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Preached in Markham Baptist Church, October 28,  2007

You will remember the path we have taken during these past few weeks.  We have being thinking of living in light of Christ’s return through our study of 1 Thessalonians.  We have discovered that living in light of Christ’s return means that we seek to live a thankful life; a life that pleases God; and a life that demonstrates a steadfastness in the faith.  All of this is taught in the first 3 chapters of 1 Thessalonians.  As we come to the end of chapter 3 we may be asking, “But what does all this look like?” 

We may have an idea, of course, what it means to live a thankful life but what does it mean to live a life that pleases God and is steadfast in the faith?

As we move to chapter 4 we see these questions addressed – particularly the question – what does it mean to live a life that pleases God?   This is what our text says at verse 1 and 2: “Finally brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.  Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

So live lives that please God and keep on doing it.

And then verse 3 - “It is God’s will …”  we should be on the edge of our seats right now – here is God’s will – about to revealed to us about what it means to live a life that pleases Him.  I mean, this is of intense interest to us – a life that pleases God. O, to be able to please God.  The lover of your soul.  Isn’t that what we all want to do? 

We should be listening as intently to this chapter as intently as we would to a teacher who begins a sentence with the words, “Now this material will on the final exam.”  You know when a professor says that, every student begins to take notes furiously.

Or when a wife says, “What I would like for my anniversary is ..”  If the husband is sharp, he’s listening intently because he longs to get that something special for the love of his life – and for the life of him he can’t think of anything!  So he listens intently to any hints his wife will drop.  We men need that help sometimes.

So, when God’s Word tells us how to please God, we listen intently, don’t we? For we are speaking of the most precious relationship and we do want to please Him.  We all want to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.  And we want to know how to live lives that please our King, Master, Saviour and Friend.

We read with great interest. Verse 3 continues, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.”

And we say, “What?”  Sanctified.  Some of your texts will say, “Holy.”

And we say, “Oh! Holy.  God wants us to live holy lives.  Well, I guess that leaves me out – I’ve tried being holy before and it doesn’t work.  Once during Lent I tried to live a holy life.  I concentrated really hard on being pure and blameless and spotless.  But then I was driving along 16^th Avenue and some one pulled out of the Garden Basket parking lot and cut me off – and I said some things I shouldn’t have and I blasted my horn – and things went down hill from there.  I can’t live a holy life. I’ve tried.”

So we take ourselves out of the equation quickly and say, “We can’t do it.” 

But I suggest to you that our definition of holy is too narrow.  We think it means pure and blameless. Certainly that is part of its meaning and we will see that further on in the text, but here it means “set apart”, “dedicated to”.  Anything used in the temple was considered holy.  That didn’t mean that it was pure and radiated with light.  “Wow those tongs used in the sacrifice are blameless and pure.”   No, if the tongs are holy, it means they are set apart for or dedicated to be used in the temple.

So it is God’s will that you be set apart for Him. That’s what it means to be holy and sanctified – it means to be set apart for God.  And this is liberating because everyone can do that.  Everyone can be set apart for Him. 

We’ve talked about that already, haven’t we – living a life that pleases God?  And now we are told what it looks like practically.  What we discover as we read is that if we practically want to please God it means that we live in right relationship with one another. 

That’s the thing about Christianity, isn’t it? While it is this wonderful relationship with God, intimate and personal, that always translates into deeper relationships with those around us.  Christianity is never about loving God alone – it’s about loving God but that always is expressed, demonstrated by loving others around us.  That’s why we Protestants have said no to the monastery – the cloistered life style.  For if we want to please God it means that is lived out in our relationships with others. 

At our council retreat last weekend we were reminded of the greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind  AND your neighbour as yourself.”  (Luke 10:27)

So we understand if we are to live lives that please God then we live lives that demonstrate love toward others.  I wonder if when we love our neighbours as our ourselves we are indeed loving the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind.  The two actions are connected. 

In our passage we discover four ways in particular how this is done.  In verse 3 through 8 we discover that a life that pleases God is a life that loves others. This means first of all that we don’t take advantage of others sexually.

And we think, “Well, that’s a no brainer - of course.”  Well, it isn’t that obvious – certainly for the Thessalonians and I would say even for the day in which we live.

