1 Thessalonians 4

Introduction

This morning we are going to continue our series in Thessalonians. I just want to start as a quick recap of whats happened so far in this book. We know that Paul and Silas, Paul being the guy who wrote this book, spent time in the city of Thessalonica and during their time there shared the good news, the gospel of Jesus, and they saw many people come to know the Lord as a result. The leaders of the land at the time didn’t like this and so they began to persecute these new Christians, which resulted in Paul and Silas having to leave Thessalonica. We see that Paul is writing this letter now to this group of Christians because he’s heard that they’ve not just done good, despite the persecution, but they’ve actually flourished. But we know that even those who might look like they have it all together still have areas they need to work on and they will even need encouragement. So we see the first 3 chapters that we’ve gone through, Paul celebrating their faith, their love for others and their hope in their new king Jesus. We see him celebrating the time that he was able to spend with them, the good things that he’s heard about them from Timothy, who he sent to be with them, while they’ve been experiencing all of this persecution. And then shares with them his desire to be back with them soon, because he genuinely loved these people.

We then get into Chapter 4, which is what we will talk about this morning,

And before we jump right into all that our passage has for us this morning I wanted to throw out a question for you.

Have you ever stopped and taken stock of your life? Maybe you’ve hit a milestone in your life which caused you to pause and look back at what your life has been like. Maybe something significant has happened in your life and that’s caused you to stop and look back at how your life has gone, what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished or maybe some of the things that you regret. Have you stopped to take stock of your life? I’ve been there. I remember at 25 taking some time to look at my life so far and see if I’ve accomplished the goals that I set for myself, the things that I wanted to do, the person that I wanted to be before I was 25. And I remember that Bethany and I had a joke that I was going through a quarter life crisis, if you can believe that, cause at the time I didn’t feel like I’d done all that I wanted to do by that age. I remember a lot of the goals that I had set for myself at that age revolved around my own happiness, the goals that I had set were things that I wanted to do that I’d be able to tick off my bucket list.

I share this silly revelation about my life because I think Paul, in our passage this morning, has a little something to say about our motivations for living. This is a heavy chapter and may be hard for some people to hear. For that I’d want to apologize but I think that the Holy Spirit uses the bible to reveal areas in our lives where we might need to make a change, where we might need to re-evaluate how and why we do things.

V. 1-2

So let’s jump in! Paul begins this passage again so happy and grateful for the growth that has taken place in the lives of these Thessalonians Christians. He wants them to grow more and more in their love. He wants them to never forget what they’ve been taught, what God has placed on their hearts. What he recognizes is, that what they’ve been taught isn’t just staying in their heads or just in their fellowships. He been told that this is how they are actually living. This is how they are living their day to day lives, all while facing persecution in Thessolonica.

encourages them He wants what’s been taught not to just stay in their heads or in their fellowships. We see

And so this is such a good example for us. I think it’s so important to know that Christian maturity, what we should be aiming for if we are a follower of Jesus, never finishes this side of eternity. I don’t think we can ever get to the point where we can say, “You know what?. I think I’ve reaches my peak Christian-ness”. We all have room to grow, we all have areas in our life where we need more Jesus and less ourselves. Billy Graham says, “Do you want to know what God's will is for you? It is for you to become more and more like Christ. This is spiritual maturity, and if you make this your goal, it will change your life.”

And Paul reminds them to not forget what they’ve been taught. How can a group of Christians, who are facing persecution, make sure that they are not forgetting what they have been taught? I have to believe that it is because they are making time to spend with one another, reminding themselves of the promises, the hope, the gifts that they share in Jesus. I know in my own life this is what helps to keep me grounded. Finding a group of people who I can come alongside to read the bible, to figure out together what it means and how it should look in our lives. This is why as a church we encourage you to be apart of life groups, this is why we spend so much time sharing how important it is to spend time with each other. It’s because we know that it is so important for each of us, as we walk through this life, to have people around us who will help to point us in the direction of Jesus, in both the good times and when things start to crumble around us.

And he reminds them to live in a way that pleases God and not ourselves. This is a hard lesson because everything that we are hit with through the media, through the messaging that is pumped into our brains is that everything that we do is supposed to make us happy. It’s all about self gratification. And the reason why it’s a hard lesson is because deep down we feel like we have a finite time on this earth and we want to make sure that we get to do all that we want to do, that we are able to spend this time making ourselves happy.

