Sep 5, 2021. I Thessalonians 4:9-12

Posted byJohn Sanzone

Please click here for the audio link and click here for the video portion of this message. Please click here to view today’s bulletin.

A WORTHY LIFE.  I Thessalonians 4:9-12.  9/5/2021.  #9.

I Thessalonians 4:9-12 [New King James Version]

9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

  1. The primacy of love
    1. The Thess. showed much Christian love in body and to others
      1.  Not only had they learned grace and patience in the short time, but had demonstrated charitable love
      1.  Paul wanted them to continue to grow in this trait
    1. Four categories of love: agape’ (chartable and self-sacrificing), phileo (affectionate), eros (physical; romantic), storge’ (conceptual, non-personal; i.e., love of country or nature)
    1. Paul emphasizes both brotherly love (affection) and charitable love here = both liking brethren and sacrificing for them
      1.  Titus 2:3-5 wives are to have affection for husbands
      1.  Matthew 22:34-40 – the greatest commands = to love God with all being and to love neighbor as self
      1.  John 13:34-35 Christ’s disciples are to love one another (foundation of relationships)
    1. Love, the motivation of kindness, charity, giving, and forbearing, is the motivation of worship and ministry
  2. The Christian lifestyle
    1. Beyond not sinning (immoral, lying, cheating, hating…), there is a proper way for believers to conduct themselves
    1. Christians are not to be obnoxious, boisterous, controlling, demanding, prying, meddling, imposing, or unfriendly
      1.  This may take some personality adjustments
      1.  The fall adversely impacted personalities also
      1.  Undesirable personality traits can be controlled
    1. Salvation brings the indwelling of Holy Spirit, who can alter irritating and boorish personality flaws as Word is applied
    1. Paul highlights 3 aspects: quiet life, taking care own business, and working with your hands
    1. Aspire (aim) to live a quiet life
      1.  aspire = phileo + timeo (to love honor or worthiness) => to desire to live a worthy life or to reach a higher standard
      1.  Quiet life = tranquil and peaceable (not raucous, narcissistic, or disquieting)
      1.  Going about own business with dignity and honor
    1. Minding your own business
      1.  Not a busybody in other people’s affairs (I Peter 4:15 = lit., “working around” => meddling)
      1.  Some things are our affair and need our intervention (confronting grievous sin but not minor transgressions [Ephesians 5:11; I Peter 4:8] or intervene to protect and help others [Philippians 2:3])
    1. Work with your hands
      1.   I Timothy 5:8 taking care of own family (II Thessalonians 3)
      1.  A man is responsible to support self and family, pay his taxes, give to Lord, and help others
    1. 3 categories of legitimate charity
      1.  James 1:27 those who are unable to support self
      1.  I Timothy 5:9-16 elderly or infirmed family members
      1.  I Thessalonians 5:14 those feeble in mind and body
  3. Walking properly
    1. 2 categories of walking properly: righteousness and appropriateness (dignity, non-offensive, decently)
    1. We are to walk becomingly (euschemonos = with a good scheme or standard) = not embarrassingly
    1. Our testimony begins with our deportment and image (do we attract people or repel them?)
      1.  A believer can be winsome or repulsive
      1.  Can draw people to Christ or drive away
    1. To have a good lifestyle of holy living = lack nothing

Key verse: Matthew 22:34-40

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”