Aspire to This!
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted
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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;
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I love this! Paul had no need to teach or encourage the church here to love one another. Instead, they were TAUGHT BY GOD so much so that all of Macedonia knew of their love for one another! But I do want to point out the two types of love Paul referred to here.
Brotherly love. This is “philadelphia” in the Greek and is “one who loves his brother…in the NT, used of the love of Christians one to another…out of a common spiritual life.” It’s affection for a fellow believer in Christ.
Love. This is agape. It is “to esteem, love, indicating a direction of the will and finding one’s joy in something or someone. It differs from phileo (where philadelphia came from), to love, indicating feelings, warm affection, the kind of love expressed by a kiss.” I.e. agape is a decision of the will and FINDING joy; phileo is an affection. Agape is DIVINE LOVE.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
2 Peter 1:5-
To me, these verses outline the Christian’s maturity in the Lord, which is given to us as our responsibility for we are directed to ADD not the Lord. But we would be remiss to not look at the previous verses because Paul said, “FOR THIS VERY REASON...”
2 Peter 1:
1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
For the very reason that we’ve been given EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES THAT THROUGH THESE WE CAN SHARE IN THE DIVINE NATURE, we are to use those to add to…We’ve been given all things that pertain to life in God.
Virtue. The quality of moral excellence.
Knowledge. The content of what is know and here the content is knowledge of God. It’s a present and fragmentary knowledge that needs to be added to.
Self-control. To exercise COMPLETE control over one’s desires and actions.
Perseverance. The capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances.
Godliness. Appropriate beliefs and devout practice of obligations relating to supernatural persons and powers.
Brotherly kindness. Affection for each other in Christ.
Love. Agape or divine love.
5 So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness,
and to goodness add understanding,
6 and to understanding add the strength of self-control,
and to self-control add patient endurance,
and to patient endurance add godliness,
7 and to godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters,
and to mercy toward others add unending love.
If you lack any one of these, you’re shortsighted even to blindness and have forgotten you’re no longer a sinner because of the blood of Jesus!
If you lack any one of these, you’re shortsighted even to blindness and have forgotten you’re no longer a sinner because of the blood of Jesus! If, however, we are diligent in our call and election, WE WILL NEVER STUMBLE! Stumble means “to sin.” Wow!
8 Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately. 9 But if anyone lacks these things, he is blind, constantly closing his eyes to the mysteries of our faith, and forgetting his innocence—for his past sins have been washed away.
10 For this reason, beloved ones, be eager to confirm and validate that God has invited you to salvation and claimed you as his own. If you do these things, you will never stumble. 11 As a result, the kingdom’s gates will open wide to you as God choreographs your triumphant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah.
We possess these virtues in abundant supply because Holy Spirit lives in us. As we lavishly pursue and display these, our knowledge of Jesus Christ will grow in intimacy producing much fruit! And adding these never stops. They become fuller and fuller in their fruitfulness.
But the main point is that both are needed in the body—brotherly love and agape. Paul wanted them to increase more and more, which literally means “to be present overabundantly” and then that over abundance to increase to a greater degree.
Aspire to This!
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.
1 Thess 4
I love this passage! It’s the epitome of what I want my life to look like and apparently God, too! Listen to TPT and then let’s break it down.
11 Aspire to lead a calm and peaceful life as you mind your own business and earn your living, just as we’ve taught you. 12 By doing this you will live an honorable life, influencing others and commanding respect of even the unbelievers. Then you’ll be in need of nothing and not dependent upon others.
Aspire means “to make it your driving ambition.” If there’s ever a time to be ambition, it is right here doing specific things:
To lead a quiet life means exactly what it says. No drama.
To mind your own business. There are way too many Christians out there that are in everybody’s business. Another person’s business is not yours. Gossip, making judgments, and telling people what they should do unsolicited is pride. Scripture prohibits criticizing another’s servant.
Romans 14:
4 Who do you think you are to sit in judgment of someone else’s household servant? His own master is the one to evaluate whether he succeeds or fails. And God’s servants will succeed, for God’s power supports them and enables them to stand.
4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
3. Work with your own hands. The Bible loves business, working for a living, and providing for yourself and your loved ones. In fact, Paul said that not to provide for your family makes you worse than an unbeliever! And, Paul says that working with your hands is a COMMAND.
11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.
11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
11 Now, we hear rumors that some of you are being lazy and neglecting to work—that these people are not busy but busybodies!
The word lazy and that’s translated “disorderly manner” literally means “not showing up for the war.” Wow! I don’t have time to go into all of this but I’ve got several teaching on it, but to Paul and the Apostles, the marketplace was where it was at! It was wear the battle for cities was conducted and to engage in battle, you had to work in the marketplace either for someone or by owning a business. Remember that it was when Paul switched gears and focused on the marketplace that he was able to stay and take entire cities. And it was also the marketplace and the governors that then protected him from those who stirred up trouble against him.
Luke 19:
13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
Business is “to be engaged in some kind of business, generally buying and selling, to do business, to be involved in business.” It also means to be occupied. The KJV says, “Occupy till I come.” I.e. put your hands to your occupation and work as unto the Lord. Now this is crazy. An occupation is what you do to earn a living, but it’s also a military term that means “to take or hold possession.” It comes from a Latin word that means “to seize hold of.” Remember how the Lord said that the violent take the kingdom by force. One of those ways is by occupying the marketplace, which is why Paul used a word that means “not showing up for the war.”
35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Support means “to assist in supplying what may be needed—to help.” Weak refers to those who are unable to or are limited in resources. Blessed is happiness from the enjoyment of favorable circumstances. This is another reason Paul was insistent that all believers work—so we have enough to help those in need.
6 Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. 7 Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity! 8 Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything —every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do. 9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him:
Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor,
his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten.
10 This generous God who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow. 11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.
12 The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God’s people, it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God himself. 13 For as your extremely generous offering meets the approval of those in Jerusalem, it will cause them to give glory to God—all because of your loyal support and allegiance to the gospel of Christ, as well as your generous-hearted partnership with them toward those in need. 14 Because of this extraordinary grace, which God has lavished on you, they will affectionately remember you in their prayers. 15 Praise God for his astonishing gift, which is far too great for words!
By doing these things, we will be a good witness to those outside the faith and we will lack NOTHING! Nothing is nothing in the Greek. LOL!