Go with me now to 1 Thessalonians
5. I was going to just deal with
this chapter tonight after reading it and was blessed by it, but
I read a verse. at the end of this chapter. And
Mindy read it also, asking me what I was going to deal with.
And it struck her too. It struck both of us. In verse
27, 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 27, the apostle writes and says,
I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all
the brethren. I charge you, this is a charge,
this is a command, that this epistle be read. That the preacher
and whoever is in charge, whoever is in charge, read it to the
people. And he said the same thing in
the last couple of verses of Colossians. Don't turn there,
but he said, cause that this be read, that letter read to
the church. And likewise in the other churches. So that's what we're going to
do tonight. That's what I'm going to do. And we're going to read
this whole book tonight. I've already read it for myself
four or five times. Greatly, greatly blessed by it. I'm going to make a few comments
as we go. This is exactly, this may seem
unusual to you, but if you don't read very much, then you need
it, don't you? And our Lord said this before we began it. Let
me give you a few passages which tell us to do this very thing,
read God's Word. The Lord said, Blessed is he
that readeth. We're so blessed if we read God's
Word. There are few people today who
read God's Word. I mean, actually, literally read
God's Word. Few people. Few people read the
Word and few people have a copy of the true Word. He said, Blessed
are they that hear the words of this prophecy. We read there
in Nehemiah how the people were so glad when they heard the Word
not only read distinctly, clearly, but they understood and the men
gave the sense of what they were reading. And they were so glad.
They were all so happy along with their tears over sinning
against God's Word. Our Lord said, blessed are they
that hear. Blessed are they that hear the preaching of the truth. Hear it read. You know, there
are even fewer people that hear the Word read and hear it preached. A few people read it, a few hear
it. And then he said, blessed are they that keep those things
written in the Book. How blessed, highly favored of
God are those who receive it and believe it and receive a
love for the truth and embrace it and lay hold on it and keep
it. That is, wouldn't trade it for anything. Moses, it says, and all the prophets
did this, but it says in Exodus 24, Moses took the book of the
covenant and read it, all of it, to the people. In Deuteronomy
17, this is the charge to me. In Deuteronomy 17, I've got this
in front of my Bible, and I can see it all the time, but the
charge to the ruler, those that have rule over the people. It
says, this book, he must have a copy himself and it should
be with him and he shall read it therein all the days of his
life, every day, that he may learn
to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of his law
and these statutes and do them, that his heart be not lifted
up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment.
to the right hand or the left, and prolong his days in his kingdom,
he and the children, in the midst of Israel." Joshua. It says that Joshua stood up
in Joshua chapter 8 and read all the words of the Law of Moses. It said there was not one word
that he didn't read to the people. Jeremiah told Barak, who was
the scribe and the preacher, when he was in prison, he said,
you go read in the ears of the people in the Lord's house all
the words of the book. Read it to them. So this is the charge to me,
to us. Read this epistle unto all the
brethren. Let's do that, shall we? Okay,
go to chapter 1 with me and I'll just make a few passing comments. I read this in about 17 minutes. Okay. Paul and Silas and Timothy
unto the church. These are things written by God
to the church of the Thessalonians, whatever church, that is in God,
in His will, in His heart, in His mind, in His purpose. And
in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace be unto you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God
always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. Somebody
texted me today and said, I was just thinking of you and praying
for you. Remembering without ceasing, your work of faith and
labor of love and patience of hope, faith, hope and love in
our Lord Jesus Christ. In the sight of God, God sees
this and our Father. Knowing, brethren, beloved, your
election of God, for our gospel came. not unto you in word only
or doctrine or letter, but also in power, life-giving, changing
power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And you
know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, and
you became followers of us and of the Lord. having received
the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, so that
you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
From you sounded out the Word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia
and Achaia, but also in every place in your faith. to God's
Word is spread abroad. Like you people here, you're
known in all the churches everywhere. Individuals. Each of you is known. So we need not to speak anything.
