Holiness & Love Part 1

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Holiness & Love Part 1

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

June 30, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12

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Introduction:

Prayer and teaching.

Teaching and prayer.

This is what the Lord has ordained for the growth of His people, and this is what is on display in Paul’s letter.

He has written a prayer on behalf of the Thessalonians (3:11-13).

He prays for their growth in love (vs.12), and for them to be established in holiness (vs.13).

Now, in chapter 4, he follows that prayer with exhortation and teaching.

What does the exhortation and teaching address?

Holiness in verses 1-8.

Love in verses 9-12.

He PRAYS for love and holiness; he then EXHORTS for holiness and love.

Prayer and teaching go together.

This is another lesson about genuine shepherding.

THE LOVE OF SHEPHERDS, AND THE INTERCESSION OF SHEPHERDS, IS JOINED TO THE FEEDING WORK OF SHEPHERDS.

Shepherds don’t just PRAY for God’s people, they FEED God’s people with the food of truth.

ESV Acts 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

BUT IN THIS INSTRUCTION OTHER CONNECTIONS BECOME APPARENT.

PRAYER GOES WITH TEACHING — TEACHING GOES WITH PRAYER.

But now look at the AIM of those prayers and the CONTENT of that teaching, and another connection becomes clear.

HOLINESS BELONGS TO LOVE AND LOVE BELONGS TO HOLINESS.

True love is married to holiness, and true holiness is never divorced from love.

The wellbeing of the people of God — you could say the HAPPINESS of the people of God — requires the HOLINESS of the people of God.

AND WHEN WE SAY HOLINESS, IN THIS CONTEXT, WE ARE REFERRING TO EXPERIENTIAL HOLINESS.

SALVATION RESULTS IN POSITIONAL HOLINESS.

But where the gift of JUSTIFICATION has been given, the work of PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION follows.

The gift of positional holiness must be matched with (and ultimately will result in) the growth of PERSONAL HOLINESS.

These are the themes that stand out in our verses.

Beginning tonight we think about holiness and love. We see exhortations and explanations concerning holiness and love that agree with the apostle’s intercessions.

I. AN EXHORTATION TO INCREASING HOLINESS (vs.1)

Paul begins this chapter with an exhortation regarding a LIFESTYLE, a WAY OF LIVING, (walk and please) that pleases God.

Περιπατέω – “to conduct one’s life, comport oneself, behave, live as a habit of conduct.”

The Thessalonians are living in the moral sewage of paganism. They live in a world of demonic belief in a pantheon of gods, where the gods are as perverted as the devil wants PEOPLE to be. The gods have been formed in the demonically inspired minds of men who wish for their gods to affirm their wicked desires.

The Thessalonian believers have been saved OUT OF THAT WORLD of demonic superstition and ignorance. And now they must live in accordance with God’s sanctifying purpose.

THEY DO NOT LIVE TO PLEASE THEIR WORLD.

THEY DO NOT LIVE TO PLEASE THEMSELVES.

THEY LIVE TO PLEASE THEIR GOD.

This is not just a matter of DOCTRINE.

This is a matter of THEIR WALK — THE ENTIRE PERSON AND THE ENTIRE LIFE.

This is a concern that runs throughout the letter to the very end.

ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

QUESTION: SHOULD THIS NOT BE A MATTER OF EARNEST PRAYER AT OUR OWN TIME?

Are we not living in a post-Christian pagan society?

Are we not witnessing immorality in ways new to our generation?

Is it too strong to say that we are witnessing INVENTIONS OF EVIL?

