1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:06,080 I've never lived through a war, but many of my friends in Dubai, 2 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,240 where my wife and I live for seven years, are currently doing 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,040 that very thing. They regularly get interrupted, 4 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,239 even in their gatherings. All their phones will go off 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,880 with warnings, loud buzzing noises and they've had to 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,480 announce that their service leader has to say at the start 7 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,480 of the service, hey, if the alarms goes off and you want to 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,680 seek shelter, you know you're welcome to do that. 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,720 Go out these doors and you can go down the stairs. 10 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,880 You're also welcome to stay in the building. 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:43,400 They regularly hear and and have to live through loud noises like 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:50,920 missiles being fired and debris falling, drones dropping from 13 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,160 the sky. I think some of them have gotten 14 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,000 used to it now. But Can you imagine living in a 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:06,480 war zone? Is there peace in your home? 16 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,320 Perhaps some of you don't need to imagine living through a war 17 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:12,800 zone. You live in one regularly. 18 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,640 Is there peace in your marriage? Constant fighting, bickering, 19 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,720 regular conflict, shouting, screaming. 20 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:30,200 Friend, if you're visiting this morning, do you have peace with 21 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,840 God? Peace is all about what our 22 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,200 passage is about in First Thessalonians 5. 23 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,200 Turn your Bible if you have it with with you to 1st 24 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,600 Thessalonians chapter 5. If you didn't bring a Bible, 25 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,360 maybe you don't even own one. Just raise your hand. 26 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,400 Somebody will bring you a Bible from the back table right now. 27 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,080 Be great to open God's Word this morning. 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:56,320 This is our last sermon in the Apostle Paul's letter to the 29 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,400 Thessalonian Church. Paul planted the church. 30 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:04,480 They were brand new believers, still wet from their baptismal 31 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:09,960 waters, only a few weeks into their life together as a church, 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:15,800 when suffering struck them. The Apostle Paul, their founding 33 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,120 father in the faith, was run out of town by persecution, Paul 34 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,720 says of their church. They were birthed in much 35 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,840 affliction, and months later when Paul wrote this letter, 36 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,760 they were still under pressure. They faced suffering and Satan. 37 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,560 So Paul was worried about their faith. 38 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,880 He wanted their faith to endure to the last day when they stood 39 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,960 before Jesus Christ. But he feared his labor would be 40 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,080 in vain. So that's why he sent Timothy to 41 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,840 them to check up on them to, to hear about their faith. 42 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:59,120 And that's why he wrote this letter to them to encourage them 43 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:05,160 in their new found faith. Listen, as I read First 44 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:10,520 Thessalonians 5 verses 12 to 28, hear the word of the Lord. 45 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:17,960 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and 46 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:23,160 are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them 47 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,560 very highly in love because of their work. 48 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:32,440 Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, 49 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:38,040 admonish the idol, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be 50 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,840 patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone 51 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:47,560 evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to 52 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,600 everyone. Rejoice always. 53 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,080 Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all 54 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:59,200 circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. 55 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,680 For you do not quench the Spirit. 56 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,480 Do not despise prophecies, but test everything. 57 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,280 Hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 58 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:18,720 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may 59 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:24,840 your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the 60 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:29,640 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful. 61 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,400 He will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. 62 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,280 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 63 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,120 I put you underoath before the Lord to have this letter read. 64 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:47,440 To all the brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 65 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:52,440 you. Paul closes this letter to the 66 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:58,440 Thessalonians with a barrage of imperatives, 15 in total. 67 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,240 At first glance it seems like this is just Paul's laundry 68 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,400 list, a shotgun approach of random requests. 69 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,400 Each Saturday, Hannah and I, we make a list of to do's for the 70 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:16,120 day. Work out, make pizza dough, go 71 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,120 on a walk, go to the park, clean the kitchen, do some chores. 72 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:25,280 If you took our To Do List from yesterday and you studied it and 73 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:28,240 you tried to analyze it for themes, there would be no 74 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,720 connection, nothing. They're just a random things we 75 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,520 need to get done on Saturday. It is not so with Paul's list. 76 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,720 How do these 15 commands then fit together? 77 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,240 Did you hear Paul's prayer? Look at verse 23. 78 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:54,720 Paul prays that they'd be kept blameless at the coming of our 79 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,840 Lord Jesus Christ. It is to this end, to this 80 00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:04,800 purpose, that Paul exhorts them to peace. 81 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,200 Notice the word peace. It frames these final 82 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:14,160 exhortations, verse 13. Be at peace among yourselves. 