WORTHY OF COMMENDATION

WORTHY OF COMENDATION

Intro. - what must characterize the life of the Church if it is to be commended by Him who called it into existence? We often look at statistics to give us the answer. While numbers can be an indication of strength Paul seems to go in a different direction as he writes to the Thessalonians.

Paul Write That The Church Is To Be Commended For Its Work Produced By Faith

The Church is worthy of commendation when its faith produces work. What we believe is to find expression in what we do. This, in fact, is the nature of faith. It is valid or genuine only if we are willg to act upon what we believe.

Our wor of faith is that which we do because of what we believe. It is not “a work” apart from faith. It is, instead, an “act of faith.” We demonstrate our faith by involving ourselves in what we believe. For this reason baptism, etc. is imperative.

Paul Writes That The Church Is To Be Commended For Is Labor Prompted By Love

Here the special word for “labor” means “to work until exhausted or fatigued.”

The Church is worthy of commendation only as it “wears itself out” laboring in love.

The love which causes this labor is the same as that with which Christ loved us when, for us, He literally “wore Himself out” upon the cross.

Nor does this love require a romantic, affectionate involvement with others. Instead, it requires a creative, self-giving concern for others. It involves itself constantly and purposefully in a ministry dedicated to tyhe serive of every human need, in the fulfillment of which it must above all else, minister with an unfailing compassion to the human crisis of sin and death. Love neve gives up; it never abandons

Paul Writes That The Church Is To Be Commended For It Endurance Inspired By Hope

The Church is worthy of commendation when its hope produces endurance Philippians 1:12-26

Faithful to Christ, it looks forward to His promise that where He is we will also be - John 12:26

More than the eternal extension of existence, it looks forward to the eternal extension of its relationship of love with the Father and the Son Titus 2:12-14

Concl. - Becoming models - 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7