Series: New Testament Overview
Category: Core Seminars, Encouragement, Fellowship & Hospitality, Hope, Joy, Loving Others, Sexual Purity & Sexual Sin, Personal Holiness, Prayer, Sanctification & Growth, Serving, Faith, The End Times / Return of Christ, The Gospel
Detail:
Introduction
In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray using these words, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are all quite familiar with these words; but do you think it will ever happen? Do you think there will ever be a time when God’s will will be done on earth as it is in heaven? As we near the end of our survey of the New Testament we now turn to the books of I & II Thessalonians. The last few weeks we’ve been looking at letters in the New Testament that have been written about false teachers. How to spot them. What to do with them. Now, as we turn to Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, we’ll continue to have in mind various errors in the church—but we’ll also consider Paul’s emphasis on Jesus’ second coming—when all things that are false will be forever done away with and the true light of the glory of Christ will shine for eternity.
Purpose & Background
Turning to purpose and background, let’s look at 1:4-6, where we’ll see the context that led Paul to write this letter: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” Paul had preached this good news in the large city of Thessalonica and founded a church there during his second missionary journey, as related in Acts 17. He only spent a few weeks there but his visit was successful—we read in Acts 17:4 that “Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.”
But after that, fierce persecution arose and the believers smuggled Paul out of the city in the night. Because Paul left abruptly and without having spent much time among them, he had never finished teaching the basic matters of Christianity, and the church’s foundations were not complete and solid. Several strange problems had grown up after his premature departure. Apparently, some individuals in Thessalonica opposed this new religion by accusing Paul of being a money-grubbing self-promoter. As soon as circumstances became difficult, they said, he snuck out of town. There were also doctrinal difficulties. Chiefly, The Thessalonians worried that if a Christian died before Christ returned, he or she would be lost forever. So Paul sent Timothy to find out how the Thessalonian church was doing – if they still held to the word they’d heard from him. Timothy has returned with a good report, and so Paul writes this letter around 51 AD to defend his ministry among them, clarify basic doctrine about death and the Second Coming, and reassure the Thessalonians with hope.
III. Outline
To see how he did that, let’s look at an outline of the letter and see how it’s structured. As you’ll see in your handout, 1 Thessalonians falls into two parts. In Chapters 1-3, Paul’s main purpose is the defense of his ministry. He opens the letter, prays the for the Thessalonians (1:2-3), and expresses confidence in their salvation – that’s 1:4 – 1:10. Next, he describes his ministry among them, defends it against false accusations, reiterates his desire to visit them again, and recounts Timothy’s good report – that’s 2:1 – 3:10. He concludes this section with another prayer in 3:11 – 13.
Then, in keeping with his claims to love them, he moves on in Chapters 4-5 to exhort and teach them in response to their specific weaknesses and failings. First, he reminds them of the need to live lives pleasing to God in 4:1-12. Then, he spends about a chapter, in 4:13 – 5:11, on the main doctrinal exposition that the letter is known for: death, the Second Coming of Jesus, and the final judgment. His purpose in all of this is simply encouragement. As he writes in the middle of this section, in 4:18, “Therefore encourage one another with these words,” (4:18). And finally he concludes, as in many of his letters, with instructions and greetings in 5:12-28.
So that’s the basic structure. As we dive in to consider these words more carefully, we’ll look at three major themes. First, we’ll begin in the first haf of the letter, looking at Paul’s pastoral ministry among the Thessalonians. Then we’ll see two themes in the second half: first, Paul’s exhortations to the Thessalonians on basic signs of the Christian life , and finally, his teaching about the second coming of Christ. And in all of this, our focus should be on better understanding what our lives should look like in light of Jesus’ soon and certain return.
(IV. Major Themes) A. So, first, Pastoral Ministry.
The first half of Paul’s letter is largely about his pastoral ministry among the Thessalonians. What I’d like to do is take an overview of what he says and identify from it seven key signs of Paul’s ministry, and by extension any genuine Christian ministry. But these aren’t just things that we should look for in a godly pastor, but signs that should characterize all of our lives as servants of Christ in his church.
