Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | The audio recording and full sermon study notes
will be available Sunday Evening.
July 12, 2020

Be Joyful Pray-ers, Giving Thanks, in Christ Jesus.
 

Paul encourages the Thessalonians, and all true believers in Christ, that we are to be joyful, to be praying, and to be thankful, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.

Read 1Thessalonians 5:16-18… In verse 16 Paul exhorts us to, “Rejoice always.” This is a biblical command for us to experience and express God’s joy continually, in Christ. Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

At first it sounds rather impossible for us to do, given the many hardships we will experience in this life and the struggles we go through sometimes because we are at odds with the godless world around us. God understands this fully, as Peter expresses:

1Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

Having trouble in this world is normal for believers, for the world (all that is opposed to God) hates Jesus, and therefore it hates those who belong to Him; and yet, we are told to be joyful, even if we suffer for Christ, for we know this world is not all there is.

Christians have an eternity to spend with God in heaven, where everything is perfect and there is no crying or mourning, or pain or death: but we are on earth, where the curse of sin corrupts and devastates all biological physical life, and yet we are enabled to joyfully and victoriously live for God right here, no matter what.

Philippians 4:12-13, “ I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” 19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus declares, in Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The source of our rejoicing is not to be found in this world, for it is because of fact one of the fruit of the Spirit that God gives us at the moment of our salvation?

Galatians 5:22-23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

The presence of the deep joy that causes us to rejoice, is a gift from God. When you believe in Jesus, as Lord and Savior, you are born into the Kingdom of God, and (Romans 14:17), “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

As a believer in Christ you have God’s joy, the problem is you also have a will, and therefore you must chose to express this gift from God; just as you must also choose to be obedient to God’s Word.

When we consider all that God has done for us in Christ, and all that we will experience for eternity, how can we not rejoice! Peter understood this

(1Peter 1:3-9), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

There are many things that can hinder and even rob us of this God given joy: pride, disbelief, disobedience, ingratitude, ignorance of the Scriptures, lack of prayer, i.e., when we are not exalting God, not feeding upon His Word, not talking to Him in prayer, not obeying what we understand the Scriptures to teach; all these things can cause us to become joyless, incapable of rejoicing, even apathetic, spiritually disabled. We are able to rejoice, when we keep our focus on Christ, on all that we have been given in Him that we might enjoy this life on earth while waiting to be taken to heaven. Only when we are focused on God are we able to rejoice in all circumstances.

In 1Thessalonians 5:17, we are told to “pray without ceasing.” Praying is like breathing, and is necessary for a healthy spiritual life, just like proper breathing is necessary for a healthy physical life. Prayer is essential for one who is born of the Spirit of God, for it flows out of our dependence on God.

See Luke 11:1-4… The Disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray like John the Baptizer taught his disciples; and although there is no reference in the Bible concerning what John may have taught his disciples to pray, we can be pretty sure that it would have been in accordance with what John knew from the Old Testament Scriptures concerning God, God’s Son, and God’s Spirit, as they were revealed to him.

Jesus teaches His disciples to revere and worship the Father, to ask Him for their daily provisions, to seek forgiveness for their own sins as they have already forgiven those who have sinned against them, and that they not fall into the deceptive corruption of sin.

At our drive-up service on June 7, I taught through Matthew 6:9-13, commonly know as the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus gives instruction on how we should pray. I took each phrase in that prayer and elaborated on what it means concerning Who we pray to, why we pray to Him, what we are to pray for, and when we are to pray. If you weren’t here, or if you just want a refresher on prayer, you may want to go to visit (fbcwaldport.org) in order to read, download or listen to that sermon.

See Luke 11:5-10… We are told in Luke 11:3, that we are to pray to God for our daily bread. And now Jesus uses a parable to teach His disciples something very important about “praying without ceasing.”

Whatever you are burdened about, bring it to God in prayer, and continue bringing it to God in prayer until it is resolved (see Luke 11:9-10). God responds to persistent prayers, but please know that the priority in this parable, is not for the acquisition or supply of physical bread.

See Matthew 3:16-4:4… Although Jesus is definitely hungry after 40 days without food (cf. 4:2-3), His focus and priority is not on His physical need for bread, but clearly is on the intimate relationship we have with God who provides spiritual food for us through His Word.

The early church made unceasing prayer a priority (Acts 1:14), “[They] all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer,” (Acts 2:42), “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Everything we do is to be aligned with and empowered by obedience to God’s Word and Prayer.

During the early weeks after the birth of the church, the Apostles stated their main priority (Acts 6:4), “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Our prayer life should be stimulated, inspired, and provoked by the Word of God.

To the believers in Colossae Paul writes (Colossians 4:2), “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” He tells the believers in Ephesus that they should be (Ephesians 5:20), “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God,” and (Ephesians. 6:18), “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” and again (Philippians 4:6), “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

The emphasis in those passages is that we are not only to revere and honor God with our life, but we must be conscious of God in our heart and mind, being spiritually alert, as we make our requests to Him in prayer, continually, without ceasing, on behalf of the church, our loved ones, ourself, and the lost. Prayer is as necessary to our spiritual life as breathing is to our physical life.

So, as we have read and studied this morning, God’s people, are to be rejoicing and praying continually, at all times, in every situation.

In 1Thessalonians 5:18, Paul adds a third category of action/attitude that is to be unceasing in our life, and that is to give thanks in everything. So, no matter what happens, without making any excuses or exceptions, we are to be giving thanks to God. Why? Because “this is God’s will for [us] in Christ Jesus.”

2Peter 1:2-4, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature (Ephesians 1:13-14; 1Corinthians 12:13) having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

We are all (since Adam & Eve) born in sin, deserving death, and yet, God demonstrated His own love for us by taking our punishment, dying in our place. Christ set us free from condemnation, providing forgiveness for our sins (past, present, future), but and eternal life, as children of God through Christ.

Romans 3:10-12, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”

Romans 3:23-24, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (See Hebrews 10:16-17)

Romans 10:9-10, “I you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” 13, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Christians, above all people, should be thankful; and yet, even believers can become unthankful, at times. What causes this? Some of the same unhealthy attitudes and actions that can turn our joy into despair, can also turn our thankfulness into ingratitude: pride, disbelief, disobedience, ignorance of the Scriptures, taking our eyes off of Christ, and failing to be prayerful.

We live in a culture where thankfulness is in decline, and is clearly not an inherent character trait of humanity, nor does it appear to be an attribute that many have been taught, let alone have learned, to express.

As Christians, we should be thankful in everything; and yet many of us are often discouraged and unthankful. We really need to stop focusing on what is going on in the world around us, and instead, we should be focusing on the One who is in us, for He is greater than anyone or anything in the universe: He has both declared and demonstrated that He loves us unconditionally; that He will never leave us or forsake us; and that He has provided everything we need to enjoy this life on earth and eternal life in heaven.

The chaos and confusion caused by Covid-19 is taking its toll on our culture, with all the bad news and bad behavior, the stay-at-home mandates, and the restrictions against intimate group fellowship, where we can encourage one another in Christ. All of this has the propensity to suck the life out of us as individuals, and corporately as God’s Church; but only if we allow the man-focused issues and problems in this world to take precedent over all we have been given in and through Christ: God’s Word, God’s Spirit, God’s Family.

Are you reading God’s Word daily and praying for God to guide you, strengthen you, comfort you? You need to be encouraged yourself, if you are going to be able to encourage others, during this disconcerting and often discouraging time of pandemic.

Those of you here today are taking advantage of our Sunday drive-in services, bless you! But what about the rest of you who may be reading or listening to this?  Have you attended one of our Zoom Bible Studies on Wednesday nights? How about getting a small group of friends together (using physical distancing and face masks) for a sack lunch and prayer time, someplace outside, i.e., at a local park or recreation area near you? Are you calling, texting, emailing your brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them?

Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

Only by knowing God’s Word and obeying it will you be able to (1Thessalonians 5:16-18), Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; [and] give thanks in everything, in accordance with God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Let’s Pray…
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:15 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | The audio recording and full sermon study notes
will be available Sunday Evening.
July 5, 2020

Unifying Love
Read 1Thessalonians 5:12-15…
“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”

“See that no one repays another with evil for evil.” The main reason we are not to return evil with evil is that it is God who will take revenge upon those who do evil to His people.

Romans 12:19,
“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

(pp. Deuteronomy 32:35;
“35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’”

Hebrews 10:30),
“30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.””

