Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
August 30, 2009

1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

The Living, Breathing, Community of Believers pt.2

Related Topics: leadership; encouraging leaders; unruly; out of step; warning the unruly; fainthearted; small-souled; encouraging the fainthearted; strengthening the weak; living in peace; responding to evil; doing good; rejoicing always; prayer; praying continuously; giving thanks; quenching the Spirit; prophecies; despising prophecies; testing all things; holding fast to good things; the appearance of evil; abstaining from the appearance of evil; sanctified by God; thrichotomy of man; body-soul-spirit; grace

In verses 12-28 Paul is closing this amazing letter by addressing not the leaders of the church in Thessalonica, but the community of believers at large. In these verses, the Holy Spirit gives to us a clear picture of a living, breathing community of believers.

The Lord willing we will finish our study of 1 Thessalonians this morning as we pick up in VERSE 16.

In Verses 16-18 we have what one commentator called the standing orders of the Christian Church. A series of short exhortations that show how the individuals in the community of believers should live.

1 Thes 16 16Rejoice always

He has reminded these believers that Jesus has saved them from the wrath to come. That Jesus is going to come and catch them away so that they might forever be with the Him. That they will be reunited with their loved ones who have preceded them into the presence of the Lord. All of that is the glorious hope of every Christian!

And all of that goes out the window when the line at In N Out is long or slow! There’s a part of each of us that is prone to THAT. If we believe HALF the things we say we believe we have NOTHING to complain about! THIS is so challenging to me because it is my LIFE’S WORK to study and teach these very truths. I, of all people, have the weakest excuses for not rejoicing.

DON’T MISS THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT:
16Rejoice always follows 15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil.

You might have slanderous reports about you being spread around town. You might have someone accusing you of things you would never even dream of doing. You might be cut to the heart by the disloyalty or ingratitude of those who ought to have been your friends, but Paul says “Rejoice always.”

QUOTE: Charles Spurgeon

“There is no limit to the exhortation. It is ever in season. Through fire and through water, through life and through death, “Rejoice evermore.”

NOTE:
That does not mean that you should be phony! David was filled with the Holy Spirit when he wrote, “Why are you cast down O my soul?” It would appear that you can be filled with the Spirit and depressed. It doesn’t say that we DON’T go through hard times or DON’T shed tears. It does say that joy and rejoicing should be a part of our lives, because JOY is not rooted in happenings. HAPPINESS is rooted in happenings. Joy is rooted in Jesus!

1 Thes 5:17 17pray without ceasing,

QUOTE: Spurgeon — He preached from this text and opened his sermon by setting the context…

The position of our text is very suggestive. Observe what it follows. It comes immediately after the precept, “?Rejoice evermore;?” as if that command had somewhat staggered the reader, and made him ask “?How can I always rejoice??” and, therefore, the apostle appended as answer, “?Always pray.?” The more praying the more rejoicing. Prayer gives a channel to the pent-up sorrows of the soul, they flow away, and in their stead streams of sacred delight pour into the heart. At the same time the more rejoicing the more praying……. Holy joy and prayer act and react upon each other.

Pray without ceasing does not mean that you are to be closing your eyes and folding your hands while driving your car. Sorry officer, just praying without ceasing! It means that pray should be a recurrent and regular part of your life.

INTERESTING:
We have a funny take on prayer life and “devotions”. Listen, there can be no devotions without DEVOTION! DEVOTION is NOT something that happens for 15 minutes in the morning. Imagine if I did that with my wife, “Come on honey it’s 6:00am, let’s get up and talk for 15 to 30 minutes.” She rolls in at 6:30 and I say, “sorry it’s 6:30, devotions are over, see ya tomorrow morning.” And she says, “But I wanted to ask you something.” And I respond, “No No, we have devotions in the morning, that’s when we talk.”

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING means that we pray at any time or any place.

• Lord, what do you want me to do here?
• Lord, what do I say? This person is asking me a question as if they really think I have the answer!

Our heavenly Father has His door OPEN ALL the time! It should be the most natural thing in the World for one of God’s children to do, like breathing. Talking/Listening – Listening/Talking. It should be one of the most notable EVIDENCES of the New Birth.

You know, prayer is like breathing in the sense that you can do it while you do other things. When we view pray in that light it is never so much a question of what would Jesus do if He were here. It’s more of the question of Jesus, what are You going to do since You are here? Such prayer assumes His presence, not His absence! When I am in this mode, the Holy Spirit continually prompts me to pray for people and situations.

Without ceasing — The idea is that of RECURRING prayer. It isn’t necessarily wrong to be asking God for something for a day, a week, or a year if it is on your heart to keep it before Him.

EXAMPLE:
Daniel 10 — Daniel was praying for 21 days asking for insight before Gabriel appeared with the answer.

EXAMPLE:
Billy Graham’s first evangelistic crusades in the former Soviet Union. (Experience at the Sports Center where the press was so great I was moving but my feet weren’t touching the ground — so great was the HUNGER to hear the Gospel). One man was interviewed and he said, “We knew that he was coming, we prayed for him to come to our city for 18 years!”

I pray for 18 minutes and wonder why God hasn’t answered!
Constantly recurring prayer is what the life of the individual within the community of believers should look like and then the community is a praying organism.

QUOTE: E. M. Bounds
The little estimate we put on prayer is evident from the little time we give to it. (Power Through Prayer)

1 Thes 5:18 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

It does not say “FOR everything” give thanks. It does say, “IN everything, every circumstance. When Valerie got word from the pathologist that she had breast cancer, we did not thank God for her cancer. We were able to thank Him for his nearness to us. We were able to thank God for the string of tender mercies He wrapped us in.

• Our two oldest children being in town on the very day we got the news. Deb had come into to town because she had recently gotten a job with Donna Karen and just HAPPENED to have her VERY FIRST business trip and it was SACRAMENTO!Danny RARELY misses a Monday night, and it just so happened that he was out of town on THAT Monday and Sean was in town leading worship on that Monday night!
• I was able to thank God for how my son, having just heard the news in my office, was carried along by God and went out and led you guys in the worship of Jesus.
• I RARELY have guests ministry on a Monday night when I am in town, but I was able to thank God that our dear friends Michael and Pam Rozell were at Metro that night and I was able to go straight home to be with Valerie after opening the evening in prayer and they loved on Ashley taking her to our house after the service.

EXAMPLE: When dating Valerie I closed my own right index finger in the car door when we got out of the car at McDonalds. I did not say, “Thanks you SO MUCH LORD FOR me smashing my own finger.” I did thank Him that Valerie didn’t look at me and and start to pray, “Lord, what was I thinking when I started to date this clown?”

….18For this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus

First, isn’t it great that God wants us to know His will? He is the God who speaks. The opening chapter of the first book of the Bible we find 10 times, “God said….”

Second, this is the clearly revealed will of God, for you and me as individual believers and for the community of believers as a whole. We all find ourselves wondering, “Is it the will of the Lord for me to _________?” But this is one area of our lives where we should never be scratching our heads asking, “I wonder what the will of God is for me?” This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus!

DON’T MISS THIS, we are told to do these things because it is the will of God. The idea here isn’t so much “this is God’s will, so you must do it.” The thought is rather “this is God’s will, so you can do it.” It isn’t easy to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks, but we can do it because it is God’s will for you and me as individual believers
and for the community of believers as a whole.

1 Thes 5:19 19Do not quench the Spirit.

KEY QUESTION:
How do we quench the Spirit?

First, this is not an excuse for weirdoes. There are some spirits that need quenching. There are those people who act in extremely bizarre ways and when you try to address them they say, “Don’t quench the Spirit brother” or “The Lord told me to do that!” Paul says, “Don’t put the fire of the Holy Spirit out.”

If you want to put out the fire of the Holy Spirit in a community of believers here is how you can do it!

• Don’t take warnings.
• Don’t love one another.
• Don’t be at peace with one another.
• Don’t warn the unruly
• Don’t comfort the small-souled person
• Don’t lay hold of the weak
• Repay evil for evil

THAT will quench the Spirit. Stop rejoicing — Stop praying — Stop giving thanks.

If there is anything we truly do need, , it is the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

What does that look like?

QUOTE: An early Church Father speaking of the power of the Holy Spirit in a service.

“The power of the Holy Spirit was present to melt the heart of the most hardened sinner with the love of Jesus Christ!”

1 Thes 5:20 20Do not despise prophecies

Rev. 19:10 For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Prophecy is not merely predictive in nature. Prophecies comes from a compound Greek word.

Prefix pró = before or forth
Suffix+ phemí = tell

Has the literal meaning of speaking forth.

QUOTE: Vine
“Though much of the Old Testament prophecy was purely predictive, prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, foretelling. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means,”

CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:
They were not to despise or hold in contempt someone coming to them and saying, “I think that the Lord is putting this on my heart for you.” Think of the context. If you are going to warn or exhort or comfort someone, surely the ministry of the Spirit and the testimony of Jesus is going to be a part of it. So if someone comes up to you and says, “I think you should pray about this,” you don’t start by despising them or their word. You start with the next words of Paul:

1 Thes 5:20-21 20Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good.

To examine carefully implies a working knowledge of the Word of God.

2 Tim 2:15 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

The “prophecy” is first tested against the standard of God’s Word and then we hold fast to what is good.

Sometimes prophecy comes as a “Thus saith the Lord.” It is not to be judged on the basis of “I like the sound of that.” “That sounds so exciting, so spiritual!” First, it is based upon the test of Scripture, then, there is the test of discerning the genuiness of it.

1 Cor 14:29 …let the others weigh what is said.

Then, there is the test of IF it is Divine in origin then it WILL come to pass.

In the OT, THAT was the proof a prophet. If it didn’t come to pass you were a false prophet and you were stoned to death.

There are a lot of people who lightly are saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” or “The Lord told me…”

Again, It might sound weird, it might even come from someone who looks weird, but that does not mean it is not the Lord. That is why we are not to DESPISE prophecy or hold it in contempt.

EXAMPLE: Funky guy in funky church in downtown Santa Ana said to me, “You are going to sell records and play music around the world.” That night when I took Val home she asked, “What did you think?” I didn’t bear witness to it because you can’t play and you can’t sing!

MOST times prophecy is TELLING FORTH of the mind of the Lord.

EXAMPLE: Ric Brennan
Clueless as to what had happened in our day, the Lord told me to come and give you this verse. I have no idea what it’s about, but here I am and here’s the word. Simon, Satan has desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith might not fail.

We are so glad that he obey the Lord.

Do not despise prophecies. It is understandable why some people do.

Valerie and I took a lot of our baby steps as Christians in the Catholic Charismatic movement. We “cut our teeth” so-to-speak in an environment where people exercised the gift of prophecy, the word of knowledge, the gift of tongues, etc. As a result we are probably more comfortable around such things than those who have never been exposed to such things, but that same background has also provided us with a fairly keen sense of what is contrived. Some of you might despise prophecy because your only exposure to prophecy is what you have see the abuses and contrivances of the gifts in certain nationally known “ministries.” Perhaps you grew up in a church culture that was a microcosm of the those ministries. Perhaps you grew up in a church where everyone had a “word from the Lord” for you and as a result you have a low view of prophecy, but the Holy Spirit instructs us here to not despise such utterances.

The flip side of this, some people say, “Why are there no spiritual gifts in operation at Metro?” Well, I would differ with them. Week after week the gift of prophecy is in operation. The very mind of God for this community of believers. The very mind of God for individual men and women. This takes place during worship. Notably, 2 weeks a go, a young lady who has been fighting cancer was faced with the return of her cancer. This takes place in the teaching of the Word. Week after week there is the presence and power of God to heal.

We are so conditioned by the course of this world to measure the supernatural in terms of the spectacular. This is not at all a broad stroke dismissal of the spectacular in God’s ability, but we must not confuse the spectacular with the supernatural. God can use any of us to foretell or tell forth the mind of the Lord.

1 Thes 5:22 22Abstain from every form of evil.

“refuse to do anything which is evil,” or “refuse to act in any way which even seems bad.”

KJV – the appearance of evil.

What does it look like if you are throwing back 5-6 virgin margaritas? What does it look like if you and your girl friend are living together, but not sleeping together?

The way to abstain from every form of evil is to hold fast to that which is good. Paul has given to them a picture of the living breathing community of believers. The local church as it ought to be, as it is waiting for the coming of the Lord. But Paul understood the utter futility of his instructions if the Thessalonians were left to themselves to live them out! In fact, the un-aided human efforts to live the Christian life are worse than futile. They are destructive to the believer, to the community of believers, to the cause of Christ.

Christianity TRULY IS ALL ABOUT JESUS! JESUS is the AUHTOR of faith. JESUS is the FINISHER of faith. Paul knows that, so he instinctively turns to the Lord in prayer for them.

1 Thes 5:23 23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,

He asks God to completely set your live aside for Himself and for His purposes. We should not fight against that work of God. When you and I were in the world, the god of this world set you and me apart completely for his purposes. Before we were saved we served a different master. SIN was our master. NOW, we have a NEW master. NOW, we have the RIGHT master. Sensual pleasure was a cruel task master. Money was a cruel taskmaster (Money’s a great servant but a cruel master). NOW we have the RIGHT master and THAT is the ultimate pursuit of life, to find the RIGHT master! And Jesus is THAT master who is not cruel. He is that master who hung on a cross in our place and poured His own blood into the ground so that we could be set free from the taskmasters of Sin and Satan.

Isn’t THAT the master you want. Why would you NOT want to have as your master the King of the universe who died to save the traitors in His universe? And isn’t it GREAT to be used by Jesus? There is NOTHING in the universe that can touch the joys of being set aside for the master’s use.

23 ….and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The ONLY way to be kept blameless is to be IN Christ and WASHED by His blood.

Eph. 1:4 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Jude v.24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

23 …. your whole spirit and soul and body

QUOTE: F.F. Bruce
“Paul’s theology of the human being is definitely as a trichotomy.”

We have been created in the image of the Triune God. You are a spirit. You live in this body. You possess a consciousness, your soul, that relates to this world through your body. When Adam sinned he died spiritually. He was alive physically. His consciousness was still alive. But he was no longer in fellowship with God who was his life.

Before being born again, the body and the soul are alive, but because we are spiritually dead we are incapable of fellowship with God who is spirit. That is why prior to being born again we are driven by our bodies and our emotions.

Eph. 2:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body ? and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

That is why Jesus said, “You must be born again.” Born again is not a cliché, it is a reality in which you are spiritually made alive to God. Thus enabling you to participate in the very life, the very power, the very peace of God. And as a result, you are no longer driven by the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, like the rest of mankind.

1 Thes 5:24 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

It really is ALL ABOUT JESUS!

1 Thes 5:25-28 25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
August 23, 2009

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

The Living, Breathing, Community of Believers

Related Topics: leadership; encouraging leaders; unruly; out of step; warning the unruly; fainthearted; small-souled; encouraging the fainthearted; strengthening the weak; living in peace; responding to evil; doing good; rejoicing always; prayer; praying continuously; giving thanks; quenching the Spirit; prophecies; despising prophecies; testing all things; holding fast to good things; the appearance of evil; abstaining from the appearance of evil; sanctified by God; thrichotomy of man; body-soul-spirit; grace

Much is said today about community, “The great need for community, “The need to create community within the local church.”

CRUCIAL:
Community is a not some philosophical, esoteric thing for Christians to talk about, dream about, feel about. Something to manufacture or fabricate. It is a very real way of living.

Paul is going to close with a series of requests, exhortations, and commands. Not to the leaders of the church in Thessalonica, but to the community of believers at large. In them, the Holy Spirit gives to us a clear picture of a living, breathing community of believers.

1 Thes 5:12 12We ask you, brothers,

Interesting that Paul does not wield his apostolic authority here. The verb, “ask” used here is one that would be used by a friend making an urgent appeal to a friend.

1 Thes 5:12 continued 12…to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,

Respect is not bowing before the pope and kissing his ring. The Greek word for respect is Oida. It comes from the Greek word eido. The Latin equivilent is video (I see).

Thayer Definition = to see, to perceive with the eyes, to perceive by any of the senses, to perceive, notice, discern, discover.

In it’s most obvious meaning, the community of believers is to KNOW by observation those who labor and teach. This is simple but huge:

Paul told the elders of Ephesus in Acts:

Acts 20:29-30 29I know that after my departure(fierce wolves will come in among you,not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Hey, wait a minute, is this guy in leadership? And if not, why are people following him and where is he leading them?

But there is more here. The translators consistently see that this word is not just about mere facial recognition. They see this word as meaning that they were by observation to know, and in knowing have an appreciation and respect for specific individuals. Hence they translate Oida as respect or appreciate the worth of.

KEY QUESTION:
Who is it that they are to know by way of observation and in turn respect and appreciate?

12….respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you

Labor = to exert oneself physically, mentally, or spiritually, work hard, toil, strive, struggle

Used in:

• Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
• Luke 5:5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!
• 1 Timothy 5:17 NLT Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

FIRST — The Holy Spirit, through Paul, is talking to those in that community of believers who are NOT in leadership. He is telling them how they are to relate to those who lead, but in doing so the Holy Spirit also tells those who DO lead and teach about the NATURE of their task and the EFFORT they should exert in it.

1 Cor. 15:10 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

If it doesn’t COST you. If it isn’t FRUITFU., It isn’t genuine service.

FOR THOSE BEING LED:
The local assembly should SEE the effort of those leading and teaching and appreciate them for it. You should recognize and appreciate leadership not by their title but by their service.

12….respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you

Over you = pro-is-temi.
pró = before, over
hístemi = put, place, stand

Literally means those who are put or placed before you or over you. It carries the basic meaning of “standing before” others and, hence, the idea of leadership. It describes one who presides over others, and exercises a position of leadership (rule, direct, be at the head of.)

Romans 12:8 …..he who gives, with liberality; he who leads (stands on the first place), with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness

NOTE WELL:
They are not over them by virtue of things natural; talent, wealth, influence, popularity. They too are saved sinners like any other follower of Christ. They too are sheep in the flock of God. They did not apply for, attain to leadership. They were PLACED there IN THE LORD. It is IN THE LORD and ONLY there that they find their authority and position.

12….respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you

Noutheteo is the idea to counsel someone to AVOID or CEASE an improper course of conduct.

Noutheteo literally = “to put in mind.”

QUOTE: They instruct and inspire you, reminding you of truth that is easily forgotten in these days.

The only voice that is speaking powerfully against the spirit of the age, the self-centered, self-sufficient, restless spirit of the Me generation, is the voice of the church.

We need to be reminded continually of the danger in that kind of philosophy. This is done by the leadership who instruct, warn, and point out folly. They help us to keep our feet on the right path.

KEY INSIGHT:
The word is in the PRESENT TENSE, which means that it was the continual undertaking of those in leadership.

EXAMPLE: Paul in Acts

Acts 20:31 31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.

Guys, as one who stands as a leader IN THE LORD, THAT is HARD work. It is, by nature of the work, not something that is usually enjoyed by the receiving party.

“Oh boy, it’s pastor Richard, he’s going to tell me that I need to AVOID or CEASE an improper course of conduct, AGAIN!”

As a result is rarely APPRECIATED. THAT is why Paul asks them to observe and as a result respect them because they have spiritually, physically, and emotionally spent themselves in the work of leading the community, issuing any warning or reproof to the community and the individuals within it.

1 Thes 5:13 13and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

Esteem is an interesting word, Hege-o-mai is from ágo which means to lead. It has two basic meanings in the NT.

1. Used in describing men in any leading position; ruler, leader, governor (Acts 7:10). It is the opposite of a diakonos or servant in Luke 22:26. In the apocryphal writings Hege-o-mai was used of military commanders.
2. Means to engage in an intellectual process. (1 Thes 5:13, 2 Cor 9:5, Phil 2:25;3:8, 2 Pet 1:13) In this sense, Hege-o-mai conveys the picture of leading out before the mind. In this sense, it pictures one giving careful thought to something and not making a quick decision. The picture is that of one leading his or her mind through a reasoning process to arrive at a conclusion. In this context they are to give careful thought in regards to respect and esteem.

What a huge word, huge concept for a community of believers!

We live in a culture that is quick to lavish esteem and respect on “personality.” Oh this guy is so charismatic, so dynamic, so funny, so talented. “personalities” — celebrity — recognition. Personality or celebrity does not disqualify an individual from leadership or ministry, but it is not the basis for esteeming or respecting them.

By contrast, the community of believers is to lead their minds through a reasoning process in regards to respect and esteem. They are to esteem them because of their labor on behalf of God’s people. Paul is calling for saints to make a conscious judgment of their leaders after a deliberate weighing of the facts. They have observed their diligent labor even to the point of exhaustion among the saints.

The tense of the verb here calls for the flock to continually esteem their leaders and in context to esteem them even “beyond measure! Esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Very highly in love means that Christians should love their pastors and church leaders.

QUOTE: John Calvin – In his commentary on Galatians

“It is not enough that pastors be respected, if they are not also loved. Both are necessary; otherwise, their teaching will not have a sweet taste.”

QUOTE: J. Vernon McGee

“I have always appreciated people who love the Word of God because I have found that they become my friends. One of the things I have so appreciated about my radio ministry is the number of friends that God has raised up for me across this country. Many of them have written to say their home is open to me (of course, I can’t accept all those invitations), but when I am in their town, they do nice things for me. They reveal their love. When they reveal that love to me—and I’m hard to love—it reveals that they honor the Word of God since I teach the Word of God.”

This is a huge concept, not grasped at large today because we live in a society that makes celebrities of those in the pulpit. The position is one to be desired because of the trappings that come with it. But in the Mid-First Century AD they loved and esteemed very highly those who labored and taught them because it was a costly position — one that could cost that person his life. Those in leadership would be the FIRST to be arrested and fed to the wild beats or burned in boiling oil. That is why those who ruled well and taught well were worthy of double honor (income). They were risking their lives to be the point man in a community of believers!

QUOTE: David Guzik

“If a Christian can’t esteem and love their pastor, they should either get on their knees and ask the Holy Spirit to change their heart or put themselves under a pastor they do esteem and love.”

So, here we see the living, breathing community of believers in regards to the relationship between leadership and congregation. Paul is going to begin to address the community of believers at large.

13…..Be at peace among yourselves.

LITERALLY — Live in peace

INTERESTING: This is not a suggestion, but a command for this to be their lifestyle. The mindset of each believer in the community of believers is to be one of continual, complete dependence on (and yielding to) the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

In others words, we must be continually sowing to the Spirit, so that we will not reap the corrupting deeds of the flesh!

Paul’s next words are a practical way to preserve and maintain peace.

1 Thes 5:14 14And we urge you, brothers

Interesting, Paul uses the word brothers some sixty times in his writings. Twenty seven of them are in his two letters to these believers in Thessalonica. I think it is because the church was so young. He was there for just three Sabbaths and then he was driven out of the city. So he is reinforcing the reality of their nature and relationship to one another — ADELPHOS — from the same womb. BEGOTTEN of God — By the WILL of God — By the WORD of God.

In so doing Paul is reinforcing the nature of this community on the midst of a hostile environment.

1 Thes 5:14 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish (warn) the idle (unruly), encourage the fainthearted (KJV – feebleminded), help the weak, be patient with them all.

CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:
It doesn’t say, “We exhort you pastors.” It is an exhortation to the community of believers at large, a corporate responsibility.

Admonish (warn) the idle (unruly), not just those who are hard to rule. Used to refer to the person who was out of step and going one’s own way; disorderly, insubordinate. It was a word commonly used in the military in describing a soldier out of step or an army moving in disarray. Then it was further applied to those who quit the ranks and did not perform their duty. Paul says this to the community at large — that they were to warn those who were, “OUT OF STEP — DOING THEIR OWN THING.”

CRUCIAL:
It does not necessarily mean you are doing a bad thing, but you are doing your own thing. We have already learned that within a community of believers there are men who IN THE LORD are PRO-IS-TEMI — placed in front of and over to lead. They are responsible to the Lord for the vision and mission of that local community of believers.

Listen, if the devil can’t undermine a community of believers through blatant sin, this is the way he comes at them.

James 3:6 6the tongue is set on fire by hell

The unruly person who says, “I think we should be doing this or that or the other or I don’t know why we have to do it this way. The next thing you know, otherwise well fed, growing, contented sheep are wondering.

Why can’t so and so do such and such?
Why aren’t we doing this or doing it this way?

Your responsibility as a community of believers is to warn those that are marching out of step. Because if you don’t warn that person who is not at his or her post, marching out of step with the vision and mission that Jesus has for that community of believers. You will end up like an undisciplined army in battle.

It doesn’t say to kick them out. It says WARN them. But if they are warned and continue to march out of step with the direction of the fellowship, there will come a point when they should find the place that they can be in step with.

14….encourage the fainthearted (KJV – Feebleminded)

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:
It is a compound Greek word meaning SMALL SOUL

oligos = puny in extent, degree, number, duration or value
psuche = soul, mind

Those who really struggle with believing that God loves them or struggle to believe that God can use them. They’re just small souled. But God has begun a good work in them and the community of believers is to comfort them.

ILLUSTRATION: Valerie and I have four children and they are all different. As we have watched them grow up, we have seen each of them at different levels throw in the towel! Some give up more easily than others. They are more easily discouraged than the others and they quit.

What are we to do with the person who seems to so quickly and regularly say, “I guess God doesn’t love me,” “I’m never going to mature,” or “I’ll never be used?” Are we to say, “Get lost ya big quitter!”

Paul says that the community of believers is to warn the one marching out step, but they are also to encourage those who are small-souled.

Encourage = come along side with your mouth and speak kindly to that small soul to build it up and encourage it.

This is not just for me or the guys in leadership, this is for you, the community of believers at large. To individually come along side with your mouth and speak kind words that will encourage that small-souled individual.

NOTE:The range of persons and behavior; from the UNRULY to the SMALL-SOULED and now to the WEAK. All of these will be found in a living, breathing community of believers!

Weak describes a state of limited capacity to do or be something. Used literally of physical weakness (most of the uses in the Gospels). Also used figuratively of weakness in the spiritual arena. Weakness in an area of the flesh. Weakness in regards to liberty in Christ. Weak in their understanding of the doctrine of the Christian life, who have not learned the truth that sets them free. Whatever it may be, Paul says to the community of believers at large, to help them.

HELP = “Lay hold of the weak” with the idea of supporting them. The idea is of supporting another by keeping one’s self directly over the weak one so as to sustain him.

QUOTE: Hiebert

Let the strong put their arms around the weak and hold them up. They need to be assured that they are not forgotten or despised because of their helplessness. (Ibid)

That type of help demands a little extra effort, a phone call, an invitation to lunch, a quiet talk about their needs. This is addressed to us all. We are all to watch out for one another like this. The Lord directed us to have that time between worship and the Word to rub shoulders and have a cup of coffee. To sit around tables on Monday nights, to share a meal together, so that we could actually discover one another as individuals within a living, breathing community of believers and then warn, comfort and help.

CLOSING:

14…..be patient with them all.

PATIENT — Makrothumeo
makros = long, distant, far off, large
thumos = temper, passion

The picture of this word is that of a person in whom it takes a long time before fuming and breaking into flames towards those who fail!

1 Thes 5:15 15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

This is a necessary exhortation because the natural response is to repay evil with evil, hence the popularity of Clint Eastwood (Go ahead, make my day!). When we think of the kinds of people that make up a living, breathing community of believers, the responsibility of the the community of believers at large to live in relationship to their leaders and to one another.

We discover that REAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY can only be lived by the Spirit, through the Son, to the father.

AGAIN — It’s ALL ABOUT JESUS

John 14:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
August 16, 2009

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

The Day of the Lord

Related Topics: Times and Seasons; The Day of the Lord; Watchful; Light/Darkness; Knowledge/Ignorance; Readiness; Soberness

1 Thes 5:1 1Now

The word “now” tells us we are coming to a transition.
If you are new, we want you to know that the subject matter of this morning’s study might strike some of you as odd or extreme, but we find ourselves looking at it not as a stand alone topic, but as a subject within the context of a letter written by a man named Paul to new followers of Jesus in a city in Greece called Thessalonica.
We have spent our last two weeks together studying the subject of the Rapture, the coming of Jesus FOR His Bride, the Church.

In this event Jesus is going to interrupt human history. In the smallest measurable increment of time (1 Cor. 15:52), He will HARPAZO (catch away, snatch, with violent force, remove) the church from the earth. And at the speed of light, transform the body of the believer, in which this corruption puts on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality.

That is the blessed hope of the Church. Paul told them to comfort one another with those words. As we move into Chapter 5, Paul is going to build on the theme of Eschatology begun in 4:13.

He is going to deal with different elements of that same theme. Remember in 1 Thes 4:13-18, Paul instructed them concerning the fate of those who had fallen asleep in Jesus.

They fully expected that Jesus would return in their lifetime in the mid 1st century AD. But some who had come to Christ had died and Jesus had not yet come. There was a great concern as to what would happen to them when the Rapture occurred. They were worried that those who had died before the Rapture would miss out on the glories of meeting the Lord and receiving glorified bodies.

Paul relieved them by saying that the dead in Christ were actually preceding them into the presence of the Lord.

Absent from the Body = Present with the Lord

So, Paul begins Ch.5 with the little Greek word de´ or now

NOW – The KJV translates it as BUT in order to emphasize the contrasts

The last chapter closed in dealing with the subject of those who had DIED in Christ. In this chapter Paul is going to give a very needed and necessary word of exhortation to the those those who are LIVING in Christ. (needful for you and me today)

In the close of Chapter 4, Paul addressed the ignorance of the readers. But now, he addresses their knowledge.

1 Thes 5:1b-2a 1byou have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware

This clearly indicates this subject matter was already known by the Thessalonians.

CRUCIAL:

They did not need further instruction, but they did need fatherly encouragement to live according to the truth they already knew.

Metro — You and I need the same challenge. That is the need of most believers today. The bulk of contemporary church culture is looking for some new truth or new conversation. What we need most is to be refreshed and reacquainted with old truth and the need for a renewed spirit to obey what we already know!

In the previous chapter Paul told them about the coming of Jesus for the Church before the Great Tribulation, but now Paul addresses the truth that the coming of Jesus for His Church will begin a day of judgment for the unbelieving world.

NOTE WELL:

The change in subject from hope to judgment indicates that the Day of the Lord is a distinctly different subject from the Rapture of the Church and that the two are not to be confused.

The BIG IDEA in this chapter is the IMPACT that eschatology should have on everyday life! Challenges the believers to be morally and spiritually READY to meet the Lord whenever He comes.

1 Thes 5:1 1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,

TIMES = Chrónos which is a period of measured time

We get our word chronology from it, which is the arranging in order the sequence of events that have occurred in time past. We also get our word chronometer from it. Which is a watch that has been certified as keeping track of time with an extraordinary degree of accuracy.

BIG IDEA:

TIMES are non-descript. They are simple ticks of the clock that turn into hours and the hours turn into a day and the days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and the months years and the years turn into decades, etc. We measure time on those terms. Jan. 1 is a marker in that progression of ticks. When that succession of markers hits Dec 31 we know the amount of time that has elapsed, a year. Left to themselves those markers have no personality or definition. They simply mark time, that could be a week, it could be 1,000 years.

