The Day Of The Lord!

Well, let's take our Bibles and let's turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 as we read again what God has intended for us. It's too easy to look into the Bible and find out what God said to the Thessalonians and forget that what He says here He intended for us who are living in the 21st century. And He wrote it in such a way that we would see that.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5, I'm going to begin reading in verse 1 and read through verse 11. You follow as we read together. Now, concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying there's peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman. and they will not escape.

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then, let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. Let's pray. Father, now open the text of Scripture, the living word of God. These are your words to us. oh lord help us to pay attention these are not just words on a page for us to investigate for our curiosity's sake they are not here for historical purposes alone they are here father because you want us sitting here in this place in this time to understand these things open our minds then help us we dependent on your spirit now work we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord Amen All of you at one time or another have been hated by someone or someone has entered your life or been a part of your life and he or she has begun to make your life miserable.

He begins to hate you and starts an unrelenting campaign so that you know exactly that. So that you feel that hatred. He's in your face every day when you show up for work. You end up in arguments that seem to go on and on. You sense that the people around you are talking about you, and you face each day with a sort of dread. In fact, you begin to look for relief, some kind of escape.

You just want to be done with it all. All of us have been in situations like that. if you have you may have a sense of what the Thessalonians felt as these words are being written to them by the apostle Paul as they endured the persecution that they experienced for their faith I can't help but wonder if they just wanted relief from these tormentors of their of them Paul had taught them about Jesus coming in glory and triumph we've seen that at the end of chapter 3, but when would that rescue come? When would the relief appear?

Now it appears that these people had sent with Timothy back to Paul some questions. Now you remember, let's review very quickly, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica from Corinth, where he was when he wrote this. He wanted to find out how his dear friends were doing in the persecution that he knew they were going through and Timothy had returned with great news they were enduring the persecution they were doing well they were remaining faithful to the Lord but he also came back with some questions the apostle Paul starts here by saying now concerning the times and the seasons brothers you have no need to have anything written to you that indicates that Paul is responding to them now concerning these times and seasons they had evidently asked him about that they're suffering They want it to end.

And so quite possibly they're asking the Apostle Paul, Paul, when will Jesus return? When? When will we be rescued? How long must this go on? And this is Paul response to them And so he writes in order to encourage them Once more note as he says in verse 18 of chapter 4 he says in verse 11 of chapter 5 therefore encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing.

He's writing these things for their encouragement. You see, what follows was not intended to satisfy some kind of curiosity about the end times. When's Jesus coming back? What are the signs of his coming? That's not the kind of questions they're asking, I don't think. They're in trouble.

They're hurting. They want relief. And so they want to know some answers about Jesus coming back. And it's written here so that you would have the ability to encourage one another with the truth that we find in these verses. So he writes to remind them and you what he had already taught. How can you be encouraged in the face of hatred and persecution?

Well, you'll be encouraged as you remember the day of the Lord. You'll be encouraged as you remember the day of the Lord. And that's going to be the subject of our understanding today. This is a big, big issue, a big idea. And so we're only going to get through the first three verses because we need to get a handle on this because he's making a big deal out of it.

In order for them to be encouraged, they need to remember this thing called the day of the Lord. Look at it, the first three verses. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Well, people are saying there's peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape this day of the Lord.

If you're going to be encouraged, then remember the day of the Lord. Now, Paul doesn't need to tell them anything new. He says, you have no need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves are fully aware of the nature of the day of the Lord. He describes that, as we'll look at in a minute. as he preached the gospel to the Thessalonians part of that proclamation was to tell them not just about Jesus dying and and being raised again and ascending into heaven but part of that proclamation had to do with Jesus returning he didn need to add anything else to what he said they just need to recall what he already given them The issue was not ignorance here The issue was not curiosity.

The issue is that they weren't putting into practice what they already knew. He did not need to talk to them again. He did not need to write them about the times and the seasons. He had no need to tell them about some kind of signs that would signal the return of the Lord, that it was near, that relief was just around the corner. He had told them enough.