1. So, let’s dive in. The first sign of a genuine Christian ministry? Prayer. Paul prays for these young Christians. In fact, his prayers constitute on of the most constant and recurring aspects of the letter. He thanks God for what he has already done in the church, and he asks him to do still more. Look at 1:2-3 with me: “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers,” specifically mentioning “your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1:2-3). For another example, turn to 3:9-13: “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”
Note how Paul characterizes his prayer. He says that “We remember before our God and Father” (1:3) their work and faith and love. Praying for others is considering evidences of how God’s Spirit has been at work in them and thanking God; and it is considering their needs and directing these requests to the Father. It’s amazing to think that when we are meeting with God individually, we can come before him and intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ, which this book teaches us is a selfless and generous way to spend our time with the Lord. And note how Paul prays for them in light of the second coming of Christ. He prays that they would be holy and blameless before him at his coming. We should learn from Paul; he focuses his prayer on what is most important, what is eternally lasting. The emphasis is not so much on their circumstances, but their faith, love, and holiness, which is a great model for our prayers.
2. But then, a second mark of a genuine gospel ministry: Self-sacrifice. In his missionary journeys, and not least in his trip to Macedonia, Paul showed he was willing to sacrifice his own safety. He did not benefit by it. Look at chapter 2, verses 1-6: “You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you ” (2:1-3). Paul did not preach the gospel to the Thessalonians with selfish concern for himself and his own gain, but with pure motives, to please God, not men. Do we only share the good news with others when it’s convenient? Do we only speak of Jesus when we’re confident it won’t diminish our reputation? Or are we willing to sacrifice our standing and our comfort for the sake of the Gospel like Paul?
3. Third. Motherly love. Motherly love is also a sign of genuine ministry. Paul writes in 2:7-8, “As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” Paul was not harsh, but gentle. He did not take from them but was delighted to share with them.
4. Fourth, Fatherly integrity and encouragement. Next, Paul says that he exhibited a fatherly lifestyle among them, and now he encourages them with fatherly counsel. We see this in 2:10-12:“ You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory,” (2:10-12). Even as Paul instructs us on the purity and care that should characterize all of us as we speak to other Christians, by way of analogy he gives us wisdom for parenting as well - Paul assumes that a godly father encourages, comforts, and urges his children toward godliness.
5. Fifth, Desire for fellowship. Paul desires to be with the Thessalonians and fellowship with them. They are not just his friends. They are his spiritual family. He writes, in 2:17, “But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you,” (2:17). Several times Paul mentions his desire to return and see them . In the next chapter he repeats “we also long to see you,” (3:6) and “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again,” (3:10). Such a desire for fellowship is another evidence of a genuine ministry . Think of God’s kindness in designing us this way: the more we mature in ministering to his people, the more we desire to spend even more time doing so. God shapes the desires of our hearts the more we soak our hearts in His word! You can’t escape Paul’s love for the Thessalonians as you read this letter -- it’s challenging! If you want to grow in your love for your fellow church members here at CHBC, I’d encourage you to read this letter a few times this week - it only takes 15 or 20 minutes - and ask as you read, “do I love and cherish my church the way Paul loved this church he had only spent a few weeks or months with?” Let Paul’s love serve as an example for us.
6. Sixth: joy. When we minister faithfully, joy results. Several times Paul says that he rejoices because of the Thessalonians. In chapter 2:19-20 he writes “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” And in chapter 3 he says, “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? ” (3:9). A godly pastor or elder is one who finds evident joy in knowing and leading his flock.
7. And finally, hope. Paul has hope for the Thessalonians. His hope isn’t in them , that they’ll endure on their own – his hope is in the electing God who has chosen them, as he says in 1:4. And above all, he hopes for Christ’s return. Look at 5:23-24: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” Paul’s ministry is characterized by hope for the Thessalonians based on his hope in God’s promises and Christ’s return.
So then. Seven marks of genuine Christian ministry. Prayer. Self-sacrifice. Motherly love. Fatherly encouragement. A desire for fellowship. Joy. And hope. Through it all you see Paul’s driving passion for people and his ultimate hope in Jesus Christ. And you see a good model for our own lives.
We can use these 7 marks to reflect on our own ministry in this church. Ministry is not for just pastors and elders; it’s for all of us. And so Paul’s example is useful for all of us. Why do we love others in this church? Paul’s most practical motivation seemed to be that he wanted a front-row seat to observe the supernatural power of God at work in the hearts of these believers, so that he could rejoice before God because of them. That’s a great example for us—especially in contrast to the mixed motives we so often have. How did he avoid making people his “projects?” He loved them. He earnestly desired to be with them. His heart was torn when he had to leave. Did he only serve when it was convenient? Certainly not. And that self-sacrifice only compounded his joy.