Paul says that there are also SEASONS

SEASONS = kairos

Chronos deals with the quantitative aspect of time (ticks on your chronometer)

Kairos, the seasons, deals with the characteristics of those periods.

EXAMPLE: Sept — Nov are really nothing more than impersonal markers of CHRONOS, but there are physical and cultural and even economic characteristics of those months that mark and define those impersonal ticks of the clock. On THIS SIDE of the equator we actually give those ticks of the clock a NAME — FALL. There are physical and environmental characteristics Weather/Leaves. Cultural characteristics like return to school and re-focusing of time/energies/resources.

INTERESTING:

This word KAIROS would often be used to refer to an “opportunity” which represents the best time to do something. The moment, the season, when circumstances are most suitable.

In agrarian societies this season called fall is generally a time of harvest. On a Biblical level it refers to the spiritual, moral, economic, social, and political characteristics of a CHRONOS that make it RIPE for an event, good or bad. Paul uses it here to refer to the PERSONALITY of a period of time that makes it ripe for God to act, in blessing or judgment.

EXAMPLE:

Genesis 6 – God looks at the entire earth and it is filled with corruption. He sees fallen angels mingling with fallen humans. He sees that the thoughts of men were only wicked continually and thus the world was RIPE for God to act in judgment

In His Olivet discourse (Matt 24-25), Jesus said that prior to His SECOND COMING the earth would look just like the days of Noah. In that same discourse, Jesus gave the spiritual, the moral, the geo-political, and the environmental characteristics of the planet that would precede His coming in judgment. There will be wars, rumors of wars, spiritual deception, proliferation of WMD, etc. He said that it would be so bad on the earth that if he didn’t return there would be no flesh left alive.

We are the first generation to have ever lived that has the capacity to eliminate itself. We have entered into a season that the Bible has defined clearly. We see it in the news every day. We see it in the spiritual, moral, cultural state of the world, the geopolitical state of the world, the tensions in the Middle East.

Those are the PERSONALITY traits that mark where we are on the timeline of God’s dealings with mankind. That mark the CHRONOS as RIPE for God to act. Specifically, in the context of 1 Thes. 5 Paul tells us that the SEASONS refer to the PERSONALITY of a period of time that makes it ripe for God to to judge.

1 Thes 5:1-2 you have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

CRUCIAL:

He essentially says that each of the readers (you yourselves) personally possessed specific knowledge that made writing to them about that subject unnecessary.

What subject were they already knowledgeable about?

They knew full well that the day of the Lord would come like a thief in the night. Again, the ministry of Paul to these men and women in a short period of 3 Sabbaths, and this letter of Paul to these believers, stand as a radical rebuke to a church culture that wants little or nothing to do with prophecy or eschatology.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

KEY INSIGHT:

The word DAY is used in the Bible in various ways. Sometimes it is used to refer to daylight, meaning the hours between dawn and sunset. Sometimes it is used to refer to a twenty-four hour day. The Jewish day began at sunset and continued to the next day at sunset. That also is referred to as a day. Sometimes the word DAY is used in the Bible as a period of time, just as we use it in English.

EXAMPLE: In our vernacular we say, “Back in the day”
We use it referring, not to a single day, but to an extended period of time in our life (our youth or High School/college days or place of employment.)

KEY INSIGHT:

In 1 Thessalonians 5 the term Day of the Lord is used in the sense of an extended period of time, but that extended period of time has the characteristics of a twenty-four hour day. A twenty-four hour day begins at midnight and continues until the next midnight at which time another day begins. So, The Day of the Lord is not a single day
It is an extended period of time that will last roughly 1,000 years. That DAY will begin when God interrupts human history and I believe that He will do that by removing His Church.

CRUCIAL POINT HERE:

As midnight marks the end of one day and marks the beginning of another day, the catching away of the Church marks the end of THE DAY OF MAN and the beginning of the DAY OF THE LORD. The DAY OF MAN has covered at least 6,000 years in which man has been unable to govern himself, but at midnight, so to speak, the Lord comes for His Bride, and so ends the DAY OF MAN and THE DAY OF THE LORD begins.

The event of the Rapture will set in motion a sequence of events; the Holy Spirit will be removed in regards to His restraining work (the craziness we see in the world is certainly the restrained version), then the man of sin is revealed, and He confirms a covenant with the nation of Israel (Dan. 9). I believe that is precipitated by horrific events in the Middle East after which the world clamors for someone to step in and resolve the insanity surrounding Israel and Jerusalem. In the middle of that 7 year covenant the anti-Christ steps into a rebuilt place of worship in Jerusalem and demands that he be worshipped as God.

From that moment forward there will be 1,260 days until the return of Jesus to the earth at which time He establishes His rule upon the earth for 1,000 years. The millennium will end with another night of judgment (Rev. 20:9-15).

At the end of verse 2 Paul says that the extended period of time known as THE DAY OF THE LORD comes at an unexpected time. It will come like a thief in the night. Because of that Paul is going to exhort these Mid-First Century Christians to be awake and sober (v.6). Remember from our study of the Olivet Discourse, in the parable of the 10 virgins, that even the five wise virgins who had oil in their lamps were SLEEPING and had to be awakened!

As we move through these verses we don’t want to miss the radical distinction that is made. Paul sets an unmistakable distinction between the Christian and the person who is not. He frames it with the words they and them set in contrast to us and you and we.

1 Thes 5:3-10 3While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

An unmistakable distinction between the Church and an unbelieving world!

1 Thes 5:3 3While people (KJV = They) are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

This is not the Church making this declaration! The world at large is declaring “peace and security.” This is a global consensus of unbelieving men and women, unbelieving political entities, perhaps an almost Global Government.

Peace and Security — And isn’t that what mankind around the world is longing for?! It isn’t wrong to want it. We pray for those in political authority. But here’s the deal, even if they are Christians, it is their job to work towards world order even though they know that in the end this man driven pursuit of peace will result in a tyranny that the world has never conceived of. Peace and security are noble goals, and they are things that will exist in the Millenium. But without the Prince of Peace man has never achieved them! So, they declare peace and security as they perceive it and measure it.

1 Thes 5:3 3While people (KJV = They) are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman,

Sudden = unexpected, sudden, unforeseen

This word is used only one other time in the New Testament. Luke uses it.

Luke 21:34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

1 Thes 5:3 3 …then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

There are signs of approaching labor. During your first or second pregnancy the Braxton Hicks contractions might be mistaken for onset of labor, but by the third kid you know what’s up. But there comes this unexpected moment when your wife says, “Woe! My water broke.” When that happens IT IS ON! There is no way out of what is going to follow. The labor WILL progress. The labor WILL get more painful. The labor WILL culminate in a delivery. SHE WILL NOT ESCAPE! THAT is the picture Paul paints for the unbelieving world.

1 Thes 5:3-4 3…they will not escape. And this is beautiful. 4But you….

Paul sets the Church in contrast with those who don’t believe in Christ. By the way, there are a lot of professing Christians today who have a problem with the Bible because it is so politically incorrect in the distinctions that it draws between those who believe and those who do not. The Holy Spirit inspired WORDS. The Holy Spirit is the One who marks these distinctions.
The ONLY thing that distinguishes between the believer and the unbeliever is the grace of God experienced through faith in Christ.

There really is an US and THEM. The Bible declares time and again and Paul underscores it here. There are only TWO categories of humans. Those who are IN Christ and those who are OUTSIDE of Christ. Those who are ALIVE to God through Christ and those who are DEAD in trespasses and sins.

1 Thes 5:4-6 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

This exhortation can only be consistent with the position of the imminent coming of Jesus for His Church. It is totally inconsistent with a Post Tribulation Rapture because Jesus is returning exactly 1,260 days after the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.

“So then”, can be translated as “since all this is true,” or “since this is surely so.”

CRUCIAL:

Paul now begins to draw moral consequences from the principles he has just stated.

KEEP AWAKE = to stay awake, be watchful, to be in constant readiness be on the alert, ‘keep one’s eyes open’

“Keep Awake” is in the present tense meaning continuous action, habitual action, reflective of a lifestyle.

Who has had a better opportunity than US to be ALERT and WATCHING? We can watch the world through the eye of global satellite telecommunications. Shame on us if we aren’t!

BE SOBER = be free from every form of mental and spiritual ‘drunkenness’, be self-controlled.

QUOTE: Ignatius — Early in the second century A.D.

Ignatius wrote to Polycarp (2.3) “be self-controlled, like an athlete of God.”

So Paul is not talking about merely avoiding drunkenness, but being “in training,” avoiding all kinds of excess.

1 Thes 5:4-5 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

The difference between us and the rest of the world should be as plain as night and day! Look down your street, look at the people at the grocery store, look at the crowds in the stands of an NFL game. They have no idea what is taking place in regards to their own souls and the future of the world they live in. They look at the Middle East and think — Dang! Oil prices are going to go through the roof! The U.S. should drop Israel and protect it’s oil interests! They are absolutely clueless that the world is going to change in a moment!

1 Thes 5:7- 8 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

NOTICE — Faith — Love — Hope.

Genuine FAITH results in the Love of God being shed abroad in our hearts. The Bible says that LOVE is the trademark of the believer and evidence of our faith. (BY this shall all men know…) Faith WORKS through love(Gal. 5:6). Real faith produces the HOPE of salvation.

By the way, the Hope of salvation does not = “I hope I’m saved.” If you have the breastplate of faith you are not “hoping” you’re saved, you are saved (by grace through faith!) The HOPE is the HOPE of what awaits us as those whose sins are forgiven. Paul wrote to Titus and described the coming of Jesus for His Church as the BLESSED hope. Real faith produces the HOPE of HEAVEN.

1 Peter 1:3-5 According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

NOTICE THE CONNECTION between the HOPE of Salvation and what follows:

1 Thes 5:9-10 9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

How PLAIN and CLEAR, in the first half of the Great Tribulation we are told that:

Revelation 6:15-17 15Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

That is the Old Testament view of DAY OF THE LORD – a day of wrath.

• Isaiah said it was a day of wrath
• Zephaniah said it was a day of wrath
• Revelation 6 says it is a day of wrath.

That extended period of time the prophets called THE DAY OF THE LORD begins with the coming of Jesus for His bride!

1 Thes 5:11 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

The prophecy of Isaiah 13:9-11 speaks for itself:

“Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” In other words, there will be a great and dramatic judgment, manifest in the physical world, which will interfere with the light of the sun, moon, and stars. God will put down the proud and deal with the sinners. It is a time of judgment.

The same thought is found in Zephaniah 1:14-16:

“The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.”

This passage continues in the same strain. The Day of the Lord, according to the Old Testament, is a time of God’s judgment and a time of God’s dealing with the world in its sin. The Day of the Lord is also a time of deliverance and blessing for Israel. The millennium—the whole kingdom reign of Christ on earth—in which Christ personally directs the government of the world, is also included in the Day of the Lord.

In Zephaniah 3:14-15, by way of illustration, there is a picture of Israel’s blessing in that day, obviously following the time of judgment:

“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy; the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.”

The passage here sets forth the praise and joy and rejoicing of Israel in the millennium. The Day of the Lord, as revealed in the Old Testament, indicates first a time of wrath and judgment upon a wicked and Christ-rejecting world which is followed by a time of peace in which Christ shall be in the midst of the earth and will rule over the earth and bring blessing to the nation Israel. The millennium will end with another night of judgment (Rev. 20:9-15).

The Day of Wrath

The truth concerning the coming of Christ for His church is revealed in 1 Thessalonians 4. The question which is answered in 1 Thessalonians 5 is “What relationship has the coming of Christ to the Day of the Lord?” In verse 1, accordingly, Paul writes: “But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.” The word time here is a translation of the Greek word from which we get our word chronology. Of the time, the general chronology, and of the seasons, the particular time—he states he has no need to write unto them. In other words, they had already been instructed, first, concerning the general time when Christ would come and, second, concerning the particular time. In a word, it is this: the general time can be known, but the particular time cannot. That is the point of his message. In verses 2 and 3 he says: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” The Day of the Lord is described as a day of wrath, which is a very important point. Compare this passage with the sixth chapter of Revelation which is about the time of the beginning of the great tribulation. This portion of Scripture is also similar to what Isaiah and Zephaniah said about the day of judgment in the Day of the Lord. Is not this the same period? Revelation 6:12-14 states: “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” This is exactly the same thought and is also a warning of judgment upon men. In Revelation 6:16-17 we learn that the wicked cry out and say “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Isaiah said it was a day of wrath; Zephaniah said it was a day of wrath; Revelation 6 says it is a day of wrath. In other words, the picture we have here of the great tribulation—the time of trouble on the earth—is identical to the picture of the Old Testament revelation of the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
August 9, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Ready for the Rapture Part 2

Related Topics: Death of the Believer; Hope Beyond the Grave; First Coming of Christ; Second Coming of Christ; The Translation of the Church; The Imminent Return of Christ for the Church; The Rapture; The Historical Nature of the Doctrine of the Rapture

Remember Paul had taught them well concerning the coming of Jesus for His Church. After Paul left, they wondered about those Christians who died before Jesus came back. Would those Christians miss out on that great event? Would they miss the victory and blessing of Jesus’ coming for the Church?

1 Thes 4:13 13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

When an unrepentant, unforgiven sinner dies, we mourn for them. When a believer dies we only mourn for ourselves, because they are with the Lord and we are here!

Absent from the body — Present with the Lord!

2 Cor. 5:6-8 We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

So Paul is going to explain this with Divine Authority!

1 Thes 4:15 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,

NLT: I can tell you this directly from the Lord:
Amplified: For this we declare to you by the Lord’s [own] word,

Some believe that by this Paul was referring to the direct revelation he received from Jesus in Arabia (Gal. 1:17)

Gal. 1:12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Some think it could also mean that it was an unrecorded saying of Jesus known amongst the apostles. The bottom line is that it comes from Jesus, not Paul.

1 Thes 4:15 that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

FIRST — Those who have fallen asleep. The Bible knows nothing of soul sleep. It is the body that sleeps, not the soul. The word used here for asleep is the root word for koimeterion from which we get our English word cemetery.

Koimeterion = “a sleeping place”

This word was adopted by the early Christians as their optimistic name for the graveyard. It is the place where the bodies sleep, awaiting the resurrection.

SECOND — By the authority of Jesus Paul tells them that those who have died in Christ will actually precede the living into the presence of the Lord. At this very moment there are believers who are preceding us into the presence of the Lord. They are not lying in the grave in some kind of soul sleep or suspended animation. Paul made it clear that for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

BIG QUESTION:
When they precede us into the presence of the Lord are they before the Lord as disembodied spirits? Do they have some form of “temporary bodies”? Or do they receive their glorified body immediately?

We know from the Scriptures that the receiving of a glorified body is the final work of our redemption.

Eph. 1:14 Paul says that the Holy Spirit living in us is the ….earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

What does that mean? Weren’t we redeemed by the cross, PAID IN FULL, it is finished? Yes, but there is a final outworking of that redemption.

Romans 8:23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

1 Cor. 15:53-55 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Some believe that the dead who precede us into the presence of the Lord live there as disembodied spirits until they are united with their resurrected/glorified bodies.

The Scriptures do not support that at all.

2 Cor. 5:2-5 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened––not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Others believe that they are with the Lord in a spiritual body, awaiting their final glorified body. I don’t see any passage that speaks of an interim body. I believe that there is a literal resurrection of their bodies. I also believe that they do not live in the presence of the Lord as disembodied spirits or in some interim body.

HERE’S THE QUESTION:
How are they clothed in a glorified resurrected body before the rapture?

The answer lies in the nature of eternity! God dwells outside of time. He inhabits eternity. (Isa. 57:15) Eternity is not just a matter of infinite duration. It is a matter of always being in the now. For God there is no past — present — future. For God everything is in the now.
The entire panorama of human history is all in the now for God.

Those who precede us into the presence of the Lord have received their resurrection bodies already because they live in the eternal “now.” For us, the moment when the dead receive their resurrected / glorified bodies, is yet future. For them, those who have died and gone to be with the Lord, it is in the now!

THIRD — Paul’s personal sense of the imminence of the rapture. We who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord. He saw himself and the Thessalonians as being alive when the Lord returns for His Church.

CRUCIAL: Paul, the author of the majority of the N.T.,
not only believed in this event, he believed that it was going to happen in his lifetime! There are many who call themselves Christians who do not believe this is going to happen.

It is staggering to see what professing Christians believe or have chosen to not believe.

• 70% of those who have graduated from protestant seminaries do NOT believe in the virgin birth.
• 80% of them do NOT believe that the Scriptures are inspired and inerrant.
• 60% do NOT believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
• Nearly 90% do NOT believe in the physical return of Jesus to the earth

NOTE WELL: As far as I’m concerned NONE of that is debatable! I don’t know what Bible they believe. I don’t know what Jesus they believe in! But it isn’t the Jesus that I believe in or the Bible that I believe. Because the Jesus that I believe in was born of a virgin! The Jesus that I believe in died for the sins of the world! The Jesus that I believe in rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and He is coming back to get me! That fact should not be debatable. He is coming again and He will receive us to Himself. (John 14)

Somewhere along the line there is going to be an interruption of human history. Whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib. The fact is miraculous. That in an instant we will be changed.

1 Cor 15:51-52 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,

Moment = The word is ATAMOS — the smallest measurable increment of time.

KEY POINT:
There should be no argument about this happening. I’m not saying that there can’t be differences about when it will happen (pre-mid or post trib.), but there can be no argument about the fact itself! The Scriptures teach that it is going to happen.

KEY INSIGHT:
For you and I to live in eternity, in the presence of God, there has to be a transition. When we see Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus they had been changed. They were not the same.

In the Latin Vulgate, a translation of the Bible into Latin by a man named Jerome in the late 5th century. Jerome translated the word Harpazo with the Latin word RAPTUS —from which we get our English word “rapture.”

If you look up the word “RAPT” in Webster’s Dictionary you will find that it is defined as “to be caught up”. I hope that you are satisfied with that. The Bible doesn’t say the word “RAPTURE,” but the Bible says that we will be CAUGHT UP, TAKEN AWAY!

CAUGHT UP = a compound form of the word HARPAZO.

That word is used 14 times in 13 verses in the New Testament. You do NOT have to able to read Greek to understand it. Let me read the verses to you and you will get a sense of what HARPAZO means.

Mat 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent TAKE IT BY FORCE.

HARPAZO means to be taken away by force.

Mat 12:29 NKJV “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and PLUNDER HIS GOODS, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

HARPAZO – to forcefully take away his goods.

Mat 13:19 NKJV “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and SNATCHES AWAY what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

HARPAZO – to SNATCH AWAY.

John 6:15 NKJV Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

HARPAZO = to take by force

I like that, because I want to be taken away by force out of this world.

John 10:12 NKJV “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches (HARPAZO) the sheep and scatters them.

John 10:28 NKJV “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

HARPAZO = to be snatched away from

I want to be SNATCHED out of this world.

John 10:29 NKJV “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them (HARPAZO) out of My Father’s hand.

No one can snatch us out of our Father’s hand, but He will snatch us out of the grips of this fallen corrupted world.

Acts 8:39 NKJV Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away (HARPAZO), so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

Acts 23:10 NKJV Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force (HARPAZO) from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

2 Cor 12:2, 4 NKJV I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago; whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows; such a one was caught up (HARPAZO) to the third heaven….
4 how he was (HARPAZO) caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Jude v. 23 NKJV save others by snatching them out (HARPAZO) of the fire

I like that. I want to be pulled out of this world before it is toasted!

Rev 12:5 NKJV She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was (HARPAZO) caught up to God and His throne.

KEY APPLICATION:
You might say that you don’t believe in the rapture because you don’t see that particular English word in the Bible. Everywhere this word is used and in whatever forms it is used, it means to be CAUGHT UP, SNATCHED AWAY, TAKEN AWAY BY FORCE.

When you think of what Paul is talking about this word HARPAZO is the perfect word to describe it. Think about the force that would be necessary to snatch a single human being AWAY in the smallest measurable increment of time, at the speed of light, from one place to another, from one form to another (to translate and tranform). This is beyond what we can understand.

I’m not huge, but I’m not tiny either. God is going to get a fair amount of glory when He does that to me. Some of us are going to give Him more glory than others, some of us less, but the amount of power required to do that is greater than force of gravity holding you on planet earth! It is unimaginable. Caught up! Snatched away! Taken by force in the twinkling of an eye! All of this is UNDENIABLE!

The debate comes in over the timing. When does this take place? There are a number of views.

• The first view is the PRE-TRIBULATION view. I call this “The CORRECT view”. It states that the Church will be snatched away out of the world BEFORE the beginning of a seven year period of time known as The Great Tribulation.”

• Mid-Tribulation view. Those who hold to this view do so because they see the WRATH OF GOD as not beginning until the 2nd half of that 7 year period of time called The Great Tribulation. They say that since we have not been appointed unto wrath (1 Thes. 5:9) God will take us out mid-way through and thus save us from wrath. (QUOTE: Walvoord — “The Rapture Question” p.119)

• The Partial Rapture view. This says that spiritual Christians will be raptured and carnal Christians will be left behind. This is a great tool to beat the sheep with. After they have been beaten up all week by the world, the flesh and the devil, you can get them in church on Sunday and beat them again. To say that the spiritual Christian will be taken and the carnal Christian will be left behind is kind of like a “protestant purgatory”. Think of it. Suppose you are a spiritual Christian and your are driving East or West on Interstate 80 and somebody cuts you off and endangers the life of you and your family. And just as you say, “I can’t believe you, ya big creep”, the trumpet blows and you are left behind! All that time you had been trying so hard and then you blow it and your left on Interstate 80! Isn’t that ridiculous? You know why it is? Because it belittles the atoning work of Christ! You see, the ONLY reason that a human being who deserves to go to hell is sinful by nature and dead in trespasses and sin can be born again pronounced Justified, Sanctified and Glorified, can be changed in an atomos and at the speed of light, can have corruption put on incorruption and mortality put on immortality, is because Jesus Christ died on the cross and not because you or I have behaved. Having said that, BEHAVE! It is NOT an excuse to sin.

  Rom 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

So we can throw out that one too.

• Post-Tribulation view. This is NOT my view at all. There are many great scholars, and godly men and women who have believed that this event will be at the end of The Great Tribulation. That the Church will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air as He descends in His return to the earth. I am not a great scholar. I have opinions from studying the Scriptures. (You will hear them on occasion.) I believe that the only position that is consistent with imminence is a pre-tribulation position. WHY? Because if you take a post-tribulation position, you are saying that Jesus can not come for 7 years. The Post Tribulation position also says that the blessed hope of the Church is to live through the most terrorizing time that the human race has ever seen. That is not a blessed hope at all. We can’t comfort one another with those words. There are those who justify the Post-Trib View by saying, “Well why should 21sty century Christians avoid the horrors that the 1st three centuries of Christians had to endure?” REMEMBER, the Great Tribulation is about the wrath of God. But let me give to you ONE MORE reason why I find it impossible to see the rapture at the end of the Tribulation.

  Matthew 25:31-32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

The Millennium — the Messianic Kingdom — is essentially sandwiched between 2 bookends of Judgment! This judgment (in Matt 25) takes place on earth at the very end of the Great Tribulation immediately after the Battle of Armageddon when Christ returns to the earth. By contrast, the Great White Throne Judgment takes place at the END of this 1,000 year reign of Christ upon the earth somewhere in space. Those who take the position that the RAPTURE of the Church takes place at the END of the Great Tribulation consistently avoid this passage in their discussion of eschatology. WHY? Because if the rapture took place at the END of the Great Tribulation and the church met the Lord in the air while He was coming from heaven to the earth to set up His millennial kingdom. There would be NO NEED to separate the sheep from the goats because the rapture would have accomplished that already. Only goats would be left on the earth.

Closing:

THE RAPTURE — Jesus coming FOR His Church
THE SECOND COMING — Jesus coming WITH His Church.

Many signs must precede that coming (Matt 24-25). In His Second Coming every eye shall see Him, but in regards to the Coming of Jesus Ffor His Church, no sign has to precede that coming. It is a coming that is only realized by the Church.

KEY QUESTION: How does this effect your life as a believer?

Does it help you to prioritize? I believe this truth, I teach this truth, but I struggle. I pray that it will have a greater impact on my life. BUT – I AM READY! We don’t even have to get out of the parking lot. We can leave our cars… They can have them.

ARE YOU READY?

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
August 2, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Ready for the Rapture

Related Topics: Death of the Believer; Hope Beyond the Grave; First Coming of Christ; Second Coming of Christ; The Translation of the Church; The Imminent Return of Christ for the Church; The Rapture; The Historical Nature of the Doctrine of the Rapture

We noted at the beginning of our study of this amazing letter from Paul to the Thessalonians that each chapter closes with a reference to the Return of Christ.
The close of Chapter 4 contains one of the most important passages of the New Testament concerning prophecy and eschatology (study of last things).

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

IT IS OF TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE for us to know the chronological context of this letter. He wrote this letter during his 18-month stay in Corinth on his second missionary journey. The letter is dated between 49–51a.d.
I point this out for several major reasons:

1. Because of the attitude of contemporary Christian leaders towards the prophetic nature of the Bible. Some of the most well known figures in contemporary church culture would tell you that eschatology and prophecy are not only unimportant to the Church , they are actually counter-productive to the Great Commission.
2. There are those who say that the doctrine of the Rapture was not taught in the early Church. That it is a relatively new teaching introduced by a guy named Darby in the mid-late 1800s. Both of these are staggering to me because Paul’s chronicled ministry in the 1st century AD says otherwise. And most importantly, the Holy Spirit who is the author of the Scriptures, says otherwise. We know from the record of Acts that Paul spent three weeks in Thessalonica with these men and women. We know from this very letter the content of his preaching and teaching.
   In those few weeks Paul taught these new believers about
   The great doctrines of Salvation. He taught them about Election. He taught them about the Power of the Gospel. He taught them about Repentance and Salvation from the wrath of God. In those few weeks Paul taught these new believers about how that great salvation translates into daily living, “This is the will of God for you.” In those few weeks Paul taught these new believers about the coming of Christ for the Church. The subject of the imminent return of Christ for the Church was so important in the mind and heart of the Apostle Paul that he made sure these brand new baby believers knew of it and looked for it.
3. I want to point out that these believers in the Mid – 1st Century AD were expecting Jesus to come at any moment!
   The early church lived with a sense of the imminence of Christ coming for the Church. Without a doubt, none of the apostles or early Christians thought that the Church Age, in which we find ourselves, would last 2,000 years. They never set a date for the return of the Lord, but they were looking for Jesus to come for His Church in their lifetime.

We need to set up our study of these verses by making a clear distinction between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus. The Rapture is the coming of Jesus for His Church. The Second Coming is Jesus coming to the earth a second time. The second coming of Christ takes place at the end of the Great Tribulation. In it Jesus comes to the earth with His Church to sit upon the throne of David and rule the earth in righteousness for 1,000 years, after which He will usher in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Listen to what Peter says about the subject of prophecy

2 Peter 1:19-21 19And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Old Testament prophets, carried along by the Holy Spirit, spoke and wrote volumes about the coming of the Messiah of Israel and about the glory of His Kingdom.

CRUCIAL:
Sometimes the Old Testament prophet would describe Messiah as Isaiah did:
– A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
– A Lamb of God
– A suffering servant by Whose stripes we are healed.
Then the same prophet would describe the glory and the majesty of that incomparable servant of and declare His Name to be:
– Wonderful Counselor
– The Mighty God
– The Everlasting Father
– The Prince of Peace.

WE CAN’T MISS THIS:
They foretold these things but they didn’t know how it would roll out in history.

1 Peter 1:10-11 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

To them, and to all of Israel, there was one great prophetic promise and vision. The followers of Jesus, being Jews, saw Jesus in that same way. When they heard John the Baptist announce that the Messiah was in their midst they were thrilled because of all that the Old Testament prophecies had declared about the Messiah and His Kingdom. They saw Jesus as the One who would lead Israel out from under the bondage and yoke of the Roman government. They saw Jesus as the One who would establish forever the kingdom of Israel. They were filled with those glorious expectations.

IMPORTANT:
That is why they could not process the words of Jesus when He said that He was going up to Jerusalem where He would be betrayed and turned over to the Romans, beaten, crucified and buried, but in three days later rise again.

That is why they were absolutely crushed when the One the believed to be the Messiah died on the Cross like a felon, like a criminal.

For them, the death of Jesus marked the death of every prophetic vision that they had read in the Bible.

Luke 24:17-21 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.

You see, they did not yet understand that there was first:

• A coming of the Messiah in humility (born in a manger – raised in Nazareth)
• A coming of the Messiah for the purpose of taking upon Himself the sins of the world, shedding His blood for the redemption of sinners

They did not understand that in that FIRST COMING, He would not establish the glorious Messianic Kingdom foretold in the Old Testament. Those promises would be fulfilled in a SECOND COMING. In that coming the Messiah will come not in humility to die, but in glory and power to rule and reign forever and forever.

They did not understand that it would be in His Second Coming that He will fulfill the promises made to the nation of Israel in Isaiah.

Isa. 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

CRUCIAL:
The Old Testament prophets, the Old Testament Jews, and the disciples of Jesus NEVER SAW an age between the suffering and glory of the Messiah. This long age is known as the age of the Church. This age BETWEEN the FIRST and SECOND coming of Christ is the parenthetical period of history that punctuates the 69th and 70th Weeks of Daniel (Dan. 9).

Dan. 9:24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city,

The First 69 “weeks” from March 14, 445 BC out to April 6, 32 AD had to do with the First Coming of Messiah at the end of the 69th “week” he would be cut off for the sins of the nation.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:
In Ephesians 3, Paul describes that great parenthesis that the Old Testament prophet never saw. He essentially said, “Hid in the councils of God from the beginning of the world was this mystery”

Mystery = musterion
A “mystery” in the Bible is not a problem to be solved,
a case to be cracked through investigation and deduction. It is a secret known only to God until He reveals it.

THE BIG IDEA:
This great parenthesis in which we now live was something that the prophets of the Old Testament never saw, it was a a musterion. But now this mystery was revealed.

The thing that nobody had yet known, but now God had revealed, was that:

• Christ should die in His first appearing without establishing the Kingdom
• The Gospel of the Son of God should be preached to all of the world, INCLUDING the gentiles.
• This parenthesis between His FIRST and SECOND comings would bring into existence a thing called the Church.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:
In John 14, in the very shadow of the cross, the night before Jesus died on the cross, Jesus introduces for the very first time the event known as the RAPTURE. This event, which Paul addresses in [1 Thessalonians 4][10, would Mark the end of the Church Age and resume once again God’s dealing with Israel during which God would conclude the 70th week of Daniel 9 during the 7 years of the Great Tribulation.

At the end of that 70th week of Daniel the Messiah would come a SECOND time to the earth to establish His glorious Kingdom. Here is how Jesus introduces for the very first time the subject of the RAPTURE.

