Bulletin
Suddenly, like a Thief
The last day of high school. The last day of being single. The last day of work. We have a lot of last days if we live long enough. But we “expect” these days. But God tells us there will be a day coming that we will not expect, that we didn’t see coming. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” (2Pet. 3:10). This day will feel like “a thief”, we will feel robbed!
But while some will feel robbed, others will feel relieved. Some can’t wait until this day takes place. They have heeded the warning, and have put their faith in Jesus. They trust in the character of Jesus that he will do what he says. Paul writes to the church, to those who being the local church, who are a part of Christ’s church, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “ Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-5). These people in church meet regularly. They are reminded of this warning regularly. They are reminded over and over again that God has always kept his word, in history. The great flood of Noah’s day, God kept his word. Some were saved (8 souls), most were lost. The great destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, some were saved (3 souls), most were lost.
Some will feel that if they regularly attend church, study their Bibles regularly, and pray always, they will be robbed of their life. It’s true in a sense. We volunteer to have our life robbed from us. Sometimes we feel like we don’t have a life, this is true. “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35). So you can be robbed of your life now, or robbed later. Choose. There is no 50/50. It’s either all now and nothing later, or nothing now and all later. But being robbed now comes with a surprising joy, hope, and love. We are spending time with the greatest being, who ever was, is, and is to come! He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20) Dan Peters
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