They just needed to recall that truth. They needed to act on that truth. They needed to remember what he had taught them about the day of the Lord. Now some of you here are sitting here saying, what is the day of the Lord? What is he talking about? We have kind of an inkling about it, but we don't know it in very much depth.

And we need to because this is a big concept in the scriptures. So we need to take a bit of a time to understand exactly what he means when he makes this reference to the day of the Lord. We know it's some kind, something's going to happen. They're waiting for something to happen. They know about it. He reminds them it's called the day of the Lord.

Well, what is that? What is that? Well, let's take a look at it. Where's the origin of the idea? You have to go all the way back to the Old Testament to see the day of the Lord. That's where it starts coming up. that's where you start reading about it.

It shows up mainly in the prophets of the Old Testament. It shows up mainly there. And these are the prophets who warned Israel and Judah about their unfaithfulness to the covenant they had made with God, and that God was going to respond to their unfaithfulness with the day of the Lord. He also, you see the prophets also warning other nations that God was going to deal with them in this day of the Lord.

It shows up there in the prophets. There are about 200 references to the day of the Lord in the Old Testament. Now what is the day of the Lord? The day of the Lord is when God intervenes decisively for judgment. All right. God intervenes decisively for judgment and also for salvation.

But the emphasis is primarily upon judgment. A little bit about salvation, but primarily about day of the Lord as a decisive day of judgment. It is an unmistakable, unquestioned appearance of God making his rule of righteousness visible by calling to account individuals and nation. It's this unmistakable, unquestioned appearance of God. He shows up in a mighty way to bring judgment.

You see? For example, Isaiah 2. If you want to turn there. Isaiah 2. We're going to be flipping through the Old Testament a bunch here this morning. I tried to keep it.

We're not going to look at all 200 references. So I've tried to pick out some representative references that will help us get a grasp of this. Isaiah chapter 2. The prophet Isaiah here is talking about the day of the Lord. We'll pick it up in verse 12. Isaiah chapter 2, verse 12.

For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up, and it shall be brought low. Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, and against all the oaks of Bashan, against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills, against every high tower, and against every fortified wall, against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. And the haughtiness of men shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

And the idols shall utterly pass away, and people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty when he rises to terrify the earth. there's a good description of the day of the Lord. God unmistakably, unquestionably showing up for judgment. Calling individuals, you see individuals and nations here, called to account before His justice.

And the awesome, when you see these descriptions of the day of the Lord, it's like the awesome presence of the Almighty so dominates the picture. it like he fills the whole screen to such an extent that human existence just pales before this mighty display of power now you heard it already this morning in our Old Testament Scripture reading in Isaiah 13 For example, Isaiah 13, verses 7 and 8. Therefore, all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed.

Pains and agony will seize them. They will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another. Their faces will be aflame. Hands limp, hearts melting, faces in dismay and inflamed as they behold in terror the righteousness of God showing up on the scene. He goes on to say, For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light.

The sun will be dark at its rising and the moon will not shed its light. The universe goes into convulsions at the day of the Lord. And so the day of the Lord is when God intervenes decisively with judgment. You see? That's the day of the Lord. They were looking to this day of the Lord.

Now, what is the purpose of the day of the Lord? I've already hinted at it or said it. It's judgment. God raining down judgment on evildoers in the form of destruction. Again, if we look at Isaiah chapter 2, verse 19, And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, and before the terror of the Lord, from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.

You see, he's bringing destruction, and people are just burrowing into the ground in their fear and in their terror. It's for judgment. Another passage is Zephaniah chapter 1. maybe you'll need to look at the table of contents for that one but zephaniah chapter 1 beginning in verse 14 that prophet writes the great day of the lord is near near and hastening fast the sound of the day of the lord is bitter the mighty man cries aloud there a day of wrath is that day a day of distress and anguish a day of ruin and devastation a day of darkness and gloom a day of clouds and thick darkness a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements You getting the flavor now the day of the Lord are you not God shows up decisively, unquestionably, and meets out His judgment.

