Thriving in Chaotic Times: Walk the Walk Part 1: I Thess. 4:1-8
Notes
Transcript
I. How’s Your Walk? vs. 1-2
I. How’s Your Walk? vs. 1-2
A. Their walk with God is predicated on a relationship with God. Much like the 10 commandments were preceded by a prologue on what Yahweh had done, then come the commandments. Yahweh’s commands are always preceded by Yahweh’s actions. For us it is the cross.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
B. We are to walk in the commands of Christ (5:12-25).
C. Paul gave them this command from the Lord, not from his own opinion.
II. How Your Private Life? vs. 3-6
II. How Your Private Life? vs. 3-6
A. In those days marriages were arranged. It was not expected for the husband to be faithful to his wife. In fact in some religions of that day infidelity was commanded. “Mistresses we keep for our pleasure, concubines for our day to day physical well-being, and wives to bear us legitimate children.”- Demonsthenes.
B. Since we are called to live a holy life, that is a separated life, we are to be different.
C. Your body is to be used, not for your own desires, but for God’s glory. “I’m not sure why God saw fit to wire men this way, but I know that the temptation to sin sexually most often gets a foothold inside us first through what we see, and only later through what we think. In other words, we see it, our mind starts dwelling on it, and then we feel a strong temptation to go and get it.”- Johnny Hunt.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
D. Sexual sin has a way of coming out. (Ravi Zacharias and Johnny Hunt ex)
III. How’s Your Family Life vs. 6-8
III. How’s Your Family Life vs. 6-8
A. We are a part of a forever family. When we sin against another Christian, it is against another brother/sister. Jesus warns us, to live right, because He prays for our unity.
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
B. If we reject this, we are living outside the will of God.
C. When we reject God’s commands, we’re not rejecting the preacher, the ones we’ve hurt, or Paul, but God Himself. Let us live a holy life, and walk closely with Jesus.