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What is Your Reaction?
1 Thessalonians
5:1 - 5:9
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How would you react?
• Chapter 5
– “You won’t be surprised”
– “So be on your guard”
– “Not asleep”
– “Stay alert”
– “Clearheaded”
– “Encourage One Another”
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What is on your mind?
• Living in the Shadow of Eternity?
– What’s the MOST important event of
your life?
– Where is your affection for today?
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What would you change?
• What if you knew that Jesus was
coming sometime this year?
– Live each day fleshly with an eye to the
future; Live each day spiritually as if it’s
your last.
– Consider the ant…
– Living Spiritually with reckless
abandon
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Mark 13:34-37
The coming of the Son of Man can be
illustrated by the story of a man going on
a long trip. When he left home, he gave
each of his slaves instructions about the
work they were to do, and he told the
gatekeeper to watch for his return. You,
too, must keep watch! For you don’t
know when the master of the household
will return—in the evening, at midnight,
before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let
him find you sleeping when he arrives
without warning. I say to you what I
say to everyone: Watch for him!”
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Obedience Expected
• Jesus has expectations of us
– “he gave each of his slaves
instructions about the work they were to
do”
• Everyone of us has a ministry
• “Let others do it”
• “I’ll do it when I have time”
– We are not of the night
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Consequences
• Judgment at His return
– Treat your fellow slaves with love
- Matthew 24:45-51
- Left out of the Wedding
– Matthew 25
– Burying your Talent
– Matthew 25
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Losing Focus
1. The Spirit of Sleep
2 Peter 3:3-4
… “What happened to the promise that
Jesus is coming again?”…
• Barclay Quote:
“…The spirit which leads to disaster
is the spirit which says there is
plenty of time…”
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Losing Focus
2. Treasures lie here or above?
Colossians 3:1-4
Since, then, you have been raised with
Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand
of God. Set your minds on things above,
not on earthly things. For you died, and
your life is now hidden with Christ in
God. When Christ, who is our life, is
revealed, then you also will be revealed
with Him in glory.
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Gaining Proper Focus
1. Practice an Eternal Perspective!
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our present troubles are small and
won’t last very long. Yet they produce for
us a glory that vastly outweighs them
and will last forever! So we fix our eyes
not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
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Gaining Proper Focus
2. Use Your Imagination!
1 John 3:2-3
Beloved, now we are children of God,
and it has not appeared as yet what we
will be we know that when He appears,
we will be like Him, because we will see
Him just as He is. And anyone who has
this hope fixed on Him purifies
themselves, just as He is pure.
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Gaining Proper Focus
• Jesus Fixed Hope
John 17:4-5
I brought glory to you here on earth by
completing the work you gave me to do.
Now, Father, bring me into the glory we
shared before the world began.
– Hebrews 12:2-3
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Gaining Proper Focus
3. Live in Love
1 John 4:16-17
We know how much God loves us, and
we have put our trust in His love. God
is love, and all who live in love live in
God, and God lives in them. And as we
live in God, our love grows more
perfect. So we will not be afraid on the
day of judgment, but we can face him
with confidence because we live like
Jesus here in this world.
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Live in Love
Romans 13:10-11
Love does no wrong to a neighbor;
therefore love is the fulfillment of
the law. Do this, knowing the time,
that it is already the hour for you to
awaken from sleep; for now
salvation is nearer to us than when
we believed.
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Live in Love
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13
and may the Lord cause you to increase
and abound in love for one another, and
for all people, just as we also do for you;
so that He may establish your hearts
without blame in holiness before our God
and Father at the coming of our Lord
Jesus with all His saints.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:8
“Breastplate of Faith and Love”
• Hebrews 10:23-25
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Gaining Proper Focus
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Encourage one another!
– Remind each other of that day
– In our verbal prayers
Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us think of ways to incite one another
to acts of love and good works. And let
us not neglect our meeting together, as
some people do, but encourage one
another, especially now that the day of
his return is drawing near.
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He is Coming!
My Deliverer is coming –
My Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise
though the stars
should break faith with the sky
My Deliverer is coming
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Paul’s Benediction
• Closing of 2 Thessalonians
Now may the God of peace make you
holy in every way, and may your whole
spirit and soul and body be kept
blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ
comes again. God will make this
happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
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