1Thessalonians 5:15b…
“15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”

God’s people should desire, regard highly, and model, that which is good for everyone, but especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

See Ephesians 4:1-6…
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

We are not to retaliate, we are not to try and get even, we are not too repay evil with evil; but instead, we are to do what is right and good, responding to evil in a manner that is honoring and reflective of God. I think it is obvious to most of us that we are never to use physical force to take revenge on someone for hurting us; but what about the way we use words? Do you ever use harsh and hurtful words through gossip, slander, or direct verbal attacks, on someone? Perhaps you have been the recipient of this verbal venom?

See Ephesians 4:29-32…
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good foredification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Paul commands (verse 29) that we speak only what is good and useful to others. Unwholesome talk (used of rotten vegetables/fruit, spoiled meat), i.e., foul language and corrupt speech should not be part of the life of a Christian. This includes profanity, dirty stories, off-colored jokes, vulgarity, i.e., all useless and offensive language, along with any talk that causes injury or incites disharmony.

Most of us will acknowledge the difficulty we have controlling our tongue, at times. James describes its destructive character

James 3:8,
“8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”

(see also James 3:1-7).
“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur astricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.  See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the veryworld of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.”

Jesus says the tongue only speaks what is in the heart

Matthew 15:18-19,
“18 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”

A foul mouth is the faucet of filthy heart that needs to be cleansed by the Word of God. We are to put away all harmful language and learn to speak that which is pleasing to God and helpful to build up members of God’s family and encourage all those who hear

1Thessalonians 5:15b…
“15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”

Our words are to be edifying [helpful for building others up], constructive, encouraging, uplifting, instructive; i.e., those things that harm, discourage, or disappoint, shouldn’t be said unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.

Most of us appreciate the person who speaks less and has something gracious and/or beneficial to say when he/she does speak, benefiting those who hear.

Our conversations should be a means of conferring blessings and grace to others, not condemnations and condescensions. We were saved by grace and we are kept through grace; we are therefore to live and speak with grace.

It takes more effort to find something encouraging to say, then it does to say something that is condescending or cutting. We’ve all heard this saying, “If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.” There would be a lot more silence in our communications, if that were the standard. As Christians, we are to talk to each other graciously, generously, and respectfully.

In Ephesians 4:30,
“30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Paul speaks of the sorrow brought to the Holy Spirit by our unwholesome and unedifying words. Uncharitable and godless talk is sin and we must avoid doing this.

In Ephesians 4:31…
“31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”

we are commanded to “put away,” to get rid of, and to have nothing more to do with anything that is sinful. “All” expresses a need to get rid of any trace of these sins.

“Bitterness” is grudge-filled animosity that turns a person sour and venomous.

“Wrath” [rage] is uncontrolled frustration that leads us to act upon our bitterness.

“Anger” is emotional stewing and brewing that leads to deep smoldering, that often ignites into very unloving words, and sometimes, actions.

“Clamor” is loud cries or outbursts [i.e., brawling, loud quarreling], this is often witnessed in public outbursts, where someone totally loses control of their emotions and their words.

“Slander” is evil speaking [causing injury with speech], i.e., to falsely accuse or defame someone, this is driven by a bitter heart.

“Malice” is the general term for evil and Paul tells us to get rid of every form of it; all that is unhelpful, unkind, self-centered and carnal; that which is contrary to the mercy, grace and love of God.

These sins break fellowship, destroy relationships, and weaken the church’s testimony to the lost. When unbelievers see Christians acting this way toward one another, they have no desire to hear what we have to say about Christ; for they can’t see God’s love in us.

Ephesians 4:32…
“32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

commands us to express sincere concern and compassion toward others; forgiving “as” God has forgiven us. We are all guilty of sin, and we have been forgiven much more than we will ever be asked to forgive someone else; we should therefore, be eager to forgive others.

As a Christian, your very life belongs to God, and so you should speak and act in a manner that is gracious, appropriate, and edifying to your brothers and sisters in the Lord, while also being a witness to all those who do not belong to God, so that they might see the love of Christ in you and ask you to tell them about Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, and coming again.

John 13:34-35,
“34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Jesus died for sinners like you and me. He paid the highest price and He suffered the greatest pain — so that anyone who believes in Him will be spiritually birthed into God’s eternal family.

The OT is full of God’s promises about the coming Savior, born of a woman and yet the Son of God, He would serve as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, the full payment for all our sin.

The NT records the fulfillment of these promises declaring that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that He paid the penalty for our sins, on the Cross, demonstrating God’s greatest expression of love toward us, that we might not perish but have eternal life.

Read Ephesians 5:1-2…
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

We are commanded to imitate God, to live a life of love, as did Jesus Christ, for He was God in the flesh, and we are to follow His example:

Colossians 2:9,
“9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,”

1John 2:6,
” the one who says he [lives] in Him [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He [Jesus] walked.

Read 1John 4:7-8…
“7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Love and obedience are synonymous and they are to be reflected through the actions and the attitudes of a Christian’s life.

Just as God has expressed His love for us, we also are to express our love for one another; in fact, for a person to say he/she is a Christian, and at the same time to be unwilling to forgive another Christian, is a contradiction; for, God is Love, and if you are His child you will also love.

Read 1John 4:9-10…
“9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

God sent His Son to take our punishment for sin, this is God’s greatest expression of love toward us

(cf. 2Corinthians 5:21).
“21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus is the once-for-all atoning sacrifice for all our sins; He is the full and final and only payment that satisfies God’s judgment upon sin.

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but only those who repent and believe in Him are freed from the penalty of sin

(Romans 10:9-10, 13).
“9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

John 1:12-13,
“12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Read 1John 4:13…
“13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”

God confirms in our heart that we belong to Him; and at the moment of genuine salvation God places His Spirit in us, marking us as His own possession

Ephesians 1:13-14,
“13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed i  Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Read 1John 4:19…
“19 We love, because He first loved us.”

We are able to love others because God first loved us. And if you have received God’s love, you will express God’s love by loving others in His name. Jesus is our example of how we are to love others.

Love is a verb that declares both the action and the attitude of our service to God, that we might live a life of love; and this is clearly seen in the way we treat, talk to, and talk about our sisters and brothers in Christ.

John 13:35,
“35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

I believe every one of us here today, if we are honest with ourselves, needs to ask God to reveal in our own heart, where we have failed to love others on His behalf; where we have failed to forgive those who have offended us; where we have failed to seek forgiveness from those whom we have offended.

Read 1John 4:2…
“2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;”

Let there be no mistake, you cannot love God and at the same time continue to be unwilling to express your love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ (i.e., reaching out to, caring for, freely forgiving and freely receiving forgiveness from other Christians).

Ephesians 5:1,
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”

Hebrews 9:27-28,
“27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Hebrews 12:1-3,
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

1Thessalonians 5:15,
“15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”

 
And all God’s children said?
Amen!
Pastor Mike
>’(((><
 
Communion

Following Communion

Blest Be the Tie

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:14 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | June 28, 2020

Reaching Out to the Unruly, Fainthearted,
and Weak Among You…
 

Read 1Thessalonians 5:12-13…
“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

Last week we studied how Paul, writing to the believers in Thessalonica, requested of them that they both appreciate and show high regard for those who have been given the responsibility to care for, teach, and lead them, in the Lord.

Read 1Thessalonians 5:14…
“14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Now Paul urges the believers in Thessalonica, to step out and help their brothers and sisters in Christ who are clearly in need. The Greek word translated urge means, to come alongside someone to help them.

Paul lists several types or categories of individuals who are in need of brother/ sister to brother/sister association and accountability, made effectual by offering concern, compassion, warning, correction, support, instruction, and modeling concerning what is right and good and acceptable among God’s family.

Before you start looking around or considering who you think might fit into the categories of unruly, fainthearted, or weak, you ought to first look into the mirror of God’s Word, illuminated by God’s Spirit, and you’ll most likely see that you have reflected one or more of these negative attributes during your life as a Christian.

Paul urges the brethren to admonish the unruly. The Greek word translated admonish [noutheteo] here means to warn or strongly advise someone concerning the consequences of continuing in their sinful and/or harmful behavior, i.e., they will not have peace, or joy, or comfort, if they continue as they are presently behaving.

There is a method of counseling based on this word noutheteo, it is called nouthetic counseling, and I am convinced that it really is the only practice, of all the so-called forms of Christian counseling, that is in alignment and agreement with what God’s Word teaches.

Nouthetic counseling is much more than just warning, it is coming alongside someone to express care and concern, confronting what is wrong with the standard being God’s Word, confirming the changes that need to be made to correct the behavior, and then comforting the person, letting them know you are willing to help them through this process of change.

