What to do Until Jesus Comes

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

John Wesley was on one occasion challenged as to what he would do if he knew that the next day were to be his last day on earth. In effect, the old warrior replied that he should maintain the precise schedule that he had already set for himself. If you really believed that Jesus would return tomorrow, what would you do differently from what you are now doing? Would you maintain the same schedule you have set for yourself? Would you adjust your plans, whether because you are uncomfortable at the thought of confronting the Lord with certain less spiritual activities fresh in your mind or because you are clearly ashamed of the manner in which you are occupying yourself?

The question is more than academic. Christians are united in belief that Christ the Lord shall return to earth. There exists disagreement about the timing of that blessed event and disagreement concerning details of interpretation of the revelation He has given. Nevertheless, a foundational tenet of the Christian Faith is that Jesus is coming again and those who are truly born from above are not in the least hesitant in embracing that truth. This great truth serves to mould our character so that we are conformed to the image of Christ, as is attested by the Word [1 John 3:2,3].

In one verse, strategically situated at the conclusion of a marvellously insightful revelation concerning the coming of the Lord, Paul addresses the disquieting question of what to do until Jesus comes. Focus on that one vital verse with me that together we may learn how to please Him and that together we may learn how to glorify His Name.

Christians Are to be Aware of Christ’s Will for Their Lives — Therefore, Dio;, in that Greek tongue, is one of those wee words which is too easily overlooked. The word prepares us to apply the information gained from the arguments which have preceded. An old adage reminds us that whenever we see a therefore we are to ask what it is there for. We are being prepared to apply the information provided in the preceding discussion. Therefore, let’s review the studies from previous expositions of this letter.

In light of the teaching of Christ’s return the Thessalonians were concerned whether their loved ones who had died would be included among the raptured saints. Paul addressed their concern with marvellously detailed instruction of the purpose and the plan of Christ’s return. There are other revelations concerning the return of Christ, but few are more precise in detail than that provided in the closing verses of chapter 14 of this book. We are compelled to confess that through reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 we are encouraged! The admonition of verse 18 is readily fulfilled for us. We need but apply the instruction to one another in order to make the instruction complete.

Having addressed the immediate concern of the Thessalonians concerning the events surrounding the return of Christ and the removal of His saints from the earth, Paul next pointed to the distortion which had brought them to the point of despair. It was precisely because they were so focused on attempting to know the timing of Christ’s return that they had failed to realise the purpose of His return; they were unbalanced. Just so, any Christian who is so intently focused on timing of Christ’s return that the purpose of His coming is ignored is destined for serious error and heartache.

Do you recall where the previous message concluded? As I drew the exposition of 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11 to a close, I made the following statements in application.

Look back over the chapter, noting the manner in which Paul applies doctrine to the cares of the Thessalonians. It is not merely Christ’s return to which he refers. That truth in isolation caused the Thessalonians anxiety and concern instead of reassurance. It is instead the further truth that the One coming for us is the same One who died for us and who rose again. Paul emphasises the cross of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and only then the return of Christ. These three great events - crucifixion, resurrection and return - must all be united, and the ultimate objective is that we may live with Him.

The foundation of the Christian Faith is that Jesus died and rose again. This is the essence of the Good News. Dying and raised from the dead we are brought into union with Jesus the Lord. When he comes He will receive us to Himself and we shall be with the Lord forever. Our coming King is none other than our crucified and risen Saviour. We have nothing to fear in either death or judgement. Indeed, we may be certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord [Romans 8:38,39].

The will of God is that we should submit to Christ the Lord, that He should reign over us, and that He should be glorified through the manner in which we live out our life. We might say the will of God is that we should become so familiar with the presence of Jesus His Son that the way in which we live is but the living out of the life of Christ. The will of God is that we express the life of Christ through our manner of living.

More specifically, the will of God is revealed in several places through the Bible. It is the will of God that we should be thankful [1 Thessalonians 5:18] and that we should be sanctified especially as concerning morality [1 Thessalonians 4:3]. It is the will of God that we should be mature and assured [Colossians 4:12]. It is God’s will that we should be dependable [Ephesians 6:6]. It is the will of God that we should be generous with our possessions and our very lives [2 Corinthians 8:5]. It is the will of God that you should believe in Christ the Lord [John 7:17]. Appealing to the Word of God we can precisely know the will of God for each of us.

By the simple expedient of reviewing the Word of God we know these particular matters to be the will of God. We do not need to pray about whether we should be thankful or pure; this is the will of God. We need not question whether God wants us to be mature and assured; this is clearly revealed in the Word. It is not necessary to pray whether we should be dependable or generous; this is the will of God. We need not ponder whether God’s will is that we believe on His Son; this is the command of God.

