Jesus’ return might be a very bad thing for Christians – 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:4, Part 4

Is it possible that when Jesus shows up, it might be a very sad moment for Christians? Can’t be, right? When Jesus returns, it will be glorious celebration. Except that’s not what the Bible says.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 1–4, Paul writes,

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

Paul mentions the day of the Lord. This is now the second time that Paul has referred to this event, the day of the Lord.  In chapter 4, verse 15, Paul mentioned “the coming of the Lord.”  Now in verse 2 he calls it “the day of the Lord.”  Paul is referring to something the Old Testament prophet Amos said in Amos 5:18,

“Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?”

The day of the Lord sounds pretty grim, doesn’t it? 

Amos was prophesying to the northern tribes of Israel who were rebelling against God.  They assumed that the day of God’s arrival would be a day of rescue.  Amos says “No! When God shows up, it’s not going to be a rescue, it’s going to be destruction.”

What?  I thought when God returns we are going to be saved.  What is Amos talking about?  He explains in the next few verses. When God shows up, he says this,

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

God hates their worship services?  God hates their offerings?  What is Amos talking about? Aren’t worship services and offerings what God wants us to do?  Yes, but also no.  Why? 

The ancient Israelites mistakenly believed that all God wants is worship services.  Show up to church, drop some money in the plate, sing along, listen to the sermon, and God is happy right?  Wrong.  God says he is much, much more concerned that the choices of their lives are in line with their worship.  The people of Israel were holding worship services that made them look good, religious, but in the rest of their lives they were not pursuing justice.  They are not actively striving to be about the human flourishing of the kingdom of Jesus.  As a result, when God shows up, they will be shocked. 

It’s called the other 167.  There are 168 hours in a week.  We worship for about one hour.  What do our choices in the other 167 hours of the week reveal about what we truly believe?  Are the choices of our lives consistent with our worship?  Are we pursuing justice?  Are we giving our lives sacrificially to the oppressed, to those in need, to the poor?  When we give our lives, our money, our time, sacrificially, we show that our heart is truly beating for the Lord.

Photo by Aleksandr Kadykov on Unsplash