There are a couple of places where the word [noutheteo] is used, this helps us gain understanding of its importance. To the Pastor-Elder-Overseers of the church in Ephesus, Paul exhorts them in

Acts 20:31-32,
“31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

To the believers in the church at Colossae, Paul urges them in

Colossians 3:16-17,
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [OT] and hymns [NT] and spiritual songs [personal praise to God], singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

To admonish is to seek the best for a person, whether they are in agreement with your warning advice or not. I came up with an Acronym of my own using the word WARN:

Wake up, heed the Word of God.
Acknowledge your sin.
Repent and turn back to God.
Now, get up and walk [live] in a manner that is pleasing to God, according to His Word, and beneficial to those around you.

Who is Paul urging us to admonish? those who are unruly [the Greek word translated unruly those who are out of step with everyone else; those who aren’t serving, instead they are spectating, and they don’t seem to care what the Bible teaches. Unruly people can be apathetic, disorderly, rebellious, and contentious; instead of being willing to help make things better, they sit in the seat of mockers, criticizing others who serve, while undermining the church leadership, causing division and dissension in the body.

They need to be prayerfully and personally approached and admonished [privately at first], warning them against continuing in the disorderly and sinful behavior they are exhibiting, exhorting them to find out what pleases God and is beneficial for God’s people, and then start doing it; we should offer to help and support them if they are responsive and willing to put forth the effort that will be necessary to make changes for the better.

But, what do you say to an unruly person? Well, for starters, you can show them the consequences of their current behavior, e.g., their lack of faith [no works = dead faith]; their lack of joy, blessing, purpose, and peace; their lack of close relationships in the family of God. Then you can show them the benefit of making the proper changes, e.g., their faith will grow stronger and they will have God’s assurance, joy and peace; they will be able to know and maintain a strong sense of purpose; they will be able to develop intimate, enjoyable, and valuable relationships with other believers, but most importantly, they will have intimacy with God, through His Spirit, because of Christ.

God’s people must care enough to get involved even with the unruly among us; it is not just the responsibility of the pastor, but that of all mature believers.

Matthew 18:15-16,
“15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.”

Galatians 5:16-23,
“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 6:1,
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

1Corinthians 2:12-16,
“12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.  14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Next, Paul urges the believers to encourage the fainthearted [the Greek word translated fainthearted here is a compound made up two words, small and soul], i.e., these people are small souled, causing them to be worried and fearful all the time; often they appear discouraged or in despair; for they want nothing but to be safe, they avoid change, trouble, and persecution. They need caring and mature believers to encourage them [the Greek word translated encourage here means, to speak alongside someone words of comfort and consolation, in order to give them courage].

What do you say to the fainthearted? Well, they need to know the truths of God’s Word in reference to the salvation they have received in Christ; they need to know that nothing can separate them from the love of God, that He will never leave them, and that He has provided all they need for life on earth and for eternity.

Next, Paul urges the believers to help a third group of people among them, the weak [the Greek word translated weak here, has to do with people who are more susceptible to things that aren’t necessarily sin, but have to do with the unrealized freedom and liberty believers have been given in Christ, e.g., during the early church, a person coming to Christ, from a background out of idol worship may be afraid to eat any meat, for fear that they might unknowingly eat some meat that had been sacrificed to idols.

Romans 14:1-3,
“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.”

1Corinthians 8:4,
“4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.”

1Corinthians 8:6-9,
“6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.  7 However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

Or it might be that a person’s conscience won’t let him eat meat because of the killing of the animal that is being served as food.

Acts 10:9-15,
“9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.””

Romans 14:20-23,
“20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.”

Mature believers should come alongside those who are weak perhaps because of prior beliefs and lifestyles combined with their own lack of understanding of what the Scriptures teach concerning their freedom in Christ.

Jesus said (Matthew 15:10-11,
“After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, ‘Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.’”

Matthew 15:16-18),
“16 Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? 18 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.”

1Timothy 4:1-4,
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;”

Way too often believers get caught up in judging what other believers eat, or drink, or listen to, or drive, or wear, etc. We have been given much freedom in Christ, and we have God’s Word to guide and direct us; we must not become legalists or liberals, but must allow God’s Spirit to help us balance both the Spirit and the Letter of His Law, so that we can know what it says and what it means by what it says.

1Corinthians 6:12,
“12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”

1Corinthians 6:19-20,
“19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

We need for mature Christians to step up and step out alongside the unruly to admonish them; to come alongside the fainthearted to encourage them; and come alongside the weak to help strengthen them.

Do you see that the main response we are to have with each of these problem or troubled believers is to provide a clear understanding of what God’s Word says and means, articulated through a brother or sister in Christ who is willing to come alongside them.

In the last phrase in

1Thessalonians 5:14,
“14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Paul urges the believers to “be patient with everyone.”

Some of you have been Christians longer than I have, and some of you are younger in your faith. Whether young or old in the faith, it is easy at times to become impatient with other believers for a variety of reasons: a lack of maturity, an unwillingness to serve in the church, or just a variety of pet peeves, personal biases, dislikes and/or disagreements.

But we must be patient with one another, because God gives us patience, as we earlier read in

Galatians 5:22-23,
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

as one characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Patient people are forgiving people.

In Matthew 18:21-22,
Peter asked the Jesus, “Lord how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Paul writes (Ephesians 4:32),
“32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

As we reach out to those in the church who are unruly, fainthearted, and weak, we are to do so patiently, imitating God our Father, remembering how much God has forgiven us in Christ

(Ephesians 5:1-2),
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><
 

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:12-13 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | June 21, 2020

Shepherding Responsibly
Read 1Thessalonians 5:11-13…
“11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

In verse 11 Paul commends the believers in Thessalonica for encouraging one another and for building one another up.  Now in verse 12, Paul makes a request of the believers, concerning how they are to think about those who have the responsibility to lead them:

– To appreciate their diligent labor among them.
– To hold them in high regard, because of their work.

Paul asks the believers

(1Thessalonians 5:12)
“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,”

to show appreciation for those who have been given the responsibility to care for, teach, and look out for them. The Greek word oida, used here, is translated appreciate [meaning to personally know and respectfully value] the work these leaders are doing in the church.

Paul also asks

(1Thessalonians 5:13)
“13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

that the believers esteem these men highly, i.e., that they think about these leaders in high regard, not because of some innate goodness, but because “of their work,” which Paul stated in verse 12 as being “in the Lord.”

It was the Apostles of Christ who brought the Word of God to both Jews and Gentiles, beginning with the Day of Pentecost, when all the believers were gathered together in Jerusalem, and the first local congregation was formed

(see Acts 2:42-47).
“42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their [meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

The Apostles were called and commissioned by Christ Himself to act on behalf of God and to proclaim the very Word of God with power

(see 1Thessalonians 1:5).
“5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

As the church grew and local assemblies were formed, it was the Apostles (as agents of God) who set apart leaders to care for, oversee, and build up those who belonged to God and were part of the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-12,
“And He gave some as apostles… and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

There are some special terms used in the New Testament to identify and characterize those men who would be ordained by God to watch over and care for the family of God, the Church, the Body of Christ: Elder [presbuteros, pres-boo’- ter-os] is spiritually mature, an example to others: Who the man is. Overseer [episkopos, e-pe’-skop-os] has oversight of and manages the church: What the man does.. Shepherd/Pastor [poimen, poy-mane’] caring for the sheep, i.e., feeding/teaching: How the man serves.

The Pastor is not a different person from the overseer or elder. These are different ways to identify the same man, e.g., two passages use all three terms.

Acts 20:17,
[Paul] “sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church”.

Acts 20:28
“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

1Peter 5:1-3,
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

This man [pastor, elder, overseer] is called to watch over the flock of God and is a steward and caretaker of what belongs to God.

These men [pastor-elder-overseers] are to set an example by their own lives. This is why very specific qualifications are given in

1Timothy 3:1-7;
“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

Titus 1:6-9..
“6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

for men who will serve in this way; and there is special mention made in

1Timothy 5:17,
“17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

concerning their ability to teach, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”

There are some very distinct responsibilities laid out in Scripture for Pastor- Elder-Overseer:

Preach & Teach God’s Word

[1Timothy 3:2;
“2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”

2Timothy 4:1-4;
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Titus 1:9]
“9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

Appoint other elders

[2Timothy 2:2;
“2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Titus 1:5;
“5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

Acts 14:23]
“23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Direct the affairs of the church

[1Thessalonians 4:1-2;
“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

1Thessalonians 5:12;
“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,”

1Timothy 5:17;
“17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

Hebrews 13:7,
“7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

Hebrews 13:17]
“”17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Oversee the finances of the church

[Acts 4:32-35;
“32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

Acts 11:29-30]
“29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”

Determine and manage church government

[Acts 15:6,
“6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.”

