Some Practical Concerns, 1 Thess 5:12-15

Some Practical Concerns

I Thess 5:12-15

As we have worked our way through 1 Thessalonians, we have met up with a lot of wonderful doctrines and Christian practices. I would go as far as to say, we have been introduced to the ordinary Christian life and way of thinking.

The ordinary Christian life is one that plods along learning bits about God and ourselves so that we can believe them and put them into place. The normal Christian life does not go from one life-changing experience to another. It is not a series of mountaintop experiences that we seek b setting out a course for ourselves. The availability of books that we can choose according to our own interests and preferences often keep us from learning and implementing the same things as the other believers with whom the Lord has joined us. When it comes to listening to sermons online, the problem is even more complex. People find preachers who scratch their itching ears. 

Some believers raise internet preachers to something near celebrity status and are therefore close to thinking they don't get as much as they should from their own pastor in the regular preaching of the Word in their local church.

Add to this the typical process of change. We would like it to be quick, to have it all in those life-changing experiences. It is not quick, it can be very slow. I was reading a puritan years ago. He talked about making progress in sanctification by the spaces of ens and ems. He did not mean the size of the letters, but the smallest of spaces in the printer's tray of type. Ens and ems were the spaces used to tighten up a line when setting a page for printing. They were the smallest pieces in the printer's arsenal--barely perceptible. If found on the floor it might be considered unimportant and thrown in the rubbish bin. But, those little spaces adequately represent the growth often found in the ens and ems of life.

One of our problems is that we don't act on what we hear in the preaching and reading of the Word. We are not attuned at preaching what we hear to ourselves and applying it deep within. We want a more spectacular form of the Christian life than the ordinary one God works in his people. We want to be done with the process of sanctification, but without the repentance. We want to know the glory of God without the

Path of suffering. We want the positive providences without the patience to wait for them. And, patience, we want that too, but we want it right now.  God works in little steps.

Individual counseling is a fairly new thing. Prior to the 1950s and 60s, a pastor would counsel all of his people as he preached the Word. They would all be accountable to each other for what they heard. Yet, many people want the private counsel that only confirms what they already know, but haven't done. Sometimes it is giving direction or pulling things out of people that help to better understand a situation. But, in my experience, people deal with pet sins, that is, habitual sins, over and over again without really putting them to death.

So, at the end of a letter like 1 Thess, the Apostolic band reminds the people of the basic practical things that most if not all Christians are prone to forget. Or, those things that get eclipsed by things that seem more effective or at least more spiritual.

These practical items keep us from going down the wrong paths. These are those things that are most important. These are those items an apostle, a prophet and an evangelist wanted God's people to remember because they are often the things that are forgotten in the pursuit for the more spectacular--or at least what is perceived to be--but isn't.

True religion is not found in hearing the Word of God, but in doing it. If you only hear, you will deceive yourself. It is meant to be taken in during the public gathering of the church where the preacher can look you in the eye and see your reaction to what is urged or commanded. James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  There are many who listen to their preferences and are self-deceived. They should listen to God and by faith put what they have been reminded about into practice. 

Let's read the text for this morning. I Thess 5:12-15

1. A Gentle Urging

5:12 And we urge you, brethren,

2. First Things First

12b to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.

3. The Fruit of Follow-through

13b Be at peace among yourselves. 

4. From Urging to Exhorting

14 Now we exhort you, brethren,

A. warn those who are unruly,

B. comfort the fainthearted,

C. uphold the weak,

D. be patient with all. 

E. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Let's look at the text:

1. A Gentle Urging

5:12 And we urge you, brethren,

Again we find the three men, Paul Silas and Timothy, when they could have commanded, they give a more gentle urge. Not everything needs to be commanded with stearn warnings of God's disfavor. Jesus knows what it is like to be human. He sympathizes with us knowing our frame. He is a sympathetic High Priest, yet without sin, although tempted in all points like we are. We must remember the human nature of Jesus that experienced so much perfectly that he understands us fully. Jesus knows all about our struggles. He knows what is in man (John 2). So too, the Spirit of God. The Spirit inspired these words to urge, or to prod those who were believers to do these things.

The apostolic band knew that the real believers would do all they could to follow-through on what they heard. Those without faith might hear, but not be able to do what was urged of them.

This same problem exists today. People know the sins from which they ought to turn, yet they don't. Some want to understand the sin or the issue--they want to hear more about it than they want to repent. They get frustrated at the only answer given for their problem. It is the individual that must repent.  I can't repent for you. There is no corporate repentance for personal sin. All the church can do is preach with urging and exhorting through her ministers and her people (as we will see in a few minutes). How many times must you be urged to repent before you do to any degree?

The danger is thinking that my remarks are addressed to one or two. They are addressed to all. If I were bold enough to stop at this spot and ask you individually about your own habitual or besetting sins, each one of us would have at least one, if not a handful or two or three. Myself included.

Remember Hebrews 12:1-3  1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,

That includes each and every believer throughout this age from the writing of the Book of Hebrews until now. We al have things that weigh us down from running the race of the Christian life with greater godliness and spiritual efficiency. That sin, our own sin, easily ensnares us. We need to be urged to do otherwise….

