(012) Living and Loving Like Fathers: The Regular Practice of a Thriving Church

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1 Thessalonians 2:10–12 ESV
You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Paul makes a direct appeal to the memory and testimony of the Thessalonians concerning the missionaries' conduct.
He first called them to remember how they were treated as unbelievers.
Now he calls them to remember how they were treated as believers.
“You and God are witnesses to how we treated you as believers.”

1. Like fathers to their children, be an example to follow.

Witness to others - seen with their own eyes.
Paul says the Thessalonian believers were witness of their good conduct.
People are watching - for better or worse.
We need to understand that we are not an island.
Our lives are not independent.
The decisions we make WILL impact others.
For better or worse.
The call is for the church to follow Paul, Timothy, and Silas.
To imitate their example.
Paul tells them exactly what kind of example they were and what areas were being watched.
Remember that fathers must continually teach and input into our children.
So too we must continually work to instill this living in other Christians.
The work of the church is not limited to Sundays.
The work of the church needs everyone doing their part to help everyone grow.

A. They lived holy.

This is not the same word we think about: being set apart
Though it still follows that idea.
We could also say devoutly.
marked by a conscientious regard for divine law in a way pleasing to God.
to carefully fulfill the duties God gives to a person
1 Kings 8:51 ESV
(for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace).

A. They lived holy.

Holiness is not something we can put on and take off.
It begins in our heart and permeates through our whole being.
It becomes who we are.
Living set apart and fully devoted to God.

B. They lived righteous.

As much as holiness speaks of our devotion to God, righteousness is our outworking of that.
It refers to integrity, uprightness of character and behavior.
Paul is not speaking of the righteousness of the law, but the practical righteousness God works out in our lives has we surrender to Him.
Colossians 3:5–10 ESV
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

B. They lived righteous.

Putting to death earthly things and putting on the new self!
We live different.
We live surrendered to God’s will for our lives whatever that may be.
And we are an example to others by it.

C. They lived blameless.

If we are living our lives fully devoted to God and doing everything in a righteous manner, then we will be blameless. 
We will be able to pass the scrutiny of our critics.
The idea is not being able to find fault in someone.
They may claim to find fault but don’t give them a reason.
"People will say ugly things about you, but the important thing is to make sure the criticisms are not true. Paul and his companions maintained a holy life. A holy life does count. It has nothing to do with obtaining your salvation, but it has everything to do with the salvation of folk around you, because they are watching you.” (One Scholar)
Titus 3:1–2 ESV
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

C. They lived blameless.

2. Like fathers to their children, encourage one another.

Paul says: each one of you… this is personal.
We can’t do these things the same way with each person.
This isn’t a one size fits all.
Like our children, we need to know and understand them so we know how to interact with them.
EXHORT: The idea of calling to one’s side or coming alongside.
Encourage.
Walk with.
Not a one-time shot in the arm.
Strong support and trust that gives courage to others.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

2. Like fathers to their children, encourage one another.

This takes time just like raising our kids takes time and effort.
This takes an intentional commitment from us to others.

3. Like fathers to their children, comfort one another.

A gentle empathy that comes and stays alongside someone as they experience failures and distress in life.
This is not a one time thing, but STAYS alongside someone.
This goes beyond a Bible study or church gathering.
This is doing life together.
Continuing the practice of sharing our lives with others.
Life on life.

4. Like fathers to their children, urge one another.

This comes from a solemn view of a situation.
Urging has a clear view of what is right, leading a person through the maze of emotions and conflicts which can confuse an issue.
Others use the word “imploring” a passionate urging.
The verb translated “charged” carries with it the idea of bearing testimony out of one’s own spiritual journey. 
Sharing what you have gone through so that your children can avoid some of the pitfalls that you had to struggle with in your own faith.
Hebrews 10:24 ESV
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

4. Like fathers to their children, urge one another.

You can’t force someone to do what is right but you can keep urging them to do what is right.

All of this is done towards the goal of helping others walk in a manner worthy of God.

Paul gives the the importance of one-anothering.
But also the end goal of it.
The importance of it is to help others walk worthy of God.
That is the goal of it, not simply to fulfill another think on our checklist.
Discipling someone is simply a focused one another.
God determined to create a people who would bear his character and nature.
This was his intention even before creating Adam.
Despite the sin and rebellion of mankind, God has constantly pursued mankind revealing his character and nature to us.
Are we living lives worthy of that pursuit?
Are we living lives that reflect the character and nature of God?
Are we holy, righteous, and blameless?

A. A worthy walk requires a response to God’s call to salvation.

The Thessalonian believers responded to it.
The gospel came in power.
They recognized it as words from God not words of men.
They repented = they stopped following idols and turned to the true and living God.
John 3:1–3 ESV
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

A. A worthy walk requires a response to God’s call to salvation.

God is the one that approves us. (Paul says in Colossians)
Jesus fulfilled the requirements agains us on the cross.
We cannot earn salvation by a worthy walk, rather we have a worthy walk because of salvation.

B. A worthy walk requires us to walk.

Paul often uses the word “walk” to refer to our way of life.
Walk is a step by step process of making steady progress towards a destination.
To walk worthy we must make daily progress even if it is only one step.
Remember we are playing the long game!
This is a process.
There may be days we take a step back.
But walking means steady progress over time.
We need to remember this in our own lives.
We need to remember this in other’s lives.
You should point out progress to others because they won’t often see it.

C. A worthy walk is the highest standard of life.

There isn’t a higher goal than to walk worthy of our God.
Colossians 1:10 ESV
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

C. A worthy walk is the highest standard of life.

D. A worth walk takes place within the confines of God’s kingdom and glory.

We walk in submission to our new King.
We teach others how to do the same.
Our ultimate goal is to bring Him the glory He deserves.
We may not be there yet but we live in hope that one day we will be.
1 John 3:2–3 ESV
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

D. A worth walk takes place within the confines of God’s kingdom and glory.

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