David Bahn – Reflections

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ 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. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

²⁵ Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 [ESV]

How do you answer the following question: When it comes to rules, are you…

• …A rule follower?
• …A rule acknowledger?
• …A rule bender?
• …A rule breaker?
• …What rules?

There may be a rule follower in our home. But it’s definitely not me. I acknowledge rules. I often obey them. I sometimes bend the rules. I occasionally break the rules. My moment of true confession. Alas.

I actually do follow the rules most of the time, and in the case of these rules laid down by Paul here, I’d like to think I follow them all the time. “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil,” he writes. 

Two “don’ts” and three “dos.” When the Holy Spirit prompts me to do something, I seek, always to do it. Call a brother or sister who is facing challenging times. Pray with a friend or family member who is suffering. Give toward an urgent need. Speak a word of kindness and encouragement to a disheartened brother. These are the kinds of promptings I seek to follow.

I listen carefully to those who speak for God, and test it against the word of God to see that it is true. I avoid evil to the best of my ability. And therein lies the problem. My feet are made of clay. I’m right there with Paul when he writes, “The good that I would do, I don’t do. And the very evil I hate, I do” (Romans 7:19). I must also admit that God’s word through John (1 John 1:8-9) is true for me, “If we say we are without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

When I fail, it’s not because I want to be a rule breaker. It’s because of the weakness of my flesh. I get distracted. I occupy my time with less important or noble things. I don’t slow down enough to recognize the need or sense the prompting of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes I skid right off the runway into the mire of sin.

One earmark of evil is a refusal to acknowledge our own sinfulness. From that we must surely always abstain.

This is why I hold fast to what is good. That would be God and his word. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 107:1). And we must not ever forget the GOOD NEWS of God’s love shown in Jesus Christ. The prompting of the Holy Spirit will lead us to acknowledge our sin and need for God’s mercy. The prompting of the Holy Spirit will turn us to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. The prompting of the Holy Spirit will bring us to faith. That’s truly GOOD NEWS. The prompting of the Holy Spirit will move us to share that GOOD NEWS with others whenever the opportunity arises.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ 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. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

²⁵ Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 [ESV]

One of my favorite illustrations about peaceful congregations comes from the pen of Max Lucado, When Fishermen Don’t Fish (Click here for a website where this story may be found, or better yet, buy the book here). In the book, The Eye of the Storm, Lucado tells the story of a fishing trip ruined by bad weather. Max, his dad, and his friend Mark spend three days trapped in his father’s camper with no time for fishing, Max begins to see personality flaws in his friend and his father. Max begins seeing Mark as more irritating every hour. He sees his dad as incompetent and unsupportive when he offers his supposed constructive criticism of Mark. He wonders how his dad could have raised such an even-tempered son. He questions his own judgment which prompted him to think Mark would be a good camping buddy. Tiring of Reader’s Digest articles, stale jokes, soggy food, and endless games of Monopoly, the three begin to bicker and fight. Max’s moral: When fishermen don’t fish, they fight.

A truly peaceful congregation, united in the Holy Spirit, is a joy to serve. I’ve had that privilege in two very specific situations. In both cases, it was because the people, pastor, and leaders were united in pursuit of the Mission of God in that place. It is a rich and rewarding experience.

There are adornments of ministry that serve to keep us united in God’s mission. Paul mentions them here: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19). Of these, I see prayer as central, and involving all the others in this short list of imperatives. 

Prayer includes rejoicing, giving thanks, and seeking God’s will. The Holy Spirit ought always shape our prayers. Prayer properly places us all on the level ground at the foot of the cross. When we pray we are acknowledging that we need God, and by that acknowledgment putting ourselves in a posture of humility. When I pray, I am seeking help from God, and doing so according to his will. The Holy Spirit sometimes must even intercede for me in groans and sighs that only God can understand. It’s very difficult to be angry at someone for whom you are praying.

When a congregation is committed to God’s mission, to prayer, seeking God’s help, looking for his will to be done, and rejoicing in his grace and goodness, there is very little opportunity to quarrel and bicker. Peace flows like a river through such a congregation. If I’m a part of that, then my heart is at peace as well.

Focus on the mission. Be constant in prayer. Seek the Holy Spirit’s influence. This is the pathway to peace. And to think, this is God’s will for us all: for me, for you, for all our brothers and sisters in Christ. For God’s glory and for our good.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ 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. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

²⁵ Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 [ESV]

Cozy, Bored, Discouraged, or Missional: These four adjectives identify four quadrants in a chart I use in working with congregations on Strategic Mission Plans. That’s one of my two areas of responsibility as a Congregation Support Specialist with the Texas District of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. I really enjoy that work – especially when I share the challenges of moving from a cozy culture to a missional outlook. It involves going through the valley of the shadow of death (into the discouraged quadrant). And the way out of that valley is to build a ladder with the rails of grace and vision and the rungs of time. You remind people of God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and kindness while holding out the vision of being part of God’s mission and seeing his kingdom come through the ministry of the church. 

