Words on the Run - 2022-10-30

“Words on the Run”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

Message #13 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

30 October 2022

INTRODUCTION:

There are occasions when we have time to sit down for a nice chat with someone, perhaps at a coffee bar or in a quiet restaurant someplace. It is great to be able to visit with a friend for an unhurried conversation, to share ideas or talk about old times. It is nice to sit by the fireplace in comfortable chairs with our feet up and just talk, laughing over shared memories or discussing our views about politics, religion, or anything else.

However, we live busy lives and most of our conversations happen on the run. We talk by cell phone while driving 70 mph down the freeway. We text one another using emojis or short, pithy phrases or code language because it is so hard to type in complete sentences with your thumbs. We write short emails and memos sharing a minimum of information, knowing that if the email is too long no one will read the whole thing. 

We have become experts at using words on the run. Let’s think of a few other examples:

·        The words of a coach to his team just before the start of the game: “Listen fellows, get out there and make me proud. Remember the plays. Use your heads. Do not let them get you flustered. You are champions! Let’s go!”

·        The words of a sergeant to his men as they are going into battle: “Keep your heads down, men. Do not take unnecessary risks. Check your weapons. Grab extra ammo. Keep your eyes on your buddies. Cover one another’s backs.”

·        The words of a mother to her kids just before going into church: “Keep your hands off each other. No fighting in church. Do not whisper during the service. If you throw a fit like you did last Sunday, I am going to snatch you bald headed. Wipe those scrambled eggs off your shirt. Let’s go.”

All these examples involve boiling down the instruction to a few well-chosen words delivered with maximum emotion for maximum effect. They are messages delivered when time is at a premium.

 

Our text for today is just such a speech. The apostle Paul is finishing off his letter to the Thessalonians. He has already talked about many important subjects. Now he closes the letter with a series of brief, powerful instructions. They are words spoken on the run. Let’s read them in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28. 

TRANSITION:

¹⁶ Be joyful always; ¹⁷ pray continually; ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; ²⁰ do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹ Test everything. Hold on to the good. ²² Avoid every kind of evil. ²³ May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. ²⁵ Brothers pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. ²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

MAIN BODY:

Verse 16: Be joyful always.

·        “Rejoice always” NASV. In Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!”

·        Christians should be the most joy-filled people on the planet. By the way, that is what “joy-ful” means—full of joy. But what is the source of that joy? Where can we get it? Jesus said in John 15:9-11: “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. ¹⁰ If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” So, according to Jesus, walking with Him and obeying His commands is what gives us joy. If that is true, no wonder carnal Christians have so little joy in their lives, and unbelievers have none, at least not the kind of joy to which Jesus is referring.

·        “Be joyful always.” Always is an adverb and modifies the verb. You can turn the sentence around to say, “Always be joyful.” It means at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. Nehemiah told his people, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is power. It is divinely powerful to see us through any situation, no matter how dark and gloomy it might appear to be.

Verse 17: Pray continually.

·        NASV says, “Pray without ceasing.” It means to pray without stopping, without giving up.

·        Is that even possible? How can we pray continually? We must eat and sleep sometime. And we must work during the day. How can we pray continually?

·        What you need to understand is that prayer is not an event but an attitude. It is the recognition that we are ever in the presence of the Lord and always under His watchful, loving gaze. Even when we are behind locked doors with no other human seeing what we do or hearing what we mutter, God knows it all. Nothing is hidden from His sight or closeted away from His hearing.

·        That knowledge can take you in two directions: 1) You can freak out and try to run from Him. In that case, you need to read David’s words in Psalm 139. Listen to what he says in verses 7-12 of that Psalm – Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, You are there.   If I make my bed in the depths, You are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day.

·        Or secondly, 2) You can learn to live in His presence in the awareness that He is constantly with us, ready to hear us, watching us with the loving eyes of a Father. To “pray continually” simply means to live in a constant state of communication with Him, of constant devotion. Our thought-life becomes one long continuous prayer throughout our day. As things come up you immediately whisper them to Him, asking for His guidance. You thank Him many times through the day. You talk to Him as you would to a friend who is ever by your side. 