Acts 15:19-20;
“19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”

Acts 16:4-5]
“4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”

Guard, protect, lead and feed the church

[Acts 20:28-31;
“28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”

1Peter 5:1-4]
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Now, in reference to the church in Thessalonica, remember, this was a young church [6-12 months old], and it was very unlikely that there were many (if any) mature believers, at that time; and yet, Paul had evidently identified (with the Holy Spirit’s leading) some men he had set apart

(1Thessalonians 5:12)
“who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord, and give you instruction.”

Paul’s appointees were no doubt in Paul’s training program in order to be able to teach other new believers in Thessalonica (like themselves), the Word of God, in order to nurture and mature them.

2Timothy 3:16-17,
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

But these men placed in positions of leadership in the church in Thessalonica weren’t apostles, and most likely weren’t well schooled in the Old Testament Scriptures, as this was a Greek city in a Greek culture..

So they would have been using Paul’s writings and teachings, along with other available writings and/or teachings from other Apostles. As you can imagine, it was perhaps hard for these new believers (as appointed leaders) in the church in Thessalonica, to gain the respect of other new believers in the church.

No wonder Paul says in

1Thessalonians 5:13
“Live in peace with one another,”

that the believers should “esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The work of these appointees was to teach the Word of God as it had been given to them by the Apostles; and so, these ‘young in the faith’ leaders were to be regarded with respect because of the job they had been given

(1Thessalonians 5:12),
“to have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction.”

Their job was the ministry of the Word of God

(Ephesians 4:12),
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

And so, Paul urges the believers to respect, love and to regard highly these men who, although young in the faith themselves, are serving the church (let me just say here, that if Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit selected men to serve; they were no doubt more mature in their understanding of the Scriptures than the majority of the new believers in Thessalonica); and therefore, Paul is basically exhorting the believers to not make the task of these men more difficult than it already is, by not showing them the proper respect.

Hebrews 13:7,
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

Hebrews 13:17,
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

Paul is basically saying to the Thessalonians, “don’t give these guys a hard time, help them help you. I put them in these positions of leadership to serve you, because I couldn’t be there myself. If you disrespect them, you are disrespecting me. Don’t critique them for being young in the faith, you are all young in the faith; but God has ordained that these men will serve, in order to nurture and lead you as God intends for them to.”

In a sense, Paul is saying, “if you aren’t able to show them respect for what they do in the Lord’s service, because of some pet peeve, personal bias, or an improper evaluation of them that you may have, shame on you; instead, what you ought to consider is this: Do these men love the Lord? Do they delight in God’s Word? Are they diligent in handling God’s Word with reverence and urgency? Do they show love and care for the flock of God? Do they have a heart for the downtrodden, the broken hearted, for orphans and widows and castaways?

In the last part of

1Thessalonians 5:13
Paul says, “Live in peace with one another,” i.e., Paul is saying, live in peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ, with those who serve over you [like these men chosen to lead the church there], with those who serve alongside you [most everyone else in the church], and with those who may serve under you [perhaps a subordinate or slave].

To the Christians in Rome Paul wrote

(Romans 12:18),
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

The point is, we all need to make it our purpose and practice to be peace makers and peace maintainers, for Jesus said,

Matthew 5:9,
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Having repented of sin and believed in Christ as Lord, August 1, 1978, I began actively serving the Lord as I was growing in my knowledge of God and understanding of His Word, and in 1986 I stepped into my first pulpit in Mariposa, CA, as Pastor Mike, and I can say without any regrets, it is an awesome privilege to labor among God’s people as a pastor-elder-overseer: preaching, teaching, discipling, and counseling with God’s Word; sharing the Good News of salvation with the lost, while protecting God’s people from false teachers and false doctrines, by rebuking and refuting all that is contrary and/or opposed to the character and nature and revelation of God in Christ, bringing all such things under the sovereign authority and judgement of God’s Eternal Word.

I am so very thankful to God to have been allowed the privilege of serving here at the First Baptist Church in Waldport for the past fourteen years, what a glorious adventure it has been, and I look forward to whatever number of years the Lord has ordained for me to continue serving here, in this relationship with you all.

If you belong to God through Christ, you have the blessed assurance of salvation and eternal life; if you don’t know or you are unsure, why not consider accepting God’s precious gift to you right now

(Romans 3:23;
“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23;
“23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8;
“8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 8:1;
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 10:9-10,
“9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:13)?
“13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Forgiveness for all your sins (past, present, future) and eternal life in order to enjoy the new heavens and hew earth, where there will be no more crying, or pain, or death, or darkness; this is the free gift of God, made effectual in and through the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of God’s One and Only Son, who is both Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Crucified, Resurrected, and Coming Again to take us to be with Him forever!
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:4-11, | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | June 14th, 2020

Night and Day
1Thessalonians 5:4-11
God recognizes two groups of people in the world: believers and unbelievers, the saved and the lost, those in darkness and those in the Light, children of the devil and children of God, Christians and non Christians.

John 8:12,
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Read 1Thessalonians 5:1-3…
“Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 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.”

The Day of the Lord is a time of judgement and wrath for unbelievers; it will come like a thief in the night, and will be a time of destruction, gloom, and darkness

(cf. Zephaniah 1:15;
“15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress  A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,”

Amos 5:18).
“18 Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light;”

Read 1Thessalonians 5:4-5…
“4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”

Christians won’t be overtaken by the Day of the Lord because they are of the day and not of the night; but Satan’s kingdom is one of darkness and all who reject Christ live in disobedience and spiritual darkness.

John 3:19-20,
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

Ephesians 4:17-18,
“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God…”

Ephesians 5:6-14,
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, ’Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”

2Corinthians 4:6,
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

2Corinthians 6:14,
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

All who believe in and belong to Christ are children of the Light, citizens of God’s kingdom of Light (where it is always day), for there is no darkness there and there will never be any night.

Since the very beginning, God has been separating Light from Darkness:

Genesis 1:1-4,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.”

After the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation, the Return of Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, the White Throne Judgement, the Destruction of the Old Heavens and Earth, and the Creation of the New Heavens and New earth, the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven, and we are told

(Revelation 21:23-25),
“The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light…(for there will be no night there).”

Revelation 22:5,
“And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

At the end of all things, as we now know them, there will no longer be darkness.

Read 1Thessalonians 5:6-8…
“6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

Because Christians are people of the day (having the Light of God), we are to remain alert and sober, i.e., we are not to be unaware or indifferent to what is going on in the world spiritually and morally, like someone who is non-responsive, as if in a coma.

Do true believers at times act like unbelievers? Absolutely, but Paul admonishes us not to act like “night” people who are either sleeping or getting drunk. The word in verse 7 translated “sleep” is from a different Greek word than the one that is often used to refer to the sleep of death

(cf. 1Thessalonians 4:14),
“14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

Paul uses a word here that refers to cognitive, moral, or spiritual sleep, i.e., passive cluelessness as to what is going on around you, as if you were sitting in an extremely dark room with noise cancelling headphones on; while at the very same time, you were purposely and actively participating in the sin of getting drunk.

Paul exhorts us that this should never be said of a child of God, because children of the day and of the Light, have figuratively (1Thessalonians 5:8) put on certain pieces of spiritual armor provided by God; here, the breastplate of faith and love, and a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Notice the adjectives used to describe this breastplate (faith and love), and this helmet (the hope of salvation)? Faith, love, and hope are the top three virtues of Christianity, and in fact, Paul referenced them in the first chapter of his letter to these believers

(cf. 1Thessalonians 1:3).
“3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,”

So, our faith is likened to a breastplate (which was meant to protect the heart of the wearer);

(Ephesians 6:14)
“14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”

we are told to put on the armor of God, verse 14 describes the Breastplate of Righteousness. It is called this because our faith (our complete trust, belief, and confidence) is in the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, for He is our righteousness; He guards our heart.

2Corinthians 5:21,
“God made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6…
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
3, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”
6,“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

The substance of our faith (which protects our heart, like a breastplate) is God’s gracious, merciful, unconditional, eternal, and sacrificial love for us.

John 3:16,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Romans 5:8,
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

In Ephesians 6:17,
“17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul talks about a piece of armor he calls the Helmet of Salvation. But what is the hope of salvation

(1Thessalonians 5:8)

that Paul attributes to this helmet?

The Bible is very clear that when we repent and believe in Christ we are saved, i.e., we have salvation, so why would we hope for something we already have? I don’t believe Paul is speaking about the moment of our salvation, when we confess Christ as Lord, repenting of our sins; but instead, Paul is speaking of a future event when our salvation will be full realized, as Paul wrote in

Romans 13:11,
“our salvation is nearer to us now than when we [first] believed.”

