AN ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY
Opening Prayer
Lord, keep us honest and industrious.
Read 1 THESSALONIANS 5:12–28
Final Instructions
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
Consider these words: ‘When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world.’ (CS Lewis, Mere Christianity)
Think Further
Christian leaders should be doing three things: working hard, caring for people in the Lord, and admonishing where necessary. Admonishment means warning someone against bad behavior and its consequences (Stott, 1991, p120). Paul’s own leadership style is exemplary. In return for doing all this, he urges that leaders be held in the highest possible esteem (13). We should express this in prayer, encouragement, and respect. Jesus taught that leaders must act as servants and not ‘lord it’ over their people (Mark 10:42–45 ), but that should never lead to disrespect or disdain.
Four times Paul addresses the believers as brothers and sisters (adelphoi, in Greek, 12,14,25,27). As God is our Father, so other Christians are our siblings. We are family, and as such we need to live in love and mutual encouragement. The church is not a club or society where members can be vetted or chosen. We may choose our friends, but not our families. God has chosen them for us. Verses 14 and 15 set out a blueprint for fellowship, including loving confrontation, encouragement, practical help, and patience. Is that an accurate picture of the kind of fellowship you attend?
The idle, the divisive, the disheartened, and the weak may not appear on any Christian conference stage but they were certainly present in the church at Thessalonica. Paul regarded the believers who shunned work as idle and those who found the avoidance of sexual immorality as weak. How did he advise dealing with such? He ‘wrote to the stronger Christians: “Hold on to them” … even “put your arm around them’’’ (J Moffatt, Thessalonians, Hodder, 1910, p41, quoted by Stott, 1991, p122). We are to be patient with those who struggle, always hoping that, with time, effort and prayer, things may change for them. If this seems tough, then remember that ‘The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it’ (24).
Apply
Pray for your leaders by name as you ponder Paul’s advice. How could you demonstrate your support of them more clearly today?
Closing prayer
Lord, teach us how to avoid every form of evil, especially those that may not immediately appear as such to us.
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