I love seeing how people respond to this idea and thought of it today as I read this passage from 1 Thessalonians 5. Four imperatives stand out: “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all,” Paul says. If I were to overlay these four imperatives, with the four quadrants here, I might think of the idle as cozy. They’re happy where they are and doing little for the sake of the mission of God. The fainthearted I’d put in the discouraged quadrant they need encouragement and a vision of what God has in mind for his church and his people. The weak might go in the bored quadrant who really don’t see any reason to do anything and have no desire to try. They need help to see where they belong and what they are called to do. 

And we all need patience. It takes time to see movements make their way toward the critical mass of impact for the sake of Jesus’ reign and rule. It simply takes time. I like to put it this way, “We way overestimate what we can do in the short term and underestimate what God does in the long term.” In other words, God isn’t on a time clock. We work too hard on short-sighted goals and miss important efforts for the ultimate cause of Christ’s kingdom.

Perhaps you know someone who is cozy: idle and happy to stay on the sidelines of life and service to Christ. He doesn’t volunteer or engage others in ministry, but is ready to tell all the others what they should be doing. She doesn’t take any leadership positions or is content to watch others do the work – as long as it is done according to her liking. It requires a humble touch to admonish anyone, but sometimes a word of strong encouragement is appropriate – given the right relationship. Maybe you know someone who is bored: weak in faith and unconnected with God and his high calling. We can help them to see God’s love and his high calling.

There are certainly those who are discouraged. There may be pastors or other church workers you know in that category. It’s not at all unusual. Time spent with those people, reminding them of God’s vision for his church and his people, together with abundant amounts of grace for any failure or shortcoming is a gift they’ll bless you for.

Maybe you find yourself in one of those categories. Perhaps you would rather use the biblical terms here: weak, discouraged, or fainthearted. Hear these sweet words of grace from God for you:

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.  (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) Good words, these. Very good words.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ 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. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

²⁵ Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 [ESV]

“It’s a sine qua non.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Maybe you just shouldn’t be a pastor.”

The first was a comment by my Greek professor in the early years of my seminary studies. I was up against the wall trying to learn the Greek language, and I was asking for some degree of relief from the rigors of study and the requirements for passing. Bottom line: No. You must learn this well. 

I hit the books. And, thankfully, passed.

The second was by a different seminary professor after I graduated. “Why’s that?” I asked. “Well when you got here you looked like you didn’t know what was going on. But you did well. I’m proud of you.” Made me happy I buckled down and studied hard.

The third was by a particularly unkind man who was responding to an apology for my part in a difficult exchange between the two of us. My apology garnered further condemnation on his part. No forgiveness. No reciprocal apology. Sad.

I’ve had my share of challenging moments as I’ve served in various churches. I’ve also experienced many joyous moments. The joyous moments, thankfully, have outweighed the challenging ones. And I’ve heard many more words of appreciation than words of judgment. I am thankful to God for having been called to serve the cause of his kingdom as a pastor.

Now Diane and I sit in the pew on Sunday mornings, and I want to go on record expressing my appreciation for my brother pastors and all brother and sister church leaders. Theirs is a vitally-important task. As Paul says here, we are “to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” 

I thank God for Mark, Jeff, Michael, John, Al, Steve, Tim, Jason, Jon, Jock, Gail, Linda, Tina, Diane, and many more. I hold them in high regard, and pray that they are completely successful in their service for the cause of Christ’s reign and rule. Long and joyfully may they serve!

Join me in praying these Psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 9:1-2, 9-11, 18

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
² I will be glad and exult in you;
    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

⁹The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰ And those who know your name put their trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
    Tell among the peoples his deeds!

¹⁸ For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
    and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

Psalm 39:7-8

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    My hope is in you.
⁸ Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!

Psalm 69:1-3

Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
³ I am weary with my crying out;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.

Psalm 99:1-5

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
² The Lord is great in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the peoples.
³ Let them praise your great and awesome name!
    Holy is he!
⁴ The King in his might loves justice.
    You have established equity;
you have executed justice
    and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵ Exalt the Lord our God;
    worship at his footstool!
    Holy is he!

