Book of 1 Thessalonians - Ch. 4, Vs. 1-18 (11/09/2003)

Exhortation to Walk and Please God

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 1. Joy, who's speaking to whom is he speaking and what's his subject matter? He starts off by saying furthermore. Dennis what does that tell us? Furthermore then we beseech you brethren.

So right quick. We know he's talking to the Christians. The Church full of Christians and We exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ Greg. What does exhort mean? So he's going to encourage them by the Lord.

How do you do that Dennis? All right. Furthermore then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus. That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God. So you would abound more and more now as you have received.

It's not accepted it's received. They received this from Paul and He had laid out for them how they should walk and how they should please God now. They are to do this So that they can do what Greg So you would have so they would abound.

Yes. Now joy, how do you abound? All right. All right, all of it comes down to. So ye would abound more and more. Another word for abound here would be grow. It's the fourth chapter first Thessalonians as you have received.

We are to abound or to grow more and more no one no one grows by Talking about the Bible. How do you grow Dennis? That's exactly right. You cannot get an education by merely talking about it. You don't get educated by just going to school.

Our walk is very very Important we cannot do as we please joy. We must do as the Lord pleases unknown to us. God has Programmed us to fulfill all that he has for us. I cannot tell what he has Programmed you for Dennis.

I can't even tell what he's programmed me for. But I know as I Walk during the day as this day Becomes history moment by moment. God sets no bounds to the giving of his grace and spirit to them that are faithful so There should be no bounds to our exercising of those graces.

Is that true David? Is that David? God sets no bounds to the giving of his graces. All right. So there should be no bounds to our exercising those graces. Is that true? All right. Dennis, do you know the bounds of his?

Graces. I Find that the more negative Life that I live the more trouble I have more distractions more unhappiness. And if I persist in that My life Becomes less sweet to all of those around me and to me so there are As far as I can see Bounds to his grace.

But as I look toward it I have no bounds because He knows and I don't now. There's at least three different types of people. One of them is self pleasers. What is self pleaser Dennis? All right, that's type of person Will always find fault with you.

No matter what you do you didn't do it like they would do it even though they don't say those words. This is what they're preaching. And he's an extraordinary extrovert. Then Greg there are men pleasers.

Who is this now David we come to the last group. God Pleasers, who are they in? Colossians 320 we find children obey your parents and all things. For this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Psalms 147 11 the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in.

Those that hope in his mercy in Matthew 11 29 take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. So joy. Can you please God? Yes on welfare.

Requires it to please God. Second verse. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus Christ now He is Saying in effect, you know what to do just do it and there are commandments for believers.

We're not without laws. We should be Disciplined and we should be in obedience to Jesus the Christ. In John 1415 we find if you love me keep my commandments very simple. I have lost the place but Someplace it says in a New Testament If you keep my commandment You keep the commandments.

Because you are in Christ and he kept them in the third verse for this is the will of God. Even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication. Sanctification what is sanctification David?

All right. All right. We start to the Christian walk. Positionally in Jesus Christ. Romans 6. I Think it's Romans 6 where he says Paul says that no you not that You began this walk in his death on the cross.

So positionally we are in Jesus Christ practically. Practical sanctification. Is the Holy Spirit working in our lives. He produces a holiness in our world. David is that if. Or it will never be Perfect as long as we are in these bodies, is that correct.

Now no matter how much I try. Want to or not want to I won't be perfect. The Holy Spirit cannot make me perfect. But there is a third part to sanctification total sanctification. Now when will that occur.

Dennis, that's right. When we are conformed to the image of Christ total Sanctification, I look forward to that day. At that time both the positional and practical sanctification will be perfect. The literal meaning of sanctification, of course is set apart and Every child of God is set apart.

Sanctification, Sexual Purity, and the Holy Spirit

I've got to mention a little bit that I heard on. Well on the TV this morning. Greg do you did you know that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene? I think it's new to the whole world. Well, they're investigating that won't spend any time on it other than to say it's a waste of time now.

We come to a subject that I'd rather not go into but I don't want you to labor under the Misapprehension that it was only at Rome. And in the Roman times that they had Trouble with sex in the church. It involved all phases of Christianity and This pleases Satan so much.

For That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor in sanctification and honor. Should not debase or pollute it. That is that we should honor it as a noble work of God to be employed for pure purposes.

Not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God. In 2nd Corinthians 4 7 we find but we have this treasure and earthen vessels. That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as We also have forewarned you and testified. Don't ever fall into the trap of avenging yourself.

That the wisdom of God is very less variously dispense the gifts of providence to mankind. This is so true. Greg has certain gifts. Dennis has certain gifts. David has certain gifts. David we could not operate in this life without the gifts to people in this church.

There are various gifts. They make up the church. For God hath not called us unto uncleanliness, but unto holiness. He is the creator of all things the institutor of marriage. And he has called men and women to this state of marriage.

But the end of this and all the other callings of God to man is holiness not uncleanliness. And they who use the married state as he directs will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection. Child of God cannot continue in sin.

David what about the prodigal son? Did he continue? Where he was. I have a Message that I teach once in a while on the prodigal pig That went home was the boy. He won't live in that pig pen forever. There come a time when he came to himself and Himself was a child of his father.

No way he could escape it. He therefore that despises despises not man, but God who all who hath also Give it unto us his Holy Spirit. Each one of us is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. You cannot continue to live in sin.

