The Power of an Ordinary Life

One of the great things about the Bible is the fact that so much of it is so very practical and contemporary.

Sure, there are sections of the Bible that are largely historical, but even those texts often teach foundational truths that can and should be applied to life in America in 2018.

But when we come to a passage like the passage we will study today, we can clearly see how what was written to a group of Christians living in Europe almost 2,000 years ago, is still very relevant for believers today.

1 Thessalonians 4:9–12

9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

There is an idea that has spread across Christianity—so much so that it has become common sense for many people in the church. You see, many who follow Jesus have become convinced that to be useful to God they must do something extraordinary for God.

But the uncommon sense we see from the verses we just read is that God uses ordinary people, doing ordinary things, to make Him known to the world.

Take a second and think about what Paul was writing to that group of believers who were not really that different from us. Did Paul give instructions that were outrageous? Did Paul call them to accomplish some extraordinary feat of faith?

No!

Paul told them to do very ordinary things, but by doing those ordinary things faithfully, consistently, passionately, they could make an extraordinary impact in the world.

As we begin to consider what the Bible is teaching us, we need to understand that Paul was dealing with a group of people who were still very young in the faith. He was writing to a group of people who were doing well—they were known for their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope in the Lord Jesus.

They were a group of people who patterned their lives after the lives of Paul and his missionary team—they followed the example that was set for them by those who brought the gospel to them.

They were a group of people, however, who were trying to live for Jesus Christ in a culture that was completely pagan, and they were, no doubt, being pressured by a society that did not accept Christianity.

Paul was naturally concerned about them, so he wrote this section of the letter to strengthen their faith by teaching them what they needed to know to live as people who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In the preceding verses, Paul urged the believers in Thessalonica to continue to live in a way that pleases God and to continue to grow as followers of the Lord Jesus by abstaining from all sexual immorality.

Then, beginning with the first words of verse nine, Paul pivots from the previous topic (abstaining from sexual immorality) to a new set of instructions for his readers to understand and apply.

Now, I don’t know about you, but verse nine and the first part of verse ten are impressive to me. Think about what Paul was communicating to them—when it came to the subject of loving their brothers and sisters in the church, Paul didn’t need to write any new instruction to them because they had been taught by God to love one another and they were following God’s instructions to love one another.

This is a powerful testimony—is it not? They received instruction from God about loving one other—this means that the Holy Spirit of God who lives inside every believer, literally taught them how to love others.

Let me show you how this works…

Romans 5:5

5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

This means that those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior receive the love of God in abundance (“has been poured into”)—but not only do we receive the love of God, but God’s love for us produces a desire in us to love others as we have been loved.

Then, according to Galatians, the fruit of the Spirit is love. In other words, those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit will be marked by love for others.

This is why John wrote…

1 John 4:20–21

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 5:1

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

So those who have been saved through faith in Jesus have also been taught to love others because they have received love from God and they have been given the capacity to love by God.

Paul said that God taught them how to love and they simply followed God’s instructions. The loved all their Christian brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia the way God wanted them to love.

What they did was not extraordinary—in fact, this was written in such a way that learning from God and following God’s instructions is viewed as a common way of life for God’s children. In other words, obedience to God is normal for those who have been saved by God.

So, Paul acknowledged the fact that they were doing well by loving others. From there, he gave them four things they needed to do and continue to do as followers of Jesus.

They were to love each other more. (v.10b)

Paul urged them—meaning he wasn’t making a simple request—he was, in fact, pleading with them to love others more and more. This means that they were to progress in love so that they exceed the love they already displayed for others. Paul was urging them to love in such a way that their love for one another would build and grow stronger day-by-day.

If you’re married, then I hope you’ve experienced what Paul is saying. You loved your spouse on your wedding day—but your love for your spouse didn’t grow to the wedding day and then stop. No, your love for your spouse has continued to grow so that you love that man or that woman more today than you ever thought possible and you will love that person more tomorrow than you love them today.

This is what loving each other more and more looks like.

So, Paul was saying that they were to continually grow in their love for one another.

Why would continually increasing love be necessary for believers—every Christian is easy to love, right?

The reality is we are all hard to love to varying degrees. That is why the love spoken of in this text is not a love that based on emotion. Love based on emotion is unstable. Love based on emotion can be extremely strong, incredibly weak, or completely non-existent.

Paul was telling them to grow in love by continually choosing to love. Paul was telling them to abound in love because they were to love, not because those they were to love deserved to be loved.

Paul was telling them to grow in love not because they would get something out it—but because they were completely loved by God.

Not only were they to love more and more but…

They were to live peaceful lives. (v.11a)

The ambition of the believer should not be to agitate others. In other words, those who follow Jesus should make a point to refrain from disturbing activity. This means that Christians should not be the people stirring up and agitating others around them to anger. Christians should not be hostile toward others.