Verse 18: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

·        NASV says, “In everything give thanks.” Nobody ever said this was going to be easy. It is hard to be thankful in every circumstance. When we are hurting or sad it is hard to give thanks to God. But notice that Paul does not say, “for everything give thanks.” He says, “in all circumstances.” In every situation that we face we can find things for which to be grateful. “Thank you, Lord, that I only broke one leg when I fell off the roof, instead of both of them.” Or “Thank you, Lord, that I at least still have a job, even though they have cut my hours way back.”

·        However, Paul also talked about this in a few other places too. For example, in Ephesians 5:20 he upped the ante when he wrote, “...always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” Oops! That is harder, isn’t it? “In all things” is doable. “For all things” is really tough. “Thank You Lord, that I fell off the roof and broke my leg. I know You allowed this for a reason, and I thank You in advance for what You are going to teach me through this experience.” Or “Thank You Lord, that You took my mother to be with You.” Or “Thank You Father, that I got laid off from the factory and have no idea how we are going to pay our mortgage.”

·        The real test of our faith is whether we can truly thank God from the heart for everything He allows to come into our lives. The last part of verse 18 explains it: “...for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We do not always like God’s will for us, but the longer we know Him the easier it becomes to trust that He knows exactly what He is doing, even when we do not have a clue.

Verse 19: Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.

·        NASV says, “Do not quench the Spirit.” Literally, based on the verb tense, Paul tells the Thessalonians, “STOP quenching the Spirit.” Apparently, there was some of that going on in their church. As Christians sometimes we get to thinking that we have the Holy Spirit all figured out. The Pentecostals think He works one way. The non-Pentecostals think He operates another way. In both cases, we try to put Him in a bottle and control Him like a Genie. But look at what Jesus said to Nicodemus about the Spirit in John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” In Matthew 3:11 the Spirit’s ministry is associated with fire, which is also uncontrollable.

·        One thing I know for sure... the Holy Spirit is going about His work, convicting, and convincing people about sin and righteousness and judgment. That is what the Bible says. He is exalting Christ and building the Kingdom of God. We, on the other hand, often get in His way. Some Christians seem to think that they are called to be Smokey Bears. Every time the Holy Spirit begins to light a little fire, one of us runs over and stomps out the flames and pours cold water on the ashes.

·        That is what Paul is talking about. We need to learn to recognize God’s fingerprints on things. Just because we see something happening that we do not understand and cannot explain from our limited theological framework does not mean that it is a work of the devil. God works through some of the most unlikely people in some of the oddest places. Jesus was constantly criticized by the religious elite of His day because He operated outside the box of their narrowminded theology. They could neither understand Him nor explain Him.

·        We need to be careful not to throw cold water on things the Holy Spirit is doing and on revival fires that He is trying to ignite. He might just want to set this church on fire. And because it would be a new experience for us, that scares us. We want God to work in our midst so long as He does not do anything too “weird” or anything that will make us the least bit uncomfortable. 

Verse 20: Do not treat prophecies with contempt.

·        The NASV puts it this way: “Do not despise prophetic utterances.” Either way it is a little confusing I think, so let’s unpack it piece by piece. The verb here translated, “do not treat with contempt,” or “do not despise” literally means, “do not look down upon, or undervalue.” It is the same word we find in 1 Timothy 4:12 where the old apostle Paul says to young Timothy, “Let no one look down on [KJV = despise] your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” To “despise” then is to underrate or undervalue something that is of great worth.

·        Plug that meaning back into this verse. In 1 Corinthians 14:1 believers are urged to seek the gift of prophecy, the Spirit-guided public utterances of deep eternal truths. As in the Corinthian church, this gift may have been abused in the Thessalonian church; but abuse does not preclude use. The prophet’s task is to tell what God has told him, including things to come. Paul says that we should not undervalue that ministry because it is one of the things God uses to shape and perfect His Church. 

Verse 21: Test everything. Hold on to the good.

·        This verse needs to be understood in the light of the previous verse. Paul is still talking about prophetic utterances, prophetic preaching. The Thessalonian believers are not to take everything at face value but are to be like the Bereans, checking everything, every word against the inspired Word of God. Paul says, test everything, examine everything, and hold it all up to the light to make sure that you are dealing with the real thing, not a counterfeit. Christianity is a rational religion. God does not ask us to check our brains at the door. If the biblical account is true and if the Scriptures are a trustworthy revelation of the mind of God, then it makes perfect sense to trust them. Given the presuppositions of our faith, it makes perfect sense to conclude that God exists, and that what He has said is true, and what He has promised He will do.