83 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:22,720 Verse 23 now may the God of peace in order to stand 84 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:29,560 blameless before Jesus Christ on that day, they need to be at 85 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:35,560 peace with their pastors and with their church and most 86 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:40,600 importantly with their God Trinity Baptist Church. 87 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,680 We face our own pressures like the Thessalonians, don't we? 88 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:53,200 How can we weather our storms and stand blameless before 89 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:58,600 Christ on that day? Four ways. 4 points. 90 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,840 First, be at peace with your pastors. 91 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,720 Verses 12 and 13. Be at peace with your pastors. 92 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:12,840 Look down at verses 12 and 13. Paul addresses the Thessalonians 93 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:14,800 in verse 12. Brothers. 94 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,400 He does this three times in his final verses. 95 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,000 You could translate it as brothers and sisters. 96 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,120 Paul's talking to the whole church. 97 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:32,400 The church is a family, brothers and sisters following the Lord 98 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,240 together. And here's how the family of 99 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,520 God, the elders and the members should live together. 100 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:44,640 In verses 12 and 13, Paul teaches us what we should expect 101 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:49,920 from our pastors and what our pastors should expect from us. 102 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,320 What should you expect from your pastors? 103 00:07:53,200 --> 00:08:00,360 Hard work and hard words. Paul describes pastors or elders 104 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:05,920 as those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord. 105 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,240 Your pastors should always work hard. 106 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,600 We know Paul's talking about pastors in these verses because 107 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,440 the same word in Greek for those who are over you in verse 12 is 108 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:23,280 used later in First Timothy to refer to elders in the elder 109 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,200 qualifications. An elder must manage. 110 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,040 There's the same word for our over you his own household. 111 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:36,760 Well, so he's talking about pastors, but what do pastors do, 112 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,559 have you ever wondered? That is pastoring? 113 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,320 The opposite of working at Chick-fil-A, which is always 114 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,440 closed on Sundays? Is pastoring a Sunday only 115 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:53,960 occupation if you're lazy? Is the pastor at the right 116 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,800 pursuit for you? The right career path in the New 117 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,320 Testament? The chief Shepherd, Jesus 118 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:05,000 Christ, delegates authority to under shepherds, pastors who are 119 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:11,040 recognized by churches. Pastors are both among you and 120 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,840 over you. In other words, pastors are both 121 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:21,200 sheep and shepherds, and the shepherds should smell like the 122 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:28,400 sheep because our job assigned by Jesus Christ is to keep watch 123 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,560 over your souls. That's it. 124 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,440 Pretty simple. Not a big deal, easy work. 125 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,800 The preacher on YouTube will not give an account for your soul. 126 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,400 That favorite podcaster of yours will not give an account for 127 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,000 your soul. Your pastor will. 128 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,760 How important are doctors responsible for caring for your 129 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,000 body? They diagnose your ailments and 130 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,640 offer treatments. You hope they know what they're 131 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,520 doing. What's at stake in a doctor's 132 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,840 work? It's just life and death. 133 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,920 What about your pastor responsible for caring for your 134 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,440 soul? They diagnose your problems. 135 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,920 They offer aid from God's Word. They better know what they're 136 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,200 doing. What's at stake is heaven and 137 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:28,480 hell. Brothers, do you aspire to be a 138 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,880 pastor? Paul says to Timothy. 139 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,360 If anyone aspires the office of overseer, he desires a noble 140 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,400 task. If God calls you to serve his 141 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:42,920 church as a pastor, here's your job description in a picture. 142 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:49,680 It's show and tell kids you know about show and tell. 143 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,040 You come to class with your stuffed animal or your pet 144 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,400 gerbil. You show it and you tell 145 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:01,040 everyone about it. Hi, here's my teddy bear, Billy. 146 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:06,160 My grandma gave him to me when she was on a trip to Florida on 147 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:07,960 vacation. This is her souvenir. 148 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,160 This is Billy the Clot. Hi, Billy. 149 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,960 That's show and tell. That's a pastor's job. 150 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,480 They teach God's word. Second Timothy 42. 151 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,280 Preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season. 152 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:26,440 Reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and teaching. 153 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:31,040 They live God's Word. First Timothy 412 set the 154 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:35,680 believers an example in speech and conduct and love and faith 155 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:40,000 and purity. They tell they live, they 156 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,360 preach, they practice, they say they do. 157 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:50,240 Brother, if you aspire to be an elder, this means that you are 158 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:54,200 teaching others what it means to be a Christian, not just from 159 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,080 your sermons, but also from your life. 160 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:03,520 Your life is a sermon and church. 161 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,200 When we nominate men to serve as elders, listen to them preach 162 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,640 and then watch how they live. You have to use both your ears 163 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,880 and your eyes. And please, always, always, 164 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:24,440 always talk to any of the elders if you have concerns about 165 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,960 someone we've nominated to serve in this office. 166 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,160 The elders are currently reading a book on eldering by the 167 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,800 reformer Martin Bootzer called The Care of Souls. 