0:05 [Music]
0:07 welcome to back to the Bible radio
0:09 featuring best-selling author and
0:11 internationally known Bible teacher
0:14 Warren where's being I find people who
0:17 like to linger in the doctrinal sections
0:19 of Scripture or the prophetic sections
0:22 of Scripture but when you start talking
0:24 about the practical part of the Word of
0:25 God they're they're not to interested in
0:28 that and yet that's the important part
0:32 the doctrine is the foundation for duty
0:36 all doctrine must give forth duty and
0:39 all Duty must be based on doctrine and
0:41 this is why at the end of first
0:43 Thessalonians chapter 5 we have Paul
0:46 giving this series of expectations now
0:49 in verses 12 and 13 he exhorts the
0:53 leaders and the members of the church he
0:54 tells the leaders that they should labor
0:57 and lead and admonish and then he tells
0:59 the members that they should recognize
1:02 their leaders and to value them and to
1:06 love them that in verses 14 and 15 we
1:09 have a series of admonitions concerning
1:11 some of the problem people in the church
1:14 now we exhort you brethren and that
1:15 means the whole church not just the
1:18 leaders warned those who are unruly
1:21 comfort the faint-hearted uphold the
1:24 weak now here we have a series of
1:26 admonitions that deal with problem
1:28 people in the church wherever there are
1:30 people there are problems wherever there
1:33 are problems there is potential for
1:36 spiritual growth most pastors and Sunday
1:38 School teachers and church leaders do
1:40 not like problems we want things to go
1:42 along smoothly but you know there are
1:45 problems you have a group of people here
1:48 they've all had different backgrounds
1:51 they have different genetic structure
1:53 the only thing they have in common is
1:55 they belong to the family of God they
1:58 possess the same Holy Spirit they read
1:59 the same Bible but they don't always
2:02 read it the same way and they pray to
2:04 the same Father and some are praying
2:06 selfishly and so we have problem people
2:09 in the church now who are they well
2:12 number one there are the unruly I
2:15 suppose the word insubordinate could be
2:17 used here the disorderly really it's a military
2:19 military
2:22 the word unruly means a soldier who's
2:26 out of rank or out of step and this is
2:28 what creates problems in the church
2:31 there's a buck private who wants to act
2:34 like a general or the Army is marching
2:36 east and he decides he wants to march
2:39 west and it's an unfortunate thing when
2:41 there are those in local assemblies who
2:44 are unruly they will not be ruled by the
2:48 Word of God they are soldiers out of
2:52 rank they are soldiers out of step the
2:53 local church you see is the part of an
2:56 army there has to be Authority there has
2:59 to be organization there has to be some
3:01 kind of strategy we're fighting a battle
3:05 and the enemy we fight is an enemy who
3:08 is strong and he has wisdom and he's got
3:10 a strategy going I wonder how much
3:14 strategy there is in the life of the
3:17 average local church assembly now in
3:20 Thessalonica some of these people were
3:22 idle they are the ones who said what
3:25 Jesus is coming back so why work as a
3:28 consequence they became freeloaders and
3:32 the church had to support them this is
3:34 why Paul wrote second Thessalonians one
3:37 reason why he wrote it in chapter 3
3:39 beginning at verse 7 he exhorts these
3:43 lazy people to get back to work for even
3:45 when we were with you we commanded you
3:48 this if anyone will not work neither
3:50 shall he eat 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3
3:54 verse 10 so the unruly in this case were
3:56 folks who would not obey the Word of God
3:59 and go to work and carry their share of
4:01 the load and they were depending upon
4:04 the church to support them anyone who
4:08 rejects the Word of God is unruly
4:11 chapter 4 verse 8 of first Thessalonians
4:14 therefore he who rejects this does not
4:18 reject man but God who has also given us
4:20 His Holy Spirit it's an interesting
4:22 connection people say to me well the
4:25 Holy Spirit led me to do this and I say