·        This statement by Paul was made to people who grew up believing in pagan religions. Paul is challenging them to put God and His Word to the test, and to verify the things that were being preached and taught in the church. But then he exhorts them to “hold fast, hold tightly” to the truth. James says that “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” The Bible says that in the Holy Scriptures “we have the mind of Christ.” 

Verse 22: Avoid every kind of evil.

·        How many kinds of evil are there for crying out loud? LOTS! And that includes some of our favourite things that we do not like to classify as evil. Many of us have things in our lives that we prefer to call by euphemistic names, such as “weaknesses, mistakes, my bad, character flaws, errors in judgment, sudden lapses, strong personalities, etc.” However, God calls all these things “SIN” and we need to get used to calling them by their correct name too. Paul says, “AVOID” all these things.

·        How do we avoid evil? The same way we avoid traffic accidents:

1.      We make sure that our equipment is in tip-top shape.

2.     We travel at or below the posted speed limit.

3.     We keep our eyes open and watch out for people who can hurt us.

4.     We avoid getting distracted because that is when accidents always happen.

·        If we apply these same rules to our spiritual lives, we will still not be sinless but of a certainty we will sin less. Get it?

Verses 23: May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

·        This is a prayer from Paul’s heart to God’s ear. He asks God to make them holy (sanctified) and “blameless” through and through, in every part of their life and being. He prays for their bodies, their souls, and their spirits—that they will be truly holy and Christlike in every part, right up until the day that they step into the Lord’s glorious presence.

·        By the way, this is one of the passages that leads me to believe that man is tripartite, meaning made up of three parts—body, soul, and spirit. Theologians argue about this, but I believe the Bible teaches that man is unique in this regard. Animals have bodies and souls. Thus, they are bipartite. The soul consists of intellect, emotion, and volition (will). Even dogs and cats have those qualities to some degree. But what makes man unique is his spirit, the part of him that has the capacity to relate in a personal way with the living God. Before we come to know Christ, the Bible says that our spirits are dead, inactive, turned off. But when we come to know Christ, we become spiritually alive and able to commune with God and have a personal, eternal relationship with Him. I do not believe animals can do that. 

Verse 24: The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

·        This is an interesting verse, not only for what it says, but also for what it does not say.

·        “The One who calls you” is obviously God. In many passages we read that we have been called unto salvation. God, by His mercy and grace has called us to Himself. Then secondly Paul points out that God is Faithful. This is one of His immutable attributes. He is faithful because it is part of His nature, not merely a choice He makes on a case-by-case basis. To state it negatively, He is never not faithful.

·        One more thing... notice that the word “calls” is in the present tense, not the past tense. Here Paul is emphasizing that the same One who called us to salvation in the past is the same One who is constantly calling us to sanctification in the present. I take that from what he just said in verse 23. The subject here is still sanctification.

·        But the last part of the verse is purposely left open-ended... “He will do it.” What will He do? It! But that word, “it,” must be understood in the context—Paul is talking about the sanctifying work of the Spirit in believers’ lives. So, in that context what does “IT” mean? Whatever needs to be done to make us more holy He will do. Whatever is right to do. Whatever is best for His children. Whatever brings Him the greatest glory. Whatever builds His Church. Whatever best moulds and strengthens His children. He will do IT! You can fill in the blank! 

Verse 25: Brothers, pray for us.

·        This is the shortest prayer request on record. But notice that the Great Apostle, the one who has been called in history, the “Great Lion of God,” Paul himself, was not too proud to ask people to pray for him and his colleagues as they went about doing their ministry. He knew that he was as much in need of prayer as the newest baby Christian in the church. We never outgrow our need to have people pray for us. The greatest gift you can give to another person is to pray faithfully for him. Paul requests prayer in other places too. (e.g., Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; etc).

Verse 26: Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

·        This is a great verse! Oh, but wait, it says “brothers.” RATS! You mean I have to kiss Mark and Brian and Ken? What is Paul talking about?

·        Of course, there is a cultural component here. And the word “brothers” is generic meaning both brothers and sisters. In those days people greeted close friends and members of their family with a kiss on each cheek. In many parts of the world people still do that. For example, that was the custom in Brazil.