168 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,080 Here's his description of the work of a pastor. 169 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,920 The pastoral office involves such a great and important work, 170 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,720 and one which, so long as we live here, is unending. 171 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,800 Unending. That is the work of a pastor. 172 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:01,160 No matter how much work you do as a pastor, there is always 173 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:06,840 more work that could be done. Your pastors are farmers, rising 174 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:11,640 early, planting, plowing, harvesting, hoping for you. 175 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,440 Your pastors are athletes, training and learning and 176 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,840 growing and playing by the rules for you. 177 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,680 Your pastors are soldiers, receiving orders, marching to 178 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:27,880 the front lines, warring for you. 179 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:33,600 Your pastors should always work hard. 180 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,120 In verse 12, Paul describes 1 aspect of their work. 181 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,120 Look at verse 12. They admonish you. 182 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:49,600 Your pastors should sometimes speak hard words to you. 183 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,160 Hard words. That's what admonishment is. 184 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,880 It's warning against sin and its consequences. 185 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,240 It's correcting and rebuking wrongdoing. 186 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,680 At times. Shepherds must warn sheep. 187 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,360 This does not mean that your shepherd should be harsh with 188 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,200 you. They cannot be domineering, but 189 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,240 they need to speak the truth in love. 190 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,800 If a man is not gentle, he cannot be a pastor. 191 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,560 If a man can't have a hard conversation, he can't be a 192 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,040 pastor. Brothers and sisters, this means 193 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:31,200 that you should expect sometimes for your pastors to rebuke you. 194 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:36,760 There are times when they'll need to pull you aside and open 195 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:42,120 the Scriptures and admonish you if you're being foolish or 196 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,080 divisive, or you're believing lies or spreading lies, or 197 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,920 straying from the flock, or setting a bad example or leading 198 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:56,640 others astray. Pastors are over you, meaning 199 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:02,400 God's given them this job with authority over you for your good 200 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,880 and for your flourishing. Pastors are over you in the 201 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:11,480 Lord, Paul says, meaning their rebukes must always come from 202 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,880 Scripture. They must work to keep watch 203 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:20,000 over your soul, to present you blameless before Jesus Christ 204 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:25,560 Christ, the one whom they will then give an account to for 205 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:32,600 their shepherding of you. Expect hard work and hard works 206 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,200 from your pastors. Now flip the script. 207 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,360 What should your pastors expect from you? 208 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,520 Paul says two things, respect and love. 209 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:50,920 Look again at verses 12 and 13. Paul calls the church to respect 210 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:55,400 their pastors in verse 12 and to esteem them very highly in love 211 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,640 in verse 13. Why verse 13? 212 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:05,720 Because of their work, what should your pastors expect from 213 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:10,520 you when they admonish you? This is surprising. 214 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:17,560 Appreciation, honor, love. Does that not surprise you to 215 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,960 see that? Let a righteous man strike me, 216 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,240 the psalmist sings. It is a kindness. 217 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,480 Let him rebuke me. It is oil for my head. 218 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,760 That, brothers and sisters, should be your posture towards 219 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,680 your pastors. Or as Hebrews 1317 says, obey 220 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,440 your leaders and submit to them for their keeping. 221 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,480 Watch over your souls as those who will have to give an 222 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:49,040 account, Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for 223 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:52,800 that would be of no advantage to you. 224 00:16:54,880 --> 00:17:02,760 Are you someone who is a joy to pastor, or are you someone who 225 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:08,680 makes your pastors groan? Make your pastors ministry to 226 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,040 you a joy. Don't despise them. 227 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:12,839 Delight in them. Don't ridicule them. 228 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:14,960 Respect them. Don't flatter them. 229 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,839 Encourage them. This is to your advantage, Paul 230 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:23,040 says. My aim to my fellow pastors, 231 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,760 Brandon Ashok, we're not here right now, is that when they 232 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,480 need to have a hard conversation with me and since they're not 233 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,880 here, you can tell them this when they need to have a hard 234 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:40,360 conversation with me and they will that they won't go, oh man, 235 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,800 got to talk to Michael today. I don't want them to groan 236 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,560 because of me. When we understand the work our 237 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:55,000 pastors do, which is often behind the scenes, our hearts 238 00:17:55,320 --> 00:18:00,320 should swell up with love for them because of their labour of 239 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:06,280 love for us. I have so much respect and 240 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:11,760 admiration and affection and regard for Brandon and Ashok 241 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,440 Trinity Baptist Church. You are blessed to have these 242 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,760 brothers serving you as your pastors. 243 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:26,760 And when pastors work hard and members labor to love the fruit 244 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:32,680 that grows up in this greenhouse, look at verse 13 is 245 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:37,520 peace. Paul says be at peace among 246 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,480 yourselves. This is peace between the 247 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,600 shepherds and the sheep. To stand blameless before 248 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,080 Christ, you need to be at peace with your pastors. 249 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:53,080 Second, be at peace with your church. 250 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,400 Verses 14 and 15, Be at peace with your church. 