4:27 but this chapter in verse says what you
4:30 did is wrong well the Holy Spirit led me
4:32 first Thessalonians
4:34 chapter four verse eight tells me that
4:36 the Spirit of God never contradicts the
4:39 Word of God he follows the word that he
4:43 wrote I think sometimes people who think
4:44 they are filled with the spirit are
4:47 being fooled by the spirits and as a
4:49 consequence they're getting out of the
4:52 will of God and I says you warn them put
4:55 them in mind what I taught you have you
4:56 warned these people let them know that
4:59 they're out of rank and to get back in
5:01 step with the rest of God's people as
5:03 they follow the Word of God
5:06 now the second group are those called
5:08 the faint-hearted Comfort the faint heart
5:08 heart
5:11 this means the discouraged the Greek
5:14 word means the small soul now some
5:17 people by nature by natural temperament
5:19 are are discouraged some people have
5:22 physical problems that discourage them
5:25 sometimes it's satanic opposition these
5:27 are the people who always want to quit a
5:29 nothing is going to go right they are
5:32 sort of the doubting Thomases of the
5:35 local church assembly now in every
5:37 church there are those who say that it
5:38 can't be done
5:41 and for some reason God ordains I guess
5:43 that there are on every committee people
5:45 who say oh there isn't enough money
5:47 there isn't enough time there aren't
5:49 enough people the apostles were
5:52 sometimes like this five thousand people
5:55 were there they were hungry and Philip
5:56 says well we don't have enough money to
5:59 buy food for them and and somebody else
6:01 says well we have some loaves and fishes
6:03 what are they among so many the faint
6:05 heart of those who are giving up nice
6:07 has encouraged them that word comfort
6:10 means to encourage put some strength
6:12 into their hearts encourage the
6:14 faint-hearted don't argue with them
6:17 don't drive them out of the church help
6:20 them to grow give them the shelter that
6:23 they need but help them to grow
6:26 you can't pamper people like this but
6:28 you do have to encourage them now the
6:32 third group uphold the week now who are
6:33 the weak I don't think he's talking
6:35 about the morally weak or the physically
6:37 weak he's talking about those who have
6:40 weak conscience --is Romans 14 and 15
6:43 that we are to receive those who are
6:44 weak in the faith
6:46 who are those who are weak in the faith
6:50 those who must live by a rigid set of
6:52 rules and regulations don't do this
6:53 don't do that they haven't got the
6:56 courage to step out by faith and live by
6:59 God's grace they are the immature people
7:02 who will not live by faith and grow now
7:06 they're weak Romans 14 and 15 tells us
7:08 we should welcome these people receive
7:10 them we should encourage them and we
7:12 should help them to grow there's a
7:16 tendency in some churches to pamper this
7:19 crowd and they always stay babies Paul
7:22 doesn't tell us that he says you uphold
7:24 them now why do you uphold a weak person
7:27 to give him the strength to learn how to
7:31 walk somebody's in surgery and they come
7:33 out and although they're so weak and
7:35 they get home so what do you do you walk
7:38 with them when I have visited in
7:40 hospitals I have seen the nurses and the
7:43 aides walking down the hall with the
7:46 patients why to teach them how to get
7:48 their strength back he doesn't say
7:51 pamper these people they'll stay weak
7:53 all of their lives they'll always be
7:55 legalistic judging others condemning
7:58 others rather he says these who are weak
8:01 you love them and you uphold them now
8:05 that word uphold has the idea of to get
8:07 firmly next to them and cleave to them
8:12 you let your body be a means of support
8:14 for them but don't be a crutch for the
8:15 rest of their lives
8:17 it's time that some of these people got
8:21 strong enough to walk on their own two
8:23 feet by faith so here we have three
8:27 admonitions to the unruly warn them get
8:30 back in step to the faint-hearted
8:32 encourage them God's going to see you
8:36 through to the week he tells us we
