This content emphasizes four spiritual priorities for individuals and churches: prayer, Christian love, the Word of God, and the grace of God, as outlined by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians. It also explores the foundational aspects of a thriving church: its birth in prayer, nurturing through faithful ministry, stabilization through establishing believers, and their subsequent walk in purity, love, and hope, all centered on the anticipation of Christ's return.
[Music]
welcome to back to the Bible radio
featuring best-selling author and
internationally known Bible teacher
Warren where's being in the closing
verses of first Thessalonians the
Apostle Paul emphasizes for spiritual
priorities and these priorities are
important for us individually and also
collectively as a local church whatever
church you may be in verse 25 of 1st
Thessalonians 5 brethren pray for us
greet all the Brethren with a holy kiss
I charge you by the Lord that this
epistle be read to all the holy brethren
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you amen now what are these
priorities well prayer verse 25
Christian love verse 26 the Word of God
verse 27 and the grace of God verse 28
if we will make these our priorities
then God will be able to do something in
our lives and in our local churches
let's start with prayer in verse 25
brethren pray for us
prayer is a priority in the Christian
life and in the local church so many
churches don't do this anymore we have
plenty of time for announcements we have
plenty of time for special music but we
don't have time for prayer and we need
to take time for prayer now not just on
Sunday mornings but other times as well
the local church needs prayer you see
the church was born in a prayer meeting
in Acts chapter 1 you'll find that the
believers were in a prayer meeting I
take it that's what they were doing when
the Holy Spirit came on the day of
Pentecost they were in a prayer meeting
crying out to God and asking him to
fulfill his purposes the church expanded
through prayer that marvelous prayer in
Acts chapter 4 when the Apostles came
back from being arrested and they cried
out to God and said O God you are Lord
now bear your arm
and glorify your name the church
expanded through prayer and the church
got victory through prayer
now prayer is not only important to the
church it's important to the individual believer
believer
the Apostle Paul started his Christian
life with prayer in Acts chapter 9 God
said behold he's praying in chapter 3
verse 10 Paul says night and day praying
exceedingly now there's a statement for
you not just praying but praying in the
daytime praying in the nighttime and
praying exceedingly I wonder if I pray
like that Paul did prayer is important
to the Christian life now when they
prayed for Paul they were praying for
someone who was strategically involved
in the ministry of the gospel they were
praying for one whom God was using in a
wonderful way do you pray for Christian
leaders it's easy to criticize them easy
to find fault with them but when it
comes to praying for them that's
something else oh how you need to pray
for your pastor and for the elders of
the church and for the ministry of your
denomination and for those who are in
leadership pray that's priority number
one now priority number two is in 1st
Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 26
Christian love greet all the Brethren
with a holy kiss may I remind you that
in that time in that culture the men
greeted the men and the women greeted
the women you did not have the men
throwing their arms around the women and
kissing them Paul's not talking about
something romantic here he's talking
about something very sacred in fact
Peter calls it a a holy kiss a kiss of
love a greet one another with a holy
kiss with a kiss of love I suppose we
would say shake hands all around that's
the way Phillips translates it in one of
the editions of his paraphrase Christian
love what he's talking about here is
love of the Brethren oh I'm poor
this is we know we have passed from
death unto life because we love the
Brethren first John 3:14 Jesus said in
the upper room before he went off to the
cross a new commandment I give to you
that you love one another as I have
loved you there's the measure of it that
you also love one another by this all
will know that you are my disciples if
you have love for one another now in
those two short verses he emphasizes the
meaning and the importance of Christian love
love
now all that verse 26 implies is number
one we assemble together you can't greet
each other unless you're there forsake
not the assembling of yourselves together
together
because the day is approaching that
means we assemble together it means that
we know each other we greet each other
we encourage each other we show love to
each other Christian love Paul prayed
that their love might increase remember
that chapter 3 verse 12 and may the Lord
make you increase and abound in love to
one another there's that river
overflowing again well God answered that
prayer 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse
3 we are bound to thank God always for
you brethren as it is fitting because
your faith grows exceedingly and the
love of every one of you all abounds
toward each other oh do you pray for
more love do you pray that the river of
love in your heart might overflow and
just touch more people Christian love
now the third priority is given to us in
verse 27 that's God's Word I charge you
and that's one of the strongest words he
could have used I adjure you I charge
you by the Lord that this epistle be
read to all the Holy brethren he's
talking here about the public reading of
the word of God now allow me to say this
not only are we neglecting pastoral
praying in our church services
we are neglecting the public reading of
the word of God in many churches the
only scripture you hear read is the
short text that the pastor is using for
his sermon now Paul said I'm charging
you that the scriptures be read publicly
in your assembly I think we ought to get