There is one further issue concerning the revealed will of God: God does want His people to be aware of His plans for the future. While He has not provided detailed timing of the events, we know in broad terms the sequence of events which shall yet transpire before Christ returns. We may be confident that God’s will is that His people should live forever [1 John 2:17] and that they should be rewarded [Hebrews 10:36] when they have stood firm and lived their lives in confidence. This knowledge is given to equip His saints to serve productively and to encourage them in times of trial. The knowledge of events at Christ’s coming ought to result in lives which reflect His glory instead of driving us to either despair or setting us on a fruitless search for more detailed information than He has chosen to provide us. The remainder of the message is an explanation of how we can fulfil the will of God since we now understand His work.

Christians Are to Encourage One Another and to Build One Another Up — Encourage one another and build each other up. Any one of us can readily attest that the world can be a tough and unfriendly place in which to live. It is distressingly easy to be hurt in the world. It is far too easy to be overwhelmed by fear arising from the threats which are slung about so casually in the world. The emotions we experience, and especially the emotions which attend the days of our distress at the death of loved ones, can tear us apart. Such experiences can leave us dispirited and depressed and feeling alone against the wide world at times. Fear traumatises and disorients us and we begin to panic. Who among us has not known at one time or another such fear and sense of panic.

There is one great antidote to the pressures and cares arising within the world which is available to each of the people of God. God intends His church to be a community of comfort. Knowing the will of God we are responsible to encourage one another in light of Christ’s imminent coming and to build each other up in the Faith. These responsibilities are among the reciprocal commands so common throughout the Word of God … commands I wish to consider for a moment by reminding you of their breadth and of the manner in which they are to be obeyed.

Among the reciprocal commands addressing Christian relationships are those which command loving devotion to one another [e.g. Romans 12:10] and directing that we live in harmony with one another [e.g. Romans 12:16]. Related instructions command us to accept one another [Romans 15:7], to greet one another warmly [Romans 16:16], to seek unity, to agree with one another, and to avoid divisions [1 Corinthians 1:10], to seek to express equal concern for each other [1 Corinthians 12:25], to be kind and compassionate to one another and to forgive grievances against one another [Ephesians 4:32], to live in peace with each other [1 Thessalonians 5:13], and to joyfully offer hospitality to one another [1 Peter 4:9].

Other reciprocal commands in Scripture insist that we avoid passing judgement on one another [Romans 14:13], teach us to serve one another in love [Galatians 5:13], command that we seek ways to spur one another on toward love and good deeds [Hebrews 10:24], command that we patiently wait for one another at the Lord’s Table [1 Corinthians 13:33], command that we confess our sins to one another and command that we pray for one another [James 5:16], command that we submit to one another [Ephesians 5:21], command that we bear with each other [Colossians 3:13], and command that we teach and admonish one another [Colossians 3:16]. All these commands can be summed up by the one command in our text: Encourage one another. If we do these things we will indeed encourage one another.

What I would have you focus on first is this knowledge that we need one another. The church is a community. It is possible to worship alone, but it is not healthy. It is possible to be a Christian in isolation from other Christians, but it is not likely that we will long continue active and vibrant in our faith and practise. With so many reciprocal commands I am driven to the conclusion that we need one another. I am further driven to the conclusion that the primary value derived from participation in this community we share as fellow members of the Body of Christ is encouragement and mutual edification. Among the people of God I draw encouragement being built up as we invest our lives in one another and as we practise these reciprocal commands. The commands have greatest value as they are practised mutually. I emphasise the collegiality of the Christian Faith since this is where we derive the greatest value. Now think of the specific commands.

As I read this eleventh verse in the Greek language, I make the observation that the imperative which is translated in our text as encourage one another is identical to the command in 4:18 which is translated identically in our text, but which is translated into English as comfort one another in many translations. The reason for this is that the verb employed is the Greek verb parakalevw. You may recognise the verb as sounding similar to the noun Christ used when speaking of the Holy Spirit who was to come, paravklhto". In older translations of the Bible, that noun was frequently translated by the English term Comforter, a term which is still much in evidence when speaking of the Spirit of God. The context of 4:18 makes it clear that comfort for the bereaved, the grieving, is in view. The context of 5:11 suggests something different, and the term encourage, therefore, appears more accurate. The point I must impress on your mind is that encouragement and comfort are closely related in the view of the Apostle. Encouragement equates to comfort in many contexts.

Encouragement and comfort is not to be left to professionals; rather such lies within the domain of the whole of the church. Encouragement and comfort is the responsibility of each of us. Establish in your mind this singular thought: you are responsible to encourage others of the congregation who are in need of encouragement. There is a gift of encouraging given to the church [Romans 12:8], but simply because some are gifted does not excuse all from endeavouring to encourage. Prophetic preaching encourages those hearing the Word [Acts 15:32; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9; 2:15], but encouragement is far too important a matter to be left solely to the preachers. Encouraging one another is a command repeated at least four times throughout the Word [1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25]. Therefore, I recommend that we accept the challenge to endeavour to encourage one another.

The second command issued is that the believers accept the challenge to engage in the ministry of building each other up. Again, teaching sound doctrine is so important that we dare not leave the matter to professionals. Likewise, the exercise of spiritual gifts for the purpose of building up the Body is so important that it must not be restricted to professionals. I have mentioned before, and I am compelled to mention again, that one of the gravest injuries to ever be inflicted upon the Church of the Living God was the segregation of the people of God into clergy and laity … the separation of pulpit and pew. The church is a community of gifted individuals covenanted together to worship God while building one another up in the Most Holy Faith. Each member of the church is responsible to invest himself or herself in the life of every other member so that all may be built up, each may be strengthened, all may be encouraged, each may be equipped for ministry. You, if you are a member of the Body, are as important as any other member. No one member is so important that their presence assumes greater importance than the presence of any other member.

Recall the admonitions issued in other places in the Word. Paul, writing the Romans, commanded: Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up [Romans 15:2]. You may recall that Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians addressed this matter of spiritual gifts and instructed the Corinthians to seek in particular gifts that build up the church [1 Corinthians 14:12]. Edification, building up others, is emphasised throughout the Word of God. To be certain, we are responsible to edify ourselves, but we cannot anticipate edification until we are investing our lives in the lives of others. This is the thrust of Paul’s command in the text before us.

I must remind you that building others up is not simply a command to be obeyed, it is the practical expression of Christian love. Paul’s adage in the midst of dealing with the issue of food sacrificed to idols in Corinth states: Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up [1 Corinthians 8:1]. If you know something of the love of God, if you have experienced the love He has for His people, you will find yourself wanting to build up others, equipping them for the work of ministry. This is the basis for the Apostle’s concluding word, just as in fact you are doing. The very actions commanded, encouraging and building up, were already being put into practise. Inherently, those who are born from above reveal their divine parentage through emulation of the Father. The actions may not be perfect, (they are perhaps more of a shadow of that perfection), nevertheless the desire to do right, to do the acts of the Father, is ever present and the bent is to do that which honours the Father who is the Living God.

Practical Applications of The Commands — I take pride in my calling and I take pride in my position as pastor of Baptist Fellowship Church. God is most gracious to permit me to occupy the sacred responsibility of serving as undershepherd to this congregation. One great reason for my pride in being part of this particular assembly is that the people give evidence of wanting to perform those actions which Honour God. You, in the main, want to be the church, not being content to merely go to church. That you want to serve God makes my task easier and gives me considerable comfort. However, we have room for improvement in the labours we perform; we have not yet arrived in the realm of spiritual leadership. Though I am proud of where we are, I am not content. I aspire to the day that we, as a congregation, provide leadership to many sister congregations, encouraging and building up the whole of the people of God.

To that end I encourage you individually, though I address you collectively, to find ways in which to fulfil these vital mandates to encourage and to build each other up. You will benefit from a study of the list of reciprocal commands provided for your convenience, meditating on each so that you will know how to implement the commands. I urge review of these commands, prayerfully considering how each may be implemented in a practical way. If each of us makes every effort to fulfil these commands, we will recognise immediate changes in the spiritual and social climate of the Body.

I heartily urge you to consider your commitment to the Body. We have entered into a covenant relationship as members of the church. Adopting the prevailing mindset of the day which views the church much any commodity, considering primarily what we may obtain from it, we can never discover the richness of investment of life in one another. When we enter the church we enter into a covenant relationship with one another. We need to remind ourselves frequently that we have entered into a covenant relationship with every other member of the church upon uniting with the church.

One reason I emphasise church membership arises from the recognition of the responsibility conferred in our covenantal relationship. Membership in the church is not so much a matter of convenience as it is an issue of covenant. In years past it was common on the occasion of the observance of the Lord’s Supper for the congregation to read the church covenant together. Most of us are uncertain if we have a church covenant, and perhaps we have never even seen a church covenant. Perhaps it is time that we again instituted this observance as a reminder that we are in covenantal relationship as a Body.

As a further word of application, consider that we are by-and-large unaware of the needs of fellow members of the Body. Through the regrettable events of past years Lynda and I were forced to be quite open concerning great and obvious pressures in our life. I have endeavoured to be transparent in my life since entering into full time service to the churches, but I have become more transparent still. I have refused to seek pity for myself though I am willing to speak openly of some of the stresses occurring in my life. I have no doubt that I am the object of many prayers; I rejoice in that knowledge. However, I long for us to be equally concerned for each member of the congregation. What do you know of the pressures facing those seated with you today? What do you know of their fears, their hurts, their grief, their pressures? Were we aware of the trials others may be facing we would be able to fulfil the responsibility to encourage.

I urge you to endeavour to invest yourself in the life of others in the Body. Ask how you may pray knowledgeably for at least one individual each week. When asked by another, don’t be shy … tell them! Let’s seek to know one another. Who have you invited over to share a meal in your home? Who from among the congregation has recently spent time with you? Isn’t it time that we got to know one another?

What about this business of building one another up? If you are a member of the congregation you are responsible to so invest your gifts that others are being built up and the entire congregation is strengthened. There is a place of service for each individual; ministry is not the special reserve of the pastors. Frequently we seem to conclude that if we cannot be highly visible we have no place to serve, or if we cannot make decisions which set the direction of the congregation we are somehow unimportant. Make things happen through doing the work God assigns! Make things happen through fulfilling your spiritual ministry, through exercising your spiritual gift! Instead of waiting for someone to ask you, find a place of service where you can labour with a view to building up the Body of Christ and with a view to encouraging others.

Where are the individuals willing to organise and direct church wide visitation? Where are the men and women willing to evangelise those God has placed in our town? Where are those members willing to initiate fellowships for various target groups? Surrounding us in the communities wherein we move and have our being are many teenagers and pre-teens who are dying for someone willing to speak to them, to care about their eternal destinies, to win them to Christ. There are singles, those never married and those previously married, all about us who are still working through their singleness. Is it really true that there is no one among us with a burden to win them to the Faith and to minister to their needs? We have been without a director of Sunday School ministries for almost one year. Is it really true that no one among us has a burden for such service? Among us are younger believers who would greatly benefit from someone willing to disciple them, to guide them through the first steps in the Faith.

May I suggest that more than finding some specific place of service is an attitude resident in the world about us which infects us, an attitude which seems to suggest that we deserve service instead of teaching that we are to serve. We seek a place where we may take instead of a place where we may give. We seek a place which places no demands on us instead of a place which demands great sacrifice and great investment. I believe better of you than to suggest that you deserve a break. I believe that the Great God has redeemed you for a great purpose, and that purpose is to serve Him as you wait for His Son from Heaven.

Let me remind you of some of the truths Paul brought to the memory of these Thessalonians. Paul sought to encourage these converts to maintain their faith and fervour, to cultivate and practise their Christian graces. To the Roman saints the Apostle wrote: If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord [Romans 14:8]. It was but an iteration of what he has written the Thessalonians. The Advent of Jesus Christ becomes an incentive to godly living, the motive for a life of servanthood as Jesus Himself taught. John taught that when we live in light of the imminence of the return of Jesus Christ we are transformed here and now and not at some future point. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure [1 John 3:2,3].

Dear people, it is not so much an event to which I direct your attention, as a person who is near: the Lord is at hand. His presence is true encouragement. The coming of Christ for His people is assured, not because the signs are all present and accounted for, but because He has promised to return and we are to live in the light of that promise. Christ is ever and always at the door. Since this is true, now is the time to encourage one another and now is the time to build each other up. Do the work of ministry now. Amen.

There are essentially twenty-three reciprocal commands in the Word of God stated or restated in more than forty-six verses in the Pauline and General Epistles. These commands are given to members of the Body so that together we may build the Body and glorify Christ.

1. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves [Romans 12:10].

2. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited [Romans 12:16].

3. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God [Romans 15:7].

4. Greet one another with a holy kiss [Romans 16:16].

5. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought [1 Corinthians 1:10].

6. [The parts of] the body … should have equal concern for each other

[1 Corinthians 12:25]

7. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you [Ephesians 4:32].

8. Live in peace with each other [1 Thessalonians 5:13].

9. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling [1 Peter 4:9].

10. Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another [Romans 14:13].

11. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love [Galatians 5:13].

12. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds [Hebrews 10:24].

13. At the Lord’s Table we should wait for each other [1 Corinthians 13:33].

Look back over the chapter, noting the manner in which Paul applies doctrine to the cares of the Thessalonians. It is not merely Christ’s return to which he refers. That truth in isolation caused the Thessalonians anxiety and concern instead of reassurance. It is instead the further truth that the One coming for us is the same One who died for us and who rose again. Paul emphasises the cross of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and only then the return of Christ. These three great events - crucifixion, resurrection and return - must all be united, and the ultimate objective is that we may live with Him.

The foundation of the Christian Faith is that Jesus died and rose again. This is the essence of the Good News. Dying and raised from the dead we are brought into union with Jesus the Lord. When he comes He will receive us to Himself and we shall be with the Lord forever. Our coming King is none other than our crucified and risen Saviour. We have nothing to fear in either death or judgement. Indeed, we may be certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord [Romans 8:38,39].