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.”

Are You Ready? - I Thesssalonians 5:1-11

Have you ever been in the armed services, stationed over seas, on ship or in a restricted area that your family could not enter? Or have you had a son or daughter, wife or husband that served in such an assignment? If you have you will know the intensity of the anticipation on the day they are expected to return home. If you have not, you can surely use your imagination to appreciate the joy that any family feels when they are reunited after a long separation. In most cases, there is a set date of return, and there is a plan established to welcome your loved ones home. As the due date draws near the anticipation becomes more intense and you make sure that everything is ready to welcome the loved one home.

Jesus Christ finished his work on earth and left this earth behind as he ascended into heaven to complete all the preparations necessary for his believers to have a home in heaven when their work on earth is completed. The question for us to answer is: Are we ready for him to return and received his own unto himself there in our new home? There is no doubt that the most important question you will ever answer is the one used as the title of this lesson for today: “Are You Ready”—for the rapture?

Many of the writers of the New Testament refer to the ‘day of the Lord’ and in every case, they are discussing the actual time when Jesus Christ will return to this earth. He may return today; or a million years from today, NO ONE KNOWS, but HE WILL RETURN. The Lord assured his apostles that “As they would see him go away into the heavens—He would return in the same manner.” He also assured them that no one would know when that time will be. Many, if not all of the Thessalonians, assumed that he would return soon, they expected to be alive at the time of his return. This was true with the Christians in the church at Thessalonica. Paul had taught them that they should live each day in expectancy. During the time that had passed since Paul was with them, some of their Christian brothers had died, and those still living became concerned about what would happen to those who were asleep in Jesus.

In chapter four, Paul explained that those asleep in Christ would rise first and would be with Christ when he returns—and that those still living should not be concerned about their deceased friends. Then in the fifth chapter he continues by explaining that no one knows the specific day and time of Christ’s returning. Paul said that there was really no need for him to write about the time and date because Christ’s return could be compared to a thief in the night. This term ‘thief in the night’ refers to the fact that no one knows what night, or what time of the night, that a thief will come to steal. Paul indicates that these people should already know this to be a fact; he must have thought that he had already made it clear to them.

Down through the ages, even during the last century, there have been false teachers that claim to know ahead, the time and date when Christ will return. There have been times when people believed their leader to the extent that they either sold or gave every earthly thing they owned to people who did not accept the false teacher. We have read the news, and know of these actions. What we do not know is just how many people have and will suffer because of the false teaching. Personally, I believe that this false doctoring has caused the true church much damage. There are many nonbelievers who have witnessed these atrocities, and it has caused them to refuse to believe the true teachings of the bible. If these skeptics remain lost, the bible teaches that their blood will be on the hands of the false teachers.

Only the cult minded false teachers make efforts to determine the date of Christ’s return; we must not be misled by anyone who claims to know. Paul tells the Thessalonians and us that no one knows; and he also says that even the true believers will be surprised the moment He appears. The Lord will return suddenly and unexpectedly like a flash of lightening. We see the lightening flash with no warning—the thunder has the lightening as a warning; but Jesus is Light and not thunder.

Listen carefully people [most especially lost people] no one knows when Jesus will come back to this earth!!! Everyone that desires to meet Him, and go with him to heaven must be ready at all times, today and every day that we live. Think hard and clearly about this matter. Let us suppose that he will return today as I write—or today as you read this—how would he find things at your house? How would he find you living? ARE YOU READY TO MEET HIM? The truth is that we must be prepared to welcome Him each moment of our lives.

Please allow me to become nosey-rosy and ask you some very personal questions. Your truthful answers will give you a good barometer by which you can know if you are ready. How long has it been since you talked to him in prayer? How often do you pray? What emphasis are you placing on a] reading the bible; b] attending church; c] participating in an organized bible study; d] returning his tithe to Him; e] witnessing to the lost; f] and intercessory prayer?

What would Christ likely find you doing? Would you be] watching a dirty movie? b] reading a pornographic magazine? c] telling a dirty joke? d] spreading some juicy gossip? e] criticizing your pastor or the church? f] attending church or the country dance hall? g] This is the biggie: Would you be doing anything you like to do, even though it [in itself] is not sinful, when you really should be involved in some kind of Christ-like event that is taking place at the same time? If so it is a sin. I think that we will all agree that it is not a sin to play golf or go fishing period…But they become sinful when we are participating in order to serve our own selfish desire at a time when we have an obligation to be about our Master’s business. The bible says that we are to have no other gods before Him.

The bible uses the term “day of the Lord” to identify a ‘future time’ when Jesus Christ will intervene personally and dramatically with what ever is taking place at that moment. Two will be plowing, one will be taken and one will be left behind. Two may be in a car, driving down the interstate, one will go one will stay. A mother and her daughter may be preparing lunch; if they have been born again they will both go immediately into the presence of Christ; however, if either is a non-believer, she will remain in the kitchen to face judgment. The “day of the Lord” will include both blessing and punishment Jesus will do both—He will judge sin and set up his eternal kingdom.