Paul said believers should strive with everything in them to love, not to instigate. To pray, not to protest. To quietly serve, not angrily spout frustrations and opinions.

When we live peaceful lives, we are showing that we are controlled by the Spirit, that we trust in God, and that we are free of conflict and hostility toward others.

To picture what this is like, we only have to look to Jesus and think of how the Scripture tells us He responded when His rights were being trampled—when He was being unjustly abused—when those around Him were hostile toward Him…

Isaiah 53:4–5, 7

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Jesus exemplified what it means to live a peaceful life. We follow the example of our Lord and we seek to win people, not by winning arguments and not by protecting our freedoms or voicing our rights. We seek to show people Christ by living at peace with others and by loving others—even those who are against us.

So, they were to love, they were to live at peace and…

They were to mind their own business. (v.11b)

This is the only time in the New Testament this phrase is used—it simply means that believers are not to stick their nose in other people’s affairs. Listen to what Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians…

2 Thessalonians 3:11

11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.

Busybodies—those people who know all the details about everyone else, but they’re not concerned about the facts.

Paul’s urgent request was for them to stop it! Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing—you take care of the things you’re supposed to take care of.

You’ve seen this play out at home or at work—you have children and you give each of them a job to do—and before long one of your children comes to you complaining about what their brother or sister is or is not doing.

What do you say? “You do what I told you to do—don’t worry about what they are doing.”

You are basically telling your kids exactly what Paul was telling the Thessalonians—mind or accomplish your own tasks—don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.

Mind your own business, lead a quiet life, love others and…

Word hard. (v.11c)

To work with your hands means to put forth great effort as you labor every day. In other words, go to work and work hard—work is an honorable thing and it is the means by which we support ourselves, our families, and the work of God through the local church.

God’s plan is for everyone who is capable to support themselves through their labor. Labor was created by God and deemed good.

When God placed Adam in the garden he was tasked to dress and to keep the garden. This means that Adam was put in the garden to work in the garden and to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Then God said everything was exactly as He planned it to be.

God created work before the fall—but work became difficult and sometimes fruitless after man sinned against God.

Believers are to work hard so they don’t have to rely on others to get what is necessary for survival and in 2 Thessalonians, Paul warned believers by writing…

2 Thessalonians 3:10

10 If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

God is glorified when you use what He has given you to make provision for yourself and for your family. God is glorified when you use what He has given you to work, earn, and to give.

Now, do you see why Paul was urging the believers to do these four things?

1 Thessalonians 4:12

12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

These things are not extraordinary—in fact, they are pretty ordinary—but when they are faithfully and clearly evident in your life, Paul said you are conducting yourself properly in the eyes of those who are outside the family of God.

In other words, you are living a blameless life and you are living in such a way that others will see a difference in you.

This means that by doing ordinary things, we can have an extraordinary impact on the world by showing them who God is.

This means that by doing ordinary things, we can have an extraordinary witness to those around us who do not follow Jesus.

This means that by doing ordinary things, we can be effective for Christ in everyday life.

Let me give you two things to apply before we finish.

1. God gives instruction for us to follow.

God does not speak and expect His children to ignore His instruction any more than parents expect their children to ignore their instruction.

God teaches us through His Word and by His Spirit so that we will apply what we have learned and do His will.

Jesus asked: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)

One of the great things about this passage is the fact that the Thessalonian believers were taught by God and did what they were told.

Here we see a model for the church—Christians are a group of people who are taught by God and then we obey the things God has taught us!

2. Do not underestimate the importance of love.

We hear often that we are to love one another—so much so that I think this command becomes nothing more than white-noise (the sounds that put you to sleep or that you are so familiar with that you don’t hear it anymore) to us.

This is why Paul re-iterated the need to grow in love for each other. Love is vital for the spread of Christianity and the health and vitality of the church.

Jesus said that the world would know that we are His disciples by our love for one another—so there is an evangelistic motivation. If we want to reach people with the gospel, they need to see that we are filled with love for each other because our love for each other validates our faith in Jesus.

Furthermore, if the church is going to be what the Church is supposed to be then we must love each other—let me tell you why…

· If we love one another we will we honor one another. (Rom. 12:10)

· If we love one another we will serve each other. (Gal. 5:13)

· If we love one another we will bear with or put up with each other. (Eph. 4:2)

· If we love one another we will forgive each other. (1 Pet. 4:8)

We cannot underestimate the power of love—this is why we need to press to love each other more and more.

I don’t think any of us would honestly say the instruction provided in this passage is difficult—which goes to prove the point that God uses ordinary people, doing ordinary things, to make Him known to the world.