First Thessalonians (9)
Notes
Transcript
A Love that Works
A Love that Works
Intro:
John MacArthur said, Christianity is a show-leather faith; a living, practical faith that hits the streets in normal, everyday life, affecting everything from believers’ simplest attitudes and most mundane actions to their profoundest thoughts and most noble deeds.
Thessalonica had become a model church in the region
Paul had already exhorted their love for each other in chapter 1:3-4.
Paul exhorted their example in 1:7-8
after Pauls commendation we can sense a problem
Paul had taught them about the soon return of Christ
some had taken this to far
Their zealous preoccupation with Christ’s return led to the mistaken notion that temporal responsibilities no longer mattered in light of His return.
the Thessalonian believers were allowing their excitement and enthusiasm for the return of Christ to overshadow their daily responsibilities as Christians.
As Christians we are to be looking to the eastern sky, all the while keeping our hand to the plow.
I am convinced that we need daily reminders and challanges to present ourselves in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.
There are many professors of the faith but few possessors
There needs to be a clear destiction between the two
We have an obligation to live in such a way that we are separate from the world but at the same time very active in the world.
because without thsoe that can shine a light in a dark world, the world will be forever doomed to live in darkness.
We were not put here to wait for His return, we were left here to work till He returns.
We may fail to realize it or just plainly deny it, but the world around us are watching our lives.
They have heard to many profess Christ, only to see their actions betray their words.
The world is looking for those that are real
Chris Benfield says it best, “We are walking, living, breathing testimonies to the grace of God.”
Lets live like it.
Application: This passage encourages us to move beyond the concept of love as a mere sentiment
Christian love is actively fulfilling the command to love through our actions.
By living out this love in practical ways, born again believers can transform our interactions with fellow brethren and the world and become a beacon of hope in our communities, demonstrating the reality of our faith in Christ.
So lets examine these four verses and see how we can have a love that works.
I. Love that Works is a Taught Trait
I. Love that Works is a Taught Trait
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
“But as” introduces a change in subject
Paul is going from sexual sin to brotherly love.
must not only abstain from impure forms of affection but exchange it for brotherly love
this would be the truest expression of regeneration
Love is not merely a warm feeling but a divine command.
This love originates from God and is something believers have been divinely taught.
our capacity to love comes from experiencing the love of God through Christ,
When you have experienced the love of God in your heart, this sets the foundation for understanding obedience to love others, which is an outward expression of faith.
True biblical love is a recurring NT theme, it always expresses itself in acts of service, meeting needs and sacrificially benefiting others.
Paul was not telling them to love
they already did this, (v10 explains Pauls reason for writing this.)
Love for others as a God given attribute is expressed by Paul in:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Christ declares that loving others is the 2nd greatest command
John declares that if we dont love others we dont have the love of the Father
We need to love each other to provide stability and strength as we live in this sinful world.
We need that love to keep our fellowship strong and divison from happening
A church that loves each other and those they interact with, is a strong church
Those that are loved and encouraged are less likely to fall or yeild to temptation.
Like a wife that feels loved or a husband that feels loved is less likely to fall
II. Love that Works is an Expanding Endeavor
II. Love that Works is an Expanding Endeavor
And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
Paul recognizes the church in Thessalonica already possess a love toward others
Their love was known throughout Macesdonia ,
he encourages them to excel at it.
to love even more.
he gave them a similar command in 4:1
he challenged them to “abound more and more” in their relationship with God.
In both cases his challenge is the same: “You are pursuing God, but you should pursue Him even more.” And, “You are loving one another; now love one another even more.*
This encouragement underlines the continual growth required in love.
Christian love is progressive and ever-expanding
This should inspire us believers to see our capacity for love
It does not stop with our friends and families
it is not just something you check off your to do list
it is ever-growing, mirroring Christ’s boundless love.
Paul uses the present tense of the verb love
meaning it is an ongoing activity
Peter encouraged his readers, (1 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
“unfeigned love” could literally be rendered “stretch out to the limits of love for one another.”
in view of the truth that Jesus is returning,
Paul urged the Thessalonians to love others more, not less.
they were to live in the hope of the Lord’s return, yet never lose sight of the priority of love.