If you do I question your salvation and you should also Wait, we cannot because the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. He will not live where he is not wanted. He is holy h-o-l-y so. The time will come when you will long for that holiness in your life.

The Bible teaches that we may Spray away, but there will come a time when we will come back mine. But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you. For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

Now he's talking about love here a Christian love and the statement he Makes is rather amazing. A believer must have love for the brethren. Do you it's a supernatural love and it's taught of God the fruit of the Spirit is love.

It's not a theoretical kind of love, but not just an abstract term. We have mentioned before that it cannot just love in the abstract. But it must love in the concrete. David how do we determine? whether we love somebody or whether we don't.

I Believe that the love is the identifying mark of a child of God. If you can love me Such as I am that's love. That's the God kind of love in verse 10 and indeed You do it toward all the brethren which are in all of Macedonia.

But we beseech you brethren that you increase more and more. Remember he is instructing in this section That we should grow more and more like Christ love for. The brethren is an area for growth and development.

Greg I don't think we ever get to the point in our world of Loving each other where it's complete yet. There are some saints That are not very lovely. To dwell above what saints I love that will be glory.

But to stay below with saints, I know That's a different story. Some of them I know but I still I'm commanded to love them and I love them by leaving them alone 11 and That you study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as We have commanded you.

Genesis is rather strange. Message verse. We find in the Bible That you study to be quiet. It's an interesting command. We have all kinds of schools today to teach people to speak. Every seminary has public speaking.

Perhaps they should also have a class that would teach the students how to be quiet. Remember. You're in business for the Lord, but you maintain that business. By your everyday work your main business I say this to each one of you Is to do the work of the Lord in verse 12 that you may walk honestly toward them that are without and That you may have lack of nothing.

The Three Kinds of Death

There's three Kinds of death in the scripture. Can you name them joy. A Physical death, which is separation of spirit and body and that occurs to each one of us once. Then there's a spiritual death. Paul says that To be carnally minded is death Which is separation from God.

This is what happened to the man in the Garden of Eden when God said that Man would die and the day that he ate of the fruit Man Became separated from God. A famous judge toured the country years ago lecturing on the fact that millions now living Will never die.

There was a famous Baptist preacher Which lectured millions now living are already dead and they were dead. Spiritually the third death is eternal death. We find in Revelation 2014 and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death. But I would not have you ignorant brethren. That's a comma not a period. Concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. I cannot imagine How it will be or how it is.

For those that die with no hope. I think it's right that we should be sorrowful at the death of a loved one. But he has hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so then also Them also would slip in.

Jesus will. Will God bring with him or God to bring them with him means that they have to be with him now. Their old body is in the ground, but they are present with the Lord. For this we send to you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain Unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep now.

Don't Let the word prevent the old English term prevent confuse you. What did it mean David? Do you all understand? I will not prevent you out the door. Today it is inhibiting or keeping. But then it meant to pre vent vent meaning out and free to go before.

Will not prevent those that are asleep. So those that are asleep are dead by the word of the Lord. Is Paul's assurance that he is giving God's answer to their question. Paul knows that they have been worrying about this.

About the people that would die before the rapture. The Jews had a very very very strong Impression to they had to be buried in the promised land. To take part in the resurrection. This is why Jacob's bones were carried back others.

That they would be buried in the proper place. For Christ to find them for the Lord himself Shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel. And with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Now that'll be a very orderly type. Resurrection was the first mourner stoned in Stephen. Perhaps will be first. We which are alive remain unto the coming of the Lord. Touched on the word precede or prevent the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.

God the Father will send him. He will not send angels at the rapture. When he comes to earth to establish his kingdom. He'll send his angel to the four corners of the earth and gather the elect. There'll be both Jew and Gentile.

However, there is no angel ministry connected with the rapture of the church. Angels announced the birth of Christ. But how was he announced as the son of David the newborn King. He was announced as a king.

The wise men wanted to know where they could find him who was born king of the Jews. In contrast to this at the establishment of the church on the day of Pentecost. There were no angels. The Holy Spirit himself came down.

When the Lord takes his church out of the world the Lord himself shall descend. There'll be no angels. Angels are connected with Israel, but not with the church at all. 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.

To meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now the word caught up is Harpazzo meaning to grasp hastily to snatch to lift or Rapture. The word rapture is not in them in the Bible.

It's going to be a very orderly thing as I said. Here comes Stephen out of the grave. Maybe that he will lead the procession. Then there will be apostles and all those millions who have laid down their lives for Jesus.

They'll just keep coming right on down through the centuries. Finally if we are alive at that time, we'll be bringing up the rear of the parade. We'll be way down at the tail end of it. I Believe that most of the church Has already gone through the doorway of death 18.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Now does he say wherefore terrify each other with these words so many people are in terror. They either don't know they're ignorant. Or they're not his wherefore comfort one another.

It not only means to comfort in the usual sense of the word, but also to instruct and exhort one another and to talk about. The Lord Jesus is coming to take his own out of this world someday. I Think it'll be soon what a glorious wondrous comfort.

This is the bodies of the dead will be lifted out. Then whoever's alive at that time will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord? In fact, we shall come back with him to the earth to reign with him.

That is At the time he sets up his kingdom. Apologize from my voice this morning. Is there anything from anybody now on the fourth chapter? We see it clearly here. There's other places. But I was gonna say I guess you can tell my Mind is lacking a little this morning.

Is there anything else? Dennis dismisses, please.