back to that the Thessalonians had a
marvelous relationship to the Word of
God they had received the Word of God in
much affliction and joy of the Holy
Spirit they appreciated God's Word Paul
said I thank the Lord that you don't
receive the word of God like the word of
man chapter 2 verse 13 you receive it as
it really is in truth the Word of God
they were sharing the Word of God
finally verse 28 priority number for the
grace of God all of this depends upon
God's grace the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you now this was Paul's
signature in his letters if you look at
2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 16
and 17 you'll find Paul saying an
interesting thing about his signature I
once received a letter from a listener
who complained about my signature and I
wrote back and said I don't blame you
for complaining about it but it right
now it's the best I can do
second Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 16
and 17 now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace always in every way the
Lord be with you all the salutation of
Paul with my own hand which is a sign in
every epistle so I write and here it is
in verse 18 the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all amen
Paul often dictated his letters and when
the letter was completed he would read
it and then he would add with his own
signature so they would know that the
letter was not a forgery apparently
somebody had tried to get a forgery into
the church in Thessalonica a chapter two
of second Thessalonians tells us about
that in verse two not to be soon shaken
in mind or troubled either by spirit or
by word or
by letter as if from us somebody had
forged a letter Paul said you can always
tell that I wrote the letter here's my
signature and I always tie into it the
grace of God now think about that the
Word of God is the word of His grace
acts 20:32 when you minister the Word of
God you're ministering God's grace the
throne of God is a throne of grace
Hebrews 4:16 let us come boldly to the
throne of grace so when you pray you are
coming to God access to the throne of
grace to get the grace of God first
Peter 5:10 tells me that our God is the
God of all grace there's more than one
kind of grace they're saving grace for
by grace are you saved through faith or
suffering grace my grace is sufficient
for you there is singing GRA singing
with grace in your hearts there is
speaking grace let your speech be always
with grace seasoned with salt as you go
through the Word of God you find all
kinds of grace our God is the God of all
grace so when you come to the word of
His grace and to the throne of grace you
come to the God of all grace about whom
James says he gives more Grace and more
and more and more James 4:16 and the
last word in this letter is a man now
can you say Amen to these priorities
Paul did prayer Christian love the Word
of God the grace of God Oh from our
as we review first Thessalonians let's
look at chapter 1 now these people's
lives had been transformed verse 9 they
turned to God from idols to serve the
living in the true God so many people
who profess to be Christians have had no
transformation in their lives my Bible
tells me that if any man is in Christ
he's a new creation old things are
passed away and behold all things are
become new well they weren't elect
people secondly they were an exemplary
people verses 6 & 7 you became followers
of us and of the Lord verse 7
you became examples to all in Macedonia
and Akaya who believed oh how we need to
be an exemplary people receiving the
Word of God becoming imitators of the
Lord becoming examples for others to
follow they were enthusiastic people
verse 8 your faith toward God has gone
out so that we do not need to say anything
anything
enthusiastically they were sounding
forth the Word of God they were winning
people to Christ in Thessalonica and in
Akaya in Macedonia and wherever the Word
of God went there they were sharing the
message of the gospel and elect people
and exemplary people and enthusiastic
people and finally an expectant people
to wait for his son from heaven whom he
raised from the dead even Jesus who
delivers us from the wrath to come
looking for the Lord to come again no
man knows the day or the hour it might
be today we'd better be ready chapter 2
Paul looks back and remembers how the
church was nurtured now we have Paul the
pastor and Paul pictures himself in
several different ways here he starts
off as the athlete verse 2 of chapter 2
we were bold in our God to speak to you
the gospel of God in
much conflict now that word conflict is
the translation of the Greek word that
gives us our word agony or agonize it's
a picture of the runner the athlete
running in the race just agonizing
striving enduring that he might reach
the goal wall so Paul said when we left
Phillip I it would have been easy to
quit Paul said we need the toughness of
the athlete but don't stop there in
verses three through six he compares
himself to a steward for our exhortation
did not come from deceit or uncleanness
nor was it in guile but as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the
gospel even so we speak not as pleasing
men but God who tests our hearts the
trustworthiness of the steward Paul's
message was right our exhortation did
not come from deceit that means error he
had the right message and he had the
right motive his motive was right and
his method was right nor was it in guile
Paul was a faithful steward and those of
us who minister the Word of God had
better be faithful because that's what
God is looking at it is required among
stewards that a man be found faithful
not necessarily popular not necessarily
successful in the eyes of men but
faithful to the Lord
thirdly he was a loving parent in verse
seven he was gentle as a nursing mother
and down in verse 11 he comforted and
exhorted and encouraged them charged
them implored them as a father he was
ministering to them as a spiritual
parent that is a tough job
Paul had time for individuals I
appreciate the burden he had he nurtured
them he nurtured them as a brother who
