Marks of Maturity - Part 8
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Thesis: A mature believer will grow in brotherly love, lead a respectable life, and have a good testimony through diligent labor.
I. Growing In Love
I. Growing In Love
A. Taught by God (v.9)
1 Thessalonians 4:9
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;
Timothy’s report brought back the good news that the Thessalonian church was a loving church.
The reason for this “philadelphia” (brotherly (and sisterly) love was that God had been working in their hearts to produce “agape”.
Because they were grounded in agape love, they could naturally move to brotherly love
A. Taught by God
God’s Instruction
Leviticus 19:18
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
This teaching on love did not originate with man, but it is from God and God alone!
A. Taught by God
1. God’s Instruction
2. God’s Example
1 John 3:16
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
A. Taught by God
B. Towards All the Believers (v.10)
1 Thessalonians 4:10
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;
Love is expressed by the deeds we do for each other.
This kind of sibling love is to be shown to those that reciprocate and to those that don’t.
This love continues on regardless of nationality or personality.
This love does not discriminate between believers…it loves them ALL!
Heb. 13:1
1 Let brotherly love continue.
Romans 12:10
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Psalm 133:1
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
“…that you increase more and more.”
Increase means to “super abound”
When it comes to brotherly love, there is always room for improvement
When you look back at your love for fellow Christians a year ago, is it greater now than it was then?
Think about how families work:
When there’s a gathering (bday party, etc.) and there’s family and friends present, the atmosphere has a certain feel.
But when the guests begin to leave, the atmosphere changes, and when you say goodbye to that last guest and they leave and you shut the door and turn around to just your family sitting there, it’s totally different than when even one guest was there.
Everything is more relaxed, you feel relieved and it’s just different…WHY?
Because you’re with family (general truth, not specific to EVERY family situation)
Marketers know this. That’s why they use slogans like “We’ll treat you like family” or “Welcome Home”
Family is special. But it’s also a place where we can swing to the other end of the spectrum.
We tend to let our guard down, and can lose self-control much easier than when we “it’s just family”
Sad to say, we can be the most hurtful to the ones that love us the most
Think about all of this in the Christian realm
How do we treat other believers when non-believers are present vs. when it’s just our fellow Christian?
Notice that it does not say that we should “like” one another…it says “LOVE”
Not every saint is naturally likable…but we are still required to love them (even if we don’t like them) - We’re living by Faith and the Facts, not by Feelings.
To dwell above with saints in love
Oh, that will be glory.
But to stay below with the saints I know-
Well, that’s another story.
We might not LIKE one another at times, but we need to learn to LOVE each other in spite of that!
We don’t have to like one another in order to love one another.
II. Growing In Life
II. Growing In Life
1 Thessalonians 4:11
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,
A. The Restful Life (v.11a)
B. The Responsible Life (v.11a)
III. Growing In Labor
III. Growing In Labor
1 Thessalonians 4:12
12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
A. Diligent Labor (v.11b)
B. Dependable Labor (v.12)
Closing Thoughts:
Our love for one another does not depend on our feelings.
Our responsibilities help us to mind our own business.
Our testimony does depend on our work ethic.
Questions to Consider:
Is my capacity to love others growing over time?
Am I focused on what God has for me to do today?
Word Study:
“brotherly love” : philadĕlphia - fraternal affection
“taught by God” : thĕŏdidaktŏs - divinely instructed
“increase more and more” : pĕrissĕuō - to super-abound
“aspire” : philŏtimĕŏmai - to strive, study
“lead a quiet life” : hēsuchazō - lit. keep still; refrain from meddlesomeness
“work” : ĕrgazŏmai - to toil, to be engaged with