Do You Get Along with Others? - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

As I review the scriptures that we will be studying in this lesson and look at the challenges Paul lays out for us to get along with the others in our church, I can tell you from experience that it is not always easy to retain a truly Christ-like attitude toward all leaders, all of the time, in any church. Sadly I tell you that there can be false leaders in the church just as there can be false teachers in the classrooms. I was saved and joined a Southern Baptist Church sixty-two years ago. I have served to the best of my ability in just about every capacity except as pastor. During my years of service there has been only one pastor that I could not support. This disagreement has been one of the apostle Paul thorns in my side, unpleasant and threatening even though I believe that I was right. I pray that God will forgive me if I was in error.

In verse twelve, Paul speaks of the respect due those who work hard and are over you and admonish you. He is probably thinking of teachers, elders, deacons, and pastors of the church. I have no choice as a teacher but to admonish you that it is your responsibility to hold the hands of your leaders high while they pray, lest you be the one responsible for their failure. I also remind you that you must know what God wills in your life and in the life of your church in order to be qualified to know whom you must support or reject. Have you read your bible? Do you know when a leader is in error? You are only obligated to support the truth.

The twelfth verse indicates that those leaders that are over you IN THE LORD—which means that they are preaching, teaching, and directing as the Lord has commanded them to do, are worthy of our respect. We are to respect those that work hard among us; who are in leadership positions; and who admonish us to serve faithfully. We are to realize that our pastor has a worthy calling, and that God holds him responsible for his efforts to lead the lost to salvation and feed God’s sheep. Christian members of the church are obligated to hold ministers in the highest regard [in love] because of their assigned task in the body of the church.


The congregation of Christians in the church is obligated to live in peace with each other in order to prevent any disruption, strife, or misunderstanding that will disrupt the unity of the body of Christ. You may wonder how you can show respect and hold him and the other church leaders in your highest regards. Do not forget the other leaders in your church. The music director, youth director and minister of children and families need your encouragement too. It takes overt action on your part. You must express your appreciation; you must tell them of the times when their leadership and Christian teaching has been of benefit to you. Nothing will help them more than for you to tell them how their ministry has helped you in your Christian life. If you never say anything to your pastor, how can he know your feelings? How can he know where you stand? Preachers feel lonesome in the pulpit unless they know that they have company; supporters, and prayer warriors occupying the pews.

This can go one step forward. Actions speak louder than words. Support them at the ballot box and with a personal gift of appreciation often, particularly on special occasions.

Active Christians should never join or support the idle; it is always better to encourage the idle and weak. In fact, it is difficult for us to know the difference between idleness and timidity. Two people may be doing little or nothing; one because they are too lazy and the other may simply be shy or fear doing something wrong. You can’t help unless you know the reason for the problem; therefore there should be no criticism, only admonition, assurance, and encouragement. If we can’t help our fellow man, it is better to do nothing that will discourage.

Vs 16-18 gives three commands. A] spread joy; B] pray and C] give thanks. Most Christians obey these commands but only when they feel like it; it is easy to allow daily circumstances interfere. Actually, when you are feeling down about some circumstance over which you have no control, the best balm is to pray and give thanks for things that are right. We do not give thanks for everything, but in everything. Neither pain nor suffering comes from God. We should not thank him for the bad things that happen to us; however, we should always thank him for seeing us through the bad times, and praise him for the good that He will cause to come as a result of our problems.
V 19 tells us to keep spiritual fires burning. What do you think he means? Remember the trinity, God, Christ, and Holly Spirit, one in all—all in one. Many times in the bible one of these is referred to as fire. God appeared on Mt. Sinai as a burning light, and Moses face actually glowed from the brightness. God appeared in the burning bush. He appeared in the desert wilderness by day as clouds and at night as fire. When Christ came down from his forty day temptation his face was glowing as fire. The Holy Spirit entered the upper room as a fire. The Spirit is God on earth. Our body is his temple. He causes us to have a burning desire to do God’s will. If our lives are evil to the point that the Spirit can not work through us…we are putting out the Spirit’s fire.

One of, if not the most difficult concept for us to truly understand is that all of God’s creation was done to benefit man—with the idea that God’s family would be one of true Christian relationships—with constantly abiding ‘agape love’ always in and between the God head and humanity. The trinity is a spiritual being that demands that true believers first love must be for the holly family. We cannot see, feel, taste or smell the Holly spirit, and Satan uses this to cause us to doubt that He is present. There are many environmentalists that have no problem hugging and loving a tree. Conversationalists believe that the red billed woodpecker in the Cash River Bottoms should be found and preserved from extension. They have never seen the bird, but they love him. The Holly Spirit [God] created the tree and the bird; he is ever present but since we do not see Him we have a great problem hugging Him, loving Him, and fellowshipping with him. Our failure to recognize Him, and worship Him quinces the Holy Spirit…puts his fire out.

We are to test everything; weigh it, measure it and hold on to only the good. How do you do this? Use a test tube, a set of accurate scales, and a yard stick. You have the most accurate testing device on earth on your book shelf—it is called the Holly Bible. Study it and you will know what is good and how to avoid evil. One very good rule is so simple that most of us know it and have no trouble remembering it; therefore it is always handy and available—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

When you believe, God will save you. When you obey God, he will sanctify you through and through. You are by nature a sinner and must share the responsibility for all the evil in this old world. The price of sin and evil is death. Therefore, if you want to be held blameless, you must accept the death of Christ as payment for the sin you have committed.
“THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU.”