251 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:04,000 Look at verses 14 and 15. Paul teaches us what we should 252 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:10,560 expect from one another. What should the members of 253 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:14,240 Trinity Baptist Church expect from you? 254 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,960 Verse 14? Whole person care verse 15 255 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:25,360 wholehearted forgiveness. Paul urges the church with six 256 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:29,560 commands which all relate to other members. 257 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,200 These commands require Christians to be in a committed 258 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,000 relationship with one another. In other words, the preliminary 259 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,560 step to being at peace with your church is to be a member of a 260 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,440 church. Look at the members job in verse 261 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,800 14. This verse, verse 14 is worth 262 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,520 you memorizing and meditating on regularly. 263 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:56,040 Three kinds of people are mentioned, the idol, the faint 264 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:02,400 hearted, the weak. 3 cures are required, admonish, encourage, 265 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:09,080 help, all circumstances. All members require patience. 266 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,240 Paul says be patient with them all. 267 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:18,600 This is whole person care. Members of Trinity Baptist 268 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:23,160 Church, verse 14 is every member's ministry. 269 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:25,280 Notice the first command Paul gives. 270 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:29,720 Admonish the idol. It is your pastor's job to have 271 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,480 hard words. It is also your job to have hard 272 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,760 words. Admonish the idol. 273 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:41,560 Idol is a military term for when soldiers were out of rank. 274 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:47,080 Picture of military battalion with undisciplined soldiers out 275 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:51,320 of order in 2nd Thessalonians 3. Actually, Paul addresses the 276 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:55,000 idol again, but it's not so much that they're not working. 277 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,720 That's what we often think of with idol. 278 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,760 We think of lazy. It's that they're working hard 279 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:05,240 on the wrong things. 2nd Thessalonians 3, they're working 280 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,040 hard at being busy. Bodies in the church. 281 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:14,000 The late billionaire owner of the Utah Jazz, Larry Miller, 282 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:19,720 reflected on the effort, the work he put in to achieve the 283 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:26,440 success that he reached. He said I worked nearly every 284 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:31,280 waking hour, 90 hours a week for 20 years. 285 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:36,680 I worked when other people were home watching TV or sleeping or 286 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,440 eating breakfast. I was getting the next day's 287 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:44,960 work done a day early. I was sleeping about 6 hours a 288 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:49,080 night. It made me successful, Larry 289 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:55,240 says. It made me a failure too, he 290 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:56,880 says. I miss most of my children's 291 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,120 youth. I miss ball games and science 292 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:03,360 fairs and back to school nights. I miss the first day of 293 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:05,360 kindergarten and playing catch in the yard. 294 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:10,040 I miss dinner at home with my wife and kids. 295 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,640 Perhaps this is a temptation for us. 296 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:20,680 Working hard at the wrong things, winning at work, losing 297 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,680 at home. This is also a picture of an 298 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:29,440 idle life. Disordered members who are 299 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,320 living disordered lives need your help to bring them back 300 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,040 into order. A healthy church is 1 where 301 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,480 verbal critique admonishment happens. 302 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,960 It's not the dominant note, but it's not absent. 303 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,520 When you bring a critique to another member, bring a scalpel, 304 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,240 cut to heel. Let your critiques be 305 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,320 occasional. Do not critique someone every 306 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,360 time you see them. Let your encouragements be 307 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,000 frequent. Let your critiques be specific. 308 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:05,280 Don't leave them wondering what in the world you're critiquing 309 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:06,960 them of. Let your critique be 310 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,720 constructive. Pray for them before you 311 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,920 critique them, and pray for yourself also that this critique 312 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,640 would be for their good. Take the log out of your own 313 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,960 eye. Jesus says in Matthew 7 that you 314 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:22,240 wouldn't be a hypocrite. Give them hope for change. 315 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,200 They are a Christian. They have the Spirit of God. 316 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:31,080 What about when another member brings a critique to you? 317 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,400 Lower your defenses. Learn to listen. 318 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,960 Listen, don't speak, don't defend yourself. 319 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,960 Ask questions to understand. Look for the needle in the 320 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,480 haystack. They may be wrong about 99%. 321 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:55,560 Is there a kernel of truth? Thank them for critiquing you, 322 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,680 because surely they must love you and care for you. 323 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:02,040 Pray for your own heart to be humble. 324 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:04,280 Share the critique with a trusted friend. 325 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,240 Somebody who knows you will ask them to help assess the 326 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:08,600 critique. Is this fair? 327 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:15,360 Help them help you see yourself. We need to learn to admonish one 328 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,360 another. But admonishment is not the only 329 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:20,840 play. Look at Paul's next command in 330 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,280 verse 14. Encourage the faint hearted. 331 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,120 Some of the Thessalonians were faint hearted. 332 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,680 Paul left them. The pressures of persecution 333 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,560 pressed in on them. Some of their own members 334 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:39,240 recently died. They did not need hard words. 335 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,920 They needed wind in their sails, strength for their souls. 