And, of course, you can use this book beyond just reflecting on your own personal ministry. Use these chapters to encourage and exhort other Christian friends. Use them to evaluate a pastoral ministry at a church you may consider joining—or at your own church. A church you consider joining must have solid doctrine – it must cling to the same gospel that Paul declares in 5:9-10 of this book. But you should also look for the careful, compassionate type of leadership that Paul exemplifies in his relationship with the Thessalonians. And, finally, we can use these passages to encourage faithful ministers of the gospel who are following the pattern laid out by Paul. That’s the first half of the book. Before we move to the second half, any questions?
Signs of a Christian Life
Paul doesn’t limit himself to describing what a genuine ministry looks like. In chapters 4 and 5 Paul writes and tells them what effect a genuine ministry should have on their lives. As you’ll recall from earlier, these exhortations sandwich the core of the letter, the section of the coming of the Lord at the end of chapter 4. So we should be thinking of these exhortations especially in terms of “how should we live in light of Christ’s coming return?” Paul begins this section in 4:1-2 by writing, “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. How can we please God in light of his coming? Paul follows with, you guessed it, seven points.
First, pursue sexual purity. Just after telling them to please God, Paul then spends several sentences repeatedly and specifically telling them to avoid sexual sin, drawing a clear link between the two. Paul writes in 4:3-8, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. The connection between obeying God and maintaining sexual purity may actually have been a new idea to the Thessalonians. Sexual promiscuity was even more accepted and practiced in the ancient pagan world than in our own world , so it was worth Paul’s time to emphasize the point. Note that Paul does not treat sexual sin as something private, or as a “victimless crime.” He emphasizes “no one should harm his brother or take advantage of him,” (4:6). Sexual sin always involves others—including God. “He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God,” (4:8).
Second, we should live lives of brotherly love. Verses 9-10: “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more,” (4:9-10).
Third. Respectability. Paul wants the Thessalonians to live in such a way as to earn the respect of others. Look at 4:11-12, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” The point is not that Paul wants Christians to be focused on polishing their reputation. This is not a popularity contest. No, it is in some ways precisely by doing the opposite of what would lead to popularity and success—by striving to lead a quiet life and mind your own business—that we win not popularity, but genuine respect for the Godly way of life we follow. You do this not so that others will think well of you but so that the gospel will be commended. So, far from the coming of the Lord inciting panic, it should spur us on to continue being faithful in respectable and quiet ways.
Fourth, Being awake to God. Having detoured to talk directly about the second coming, Paul returns to his list of exhortations in chapter 5:4-8: “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet,” (5:4-8). We are to be awake to God. We are not asleep but awake, alert, and self-controlled. Paul wants Christians not to be dulled by this world, deceived by the attractive appearance of its passing pleasures, or blind to the realities that God has made known in his Word. No, we are to be spiritually awake—focused on God’s truth and inwardly directed to the truth that we know but do not yet see.
5. Fifth, Encouraging others. Paul goes on, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone,” (5:11-15). We are to encourage everyone. Paul especially calls us to give encouragement in two particular cases. First, encourage your pastors and elders. They work hard to be wise and Godly spiritual shepherds for you. Do we encourage them? Do we tell them we appreciate them? Second, Paul tells us to encourage the weak. Weakness is often a temptation to discouragement, so Paul tells Christians to be especially diligent in encouraging those who lack strength in various ways. I wonder if you know someone in this situation that you could encourage, even this week?
6. Sixth, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians, and us, to Live a God-centered life. He says in 5:16-18: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” How can you be joyful always? If you center your life on God, regardless of what happens at work, regardless of what happens at home, regardless of what happens at church, you can be joyful. Well, how do we make God the center of our lives, so that we by the Spirit’s power do “pray continuously” (5:17) and “give thanks in all circumstances,” (5:18)? It starts with remembering the good news of grace that we’ve received, as Paul says in 5:9-10: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” This amazing Gospel is what changes the foundation of our life so that God is at the center.
And finally, seventh, live a discerning life. As Paul nears his conclusions, he says, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil,” (5:19-22). These are timeless exhortations applicable in every circumstance. “Test everything.” Life is short. Don’t waste it on stupid, evil things. Think carefully before you believe something, do something, say something, or promise anything. Evil is everywhere; if we would avoid it, we must pray for discernment.
Those are the ways we are to behave in light of the end of the world. Love each other. Focus on living respectable, quiet lives of faithfulness. Don’t waste your time or energy. Encourage others. Any questions on this section on the Christian life?
