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Title: Introduction to 2 Thessalonians Text: 2 Thessalonians Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. After spending several weeks dissecting 1 Thessalonians thought by thought, it would be good for us to review what we have learned. However, Paul kind of does that for us with his follow up book to the Thessalonian church, called 2 Thessalonians. So rather than do a review sermon, we’ll continue on to Paul’s second letter to this church. Now I don’t want you to get the impression that 2 Thessalonians will be boring or merely a rehashing of all that we’ve already learned. In fact, this letter takes what we’ve seen already and adds to and expands upon it. And of course, as is our custom with smaller books like this, after I introduce it, we will read through the entire letter so we can see all that Paul says in 1 reading. But before we dive in to all the details about this book – let’s take a moment to ask the Lord to be with us as I introduce this book to you. [Slide 2] Series or Two Independent books? Since the books have so many related themes, and since many elements of this introduction are repeated from 1 Thessalonians, one might wonder why I chose to introduce the two books separately. Similarly to 1 and 2 Peter, 1 Thessalonians is fairly lacking for discrepancies or differences of opinion regarding authorship, date, and occasion. But 2 Thessalonians is another matter entirely. We’ll get to some of these discrepancies very soon. But it should be said as a reminder that these letters are certainly NOT two independent books. Not only were they written to the same audience, but they were probably written within months of each other, as we’ll discuss in a moment. And as we’ve said, many of the themes opened in 1 Thessalonians are elaborated on or at least mentioned in 2 Thessalonians. We should very much view them as we view 1 and 2 Corinthians. They are two letters which build on each other and address issues a particular congregation faced in a particular point in time. Of course, since the bible is living and active, even though the original audience received the letter this way – we not only receive the same message when we put ourselves in their shoes and see it through their eyes, but we also gain more layers of spiritual insight and understanding since we have the entire and completed revelation of God to us in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Throughout our study I will endeavor to see from the text what the Thessalonians saw – but not stop there. We must see how this message fits with the whole context of the Scriptures and how the themes of all the scriptures pour into this letter. But let’s start unpacking some of the things that are… disputed. [Slide 3] Authorship: One of the first items the early church councils considered when deciding whether or not a book should be received as Scripture is whether or not it was written by a trusted member of the early church community. This is one of the reasons that the book of Hebrews was one of the last to be received, because the human author remains unknown. That being said, who is the author of 2 Thessalonians? Early church fathers and biblical scholars up to the mid 1900s had always almost universally accepted that the words written in verse 1 are accurate and that Paul the apostle wrote both the first and second letter to the Thessalonians. Both letters also include Silvanus and Timothy as authors. We dealt with the topic of co-authorship in our introduction to 1 Thessalonians. We settled on Paul being the primary writer or dictator of the writing, but with Silvanus also called Silas and Timothy making contributions along the way. But in the mid 1900s a few scholars began turning the tide of historical opinion concerning Pauline authorship. Paradoxically the modern arguments against Pauline authorship conclude that 2 Thessalonians is both too similar to 1 Thessalonians and also that it is too different. In the too similar category, some scholars say that themes and structure are reproduced in 2 Thessalonians so well, that what we have is less likely a second letter and more likely a letter written at the same time but to a different audience. Or perhaps a letter written later by a different author adopting the persona of Paul, attempting to not stray too far from what he had already said. In the too different category, we mainly find the argument that the eschatology in 1 Thessalonians points to an immanency of Christ’s return, as though it could happen any time, and in 2 Thessalonians we find an eschatology that points to things that must happen before Christ returns. However, when we analyze the similarities and differences, we are not forced to conclude that Paul did not write this at all. In fact, it seems quite far fetched to come up with these explanations. It is much easier to conclude that the similarities center around the author addressing the same purpose around the same time. And the differences can easily be explained by understanding how we humans tend to pendulum swing and need to be taught two sides in order to keep us where we should be. As an illustration, the differences we see in the letters are guardrails to keep us on the road. The similarities are the destination we are traveling toward. When all is said and done, it becomes quite clear that there is no reason to doubt Paul being the author of this book. So, who is the original audience? [Slide 4] Original Audience: Well, let’s look at the red arrow on this map. Thessalonica is a city situated on an ideal natural harbor on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. Four major Roman roads intersected at the city. Thessalonica became the capital city of the province of Macedonia in 168 BC and served as a vital place of trade and political activity in Macedonia. It was also classified as a free city, given the right to govern itself under the Roman Empire. It was to this city that Paul fled after being poorly treated in the city of Philippi by those who employed a slave girl infected by an unclean spirit of divination. Paul exorcised the demon and left her masters with no way of continuing to make money. So, they rose up and made it a racial issue citing that they were trouble makers because they were Jews. Paul and Silas were beaten without a trial and imprisoned. They were released because of their status as Roman Citizens but the city magistrates begged Paul and Silas to leave. So, they traveled 100 miles south to Thessalonica. In our intro to 1 Thessalonians we dealt with the discrepancy of Luke recording in the book of Acts that Paul’s visit to Thessalonica was only 3 weeks, when both these letters seem to indicate that the visit was longer. We explained this by simply pointing to the fact that Luke was not particularly interested in clearly indicating chronological specifics. And in Acts 17 there is actually plenty of room in the language to account for a month or even a few month’s stay in the city before they were run out. Paul and Silas were forced to flee to Berea. This brings us to the occasion of 1 Thessalonians. Paul had pastoral concern for the fledgling church and from Athens (The blue arrow on the screen) he sent Timothy to them to check on them while he went on to Corinth (The green arrow on the screen). When Timothy and Silas arrived in Corinth, joining Paul, that is when Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church the first time. So, what prompts Paul to write again to this church and when does he write? [Slide 5] Occasion: What is happening in Thessalonica What is happening in Thessalonica that prompts Paul to write this letter? Throughout the first letter, we noted that the Thessalonians had endured some affliction and persecution. No doubt from friends, family members, and the community as a whole seeing their abandonment of the pagan gods as a threat to the safety and prosperity of the entire city. What is clear from the very outset of 2 Thessalonians, is that this persecution has rekindled. We are not given specifics, but it is safe to conclude that being ostracized and shunned is no longer the ceiling of persecution they are experiencing. Indeed, if we remember from 1 Thessalonians, Paul warned that believers are ordained to suffer for the name of Christ. It is actually part of our destiny to suffer for Christ’s sake. 2 Thessalonians then is MORE focused on providing comfort and encouragement to a church experiencing heavier persecution from outsiders. But there is also a lingering issue of idle busybodies infecting the church and a lingering misconception about the Day of the Lord. So when did he write this? [Slide 6] Date: Because Paul references his time in Athens in 1 Thessalonians as if it were a past event, and because Paul indicates that it was not a long time since they had been with the Thessalonians, we can guess that Paul probably wrote 1 Thessalonians from Corinth. We have archeological evidence of when Gallio served as a proconsul in the city of Corinth, and because Paul has an altercation with Gallio we can reasonably assign a date to the composition of 1 Thessalonians. Gallio was proconsul from AD 51 to AD 52. This gives us a date of right around AD 50-51 for the composition of 1 Thessalonians. But what about 2 Thessalonians? While it is surely possible that Paul could have written this letter years later… several factors support Paul writing this very soon after writing 1 Thessalonians. First, we see that his companions are the same. In Acts we note that Paul is frequently sending his companions on errands to churches they have visited before while he stayed in another city. The fact that Silas and Timothy are still with him and co-authoring this letter, seems to indicate that it is the

