark days and then not only keep your heart right but you keep your head right put on the helmet of salvation, the helmet of the hope of salvation, Noah's mean the hope of salvation that mean I hope I'm say no that is what that means all in the Bible the word hope means absolute certainty rock rib certainty based on the word of God.

For example, the second coming of Jesus is called the blessed hope you are to have your heart with faith and love and you are the head I helmet up salute certainty that you say we are living in surrounding darkness breastplate of faith and love and all helmet the certainty of salvation. You need to be alert and dress at night. Here's the fourth and final thing we will experience a sure deliverance it will do these other things we will experience a sure deliverance look beginning in verse nine.

I look at this.

There are some theologians who believe that the church is going to go through the great tribulation this day that I told is none of the like, look at this, for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word salvation means deliverance deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

I watch this. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do now. The fact that Jesus Christ is coming at any moment is a fact that will comfort and it will edify, not wanting why I believe that the church is going be taken out before the great tribulation.

I give it to classic examples. We talked about in the day of no in the day of no before the flood came, God took Miller out and got put no in the before God destroyed Sodom with fire and brimstone. The angel said to Lot, and get out of the city. I can't do anything until you come out of the city, God would not, for his wrath upon his man lot.

Even though lot was a compromising world.

A Christian lot was taken out before the fire fell nor was taken out before the flood came. First of all there's an explanation look at it again in verse nine for God is not appointed us to wrath. Not only is an explanation, but there's an expectation looking verse 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Now Paul was expecting Christ.

He says we always expecting Jesus in his lifetime was Paul wrong know Paul was right.

You go back to chapter 4 in verse 17 Paul is explaining this rapture and he says then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with them. He included himself highly that was 2000 years ago 2000 years ago. They were living on the edge of eternity were always on the edge of eternity. The apostle John said in his first epistle, little children, it is the last time and so always expecting Christ you should be expecting Christ.

Now here's the point. If the tribulation comes first, that were not looking for Christ were looking for any crimes. Paul was looking for the Lord Jesus Christ. When you're looking for the tribulation to come rather than looking up your looking around.

I'm telling you folks why we need to be looking for Jesus at any moment.

First of all there's an explanation were not appointed to wrath. Secondly, there's an expectation Jesus can come at any moment. Thirdly, there is the edification looking verse 11 wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also you about the fact that Jesus is coming at any moment is a great comfort and a great application.

If I believe that the church is going to go through the seven years of the day so horrible so terrible that Jesus said in Jeremiah said in Daniel seven Joel said there's never, never, never, never, ever been a day like that you think I love finding. Even so, great tribulation, no. Even so, Lord Jesus, I'm not looking for any Christ I'm looking for Christ. I'm waiting for the trumpet sound at any moment. Just as God said Noah going let art, and just as God said lot get out of the city he's going to say to Adrian, given the proper way going to be Jesus just like folks. This is serious business. We can expect a surprising day. We can escape a sudden destruction we must endure a surrounding darkness and friend. We can experience a sure deliverance. If you have questions regarding how to place your faith fully in Jesus Christ. We'd love the offer and insightful resource go to the website to find answers. Page there you will find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your relationship with God. We also want to invite you to check out our grow your faith page where you can get grounded and dig deeper in your faith. Simply go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab that says grow your faith or find answers today.

Can't wait to hear from those we wait with expectation for the return of Jesus.

We should be in the habit of sharing the gospel. Adrian Rogers said get your head out of the clouds prophecy, get your feet on the pain so so glad you joined us today. The study of God's word. Tune in next time for more timeless truth on word