They themselves show or tell us what manner of entering in
we had under you, that is, that you heard and believed the truth. And how you turned to God from
idols to serve the living and true God out of religion. and
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,
even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." And
speaking of how they knew what manner of men they were, he says,
you yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you. It
was not in vain. Even after that we had suffered
before, were shameful and treated, As you know, at Philippi, we
were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with
much contention. Our exhortation was not of deceit,
nor of uncleanness, nor in guile, trickery. But we were allowed
of God to be put in trust with the gospel. Even so, we speak,
not as pleasing men, you know that, but God has tried our hearts. Neither at any time used we flattering
words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness. There's no money
behind this. God is witness. Nor of men sought
we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others. We might have
been burdensome, that is, use some authority as the apostles
of Christ, but we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth
her children, being affectionately desirous of you." Another place
Paul said, I don't want yours, I don't want what you have to
give me, but you. That's who I want. We were willing to impart it
unto you, not the gospel of God only. but also our own souls,
because you were dear unto us. You remember, brethren, our labor
and travail? Paul and Silas, they worked hard
with their hands, as hard or harder than anybody, literally,
laboring night and day because we would not be chargeable or
beholding unto any of you. This is what they wanted to do,
is preach unto you the gospel of God. Dear witnesses, And God
also, how holdily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves
among you that believe. As you know, how we exhorted
and comforted, charged every one of you as a father, as children,
that you would walk worthy of God, who hath called you into
His kingdom, called you to glory. For this cause also, thank we
God without ceasing. Because when you received the
Word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as
the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which
effectually worketh also in you that believe. You, brethren,
became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in
Christ Jesus. And you here, you are followers
of all the sister churches throughout the land. We are all in one accord. We follow each other, don't we?
These men that come here to preach to you, you love them dearly,
don't you? And you esteem them highly. And
you also, verse 14, have suffered like things of your own countrymen,
even as they have the Jews. persecution. Our Lord said it
would happen. Verse 15, they killed the Lord Jesus and their
own prophets, the Jews, and have persecuted us, chased us out. They please not God and are contrary
to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they
might be saved. You remember that story of Brother
Greg going to preach to the people in the Dominican Republic and
they came and said, you can't do this. It still goes on. And they're just filling up their
sins always. Verse 16, the wrath has come
upon them to the uttermost. We brethren being taken from
you for a short time in presence. Paul and Silas and Timothy were
run out of town. And he said, we were taken for
a short time, but not in heart. They were on their hearts and
minds every day, endeavoring more abundantly to see your face
with great desire. Wherefore, we would have come
unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, over and again, with
Satan hindering us. What is our hope or joy or crown
of rejoicing? He said, it's you. Are not even
you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and His coming?
In other words, this is the thing that we live for. This is the
thing that we're going to rejoice over more than anything else,
is that when we see you in glory. You are our glory, verse 20.
You're our glory. And Joe, you know he's not saying
that we take credit or the glory for you, but he's saying like
you would say of a child or someone that you're so happy for that
the Lord did something for you, you just rejoice over that person. And you just glory in them. Glory
in God and what He's done for them. Wherefore, verse chapter
3, when we could no longer forbear, we couldn't stand it any longer,
we thought it good to be left at Athens alone, but we sent
Timothy, our brother and minister of God. You know, I talked to
Donnie right after he left here, same thing. Did he get along
okay? How was attendance? Most people
there? He's our brother and minister
of God, our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish
you. Did he? Yeah, he did. To comfort you concerning your
faith. That no man should be moved by
these afflictions, these persecutions that our Lord said would come. Yourselves, you know that we
are appointed thereunto. See, it's not only given unto
us to believe, but to suffer. So don't be surprised, our Lord
said, when it happens. Verily, verse 4, when we were
with you, we told you before we should suffer tribulation.
And the Lord said that, didn't He? You must, through much tribulation,
enter the kingdom of God, but be of good cheer. So it's come
to pass, verse 4, and you know it. But that's proof. Didn't he say that back in chapter
1? It's proof that you're one of his elect. And verse 5, for
this cause, when I couldn't stand it any longer, I sent to know
your faith. I had to know how you were doing,
lest by some means the tempter tempted you. And our labor is in vain. That
somebody that made a profession has fallen away. And you know,
there was not swift communication then. And he had all those people
on his mind and on his heart. And he didn't know. He just had
to wait for Timothy to come back. And it took a while. And you
know, Paul, how so-and-so? How so-and-so? Oh, he's there.
She's there. She rejoiced in the God. Good.