Closing Prayers & Exhortations

September 8, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22

Introduction: The way a message ends is often a good summary of its focus throughout. Even in preaching, this is something you wish to do — you wish to finish in a way that brings together and reinforces what you have been communicating throughout. That is certainly true when we come to the end of 1 Thessalonians. What Paul has been rejoicing in, and yet teaching for at the same time, is the sanctification of this church. He has rejoiced in God’s saving work. He has rejoiced in God’s preserving work — so on display in this church. Yet he has also been teaching on behalf of their ongoing spiritual health. HE HAS NOT CONCLUDED, FROM THE WAY THAT GOD HAS TAKEN CARE OF THEM, THAT THEY NO LONGER NEED GUIDANCE AND GROWTH. God’s supernatural sustaining care for His people is not argument for concluding that they no longer need to be shepherded. So, he shepherds them through this letter. Christ died to make us God’s own — to secure us as the people of God (Positional sanctification). Christ died to save us, not just from the penalty of sin, but from the power of sin, and one day the presence of sin (Progressive sanctification). Right in the midst of a world full of spiritual dangers, damning lies, deceptive wolves, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep is developing His people, preserving His people, and making use of His people for the glory of God. And He is making use of instruments — undershepherds like Paul — to contribute to that work. So that when Paul comes to the end of this letter, his prayers and exhortations summarize all that he has been aiming at. WHAT DOES HE PRAY FOR? WHAT DOES HE HAVE ON HIS MIND AS HE FINISHES THIS LETTER OF EXHORTATION? WHAT HE HAS ON HIS MIND IS THEIR SANCTIFICATION! This morning, we consider closing prayers and exhortations for the sanctification of God’s people. We will examine these closing verses under four headings. I. A PRAYER FOR SANCTIFICATION AND PRESERVATION (vs.23-24) Right away we have a very meaningful lesson. The fact that we have this PRAYER is a lesson all by itself. A. THE PRAYER (vs.23) Paul has just TAUGHT for their sanctification. REMEMBER, we met with an extended series of rapid-fire commands. Now he PRAYS for their sanctification. This is a good reminder that working for the sanctification of others in ministry is NOT just a work of teaching, it is also a work of INTERCESSION. QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE THIS THOROUGHLY WORKED INTO YOUR VIEW OF PROGRESSIVE SANCTICATION? We are meant to labor on behalf of others not just in teaching and counsel, and encouragement, and correction — we are meant to labor in prayer. ESV Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. When we think about concern for the salvation and sanctification of others, is prayer firmly fixed in our minds as a part of that work? What place does prayer have in your work as a parent? What place does prayer have in your work as a Bible class teacher? What place does prayer have in our work as pastors? ALWAYS ON DISPLAY IN PAUL’S LETTERS IS HIS CONVICTION THAT PRAYING FOR PEOPLE IS AS VITAL AS TEACHING THEM. His instruction to people is always matched by his prayers for people. ESV 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. This same conviction is on display all over the Word of God. ESV Acts 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." That’s what Paul is doing here. He is praying for the sanctification of this church. NOTE: HIS PRIMARY FOCUS, WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THEIR SANCTIFICATION, IS THEIR FINAL SANCTIFICATION. His focus is on the finish line.

Admonitions For Healthy Churches Part 6

August 25, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22

Introduction: We have entitled our study of these closing admonitions to the Thessalonians, “Admonitions for Healthy Churches.” One good reason for this is the fact that all these imperatives are plurals. All these imperatives are addressed to the COLLECTION OF SAINTS in Thessalonica. Now, that doesn’t remove the need to apply these commands individually. Indeed, the church collectively is simply what we all add up to individually. But it is a good reminder that Paul is after in these verses is the response to God, in all these areas of responsibility, that would represent a healthy congregation. We have seen that a healthy church is known by its attitude toward spiritual leaders. Healthy churches have leaders who do the work described in verses 12-13, and healthy churches have members who love them and highly respect them for it. We have seen (vs.14-15) that a healthy church is known by its faithfulness to the mutual responsibilities that God has set forth in His Word concerning love of the brethren. Healthy churches have leaders and members who love each other in all the ways that Scripture instructs. And in verses 16-22 we see that healthy church is known by healthy members. What is commanded in these verses gets to the level of what characterizes each individual heart and life. A healthy church has members who choose to walk in the joy of the Lord always. A healthy church has members who live lives of communion that make for readiness to pray, which leads to constant prayer. A healthy church has members who believe what God has revealed about His character and His purposes so that they are living perpetually thankful lives. THE VERSES WE COME TO NOW CONTINUE ADDRESSING OBEDIENCE AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, BUT THERE IS A SLIGHT DISTINCTION. What we have in verses 19-22 are five imperatives that all have to do with our response to God in the realm of Worship. GOD GIVES US FIVE COMMANDS FOR OUR WORSHIP. Healthy churches reflect that health in their worship, and the reason why their worship is vibrant and healthy is because its people are vibrant and healthy in their individual response to God when it comes to the matters of worship. WHAT CHARACTERIZES HEALTHY CHURCHES IN THE REALM OF WORSHIP? We look at three characteristics of a healthy church in the realm of worship — three characteristics produced through five commands. I. THEY ARE OBEDIENT IN RESPONSE TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD (vs.19) The first two imperatives are expressed negatively. They are commands about what MUST NOT characterize us. It is good to remember, before we consider these, that as Paul is writing this the New Testament is still coming into existence. The apostles are still serving their function as the foundation of the infant church, and the instruments through whom God was giving authoritative truth. There are still prophets who are ministering. The foundation of the church are the apostles and the prophets. Ephesians 2:19–22 (LSB) 19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. So, some of what Paul describes here likely has to do with the work of God in the midst of His churches that was FORMATIVE in nature. The Spirit of God at work through the apostles and prophets giving truth to the churches while the New Testament is coming into being as the fixed source of apostolic doctrine. Some commentators go a step further and see a problem in Thessalonica that Paul was addressing. But I don’t agree with that. I see this as representing what is healthy Christian practice just like the others in this section. John MacArthur agreed. John MacArthur — “However, such arguments are not convincing for several reasons. First, there is no compelling reason in the text to make Paul’s exhortation, do not quench the Spirit, or the other exhortations in verses 20–22, as anything other than separate statements of general exhortation. Readers ought to see them as principles for the Christian life and not read anything more into the text. Second, if the Thessalonian church had been abusing the charismatic gifts, Paul would have earnestly admonished the Thessalonians in detail, as he later did the Corinthians.”#_ftn1 #_ftnref1John MacArthur, 1–2 Thessalonians, https://accordance.bible/link/read/macarthur_ntc-2#40996. Accordance electronic ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), 200.