Title: Abandoned, But Not Alone Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 FCF: We often struggle feeling alone while we strive for wholeness. Prop: Because God gives all we need to make us whole, we must grow in holiness. Scripture Intro: LSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 23 and going to the end of the book. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Today we will wrap up the book of 1 Thessalonians. Paul has, essentially, finished what he desired to say to the fledgling church in Thessalonica. He has encouraged them. He has rebuked them. He has corrected them. He has instructed them. We’ll save our final overview of the book until after we complete 2 Thessalonians. There are so many themes that overlap that it is wiser to just wait until we have completed both letters to draw final conclusions. Now, he finishes his letter to them with the second wish-prayer to God for them. He concludes with a benediction. So, what does Paul pray for? Let’s find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: God of peace. You are our everything. In You we have life and hope. In You alone we have wholeness and holiness. In some ways You have already made us holy by setting us apart as Your people. In other ways You are still making us holy by continually pressing us into the mold of Christ and conforming us to His standard. And yet in other ways You must and will make us perfectly holy and blameless when we shed this body and are given new, glorified bodies for Your eternal kingdom. But what is clear to us Father… is that without You we are without hope. I pray that you would refine us with Your word today and teach us the helps we have in this life to be holy and blameless. May we see the promises of Your word and take comfort and assurance to press on toward the prize of our Savior. We pray this in His name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “When our holiness is perfect, our happiness shall be perfect; and if this were attainable on earth, there would be but little reason for men to long to be in heaven.” Thomas Brooks “Many of us would pursue holiness with far greater zeal and eagerness if we were convinced that the way of holiness is the way of life ad peace. And that is precisely what it is; there is life and peace no other way.” J.I. Packer [Slide 3] “The ethical demand for holy living is inseparable from what is freely given in the gospel.” Geoffrey B. Wilson “Christ comes with a blessing in each hand: forgiveness in one, holiness in the other.” A.W. Pink “There is no holiness without a warfare.” J.C. Ryle “The beauty of holiness needs no paint.” Matthew Henry Let these words prepare your mind for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) God, who called us, will completely sanctify us at Christ’s return, so we must grow in holiness. (23-24) a. [Slide 4] 23 - Now may the God of peace Himself i. Paul now hastens on to the end of his letter to the Thessalonian believers. ii. But far from being a throw away goodbye, let me just take you through the richness of this benediction. iii. First, let’s start with the title Paul gives to God. 1. As he does in three other benedictions, Paul uses the title “God of Peace” to govern this benediction to the Thessalonians. 2. This title is exclusively used by Paul and the writer of Hebrews a total of 8 times in the New Testament. It is always used in a context where the writer addresses a group of believers who are being persecuted or afflicted for their faith or experiencing trouble or disorder. 3. Since Paul was Jewish, and the writer of Hebrews obviously has strong roots to Judaism, we might expect there to be an Old Testament connection. 4. Curiously, the title “God of Peace” is not found in the Old Testament. 5. The closest we might find is “The Lord is Peace” or “The Lord is our Peace” which is the name Yahweh Shalom. 6. Now the word Shalom is a rather theologically rich word. a. It is used over 350 times in the Old Testament and is often translated peace. b. However, the semantic range of this word – and its theological implications do not merely mean the cessation of hostility. c. Rather, this word in the Old Testament means… wholeness or completeness. d. Shalom means, to be restored to proper order, to be perfectly put back together, and to be reconciled to a right relationship. e. In fact, it might be entirely appropriate for us to say that Shalom… means salvation, restoration, and redemption. f. God, The Lord, is the bringer of… Shalom. He is the God of… Shalom. g. He alone brings order, He alone makes someone complete or whole, and He alone reconciles relationships. 7. Let’s keep the theological significance of Shalom in mind as we proceed in this context. 8. May this God of peace… b. [Slide 5] sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. i. What is clear here, is that God being a God of peace is not simply God stopping people from afflicting the Thessalonian church. ii. That is certainly part of it. iii. Actually, as we get to 2 Thessalonians, Paul will assure them that those who are persecuting them and rejecting God will be destroyed by being cast away from the grace and mercy of God. iv. But the focal point of God being a God of peace, is not actually toward those who are afflicting these believers. v. It is toward the Thessalonian church. vi. They are not complete. They are not whole. They are not put together. They are not fully sanctified or holy. They are not perfectly blameless. vii. But the God of Shalom… The God of wholeness. The God of completeness. The God of order… viii. Paul prays that that God would sanctify them entirely or make them complete in their holiness. ix. That their whole person might be kept or preserved completely or entirely blameless at the Lord Jesus’ coming. x. Most likely the triad body, soul, spirit, is an idiom to express the complete person rather than to try to make a doctrinal point about the composition of the being of man. xi. God’s peace is always about the putting down of His enemies. But the first enemy on that list, is the ordering of His people who have been disordered. The completing of His people who are not whole. xii. God being a God of peace… is first… reconciling us into a right relationship with Himself. Which is far more than simply forgiving our sin. xiii. It is making us… holy. Blameless. Righteous. xiv. Paul prayed for this in chapter 3 and he told them it was God’s will for them in chapter 4. xv. And it is God’s will for all His children. xvi. God does NOT save us simply to populate His Kingdom with people who are forgiven sinners. xvii. God saves us to populate His Kingdom with Christ-like, Righteous Lawkeepers. xviii. God doesn’t just calm the storm in us… He brings us to shelter. xix. God takes what is broken, incomplete, and chaotic. And He not only stops it from breaking, losing pieces, and being chaotic. He also fixes, completes, and orders us. xx. Because, make no mistake, to be what God created us to be, and to not be a broken image bearer, we must be holy and blameless. xxi. And just in case we wonder if this is up to us or if there is any possibility that this may not happen for those who are His elect… Paul continues. c. [Slide 6] 24 - Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. i. The call to which Paul refers here is the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. It is the call that convicts us of our sin, enlightens our minds to know of Christ and His work, it renews our wills, and persuades us and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. ii. The same God who calls His people to salvation in the first place… is faithful and will make sure that the work of renewal, ordering, and completing… is finished. iii.