·        The point is that we need to treat one another as close friends and family. We need to show warm, albeit non-sexual, affection toward one another. Americans have almost forgotten how to do this. But we at least need to shake hands warmly and greet one another with genuine affection. And frankly, I love giving and getting hugs from both men and women. We have become so paranoid about sexual perverts that we are becoming less and less affectionate with one another. The only caution I would mention is in Paul’s phrase, “a HOLY kiss.”

Verse 27: I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

·        Obviously, the Thessalonians obeyed Paul’s order. It has come all the way down to us and we are still learning from his words. 

Verse 28: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

·        Here Paul pronounces a benediction upon them. A benediction is a spoken blessing. Bene is the Latin word meaning “well, correctly, or profitably.” [Seen in words like beneficent, benefactor, benefit, etc.] Coupled with the Latin word dictus, meaning “spoken” we see that a benediction is a blessing spoken over someone, asking for God’s blessing on them.

·        Paul is asking God to pour out His grace on the Thessalonians in such a way that it will remain and abide with them always.

CONCLUSION:

Paul ends several of his letters with a barrage of instructions like we have here. Personally, I like to get things boiled down and easy to understand. He is talking here as a spiritual father to his children, and he is giving them some last-minute instructions before he sticks the letter in the envelope and drops it in the post.

FEEDBACK:

Which of these zingers struck you? Did one of Paul’s arrows grab your attention more than the rest? Why?

BENEDICTION:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts, and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Amen. (2 Thess. 2:16-17)

Giving What Is Needed, Getting What is Due - 2022-10-16

“Giving What Is Needed, Getting What Is Due”

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

Message #12 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

16 October 2022

INTRODUCTION:

In our text for today the apostle Paul discusses the inner workings of a healthy, loving local church. I believe that is what all of us are looking for. We all want to be part of a wonderful church family where we feel loved, understood, accepted, and needed. We all want and need to feel safe with people who know us and yet accept us unconditionally.

The problem is that most of are hoping to find this wonderful perfect church without having to contribute to make it perfect. We want it bespoke for us, readymade, ready to welcome us with open arms. But the truth is no church is perfect and all have blemishes. But to the degree that we apply the teachings of this letter we will discover that any church can transition to become a wonderful church family—not perfect, but tremendous.

Our text for today is 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15. Listen as I read or follow along with me.

TRANSITION:

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 12: Now we ask you, brothers, to respect [to know] those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.

·        “…we ask you” — Paul is making a request, not throwing his weight around.

·        “…brothers” — He is dealing with believers, not unbelievers, and he makes his appeal to these folks as brothers and sisters in Christ.

·        “…to respect” — This word is an unfortunate and inaccurate translation. The Greek word that Paul uses here literally means “to know,” meaning to know the value of, thus, to appreciate. It is the same word that describes the “knowing” that a husband and wife share, knowing the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly about each other yet still loving, appreciating, and supporting one another. Respect is not quite the same thing.

·        “…those who work hard among you” – I.e., those church leaders who labour, toil, and strive. To help a struggling church has never proved easy. It is difficult to do. Contrary to what many believe, the work of a pastor is not an easy job.

·        “…who are over you in the Lord” – I.e., Presiding, meaning in a shepherding sense. That is sometimes hard for us when we do not agree with the decisions made or like the leader’s personality. However, in the early church this sometimes made for even more interesting situations. Approximately 40% of the people in the Roman Empire were slaves, and that same ratio carried over in the churches. Take Onesimus, for example, described in the book of Philemon. He was a Christian slave owned by a Christian master. The church in their city met in his master’s house. Theoretically Onesimus could have found himself in the awkward position of becoming his master’s pastor. Try that on for size.

·        “…who admonish you”— [lit. “put you in mind of”]. Most of us do not like to be corrected or called on the carpet for anything. We get very defensive about people pointing out our failures or our mistakes, even if they do it in a loving, gentle way. This Greek word is variously translated “admonish, rebuke, or instruct.” But we do not like any of the three and tend to resent any pastor who dares to do it. 

Verse 13: Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

·        “…esteem them highly in love” = Who does the word “them” refer to? Obviously to the leaders, the pastors and elders mentioned in verse 12. The word Paul chooses here means “to hold in a lofty position in our minds.” It means to think the best of them, to appreciate them, and to give them the benefit of the doubt concerning their motives.

