Turn back to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5. Lord willing, we will finish
up this chapter tonight. We've now come to the close of
this epistle. And I tell you that the end of
it is just as important as the beginning of it. in any epistle, in any part of
God's Word, the ending is just as important
as the beginning. And the instructions here that
Paul gives to them is given to us also. They are just as applicable
to us as it was to them 2,000 years ago. Now Paul's going to turn and
he's going to instruct them concerning their care of their pastor that
God has given to them and about their attitude toward one another. If there's anything that I have
learned as I have gotten older is that attitude is everything. Attitude, the way you approach
something, really handle a matter, the attitude with which you deal
with it means everything. And He's talking to them about
their attitude and care for one another. And not only one another,
but all men. Not just believers, but unbelievers. The way we treat and handle them. And He says here in verse 12,
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among
you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you." I was
talking to a young man here not too long ago who does not believe
the gospel. He said, I think I'll get me
a job as a preacher so I can get set in a study. I said, yeah,
go ahead. I honestly made no comment to
him. That was just useless. If you
don't have any more understanding than that, well, if you're lost,
that's what you see. If you're lost, that's just what
you see. To the Lord's people, you understand that there is
a labor in the Word. in study, in prayer, in meditation,
and then in standing up to preach the gospel. And Paul says, know
them which are labored. That is, get to know them. Don't
just show up to the service and leave, each week, after week,
after week. He says, show up and get to know
the man you're listening to. You know, if I'm handling matters
of life and death, if I'm handling matters, eternal matters of your
soul, don't you think it'd be good to get to know me? Don't
you think it'd be good, a good idea to really get to know the
man that you're sitting and listening to every week? And that's why
he's saying, he said, get to know him and speak to him and
speak to them Openly and often speak to them, appreciate them.
They are the ministers of God. The Lord has made some men, and
evidently I'm one of them, an under-shepherd. Not lords over
God's heritage. We are not that, but we are under
shepherds. We are to feed the sheep. That's
what the Lord said to Peter. Feed my sheep. Don't entertain
the sheep. Feed the sheep. Get in the study,
study the Word, seek the Lord, and then feed the sheep out of
the Word. You know the green pastures? He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures. This is it. And I hope by His
grace and His power that He enables me to handle His Word properly
and in such a way that when you leave here, that it can be like
lying down in green pastures, that you've been fed, you've
been encouraged, that you have been nourished, that your soul
has been lifted up. Feed the flock of God. That's
what the Scriptures teach those who are called to preach. It
says, feed the flock of God. Watch over them. The pastor of the Lord's church
has a real responsibility in taking care of the flock. And pray for him, pray for that
man, whether it's me or these other pastors. Pray that God
would bless the study and bless the meditation and bless us to
be able to speak a word, I tell you, to be able to speak a word
in season. I cannot tell you how many times
that I went to the service, sat under Henry, and a word, I mean
just a word, A Word was spoken that just answered a question,
or comforted my heart, or lifted me up, or gave me direction. Just a Word from God. Just a
Word. And if you're going to hear from
God, you're going to hear through reading His Word, and you're
going to hear through me preaching. And I pray, and you pray. God
give me a Word to speak in season. I don't know what all you all
are going through. Some of you are going through
things I don't know about. But God does. And He can, by His
Spirit, move me in the Scriptures and to study the Scriptures to
address that problem and I don't even know about it. How many
times have you heard a message preached and you think, how did
they know? I mean, just deal with exactly what's on your heart
and mind. Well, God knows that's how. God
knows. He knows the heart. He knows
your state intimately. And it says, and be at peace
among yourselves. It's sad that we even have to
say that, isn't it? It's sad that that has to even be written. But they were struggling. There
were some people there struggling. There were some people there
who were ready to leave the faith. And there was conflict going
on. And he said, be at peace among
yourselves. Don't get so stirred up over,
I wrote down here, trivial matters, but really, don't get stirred
up over anything that's not the gospel. I mean, stirred up, tore
up, and you know. What does it really matter? Learn
to let it go. Be merciful. even as your Father
in heaven which is merciful." Here's some good advice. Let
everything go that you're not going to take with you. "...and warn them," he says,
"...that are unruly." Unruly! Is there anything more unbecoming
than an unruly child? And how much more unbecoming
is it for one who claims to be a believer to be unruly? Unruly
in spirit, unruly in here with some of them is in doctrine.
