Isaac Mwaniki

Preached in Pwani University College
By: Isaac Mwaniki
On: 7th February, 2009

1Thessalonians 5:1 – 11

Now, brothers, 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 labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Introduction
We live in interesting times. We live in the days of very fast development in technology. Think about the power of the mass media. Talk about globalisation. The world has become a digital village. We are now able to communicate across time zones seamlessly. It is just about 60 years ago when Thomas J. Watson, an American industrialist said these words, “I think there is a world market for about five computers”. I wish he lived long enough to see a common Kenyan like me preaching from the computer! Imagine ten years ago there was no Google!

Imagine 10 years ago one had to be cleared by CID to own a mobile phone in Kenya! Imagine that at that time phones cost over two hundred thousand shillings! Imagine just six years ago, a Safaricom line was retailing at 2500! We live in a very fast changing world. Technology has become so much a part of the system that we are left wondering how we managed without it.

Life has become easy as the services becomes closer to people. We have ended up becoming a “Google” generation. You can literally get everything on the net. The lecturers have to be extra vigillant otherwise they can get some clever and scholarly paper whic is a direct photocopy of the net. You just type the question and you get all the possible answers including the ones you did not need. Those who position themselves strategically are reaping the benefits of our systems.

Think of Obama. He exploited the technology to become one of the most IT savvy presidents. While there have been benefits, there have also been shortcomings. We are becoming more and more slaves of technology. Many youths are becoming addicted to the cyberspace especially games, gambling and pornography. These days all work is done in computers. If there is a blackout and there is no standby generator, it is a wasted day.

I think the words of a British inventor and entrepreneur Clive Sinclair capture it nicely. He said, “It has suddenly become cheaper to have a machine to do a mental task than for a man to do it...Just as men's muscles were replaced in the first industrial revolution, men's minds will be replaced in this second one”.

We live in a world that is generally allergic to religion but specifically to Christianity. People want to remove God fully from their lives. Very recently, 800 buses and trains were commissioned in the UK with the message, “there is probably no God”. It is the confirmation of the scripture that we live in the last days.

For the religious ones, we live in times when there does not seem to be an absolute definition of sin. We seem to have adopted a religion that wants to associate itself with God but deny the power of the Gospel. It is a selfish world that we live in. Homosexuality has become a dividing issue in church leadership. Abortion is being discussed as a rights issue.

People have become lovers of instant things; things that can be switched on and off when we do not need. Talk of instant coffee and tea. There are even instant miracles. The teachings of Jesus are viewed as being old fashioned and outdated. This is more so among intellectuals. People are becoming more and more liberal. Faith and reason have been marketed as being intolerable. We need to know however that some of the best brains we have had in history have been Christians.

Isaac Newton is one of the brightest scientists to ever have lived. However, at no time even at the height of his achievement did Isaac Newton feel that his discoveries were an upfront to the existence of God. He is quoted as saying, “God created everything by number, weight and measure”. He went ahead to tell his friend, “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence”.

Although the laws of motion and universal gravitation became Newton's best-known discoveries, he warned against using them to view the Universe as a mere machine, as if akin to a great clock. He said, "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.” Therefore at no one time did it occur to Isaac Newton view his discoveries as being incompatible with belief in God.

I am also reminded of Blaise Pascal. Pascal was a French scientist who contributed a lot to the world of mathematics. He was a very committed believer. He is the source of the famous quote, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” He goes ahead to say, “The knowledge of God is very far from the love of Him.”

These are the times we are living. God is calling on us to understand our situation and respond to him in obedience.

What are the general characteristics of people in our times? (Isaiah 1:1 - 16)

1. They are generaly stubborn and disregard God – God makes very tough statements in Isaiah about the children of Israel. He says, “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand”.

2. They are vulnerable – due to the many things that are not working in the world, people have become vulnerable. We have with us diseases we cannot cure despite all our advances in science. This provides an opening in the hearts of people to respond to God through our ministry.

3. They are hypocritical – people want to appear religious but are not willing to obey the instructions given to us by God in His holy word. They would wish to get all the miracles of God but still enjoy the pleasures of this world. The question “how far is too far?” is becoming more common in all circles generally but in Christian circles specifically.

