Sermon on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, for the Last Sunday of the Church Year, "Biblical Sobriety"

Grace to you and peace. Amen. Our readings from last week and this go right in order in 1 Thessalonians. Today Paul continues to explain Christ’s 2^nd coming, the “day of the Lord.” Last week he talked about the hope of the resurrection from the dead on the last day, and the circumstances of Jesus’ return. Today Paul describes the suddenness and surprise of Jesus’ return, and calls us to readiness.

Paul warns us to be ready with an illustration of drunkenness vs. sobriety. “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8But 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.” If you’re in the dark, asleep, or drunk, you can be caught off guard. You can’t be as watchful and ready. You’re not ready for a quick response. Your senses and self-control are dulled. With the holidays around and the temptation to consume too much alcohol, we remember the reasons why it’s good to be sober. When you are sober, you keep full control of your reason and your senses. You’re safer and ready to respond to any situation. When you are sober you keep your “inhibitions”—meaning you keep the good sense not to engage in foolish or risky behaviors. When you are sober you are in clear control of your words and actions. The more a person becomes intoxicated, the more they lose control of all these.

So this is why Paul paints a picture of “Biblical Sobriety” for us. Just like physical sobriety, if we are also spiritually sober, we are watchful and ready to respond to any situation, and we keep our good sense, our spiritual inhibitions, watchful of danger, but free from irrational fears. The person who is “Biblically sober” walks a middle way between carelessness toward spiritual danger on one side, and timid, paralyzed fear on the other. To be Biblically sober we listen to God’s Word and hold onto sound teaching. We live with self-control.

Paul says we are “fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”—in other words, “no secret!” Jesus made it clear. But plenty of people will live in a naïve sense of safety, saying “There is peace and security” and will be taken by sudden destruction and will not escape. This is the “drunken” or “sleepy” mindset of those who listen to no warnings, and consider no danger. They ignore God’s Word and think that everything will always just continue as it has always been, and there’s no need for alarm. Last week I said the topic of the end of times brings up a lot of “fear-mongering”, and it does. That is not our way.

But Biblical Sobriety walks a line between ignoring real dangers on the one hand, and being a “Chicken Little” that is scared the sky is always falling on the other hand. A sober Christian listens to the Lord’s warnings, daily examines himself or herself for sins to confess, and turns to God for that forgiveness. They watch and wait with eagerness for Jesus to return. But they don’t cower in terror or in hiding, at every word of bad news. They don’t live in fear that the church is doomed because of every challenge or enemy that comes our way. Biblical Sobriety is resoluteness, confidence, and courage.

And this sense of sobriety is born in us because of who we are. Or better yet, whose we are. We are children of light, children of the day, not of the night of the darkness. That is to say that we throw aside the ways of sin, the temptations and the trappings of this world that would tie us up and keep us from focusing on the fullness of Christ’s joy. We are God’s chosen, baptized, beloved children, who have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. And we walk with Him in light, in newness of life. Our baptismal identity is found in Him. He has made us, and not we ourselves. We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Knowing who we are in Christ Jesus helps us to know how to live and to walk. We never want to forget who we are, so that we don’t return to foolish things.

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. Now it should be obvious that none of us can survive a week without physical sleep, much less several days. Physical sleep is essential to our bodies’ health. But the kind of watchfulness and sobriety that he is talking about is again spiritual. We don’t hide evil deeds and night or in the darkness. We don’t slumber and ignore the spiritual danger of our sins and of the darkness. Spiritual sobriety exposes our sins to the light of day, confessing them to Jesus and being forgiven. Spiritual sobriety rejoices that Jesus breaks our chains, and does not seek to return to chains. As often as we know our sin, so often should we confess it and be forgiven. Our sinful flesh always pulls us back. But our spiritual nature pulls us to the light.