Paul said, good. Silas said, well, what about
Sherry? She's there. Faithful as ever. Praise the
Lord. Satan, the Lord's kept her. And
that's the reason. From the tempter. So that's what
he said, verse 6. When Timothy came unto us and
brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, that you have
good remembrance of us, that you're thinking of us always,
desiring, oh, you want to see us as much as we want to see
you. Brethren, verse 7, we were so comforted. over you in all
our afflictions. See, they were going through
affliction and distress. All God's people do. You might
not even be aware of it, but they do. Same thing you go through. And the way we're comforted is
here they're comforted. When we see or hear of one of
our brethren going through trials and the Lord's grace sufficient
and holding them up, that holds us up. It delivers us. It comforts us
in our affliction and distress by your faith. Verse 8, we live
if you stand fast in the Lord. You know, those that preach the
gospel live by the gospel and it's their life. And so it is
with God's people. Christ is their life. And that
means the people of God are their life. I remember Brother Scott saying,
if I can't preach and can't be of some use to God's people,
and if I'm of no use anymore to God's people, he said, I just
want to die. And if the people fall away,
just kill me. That's what he's saying. I'll
live if you stand fast in the Lord. Verse 9, what thanks can
we render to God again for you? All the joy, wherewith we joy. Oh, how much joy and rejoicing
and fellowship we've had, haven't we, for so long. And joy for your sakes before
our God, night and day, praying exceedingly. that we might see
your face, might perfect that which is lacking in your faith. This was a young church at the
time. Oh, how Paul wanted to be there, preach to them. Now, God Himself, verse 11, and
our Father, He keeps saying that, doesn't He? What a blessing. Our Father in Heaven and our
Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto You. Guide us, bring
us unto you. And the Lord make you to increase
and abound in love one toward another and toward all, not just
the brethren, but all men, even as we do toward you. To this
end, to this purpose, that He may establish your hearts unblamable
in holiness, consecration before God, even our Father, at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints, which he'll
say more about in a minute. Furthermore, and remember he
said, we exhorted you and charged you how you ought to walk worthy
of God. Now he's going to talk about that. Furthermore, then,
we beseech you, brethren, beseech you, urge you, brethren, exhort
you by the Lord Jesus according to His command, His Word, that
as you have received of us how you ought to walk, conduct yourselves,
and to please God. Can a child of God please God? Let me ask you this, can we displease
God? That's what He said. Why would
we want to change it? And that's what we want to do,
don't we? Like a child wants to please
his parent. We exhort you, you've received with us how you ought
to walk and to please God so that you would abound more and
more. You know what commandments we
gave you by the Lord Jesus, what He said. This is the will of
God, your sanctification. Sanctification means to be set
apart for holy use, God. It means to be consecrated to
God. It means to be for His glory and for Him, like a bride for
her husband. This is the will of God, your
sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. that
every one of you, and fornication is self-pleasure, that every
one of you should know how to possess his vessel, your body,
in sanctification and honor. Paul in another place said, I
keep my body in subjection, lest in preaching to others I myself
be a castaway. So he's telling us what he himself
longs to do and endeavors to do by God's grace. Not, verse
5, that we should possess or keep our bodies for God's glory
and honor. Not in the lust of concupiscence. That's sexual lust. That's exactly
what concupiscence means. Like the Gentiles. How fitting
that is, because we are Gentiles and we live in a world that's
obsessed. And we're surrounded by it. And
so this is so needful, isn't it? They don't know God. They're
giving up to these things. And that no man, no woman, that's
in italics, no person young person, anyone, go beyond and defraud
his brother in this matter or take what doesn't belong to him
or her, husband or wife. The Lord is the avenger of all
such, as we also have forewarned you and testified in every single
epistle He warns of this. God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. He that despiseth. despiseth
not man, because man didn't say this, but God, who hath also
given unto us his Holy Spirit. And he's going to tell us in
a minute and warn us about quenching him. He's given us the Holy Spirit
to lead us and guide us in holiness. That is touching brotherly love. He mentioned up there that you
would increase in love toward one another. That's touching
brotherly love. You need not that I write Do you yourselves
are taught of God to love one another? This is His command. And indeed,
you do. You do it. You do it toward all
the brethren, and you do here. It's so wonderful, so evident
that you do it to all the brethren in Macedonia. But we beseech
you, brethren, you increase more and more. We feel like our love
is so... So, you study to be quiet. Do you know how much the Scripture
says about the mouth? There's one verse I was reading
in Proverbs, and it says, He that keepeth his tongue keepeth
his life. It says, in the mouth is the power
of death and life. You can kill somebody, or you
can heal. Study to be quiet. Endeavor. Do your own business. Mind your
own business, we would say. Work with your own hands as we
commanded you. You know what the sins of Sodom
were? I just read this today. The sins of Sodom were pride,
abundance of bread, and idleness. That's what God said so He gave
them over. Pride, too much stuff, and idleness. And that's exactly what Paul
is saying there. Verse 12, and so he studied to be quiet, mind
your business, work hard. And we commanded you, verse 12,
that you may walk honestly toward them that are without. We've
got a testimony. Witness a good profession like
our Lord did before Pilate. walk circumspectly before the
world where we claim to be his children. And that you may have
lack of nothing, an old man's lack, nobody be without. I would not have you to be ignorant.
I ain't going to comfort them concerning brethren, the brethren
who died. He said, I would not have you
be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. But if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, we do, don't we? Even so, them
also which sleep, or fell asleep in Jesus, will God bring with
Him. They're coming with Him. This
we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent, not
go before, not rise before them which are asleep. The Lord Himself,
yes, The Lord Jesus Christ himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout. What is Michael going to shout? The bridegroom coming. The voice of the archangel with
a trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall
rise first. Then we which are alive, if we
are still here, and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever
be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort, exhort one
another. Forsake not the assembling of
yourselves together, but so much more as you see the day approaching.
