Welcome to Bible Believers Fellowship and the ministry of bbfohio.com. I'm Pastor Greg and I welcome you to our study in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, covering verses 6 through 11. Our study is titled, Not Appointed to Wrath. Part 2 of this message can be found on our website bbfohio.com. As we now begin with the Current Events Update and then we get into our study in 1 Thessalonians 5, 6 through 11 titled, Not Appointed to Wrath. This is Part 1 of 2. The Current Events Update. Headlines in light of scripture. Fox News continues its fall with its progressive agenda. This was reported this week that Fox News is imposing transgenderism on its workforce. So Fox News has gone all the way with the progressive agenda, and that's what we've always warned you about, is you have to understand that a fiscal conservative, fiscal, not physical, Fiscal, F-I-S-C-A-L, means that on the issue of taxes and financial issues like that, they want small government and they want low taxes and that kind of thing. So a lot of times, Christians are misled into thinking, well, that means they're conservative. Well, there's a lot of those fiscal conservatives who are social liberals. meaning while they like small government and low taxes and that sort of thing, they are for abortion. They're for Sodom and for gun control, at least to some level. And that's what's going on at Fox News. They have a bunch of neocons and progressive rhinos working there. Target now tries to hide its sodomite agenda. We talked about that on Sunday, how they put right out in front And I wouldn't dare force you to see these images, so I'm not showing you these, but we showed a video of a woman going around showing the different things they're selling there, including a girl that says that she spent her time thinking about girls. You remember that? One of the things they were selling was a one-piece bathing suit that has a feature where you can tuck That's so that a boy can wear it and not look like a boy, if you know what I mean. And so this guy named Alex Stein went into Target and put that on and walked around the store and he was dancing. And I thought it was great. It's hilarious. And listen, you know what Jesus said, make of your friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. What he was saying was that sometimes the best friends of Christians haven't even been Christians. There have been many times Christians have benefited from the fact that, well, I think Donald Trump is an example of that. And I think others through the years have been involved in, whether it's politics or business, they've been, they're not necessarily Christians. I don't know that Sam Walton was a born again Christian. But back when Sam Walton ran Walmart, it was a whole different world. And so anyway, that Alex Stein doing that, I think the more the merrier that people go and just put it right in their faces. Well, what targets now, they're starting to see their sales slip. They're seeing the boycott hitting them like it did Bud Light. I don't know about you, Doug, but I haven't bought a Bud Light ever since that happened. But Target, they're putting their stuff, they're not taking it down yet, but they're putting it in the back of the stores. I don't know what they expect to accomplish with that. It's not known because it's in the front of the store. It's known because millions of people are sharing it on the internet. So they put it where they want. And I could tell them a couple places to put it. But anyway, I just don't care if they even stop selling it. Tomorrow I'll never shop at Target. It is owned by a bunch of reprobate Sodomites and I'll never shop there. Major League Baseball continues to bow to Sodom. The most recent is the LA Dodgers. And they have been caving to this group of anti-Catholic drag queens. And these drag queens have these wild-looking, flying nun type of outfits, only they're very dark and immodest and all that. Well, then this group that the Dodgers are going to have, I guess, taking part in their pride events, How many days have we got until June? June has become the month of hell. They call it pride month. We'll just call it hell month. And you're going to see it nonstop if you get out of your house. Well, you're even going to see it at the baseball parks, no matter where you go. And the Dodgers are inviting this group in. This group recently put on a scene, and I'm not showing you anything more than that, but they had a man hanging from the cross mocking Jesus, and the guy to the left is doing a pole dance and he actually then climbs up on the cross and does a pole dance on the cross blaspheming Christ and I'm just telling you I don't know if anybody in here that I'm talking to but a lot of Christians said all they want is to be able to live their lives Then it was all they want is to be able to marry. And all they want, let me tell you, what they want is what you read about in the Bible when they tried to rape the angels in Lot's house. That's what they want. And they're not gonna stop till they get it or die. And Jesus Christ is going to return and kill them all. and very few of them are not already reprobate and handed over. There's a chance that some of them might get saved, but most of these sodomites are completely gone. You wouldn't do that unless you were. And the agenda to replace Americans with foreign migrants continues nonstop. You're called racist if you say this, but I don't think they're trying to replace white people. I believe that's what they'll say, the replacement conspiracy. And they showed a bunch of those bozos down there in Charlottesville with their, what they call the tiki lights or whatever, and tiki lamps, and they're marching and chanting and saying, we will not be replaced, or something like, you will not replace us, or something like that. It's not about white people, it's about Americans. They want to replace anybody who's a God-fearing, constitutional, believing patriot. And that's what it's all about. This is an explanation from a cop. I stopped a vehicle for a minor traffic violation. When I made contact with the driver, I learned he did not have a valid driver's license and was in the United States illegally from Mexico. I placed him under arrest, called ICE, to see if they wanted to deport him. Of course not. I called for a tow truck and made an inventory of the items inside the vehicle. Once I opened the trunk on the vehicle, I found hundreds