1 Thessolonians 5:14-15

How to Biblically Help One Another

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

Plural Noun Proposition: In 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, Paul urges you to help challenging fellow believers in six extremely loving ways.

I. Admonish the Idle

Admonition is a loving attempt to correct another’s attitude or behaviour. Christians, as brothers and sisters that love one another, we are to admonish fellow believers. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12 “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,” Paul sets up this admonition by telling the church to respect those that admonish you, or correct you lovingly. This command is not only for leaders in the church but also for all believers who should be ministering to one another.

Correcting someone is hard, isn’t it? Maybe because when we see someone else sin, we remember our own sins and feel like a hypocrite. But we must remember, as a church we should be lovingly helping each other stay on the narrow path. If I’m out of line or just coasting along in a slumber in my safe Christian life in Hutchinson, Ks. one of you needs to wake me up and correct me. This is exactly what the word “idle” here means in this text, someone who is out of line, or a military term which means wandered out of rank.

Some of you have been given such wonderful gifts from God to be used for the church, yet you are playing it safe. You are ok with hanging out with Core, going to church on Sundays, but evangelism…too busy, prayer night…too busy. Yet you make time for what’s important to you, don’t you.

Opening Up 1 Thessalonians Love One Another (vv. 14–15)

Charles Spurgeon says that ‘the most likely man to go to hell is the man who has nothing to do on earth. Idle people tempt the devil to tempt them. If I throw myself down in idleness, like an old piece of iron, I must not wonder that I grow rusty with sin.’ The idle are those who are out of step with others, like soldiers who do not keep ranks. They are loafers and meddlers, who refuse to work and expect others to look after them. They must be warned to live God-honouring lives and to earn the bread they eat. They certainly must not be supported in their laziness.

In Mark 16:14 “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.”

Here, Jesus admonishes his disciples for their lack of faith and hard hearts.

In 1 Corinthians 4:14 “I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.”

Acts 20:31 “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

How do you admonish the idle?

I remember one time, a long time ago, Evelyn decided to lie to her momma. And so Ashlie sat her down and explained her sin to her and her punishment and then she asked Evelyn, are you ever going to lie again? And Evelyn looked up with those beautiful big eyes, full of tearful repentance, and she said, yes mom, I will sin again, I’m a sinner!”

Admonish with love, so that it will hopefully lead to repentance.

I think one of the best ways is to invite them to join you in your ministry endeavors. Are you discipling someone? Ask them if your “idle” brother or sister could join you. Are you thinking of going to or starting a bible study or book study? Invite your “idle” friend.

Another good way is to ask them what are they reading in their bible, how is their prayer life, what areas of ministry are they interested in serving in? Just accountability questions.

If you do happen to witness them in blatant sin or outright isolation, it may be wise to get a mutual friend to come with you and let them know how much you love them and care for their soul and want them to love and enjoy their salvation with their Savior. It is not easy to correct someone else, just make sure you do it with love and with goal of them to worship and glorify the Lord.

II. Encourage the fainthearted

Encourage means to comfort or console. Especially the fainthearted.

Circumstances and the fallenness of life can make even the steadiest believers lose heart sometimes. Sudden tragedy happens and catches us off guard, weariness, exhaustion, self-centeredness, all of these things can cause us to want to drop out of the race that God has laid before us.

**Woman with dying husband/last exhale here, next inhale is heaven**

Acts 14:19–22 “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Nothing encourages the fainthearted more than God’s word. In it contains the words of so many saints that went through trials and tribulations, only to find more of Christ on the other side.

How do we encourage the fainthearted?

Take them to the bible, read the stories of the suffering servants of God and how he redeemed them.

There are also stories of faithful men and women in missionary biographies and the recordings of Christian martyrs who, though physical death was coming for them, eternal life was waiting for them.

When Jesus foretells of Peter’s Denial, Luke 22:31–32 ““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””

I think the best way to encourage one another, is to pray for one another together. Here Jesus tells Peter that he has prayed for him, that his faith may not fail. Have you ever prayed for someone like that? Do you pray for their trial to end or do you pray for their faith to remain steadfast and at the end of their trial, may they praise God’s name, and tell of his goodness and faithfulness to strengthen their brothers and sisters?

III. Help the weak

Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””

Romans 14:1 “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

Romans 15:1–3 “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.””

Simply, bear the burdens and the failings of those who are weaker in the faith, in love. Help them.

It’s hard to ask for help sometimes, so if you see one another in need of help, don’t wait for them to ask, just help.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3203 Feeding One Another in Heaven

A man had just arrived in Heaven, told Peter how grateful he was to be in such a glorious place, and asked Peter to give him one glimpse into Hades in order that he might appreciate his good fortune even more. This Peter did.

In Hades he saw a long table extending as far as the eye could reach, laden down with the most delicious of all varieties of foods. But everyone around the table was starving to death. When asked for an explanation, Peter said, “Everyone is required to take food from the table only with four-foot-long chopsticks. They are so long that no one can reach the food from the table to his mouth, and therefore each one is dying of starvation.”

