Stack Love Upon Love

FOCUS:

Anchored in sacrificial love

Motivated by unshakeable hope

Marked by holy living

In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12; God calls us to overflow in love through quiet faithfulness, trusting that authentic Christian living draws others to Him more powerfully than self-promotion ever could.

Introduction:

Our text today, has us where we see Paul celebrating the work of this church… I’m grateful I get to celebrate you today as well… it’s appropriate.

Providing meals to those who have undergone surgery or experienced loss in the family.

The way you give of your time, money, heart, and skills to come alongside the church body and meet needs both known and unknown—without wanting recognition or applause. (I have the unique vantage point to see this.)

The way you step in and offer physical labor and willing hands to help those with expressed needs.

The way you step in to prepare the houses we own, transforming them into homes for those who need them.

The way you see people beyond their labels and perceived diagnoses or challenges.

The way you offer up opportunities and resources to help our youth go to camp, serve others, and know Jesus more through their youth group experiences.

The way you gently invite others to come and see, inviting them to participate in this beautiful family for no other reason than that they might experience the same sense of belonging and love that you do.

Taking trauma-informed care classes to learn how we might love people well—learning to move from asking "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?"

Supporting new missionaries this year and endeavoring to bring the gospel and the Word of God into the heart language of the Kony people in Kenya.

Supporting and being used by God to encourage a local church planter who is planting a church in Silverdale.

These are just some of the things that I know of... and I do know that there are things that have happened out of generosity and love that I am NOT aware of. Well done, church. Well done.

Here's the thing—we're not done yet. We have more opportunity for more good. We have opportunity to express God's love in our hearts outward to each other and to our local community. Like the church in Thessalonica, we can be encouraged for our works as unto the Lord, and we're also exhorted to keep it up and keep going!

If you have your Bibles or devices with you, please turn to 1 Thessalonians 4, where we'll read verses 9 through 12 together.

If you are willing and able, please stand as I read God’s word this morning… this is the word of the Lord

Pray… please be seated.

"Do This More and More" (v. 10)

The Thessalonians weren't trying to earn God's approval through their love—they were loving because they had already received God's approval. There's a huge difference between striving to be adequate and being invited into abundance. One exhausts us; the other energizes us. One makes us keep score; the other makes us generous.

God's delight in what they're already doing

John 15:9–12 ““As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

3 John 3–4 “It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

The invitation to abundance, not adequacy

I'm convinced that left to our own devices, we will always be aware of our own lack and insufficiency. We'll always find the place where we're not measuring up, where we're feeling that we are not doing enough, where we're falling short. But keeping our eyes on Jesus allows us to live in the abundant life that He gives—a life that knows difficulty but despite that is full of love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness.

Notice what Paul doesn't say here. He doesn't say, "You need to love better" or "You're not loving enough." He says, "Do this more and more." It's the language of overflow, not obligation. When Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly," He wasn't talking about barely scraping by spiritually. He was talking about a life so full of God's love that it naturally spills over onto others.

When we live from God's abundance rather than our own adequacy, we stop asking, "Have I done enough?" and start asking, "What more can I give?" It's the same actions, but completely different motivation. And that difference changes everything.

Highlight current examples from church family

It would have been enough for us to property manage the houses on our property for those in need. But you have continued to make these houses homes for those who have found it difficult to find adequate housing.

It would have been enough to have a camp experience where it’s about the lives of our students having a good experience and hearing about Jesus, but our youth seek to go to a camp where they embody what it means to follow Jesus and are transformed by walking in His footsteps through service to those often overlooked in our society serving with Joni & Friends.

It would have been enough to pray for our schools, teachers, students, administration, but you have sought every year to encourage and bless them through cards, snacks, and items that remind them that they are loved, appreciated, and prayed for.

"Lead a Quiet Life" (v. 11a)

What quiet living looks like in a noisy world

To bring us back to our focus statement: God calls us to overflow in love through quiet faithfulness, trusting that authentic Christian living draws others to Him more powerfully than self-promotion ever could."

Self-promotion asks: "How can this make me look good?"Kingdom visibility asks: "How can this serve others and point to God?"

Some practical markers:

Kingdom Visibility:

Content flows naturally from your calling/work

Focus stays on the message, not the messenger

You're comfortable with others getting credit

Mistakes and struggles aren't hidden

Success doesn't inflate your sense of worth

You can step back from platforms without identity crisis

Self-Promotion:

Crafting image becomes the primary goal

Constantly angling for more followers/likes/shares

Taking credit feels essential

Presenting a curated, flawless version of yourself

Platform growth drives decisions

Your worth gets tied to engagement metrics

When thinking through things that others might/will notice: Are these done because they genuinely serve/love people or because you want to build your brand? Both can look identical from the outside, but the heart motivation is usually pretty clear to us internally.

Paul himself was quite visible - he traveled, spoke publicly, wrote letters that circulated widely. But his driving question was always "What will build up the church?" not "What will build up Paul?"

The connection between authentic love and humble living

Authentic love goes out from us not looking to see what we can get out of it.

Humble living is about living within our means and not trying to find status or security by looking at someone else.

Authentic love recognizes that the influence, status, resources, and gifts are those that can be used for God’s glory and the betterment of others.

Humble living means that we can seek to live within our means so we can bless others out of our means.

Authentic love is free to love the "wrong" people - those who can't repay or elevate us - because it's not transactional.