·        “…because of their work” = Knowing that pastors and elders have been called by God to serve the body and to care for the sheep. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way in 13:17, “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” So, note the warning.

·        “Live in peace with each other” = This applies to everyone in the church, but in the context, Paul is especially referring to the need for cordial cooperation between followers and leaders, shepherds and sheep. Moreover, to “live in peace with each another” implies much more than a mere tolerance of one another.

Verse 14: And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

·        “And we urge you, brothers” – Here Paul switches gears and focuses his instruction on those folks on the other side of the fence, the pastors/elders in leadership positions and responsible for the well-being of the Thessalonian church. He lays out four scenarios that illustrate the work of a pastor/elder.

ü  “Warn those who are idle” [NASV “admonish the unruly” lit. out of rank, out of order] = Remember back a few weeks ago when I explained the historical perspective of this letter and the problem of those who had quit working in the hope that Jesus would return any minute. In the meantime, they were mooching off other people and generally causing trouble and hard feelings. It is this bunch that Paul is referring to. They were completely out of order. There are times when a sheep just needs a swift kick in the fleece to get him straightened out and moving in the right direction. A good shepherd knows when to be firm with the sheep and when to be gentle. It is much like parenting.

ü  “Encourage, the timid” Literally, “encourage the fainthearted.” A timid or fainthearted person is a different story than a lazy, unruly person. Faintheartedness is a condition after great stress, trauma, or overwork. People sometimes lose the strength and will to go on. They conclude that the battle is not worth the effort or that the cause is already lost.

ü  Examples come to mind where a great military leader has been able to get his weary, hungry, wounded troops to make one more run at the enemy, resulting in a great victory. The story of Col. Joshua Chamberlain and the men of the 20th Maine at the Battle of Gettysburg comes to my mind. Given the job of holding the Federal flank at Little Round Top the 20th Maine found themselves outnumbered by the 47th and 15th Alabama Infantry. They fought off wave after wave of determined Confederate troops who knew that this was the decisive battle of the war. Finally, the 20th Maine was spent. They were completely out of ammo, and with many of their soldiers dead or dying it looked like a sure defeat. But Col. Chamberlain was not ready to quit! He ordered his men to fix bayonets. There was not a handful of cartridges between them, but he told them to spread out down the hill and on his command, to attack the enemy with bayonets. With blood-curdling shouts the men of the 20th Maine started down the hill, running full speed toward the enemy. It so frightened and unnerved the Rebel soldiers that they turned and ran for their lives, not realizing they were being chased by men with empty rifles. Their courage broke the back of the Confederate advance and turned the war in a new direction. Col. Chamberlain knew how to “encourage the fainthearted” so that they went on to gain a great victory. That is the role of leadership.

ü  “Help [lit. cling to] the weak”—This is a different kind of problem. Sometimes soldiers get wounded. They need a medic who will risk his life to get to them with first aid. And then they will need a couple of strong men to carry him off the battlefield to a place where he can heal up. And face it; we are all “weak” at one time or another. We all have times when we are spiritually frail and fragile. We all need people around us that we can lean on in the hard times. God never intended us to live in isolation from other people, thinking that we do not need anyone to help us. That is the high-water mark of pride and stupidity. As Christians we are to be inter-dependent with one another. We are commanded to “bear one another’s burdens.” We can only do that as we allow people to know us and to know our struggles. There are people in our congregation that need us right now because they are wounded and hurting. Others needs us to love them and encourage them and remind them that God is still in control. Pastors and elders are not the only ones who are to encourage the fainthearted and help the weak, but it is certainly part of their job description.

ü  “Be patient [lit. long-tempered] with everyone”—This word is the opposite of “short-tempered.” It means long-suffering. Patience is not easy. In fact, it is not even natural. It is supernatural, a fruit of the Spirit of God. By nature, most of us are impatient with people. I certainly am, especially on the highway or when I watch the news. It is something I must continually work on because it does not come natural to me. But God has gentle ways of reminding me that I screw up as much as the next guy. It is not by accident that God chose in His Word to repeatedly liken us to sheep. Sheep are silly, stinky, stubborn creatures who without a shepherd would not last a week. We are like that too. That is why Christ put shepherds over His sheep.