A real interesting one, I remember this from seminary days as I was working through the book of Amos, is Amos chapter 5. Amos chapter 5, beginning in verse 18. Now some people in Israel had the wrong day of the view of the Lord. They were looking forward to it because they didn't know what it was all about. And you see that here in Amos. In fact, we think that this is the very first mention of the day of the Lord.

Chronologically, okay. Not chronologically in your Bible because the books are not arranged really well chronologically. But the time when Amos lived, if we can figure that out, this is probably the very first mention of the day of the Lord. And Amos, and people didn't understand what that meant. As you see in Amos chapter 5 verse 18. Listen to what Amos says to Israel, the kingdom of Israel.

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord. Hey, we're waiting for the day of the Lord. He says, you got the wrong idea. Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord. Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light.

As if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him. or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall and a serpent bit him it's not the day of the lord darkness and not light and gloom with no brightness and it's surprise you're looking forward to the wrong thing it's not a day of light when god's going to come and say wow i think you people are great it's a day of darkness and gloom it's going to bring judgment i love what i love about this passage he says he says you don't want the day of the lord it's like you're running from a lion and you meet a bear and then you run into the house to get away from the bear and you put your hand up against the wall and a snake bites you. Surprise! Right?

That's what the day of the Lord is. Now sometimes the prophets see the flip side of the day of the Lord. They see the flip side of that judgment so that you could see the day of the Lord also as a day of salvation. So turn to Joel 3. Joel 3 look at verses 14 and 15 first now Joel is a prophet that the day of the Lord just about takes up the whole book it's not a very big book but the day of the Lord is the major major if not the major subject a major subject in the prophet Joel he talks a lot He saying a lot about the day of the Lord And in chapter 3 verse 14 he writes this Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.

For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. Judgment, right? You see judgment again. It's the day when the universe is convulsed and there's darkness and gloom. But when you come to verse 18, if you can look there, in verse 18 he says, And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine and the hills shall flow with milk and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Shittim.

There's salvation, there's paradise there now as well. So most of the time it's gloom and darkness and wrath and terror. But for that little remnant of God's people that really belong to him, it's a day of salvation. Ultimately, then, the day of the Lord reveals the righteousness and justice of God. That's the key concept here. The key concept is the righteousness and justice of God.

But when it shows up to sinners, it's going to be a horrible, horrible, horrible day. You see. Who is going to endure this day of judgment? Now, here's the interesting thing. The day of the Lord has already shown up for Israel and Judah. As we've seen, God intervened in righteous judgment when the Assyrians and the Babylonians wiped out Israel and Judah.

That was the day of the Lord. In fact, Isaiah chapter 2 is predicting the downfall of God's people. Other nations have experienced the day of the Lord. For example, Babylon. When you look at Isaiah 13, our scripture reading from this morning that describes the day of the Lord, when you come to verse 19, it says, and Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

So Isaiah is talking about there's this great day of the Lord coming and it's going to come and it's going to wipe out the Babylonians. It's going to use the Medes to wipe them out. So in one sense, the day of the Lord has... been unleashed already. Historically, we've seen the day of the Lord. We've seen the wrath and the darkness and the gloom and the fury.

Amos' prophecy came true. Israel was wiped out by the Assyrians in a horrible, horrible way. And Judah, horribly, horribly by Nebuchadnezzar, massacred and deported and everything leveled. It was a day of wrath and gloom and terror. but as we as we now come back to first Thessalonians there's the background to our to that word that phrase day of the Lord as we come to first Thessalonians chapter five the day of the Lord still appears in the future he's saying the day of the Lord is going to come I told you about it I can't help but think he went through some of the old testament with these Gentile believers and told them of the day of the Lord and and so forth how is it possible that its future okay dig down a little bit dig down okay it's not unchristian to think deeply all right let's go to joel chapter two let's go to joel chapter two the prophet joel talks about as i mentioned earlier the day of the lord overtaking israel in fact in one place in the first chapter he talks about this plague of locusts that's going to come It's the day of the Lord.