He's warned them, warned them because I tell you what, if they
keep going that direction, God's gonna deal with them. God will
deal with them. I'd rather, I would 10,000 times
God use you to warn me about something, then God take it in
hand and then I'm in trouble." And comfort. Comfort the feeble-minded. Some are feeble-bodied and some
are feeble-minded. They're weak in the faith. And
they should be handled like you'd handle somebody with a feeble
body. It's easy, listen, because I've learned this as I've grown
older because I really wasn't very good in this area at all.
Probably still not, but I could deal with somebody easier that
has a feeble body than I could with someone who was feeble minded. You know, I don't know if it's
just the way I was raised or just the way I'm made. I was
just like, just get it together and go on. Quit crying about
it, shut up. But you know, not everybody can
do that. Not everybody can quit crying. You know, I've learned not everybody
like me. And I think I'm like that and
I'm probably a boo-hoo more than I think I am. But he's saying here, comfort
the feeble-minded. Sometimes you've got to put yourself
in their place. Because like I said, it's easy
for somebody who's got a broken leg to say, oh, I feel so sorry
for you. But when somebody's got a broken mind or a broken
heart, he says, comfort them. Comfort them. Handle them the same way you'd
handle somebody whose body's feeble. Just like when Jane comes
in here in a wheelchair. Everybody makes room, and everybody
helps her get in. You help her get in. You help
her get out of the car. You help her get in the door. He said,
do the same thing with someone that's feeble-minded. And support the weak. Don't run
them off. Don't run them off and don't shun them. You write this down. All of us
are one step away from being feeble-minded and weak. And none of us, not one person
in here is as strong as we think we are. Not one of us. Support the weak, he said. Be kind to them. Here's the key. Here's the key. Be patient. I like it. I like it when someone's
patient with me. Henry was so patient with me.
I don't know how in the world he stood me standing in a pulpit,
23 years of age. I didn't know anything. I mean,
I knew the gospel. I know that. It is amazing. Be patient. We
all have our infirmities. We all are men and women of like
passion. That's why it says be patient.
You know, David said this, "'Teach me how frail I am.'" What a request. What a request. "'Teach me how
frail I am.'" And not only be patient with one another, but
be patient toward all men. Just like that young man, what
he said to me. I understood. I said, he's as
lost as Donnie said, a white goose in a snowstorm. He didn't
know anything. And I wasn't gonna defend myself.
I wasn't gonna just start trying to defend myself. You don't know
it. Even if I told you, you wouldn't
know it. That's like God said to Job, where were you? Stand
up, Job, gird up your loins like a man. Where were you when I
laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you know. And by the
time God finished questioning Job and laying out his greatness,
Job said, I abhor myself in sackcloth and ashes. I thought I knew something. By the hearing of the ear, I've
heard of thee. I thought I knew something. But now my eye sees
you. I see you, God. And I abhor myself
as sackcloth and ashes." Be patient. Remember this. And we've heard
this time and time again. But for the grace of God, there
go I. Do we really mean that? And then
we walk out the door and we slam somebody. Well, I thought that
was you, by the grace of God. I thought that was me. You know what patience is? It's
a demonstration of love. How patient are we with our children? A whole lot more than we are
with someone else's children. And I tell you what. When we
want to speak of patience, which is long-suffering, which is a
demonstration of love, let us never forget this. It says, "...that
the Lord is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance." How patient,
how long-suffering was God with us when we were out there in
absolute rebellion against God, in hatred of God. And yet He was so long suffering
with us. And verse 15 is, "...see that
He has put forth great effort..." That's what this means. When
He says, "...see, put forth great effort, that none render evil
for evil unto any man, believer or unbeliever. But it is just in us to get even."