The Second Coming
So, why should we live in these ways as Christians? The answer, and our final theme in 1 Thessalonians, is because of the second coming -- because Jesus is coming back. That is the great truth animating Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, and the point towards which all history is converging. We should live pure and holy lives because Jesus is coming back and we want to live lives worthy of him. We should minister to others because Jesus is coming back and we want others to be prepared. We should spread the gospel because Jesus is coming back and we want everyone in the world to have heard about him before he comes in final judgment.
We should keep in mind four things about Jesus’ return. First, it will certainly happen. Second, we will all witness it, regardless of when it happens, and will all be subject to his judgment. Third, if you are a Christian, the doctrine should be an encouragement to you. Fourth, no one knows when Jesus will return.
First, Jesus will return . Paul describes that glorious day in 4:16-17. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever,” (4:16-17). Jesus himself taught that he will return, and we see more images of his return throughout the book of Revelation. Scripture is clear and consistent: Jesus is coming back!
Second, we will all witness his return . Evidently the Thessalonians were discouraged because some of them had died and the others thought the ones who died would miss out on Jesus’ return. Paul writes to encourage them, in 4:13-15: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” He speaks of death as “sleep” to indicate that, for Christians, it is not the end. Not only will our souls go immediately to be with Jesus in heaven, even our bodies will be resurrected from this “sleep” with Jesus in the new creation. [1] We learn too from Revelation that non-Christians will also be resurrected to receive their final judgment. No one will miss out on Jesus’ return. It is the one event in history that all human beings who have ever lived will experience together.
Third, this doctrine should be an encouragement and a prompting to hope and holiness for Christians. Paul gives the Thessalonians a remarkable exhortation after describing the end of the world, in 4:18: “Therefore encourage each other with these words.” Jesus’ return should be an encouragement to us. It is the fulfillment of our hopes, it’s the vindication of our expectations. When Jesus returns, all wrongs will be righted, all apparent injustice corrected. Some Christians view the end with alarm, fear, or dread. The end will indeed be fearsome because it will be accompanied by God’s wrath—but we Christians are spared of that! SHARE GOSPEL… Jesus returns to gather his people to himself, finally and forever. For us his return is only the end of this fallen world marred by sin and death; it is the beginning of the new creation in which as Revelation says, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away,” (Revelation 21:4).
Fourth, we don’t know when Jesus will return and we shouldn’t try to figure it out. Naturally some Christians then, as now, became preoccupied with the idea of Jesus’ return and apparently spent some time arguing about when it was going to happen. Paul writes to discourage them from such speculation, in 5:1-3 “Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape,” (5:1-3). God explicitly says in his word that we do not and cannot know the day or hour of Jesus’ return. We should not listen to anyone who claims to have figured it out. We should, however, remain in eager expectation and preparedness, leading Godly and sober lives so that we will be ready by Jesus comes.
Isn’t it amazing how practical all of this gets in 1 Thessalonians? You could almost think of the second half of his letter as “the end of the world, made practical.” So often, this topic invites fevered speculation and silly fantasies -- whether it’s the latest series of end-times-themed novels or a fascination with the identity of the “man of lawlessness” that is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians. But that kind of teaching and speculation is utterly foreign to Paul’s practical, Christ-centered, encouraging explanation of the end of time. One way we could apply this part of the book is by evaluating how much time we spend thinking about the past, the present, and the near future… and then compare that with how often we look forward to eternity with Christ. Hoping in eternity, Paul says, shapes the way that we live now - because it stirs our hope in the Christ who is returning. Any questions?
Conclusion
I hope we can see how the doctrine of the future, even though certain details about it are mysterious, so fundamentally shapes the content of our belief and practice as followers of Christ. Why has Paul’s ministry been characterized by the seven aspects we looked at - things like self-sacrifice, prayer, joy, and concern? Because he deeply desires the Thessalonians to be prepared for that final day. Why should our lives as Christians be characterized by those other seven features, such as brotherly love, sexual purity, discernment? Because we are those who because of the Gospel of God’s mercy don’t have to fear Christ’s return. Instead, our greatest desire is God’s glory - that he would be glorified and made much of by his people as we wait for all his good promises to come to fruition.
Listen to how Jonathan Edwards spoke about our longing for this coming day of the Lord: “The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to Heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the ocean.”[2]
Let’s pray.
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