Paul's Epistles - I
Thessalonians
Part 4 – Live to
Please God
Pastor Bruce A.
Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
We began looking at the basics of
Christianity and the foundation of the church. How it was constructed, how it
is to operate, and the instructions we as followers of Christ are given.
We looked at the Book of Acts, which shows
the ups and downs of the Apostles and the early church. Many of the issues they
had then, we still deal with today. So it is good for us to read these books
and keep an eye on ourselves.
After Acts, we looked at the first few
chapters of Revelation to read what the letters Jesus sent to the churches
consisted of. We learned where the church were doing good, where they were
messing up, and in all cases, how they were “supposed” to be.
We took those letters, compiled them and
read them as if it were Christ’s instructions to us, as individuals, and as a
church.
From the letter’s of Christ, we turned
then to Paul’s letters, or epistles.
First looking at the Book of Romans, then
to I and II Corinthians, from there to Galatians, and now we are looking at his
letter to the Thessalonians.
This letter is believed to be Paul’s first
letter.
We will now look at Paul’s ministry in
Thessalonica.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE I Thessalonians 4
As for other matters, brothers and
sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please
God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord
Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what
instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will that you should be
sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that
each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy
and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like
the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in
this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or
sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as
we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did
not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.8 Therefore,
anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the
very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 Now about your love for one another we
do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to
love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of
God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters,
to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your
ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with
your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that
your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not
be dependent on anybody.
I.
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS (Instructions to the saved)
a.
You are already living to please God
i. We urge you to do
this more and more
b.
You already know the instructions we gave you
i. By the authority of
Jesus Christ
c.
Continue doing what you are doing
i. Paul feared they
had faltered as some others had, this is why he sent Timothy to check on them.
II.
GOD’S WILL
a.
That you should be sanctified
i. Sanctified –
cleansed, freed from sin, redeemed
ii. This is
God’s Will, that you receive sanctification from Christ
b.
That you should avoid sexual immorality
i. Immoral – wicked,
evil, dishonorable, corrupt
ii. Each of
you should learn to control your own body
in a way that is holy and honorable.
iii. Not in
passionate lust like the Pagans who do not know God
iv. In this
manner, no one should take advantage of a brother or sister
c.
The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins
i. As we told you and
warned you before
ii. God did
not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life
iii. Anyone
who rejects this does not reject men, but God. The very God who gives you His
Holy Spirit.
1.
Implying, the rejection would be “being
actively sexually immoral”, which is a decision to “reject God”, who gives you
His Holy Spirit.
2.
Does God give His Holy Spirit to those who
reject Him?
3.
This is a warning; do not lose what you
have over choosing immorality.
III.
YOUR LOVE FOR ONE
ANOTHER
a.
We do not need to write you, for you have been taught
by God
i. And in fact, you do
love God’s family throughout Macedonia
b.
Yet we urge you to do so more and more
i. And make it your
ambition to live a quiet life.
1.
Life without the chaos, strife, conflict,
all the things that we allow into our homes, and lives, that cause these
things.
2.
If we strive to live a quiet life, we will
avoid allowing things which cause chaos, strife, conflict, etc…from entering
our homes.
ii. Boundaries,
rules, limits, and steadfast ambition towards a quiet life.
c.
You should mind your own business
i. One way to avoid
conflict, gossip, slander, etc…
ii. And work with your hands, just as we told
you.
1.
2 Thessalonians
3:6-13 “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is
idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you
received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you
ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor
did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we
worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a
burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we
do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a
model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were
with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall
not eat.”
11 We hear that some
among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.12 Such
people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and
earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers
and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
2. Proverbs 6:9-11 “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from
your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of
the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want
like an armed man.”
3. Proverbs 10:4 “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes
rich.”
4.
Proverbs
23:20-21 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters
of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And
drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
CONCLUSION – so that your daily life may win the
respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
It is God’s
will that we avoid sexual immorality, controlling our own bodies in a holy and
honorable way, and that we do not reject God’s command in doing so, or we will
be rejecting God Himself, we are to make it our life’s ambition to live a quiet
life, and mind our own business.
We are also
commanded to work, be independent and when we do these things, we will win the
respect of outsiders.
Why would this
matter? So that we may draw others to Christ.
If people
respect you, they respect your words. If your words are the Lord’s Words, they
will receive what you are speaking.
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