336 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:50,280 They needed encouragement. Encourage the faint hearted by 337 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,800 listening. Find out what's troubling them. 338 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:55,640 Try to put yourself in their shoes. 339 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:01,600 Encourage them with scripture. Share a specific, timely verse 340 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:03,680 with them. Encourage them with your 341 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:05,960 prayers. Tell them you're praying for 342 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,680 them like Paul does. Tell them what you're praying 343 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,200 for. Encourage them, as Paul does, 344 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,800 over and over again with Christ's return. 345 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,920 Remind them regularly, like Paul does, of heaven and the coming 346 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,040 of Jesus Christ with all his Saints. 347 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,040 Encourage the faint hearted whole person. 348 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,200 Care, Paul says, also includes help. 349 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,520 Help the weak. Paul likely means the physically 350 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,760 weak, those who are sick or suffering. 351 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:40,520 The church is the place where the weak should be strengthened, 352 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,920 a people where the strong offer their strength to the weak. 353 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:49,960 The weak do not need a lecture, they need a helping hand. 354 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:55,080 But whether you're administering to someone who is idle or faint 355 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,880 hearted or weak, Paul says be patient with them all. 356 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,920 Every member of this church, including you, requires 357 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,480 patience. Be patient with them all. 358 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,520 Members of Trinity Baptist Church, can you tell the 359 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:18,800 difference between someone who is idle and someone who is faint 360 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:22,160 hearted? Between someone who needs a hard 361 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:25,080 word and someone who just needs help? 362 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:30,720 Can you administer the right medicine for each member? 363 00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:37,080 Some of your one trick ponies? You are great at encouragement. 364 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,320 You need to grow an admonishment. 365 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:43,360 You are an incredible helper. You need to be ready to give a 366 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:46,040 hard word. Hammers are great. 367 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:48,760 Have you ever tried a screwdriver? 368 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,640 Screwdriver is not working. Pick up the wrench. 369 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:58,560 The health of this church depends on you knowing how to 370 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,000 pick up the appropriate tool for the appropriate person. 371 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:07,960 And the peace of this church is contingent upon verse 15. 372 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,200 Wholehearted forgiveness. Look at verse 15. 373 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:21,720 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek 374 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,600 to do good to one another and to everyone. 375 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:32,880 Paul says do good when someone does evil to you, do good to one 376 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:36,680 another and to everyone. We you might be able to quickly 377 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,560 understand everyone. I mean, the Thessalonians had 378 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,680 enemies, they were being persecuted, but what about one 379 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,840 another? Aren't these Christians? 380 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,040 And yet they're being evil to one another. 381 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:53,000 They're sitting against one another. 382 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:55,880 The Thessalonian Church was made-up of three kinds of 383 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:59,800 people, Saints, sufferers, and sinners. 384 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,560 Those three kinds of people actually all made-up a single 385 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,840 member. Each member was a St. and a 386 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,440 sufferer and a Sinner. So not only were the 387 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,880 Thessalonians to respond to persecution from the outside 388 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:16,920 with goodness and with forgiveness, as Jesus taught 389 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,960 love your enemies, the Thessalonians were also to 390 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:25,080 respond to their fellow members who sinned against them with 391 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:31,040 goodness and in with mercy. Jesus taught his disciples, 392 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:37,280 Blessed are the peacemakers. You will be sinned against in 393 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,720 this church we're a year and a half in. 394 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,200 If you've not been sinned against yet, just wait. 395 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,240 Don't be surprised. You will sin against other 396 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,520 people too. You are a Sinner. 397 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:51,480 If you're slandered by a member of this church. 398 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,720 Don't seek revenge. Don't even dream about it. 399 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,400 If you're mistreated by a member of this church, don't retaliate. 400 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,640 Don't even rehearse it in your mind. 401 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:07,800 Return curses with blessings for bear, and forgive, for you have 402 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:12,440 been forgiven much. Now, just a brief caveat. 403 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,680 If someone breaks the law in sinning against you in this 404 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,320 church, the appropriate authority should be involved. 405 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,680 Forgiveness does not mean foregoing justice. 406 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,120 But Paul's focus here is more on interrelational conflict. 407 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,480 That's what he's talking about. You can actually see a snapshot 408 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,560 of a church at peace by how they greet one another. 409 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,240 Skip down briefly to Paul's greetings, verse 26. 410 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:44,440 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 411 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:49,040 What's interesting is here in First Thessalonians, and also in 412 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,440 Romans 16 and 2nd Corinthians 3 and First Peter 5, the New 413 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:58,040 Testament authors all link greeting with a holy kiss, with 414 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:04,440 being at peace with one another. Meaning this kiss, which was a 415 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:09,040 cultural greeting, was actually an expression of the peace that 416 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:14,440 they had in their church. If you're visiting, you may be 417 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,080 worried. Are we going to apply this 418 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:18,880 passage today? We do plan on it, but don't 419 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,160 worry, we will not go around kissing one another after the 420 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,760 service. But however, you should be able 421 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,200 to observe our interactions with one another and sense an 422 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,520 affection and a warmth in our church. 