·        For 50 years I have served as an under-shepherd of the Good Shepherd, a pastor of a flock, but I must keep reminding myself that I too am a sheep and am as big a mess as the next ram or ewe. I need to be patient with the people under my care in the same way that God is patient with me. I have no right to get uppity and proud and too big for my fleece.

·        The Bible is full of references about how God shepherds His people, and the most common metaphor for people is that we are sheep. Thus, it should come as no surprise that those whom God has called to help care for His sheep are called “shepherds/pastors” because that is exactly what the word means, “one who cares for sheep.” But what are some of the specific things that pastors are required to do for the sheep? What does their job description look like? Because of Pastor Dan’s resignation you folks are going to be looking for a new shepherd. Here is a list of eleven (11) things that a shepherd needs to be prepared to do for his flock. You might want to keep these in mind as you look for a new man to fill this role here at McEwen.

·        Eleven (11) things that a shepherd does for his sheep:

1.       He learns to know the sheep by name, and they learn to trust his voice

2.      He loves the sheep and deals with them in loving ways

3.      He feeds the sheep what is good for them, albeit not necessarily what they crave

4.      He leads the sheep to still waters where they can drink deeply without fear

5.      He guides the sheep by example, going before them rather than driving them

6.      He herds the sheep, keeps the flock together and stops them from scattering

7.      He protects the sheep from wolves or anything else that might harm them

8.     He comforts the sheep when they are injured or fearful

9.      He assists the sheep in lambing, caring for the babies they reproduce

10.  He doctors the sheep, binding their wounds and anointing them with oil

11.   He sacrifices himself for the sheep if necessary, putting their welfare over his own 

Verse 15: Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

·        “…so that nobody pays back wrong for wrong” = That is our natural tendency, is it not? “You hit me, so I am going to hit you back” “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Paul is not saying that we should ignore the concept of social justice or that we must give up our right to defend ourselves. However, he is pointing out that as Christians we should seek to live by a higher standard than the one the world uses. Vindictiveness and retaliation should find no lodging within the household of faith.

·        “…try to be kind to each other” = In the body of Christ we should be willing to forgive wrongs done to us and seek to live in peace with our brothers and sisters. The church is a family. Family members often wound one another by words or actions. However, in a healthy loving family the well-being of the family unit trumps the desire for revenge.

·        “…and to everyone else” = Clearly here Paul is talking about unbelievers. We must show the same kind of kindness toward those outside the faith as we do for those who are already part of the family of God.

CONCLUSION:

We Christians have two paths: (1) We can search high and low looking for the illusive perfect church that will meet all our perceived “needs;” or (2) We can decide to be part of the solution and get busy shaping our less-than-perfect church to become the wonderful church we have been dreaming of. So, which will it be with you? 

McEwen Bible Fellowship is in a time of flux, of change, beginning the process of transition to make way for a new pastor. Soon this congregation will be sifting through a list of pastoral candidates to find the perfect fit to be your next shepherd. I urge you to get involved. Ask hard questions. Look around and see the things that need to be changed, jettisoned, improved, or added. Commit yourself to become an active member of this church and of the Gospel ministry in this community. You are not here by accident, but rather by divine appointment. God has a part for you to play here. Are you willing to accept His challenge?

FEEDBACK:

Let’s talk about this church and what we can do to move toward the picture that Paul paints here. Where are we strong? Where are we still weak and in need of improvement? What can you do personally to move us in the right direction of becoming the kind of church to which we all dream of belonging? 

Living as Children of the Day - 2022-10-09

“Living as Children of the Day”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Message #11 in 1 Thess. Series

McEwen Bible Fellowship

9 October 2022

INTRODUCTION:

The study of biblical prophecy has intrigued us for centuries. If you are sitting around with a group of friends and the party begins to lag, all you need to do to get it rolling again is to ask a question about Bible prophecy and before you know it the conversation will be up and going red-hot again with everybody putting in his or her two-bits. 

I want to start out by confessing that I do not have all the answers. I know what I believe, and I will try to share that with you this morning, but the fact is, none of us has the last word on this subject. The Lord did not tell His disciples or anyone else the day and hour of His return. He merely said, “I will be back. Keep busy until I return.” He said, “Stay occupied until I come.”