8:38 should have hold them why so they can
8:41 grow now he adds some admonitions
8:44 regarding all people be patient with all
8:47 I don't know about you but it's easy to
8:50 get impatient with the unruly it's easy
8:51 to get impatient with the faint-hearted
8:55 who just say nothing can be done it's
8:58 awfully difficult sometimes to keep with the
8:58 the
9:01 weak and uphold them it's so easy to get
9:03 impatient with people who won't grow who
9:06 haven't got the courage and the faith to
9:09 trust the grace of God and just step out
9:11 and live under the smile of their
9:13 father's love they're always walking
9:17 under a dark cloud of guilt well he says
9:19 you'd be patient with all I need that
9:21 see to it that you're patient love is
9:25 patient and kind and the fruit of the
9:28 Spirit is patience then he says that
9:32 don't render evil for evil see that no
9:36 one renders evil for evil to anyone be
9:38 forgiving no retaliation
9:40 now he's simply repeating here what
9:43 Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount
9:45 you have heard that it was said you
9:47 shall love your neighbor and hate your
9:49 enemy but I say unto you love your
9:52 enemies that's easy to do bless those
9:55 who curse you do good to those who hate
9:57 you pray for those who spitefully use
10:01 you and persecute you my those are some
10:03 of the hardest verses in the Bible to
10:08 accept and obey but they are there and
10:10 they are just as much a part of the Word
10:13 of God as John 3:16 be forgiving don't
10:16 retaliate Paul wrote the same thing in
10:18 the book of Romans didn't at the end of
10:24 chapter 12 repay no one evil for evil he
10:27 says in verse 17 have regard for good
10:29 things in the sight of all men if it is
10:32 possible now sometimes it isn't but if
10:36 it is possible as much as depends on you
10:38 sometimes you can't do anything about it
10:41 live peaceably with all men and beloved
10:44 do not avenge yourselves
10:47 so be patient be forgiving that's the
10:50 negative part of it then he says pursue
10:54 that which is good both for yourselves
10:57 and for all that's the positive part of
10:59 it be patient with everybody be
11:02 forgiving don't harbor malice in your
11:04 heart and don't figure out ways to pay
11:06 people back it'll make your life
11:10 miserable rather find out ways to do goo
11:12 for them and for yourself because when
11:14 you do good for others you're doing good
11:16 for yourself and you're bringing glory
11:20 to God takes effort to do this but God
11:27 Paul is giving a series of exhortation
11:29 x' here
11:32 a series of triplets really and he has
11:34 been exhorting the leaders and the
11:36 members of the church there's an
11:38 exhortation concerning the problem
11:40 people in the church in verse 14 and
11:45 concerning all people in verse 15 now in
11:48 16 through 21 he's talking about our
11:51 relationship to God up till now he's
11:53 been talking about our relationship to
11:55 other people in the church but our
11:57 relationship to other people in the
11:59 church depends upon our relationship
12:02 with God well let's begin with the verse
12:06 16 of 1st Thessalonians 5 rejoice always
12:09 my relationship to the Lord should be
12:13 one of joy I should be joyful
12:18 do you enjoy God oh you say you can't do
12:20 that because God is far away God is
12:23 nearer to us he says near as our own hearts
12:24 hearts
12:27 he says near as an open Bible he never
12:29 leaves us he never forsakes us do you
12:32 enjoy God you know there are many people
12:36 who evade their responsibilities they
12:38 look for every excuse they have not to
12:40 go to church not to read the Bible not
12:42 to pray not to worship and then there
12:45 are those who just endure the things of
12:47 the Lord well they'll go but they won't
12:51 enjoy it Paul is saying to us I want you
12:54 to enjoy God that's the Christian life
12:58 to rejoice in the Lord always and again
13:00 I say rejoice Paul wrote that to the
13:04 Philippians to rejoice in the spirit the
13:07 fruit of the Spirit is love joy you see
13:10 now why Paul has arranged these