of stolen driver's license and social security cards. He was not rewarded. He was reprimanded for his actions and sent to a cultural diversity training class. And folks, it's been going on ever since Biden was installed after they cheated and stole the election. It's been going on ever since. And we see preparations for communication blackouts. I don't know if how many saw this, but US senators were all given satellite phones that will work if the internet goes down and everything starts to burn here in America. As long as the satellites are still up there, they'll be able to use their phones. They've never done that before. When word got out, then they released a statement saying it was, try not to laugh when I tell you this, it has something to do with a response to what happened on January 6th. That's why they, it's supposed to have given them, so it doesn't have anything to do with that obviously. So what's going to happen? It's just a matter of question. How close are we to the rapture and tribulation? If we're as close as I think we might be, I hope you're taking a little bit of money and stocking up some canned food and doing things like that, because it could get ugly. Again, the Bible says we'll be raptured before God pours out His wrath. It doesn't say anything about us not going through some hard times before that rapture happens. Very well could. And keep in mind, the Amish did the exact opposite of everything suggested by the CDC, and they've had little issues with COVID. I wonder why. And it's not because they're separate from everybody. They come in contact with people all the time. But they ignored nanny state government rules, and they had very little issues with COVID. Psalm 18.2, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength, and whom I will trust, my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Amen? All right. 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 6 through 11. Not appointed to wrath is the title of the message. I'm going to read those verses. I'll have you read the odd. So I'll begin with verse 6. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for in helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Amen? Amen. So all but a small minority of Christians today are fully asleep in these last days. And so the The admonition here from the Apostle Paul is even more pressing in our day when he says, therefore let us not sleep as do others. There's only one person you can control. Amen? And that's who? The man in the mirror, as Michael Jackson would say. Hey, man, even a broke clock's right twice a day. I believe in giving credit where it's due. That's the first time I ever thought about that phrase was that dumb song he sang, The Man in the Mirror. But that's the one you control. You can't control anybody else. People come up to me and ask me about certain people in my life and family. What can I tell you? I mean, I can't control them. I wish I could. But all you have to do is go to sleep, spiritually speaking, and Satan will take you for a ride. And that's what he's taking a lot of Christians for a ride these days. People scoff when I emphasize the need to be sober means not on dope. But let us watch and be sober. And there's times I'll say that, and everybody has in their mind what sober means to just be serious minded. They might have got that out of a lexicon, but you didn't get it out of the Bible. The very next verse tells us what this is exactly. Let me read it again, but the very next verse tells us that this is exactly what our text is emphasizing. Watch and be sober. What's it mean? Well, read verse 7 again. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. So, verse 7 is the same as verse 6 when it comes to the word sleep. He just uses the same word. Verse 6, what's the contrast? between sober and being drunk. It's right there in the text. And yet, I have people all the time try to tell me, well, I don't think that's what it, it's what the text says. Sober versus drunk. People act like I'm crazy when I say that, but I'll tell you what I did with my Bible. Circle the words, be sober, and then draw a line to encircle the word, be drunken. That's what it looks like in my Bible right there. Be sober, be drunken, and the contrast. Yes? Yeah, yeah. Now I know coffee works, does tea work when you try to sober someone up? You know, I've never tried. Tasers work, okay. Yes, I would do it too. So scripture was scripture. I want you to see another example of this. Take note of the words connected here in Ephesians 5. Go ahead and turn back a few pages to Ephesians chapter 5. Beginning verse 14, we'll see the same thing. Ephesians 5, 14 through 18, starts by saying, wherefore he saith awake, thou that sleepest. Same reference to telling you not to sleep, right? And arise from the dead, it's not talking about physically, it's talking about your spirit, and Christ shall give thee light. Verse 15, See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, and this is oft quoted, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is, read 18 with me, and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. A lot of people have memorized that verse, never actually paid attention to the context. The context, yes, it's saying not to be drunk with wine, but the context is that's the flip side of being awake for the Lord. And so, he's making that contrast here. That he does not want us, he wants us, I'll put it this way to make it, let's be positive. He wants us to be sober. Sober-minded, if you will. Now, there's the words, sometimes I lay out words, sometimes I write them down, just kind of get a picture, a word picture. Dead, fools, evil, excess. Those are the words in your text there. Sleepless, those are sleep, and drunkenness, those are drunk. That's who he's talking about. The dead, the fools, the evil, excess. Ex, excess. That's what it looks like in my Bible. I just wanted you to see that. Every once in a while someone will come and say, well, how do you do that? How do you take notes in your Bible? That's how I do it right there. Amen. Very colorful. Yes. Just make sure you get the kind of, we've got a pack here I can show you. Be careful the highlighters you use, they can bleed through and really make a mess of your Bible. Mine, you can barely see it on the other side. It's that paper, thin paper as well. And I use particular ink pens that are not gonna leave a dent in the paper or bleed through. But look, sleepest dead, fool's evil, unwise, drunk, excess. Those are all connected in that context. Proverbs 20 verse 1 says, wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. And of course, I'll get somebody and say, well, you're saying it's a sin because my grandma used to drink a shot of whiskey when she'd have a chest congestion. Well, that's not talking about this, but if Grandma can't control it and only use it as medicine. She shouldn't touch it. Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach's sake. If Timothy had not been able to stop with a little for his stomach's sake, Paul would have never told him to do that. And there are a lot of people who can't and they shouldn't touch it. And then other people who claim they can and they still touch it and then they don't stop. 1 Timothy 3.8, Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre. Obviously Paul's not condemning a guy for drinking a little wine, because he told Timothy to. But he told him only in as much as it would help you medicinally. Getting drunk too much. And if you are given to much wine, you shouldn't be a leader in the church. You see me out there walking around talking to people on the street like this? Make sure I'm not just doing what I'm doing right now, which is kidding. But if I were seriously acting like that, you know, I shouldn't be a pastor. Aged women. That's nobody here. The aged women, likewise, that they be in behavior as we come with holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine. If I found out you drank a glass of wine here and there or something like that, I would warn you and tell you, be careful of that. Better be careful. But if we found out that you were given too much wine, found out you were drinking to excess, that's when it would be a problem. Especially if you were trying to take part in this ministry beyond visiting, you know, just coming once in a while. That's different. If you're going to be a part of the church family and be a part in leadership, Drunkenness is a sin. And there are fundamentalist preachers who will tell you that it's a sin to ever drink wine or whatever. I'm not going to add to God's word. I won't go there. But I've told a lot of people through the years, once they made it clear that they can't handle it, it's a sin for you to do something when you shouldn't be doing it. To him to know to do good and do it to not, to him it is sin. And if you know you can't drink just one, you should never touch it. There's some people that have a predisposition for some reason in the Constitution that if they just drink one, they get tipsy. Well, they shouldn't drink one then. Amen? Amen. Doug? And then there's two on top of that. If somebody sits down and has a glass of wine, And your brother over here is having problems with it. Yeah. And you're creating him a stomach. Yeah. That's wrong. Yeah. The thing is, I just have to say, I haven't met anybody like that. And I heard that preached a lot when I was growing up. I have, where somebody's an alcoholic or whatever they were. I've seen the problem where if you offer it to them, if you're like, hey, want me to buy you a drink? But if you're drinking it in front of them, and then you create them to want to have it, then that's wrong. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, if you know somebody like that, it'd be wrong. The same thing if you're eating bacon in front of somebody who thinks it's a sin to eat bacon, though, according to her, you know. So let's just get it all out there. That's why I tell people, you got to be careful with that. There's a lot of fundamentalist Christians who live in the cocoon who think that, for example, there are women who think that if they walk down the street in slacks, they're going to cause somebody to fall. There ain't nobody going to fall over that. I've never met anybody look at a woman wearing slacks and backslide. How many of you heard fundamentalist preachers preach that? Hogwash. You know why they do it? It's an easy amen. You go to any of these churches, I believe a woman, I'll look at a woman. I believe a woman in slacks is sin. Amen, amen, amen. You know, that's why they're doing it. Easy amens. I'm trying to give a very biblical, careful view of this from scripture. But in a lot of churches, they'll go in and preach like, oh, the drink, that drink has the devil spit, and that kind of stuff. Amen. Get easy amens that way. But we're just trying to say, biblically speaking. I mean, we were told, I didn't go to a movie until I was in high school. Because if I went to a movie, someone might see me walking in there and think, I'll bet he's going to that rated R movie. And I was going to see Old Yeller. But I was not supposed to go there. Abstain from all appearance of evil. Boy, you can make that stick to just about anything if you want to. Now, I'd say if you're caught walking into a whorehouse or a strip club and a bar that's just a dive bar, you know, not like a place like Texas Roadhouse. They sell alcohol, but it's a restaurant. But that was a sin back in the 70s. I don't know what changed. Like the Mormons, the prophet got a word and something changed. In the 70s you weren't supposed to shop a Kroger if they sold alcohol. We could go to a Kroger in Wheelersburg where I grew up because they were dry. But you couldn't go to the Kroger in Portsmouth because they sold booze. You see what I'm saying? And it makes people doubt the other things you believe when you're constantly having to admit that you were adding things to God's Word. So I always say, let's stick to just what God's Word says. I don't think God messed up. I think if He wanted things to be more strict, He would have made them more strict. So this would apply to any substance ingested in any manner that would affect soberness. I know people who can't drink caffeine. I know people, of course, we've talked about medications. Psych meds will do that to you, but even meds that aren't psych meds can make you feel like high, like people think you're smoking pot. You know, it's just your medicine's got you just kind of like... Well, it doesn't matter what it is, you should pay attention to yourself, and if it's making you fall into a condition where you're not sober-minded, you need to go to your doctor and say, I'm not taking that stuff anymore. And then if you do have to take it, it's like a have-to thing, then you shouldn't be out and about. You should stay home when you're on it.