John 14:2-4 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going.”

He tells them that BEFORE He comes a SECOND time in glory and power to fulfill the promise of a glorious Kingdom, He is going to go away! He’s going to heaven where He will prepare a place for those who put their trust in Him. And then someday, He’s coming again to take His Bride, the Church, to His Father’s house, “That where I am, there you may be also.”

NOTE WELL:
“I will come again.” Jesus is not talking about death. In death, our spirit departs the body to go be with Jesus.
Jesus says that He’s coming for us. In otherwords, before He returned to the earth in glory to establish His kingdom on earth, He was going to take His disciples home to glory first. Without a doubt, i was not completely understood by those men on that night. They did not expect a Messiah who was going away to prepare them a place and then come back to take them to a place that He had prepared. That was not the Messiah that they were expecting.

You and I might know these verses and take them for granted, but His disciples were totally confused. It was not completely understood by the early Christians. Just as it is not completely understood by many Christians today.

INTERESTING:
Paul’s point in this passage is not primarily the RAPTURE of the Church. He breaks into the subject of the Rapture in dealing with a question about what happens to the believer who dies before the rapture takes place. These believers in Thessalonica believed they would be caught up to be with the Lord at any time (CH. 1), but they were concerned about whether or not the resurrection of their loved ones would be delayed, possibly until after the great tribulation when Christ came back to establish His kingdom.
Paul writes to answer this question.

1 Thes 4:13 13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

1. Christians DO sorrow when our loved ones in Christ are taken away from us in death.
   It is not a lack of faith to do so.
   It is not a lack of Christian maturity to do so.
2. Their sorrow is NOT like those who have no hope.
   An inscription has reportedly been found on a pagan tomb at Thessalonic, “After death there is no revival, after the grave no meeting of those who have loved each other on earth.” That is NOT the sorrow of the believer.
   The sorrow of the believer is an ache over the absence of the loved one on this side of heaven.
3. Why does the unbeliever have NO hope?
   Because for the unbeliever there is no certainty beyond the grave, that’s why they resort to “they’re in a better place”, “they’re right here with me”, “there’s really no such thing as hell”, “everyone is going to heaven”, “we all come back and get a second chance.” Because the unbeliever truly has NO hope of heaven apart from the death and resurrection of Jesus, they have NO hope of being accepted into the presence of God because they are yet in their sin, as would you and I apart from trusting Christ.
4. A Christian has a wonderful hope that after this life there is going to be a glorious, unending, perfectly joyful existence in the presence of God. All of that will be enjoyed with our loved ones in Christ who have gone on before us.

What is the basis for that hope that is given, what establishes that hope as certain and sure?

1 Thes 4:14 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Unless we are absolutely certain concerning the death and resurrection of Christ, we have no hope. REAL HOPE has it’s origins at the cross of Christ. It is there that Christ died for our sins; it is there we learn that we had a substitute. One who was able to save us and one who provided a sufficient sacrifice for our sin.

REAL HOPE has it’s origins in the resurrection of Christ, thee Bodily Resurrection of Jesus from the grave is
God’s apologetic for faith in Christ. The stamp of certainty. It guarantees that the death of Jesus Is sufficient in the eyes of God to SAVE me from the penalty and power of sin.

So here we have the background and foundation for what Paul is about to say about the rapture and those who have died before the Rapture. What a starter dish for communion!
The reality of a FIRST and SECOND coming of Christ. There was the FIRST coming of Jesus. He came humbly to serve and give His life as a ransom for sin. There is going to be a SECOND coming of Jesus. He will come in power and glor to sit upon the throne of David and establish the Kingdom promised by God to Israel.

REMEMBER — The reality of a FIRST and SECOND coming of the Messiah was not clear until after the Cross and Resurrection. Then there is that parenthetical period of time between the FIRST and SECOND comings of Jesus. During this “AGE” God has been dealing primarily with the non-Jewish people of the world. YOU AND ME! Like the two comings of the Messiah, this Church Age was a total mystery. This was unknown until after the death and resurrection of Jesus when it was revealed to the apostles.

Christian, as you take the bread and cup they speak to you about the hope that belongs to you beyond the grave because Jesus died and rose again for you.

Are you without hope today? What is the basis of your professed hope?

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
July 26, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God pt.7 — The Essence of Abounding Love

Related Topics: Spiritual Challenges; Abounding; The Christian Walk; Pleasing God; The Will of God; Sanctification; Holiness; Sexual Sin; Sexual Purity; Taught by God; Brotherly Love; the Essence of Love; Godly Ambition; Hard work; An Orderly life.

This fourth chapter is all about A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD; how to walk in agreement with God, and how to walk in faith and to be ABOUNDING more and more in it. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the 1st Century Christians — or us — with any question as to what that looks like.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Verse 3: THIS is the will of God…

9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ado this more and more,

Over the past two weeks we have been making a careful examination of this LOVE that:

• So pleases God
• Is the trademark of the believer
• We are to abound in more and more.

1 Cor. 13:4-8 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
In these verses the Holy Spirit shines God’s love through a heavenly prism and we are able to see the essential and indispensable properties of this love that should be abounding in our lives individually and corporately. Without these properties you DO NOT have true love.

Love is:

1. LONGSUFFERING
2. KIND
3. DOES NOT ENVY
4. DOES NOT BOAST
5. IS NOT PROUD
6. LOVE IS NOT RUDE
7. DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY
8. IS NOT IRRITABLE
9. IS NOT RESENTFUL
10. DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONG DOING,
11. BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH
12. BEARS ALL THINGS
13. BELIEVES ALL THINGS
14. HOPES ALL THINGS
15. ENDURES ALL THINGS

6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing

Our word for “rejoice” comes from the Greek word, sugchairo.

sún meaning, “together”
chaíro meaning, “rejoice”, “be ‘cheer’ full”

The entire word means, “to rejoice together,” “to share in another’s joy.”

With this in mind let’s see how this love works.

I. LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN WATCHING OTHERS SIN

Real love realizes that ALL SIN is an affront to God.

For example: Isaiah 6:1-3 1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Since God is Holy, His love must also be morally pure. Real love will never draw personal pleasure from the sinful practices of anyone else. Love does not delight in watching others sin!

II. LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT/REJOICE IN TALKING ABOUT OTHERS SIN

Love does not rejoice in gossip.

One of the most common forms of rejoicing in sin is gossip. It has been said that Gossips would do little harm if they did not have so many eager listeners. MANY take gossip lightly — but it is an especially WICKED sin

Proverbs 20:19 KJV He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets:

Proverbs 26:20 KJV Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

Gossip uncaringly reveals the weaknesses and sins of others, and therefore hurts rather than helps them.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT: Gossip that is true is still gossip.

The essence of gossip is:

• Gloating over and/or

• Finding a cause to be glad about the shortcomings and sins of others

A person is never helped by spreading the news of his sin. It is a wonderful thing to fellowship with those whose hearts are so full of love that they refuse to rejoice in iniquity through gossip.

III. LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONGDOING, BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH

Paul is not just speaking about factual truth here. He is talking about the truth of the Word of God. Seeing the Word of God upheld, seeing it triumph in every situation of life.

1) LOVE Never Compromises the Truth

Paul is saying that God’s love takes great joy in seeing the Word of God taken seriously.

Leon Morris wrote, “There is a stern moral element throughout the New Testament, and nothing is ever said to obscure this. Love is not to be thought of as indifferent to moral considerations. IT must see truth victorious if it is to rejoice.”

2) LOVE Always Lives the Truth

A life gripped in the love of God labors to understand what God requires of us. It rejoices to go in and shut the door and open the Bible alone with God. It rejoices to understand what God has called us to. It identifies and avoids sinful self-gratification that occurs through explaining away the truth of the Bible.

LOVE rejoices in:

• Being honest with God

• Beholding the clear cut commands for holiness

• That truth when it is understood

3). LOVE Always Applies the Truth to Sin

God’s Love rejoices in a Biblical model of discipline in purifying the church. This must be done with a humble reverence for God’s word. To ignore God’s Word in these matters is not only unloving, it is indicative of a person seeing themselves as above the Word!

APPLICATION #1: This must be done fairly without respecting persons!

You are not to exercise discipline on those you are not close to (because you don’t like them that much) and fail to do so on those that you favor!

THE POINT: It is a false love which compromises “the truth” by glossing over “sin.”

Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

APPLICATION #2: Sin must be lovingly dealt with in our midst!

In the physical/biological realm — “a body that cannot purge itself of poison will soon die.” The same is true in the Body of Christ of relationships in general — including marriage!

This must be done the way our lord instructs in Matthew 18:15-17

15 “If your brother sins against you go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

APPLICATION #3: If we truly love one another we seek to hold one another accountable to live out biblical truth.

That is love at its highest level!

NOTE WELL: We must see the importance of letting God and His Word be uppermost in the marital relationship.

PAXTON wrote, “A braid appears to contain only two strands of hair. But it is impossible to create a braid with only two strands. If the two could be put together at all, they would quickly unravel. Herein lies the mystery: What looks like two strands requires a third. The third strand, though not immediately evident, keeps the strand tightly woven.” Then Paxton concluded, ‘In a Christian marriage, God’s presence, like the third strand in a braid, holds husband and wife together.’ God is the only third party in a marriage that can make it work.”

3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Whatever is done in the name of Christian love that is not connected to the Word of God is not love.

7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8Love never ends.

These four intrinsic and indispensible qualities of love are much more closely tied to each other than any of the other eleven elements (there is a real overlap here).

“BEARS” comes from the Greek word, stego {steg’-o} meaning, “to cover over with silence; to keep secret; to hide, conceal…..keep confidential.”

KEY INSIGHT: Man’s depravity likes to uncover everybody’s evil.

For example: Children tend to tattle…. from the beginning.

Depravity has a tendency to do this to gain a cheap sense of self-respect and self righteousness. Some people never grow out of that.

Another example is the spouse that goes around talking to everybody about the faults and sins of their partner. This person has no clue of what real love is all about!

NOTE: To cover sin is easy with those we are fond of. “That’s okay… everybody makes a mistake.” BUT — It is harder to cover the faults of those we don’t care for. Like when somebody you don’t like does something wrong and you find yourself almost rejoicing in it. It’s almost like you want them to do something wrong so THEY can look bad.

By contrast —

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Listen very closely – to cover sin does not mean that you compromise with sin.

Real love will warn — exhort — rebuke — and discipline sin.

But that same love will also cover it rather than seek to expose it. We are not to think of this in terms of a “criminal cover-up” or sweeping something under the rug, but in keeping the sin known only within the sphere that is necessary for correction, repentance and restoration.

We see a great example of this in Genesis 9:20-24 .

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him…

Shem and Japheth had a love that bears all things…

IV. LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS

7 Love …..believes all things

1Corinthians 13:7 NIV always trusts

We are to try to think the best about people.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT #1: THIS THOUGHT HAS BIBLICAL LIMITS

Andrew Fausset wrote, (LOVE BELIEVES) “All that is not palpably (observably) false…all that it can with a good conscience believe to the credit of another”

CRUCIAL INSIGHT #2: THIS THOUGHT HAS REASONABLE LIMITS

There are some things we are not to believe such as, the lies of the devil. It is not implied that love is to allow itself to be deceived by the pretences of any dishonest person that comes along. We are called to be a discerning people as well.

Paul is speaking of that the quality in a person that is always ready to allow for circumstances, always ready to give a person the benefit of the doubt. CONVERSELY — when you do not really love somebody you are quick to think the worst of them.

BOTTOM LINE: Love doesn’t go through life cynical and suspicious of everybody and everything!

God’s Love doesn’t jump to conclusions if somebody does something wrong. God’s Love doesn’t say — “I knew they were rotten to begin with!”

True love actually makes an effort to draw out the best in people. For example, in the little book of PHILEMON we see Paul believing the best and drawing out the best… in his disciple Philemon.

V. LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS

7 Love …..hopes all things

Leon Morris wrote, “Thought is not that of unreasoning optimism, which fails to take account of reality. It is rather a refusal to take failure as final.”

The MAIN IDEA here is a refusal to take failure as final! THIS LOVE IS FUELED BY A TRUST IN OUR GRACIOUS SOVERIEGN GOD. As long as He is on the throne there is always hope!

When people don’t respond to us we very often give up all hope on them, but REAL LOVE does not take failure as final because Jesus is on the throne — and HE is able!

No one said it better than C. S. Lewis, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable…. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love… is Hell.”

1 Cor. 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,

7…endures all things.

“ENDURES” comes from the Greek word, hupomeno {hoop-om-en’-o} meaning, “to endure, bear bravely and calmly.”

This is NOT denoting a resigned acquiescence. It is an active positive fortitude like the endurance of a soldier who in the thick of the battle is undismayed.

THE POINT: God’s Love possesses a willingness to endure suffering for the benefit of the one you love.

Our Lord Jesus Christ exampled this as He endured all a man could endure because of His great love for us!

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross

APPLICABLE STORY:

The Ring of Death Silenced by Love –

In seventeenth-century England during the time of General Cromwell, a soldier was condemned to die by execution at the ringing of the curfew bell. This soldier, however, was engaged to be married to a beautiful young girl. With tears, the girl pleaded with the judge and with Cromwell to spare his young life. But it was all in vain. The preparations were made for the execution, and the city awaited the signal from the bell at curfew. The sexton, who was old and deaf, threw himself against the rope, as he had for years. He pulled it and pulled it and pulled it not realizing that no sound was coming from the bell. The girl had climbed to the top of the belfry, and had reached out, caught, and held on to the tongue of the huge bell at the risk of her life. As the sexton rang it, she was smashed against the sides of the bell—but the bell was silent. At length, the bell ceased to swing, and she managed to descend from the tower, wounded and bleeding. Cromwell, waiting at the place of execution, wanted to know why the bell had not rung. The girl arrived and told him what she had done.

A poet recorded it for all time. This is what he said:

At his feet she told her story,
Showed her hands all bruised and torn;
And her sweet young face, still haggard
With the anguish it had worn;
Touched his heart with sudden pity,
Lit his eyes with misty light:
“Go, your lover lives,” said Cromwell,
“Curfew will not ring tonight.”

8Love never ends.

The New King James translates it as, “Love never fails.”

THE IDEA is that God’s love will never be inefficient; never be of none effect.

Today we live in the age of the INFOMERCIAL. They sell everything and anything (health products, remedies, gadgets), making unqualified promises of the effectiveness of their product. The truth is that many of these things are INNEFFICIENT and leave no lasting EFFECT from their use. THEY FAIL!

We live in the age of GOVERNMENT REMEDIES for social and moral problems. Throw tax money at crime; make laws about this and that. THEY FAIL!

However, no matter WHAT you are doing FOR the Lord, if it is being done out of HIS LOVE it will ALWAYS BE EFFICIENT. It will ALWAYS have an eternal EFFECT on those you are loving.

LOVE WORKS… LOVE NEVER FAILS.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 again only this time take out the word LOVE and put in your own name:

4Richard is patient and kind; Richard does not envy or boast; Richard is not arrogant 5or rude. Richard does not insist on his own way; Richard is not irritable or resentful; 6Richard does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Richard bears all things, Richard believes all things, Richard hopes all things, Richard endures all things.8Richard never ends/fails.

UNDONE, BUT NOT HOPELESS!!

This time let’s read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 only this time take out the word LOVE and put in THE NAME OF JESUS

4Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; Jesus is not arrogant 5or rude. Jesus does not insist on His own way; Jesus is not irritable or resentful; 6Jesus does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Jesus bears all things, Jesus believes all things, Jesus hopes all things, Jesus endures all things.8Jesus never ends/fails.

PERFECT!!

OUR ONLY HOPE to LOVE LIKE THIS IS JESUS! ONCE AGAIN — It’s ALL ABOUT JESUS!

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
July 19, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God pt.6 — The Essence of Abounding Love

Related Topics: Spiritual Challenges; Abounding; The Christian Walk; Pleasing God; The Will of God; Sanctification; Holiness; Sexual Sin; Sexual Purity; Taught by God; Brotherly Love; the Essence of Love; Godly Ambition; Hard work; An Orderly life;

This fourth chapter is all about a life that pleases God.

• How to walk in agreement with God
• How to walk in faith
• And to be ABOUNDING more and more in it.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the 1st Century Christians, or us, with any question as to what that looks like. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For THIS is the will of God

1 Thessalonians 4:9 9Now

This marks the transition from the subject of sanctification and sexual purity to the topic of sanctification and love.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ado this more and more,

Last week we began to make a careful examination of this LOVE; that so pleases God; that is the trademark of the believer; that we are to abound in more and more.

1 Cor. 13:4-8 4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8Love never ends.

We said that in these verses the Holy Spirit shines God’s love through a heavenly prism, and we are able to see the essential and indispensable properties of this love that should be abounding in our lives individually and corporately. Without these properties you do NOT have true love.

We noted that this passage is full of Greek verbs. A verb is an action word. DON’T MISS THIS, God’s love is much more than a feeling word, it is an action word. Therefore, love is only fully love when it acts.

1. SUFFERS LONG – patient in bearing the offenses
2. IS KIND – useful serving and gracious – love in work clothes
3. DOES NOT ENVY – Are you glad for the successes of those you love? Do you desire the success of those you love?
4. DOES NOT BOAST;
5. IS NOT PROUD – HUMBLE LOVE is preoccupied with the importance of others. Is CONSIDERATE instead of CONTENTIOUS

CRUCIAL: Satan cannot beat humility

1 Cor. 13:5 5is not rude

Rude = aschemon
Literally to behave disgracefully, dishonorably, indecently.

IDEA: “I don’t love you because I could care less how my behavior affects you”

IInteresting that Paul uses a form of this word in 1 Cor 7:36 in regards to dishonorable sexual behavior linked to sexual passions.

1 Cor 7:36 36If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed

Interesting that the root word of this word means to be shapeless or unformed or deformed. This person does not love enough to discipline their behavior around others.

More than lack of discipline, where there is an existing FORM or PATTERN of behavior/conduct, they selfishly act contrary to that standard. That conduct is disgraceful, dishonorable, indecent, RUDE.

EXAMPLE: When a bunch of guys get together there is a standard for what is acceptable, almost anything goes. But when you are dating the girl you love, there is an entirely different pattern or form of what is acceptable. (dying in the movie theater from gas pain)

On a more serious note, moral pattern of behavior, the Bible says we are not to be conformed to the pattern of the world, instead we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That is essentially what launches this whole section of 1 Thessalonians 4, this is the will of God for you, your sanctification —

• THIS is the pattern that is acceptable to God and pleasing to God.
• THIS is how you walk so as to not be rude to God!
• THAT is love to God and it will translate into our human relationships.

NOTE WELL:
Any one of us can get into a bad place spiritually, becoming loveless and rude. Notice that sin has a way of corrupting even the nicest people, that’s why were are told in Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”

Some thoughts on rudeness:
The Corinthians were a RUDE group of Christians. The Corinthians were best described by this word aschemon. There was a general thoughtlessness for others at church gatherings!

1 Cor. 11:20-22 20When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

Let me address this from a totally different angle. There is a rudeness that flows from a “Holier than thou attitude.”

Isa. 65:3;5 3a people who provoke me to my face continually…… 5 who say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.” These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

• Rude towards the cigarette smoker next to you at some event
• Rude to those whose appearance is outside of what is acceptable to us
• Rude to those whose lifestyles are outside of the boundaries set by God.

That rudeness is offensive to God because HIS love is not rude!! (Jesus in house of Levi)

1. IS LONGSUFFERING
2. IS KIND
3. DOES NOT ENVY
4. DOES NOT BOAST;
5. IS NOT PROUD
6. IS NOT RUDE

1 Cor 13:5 5….It does not insist on its own way;

• KJV — seeketh not her own
• NLT — It does not demand its own way.
• NIV — it is not self-seeking

INSIST = seeking something in order to find it, but there is something deeper in this word. The SEEKING is driven by a CRAVING. That CRAVING leads to DEMANDING your way as the means to satisfying your craving. Bottom line, always seeking your own happiness with a disregard for others

Paul saw this as rampant in “ministry” and among those who thought of themselves as “ministers”

Phil. 2:21 For all seek their own

We are told that in the last days that men will be lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:2). We live in a world that is filled with men and women, young and old, who INSIST upon their own way because they are in love with themselves.

QUOTE:

Most matrimonial problems are caused by the marriage of two people who are in love with themselves

QUOTE: Alan Redpath

The secret of every discord in Christian homes, communities and churches is that we seek our own way and our own glory.

What does it mean to not seek your own way? Live to seek the interests of God. A LOOKING for, a SEEKING after, a CRAVING to see God glorified, Jesus exalted.

BIG IDEA: We find our happiness in seeking to please God and bring Him glory. THAT is the opposite of the selfish life.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE is Timothy

Phil 2:19-21 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

When our love looks like that we can say with Paul, “For to me to live is Christ.” (Phil. 1:21)

CRUCIAL:
One of the earmarks of the self life = No real concern for God’s glory. No time — No energy — No money — expended for the glory of God on a regular basis. Energy is expended in “kingdom” affairs as long as it gratifies and satisfies self-concerns. In reality that is nothing more than a self-serving agenda undertaken in the name of “God’s glory.”

So, to NOT insist on your own way =

1. A concern for the Glory of God.
2. A concern for the good of others

LOVE LIVES TO BENEFIT OTHERS

Phil 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

EXAMPLE: A plain tombstone in the courtyard at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London reads, “Sacred to the memory of General Charles George Gordon, who at all times and everywhere gave his strength to the weak, his substance to the poor, his sympathy to the suffering, his heart to God.”

HUGE APPLICATION:
This is to be a way of life for a husband in the marriage and when it is his way of life you KNOW that he has gotten his life squared away

Eph. 5:28-29 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

QUOTE: A Time for Remembering: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1983), p. 39.

“At about the time Ruth Bell (later, the wife of Billy Graham) left China she wrote out what she wanted in a husband — in spite of the fact that she had decided to remain single and be a missionary! “If I marry: He must be so tall that when he is on his knees, as one has said, he reaches all the way to Heaven. His shoulders must be broad enough to bear the burden of a family. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss. Love must be so deep that it takes its stand in Christ and so wide that it takes the whole lost world in. He must be active enough to be gentle and great enough to be thoughtful. His arms must be strong enough to carry a little child.”

LOVE:

1. IS LONGSUFFERING
2. IS KIND
3. DOES NOT ENVY
4. DOES NOT BOAST;
5. IS NOT PROUD
6. IS NOT RUDE
7. DOES NOT INSIST ON IT’S OWN WAY

1 cor 13:5 5….it is not irritable

QUOTE: Henry Drummond – The Greatest Thing in the World (First published c1800)

Nothing could be more striking than to find this here.
We are inclined to look upon bad temper as a very harmless weakness. We speak of it as a mere infirmity of nature, a family failing, a matter of temperament, not a thing to take into very serious account in estimating a man’s character. And yet here, right in the heart of this analysis of love, it finds a place; and the Bible again and again returns to condemn it as one of the most destructive elements in human nature.? The peculiarity of ill temper is that it is the vice of the virtuous. It is often the one blot on an otherwise noble character. You know men who are all but perfect, and women who would be entirely perfect, but for an easily ruffled, quick-tempered, or “touchy” disposition. This compatibility of ill temper with high moral character is one of the strangest and saddest problems. You will see then why Temper is significant. It is not in what it is alone, but in what it reveals. This is why I take the liberty now of speaking of it with such unusual plainness. It is a test for love, a symptom, a revelation of an unloving nature at bottom…… a sample of the most hidden products of the soul dropped involuntarily when off one’s guard; in a word, the lightning form of a hundred hideous and un-Christian sins.

THIS person is HARD to live with!

QUOTE: Jonathan Edwards (The great colonial preacher and theologian )

He had a daughter with an uncontrollable temper. When a young man fell in love with her and asked her father for her hand in marriage, Dr. Edwards replied, “?You can’t have her.?” “?But I love her and she loves me,?” he protested. “?It doesn’t matter,?” the father insisted. Asked why, he said, “?Because she is not worthy of you.?” “?But she is a Christian isn’t she??” “?Yes,?” said Edwards, “?but the grace of God can live with some people with whom no one else could ever live.?”

KEY INSIGHT:
Not merely not flying into a rage, but does not yield to provocation; it is not embittered by injuries, whether real or supposed.

Which leads us to the next essential and indispensible element of Love.

Love:

1. IS LONGSUFFERING
2. IS KIND
3. DOES NOT ENVY
4. DOES NOT BOAST;
5. IS NOT PROUD
6. IS NOT RUDE
7. DOES NOT INSIST ON IT’S OWN WAY
8. IS NOT IRRITABLE

1 Cor 13:5 5…..it is not…..resentful;

LITERALLY — Love does not keep a record of wrongs

Logizomai — gives a verbal portrait of a bookkeeper who flips the pages of his ledger to reveal what has been received and spent. He is able to give an exact account and provide an itemized list. The picture here is that of keeping an ITEMIZED ledger of every wrong done to you.

ILLUSTRATION: One married man said to his friend, “You know, every time my wife and I get into a conflict, she gets historical.” His friend said, “Historical? Don’t you mean hysterical?” “No, I mean historical. She rehearses everything I’ve ever done wrong in the whole history of our marriage.”

QUOTE: Chrysostom

“a wrong done against love is like a spark that fails into the sea and is quenched. Love quenches wrongs rather than records them.”

QUOTE: Godet

“Love, instead of entering evil as a debt in its account-book, voluntarily passes the sponge over what it endures”

This is not a love based upon FEELINGS. It is love that is based upon VOLITION and CHOICE. It is GOD’S LOVE

Psalm 103:3-4 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?4 But with you there is forgiveness…

Heb. 10:17 I will remember their sins no more

That is not a failure of memory, it is a promise to not keep judicial record of our sins because of what Jesus did on the Cross. REAL LOVE brings offenses not into the ledger but into the shadow of the cross!

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
July 12, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God pt.5 — The Essence of Abounding Love

Related Topics: Spiritual Challenges; Abounding; The Christian Walk; Pleasing God; The Will of God; Sanctification; Holiness; Sexual Sin; Sexual Purity; Taught by God; Brotherly Love; the Essence of Love; Godly Ambition; Hard work; An Orderly life;

This fourth chapter is all about A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD

• How to walk in agreement with God
• How to walk in faith
• And to be ABOUNDING more and more in it.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the 1st Century Christians or us with any question as to what that looks like; 1 Thes 4:3 “THIS is the will of God”

1 Thes 4:9 “Now”

This is one of those small, but important words in Scripture. Here it marks a transition. Paul is going to continue to define for the Thessalonians the LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD. The word NOW marks the transition from the subject of sanctification and sexual purity to the topic of sanctification and love.

1 Thes 4:9 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

TAUGHT BY GOD = Divinely instructed

FIRST
Divinely instructed by virtue of the New Birth. A Christian is a partaker in the very life and nature of God.

1 John 3:9 …..God’s seed abides in him….. he has been born of God.
1 John 4 – God IS love

SECOND
Divinely instructed by virtue of the indwelling person and power of the Holy Spirit.

THIRD
Divinely instructed by virtue of the Word of God. Specifically, by the command and example of Jesus.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:
This love that pleases God, God TEACHES us to walk in, commands us walk in, was modeled for us in Jesus. This Love is SEPARATE FROM, OTHER THAN, UNLIKE any love that the world has to offer.

In this morning’s study, we are going to examine carefully just what this love looks like.

1 Cor. 13:4-8 4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8Love never ends.

We have before us in these verses what we might call the essence of true love. Webster defines essence as the indispensible or intrinsic properties that characterize or identify something. Here in 1 Cor. 13, the Holy Spirit does something very much like passing light through a prism. When you pass light through a prism it is split into many colors. Here in 1 Cor. 13 the Holy Spirit shines God’s love through a heavenly prism and we are able to see the essential and indispensable properties of this love that we should be abounding more and more in.

As we see, the essence of God’s love through the prism of 1 Cor. 13 we need to grasp a critical truth. Without these properties you cannot have true love. We will see that this passage is full of Greek verbs. A verb is an action word.

Don’t miss this, God’s love is much more than a feeling word. It is an action word. Therefore, love is only fully love when it acts. Paul’s purpose in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Cor. 13 is not just to enhance their knowledge, but their living habits.

QUOTE: When a man opens the car door for his wife you can be sure that either the car is new or the wife is new……

QUOTE: Love = to live for.

1John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 Cor 13:4 4Love is patient (suffers long)

• to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart
• to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles
• to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others

Life presents us with many wrongs done to us.

• Wronged by dishonesty of others. Example: People make promises they fail to keep.
• Wronged by the tongues of others. Example: Saying things not completely false but exaggerating the worst part of the truth… to make you look bad.
• Wronged by the attitudes of others. Example: There are those who don’t say too much to others but are always thinking the worst about you and when they do say something it is very poisonous.
• Wronged by the deeds of others. Example: Selfish people around you … very thoughtless as to how their actions harm you. Those who always want their own way are big offenders here! They are constantly refusing to apologize after they have wronged you

NOTE:
I could go on and on, but these are wrongs that every Christian is going to face on an on going basis!

To abound in love more and more means to be longsuffering. TO BE LONGSUFFERING in the face of all of this. Is to be THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT SEEK TO RETALIATE AGAINST OTHERS.

QUOTE:
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (4th cent) — the early church father “it is a word used of the man who is wronged and who has it easily in his power to avenge himself but will never do it”

KEY QUESTION: HOW can I love like this?

Remember, we learned in our last study that love abounds more and more in our knowledge of the Word.
1.) FIND YOUR COMFORT IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

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

2.) FIND YOUR SECURITY IN THE FAIRNESS OF GOD

Romans 12:17-19 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

And yesterday’s Bible Bus, Psalm 9:4,7-8 4you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment….. 7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.

3.) FIND YOUR EXAMPLE IN THE WORD OF GOD. EXAMPLE: God the Father.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

APPLICATION:
Longsuffering is often key element in leading others to Christ. They are often testing you most when they are becoming most interested. Often the witness of love in the face of wrong is just what a person needs to really soften their heart.

EXAMPLE:
Stephen at his death. It has been well said “the church owes the conversion of Paul to the death of Stephen”

1 Cor. 13:4 Love is patient and kind;

“KIND” – LIT “useful serving and gracious…. it carries the thought of active goodwill.” God’s LOVE not only feels generous …. it is generous. It was once quoted, “Kindness is a language the dumb can speak, the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.” Kindness is an indispensable and intrinsic property of God’s love.

EXAMPLE:
Paul writes of the kindness of God in drawing men to salvation.

Romans 2:4 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

EXAMPLE:
Paul writes of the kindness of God in sending Christ and granting the Holy Spirit to those who receive Him.

Titus 3:4-6 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

EXAMPLE:
Peter tells us that we long for the pure milk of the word and grow by it because we…

1Peter 2:3 NAS 3have tasted the kindness of the Lord

EXAMPLE:
The O.T. speaks repeatedly of God using the term loving kindness

Ps. 26:3 KJV For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
Ps. 63:3 KJV Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

KEY INSIGHT:
This essential attribute of God’s LOVE will seek to relieve spiritual burdens.