Paul uses the terms day and night to refer to the condition of the person he is addressing. Day means light, and night means darkness. Since darkness is actually the absence of light; and since Jesus is the Light of the world, he uses darkness to represent anyone without Jesus in their life. We should always be alert as if it was day. He says that those who sleep [or do nothing] and those that get drunk, both are operating in the dark—that is without Christ who is the Light. He tells us again that Christians are day people [they operate in the light of Christ] and therefore we should put on the whole armor of God…and be ready for the battle against darkness or sin. Paul refers to Christians as soldiers and in that day and time soldiers wore a special individual shield of armor on each part of their bodies. Paul is telling Christians that they are fighting a spiritual war and they too must wear armor; if you want to know what each piece of armor was called and its purpose you need to go to Ephesians 6: 13 to 17.

When God created you, He had a special purpose for you to fulfill in your lifetime. One thing is for sure he did not intend that his children should suffer his wrath. His preference is that they receive salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. His wrath is reserved for those who reject him by making their own decision to live selfishly without Christ.

Christ died for one specific purpose and that was to save lost people so that we can live with him forever. Paul uses light and day to make his point. Christ is the Light of the world. Those who accept Christ are living in the day [light], and those who reject him are living in the night [darkness]. Paul congratulated the Thessalonians for encouraging each other and he makes it clear that Christians of all ages have this same responsibility to each other. In closing this lesson there is still one important question that you and I must answer daily. Are we praying for each other and do we encourage one another as often as we should? Are we living in the light of Christ? Does it get a little dark around your house? That simply means that Christ has moved out and will remain absent until you repent and ask for forgiveness. Christ is LIGHT and there can be no darkness when he is present.

What Hope Do You Have? - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

There are a lot of grey heads in our Faith Builder’s Class in Heber Springs. I do not know about other members and their feelings, but I have attended too many funerals already. [In jest, I have said that I have no enemies any more since I have outlived all of them.] To be honest I have never completely enjoyed my responsibility to honor, even my best friends, by attending this solemn occasion. It has been my experience that some funerals are much more beautiful and actually have inspiring influences on those present, while others are very depressing. [You already know where I am going with this.] No funeral can emit any happiness unless the deceased has lived a life of Christian HOPE. What hope do you have?

I have never had a pastor that I did not love and appreciate, and pray for more—than at the time he has to conduct the services at the passing of an unsaved person. No pastor, [or anyone else] can change the life that has now deceased; he cannot preach anyone into the grace of God. His only hope is that he can be of some comfort and a witness of warning to relatives left behind. It seems to me that this would be one of the most difficult chores that any minister could face. When there is no hope—what is left? On the other hand, the tears of the relatives of a deceased saint of God are the first expressions of a wonderful paradox; tears of sorrow at the loss, followed by great joy in knowing the mother, father, son or daughter is now at home in Heaven with the Heavenly Father.

Christians must have a strong faith in the promises of God. This brings us hope and encouragement throughout life and especially and particularly as death approaches. God wants Christian hope to comfort believers no matter their circumstances. In this lesson, my desire is to offer hope to people facing their own demise and also to bring peace of mind to family members and friends.

I realize that some who study this lesson may not believe, and for some reason have never repented of their sins and accepted Christ as Savior. My question to them is: “Why take the chance of being forever separated from God and miss heaven?” If Paul [and many other writers of the scriptures] are right and you take their advice, and repent and accept Jesus as your Savior—you are assured eternal life with Christ in heaven. You have no way to lose because, if they are wrong—and what you believe is right—you still will spend the hereafter just as if you had not believed on the only begotten Son of God. Accept Christ and you are certainly no worse off and you have eliminated the possibility that you may be wrong in your thinking.

Believing in Christ and trusting Him for your salvation eliminates the chance taken that you are wrong. It is a win, win situation and you can’t lose. The possibility of enjoying ever-lasting life with Jesus Christ in heaven is too important for anyone to gamble away. The process of being saved is so simple that many have failed to accept it. What does one have to do to be saved? Just pray this simple prayer in your own words.

Dear Jesus, I realize that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do myself that will save me. I believe that you died on the cross to save me. I believe that the wages of sin is death, and that your death paid my sin debt. I place my faith and trust in you, and ask you to come into my heart and save me now. Amen.

You now have been saved through God’s grace [which is His unmerited favor] by your faith in Him. Then you must acknowledge to others that you have trusted him. Why this acknowledgement? It is necessary because he has told believers that; [“If you will not acknowledge me before men, then I will not acknowledge you before my Father, God.”]

Now please read and study for the deep meaning that is revealed in our scripture lesson for today [1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18]. Paul is explaining to these young converts what he means about the coming of the Lord.

