Living The Life of a Believer

When soldiers are trained how to clear a minefield their instructor tells them to step precisely in the footprint left by the person in front of them. The concept is simple: since the person in front of them stepped on a spot that didn’t set off a landmine, the only spot guaranteed to be safe was the ground under that footprint. Stepping anywhere else means risking death.

The person at the front of the patrol is called the “point man.” His job is to make sure he clears any mines or booby traps before moving forward. Everyone else’s job is to walk where he walks and step where he steps.

When we say we’re following Jesus, living as Jesus lived and doing what Jesus did, we are letting Jesus be the point man in our lives.

I am sure that we have all heard about the good life. Living the good life, having the good life, or getting the good life… The problem with the good life is that good does not necessarily mean the same thing to everyone.

For one the good life may be the possession of material things, yet different things are important to different people. To others the good life is not what we possess materially, but what we possess physically... How many of us would exchange valuables for good health and long life?… Once again, good health to one is not good health to another.

King Solomon said this in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (ESV) “I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

I cannot stress this enough... for us as believers, as followers of Christ, life is not about living, or obtaining the good life, BUT about living the life that God has ordained for us.

We are to live out what we say we believe!

In Chapter 3 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul devoted a substantial portion of this letter pouring out his heart and desire for ministry. In case there was any doubt, Paul assured them of his love and devotion for the Lord and His church. He presented a challenge to them through the life he lived before them.

As we come to Chapter 4, Paul turns his focus toward the church and the life we, as believers, are to live. The passage the we will read today serves as an exhortation to all who read these words… to live a sanctified life that glorifies the Lord.

Lets read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8…

Meat:

As we go through this passage today and we consider “Living the Life of the Believer”… I want you to see the...

Responsibilities of Believers:

and the first responsibility that I want you to notice is, we are to...

1. Know the Commandments

vv.1-2 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.”

When I here that word “Commandment”, I instantly go to…

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2. You shall not make idols.

3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and your mother.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet.

These of course are the ten commandments given to the nation of Israel… And these are a great starting point and guide for our Christian lives… Notice I said “Starting point”… “Pastor, these are “THE COMMANDMENTS”, they are literally called “The Ten Commandments”… you cannot possibly be implying that there are more than this...”

As a matter of fact, I am… and it is our responsibility to know what the other commandments are and it is also our responsibility to follow them…

“Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Christ had given them a charge to fulfill, a life to live, and a ministry to perform. This was not an option; it was an obligation. The Lord has not merely suggested that we live according to His words, but He has commanded that we do so.

That is one of the biggest hindrances and pitfalls of the modern church today. Many, even those who are willing to serve the Lord, treat His Word and His desire for us as if it were a buffet. We don’t have the right to pick and choose when it comes to the things of God.

We are commanded and obligated to live according to His way and His will for our lives. We cannot read any passage of Scripture and pretend it doesn’t apply to our lives. All Scripture is there for our teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, and it is our responsibility to know it and to be obedient in following what it says.

The Thessalonians had heard from Paul how they were to live… So now pleasing God was no longer an option it was their responsibility. Likewise, We can no longer just have the desire to please God with our lives, it is our responsibility to please Him.

Remember from our study in James,

James 4:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

This leads to our second responsibility as believers and that is to live...

2. A Life of Purity

Many today are seeking the will of God for their lives and seem to have a hard time discovering what it is that God wants of them. Much of the lack of knowledge concerning God’s will can be attributed to a lack of knowledge of the Bible.

Some, however, may know what God’s will for their life is and yet refuse to embrace it. These verses are very clear in regard to God’s will for our lives. He desires and expects us to live:

2.1 Sanctified

v. 3a “For this is the will of God, your sanctification...”

This speaks of “consecration, purification, a sanctified heart and life, holiness and purity.”

The meaning of the word goes back to the Old Testament where holy items were chosen for use in the temple...

Let’s say they need a pot.

The priest would go to the shop and there would be dozens of pots.

He buys one … one pot chosen from among many. Outwardly it may even look exactly the same as the pot next to it on the shelf … and that pot is brought to the temple.

It has been set apart. It has been made holy. It has been sanctified… If you have put your faith in Christ, if you have asked Him to forgive you of your sins and take control over your life… you have been sanctified!

Romans 6:22 says… “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”

I believe we are more familiar with sanctification than we care to admit. We know the life God expects us to live. The Holy Spirit reveals whether our lives and actions are in accordance with the will of God. If you are seeking God’s will, then you should be seeking a life of purity and sanctification!

Secondly, A life of purity will be one that is...

2.2 Isolated

Now, before you pack everything up, go home and lock the door… let me explain what I mean. If we go back to my previous illustration about the pot that was purchased for the temple, we can get a better picture.