Quickly they returned to Heaven, and behold, the new arrival saw an identical table, laden down with identical foods, but everyone around the table was happy and well fed. Then he said to Peter: “With what do they take the food from the table?” and Peter answered, “Only with four-foot-long chopsticks.” At that the new arrival inquired: “Then why are all those in Hades starving to death while all those up here are so well fed and happy?” Whereupon Peter replied: “In Heaven we feed each other.”

Is it sin? help. Is it doubt? help. Is it worry? help. Is it lack of faith? help. Is it hunger? help. Is it clothes? help.

Is it hard to help people, not at first. Someone needs help…no problem, and you step in and help. Then, next week, that person has the same problem…no problem, you think, and you step in and help. This goes on for months, years, sometimes decades. When should you stop helping each other? I don’t think you can. Jesus says to forgive, seventy-times-seven, which means to never stop forgiving and I would venture to say, never stop helping. Your reward for helping is not here, it’s coming.

Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

Matthew 25:45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

Don’t ever give up on the weak, point them to Christ for as long as it takes, who else will they turn to?

IV. Be Patient

This kind of goes along with what I was just talking about. Be patient in helping, in correcting, and in encouraging. Everyone is different, the Lord is responsible for each ones salvation and he’s responsible for each one’s sanctification.

1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant”

2 Timothy 2:24–25 “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,”

In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus tells the story of a servant who owed his master an astronomical amount of money

Matthew 18:25–27 “And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.”

This is a story of God’s forgiveness and patience with you. And if you continue reading that parable, the servant is not patient with a fellow servant and chokes him for not paying him back. He is delivered to the jailers for his unforgiving and impatient heart.

God continues to be patient with you, through all of your sin and sloppiness, do the same for one another.

When I was living in California, my favorite restaurant was 7-11. Every apartment I moved into had to be near a 7-11. I went there everyday. Well one time road construction had begun on the street right in front of the 7-11, so in order for me to get there, I had to drive past it, wait at a light that didn’t have a left hand turn signal, oh and it was no U-turn, so I had to go down the block, pull into another drive-way, back out, then go across the lanes to the right lane. Take a right, then wait, because it was down to a single lane, pull into the 7-11 parking lot, through cones, and dust, and loud noise, and on the sign in front of the store it said, “Open during construction…thank you for your patience!” I think that is a good illustration of the Christian life, you are all under construction, you are messy, you take a long time to get to the heart of the matter, sometimes you can be really loud, but as long as you are open, and your friend is patient, you will get there. And there is safe into the arms of Christ, when we don’t have to be patient anymore, because we will finally be with him.

V. See That No One Seeks Revenge

Romans 12:17–21 “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

If you see that someone has a vengeful heart, steer them to these verses. Vengeance is the Lord’s. It is so much easier said than done, but sometimes our greatest need of rescue is from ourselves.

VI. Seek to Do Good

Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone

All of these commands to help one another goes for brothers and sisters in Christ

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Nine: It’s All in the Family (1 Thessalonians 5:12–28)

Every church family has its Doubting Thomas or its Gloomy Gus. To see them and listen to them is like witnessing an autopsy, or diving into a cold lake on a winter’s day. God wants His family to be happy, and that means that each member must contribute to the joy.

but also to everyone you may come across, even an enemy or persecutor.

That even though they seek your pain and suffering, you know that everything is from God, therefore you love them and you forgive, and maybe God will soften their heart from your expression of love and willingness to seek their good.

On February 15, 2015, Libyan Islamic State (IS) militants released video footage of the martyrdom of Coptic Christian men in Libya. The footage of their martyrdom included a caption that read, “The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church.” The 21 men who knelt before their persecutors were identified as ‘people of the cross,’ and asked to deny their faith or die. Many of the men are seen uttering their final words on this earth — “يسوع المسيح, Rabbina Yesua, (Lord Jesus Christ).”

While it was reported that all of the men where Coptic Christians from poor villages in Upper Egypt, it was later discovered that this wasn’t the case. One of the men martyred that day was identified as Mathew Ayairga a young man from Chad. He is believed to not have been a Christian before kneeling in the sand beside the ‘people of the cross.’ But, witnessing the courage and faith of the Egyptian Christians, he also chose to follow Jesus. Mere moments before Matthew was executed, his executors are seen asking, “Do you reject Christ?” His reply was, “Their God is my God.” And then he was executed, leaving his earthly body for his eternal abode.

I am reminded that the cross is much weightier than a verse in a song I sing, or a design on a shirt I wear. For a follower of Jesus Christ, it is a literal exchange. His life for mine, and my life for His. Death for life.

“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” – John 15:20

A brother of two of the Christian men martyred that day went on live television to thank IS for including their faith-filled words in the media released to the world.

The families of the Christian men martyred on the shores of Libya publicly forgave their persecutors, echoing the words of the One they follow.

“While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.'” – Luke 23:34

How should you respond when someone comes to admonish you, encourage you, help you, is patient with you, redirects your vengeful heart, and only seeks to do good for you? Humble yourself and see the Lord in your friend’s effort to help you. Don’t let pride make you miss out on the blessing of a loving relationship with fellow believers and with your Savior.

And in doing all of these things for one another is out of a desire or motive for your own appreciation and praise, you will probably end up being burned out from disappointment. But if your motive is for God to be glorified and to be a servant for Jesus’ sake, you will never be disappointed. Help one another friends.