Paul had only been with these people for three weeks preaching, teaching and establishing this new church in Thessalonica—before the protesting Jewish leadership forced him to move on to another place. He accomplished much in this short time, but the limit in his time with them made it impossible for him to answer all of their questions. [You can read about this in the first three chapters.] They were concerned about their friends that had ‘fallen asleep’ [died] and what would happen to them. They did not fully understand what the resurrection of Christ had to do with their lives after death and he addresses this in [4:1-2]. Paul wanted them to understand that death is not the end of the story. Because Christ arose from the dead, believers would do likewise. He said that when Christ returns all believers—dead and alive—will be reunited never to suffer or die again. To emphasize this point, Paul said that it was according to the Lord’s own words. Since it is a personal promise from the mouth of our Lord, it has to be an absolute truth. It is not based upon some assumption, or man’s word.

Paul did not try to explain step by step, moment by moment, what would happen at Christ’s second coming, but he said that he believed that God would send Jesus back to earth and that He would bring with him all of the Christians that had fallen asleep up until that moment. All of the dead in Christ will be alive with him, and those that are still alive on earth will be caught up into the air [clouds] to be with Him. This 15th verse says that all that are still alive on earth “Will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” This includes all believers of all ages.

Paul wrote these explanations to comfort those that did not understand and were worried about the hereafter. Today we are to use these promises to encourage those who are old and ill and realize that they will be deceased before the second coming of Christ. We are also to use these promises to encourage one another that are living and losing our loved ones. Why should we use these promises and remind each other of them and what they mean? You must go back to 4:9 for this answer. The answer is—because we have been taught to love each other—this is a brotherly love. This term is used because the scriptures teach that believers are the Sons of God. Believers are the ‘children’ of God—therefore they are brothers and sisters in Christ.

In order to emphasize the importance of the resurrection of Christ, Paul tells us that “Because Christ arose all believers who are asleep will also arise, because death has no dominion over the believer. On the cross, Christ conquered both hell and the grave. If it was important for Paul to explain this to the Thessalonians, it is now necessary for true witnesses to comfort people today with the same promises.

The bible teaches that every eye shall see the Lord when he returns and every knee shall bow. The bowing indicates that every eye that sees Him will know that he is Jesus; every one will recognize him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and bow down to him. Believers will bow in joy and adoration and great anticipation; and sadly, the nonbelievers will bow in adoration, but also with fear and desperation, gritting their teeth and praying for the rocks to fall on them.
There are many paradoxes in the Word of God, but the moment of the second coming of Christ is one of the greatest. When he appears there will be a host of the happiest people ever assembled in any one place. His same appearance will cause the greatest fear, sorrow, and desperation that have ever been experienced. Which of these groups do you want to join? You can make your choice now, while you have time and opportunity. After death there will be no opportunity to change your mind and accept him. It is now [in this life] or never.

What Is Your Goal in Life? - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Judging from a recent photograph, the author of Life Way literature, Eli Landrum, Jr., must be in his mid 60s; and since he is writing to adult Christians, there is only one valid answer to his question. However, since there may be some of all ages studying the lesson today, it may be ambiguous. There is a truism that applies here: Time changes everything! Let us mention a few of the times in life when the answer to this question will vary greatly.

I have a brand new great grandson who seems to have only a very few goals in his life. He simply wants something that taste good and will quench his hunger and thirst. He feels uncomfortable and wants his diaper changed. He is spoiled rotten and wants someone to hold him that will stand and continue moving, up, down and sideways, so he can continually enjoy a bouncing, swaying, roller-coaster-ride.

My second great grandson is sixteen months old and his first three goals are the same regarding food, drink, and clean pants, but the third is very different. His goal is to move around so fast that no one can keep up with him and interfere with his desire to punch every button, turn every knob, and personally investigate everything that is in his reach—especially those that are delicate and breakable.

Now watch this. As they move through the stages of development, their goals will continue to change. From three to five, they will want to please their parents and others they love. When they start to school, their goal will be to please their teachers. As they enter their early teens their greatest goals will be to please their peers. In high school their goal will be to excel in sports, to please their coaches, and be popular with all the queens and their maids. This won’t change much as they enter college—but at some time along life’s way, if their parents do their job well, they will realize that the most important question facing them is: “What is my goal in life?” Any one beyond the age of accountability without goals for life is like a ship without a rudder; they are being guided by winds that are constantly changing direction. Or, they may be like a ship with no propeller, going no where.

Far too many of our young people today set their goals early in life without leadership and Christian counseling, and the focus is on pleasing themselves. They want to start at the top without the experiences needed and gained by working their way up. Any man that wants to start out as the CEO, and desires to retire as a millionaire at 30, is ego-centered and everything else—and everybody else is of no real importance in their life. Selfishness is an evil spirit used by Satan to lead God’s people to go for the things in life that gives them a false sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment. They lose all desire to please even their families or any person that has befriended them along the way; and surely have no desire to please God.