loved them verse 17 but we brethren
having been taken away from you the
Greek word means orphaned bereaved he
said I feel like an orphan separated
from my family
I was - you a father and a mother but
now that I'm separated from you Paul was
driven out of town was not allowed to
come back Paul said I feel like an
orphan out here and then he had to send
Timothy back to encourage them so he
remembers chapter 1 how the church was
born he remembers chapter 2 how the
church was nurtured pray for your pastor
pray for your spiritual leaders it is a
tough job to be faithful in spiritual
ministry at all how we need it today to
watch for souls to take time to comfort
people personally to exhort them
personally to implore them personally oh
that takes time takes energy chapter 3
he remembered how the church was
stabilized the key word here is stand
established verse 2 we sent Timothy our
brother and minister of God our fellow
laborer in the gospel of Christ to
establish you get you on your feet why
because in chapters 4 & 5 they have to
walk the church is born in Chapter 1
nurtured in chapter 2 stabilized in
chapter 3 so it can walk in chapters 4
and 5 well he looks back at the work
described in chapter 3 he said I
couldn't go back so I sent Timothy
there's the ministry of our presence
Timothy just being there was an
encouragement to the people he shared
the Word of God with them he'd go back
and take this letter and Paul prayed for
them here are three ways we can help
people stand we can go to them the
ministry of our presence we can share
the Word of God with them and we can
pray for them now in chapters 4 & 5 we
have a second focus he looks within and
he admonishes them he could see the
problems they were facing and the
emphasis here is on their walk verse 1
walk and please God how do you do that
by obeying the commandments that have
been given through the Lord Jesus the
word Commandments
verse two means a military order handed
down from an officer Paul looked upon
the church as a family but he also
looked upon the church as an army and
here he says I've got some Commandments
for you and if you want to walk straight
and walk right and be in step then you
will obey these Commandments he
describes here a four fold walk first he
tells us to walk in purity verses 1
through 8 this is the will of God even
your sanctification that you should
abstain from sexual immorality God
commands it the Word of God demands it
we should learn how to possess our own
bodies and sanctification and honor God
did not call us to uncleanness he called
us in holiness walk in purity walk in
love verses 9 through 12 brotherly love
a love for God a love for our brethren
in our fellowship and then let that love
spread out verse 10 he says all the
brethren who are in all Macedonia we
urge you brethren that you increase more
and more and then love those outside the
fellowship well love walking in love
walking in Hope chapter 4 verse 13
through chapter 5 verse 11 the day of
the Lord means comfort and blessing and
victory for the saved and it means
judgment and sorrow and agony for the
lost and he exhorts us to be alert to be
awake and to look for the coming of the
Lord he closes the chapter by telling us
to walk in harmony a series of
exhortation he exerts the leaders and
then he exhorts the people now you love
your leaders and you follow them as they
follow the Lord that's one the best ways
to have peace in the church follow the
leaders and be sure that they follow the
Lord and then he has a series of
expectations to the problem people in
the church the unruly the faint-hearted
the weak then he talks about our
relationship to
everyone be patient don't pay people
back no retaliation and remember you
should pursue what is good he closes
with our relationship to the Lord
I'm 18 rejoice pray give thanks be
joyful be prayerful be thankful that's
your inward relationship to the Lord and
then 19 through 21 our public worship of
the Lord don't quench the spirit don't
despise prophecies test all things don't
be afraid of what the Holy Spirit may
have to say to you and finally he closes
with this great prayer benediction of
sanctification now his third focus is on
the coming of the Lord and then he looks
up and he rejoices he says Jesus is
coming again every chapter in first
Thessalonians ends with a reference to
the coming of our Lord and it's
important that we see this in chapter 1
verse 10 he connects the coming of our
Lord with salvation these people had
turned to God from idols they were
serving the living and true God and
therefore were waiting for his son in
chapter 2 he connects the coming of our
Lord with service verses 19 and 20 what
is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing
is it not even you in the presence of
our Lord Jesus Christ yet is coming for
you are our glory and joy your your job
may be tough today you may be having a
rough time today but when Jesus comes
all that toil will be turned into joy
all that sacrifice and suffering will be
turned into glory chapter 3 he connects
the coming of our Lord with stability
verse 13 so that he may establish your
hearts blameless chapter 4 he connects
the coming of our Lord with sorrow that
you sorrow not as others who have no
hope we do have hope we are going to see
the Lord we are going to see our loved
ones we are going to be caught up to be
with the Lord and the Saints in the
clouds and we are forever to be with
therefore don't sorrow as though you
have no hope chapter 5 he closes the
chapter in the book by connecting the
coming of the Lord with sanctity the God
of peace sanctify you that you might be
blameless at the coming of our Lord and
that's what we're looking for today lift
up your hearts your redemption is
drawing near we're glad you joined us
today if you missed part of the program
or you'd like to listen again just come
to back to the Bible org so be sure to
come back again for more wisdom from
God's Word back to the Bible leading you
forward in your relationship with Jesus Christ
Christ you
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