423 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,120 Simply by how we greet one another, you should be able to 424 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,920 see peace through our affection in our greeting. 425 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:49,720 Third, be at peace with God, verses 16 to 22. 426 00:30:56,510 --> 00:31:00,590 In verses 16 to 22, Paul's already covered their 427 00:31:00,590 --> 00:31:03,750 relationship with their pastors and to their church. 428 00:31:04,030 --> 00:31:07,310 Now he turns to their relationship with God, 429 00:31:08,590 --> 00:31:11,870 specifically their corporate relationship with God. 430 00:31:12,110 --> 00:31:16,360 There's 8 commands in these verses, all 8:00, every single 431 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:23,160 one are plural, meaning they're to be obeyed together as a 432 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,120 church. The first 3 commands, verses 16 433 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:31,160 and 18, are about prayer. The last five commands, verses 434 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:36,800 19 to 22, are about prophecy, prayer, then prophecy. 435 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:40,720 Paul tells this persecuted church to pray. 436 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:46,920 Verse 16 Rejoice always pray without ceasing. 437 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,400 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the 438 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,520 will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 439 00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:01,480 How should they pray always without ceasing in all 440 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,320 circumstances? When they gathered as a church, 441 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,960 rain or shine, in seasons of plenty or in one, they were to 442 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,600 pray. Meaning they weren't just to 443 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,880 praise God for His goodness when they received good things. 444 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:18,080 They were also to praise God for His goodness when he sent them 445 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,440 sorrows. And he had sent this church a 446 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,040 few of those. Paul himself modelled what he's 447 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,520 teaching here. He modelled what he tells them 448 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,520 to pray. He modelled joy in the midst of 449 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:32,800 suffering. He could even say of himself in 450 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:38,160 Second Indian Six that he was always sorrowful, yet always 451 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,880 rejoicing. We faced our own sorrows as a 452 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,160 church. You could say. 453 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:49,440 Like the Thessalonians, our honeymoon period has come to an 454 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,440 end, but we have reason to rejoice. 455 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,480 The same God who served the Thessalonians serves us. 456 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:02,880 He is good to us yesterday. Today He'll be good to us 457 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,840 forever. That is our God, and as we pray 458 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:11,360 to God, as we bring him everything in prayer with 459 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:16,400 Thanksgiving, as we let our request be made known to God, He 460 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:21,200 promises that his peace, which surpasses all understanding, 461 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:26,440 will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. 462 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:34,000 Prayer produces peace. Prayer is a remedy for grief and 463 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,520 sorrow and anxiety. We cast our anxieties on God 464 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,840 because he cares for us. We thank God in all 465 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:45,120 circumstances because God is the giver of every good gift to us. 466 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:49,160 When we pray together as a church, we're having a corporate 467 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,600 conversation with the God who created us. 468 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,360 In prayer, we call upon the name of the Lord. 469 00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:01,120 Together. We must never let our trials and 470 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,360 our troubles push pause on our prayers. 471 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:10,159 In our services, we often prepare our prayers in advance. 472 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:13,239 Maybe you've noticed that this is not required by Scripture. 473 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:17,320 Just so you know, we do this for the sake of clarity and care. 474 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,000 Recently, I celebrated our 10th anniversary. 475 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,440 My wife wrote me a letter. She spent time thinking through 476 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,679 her thoughts. She put them on a piece of 477 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:29,719 paper. When she handed that to me and I 478 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,840 read over it, I did not think well. 479 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,960 This is disingenuous. You prepare this beforehand. 480 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,880 It's similar for us. We can use preparation as a tool 481 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:44,560 for clear and careful communication to our Creator. 482 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:48,280 Brothers, sisters, do you need help praying? 483 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,120 Learn how to pray by praying with Paul. 484 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,040 Look through Paul's epistles and learn Paul's priorities. 485 00:34:57,240 --> 00:34:59,320 Learn how to pray by praying the Psalms. 486 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:05,040 There's a whole book 150 prayers to God in every season of life. 487 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,840 Learn how to pray by praying with us in our corporate prayers 488 00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:12,720 each Sunday. We rejoice always. 489 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:15,320 We praise God for His character as we did this morning. 490 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:20,040 When you pray, meditate and marvel at your Maker. 491 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:22,360 We pray as a church without ceasing. 492 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:26,680 We pray morning and evening. When you pray, set aside time in 493 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:31,320 your day for prayer and be prayerful throughout your day. 494 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:35,440 We pray as a church, prayers of Thanksgiving, thanking God even 495 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:39,280 in trials. When you pray, trace every gift 496 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:44,920 back to the giver in verse 25. If you look down to the greeting 497 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:49,400 again, you find that even apostles need prayer. 498 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:53,920 Paul asked the Thessalonians, Brothers, pray for us. 499 00:35:54,800 --> 00:36:00,840 Paul the Apostle needed prayer. Pray also for your pastors. 500 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,080 As Charles Spurgeon said, if you would find my ministry more 501 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:09,000 profitable to your souls, pray for me still more. 502 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:13,120 And let it not be said of your minister that you do not profit 503 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:17,560 by his preaching, and that you have not, because you ask not 504 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:23,040 pray for your pastures. From prayer Paul turns to 505 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:26,200 prophecy with five quick commands. 