1 Thessalonians 4
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
First time in a while we’re in the middle school room
Welcome and calm them down
Open Bibles- no phones- to 1 Thessalonians 4. we’re not doing the whole chapter, but Joe is going to finish the rest of the book with you guys next week
Background: Remember Paul is writing to the Thessalonians who have been killing it in the area of loving one another as a community of believers. So Paul is writing to the church to encourage them and tell them how much he misses them. It’s a very personal book for Paul
*read and pray*
Finally, 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. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that 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. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Now 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, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Continue in Holiness
Continue in Holiness
Paul begins to finish his letter by encouraging the Thessalonians to continue in holiness
He says “Do so more and more”
Why does he say this? He wants to spur on these believers to keep growing in their faith
He says, “we 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.”
He tells them I know you all are already practicing your faith well. You are living it out so well, but you need to keep going because this is God’s will
God’s will
Some of you guys come and ask us student ministry guys sometimes how do I discern the will of God? Sometimes it’s like, “I’ve got this girl or this guy I like and I’m trying to figure out how to discern God’s will in that, but it’s not what you think
In reality, how you seek God’s will is you relentlessly pursue Him, you grow in your faith, you put off sin, and you make Christ the love of your life.
As you do this, you begin to learn wisdom and know how to discern through situations using His wisdom
For some reason, we think we discern God’s will by asking the Lord can I eat this donut or asking this girl out on a date, and then we sit there and wait for God to speak.
You discern God’s will by learning His Word and learning how to apply it to your life because His will for you is to grow in your walk with Him.
I know it’s hard though because you’re probably thinking how does that play out? Well, stay in the Word and let it be the lens in which you see the world around you
As you begin to do this, you’ll start associated scripture with certain events in your life and maybe it’s the situation of you’re trying to figure out if you should change who you consider to be your friends. Well, step one is going to be asking yourself, “do these people cause me to sin instead of be the best believer I can be? Because matthew 5 says to cut off your hand if it’s going to cause you to sin. in other words, go to the furthest extent to get rid of sin in your life, so if those friends get you into trouble maybe rethink who you hang out with.
That’s just an applicable situation
He says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” -THIS is God’s will and all you had to do to figure that out is open His Word
Paul says in verse 7, “For God has not called us for impurity but in holiness.”
The impurity that he previously mentions in verses 4-7 specifically is sexual immorality and lust, and guys, this is something I strongly urge you to stay away from. Do not think it to be something light, do not joke about it, don’t even think about it! You have to flee it (1 Cor. 6:18)
The last thing I’ll say about this is that we live in a horrible and wicked world that lacks self-control especially when it comes to the topic of sexual immorality, and I’m telling you not to touch the stove with this. There are some lessons you can learn without getting burned by it because with looking at things you shouldn’t be and talking to people you shouldn’t be there are grave consequences with that. If someone you don’t know sends you something, you need to tell your parents or at the very least, block and report the number and delete the text message because there are wicked people out there that are not your friend
But God has not called us to impurity. He has called us to holiness, to put away the desires of the flesh.
This is how we please God, whom has given His Holy Spirit to you
Paul warns his readers that whoever disregards the command to live holy lives disregards God
Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that if you disregard the command to live holy, you are downright disregarding the Lord and His Holy Spirit’s command.
How could you say you serve God if you simply do not serve God?
Live Quietly
Live Quietly
Transition: Paul goes from talking about inward displays of holiness that take place in the mind and the quiet, he begins to talk about living out holiness in the outward
Paul says that the Thessalonians are doing well in loving one another in verses 9 and 10, but Paul encourages them with the same phrase he used to encourage them in walking in holiness, he says, “Do this more and more.”
Again, we see that we should do one nice thing and then we’re done! We met our nice guy quota for the rest of my life!
You keep going and going and going until you die!
Then he says in verse 10, “We urge you to do this more and more, AND to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs.”
When Paul says to live quietly, he does not mean that we should have this “live and let live mentality.” It’s not you do your thing and I’ll do mine.
Americans have this individualistic mentality nowadays that says you have your truth and I have mine, and as long as we’re all HAPPY, we’re alright.
We need to finish reading 12 to get the full picture of what he’s saying here, “aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”
What Paul is actually saying here is to stay busy and keep yourself from getting involved in other people’s affairs. Don’t indulge in gossip or anything like that.
Some important context to understand too in this is that some of the Thessalonians misunderstood the return of Christ and they just started quitting their jobs, but boredom is the devil’s playground.
Don’t get caught up in the wickedness of the world because you have nothing better to do
That’s a stupid way to sin
Learn yourself and kill sin
Conclusion
Conclusion
Press on in holiness and live quietly that you might represent Christ well.
