Comfort and Strength for Good Works and Words
Blameless at His Coming: A Sanctified Church Awaiting a Promised Savior • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 9 views(Main point: The evidence of the Spirit’s sanctifying work is good words and words.) Paul expressed his gratitude for what God had done in the lives of the Thessalonians. He saved them, not just in what they are saved from, but in what they are saved to become. Paul prayed for “our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father,” to continue strengthening these Christians. God doesn’t just expect people to do good through their own strength and will. He sanctifies through the Spirit, strengthening and encouraging our hearts, so that we become people whose works and words are good and glorifying to him.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
* It’s Senior Sunday, so it’s a good opportunity to ask: What do you want to be when you grow up?
- [2021 Survey] “What do you U.S. teens want to be when they grow up?”
- Boys: Professional Athlete, YouTuber, Musician, Professional Gamer, Doctor/Nurse
- Girls: Doctor/Nurse, Actress, Musician, Artist, YouTuber
* So, what about YOU?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- Regardless of your age
- As long as you’re alive, you should be growing, so what are you growing into?
What are your dreams and aspirations?
What are your dreams and aspirations?
Maybe you have career aspirations…retirement aspirations
Maybe you aspire to be married or have kids
Maybe you aspire to travel or own something in particular
Maybe you aspire to REST
As followers of Jesus, what sorts of aspirations should we have? Does God tells? Can anyone tell you what your aspirations should be?
Biblical Text:
Biblical Text:
Go back to 1 Thessalonians for a moment…
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Love One Another
Not about how you feel toward, but about how treat, others.
Means, take care of each other’s needs
Aspire to…
Live Quietly - “refrain from disturbing activity, be peaceable/orderly” (BDAG)
Mind your own affairs - take care of your own responsibilities
Work with your own hands
In the next letter, Paul will have to scold them, because some are not obeying this rule
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
“doing good” - that’s the KEY to all of this, isn’t it?
Christian aspirations should sound something like…
“I want to live a quiet and peaceable life.”
“As I am able, I want to take care of my own financial responsibilities.”
“I want to do good by caring for the needs of others with what I have and what I can do.”
This is what the SANCTIFIED life is all about…
13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
firstfruits to be saved
doesn’t mean best
just means, first with many more to come
Saved through…
Sanctification - Set apart / made holy by the Spirit
Belief in the truth
…so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ
Our salvation is not complete until we “obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”
We will be glorified with him
That should be our TRUE ASPIRATION, to be found blameless at his coming
It isn’t that worldly aspirations are too HIGH, but that they are too low
Millionaire, billionaire, rockstar, celebrity…psh! That’s NOTHING
15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
God is saving them, here’s their job…
Stand firm
Hold on tight
Don’t let anything move you from your firm faith in Christ
persecutions
false teaching
outside influences
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
What is Paul praying God will do with their hearts?
Comfort - Encourage / Exhort
Establish - Strengthen
…in every good WORK and WORD
every good thing you DO and SAY
every good DEED and WORD
Paul is praying that all of of their good WORKS and WORDS will continue
So many McDermott Road members that I’m praying that for:
All of our elders and their wives
Monnie and Jan Cates
Jerry and JoNell Pyle
Vickie Hudson
Brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe
What makes our works and words GOOD?
Not just, do you enjoy them?
Not, do they fulfill you?
But rather, do they glorify God?
Do they admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak (1 Thess 5:14)?
Application:
Application:
this needs to be our aspiration
Do good WORKS and speak good WORDS.
Do good WORKS and speak good WORDS.
That you’re already doing…
may God comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word
That you aspire to do…
motivate
encourage
help
show patience
Invitation:
Invitation:
Once again, the power to do this work and speak these words is not from WITHIN, but from above
It’s God who
empowers
strengthens
comforts
