The Quadratic Emphasis of the Church
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Please take your Bible and turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:25-28 as we conclude our study of this wonderful epistle.
I believe that I mentioned last week that something in this weeks text prompted me to do something very different. Something which will add time to the message. I believe I even encouraged you to look at the text and see if you could figure out what I had in mind. (I know I metioned it at least when I practiced …). Paul commanded this in verse 27 of our text:
I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.
And so, I’d like to begin by reading this entire letter to you. Believe me, I’ve timed it out; it takes a little less than 12 minutes to do so. But doing so will help us to put everything into context as well as to review the things we’ve learned over the several months we’ve spent studying this epistle. So let’s begin in chapter 1, verse 1. As we read this, look for a common theme which pops up at the end of each chapter.
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.
Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?
Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
Brethren, pray for us.
Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Did you figure out the common theme? The Coming of the Lord.
Often we overlook the closing comments in epistles. But that is a poor habit since the it is the Holy Spirit who drove the human author to write even the closing comments.
During the 1980-81 school year I was a Junior in high school. One of the things that we studied in both chemistry and math was the quadratic equation. Don’t ask me to explain or even tell you what it is, since I nearly flunked both of those classes. What I do know is something that is quadratic has four aspects.
In these brief comments Paul gives four things in which the church should give emphasis to: prayer, affection, God’s Word, and God’s grace. And we will consider each of these as we close out our current study of this letter.
The first thing we see in our text is that
The Church Should Emphasize Prayer
The Church Should Emphasize Prayer
Look again at verse 25.
Brethren, pray for us.
Note that:
The people of the church should be praying for their spiritual leaders
Pray for their safety
Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.
Pray for wisdom in service
that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
Pray for their future plans and priorities
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
Pray for effectiveness in preaching and teaching
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
Pray for spiritual strengthening
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
Remember that though Paul was the founder of this work of God, he was no longer with them in person. Therefore, I believe that we should widen our prayers to include thos who have impacted our lives spiritually and are still living.
And of course, we should be praying for our missionaries.
The next thing we see in our text is that
The Church Should Emphasize Loving Affection
The Church Should Emphasize Loving Affection
Look at verse 26.
Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
Note that:
Loving affection should be given to all believers and not just a select few
The method of showing brotherly affection is not as important as is the command to show it to all the brethren.
Jews and Gentiles worshiping together
What I presently struggle with is how we are to display such affection during these times.
The next thing we see in our text is that
The Church Should Emphasize God’s Word
The Church Should Emphasize God’s Word
Look at verse 27.
I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.
Paul’s strong language is a command to be followed. Most like it was a command to the elders of the church to make sure that everyone heard the contents of this letter.
Note that:
The public reading of God’s Word is to be practiced for the benefit of all believers
Paul seems to be concerned that this letter would only be read to those members of the body who had expressed a particular interest in a particular issue. But Paul wanted the entire body of the church to hear the reading of this entire letter.
The final thing we see in this text is that
The Church Should Emphasize Grace
The Church Should Emphasize Grace
Note that:
Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Grace is the book ends of each Paul’s epistles. It is always referred to in his opening statement, as well as in his closing statement. Therefore, all of the contents in between are encompassed with grace.
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Because of its use in this manner, it is so easy to pass over the significance of it. Grace summarizes all that a believer is in Christ Jesus:
Faith is in accordance with grace
For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Grace makes us the unique believers that we are
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
Grace is all suffiecient
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Growing in grace is to be the aim of each believer
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Leon Morris wrote:
1 and 2 Thessalonians: An Introduction and Commentary 1. Greeting (1:1)
Grace is one of the great Christian words. Cognate with chara (‘joy’), it means basically ‘that which causes joy’. In a Christian context nothing brings joy like the act of God in Christ whereby sin is put away and salvation is made available as a free gift
Grace is seen at the cross of Christ where God poured out His wrath on our sins. Grace is seen in the empty tomb which signaled Jesus victory over sin and death. Grace is seen in the giving of the Holy Spirit who not only regenerates the believer, but empowers us to live a godly and Godward life. He plants within the heart of the believer the fruit of the spirit, which should be a focal point for each of us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
This morning we’ve looked at four things which every local church, and every individual believer should emphasize: prayer, loving affection, God’s Word, and grace. I firmly believe that if we would truly emphasize these things, each and everyone of us, we would see true revival.
Let’s pray.
Dear Father,
We bow before You this day, Maker of heaven and earth, and acknowledge our many short-comings and failures. Often we lack fervency in prayer. Forgive us. Often we lack loving affection towards all. Forgive us. Often we lack, at least in our own personal lives, a strong emphasis on Your Word. Forgive us. Often we take Your grace for granted, or we use the knowledge of it as an exuse for a lack of holy living. Forgive us.
Lord, may Your Spirit enable us to truly examine our own hearts and lives and determine if we are falling short in any of these areas. Then may He give us the fortitude to change the direction in which we are headed, if need be.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Just as this epistle is bookended by grace, so our message is bookended by songs about grace.
Closing Song: #343
Amazing Grace