Exhort one another. Comfort one another with these
words. He's coming. He's at the door. Of the times
and seasons, brethren, you have no need I write unto you. You
yourselves know perfectly. You know this. The day of the
Lord comes as a thief in the night. No man knows the day or
the hour. And here's what they said before Noah's ark and Sodom,
when they shall say, Peace and safety. Sudden destruction cometh
upon them as a travail upon a woman, a woman with child, doesn't know
when she's going to give birth until the time. And they shall
not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. No,
you're waiting, you're watching. You're children of light. Children
of the day, lovers of light, not darkness. We're not of the
night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep.
We still need that warning exhortation. Don't fall asleep in vanity fair
as others do, but let us watch and be sober. Oh my, how much
the scripture says watch. 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, be serious watching this. Let me just read something, our
Lord, and see if I can find it. Luke, he said, be careful that
your hearts be not overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness
that that day come upon you unaware. Be not inebriated or intoxicated
or taken with anything or anyone in this world. Let us be sober, be serious,
putting on, verse 8, here's our protection for our heart and
our head, our affections and our mind, our thoughts. Let us
of the day, verse 8, be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love and for a helmet, hope of salvation. Let no other
thoughts enter our mind. But God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who
died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live
together with Him. That's our end, to be with Him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves
together. Being together is what we need to do. And comfort
yourselves together. Get together. Edify one another,
even as also you do. And we beseech you, brethren,
to know them which labor among you. My pastor said, recognize,
acknowledge, love and appreciate, respect them that God has given
you. Converse with them. Commune with
them. If God's given them any wisdom at all, talk to them. They've got something you need.
Know them, that labor among you, they're over you in the Lord.
He said in another place, they must give an account and admonish
you. If he's a true preacher, he's
going to admonish. Esteem them very highly in love
for their work sake. There's no higher officer, there's
no important man in the United States, in the world, than the man standing before
you. And be at peace among yourselves.
Be at peace. Where there's strife, envy and
strife, there's confusion, he said, in every evil work. If
there's strife, it's just confusion, confusing. Now, we exhort you,
brethren, warn them that are unruly, disorderly, rebellious.
Warn them. Comfort the feeble-minded. Comfort them. There are people
that are always going to be feeble-minded, never going to be any other way.
Comfort them. Know the difference. Support
the weak. There are people that are always going to be weak,
never strong. Support them. Hold them up. Be
patient toward all. See that none render evil for
evil unto any. Just don't return evil. Return
evil with good. It's the only way. Ever follow
that which is good, both among yourselves and all men. In other
words, do what's right. Do the right thing. Rejoice evermore. Rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice.
Your God reigns. Rejoice in Christ our Savior.
Rejoice. Pray without ceasing. Be like that importunate widow. Every hour, every day, in everything,
whatever it is, good or bad, good or evil, give thanks. This is the will of God. It needs be or it wouldn't be
concerning you in Christ Jesus to mold you and make you like
Him. Quench not the Spirit. He sent the Spirit. Listen to
Him. Many are led by the Spirit. They
are the sons of God. Listen to Him. Don't grieve Him, Paul said in
Ephesians. They despised not prophesying.
They despised Moses. They got tired of him. They got
tired of hearing what he had to say. Oh, my. Prove all things. Prove God's
Word, my God's Word. Prove the world what they are
saying. Prove yourselves by God's Word and by experience. Prove
everything. Prove the messenger and the message. Hold fast. Hold to that which
is good. The beginning of your comfort.
Steadfast at the end. It's good. It's the gospel. Abstain from all appearance of
evil. Again, he said to walk honestly
toward them that are without. Don't give any appearance of
evil. The very God of peace sanctify you. Listen carefully. Sanctify
you. Set you apart. Completely consecrate
you. I pray God, your whole spirit,
soul, and body, that's the whole man in it, be preserved, kept,
blameless. unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you who also would do it. Without Him, we can do nothing.
But with Him, all things. Brethren, pray for us. Pray for us. Pray, Lord, give
the preacher, and Brother Stephen did this tonight and you men
always do it, give the man the words we need to hear. Did you need these words? Do
you need these words? Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a
holy kiss, as we said before, it might be the last time you
see. Tell them you love them. Say goodbye. It might just be
that. Dad was leaving to study and I heard him say, was it to
you, Ra? He said, one more time. And that might be it. It might
be it. These are our brethren. Love
them. Greet them. Exhort them. I charge you by the Lord that
this epistle be read unto all the brethren. I fulfill my charges. And oh, this is our prayer, and
I dismiss you of this. Oh, may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.