*** Illustration: Have some sins listed on paper and some things that glorify God listed on paper… put them in their corresponding pots (Sanctified/Sin).***

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We are to isolate ourselves from the things in this pot. This does not mean to completely isolate ourselves from the world, but the things of the world.

(Back to “Isolated” Slide)

Back in v. 3 of 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul touches on a very specific subject...

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;”

Clearly this was a problem the believers in Thessalonica were forced to contend with. In the Greek society of that day immorality and promiscuity were rampant. Paul encourages the church there to abstain, or isolate, from such behavior, literally “to hold one’s self from, to refrain.”

The phrase “Sexual Immorality” in the text comes from the Greek word porneia. When you hear that word you know what it means don’t you?… Our world and the world of the first century may be 2000 years apart. But when it comes to sexuality – and broken expressions of sexuality – there is very little difference.

Having an extra-marital affair was not just common, it was expected. Many couples didn’t marry for love, but only to provide a secure place to raise biological children and give legal frameworks for the passing on of land and possessions.

The widespread acceptance of slavery effectively meant many were socially placed in a space where they were a sex possession to be used whenever and however the owner pleased.

They may not have had the internet and pictures – but in the day young women would walk through the city with clothing so shear nothing was left to the imagination… Immoral parties, partner swapping and Homosexuality was widely practiced.

You would have to agree that our modern society is plagued with the lusts of the flesh and the desire for that which is immoral. It even promotes and encourages promiscuity. We, as believers, have an obligation to isolate ourselves from such behavior and refrain from it.

This leads to the third part of our responsibility to live a life of purity. A life of Purity will be one that is...

2.3 Controlled

vv. 4-5 “that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”

In verse 4 the word “Possess” could also be translated as “Control” and the word “vessel” could also be translated as “body”… We must control our bodies (our lives) in sanctification and honor.

We control our bodies against the “Passion of lust”. That is an interesting phrase. It speaks of “a desire or craving for something that is forbidden.” The church was not to engage in sinful acts that served to please the flesh. They were not to covet or desire those things that were forbidden according to the Word of God.

That is simple enough to understand, but it is a major problem in our world today. It would seem that the slogan of the world is “if it feels good, do it!”… and if that is your philosophy on life, then you are following the path of those, as Paul describes at the end of verse 5, who do not know God…

Paul reminded the church that they were living among a people who did not know the Lord. They were not to engage in the sinful practices of the Gentiles; their lives were to be lived separate from the ways of the world.

We must also consider the responsibility to present a positive witness to those whom we live among. They do not know the Lord. We can’t expect a lost man to live for the Lord because he has never met Christ. They need to see those who belong to the Lord setting a positive example, living a controlled life of purity… Folks, we will never reach the lost if our lives are lived no differently than theirs.

This leads us to our third responsibility… living the life of a believer, it is our responsibility to live a life of…

3. Good Character

vv. 6-7 “that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.”

The church was warned not to take advantage of others. They were not to seek personal gain at the expense of a brother. Paul and the Lord expected them to live lives that were above reproach and accusation… And the Lord expects the same of His Followers today.

Do you realize that your character and reputation is one of the most precious and fragile attributes you possess? It declares to the world who we are and dictates how we are perceived. Good Character can take a lifetime to build, but only a few seconds to destroy. We must be mindful of the life we live before others and seek to guard our Good, Godly Character!

And lastly this morning… living the life of a believer, it is our responsibility to live a life of…

4. Submission

That is a word that when most people hear it, they immediately go on the defensive. The word submission has received such a bad reputation that we rarely use it.

Submission is the willful act of yielding to the power, control or authority of another.

It is a voluntary act and it is a critical part of the learning process… Submission is a key concept in the Bible and in order for us to be true followers of Jesus Christ, we must learn to be submissive.

v.8 says “Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”

“Therefore he who rejects this” … Rejects what???… Remember whenever you see the word “Therefore” in Scripture, what ever follows is pertaining to the previous verses… so in this case...

Whoever rejects the responsibilities of…

Knowing the Commandments

Living a life of Purity

Having a Good (Godly) Character

Living a life of Submission

“...does not reject man, but God...”

Paul reminds us that God has given us His Holy Spirit… and we, as believers, have the responsibility and are expected to submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We will never experience God’s abundance if we are unwilling to submit to the leadership of His Spirit.

It is dangerous to ignore the pleading of the Spirit. We are given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives, but we have to do our part and Submit to His will.

Closing:

I will have to admit that these have been challenging verses. They deal with where we are living today… I want to live a life that edifies my Lord,… a life that encourages other believers, and a life that points the lost to the Savior… I pray that you have the same desire...

I’m sure we all could live closer to the Lord than we currently do. Has He spoken to you about an area in your life that needs attention? If so, I encourage you to... submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead you into the depths of God’s greatness!

Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me; I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne; My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.