III. Love that Works is a Demonstration of Devotion
III. Love that Works is a Demonstration of Devotion
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
Many Christians minimize or compartmentalize their faith.
They tuck their Christianity neatly away in their back pocket, backpack, or purse, as they head off to work, school, or their daily activities.
many Christians never see the direct link between their faith and their daily activities.
Their thinking may go something like this: employment is for working, school is for learning, leisure is for playing, and church is for Sunday. *
If you view life this way you are missing the whole point of your faith.
As Paul put it, Jesus is not a part of your life; Jesus is your life
Colossians 3:4 (KJV 1900)
When Christ, who is our life…
When you acknowledge this truth, you will no longer see Jesus as a part of your workday—you will see Him as the One who sets the agenda for how you work.
You will no longer see Him as a part of your school day—you will see Him as the One who sets the agenda for how you study.
You will no longer see Him as a part of your daily schedule—you will see Him as the One who sets the agenda for how you schedule your days.*
The Thessalonians were known for their love towards each other in the church but they needed to love others outside of the church
and Paul knew the simplest way to demonstrate their love and respect for others was to work diligently at everything they did.
One commentator but it like this:
Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians You Do Your Work Diligently (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
Non-Christians must be given no pretext for thinking that Christians were unprofitable members of society. The church could not discharge its ministry of witness and reconciliation in the world unless its members adorned the gospel with their lives as well as their lips. (Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 93)
Paul says there are three ways to demonstrate your devotion to God that will be an outward expression of a love for others.
Study to be quiet
Study to be quiet
- (Study here means to Aim or aspire)
(To be quiet means to lead a life free from disruption or commotion)
No Christian should be engaged in a mob;
none us should be identified with the popular excitements or extremism which leads to disorder and to the disregard of the laws.
Now this does not mean we dont stand up for what is right in God’s eyes
it means we are to do it decently and in order.
You can make a bigger impact for Christ by standing still, holding a sign and keeping your mouth shut then you can shouting and chanting.
This also does not mean we should not preach in the streets, we should do it with calmness and respect.
There may come times we have to get loud and make our voices heard but we can still do it with honor and respect.
do your own business
do your own business
- attend to ones own concerns
To attend to their own concerns, without interfering with the affairs of others
This is a beautiful precepts of Christianity
we should promote the good order and the happiness of society.
Minding our own business prevents the prying into others affairs.
Now this does not mean to turn a blind eye to lawlessness or immorality
if it is openly being done, it should openly be rebuked and condemned
I can teach you what the Bible says about holy living and I can lead this church on the right path, but once you leave here and enter into your own four walls my leadership ends.
What you do within your four walls is your business I pray you live there like you do at church.
work with your own hands
work with your own hands
- Accomplish your own work
Work enables us to live with dignity and purpose.
Pauls reference to working with your own hands may be an indication that many of the Thessalonian believers had working class jobs, which required manual labor but had quit
quite possibly many of them were subjected to slave labor.
Perhaps they thought that they were freed from the tyranny of their work.
Greek culture frowned upon any type of manual labor.
Only slaves were fit to perform certain jobs.
Hard work, toil, and sweat were viewed as demeaning and undignified.
God’s view of work is very different from that of the Greeks. And very different from that of today’s society, where laziness and leaching have become the norm.
As believers we are not to neglect our responsibility to work.
Paul warned the Thessalonian’s and us againt being lazy in his second letter 2Thess.3:10-11
2 Thessalonians 3:10–11 (KJV 1900)
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
We honor Him by working diligently with our hands
Hard work is the means by which God sustains us. Gen 3.
The world may work and live by doing just enough to get by but God raises the bar for us when it comes to how we are to live and work.
Nothing about our lives is insignificant
Everything we do sends a message to the word about what we believe.
From our words to our work, we are accountable to God
Paul’s challenge to “work with your own hands” (4:11c) is a powerful reminder that the Christian faith is a practical faith.
It goes far beyond what happens in a church building at 11 a.m. on Sunday; it affects your life from 9 to 5 on Monday through Friday.
Our faith goes to work with us.
If our faith is real on Sunday at church, then it will be just as real on Monday in the office.
The most tangible way that we can express love to others is passionately to live out our faith in the world.
We do this by not being a nuisance to those within and without the church; by not being a busy body in other mens matters and by being serious about how faithfully we live our lives outside of the church.