13:13 expectations in the first section verses
13:17 12 through 15 he talks about love if you
13:20 love people you follow your leaders if
13:22 you love people you esteem them highly
13:24 if you love people you promote peace in
13:26 the church if you love people you'll
13:29 warn the unruly you'll comfort the
13:31 faint-hearted you'll uphold the weak if
13:33 you love people you won't retaliate now
13:36 the next thing is joy oh you want joy
13:38 but you don't want love
13:40 did you ever stop to think that the very
13:42 people in your life who create problems
13:45 can also create joy it all depends on
13:48 our relationship to the Lord we should
13:52 rejoice be joyful Paul says do it always
13:54 I have to be careful of the word always
13:57 when in my writing and in my preaching
13:59 I've got to be very careful when I say
14:02 always husbands and wives have to be
14:04 careful of that word always oh you
14:07 always say that well no I don't oh you
14:10 always do it that way well no I don't
14:12 but God can use the word always the fact
14:16 Paul likes the word always chapter 1
14:18 verse 2 we give thanks to God always for
14:25 you chapter 3 and verse 6 he brought us
14:27 good news of your faith in love and that
14:31 you always have good remembrance of us
14:35 chapter 4 verse 17 we shall always be
14:40 with the Lord here in chapter 5 verse 15
14:43 he says now you always pursue what is
14:46 good Paul likes the word always you say
14:50 we rejoice always sometimes I'm in
14:52 circumstances that are not very joyful
14:54 that's when you need to rejoice I'm
14:57 preaching to myself in spite of the
15:00 trials in spite of the difficulties we
15:03 should rejoice always our relationship
15:07 with God must be one of joy joyful
15:10 always in spite of trials now these
15:12 people were going through difficulty
15:16 chapter 1 verse 6 having received the
15:20 word in much affliction with joy of the
15:25 Holy Spirit chapter 2 verse 14 for you
15:27 brethren became imitators of the
15:30 Churches of God which are in Judea in
15:33 Christ Jesus for you also suffered here
15:35 were people going through suffering a
15:39 chapter 3 verse 3 that no one should be
15:43 shaken by these afflictions when you go
15:45 through first Thessalonians you find out
15:47 these people we're not sitting in a
15:49 summer Bible conference someplace
15:52 looking at a beautiful blue lake and why
15:54 Shiina clouds go by while somebody
15:56 preached they were in the midst of
15:59 affliction and yet he says rejoice why
16:02 that's what takes the poison out of
16:06 problems if we don't rejoice we end up
16:08 getting poisoned
16:10 Paul writes and says our light
16:13 affliction which is but for a moment is
16:16 working for us not against us a far more
16:22 exceeding and eternal weight of glory in
16:25 fact Paul says in Romans chapter 8 and
16:27 verse 18 I consider that the sufferings
16:30 of this present time are not worthy to
16:33 be compared with the glory which shall
16:38 be revealed in us not just to us but in
16:41 us well this is an act of will God says
16:44 you rejoice God is not going to be
16:47 satisfied until we are happy in his will
16:49 he'll do everything he has to do to get
16:52 us to the place where we are happy in
16:56 his will that must be why James wrote my
16:59 brethren count it all joy when you fall
17:03 into various trials knowing that the
17:06 testing of your faith produces endurance
17:10 and endurance goes on to make character
17:12 and to make you what God wants you to be
17:15 secondly our relationship to God should
17:17 be not only joyful but it should be
17:22 trustful prayerful submitted to God pray
17:25 without ceasing that does not mean you
17:27 go around muttering prayers it doesn't
17:29 mean you have to always be on your knees
17:34 our inmost desires are expressions of
17:38 prayer turn in your Bible to Psalm 10
17:44 Psalm 10 and verse 17 the psalmist
17:47 speaks and he says this Lord you have
17:51 heard the desire of the humble you will
17:54 prepare their heart you will cause your
17:57 ear to hear now God hears the desire
18:00 long before he hears the prayer you see