Psalm 129:1-2

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
    let Israel now say—
² “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
    yet they have not prevailed against me.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 [NLT]

The worst experience I’ve ever had around death was at the death of a person whose family refused to have any kind of service. Not a Christian service. Not a generic religious service. Not even a secular service. We were left with an empty hole and only our personal sharing of God’s word and the comfort of his love among ourselves. That brought little comfort.

Another very distressingly disappointing experience was at a Christian church where the pastor never once mentioned Jesus, nor even alluded to the hope we have in his death or resurrection.

Contrast that with the comfort that was shared many years ago at the very tragic and untimely death of my sister Kathryn. She was 28 days short of gaining her 7th birthday. The pastor at that service spoke to us about letting Kathy go to her grandparents’ house. She would be loved, cared for, safe, and protected. Better yet was the message at the death of my father-in-law. We heard a clear promise of God based on Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Our salvation is founded, secured, and promised based on Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and final return in glory. His Second Coming will bring to completion all that has been promised and to which we look in faithful anticipation.

Some people seek to comfort themselves with the idea that “God needed another angel,” so he took their loved one. Others think they can talk with their departed loved one and that he or she is looking down from above upon them. There is no biblical basis for these sentiments.

Rather than thinking of Jesus’ Second Coming as an add-on to our faith, what about making it part of our hope? In other words, the fullness of our redemption will come on the Great Last Day when Jesus returns in glory and we will be with him forever. This is not an add-on to our faith. It is our true Christian hope and source of purest and perfect comfort. 

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 [NLT]

Maybe you’ve seen an unsupervised child acting out or endangering himself and others. And you’ve likely wondered, “Whose child is that!” Perhaps you’ve seen a delivery truck being driven recklessly and wondered, “What company’s truck is that, and how can I report this?” Maybe you’ve seen someone going out of her way to be helpful and you’ve hoped, “I hope she is a Jesus follower!” Surely you’ve seen people dressed for the football game and known whose fans they are. It shows.

Paul says here that we are children of the light and not of the darkness. We who follow the true light who has come into the world (cf. John 1:9), are called to stay in the light. We are called to live as though people can see what we are doing and give glory to our Father in heaven. We who are of the light must live as though we are in the light. Awake. Honorable. Decent. Faithful.

I’m all too aware, however, that we who belong to the light sometimes turn it off. We depart from the light in fits of anger, moments of weakness, and even times of purposeful rebellion. We’re just like Adam and Eve. We have it all – eternal life, the presence of God, and his loving provision – and we think we want more. Whose are we then?

I like to think of it this way: as a parent. I like to think of it as watching a rebellious child in hopes of her return. I think of a man I knew several years ago whose daughter totally abandoned him, her mom, sister, God, faith, and even civil obedience. She went on a reckless spree of financial fraud, kiting checks, skipping out of hotels after offering bogus identification and credit cards, and shoplifting. She and her boyfriend destroyed hotel rooms and generally evaded the law in any way possible.

She seemed irrevocably lost. But her dad waited for her. She eventually returned. And he welcomed her with tears.

That’s how I like to think of us when we depart from the light. We’re still God’s children. And he waits for us to repent and return. In fact, that’s the whole reason for delaying Jesus’ return.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. – 1 Peter 3:9

God is waiting and yearning for his rebellious, broken, wayward, and wandering children to repent, returning to him in faith and love. I do that daily, desiring most of all to live in the light, showing myself to be God’s son by a life of repentance and faith, obedience and love. Such is my hope for you as well.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 [NLT]

Ask me about Jesus’ love, his promise of forgiveness, and compassion toward hurting people, and I’m clear. I know how to feel about those things. They occupy a prominent place of joy in my heart. I rejoice in God’s goodness to me and all people in Jesus. Ask me about God’s glory, majesty, and creative splendor and I’m clear. I wonder in amazement and my heart is filled with awe as I consider all that God has made. Ask me about the just and holy nature of God, and his judgment against sin of every kind, I’m clear: Lord, have mercy! Forgive my sin. I have no hope apart from your grace in Jesus.

But I don’t have a clear understanding of how I am to feel about Jesus’ second coming. I know how I feel in theory, or in the abstract. I know it’s a good thing. It will be the culmination of all Jesus has done for us and for our salvation. It will be a time of grave upheaval and distress, culminating in a time of eternal bliss unlike anything anyone has ever experienced before.

Somehow, though, I’m not sure how to combine those two: fear and trembling with joy and bliss. Add to that the very real danger of dismissing the thought altogether from my mind; living life on autopilot and without a real clear awareness of this event’s imminent reality. Maybe I don’t think of this often because I really don’t know how to think of it clearly and well.