It's just our nature. I tell you what, eye for an eye,
tooth for a tooth just fit us. And he says, don't render for
evil to any man. Don't respond with evil. Don't
respond to evil with evil. For the Word of God says, the
wrath of man works not the righteousness of God. You know, the Lord said
He would repay Yeah, I know where we are by
nature, but we said, but wait, but let us see it. Let us watch. You know, I'd like to have a
hand in it. And that's that old nature. That's that old nature
that, you know, it just, if you're going to slap him when you use
my hand, that's our old nature, isn't it? That's us. And he says
to the new man, to that person born of God, don't do that. He said, that's not you anymore. That's that old man. That old
man was crucified with Christ. Here's what we are to do. Follow
that which is good, that which is genuinely, intrinsically good,
that which is of God. Follow it. Pursue it. Make it your aim, your goal,
to follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to
all men. Always be found pursuing good
and the good of others. This is important stuff. Important
instructions. It's not just stuff, it's instructions. The gospel of grace is different
from an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Now, Paul gives
seven final instructions, seven closing instructions to God's
children. This is to us. This is to us. God is our teacher now. This
ought to make us sit up and listen. That God is our teacher and these
instructions are from Him. These are from Him. It's not
something Paul made up. It's not something he sat down
and thought this would be a good idea. This is of God. First thing
is this, in verse 16, Rejoice evermore. That's the first instruction. What do I have to rejoice about?
I mean, you know what I'm going through. Do you know what sickness I'm
having to deal with? Do you know what problems I've
got? Yes, I do. No, I don't. Not necessarily,
but God does. And He says, Rejoice evermore. Rejoice evermore. Live in a state
of rejoicing, for here's the number one reason why the Lord
is on your side. If God be for us, who can be
against us? If God be for us, who can be
against us? I have something to rejoice about. Even if there's
nothing in the stall, as Habakkuk said that, if there's no cattle
in the stall, and the fruit on the vine withers, and if all
is gone, we have something to rejoice
in. The Lord is on our side. All this is temporary. You've
been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God Himself,
took upon Him flesh, so that He could die, that He could have
blood to shed on your behalf and put away your sins. That's
something to rejoice about. My sins are gone. Now, if sin
doesn't really mean anything to you, rejoicing won't either. And I tell you, if God has given
me and you an understanding of sin, what it is and who He is,
we have something to rejoice. Because they are gone. They are
gone. Been redeemed by the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ, been made the righteousness of God in Christ,
we always, I don't care how bad things get, and I say that carefully,
I'm not just saying that because it... I'm saying that carefully. However bad things get, we have
one to rejoice in. We have one to rejoice in, the
Lord Jesus Christ. And then he says, pray without
ceasing. Our Lord did, but you say, well,
that's not possible. It's not possible to constantly
be praying, I gotta get up and go to work in the morning. What
he's speaking here of is the attitude of prayer. It's the heart, now listen, it's
the heart in tune with God. It's the heart communicating
with God. I don't have to be on my knees
to do that. I can do that driving down the
road. It's living in an attitude of
prayer. It's thinking often upon Him. Let me read something to you.
I've got it marked here in Malachi. In Malachi 3, verse 16, Then they that feared the Lord
spake often one to another." They spake often one to another
of the Lord. And the Lord hearkened and heard
it. You know, in one place over in
the Old Testament, Moses said to Israel, the Lord heareth your
murmurings, your complaining. But He also hears when you are
speaking of Him. And the Lord hearkened and heard
it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them
that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." You cannot have a thought upon
the Lord that He doesn't mark it. He knows it. He knows it because He gave it
to you. An attitude also here, listen,
an attitude of prayer will also help you to rejoice evermore. Being able to just have that
kind of an attitude, a heart that's set upon Him, a heart
that thinks upon Him. You cannot have an attitude of
prayer and your mind not be set upon things above. That's not
possible. That's not possible. And in verse
18, And in everything give thanks, That word everything covers everything,
doesn't it? It just covers everything. Like
all, the word all covers all. In everything give thanks. Now this is very comprehensive
here. It's not just giving thanks when everything is going well
and then complaining when everything is going wrong. In everything
give thanks. Now listen to this, verse 18.