--and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

That is why we need to be urged to deal with sin and urged to live in accord with righteousness. Consider yourself urged:

2. First Things First

12b to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.

The first thing urged upon the believers in Thessalonica has to do with those who labor among them. It doesn't mean there were problems between leaders and people in the church. It probably means that Timothy and Silas appointed some men to direct the church in their absence.

The men they are to recognize are not called by the name of any official office. The text says: labor, over you in the Lord, and admonish you. That is three important functions of leadership. Those are three things the apostolic band were doing from a distance--but, oversight of any kind is best given in person.

This indicates men who were present in the Thessalonian church. Elsewhere we find this language used of elders. But, here it may not be the formal office of the elder or even deacons. If may be an informal set of leaders placed in that particular church for good order as they grow together making progress toward the goal of one day having a full complement of church officers. 

Many churches have a contingency plan in the absence of any pastors or elders. We address this in the church constitution. Churches will often appoint a Steering Committee, or select a like-minded church to help with oversight or multiple ordained men from three or more churches to help temporarily during times of transition. It was intended to be an extraordinary situation as a church worked in an orderly manner for a more biblical order.

Remember how young and immature the church in Thessalonica probably was after only a few months of existence. None of the indigenous men were ready to be Elders and deacons. Men were put in positions of leadership, because direction was needed. The importance of leadership in the church made this the most important point to remind them about. Okay, my dear brothers and sisters, this is how to treat your leaders--12b to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.

Did you hear verse 13? When talking about how we are to treat leaders in churches, this is one of the most important of all the urgings in the scriptures, but one of the most neglected.

I have to be careful here to not toot my own horn or to get too personal. But, the ministry is not an easy job. It can be very difficult. People have their view of what the ministry should look like that is based more on their preferences than what we find in scripture. Eventually, most people will tell you what they think you should be doing or saying. And, again so much of it is preferences.

There are two basic parts to the Christian ministry: Speaking to man on behalf of God as his messenger; and, speaking to God on behalf of you, his people. The pastor is not called to be the social coordinator, janitor, everybody's best friend and confidant.

Esteem them highly in love not for you they are, but for their work's sake.

It is a labor to write sermons. It can also be very enjoyable. It can be a labor of love when you know people are going to hear and do what God has said. I liken it to crawling into something like a large bag or a cave. You never get out of the cave until you preach the sermon. You are always thinking about it as you meditate on the text and other texts that may relate to it. You are always looking for illustrations that come naturally from life or life's experiences. You relate it to things you have already said. You ask yourself many times how can I express this in other words so different kinds of and ages of people will understand.

It is a labor to pray. Prayer is one of the most important things a pastor can do. When he prays, he engages in spiritual warfare before God for you, for the church, for other related needs and people. I try to pray an hour in the morning and another in the afternoon and then as items come to mind.

So, I ask you to esteem me and anyone else who might be over you in the Lord, not for anything in me, but for the work's sake--the high calling of Christian ministry.

And, this is in part why--it is best for us all….

3. The Fruit of Follow-through

13b Be at peace among yourselves. 

The practical end of loving those over you in the Lord is peace--not just the cessation of warfare, but the presence of tranquility.

Oh, that Christian believers would humbly work to that end. We need peacemakers who are willing to forgive and not make every little thing an issue. Nitpickers make war with others. They attack the leaders and make people take sides. They create factions and cause schism in the body when all should have been listening to those God has given to urge and admonish.

A lot more could be said, but I'll leave that to others.

4. From Urging to Exhorting

14 Now we exhort you, brethren,

Exhortation is a more direct form of command--it is given with greater force and a fuller expectancy.

These five items are not what the leaders alone are supposed to do. There are times when the leaders don't need to know when issues are handled. You don't need to tell me about every little thing that is contrary and handled correctly. Don't tattle to me--adults can do it as much as children and with a lot more sophistication.

Here are five things that we are all responsible to do. These are weighty things that also contribute to our peace and unity:

A. warn those who are unruly, --those who refuse to live by the principles or rule we have agreed on--the scriptures and the constitution of this church is so much as it reflects the systematic teaching of scripture. In an egalitarian lawless age, we don't like the truth of men ruling over us in the church. Everybody wants to have their opinion and hear it and see it put into practice. That would be unruly as everyone tries to impose on others what is right in their own eyes. May the Good Lord save us from ourselves. May he help us to walk in his ways and to enjoy the peace purchased for us on the cross.

People must be warned about the dangers to themselves and to the church. But, do you know what people do when warned--they run and cause trouble on the way out the door. Then to justify themselves, they continue to cause more trouble and division.

Near the end of the Second Epistle, we read: 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 

These were serious matters to the apostolic band. They knew the strife that can be caused by one wayward soul.

B. comfort the fainthearted, --life is not easy for all even if we understand the sovereignty of God and his use of providence.

C. uphold the weak, --assumes their presence among us

D. be patient with all. --I think this is the greatest sin in Reformed churches

E. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Biblical utilitarianism. If it is ultimately good for you, it will be for all the others. Conversely, if it is not good for anyone, it is not good for you. Never return evil or even what someone might perceive as evil for evil done to you or spoken about you.

Our task is always to pursue the good.