Galatians 6:2 2Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

QUOTE: Henry Drummond (1851–1897)

The greatest thing a man can do for his heavenly Father is to be kind to some of his other children.

EXAMPLES:

• The offer to pray with your spouse after they have shared a burden with you. Have you made a kind attempt to relieve your spouse’s spiritual burden this week?
• You can show kindness by LISTENING
• You can show kindness with your words

Prov. 10:11 11the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

ILLUSTRATION: This past year, if someone had paid you ten dollars for every kind word you ever spoke about other people and also collected five dollars for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor?

QUOTE: An old Scottish preacher.

“If we are not very kind we are not very holy.”

Kindness starts in the home.

• Are you known as a kind person in your home?
• Husbands are you kind to your wives and children?
• Wives are you kind to your husband and children?
• Children are kind to your parents?
• Brothers and sisters are you kind?
• Is it more than just a kind feeling?
• Do you do deeds of kindness toward one another?

QUOTE: Isaac Watts

Kind words toward those you daily meet — Kind words and actions right — Will make this life of ours most sweet — Turn darkness into light.

“KINDNESS IS LOVE IN WORK CLOTHES”

1 Cor 13:4 4….Love does not envy

Envy is the same as jealousy. NAS states Loveis not jealous. Envy is a powerful thing.

Proverbs 27:4 4Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

Examples:

• Cain murdered his own brother Abel because of envy
• Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery because of envy
• Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because of the envy of his fellow officials in Babylon.
• In the Parable of the Prodigal Son jealousy caused the elder brother to resent the father’s attention to the prodigal son.

In its extreme, jealousy has a viciousness shared by no other sin. Crucial insight is that envy delivered our Lord Jesus Christ to be crucified.

Matthew 27:18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

Love and envy are mutually exclusive. Envy is incompatible with real love. Are you glad for the successes of those you love? Do you desire the success of those you love?

EXAMPLE: Jonathan and David
David was a greater and more popular warrior than Jonathan. David was a threat to the throne that rightfully belonged to Jonathan, yet Jonathan had nothing but great respect and love for his friend David. Jonathan would have willingly sacrificed not only the throne, but his life for David.

Love is longsuffering, is kind, does not envy and….

1 Cor 13:4 4love does not….. boast

KEY INSIGHT:
The root of the original Greek word here pointed to the idea of being a “windbag” it came to carry the idea of being a braggart, a boaster

Jeremiah 9:24 24but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

Love is longsuffering, is kind, does not envy, does not boast…

1 Cor 13:4 4….it is not arrogant

QUESTION: WHY IS PRIDE SO UNLOVING?
Pride makes you preoccupied with importance of self. Greek word for arrogant is phusioo {foo-see-o’-o} meaning to inflate, blow up, to cause to swell up; to puff up, make proud, to bear one’s self loftily, be proud…

• BECAUSE pride Destroys Relationships. Pride gives you an exaggerated perception of self-importance. Which causes you to always want to be the center of attention. Pride says, “I want everyone to know how important I am!” Pride causes people to be very pushy and demanding.
• BECAUSE pride makes you blind to YOUR OWN faults and thus it provides an atmosphere in the heart where sin can flourish. Pride fosters an attitude of heart where you refuse to see your faults when they are pointed out. You cannot grow in your relationships with others when you will not see the need to change.

Pride makes you deaf to correction, that is why we read:
Prov 11:2 2When pride comes, then comes shame (or disgrace)
Pride makes you contentious, that is why we read:
Prov 13:10 KJV 10Only by pride cometh contention

POINT: Pride starts fights and pride keeps fights going!

THE BIG POINT: In contrast to pride, which destroys relationships,
HUMBLE LOVE ENCOURAGES RELATIONSHIPS. Why?

• BECAUSE it is preoccupied with the importance of others. Pride says, “I am preoccupied with my importance, but humble love says, “I am preoccupied with importance of others”

EXAMPLE: John the Baptist, at the height of a popularity that he never sought he was glad to let the One he loved become the center of all the attention.
John 3:30 30He must increase, but I must decrease.

• BECAUSE it opens your eyes to your own faults.

EXAMPLE: Humble love says with the Psalmist….
Psalm 139:23 23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
James 5:16 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

• BECAUSE it is considerate instead of contentious. CRUCIAL point is that Satan cannot beat humility. This is not the easiest thing to come to terms with, but it is one of the most profound and revolutionary truths you will ever know as a Christian. A friend told me once, “Somebody has to be humble here!”

Think about these verses: Prov. 13:10 KJV 10Only by pride cometh contention
James 3:16 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Back to our launching pad of 1 Thessolonians 4.

1 Thes 4:9-10 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,

That love is the remedy for all of that wreckage! I URGE YOU TO PUT THIS TO THE TEST IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP IN YOUR LIFE! TO PRAY FOR ME THAT I WILL PUT THIS TO THE TEST IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP IN MY LIFE!

NEXT WEEK — We continue with our examination of the essence of this love that is crucial to our sanctification

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American
  Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
  1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.”

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
June 28, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God pt.4 – Sanctification and Abounding Love

This fourth chapter is all about A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD; how to walk in agreement with God, how to walk in faith, and to be ABOUNDING more and more in it. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the 1st Century Christians, or us, with any question as to what that looks like.

1 Thes 4:3 – THIS is the will of God

The Holy Spirit DEFINES for us the DESIRES and DIRECTION of God for our lives so clearly that the ONLY thing that we are left with is a choice, will it be His will or my will? Do I desire THY will be done or MY will be done?

1 Thes 4:3 3For this is the will (desire and direction) of God, your sanctification

SANCTIFICATION = set apart

There is Positional and Practical Sanctification. PRACTICAL sanctification (true holiness) is a very directional thing. Practical sanctification is the outcome of moving in a direction towards God and walking with God.
As I walk with God I am inescapably moving in a direction away from the course of this world. I am in a practical sense becoming MORE SEPARATE from the world. All it desires and it’s directions.

THAT = SANCTIFICATION.

The Holy Spirit then DEFINES the first PRACTICAL step towards God and away from the world. VERSE 3 in the PHILLIPS TRANSLATION says “God’s plan is to make you holy, and that entails first of all a clean break with sexual immorality.” It is the DESIRE of God for our life and the DIRECTION of God for our life to be SANCTIFIED — SET APART FROM — the direction and desires of a lost world concerning sex. We are SANCTIFIED, SET APART, OTHER THAN the world
WHEN we abstain from sexual immorality.

Sexual immorality = Porneia

Denotes any and every form of sexual activity outside of the confines of a lifelong — monogamous heterosexual union, including adultery (sex outside of marriage), premarital sex (sex before marriage), homosexuality (any sex with someone of the same gender).

CRUCIAL WORD:
ABSTAIN — Hold one’s self off. It’s an action that we choose to take.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 101:3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

QUOTE: Spurgeon — “for what fascinates the eye is very apt to gain admission into the heart — please the sight and then prevail over mind and hand.”

In addressing the same subject to the Corinthians, Paul used the word FLEE.

AGAIN, fleeing sexual sin is DIRECTIONAL. It means that in the face of sexual temptation I WALK TOWARDS Jesus. COMMITTING sexual sin is the result of choosing to NOT walk with Jesus, choosing to NOT walk in His direction, and instead CHOOSING to satisfy MY desire rather than HIS.

WE NOTED THAT sexual purity in the life of the individual believer and within the local church, brings the world face to face with the holiness of God. WE CLOSED BY SAYING THAT PORNEIA BEGINS IN THE HEART.

In Matt 15:18-19, Jesus said that out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications (porneia)

In Proverbs 4:23, Watch (preserve, guard with fidelity, keep blockaded) over your heart (the seat of our intellect, will, emotions – moral actions and attitudes of life are determined by the condition of one’s heart) with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

1 Thes 4:7-8 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

OBSERVATION:

If you reject these instructions concerning sexual purity, you are not rejecting Paul, you are rejecting God Himself, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

CRUCIAL POINT:

To rationalize sexual immorality, to trivialize sexual immorality, you are DISREGARDING and REJECTING God.

1 Thes 4:9 9Now

“Now” is one of those small, but important words in Scripture. Here it marks a transition. Paul is going to continue to DEFINE for the Thessalonians the LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD. The word NOW marks the transition from the subject of sanctification and sexual purity to the topic of sanctification and love.

*1 Thes 4:9 9Now, concerning brotherly love

• Brotherly love = philadelphia
• Philos = dear or beloved
• Adelphos = from the same womb

In secular Greek, Philadelphia referred to the love members of a family held for each other. It would not normally be used to describe the love between members of different families, but in the NT, philadelphia is used to describe the love that believers possess for one to another. BECAUSE regardless of family relation or ethnicity or language, Christians are in a very real a spiritual sense from the same womb; begotten by God, begotten by the will of God, begotten by the Word of God.

WE DON’T WANT TO MISS the radical nature of these redeemed relationships. The reality of being IN CHRIST forged a radical new relationship between circumcised Jews and uncircumcised gentiles! Jews and people groups referred to as barbarians, slaves and freemen, men and women. Such a diverse cultural community, living in loving relationship, radically images God to a lost world.

REMEMBER – The will of God is wrapped up in the DESIRES of God, that which PLEASES His heart. It pleases God when we walk in love, when we love the brethren. God calls it GOOD and PLEASANT.

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

LOVE IS one of the birthmarks of the believer.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.

1 Peter 1:22-23 22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

1 John 4:9-11 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

There is a famous quote by Tertullian (ca AD 192) who says the pagans remark in amazement… “Behold how these Christians love one another.”

EXAMPLE:

My first night at a St. Norbert’s Prayer meeting, so much love for me, for each other.

EXAMPLE:

My first Saturday night concert at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, the love of God was so thick it was almost palpable (you could almost touch it)

1 Thes 4:9 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

TAUGHT BY GOD = Divinely instructed

FIRST: Divinely instructed by virtue of the New Birth.

A Christian is a partaker in the very life and nature of God.

1 John 3:9 …..God’s seed abides in him….. he has been born of God.

In the biological world a seed = a packet of genetic information. In the context of being begotten by God, seed would be spiritual DNA, if you would, the nature of God.

Watch this, John would write

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Then He tells us about the NATURE of God

1 John 4:8 God is love.

THAT is the spiritual DNA the child of God has imparted to him or her. On the human level, think of how DNA INSTRUCTS us. Children that have their dad’s unique gate or their mom’s unique smile, genetic instructions. Paul would write to the Ephesians:

Eph. 5:1-2 1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love,

SECOND: Divinely instructed by virtue of the indwelling person and power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5 ….because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

2 Cor. 3:18 KJV But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1 John 2:27 NLT For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

THIRD: Divinely instructed by virtue of the Word of God.

REMEMBER, He does not leave us to speculation but has graced us with REVELATION.

Lev. 19:18 but you shall love your neighbor as yourself… I am the Lord. (SPECIFICALLY, by the COMMAND and EXAMPLE of Jesus)

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, that you love one another

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:

This love to which they were commanded in John 13 and John 15 was a love that Jesus MODELED for them

John 13:34-35 ……just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12-13 you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.

Eph. 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:

This love that PLEASES God, God TEACHES us to walk in, COMMANDS us walk in, and was MODELED for us in Jesus is SEPARATE FROM, OTHER THAN, UNLIKE any love that the world has to offer.

QUOTE: MacArthur on this Greek word, agapao, …expresses the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven, not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship.

QUOTE: VINE — (PLEASE ENGAGE YOUR MINDS HERE and FOLLOW this)

1. Love can be known only from the actions it prompts.
   God’s love is seen in the gift of His Son, John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9-10.
2. This is a love that was not drawn out by any excellency in its objectsRom 5:7-8 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3. It was an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God HimselfDeut 7:7-8 7It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

1 Thes 4:10 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,

CRUCIAL:

Paul is saying that Christian love is not primarily a NOUN. He says that love is something they DO.

AGAIN Notice, Paul challenges them to rise above the status quo. You ARE loving towards ALL the brothers throughout Macedonia, but love MORE and MORE. INTERESTING, Paul prayed this same thing for the Philippians.

Phil 1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

NOTICE the elements that are involved in the abounding of their love “that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,”

CRUCIAL:

Love is served by an intimate understanding of God’s Word.

It is the Word of God that defines love in reference to the author of genuine love by the nature of God and the nature of God’s love.

CRUCIAL:

Love is regulated by an intimate understanding of God’s Word
Love does this, love doesn’t do that.

CRUCIAL:

REAL love is enhanced by and anchored in convictions based on the revealed truths of Scripture.

CRUCIAL:

This love is to abound in “all discernment,” which speaks of moral perception, insight, and the practical application of knowledge.

HERE’S THE PICTURE: Paul did not want their love to be like a river that barely flows in summer and then overflows in winter storms or spring floods. When it’s levels are low it can not produce benefits or supply needs. When it overflows it’s banks. It is destructive, counterproductive. It’s potential for generating power is dissipated. INSTEAD, He prayed that their love would continuously abound and abound like a river swollen right to it’s banks, not overflowing and making a mess, not overflowing and dissipating it’s power, but as mighty river of love can provide irrigation to sustain life. So too our abounding LOVE can quench the thirst of a word dying for love. And as a mighty river rushing with maximum force towards the hydroelectric plan, turning the turbines and powering an entire region. So too, our abounding love can help light up a dark world, a life trapped in darkness. This ABOUNDING LOVE is channeled. It is channeled within the limits of a full experiential knowledge of the truth
and a sensitive moral and ethical tact.

CLOSING:

God’s will for us (desire and direction) is our SANCTIFICATION. Living lives that are SEPARATE from the unbelieving world in regards to sexual behavior. Bringing the world face to face with the holiness of God by the way we conduct our sexual behavior. ALSO BY living lives that are SEPARATE from the unbelieving world in regards to LOVE, bringing the world face to face with the holiness of God’s love, the otherness of God’s love.

IN OUR NEXT STUDY we are going to examine carefully just what this LOVE LOOKS LIKE. When we get our head and hearts around what this love looks like we are going to be considerably undone.

Maybe you are already undone! I do not have love abounding more and more in knowledge and judgment. In fact, I don’t even LIKE some people, let alone LOVE them. REMEMBER, true holiness, true sanctification, is DIRECTIONAL and RELATIONAL.

Our Sanctification POSITIONALLY and PRACTICALLY is all about Jesus! We will leave off with Paul’s words to the believers in Corinth:

2 Cor. 9:8 God is able (of the power) (dunateo – present tense = is continually fully capable and powerful enough) to make all grace abound (present tense = continually abound) to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
June 21, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God Part 3 – Sanctification and Sexual Purity

Related Topics: Spiritual Challenges; Abounding; The Christian Walk; Pleasing God; The Will of God; Sanctification; Holiness; Sexual Sin; Sexual Purity; Taught by God; Brotherly Love; An Orderly life.

1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification:

First, notice this verse tells us that God WANTS us to know His will! Second, it is in the CONTEXT of:

• How to walk in agreement with God.
• How to walk in faith.
• And to be ABOUNDING more and more in it.

Paul essentially says — God wants you to KNOW HOW to do it! This is the will of God. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us guessing as to what the will of God is for our lives. The ONLY thing we are left with is a choice. Will it be His will or my will? Do I desire THY will be done or MY will be done? There are essentially TWO ways in which we understand “the will of God.”

1. The DETERMINATION of God — his decrees / plans. For example, Peter in Acts said Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

2. The DESIRE of God.

The Greek word for “WILL” is Thelema. It conveys the idea of desire, even a heart’s desire. Thus God’s DETERMINIATIONS spring from His DESIRES.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary says, “The character of a person is expressed in his will.
If we are afraid of the will of God it is because we have a faulty concept of God.”

THAT is why it is so awesome to know that God has not left us to SPECULATE about who He is. He has graciously REVEALED HIMSELF to us, His CHARACTER, His HEART, and His DESIRES in:

• Creation
• Scripture
• The person of His Son, Jesus!

As we look at the Scriptures we discover that the DESIRES and the DETERMINATIONS of God are in CONFLICT with the desires of man. By nature, fallen man follows the desires (thelemata), of the flesh and of the mind.

Ephesians 2:3 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Romans 8:7-8 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The Scriptures tell us that it pleased God to walk with man, but man chose to have HIS DESIRE against and above GOD’S DESIRE. From that moment forward mankind has lived for the desires of his flesh, bringing himself constantly into opposition to the desires of God. The result is the train wreck of planet earth that we witness on the 10:00 pm News. Stonehill said, “We are all like foolish puppets, who desiring to be king, now lie pitifully crippled after cut our own strings.”

But it PLEASED God to send His Son to die on the cross so that through the DEATH of His Son, God might RECONCILE sinners to Himself. When a man or woman believes with their heart in the Lord Jesus Christ they are RECONCILED to God. Their sins are washed away; they are saved from the wrath that is to come. Though they were once dead in their sins — they are made alive to God!

By the miracle of the second birth we begin to DESIRE what God DESIRES.

I find myself no longer living to satisfy MY desires, but instead desiring to live for the WILL of God — His directions and desires. As a Christian, it is my NEW FOUND DESIRE to live for the will of God.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

It is crucial to notice that God not only places within us a DESIRE to do His will — He DEFINES His will for us.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 3For this is the will (direction an desire) of God, your sanctification:…

Paul is now addresses the subject of PRACTICAL SANTIFICATION. We have learned that practical SANCTIFICATION / HOLINESS is a very DIRECTIONAL thing. If I am drawing near to the Lord — walking with the Lord, two things happen:

First I find that my CLOSENESS to Him causes me to know more and more about the things that are in His heart for me (desires)and the plans that He has for me (direction). His WILL for me! And my nearness to Him makes me at home with His will — comfortable with His will.

Second, I find that as I am walking with God and moving in a direction towards God, I am inescapably am moving in a direction away from the course of this world. I am in a PRACTICAL sense becoming MORE SEPARATE from the world – All its desires and its directions. Sanctification begins with the word that in this verse:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 3For this is the will (direction and desire) of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

The J.B. Phillips translation of the New Testament says it this way, “God’s plan is to make you holy, and that entails first of all a clean break with sexual immorality.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3

WHY is THIS set forth as the first PRACTICAL step towards God and away from the world? William Barclay helps us understand this by way of the historical/cultural context….

“In Rome for the first five hundred and twenty years of the Republic there had not been a single divorce, but now under the Empire, as it has been put, divorce was a matter of caprice. As Seneca said, ‘Women were married to be divorced and divorced to be married.’ In Greece immorality had always been quite blatant.
Long ago Demosthenes had written — ‘We keep prostitutes for pleasure; we keep mistresses for the day-to-day needs of the body; we keep wives for the begetting of children and for the faithful guardianship of our homes.’”

THAT was the EVERY-DAY LIFE and CULTURE that had shaped the DIRECTION and DESIRES of the men and women of Thessalonica BEFORE coming to Christ!

Paul said to the men and women who had come to Christ in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters (involved sexual perversion in the worship of their pagan deities), nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

THAT was the EVERYDAY LIFE and CULTURE that PRESSED in upon them as followers of Christ from every direction, alluring them back to the sexual DIRECTION and DESIRES that ruled their lives BEFORE coming to Christ! Paul wants them to know that God’s DIRECTION and God’s DESIRES for them concerning sex — was in the OPPOSITE direction of that culture they came out of.

Our world today is virtually post-Christian. It is falling into the same abyss of sexual immorality. In the last Open Credo study we learned that when you reject God the Creator you end up with first-century paganism; you worship the body. Your master passion/desire is to find every way to experience pleasure with it.

This coming Credo study we’ll see that when you reject God the Creator, man is viewed as nothing more than a highly evolved animal. Hugh Hefner, Playboy Editor (cited in Eternity Magazine) said, “Sex is a function of the body, a drive which man shares with animals. Like eating, drinking and sleeping. It’s a physical demand that must be satisfied. If you don’t satisfy it you will have all sorts of neurosis and repression psychosis. Sex is here to stay. Let’s forget the prudery that makes us hide from it. Throw away those inhibitions, find a girl who’s like minded and let yourself go.”

HERE’S THE POINT: It is the DIRECTION of God for our life — and the DESIRE of God for our life to be SANCTIFIED — SET APART FROM — a godless culture and it’s direction and desires concerning sex. We are SANCTIFIED — SET APART. We are OTHER THAN the world WHEN we abstain from sexual immorality.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF sexual immorality? Sexual immorality (Porneia in Greek – where our word “Pornography” comes from) denotes any and every form of sexual activity outside of the confines of a lifelong — monogamous heterosexual union. Including:

• Adultery (sex outside of marriage)
• Premarital sex (sex before marriage)
• Homosexuality (any sex with someone of the same gender)

Let’s pause here. To even speak of homosexual sex as sinful is considered a “hate speech” that incites “hate crimes,” but if that is the case — it must also mean that it is “hate speech” to address heterosexual sin.

The Scriptures do not condemn HOMOsexual sin ONLY. The Scriptures EQUALLY condemn both HETERO-sexual and HOMO-sexual immorality. Somehow Christians have given the impression (and some actually think) that God HATES the Homosexual sinner but does NOT hate the Heterosexual sinner.
The Scriptures declare that God is not willing that ANY should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

ANY meaning:

• ANY living in homosexual sin
• ANY living in heterosexual sin.

HOW are we as Christians to respond to those who say, “I have ALWAYS had these desires for someone of the same sex.”? I was just BORN that way and if I was born that way surely it CAN’T be wrong!”

First, they were NOT born with an inescapable proclivity for homosexual behavior!
The APA (American Psychological Association) reversed a 10 year old position that endorses this. The statement from their original position was, “There is considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person’s sexuality.” The statement of their new position recently released is, “Although much research has occurred… no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors.”

Second, if we were born with an inescapable proclivity for homosexual behavior, then I can then also say that I was born with an inescapable proclivity to have heterosexual sex whenever and with whomever. A crucial point to note here is that the Bible is not prejudicial against, nor favorable towards either sin! It calls BOTH PORNEIA!

GOD’S will for BOTH is our sanctification — that we ABSTAIN from PORNEIA. For the man or woman living a homosexual lifestyle it means spending the rest of your professed Christian life ABSTAINING from homosexual sex. For me it means spending the rest of my Christian life ABSTAINING from sex with any other woman except my wife. For both, our sanctification means that we ABSTAIN from sexual immorality meaning:

• No pre-marital sex (no fornication)
• No extra-marital sex (no messing around with someone else’s wife or being faithless to your own husband or wife)
• No homosexual sex
• No pornography

“Abstain” is a crucial word here meaning to Hold one’s self off.

David said in Psalm 101:3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

Charles Spurgeon said, “I will neither delight in it, aim at it, or endure it. If I have wickedness brought before me by others I will turn away from it, I will not gaze upon it with pleasure…for what fascinates the eye is very apt to gain admission into the heart, even as Eve’s apple first pleased her sight and then prevailed over her mind and hand.”

A practical example of this occurred when we were watching TV and a Victoria Secret commercial came on. My son put a pillow over his face until over. Watching movies and something inappropriate comes up he’ll do the same and then ask, “Can I look now?”

Another practical example of this is when Valerie and Deb were planning the Bella Donna website magazine. Val was looking at some women’s magazines for lay out and art design — she made sure that she blacked out any part of pictures that would stumble me.
In writing to the Corinthians Paul would use the word “Flee” to describe how we are to deal with sexual immorality. I’m not a Greek scholar but here is what scholars say about that word and its particular form. FLEE is a present imperative, not a suggestion but a command meaning, to make it our habit to flee, continue to flee and keep fleeing until the danger is past.

FLEEING sexual sin is a DIRECTIONAL thing. First and FORERMOST it means that in the face of sexual temptation I will see the temptation and WALK TOWARDS Jesus.
COMMITTING sexual sin results when I choose to NOT walk with Jesus or choose to NOT walk in His direction. Instead I see the temptation and CHOSE to satisfy MY desire rather than HIS.

1 Corinthians 6:18-19 18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

This is radical! SEXUAL PURITY in the life of the individual believer and the local church brings the world face to face with the holiness of God. That is why Paul spoke so strongly to the issue of sexual purity in relationship to the churches he planted. The whole of 1 Corinthians 5 is devoted to immorality in the church. That chapter is directed not so much to those committing sexual sin — but to the church who didn’t see it as something opposed to the will of God.

The believers in Corinth did not view sexual purity as the direction and desire of God for their lives

Note this key point – A holy life will make the deepest impression. D.L. Moody said, “It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it. We are told to let our light shine, and if it does we won’t need to tell anybody it does. The light will be its own witness. Lighthouses don’t ring bells and fire cannons to call attention to their shining—they just shine.”

JESUS SAID THAT:

• We are to be the light of the world
• We are to let our light so shine….
• We are to be like cities on a hill

The town of Safed above the Mount of Beatitudes would shine in the night giving direction to the fishing boats on Galilee.

Romans 12:2 NLT Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Porneia begins in the heart. Jesus said that out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications (porneia) Matthew 15:18-19 NLT

Proverbs 4:23 Amplified Bible
Watch (preserve, guard with fidelity, keep blockaded) over your heart (the seat of our intellect, will, emotions – moral actions and attitudes of life are determined by the condition of one’s heart) with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

Here’s a closing illustration:
In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives a little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it. Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine.

They don’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn’t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life.

THE WAY TO PLEASE GOD is to KNOW HIS WILL. HIS WILL (direction / desire) for my life is for me to be growing in holiness. That means moving in His direction. That means growing more NEAR to Him resulting in — me having more DISTANTANCE from the world SPECIFICALLY in regards to sexual conduct.

That means I walk away from sexual temptation by walking towards God. That means I walk in agreement with His desires in the matter of sexual behavior.

MANY professing Christians are involved in porneia: pre-marital sex — extra-marital sex — homosexual sex — pornography. Speaking ESPECIALLY to the men here, looking at a computer screen filled with images that fuel sexual lust or standing at the magazine rack at the 7-11, or in the airport flipping through Penthouse or Playboy magazine and getting yourself turned on by looking at the pictures, or looking at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, or watching the Victoria Secret adds –
ALL of that is sexual fantasy and that is wrong too, as Jesus pointed out!

It is God’s will that you CHANGE DIRECTION (repent) in your life and Walk towards TOWARD Him (Sanctification). It is God’s will that you acknowledge and surrender to HIS DESIRES and DIRECTION concerning sexual behavior rather than serve YOURS.

God makes it clear that if you COVER your sin you will not prosper, but if you confess and forsake your sin you will obtain mercy!

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
June 14, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God Part 2 – God’s Direction; God’s Desires; Our Sanctification

Related Topics: Spiritual Challenges; Abounding; The Christian Walk; Pleasing God; The Will of God; Sanctification; Holiness; Sexual Sin; Sexual Purity; Taught by God; Brotherly Love; An Orderly life.

1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Paul began this section of his letter challenging the believers in Thessalonica to abound more and more in pleasing God. By those words the Holy Spirit describes the trajectory of the Christian life! Paul speaking by the Holy Spirit says that the life of faith is not to be one of existence in Christ; it should be a life of excellence in Christ.

God does not ask us to park ourselves in the Christian life. He challenges us to prevail in it. God wants us to move beyond the status quo. The status quo is a great ploy of the devil by which he deceives us into settling for the some small fraction of the abundant life that Jesus died for us to have. We also noted that in order to abound more and more in pleasing God you need to know who God is and why you ought to want to please Him and what it is that pleases Him! That is why Paul’s method is to always set forth doctrine then duty — precept then practice.

We discussed last week that Paul told them that this way of living is not an option; that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God. They ought to live this way because of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for them. Because of whom Jesus is and what Jesus has done for them, they ought to live a life that would please God. We saw how this word “please” is closely associated with the concept of walking with God. The King James Version puts it, “how ye ought to walk and to please God.” We saw this same word used in the LXX in relationship to the life of a man named Enoch.

1) “Enoch walked with God…”Genesis 5:22

Enoch was walking in a way pleasing to God for 300 years in the time in which virtually All of mankind was racing wickedly towards the judgment of God in the Noahic flood

2) “Enoch pleased God…he was commended as having pleased God.”Hebrews 11:5

3) Enoch was taken up. “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”Genesis 5:24 “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5

Interesting parallel; Enoch walks in a way pleasing to God and then Enoch is taken out of the world just before the world is judged. In 1 Thes. 4, Paul places walking with God in the context of the Rapture. The big idea here is:

• It pleases God to walk with man.

IF it pleases God to walk with man then we can please God by walking with Him. Because by nature, walking with God implies that we bring our lives into agreement with God.

Amos 3:3 NLT Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?

That is why Enoch pleased God. In the midst of a world rushing towards judgment, Enoch said, “I’m in agreement with God.”

We please God by walking with Him because by nature, walking with God requires faith, without which it is impossible to please God. Because faith is taking the position that God is right when the rest of the world says He’s wrong.

Think of Enoch believing that God was right when the rest of the world was taking the exact opposite position. Because faith is taking the position that God is right when every emotion and feeling and desire says He’s wrong.

We closed our time together last week by taking a little peak into Verse 3:

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification…

The first thing we noted about the verse is that God wants us to know His will! He is the God who speaks. The opening chapter of the first book of the Bible we find it said 10 times — “God said….”

Secondly — In the context of pleasing God, God tells us how ought we walk to please Him. Paul essentially says — God wants you to know how to do it! God wants us to know how to walk in agreement with Him, how to walk in faith, and how to abound more and more in it. This is the will of God.

As Christians we so often say, “If I only knew what God’s will is for my life.” In this passage God’s will is clearly and simply revealed. It’s not cryptic. We are not left guessing. It is so clear that once this passage is read, we are left only with a choice. Will it be His will or my will? Do I desire thy will be done …. Or my will be done?

There are essentially two ways in which we understand this concept of “the will of God” in Scripture:

First: The determination of God — his decrees/directions /plans.

Isaiah 46:9-10 …I am God, and there is none like me,10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Acts 2:23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

The problem is we can easily and often get stuck in viewing the will of God in merely in terms of the sovereign and seemingly distant decrees and determinations of God hatched in the annals of eternity, born out of the hidden recesses of His infinite wisdom. But in a large way the term “will of God” speaks of the desires of God — that in which He delights.

“Will” derived from the Greek, Thelema — conveys the idea of desire; even a heart’s desire primarily expresses emotion instead of volition.

Thus the determinations — the plans of God spring from the desires of God brought forth from His perfect wisdom.

Ps. 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,…
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him;…

According to Vine’s Expository, the character of a person is expressed in his will. If we are afraid of the will of God it is because we have a faulty concept of God.

That is why it is so important to know that our God is the God who speaks. He has made Himself known through general revelation. He reveals to us His invisible nature and attributes in His creation.
Psalm 19 and Romans 1 — Creation preaches day in and day out about the invisible nature and attributes of God

God has revealed Himself through specific revelation:

1) The Scriptures

He has revealed His graciousness to us in the Scriptures. For example, Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

2) Through Jesus

He has revealed Himself — His character — to us in the person of His Son.