Now we come to chapter 2, verse 28. And he says some interesting things. Joel chapter 2, verse 28. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. So he talks about these mighty signs before the day of the Lord, and the day of the Lord comes, and even in that day, there are some who can call on him and be saved. The day of the Lord is going to include that.

Well, now let's turn to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 You remember this is the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descends The Holy Spirit comes and makes His presence known in this new age And Peter is preaching and all the men, all the disciples, the people in the upper room start speaking the gospel in the languages of the people that are present. And they're going, what's going on here? what's what's with these people they must be drunk and Peter says this is too early in the morning for people to be drunk you're hearing this in your own language because something has happened so let's turn to Acts chapter 2 and look at verse 14 but Peter standing with the 11 lifted up his voice and addressed them men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem let this be known to you and give ear to my words for these people are not drunk as you suppose since it's only the third hour of the day but this is what was uttered through the prophet joel and in the last days it shall be god declares that i will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams even on my male servants and female servants in those days i'll pour out my spirit and they will prophesy and i will show wonders in the heavens above and the signs on the earth below blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Peter says, you're seeing the fulfillment of the day of the Lord right here. What? What? How is this the unmistakable, unquestionable showing up of God to show His righteousness?

Here's how. Here's how. Where's the judgment, the outpouring of God's wrath? well you know what i think he's referring to when he talks about the sun going dark and the moon going bloody he's talking about what they had seen a few weeks before when jesus hung on the cross and there he experienced the wrath of the day of the lord for his people you see the day of the lord has begun and it started it started with god wrath god showing up in his righteousness and pouring his judgment out on jesus You see that And so the day of the Lord was inaugurated with the coming of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit Here is divine intervention.

It's inaugurated. But God does show up with righteousness and wrath and gloom at the cross as Jesus experiences the terror of the day of the Lord. But it's not complete yet. It will be completed when Jesus comes again in glory. Again, divine intervention with righteousness. What the prophet saw as one event, we now on this side of the cross see as two parts of one event.

What Jesus experienced for those who would be exposed to the wrath of the day of the Lord and what Jesus will do when he comes on the day of the Lord. Alright? It's been inaugurated. We're in this already not yet tension. It's already been here and it's not yet here. It's that tension that you find throughout the New Testament.

God has already begun that work that the prophet saw as his glorious work when he returns and renews everything. He's begun the renewal. He's begun the judgment. And yet there's more to come. That already not yet tension. Now there's one other thing to see with regard to the day of the Lord.

When God shows up to make his rule visible, it is now called the day of the Lord Jesus. He is the one who ultimately fulfills this idea of God showing up in judgment. Now you can look these up. I have just three New Testament references. You want to look them up, you can, but I'm just going to rush through them. The first is found in 1 Corinthians 1, verses 7 and 8.

1 Corinthians 1, 7 and 8, where the Apostle Paul says, We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. The day of the Lord now becomes the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the day of the Lord. He's the Lord that's going to show up. In 1 Corinthians 5, verse 5, this is a church discipline passage.

And it's talking about someone who's remained stubborn, has been disciplined by the church. The Apostle Paul says you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Again there the day of the Lord The last one I would make reference to, and there's more, but the last one is Philippians chapter 2 verse 16. Here the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians to hold fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

So now Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment. Jesus is the Lord that's going to show up. By the way, if that's true, this is just a footnote. Okay? This is a footnote. Here's another argument for the fact that Jesus is God.

Day of the Lord, Old Testament, God shows up. in the New Testament, it's Jesus who's showing up. You see? He's God. He's the ultimate fulfillment of the day of the Lord prophecies. And so the apostle says, the day of the Lord, the unmistakable appearance of God in righteousness will come at Jesus, parousia. You learned that last week.

Parousia. You remember that? The return of Jesus, his triumphal return. This will be a day in which Jesus brings destruction and judgment against all the evildoers who oppose Him and oppose His people. Now, you can see now how they're encouraged when He says, I don't need to write to you about anything. You already know about the day of the Lord.