IV. Love that Works is a Walking Witness
IV. Love that Works is a Walking Witness
That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Paul sums up verses 1-12 by stating why his instruction is so important.
He made similar statements in many of his letters
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Mark Howell makes a great observation:
Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians You Live Your Life Purposefully (1 Thessalonians 4:12)
In this verse Paul makes two significant statements: God never intended for the church to be isolated from its world, and God never intended for His church to be dependent on the world.
God did not establish His church to be buildings dotting the landscapes of towns, cities, and countrysides.
In fact, God never intended for His church to be a building at all.
church buildings are important and necessary, but Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could build buildings.
He died on the cross to redeem a people.
and once redeemed, His Children have a job to do
Peter describes the purpose of His redeemed people: (1 Pet 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
He has called us out to make a difference in His world by proclaiming His Good News.
While no Christian would disagree with that statement, not every believer understands how this is supposed to happen.
the Bible gives us two specific ways that we do this.
First, we are to preach the gospel with our lips
First, we are to preach the gospel with our lips
God has chosen to use the foolishness of preaching to bring those that would believe to the foot of the cross.(1 Cor 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Second, we proclaim the gospel through our Changed lives
Second, we proclaim the gospel through our Changed lives
The changed lives of believers also preach the Good News.
Peter made this clear when he said; 1Pet.2:12
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
I want to be clear, Peter is not saying that a silent witness is a substitute for preaching, but he is saying that the world judges the validity of your words by the conduct of your life.
Paul is making this point to the Thessalonians:
the message that we preach and the life that we live are inseparable.
Paul made this point to others that he wrote to as well.
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Paul concludes the verse by saying, that ye may lack nothing.
The Church should not rely on the world to meet their needs, it is God that suppleth our every need.
One commentator put it this way:
“.… Christians must aim not to be dependent on anybody, especially those outside the church who will take a poor view of them if their religion makes them a public nuisance and burden.”
Lazy, non-working, unproductive, and inconsiderate Christians who depend on other to meet their needs, do little to meet the needs of others.
Paul preventive correction to this kind of lifestyle is very straight forward:
Live with Heaven on your mind so that you have a love that works!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
A preacher named Ron Hutchcraft tells the story of meeting a woman from his church. Upon greeting her, he asked, “What do you do for a living?” With a huge grin she replied, “Pastor, I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ—cleverly disguised as a machine operator!”
That woman clearly understood that her faith meant something.
She got it.
Paul did not want the Thessalonians to forget that their faith really mattered.
He taught them that their Christianity should show up in the most basic aspects of their lives—including their relationships and their jobs. *
The profound truth of salvation is imminently practical. *
God did not save them to sit around and wait for heaven.
Yes, heaven was their home, but their city was their mission field.
The same is true for us.
If we are looking for a practical way that we can take the gospel to our “unreached people group” at work, school, or in our neighborhood, the place to begin is with Paul’s practical teaching.
We have to live out externally what Jesus has done for us internally.*
In other words, we’ve got to live out our faith.
Put forth a Love that Works.
remember the love of God that is in you should always be growing, to go beyond the four walls of the church
Remember your to do everything as a demonstration of devotion seeking God’s approval
and Remember Your life is to be a walking witness showing the love of God not only in word but in deed.
We should live with purpose, asking God to make us sensitive to how we are living in front of the world.
love is essential not only as a feeling but as a command that should yield fruit in the way we live and interact with others.
Brotherly love is the embodiment of Christ’s ultimate expression of love;
His obedience to the Father, (became flesh and dwelt among us)
His service to others (and rising from supper he removed his outer garment and took a towel)
and His sacrificial love for humanity (became obedient unto death even the death of the cross)
serve as the standard for how we are to love one another.
Our love reflects His love and serves as a witness to the world.
When we are Living out our love through obedience to God’s command
it transforms our lives and the lives of those around us,
it showcases the radical love of Christ to a world in desperate need of hope, unity and salvation.
May be you are here this morning and have never experiecned the love of God in your own heart, may I encourage you this very minunte to come to the foot of the cross and be saved today, so you to can begin living with heaven on your mind with a love the works.
*Some thoughts were taken from Mark Howell, David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015)