From my study of the Scriptures, I have come to believe that Christ could come back at any moment. I do not believe there is anything that needs occur before He can return. I also believe that He will come back twice: once secretly, quietly, in the clouds to call His Bride home [i.e., the Rapture]; then seven years later He will return in a big way, in power and glory, seen of all men, to judge the nations and especially the Antichrist and his followers, and to set up His 1,000-year Messianic reign of peace and justice. This we refer to as the Second Coming. It will not be a secret event, any way you look at it. 

My hope is that by the time we finish here this morning you will all agree with me 100%. No, I am just kidding. But I hope we will all have a better handle on the future that awaits the Church. 

TRANSITION:

In our last study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians we looked at 4:13-18 where Paul lays out for the saints in Thessaloniki what it will be like on the day that Jesus comes back to snatch His Bride away and take her to His House. 

He describes how Jesus will bring with Him the souls of those saints who have died and gone to be with Him. As they come back with Him in the clouds a miracle will happen. In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, the bodies of those who have died will be changed and reunited with the souls who return with Christ. Then, those who are alive and remain will be changed too, receiving a glorified body fit for eternity in Heaven. Then together we will accompany the Lord back to Heaven to begin our eternity with Him, never to be separated again. Paul closes this discourse in verse 18 telling the Thessalonian believers to comfort one another with these words.

But let’s take just a moment to analyse the event Paul describes in chapter 4:

1.      It is apparently a secret event with no build-up and no warning signs.

2.     It only involves believers, living and dead. Unbelievers are not even mentioned. In fact, I am almost certain that they will not even know it is happening.

3.     Jesus will not physically come all the way to earth. Rather, He will descend, and we will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds. His feet will not touch the earth.

4.     The Rapture is pictured as a totally positive thing, something for Christians to look forward to with great joy and anticipation. No downside is mentioned. 

Starting now in chapter five I believe that Paul shifts gears to talk about a different event, one that is somewhat frightening in nature and one in which Christ’s Bride will not participate. Let’s read the text for today — 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

¹ Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep [i.e., alive or dead], we may live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 1: Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you.

·        What does Paul mean by this? The word “times” refers to an extended period or length of time. It is the Greek word, chronos, from which we get words like chronic (of long duration), chronometer (a time measurer, clock), and chronological (logically arranged according to the order of time).

·        The second word Paul uses here, translated as “dates” in the NIV, “seasons” in the KJV, and “epochs” in the NASV is the Greek word, kairos, which speaks of the kind or quality of time, emphasizing significant events or opportunities.

·        What is the point? I believe Paul is referring to Jesus’ words found in Acts 1:7. When asked by His disciples when He would restore the kingdom to Israel, He responded by saying: “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” In other words, “It is none of your cotton-pickin’ business. Now get back to work!” Paul’s point is that if Jesus would not talk about the time of His return, then it is fruitless to speculate.

Verse 2: …for you know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

·        Here the plot starts to thicken because Paul throws in a term with which all his Jewish readers were familiar — “the Day of the Lord.” In the OT this phrase always refers to a time of God’s judgment, when God will reveal His power and glory to all men. The prophets of old spoke much of that coming day when the Lord will come to bring justice to the earth.

·        Paul says that the Day of the Lord will be like a thief showing up at your house at night.

o   We do not like thieves, ever, but especially at night.

o   Thieves are not nice people, and we do not want to hang out with them.

o   Thieves always do damage when they show up.

o   The possibility of their coming produces fear in us.

o   Thieves never announce their arrival. They want to take you by surprise.

·        In 2 Peter 3:10 Peter speaks of the coming Day of the Lord. He says: “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” For one, I do not want to be anywhere close when that happens. And what is more, I do not see any similarity between this event and the Rapture Paul describes up in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

Verse 3: While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

·        Who are these people who are crowing about their peace and safety? They are unbelievers who will be alive on the earth when Christ comes back to judge the earth at the end of the Tribulation period. When we get into Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians you will hear him share about the Antichrist who will be a world ruler during the Tribulation and will be adored as “the prince of peace,” a counterfeit Christ.

·        At that time God is going to lower the boom on the whole world to bring death and destruction on those who follow the Antichrist. He speaks of labour pains. I have never experienced those personally, but I have been present while others have gone through it. It is not pleasant. Paul is also speaking of the fact that once labour sets in, there is no escape. The birth will certainly happen!