You already know that God's going to show up. I don't need to write anything more about that. You'll be encouraged as you remember the day of the Lord. I haven't done all that. Let's return to our text. Aren't you glad I decided not to preach all 11 verses? you'll be encouraged as you remember the day of the lord arrives unexpectedly that's what he says in these first three verses it's on he says well let me get back to first thessalonians i've been running around in my bible too now concerning the times and the seasons brothers you have no need to have anything written to you for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night while people are saying there is peace and security then suddenly destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape okay what do we see here first is this People will not expect the unmistakable, unquestioned appearance of God in Jesus to manifest his righteousness in judgment because they're saying there's peace and security.

Now that was true in Paul's day. When Paul writes this, the Roman Empire is experiencing something they called the Pax Romana. That's Latin for the peace of Rome. some years before caesar augustus remember the caesar who was ruling when jesus was born caesar augustus had achieved for the roman empire unprecedented peace and prosperity no wars were raging the army was indefeatable undefeatable they had incredible prosperity unparalleled prosperity and this was over the most known world and that is why caesar augustus was called publicly in inscriptions the savior of the world by the way when you read that term in the scriptures that's the christians kind of putting a thumb in the eye of the emperor you're not the savior of the world we have the savior of the world caesar augustus was called the savior of the world why because all this prosperity and peace and security was known in most of the known world then, the Roman Empire.

They had all of that. And by the way, people today have the same attitude. Peace and security, what do we got to worry about? People have the same attitude. No one worries here. No one today, none of your neighbors, you don't worry about some foreign power sweeping through here and burning your house down and pillaging all your possessions.

Has it ever crossed your mind this last week? Not once, right? Many this afternoon are going to go home and watch some basketball or watch something on Netflix while they eat popcorn and ice cream. Not thinking anything of it. They'll have family and friends over, and they'll chuckle as they look at, recall family memories, they look at the picture albums and so forth, and they enjoy this day after day after day with no sense that it will ever end.

You see? that's what people are saying peace and security it never occurs to them that god is going to burst on the scene in glory to vindicate his righteousness by crushing his opponents never curse to them By the way as we going to see in the weeks that follow as we go through these verses, too often that's true of us. And you call us to be awake and alert, not to be like the rest of the world, just going along as if nothing's going to happen. You see?

He says, in fact, the day of the Lord. People are saying peace and security. And he says, no, listen. The day of the Lord is like a thief in the night. So you're sitting at supper with your wife one night and she says, oh honey, by the way, Sam, our neighbor, is going to be breaking in the house to rob us tonight. Now, that's pretty credible information.

Let's just assume it is. What are you going to do? I don't know. Maybe you'll sit in your living room with a shotgun across your lap. Or maybe you'll call the police. One thing is for certain.

You're not going to be scared and it's not going to take you by surprise. But that's not how thieves operate. You're laying in bed. It's 2 o'clock in the morning and suddenly you hear a lamp fall on the floor downstairs. You jump. You're scared.

You're awake. You don't know what's going on but you think someone's in the house. Okay? Why? because danger is suddenly lurking in the house. It suddenly showed up. It's there.

It's frightening. Some of you have probably experienced that. The day of the Lord is unexpected, and it is a threat to those unprepared for its arrival. He says the day of the Lord will come like labor pains that arrive and overtake a woman. A lot of people here are familiar with that. At least half of you.

Some of us know it secondarily. Like in one very early Sunday morning in March. You know, we're sleeping away and all of a sudden Beck wakes me up and says, we need to go to the hospital right now. Okay? now those labor pains came on her unexpectedly we did not go to bed that night and say okay look let set the clock for 145 so that when the labor pains get here we be ready to go has that ever happened to any of you No All of a sudden there hey this thing is going Right You never know exactly when those pains will arrive.

They are unexpected. And notice they are inescapable. They are inescapable. How many of you mothers out there, and I'm sure some of you are out there, when those labor pains started and you were in them for a while, you said, I don't want to do this anymore. Right? I don't want to do this anymore.

I'm done. Okay? Not going to happen. Right? It is not going to happen. Although I remember Becca one time, when Emma was being born, said to the doctor, Doctor, give me drugs.