I hope that you have the right mind set by this time to see that our lesson today is designed to encourage all Christians, regardless of age, that our number one goal in this life is to please God, by doing his will, keeping his commandments, and expressing our love for him as we live our lives with others in mind. He has told us that; “If you do it unto one of these, my little ones, you have done it unto me.”

Paul and his helpers spent about three weeks in Thessalonica preaching and teaching how to become Christians, and then how to live to please God. He was forced to move on before he was ready, but continued to be very interested in how well his message had been received. He made arrangements and tried to get back to see them, but Satan interfered, and so he sent Timothy back to check on the new church. Timothy came back with a glowing report on the successful growth of the church, and Paul was pleased and wrote and told the so. However, Timothy must have found that there was some immorality being practiced; otherwise why would Paul have written this 4th chapter of Thessalonians? In the second verse Paul reminds them that they had instructions from the Lord Jesus to live a life of purity.

In the verses through eight, we find that sexual standards were very low in the Roman Empire. From my reading and studying the practices of sexual promiscuity among the American people today, there is a close parallel. I worry about the possibility that this ungodly practice is even more prevalent today than it was then; and we know that Rome was destroyed because of their sin sicken, ungodly lives, supported and even encouraged by the leaders of that day. The sexual attraction that leads to overt sin has always been one of the strongest forces that have tempted man to sin against his fellow man and also against God. Succumbing to this temptation almost always brings a disastrous result. Sadly, we find that it usually reverberates through the family, the church and many times even the business community. These physical consequences are devastating, but are never more harmful than the spiritual consequences that follow. Do you understand that your body is the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit? Do you understand that the Holy Spirit and Christ are one and the same? Do you realize that Christ will not, can not, live in a sinful surrounding? For confirmation you should read [1 Cor. 6: 18-20].

We must remember that sexual desires were created by God as a means to ensure reproduction among his people and it is spiritual pure and blessed by God when it is kept within the confines of a growing Godly family; only between the man and wife.

Verse 4 tells us that we must be sanctified—which starts with salvation and continues through life. Salvation is a single process that occurs instantly at the time you accept Christ as your Savior. It is a one time experience that never changes, never grows nor diminishes. Once saved, always saved—and you will never be any more saved than that first moment when you accept Jesus as Lord of you life. The event of salvation starts your sanctification process in motion but does not assure it to be complete. As Christians, we are being sanctified daily. That means that we are becoming more holy… [We become more like Christ]…in the process of living the Christian life. Unlike salvation, sanctification is not a single event; it is an ongoing process that includes every act, or thought, and it can change. Never forget that it is easier to loose your right relationship with Christ than it is to gain it back. It takes years to slowly build your reputation, but it can be lost in a moment’s time while committing a blatant sin. Thankfully Christ will forgive the sin of a Christian and remember it against you no more—but people are not nearly so forgiving…should be…but are not.

Verses 11 and twelve reminds us that there is more to sanctification [or Christian living] than just loving other Christians and being good. Evidently some of these people had gotten the idea that they were not obligated to work, and they could depend on others for handouts. Some of the converted Greeks actually looked down on those that did manual work. [This sounds like that several million of them are still living here in America, and voted in the last election.] Paul rebutted. He told them to work hard and live a quiet life. It was so then and it is in America today: you cannot be effective in you witness, [in sharing your faith with others] if they do not respect you. You can not live in negativity and grow in sanctification. What ever you do, you must live faithfully, guard against the sins that so easily beset you, and be a positive force in society. Nothing less pleases God.

Verse 13 indicates that the Thessalonians were not sure about the resurrection of the believers. Many of their friends had fallen asleep and they wondered about what happens to a Christian between death and the return of the Lord. He did not complicate his answer. We have nothing to worry about—because when Christ returns, all believers both dead and alive, will be with him never to be separated again.

Verse 15 refers to a fact that is according to “The Lord’s own word,” and there is no reference that indicates where this is to be found in the bible. I searched “feebly” and did not find this exact statement. I believe that this was a direct revelation that Christ gave to Paul—or it may have been a teaching of Jesus that did not get into print, but was heard by those that followed him daily and passed it along orally to or through the apostles. The truth is that those of us who are still alive will not be treated any differently from those who have died in Christ. We will be here and know what is happening, but the dead in Christ will be called first, when they arise, we will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. It reads like it will be a cloudy day. But there will be no cloudy minds, for we will be with the Lord forever.

