A Model For Excellence
Lessons From First Thessalonians (series) • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Title - A Model For Excellence
Series - Lessons From First Thessalonians, Part 4
Text -
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.
For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.
For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,
1 Thessalonians 4.9-12
Word Definition
Excel - grk. perisseuo, exceed, be present in superabundance, prove extremely rich
Excel - to be abundant or plentiful; to exist large quantities
Specifically, Paul was exhorting the church to abound in the things that he has instructed them about
Generally, Paul is exhorting the church not to be contented with enough manifestation of godly character, but to produce or manifest them in large quantities
Main Points
Main Points
The call to excellence
The call to excellence
The common practice: excel in your strength
School teachers inspire the students to excel in their natural abilities
Psychology teaches us to tap into our strength and set aside our weakness
The biblical practice: excel where you are weak
The Word of God addresses our problems, teaches us to recognize our weakness, instructs us how to overcome them, and then excel in the matter.
Example:
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
Revelation 2.1-7
Jesus commends the Ephesian church
Jesus identifies the church’s problem: you have left your first love
Jesus instructs the church to recognize, and overcome the problem
Paul exhorts the Thessalonian believers to excellence
Paul exhorts the Thessalonian believers to excellence
In Sanctified living
For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.
For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.
So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
1 Thessalonians 4.2-
the saints struggled with fornication, a practice learned from their years in sinful living
Sanctification was God’s will for you
Sanctification is manifested when you learn how to “master” your bodies
to reject sanctification is to reject God who gives to you His Holy Spirit
In Love towards one another
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,
the saints have learned how to love one another
the saints’ love is spreading all over Macedonia
Paul exhorts them to keep it up and excel still
In Honest living towards the unbelieving
and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,
so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.
the church struggled with members who have become a burden to other people
For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.
Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.
2 Thessalonians 3.10-1
make it your “ambition” to
lead a quiet life
be busy with your own work
work with your own hands
this is good testimony to outsiders
Where can we Excel?
Where can we Excel?
What are the most common struggles of our people?
Do we have the same problems with the Thessalonian church?
sanctification
love
honest living
How can we address them?
Do we have other problems that we need to address in order to excel?
Every church has its shortcomings
it is composed of broken people
everyone is going through the healing process
Every church has the potential to excel!
But we must address our shortcomings. We cannot set aside our shortcomings and focus on the strengths.
Examples:
But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
Example:
2 Corinthians 8.
this “gracious work” is giving as manifested by the churches in Macedonia ()
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
Revelation 3.1-4
Christ calls on the church to wake up and strengthen the things that remain!
Conclusion
Conclusion
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1.9-11
Song: Sovereign Over Us