Clearly, Paul is speaking about a future event when the Lord

(Philippians 3:21),
“will transform [our lowly] body into conformity with [His glorious body],”

i.e., this is a time in the future when our earthly mortal bodies will put on heavenly immortality, the glory of eternal life will be fully realized.

There are other passages of Scripture that help us have clarity on this:

1John 3:2,
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

1Corinthians 13:12,
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

1Corinthians 15:47-49,
“The first man [Adam] is from the earth, [he is] earthy [Lit. made of dust]; the second man [Jesus] is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.”

When we see Christ face to face, we will be like Him, with full knowledge, but we will also have a heavenly, eternal, glorified body. What a glorious day that will be!

Read 1Thessalonians 5:9-11…
“9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

What a great and marvelous God! He loves us so much that He is not willing that we should go through the time of His wrath known as the Day of the Lord, when He will bring judgment upon all those on the earth who continue to reject Christ as Lord. “God has not destined us for wrath.” Earlier I read Romans 5:8, let me read that again, adding verse 9.

Romans 5:8-9,
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

2Peter 3:7,
“The present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.”

It is very sad indeed, and yet it is an absolute reality, that although our Lord made full payment for the sins of all people, for all time, His death and resurrection will provide salvation only for those who repent of their sins and trust in Him to forgive them.

For those who repent and genuinely believe in Christ, God will pour out His blessings, not His wrath:

2Peter 3:10, 13…
“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.”

13, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Matthew 25:34,
“ Come you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

1Thessalonians 4:13-17,
“13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

Paul makes it clear that none of those who belong to the Lord will miss the Rapture, we will all be caught up in the air with Him.

(1Thessalonians 5:4-5),
“4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”

Paul makes it clear that the day of the Lord (a day of wrath) will come upon those who are in darkness, those who reject God; where as,

(1Thessalonians 5:9).
“9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

God has determined that we who belong to Him, sons and daughters of the Light, are not destined for wrath; and in fact

In 1Thessalonians 5:10,
“10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”

we will be caught up to be with the Lord long before the Day of the Lord comes upon the unbelieving inhabitants of the earth [earth dwellers].

God has granted us everything we need to know Him, to be loved by Him, to love and serve Him while we are on this earth, and to trust Him to care for us, to guide, lead and strengthen us, until He comes back to take us to be with Him forever, and too enjoy the hew heavens and new earth, like it was meant to be in the beginning, before the curse of sin entered our world, bringing conflict, chaos, sickness and death.

Glory be to God, for He will make all things new

(Revelation 21:4-5),
“4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”  5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

and in God’s Kingdom of Light where we will live for eternity, there will never again be any death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for those things would have passed away and will have ceased to exist.

Glory be to God in the highest, Who was and Who is and Who is yet to come, the Almighty; the Alpha and the Omega, worthy is He, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and worship and praise, forever and ever. Amen.
Glory be to God of Light!
 
Pastor Mike Hale  
 >’(((><
 

Bible Text: Matthew 6:5-13 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | How Should We Pray
June 6, 2020
Matthew 6:5-8…
“5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.  7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

This prayer focuses on God’s Divinity, Sovereignty, and Fatherhood. God’s children are to pray with sincerity, in a manner that is honoring to God. We should not pray to be heard by men, nor with “meaningless repetition” like the pagans who babble on with many words.

Nor should we recite or repeat prayers thoughtlessly; for nowhere in the NT is a prayer used in a repetitious or ritualistic manner. We don’t have to convince God of a need we have, He already knows, before we ask Him!

See Matthew 6:9a,
“Pray, then, in this way:”

This is a guide, telling us to Whom, for What, and How we are to pray.

See Matthew 6:9b,
“Our Father who is in heaven,”

God is the Creator of all but the Father only of those who come, through Jesus Christ, into the Family of God.

John 1:12-13,
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Galatians 3:26,
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

See Matthew 6:9c,
“Hallowed [Holy, consecrated] be Your name:”

God’s name is Holy and we are to revere, honor and glorify Him. We should prayerfully acknowledge Him in every detail of our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

Colossians 3:17,
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Colossians 3:23-24,
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

1Corinthians 10:31,
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

See Matthew 6:10,
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

God’s sovereign rule in heaven is not being exhibited on earth. Men sin, men die, and men go to hell; even though it is not God’s will for people to sin, die, or go to hell.

God commands us to pray for His will to be done on earth: God desires for everyone to repent of sin, believe in Christ, and be saved.

1Timothy 2:3-4,
“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9,
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

God commands His children (believers and followers of Christ) to willfully obey His Word in all that we do

(Romans 12:1-2),
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We are to proclaim God’s will through our lives, even if we have to suffer for honoring and obeying God, so that others might see Christ in us and come to Him for salvation

(1Peter 3:14-15),
“But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

God is allowing for sin to run its course and for Satan to reign over all those who oppose God, for a time; but sin and Satan will end just as God has determined, and all who reject Jesus Christ will go to Hell.

2Peter 3:3-7,
“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

Matthew 25:41-43,
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’”

Revelation 20:10, 15,
“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Revelation 20:15,
“15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

See Matthew 6:11,
“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Bread is symbolic of the food we require for our physical needs, in Israel, if you didn’t have bread you might starve. But this prayer is referencing both our physical and our spiritual needs. Jesus provides all we need to sustain and nourish our body and our spirit.

John 4:14,
“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 6:33-35,
“‘For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

2Peter 1:2-3,
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life who came down from the Father in heaven; He is also the Living Water who spiritually hydrates us; in fact, everything we need for life on earth and life in heaven, has come through Christ.

The Provider is the Father, the Provision is the Son. And so, we come to God for all our needs through Jesus Christ; the schedule for God’s provision is daily, not weekly, monthly or yearly, but daily; and at times, moment by moment.

See Matthew 6:12,
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

This is not talking about financial or any other form of physical human debt, it is talking about sin, our spiritual debt to God which was paid in full by Christ. Sin separates us from God and is our greatest enemy; therefore, our greatest need is forgiveness

(cf. Joel 2:32;
“32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the Lord has said Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.”

Acts 2:21;
“21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Romans 10:13),
“13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

that is what God provides to those who believe in Jesus Christ

(Romans 3:23;
“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23,
“23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8:
“8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 8:1)…
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 10:9-10,
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

1John 1:8-10,
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

Having received God’s forgiveness we forgive others; an unforgiving spirit is sinful for anyone who has been forgiven.

In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Because the Father is forgiving, His children are also to be forgiving.

Ephesians 4:32,
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Ephesians 5:1-2,
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

1John 3:1,
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

See Matthew 6:13a…
“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

This has to do with temptations, trials and testing, through which we are enticed to sin by feeding the flesh and/or not trusting God. God tempts no one, but He does allow us to be tested

(James 1:13-15),
“13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

We appeal to God to place a guard over and around our heart, mind, eyes, ears, mouth, feet, and hands — so that, whatever we do, where ever we are, we will not give in to sin

(1Corinthians 10:13),
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

We are all weak at times, tempted to sin, and we need God’s help to avoid the traps and snares of the devil, the world, and our flesh; for God has provided all we need to succeed

(2Timothy 3:16-17),
“All Scripture is [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

We live in a cursed world and evil is all around us. Our flesh is weak and we are not equipped in our human resources to combat sin. Therefore, we confess our need for the protection and deliverance that only God can give.

See Matthew 6:13b
“[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]”

*This addition to verse 13 is not found in the earliest manuscripts, but it is congruent with Scripture and biblically based.

1Chronicles 29:11-13,
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”

Our prayers should magnify and praise God’s Name [Character/Nature], God’s Kingdom, and God’s Will, at the same time, our prayers should express thanksgiving toward God for His unconditional love, forgiveness, and eternal life; but also for the daily protection, guidance, comfort, strength, nourishment, and care that God provides.
God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good!
 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:1-11 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | 5.31.20 – 1Thessalonians 5:1-11
The Day of the Lord: Part Two
Last week we began by looking at 1Thessalonians 5:1-3
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 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.

We spent most of our time together studying the phrase “the day of the Lord.” But there are more phrases (1Thessalonians 5:2-3) with deep eschatological importance, packed full of theological wealth, like a treasure chest full of precious jewels. I am excited to have the opportunity to unpack these powerful phrases for you, as we continue our study about “the day of the Lord.”

Notice in the beginning of 1Thessalonians 5:2, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they know full well, meaning they know for certain, without any doubt, i.e., it is confirmed by their knowledge of Scripture that, “the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” It doesn’t say that the Lord will come like a thief in the night, but that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, i.e., unexpectedly, suddenly, without specific warning.