To Paul, the exact order of things were not as important as it was for them to believe that there will be a resurrection, and that their loved ones will all be present to participate. It is meant to assure us of preferred treatment by God; and to comfort those that lose those that they love. We can use this passage to assure our love ones that they should have no dread for death. Death is a natural process just as living. Death is one of God’s blessings bestowed upon his people. Do you agree? If not, just think about how it would be to live 2000 more years on this earth with the illnesses and deformities that some have to bear. Paul thought that it would be better for him to be with the Lord than to have to continue as he was being persecuted.

Verses 15 to 18 teach that our new life totally depends on the fact that Christ Arose! The Archangel with the trumpet is an angel with leadership and authority. He will be God’s bandmaster blowing the last call to worship.

When Others Cared for You - I Thessalonians 2:17 - 3:13

I realize that there are dysfunctional families where unfortunate children find that there is actually no one that really cares for them. I believe that this proves to be one of the most unfortunate circumstances that exist in our world of moral decay. I hope that I am wrong, but it appears to me that this is a problem that is growing at a rapid pace. Hopefully, this conception is in error; and may be the problem only appears to be increasing because of the growth of our telecommunication system. We are able to view the news of children being abandoned by parents, neglected by society, kidnapped and murdered by perverts almost daily. One of my first and most precocious memories is that my parents cared for me.

Two other occasions come to my memory when others cared for me. When I returned home from over seas after WWII, I felt successful and was living my life as though I had no need to depend on others. My wife and her mother became concerned and went to our pastor and the church for help. Because of the intercessory prayers that went up in my behalf, I soon realized my need for Christ; who also cared for me, and I accepted Him as my Savior. Over sixty years have come and gone since my conversion and there have been literally thousands of reasons for me to be grateful for those who cared for me.

The other example that I will relate has to do with my success as a Superintendent of public Schools. When I entered the University of Arkansas to work on my doctor’s degree, I was fortunate to be assigned to the guidance and care of Dr. Roy B. Allen, Dean of the Department of Higher Education. It soon became obvious that he cared about his pupils and that he cared for me. He guided me successfully through the newly organized Doctoral Program that proved to be extensive and difficult. Then, because of his reputation in the state, he was able to help me secure my first superintendence in the Russellville Public School District. I felt very fortunate to obtain his position in one of the strongest school districts in the state. Four and a half years later I moved to the best Position I held as Superintendent of the Waynesville School District in Missouri. Again, this job would have never been offered to me had Dr. Allen not made the recommendation. Dr. Allen cared for me. Hopefully, those who cared and helped me in times of crises has made me a more sensitive, caring person.

Sadly, our churches today have many Christians who have become angry about circumstances surrounding them. They may feel that others have mistreated them; or maybe they just think of others as being hateful to them or difficult to like. It is not unlikely that they feel that their situation is so bad that they cannot be expected to demonstrate a caring concern for others. These Christians, as well as the people at whom they lash out, need someone to demonstrate concern for them. If we approach such people positively, we can discover their needs and the reasons they present such challenges. It is possible for us to become concerned and actually show that we also care about them.

The central theme in this lesson is to teach us how to select ways that we can demonstrate our concern for other Christians.

Paul is defending himself because he must have been accused of preaching for pay. He must have been accused of preaching for the people’s approval because he insisted that his motive was pure; he sought to please God, and not the people. He reminded these people that he had paid his own way and had not been a burden to them in any way. The Christians in Thessalonica did believe Paul and had received his message as God’s good news. Because of their belief, they were being persecuted by the general public. They became a part of a fellowship that was suffering for Christ’s cause [2:13-16].

I don’t believe that I am sponsoring a pity-party for me and other believers as I complete this lesson that closes our 2008 studies. Rather, I believe that you and I are in the same boat that the Thessalonica Christians were in as Paul wrote this letter. Because of my beliefs…and your beliefs…that our God and our Savior Jesus Christ are the only deity—we are being persecuted by the general public in America. We have become a part of a fellowship that is suffering for the cause of Christ. I truly believe that we were a larger majority in America until the Liberal Courts re-wrote our constitution. We may be loosing in numbers, but the minorities that have infiltrated America with the anti-God, anti-American and anti-Christian beliefs have managed to infiltrate our offices of power in America to the point that the liberals are allowing them to gain the power that makes it possible for them to destroy our rights and freedom to worship the one and only God. [See 2:13-16].
2: 17-20: Some wonder why so many were opposed to the growth of the early church and the rise of Christianity throughout the bible belt of that day, especially in Thessalonica. As best I can, in a broad general way, I will try to give you some of the answers—first you must realize there were many.

The Jewish religion had maintained relative freedom to exist unmolested by the Roman government which was in power; however they realized that the least disturbance could change that status at any time. They wanted to retain the status-quo.
Christianity was viewed as a sect of Judaism, and the Jewish leadership was afraid that the reprisals aimed against the church might be expanded to include them.
The Jewish leadership, [the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Sanhedrin Court], believed that Jesus was a false prophet and they did not want his teachings to spread. They killed him on the cross and wanted to make sure that his philosophy and teachings died with him.
Many of the common Jewish people were joining the church and the leadership was afraid that this would continue to weaken their strong position in the Roman world.
Jews were selfishly proud of their position as ‘chosen people’ and resented the fact that gentiles were accepted as equal peers in the Christian church.
They were adamant about being the Jewish I—Jewish ME—and the Jewish MINE. Gentiles were unacceptable to them.