I'm not after the perfect birth experience anymore. the point that that paul is making here is simply the day of the lord like labor pains you don't know when they're going to start and when they start there's no getting out of it okay it's unexpected it's inescapable and notice the the little adjective he uses before the word destruction he says in verse 3 people are saying peace and security then sudden destruction will come upon them sudden destruction suddenly just like that it's going to show up so it's like this you're in the car you're driving your children to school you're talking to them about the specials that they have that day whether it's going to be art or music or whatever But you're talking about the specials that they're going to have that day. And all of a sudden, someone comes flying through the stop sign and T-bones you. And in a fraction of a second, your eight-year-old's life is changed forever because she will never walk again.

And it happens like that. Right? It's boom. and it's changed forever. Nothing will ever be the same again. That's the idea. So it is with the day of the Lord The wrestling team will be laughing and eating at McDonald The best man will be speaking at the wedding reception The couple next door are packing up their car for their long vacation in Florida when in the blink of an eye, it all ends in terror and anguish.

That's what the day of the Lord is like. From that, boom! Sudden. And everything has changed forever. That quickly. That's the day of the Lord.

Last thing he says here is, you'll be encouraged, as you remember, the day of the Lord arrives unexpectedly with justice. See, this is the point. This is the point. He shows up with destruction. This is one more, once again, drawing on the Old Testament, drawing on all that we've learned. This displays the gloom and the darkness of the day of the Lord that the Old Testament describes.

This is judgment. The unmistakable, unquestioned appearance of God making His rule of righteousness visible by calling every person to account. Peace and security turn to terror and anguish. See, that's the point. People are saying peace and security, And in a moment, terror and anguish in the very presence of a righteous God who's returned to make sure that justice will be served.

And then those chilling words at the end of verse 3, and they will not escape. no recourse no refuge no hope none never giving the Lord Jesus a thought not caring for but persecuting the people of God many will find themselves face to face with a God of justice from whom they cannot hide in a moment and a twinkling of an eye, peace and security turn to terror and anguish. Listen, this is not terrorism, nor is it frenzied love. It is pure justice.

So why in the world should we be encouraged by that? Remember how he's telling us this. In chapter 4, be encouraged by this. You will share in Jesus' resurrection, right? And then he says, you will share in Jesus' triumph. And now he says, you can be encouraged because the day of the Lord will come with judgment and justice.

And your cause will be proven right and you will find relief. If you belong to Jesus, you do not have to fear the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is actually good news for you. And that's what he is saying here. This is good news for you. You're suffering.

Let me answer your question. The day of the Lord is coming. It'll be sudden. It'll be quick. But the day of justice will arrive. Be encouraged.

God will provide relief. Now listen to me. Every one of you listen to me. Some of you here today should not be encouraged by these words. some of you should not be encouraged by these words. Because you have never trusted in the one who has experienced the day of the Lord. You've never trusted him.

And because you've never trusted the one who has experienced the terror of the day of the Lord, you will experience that terror. And I'm saying to you, all of you who are listening to me now, if you have never entrusted yourself to Christ you will face the terrors of the Lord and don think it just going to my life just going to go on peacefully I got my plans I going on to college and all that Who knows? That quick.

All your plans are changed. No more plans. Pure terror. I'm saying to you, you trust the one who's experienced that terror. and you won't face it. Listen. You young people here, all you young people, I want you to hear me now.

You older people, never trust in Jesus. Listen to this. You don't know when it's coming. It'll happen. You don't want to be in front of Christ. You want to be in Him.

You want to be in Christ. God says, the day of the Lord is coming. Be encouraged if you're in Him. Be encouraged. Justice is on its way. And it will arrive quickly.

And you can take hope in that. Father, we're thankful for Your Word. It explains to us so much. It gives us hope. It warns us. It offers us a Savior.

So Father, I pray. Help us who belong to Jesus find encouragement and hope. But oh, I pray for those who are here today who have not found Christ. Would you please impress this upon them? Thank you for your word today. In Jesus' name.

Amen.