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. A short reminder of the armor of God. Part and parcel of the identity God has given you is the protection that He gives for spiritual battle. God doesn’t send us unarmed or unprepared, but guards us with faith, hope and love. The devil would try to disarm you, but being Biblically Sober, watchful and on guard, you are alert to His schemes, and put yourself in God’s care and protection, praying in every danger.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, the believer does not live in fear of Jesus’ return, but with hope in God’s promises. Christ’s sudden return is not for our harm, but God warns us to be ready; not to be caught by surprise. We are ready by faith in Jesus; this right relationship He has given us. To be unprepared is not being in right relationship with God; not being watchful for His return. We recognize this. God repeatedly tells us in the Bible that He is not out for the destruction or condemnation of anyone—even the wicked and the unbeliever. Rather, His entire goal throughout all the Bible is to turn them back to Him, so that they may live. God desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. God is patient in His return, so that as many as possible may reach repentance, and so come to salvation. But this world has an expiration date. An unknown date; so be ready always. God has destined us to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is His driving goal, that all would cling to Christ, so that when the world does expire, our souls are safe and secure in Him.

[He] died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. Last week we talked about being awake or asleep in the Lord. If we have gone to sleep in the Lord—i.e. have died—one of the perks is that we will be first out of the grave to greet Jesus when He returns. But if we are still living, we will still live with Him.

Jesus died for us so that we might live with Him. Jesus also is the perfect example of Biblical Sobriety—He was not shaken or rattled by fear, even when great danger surrounded Him, but He always steeled His disciples’ fears with a word: Do not be afraid, or Peace be with you. He was sober and serious, warning all who would listen of the dangers of ignoring God’s truth and His call to repentance. Jesus warned against the danger of spiritual smugness, self-righteousness, or hypocrisy. Everyone should soberly judge themselves, and be ready to be called to account before God. But only Jesus Himself, can present us sanctified, washed clean of all sin, so that when we are called to account, we are in good standing before God. That good standing comes only by the grace of Jesus Christ, who keeps our spirit, soul, and body blameless for the day of His coming.

The reading closes with these words, just like chapter 4 last week: Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. If death and  the end of the world, seems like a frightening prospect—Jesus steels our nerves with a word of encouragement. Not that you would be afraid, but encouraged and built up. Continue this Christian way of life, Paul says. Don’t lose faith, don’t lose courage, but take heart and carry on.

This week, one particular devotion I read really struck home. It was the verse: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12). The devotion pointed out that sometimes life loses its wonder and joy, and we are worn down by the “daily grind” of work in the world. Chores, duties, and thankless tasks drain us, and frustrations make us lose sight of the greater purpose. So our prayer goes up for a willing spirit. We are pointed to the cross of Jesus—there, even in the bleakness of death and apparent abandonment, we see God’s mercy unfolding. Everything seemed beyond all hope when Jesus died; but three days changed all that, and Jesus rose from the grave. God can and will answer our prayer for a willing spirit to sustain us. So we don’t lose faith or courage, but take heart and carry on. Because Christ has already done as much and far more for us. He grants us a willing spirit to sustain us. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Amen.

Sermon Talking Points

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1. Why is the return of Jesus always described as sudden? What warning or reminder always comes along with this? 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-4; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Matthew 24:36-51.
2. What are some signs of the “unpreparedness” of those who are surprised at Jesus’ return? 1 Thess. 5:3-7; 2 Peter 3:3-5.
3. Paul calls believers “children of the light”, “children of the day”, and “we belong to the day.” How does this speak to our identity? How does your identity shape how you live and act? Where does this Christian identity come from? Romans 6:1-11; Ephesians 4:22-24; 5:8-9.
4. Physical sleep, drunkenness, and being in the darkness are all pictures of what spiritual reality, in 1 Thess. 5:5-8? (hint: what is wakefulness, sobriety, and being in the light a spiritual picture of?)
5. Is God’s intention for our harm, that He comes suddenly? 1 Thessalonians 5:9? Cf. John 3:17-21; Ezekiel 18:23. What is His intention? 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4.
6. In 1 Thessalonians 5:10, the image of being awake or asleep is not longer about spiritual watchfulness, but what instead?
7. As in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 and Romans 15:4, what is the purpose of these Scriptures? Why are these things written down for us? Though many live in fear about the end of times, how does a Christian live? How do they hold their head? Luke 21:28.