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Big Idea: Paul is teaching his readers that God made the church so that we can Stand Firm in the gospel.
I wonder if you have seen or heard of the movie “Silence of the Lambs” ? Stars – Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. Absolute, edge of your seat cracker.
What about the lesser-known sequel … “Shut Up Ewes”
Classic dad joke and nice little play on words that helps us get into our passage.
In our passage today Paul is talking to ‘youse.’ My mum horrified to hear me speaking like this.
I’m drawing your attention to the word youse because every reference to ‘you’ and every imperative/instruction in this passage is second person plural.
Posh English doesn’t have a way of expressing the difference between singular and plural second person. But the much-maligned word youse does the trick.
Our sermon series title is Standing Firm because Paul’s letter to the baby church of Thessalonica teaches how to stand firm in the gospel. And in these closing verses Paul is teaching how God uses the church to help us stand firm.
What Paul has to say to these new Christians facing the challenges of pushing on in the faith is authoritative instruction to all churches, new or old.
So what does Paul want youse, you plural, us, the church, to know about standing firm in the gospel?
Three things.
Paul is talking to the church 12a We ask you brothers and sisters …
Here is an authoritative request. He expects compliance.
And this is the instruction.
v12b-13 respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
It could feel a bit awkward for a person in my position to preach passionately on this passage. Highlights one of the benefits of preaching sequentially through books of the Bible. The preacher doesn’t get to pick and choose.
Paul is not concerned with any such awkwardness. But he is concerned that this instruction to be taught … v27 and obeyed.
Paul is saying to youse value the ministers of the church. Notice he doesn’t use a title. He doesn’t say honour the prefix Rev.
He does say honour those who labour hard among you – literally engage in strenuous and tiring toil. This is the language of the farm and the building site. This is the stuff of beer commercials and the hard-earned thirst
In other passages Paul uses this same word labour to describe his own mission endeavours and also Timothy’s preaching ministry. Ministry done properly is hard, tiring work.
One old preacher used to say that the first 50 years are the hardest. Then after reaching 50 years in ministry he remarked that it must be the first 80 years.
Paul’s instruction is to value those who deliver faithful gospel service; those who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, those who direct you correct you (v12) to gospel maturity.
Value the ministry of the church by honouring those who labour hard to teach the word.
Equipped for ministry. Read v14. As members of a church it is part of our responsibility to encourage, exhort, rebuke and correct each other in our church to live lives pleasing to God.
By squashing dissension (that is the better reading for idle) – don’t be caught up in an unholy huddle, or politicking, or people chasing controversy, or even your own preferences. Implode vs Explode.
By encouraging those who feel discouraged, by rehearsing the truth of who we are in Jesus to those who are feeling weak in the face of sin or disheartened in a hostile world – we are called to run to reach the finish line, not to cross it first. So we can reduce the pace to a slower jog in order to encourage a fellow runner in times of disheartenment – times of distress or distraction.
By being patient. In this life we are under construction. Ruth Graham’s, roadworks, sign, gravestone. Be patient with each other.
Confronting error and sin; encouraging those running a little slower than you; exercising patience and forgiveness. Read v15
Value the ministry of the church. Appreciate the labours and example of those who minister. Play your part in helping each other over the line. Speaking peace into the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ and sowing good into the world.
When you read through v16-22 almost like Paul has fired off a list of bullet points.
John Stott suggests that this could be an order of service for a church gathering. Certainly fits in with the plethora of ‘youse’ sprinkled through this passage.
Look over v16-22 highlighting the bullet point style.
Paul is instructing the church on how to keep developing Christian Character.
Character is something you develop and work at. Character takes time and effort and focus. Character is built on small habits and continued discipline Character is the opposite of a quick fix. Character is substance over style. Character means come what may these aspects of my being remain true.
Here is a list of habits for the gathered church to sow and nurture and which will grow Christian character and produce a people standing firm.
v16 Rejoicing, delighting in God. v17 An attitude and atmosphere of prayer flavours and shapes our gathering as an example of how it ought flavour and shape our lives. v18 Giving thanks to God as one people who find themselves in all manner of situations.
Helping us to process the week gone. Setting the tone for the week ahead. Putting our lives in perspective. Gaining insight from others as they minister to us in prayer and word and song.
Paul is not saying just pretend to be happy no matter what – like walking your family into church big smiles having just had a big row in the car on the way.
He is not saying just walk around saying “Praise the Lord” on the outside even if on the inside you are in a dark and scary place.
What is he saying then? As we gather we practice the disciplines of grace. Be reminded of what we have in Christ; who we are in Christ and we rejoice in that truth.
Be comforted and assured and instructed as we are led in prayer. And we are reminded that we can bring all things to God in prayer. When there seems no earthly reason to be thankful remember what has been done for you on the cross. And what is available to you in Christ; your standing with the Father whose steadfast love and faithfulness means that he is patient with us even as we selfishly question his provision or his care.
And better days are coming – When we’ve been there 10000 years bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.
So be shaped by the Word which teaches and promises these things. Read v19-22.
Not quenching the Spirit!?! Prophecy!?! All very scary things for Presbyterians to consider. But it’s not really.
Why should it be such a strange concept that the Spirit should work in God’s people? We know and believe that the Holy Spirit works to enable us to understand and believe and obey the Word.
Prophecy – God raises up people who are able to apply His Word in profound and helpful ways.
But note that we are called TEST THEM ALL. Sit with your Bible open.
Genuineness of a coin – Be good money changers. Keep the good and toss the counterfeit. When an author or song writer strays.
We value the church gathering when we Rejoice and Pray and Give Thanks and humbly and carefully sit under the Word with the intent to develop a Christian character and to help each other do the same so that we will stand firm.
Finally,
As Paul brings this letter to a close on the note of grace, the same way he started it. Read v23-24.
Isn’t it astounding that the one who created all things and sustains all things; The one before whom angels bow and heaven sings; The one who sits on the eternal throne with the earth as his foot-stool … don’t you find it astounding that it is this glorious God who commits himself to us for our good and for our salvation? That in the end when we face judgement and are “declared right with him” the promised verdict for all who follow Jesus – it will be seen that the only reason we are there is because the God of glory has made it possible.
He who owes us nothing has given us everything in Christ his precious Son.
And in the end he asks us, the undeserving objects of his affection to serve one another and love one another as he has served and loved us.
How will you respond to that? Read v25-28. Pray with one another; Kiss one another; Sit under God’s word with one another.
It is very hard to kiss one another (or some other culturally appropriate form of affectionate greeting) … it is very hard… , no impossible to offer a heartfelt holy hug by yourself.
It is impossible to sit under the word together and pray together by yourself.
Bought Jo a jigsaw puzzle for the Christmas season. 1000 pieces. I sincerely hope they are all there. How frustrating to get to the end of a jigsaw and find that you are missing a piece – the picture is not complete.
Don’t be that piece. God has brought us together for his purposes. Turn up, be engaged, live with your picture side up – reflecting Christ in our bit if Brisbane. Encourage others to join us.
Growing up Mum didn’t want us to say Youse. We’re not that sort of people.
But Paul says youse are called to be those sorts of people. It’s about youse all doing what Paul calls us to do so that youse help each other to stand firm. People who value the ministry of the church, the gathering of the church and the grace of God together.
You could say we are called to be a flock of ‘youse.’
Morning Church: Sunday, 8:30am & 10:30am
Kids Church: 8:30am & 10:30am
Playgroup: Friday, 9:30am
Youth: Sunday, 3:30pm
Evening Church: 5:00pm
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