As I mentioned last week, the events that are included in the day of the Lord are set off by the Rapture of the Church, when we will be caught up to meet Christ in the air. After that event will come the Rise of the Antichrist, the Tribulation Period, the Second Coming of Christ, Armageddon, Satan’s Imprisonment, the Millennial Kingdom, Satan’s Release, Worldwide Rebellion, the White Throne Judgment, and the Destruction of the Heavens and the Earth; all of these occur during the period of time known as the day of the Lord, which (1Thessalonians 5:1) is made up of times “Chronos” (clock/calendar) and epochs “Kairos” (special events/periods of time].

There is a day called the Great Day of the Lord (cf. Zephaniah 1:14), that speaks of the Second Coming, at the end of the 7-year tribulation, when Christ returns to the earth ( cf. Revelation 19 ) as a victorious warrior on a white stallion. He will render judgment on everyone alive (at that time) who rejects Him.

Note: When Jesus came to earth the first time, He was born to a virgin named Mary, in Judea, in Bethlehem. He was a helpless baby boy, yet He was given the Hebrew name Yeshua [Greek, Jesus] meaning God’s Salvation; and He was called (in Hebrew) Immanuel (cf. Isaiah 7:14), and in Matthew 1:23, we are told it means God with us. Jesus was raised in Galilee in obscurity, and at the age of 30 He began His mission (John 1) as the Lamb of God, with God the Father declaring from heaven that “this is My Son.” He was put to death three years later, as full payment to God for the sins of all people for all time. Most of the world rejects Him as God; His own people (the Jews) cried out for Him to be crucified, and so He was put to death, buried, and on the third day He rose from the grave, just like He had repeatedly told His followers He would. He also told them that He would return to take them to be with Him forever.

The timing of the Lord’s return in the air is unknown, but could happen at any time, as all things in Scripture have been fulfilled for the Rapture to occur.

But the Second Coming of Christ to the earth will come like a thief in the night, and it will be terrifying for those who are there who reject the Lord, for the Day of the Lord will catch unbelievers by surprise

(1Thessalonians 5:3),
“While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.”

Does the Bible use the imagery of a thief coming at night, anywhere else? Yes!

Please turn to Matthew 24:42-44…
42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Christ’s return should not surprise you like a thief breaking into your home. Think about that! If you are awakened at night to the sound of what you think is a thief in your house, it might cause you to become fearful; however, if you are awakened at night to the sound of what you believe is a loved one returning home from a long trip, you will most likely be joyful and happy, for you have been expecting them.

Jesus (when He was on earth) told His disciples that only the Father knows the timing of His return, but that they should be ready, and that there would be signs (times and epochs) that would lead up to His return to the earth.

See Matthew 24:3-5, 11…
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

It would seem that one of the first signs of Christ’s Return, and of the end of the age, will be the appearance of many false Christ’s and false prophets, who will mislead [deceive] many

(2Timothy 3:13),
“Evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

In 1954, Sun Myung Moon started the Unification Church in Korea; it was believed by its members that at age 15 Jesus Himself anointed Moon as the Messiah to carry out God’s unfinished work and become the father of all humanity. Moon did mass weddings, e.g., at Madison Square Garden in 1982, over 2,000 couples were married, becoming “Moonies,” children of Moon. In 2004, in front of astonished members of Congress at a Capitol Hill luncheon, Moon had himself crowned “humanity’s savior.”

In 1978, Jim Jones convinced his followers, from the People’s Temple, to drink Kool-aid laced with cyanide: 913 adults and children died, including Jones, who declared that he was the reincarnated Christ; yet, his body remains in the mass grave where it was buried in Oakland, CA.

In 1993, David Koresh was the leader of a group of 76 Branch Davidian members (including 28 children), who lived at a ranch near Waco, Texas, where they would all die with him, believing he was the Christ, the Anointed One to Whom the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation was given.

In 1995, Marshall Applewhite posted an internet message saying, “I [AM], Jesus —Son of God,” referring to himself as the Second Coming of Christ. On March 26, 1997, 39 members of Applewhite’s Heaven’s Gate cult committed suicide, so their souls might supposedly rendezvous with a spaceship, said to be following the HaleBopp comet, that would take them to heaven.

We should not be surprised that many have already come who claimed to be Christ, for Jesus told us this would happen; but everyone of those so-called Christ’s is dead and their bodies remain in the graves.

Let’s take a look some more times and epochs that will lead up to the time of Christ’s return to the earth, at the end of the Tribulation Period.

See Matthew 24:6-7…
6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

Worldwide chaos will continue to become more and more intense, expressed by wars, famines, earthquakes, etc. Listen to this quote from the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva: “Floods, heat, cold and other extreme weather changes are [consistently] increasing in intensity as well as frequency,” and have been doing so decade by decade, since the 1950’s.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology states, “storms are lasting longer at higher intensity than they were 30 years ago; hurricane durations have increased by about 60% since 1949, and the average peak storm wind speeds have increased about 50% since the 1970s.”

Now, please look at Matthew 24:8.
8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Do you see that? All these things are said to merely be the beginning of birthing pains, as sin takes its toll on this planet: famines, earthquakes, floods, draughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, rising heat and freezing temperatures, are on the increase worldwide; not to mention new viruses that are killing hundreds of thousands of people.

Sin is taking its toll on the people of this planet: calamities and confusion have led to an escalating spiritual and mental health crisis; unspeakable crimes are committed against adults and children, our prisons are overcrowded, and people are stressed out and weary: psychologically, physiologically, and emotionally.

2Timothy 3:1-5,
“Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” “…Avoid such men as these.”

No one escapes consequences in a world like that, but the people of God have been equipped to endure in the midst of the chaos and destruction in this world.

Philippians 4:6-7,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:13,
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:19,
“And my God will supply ]all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Romans 12:17-18,
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

See again 1Thessalonians 5:3,
“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.”

Arabs and Jews have been warring and killing one another for 4000 years; and yet after the rapture of the Church, when the Antichrist rises to power, he will broker a 7-year peace treaty between Israel and the Arab nations, and there will be a short-lived time of “peace” between them, unlike anything that has ever happened in history.

Daniel 9:27,
“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.”

We are told that 3.5 years into the 7-year peace treaty, the Jews are offering sacrifices in their temple, on the same site as the Dome of the Rock (the Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, where the Jewish Temple used to be until AD 70, when it was torn down and destroyed.

The Antichrist [the abomination that causes desolation, Daniel 9:27; 12:11; Matthew 24:15] will stand in the Holy of Holies in the Temple and he will put a stop to all sacrifice and worship of both the God of Judaism and the god of the Islam , demanding that he alone is to be worshipped.

This event leads to worldwide confusion and chaos, destruction and death, during the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation, known as the Great Tribulation, a time when God’s wrath will be poured out like never before, and never again (Matthew 24:21), “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.”

What you need to know and to make sure of today, is this: If you have not repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus Christ for Salvation, you need to do that right now, right here.

Why is salvation through God’s Son the most important heart/mind decision you will ever make? I’m so glad you asked

Romans 3:10-12
10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”

Romans 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 8:1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Acts 2:21
21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Acts 4:12
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

As a Christian, a believer and follower of Christ, you are granted forgiveness for all your sins (past, present, future), and eternal life; therefore you should seek to live for Christ, and until we die or He returns for us, we are to be living out and proclaiming with urgency, compassion, boldness, and humility the Good News of Jesus Christ [crucified, resurrected, and coming again], so that others might be saved.

Pastor Mike
>’(((><
 

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 5:1-11 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: The Day of the Lord | 05-24-2020
“The Day of the Lord: Part One”
 

Last Sunday we studied about the “catching away” [rapture] of the church

(1Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Paul sums up that event in verses 16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

Paul reassured the believers that not one of the Lord’s followers will miss the rapture, whether they die before Christ’s return or are alive at His coming in the air, they all will be “changed” instantaneously, being given incorruptible and immortal bodies, so that we might be with the Lord forever.

Read 1Thessalonians 5:1-11…

I’m not sure how many sermons it will take to properly work through this section, but for today, let’s take a look at verses 1-2.  Paul now makes a transition from the rapture of the church into another area of concern or confusion for some of the believers — the coming of the Day of the Lord.

Paul says, “now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.” What are “the times and the epochs?” Well, it could be many things, but the fact that it is associated with the “day of the Lord,” narrows it down for us.

The Greek word translated “times” is the word Chronos, meaning times that are measured by the clock or calendar [hours, days, months, years, decades, centuries]; the Greek word translated “epochs,” is the word Kairos, meaning periods of time or seasons measured by special moments or periods of time.