The Thessalonians lived in a day and in a culture where sexual promiscuity was rampant.  Our society is looking to throw off the moral restrictions of sex – the society of Thessalonica had no restrictions.   So at verse 3 we read that we are to keep ourselves from sexual promiscuity.  This needed to be stated in a culture that knew no boundaries.  And it needs to be stated in our age as our culture seeks to throw off its boundaries. 

So in verse 4 and 5 we read that we are to treat our bodies with respect – remember, you know God. He is holy and treats people with grace and dignity, so don’t be behaving like rutting animals having sex with whoever.  That’s how people behave who don’t know God, generally speaking.

Remember sex is a great gift from God and because it is a gift from God, we treasure it within the marriage relationship and don’t abuse it. 

And when we do this – verse 6 – we don’t exploit our brother or sister.  That is we don’t take advantage of others.  When we treat sex with honour and dignity and hold it as precious – a gift from God – we honour those around us. We don’t use them, we don’t abuse them, we don’t overstep into other marriages. 

This is what it means to please God – this is the will of God – that we not exploit others sexually. You see, your relationship with God translates into your relationship with others. 

Verse 6 also tells us that God will avenge exploitive behaviour.  Now please don’t think that if you have fallen into a sexual sin, God cannot or will not forgive you.  God’s grace is bigger than your sin. Repent and turn away from sexual immorality and He will forgive you - that’s the good news!  But also realize that God will have the last say on the last day and will judge sin.  It’s a reality.  So we Christians seek to live holy lives devoted to Him, dedicated to Him. 

Society often calls Christianity prudish – “O those Christians - always up tight about sex.  Come on live a little, be free,” they say.  But the truth is that we Christians have such a high view of sex that we treat it with the dignity and honour it deserves. After all, the text says in verse 7 and 8, God has given us and continues to give us His HOLY Spirit.  The Holy Spirit lives in you, so we are called to live holy lives. 

Do you remember how uncomfortable you felt the first time you watched a movie with your parents that had questionable content?  I remember going to see,  “Sophie’s Choice” with my parents.  We couldn’t sit together in a line of four so we sat in front of my parents and I remember that this woman was promiscuous in the movie and I remember thinking, “I can’t let my parents watch this!”   I began shrinking in my seat.  I was embarrassed by it all that I let my parents watch this! 

Well, we have the Holy Spirit in us – our bodies are vessels in which the Holy Spirit lives and so we need to think in the area of sexuality that am I honouring the Holy Spirit in my sex life.  Am I abstaining from every thing immoral because I have the Holy Spirit living in me?  Am I treating my spouse with dignity and love and honour sexually because I have the Holy Spirit in me? 

Listen we Christians are called to be different from the world around us because we know God – because we are looking to please God – because we have the Holy Spirit living in us – who, not to mention, enables us to live differently from those around us. 

So hear this plainly. If you are having trouble with sexual sin, don’t turn away from God. He hasn’t turned away from you – get some help.  Find someone you can confide in and keep you accountable.  Confess your sin to God – realize that He has given you His Holy Spirit who will guide you as you give yourself to Him.

Pleasing God – it means that we do not exploit others sexually.

Verse 9-10 it also means that we go on loving others.  Our love for one another is not to be a one-time event - it is to go and on.  We are to keep on loving, keep on forgiving, keep on giving and sharing and helping one another. 

The Thessalonians were doing a good job at loving one another – their love spread to brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia – They just needed to keep on. 

And I think the message for us is the same brothers and sisters at Markham Baptist.  We are on the cusp of something significant here. There is a surge in our church – a desire to please God in our relationships; there is a call from God to trust Him and love each other more deeply. Don’t let that die, don’t let that go – keep on. Don’t just talk about it – practice it.   Continue to love one another. It is God’s will for us. 

For too long we have been satisfied with superficial relationships with one another.  For too long we have been complacent with our mentoring of one another.  For too long we have been shut down by those who have told us that it isn’t that way, won’t be that way and can’t be that way.   “People don’t want to share at that level, you know, because it’s too personal.”

Listen, it’s  time to change - God is calling us to something deeper.   We love one another – go deeper.  Trust a bit more, share a little bit more – serve one another, bear one another’s burdens, encourage one another, bear with one another, build one another up. Take the risk and realize that we please God, we do His will, when we continue loving one another.