Why understand the times and seasons?

1. Times and seasons belong to God – Daniel 2:21
Daniel lived in bad times. He lived in a strange land. He says this of the Lord, “Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him”.

We need to understand the trends and patterns of our days because the world and everything therein belongs to God. God is not shocked that men have discovered the internet. God is not shocked that people are getting into stem cell research. God is not shocked by cloning. Paul in his letter to Colossians 1:16 – 17 tells us, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

2. The day of the Lord is at hand – 1 Thessalonians 5:1 – 3
I do not have to emphasise that we are living in the last days. The signs of what is taking place only seem to be leading to the conclusion that the Lord is coming. Looks can deceive – Paul goes on to tell us that while people are saying, “peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly. He then likens this to the labour pains. Some women have been known to deliver in all possible locations. When the time has come, there is not a way to negotiate with the baby to stay longer. We are living in relative safety of our systems and technology currently. However this should raise red bells.

How should we respond to our times?

1. Be alert and self controlled
These two are some of the values that are disappearing very fast in our world today. Self control - The today world feels that we can indulge in all we want to do. We should not deny ourselves anything we feel we need. Instant enjoyment is preferred over delayed gratification. We are to be in charge of our bodies and not to be ruled by it. We need to have pure thoughts as well as cultivate healthy habits. Discipline and routine is becoming more and more outdated and old fashioned. Dietrich Bonheoffer speaking chastity says, “The essence of chastity is not the suppression of lust, but the total orientation of one's life towards a goal.”

We need therefore to develop healthy disciplines to help us overcome the flesh. We also need to develop accountability structures to be able to overcome. We need to be continually refreshed by God’s spirit if we will make it in our times.

Alert – most of us have not acknowledged that we are always in a battle. The worst thing one can do is to begin daydreaming in battle. One can only expect to last very short while if he does it.

We are called upon to be alert to the changes in the world systems so that we can be faithful to the ideals of our God. There are many cults coming up these days to address the instant enjoyment mentality. We need to be on high alert that it is not all who mention the name God know him. We also need to test whatever is said even by the men of God against Scriptures.

2. Put faith and love as a breastplate
Faith - In our days, most of the places that we could put our faith in have frustrated us. Faith is also being peddled us surrendering yourself to another being. It is no wonder then that some of the very intellectual people we have are atheists. At least it does not make somebody feel they believe in anything.

Looking at the evils taking place in the world, some people have lost faith even in God. He appears to be Away on unofficial leave. However the writer of Hebrews tells us in Heb 11:6, “...Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. God is thus calling us to have faith in him. He is the same God. He needs us to believe him in our days.

Love – As it became apparent that Jesus ministry on earth was coming to an end, he began preparing his disciples for his departure. The gospel of John captures very well those last moments. Jesus told his disciples in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The only sure way to minister in our days is to show love to people. Love is the only thing, which will make people notice that we are different. In the selfish world we live in, love does not exist in the dictionaries.

We need to show Christ’s love to the world. In John 15:12 - 14, Jesus goes ahead to say, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command”.

My friends, the world needs Christ whether they accept it or not. While sometimes words might not be effective, our acts of love should demonstrate who our Lord is.

3. Have hope of salvation as a helmet
Paul challenges the Thessalonians’ church to have hope of salvation as a helmet. Looking at the direction things are going in the world today, there is a chance that some of us might feel that the world does not have a future. When we think about having homosexual priests, and abortion debates in church, some people become disillusioned.

Paul asks the Thessalonians to have hope of salvation as a helmet. Helmet is one of the very critical body armour. It covers our mind. God is asking us that all our reflection of the situations should be founded on the principles of hope expounded in his salvation.

When people ask, does this world have a future? Our response should not only be based on economic melt downs and fears of a third world war. It should be answered on the basis of the principles espoused in the salvation plan of God. As said earlier, God is in charge of everything in the universe.

It is very difficult to approach the challenges of this day without the Lord as our saviour. There is a chance tonight for each one of us to have this hope.

Conclusion
What are we saying? We are living in days which are evidently the last ones. However, God remains the same. He wants to come and be with us as we resolve the issues of our days.

The choice to accept him however remains ours. He stands at the door and knocks. Will you open the door for him?