506 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:31,920 Look at verse 19. Do not quench the Spirit. 507 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:35,880 My son Shepard and I went camping a few weeks ago. 508 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:38,600 At night time. We had a nice fire. 509 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,160 He was enthralled by it. But when it was time for bed, we 510 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,320 had to put the fire out. We separated the coals. 511 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,960 We quenched the fire. We extinguished it. 512 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:53,840 The Spirit is often associated with fire in the New Testament. 513 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:59,720 To quench the Spirit is to put out the fire, to disregard the 514 00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:03,640 Spirit's work. And Paul's specific focus of the 515 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:07,240 Spirit's work in these verses is prophecy. 516 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:12,000 Throughout acts of the Spirit spoke to God's people through 517 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,200 prophets like Agabus. You could think also Philip's 518 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:19,480 four daughters. So Paul says verse 20, don't 519 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:25,400 despise prophecies, but alongside God's prophets in the 520 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:29,160 New Testament, there were also false prophets who were 521 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,960 deceiving God's people, trying to lead them astray. 522 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:37,440 So Paul says verse 21, but test everything, hold fast what is 523 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:42,480 good, abstain from every form of evil. 524 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,680 The Thessalonians needed to be careful. 525 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:50,160 They needed to weigh what was said, to test it against 526 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:54,480 Scripture, and to determine if it was from God. 527 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,920 Everything needed examination. They needed discernment. 528 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:05,400 But notice again in the greeting verse 27, Paul tells them, test 529 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:09,360 the prophets, but not his word as an apostle. 530 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:14,000 That word he says he puts them underoath before the Lord to 531 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,840 read it aloud to all the brothers, to the whole church. 532 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,880 Test the prophets, he says, not to test an apostle. 533 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:24,920 His authority as an apostle was over the authority of the 534 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,440 prophets. Now as we seek to heed these 535 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:32,560 exhortations, there's one important difference between the 536 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:37,400 Thessalonians and US today. It has to do with the role of 537 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:39,040 prophecy. Today. 538 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:45,400 Prophecy in the Scriptures is a direct, infallible revelation by 539 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:50,400 the Spirit. All three direct infallible 540 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,760 revelation, the prophets in the Old Testament said. 541 00:38:54,040 --> 00:39:00,040 Thus says the Lord, they spoke on behalf of God, and if someone 542 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,960 delivered a false prophecy, they were a false prophet. 543 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,960 The prophecy in the New Testament, I would argue, is the 544 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,520 same as prophecy in the Old Testament. 545 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:16,720 The church, Paul says in Ephesians 3/22/20 excuse me, was 546 00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:22,520 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. 547 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,560 And now that we have the sufficient scriptures, the 548 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:31,160 foundation of the church is set. The cement is no longer wet. 549 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:34,480 So just as the gift of the apostles ceased in the 1st 550 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:39,440 century, I would argue that the gift of prophets also came to an 551 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:41,440 end. Therefore, there are no new 552 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:45,800 utterances and no more prophets. It's interesting. 553 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:49,280 We have qualifications for the offices that continue with the 554 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,680 church, deacons and elders. There are no offices 555 00:39:53,240 --> 00:39:56,000 qualifications list for prophets in the New Testament. 556 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,080 Now, just to be clear, there is a whole lot of debate about 557 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:03,040 everything I just said, and you actually don't need to believe. 558 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:05,920 Anything of what I just said, you can disagree with me and 559 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:07,520 still be a member of this church. 560 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:10,960 None of what I just said is in our statement of faith. 561 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:13,440 There's actually nothing in our statement of faith about the 562 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:18,040 continuation or cessation of prophetic gifts, just to be 563 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:20,880 clear. But you still need to obey this 564 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:25,000 passage. How can we as a church not 565 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:29,040 quench the Spirit? Two ways. 566 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:33,920 Obey the scriptures and test every teaching. 567 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:40,800 All you need, brothers and sisters for life and godliness 568 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,960 is found in the sufficient scriptures. 569 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:47,840 Obey them. If you want to grow in your 570 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:51,760 capacity for understanding the Scripture, start with how you're 571 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:54,960 obeying the Scriptures. If you want to conform your mind 572 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,520 and your will and affection to Holy Scripture, you need to heed 573 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:02,720 the Script, the Spirit's voice in Scripture, by obeying the 574 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:06,520 Scripture. The 17th century poet and pastor 575 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,440 George Herbert gave a beautiful little picture of Holy 576 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:13,200 Scripture. He called it the well that 577 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:19,720 washes what it shows. Scripture shows you who you 578 00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:22,640 really are, so receive its rebuke. 579 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:29,120 Then Scripture washes you clean. Scripture reveals your need, 580 00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:34,040 then it provides what you need. It opens your heart and then it 581 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:38,080 heals your heart. It unmasks you, and then it 582 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:42,200 comforts you. Every single time you're 583 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:45,560 convicted by the spirit. As you encounter the scriptures, 584 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:52,360 receive the diagnosis. Then walk in Deliverance, walk 585 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:56,760 in obedience, and when you hear the Scriptures taught, like 586 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,200 what's happening right now, test every teaching. 587 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:02,280 Scripture itself gives us many tests. 