Notice that the times and the epochs are plural; speaking of many different future and final events and times, i.e., these are eschatological in nature, relating to life, death, heaven, hell, eternity: the Rapture of the Church, Rise of the Antichrist, the Tribulation Period, the Second Coming of Christ, Armageddon, Satan’s Imprisonment, the Millennial Kingdom, Satan’s Release, Worldwide Rebellion, the White Throne Judgment, New Heavens and New Earth, Eternity.

Paul (5:1) tells the believers in Thessalonica they have no need to be instructed concerning the timing of these future events. For (5:2) they “know full well” that the day of the Lord will come just “like a thief in the night.”

First let’s look at what the Bible says about the “day of the Lord,” then, if time permits, we’ll look at why it says the day of Lord will come “like a thief in the night”.

Four times the phrase “the day of the LORD” is used in the New Testament, here (1Thessalonians 5:2),

and also: Acts 2:20,

“The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come”

(cf. Joel 2:31).

2Thessalonians 2:1-2,
“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

2Peter 3:10,
“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.”

In order to understand what New Testament writer’s were saying about the day of the Lord, we must look at what the Old Testament prophets’ wrote explicably about the Day of the LORD

[Isaiah 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7, 14; Malachi 4:5].

The following passages give a brief but consistent overview of the OT’s teaching about the day of the LORD.

Isaiah 13:9,
“Behold, the day of the LORD comes cruel with both wrath and fierceanger to lay the land desolate.”

Ezekiel 30:3,
“the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Joel 2:11,
“The day of the LORD is great and very terrible.”

Obadiah 15,
“For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.”

Zephaniah 1:14,
“Near is the great day of the Lord, near and coming very quickly.”
The day of the Lord is about judgment, God’s anger, wrath, and vengeance will bring desolation and destruction upon unbelievers. Six times it is referred to as a day of doom. Four times it is called a day of vengeance.

Read Revelation 20:1-15…

The good news is, Satan will be dethroned and put away and Christ will take His prophesied position as King, to rule over the earth for 1000 years, as all the Gentile and Jew survivors of the Tribulation (those who testified to Christ and the Word of God) enter the millennial kingdom.

All of the believers who were put to death during the Tribulation (because they wouldn’t worship the Antichrist), will be resurrected in their glorified bodies to reign with Christ during the 1,000 years,. along with all who were previously raptured.

At Christ’s return to earth, all living unbelievers will be put to death to await the Great White Throne judgment, at the end of the millennial period; for they will be raised again to stand before God, and then sentenced to the lake of fire, which is 2nd death (Christians are born twice, and they die once; unbelievers are born once, and they die twice).

The phrase day of the Lord always references God’s judgment coming upon the ungodly, and so, it must be clearly distinguished from other similar phrases like the day of the Lord Jesus (1Corinthians 5:5; 2Corinthians 1:14); the day of the Lord Jesus Christ (1Corinthians 1:8); and the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6); for these phrases always have to do with the Redemption, Rapture, and Reward of genuine believers in Christ.

There is another similar phrase, “the day of God” (2Peter 3:12), and it refers to eternity, as Peter exhorts believers to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”

So, the day of God is God’s day, when everything will be made brand new, no more corruption, no more sin, nothing displeasing or offensive to God will ever exist again, from that day throughout eternity, for everything that had become corrupt, as a consequence to sin, will be done away with (Revelation 21:4), “there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

It is no wonder that the Thessalonians had questions about future events like the rapture of the church and the day of the Lord. The church has been asking such questions and waiting for the return of the Lord since the first century AD.

In Matthew 24:3 we are told, “As He [Jesus] was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

In Acts 1:6-8, the disciples were asking Jesus, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Even today, there is much speculation, with an abundance of blogs, books, and videos being produced by so-called prophecy “experts,” many of whom erroneously and sacrilegiously speak and write about future eschatological events and times that God has not given specific timing about in His Word.  The truth is, God says we have enough information, we don’t need to know more than we have already been given in His Word, concerning the times and the epochs of these final events.

It would appear that we are not going to get to our study on why the Lord’s return at His second coming is referred to as being, “like a thief in the night.” But next week, Lord willing, we will study that phrase, and we will also look into why (1Thessalonians 5:3) the people were saying “Peace and safety!” as destruction came upon them suddenly, like labor pains upon a woman with child.

I’m going to close today’s study with the following passage from

2Peter 3:8-17,
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 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. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.
Amen.”
Pastor Mike
>’(((><
 

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 4:9-18 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | May 17, 2020
To Be Always With the Lord
1Thessalonians 4:9-18
 

Last week (1Thessalonians 4:1-8) we studied how Paul exhorted the brethren in Thessalonica to continue excelling in the way they conduct themselves, and to abstain from all sexual immorality.

He encouraged them to live as God’s people, set apart for God’s glory and honor, exemplifying the character of Christ, for this is God’s will for them; and quite frankly, this is God’s will for us as well, until such a time that we are brought into the presence of the Lord, having been caught up to be with Him forever.
Read 1Thessalonians 4:9-10…

The believers in Thessalonica are living exemplary lives, expressing continually [practicing] their love for other believers.

Paul had planted other churches in Macedonia (Berea, Philippi), and it would seem that, some how, Thessalonica had served believers in those other churches; and yet, Paul urges them to excel even more in expressing love.

Read 1Thessalonians 4:11…

Paul presents a format for living as God’s people.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. He wants them to earnestly seek to maintain tranquil, humble, and peaceful lives, not being conflicted like unbelievers, but content..

Romans 12:9,
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”

Romans 12:17-18,
“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

1Timothy 2:1-2,
“I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

2Thessalonians 3:13,
“Do not grow weary of doing good.”

Back to 1Thessalonians 4:11…

So, they are to purpose to lead a quiet life and to attend to their own business. Simply put, they are to mind their own business, concentrate on their own lives, families, jobs, and responsibilities, and stay out of [do not meddle] in other people’s business. Good instruction for us all!

Meddling in others affairs can cause us trouble; in fact, in 1Peter 4:15, we are warned, “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler.”

In 1Thessalonians 4:11, after exhorting them to attend to their own business he tells them to work with their hands, just as he had already commanded them.  Note: Greeks thought hand work [general labor] should be done by slaves, not by free men. But Paul exhorts them to do their own work with their own hands and not expect for others to do the work they should do to provide for themselves.

2Thessalonians 3:10-12,
“For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.”

Clearly these commendations and admonitions given by Paul (1Thessalonians 4:9-12) are directed to the believers, in order that they behave properly toward outsiders, being good witnesses of Christ, i.e., they are to exemplify a good work ethic and are not to meddle in other people’s affairs; but instead, to be good neighbors and to serve as examples in their homes, workplaces, and community.

Read 1Thessalonians 4:13-18…

Paul now speaks of the hope that they and all believers have in Christ; we are not to grieve like unbelievers who have no hope, for we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and be with Him forever!

The believers in Thessalonica were young in the faith, and although Paul had, no doubt, taught them about the end times and future events, it would seem that they were confused about the “rapture” of the church. Paul wants to set their hearts at ease and reassure them that no believer will miss the rapture, whether one of God’s children has died or is still alive at Christ’s coming in the air, we will all be changed.

You see, our eternal hope “is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

2Corinthians 5:21,
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1Corinthians 15:3-4,
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

John 11:25-26,

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Later in John 11:38-44,

Jesus came to the cave where Lazarus had laid dead now, four days. Jesus told them to remove the stone from the entrance. Jesus prayed to the Father, then He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”

Lazarus came out of the tomb alive, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus commanded, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Lazarus entered the tomb dead, but he came out of the tomb alive. We have no information about how long he lived, or when he went to be with the Lord, but our confidence is in the sovereign death and resurrection of Jesus Christ Himself.

Christ’s sacrificial death paid in full our sin debt to God; His resurrection from the grave demonstrates that He has authority over sin, death, and judgement.  Therefore we can trust Him to save and secure us.

Day by day we draw closer to the time when Christ will return for His people in the air; after which, dramatic events will occur in a 7 year period, called the tribulation (cf. Daniel 9, Matthew 24, Revelation 8, 9, 16): war, famine, disease, and death. *COVID-19 is a mild cold compared too what will be..

The sun will turn black, the moon will turn blood red, and the earth will be shaken like never before. In the end, peace and healing will come, but not before a time of great suffering and destruction like the world has never seen before and will never see again.

Just before the 7 years of tribulation begin, Christ will come for His people (1Thessalonians 4:14-18). Jesus will leave the Fathers’ side and descend to the clouds above the earth, at a time predetermined by the Father.