Hebrews 1:1-3 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,…

John 1:18 KJV No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

We see the heart, the desires of God, in Jesus. Spurgeon said, “What more can he do to prove his sincerity than to die for us? His life is the mirror of love, but in his death the sun shines on it with a blaze of glory.” The revelation of God in Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ clearly declares that God is holy. Since God is holy, His desires and His determinations (plans) must also be holy. He can only desire for His children those things that are holy including lives that are holy.

1 Peter 1:15-16 15but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Here is the conflict: God IS holy. His determinations are holy. His desires are holy. But, fallen man is not. By nature — fallen man follow the desires (thelemata) —of the flesh and of the mind.

Ephesians 2:3 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body (KJV-flesh) and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

The world outside of Christ (that was us before Jesus) is in complete opposition to the holy direction and desire of God and to the will of God.

Romans 8:7-8 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

That is why religion can never save a man. That is why spirituality can never save a man.

Last week we saw that it pleased God to walk with man, but man chose to have his desire above God’s desire. From that moment forward mankind has lived for the desires of his flesh bringing himself constantly into opposition to the desires of God. But it pleased God to send His Son to die on the cross so that through the death of His Son, God might reconcile sinners to Himself. When a man or woman believes with their heart on the Lord Jesus Christ they are reconciled to God. Their sins are washed away and they are saved from the wrath that is to come. Though they were once dead in their sins, they are made alive to God! At the moment of conversion they become partakers of the divine nature — the otherness of God. We are set apart from the world and our old lives lived in it.

That is what God calls us, “Set apart.” In our English Bibles we are called Saints.

Philippians 1:1 KJV To all the saints in Christ Jesus…

It is the Greek word hagios, meaning “Holy” or “set apart.” in Christ we are positionally holy – set apart – from the rest of the world in rebellion against God. By the miracle of the second birth we begin to desire what God desires.

1 Peter 4:2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

That is proof of being born again. I am no longer living to satisfy my desires, but instead desiring to live for the will of God, His directions and desires. As a Christian it is my new found desire to live for the will of God.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

It is crucial to know that God not only places within us a desire to do His will, but He defines His will for us.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 3For this is the will (direction and desire) of God, your sanctification:

So far we have seen that there is “positional” sanctification where we are placed in to Christ at the moment of believing. Paul is now addresses the subject of “practical” sanctification.

Last week we saw this practical sanctification /holiness in the life of Enoch. We saw that it is a very directional thing. If I am walking with the Lord —two things happen:

First — I find that my closeness to Him causes me to know more and more:

• The things that are in His heart for me (His desires)
• The plans that He has for me (His direction)

Both of which equal His will for me! And my nearness to Him makes me at home or comfortable with His will.

Second — I find that as I am walking with God and moving in a direction towards God, who is separate from His creation, I am inescapably moving in a direction away from the course of this world. In a practical sense I am becoming more separate from the world, Separate from all of its desires and its directions. That is sanctification in practical living. It is the direction of God and desire of God that we are not just found positionally in Christ, but that we are near Him. He took us out of this world and placed us in Christ for the purpose of practical nearness to Him.

The Old Testament illustration of this is in the Exodus — the outgoing — of the Israelites from Egypt. Taking them out of Egypt was not the end of God’s Desires for them. He brought them out of Egypt in order to bring them into a Land of Promise. God took them out of Egypt in a day! But it took 40 years to get Egypt out of them and get them into the Land of Promise. How does this apply to you and me? Egypt is a picture of the World living outside of God and in rebellion to God. Pharaoh represents the ruler of this world holding us in bondage to sin. By His power, God took us out of “Egypt.”.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness…

But, merely taking us out of the world is not the end of God’s Desires for us. We have in a real and powerful way been taken out of the domain of death and darkness and placed into the Kingdom of Life and Light ruled by Jesus.

Colossians 1:13 13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

1 Peter 2:9 …called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

There is now a life to be lived in Christ. Our “Land of Promise” is the abundant life promised to us by Jesus and experienced by us as we live in and walk after the Spirit. In the process of participating in the fullness of our redemption we can often look like the children of Israel after they had been redeemed from bondage in Egypt and were en route to the Promised Land.

There was an irrational yet powerful desire to look backward at Egypt and a long to go back to Egypt.

F.B. Meyer p.41 said, “That is the very thing Paul was addressing when he wrote, ‘For this is the will of God, your sanctification.’”

Here are a couple of closing thoughts on Sanctification: Sanctification is directional in that it is moving towards the Lord and by default away from our old lives lived after the desires of the flesh. It also is moving towards the one who alone has the power to transform us.

1 Corinthians 1:30 who has became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,…

Sanctification is relational. Walking with God speaks of intimacy. Our sanctification means seeing Jesus more clearly. F.B. Meyer p.35 said, “(It is) seeing Jesus more clearly, loving Jesus more deeply, desiring greater intimacy with Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 3For this is the will (direction and desire) of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;…

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
June 7, 2009

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life That Pleases God, pt 1

Related Topics: Spiritual Challenges; Abounding; The Christian Walk; Pleasing God; The Will of God; Sanctification; Holiness; Sexual Sin; Sexual Purity; Taught by God; Brotherly Love; An Orderly life

1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

INTRODUCTION

Life in Christ is FULL of really important questions:

• How do I please God?
• What is God’s will for my life?
• How am I to understand moral boundaries in an a world that has ZERO boundaries?
• If Jesus is coming back soon, how should I be living?

Those are HUGE questions with RADICAL implications.

It is so awesome to KNOW that the God of the Bible SPEAKS. He doesn’t leave us to SPECULATE on matters of eternal consequence. Instead He REVEALS Himself to us in the pages of Scripture — The Bible is a book ABOUT GOD! (In our Credo series it took us three weeks to get to man!)

In 1 Thessalonians 4 we find the ANSWERS to these question as Paul — by inspiration of the Holy Spirit sets forth

FIRST — The Precepts
SECOND — The Practice for the Christian life

CHAPTER 4

1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. Let’s begin with the end of Chapter 3.

At the end of Chapter 3 Paul tells the Thessalonians how he received word from Timothy that they were thriving in their faith— and he thanks the Lord that they were doing great.
But then we hear Paul — speaking by the Holy Spirit

“…we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you DO SO MORE AND MORE.”

Paul was the kind of guy who always pushed you on to greatness! This wasn’t something to which he challenged others while he was complacent or apathetic.

Philippians 3:12-15 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are mature think this way,…

I NEED to be around men like that! I WANT to be around men like that! I LOVE my wife because she LIVES like that and challenges ME to live like that!

The reality is, if we are not GROWING in the Lord and in the things of the Lord we are going BACKWARDS!

QUOTE: “Life is marked by growth or Decay!”
I want to challenge YOU individually and METRO corporately, to greatness in the Lord and in the things of the Lord.

“DO SO” comes from the Greek word Perisseuo (per-is-syoo’-o). It is used with the idea of excelling. For example, in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he exhorts them,
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1Corinthians 15:58

Note that Paul wants them to “Abound” — MORE and more. “More” meaning, very, very much. Paul wanted his spiritual children to super-abound very, very much and be pleasing God

THE HOLY SPIRIT uses the words ABOUND and more and more to describe the TRAJECTORY of the Christian life!

Remember the movie “Babe?” The farmer would say, “That’ll do pig.” THAT is not what the Holy Spirit says!

Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit says that the life of faith is not to be one of EXISTENCE in Christ; it should be a life of EXCELLENCE in Christ. God does not ask us to PARK ourselves in the Christian life; he challenges us to PREVAIL in it. God wants us to MOVE BEYOND the status quo. The status quo is a great ploy of the devil!

When Valerie started the Women’s Ministry at CCGV, one of the ladies who the women at CCGV looked up to before our arrival came to her and said, “The ladies just can’t handle the daily homework for the study. You should cut it back and make it easier.”
But she said that she wouldn’t lower the bar that the ladies needed to elevate in their love for the Word and their commitment to study the Word. The study went from a handful of struggling ladies to almost 300 hundred and dozens of leaders and assistant leaders.

Status quo in the Christian life always means:

• Stagnation
• Deterioration
• Decay in holiness

That’s why we set the bar high at Metro when it concerns the Word and the study of the Word. Doctrine precedes duty and precept precedes practice. If you are going to abound more and more in pleasing God we need to know WHO God is, WHY we ought to want to please Him, and WHAT it is that pleases Him! Here are some broad strokes from Scripture on pleasing God.

The Scriptures tell us that we cannot please God walking in the Flesh!

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The Scriptures tell us that we cannot please God and be wrapped up in the affairs of this life!

2 Timothy 2:4 NLT Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.
The Scriptures tell us that we cannot please God apart from faith.

Hebrews11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him,…

NOTICE how Paul PREFACES his challenge to abound more and more in pleasing the Lord: “1we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live…”

“Ask” comes from the Greek word, erotao (er-o-tah’-o) meaning to entreat, beg, or beseech.

He is pleading with them.

“Urge” comes from the Greek word, parakaleo. Always at the root meaning of parakaleo is the idea of enabling a person to meet a difficult situation with confidence and with gallantry. We are no stranger to this word since we began our study of this letter.

The word urges someone to do something. The word was used in Greek Military history when speaking to troops in order to give them the courage/heart to march into battle. So in this context, Paul wants to enable these believers to face a DIFFICULTY with confidence and with gallantry. He wants to give them the heart to go into battle.

BECAUSE there IS a DIFFICULTY ahead — There IS a BATTLE to be fought.

We will see it in Verse 3 — holiness / sexual purity:

1 Thessalonians 4:3 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;…

“We ask and urge you IN THE LORD JESUS …” 1 Thessalonians 4:1

Vine put it this way, “What he laid on the consciences of the saints did not originate with himself but with the Lord, to whose authority, therefore, he appealed.” And F.F. Bruce said, “a sense that Christ is thoroughly involved in the situation or action in question—a consciousness of Christ.”

The Holy Spirit wants us to know that this is not just Paul’s view on sexual purity — IT IS GOD’S WILL.

1 ….that as you RECEIVED from us how you ought to walk 1 Thessalonians 4:1

“Received” comes from the Greek word, paralambano meaning, seizing or taking to one’s self or taking something into one’s possession. For example, in Galatians 1:12 — In speaking of the Gospel — Paul said, “For I neither received (paralambano) it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galations 1:12

1 Thessalonians 4:2 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Some of your translations might read Verse 2 as, “…as you received INSTRUCTION from us…” This translation is NOT in the Greek text — it was added by the translators as IMPLIED from Verse 3.

The point here is that he is not asking them to do something NEW. Paul is reminding them of instructions he had given them on his first visit. Paul, Silas and Timothy had not only declared the way of salvation to the Gentiles but they had also discipled these young converts, instructing them in how to live so as to please God. Note that the Thessalonians had received the word of God, seized it, and made it their possession.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 NIV “…that as you received from us how you OUGHT to live and to please God…”

“OUGHT to” implies this way of living is NOT an OPTION. They OUGHT to live this way BECAUSE of WHO Jesus is and WHAT Jesus has done for them.

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

HOW OUGHT they to live? They OUGHT to live a life that would PLEASE God. The word “PLEASE” comes from the Greek word, aresko. It means to give or be the source of satisfaction, pleasure, contentment to another.

Notice that this is stated in the present tense. This is to be one’s continual practice or lifestyle.

Aresko is the root of a Greek verb which is used several times in the Septuagint (LXX) to translate the Hebrew word for “walk.” BY THIS we understand that God clearly associates one’s walk (the way one lives) with being pleasing to Him.

Paramount is the fact that this verb is associated with one notable Old Testament man!

Genesis 5:22 Then Enoch walked (The Septuagint LXX says, eu-aresteo meaning, it was well-pleasing to God) with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.

It would appear that Paul, an Old Testament Scholar, was thinking of Enoch when he wrote this chapter. Chapter 4 opens with a plea to walk in holiness and thus to please God. “…how ye ought to walk and to please God…” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 KJV And it closes with the Rapture of the saints: “The we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV

Enoch was taken up; he did not die a physical death.

Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.

Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Paul is CHALLENGING these first century believers that they ought to be walking with God in a manner that PLEASES God in light of the IMMINENT coming of Christ for His Bride.

As we move through this section please keep this simple truth in mind. We were MADE for God’s PLEASURE:

• It PLEASED God to WALK with man in the Garden.

• It PLEASED God to PURSUE man after the Fall

• It PLEASED God to send His Son to die on the cross in order to make it possible for us to once again WALK with God.

We see Him establishing covenants with man pointing to the New Covenant that He would establish in the blood of Christ shed on the cross.

Isaiah 53:10 KJV Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him…

The idea here is that it PLEASES God to walk with man. If it PLEASES God to walk with man THEN we can PLEASE God BY walking with Him. Because by nature walking with God implies that we bring our lives into agreement with God.

Amos 3:3 NLT Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?

THAT is why Enoch PLEASED God. In the midst of a world rushing towards judgment Enoch said — I’m in agreement with God. We PLEASE God BY walking with Him.

Because by nature walking with God implies FAITH, without which it is impossible to please God. Because faith is taking the position that God is right when the rest of the world says He’s wrong. Think of Enoch believing that God was right when the rest of the world was taking the exact opposite position. Because faith is taking the position that God is right when every emotion and feeling and desire says He’s wrong.

C.S. Lewis said, in The Quotable Lewis p. 306 #734, “The place for which He designs them [human beings] in His scheme of things is the place they are made for. When they reach it their nature is fulfilled and their happiness attained: a broken bone in the universe has been set, the anguish is over. When we want to be something other than the thing God wants us to be, we must be wanting what, in fact, will not make us happy. Those Divine demands which sound to our natural ears most like those of a despot and least like those of a lover, in fact marshal us where we should want to go if we knew what we wanted.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:

FIRST: Isn’t it great that God WANTS us to know His will? He is the God who speaks.

In the opening chapter of the first book of the Bible we find 10 times — “God said….”

SECOND: It is in the context of PLEASING GOD, WALKING with God in a way that pleases Him.
Paul moves to the REVEALED will of God for our lives, “For THIS is the will of God, your sanctification:”

HOLINESS and SANCTIFICATION are hugely misunderstood by many professing believers. As we think of WALKING in a way that pleases God we begin to understand that this thing called HOLINESS. Is not a LEGAL thing of do this, don’t do that. It is a very DIRECTIONAL thing. It is moving in a direction towards God who is separate from His creation and moving towards God means moving in a direction away from the course of this world!

We see our MOTIVATION to walk in a way that pleases God more and more and the provision for our failure to please Him.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
May 31, 2009

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Love Abounding – Hearts Established in Holiness

Related Topics: Prayer; Love; Holiness; Heart; Blameless; The Lord’s Return

REVIEW

The close of Chapter 3 brings to an end the theme that began in Chapter 2:17.

In that section the Holy Spirit unfolded for us the UNBEARABLE CARE that Paul experienced for the new believers in Thessalonica. While Paul was overwhelmed with this unbearable care for the new believers, Paul experienced crushing adversity in his own life. The crushed servant was comforted by the report that Timothy brought back from Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you – 7for this reason, brothers in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

For all that he heard of their faith that COMFORTED and VITALIZED him — Paul understood that there was still work that the Lord wanted to do in their lives. As the chapter closes we come to the content of Paul’s prayers for the believers in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3:11 11Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,

NOTE:

Paul’s complete dependence upon the Lord to DIRECT him in ministry, his GREAT motive — getting back to the Thessalonians to help them mature in their faith, but he was going to depend upon the LORD to direct him back to them.

Ministry is God’s work. It must be DIRECTED by God and EMPOWERED by God. THAT is the record of Acts.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound…
NOTE:
Paul’s understanding that fruitfulness is the LORD’S WORK.

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Jesus said — …and on this rock I WILL BUILD MY Church…
Matthew 16:18

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 12and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

GREAT PRAYER POINTS — LOVE and HOLINESS
To make up what is lacking, they needed to experience the work of God in their lives causing them to increase and abound in love to one another and to all. This was not a loveless church (labor of love), but they had room to grown in love because love is an essential mark of the Christian faith.

John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

• To make up what is lacking, they needed to experience the work of God in their lives causing them to increase and abound in love for all. This love begins in the family of God — Love ALL the saints!

But it must go beyond.

Matthew 5:46 If you only love those who love you, what reward is there for that? (NLT)

NOTE:

1 Thessalonians 3:12 12and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,…

“…as we do for you,…” Paul daringly sets himself as a standard of love to be emulated.
How many would say the same thing today?

• To make up what is lacking, they needed hearts established in holiness.

HOLINESS = hagiosune
Hagiosune refers to holiness — not in the sense of describing the process of becoming “holy” — but rather the quality of “being holy”. It is the quality of holiness as an expression of the divine in contrast with the human.

CRUCIAL:

Time and again the Bible refers to God as BEING HOLY:

• It speaks of MORE than God’s MORAL PERFECTION.
• It speaks of the OTHERNESS of God.
• He is HOLY in that He is SEPARATE from His creation.

EVERY one of God’s attributes are an expression of His HOLINESS — His OTHERNESS. God is not merely MORE loving than man — His love is OTHER THAN any love known to man. God is not merely MORE JUST than man — His justice is OTHER THAN any known to man.

DON’T MISS THIS — The devil wants us to view holiness as wrapped up in maintaining the outward appearances of religion! He wants us to pour our energies into developing a holy exterior while neglecting the interior, like whitewashed tombs, full of death Matthew 23:27 .

CRUCIAL:

TRUE HOLINESS begins with the heart being established in the OTHERNESS of God. THIS IS RELATIONAL! It is PARTICIPATING in the very nature of God!
The Greek word for BLAMELESS is Amemptos, which means literally “Unblamable.” The pre-fix “a” in amemptos means “without.” The suffix, “mémphomai” means “find fault.”

Amemptos signifies that whatever charges might be made, no charge could be maintained.

THIS IS HUGE — Paul sets the standard for the child of God by speaking with:

• The authority of an Apostle.
• The love of a spiritual dad.
• A profound understanding of being their BROTHER in the Lord.

Paul wants their aim to be to live in such a way that no charge against them could ever stand.

Archeologists have found the adverb form of this word on Christian tombs from ancient Thessalonica. When people wanted to identify a deceased friend or loved one as a Christian, they inscribed amemptos or “blameless” on his or her grave.

PLEASE NOTE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOLINESS and BLAMELESS. He prayed that their hearts would be established blameless IN HOLINESS. Paul’s prayer makes it clear that BLAMELESS is the outcome of a heart established in the OTHERNESS of God.

FELLOWSHIP with the God who is HOLY leads to a BLAMELESS life. The degree to which the heart of a man or woman is established in the OTHERNESS of God is the degree to which their outward behavior is BLAMELESS. I believe that this is what Peter meant in 2 Peter 1:4 when he spoke of us being PARTAKERS of the Divine nature.
THAT is the ESSENCE of the Christian life! 2 Peter 1:4

NOTE:

Careless living is a SYMPTOM of:

• A lack of participation in the otherness of God.
• A diminished intimacy with Christ.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

NOTHING can encourage us to desire holiness like remembering that Jesus might come today.

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

THAT IS WHY the devil works so hard to get the church to DIMINISH or DISMISS the return of Christ.

NOTE:

FIRST CENTURY believers lived with a sense of the IMMINENCY of Christ’s return. In THREE Sabbath’s time Paul had taught them about the RETURN OF Christ, the RETURN FOR the Church (Rapture), and his RETURN WITH the Church (Second Coming).

Those who want to DIMINISH or DISMISS the return of Christ say, “Let’s not be sidetracked from orthodoxy by prophecy. Let’s talk about the atonement and propitiation, and the virgin birth.” I love ALL of those things, but how can we say that the second coming of Christ is NOT orthodoxy.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 23For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

There are more references to the second coming of Christ than any other orthodox issue you can talk about. There are about seven references to the new birth. There are about 80 references to baptisms with water and Spirit. There are over 300 references to the second coming of Christ in the New Testament – about 1 out of 10 verses. The second coming of Christ is by far the broadest subject in the New Testament. Can I tell you why?
The Bible says that the Church is the Bride of Christ. The Bible says that Jesus LOVES His BRIDE and GAVE Himself for her. The night before He died on the cross to redeem her He said that He was going away to prepare a place for her.

He knew that He was leaving her in a HOSTILE world; a world where the enemy has influence, but Jesus KNEW that He was going to SECURE, for His Bride in heaven, something so beyond ANYTHING that could ever be known or experienced in this world, so infinitely awesome that anything in this world doesn’t amount to a hill of beans compared to what He was preparing.

Jesus loves His Bride SO MUCH that He couldn’t stop writing to her about His coming for her. “I know I’ve told you this, but I want to tell you again.” “I know I’ve told you this, but I want to tell you again what I’m preparing for you in heaven.” “I know I’ve told you this, but I want to tell you again that I’m coming for you so that where I am you might also be.” THIS makes the subject of His coming for His Bride one of the most prominent themes in the New Testament.

Paul understood this relationship between Christ and the Church.

2 Corinthians 11:2 I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

THAT is why Paul made sure that the subject of Christ’s return FOR His Church and the subject of the return of Christ WITH His church was CENTRAL to the faith of these three-week old, bunch of believers!

LISTEN – The reality of the return of Christ is essential to the Christian life, BECAUSE it has a direct impact upon EVANGELISM. If we believe He is coming for us we should be BURDENED for the lost. The return of Christ has a direct impact upon our PERSONAL HOLINESS. If we believe that Jesus is coming for us as a groom for His bride, how can we drink, or get high, or watch trashy movies, or treat our spouse or kids like a doormat.

What should our PRIORITIES be in light of Christ’s return? PRAY. STUDY the bible.
Use our time for SERVICE. GIVE our finances to further the work of the Kingdom.

Jesus is coming – What REALLY is important?

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
May 24, 2009

“Comfort for the Crushed”

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

REVIEW

We have spent a couple of weeks unpacking the record of Paul’s CARE for the believers in Thessalonica found in the beginning in 2:17.

1 Thessalonians 2:17 (ESV) But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,

A care that centered upon the AFFLICTION (Thlipsis — crushing affliction) that the new born Christians in Thessalonica were facing. Remember (Acts 17:5-10).

Acts 17:5-10 (ESV) And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received them (Paul – Silas – Tmothy), and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

It was a care that became UNBEARABLE — So UNBEARABLE that Paul tried time and again to return to them. But at each attempt Satan HINDERED him — like an army tearing up a road to prevent the opposing army from advancing

Finally — that care came flooding in upon them like the wind and rain flood into a house when the roof is torn off by hurricane force winds. And Paul, Silas and Timothy were moved to act selflessly and sacrificially for the welfare of the Thessalonians. They sent SOMEONE to do SOMETHING — leaving Paul alone in Athens.

The SOMEONE was his best man — his “son in the faith”— Timothy

The SOMETHING — 3:2-3; 5

1 Thessalonians 3:2-3,5 (ESV)
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this…5For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

As we pick up in v.6 Paul has left Athens — Gone to Corinth (Acts 18) where Timothy returns and tells Paul about the spiritual condition of the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 (ESV) But now that Timothy has come to us from you (at Corinth), and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.

TWO THINGS TO NOTE:

1.) All the while that Paul was filled with that UNBEARABLE CARE for the Thessalonians because THEY were facing DISTRESS……

Paul, himself, was being CRUSHED — facing his own DISTRESS and AFFLICTION! A new word for us here — DISTRESS. Primarily the INWARD response to OUTWARD forces.

Job 27:9 (NASB) “Will God hear his cry, when distress (Lxx = anagke) comes upon him?

Psalm 31:7 (NASB) I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness, Because Thou hast seen my affliction (thlipsis); Thou hast known the troubles (Lxx = anagke) of my soul,

Psalm 107:6 (NASB) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses

Psalm 119:143 (NASB) Trouble (= thlipsis) and anguish (= anagke) have come upon me;

CRUSHING circumstances producing DISTRESS

REALITY — THLIPSIS (affliction) is a GIVEN in the Christian life. Jesus made this clear John 16:33 ..In this world you will have THLIPSIS..

Paul had made it clear vs. 3-4

1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 (ESV) that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.

Romans 8:35 (ESV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Romans 12:12 (ESV) ..be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

REALITY — THLIPSIS is especially a given for the man or woman serving the Lord. THAT is why Paul said — I will ENDURE all THINGS for the sake of the elect.

NOTE: ENDURE and THINGS

The word ENDURE tells us that the THINGS are not good things.

You don’t ENDURE your honeymoon.
You don’t ENDURE a week at the beach.
You don’t ENDURE a steak and lobster dinner (unless you’re a vegan).

It is AFFLICTION — and the DISTRESS that follows — that we must endure

2.) The SOURCE of COMFORT for the CRUSHED servant.

FIRST — The MEANING of COMFORT

• Parakaleo — We have seen this word already in our study — but a quick refresher
• To call one alongside to help or give aid
  To comfort or encourage in a way to give them new heart.

QUOTE: One Greek historian uses parakaleo in a most interesting and suggestive way. There was a Greek regiment which had lost heart and was utterly dejected. The general sent a leader to talk to this regimen. He spoke with such purpose that courage was reborn and a body of dispirited men became fit again for heroic action. And so in classic Greek parakaleo was used of exhorting troops about to go into battle.

POINT:
Timothy’s report not only brought comfort to Paul — but it gave him Paul fresh courage for the ministry.

KEY QUESTION:
WHAT was it that conveyed comfort to Paul — enabling him to march on into battle? It doesn’t say that he was comforted because he got a 3 month furlough to Maui, a better home, or car that helped to distract him somewhat in the midst of his crushing affliction. Nor did the church in Antioch give him an increase in missionary support. NONE of THOSE things would or could truly comfort him because – NONE of those things was the essence of real life for him.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV) So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Romans 14:17 (ESV) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 3:6 (ESV) But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news…

The CRUSHED servant was COMFORTED by good news.

Proverbs 25:25 (NASB)
Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.

WHY was Timothy’s report GOOD NEWS?

WHY did it COMFORT Paul?

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 (ESV) The good news of your faith and love and reported THAT you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.

Paul was comforted — he even said NOW WE LIVE — because Timothy brought him word that the Thessalonians had not failed under testing were standing firm in their faith CONVINCING Paul that their conversion was genuine and they were God’s elect — his labor was not in vain.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (NASB) knowing (absolute beyond of a shadow a doubt knowledge), brethren beloved by God, His choice (“election”) of you.

THIS was written after Timothy returned to Paul.

As parents — Valerie and I are happy when our children succeed and are in good health. But if Deb and Wells became famous and successful in the world of fashion design but became disinterested in spiritual things… Or if Daniel Lanois invited Sean to be his guitarist but Sean stopped reading his Bible.. We would be CRUSHED — we would be less alive — if they walked away from Christ. As servants of the Lord — Valerie and I share the same heart with Paul concerning you!

Spurgeon -

Never is the servant of God so full of delight as when he sees that the Holy Spirit is visiting his hearers, making them to know the Lord, and confirming them in that heavenly knowledge. On the other hand, if God does not bless the word of his servants it is like death to them. To be preaching and to have no blessing makes them heavy of heart: the chariot-wheels are taken off, and they drag heavily along: they seem to have no power nor liberty.

WHAT is it that COMFORTS you — MAKES you LIVE?

IF – it is an earthly value system THEN it will be earthly things that COMFORT and VITALIZE you. (good luck on that lifestyle)

But if it is the GLORY of God and the EXALTATION of Jesus in the saving and preserving of souls THEN It will not be the value of your stocks or the equity in your house that comforts you. It will be the good news of souls saved — souls continuing in Christ — souls bearing fruit — that will COMFORT you when you are DISTRESSED and CRUSHED.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 (ESV) For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

KEY OBSERVATION #1 -
He prays for them. Paul was a man of prayer

1 Thessalonians 1:2 (ESV) We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers

Colossians 1:3 (ESV) We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Philippians 1:3-4, 9 (ESV) I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,…9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

Ephesians 1:16 (ESV) I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

Ephesians 3:14 (ESV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

And on and on and on.

1 Thessalonians 3:10 (ESV)..earnestly night and day …

KEY QUESTION:
Was all of this praying done in a room alone, or in a prayer meeting? Perhaps some of it was – but no doubt the vast majority of it was done while traveling or making tents!

KEY APPLICATION:
Jesus said in Luke 18 that we ought to ALWAYS PRAY
We should avail ourselves of those times set aside for prayer here at Metro. Like Paul – we can do it when driving, while at work.

CRUCIAL POINT:
What an UNDERVALUED thing prayer has become in the Church in 21st century America. (Not in times past – NT — not today in India or China or Africa).

CRUCIAL QUESTION:
HOW VALUABLE is prayer? All we have to do to answer that is look at the NATURE of prayer and the COST of prayer. Look at the NATURE of prayer – what it is.
Prayer is coming before the throne of the living God – the creator of the universe – for a private audience.

Look at the COST of prayer. What did it cost for you and me to have the privilege of asking God to take away a headache? We have this access ONLY because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Ephesians 2:13; 18 (ESV) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ….. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. .

Ephesians 3:12 (ESV) in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

ACCESS = access entrance based upon privilege.
BOLDNESS = freedom to speak.

KEY POINT:
BECAUSE of what Jesus accomplished on the cross on our behalf – We can in a moment come before the creator of the universe and SPEAK with Him and ASK of Him.

KEY APPLICATION:
You can actually be a part of what God is doing — right in your car — or in your shower — or at your desk.

The FAILURE of the Church to pray lies in great part on the FAILURE of the believers to appreciate those realities (Ignorance and Indifference)

KEY OBSERVATION #2 –
WHAT it is he prays for them? —

1 Thessalonians 3:10 (ESV) ..see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith

For all that he sees that COMFORTS and VITALIZES him — Paul understood that: there was still work that the Lord wanted to do in their lives. NONE OF US are a finished work on this side of heaven. There is never a time to say — “I’ve arrived — I lack nothing”

NEXT WEEK we will finish Chapter 3 by walking around in his prayer for them

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.

• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

• Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
May 10, 2009

The Unbearable Care pt. 2

1 Thessalonians 3:2-5

REVIEW

Last week we saw Paul’s UNBEARABLE CARE for the care and feeding of the Christians in Thessalonica

Paul was so overcome by this care that

he couldn’t bear to go any further without knowing how they were

he couldn’t bear to go any further without sending someone to care for them and feed them

he would willingly and gladly be left behind alone by sending someone to them.

But Paul didn’t send just ANYONE —

He sent HIS BEST MAN — his own son in the faith — Timothy.

Philippians 2:19-24 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

If I can’t be there in person — I will send the MOST valuable asset I have. If I can’t be there I want Timothy to be there. He is the only one who thinks about you as I do. He is the only one who seeks the interests of Christ. SO — Paul SENT Timothy.

REMEMBER — Last week we learned that the word SENT carries with it the meaning of SENDING someone to DO something. Timothy is the SOMEONE that he sent. So this morning we continue our look at Paul’s UNBEARABLE CARE by looking back into Verse 2 to see the SOMETHING that Timothy was sent to do.