[Slide 1] John Tillotson [Slide 2] Born 1630 to a Puritan Clothier Graduated Cambridge in 1650 and was made a fellow of his college in 1651. He identified himself with the Presbyterians until the Act of Uniformity in 1662. He devoted himself to the study of the patristic writers, especially Basil and John Chrysostom. His preaching tended to be far more practical rather than theological as a result of his studies. He earned his doctorate in Divinity in 1666. In 1672 he became the dean of Canterbury. Through various connections with Lady Russell and Princess Anne, he was made clerk of the closet to the king in 1689, showing the level of confidence both William and Mary had in him. Soon after this he was elected as the Archbishop of Canterbury, but accepted the position with extreme reluctance and actually deferred his appointment to the position, at his request, until 1691 where it became official. Shortly before his death he published four lectures on the Socinian controversy to make it clear that he had no sympathy for the Socinian heresy. Ultimately it was his attempt to reform several abuses in the Church of England that led to a political movement known as the Jacobites pursuing him with insults and reproach until he died in November of 1694. [Slide 3] We are not sure when this sermon was preached in his career, but it has often been preached on Easter Sundays throughout the last 300 years or so. You will notice his style as he attempts to show how reason is not an enemy to the Christian doctrines of the Resurrection. I chose this sermon because it touches both the thinkers and philosophers among us and also has quite a practical punch at the very end. Truly something for everyone. As much as possible I left the language and spelling the way it was in the original. I have only made small modifications for clarity. [Slide 4 (blank)] So let me pray, and when I say amen every word that follows will be Doctor John Tilloston’s from his sermon entitled The Reasonableness of a Resurrection. [Slide 5] Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?—Acts 26:8. The resurrection of the dead is one of the great articles of the Christian faith; and yet so it hath happened that this great article of our religion hath been made one of the chief objections against it. There is nothing that Christianity hath been more upbraided for withal, both by the heathens of old and by the infidels of later times, than the impossibility of this article; so that it is a matter of great consideration and consequence to vindicate our religion in this particular. But if the thing be evidently impossible, then it is highly unreasonable to propose it to the belief of mankind. I know that some, more devout than wise, and who, it is to be hoped, mean better than they understand, make nothing of impossibilities in matters of faith, and would fain persuade us that the more impossible anything is, for that very reason it is the fitter to be believed; and that it is an argument of a poor and low faith to believe only things that are possible; but a generous and heroical faith will swallow contradictions with as much ease as reason assents to the plainest and most evident propositions. Tertullian, in the heat of his zeal and eloquence, upon this point of the death and resurrection of Christ, lets fall a very odd passage, and which must have many grains of allowance to make it tolerable: He said “it is therefore very credible, because it is foolish, and certain, because it is impossible. And it is necessary the Christian faith should be thus disgraced by the belief of impossibilities and contradictions.” I suppose he means that this article of the resurrection was not in itself the less credible because the heathen philosophers [objected] at it as a thing impossible and [contradictory], and endeavored to disgrace the Christian religion upon that account. For if he meant otherwise, that the thing was therefore credible because it was really and in itself foolish and impossible; this had been to recommend the Christian religion from the absurdity of the things to be believed; which would be a strange recommendation of any religion to the sober and reasonable part of mankind. I know not what some men may find in themselves; but I must freely acknowledge that I could never yet attain to that bold and hardy degree of faith as to believe anything for this reason, because it was impossible: for this would be to believe a thing to be, because I am sure it can not be. So that I am very far from being of his mind, that wanted not only more difficulties, but even impossibilities in the Christian religion, to exercise his faith upon. Leaving to the Church of Rome that foolhardiness of faith, to believe things to be true which at the same time their reason plainly tells them are impossible, I shall at this time endeavor to assert and vindicate this article of the resurrection from the pretended impossibility of it. And I hope, by God’s assistance, to make the possibility of the thing so plain as to leave no considerable scruple about it in any free and unprejudiced mind. And this I shall do from these words of St. Paul, which are part of the defense which he made for himself before Festus and Agrippa. the substance whereof is this, that he had lived a blameless and inoffensive life among the Jews, in whose religion he had been bred up; that he was of the strictest sect of that religion, a Pharisee, which, in opposition to the Sadducees, maintained the resurrection of the dead and a future state of rewards and punishments in another life; and that for the hope of this he was called in question, and accused by the Jews. “And now I stand here, and am judged, for the hope of the promise made unto the fathers; unto which promise our twelve scribes, instantly serving God, day and night, hope to come; for which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.” That is, he was accused for preaching that Jesus was risen from the dead, which is a particular instance of the general doctrine of the resurrection which was entertained by the greatest part of the Jews, and which to the natural reason of mankind ([even though] the heathen … were prejudiced against it), hath nothing in it that is incredible. And for this he appeals to his judges, Festus and Agrippa: “why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?” Which words being a question without an answer, imply in them these two propositions: [Slide 6] First, That it was thought by some a thing incredible that the dead should be raised. This is supposed in the question, as the foundation of it: for he who asks why a thing is so, supposeth it to be so. Secondly, That this apprehension, that it is a thing incredible that God should raise the dead, is very unreasonable. For the question being left unanswered, implies its own answer, and is to be resolved into this affirmative, that there is no reason why they or any man else should think it a thing incredible that God should raise the dead. I shall speak to these two propositions as briefly as I can; and then show what influence this doctrine of the resurrection ought to have upon our lives. First, that it was thought by some a thing incredible that God should raise the dead. This St. Paul has reason to suppose, having from his own experience found men so averse from the entertaining of this doctrine. When he preached to the philosophers at Athens, and declared to them the resurrection of one Jesus from the dead, they were amazed at this new doctrine, and knew not what he meant by it. They said, “he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.” He had discoursed to them of the resurrection of one Jesus from the dead; but this business of the resurrection of one Jesus from the dead was a thing so remote from their apprehensions that they had no manner of conception of it; but understood him quite in another sense, as if he had declared to them two new deities, Jesus and Anastasis; as if he had brought a new god and a new goddess among them, Jesus and the Resurrection. And when he discoursed to them again more fully of this matter, it is said that, “when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, they mocked.” And at the twenty-fourth verse of this twenty-sixth chapter, when he spake of the resurrection, Festus told him he would hear him no further, and that he looked upon him as a man beside himself, whom much learning had made mad. Festus looked upon this business of the resurrection as the wild speculation of a crazy head. And indeed the heathens generally, even those who believed the immortality of the soul, and another state after this life, looked upon the resurrection of the body as a thing impossible. Pliny, I remember, reckons it among those things which are impossible, and which God himself can not do; and in the primitive times the heathen philosophers very much derided the Christians, upon account of this strange doctrine of the resurrection, looking always upon this article of their faith as a ridiculous and impossible assertion. So easy it is for prejudice to blind the minds of men, and to represent everything to them which hath a great appearance of difficulty in it as impossible. But I shall endeavor to show that if the matter be thoroughly examined, there is no ground for any such apprehension. I proceed therefore to the second proposition, namely, that this apprehension, that it is an incredible thing that God should raise the dead, is very unreasonable: “why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” That is, there is no sufficient reason why any man should look upon the resurrection of the dead as a thing impossible to the power of God; the only reason why they thought it incredible being because they judged it

