Well, it is so good to see you,
so good to be with you again. My memory is pretty good still,
but I had a tough time getting days and dates straight. Best I recall, it was 45 years
ago this weekend, first time I stood here to preach to you. I was 22 years old, I believe. I'd made you about 14, Brad.
But a long time ago. And God has graciously interwoven
our lives with yours, the ministry of this congregation, and my
own, our ministry in Danville, together in so very, very many
ways. I want us to read tonight from
1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning at verse 13 and go through the
end of chapter 5. And I'm not going to make much
comment, I just want to read this portion of scripture in
which God the Holy Ghost sets before us an inspiring hope. An inspiring hope. A hope that
ought to inspire us to devotion, consecration to our Redeemer,
faithfulness in his cause, faithfulness to one another, and fervent,
say, as we walk before God in this world, seeking to build
his kingdom and honor his name by the gospel we preach. 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4 verse 13. I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep. that you sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. Our dear brothers and sisters
in Christ, whom the Lord has taken before us, their bodies
sleep in the grave. but don't ever get the idea that
somehow or another they have ceased to exist or that they're
just floating around on clouds in some kind of an atmospheric
condition waiting for the resurrection. Nothing could be further from
the truth. They are with Christ at the right hand of God enthroned
in heaven with the church of God triumphant. The other day Shelby and I were
sitting at the table after eating lunch. We had a few minutes to
just sit there and muse over some things before I went back
to work, and she did too. And I said to her, I wonder what
they're doing now. Referring to some of our friends
whom the Lord's taken to glory. Let me tell you one thing I know
they're doing. They are continuing to this day
to walk with Christ in love with Him and with one another in the
sweet joy of the Holy Ghost doing the will of God. What could be better? Walking
together in the sweet love of Christ loving one another in
the joy of God the Holy Ghost with no burden no fear, no irksome
task, serving the Lord with delight. Sorrow not then concerning those
whom the Lord's taken to glory, even as others which have no
hope, that is, folks who bury their dead who've gone to hell,
and others who see their dead ones perish and they have no
hope. No wonder they act like mad men.
Don't you behave that way. Here's the reason. For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, we do don't we? Christ
Jesus died and having died to satisfy the justice of God for
us, he rose again. Even so, them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him. Now this is hard for us
to grasp. Listen carefully. We tend to
think that God sent us the Old Testament. Back in those days
you just read about Genesis 7. They had a little bit of a foggy
notion about what was going on and how God was going to save
sinners. Listen to what the scripture says. Enoch, that was before
the flood. Enoch prophesied of Christ's
second coming, saying he's coming again with 10,000 of his saints. Enoch prophesied concerning those
who now sleep with the Lord Jesus, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Peter,
James, and John. They're now asleep in the grave,
but they walk with Christ in glory. And when he comes again,
he's coming with them, with 10,000 of his saints. Read what Paul
says here. For this we say by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent, shall not go before them which are asleep. For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead
in Christ shall rise first. I've studied that, read that,
mulled it over, meditated on it, rejoiced in it, scratched
my head about it. And I don't have any idea what
all's included in this. But when Christ comes at the
glorious second advent, his saints will rise from the grave and
body and soul be joined together as they come to this earth. And
then we, which are alive, 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 forget about all the stuff
you have heard about in this day of prophecy, insane mania,
every time something happens different in the Soviet Union
or in the Far East and somebody writes a book and sells a million
copies and says, this is it, the Lord's coming, the temple's
being rebuilt, This is our Lord. There's no such thing as a secret
rapture or a secret second coming of Christ. Our Lord is on his
way now and soon shall appear. And you and I ought to serve
him every day we live on the tiptoe of faith. This is it. This is the day the
Lord comes. Behold, he cometh. Now, look
at verse 18. Wherefore, comfort one another
with these words. Cheer one another. Comfort one
another. Make each other feel good. Make
each other feel cheerful. Make one another have a little
spring in your step. But of the times and seasons,
brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves
know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief
in the night. for when they shall say peace
and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon
a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Christ is coming,
and to the unbelieving, he will come as a thief in the night.
