Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro/Review

Last week we started to look at this final section of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian Believers… Paul is closing out this letter with giving us a look at “Evidences of a Healthy Church”.

Last week we started to look at theses evidences and talked about how a Healthy Church will have…

1. Servant Leaders

Leaders that…

1.1 Work Hard

1.2 Lead by Example

1.3 Are Loved

We also started looking at another evidence… and that is...

2. Faithful Members

Paul then began to list off 16 Imperatives that faithful members should currently be doing and should continue to do until their time on earth is finished… we were able to get through 5 of these…

2.1 Live in Peace

2.2 Warn the Unruly

2.3 Comfort the Discouraged

2.4 Help the Weak

2.5 Be Patient with Everyone

And that is where we are going to pick it up this morning.

Let’s read our passage together… 1 Thessalonians 5:14-28…

Meat:

As we go over the rest of these imperatives, I want to mention that there are some that are pretty obvious what they are saying and we won’t spend a whole lot of time on them, but there are some that we will look at in depth and make sure we really understand the point that Paul is trying to get across…

Also, I want to say that; Just because Paul mentions all of these here, doesn’t mean that the Thessalonian believers were struggling in all of these areas at the time.

Remember, Paul is writing under the direction of the Holy Spirit… And, The Holy Spirit, as God, knew exactly what would happen in the future of the Church and the specific instructions that we would need in order to be a Healthy Church, that is ready and waiting for the Return of Christ.

We pick up our list in v.15 “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”

There are 2 imperatives in this verse that go hand in hand… the first one is…

2.6 Don’t Repay Evil for Evil

AND

2.7 Strive to do Good

We are not to repay evil for evil because the Bible teaches us not to… but also, when we choose not to repay evil for evil, it shows the world that we are different, it is evidence of our relationship with our Heavenly Father…

Matthew 5:9 “9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

I believe, here in Thessalonians, that Paul is just Paraphrasing the words of Christ from…

This goes right along with what we looked at last week… “Live in Peace and Be Patient with Everyone…

You never know who might be watching and what kind of impact your non-vengeful reaction will have on people…

Stuart Holden (1874-1934), the author of "Prevailing Intercessory Prayer", was in Egypt and met a sergeant in a Highland regiment.

"How were you brought to Christ?" he asked this bright Christian.

The sergeant responded: "There was a private in the same company as myself who had been converted in Malta , and I gave him a terrible time.

I remember one night in particular when it was very rainy and he came in wet and weary from sentry duty.

Yet, as usual, he still got down on his knees before going to bed.

My boots were covered in mud and I threw them both at him and hit him twice on the head.

He kept kneeling and praying.

The next morning when I woke up I found my boots beautifully cleaned and polished at my bedside.

This was his reply to me and it broke my heart.

That day I was brought to repentance."

(Slide) … Do not repay evil for evil and Strive to do Good!

The next one is pretty self explanatory… v.16…

2.8 Rejoice Always!

When you are persecuted … rejoice.

When the spiritually lost are found … rejoice.

When obedience to Christ is evident … rejoice.

When life is overwhelming and we feel imprisoned … rejoice.

Think of a situation – any situation – and in that situation continue to rejoice because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Corrie Ten Boom in, the book entitled, “The Hiding Place” relates to an incident that taught her an important principle.

She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck.

Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested.

Their Scripture reading that morning in 1 Thess (Chapter 5) had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances.

Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters.

Corrie at first flatly refused to give thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted.

She finally succumbed… (and thanked God for the fleas)

During the months spent at that camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without guard interference.

It was several months later when they learned that the guards would not enter the barracks because of the fleas.

May we have the same attitude as Corrie Ten Boom and the same attitude of the Apostle Paul… Remember from our study through Philippians…

Philippians 2:14-18 “14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.”

The next one is found in v. 17…

2.9 Pray Constantly

Pray and keep on praying.

Pray about anything and everything.

Pray on all occasions.

This does not mean we must always be mumbling prayers.

The word means “constantly recurring,” not continuously occurring.

We are to constantly be in touch with God so that our praying is part of a long conversation that is not broken.

That being said, if we are in constant communication with God, then we should be mindful of the things that we say, the words that we use, the tones that we take with others… so on and so forth…

Also, as faithful members of the Body of Christ… We are to be…

2.10 Thankful in Every Circumstance

v.18 “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

“In Everything Give thanks”… Paul’s simple, direct statement doesn’t allow much wiggle room to be ungrateful…

John MacArthur says “(In everything) refers to all that occurs in life.

No matter what struggles, trials, testings, or vicissitudes occur in the lives of Christians (with the obvious exception of personal sins), they are to give thanks.”

If we are living our lives as faithful members of the Body of Christ, if we are honoring Him with our daily walk, if we can say with confidence the words of Job…

Job 27:5-6 “5b … Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.”

Then whatever comes our way, we can be thankful for.

What a great promise and word of encouragement we find in...

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

This means that … God’s providence—His sovereign blending of all the circumstances, in the life of the believer, to bring them ultimate blessing, should be what causes us to be thankful for everything in life… Why??

Because according to His Word, we are assured that it fits into His eternal purpose and plan for our lives…

Even in times of great anxiety, fear, worry, and stress, a prayerful attitude of thanksgiving should characterize believers… Again, Corrie Ten Boom was even thankful for the fleas…

V.18 ends with “ for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

This statement actually ties in with last three imperatives we just looked at…

It is God’s will for us, as followers of Christ, to express constant joy, constant prayer, and constant thanksgiving.

And God not only mandates these imperative acts of righteousness, but He makes it possible for believers to express them —and He is extremely pleased when they do.

The next imperatives that we are going to look at, I have put in their own category as another evidence of a healthy church… A healthy church will have servant leaders, faithful members and…

3. Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is not just an evidence of a healthy church, it is a necessity… Earlier this week I had taken a couple of the kids to a yearly doctors appointment.

At this appointment, one of the first things the nurse does is take measurements of the kids’ weight and height… They want to make sure that they are growing… and my goodness, do they grow up fast!

It is a sign of good health and proper nourishment… same thing within the local church.

A healthy church will have evidence of spiritual growth.

People that are growing in their relationship with Christ as they receive nourishment from His Word.

If we are going to grow spriritually we must take follow the instruction that Paul gives, in v. 19 “Do not quench the Spirit.”

3.1 Don’t Quench the Spirit

We are going to take a few minutes and unpack what it means to “Quench the Spirit”…