Title: Unconditional Trust Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 FCF: We often struggle trusting God unconditionally. Prop: Because God’s will for us is to trust Him unconditionally, we must trust His leadings regardless of our circumstances. Scripture Intro: LSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard Bible staring in verse 16. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As we’ve pointed out, and as our sign out front has said and the sides for this series have shown – the first letter to the Thessalonians is tied together by the three cardinal Christian virtues of faith, love, and hope. In fact, we have seen Paul talk about all three of these virtues in various ways since the beginning of the book. And since he began chapter 4, he has analyzed faith, love, hope, then hope again, then back to love, and today he will get back one more time to their faith. Thoroughout the letter he has spoken about their work of faith and how their faith was not shaken even though they were afflicted. He talked about how the word of God is at work in them because they believe and are continuing to believe. He did say that their faith needs to be completed but as it is, they already have a faith that is working since they know and trust God’s commands and walk in order to please Him. They do this because they know that setting aside His commands is not setting aside man’s traditions… but God Himself. So today, Paul will do what he can to complete their faith. Paul will give them 8 more commands all designed to illustrate what trusting God, without condition, really looks like. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Faithful Father, You are worthy of our unconditional trust. You are all powerful. You are all knowing. You are all good. You are all loving. You are Holy. You are Just. You… are Sovereign. Because of who You are, we can and indeed we must trust You without reservation. But we are weak Lord. And our trust is feeble. We ask that You would use Your Word and Your Spirit’s power to show us today how we can trust You. Teach us Lord from this, Your holy word. We pray this in Jesus’, The Word’s name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “What is faith unless it is to believe what you do not see?” Augustine of Hippo “Belief is not faith without evidence but commitment without reservation.” Leighton Ford “Faith is an activity of the whole soul bringing into movement the intellect, the emotions, and the will, and anything less than this is not biblical faith.” Iain Inglis [Slide 3] “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. It is so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Martin Luther “Faith, to put it simply, is the conviction that God does not tell lies.” Frank Retief “What is faith but obedience to the commands of Christ?” Salvianus “Faith is reason at rest in God.” C.H. Spurgeon “Faith is self-surrender to the great Physician leaving of our case in His hands. But it is also the taking of His prescriptions and the active following of His directions.” Augustus H. Strong These thoughts summarize what we will see today in the text of scripture. Let’s look. I.) God’s will for His people is to trust Him unconditionally, so we must always live in light of God’s sovereignty. (16-18) a. [Slide 4] 16 - Rejoice always; i. Paul begins this next set of exhortations with three commands using 7 Greek words. ii. The first two words, are rejoice always. iii. Paul exhorts his readers, who are experiencing affliction from unbelievers around them, to rejoice. iv. What does it mean to rejoice? v. The word rejoice comes from the word for joy. It means to be glad, to be joyful. vi. Joy is one of those words that looking outside the scriptures won’t actually help us understand it any better. vii. The Dictionary definition of the word is simply a feeling of great happiness or pleasure. 1. But when we pull such a definition back into the text, it is difficult to imagine that Paul would be commanding the Thessalonians to govern their own feelings to the extent that they are greatly happy…always. 2. Emotions are reactions and are rarely stable. For Paul to demand that people be emotionally, greatly happy all the time, seems a little farfetched. 3. It further disconnects us from clear teachings that tell us to mourn for our brothers and sisters who are hurting, and the example of Christ who wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. 4. Was Jesus greatly happy at this moment? Can you be happy and mourn at the same time? viii. But when we assess the greater context of the scriptures and note how biblical writers use the word joy, we come to a starkly different definition of the word entirely. ix. Biblical joy is gladness that transcends earthly circumstances, bad or good. To the extent that a believer can experience true joy even when they are unhappy. x. If I were to create a definition of my own based on the biblical data, it would be the following: 1. [Slide 5] Biblical joy is gladness and contentment rooted in a pure trust in God’s sovereign hand to work all things for the good of the believer and His own glory. 2. Joy then is not an emotion at all. Rather it is a state of being that is rooted in trusting what God has promised. 3. Indeed, Paul lists joy as a fruit of the Spirit in the book of Galatians, indicating to us that joy actually comes from God and not from ourselves. xi. So having joy is part of our interior transformation as we are conformed to Christ. xii. When we insert this definition back into Paul’s command here, we see that he commands them to rejoice always because he is confident that they are the elect of God. He saw the gospel come to them in power and he has heard of their example and their enduring faith. xiii. Therefore, to expect them to be joyful in every circumstance, is to expect them to live as though they are a true believer. xiv. Which brings us to the inescapable, albeit uncomfortable conclusion… xv. Real Christians are expected to rejoice always. xvi. To the extent that if a person claims to be a Christian and has lost their joy… we can’t encourage them without also investigating whether or not they are true believers? xvii. Paul continues… b. [Slide 6] 17 - pray without ceasing; i. Though we translate this in three words, the Greek command is still only two. ii. We could translate it, “pray unceasingly” if we wanted to maintain the word count. iii. Just as joy is related to trusting God– so also is prayer. iv. Spending unending hours in prayer to a god you don’t believe is able to do what you ask of him or is not good enough to give you what is best for you – would be a foolish activity for anyone. v. Old Testament prophets poke fun at pagan worshippers sending prayer toward their dead gods who cannot of their own power or will give anything to those who worship them. vi. And so, we must pray in faith, believing that God is good and rewards those who diligently seek Him. vii. Many people know this verse. It is only 3 words after all. viii. But I should point out that the word unceasingly can also be rendered incessantly or resolutely. ix. It is difficult to know whether Paul intends that they should be frequently praying or if they should be fervently praying, or both. x. Logic tells us that if we were constantly praying it may be difficult for us to accomplish much else. xi. But since I don’t think that is a real concern for many in this room – I cannot dismiss the likelihood that Paul does refer to frequency of prayer here. xii. Generally speaking, the more you trust someone, the more you speak to them. And with the God of the Universe – the more you trust Him, not only the more you pray, but even the content of your prayers encompasses every