Paul was an exceptional Jew. He is the one referred to in this lesson as one of ‘THE OTHERS THAT CARED FOR YOU’ because you are a gentile just as many in the new church were also gentiles. Remember that there may be many others out there that care for you, and would like to show it, but they are prevented by Satan, just as he was. They may not let you know for one reason or another. Paul let these people know that he was forced to leave them before he was ready to depart. He also let them know that he had tried to make arrangements to get back to visit with them but that Satan had prevented his return.

We must realize that Satan has influence and power over this earth—he did then and he does now. He is called [god of the age in 2 Cor. 4: 4] and [the ruler of the kingdom of the air] in Eph. 2:2. I believe ‘age’ means the time of man’s life on earth; and “kingdom of the air” means the world where people can live only as they are able to breathe life sustaining air.
We do not know, because the Book does not say specifically why Paul was prevented from visiting the Thessalonians. Some possibilities are:

There may have been local opposition by Jewish sympathizers.
It could have been an injury, or illness.
It could have been travel complications; after all he did not have a personal jet and a private pilot.
It may have been a direct personal attack by Satan.

We just know that Satan worked in some way to prevent him from serving as he wanted to at that time. I don’t think time has changed because many of the things that prevent us from serving obediently and accomplishing God’s work can be attributed to Satan: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” [Ephesians 6: 12]. In this passage, ‘the powers of the dark world’ and ‘spiritual forces of evil’ are both satanic forces.

The last verse in the chapter tells us that the ultimate reward for Paul’ ministry was not money, prestige or fame, but he only want more new believers whose lives had been changed by God through the preaching of the gospel. This is why he longed to visit them. Now I close by asking you what ministry has God given you? It doesn’t matter what it is, great or small, strong or weak, your highest award and greatest joy should be to see the lost saved and to be able to observe them as they grow in the knowledge and understanding of a true Christian.

When Others Helped You - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

When we compare the early growth and learning patterns of all creation it is somewhat revealing to find that dumb animals learn faster at an earlier age than does the human being. In fact no other in the chain requires as long to learn to stand erect and walk without training and assistance. Animals of the forest and beast of the fields learn to obtain their food and become independent of the parent at an earlier age. However it is important that all living creatures be taught how to survive and this always requires a teaching process to take place in the life of the animal as well as for man who was created in the image of God.

I am excited about the theme of the lesson for this Sunday’s Bible Study. It deals with the importance of TEACHING in the life of a Christian. My prayer is that some of you who read and study with us will realize the importance of TEACHING God’s Word and will commit the rest of your lives to the task of spreading and explaining the Gospel of our Lord. The introductory paragraph was placed here to dispel the usual excuses for not teaching in our churches. The parents of all living creatures are blessed by God with the ability to teach their young. Just think about this for a moment! Wild animals of the forest are excellent teachers. Are you not superior to them? Are you willing to admit that domesticated animals such as cats, dogs, horses and hogs and animals of the wild such as turtles, rabbits, lions and elephants are more able to teach than you are? No. Please don’t take that attitude because we are all teachers.

It has been said that no one can teach that which he does not know—just as he can not return from a place where he has never been. We learn from our experiences and our teaching ability improves when we practice what we preach. The life we live speaks louder than the words we speak. This simply tells us that if we live, work and act like a Christian we will learn enough about Christ to be able to tell others. Others, especially the lost, will not only hear our voices as we teach—but they will also see our actions that will help convince them of their need of a Savior.

Look at the title of this lesson which is WHEN OTHERS HELPED YOU. If you have been saved, someone taught you that you were a sinner in need of a Savior. You did not reach your present standing with the Lord without the help of someone who cared enough to teach you about God’s plan and purpose for your life. The bible asked the question, “How can you learn without a preacher?” Then it states that the messenger [teacher] can not go unless he is sent. If you will go back and read about what happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost you will find that all believers were sent by Christ; He told them to go into the entire world and preach, and teach others. That commission was given to believers. Are you a believer? Then you are a teacher. Others have helped you and you are your brother’s keeper, you are obligated to teach others when the privilege and opportunity occurs.