In everything give thanks. Why? Why? Why give thanks in everything? For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. Whatever is going on, this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. That doesn't mean if I'm sinning
or carrying on. We know that. That has nothing
to do with sin. It has to do with what's come
into your life, and it's broken your heart, it's troubling you.
God's hand is in it. God's hand is in it. He's going to conform
you and make you to the image of Christ. Some things are going
to be exposed. Things are being exposed. You know, when the Gospel came
here, what, some years ago, thirty-some, forty years ago? What did it
do? It exposed a lot of people that
didn't believe the Gospel. That's what it did. It exposed
a lot of people that didn't believe. But I'll tell you what else it
did. It exposed those who do believe the Gospel. You're still
here. So whatever it is, He says, give
thanks, because God's will is being done, and if you're His
child, if I'm His child, I'm being conformed to the image
of Christ. That's what's happening. I'm being conformed to the image
of Christ. Our Lord can do no wrong. Do
you believe that? You believe God can do no wrong,
then whatever it is, it's not wrong. Whatever He's doing, whatever
He's doing with me, it's not wrong. He says in one place over
in the Old Testament, Is there evil in a city? Trouble. And I have not done it. And I
have not done it. My hand is in it. Was God asleep? Now listen, this right here is
going to be touchy. I mean, especially go that over
there, it'll be touchy. Was God asleep when those towers
came down? Did anybody in those towers die
accidentally? God was not asleep. Whatever
His eternal purpose is, God's hand was in it. His hand's in
it. He can do no wrong. He can will
no wrong. And that being so, everything
He does, we are to give thanks for. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, it would be hard as Job
thanking God for taking away from him as well as was given. But he did, didn't he? The Lord
giveth and the Lord taketh away. He didn't say the Lord giveth
and the devil took it away. He didn't say that. The Lord
giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed, that's giving thanks,
be the name of the Lord. We thank Him for His grace, we
thank Him for His wisdom, we thank Him for His blood, we thank
Him for His righteousness, and we thank Him for His wise dealings
with us, for taking away from us as well as giving to us. If
God takes something from me, it need be. It need be. And quench not the Spirit. Now
that doesn't mean we can put in check the Holy Spirit, okay?
That doesn't mean that you and I can put him in check and he
can't work. I mean, he's injured and he can't do anything. His
hands are tied. No. This, I believe, has to do with
the grace of the Spirit, the gifts of God, the fruit of the
Spirit. It has to do with quench not
the Spirit. What's the fruit of the Spirit?
Love? Joy? Peace? You can quench joy. You can quench joy by your conduct. David did. David said in Psalm
51, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. David never lost
his salvation, but he lost the joy of it. He couldn't find the
presence of God. We can lose the joy of it. What's the letter to the church
at Ephesus? You left your first love. You
know why? You have fallen in love with
something else or someone else. And that's usually what happens.
When we fall out of love, spouse, we fall out of love, something
has taken that place. I guarantee you something has
taken that place. And that's why he's saying here,
don't quench, don't do this. And he said, because you can
do, you can quench thankfulness by bad conduct. You can become
unthankful by a bad attitude. A believer can. And that's why
he says don't let that happen. Guard against that. Guard against
that. And despise not prophesying.
Don't ever get tired of preaching. and substitute it for something
else. It will always please God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe. Always. Always. And I'm telling you this, it's
not sharing, it's preaching. We're not going to sit up here
and have a round table of questions and answers. No, I'm going to
stand here and preach and you're going to sit there and listen.