The spirit of every Christian who has died will be reunited with their original body to be “caught up” to be with Christ. Every Christian still alive at that time will be removed from the earth, “caught up” into the presence of the Lord, where all Christians will be together with the Lord forever.

This event, the Lord’s coming to get His people, is called “the rapture of the church.” The word “rapture” [comes from the Latin “raptus”] meaning “to seize” “to catch away” or “to snatch up.” And so, the earth will be emptied of all Christians.

John 14:1-3,
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus is talking there about the rapture. Paul doesn’t tell us much about the rapture in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18, so let’s go to another text where Paul gives us more information about this great mystery of the rapture.

Read 1Corinthians 15:50-53…

Paul says some of the Lord’s people will not have to go through the experience of death, but that they will be “changed,” “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” The word “moment,” is a word form, from which we get the word “atom,” referring to “something that is indivisible,” this speaks of the “smallest amount of time imaginable.”

When Jesus comes for us, it will be instantaneous; it won’t be a process, but will happen so fast it will be over before we even know it started! One moment we are here and the next we are gone!

It makes no difference whether our bodies are dead in the grave or alive on the earth; all of God’s people will be raptured, taken away suddenly!

When that time comes (cf 1Thessalonians 4:15-17) Jesus will call His people home to be with Him- the dead will rise first, then those who are still alive on the earth will be instantly changed, and we all will go up together (in our resurrection bodies) to meet the Lord in the air.

Read 1Corinthians 15:54-58…

Our greatest enemies will be defeated: death and the grave, sin and the Law. The Bible says “the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” But, in Jesus Christ, we have victory over sin, death, and judgement.

It is no wonder that Paul closes

1Corinthians 15:58 with ,
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

God’s Word is clear that we are all sinners deserving God’s punishment; yet He loves us and wants to save us.

Romans 3:23-24,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 5:8,
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:23,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:1,
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Sin separates us from the Lord and corrupts every part of our lives; but in Jesus Christ, sin is defeated, death is destroyed, forgiveness is given, and eternal life is granted, for all those who believe in Him.

God does all this because He loves us so much and wants us to live in heaven with Him forever!

Romans 8:34-35,
“Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” No!

Romans 8:37-39,
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

No wonder Paul closes 1Thessalonians 4:18 with the marvelous message,
“Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, nothing can ever separate us from the KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords, Jesus Christ: Crucified, Resurrected, and Coming Again to take us to be with Him for eternity.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father , and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Amen.
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Thessalonians 4:1-8 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Thessalonians | May 10, 2020
1Thessalonians 4:1-8
Living Apart from Pagan Culture
Last week we studied the last part of chapter 3, where Paul was praying to God while writing to the believers in Thessalonica: he wanted to go to them, to see them face to face, and to encourage them to continue increasing in their love for one another and for all people.

In today’s passage, Paul begins by encouraging the believers to continue to grow in their knowledge and expression of Christ, i.e., to live in such a manner as to please God.

Read 1Thessalonians 4:1-2…
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from usinstruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Paul exhorts the believers to continue in their faith and practice, increasing in their Christlikeness; even though he has already commended them for their life and witness.

(see 1Thessalonians 1:2-3, 6-7)
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Notice that Paul doesn’t “command” them, but instead requests and urges them not to be content with where they are spiritually, as if they had attained a level of completion, but instead to seek to all the more continue to grow and live in a way that pleases God.

Spiritual growth is indeed a process, just as physical growth and learned knowledge is a process. Paul desires that all believers make their life in Christ a lifelong commitment to growing in the knowledge and expression of God’s Word.

The desired result for which Paul strongly urges the believers in Thessalonica, is a life of holiness, one that is more representative of God than godless mankind.

Read 1Thessalonians 4:3…
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

God’s desire is that as Christians, we are to remain set apart from the world and culture around us that is not pleasing to God. Clearly, we are not to participate in or condone sexual immorality; but instead, we are to live in a manner that is reflective of the salvation we have received.

Thessalonica was part of the Greco-Roman culture, and was noted for allowing a wide chasm of sexual indulgences and erotic perversions. So, for new believers, who had grown up in the pagan society of Thessalonica, apart from any Christian tradition or influence upon the standards and practices of their culture, they didn’t necessarily consider fornication and adultery to be immoral; in fact it was most likely that sexual immorality was more tolerated in Thessalonica then in our present culture in America, which is hard to imagine.

The world today is intoxicated with sexual immorality, displayed in a variety of godless ways and relationships. Sexual immorality, biblically defined, is any sexual behavior and/or thinking that is outside of what God declares and ordains for marriage, i.e., a monogamous relationship between a man and a woman, committed to God and to each other.

Hebrews 13:4,
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

Sexual immorality is a very broad category: pornography, homosexuality, lesbianism, pedophilia, beastiality, sadomasochism, etc. Fornication is any type of sexual activity outside of marriage; adultery is any sexual relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse.

God declares His judgement upon on all forms of sexual immorality and those who live this way will be eternally condemned.

1Corinthians 6:9-11,
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

Half of that list of godless lifestyles have to do with sexual immorality. Do you see? These aren’t just sinful acts (we are all sinners), these are lifestyles that dominate unregenerate people and are opposed to God’s holiness; those who live this way will not go to heaven.

Any sexual activity outside of a God-ordained marriage is forbidden, and in fact is representative of those who are going to hell.

As believers and followers of Christ, we are to live self-controlled lives, not like those who have no morals, or ethics, or propriety or modesty. Our bodies should be dedicated to God, not to immorality, for God has mercifully granted us forgiveness and eternal life through Christ, we therefore should live to please God, and we should turn from all immorality.

Romans 12:1-2, …
“I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Read 1Thessalonians 4:6…
6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

This is indeed, at first read, ambiguous, for Paul has been talking about sexual immorality, and now he tells the believers they are not to transgress [sin against] or defraud [take advantage of] another believer [in this context it is talking about sexual sin]. This seems to imply a situation where a believer seeks to fulfill their own desires or to gain some sexual benefit at the expense of another believer. What a horrid thought!

Do any other passages speak to this issue? Look at the following:

1Corinthians 5:1-2,
“It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”

1Corinthians 5:9-13,
“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”

The church was allowing a man to commit adultery with his step-mother, and the church wasn’t doing anything about it. This had to be dealt with immediately and biblically, “Remove the wicked man from among you,” i.e., he is to be put out of the church (the local family of believers), until such a time as he repents and is restored, whether he was a believer in the first place is questionable, notice Paul calls him a “so-called” brother.

Ephesians 5:25,
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

Ephesians 5:28-33,
“So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”

Neither a husband nor a wife should use one another for the fulfillment of their own passions only, i.e., their love for each other should willingly put the other person’s needs first; although clearly, in Scripture, the responsibility is on the husband to love and care for his wife, and for the wife to respect his leadership, for this is what God desires.

Even in church leadership we see that God has ordained qualifications for those who would servant-lead in the church of God, that they are to be known for godliness, not impurity and lust

(Timothy 3:2),
“An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife.” The phrase “husband of one wife” is actually rendered more correctly in the Greek as, “a one-woman man,” i.e., he only has eyes for his own wife, if he is married; if he isn’t married, he doesn’t have lustful wandering eyes, but treats sisters in Christ with respect and charity.

1Peter 3:7,
“husbands… live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker [as with a weaker vessel], since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

Men and women both are to respect the differences between male and female.

Genesis 1:27
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2:7
“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Genesis 2:18
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”

Genesis 2:22-24
“The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”

God made men to be stronger — physically, emotionally, and constitutionally — and clearly husbands have the responsibility to protect and provide for their wife, and to lead their families; although, in the present culture, those are words that would most likely bring strong opposition from many people.

In 1Thessalonians 4:6 b …
6  because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

Paul makes it clear that the ultimate judge and avenger concerning these sins of sexual immorality [fornication] is the Lord Himself, evidently Paul had previously warned them about the consequences.

Read 1Thessalonians 4:7-8…
7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

God’s people are not to allow or condone incest, adultery, fornication, or any sexual promiscuity, nor misogyny (prejudice against females), misandry (prejudice against males), or any kind of sexually motivated belief or behavior, to be used in taking advantage of another believer.

Those who disobey this teaching and willfully commit sexual immorality are not rejecting man’s teaching, but that of God, who gives us the Holy Spirit so that we might live moral and holy lives, not immoral and unholy lives.

1Corinthians 6:18-20,
“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

God’s purpose in saving us out of the pagan world we live in, is to have a people of His very own who have been made holy because of Christ and set apart for the glory of God, that we might walk in a manner worthy of the calling of which we have become recipients, witnesses, and ambassadors of the gospel of salvation.

1Peter 2:9-12,
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Pastor Mike Hale