I could quote Paul, and that’s a good start: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). I could even quote Jesus, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). And there is always, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

It’s been so long since Jesus promised his return, so long since Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. It’s easy for me to put it in the back of my mind. It’s easy for me not to think of it. Until I’m struggling with earthly woes and challenges; then I’m praying that prayer! When I don’t want to face the suffering, when I’m feeling inadequate to the challenges before me, I’m ready to pray, Come, Lord Jesus!

But I’m reminded of two truths in regard to these feelings: We are not most fit for heaven when we are least happy on earth. And, A roadmap of the future is a hindrance, not a help to faith. So, there is my answer: faith. Take it on faith. Don’t try to figure it out. Don’t think I’ve got to have it all figured out. I don’t  need to worry so much about how I feel or how much I am able to understand this mystery. I can simply believe Jesus’ promises and the Bible’s teachings. There we will find comfort for our souls.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 [NLT]

Have you ever thought of Jesus as harsh? Strict. Challenging. Demanding. If you’re a woman caught in adultery and brought to him, you wouldn’t. If you’re a young man really wanting to learn what it takes to follow him and you see his look (Mark 10:21), you wouldn’t. But if you’re a religious leader, smug in your own righteousness, you’d think Jesus to be harsh. If you’re one of Jesus’ 12 disciples just trying to figure it out – how to follow him – you would think him challenging. And if you’re one in the multitude who hear Jesus’ teaching on murder (Matthew 5:21-26), you would definitely think him strict.

But, Paul says, Jesus didn’t come to pour out his anger on us. He came to save us. So with these words of comfort, we need to hear the words of warning. Don’t take this lightly. Don’t think little of The End. Don’t go to sleep in your faith. Keep it on the front burner. This is important.

These are wounds of a friend. They can be trusted. Jesus’ teaching in the gospels – sometimes kind and incredibly compassionate, sometimes challenging to the nth degree. But this is because the stakes are high. The dangers are real. We might yell at our child who is about to pull a hot pan off the stove. We might yell and scream and bang on our neighbor’s door if we see a fire breaking out in their home.

The very fact that Paul reminds the Thessalonians that Jesus came to save, not to show God’s anger points to the fact that some of these warnings are on the dire side. “Be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.” This is no minor point. We’re not talking angels on the head of a pin, or whether God can make a rock so big and heavy that he cannot lift it. We’re talking eternal life. 

“Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever,” Paul says. This is his gift. This is our joy. He is totally dedicated to getting us there. Sometimes he must raise the level of challenge. Sometimes he must pour on us the balm of Gilead. Always he is working for our eternal good, and he wants us to live in light of that eternal grace, and encourage each other toward that end as well. 

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 [NLT]

Diane and I have been talking about our backyard. We both want to improve the landscaping. Maybe  we’ll move our fountain, plant a tree, and move some things off our patio into a storage shed. As we were talking about these things, I had a sudden inspiration: “Begin with the end in mind!” I said this with a triumphant tone, proud of myself that I had remembered this sage advice for leaders and planners. Where do you want to go? What do you want to accomplish? How will it look if you succeed? Begin with the answers to those questions in mind.

Take that thought to an even higher level; higher as in thinking in heavenly terms. This is the opening thought here as Paul brings this first letter to the Thessalonians to a close. He has had this in mind the whole time he is writing to them. They apparently had some confusion and concerns about Jesus’ Second Coming. Paul has addressed those fears and concerns. Now he will point them toward living faithfully until that time…with The End in mind. And we’re in the same place now.

He reminds us all that The End will come unexpectedly. “When people are saying, ‘Everything is peaceful and secure,’” he writes The End will come. It will also be at those times people are crying out, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). It will be in the middle of a prayer, or perhaps, even in the middle of a sentence we wish we had not spoken. It will be completely unexpected. Unplanned for. Unannounced. Uninvited by many. Welcomed gladly by some who have been crying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). 

Then Paul says we who are in the know about these things will not be surprised. I’m thinking we may well be startled at The End. We may even be a bit overwhelmed. But we should not be surprised. People throughout the centuries since Jesus’ death and resurrection have been expecting his return, The End. People have expressed great distress about the way things are going in the world during the time of the Early Church, during the Spanish Inquisition, the reign of Stalin, and Hitler and others. World events are constantly pointing toward The End. The End is coming, we say.

But it hasn’t yet come…or at least it hasn’t come if you are in fact reading this now. Paul has just laid out the calling to love sincerely, speak truthfully, and serve faithfully. Now he says, say awake the whole while. Don’t go to sleep at the wheel. The End will come. We wait for it not in a sad attitude of fatalism, but wide awake with anticipation and hope. We wait for it anticipating a glorious day when we will be with Jesus forever. Come, Lord Jesus!