588 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,360 Here's four. First, is the teaching 589 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:06,880 consistent with all of Scripture? 590 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:09,000 Don't just read a verse in isolation. 591 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,360 Read Scripture in light of other Scripture. 592 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,960 Is the teaching in line? Does it submit to Christ's full 593 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,800 humanity and divinity? If anyone tells you otherwise, 594 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:23,240 they are a false teacher. Is the teaching in accordance 595 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:29,120 with the gospel of grace? Is the teachers character and 596 00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:35,800 conduct godly? Paul aims these 8 exhortations 597 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:41,920 so that our church would be at peace with God. 4th And finally, 598 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:49,000 rest in the God of peace. Rest in the God of peace verses 599 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:53,240 23 and 24. After the barrage of 600 00:42:53,240 --> 00:42:58,560 exhortations and before final greetings, Paul turns to the 601 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:05,240 Lord one more time in prayer. Paul prays to God for the 602 00:43:05,240 --> 00:43:09,400 Thessalonians, and Paul encourages the Thessalonians by 603 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:14,600 his prayer. Listen to Paul pray now. 604 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:20,440 May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may 605 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:26,360 your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the 606 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:33,560 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice who Paul prays to. 607 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:40,080 He prays to the God of peace. God is the source of the peace 608 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:43,960 that must flow through and into the church. 609 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:47,800 God is an ocean of peace. Each tributary of peace in the 610 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:51,160 church, between the elders, in the church, between the members 611 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:55,440 and one another, ultimately finds its source in God. 612 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:01,560 And Paul prays for the Thessalonians because as much as 613 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:05,360 this passage is filled with commands for them to obey, and 614 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:11,640 they must obey, their obedience is impossible apart from God's 615 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:17,320 gracious work in them. Paul praise for their 616 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:22,200 sanctification. Each command obeyed one step 617 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:25,840 further in sanctification. Each step in sanctification 618 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:30,120 builds towards the culmination on the final day when 619 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:35,160 sanctification will be complete and it will give way to 620 00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:39,280 glorification. Paul praise for their whole 621 00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:45,320 spirit and soul and body. Think of yourself when you're 622 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:50,640 cooking a a burger on the grill. It is not enough to cook the 623 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:52,880 outside. You can get the grill Marks and 624 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:56,200 the inside still raw. Nobody wants a raw burger and if 625 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,360 you do that is that's problematic. 626 00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:01,880 You need to cook the burger all the way through. 627 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:07,400 That's the picture Paul paints. Spirit, soul, body, every 628 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:14,280 thought, deed, desire, all of you, all of us holy. 629 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:23,640 Paul prays that they would be kept blameless by God at the 630 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:28,360 coming of Jesus Christ. This church was just a few 631 00:45:28,360 --> 00:45:35,760 months old when Paul left town. He constantly reminds them of 632 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:39,720 the second coming of Christ, the most important day on their 633 00:45:39,720 --> 00:45:44,360 calendar, the second coming of Jesus Christ amidst all their 634 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:48,000 troubles and trials, their persecution, the temptations 635 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,920 from Satan, even strife amidst the church, the second coming of 636 00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:57,680 Jesus Christ. That's where all of history is 637 00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:01,480 heading. It's where you and I and 638 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:06,600 everyone is heading, standing before the Lord Jesus Christ on 639 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:09,160 the last day. That's what it's all about. 640 00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:17,080 Imagine a great line. You're standing there waiting to 641 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:21,880 meet the Maker of heaven and earth to give an account. 642 00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:29,640 If you're not a believer, how can you stand blameless before 643 00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:33,440 Christ, our judge on the last day? 644 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:39,480 It's by receiving Christ as Savior today. 645 00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:47,600 Jesus Christ came truly God and truly man, to die on the cross, 646 00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:52,400 the death that sinners deserved, to bear judgement that we all 647 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:56,720 accrued for our sins. And he rose from the grave, and 648 00:46:56,720 --> 00:47:00,520 he's seated at the right hand of God, and he will come again to 649 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,720 judge the living and the dead. That's what this day is talking 650 00:47:03,720 --> 00:47:07,720 about, the day when Christ Jesus, who once came as a baby, 651 00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:11,760 will return as the judge of all the earth. 652 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:17,720 Friend, the only way you can stand blameless on that day as 653 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:23,720 if you've been washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, turn 654 00:47:23,720 --> 00:47:27,600 from your sins and trust in Jesus Christ and find 655 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:32,040 forgiveness in him. And it can be said of you that 656 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:36,160 you will be blameless on that day. 657 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:46,240 Brothers and sisters, Paul has no doubt that we will be holy on 658 00:47:46,240 --> 00:47:51,640 that day. He assures US, verse 24, He who 659 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:56,560 calls you is faithful, He will surely do it. 660 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:03,120 Has God called us to Himself? He will keep us to the end. 661 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:05,880 Has God been faithful to His people? 662 00:48:06,720 --> 00:48:08,520 He will be faithful to our church. 663 00:48:08,720 --> 00:48:15,960 Has God ever broken a promise? He will not break His promise to 664 00:48:15,960 --> 00:48:20,360 us. He who calls you is faithful, He 665 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,720 will surely do it. Let's pray. 666 00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:37,840 Father, as we consider that day when we'll stand before Jesus 667 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:45,440 Christ, Lord, we thank you that we can be comforted even as 668 00:48:45,440 --> 00:48:50,240 you've called us to be holy, that you will make sure of it 669 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:55,320 yourself that we will be holy on that day. 670 00:48:55,600 --> 00:49:00,440 Lord, we pray that you would continue to produce the peace we 671 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:05,120 need with one another and with you in our church. 672 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:07,680 We pray in Jesus name, Amen.