After reminding the Thessalonians about the importance and details of the Rapture (the removal of all of God’s people from the earth) Paul now turns his attention to another key End Times event — the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is a period of time in history when God will pour out His wrath on the ungodly — directly and dramatically in fearful judgment. It also begins the period of time known as the Tribulation. We will look at three questions that will help us prepare for the Day of the Lord.

The Book of 1 Thessalonians was written to a group of young believers. Those people had only been saved for a few months and were suffering intense persecution for their faith. Because they were so young in the Lord, they were confused about a number of matters. Paul wrote to them to help them grow in their faith. In this great book, Paul confronts their doubts; he challenges them to a closer and cleaner walk with the Lord. He also answers the questions they have about the Rapture of the Lord Jesus. The Thessalonians had fears regarding the Lord’s coming and Paul addressed those concerns in these verses. He let them know that the coming of Jesus is not an event that should bring fear, but comfort. It should give hope to the hearts of those who are ready and who know Jesus.

The Gospel is not only the power of God for salvation, but it's also the vehicle for sanctification. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Paul uses the phrase, "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again…". This statement has profound implications. How does the Gospel transform my grief? How does the Gospel transform my relationships? We'll explore how the Gospel not only saves us, but also continually transforms us (since we believe).

In I Thessalonians Chapter Four, the Apostle Paul changes from his earlier approach of a loving, fatherly (even motherly) and comforting church planter, to the deliverer of solemn warnings. Paul exhorts the church to abstain from sexual immorality, love one another, and live quietly and work hard. These three basic and timely areas help them, and us, in pleasing God.