But I want to propose to you a different view point than the world around us, and I think this is the idea that the Thessalonians get. What if we spent time doing things that makes God happy? What if we spent time trying to understand and learn about God, what if we spent time listening to God, what if we spend time making sure that others around us are taken care of, what if we spent our time loving like Jesus loved? I’ve learned that when we do these sorts of things we are able to feel happiness that really does last. I believe that our goals and desired in this life ought to revolve around what we know makes God happy, because I believe that that makes a life that is more full, more enjoyable, more worthwhile. And I think the Thessalonians got it, that’s why they were continuing to grow in-spite of the persecution that was taking place around them.

V. 3-8

Paul goes on to address an issue that is taking place in this group of people. You see the issue here is that the Thessalonians are bringing with them, into their new found Christianity some of the practices and ways from their old life. More specifically what they are brining with them are parts of the 1st Century Roman culture that was marked by sexual immorality. You see during this time in the world chastity and sexual purity were almost unknown values in this culture. Many things that we’d consider and know as wrong, like adultery or lusting after someone, where ok in this culture. And so it was important for Paul to remind them that they are to take their standards of sexual morality from God and not to hold onto what they’ve learned from the culture around them. What he’s calling for them to do is to work out this process of sanctification in their lives. And the idea behind sanctification is really to set ones self apart. Paul hits the nail on the head in verse 7 when he says, “God has called us to love holy lives, not impure lives.” What he is telling them is that as Christians they are to set themselves apart as holy. That what God wants for them is to be set apart from the God-less culture that is around them. It is important to clarify that what he’s asking them isn’t to remove themselves from the culture, but to live in the culture in a way that is pleasing to God. To be in the world but to not be of the world. And he tells them that God is calling them to live this way, and he’s not just telling them to do this, but he’s given them a helper the Holy Spirit to help them to overcome this issue in their lives.

And this isn’t the first time that he’s had to remind groups of people about this. We see in Paul says to them, “17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” and then we also see him tell the Phillipians in , “13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,* but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom* and forgave our sins.

I believe that God is calling all of us toward this process of sanctification in our lives. To be set apart from our world, so that when people look at us the see something different. That what they see is Jesus working in us and through us in our world.

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

* 1:14 Some manuscripts add with his blood.

* 3:13 Some manuscripts read not yet achieved it.

I know the reality is that for the Thessalonians Paul is addressing sexual sin, he’s calling for them to stay away from it. And for some of us in this room we can identify with this. We maybe feeling the nudge that you know what we do struggle with this and we know that what we are doing is wrong. But for some of us we’re probably saying to ourselves that this isn’t something that I’m going through or something that I’m struggling with. If that is the case, there is something in your life that you might be going through. You may be struggling with arrogance, with anger, with a lack of patience, with being prideful, and the list go on and on. The principle of what Paul is talking about applies to all of these things that we struggle with.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

We are all people and they’ll be something in our lives that we need to get right before God, that we need to work with God on. And by God’s spirit we’ve been given the resources for victory; our responsibility is to use those resources. He’s given us the ability to come to him whenever we need to pray. As a church you can use us on staff as a resource to talk to if you need, to ask questions. And we have each other, and we shouldn’t neglect the presence that we can have in one another’s lives. Talk to God, come and talk to someone else. Allow God to work through these situations that we face, and maybe even to open and allow God to use someone else to help us through these situations.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.”

I know in my life God’s really worked through other people to help guide me. In University God used a staff member of a Campus organization Campus for Christ to ask me some pointed questions on things that I had going on in my life and He used that person to help me through those things. God might be using somebody in your life to get your attention, be open, be available.

V. 9-10

And then Paul continues on and he reminds the Thessalonians that they need to live a life that is increasing in love. He essentially tells them that this goes without saying. That they’ve been taught this important lesson by God, who has placed it on their hearts. He encourages them that they are already showing this love to the people around them and they should purse loving people even more than that.

