Love That Leads to Sharing the Gospel

Introduction

Joe had taken a new job at a local manufacturing facility in his hometown a few months ago. He had hired in on third shift, but his boss had told him that if he worked hard, he would be moved to days as soon as an opening become available. Joe really hoped that the time would pass quickly because there was a co-worker on his shift that constantly gave him a hard time. You see, Joe was a devoted Christian, but the guy he worked with wasn’t, and he didn’t mind letting everyone else on the shift know that he wasn’t. To make matters worse, this man had made it a point to make snide comments during break time that were indirectly pointed at Joe and his Christian faith. Now, Joe was well liked by his other co-workers, but that didn’t seem to curtail the comments very much as none of them really seemed to want to cause an issue that might lead to a confrontation, so they all kept quiet. When all of this had started it really hadn’t seemed like a big deal, but as time had gone by what had begun as a simple distaste on Joe’s part for this co-worker, had grown into outright hatred for the man. Eventually, the hatred Joe had for this co-worker began to spill over into his family life, effecting his relationship with his wife and kids, and the longer time went by the worse things seemed to get until one day Joe’s wife made a comment to him that stopped him dead in his tracks. She said, “It’s easy to love people who are just like us, but it’s just as easy to hate those who aren’t. Real love, Christ-like love, shows itself when the life we live opens doors for us to share the gospel.” In Joe’s situation at work, he had allowed his dislike of the co-worker to not only effect his homelife, but also to take its toll on his work ethic which had gradually closed the door for opportunities to witness to people at his job, and especially that co-worker who had caused him so much grief. In the text we’re going to take a look at, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul points us to the truth that love leads to sharing the gospel.

Prayer

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (NET)

9 Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. 12 In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

Love, a characteristic of the Christian life

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10a (NET)

9 Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia.

There are several things we could say that should characterize the Christian life. In fact, Paul gives us a list of these in Ephesians doesn’t he when he tells us about the fruit of the Spirit in contrast to what’s produced by the flesh. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Certainly, I think we’d all say that every believer should desire to have each and every one of these fruits. In v.9 of our text, Paul begins by stating a truth that I’d be willing to say is a biproduct of the fruit of the Spirit, and it’s a truth that needs to characterize the Christian life. He says, “Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you,” The Greek that’s used for that phrase “brotherly love” is φιλαδελφίας and it’s where we get the name for Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love”. This type of love, phileo love, is a love that’s usually taken in the NT to describe family relationships. It can also describe the bond between good friends and Paul says here that there’s “no need for anyone to write” about this to the believers there in Thessalonica. The obvious question is why, and the answer is given in the second part of v.9 when he says that believers are “taught by God to love one another”. Now, that a pretty amazing statement isn’t it, but what does Paul mean when he says that; what’s he referring to? Did God make a pit stop there in Thessalonica and hold a class on “brotherly love” at the First Baptist Church of Thessalonica? Did those believers have some experience then that you and I don’t have today? No. What Paul is referring to here is something that characterizes the life of all those who are in Christ. In fact, Jesus himself talked about this. In the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, after feeding the 5000 and walking on water, Jesus gave the people a little rebuke for following after him simply because of their full stomachs. He told them that they should follow him because he was the bread of life (Jn. 6:35). The Jews go really angry at Jesus for saying this and they began to grumble about it, and that’s when he told them, “… Do not complain about me to one another. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.” … (Jn. 6:43b-45a). That’s a reference to what was said way back in the OT when God told prophets like Jeremiah that a time was coming when he would make a New Covenant, and all those who are included in it will know the Lord because they be taught by him, in other words he (the Holy Spirit) will indwell the very heart of those who believe (Jer. 31:31-34)! Now, if you’re a believer, that’s you because the Holy Spirit has empowered you to understand and have this brotherly love that Paul speaks of here in 1 Thessalonians. But often we wonder if we have it, so what’s the sign that we do; how do you and I know? Well, Paul says that the proof’s in the pudding. In the case the of the Thessalonians, Paul says in v.10 that they were practicing it, “toward all the brothers and sisters who were in all Macedonia …” One of the ways we can have assurance of our salvation; that we are indwelt by the Spirit, is found in the fact that we have “brotherly love” for others who are in the faith. Friends, we ca have our differences about certain minor things in Scripture, especially those grey areas where it’s okay for believers to differ, but when the rubber meets the road, our love for each other should manifest itself in how we care about our brothers and sisters in Christ. My question for you is this, does your love for other believers show itself. Do you care for those who are your brothers and sisters in Christ? The fact is that it’s difficult for you to claim to be a believer, and then turn around and show absolutely no concern for those who you claim as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love that leads to sharing

1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 (NET)

But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. 12 In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

Now, if Paul stopped there it would be okay, you see, it’s easy to love those who are of like mind, even if we have minute differences. However, it’s very difficult to love a person who’s an outsider, a person who might be a little different, especially when that person treats you in a way that you don’t deserve. In vv.10b-12 Paul tells us that love leads to sharing. Now, I have to tell you that there’s some question among the commentators as to how vv.9-10a and vv.10b-12 actually fit together. Some English translations make vv.9 and all of v.10 to be one unit, and then vv.11 and 12 to be another unit, but vv.10 and 11, in the Greek text, are connected by the word and (kai in Gk.), so that would seem to indicate that what Paul is going to talk about in vv.11 and 12 are related to and expand on what he’s just said in vv.9 and 10. The question we need to answer is how? So, let’s look at the text. At the end of v.10, after talking about brotherly love for other believers, Paul says, “… But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, [and] 11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” So, what Paul seems to be saying here is that believers should endeavor to love each other even more, and at the same time in that love, or because of that love, try really hard to live in a way that shows it, or puts it on display. How do you live in a way that displays “brotherly love”? You “lead a quiet life”, “attend to [mind] you own business [you don’t cause unnecessary problems]”, and you “work with your hands [in other words, whatever job you’ve been given, you do it to the best of your ability]”. Why? Because Paul, as an inspired representative of God, has commanded you here to do so [That’s what the text says!]. Now, the million-dollar question is why on earth Paul would you tell us to do that? The answer is found in v.12. It is “In this way [so that (hina in Gk.)] you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.” Brothers and sisters, the way we act and interact [the word for decent in Greek, εὐσχημόνως (euschēmonōs)[1] refers to your decorum] with the public and on our job is important because it puts the “brotherly love” we have for those who are on the inside [those who are our brothers and sister in Christ] on display before those who are on the outside [unbelievers] and it should make them have what we say we have living in us. The way you live should make an unbeliever curious about the Jesus that you claim to serve! Does your life, and do your actions do that?

[1] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

Conclusion

Let’s go back to our friend Joe and his co-worker who is an unbeliever making snide comments at the break table about Joe and his Christian faith. There are a couple things that you and I need to understand about this situation. First, Joe needs to realize that as a believer he can expect that from at least some who are outside the faith. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (Jn. 15:18, NLT). Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.” Secondly, and most importantly, Joe needs to also understand that even though he can expect this Jesus said, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Are you endeavoring to live your life in such a manner so that the love you have for Christ leads to the opportunity for you to share the gospel?

Invitation

Prayer