1 Thessalonians 3:2 (ESV) …..to establish and exhort you in your faith,

Out of Paul’s UNBEARABLE CARE for the spiritual well-being of the Thessalonians, Paul was willingly left behind alone in Athens. He sent his BEST man — Timothy — to do 2 THINGS

• ESTABLISH them in their faith
• EXHORT them in their faith

A.) Establish = sterizo (from histemi = to stand)

• means to make firm or solid or stable
• to cause to be inwardly firm or committed, to strengthen.

The basic idea is that of stabilizing something by providing a support or buttress (a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building), so that it will not totter.

Sterizo is employed frequently in the context of someone in danger of falling.

(LXX) of Exodus 17:12 – But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported (sterizo) his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady (sterizo) until the sun set.

William Barclay —

Suffering of body and sorrow of heart do one of two things to a man. They either make him collapse — or they leave him with a solidity of character which he could never have gained anywhere else. If he meets them with continuing trust in Christ, he emerges like toughened steel that has been tempered in the fire.”

Satan wants to see us collapse in the face of affliction. God wants to use affliction to grow us and perfect us as we face that affliction with faith in Christ. Timothy’s mission was to strengthen them in their faith!

KEY QUESTION:

HOW can WE (like Timothy) co-labor with God to ESTABLISH men and women in their faith in Christ?

REMEMBER — The BIBLE is the BEST COMMENTARY on the Bible.

1) By PRAYING for them

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (NASB) and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you that He may establish (sterizo) your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NASB) Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen (sterizo) your hearts in every good work and word.

2) By POINTING then to JESUS

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NASB) But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen (sterizo) and protect you from the evil one.

3) By the God of all grace working through suffering…

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

4) By reminding one another to be looking and living for the Lord’s return…

James 5:8 (NASB) You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

“be patient” – (makrothumeo – have a “long fuse”), especially with difficult people;

“strengthen your hearts, – (sterizo – aorist imperative Do it now – it’s urgent!, active voice = you make the choice to do this)

“for the coming (parousia) of the Lord is at hand.”

5) By giving to them the truth of God’s Word —

2 Peter 1:12 (NASB) Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established (sterizo) in the truth which is present with you.

Romans 16:25 (NASB) Now to Him who is able to establish (sterizo) you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…

6) By coming alongside of believers —

PETER —

Luke 22:31-32 (NASB) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen (sterizo – aorist imperative conveys a sense of urgency. Do it effectively! When the opportunity presents itself, don’t delay) your brothers.”

TIMOTHY —

1 Thessalonians 3:2 (NASB) and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen (sterizo) and encourage you as to your faith,

PAUL —

Romans 1:11 (NASB) For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established (sterizo)

It is God Himself Who ultimately strengthens and stabilizes us — But we see in the use of this word that the NT teaches God allows us to CO-LABOR with Him in this work.

THAT is the ESSENCE of ministry – It is a redeemed man or woman co-laboring with God!

1.) The PRIVILEGE of ministry

I’m going to co-labor with God in the nursery and toddlers today!

2.) The POWER of ministry

Co-labor = sunergos >>>> synergy

• the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations or agents….. to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects

When a redeemed sinner co-labors with God there is an outcome that is beyond their own ability and power! In reality — there is no power for ministry apart from co-laboring with Jesus

John 15:5 (ESV) “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Romans 7:18 (KJV) “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…”

SO we co-labor with God

• Through encouragement and prayer
• By reminding one another of the certainty of Christ’s return

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

• Sharing the truth of His Word (like Jesus did on the first Easter)

Luke 24:32 (ESV) Did not our hearts burn within us as He opened to us the Scriptures

ALL of which have a stabilizing effect on our faith

B.) ENCOURAGE parakaleo

• the basic idea of calling one alongside to help or give aid

REMEMBER — From chapter 2 we learned how in classic Greek parakaleo was used to describe the exhorting of troops who were about to go into battle.
means to make firm or solid

CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:

1 Thessalonians 3:2 (ESV) …to establish and exhort you in your faith,

NOT to establish and encourage them about they way they FELT about their faith — or to help pump up a “feeling” of faith.

• Faith = pistis

The Biblical sense of this word:

is not just a belief in facts but personal trust in Jesus to save me

involves personal trust in a PERSON

to trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God.

In our culture TRUST may be the best reading of the word — Because in our culture it is common to “believe” something to be true — with no personal commitment or dependence involved in it. Paul sent Timothy to establish and encourage them in their faith for a reason

1 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV) that no one be moved…

• Moved = saino
• equals Being carried away emotionally by circumstances be shaken, be disturbed, be unsettled

The word pictures one who has become so emotionally moved as to be shaken in his/her beliefs and even to give up his/her beliefs.

KEY QUESTION:

WHAT is it that can cause one to be so disturbed that he / she might be

• shaken in their beliefs
• moved to give up his/her beliefs.

1 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)…by these afflictions….

• Affliction = thlipsis
• to crush, press together

It conveys the idea of being squeezed or placed under pressure or crushed beneath a weight.

ILLUSTRATION — In ancient England — those who willfully refused to plead guilty, had heavy weights placed on their breasts, and were pressed and crushed to death.

The idea here is that of great emotional and spiritual stress that can be caused by external or internal pressures.

1 Thessalonians 3:4 (ESV) For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.

You KNOW this — We made it plain to you! No doubt — Paul had instructed them. Without a doubt he was the living illustration of it.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (ESV) …for you received the word in much affliction,…

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2 (ESV) For you yourselves know, brothers that our coming to you was not in vain. 2But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi,…

A COUPLE THOUGHTS ON THIS
1.) In MUCH contemporary communication of the Gospel
the Christian faith is set forth as the panacea — the cure all — for affliction

2.) Some view affliction as God’s punishment.

The Bible teaches NEITHER of these

YES — The Gospel promises a PEACE that passes understanding — a JOY that is UNSPEAKABLE and full of glory Life that is ABUNDANT.

And NO — We should not go LOOKING for this affliction

The Bible is very clear that God does NOT punish His children for their sins. Jesus was PUNISHED in our place. Wounded for our transgressions — Crushed for our iniquites — the chastisement for our sins laid upon Him. God’s loving discipline is NOT the same as punishment!

Sometimes we suffer because it is the inescapable consequence of our own disobedience.

CRUCIAL:

THAT is not the affliction Paul is speaking of.

The promise of the Gospel is that we would experience PEACE and JOY and LIFE while we are IN affliction! ON THURSDAY — I literally had just finished typing this thought into my notes at Peets when a sister who fellowships here at Metro waked in — She had a SMILE on her face — I said “hi” to her and she leaned in to me and said — “I can’t hear anything!” Very rare inner ear condition and through the treatment has lost her hearing! I looked at her and told her I would pray and she SMILED!

REALITY — The night before Jesus died He made this PROMISE to His followers:

John 16:33 (ESV) I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (thlipsis). But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

AT the end of his first missionary journey -

Acts 14:21-22 (ESV) When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra (where he had been stoned and left for dead) and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, (exactly what he sent Timothy to do here) and saying that through many tribulations (thlipsis) we must enter the kingdom of God.

Do you think they had any doubt as to what he meant as they saw the horrific wounds on his head and body from the stoning they KNEW he had experienced in their city?

NOTE WELL:
For many believers around the world, LIFE for them involves suffering every single day.

Suffering because of their faith doesn’t surprise them. And THAT is why they look forward to heaven. Where there will be no more suffering and no more pain and no more sorrow!

But here in America — suffering is so foreign to us.
We have historically known NOTHING of the the crushing pressure of tribulation / affliction —

There are two outcomes from that —

1.) The moment we suffer the first thing we say is –
Lord, where is your love? How could you be letting this happen to me? I thought you were on the throne?

2.) The RETURN of Jesus for the Church — the HOPE of heaven — Biblical prophecy — are not burning issues in the hearts and minds of the average American Christian BECAUSE heaven is a distraction from all the comforts of HERE.

90% of the Christian world today is living in the face horrific affliction. For them – It is a different warfare there! THERE it is knowing in the face of war or famine that God loves them in those circumstances. HERE the warfare is waged in the realm of DEVOTION.

Because we have:

• so many distractions
• so many things that appeal to our flesh.

REMEMBER - Jesus tells us in the parable of the sower and soils that the Word of God is like seed.
There is LIFE in the seed – there is POWER within it – and it is sown into the HEARTS of men and women, He said that the enemy comes to SNATCH it away so that it wouldn’t bear fruit. He also described the way that some fall away when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word. Jesus said when tribulation arises, not if.

Faith will be tested.
Paul knew this. And as a good pastor — he warned the Thessalonians about the CERTAINTY of affliction!

1 Thessalonians 3:5 (ESV) For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you

Paul recognized that the tempter — Satan — wanted to exploit this season of suffering.

REMEMBER - The enemy KNOWS how to tempt us.
We need to know that we are constantly under the SCRUTINY and attack of our adversary.

REMEMBER – Satan testing Job.

God said – Have you CONSIDERED my servant Job?
Satan replied – Yes, I’ve been SCRUTINIZING him – like a military commander scrutinizing his opponent for weaknesses.

KEY APPLICATION:

If he sees you standing around the pornographic magazines in a store or surfing through pornographic website – he KNOWS your weakness. If he sees you stopping off for a 12 pack he KNOWS your weakness. If he sees you blowing your top – he KNOWS your weakness. He knows what fire to feed.
He knows what suffering he can exploit!

So – Paul is concerned for them!

1 Thessalonians 3:5 (ESV) …and our labor would be in vain.

Paul did NOT want their labor in Thessalonica to be in vain. When they came to LABOR in Thessalonica they arrived there beaten and bruised for their labors in Philippi. They suffered persecution in Thessalonica too. So Paul sent Timothy to them.

• to KNOW OF THEIR FAITH!
• to KNOW that they were still STANDING in the faith and in the grace of God.
• To ESTABLISH them in their faith so they wouldn’t collapse in the face of affliction!

In our next study we will see HOW Paul’s UNBEARABLE CARE for them moved him to PRAY for them — And WHAT he prayed out of his UNBEARABLE CARE for them

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
May 3, 2009

The Unbearable Care

1 Thessalonians 3:1-3

Chapter threee begins with the word ‘THEREFORE’. Last week we noted that the chapter break was unhelpful in preserving the flow of Paul’s thoughts at this point in his letter. This word THEREFORE gives to us the CONNECTION to the closing verses of Chapter 2. There at the close of Chapter 2 Paul told them that he experienced this HEARTACHE because:

• He had been separated from his new-born brothers and sisters — men and women he had led to faith in Christ.
• These new-born brothers and sisters had been deprived of their teacher — like children orphaned

Then Paul told them of the HINDERANCES he experienced — the supernatural opposition of the devil to literally obstruct Paul’s desire and repeated attempts to revisit Thessalonica.

Finally — Paul told them of the HOPE that enabled Paul to persevere THROUGH the HEARTACHE the HINDERANCES.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 (ESV) Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

So the third chapter is truly a continuation of the closing verses of Chapter 2.

THEREFORE = on account of the passionate desire, which I was unable to gratify.

THIS IS GREAT — Paul MODELS for them real love. Love is not Sentimental affection nor an emotional feeling. Love seeks the welfare of another. That is the way love is expressed for anyone. If you love someone

• you seek his welfare
• you actually would jeopardize your own life for the person whom you love.

AGAIN — We see in Paul the very LIFE and LOVE of Jesus

John 10:11 (ESV) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

“we could bear it no longer”

The first person plural — indicates that this decision was collective. Paul expresses his personal sentiments in verse 5. But his personal sentiments in verse 5 do not negate mentioned in verse 1.

NOTE WELL:
The LIKEMINDEDNESS of this team of men! They might have had differing opinions on a lot of things. But they were LIKEMINDED when it came to the care and feeding of the flock of God. THAT is so critical to fruitful ministry. When the care and feeding of the flock of God is trumped by their concerns then that team and that ministry and those sheep are headed for trouble.

KEY OBSERVATION:
The implication is that at some point Silvanus and Timothy traveled from Macedonia to Athens. According to the narrative given by Luke in Acts 17.14.

Acts 17:14 (ESV) Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

Paul departed from Macedonia and traveled on to Athens — leaving Silas and Timothy in Berea.

When he arrived, those who accompanied him went back to Macedonia “with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible” (Acts 17.15).

It appears that they did that very thing. After coming to Athens — Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica, at which time Paul and Silas were “left behind” in Athens. The narrative of Acts implies that Silas returned to Macedonia. Paul left Athens and headed south to Corinth where Silas and Timothy caught up with him upon their return from Macedonia (Acts 18.1,5).

NOTE WELL:
We see here not only a like-mindedness in these three men concerning the care and feeding of the flock in Thessalonica. But we see a SELFLESSNESS! For the sake of the Thessalonians — Paul was willing to be left in Athens alone. It cost him something to send Timothy to the Thessalonians — He thought it was a small price to pay.

AGAIN — The LIFE and LOVE of Jesus seen in Paul

2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

“when we could bear it no longer,”

• BEAR = stego
• from steg = to cover, conceal
• stege = roof

F.F. Bruce — “originally of keeping out or keeping in water or another fluid”

Think of a roof keeping a house dry by bearing up under the force of the wind and water. IF the external forces are too great — there can come a point when the roof can no longer BEAR up or COVER the interior of the house. THAT is the word picture used here. They could no longer hold out against — endure the pressure of NOT KNOWING how those new believers were doing under the pressure of persecution.

REMEMBER the circumstances in which Paul and Silas and Timothy were torn away from the Thessalonians! The load of concern was so heavy that they felt they had to take some action. Their concern for the care and feeding of the flock broke in upon them like a hurricane — resulting in a decision – we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone

• “WILLING” = “to be well pleased — to willingly determine, to think it a good thing to do.”

TOO OFTEN — ministry is performed out of a sense of, “Well, if I have to.” NOT SO with these men — The option the missionary team chose was not done grudgingly. This word stresses the willingness of the decision. This word stresses that this was a decision made from the positive — NOT the negative!

“We WANT to do this because this is the loving thing — the right thing to do” As opposed to — “Well, if I have to.”

LEFT BEHIND — was used in secular Greek to describe the leaving of a loved one behind at death.
It is a POWERFUL word picture of the feeling of loneliness and desolation that swept over Paul when he was left all alone in Athens. THIS is what Paul meant when he said in

2 Timothy 2:10 (ESV) Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect…

ALONE — means without others or without companions. It indicates Paul was not just left behind but left behind by himself

KEY INSIGHT:
We gain the full of weight of these words when we bring in just a brief bit of historical background on the city where he was left behind alone. The Athenians were said to possess the keenest minds among the Greeks. The University of Athens was the most important school, ahead of those of Tarsus and Alexandria. The Athenians were steeped in pagan religion — In the ancient world it was one of the major centers of blatant idolatry! They indulged in unbridled lust at the festival of Dionysus, the god of wine. They had the accompanying lack of regard for life. They loved the human slaughter in the gladiatorial games. Paul was LEFT BEHIND ALONE in THIS huge metropolis.

PAUL’S LOVE and CONCERN for the Thessalonians goes even deeper than willingly being left behind alone!

1 Thessalonians 3:2 (ESV) and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s co-worker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3that no one be moved by these afflictions.

• SENT = to dispatch, send, thrust out.

It carries with it the meaning of SENDING someone to DO something.

THE MEASURE OF PAUL’S CARE is seen NOT just in the SENDING of someone to do something — It is seen in the PERSON he sent! He sent TIMOTHY! In a moment we will see the VALUE of this young man in a moment. But first we want to note that he was sent and not asked to go.

This is consistent with Paul’s authority as an apostle. It is consistent with the Great commission — Even as the Father SENT Me — so I SEND you. (John 20:21)

We also want to note that Paul’s concern for the care and feeding of the flock of God was not limited to the Thessalonians. Paul sent Timothy on other missions to the churches in…

• Corinth —

1 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB) For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

1Corinthians 16:10,11 (NASB)
Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without
cause to be afraid; for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I
also am. Let no one therefore despise him. But send him on
his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect
him with the brethren.

• Ephesus —

1Timothy 1:3 (NASB) As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.

Timothy’s missionary trip to Thessalonica was the first recorded ministry that Timothy carried out on his own. By the way — He was at this time very young — and from Paul’s letters to Timothy we find that Timothy had struggles with fear and insecurity!

There is ONE other place Paul sent Timothy. I saved this for last because in it we discover the treasure that Timothy was to Paul — and to the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was so overcome by his concern for the Thessalonians that

• he couldn’t bear to go any further without knowing how they were — without sending someone to care for them and feed them
• he would willingly and gladly be left behind alone by sending someone to them.

But Paul didn’t send just ANYONE — He sent HIS BEST MAN — his own son in the faith.

• Philippi —

Philippians 2:19-24 (ESV) I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

If I can’t be there in person — I will send the MOST valuable asset I have. If I can’t be there I want Timothy to be there. He is the only one who thinks about you as I do. He is the only one who seeks the interests of Christ. The sending of Timothy was an amazing act of self-sacrifice on the part of Paul. Paul was willing to be without THIS man in THAT city of Athens. The very center and strong hold of heathenism, full of temples and idols. Paul was willing to be without Timothy BECAUSE his concern for the Thessalonians trumped any and all personal concern or comfort.

In this UNBEARABLE CARE THERE IS SO MUCH of the heart of God seen in Paul

1) The heart of God the Father -

Who could not bear to see any perish that He sent His precious Son.

John 3:16 (ESV) FOR God so loved the world THAT He gave HIS Only Begotten Son…

2) The heart of God the Son —

Who could not bear to see us as sheep without a shepherd; SO He was willingly sent by the Father to lay down His life for the sheep

2) The Heart of God the Holy Spirit —

Who is called is the Comforter. IT STRUCK ME THAT — THIS is what real revival looks like on the personal level and in the local church

REVIVAL is not about evangelistic crusades! Revival is about the work of God the Holy Spirit RESTORING the Very LIFE and LOVE of Jesus, the consciousness of those things – To the individual believer and to the Body of Christ at large. RESULTING in evangelism.!

FIRST — The Holy Spirit begins to AWAKEN the believer to

• the tremendous DISCONNECT between the heart of God and their own hearts
• the tremendous GULF between the UNBEARABLE CARE of God the Father for this world (demonstrated in the sending of His Son) — and their own LACK OF CARE towards the needs of the believers and the Lost.

By the grace of God and the Work of the Holy Spirit they begin to REPENT of their selfishness

THEN — They begin to PRAY, to be FILLED with the love of God, to be CONFORMED into the image of His Son.

As God begins to ANSWER those prayers:

• They begin to experience an UNBEARABLE CARE for the Flock of God and for the Unbeliever.
• They begin to see formed within their own hearts the heart of God the Father

Even as God the Father could not bear to see any perish and sent His precious Son so that through Him the world might be saved, they begin to invest even the most precious things in their lives for the sake of the flock of God and the saving of souls. As those prayers are answered they begin to see formed within their own hearts the heart of God the Son —
Who could not bear to see us as sheep without a shepherd — And was willingly sent by the Father serve and give His life for the sheep.

Even so — they begin to find the CARE for the flock and the saving of souls to be so UNBEAR-ABLE that they begin to say, ‘Here am I – Send me’. As those prayers are answered they begin to see formed within their own hearts the heart of God the Holy Spirit —
And the spiritual and eternal Comfort of others becomes an UNBEARABLE CARE in their own lives.

What a great portion of the Word to lead us to the Lord’s Table – BECAUSE the Bread and the Cup remind each of us of the UNBEARABLE CARE of God. If you have not given your heart and life to Christ — The Body of Jesus broken — The blood of Jesus shed — PROVE the love of God for you. REPENT and BELIEVE the Good News!

If you are a believer — the Bread and the Cup REMIND us of the UNBEARABLE CARE of God for you and me.
May the Holy Spirit use the bread and the cup to show us where our hearts are relative to the heart of God the Father — God the Son — God the Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit use the bread and the cup to show us where out hearts are in regards to personal revival.

As the Holy Spirit reveals to us our self-concern, may He also use the bread and the cup to REMIND us that the Blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from ALL sin.

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
April 26, 2009

Heartaches, Hardships, and Hope in the Ministry

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

INTRODUCTION

This morning we come to the close of 1 Thessalonians 2. It is a good example of how the man made Addresses (Chapters & Verse Numbers), though helpful in the cause of locating words and events, are not always helpful in regards to preserving the flow and unity of themes. The THOUGHT that begins in Verse 17 actually continues into chapter 3. The unity of this section would have been better preserved if the new chapter had been made to begin at 1 Thessalonians 2:17 instead. It would appear that the present chapter division was made in the endeavor to have each chapter close with a direct reference to the return of the Lord.

As we study this section we are going to learn learn from Paul about:

• the HEARTACHE
• the HARDSHIPS, and
• the HOPE of the Minister.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 (ESV) But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.

The FIRST thing we see here is a heart that is ACHING. There are many who view Paul as being a hard and cold man:

• Kind of the General Patton / High Theologian of the NT
• Willing to endure all things for the elect
• Agonizing towards the finish line of his life and ministry
• Keeping his body under (Beaten, starved, shipwrecked)
• Refusing to march into the mission field with anyone less committed
• Challenging believers to FOLLOW his example
• And then he writes the high theology of the NT.

But THEN — we read sections of his letters like the one before us this morning — and we do not see a coldhearted soldier or detached academic. The OPPOSITE is true — Paul was a man who LOVED DEEPLY. It was THAT DEPTH of love that made him capable of HURTING DEEPLY over those he loved. ONE KEY to understanding Paul’s HEARTACHE — and his even his STERNNESS — is wrapped up in the word “Brothers”

INSIGHT:

Our word Philadelphia comes in part from this word.

• From the Greek adelphos
• PREFIX a = denoting unity
• SUFFIX delphús = womb

LITERALLY — one born from same womb. A male having the same father and mother as reference person.

Paul uses it FIGURATIVELY to express the intimacy of relationship in the Body of Christ. The word BROTHER has become cliché. “Bro” is used so commonly without the appreciation that Paul had for it’s true meaning.

REALITY — Christians have truly been BORN AGAIN. In their 2nd birth they share the same Father — God. A Christian is someone who has been BEGOTTEN by God

1 John 5:1 (ESV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God…

By His WILL

John 1:12-13 (ESV) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

By His WORD

James 1:18 (ESV) Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,

1 Peter 1:23 (ESV) since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

CRUCIAL:

The Church is a family — and God is our great heavenly Father.

I never really had a relationship with my dad. Every RIGHT thing I know about being a dad comes from what I have come to know and experience from my Heavenly Father who loves me. JUST HOW DEEP and REAL is the relationship between believers and Jesus — Believers and other believers? On one occasion when Jesus was informed that his mother and brothers were waiting for him, Jesus replied — speaking of His disciples —

Matthew 12:47-49 “…these are my mother and brothers”

TRUTH —

Jesus defines for us the NATURE of the spiritual relationship between believers. He says that it is as rich and deep as biological ties — and in many ways even richer and deeper! When Paul calls them BROTHERS — He had ALL of that in mind and heart!

SO — it is there that we begin to sense the PATHOS in the passage, to understand the HEARTACHE in Paul’s words. But there are TWO other things that help us understand the depth of Paul’s love and the depth of his heartache

1.) WHERE he was when he wrote the them

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians when he was ministering by himself in the city of Corinth. Being far away from loved ones is a very unpleasant experience. It was bleak and he was ready to walk away from the city.

2.) WHY he was away from them

1 Thessalonians 2:17 (ESV) ..since we were torn away from you,…

• Torn away = aporphanizo
• PREFIX apó = preposition meaning from, away from,
  (speaks of a rupture of a former relationship
  or any separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed)
• SUFFIX orphanós = an orphan (a child deprived of one or usually both parents, means to be made or caused to be an orphan.

i) Used figuratively to speak of an unwanted separation as when one is torn away from, deprived of contact or unwillingly separated from.

ii) It means to cause someone to be spatially separated with the implication of emotional deprivation.

iii) to separate and deprive a child of his/her parents.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:
This verse is the only use of this verb in Scripture.
The Holy Spirit chose THIS word to unpack for us the HEARTACHE of ministry that can ONLY COME from the nature of God’s love for His children. From the reality of and the nature of belonging to the family of God.

In the Book of Acts — Luke tells us that this separation was abrupt and violent…

Acts 17:6-10 (ESV) And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received them (Paul – Silas – Tmothy), and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

The separation of Paul from the Thessalonians was MORE THAN the physical act of separation! Paul’s greatest suffering from this persecution was because

• he was separated from his new-born brothers and sisters — men and women he had led to faith in Christ.
• these new-born brothers and sisters were deprived of their teacher — like children orphaned

NOTE WELL:

Though their was a spatial separation between them — though they were out of sight — they were not out of mind

1 Thessalonians 2:17 (ESV)…we were torn away from you, brothers, in person not in heart…

In the center of who he was he was still caring for them. HOW DEEP was his love for them? How MUCH did his heart ACHE to be with them?

1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 (ESV) …we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.

The heartache of being separated from them was so great that Paul willingly forgot the danger that had driven him from Thessalonica. The heartache of being separated from them was so great that Paul willingly forgot the cruelty he had experienced there.

1 Thessalonians 2:17 (ESV) …we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire…

• Endeavored = spoudazo
• Zealous concentration and diligent effort, one’s best effort!

Paul had a plan — made preparations – we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire

• epithumia — from verb epithumeo
• PREFIX epi = upon
• SUFFIX thumos = passion

1 Thessalonians 2:18 (ESV) 18because we wanted to come to you …

Here’s WHY Paul PASSIONATELY exerted Zealous concentration and diligent effort — to make a plan — and make preparations.

we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again because we wanted to come to you

“wanted”

• equals a decision of the will, implying purpose and freedom of choice. The kind of resolution that urges on to action.

KEY OBSERVATION:

Paul made more than ONE attempt at seeing them. But his HEARTACHE was followed by HARDSHIP

“Again and again”

• means both once and again

He TRIED and TRIED, but Satan hindered us.

LISTEN —

• The most genuine of love
• The most zealous efforts
• The most holy passion to serve and love

Does NOT make life and ministry EASY.

Here’s what that kind of love will get you: You will discover that there is a very real and very powerful ADVERSARY to the Glory and Kingdom and purposes of God.

Satan — Literally — an adversary. He is the constant enemy of God and man

Ezekiel tells us that BEFORE he rebelled against God that he was the anointed cherub that covers.

Ezekiel 28:14 (ESV) You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.

Commentators say that this means 1 of 2 things:

1.) the CHERUB that guarded the gates of Paradise, and kept the way of the tree of life; or

2.) one of the cherubs whose wings, spread out, covered the mercy-seat.

He is also called in the Scriptures:

1. the devil
2. the wicked one
3. the prince of the power of the air
4. the prince of this world
5. the serpent
6. the god of this world
7. the tempter

Paul understood -

• the PERSON of the devil
• The PERSISTANT OPPOSITION of the devil

Ephesians 6:10-13 (ESV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

“Satan hindered us”.

Hindered is from

• PREFIX en = in
• SUFFIX kópto = cut down, strike

i) strictly means to knock or cut into

ii) to impede one’s course by cutting off his way

KEY INSIGHT:

In classic Greek egkopto was a military term — It gives a powerful word picture.

One of the countermeasures an ancient army would take against the opposition was to dig a massive trench that would prevent enemy troops from reaching its men. Another way to frustrate the enemy’s progress would be to tear up a brick or stone road so that he could not traverse it. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use THIS word in describing the supernatural opposition of the devil to obstruct Paul’s desire and attempts to revisit Thessalonica.

PRACTICAL:

There are times when the Spirit forbids (Acts 16:6), and times when Satan hinders. I don’t understand all of that all of the time. But here are the things of which I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN. I am convinced that all of Satan’s successes are by God’s PERMISSION and for God’s PURPOSES.

Example: The persecution of the Church in Jerusalem lead to the Gospel being spread to Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world.

Example: Peter wrote to the DIASPORA – the SCATTERED SEED – That’s how God saw their lives.

I know that when I am down that Satan is NOT compassionate – He jumps on me with both feet. I am convinced that this stuff is NOT something that we can plot on a colored break away pie chart.

• 15% Richard’s sin
• 25% unbelief
• 45% the result of the fallen world
• 15% Satan

NO – It’s 100% in the providence of God.

We have seen:

1) the HEARTACHE of Ministry

2) the HARDSHIP of the Ministry

Finally — We see WHY Paul was able to minister faithfully and lovingly to these saints — through the HEARTACHE and in the face of the HARDSHIP.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (ESV) For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.

Paul was able to minister faithfully and lovingly to these saints because he saw them in the light of Christ’s coming. He was looking forward to the glorious day when he would rejoice over them in the presence of Christ!

AGAIN — We see in Paul the life and love of Jesus

Jesus endured the cross -

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) “…for the joy that was set before Him…” .

Jesus endured the Cross because of the “joy” is of seeing you and me FORGIVEN and in His presence forever.

Jude v.24 (ESV) Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

Paul could endure

- all of the HEARTACHE involved in the ministry

- all of the HARDSHIP of Satan hindering

For this same joy.

KEY QUESTION:

Do we rejoice at the thought of seeing Jesus one day?

THAT was the whole reason for the ALL that Paul endured in ministering to the Thessalonians!

Isn’t THAT why

• We PRAY for those around us who don’t know Jesus?
• We SHARE with them?

And when they get saved – all of the hassle that you went through is irrelevant in light of seeing them in the presence of the Lord! They’re SAVED and they’re going to be with you in heaven!

What is it all about?

If it’s about a life free of heartache — then keep your Christianity superficial and cliché, and it will be free of the kind of heartache that can only come from loving Jesus and loving the Body of Christ. If it’s about being saved and on your way to heaven — with as few of hardships of spiritual warfare as possible then keep your Christianity superficial and cliché, And Satan won’t oppose you — You will run at the first taste of hardship.

BUT — If you by the grace of God begin to personally grasp and appreciate the privilege and glory of being born again, the reality of having the One, True and Living God as your Father – THEN — You will begin to comprehend the love of God, not just for yourself but also for those who — by virtue of being born again — are your BROTHERS / SISTERS in CHRIST.

And you will find that your heart will be filled with such a deep love that it will be capable of deep hurt: When you see their needs, When you are separated from them by distance and incapable of serving them, Your life of Christian Cliché and superficiality will be WRECKED; Your heart will ACHE to be with them; Your mind will be constantly planning to make a way to serve them; Your old social calendar will be wrecked; Not that you won’t have date nights or time spent with family, or friends, or time spent on vacation; But you will begin to see ALL of life wrapped up in your roll on God’s economy to love and serve His children — to the end that Jesus would be exalted in their lives!

AND — If you by the grace of God begin to love and serve God and His children in that way; You WILL experience HARDHSIPS because Your ache to serve God and His children will be met by the countermeasures of your adversary the devil. He will find ways to dig massive trenches intended to prevent you from reaching your brothers and sisters. He will find ways to tear up paths of ministry.