Title: Loving the Difficult Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 FCF: We often struggle serving in love those who are spiritually behind. Prop: Because God’s will for His children is to be holy and abounding in love for one another, we must love the difficult. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. In a moment we’ll read from the New English Translation which you can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul continued to show the Thessalonian church how they could be holy or distinct from the world. He makes the case that they should acknowledge and respect their Elders and live at peace with them and all believers. This is how they could show abounding love. Paul will now continue on this theme of being holy and abounding in love for one another. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy God, You are Love. Not simply that all that You do is loving… but that You, and all You do, are by definition, what love truly is. Your love is loyal. Your love is not fickle. It is not based on volatile emotions, but rather is a choice which You make of the counsel of Your will, to love unconditionally. But God – We are so unlovable at times. Nevertheless, You love us perfectly and faithfully. You command Your church to be like its head, Your Son, that we might love one another as Christ loved us. That is beyond us Lord. We can’t do that without Your grace. Help us to see this in the text of scripture today and to lean on You for the ability to obey what You have commanded. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “There is no greater opportunity to influence our fellowman for Christ than to respond with love when we have been unmistakably wronged.” James Dobson “You never so touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive and love your enemies.” Corrie Ten Boom “Whatever else love is, it is not passive.” Frederick Sampson “Love rolls up its sleeves” Robert Cook. “Show your piety by your pity.” Thomas Watson Let these words prepare your mind for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) God’s will for His children is for them to be holy and abounding in their love for one another, so we must patiently love and serve languishing believers. (14) a. [Slide 3] 14 - And we urge you, brothers and sisters, i. Contrasted to Paul’s previous exhortation where he asked, Paul now calls them or exhorts them to do something else. ii. This is a much stronger expression than the word “ask.” iii. Paul is issuing a clear command. iv. This is most certainly related to the command to be at peace with one another, but what is clear is that peace goes beyond simply not fighting with others. v. We see a clear put off put on principle throughout this text. vi. Certainly, we must be at peace… but we must replace war with, not just the cessation of war, but the active care for other believers. vii. And specifically, believers that are not flourishing. viii. Paul moves ahead to define how believers should treat 3 other groups of believers that are beginning to languish. And our response is different depending on each situation. b. [Slide 4] admonish the undisciplined, i. Here we see the same word that was listed as a character trait of those Paul wished to be acknowledged as Elders. ii. Admonish. iii. Again, the word means to exhort, to counsel, to correct, or to warn. iv. This shows that although Elders perform duties of care and concern for the body, it is not their job exclusively. v. All of the body of Christ is to admonish. And the whole body, is to admonish the undisciplined. vi. This word undisciplined is translated in a variety of ways in various modern translations. vii. From unruly, to disorderly, to lazy, idle, and disruptive. viii. Translations favoring idle, lazy, and disruptive understand Paul’s remark here to be about the group who are unemployed by choice and who are mooching off the church. ix. There is even one non-biblical source that uses this word to speak of those who are obstinately or rebelliously idle. x. But when we look at the word by itself, it is difficult to see that that is what Paul intends to say. xi. It may very well be what he means – but Paul frames it in such a way that this could be applied to anyone who is undisciplined. xii. Since we know that Paul will address this in 2 Thessalonians, perhaps Paul leaves this intentionally broad in order to cover as many that would fit into this category as he could. xiii. So, what does this word mean? xiv. Literally it means to be out of line or out of order. xv. It means anyone who is not conforming to the standards set by the evangelists. xvi. Anyone who is intentionally operating outside the directives of the church. xvii. Because this is directed toward someone who is not living in obedience, we can probably translate the word “admonish” with a stronger force… xviii. Something like… Warn or correct. xix. It is the whole church’s job to correct or warn members of the church body who are acting counter to what has been taught as godly and holy. c. [Slide 5] comfort the discouraged, i. Here we see a second way the church is to interact with another languishing Christian. ii. This indicates that there is not a one size-fits-all response to those who are languishing in the church. iii. The discouraged in our midst are those whose spirits are low. iv. They are suffering. They are hurting. v. Paul doesn’t spell this out, but we can infer that this could be financial, physical, or even emotional. vi. More than likely these are people suffering due to the affliction caused by unbelieving Thessalonians. vii. We ought not admonish those who are down. At least not at first. viii. There is a sinful discouragement. One that begins to deny the teachings of the scripture. ix. But we need not start there. x. In fact, that is probably what Paul means by comforting them. xi. How else can we comfort them than through prayer, the ministry of the word, and even putting feet to our prayers. xii. We must go to them and bind them up. Cheer them up. And get their feet back on solid ground. xiii. How? xiv. The Word of truth and acts of service and love. d. [Slide 6] help the weak, i. We might wonder what the difference between weak and discouraged might be. ii. While we might see weakness here as physical weakness, and that certainly is a class of people that we should help within the church, more than likely Paul intends a moral or spiritual weakness here. iii. In other words, they are spiritually vulnerable. iv. They are baby Christians, or they are in a place that their defenses are low and they are being tempted to either doubt their faith or succumb to temptation. v. The word help means to come alongside. It means to act as a crutch. To bear them up.

Title: Acknowledged and Regarded Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 FCF: We often struggle honoring those who are leaders over us. Prop: Because God has appointed and equipped leaders for His church, we must receive, honor, and live peacefully with those whom the Lord has given. Scripture Intro: NET [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians 5. In a moment we’ll read from the New English Translation starting in verse 12. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. We have observed how 1 Thessalonians is a rather unified letter. Far from a hastily written email, Paul’s letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is a masterful work weaving together major themes to bring comfort, hope, and direction to a fledgling church in the city of Thessalonica. The letter itself is incredibly positive as Paul cheers them on to keep growing in their faith. From early in the letter, Paul commended the Thessalonians for working out of their faith, their labor in love, and their enduring hope in the coming of Christ. But despite having these cardinal Christian virtues, Paul still says that he needs to complete what is lacking in their faith, and prays that the Lord would cause their love to abound for each other and to strengthen them in holiness so they can be ready and full of hope or the Lord’s return. [Slide 2] Far from being a throw away comment or empty compliment, the possession of and growth of these cardinal Christian virtues takes center stage in the letter. And our most recent contexts we’ve considered are certainly part of that. To address what is lacking in their faith and urge them forward to work out their faith, Paul explains their need to be holy in regard to living out a godly sexual ethic. To address their labor in love and encourage it to abound for each other, Paul instructs them to live a quiet life, mind their business, work with their hands so that they have a good reputation with outsiders and are not in need. This will produce a church that is truly Holy in love. To address their holiness and hopefulness for the Lord Jesus’ return, Paul assuages two of their fears by informing them that dead Christians will be snatched up with the living and we are not appointed for wrath but for salvation through Jesus’s atonement for His elect. So, in chapter 4 and 5 so far, we see Paul address faith, then love, then hope, then hope again. So as we move forward Paul will now move to address love, then faith again before the letter closes. So, what does Paul have to say today that expands the idea of their labor of love abounding toward one another? Let’s look. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: All Wise Father, Creator and Sustainer, we praise You for Your Son who is the Lord of all and the Head of the Church. He is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and He is The Great Shepherd. We thank You for His work to redeem a people unto Himself and we thank You for Your Spirit who has indwelled those people to guide them to all truth and progressively conform them to the image of Your dear Son. We thank You God for Your provision to the church that You have given gifts to the church in the form of leaders who are godly men serving You in Your strength and power, under the authority and in submission to Your Son. We ask that we would love those whom You have called and qualified to lead us and that we would be at peace, making leading us a joy and not a drudgery. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen. Transition: [Slide 3] “Every man who is divinely called to the ministry is divinely equipped.” A. W. Pink “I cannot recall, in any of my reading, a single instance of a prophet who applied for the job.” A.W. Tozer “Obedience to legitimate authority is one of the fruits and evidences of Christian sincerity.” Charles Hodge “Democracy is all very well as a political device. It must not be allowed to intrude into the spiritual, or even the aesthetic world.” C.S. Lewis “Democracy is not an infallible way for getting things right. The democratic vote among the Israelites in the wilderness was to go back to Egypt.” John Blanchard Meditate on these words as we expound the text this morning. I.) The church must be holy in their love for their leadership, so we must look for and receive leaders whom the Lord has called and qualified. (12) a. [Slide 4] 12 - Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, i. Paul once again moves on to another topic under the same goal of producing holiness in the Thessalonian people. ii. As we noted, this begins another section where Paul is exhorting them to love one another in an abounding way. iii. For the second time Paul uses the verb “ask” to get across what he and the other evangelists would like to see from the Thessalonian church. iv. We should not interpret this to be a request from Paul, in the traditional meaning of the word ask. v. It is like when we ask our children if they would go do their chores… we aren’t really asking. But asking is kinder than barking orders. Asking communicates love and a good relationship. Asking gives respect. vi. So also, Paul asks the Thessalonian church to do something, but it is not as if this is optional for them. vii. So, what does Paul ask of them? b. [Slide 5] to acknowledge i. This infinitive functions as the complement to the plural pronoun you. ii. The verbal action of Paul asking produces the effect on the object (you) that they be a people who acknowledge. iii. This word is actually the word “to know.” iv. Paul has used this word repeatedly throughout the letter to assure and remind the Thessalonians of what they have already been taught by Paul and his companions when they visited them. v. Paul now is asking them to gain that same familiarity, not toward information, but toward people. vi. Therefore, the translation “acknowledge” seems to be the best understanding of the word. vii. Paul is asking for the Thessalonians to acknowledge or recognize, or even receive a group of people, in a similar way that they had acknowledged and received the evangelists’ teaching. viii. But what sort of people? ix. Well, Paul doesn’t name them. He doesn’t give them titles. x. Instead, Paul uses participles to describe what these people are like. xi. He describes them in three ways. c. [Slide 6] those who labor among you i. We know that Paul refers to a single group of people because he uses a single article and joins each participle with the conjunction “and.” ii. The Thessalonians have already been instructed in chapter 4 how working with their hands is one major way that they can show love to one another. iii. When they are not in need, they are helping the church by not being a drain on the church’s resources. iv. However, here, Paul suggests that there is a group of people who are not only working with their hands to provide for themselves, but is also working… AMONG them. v. Not only are they not a drain on the church’s resources, but they are contributing to the work and labor of the church. vi. The word labor implies not only work but hard work. Labor to exhaustion. vii. This labor need not be physical or manual labor. There is nothing with the Greek word that would mandate this. In fact, in other letters Paul uses this word to describe the labor of preaching and teaching. viii. And so, whoever Paul is asking the Thessalonians to acknowledge, they are hard workers who specifically work for the benefit of the church. ix. The following two descriptions could be seen as two aspects of that labor – but this is largely an interpretational decision. It could just as easily be two more descriptions of the same people. x. So, what other descriptions does Paul have for these people who must be acknowledged? d. [Slide 7] and preside over you in the Lord i. The word preside is a great word to use here because it carries the

Title: Children of The Day Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 FCF: We often struggle fearing the coming judgment and resting in Christ’s righteousness. Prop: Because true believers have nothing to fear concerning the Day of the Lord, we must always be ready, living holy lives, in accordance with the coming Kingdom. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse one. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. We are at the beginning of the last chapter of 1 Thessalonians, which means we need to review where we have been so far. In chapter 1, Paul expresses his thankfulness to God for the Thessalonian church because he knows they are elect of God, because the gospel came to them in the power of the Spirit and because he has observed how the Thessalonian church has become imitators of Christ amid affliction. In chapter 2, to counter claims of unbelieving Thessalonians, Paul insists that his visit with them was profitable because God gave them boldness to speak, they became a spiritual family, and because it produced the same results they had seen in previous outpourings of the gospel. He informs them that he greatly wished to visit them but had been hindered by Satan. But he assures them that they are his hope, joy, and glory in that they stand firm in their faith. In chapter 3, Paul reveals that he sent Timothy to them because he was overwhelmed with godly concern for their faith. He also reveals his joy at the report from Timothy that they stood fast in their faith but that he hopes to see them again soon and complete what is lacking in their faith. He ends chapter 3 with a benediction, praying to God to bring them into fellowship again, to cause their love to abound and their holiness to be perfected for the Lord’s return. Chapter 3 officially concludes the apologetic portion of the letter and chapter 4 begins the didactic and applicational side of the letter. Paul begins chapter 4 by expressing that God’s will for all His people is for them to grow in holiness or distinctness from the world. This thought governs every topic throughout chapter 4 and chapter 5. In chapter 4 Paul expresses three ways that believers can be holy and distinct in the world. First in their sexual ethic, keeping all sexual activity within the bonds of marriage. Second, in the way they love one another by leading a quiet life, minding their own business, and working with their hands. This will ensure a good reputation with outsiders and keep them from being in need. Finally in chapter 4, Paul teaches that they can be holy in the way they grieve death. Specifically in the death of believers, they should grieve but with hope because the Lord will not abandon dead believers. Instead, the dead will rise first and then all believers will be snatched up to be with the Lord in the air. And from that moment on the Bride of Christ will always be with Him. But just because the chapter broke, doesn’t mean Paul has finished talking about being holy nor is he done talking about the Thessalonians’ concerns about the end of the world. Please stand with me to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy and Just Father, Your justice has been mocked since the serpent undermined Your Word in the garden. Ever since, Your creation has groaned in agony yearning to be rid of the sin that broke it. The ungodly and the wicked, the unbeliever and the unjust sit in their ease convinced that Your justice will never come. That they are safe and at peace with You because Your mercy and Your delay mean You care nothing about their sins. But we who have been shown the light and transferred from night to day, we know that Your justice will come. That the hammer will fall quickly and when it does, no one will be able to escape Your Great White Throne. All men will stand before You and answer for their sins. All except those who You offered up Your Son to save. God, may You speak to us today from Your Word and convince believers that we are children of the Day. We have no reason to fear the Dawn. But we must be awake and stay alert to behold its bright rays when it comes. Help us Lord to live for the dawn of Your eternal Kingdom. And convince unbelievers of the dreaded dawn they face since they are yet children of the night. We pray this in Jesus’ name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “God’s will is done no less in the condemnation of unbelievers than in the salvation of those who put faith in the Lord Jesus. “ J.I. Packer “The coming day of judgment is a doctrine that has been abused, misunderstood, and often used to manipulate people. But correctly understood in the context of God’s character and justice, it is a doctrine full of comfort for Christians.” Frank Retief “In this liberal age we tend naturally to avoid any thought of God’s judgment.” David Watson “The Lord has a golden scepter and an iron rod. Those who will not bow to the one shall be broken by the other.” Thomas Watson Let these words of God’s justice and judgment sharpen your mind for the text this morning. I.) We have nothing to fear concerning the Day of the Lord, so we must be alert and clear headed by living out our salvation. (1-8) a. [Slide 3] 1 - Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you. i. Apparently, not only were the Thessalonians concerned about Christ followers who had died not inheriting the New Kingdom, but they were also concerned about the timing of the events of the last days. ii. The way Paul addresses the issue in this passage it seems like their concern was primarily that they wished to know when the Day of the Lord would occur so they could be ready for it. iii. Most likely they feared that if they were not ready for it, they might get swept away in the judgment with the unbelievers as well. iv. But Paul is confident that he, or anyone else, doesn’t actually have to write anything to them concerning the events of the last days, nor their timing. v. Why? b. [Slide 4] 2 - For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. i. Paul once again points to their knowledge to substantiate his claim that they did not need to be given further instruction on this matter and also to refresh them in the teaching that they should know. ii. The teaching they have received is concerning something that Paul calls, “The Day of the Lord.” iii. But what is The Day of the Lord? 1. The Day of the Lord refers to an undetermined time in which God will significantly, powerfully, and finally intervene in creation’s history in order to radically alter its trajectory and usher it to the eternal and perfect state. 