Verse 4: But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

·        Here Paul changes his focus from those who will be the target of the destruction, to those who belong to the Lord. “But you, brothers…”

·        Paul reminds us that our natural habitat is not darkness but light. We are of the day, not of the night. He goes into this in more depth in Ephesians 5:8ff where he says: “For you were formerly [i.e., BC, before Christ] darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk therefore as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.”

·        Notice too that this is the second time in this passage that Paul refers to the Second Coming as being like the nasty surprise visit of a thief. 

Verse 5: You are all sons [generic = children] of the light and sons [children] of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

·        Paul shares the same thought again, driving his point in a little bit deeper. 

Verse 6: So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

·        “So then…” Here Paul gets to a conclusion, an action point. What is it? “Let us…” We who are Christians should act like it. We should not act or live like unbelievers [i.e., those who are asleep at the switch and ignoring God, thinking that nothing bad will happen to them, like the people who lived in Noah’s time]. The word Paul uses here for “asleep” is different from the one he uses up in 4:13ff. This Greek word always carries the idea of moral indifference.

·        Christians should be “alert and self-controlled.” Self-control is one of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. The KJV uses the word “sober,” but to us that word has come to mean, “alcohol free.” But Paul is not talking about alcohol consumption but rather our ability to be calm when everybody else is running around like their hair is on fire.

Verse 7: For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

·        Sleeping and drunkenness are habits customarily performed at night. Therefore, they have no place in the lives of children of the day.

Verses 8: But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

·        Paul reemphasizes that we are now by our new nature, children of the day. Therefore, we should walk/live as children of the day. That “walk,” or lifestyle is characterized by self-control, unwavering faith, unfailing love, and unshakeable hope. By the way, can you remember another passage where Paul speaks about faith, hope, and love? (Answer = 1 Cor. 13:13)

·        One more thing about this verse… It bears a striking resemblance to Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 6:10-18. Let’s look at that passage: “¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armour of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

Verse 9: For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

·        I believe that this is one of the most important verses in the NT for helping us understand biblical prophecy. In the NASV it reads like this: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” While we know and agree that eternal salvation only comes through Jesus Christ, in the context, I do not believe that is the point Paul is trying to make here. I believe that he is using the word “salvation” in its other sense. We say, “He was saved from the burning building.” Or “They were saved from the deck of the sinking ship.” I believe that Paul is referring to the fact that we who belong to Christ will be saved from the horrors of the Tribulation period by the fact that Jesus is going to come back before it starts to take us home to be with Him. I do not believe that the Church, the Bride of Christ, will go through the Tribulation. I believe that we will be snatched out, caught up, raptured, before it starts.

·        This verse must be tied to a couple of others.

o   Back in 1 Thess. 1:10 Paul wrote that we are to “…wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

o   In Romans 5:9 Paul wrote: “…having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from [= kept away from] the wrath of God through Him.”

Verse 10: He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep [i.e., alive, or dead], we may live together with Him.

·        Here Paul goes back to the language he employed in chapter 4, referring to the dead in Christ as “asleep,” and to the living at the time of the Rapture as “awake.” Again, his point is that all the believers, living and dead, will be caught up together to go to be with the Lord, and we will live with Him forever.

Verse 11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

·        This verse is reminiscent of 4:18. Again Paul exhorts his readers to use this truth about Christ’s return as a motive for encouraging one another and building up one another’s faith and trust in Christ.

·        As a wise and tactful teacher, Paul here combines forceful exhortation with fervent praise. It is a good technique for any leader.

CONCLUSION:

As Christians we are urged to live every day as though this could be the day the Lord returns for us. If we really believe that He might come back today I think it will change how we live out our lives.

Are you looking forward to the Lord’s return or do you secretly dread it? Why does it affect so many people that way? I think it is because they are afraid that He will come back and find them doing things they know they should not be doing, or not doing the things that they know they should be doing.

Paul’s point is that if we live our lives in the light, then we will have nothing to be ashamed of when Christ returns.

FEEDBACK:

What do you think? Will the Church go through the Tribulation? And if so, how do you balance that with the biblical exhortation to keep looking for the Lord’s return? If we are going to have to go through the Tribulation, then should we not really be looking out more for the appearance of the Antichrist?