18:02 when you and I have desires in our
18:04 hearts for our own lives for the church for
18:05 for
18:08 loved ones those desires become prayers
18:12 and God hears them look at Psalm 21
18:17 verse 2 you have given him his heart's
18:19 desire and have not withheld the
18:22 requests of his lips you see the
18:24 requests on my lips comes from my heart
18:26 out of the abundance of the heart the
18:29 mouth speaks and therefore we are always
18:33 praying because we are always desiring
18:39 some 37 in verse 4 delight yourself also
18:42 in the Lord and he shall give you the
18:45 desires of your heart now if your
18:48 delight is in the Lord your desires will
18:50 be in his will when you delight in
18:53 someone you want only to do that which
18:56 is right so pray without ceasing simply
18:58 means let the desires of your heart
19:02 moment by moment be directed into the
19:04 things of God may not always to pray and
19:07 not to faint Luke 18:1 let's be careful
19:10 that the desires of our heart are all
19:12 that God wants them to be now he goes on
19:16 to say not only should we be joyful and
19:19 prayerful we should be thankful those
19:20 two go together don't they
19:22 Paul gives us a good example right in
19:24 this letter over and over again you find
19:27 him giving thanks chapter 1 verse 2 we
19:30 give thanks to God chapter 2 verse 13
19:34 for this reason we also thank God
19:37 chapter 3 verse 9 for what thanks can we
19:40 render to God and it goes on in 2nd
19:42 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 3 in
19:45 chapter 2 verse 13 Paul was in prison
19:47 and yet he'd give thanks read
19:51 Philippians Paul was separated from his
19:53 friends in Thessalonica and yet he's
19:56 giving thanks read 1st Thessalonians as
19:58 you're read Paul's letters you find this
20:01 thankful spirit Paul was a great
20:05 appreciate or by the way if you want to
20:07 take the poison out of life if you want
20:10 to sand down some of the rough corners
20:12 of life just learn to be thankful oh
20:16 it's a hard lesson to learn but we need
20:18 to learn how to give thanks
20:21 in everything give things when we give
20:24 thanks it shows that our great desire is
20:27 to please God he commanded me to give
20:29 things that's his will therefore I
20:32 should do it when we give thanks for
20:34 pleasing God when we give thanks we're
20:35 trusting God we're saying I don't
20:36 understand this
20:39 I would rather not be in this hospital
20:42 or this cemetery at this funeral service
20:44 or whatever we may be going through but
20:47 father I'm gonna give thanks even though
20:49 I don't understand because I believe you
20:51 love me and I believe you're going to
20:54 care for me and I believe this is your
20:58 will when you give thanks for everything
21:00 you're practicing Romans 8:28 and you
21:03 know it frees you from pride when you
21:05 learn to be thankful to the Lord it
21:08 lifts your heart to him and you get your
21:10 hands off of the things that he ought to
21:13 be directing it takes care of pride it
21:16 takes care of greed oh how greedy we get
21:20 how covetous we are and we learn to give
21:23 thanks and that takes the the greed out
21:25 of our hearts thank you father for what
21:26 you've done thank you for what you've
21:29 given instead of complaining about what
21:32 we don't have let's learn to give thanks
21:35 for what we do have this is an
21:38 atmosphere of growth and God alone can
21:40 make it possible
21:43 rejoice always be joyful pray without
21:46 ceasing be prayerful in everything give
21:50 thanks be thankful for this is the will
21:53 of God in Christ Jesus for you whatever
21:56 God commands he enables God's
21:59 commandments are God's enable months
22:03 therefore he can help us do this now
22:05 look at verse 24 he who calls you is
22:08 faithful who also will do it now let's
22:11 trust him to do it let's start asking
22:15 God Oh Lord make me joyful help me to be
22:18 prayerful help me to be thankful because
22:22 this is your will and I want to please
22:23 your heart [Music]
22:24 [Music]
22:27 we're glad you joined us today if you
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