2. The Day of the Lord is first mentioned in the prophetic writings of Amos and Isaiah who were contemporaries and wrote about 800 years prior to Paul writing to the Thessalonians. 3. [Slide 5] If we were to collect all of what the scripture speaks of regarding the Day of the Lord, we would find 4 significant categories of events that will happen on that day. a. First, that there will be a terrible tribulation, sorrow, difficulty, and affliction upon all mankind, including cosmic signs, wonders in heaven, terrible bloodshed and natural disasters that are spoken of as though they are world-ending or at very least world-crippling. b. A second aspect of the Day of the Lord will be The Lord coming to reign with all His Holy Ones. As the New Testament reveals this is actually Jesus Christ’s return with His Saints to rule the earth from Jerusalem. c. A third aspect of the Day of the Lord will be the final Judgment of all men. This is the culmination of God’s Justice where all sin will be paid and all sinners, both angelic and human, will be removed from the earth and cast into the Lake of Fire. d. One final aspect of the Day of the Lord is regarding the remaking of the Universe. A New Heaven and Earth will come, and we will enter the eternal state in this new Universe. iv. And so, the subject matter of the previous chapter, namely when Christ returns and His bride is snatched up to meet Him in the air, while being included in this discussion of the Day of the Lord, is not synonymous with the Day of the Lord. v. Although Christ’s return is certainly part of these events, the Day of the Lord is a collection of events that occurs over a difficult-to-pin-down time frame. vi. The order which we discussed the elements of the Day of the Lord seems to be the order in which they occur sequentially. vii. However, I would caution that we should be slow to create timelines or even assume that specific day and year statements in the scripture are always to be interpreted literally. viii. We must remain humble no matter what eschatological position we hold to, knowing that if John was kept from knowing all

Title: Grieve In Hope Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 FCF: We often struggle despairing over death. Prop: Because God will raise His children to life and bring all His elect to Him when He returns, we must not grieve without hope. Scripture Intro: CSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. In a moment we will read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 13. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Paul has turned to teaching. He is seeking to build what is lacking in the faith of the Thessalonians. He spent the first three chapters defending their visit and the experience that these Thessalonian believers had in receiving the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. But now, he turns to application for them. The rest of the book is designed to fulfill his benediction prayer. That they would become blameless in holiness. He revealed at the beginning of chapter 4 that God’s will for His people is that they become more and more holy, different, set apart. He has already addressed two areas in their life that they can be holy. First, their sexual ethic and second their love for other believers. Today, Paul will broach the topic… of death. How can we be different than the world when it comes to the concept of death? Please stand with me to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Most gracious and loving Lord. We thank You that You are sovereign over life and death. That not even a bird falls without your knowledge and will. Although death is not an original part of your creation, and although it has always been a punishment for sin, it does not have power over You and Your will. Though Satan is said to wield its power, he does this by Your will and by Your permission, so that all things are according to Your immutable and sovereign decree. We thank You for these truths because they help us to establish a proper understanding of death so that we can be a people who are holy because we are filled with hope. Transform us Lord by Your promises and power, we pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Our friends bring us to the grave and leave us there, but God will not.” Anonymous “At the close of every obituary of His believing children God adds the word… henceforth!” A.W. Tozer “We are more sure to arise out of our graves than out of our beds.” Thomas Watson “The resurrection and the judgment will demonstrate before all worlds who won and who lost. We can wait.” A.W. Tozer Ponder these wonderful words as we consult the text of scripture today. I.) The dead in Christ will be raised first, so we must not grieve without hope. (13-16) a. [Slide 3] 13 - We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. i. The CSB is unlike many modern translations of this verse in that it does not include some sort of conjunction to begin this verse. ii. Either “but” or “now” are appropriate. But deciding on which is difficult. The CSB leaves it untranslated to accommodate both options. iii. Either way, Paul is clearly moving to a new topic, but we should not think for one moment that Paul’s words here have nothing to do with what he’s been saying since the didactic shift in the letter which began in chapter 4. iv. Paul is certainly still teaching about God’s desire for His children to become more and more holy. To be more and more different. v. Up to this point in the letter, in almost everything he has written Paul has continued to say, “as you know”, or “as you remember”, or “as you witnessed”, or “as we commanded you…” 1. Most of what Paul has said in this letter has been things that the evangelists clearly taught the Thessalonians while they were in Thessalonica. 2. But Paul opens this section expressing his desire that they not be uninformed. 3. This is the first time in the letter where Paul is about to instruct them on something that either he and his companions did not give to them, or something that the Thessalonians had somewhat misunderstood as proven by the report from Timothy. 4. Paul doesn’t want them to be ignorant of this teaching or misinformed. vi. The expression, “those who are asleep” is a euphemism for people being dead. 1. This is a fairly common expression at this time to refer to someone who has died. It is similar to our expression “passing away.” It is a euphemism to soften the blow of the reality. 2. Whatever they got wrong or do not know concerns those who have died. vii. Paul hopes that by sharing this teaching with them that they will not grieve death the same way that those outside the church grieve death. viii. And then he specifically calls out how unbelievers grieve death. They grieve without hope. 1. The common view in the first century was that once you were dead, you stayed that way. There really was no returning from death. 2. Theocritus, a Greek writer and poet once said, “Hopes are for the living; the dead are without hope.” 3. And although there were few who believed that the soul did endure beyond death – there was certainly no returning or resurrection. 4. And even those who did believe in the soul’s enduring past death, would not have hope in any way according to Paul’s perspective. ix. So, Paul wants them to be different. To be set apart. To be holy in the way they grieve those who have died. x. That is his application. xi. But so far, it lacks a reason. It lacks the doctrinal foundation to expect this conclusion. xii. Why should the Thessalonians grieve differently than unbelievers who grieve without hope. b. [Slide 4] 14 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. i. Paul states this with a conditional “if” clause, not to question whether or not the Thessalonians believed this, but as a rhetorical device. 1. If I said, “if we aren’t fools, we will trust the Lord.” I’m not actually suggesting that we are fools. It is a rhetorical expression designed to move the audience to adopt a belief. 