AND — If you — by the grace of God — begin to love and serve God and His children in that way: You will find that the HOPE of heaven will carry the day!
You will find that the HOPE of seeing men and women in the presence of God will mitigate against the HEARTACHE and HARDSHIPS of ministry.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (ESV) For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
April 19, 2009

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

The Word of God: Spoken, Welcomed, & Working

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

We spent the three weeks prior to Easter examining the HEARTBEAT OF THE MINISTRY. Verse 13 BEGINS with another glimpse into the heart of Paul:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this…

CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:

Paul — the servant of God — was constantly thanking the God he served! Constantly = incessantly, unceasingly, without interruption, without intermission. It was a word used of an uninterrupted cough. Josephus used this word when writing of the continual hammering of a battering ram against the walls of Jerusalem (Josephus, Jewish Wars 5:298-302).

This Word in the Greek —

1. Is ONLY found FOUR times in the NT
2. Is ONLY used by Paul
3. Is ALWAYS connected with prayer

Romans 1:9-10 (ESV) For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10always in my prayers,…

1Thessalonians 1:2 (ESV) We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.

1Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV) And we also thank God constantly for this…

1Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV) pray without ceasing

Paul was constantly THINKING about them— PRAYING for them — Thanking God for them.

CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:

Paul was not merely saying — I’m so thankful — rather he was constantly thanking GOD. Because he KNEW that it was God who had given to him the privilege of preaching and teaching of the Word.

Ephesians 1:1 (ESV) Paul an apostle by the will of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (ESV) …By the grace of God I am what I am…

Galatians 1:15-16 (ESV) But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles…

Above all — Paul was constantly thanking GOD. Because he understood that if there was any fruit in his ministry it was because – It was GOD’S good news (gospel of God) that touched their hearts. It was God the Holy Spirit working through the Word to save men and women!

APPLICATION /QUOTE: Spurgeon —

Our American friends have one Thanksgiving Day in the
year, but it was Thanksgiving Day all the year round with
Paul and Silas and Timothy when they thought of the
Thessalonians. They felt as it they never could leave off
thanking God for the Thessalonians, for they knew by sad
experience that all churches were not of the same happy
kind. There were those Corinthians, for ever quarrelling
and thus grieving the apostle. “Never mind,” he says, “we
will thank God for the Thessalonians.” Oh, but there are
those Galatians! They have gone off the line, bewitched by
Judaizing teachers. They have wandered into “modern
thought,” and left the old orthodox faith. “Yes,” says the
apostle, “those Galatians are a burden to me; but, then,
blessed be God for the Thessalonians.” So I think we ought
to bless God for those that are kept, and for those that
are true, and for those that are faithful; and when our
harp is made to hang upon the willows because of part of
the work which is barren and unfruitful, yet let us not
cease to praise and bless the Lord our God for that part
of the work which prospers. Let us magnify him for those
that are brought to know his name…… O child of God, fall
back upon what the Lord has done, and this shall make you
encounter every difficulty with a brave heart! What the
Lord has done is but a token of what he is going to do.
Let us hold the fort, and look out for better times.
Never let us dream of fainting or retreating. Do not say,
“I will give it up because of the Galatians.” No, but go
at it again because of the Thessalonians. Do not say, “I
am worried and wearied with the Corinthians.” No, but with
your heart full of joy, persevere in your Master’s
service, because many Thessalonians have received the
word, not as the word of man, but as the word of God.
Hallelujah, there is still something to sing about! Bring
out the trumpets: we are not yet silenced, nor shall we be
while the Lord liveth. The walls of Jericho will be more
likely to fall before our trumpets than our tremblings.
In his thanksgiving we find the Holy Spirit taking the spot light off of the servant of God and shining it directly onto the Word of God.

The Word of God SPOKEN -
The Word of God WELCOMED -
The Word of God WORKING

FIRST we must notice the MEANS by which the Word was brought to them so they MIGHT RECEIVE it and it MIGHT WORK in their lives.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV)…the word of God, which you heard from us…

LITERALLY — “a word of hearing from alongside us, of God”. The phrase — word of hearing — indicates it was a SPOKEN message. One commentator translates it as — When your ears received God’s message. This concept of a word of hearing is seen elsewhere in Scripture

Hebrews 4:2 (ESV) For good news came to us just as to them (the Hebrews who came out of Egypt and wandered in the Wilderness for forty years), but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.

Romans 10:16 (NASB) However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT

akoe = literally hearing — a thing which is heard like a report?”

Galatians 3:2 (NLT) Let me ask you this one question: …Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.

The Holy Spirit came upon them only after they believed the message they heard about Christ. Today there is a sweeping and dangerous trend to emphasize living over proclaiming. This trend is based upon man’s perception that the OLD method of VERBALIZING the Gospel is unacceptable to a post-modern society. BECAUSE — Human consensus is that Absolute truth is unacceptable to post modern man.

I overheard a local pastor say that very thing to a guy he was mentoring. And besides being unacceptable to the so-called “post-modern” culture — many so called Christians aren’t even sure if the Scriptures contain absolute truth. This trend is based upon man’s perception that the the OLD method of VERBALIZING the Gospel is offensive to a post-modern society. The claims and demands of the Gospel — the narrowness of the Gospel — are now viewed by many so-called Christians as counterproductive to their desire to win people to Jesus. They believe that the message is divisive and offensive. AS A RESULT of these positions — the NEW evangelism — the NEW missionary enterprise — is essentially MUTE.

The PROCLAMATION of a message that is viewed as divisive and offensive is now replaced with INCARNATIONAL evangelism.

INCARNATIONAL living says this — Jesus is made incarnate today in the lives of Christians. So wherever Christians go — they bring Jesus into their culture by demonstrating His love and promoting unity. The great emphasis is on creating a collective experience and being active in community service that unites Christians with the diverse faiths and values of their community.

For some this approach springs from:

• Ignorance of what the Bible says
• Indifference to what the Bible says
• Outright rejection of what the Bible says.

NOTE IT WELL:

The god of this world — the enemy of the souls of men and women — is glad to:

• USE ignorance of the Word
• PROMOTE indifference to the Word
• UNDERMINE confidence in the Word until finally the Word is rejected.

BECAUSE ALL of these:

• take away from the Glory of God
• take away from the Glory of His Gospel
• Leave men and women without the ONE thing that alone can save them

Let’s NOT be IGNORANT — nor INDIFFERENT — nor REJECTING what the Scriptures say — FIRST and foremost about Jesus. Jesus IS God INCARNATE — He IS the Word that became flesh and lived among us. But Jesus DIDN’T merely LIVE silently in this world. At the age of 30 he went everywhere PREACHING and TEACHING. And what JESUS — God INCARNATE — had to say was OFFENSIVE — even REPULSIVE to the multitudes.

John 6:60-69 (ESV) 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Let’s NOT be IGNORANT — nor INDIFFERENT — nor REJECTING what the Scriptures say — about Paul. PAUL was surely committed to a BIBLICAL understanding of Christ living within the believing man and woman. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit we have seen Paul in this letter alone rip open his chest so that we can see how the heart of Jesus was beating within in him. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul would say to the Philippians — It is no longer I who lives — but Christ lives in me.

But this same Paul would say —

Romans 10:14-15; 17 (ESV) But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”….. 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

The Bible is CLEAR that most who hear — will be offended or indifferent or outright reject what they HEAR

Romans 10:16 (ESV) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV) 13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God,…

KEY OBSERVATION:

Paul thanked God for how the Thessalonians RECEIVED the Word that they proclaimed.

KEY INSIGHT:

He does this by using two different verbs:

paralambano (received)

dechomai (accepted).

The first (paralambano) means simply “to accept from another,” while the second (dechomai) means “to welcome.”

GREAT PICTURE —
The Thessalonians heard the missionaries’ proclaim the gospel and they actively took it to themselves. (paralambano).

BUT — It was not merely an ACTIVE — WILLING taking of it. They WELCOMED it — They EMBRACED it. (dechomai) Think of WELCOMING a guest at your door with a loving hug!

THAT is what WELCOMING the Word looks like.

QUOTE: Spurgeon —

They first received it by eagerly hearing it. They wanted to know what it was all about: they were attentive to it, and wanted to understand it. When they had heard it they rejoiced, and said, “Oh, yes, yes, yes, this is the very thing we want!” They embraced it. That word will do—they embraced it. They put their arms around it, and would not let it go. They were hospitable to the gospel, and said, “Come in, thou blessed of the Lord: come and live in our hearts!” They assented and they consented to the word of the Lord.

ONE MORE CRUCIAL INSIGHT into these verbs:
We can understand Paralambano to mean “the hearing of the ear”. While we can understand dechomai to mean “the hearing of the heart.”

CRUCIAL POINT:

The believers at Thessalonica did not only hear the Word; they took it into their inner man and made it a part of their lives.

KEY APPLICATION:

We need to GLADLY and ACTIVELY expose ourselves to the HEARING of it. But then we must WELCOME IT into our hearts; Receive it into our hearts and let it find itself at home there — We do that by:

• Making every other attitude and belief become subordinate to the Word. If there is a conflict between the Word and a habit or attitude — the Word stays and the habit is evicted!
• Meditating on it.

Not in the sense of eastern religion meditation. But in the Old Testament sense of THINKING upon it.

Psalm 1 — “his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in it he does MEDITATE day and night.”

It is like the chewing of the cud.

1. Bringing it up over and over again.
2. Thinking on it
3. Praying over it
4. Praying it into our lives.

QUOTE: Warren Wiersbe -

Meditation is to the spiritual life what digestion is to the physical life. If you did not digest your food, you would die. It takes time to meditate, but it is the only way to appropriate the Word and grow.

NOTE WELL:

They WELCOMED it because it was not the mere word of man — they heard it with their hearts because it was THE WORD OF GOD.

KEY QUESTION: How do you receive the Word of God?

Do you receive it as the Word of God? Or do you blow it off — or even get angry as if it were merely the ideas of some man? Listen — If I’m making this stuff up don’t welcome it! But if I’m giving you the Word of God you should hear with your ear and welcome it in to your heart!

BY THE WAY — That is why some leave blessed and transformed and others leave unchanged.

KEY OBSERVATION:

Paul thanked God for

1.) For how the Thessalonians RECEIVED the Word that they proclaimed.

2.) For how the Word of God WORKED in their lives— What it accomplishes in the hearts of men and women.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV) 13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

At work = energeo

from en = in + érgon = work.

KEY INSIGHT:

In the NT it is used only of superhuman power. Literally — The Word of God PERFORMS it’s works
Listen to how Isaiah put it:

Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish…

It is the WORD that is working — It is not MIGHT accomplish — but SHALL accomplish

…”that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

THAT is why we gather so often to study the Word of God!

THAT is why we encourage you to read it through in a year

THAT is why we will never forsake it.

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT) For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Jesus said that it is like SEED — Plant it and it grows.

THE DEAL IS THIS — It HAS to be SOWN to work. It must be heard or read!

STORY — C H Spurgeon once tested an auditorium in which he was to speak that evening. Stepping into the pulpit, he loudly proclaimed, “Behold the lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” Satisfied with the acoustics, he left and went his way. Unknown to him, there were two men working in the rafters of that large auditorium, neither one Christians. One of the men was pricked in his conscience by the verse Spurgeon quoted and became a believer later that day! Such is the penetrating power of God’s eternal word! Little wonder that Paul is so insistent on our “preaching of the Word.”

THE PROBLEM with modern Christianity is that it has forsaken the SEED of the Word — which ALONE effectively works in those who believe. Some places might give it lip-service. But they are not DEVOTED to the sowing of the seed into the hearts of men and women!

INTERESTING: Religious people do NOT understand:

• the SIMPLICITY of the Word of God, nor
• the POWER of the Word of God.

THAT is why they resort to every thing and anything in their attempts to succeed at church.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV) …”which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

When we believe God’s Word – Belief that is demonstrated in obedience – God the Holy Spirit releases His power — divine energy — that works in our lives to fulfill His purposes. But the fruit of the Spirit — conforming us to the image of Christ. THE PROOF that they had RECEIVED it and WELCOMED it — The PROOF of the POWER of the Word

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 (ESV)14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved — so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
April 5, 2009

1 Thessalonians 2:6-12

The Heartbeat of the Minister

REVIEW
In Chapter 2 we find Paul pouring out his heart in regards to ministry — “Ministry 101”

We have learned about the inseparable and crucial connection between the integrity of the message and the integrity of ministry.

We have been given an insight into the very heart of Paul to see the HEARTBEAT of the minister. We have seen that the heart of Paul beats for The GLORY of God! Such a heart beat can ONLY come from a life transformed by the indwelling life and power of Jesus. Who had a single agenda — the Glory of God the Father. Who set it forth as the single agenda of the citizen in His Kingdom — Let your light so shine that they might see your good works and GLORIFY your Father who is in heaven.

We have seen that within the heart of Paul was beating the very love of God for the men and women of Thessalonica. v. 7 – But we were gentle among you.

Among you = in your midst.

This is the heart of Jesus in the life of Paul.

Matthew 1:23 ESV “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

In Luke 7 we were given an insight into the FREQUENCY and INTIMACY and COMPANY. The enemies of Jesus accused Him of being a “glutton and a drunk” — and “a friend of tax collectors and sinners”

Paul DESCRIBES this gentleness by way of a simile (= like something)

1 Thessalonians 2:7 ESV 7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

Paul is saying that he didn’t feed on them, he fed them. With the eyes of Jesus, Paul saw them as precious children — With the heart of Jesus Paul was GENTLE, LIKE a nursing mother with her children.

AGAIN — Paul makes reference to his INTEGRITY as a minister in order to affirm the INTEGRITY of their message and ministry.

11For you know how, like a father with his children, 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

NOTE AGAIN — The use of SIMILE

1 Thessalonians 2:11 ESV 11For you know how, like a father with his children,

CRUCIAL OBSERVATION:
When speaking of the WAY that he took care of the flock Paul compared himself to a nursing mother. Within the minister there should be a heart that beats with the tenderness and care and nurturing of a nursing mother for her children, BUT when he speaks of INSTRUCTING the flock he compares himself to a father.

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:
QUOTE Heibert — simile of the father shows the sterner aspect of their love for their children. The apostles dealt with them not with the severity of the taskmaster, but with the earnest concern of the father intent upon training his children according to their individual needs. The figure of a father was commonly used by Jewish teachers to denote their relationship to their pupils. Converted under their ministry, the Thessalonian believers were indeed the writers’ spiritual children who needed their instruction and guidance.

REMEMBER — This is MINISTRY 101 — In Paul’s ministry we see that the heart beat of the Minister. The heart beat of the Ministry can not be ONE dimensional. Ministry can not be void of tenderness, but it must also include the strength and firmness of a father.

ILLUSTRATION:
Children in a single parent household KNOW the shortfall of one dimensional parenting. The best dad in the world can never give what a mother can give. The best mom in the world can never give what a dad can give. God in His infinite wisdom designed the family to include both dimensions. Broken families not only wreck the hearts of husbands and wives but they rob the children.

As a spiritual dad, Paul says that, we never robbed our children in the faith. We were tender and gentle like nursing moms, we were firm and strong like dads.

APPLICATION:
Some are strong at one dimension and weak in the other. God wants us to be found abiding in Jesus so that we can have a balance in our personal place of service within the Body of Christ.

You might be saying — But I’m the tender and gentle type and I find it so hard to be firm.
Or – I’m the strong and firm type and I find it so hard to be gentle.

WHERE am I going to find what is lacking?

ONCE AGAIN — The heartbeat of the minister/ministry can ONLY come from a living and vital relationship with Jesus — Jesus was NOT one dimensional

We read in John’s account of the life of Jesus

John 1:14 ESV 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus was moved with compassion for the multitudes who were like sheep without a shepherd, was so tender in his dealings with the woman caught in adultery, wept at the tomb of Lazarus, sobbed convulsively over Jerusalem because they had rejected Him because he knew what would happen to them in 70AD.

But Jesus ALSO rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith on the Sea of Galilee. In the synagogue in Capernaum we are told that and he looked around at (the religious leaders) them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart Mark 3:5 ESV. Called the Scribes and Pharisees whitewashed tombs full of death. Called them the blind leading the blind. Turned over the tables in the temple precincts.

The Christian life is all about Jesus! Church life is all about Jesus!

2Peter 1:3-4 ESV 3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him(A) who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

KEY OBSERVATION:
This fatherly love that beat within Paul’s ministry moved him to do THREE THINGS

1 Thessalonians 2:12 ESV 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Exhorted – This word is related to the word appeal in verse 3. 1 Thessalonians 2:3 ESV

parakaleo from para = side of + kaléo = call = call urgently)

KEY INSIGHT:
Paul repeatedly uses parakaleo in his communication to the Thessalonians here and also in:

• 1 Thessalonians 3:2 ESV
  2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
• 1 Thessalonians 3:7 ESV
  2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV
  1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:10 ESV
  10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
• 1 Thessalonians 4:18 ESV
  18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
  11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV
  14And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:17 ESV
  17comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:12 ESV
  12Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

It carries with it the basic idea of calling one alongside to help or give aid, to entreat, to appeal to, to comfort, to exhort, or to encourage. Our English word “encourage” means literally “with heart.” To encourage in a sense is to give them new heart. In classic Greek parakaleo was used of exhorting troops about to go into battle. At the root there is the idea of enabling a person to meet some difficult situation with confidence and with courage

Encouraged – paramutheomai
This word occurs only 4 times in Scripture…

• John 11:19 ESV
  19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
• John 11:31 ESV
  31When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:11 ESV
  11just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV
  14And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

This word emphasizes the soothing and encouraging side of exhortation, inspiring the converts to continue the desired course of action in the face of failure.

QUOTE:
Wiersbe – Wiersbe explains paramutheomai noting that…This word carries the same idea of “encouragement,” with the emphasis on activity. Paul not only made them feel better, but he made them want to do better. A father must not pamper a child; rather, he must encourage the child to go right back and try over again. Christian encouragement must not become an anesthesia that puts us to sleep. It must be a stimulant that awakens us to do better.

Charged
Marturomai from mártus = witness. In its original sense meant summon to witness and thus conveys the idea of testifying in affirmation or exhortation.

QUOTE:
J. Vernon McGee – marturomai has a note of severity in it—it involves discipline. It is a virile word, a robust, firm, masculine word. I’m afraid that we find a lot of sissy preaching in our pulpits today. The popular thing is to have a little sermonette given by a preacherette to Christianettes. There is so little urgency. Someone has defined the average church service in a liberal church as when a mild-mannered man gets up before a group of mild-mannered people and urges them to be more mild-mannered. Oh, that is sickening, my friend!

DON’T MISS THIS
They exhorted them — They encouraged them — they charged them to walk in a manner worthy of God

Walk = literally to go here and there in walking, to tread all around.

Most NT uses are figurative meaning to conduct one’s life, to order one’s behavior, to behave, manner of living. WALK is a term used time and again to speak of our relationship with the Lord. It corresponds beautifully to the words of Jesus when He said “FOLLOW Me” — “COME AFTER Me.” There is a very real sense in which the life of faith is one of resting and sitting and waiting.

• Resting in the finished work of the cross.
• Sitting at the feet of Jesus in worship and to receive instruction.
• Waiting on the Lord in prayer — for direction

BUT — none of those are to the exclusion of WALKING. Following Jesus — living out our faith in Christ.

Psalm 1 – Blessed is the man who walks not in… Nor stands in the way of sinners… nor sits in the seat…

NOTE THE DIGRESSION from walking to standing still to sitting.

Eph 2:1-3 ESV 1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

• Before Jesus we walked here and there — conducted our lives within a certain sphere, dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.
• Before Jesus we walked here and there — conducted our lives in a certain way, lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind.

But NOW we who were once DEAD in sin have been MADE ALIVE in Christ. We now walk in the NEWNESS of life. And IF we are truly in Christ — our pattern of living and manner of conduct will look different.

WORTHY = axios –> weighing as much as –> has the root meaning of balancing the scales –> what is on one side of the scale should be equal in weight to what is on the other side.

The WAY we live — the THINGS for which we live — should correspond to our new life and position as a child of God and fellow heir with Christ. Our practical living should “weighs as much as” (axios) the gospel we preach and the faith they profess.

One side of the scale —
Here is what they say they believe

The other side of the scale —
Here is what their lives look like

Titus 2:11-14 ESV 11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

CRUCIAL:
A WALK that is WORTHY of God — results in the GLORY of God.

Paul states in these terms:

Eph 1:12 ESV 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Peter put in these terms:

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV 11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

We are brought full circle back to the very heart beat of Paul’s life and ministry — the Glory of God.

• This was the supreme end of his own life
• This was the supreme end of his preaching of the Gospel
• This was the supreme end of his teaching ministry

That men and women would WALK/LIVE in a way that is consistent/axios with the New Life given to us in Christ, which would EXALT and GLORIFY their great God and Savior!

CRUCIAL
Paul is not exhorting them, encouraging them, charging them to walk worthy of God in order to be accepted by God. They are to walk worthy BECAUSE they have been accepted by God IN Christ. Not FOR acceptance, but FROM acceptance.

EXAMPLE: Paul to the Ephesians
Paul spends three chapters exhausting the Greek language in telling them all that God the Father has done for them IN and THROUGH and WITH and BY Jesus Christ. ONLY THEN does he begin Chapter 4 with the words:

Eph 4:1 ESV 1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
March 22, 2009

1 Thessalonians 2:6-10

The Heartbeat of the Minister – Part 1

REVIEW

LAST WEEK we covered the first four verses of Chapter 2. We began our study by noting that Paul looked at this gathering of men and women with the deep understanding that they are blood-bought and from that understanding he pours out his heart in Chapter 2 in regards to ministry. As he wrote to them, he made clear the inseparable and crucial connection between the integrity of the minister and the integrity of ministry that had so powerfully touched their lives.

Jim Elliot, the missionary martyr wrote in his journal, “In spiritual work, if nowhere else, the character of the worker decides the quality of his work. Shelley and Byron may be moral free-lancers and still write good poetry. Wagner may be lecherous and still produce fine music, but it cannot be so in any work for God. Paul could refer to his own character and manner of living for proof of what he was saying to the Thessalonians.”

In those first five verses of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 2, we looked at the INTEGRITY of the MAN and the INTEGRITY of the MESSAGE.

I. INTEGRITY OF THE MAN

Paul began the explanation and defense of his own character and ministry with, “For you yourselves know…” 1 Thes 2:1

In this explanation and defense of his own ministry we found invaluable instruction concerning the character of the man or woman in ministry.

II. INTEGRITY OF HIS MESSAGE

1 Thes 2:3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,…

1.) There was the INTEGITY of the message.

By virtue of its origins, the appeal – the message, proclaimed by the countless religious systems and philosophies of the day, had their origins in the wandering and wayward speculations and opinions of man’s wisdom, and even demonic deception.

We spent considerable time walking through Scripture after Scripture that declared unequivocally that the Gospel message springs from God. There are a lot of sincere people who are sincerely wrong. They aren’t saying what they say to you as a cloak for covetousness, but sadly, their just sincerely wrong. You see, the Christian has confidence in the message because it springs from God.

2.) There was the INTEGITY of the message by virtue of the ones proclaiming it. The message was not defiled by the spiritual and moral character of Paul. Paul tells them that the message they heard was pure and that it came from a pure hearts.

3.) There was the INTEGITY of the message by virtue of the WAY Paul delivered it.

1 Thes 2:3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,…

The Greek word for “deceive” means to put bait on a hook or in a trap. Paul’s saying, “We didn’t come BAITING you.”

4.) There was the INTEGITY of the message by virtue of their MOTIVES in preaching the message. Paul was motivated to preserve his personal INTEGRITY and the INTEGRITY of the message because he recognized his commission from God – he said we’ve been approved by God.

Paul was motivated to preserve his personal INTEGRITY and the INTEGRITY of the message because he recognized the tremendous TRUST that God had given to him – to be entrusted with the gospel.

Paul knew that the message he proclaimed did not ORIGINATE with him. It was God’s message and God had ENTRUSTED him to handle it as such.

WE CLOSED in verse 4 saying we speak not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. Paul was motivated to maintain the INTEGRITY of the message because he understood that he was speaking to please God, not man.

1 Thessalonians 2:6-10

There is a phrase in verse 4 that links us to the core of this morning’s study

1 Thessalonians 2:4 ….to please God who tests our hearts

HEARTS – Throughout the Bible this term is used to refer to:

• The seat and center of human life.
• The very depths of inner life.
• The center of the personality.
• The place within man that controls the intellect, emotions, and will.

Provervs 4:23 (KJV) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Paul makes it clear that God EXAMINES — SEARCHES and TRIES the very core of who we are.

Jeremiah 11:20 But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests (same word as used in 1 Thes 2:4) the heart and the mind

Jeremiah 12:3 But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test (same word as used in 1 Thes 2:4) my heart toward you.

Paul makes it clear that God searches and tries the very core of who we are. Paul does not merely leave this as a truth or a doctrine to which we should ascribe, he makes it clear that he spoke and he served as a man conscious of the fact that – God examines the heart —– the very origins of WHY we speak and serve and HOW we speak and serve.

Here in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 we find that Paul is very much like David in the Old Testament who was called “the man after God’s own heart.”

We can look at David and say, “Lord I want to be so much like this man in all that you set forth in the best of men, and Lord that his life would also serve as a warning to me in those parts where he didn’t please God, but one thing above all God said about David was that he was a man after God’s own heart. We can paraphrase and say that the heart of David was moved by the things that move the heart of God and the heart of David longed for the things God’s heart longs for. And we see Paul and David much the same way. David said in Psalm 139:

Psalm 139:1 O Lord, you have searched ( same word as used in 1 Thes 2:4) me and known me…

Psalm 139:23 Search (same word as 1 Thes 2:4) me, O God, and know my heart;

Paul said the same thing when he said I’m going to speak and serve as if you God are searching my heart.

The Bible teaches that there is coming a day that every believer must face. A day in which God’s examination of our hearts will be disclosed.

1 Cor. 4:5 So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time — before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

God knows our motives. What an awesome and very practical truth. God examines every man’s heart.

Here is the bridge to our next section!

Paul has already set forth the integrity of the message he proclaimed to them. It springs from the One, True and Living God —-Then he declares that the One True and Living God examines and knows the hearts of men and women.

In this next section in verse 5 we actually see God the Holy Spirit —- who examines and knows the heart of men, and in particular the heart of Paul, —- inspire Paul to write to the Thessalonians about what was secret within his heart about motives. God, who knows his heart, inspires Paul to show his heart.

We will see that within the heart of Paul was a zeal for the Glory of God and the very love of God for man.

First, Paul is going to show what is NOT in his heart.

1 Thessalonians 2:5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.

This is a very emphatic and absolute statement! The word NEVER literally means never at some time.

Never comes from the Greek word, Outepote and breaks down to “never (oute) at some time (pote)”.

You can take all three weeks of Paul’s time in Thessalonica and he’s saying, “At no time did we come with words of flattery.” What does flattery have to do with Paul’s motive?

Flattery (Kolakeia) means to persuade by use of insincere speech or exaggerated praise. This was a well-known secular Greek term for a much despised practice that was common in ancient times. A few ancient figures that spoke of this are:

• Plato (350 years Before Christ – considered to be father of western philosophy)
• Plutarch (Roman historian 46-120 AD)
• Dio Chrysostom – A Greek orator, writer, philosopher and historian of the Roman Empire in the first century.

The Pillar New testament Commentary states that:

• Plato advised that one should shun any kind of flatterer,
• Plutarch stated that a flatterer corrupts the morals of the young and only pretends to be a friend. Plutarch was so concerned about flatterers that he wrote a whole treatise about how to distinguish between them and true friends.
• Dio Chrysostom warned that flattery was a characteristic of charlatans and sophists (people peddling their trades).

Paul says at no time did we come to you with words neither of flattery NOR with a pretext for greed — God is witness.

The word Pretext comes from the Greek word Prophasis. In the NT it is used only in a bad sense and with the idea of an ulterior motive.

Our English word Pretext comes from the Latin word– Prætextum —- Prae, meaning before and texere meaning, weave. It was used to describe something woven in front of something, in order to conceal, deceive or to screen. Our English word is used in relationship to an ALLEGED purpose or motive —- or CREATING AN APPEARANCE in order to cloak the real intentions.

As the Holy Spirit unveils the heart of Paul we see what was ABSENT from his heart. Paul is telling them what was NOT in his heart!

He is stating that which DID NOT move them — In this we see what we should never want to find in our hearts or in this ministry.

SADLY these are the very things that are:

• The heartbeat of so many church-goers today.
• At the ROOT of so many of the problems and heartaches within the Church (the body of Christ around the world) and the church (the local church organization).

People use ministry of all sorts as a pretext to:

• Promote themselves.
• Meet their own needs and wants whether financial or emotional.

Many men, women, and ministries have the problem of hidden agendas in their heart.

Adam Clarke, an old commentator who is now with the Lord said this, “Hear this, ye that preach the Gospel! Can ye call God to witness that in preaching it ye have no end in view by your ministry but his glory in the salvation of souls? Or do ye enter into the priesthood for a morsel of bread, or for what is ominously and impiously called a living, a benefice? Is God witness that, in all these things, ye have no cloak of covetousness? . . . But woe to that man who enters into the labour for the sake of the hire! He knows not Christ; and how can he preach him?”

We are going to see that Paul, Silas and Timothy had something else that moved them from the core of their being!

1 Thessalonians 2:6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others,

Seek from the Greek word, zeteo means, a desire to have or a desire to experience something; man’s effort to obtain something.

Glory from the Greek word, doxa means the condition of being bright or shining.

In this context it can refer to a desire to be seen — in the opinion of man —- as shining or great like Star status.

In John 5:44, Jesus explains why the Jewish people of his day refused to accept Him:

John 5:44 How can you believe, when you receive glory (doxa) from one another and do not seek (zeteo) the glory (doxa) that comes from the only God?

They were more interested in gaining the approval of men than God’s approval. There is a glory that believers can and should rightly seek. It is NOT a glory that originates with the favorable opinion of a man — which is fleeting and changing.

A desire for the favorable opinion of man did not beat in the heart of Paul. In fact, at the end of this chapter Paul tells us the one thing would be his glory:

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.

THAT was the very heartbeat of Paul and his labors! Paul’s glory was to see His great God and Savior glorified in the saving of souls! THAT was the very heartbeat of God the Son as well.

Luke 5:24-25 24…I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Matt. 15:30-31 30And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Luke 7:14-16 (From the funeral for the only son of a widow of Nain) 14Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man I say to you, arise.” 15And the dead man sat up and began to speak and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

Luke 13:11-13
11And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.

John 13:31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son

John 15:8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

John 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

In closing – GOD, who EXAMINES and KNOWS the hearts of men and women has graciously given to us a peek into the heart of Paul. We have seen that for which his heart did NOT beat. We have seen that at the very core of Paul there was ONE overriding desire, ONE thing for which his heartbeat:

The GLORY of God!

WHERE does this come from?

It does not spring from a mere acknowledgement of or agreement with Biblical truth – though it must always —- and will always be in agreement with the Scriptures. It can ONLY come from a life transformed by the indwelling of life and power of Jesus.