As Paul opened chapter two he told the Thessalonians that they already know that their three week visit to Thessalonica was successful. [Paul was referring to Paul, Silas and Timothy’s first visit as recorded in Acts 17:1-9.] Paul and his helpers had been imprisoned in Philippi, and had to be smuggled out of town to prevent serious harm—see Acts 16. The team went directly to Thessalonica and started a four week revival in the town, preaching in the Jewish Synagogue three Sabbaths in a row. A group of Jews had followed them from Philippi and led a mob that grew to be more dangerous during their stay there. Fear of imprisonment did not prevent Paul from preaching and teaching. If you and I submit to God’s will in our lives he will give us the strength and courage to do his will despite any obstacles that may come our way.

Verse 3 contains a pointed statement in response to his Jewish critics as given in Acts 17: 5. Paul did not seek money, praise or position, as he paid his own way as a ten-maker and always gave more than he expected to receive. My sideline thought is this. There are dozens of mega churches that advertise regularly on TV, begging for money, when their CEOs are drawing fat salaries, living high on the hog, and traveling in personal jets. They are surely not emulating the two greatest teachers of all times—Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. In my opinion, teaching and preaching only for personal financial gain is a grave sin against God’s church.

Read verses 4-11. It is possible; it may actually be human nature, for us to want to succeed so much that we may be tempted to alter our position just enough to make our message more palatable to liberal thinkers. We may even try using flattery and praise to gain strength in numbers. Paul never changed his messages even to his critics, when it may have made life more plesant for him. The truth of the gospel must never be compromised.
The members of the church that received this letter read it with great anticipation because they knew that was the word of God as it applied to them. They did not see it as a message from Paul and his men, but personally from God. Their faith had been generated not only through the message Paul brought but also through the lives that believers lived before them. Although Paul had the right to expect financial help from the Thessalonians during the time he was there, he did not seek help, but paid his own way see 18: 3. He did not expect pay. He did not even want to be thought of as a burden on the people during his stay in their country.

This was a free city, made up of many nationalities and therefore with many beliefs that required the worship of idols and false gods. In verse 11, we hear Paul referring to them as his children, and he thought of them all as if they were his children. By his word and example Paul encouraged them to live in such a way that they would be worthy of God. Would Jesus Christ be welcome in your home today for lunch? Would you prefer that he be in your living room waiting on you to arrive—or do you need to arrive first? Are there any books, magazines, or bottles out in the open that you would like to hide away before he arrives? If so, you are too late.

These people accepted the Word of God that Paul taught, and they did not think of it as being the teaching of Paul. They not only accepted it as the Word of God but they understood what that meant. I ask you—what is the Word of God? The bible? Yes. The law? Yes. The New Covenant? Yes. The personal teachings of Christ…red letters? Yes. Now read verse 13. Paul says they really understood what the Word of God was. Christ told you emphatically: “I am the Word.” Paul then clarifies it here by telling them that The Word of God is Christ working in them.

In 14 we find that these people are being persecuted by their own people just as the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were being persecuted by other non believing Jews. Persecution for being Christian has been practiced ever since Jesus was born and will continue as long s the earth remains. The feeling of hurt will never cease and will always smart more when it comes from those whom we love and from those who should love and appreciate us. The prime example of all rejection came the day Jesus arrived among his people the Jews and those in power rejected Him. It is important that you note that I said “those in power rejected Him.” Some did not and for these [including Paul] we owe a great debt of gratitude.

We will close this study today by looking closely at 2; 15-16, and trying to answer the question as to why so many Jews rejected Christ as their Messiah.
The Roman government had conquered the world and still allowed the Jews to practice their own religion without a great deal of interference. They feared loosing this privilege.
It appeared to everyone that Christianity was being brought in under the umbrella of the Jewish Church, and Jews were afraid that Rome would consider it a sect of Judaism. If at any time Rome felt threatened by Christianity, the Jews would be blamed for their plight.
Many Jews, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees thought that Jesus was a false prophet and they did not want his teachings to spread.
They were afraid that if many of their faith were drawn away into the Christian faith it would weaken their political position in the world.
The Jews had always considered themselves to be God’s chosen people, and they resented the fact that the Gentile could become a member of this chose group by accepting Christ as Savior. *

*On one or more occasions before, our class has discussed the fact that God does not show favoritism of people regardless of race, creed or color. The Jew was not said to be God’s chosen people because God loved them more than any other race. The Jewish race was chosen by God to father the coming Messiah and to be responsible to see that Christ was preached throughout all nations. They succeeded in bringing the Messiah into the world from Abraham on through the house of David as had been prophesied, but then the Jews rejected Him as their Messiah. It became necessary for Christ to select apostles that would be willing to include all people in His plan, and since the Jews had rejected Christ it became the responsibility of Gentiles to spread the gospel to all nations. Do you fit the mold? Are you a gentile believer? If so, then you are a teacher. Have you accepted this fact? Are you practicing your profession and are you continually trying to improve? God Bless All—and MERRY CHRISTMAS.

