Final Instructions
Paul's Epistles - I
Thessalonians - Part 7
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 5:12-28
Now we
ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you,
who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold
them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with
each other.14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters,
warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help
the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make
sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what
is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray
continually, 18 give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do
not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test
them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject
every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you
through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The
one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet
all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you
before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
I. BROTHERS
AND SISTERS ACKNOWLEDGE (know) WORKERS (preachers) AND WARN THE IDLE AND
DISRUPTIVE
a. Those who work
hard
i. LIT – “And we ask you, brothers, to know those laboring among you,
and leading you in the Lord…”
1. Know for sure the Preacher you are following is
truly preaching the Word.
ii. They care for you in the Lord
iii. They admonish you
iv. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of
their work
1. Holding regard for the “work” they do, not the
person.
b. Live in peace
with each other
i. Peace created by having a Preacher truly preaching truth, and his work
being held in high esteem (greatly appreciated as such)
c. Warn those who
are idle and disruptive
i. Meaning warn the preachers who stop preaching truth (idle)
1. Disruptive should have been translated
“fainthearted”
2. Or, spineless preachers
ii. Encourage the disheartened (discouraged)
iii. Help the weak (spiritually speaking)
iv. Be patient with everyone
1. Referring to the previous list
a. The idle
b. Spineless
c. Discouraged
d. Spiritually weak
v. Make sure NOBODY pays back wrong for wrong
1. To ensure Biblical Christianity and patience
vi. But always strive to do what is good for each
other, and for others
1. Each other (Christians)
2. And for others (Non-Christians)
II. REJOICE
ALWAYS (WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO DO SO!)
a. Continually
pray
i. Pray about everything
b. Give thanks in
all circumstances
i. Meaning to be content, regardless of outward circumstances
c. For this IS
God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
i. No matter what happens, or how negative things seem to be, we never
stop giving thanks to the Lord, which is the Will of God.
d. Do NOT quench
the Spirit
i. Disobeying these commands would quench, or prevent the Spirit from
doing great works in God’s people.
ii. Do not treat prophecies with contempt
1. Why would they? Because this gift has been abused
much
2. However, we are to recognize the value of TRUE
Spiritual Gift of Prophecy
3. I Corinthians 14:3
iii. Test them
1. How do we test these things? Simple, anything that
is said to be of the Lord will ALWAYS be scriptural!
iv. Hold on to what is good
1. Sift through and hold to what is scriptural
2. Reject what is not scriptural
v. Reject every kind of evil
III. MAY GOD
HIMSELF
a. The God of
peace
i. Sanctify you through and through
ii. Meaning sanctification is a “progressive process”
iii. Which can only come by the Holy Spirit
b. May your whole
Spirit, Soul & Body be kept
i. We are created in God’s Image (Triune)
ii. All creatures have 2 parts, Body (the physical) and
Soul (the life that drives the body)
1. But we were created with the 3rd, the
ability to have a Spirit.
2. The Spirit is what makes us part of God
3. Sin removes the God Spirit (the key to salvation)
from us.
4. We NEED God’s Spirit to be COMPLETE!
iii. Blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
1. Reference to the Rapture Paul spoke of in the
previous verses
iv. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
1. God will do exactly what He says He will do
2. He will sanctify us completely
c. Pray for us
i. Paul was aware of his own weaknesses, and consistently asked for others
to pray for him. (I Corinthians 2:1-5)
ii. Greet all God’s people with an holy kiss
1. This was a custom then, we currently handshake
2. Simply put, be sure to greet other believers as
brothers and sisters
CONCLUSION – I CHARGE
YOU BEFORE THE LORD
-
TO HAVE THIS LETTER
READ TO ALL THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you.
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