Admonitions For Healthy Churches Part 5

August 11, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22

Introduction: Problems. Circumstances that we wish could be different. Rarely is there a day when we don’t meet with such things. Every day brings new problems and brings us face to face with pre-existing problems. Sometimes we are dealing with our own set of problems — sometimes we are dealing with, or at least aware of, someone else’s problems. All around us, every day, are things that grieve us, disappoint us, disgust us, stress us, trouble us, agitate us, and make us feel defeated. And in that fallen world that challenges us in so many ways — with problems as near to us as our own selves (many times WE are our greatest reason for grief) — WE FIND IN OUR VERSE TODAY THAT GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO LIVE A LIFE OF PERPETUAL THANKSGIVING. In fact, it is a kind of thanksgiving, as we will see, that the believer is to express ALL THE TIME. NOTE: At the very outset we must remind ourselves that all these admonitions are addressed to BROTHERS. This is God’s standard for HIS PEOPLE. This is the kind of life to be lived by those WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN LIFE. All these admonitions represent SUPERNATURAL capacities. They are SALVATION capacities. In other words, you can’t live this without Christ. Nor can we live this without active dependence upon Christ. THIS IS A GREAT DANGER WE FACE WHEN WE COME TO COMMANDS LIKE THIS. WE FACE THE DANGER OF EQUATING WHAT GOD IS CALLING FOR WITH SOMETHING WE ALREADY KNOW BY NATURE. We must know that we are immediately on the wrong road if we take anything that Paul is calling for here and equate it with something that people already possess by nature. PEOPLE CAN KNOW A KIND OF POSITIVE ATTITUDE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK. Sometimes people are positive due to their natural personality. This can also be produced in the natural realm by worldly philosophies. You might remember a man named Robert Schuller, and the Crystal Cathedral? He died in 2015, but he built a whole religious movement on the concept of “the power of positive thinking.” When Schuller died, the New York Times actually got the headline right. It read, “Rev. Robert Schuller, 88, Dies; Built an Empire Preaching Self-Belief.” He didn’t preach Christ. He didn’t declare the truth of God’s Word in a way that was faithful to that Word. He didn’t present the Christian life as something produced by regeneration and the power of God. He preached his own version of spiritual experience, which was actually natural ability. Something that could be accomplished without Christ — something natural, worldly, and demonic. What Paul is calling for here is NOT that. It is not something explained by your own power — by any human philosophy — it is explained by nothing less than the Holy Spirit of God’s work in a human soul. So, what do we see here about the believer’s way of life? I. THE MEANING OF THANKSGIVING The first thing is the most obvious. We are commanded to give thanks in EVERYTHING. We are commanded, regardless of what we’re meeting with, regardless of how difficult it might be, regardless of how vicious it might be, regardless of how unwelcomed it might be, to GIVE GOD THANKS RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF IT. Now, it should be obvious that this command goes hand in hand with the other two. Thanksgiving exists where the joy of the Lord exists. Thanksgiving belongs with the command to regular prayer. Our prayer life is to be full of thanksgiving. ESV Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ESV 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ESV Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ESV 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.