And I don't mean to make, I'm not trying to sound snotty about
it, like I got an attitude, but it's the truth. That's how it
is, that's the way it is to be. And we won't change. And I know
I can say that to you, because you've been taught, you've been
taught that's the way it is. And prove all things, don't just
swallow it. Don't just, even, listen, if
I stand here for another 20 years, Take what I say to the Word of
God. Take the Word of God and read
what I'm talking about. Don't ever just swallow what
anyone says. Take the Word of God and follow
along. Follow along. My mother, a few
years ago, she went to a service where where someone she knew
was. And she told me later, she said,
the preacher, she said, he never had a Bible in the pulpit, never
opened a Bible. She said, he never had one. She
said, the only thing he talked about was the day's events and
the things that was in the newspaper and the events of the day. You know, God has promised to
bless His Word, but nothing else. Nothing else. We're not going
to stand here and talk about what's going on out around here
in the political world. We're not going to do that. Prove all things by the Word
of God. Hold fast that which is good. When you're given something
truly good, hold on to it. Hold fast to it. Don't let it
go. Don't be like Esau and sell it
for a bowl of soup. Hold on to the good news of the
gospel. I'm telling you this, and I say it to me too. What
I say to you, I say to me. Esteem the gospel above your
own life. You esteem it above your family,
everything. Because without it, you're a
goner, and everyone else is too. and abstain from all appearance
of evil. Don't even go near it. Even if it's something good,
there's something not right here. Abstain from every appearance
of evil. Remember the old saying, curiosity
is what killed the cat? That's why, stay away from it.
You and I are never strong enough to handle it. Don't ever think
you're strong enough to handle these things. You're not. And the very God of peace sanctify
you wholly. He keep you, keep you from the
evil and the evil one. And I pray God, now listen, I
want you to listen to this. I pray God your whole spirit,
soul, and body be preserved. When Christ died to save you,
when He died to save every one of His people, He redeemed the
whole person. Body, soul, spirit. You know what that means? That
means He owns me lock, stock, and barrel. And this body right now that
you're looking at is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He dwells
in this, in here. I can't comprehend that, but
he does. You are sealed with the Holy
Spirit of God. And He's going to present you
blameless. Let me get back to this. "...And the very God of
peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ." There's nothing like being blameless. That I be blameless in body,
soul, and spirit. Faithful is He that calleth you,
or let me read it like this. Faithful is He that is calling
you unto Himself. Faithful is He that is constantly
calling you, who will also do... You know, every time you come
here and you hear the Gospel, you open the Word of God, you
read it and study, and God's calling you. Through His Word,
through the preaching of His Word, there's a constant calling. And you are constantly being
drawn to Him. Constantly. Constantly. Faithful is He that
calleth you who also will do it. God will do just as He said
He would. You can count on it. He said
He would. He said He's coming back. Are
you looking for Him? He said he's coming. He said
he's coming. It's like that little girl. I
told you this illustration, but I'm going to tell you again.
It's like that little girl. They were going to have a meeting,
and they were going to pray for rain because it hadn't rained
forever. I mean, it was so dry and dusty, and she was going
with her father, and she wanted to know what was going on. And
he said, we're going to the service. We're going to meet together.
We're going to pray for rain. So as they went out the door, she
took an umbrella with her. And he said, what do you have
the umbrella for? She said, well, you're probably going to pray
for rain. That little child believed him. He believed him. Well, you're
going to pray for it, and it's going to rain. I'm going to take
an umbrella. I tell you how we pray, it's
like why you got the umbrella for. That's why you're bringing
that for. Oh, I don't know why you're going
to pray for. Faithful, and the point is this,
faithful is He that calls you who also will do exactly as He
said, He promised. He promised. You that are older,
are not the promises of God more precious now than ever? Are they
not more precious? He says, brethren, pray for us.
Always pray for one another, especially pray for those who
preach the word to you. Greet each other with a kiss.
There was always one lady at Hurricane Road, you probably
know her, Joyce Brown. Some of you know her. She always
greeted me with a kiss. Every time I'd go in the service,
she'd see me. She always greeted me with a
kiss. But what he's saying here is, greet one another with utmost
affection. It's not just being friendly,
but it's the utmost affection. You can't, and let me tell you
something, you cannot be or demonstrate your affection more than a kiss.
He's not telling, we're not gonna go around kissing each other,
but you know what I'm saying. But she always greeted me with
a kiss all the time. And it's what I call a holy kiss,
a holy kiss. I'm glad to see you. And I charge you by the Lord
that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. Well,
I just discharged that. I did my duty. You have now gotten
this epistle read to you. What he's saying here, this is
not a private letter. The Bible is not a private book. It's for the, and you know what
he called the holy brethren. I'm looking at holy brethren.
I really am. And this is for you. All right.