2. In a similar way, Paul says “if we believe that Jesus died and rose again” which should generate a hearty amen from his audience. Why? a. The core of Christian doctrine must include two key concepts of Jesus’ life on earth. b. That He died and that He rose again. c. Obviously, there is much more to it than that – but these two truths form the crux for every redemptive discussion and argument that has ever been had in the church and against those outside it. d. Jesus died. Jesus, The Second person of the Godhead, died. He was truly human because gods don’t die. But Jesus did. e. Jesus rose again, the man Jesus of Nazareth came back to life at the will of God, by His own authority, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. He was truly God because no human comes back from the dead. f. The promises made to Jesus in the covenant of redemption, are then applied to His bride in the covenant of grace. g. What does this mean? h. That what Jesus has been rewarded with by fulfilling His covenant obligations to the Father – has been applied to us by grace. 3. So, since this is such a rudimentary teaching of the gospel which they should heartily accept, then they must see the next thing Paul teaches as an obvious and true teaching. 4. So, what is that teaching? ii. Paul says that in the exact same way that Jesus died and rose again, so also, through Jesus’ redemption, the dead will be raised to life and will be brought with Jesus when He returns. iii. Paul already mentioned in chapter three that Christ will bring all His saints with Him when He returns. iv. So how do the dead eventually join the living and how do we come WITH Jesus when He returns if the dead are dead and we are alive. Death and life form a chasm that cannot be easily crossed, right? c. [Slide 5] 15 - For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. i. Paul is clearly teaching something new here as he begins this with the assurances that what he is about to say is directly from Jesus’ mouth. 1. Scholars debate ad-nauseum as to what exact reference Paul is making. 2. There doesn’t seem to be an exact one to one teaching in the gospels from Christ’s lips. 3. Some say that this is a collected tradition of Christ’s teachings. a. But that is unlikely because that is true of eve

Title: Excel in Love Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 FCF: We often struggle loving other believers by putting them above our own desires. Prop: Because God desires us to be holy in our love for other believers, we must excel in love by putting the mission of the church before ourselves. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we finished up Paul’s first set of instructions for the church of Thessalonica. The last two chapters revolve around the will of God for His church which is for them to be holy…different… pure. The first way Paul teaches them to be holy is in their sexual ethic. Today, Paul will move on to another way that the church can be holy. Although the topic of mutual Christian love is not a new topic, some of the particular applications Paul has in mind for showing love to the church may be surprising. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Lord of heaven, You are loving and merciful. You have carved out of the death of sin a people for Your own. You have turned wretches into royalty. And You have taught us to love one another. I pray that You would be among us today and teach us anew what it means to love one another. That we would be unlike any other group or organization on earth in that we truly love one another. Teach us these things from Your word we pray this in Jesus’ name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Love is not only full of benevolence but beneficence. Love which enlarges the heart never straitens the hand.” Thomas Watson “Love not merely does seek that which does not belong to it; it is prepared to give up for the sake of others even what it is entitled to.” C.K. Barrett “Love for the brethren is far more than an agreeable society whose views are the same.” A.W. Pink “Christian love is not the victim of our emotions but the servant of our will.” John R. W. Stott Keep these ideas in your mind as we look to the text this morning. I.) God desires His children to be holy in our love for one another, so we must excel in love for other believers. a. [Slide 3] 9 - Now concerning love of the brothers, i. Paul makes a clear subject break here. ii. In chapter 3 Paul’s benediction hoped for them to abound in love toward one another and for all people. iii. As we said before, the benediction was really a foreshadowing of Paul’s teaching he would express in the next two chapters. iv. We also know that this must be somehow related to being holy or set apart or different. v. So, it is good for us to conclude that all of this is interconnected. b. [Slide 4] you have no need for anyone to write to you, i. In a somewhat unexpected turn, Paul introduces the subject matter and then immediately commends them. ii. This shouldn’t be too much of a shock though. Paul has already commended them for their love for one another in chapter 1 and it was part of Timothy’s report about them in chapter 3. iii. But once again, Paul refuses to praise them directly for their good works. iv. According to Paul, what is the reason that they do not have to be written to concerning love for other believers? c. [Slide 5] for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, i. Paul no doubt makes reference to Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, who prophesied about a day when the Spirit of God would write the law of God on the hearts of His people. ii. In that day, the prophets said, a person would not have to be taught the Lord’s law by anyone because God would put in on their hearts. iii. Paul firmly believes that this has already been fulfilled in the coming of Christ and the granting of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. iv. In a sense then, the kingdom of God has come. It isn’t here fully and completely – but many end-times-predictions from the Old Testament have come true since Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. v. Part of that is this spiritual teaching of God’s law for those who have received the Holy Spirit. vi. Now Paul says that he doesn’t need to write to them, in the sense that he doesn’t need to inform them of what they should do, because God has already impressed this upon them at their conversion. vii. John the apostle essentially says this, but in another way – he says, “If a man says he loves God but hates his brother he is a liar.” viii. Being a believer assumes the reality of a genuine love for other believers. ix. But how does Paul know that they have been taught these things by God? d. [Slide 6] 10 - for indeed you do practice it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. i. And here is the perfect balance between faith and works. ii. God’s gift of Faith unites us to Christ and all the covenant benefits of His atonement. iii. We do not need to work to earn these covenantal promises because it was a covenant made between God the Father and His Son. iv. However, one thing we know must be true… is that works must follow genuine faith. v. This is what justifies us before men and before one another. vi. In this way, Paul knows that God has gifted these Thessalonians the knowledge of His love and he knows that they are genuine believers because he sees them practice this love toward all the believers… even those who are not from their city. vii. So, since the Thessalonians don’t need to be taught anything… Since God taught them to love one another already… Since they are doing it… viii. Paul is done… Right? e. [Slide 7] But we urge you, brothers, to excel still more, i. There is a brand of Christianity that teaches that we are able to live sinlessly and perfectly in this life if we achieve a certain spiritual maturity. ii. Paul’s words here seem to indicate that the life of a believer never stops maturing. iii. If they are doing well. If they are an example for everyone to follow. If Paul commends them and doesn’t need to teach them about loving each other… iv. But still wants them to do better. To excel. To abound at loving others… v. We can reasonably conclude that we will always be striving to live more and more like Christ. vi. From there it isn’t too far of a leap for us to conclude that we will not reach perfection in this life. vii. But we do look forward to the day when Christ will present us faultless before the throne of God. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul begins this next section teaching on other relationships besides those of an intimate nature. Specifically, those relationships inside the church. God’s desire is for us to be holy, different, pure, and set apart in how we treat others who claim the name of Christ. Paul’s application is somewhat stunted by the fact that he doesn’t actually need to teach them to do this. First, because they have been taught this by God Himself, and second because they are currently practicing loving one another. Of course, Paul, having a pastor’s heart, always sees room for growth in himself and in the hearts of those in his charge. And so, he commands them to excel all the more in love. To abound in love toward believers. A command we should heed too. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] But how exactly does Paul expect them to excel in loving other believers. Well, Paul has a few commands he will give to ensure that this will happen. II.) God desires His children to be holy in our love for one another, so we must have a good reputation with outsiders and provide for our own needs. a. [Slide 10] 11 - and to make it you