When You Started Out - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

It is a known fact that Paul established the church at Thessalonica during his second missionary journey that started in AD 50. Jewish history and the 17th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles both indicate that Paul and his helpers were only allowed about three weeks to preach, teach and establish the young church before they were forced to leave under pressure. [They preached three Sundays in a row in the Jewish Synagogue before the Jews became angry and organized a plot against them.] They left under pressure without time and opportunity to know how well the church was established. When Paul and Silas reached Corinth, Paul sent Silas back to check on the young church at Thessalonica; he wanted to know how successful they had been SINCE THEY STARTED OUT.

When Silas arrived he found the church growing. A few Jews had been converted to Christianity but there was a larger number of Greek, including women, who now belonged to the new church. They were doing great and growing, but had run into some problems regarding the question of death, and the return of the Lord. Silas rejoined Paul with the good news of growth and the need for instruction. So, about two to three years after the establishment of the church, Paul wrote this letter back to the church. His main intention was to encourage them and to help them know the truth about the return of Christ.

1:1 gives us the legal name of the church and the fact that it was originally established in the name of the Godhead, God, Father and Lord Jesus Christ. There were three men involved with the writing of this letter…on this missionary journey…they were Paul, Silas and Timothy.

The city of Thessalonica was the capital and largest city in the Roman Province of Macedonia. The population was about 200,000 at the time of this writing. Just as today, the life of any city depends upon its access to major transportation routes. Thessalonica was blessed with a thriving sea port and the most important Roman highway [The Egnatian Way] which extended all the way from Rome to the Orient in the East. The city was wealthy and kept their taxes paid to Rome and in turn they were left alone by the Roman Government. They were considered a free city with their own local government and were exempted from most of the restrictions that were place on other foreign cities under Roman rule. The people who lived there had come from many other countries and it had a foreign flavor, and that meant that there were many religions being practiced there that included many of the pagan gods. This foreign influence placed a major burden on the young church—and in the two years just passed they had already undergone dire persecution because of their stand for Christ. Silas reported this to Paul, and then Paul makes it one of his first priorities to encourage them and lift them up here in the first verses of his letter.

In v. 3, Paul commends these young Christians for their work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. We should note that this is the same pattern for our productive service today.

Paul felt sure that these people had been chosen by God. Look closely at the thing that proved this to him. The gospel came with power because when they had heard, believed, and obeyed there was a change that took place in the new church. I sometimes wonder about the slow progress in our church and why we don’t see progress like this early church realized.

People [nearly 300 of us] are present on Sunday after Sunday, and we listen to our choir, hear or pastor preach, and we go home empty. The bible says that the Holy Spirit changes people when they believe the gospel. When we tell others abut Christ we must depend on the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and convince them that they need salvation. God’s power changes people—not our cleverness or persuasion. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, the messages in our songs and the pastor’s message are meaningless. The Holy Spirit not only convicts the lost of their sin but it also is the one that assures unbelievers of the truth of the gospel.

While the choir is singing and the pastor is preaching—WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Where is your mind and thoughts? I really wonder how few of us ever take time to become concerned with those present without Christ. How often do you ask the Holy Spirit to do his work in the hearts of lost people now as the pastor speaks the word of God to them? Fellow class members…let me ask you a question. Why is the Holy Spirit not working in our world today as He once did? What can you and I do about it? Then, may I also ask what we will do about it?

In the 5th verse Paul reminded the Thessalonians “You know how we have lived among you for your sake.” This is to remind us how important it is for us to set the example of a true Christian before our children, families, and especially around the saved and unsaved people in our church and community. There is no doubt that these people could tell a difference in the lives of Paul, Silas and Timothy while they were among them. Their life confirmed the truth of the message they were preaching. Does your life confirm or contradict what you say you believe?

This lesson surely brings us to a time of personal questioning about our Christian lives. Look at verse six. Paul says that the new members of the church at Thessalonica became imitators of us [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] AND OF THE LORD. What does he mean? Or, to what does he refer?

The message of salvation was welcomed by the new church with great joy and thanksgiving—but it brought the membership severe suffering because of misery and persecution even unto death for some perpetrated by both the Jews and Gentiles. The new church had somehow gotten the idea that they would not be put to death here for their belief—therefore when some actually began to die for their faith it caused others to start questioning their faith If you will study carefully the rest of this letter, you will find that Paul continues to address this misunderstanding as he explains what happens when believers die.

Read slowly and watch closely and you will find that much of gospel throughout this book has to do with the second coming of Jesus Christ simply because this early church was being persecuted. Paul emphasized the fact that they must look forward to the deliverance that Christ will bring at His second coming. We are believers and our only hope is in the return of Jesus Christ our Great God and Savior Titus 2: 13.

Our perspective on life remains incomplete without this great hope that we have…that we believe…through our faith. We know that if Christ died; if Christ was resurrected; if Christ ascended back into heaven; if he is in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God; then with all assurance we know that he will return to claim his own. See Acts 1: 11.