Nobody's suspecting he's really sure enough coming. There's really
such a thing as judgment and eternity, and we're about to
meet God. The unbelieving in darkness. But read what it says,
verse four. But ye brethren, you who are believers, you were
born of God and taught of God, you're not in darkness that that
day should overtake you as a thief. There's nothing surprising about
this to you who believe. Ye are all the children of light
and the children of day. We are not of the night nor of
darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as
do others. But let us watch and be sober. Live like men and women who live
in the immediate prospect of eternity. Watch and be sober. Live like men and women who live
in the immediate anticipation of eternity. For they that sleep,
sleep in the night. They that be drunken are drunken
in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting
on the breastplate of faith and love, and for in helmet the hope
of salvation." Here's the inspiration for this. This breastplate of
faith and love and this helmet, this hope of salvation. For God
hath not appointed us to wrath. He did multitudes. There are
vessels of wrath as well as vessels of mercy. There are a reprobate
host as well as an elect host. But God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Now
watch this. Who died for us. Why did he do
that? That whether we wake or sleep,
We should live together with him. Christ died for us that
he might redeem unto himself a peculiar people zealous of
good works. He died for us that we henceforth
live not unto ourselves but unto him that loved us and gave himself
for us. What a reasonable thing. What
a reasonable expectation. I just read a little bit ago
and thought about dealing with the 20th chapter of Exodus in
this reading tonight. But the Lord God gives a claim
to the children of Israel in Exodus 20 before he gave the
law of the Ten Commandments. He said, I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. This is the claim God Almighty
has on you. This is the claim God Almighty
has on me. I'm God, and I redeemed you. I'm God, and I bought you. I'm God, and I chose you. I'm God, and I ransomed you. I'm God, and I called you. Now, you're mine. That we should
henceforth live with Him and unto Him. All right, verse 11. Wherefore, comfort yourselves
together, and edify one another, build one another up. I could
spend an hour or 20 here. Don't tear each other down, build
each other up. Don't deride one another, build
each other up. Don't slander one another, build each other
up. Don't talk about one another, build each other up. Even as also you do. What a testimony to these saints
at Thessalonica. You edify each other. And we
beseech you to know them which labor among you. Now he's talking
to local church, any local church, every local church, everywhere
where God is worshiped, Christ is honored, God's gospel is preached. Know them which labor among you. We've talked a good bit about
some memories we've had together in our time. Brother Scott and
his labor here as your pastor. Now these many years now, Brother
Marvin been laboring here as your pastor. This is what preachers
do. Faithful men. They labor in the
word and in the doctrine. Brother Todd and I'll be right
there. I know everywhere I can get him. anytime five days a
week in his office, I would be disappointed if I couldn't. I'd
be disappointed. I know where I can call your
pastor. Right here he is. They labor in the word and in
the doctrine. Know them and know their labor. Know their labor. I recall several
months ago. Sometimes fellas catch me on
a good day when I'm less inclined to hit them. And I had some work
to do and a fella was there who's just yakking, running off the
map like fellas do. Had some work to do on my car. And finally
he got it out of his eyes and said, Preacher, that's an easy
job, isn't it? And I just smiled. Yeah, if you
can get it. He didn't really hear what I was saying inside. But I would expect that from
folks who don't know. God's servants labor in the word. They labor
in the prayer. They labor in the study. They
labor in preparation. They carry the work heavy on
their hearts. Know them and are over you. That's a word that's
not much used with regard to preachers in this day. They're
over you. It's stated repeatedly. They're
over you as a shepherd is over the sheep. Well, he's just one
more voice in the church. No, he ain't. He's the pastor.
He's the pastor. He's the captain of the ship.
He's responsible for sailing the ship. Pay attention to him
and follow him. Who are over you in the Lord.
Read what it says here. And admonish you. They teach
you. Now look what it says. Love them,
know them, and esteem them very highly. Esteem them very highly
in love for their work's sake. Well, I'm not going to put a
preacher on a pedestal. Maybe you should. I'd rethink
that if I were you. Esteem them very highly in love
for their work's sake. And I'll tell you what'll be
the result. To Katie Baptist Church in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Grace Baptist Church in Danville, Kentucky. Grace Baptist Church
in Dingus, West Virginia. Todd's Road Grace Church in Lexington,
Kentucky. I'll tell you what, here's the
result. Here's the result. Esteem know them and esteem them
very highly in love for their work sake and be at peace among
yourselves I'll tell you what I've never observed I've never
I've been pastoring now for nearly 50 years, but I've been preaching
the gospel for 50 years I'll tell you what I've never observed
anywhere. I've ever been I've never seen a congregation in
turmoil and chaos Who loved admired and promoted the minister their
pastor? You've been around a while, Todd, have you? I've never seen
it happen. God uses his people as they rabbit
together around the man he gives them as the angel of his church,
and they are at peace among themselves. Sadly, lots of places, folks
come around who like to have roast pastor every Sunday afternoon
for lunch and he can't say, do, anything that's right. So somebody's
got to carp about it. Next time somebody's got to carp
about what the pastor does or says, just tell them to politely
shut up. I'm as honest as I can be. I
don't want to hear that nonsense. Why you got, why you got, didn't
you hear anything about what he was preaching? Don't behave
like that. Be at peace among yourselves.
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly. Those
folks are constantly causing trouble. Comfort the feeble-minded. Support the weak. Be patient
toward all men. See that none render evil for
evil unto any man. Revenge and spite malice put
put that stuff. That's that's that's childish
nonsense But ever follow that which is good Both among yourselves
and to all men now look at these next words rejoice evermore Rejoice
evermore rejoice in the Lord always Again, I say rejoice let
your moderation be known to all men, the Lord's at hand. Be at
ease all the time. Let your gentle disposition,
your gentle ease of mind, your gentle character, your unruffled
nature, let it be known to all men. No reason, anything should
bother you too much. No reason, anything should disturb
you very much. The Lord's at hand. The Lord's
at hand. And the word really carries this
idea, he's God at your elbow. He's God at your elbow. I just told Sarah and Jimmy's
daughter's supper tonight, I said, you girls know this, I'm here
for you anytime. You can call me anytime, day
or night, I'm here for you. Please don't hesitate to do that.