Glorifying God is not what most Christians view as the main point of their lives. If you think of ministries as a whole…what’s at the core of the ministry or the heartbeat of the Christian, most of the time it’s not going to be to see that God the Father is glorified. The only way this can even begin to be in our hearts is by having the very life of Jesus within us.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Notice the inextricable relationship between what Paul lived for and what his heart beat for and the reality of Christ living in him. He said I can’t live this life to the glory of God. Paul says that “I know that in my flesh there’s no good thing that dwells in me” so how do we find Paul’s heart beating for and longing for God to be glorified in and through his life? He says because “it’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

THIS is what separates Christianity from false religion! It is the very life of Christ in us. It is the very heart of Jesus beginning to beat in us! It is the life of a forgiven sinner lived in vital union with Jesus who IS our life!

Now as we look at our life and call ourselves Christians we have to ask ourselves, “Is this me?”

John 15:5 – I am the vine and you are the branches…apart from Me you can do nothing!

Col 3:4 – When Christ who IS your life appears…

Is Jesus your life? That’s Christianity.

When you are born again you became a participant in the life of Christ! “Born again” is not cliché. It is reality. Its being born a second time through faith in Jesus; it’s having your sins forgiven and being made a new creature. Old things pass away and all things are made new.

In Philippians Paul refers to it as, “a work that is begun.” God is at work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. From the point of conversion forward, we are daily being conformed to the image of Jesus who LIVED for the glory of God the father.

The degree to which we yield our hearts and lives to Jesus – the degree to which we abide in Him – is the degree to which we find our hearts beating for the Glory of God!

WHAT is it that your heart beats for? Is it beating for the glory of man?

WHAT is that Metro’s heart collectively beats for? The answer is found in your agenda and ours!

What is YOUR agenda? For some people church is a pretext for business connections, to have emotional needs met, or find a mate.

What is OUR agenda? Metro’s agenda should be: The Glory of God.

Why do we want to see people saved? Surely we want to see people saved from Hell and into a living, abundant relationship with Jesus, but more than that we should desire to see people saved to glorify God the Father who sent his Son to save us.

There was only ONE agenda for Jesus: “Father I have glorified you in everything I’ve done.” There was ONE agenda for Paul. There is only ONE agenda for the Church!

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

May God help us to search our hearts. May He be probing us, testing our hearts so we can know, “Is my agenda, His agenda? Does my heart look like the heart of Jesus? Is the heart of Jesus beating in my life? And to the degree that it is, praise the Lord!

None of us should leave condemned this morning. We should just leave challenged knowing that God so cares for us that he says, “Let me just search things out.”

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
March 15, 2009

1 Thessalonians 2:1-5

The Integrity of the Man – The Integrity of the Message

REVIEW
Chapter 1 ended with Paul defining the nature of this collection of men and women in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

A Christian is someone who has been RESCUED FROM WRATH by Jesus! The local assembly of believers is a collection of men and women who have been RESCUED FROM WRATH by Jesus! Now, as rescued individuals, and as a group of rescued individuals, we are waiting for Jesus who has rescued us from the wrath that is to come!

Last week we spent a considerable amount of time looking at what the Bible clearly states about God’s wrath:

• The PURPOSE of God’s wrath.
• The ETERNITY of God’s wrath.
• The FINALITY of God’s wrath.

It is in the light of those scriptures that we are able to grasp:

• The GREATNESS of our DELIVERANCE.
• The GREATNESS of our DELIVERER!

In light of the Scriptures we understand that the CUP that Jesus took to Himself was the cup of God’s wrath and indignation against sin. We understand that when Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me” it was BECAUSE God had poured out upon Jesus the WRATH that we deserved – That Jesus hung there as our SUBSTITUTE.

We understand in light of those scriptures that when Jesus said, “It is finished.” he meant that he had indeed satisfied the wrath of God; he had indeed delivered all who would believe in Him from the wrath to come!

We closed by noting that though we might experience the pain and suffering that is common to this fallen world and that one can experience because of their faith in Christ, we will NEVER experience the WRATH OF GOD that will be meted out upon the fallen angels and Christ-rejecting humans —- BECAUSE through faith in Jesus we have been RESCUED from the wrath to come. We have an incredible HOPE and DESTINATION to look forward to and I can’t wait.

So here are these baby Christians in Thessalonica. Paul was only there three weeks before he was driven out and yet within those few weeks he DEEPLY implanted within the hearts of those new believers the reality of their rescue and the hope of Christ’s return!

As we continue reading the content of this letter in Chapter 2, we must bear in mind that Paul is not just thinking of them as a former congregation that he once pastored— or as some friends he met while pastoring. Instead he looks at this gathering of men and women with the deep, profound understanding that they are blood-bought and from that understanding he pours out his heart in Chapter 2 in regards to ministry and in particular his ministry to them.

Paul becomes very passionate here. He is going to pour out his heart concerning the inseparable and crucial connection between the integrity of the minister and the integrity of ministry that had so powerfully touched their lives.

Jim Elliot – The missionary martyr wrote in his journal, “In spiritual work, if nowhere else, the character of the worker decides the quality of his work. Shelley and Byron may be moral free-lancers and still write good poetry. Wagner may be lecherous and still produce fine music, but it cannot be so in any work for God. Paul could refer to his own character and manner of living for proof of what he was saying to the Thessalonians.

“Nine times over in this first epistle Paul says, ‘You know,’ referring to the Thessalonians’ firsthand observation of Paul’s private as well as public life. Paul went to Thessalonica and lived a life that more than illustrated what he preached; it went beyond illustration to convincing proof. No wonder so much work in the Kingdom is shoddy; look at the moral character of the worker.”

1 Thessalonians, Chapter 2

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2 1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

So Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica was not free from conflict, in fact it was in the midst of much conflict. So first of all, we’re going to look at the integrity of this man, the integrity of Paul.

I. INTEGRITY OF THE MAN

“For you yourselves know…” opens a section where Paul will explain and defend his own character and ministry before the Thessalonians. This wasn’t because Paul was insecure about his ministry it was because he had many enemies in Thessalonica. We find this stated in Acts 17:5-6 and verse 13.

Acts 17:5-6 5But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…

Acts 17:13 13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

These people tried to discredit him in his absence, especially because he had left Thessalonica in a hurry. There were those who said he left town so quickly because he was a self-serving coward. Their intent was to undermine the faith of these men and women. Why should they believe a message declared by a man who was just a self-serving coward? They wanted to make the message suspect by accusing the messenger. NOTICE what he says to answer these charges. DON’T MISS THIS – Paul’s defense is going to give to us radical instruction concerning the character of the man or woman who serves the Lord. He says:

• YOU KNOW what kind of an entrance we had.
• YOU SAW what we looked like when we came from Philippi. (Remember Philippi? They were being beaten with rocks and thrown into a dungeon.)
• YOU KNOW that we didn’t turn away
• YOU KNOW that we were willing to put our lives on the line to tell you the truth about Jesus Christ.

He’s saying to them SUCH COMMITMENT to Christ —- leading to a WILLINGNESS TO SUFFER —- disproves any accusation of self-serving or self-promotion.

Thomas Constable, in “The Bible Knowledge Commentary” put it this way, “This mission had cost them dearly, but God gave them uncommon boldness to stand up in the synagogue at Thessalonica and preach the same message that had brought them persecution in Philippi. And when opposition broke out in Thessalonica the missionaries kept on preaching. This is not the reaction of people who are trying to make money or build personal reputations at the expense of their hearers. Paul called on his readers to remember these actions and to recognize the sincerity behind them. The missionaries’ boldness amid strong opposition was the sign of God at work in His servants and was proof of their genuineness.”

So this was not a self serving defense. This explanation was for the sake of guarding the faith of these men and women against the time (and at those times) when the devil would try to destroy their faith by telling them they embraced a phony message because the messenger was phony!

How many people have said, “Well I tried Christianity, and I went to this church, and I raised my hand, and I went forward, and then the pastor committed adultery and I believe the whole thing was a lie?” The message that they heard might have actually been very biblical, but the enemy of your soul wants to undermine the message by undermining the integrity of the messenger, to get them to doubt the message they embrace.

FAST FORWARD to 2009 and for a moment and juxtapose Paul’s words to the Thessalonians against the hype of much ministry today. Those ministries that promote themselves as… “The fastest growing church” or “The second fastest growing church in…” or “The third largest church in…” Somehow I don’t think that we would be hearing anything like that if a fresh beating was awaiting those leading the proclamation of the Gospel and the teaching of the Word of God. The prospect of a fresh beating however, NEVER slowed down Paul or changed his message.

Paul would say to the Philippians – “To live is Christ, to die is gain!” In another place Paul said, “I will endure all things for the sake of the elect,…” 2 Timothy 2:10

He wouldn’t give up. One more beating would have made no difference to him. And note this, he said, “We had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 It’s amazing, the words “suffering” and “affliction” are woven through the first section of this letter:

• “…much affliction…” 1 Thessalonians 1:6
• “…suffered and mistreated…”1 Thessalonians 2:2
• “…hindered by Satan.” 1 Thessalonians 2:18
• “…afflictions…” 1 Thessalonians 3:4
  “…distress and affliction…” *1 Thessalonians 3:7

I wonder, are those the themes of modern Christianity today? I’m not saying I’m going out to look for it. I’m not going to stand on a corner and wear a big sign that says, “Come beat me,” but in reality we have this church culture that’s actually promoting the opposite at any expense.

It’s interesting; Paul’s record of suffering and affliction is discussed in the first three chapters, looking backwards – reminding them and encouraging them, but they are not mentioned in Chapters 4-5 which look forward emphasizing requests and instructions. But looking back as to when they received the gospel and what was the message they received, he has this thread or theme of suffering and affliction. So the integrity of the man is so important.

II. INTEGRITY OF HIS MESSAGE

1 Thessalonians 2:3-5 3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5For we never came with words of flattery as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.

3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive …

“Our appeal” is a reference to the message that Paul proclaimed to them. “Appeal” or “Paraklesis” comes from two Greek words:

“pará” means to come along side of, beside and “kaléo” means to call. It literally means a calling to one’s side for admonition, encouragement, exhortation.

I came across this note from the Pulpit Commentary – (A 24 volume commentary on the entire Bible available inexpensively from Ages Software): “Paraklesis denotes both ‘exhortation’ and ‘consolation’ —- when it refers to the moral conduct it denotes exhortation but when it is an address to a sufferer it denotes consolation.”

When someone has gone wrong morally, the word speaks of exhortation. It speaks of exhorting someone by coming along side them and saying, “Whoa- wait a minute!” But when someone is suffering it denotes consolation.

What’s so beautiful is that BOTH of these elements are found in the APPEAL that is made in the Gospel. In the Gospel we find God addressing the moral bankruptcy of man and man’s lost condition. But then the message of the Gospel extends to man the offer of comfort that follows from reconciliation to God through the shed blood of Jesus! We have the record of the APPEAL made by Paul in Acts:

Acts 17:2-3 2And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

So when Paul says, “3For our appeal does not spring from error…” 1 Thessalonians 2:3 Paul is setting the INTEGRITY of the message that he proclaimed to these men and women in stark contrast to the false appeals of the numerous false religions and philosophies of that time and place.

The Thayer Definition of “Error” is a wandering, a straying about.

This word “Error” is always used in the New Testament in a figurative sense of roaming or wandering whether in doctrine or in morals. It is crucial to understand that in Scripture, doctrine and morals are never really divided. BELIEF always influences BEHAVIOR.

There in Thessalonica there were many messages competing for the hearts and lives of men and women. Without studying the bible we don’t realize that we’re not unlike any other generations of Christians and back in Thessalonica it was worse.

The city of Thessalonica sat on the Agnation Way which was a port of great significance. It was a melting pot city with cultures from all over the world. Think cosmopolitan. (Think of London or Manhattan.) There was a staggering variety of religions and religious professionals peddling those religions in Thessalonica. In this city, you would find the worship of the gods of the Olympian pantheon —- especially Apollo, Athena and Hercules. There were the native Greek mystery religions that celebrated Dionysus and the sex and drinking cult. There were the Greek intellectual and philosophical traditions. There were also shrines to many Egyptian gods: Isis, Saraphis, and Anubis. Also present were the Roman State cults that deified the political heroes of Rome and the emperor.

The “Appeal”- the message proclaimed by each of those religious systems and philosophies had their origins in the wandering and wayward speculations and opinions of man’s wisdom and demonic deception. Paul is setting his message in stark contrast to those messages. Paul says —- You can rest in the TRUTH of what we proclaimed because it did not spring from such error (wayward nonsense).

CHRISTIANS – This is what we place our confidence in 2,000 years later! We do not have to wonder about the INTEGRITY of the message we have to declare.

2 Peter 1:16-21 16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 John 1:1-3 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:1-4 1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Dan Dutcher is teaching a series here on how to study the bible. Dan made a good point today saying,

“The unbelieving world says, ‘The Bible is WEAK. You can’t really believe that this is divine. Some nice sentiments here and there —- but it is intellectually too weak.’ Then the false religions say that it is ‘INCOMPLETE.’ The Koran, The Book of Mormon, The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society all claim that their writings were necessary because the Bible was INCOMPLETE” But here’s what really struck me – Dan continued with, “Much of modern Christianity says that the Bible is BOTH weak AND incomplete!”

There are great segments in Christianity today that say, “The Gospel is WEAK – It doesn’t have the power to get people in the door. It doesn’t have the power to keep people in. The Gospel is INCOMPLETE. In order to get the job done we have to ADD to the Scriptures our PROGRAMS. In order to get the job done we have to ADD to the Scriptures our clever IDEAS.”

LISTEN CHRISTIANS, I can say to you, what Paul said to the men and women in Thessalonica: Our message does not spring from error! The Gospel message sprang from God. It is the only message that can lead men and women to right belief and right behavior. So there is this INTEGRITY of Paul’s message — an inherent integrity by virtue of its source —- GOD! But there was also INTEGRITY in Paul’s message in relationship to the man delivering the message. He said, “3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity…”

Impurity comes from two Greek words: akatharsia

The prefix “a” means without and “kathaíro” which means to cleanse. We think of cathartic agents such as medicine. In biblical days, salt was a cathartic agent used to cleanse a wound.

It’s key to note that this word was used several ways:

• To describe filth or refuse/sewage.
• In medical settings to refer to an infected, oozing wound.
• To describe decaying matter, like the contents of a grave.

With those physical images in mind, this word was also used to define a state of moral impurity —- especially sexual sin. In that sense it described a filthiness of heart and mind that defiles the person, making them unusable in ministry. So Paul tells them that the message they heard was pure and that it came from a pure heart.

There was the INTEGITY OF THE MESSAGE by virtue of its origins. It didn’t spring from error of the wayward wanderings of lost men or demonic systems, but from God. And there was the INTEGRITY OF THE MESSAGE by virtue of the ones proclaiming it — the message was not defiled by the spiritual and moral character of Paul.

The INTEGRITY OF THE MESSAGE was preserved in the WAY Paul delivered it.

3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive…

The word “Deceive” literally refers to putting bait on a hook or in a trap. The Greek word, “dolos” derived from “dello” means to bait.

Did you know that EVERY fisherman is a deceiver! We catch fish by means of deception by using lures that resemble bugs that fish like to eat — or by putting food over a hook in hopes that a fish will bite the hook!.

PAUL IS SAYING – We didn’t come BAITING you – We did not say what we thought you wanted to hear so we could get you in the door and keep you in the door. We came to you and we were up front and open with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is still relevant today. There is so much bait out there designed to hook somebody when actually the Gospel is a costly message. It declares that our salvation required the death of God’s only Son. Our responsibility is to deliver that message with clarity wrapped up in the love of God. We do not have the right to trick men and women into a “decision” for Christ by disguising the costs of discipleship. We can not bait men and women with a message that is centered on man or man’s perceived needs. We can not bait men and women with a church culture that is centered on man, making the Gospel all about them. It’s not all about them; it’s all about God, and His Son.

HERE IS THE MOTIVATION for the INTEGRITY in preaching the message.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

Paul’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the message was DIRECTLY LINKED to his commission from God.

The word “Approved” means, tested, proved or approved, tried as metals by fire and thus purified. The tense of this verb implies that there was a time of testing prior to their being entrusted with the gospel. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were tested and found valid by God.

God demands that those whom He commissions for His service BE APPROVED before He gives to them responsibility in ministry.

“…approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel…”

Paul was motivated to INTEGRITY because he recognized the tremendous TRUST that God had placed in him.

Ephesians 3:8 8To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.

1Timothy 1:11-12 in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners12I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,

Paul said, “I didn’t apply, I was appointed.”

Titus 1:3 3and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God

Paul understood that the message he was given did not ORIGINATE with himself. It was not Paul’s to mess with, add to, take away from, or hold back some of it. He understood it was God’s message and God had ENTRUSTED him to handle it as such.

1Corinthians 4:1-2 1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

A steward is obligated to please the one who whom he serves. So Paul says – so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

It is not beyond those in ministry to speak in a way that pleases man, to hold back the full message, or to speak things that do not come from the bible either for sake of the praises of man or the support of man. The minister MUST BE MOVED to preserve the INTEGRITY of the message because he understands the TRUST – the PRIVILEGE that has been given to proclaim the Word of God. That he realizes that God is the Master and that God knows when the message is watered down or held back.

God knows.

I’ve never taught a group of people who are so hungry for the Word. Sometimes I say something and think, “That made no sense” and I wonder, “Did I do a disservice to the text?” but I never want to wonder, “Did I preach to please man?” “Did I do it for the praises of man?” You need to pray that God will always keep you hearing HIS Word.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
March 1, 2009

1 Thessalonians 1:10

Rescued From Wrath

We are going to spend one more Sunday looking at the last words of Chapter 1 – words that are extra wonderful for a Communion Sunday

REMEMBER:

Paul ends each chapter with a reference to the return of Jesus.

1 Thes. 1:9-10

9….how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

CHRISTIANITY has in large part come to be viewed, both from without and within, as a subculture, a collection of men and women with similar moral values; and a general belief in God and Jesus

And Paul does remind these men and women that they are indeed a collection of men and women, the ecclesia. But he wants them to know that there is nothing VAGUE or UNCLEAR as to the GREAT and GLORIOUS NATURE of their assembling together.*

1 Thessalonians 1:10

10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

They were a collection of men and women who had been RESCUED! Think of the men and women in a lifeboat when the Titanic sunk.
They were not merely a collection of men and women with similar values. They were together in that boat because they had been RESCUED from a horrible death on a sinking boat in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. JESUS had RESCUED this collection of men and women from wrath! Now, as an assembly of believers, they were waiting for Jesus who had rescued them!

KEY INSIGHT:

The emphasis of the word delivered is upon the seriousness of the situation from which they were delivered.

The scriptures are clear about God’s wrath:

• the PURPOSE of it

• the ETERNITY of it

• the FINALITY of it

I pray that the Holy Spirit will:

• Enable us to understand the GREATNESS of that wrath.

• Stir our hearts and awaken our hearts to the fact that a
  Christian is someone who has been RESCUED —- DELIVERED
  FROM from His WRATH!

• Enable us to understand the GREATNESS of our DELIVERANCE

• Above all help us to understand the GREATNESS of our
  DELIVERER!

I. The PURPOSE and NATURE of God’s Wrath

Romans 1:18

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Romans 12:19

19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

VERY IMPORTANT OBSERVATION:

Paul is telling us that this thing called wrath is connected with God’s response to something that deserves vengeance. And then tells us that God has said – “I will repay.”

CRUCIAL POINT:

God’s wrath is a repayment to man for something man has done.

From this verse alone, we can define the wrath of God as, God’s settled anger toward sin, expressed in the repayment of suitable vengeance on the guilty sinner.

SO there we have What it IS (God’s settled anger toward sin ) and what it DOES (the repayment of suitable vengeance on the guilty sinner).

It is interesting to hear how many people, church-goers included, that are very uncomfortable with the thought of God ever being angry.

First of all —- because the only anger they are familiar with is an unholy anger coming from fallen, sinful, unholy humans.

But we must note that they commit the common and tragic error of interpreting the Bible and building a theology out of human wisdom and emotion.

DID YOU KNOW THAT the words wrath and anger (orge and thumos) are used over a hundred times in the Bible side by side?

Psalm 6:1

10Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.

Psalm 90:7

7We are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.

Hosea 13:11

11I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.

Romans 2:8

8For those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury [anger].

QUOTE: A.T. Robertson –

“God’s anger (thumos) is his vehement fury or boiling rage. His wrath (orge) is his settled indignation or his settled anger.”

In other words, in God’s anger the emphasis falls on the emotional, boiling intensity of it. And in God’s wrath the emphasis falls on the controlled, settled, considered direction and focus of its application. But we dare not draw a hard line between them. God’s anger is never out of the control of his wisdom and righteousness, and his wrath is never cool or indifferent, but is always a wisely directed fury. The wrath of God is never less than a perfect judicial decree, but is always more than a perfect judicial decree because it is always full of right and fitting fury.

II. The ETERNITY and FINALITY of God’s wrath

In Daniel 12:2 God promises that the day is coming when:

2many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Jesus spoke of the eternity of God’s wrath in numerous ways:

Mark 9:43-48

43And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

Some manuscripts add verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48)

TWICE Jesus refers to the fires of hell as “unquenchable” they will never go out. THIS IS HUGE – God incarnate is speaking in terms that are unmistakably clear In fact they are terrible in their clarity. He says – IF you go there – there will be no relief for ever and ever.

On another occasion:

Mark 3:29

29Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

This is a STAGGERING statement.

PLEASE NOTE AGAIN

There is nothing veiled, nothing ambiguous in the words of Jesus on this matter of eternal consequence. The concept of Eternity is beyond us – The concept of experiencing the wrath of God for eternity is even more beyond us – He wants none to be misguided, so He speaks with a clarity that is INESCAPABLE. Tone must work very hard to BLUR the meaning of these words

1.) One must IGNORE the source of the words

John 1:14

14The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld….

2 Peter 1:16

16We did not deliver to you cunningly devised fables…but we were were eyewitnesses of His majesty

2.) One must DELIBERATELY cast their obvious meaning aside and then SUBSTITUTE one’s own opinion for the words of God, Incarnate!

THAT is exactly what is happening within “Christian” circles today. Substituting human opinion for Divine Truth. Which is one of the very reasons God is revealing His wrath.

Romans 1:18

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

EXAMPLE:

Brian McLaren – Tries to explain away the Biblical doctrine of hell by way of a story of a fictional pastor and his daughters struggles concerning the doctrine of hell.

The daughter’s crisis of faith ‘If Christianity Is True, People I Love Will Burn in Hell’

Pastor dad says that his daughter wanted to know how did I deal with the fact that even one person could be tortured for an infinity of time for a finite number of sins?

Pastor dad said – I again put on my parental face, and this time I told her how a finite being’s offense against an infinite God is an infinite offense, which she didn’t buy and I didn’t push because I myself couldn’t imagine a biblical writer using that kind of argument.

Wow – Jesus just stated it — without any attempt to argue the point! But pastor dad has just thrown aside the words of God incarnate because pastor dad can’t imagine it to be so

Then I told her about “conditionalism,” the idea that hell is temporary and leads to extinction rather than eternal torment, another minority opinion in Christian theology regarding hell, which helped her a bit more, but only until the next morning.

He gives to his daughter a minority opinion

God’s is not the author of “conditionalism.”

CRUCIAL:
In Mark 3:29 Jesus rules out any idea of there being a hell that is anything less than eternal in nature.

Jesus said –

29that there is a sin for which there will never be forgiveness.

Jesus said –

There are people who will never be saved. They are eternally lost.

Matthew 25:41, and 46 – in speaking of the judgment takes place on earth immediately after the Battle of Armageddon, Jesus says in verse 41

41Then [the king] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

And to make crystal clear that eternal means everlasting he says again in verse 46

46, These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

CRUCIAL POINT:

The punishment is eternal in the same way that the life is eternal. BOTH mean never-ending, Everlasting. Imagine if the life promised to us in Jesus was NOT FOREVER.

HERE’S THE POINT:

The description of the expression of God’s wrath being ETERNAL and FINAL is an truly an incomprehensible thought on the human level.

BUT – Despite that, Jesus did not try to mute or diminish the Certainty, the Finality, or the Severity of the wrath of God.

III. Jesus DELIVERS US from the wrath to come.

The Bible not only teaches us about God’s settled anger toward sin, expressed in the repayment of suitable vengeance on the guilty sinner. The Bible, from cover to cover, affirms the fact that:

2 Peter 3:9

9God is NOT willing that ANY man or woman should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

John 3:17

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The presence and power of God through the lives of Paul and his team resulted in these men and women in Thessalonica WAITING for Jesus, knowing that Jesus had RESCUED them from the wrath that IS coming!

Today there are those who try to say that Jesus never made clear the difference between heaven and hell and those who are delivered from the wrath to come and those who are not

AGAIN – McLaren from “The Last Word and the Word after That”

The daughter – “If Christianity is true, then all the people I love except for a few will burn in hell forever. But if Christianity is not true, then life doesn’t seem to have much meaning or hope. I wish I could find a better option. How do you deal with this?”

Pastor Dad – My daughter’s question stabbed me more painfully than I can adequately explain. She had found the Achilles’ heel, so to speak, of my own theology, and with that one simple question, I felt something snap in me. No, it didn’t snap: it softened, like a floor joist weakened by termites or dry rot. It sagged and crumbled and broke in stages over the days and weeks to come. I had generally avoided the subject of hell in my preaching over the years, touching on it only when necessary and even then doing so as gently as possible.

Whenever anyone asked me about hell, I’d give my best, most orthodox answer, but I’d secretly think, “I’ll bet they won’t buy it.” If they did, I was surprised, because if I were on their side of the table, investigating orthodoxy from the outside instead of defending it from within, my answers would not have sufficed. (get a job!)

Pastor dad’s response – I tried to help Jess that Saturday afternoon by telling her about “inclusivism,” an alternative to the “exclusivist” view she was unhappy with. While exclusivism limited eternal life in heaven to bona fide, confessing Christians, inclusivism kept the door open that others could be saved through Christ even if they never identified as Christians.

First of all, what the heck is a – “never identified as Christian?”

The Bible talks about CONFESSING that Jesus Christ is the Lord!

I’m pretty sure it’s a reference to the person of another “faith community” who would never admit to being a follower of Jesus but doesn’t lose his temper as fast as one of the ushers at church. The nice Buddhist or Hindu that gives the peace sign when he’s cut of on the freeway instead of the half peace sign.

SECONDLY – and most important – The intellectually honest person would see that true exclusivism would be described as NO INVITATION EXTENDED, Go away, God didn’t invite YOU, because God doesn’t want YOU in here.

PROBLEM

GOD HAS BEEN INVITING MAN since Genesis 3!

There are those who say that the Gospel message is filled with HATE. It is anything but that! It is the GREATEST LOVE MESSAGE in the universe. God has not merely been INVITING man since Genesis 3, He has been CHASING man, Even those who weren’t looking.

EXAMPLE:

He appeared to Abram in the Ur of the Chaldees, uninvited, He goes to a single man and calls him out of idolatry so that He could make a nation from him through who the savior of the world would come.

Romans 10:20-21

20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,”I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21But of Israel he says All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.

Luke 14:21-24

21…‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you,none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’

If THAT were not enough, He Even calls himself Emmanuel, which means God with us.

John 1:14

In the beginning was the Word and the Word WAS God – and the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us and we beheld His glory as of the Only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth.

How UNWILLING is God that you NOT have to endure that WRATH?

So UNWILLING that He sent His son to die in our place.

Paul is completely clear that Christ has come to RESCUE US and INVITE everyone who will listen so that they might BE RESCUED!

2 Cor. 5:18-21

18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

ANYONE who wants to steal away that truth doesn’t understand TWO very simple things

1. The FINALITY and SEVERITY of God’s wrath

2. The COMPLETENESS of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

They don’t understand the CUP that He took to Himself.

They don’t understand that Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” BECAUSE God poured out on Jesus the WRATH that we deserved, that Jesus hung there as our SUBSTITUTE. We WILL NOT experience the WRATH OF GOD that will be poured out upon fallen angels and Christ-rejecting humans

Because we have been RESCUED from the wrath to come.

We have an incredible HOPE and DESTINATION to look forward to, and I can’t wait.

If we don’t give to the Church the Blessed Hope, we are robbing it of a crucial facet of what should be happening in our lives as believers

It is a purifying hope in this hopeless world!

IF we really believe what the Bible says about the REALITY of, CERTAINTY of, ETERNITY of God’s wrath we should:

1. We should forever adore and exalt Jesus because He
   delivers us from the wrath to come.
2. We should be broken over the certain end for the lost
   around us – without Jesus they are ETERNALLY LOST,
   facing the wrath of God.
3. We should be longing for and laboring for them to come
   to faith in the One who alone can deliver them from the
   wrath to come — and allow them to join the redeemed in
   exalting Him.

Copyrights:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
  Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
  a division of Good News Publishers
  All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked “NKJV™” are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Richard Cimino
Sunday Morning
February 22, 2009

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 ESV

The Measure of a Ministry: The Work of Faith – Labor of Love – Steadfastness of Hope

The verses we are going to cover have a very special place in my heart because they were used by the Lord in the planting of this fellowship. I was teaching on this very section of 1 Thessalonians in November of 2003 at Calvary Chapel Grass Valley (CCGV) – We had been doing the Monday night study for just over a year and were only weeks away from holding our first Sunday service as an outreach of CCGV. As I look at your faces this morning I am so thankful for how the Lord directed us to be studying this specific book of the Bible at that specific time. As we study verses 2-10 this morning we will get a look into God’s heart concerning the Measure of a Ministry. And along the way I hope you will get a little look into my heart and Valerie’s heart concerning Metro.

1 Thessalonians 1:2

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

We is a reference to the men introduced in Verse 1 Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. Those must have been some amazing prayer meetings – Imagine getting alone with Paul and these guys for prayer. They got together and THANKED God for what He had done in the lives of the believers in Thessalonica and PRAYED for them.

1 Thessalonians 1:3

remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

NOTE: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE —- This is before 1 Cor 13:13

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

KEY OBSERVATION:

The PRESENCE and POWER of God was so noticeably present in Thessalonica that Paul and his team were ASSURED that God was beginning a great work there.

May that ALWAYS be true of the ministry of Metro. May we never look for or desire anything less than The PRESENCE and POWER of God in the ministry of the Word.

KEY QUESTIONS:

WHAT IS THE MEASURE of effective ministry?

HOW do you KNOW that what you are seeing in a given church or ministry is truly the work of God?

CRUCIAL INSIGHT:

Wherever the Word of God is ministered in the POWER of the Holy Spirit,You will ALWAYS see the same results that Paul witnessed in Thessalonica.

Here the Scriptures show us the measure of a ministry —-

The things by which we can KNOW that ministry is being undertaken by the presence and power of the Lord.

Work of Faith
Labor of Love
Steadfastness of Hope

I. THE WORK OF FAITH

KEY QUESTION:

WHAT is the work of faith?

Remember: