Sermon Tone Analysis

Let’s review our theme verse.

We are to warn the idle, comfort the discouraged, and help the weak.

When you think of weakness, what do you think of?

Do you think of some indulgence that you enjoy?

Do you think of being unable to do something?

Do you think of emotional or psychological instabilities.

Do you think of spiritual weaknesses?

I always think it is odd when you are in a job interview and you are asked to tell them your greatest weakness.

Does anyone else think it is weird?

I mean, I am not going to tell you.

I am trying to get a job.

Why would I tell you my weakness?

So then, the person takes some character trait and tries to turn the weakness into a strength.

Like this:

Interviewer: What’s your greatest weakness?

Candidate: Well, my greatest weakness is that I am such a loyal and dedicated employee.

Come on, man.

Interviewer What’s your greatest weakness?

Candidate: Well, my greatest weakness is that I care too much about doing a good job.

I am not brave enough to do it, but

I mean really.

You are going to go with that.

The society in Paul’s day did not have any tolerance for the weak.

In the Roman world, the weak were fodder to be ruled over or destroyed.

Soranus was a doctor in Ephesus he said that only certain children were worth raising, listing the various tests one could perform on a child to identify disabilities which might render them not worthy of living.

The Twelve Tables, which would be like our federal law, included a law that said disabled or deformed children should be put to death, usually by stoning.

Furthermore, it was recorded that many Roman women kept people who were hunchbacks as pets.

This is where the divergence came between Roman society and followers of Jesus Christ.

Followers of Jesus cared for the weak.

One of the things that the early church was known for was for caring for babies who had been discarded by their parents.

Julian the Apostate, the last pagan emperor of Rome, clearly understood the power of these Christians when he wrote the following:

Julian the Apostate, the last pagan emperor of Rome, clearly understood the power of these Christians when he wrote the following:

“These impious Galileans (Christians) not only feed their own, but ours also; welcoming them with their agape, they attract them, as children are attracted with cakes… Whilst the pagan priests neglect the poor, the hated Galileans devote themselves to works of charity, and by a display of false compassion have established and given effect to their pernicious errors.

Such practice is common among them, and causes contempt for our gods (Epistle to Pagan High Priests).”

The early church understood that pure religion was to help those who could not help themselves.

The word “help” in presents a graphic picture of the type of support that the weak need.

The word means to “hold onto or cling”

Help - “hold onto or cling”

You might even say it this way, “Put your arm around them”.

Look at what Paul wrote in Romans.

The strong are to support the weak.

These people are different than the idle and the discouraged.

The weak are trying, but are having a hard time gaining ground in their difficulty.

We don’t leave the weak behind.

We help them.

The strong are to support the weak.

These are different than the idle and the discouraged.

The weak are trying, but are having a hard time gaining ground in their difficulty.

We don’t leave the weak behind.

We help them.

The weaknesses that Paul is referring to in Romans and 1 Thessalonians are not specific.

The weakness could be moral or spiritual weakness.

Weakness could be failing to stand strong in hardships or difficulties.

Sexual immorality was rampant in the 1st century as it is today.

The weakness could be referring to the challenges of overcoming sexual temptation.

Weakness could come from abuse, poverty, oppression, or even racism.

Some weakness are internal like fear, anxiety, and covetousness

I think the word is not specific because, if we are honest, each one of us is weak in some way.

Your weaknesses are different than my weaknesses.

Your strengths are different than my strengths and you know what, that is a good thing.

Our diversity makes us stronger.

Each one of us brings something to the table that we can use to help others.

Let me give you an example of how this works in my family.

I have a weakness for chips.

I do.

I love them and I will eat them all given the opportunity.

I will put them on my sandwiches.

I will use them as appetizers.

I think they are wonderful.

My wife likes chips, but she can control herself around them.

She doesn’t need them to survive.

So, you know what she does when ordering the groceries?

She doesn’t buy chips because she knows that I don’t like going to the store more than I like chips.

Her strength helps me in my weakness.

Now, let’s talk about chocolate.

Nope, I am not even going there.

In our lives and our community, there are bigger issues than not indulging a fondness for chips.

Who are the weak in our community?

What struggles are you seeing in our community?

Are you even aware?

Do you see the struggles with gambling?

What about the struggles with drug or alcohol addiction?

How about anger?

Pornography is everywhere.

Sexual immorality is rampant.

Where are the weaknesses?

They are all around us.

Some of them may even be in you.

We need to see our community the way that God sees our community.

One of the key to victory over your weaknesses is to be

How do we help the weak?

How do we help each other?

What can we do to help the weak in our community?

Make deep and personal investments in young believers.

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Make deep and personal spiritual investments.

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Paul made personal investments in the lives of the young believers at Thessaloniki.

This is not “young” as in physical age, but “young” as in spiritual maturity.

He gave them the gospel, but he didn’t stop there.

He shared his life with them.

This is not simply speaking of his physical life, this is about the totality of the depth of his being.