I've said it to many of you young people. I'm here for you. But
that's nothing. That's nothing. Christ is God
at your elbow if you're his. Ready always to help in every
time of need. So rejoice. Be at ease. Let your
moderation be known to all men. Pray without ceasing. Pray without
ceasing. That doesn't mean to pray an
hour a day or to pray 23 hours out of 24. It means to live continually
calling upon God, continually trusting the Redeemer, continually
seeking to know Him, His will, His way, His providence, His
goodness, His mercy, knowing Him. Pray without ceasing. In everything, give thanks. It hadn't been long since God
saved me and I was going through some, what I thought at the time
were real troubles. I was about 17 years old. A 17
year old can have many real bad problems. I thought the world
was coming to an end. And I came to this verse of scripture,
reading the scripture one day. And oh, how good it's been for
me to go to it often. In everything, give thanks for
this. This. What's that? This. This. Whatever it is that is
now. This. This is the will of God
in Christ Jesus, specifically concerning you. Quench not the
spirit. Pay attention to the direction,
the leading of God's Spirit. Hear God's Word. Despise not
prophesies. That is, don't despise the worship
of God. It may be read that way. More
likely in the context, it would be proper to read, don't despise
the preaching of the gospel. Don't despise hearing God speak
by His servant. through his word to you. Don't count that a light thing.
Don't count that as something you can do with or do without.
Don't count that as something that's really insignificant.
Despise not prophesying. Prove all things. Take the scriptures. I've said some things tonight
that I know, especially for you folks who may be here, don't
normally say it in the sound of a faithful minister. Boy,
that sure doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard before.
Well, prove it. Everything I've said, you pick
up this book, and if you find anything in this book contrary
to it, would you please let me know? Please, I promise you I'll apologize.
If you find anything I've said contrary to what this book says.
Prove, prove, prove what you hear by this word. Prove the
doctrine, whether it's of God. Hold fast to that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. Now this is good enough
counsel for young folks and old alike. You see something you're
kind of tempted to do that. I don't know what I'll do that.
I've got a pretty good hunch. If I think, I'm not sure what
I'll do that or not. You're dead sure you ought not to. You're dead sure you ought not
to. But that's not what this is talking about. Anything that has the
appearance of free will works religion. Anything that has the
appearance of anything contrary to the gospel of God's free grace,
anything that has the appearance of lifting up and exalting the
flesh and debasing God, bringing him down to your level, you abstain
from that. Read on. And the very God of
peace sanctify you wholly. sanctify you. Sanctification
is not a progressive work, but it is a continual work. God in
his great mercy, grace, and peace continually makes us a people
separate to himself. I pray God, your whole spirit,
soul, and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Now why would Paul pray for something
that he knows can't be? Why was he inspired of God to
tell us he prays for something he knows can never come to pass? He didn't. God will preserve
you, spirit, soul, and body, blameless under the coming of
Jesus Christ, so that God Almighty accepts our works through His
Son and preserves us in His Son. How do you know? Look at verse
24. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Faithful is he that calleth you,
who also will do it. Oh my. Just read that just as broad
and stretch it just as far and run with it just as great a distance
as your mind's imagination will allow you. Whatever trial God calls you
to go through, whatever task he sets before you, Whatever
work he has for you, this pilgrimage he's called you to walk in through
this world. Faithful is he that called you,
who also will do it. This is his work, his doing.
Brethren, pray for us. Pray for us. Pray for us. Pray for one another. Pray for
me. Pray for me. Oh brethren, pray for us. Pray
for us. And greet the brethren with a
holy kiss. Now I just assume you fellas
not come up here and start kissing on me. Ladies, it'd be alright,
but not you and me. Not you and me. What's he talking
about? Greet one another in the arms
of sacred love and devotion. in the arms of sacred love and
devotion. I charge you by the Lord Jesus
that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen. Our God. Oh God, our Savior, how we thank
you for the privilege of calling you our father, of calling your
darling son our savior, our redeemer, of calling your spirit our blessed
comforter. Thank you for your word, for
your grace, for the free forgiveness of sin through the precious blood
of your darling son, and our sin we confess to you. All the
things we've been challenged to in this portion of your word
how utterly miserable we are in failure, how prone to unbelief,
how horribly inclined to every evil, to every sensual thing,
and how horribly disinclined to every good and every spiritual
thing. How quick to murmur and complain. how slow to believe and rejoice
and be comforted. And we ask our God that you will
be pleased, as only you can, by your grace, by your spirit,
to continually sanctify us body, soul, and spirit. continually
draw us apart from this dark, dark world, and set our hearts
upon our altogether lovely Redeemer. Set our hearts to your heart. As you are utterly devoted to
us, O God, utterly devote us to you. I thank you for this assembly,
for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these faithful pastors.
God bless them, use them to our dying breath, make us faithful
brethren, laboring together in the cause of our Redeemer. Amen.