I find that the correlation here is that the Thessalonians were in pursuit of a relationship with God, which Paul says that he’s pleased by the faith that they have, and this pursuit of God is manifesting itself in them loving others relentlessly. Paul acknowledges that they’re crushing it in this area. I truly believe that when we love God and pursuit him that love will flow out through us into every area of our lives. And you know what the people around us will reap the benefits of this. I love what D.L. Moody, a great theologian and preacher said, “If we have got the true love of God shed abroad in our hearts, we will show it in our lives. We will not have to go up and down the earth proclaiming it. We will show it in everything that we say or do.”

But he tells them that there is still work to do. Why would he say that if they are already loving one another? I think it’s really because there is always more that we can do in loving one another. There’s times where our love isn’t always consistent or persistent and I think this was the same with the those Christians in Thessalonica. And Paul’s telling them that they are doing well but as in all things there’s work that still can be done.

And just like Paul I’m sure we find ourselves in this position. I know for me this hits me hard because its easy for me to get up here and say that we need to love each other better. But I know there are times where I’m not always consistent or persistent in showing my love. And I’m convicted that I have work to do. That I have to be more intentional with you, with others within our fellowship. Its something that I know and I practice but just like what Paul is saying there is more that can be done. You might find yourself in that same boat. I’d encourage us to work on this together. And really we can and will see meaningful and lasting change take place within our church.

V.11-12

Paul goes on to share with them the importance of living a life that has 3 components; being quite, minding your own business and working hard.

When he’s tells them that they should live a quiet life what the word used here is the idea of restfulness. He’s telling the Thessalonians that they are to be less frantic. He’s telling them this because a life like this will allow us to take the time and give attention to listening to God. A frantic life leads to someone being distracted from their own walk with God. I know for me when I have a particularly busy week and have a ton of things on the go I’m less likely to have a regular quiet time, because I’m so focused on what I have to do instead of making sure that I’m working on and making time for my walk with God.

He also tells them that they should mind their own business. I don’t think he spend a great deal of time on this because it goes without saying. He’s telling them that they need to focus on their own life and matters going on and not to meddle in others lives. Just before he asked them to work on their love for one another and I think and important way in which this manifests itself in in making sure that things shared in confidence stay in confidence.

Then he tells them that they should recognize the dignity and honor of work. Paul was writing about another ancient Greek practice that was wrapped into the culture of the people during this time. They had this idea that the better a man was, the less he should work. Which isn’t the case, Paul’s presenting this idea that they should work hard because that’s what they are called to do. is a great reminder written by Paul, “23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Print.

Work is God’s plan for progress in society and the church. And we fall into lies when we expect things to always come easy.

And he ends this section with sharing that this is important so that those around them who are unbelievers will be able to respect the way that they live, you see even then people noticed whether something was different when they observed people. And this case is no different. People will see their example and be curious as to why they are doing what they are doing. This opens up the channel for meaningful conversation about the work and role of Jesus in their lives. And just for us it does the same.

When we buck the trends around us and do what asks us to do, work as though we are working for the Lord, then not only are we honouring God but we are opening up the opportunity for others around us to ask us the reasons for why we are doing that. And we should be ready to give them the reason for the hope that we have in Jesus.

V. 13-18

Paul closes off this chapter with clearing up some uncertainty that was brewing in the church in Thessalonians. They had with them a pagan understanding of death and what happens after death. And Paul educates them in knowing that they will be able to see their loved ones who were believers when Jesus comes back. And Paul provides some descriptive aspects of what this looks like, which we can spend a whole sermon series looking at. He describes this amazing reunion of those who’ve passed and those who are still alive coming together and meeting the Lord together. But the important element that I want to leave us here with today is what Paul ends with.

He tells them to, “Encourage each other with these words.” He doesn’t tell them to take encouragement from one another. But what he says is that they are to give encouragement to one another. That the are to comfort one another with these words that “you know what Jesus hasn’t left us but is returning again”, which we will talk about next week.

This morning I want to leave you with some encouragement. Some words from Billy Graham on Jesus coming again, “The second coming of Christ will be so revolutionary that it will change every aspect of life on this planet. Christ will reign in righteousness. Disease will be arrested. Death will be modified. War will be abolished. Nature will be changed. Man will live as it was originally intended he should live.” And this is all because of Jesus.

Let’s Pray