Humble living frees us from the exhausting work of image management, giving us energy to actually see and serve people.

Authentic love + humble living creates a sustainable rhythm. We're not burning out trying to impress people or leveraging relationships for advancement. This combination actually makes us more trustworthy and influential over time, not less.

Jesus had ultimate status and resources but lived with radical simplicity, creating maximum capacity to pour out for others.

His influence came through laying down status, not accumulating it.

Jesus as our model of powerful, quiet influence

Jesus often times told people to not tell others about what he did for them (it rarely ever worked). While I think it was strategic, it begs the question, why would he do this?

The leper in Mark 1:43-44: "See that you don't tell this to anyone"

After raising Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5:43.

After healing the deaf mute man in Mark 7:36.

After healing two blind men in Matthew 9:30.

Jesus, through His words and actions, was showing Himself to be the Messiah— the promised one of God who would come and set us free. But there were characteristics about Him that would identify Him to the people:

Isaiah 53:2 “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”

Isaiah 42:3 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;”

Isaiah 42:1 ““Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” (A servant does not exalt themselves)

Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

"Work with Your Hands" (v. 11b)

Excellence in our everyday callings

Work was a gift at the beginning of creation… man and woman were put in the garden to tend and cultivate it (Genesis 1:27-28)

God flips work on its head from self-centered to others-centered for the follower of Jesus: Ephesians 4:28 “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Work as worship, not just witness

The medieval church taught that some work was "sacred" (priests, monks) and other work was "secular" (farmers, cobblers, parents). But when we're justified by faith alone, every calling becomes sacred. The cobbler's work is just as valuable as the priest's because neither earns salvation through their work.

This changes everything about how we approach our daily work:

We're free to serve excellently - not trying to earn God's approval, but expressing it

Every job becomes ministry - the mother caring for children, the farmer growing food, the blacksmith making tools - all are serving neighbors and reflecting God's character

God doesn't need our work, but our neighbor does - our excellence in everyday tasks is how God provides for others through us

When we do our work "in faith, in joy of heart, in obedience and gratitude to God," it's pleasing to the Lord. Your diligent work with your hands, your excellent parenting, your faithful service in whatever calling - these aren't second-tier activities compared to "ministry." They ARE ministry.

The quiet excellence of the Thessalonians in their everyday work wasn't separate from their love for each other - it was the very expression of it. When we work with integrity and skill, we're loving our neighbors by serving them well.

How diligent service draws people naturally

When people experience this type of genuine love, service, and authentic expression of the inward reality of what Jesus has done for us… it’s attractive. It’s other worldly. There really isn’t another thing like it that I have experienced.

European/Southern hospitality- Beautiful on the front end, but often times (when not gospel-informed) there is a limitation and end to such things for many or varied reasons.

European/Southern hospitality often has these characteristics:

Image-driven: The focus is on how things look - the perfect table setting, the right impression, maintaining reputation

Conditional: Extended to the "right" people - those who can reciprocate, enhance social standing, or fit certain expectations

Exhausting: Requires constant performance and can't be sustained authentically

Transactional: There's an unspoken expectation of return - social capital, reciprocal invitations, maintaining relationships that benefit you

Limited: Has natural boundaries based on social circles, economic status, or cultural expectations

Gospel-informed hospitality, by contrast:

Love-driven: The focus is on serving and blessing others, not creating an impression

Unconditional: Extended to anyone God puts in your path - the "wrong" people, those who can't repay

Sustainable: Flows from God's abundance in you, not your own resources or energy

Generous: No hidden expectations or need for return

Limitless: Boundaries are set by wisdom and capacity, not by social acceptability

The "limitation and end" you can experience likely comes when:

The social benefit runs out

The performance becomes too costly to maintain

You can't reciprocate at the expected level

You don't fit the social template anymore

The relationship doesn't serve their image or interests

Conclusion

Challenge: What would it look like to love more while living quieter this week?

This week, I want to challenge you to start a quiet revolution in your corner of the world:

Pick One Ordinary Moment: Choose one regular, everyday activity this week - your commute, grocery shopping, a work meeting, helping with homework - and ask yourself: "How can I bring the overflow of God's love into this ordinary moment?" Maybe it's the way you treat the cashier, the patience you show in traffic, or the excellence you bring to a mundane task.

Practice Anonymous Generosity: Do something generous this week that no one will ever know you did. Pay for someone's coffee behind you. Leave encouraging notes. Fix something that's broken without taking credit. Experience the joy of giving without the applause but the pleasure of your Father who is in Heaven.

Love the Unnoticed: Look for someone this week who typically goes unnoticed - the janitor, the person eating alone, the overwhelmed parent at the store - and find a simple way to see them, acknowledge them, serve them. No social media posts. No telling others about it. Just love.

Embrace Your Calling: Whatever work you do with your hands this week - whether it's changing diapers, writing reports, teaching kids, or fixing engines - do it as an act of worship. Pray over it. Ask God to use your excellence to serve your neighbors. See your work as your ministry.

The 24-Hour Test: Before you post something, share something, or do something visible, give it 24 hours and ask: "Am I doing this to serve others and point to God, or to build my own image?" Trust that God sees your hidden faithfulness and let that be enough.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Love who's in front of you. And watch how God uses your quiet faithfulness to draw others to Himself in ways you'll never even know about.

The most powerful influence happens when we're not trying to be influential. The greatest impact comes when we're simply overflowing with God's love. That's the Thessalonian way. That's the way of Jesus.