Verse 11-12 says that we please God when we don’t  take advantage of others financially.  There were a couple of people in the Thessalonian church who were lazy louts.  They weren’t working, they were lying around getting people all riled about Christ’s imminent return, living off the goodness of others, and refusing to work. And they needed to be told, “Look, stop sponging off your friends - get to work.” 

Now we can’t take these verses and apply them to people who are unemployed because of economic recession or traumatic personal experience.  God’s Word does not condemn unemployment – that is, when people want to work and can’t find it – or are prohibited because of physical disabilities. But God’s Word does condemn idleness – when work is available but people don’t want it. 

Also, these verses do not tell us that we should not give help to those who are in need financially. It is clear that we Christians are to practice the grace of giving to those in need.  Nor do these verses tell us that we should not receive help when we are in need financially.  Let no one be so proud that they are unwilling to receive the help from the rest of the body of Christ.  We are a body, and when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer – so let the body of Christ help you when you are in need financially. 

What we learn here is that while it is an expression of love to support others who are in need, it also an expression of love to support ourselves, so as to command the respect of outsiders and not be dependent on the goodness of others and be a burden to them.

There is a fine line, isn’t there?  But the principle here is - don’t take advantage of others financially.  It’s easy to do in the Christian community, because we have this call to help, to go the second mile, to be generous. But it demonstrates a lack of love for others when we take advantage of that generosity and become lazy louts.

So living to please God – it means we live in right relationship with one another – not taking advantage of one another sexually, continuing to love one another – not just a one time thing -  and not taking advantage of one another financially.

And then this – verses 13 – 18.  It appears that the text is taking a change of direction. Paul begins to talk about the second coming of Christ.   I’ve dealt with these verses in that context in my second sermon in this series, but I would suggest to you that Paul is still talking about living a life that pleases God and is still talking about living in right relationship with one another. Only here, Paul is talking about living in right relationship with those who have died already. 

The Thessalonians were grieving – they were mourning those who had died before the Lord’s return.  And Paul has to tell the Thessalonians that we do not grieve like those who have no hope.

No, he says in verses 14-15, there will be a resurrection.  Those who have died will come with our Lord when He comes again.  There will be a resurrection.

This is the glorious truth of the gospel.  No other so called faith offers this hope.  Hindus believe that death is but an incident on the road to other births – it either brings you down a level in the life chain or up a level – always an endless, meaningless cycle.

The Christian Scientists teach that death is an illusion.  Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the movement wrote, “Man is incapable of sin, sickness and death.”  Then she grew old and senile herself and the illusion called death crossed her path and she is now buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge Mass.

Only Christianity offers the hope of everlasting life – indeed only Christianity CAN – for we serve a risen Saviour who will one day complete the work He began on Easter.  Do you have this hope in the midst of your grief?  Do you know that there will be a resurrection at our Lord’s return? 

Not only this, but do you know that there will be a reunion?   Verses 16-17:  “When our Lord comes again, those of us who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with – those who have gone on before us – those who have died to meet the Lord in the air.” 

There will be a reunion.  It has been said that people who have never thought of heaven begin to think of heaven and believe in a heaven when a loved one dies. 

But we don’t need to fabricate such a belief.  There is a heaven, and when Christ will come again He will come with all the saints who live with Him there and there will be a great reunion between those who are still alive and those who have gone one before.   

I think of all the people I mourn, the people I long to see again. Hugh and Ruth Anderson who were so kind to me as a young pastor;Wilmer Fryer a saint of a farmer in my first church; my grandfather whom I hardly knew but would like to meet – my dad.  And Scripture promises that there will be a reunion. 

Listen – it is God’s will for you that you not grieve as others do who have no hope.  It is God’s will for you to know the hope that yours in Christ.  There will be a resurrection – there will be a reunion. 

So, verse 18 – encourage one another with these words.  Do you see how this all comes back to relationships?  Encourage one another with these words.

We live to please God – and when we do, our eyes are opened to His grace and love. But our eyes are also opened to those around us and we realize that to practically love God we are called to love one another, so what does this look like? We treat others with respect and dignity.  Not exploiting others sexually, not giving up in our love for one another, not exploiting others financially, not mourning like those who have no hope. We encourage one another with the great truth that our Lord is coming again:

“Coming again,

May be morning, may be noon;

May be evening may be soon;

Coming again, coming again,

O what a wonderful day it will be –

Jesus is coming again!”

  So let us live as people who seek to please Him. 

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - October 2007