Sermon Tone Analysis

Inscription: Writing God’s Words on Our Hearts & Minds

Part 80: Living Quietly

1 Thes.

4:11-12

July 1, 2012

SELLING OUR HOUSE

As Marilyn mention last week, we have decided to try to SELL our HOUSE.

It worked before my pay cut, but now it is just too tight.

We looked into it a year ago, but we could not sell it for what we owed, now we can.

~* For us, not doing a SHORT SALE was important; I am not say it is always wrong, but it should be the last option.

The thought of being debt-free is immensely attractive, even if that means renting.

And at the same time, as Marilyn said, we are learning to be happy with less and finding that it is actually easier to be happier when you have LESS CLUTTER.

DANGER AHEAD

I like being a little CONTROVERSIAL and riling things up a little, so this will be a fun sermon.

I hope to mess with you all a little bit!

PRAYER

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Thes.

4:11-12 (Erin)

QUIET NEIGHBORS

So let’s say decided to by our house at full price (because that would be great), once you moved in you would meet the NEIGHBORS.

On the north side is this GREAT FAMILY – they keep their house yard nice, don’t let their kids run around screaming all night, and gladly lend you a couple eggs.

Not only that, they are friendly and funny.

Nothing obnoxious about them.

Really you would, the Spitler’s are great neighbors.

Let say on the other side were BAD NEIGHBORS (they actually are fine) – they never cut their LAWN, let their kids run through your front lawn.

Their cars (working or not) are plastered with Christian BUMPER STICKERS.

And when you meet them, the first thing they do is ask if you know “The Four SPIRITUAL LAWS.”

Q Who is being a BETTER CHRISTIAN?

Keep in mind that the Spitler’s have yet to SAY ANYTHING about being a Christian.

Maybe you’d notice them going to church on Sunday or something would come out in conversation.

Let read that passage again:

NIV 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Q Why is it that we don’t hear many SERMONS on this PASSAGE?

UN-CHRISTIAN

~* Shortly after I became pastor, I had all the ELDERS read a book, “UNCHRISTIAN,” to help us build on a common vision.

It described the way non-Christians view Christians; it was based off of a SURVEY done by Barna of young outsider, asking what terms they would use to describe Christians.

Q Guess what terms were not on the list?

“Live QUIETLY” and “Mind their own BUSINESS.”

Strange, huh? Do you know what the top two were?

~* ANTI-HOMOSEXUAL (91%) and JUDGMENTAL (87%) – aren’t those like the OPPOSITE of minding your own business?

Here is the DILEMMA that we live in, the PARADOX of what God expects of us:

~* Most of us believe sin’s DESTRUCTIVE, CARE about our neighbor, and don’t want to see the WORLD go to HELL in a hand basket.

Q What can we do about it while LIVING QUIETLY?

~* Some of us live by “LIVE and LET LIVE,” and have trouble seeing how dramatically the Gospel should affect the world.

Q Which one DESCRIBES YOU better?

If you’ve SETTLED EASILY into either of these, you’re not living Biblically.

If you STRUGGLE CONSTANTLY with knowing when to SPEAK and SHUT up, then you probably are closer to the mark.

THREE RESPECTABLE IDEAS

Let’s break down these three things Paul commands:

1. Work with your hand

I am this taking in REVERSE ORDER so that it doesn’t get lost in the other two.

I have already spoken on this recently, but it bears repeating:

~* We live in a society DRIVEN BY money and that RESPECTS MONEY, which isn’t entirely bad – money ISN’T FILTHY when used right.

But it also means that if we are FINANCIAL FAILURES, do not pay our DEBTS, or live on PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, we will lose the RESPECT of outsiders.

~* I had to make arrangements to pay my DENTIST bill.

2. Mind your own business

This is where things get really TRICKY.

Do you remember what the #1 PERCEPTION of Christians was? Anti-homosexual.

We have a FAILURE to COMMUNICATE of Biblical proportions: God CAME in flesh and was BORN in a stable, DIED on a cross so that the church can be known for not letting gays marry?!?

Let me be very CLEAR about my STANCE (so I can make everyone mad): I believe that God’s HIGHEST and BEST intention for sex involves the MELDING of one MAN and one woman into ONE FLESH within marriage.

~* That means PREMARITAL, EXTRA-MARITAL, HOMOSEXUAL, and POLYGAMOUS sex all falls short and defrauds us of his best.

I believe all of these ROBS us of God’s best.

Accordingly, saying “I DON’T CARE what you do, so long as it is two (or more) consensual adults” means, “I don’t care about YOU.”

~* Ironically, the previous passage is about SEXUAL IMMORALITY.

But I am also convinced this NOT the CORE of CHRISTIAN MORALITY, and the church has done a POOR JOB of COMMUNICATING that.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Q How do we HOLD onto these BELIEFS, CARE about others, how sin AFFECTS them and SOCIETY, while MINDING our own BUSINESS?

~* And we are not just talking about HOMOSEXUALITY – MONEY, AMBITION, DIVORCE, HONESTY, ABORTION, CRIME, etc.

There are two parts to that: How we relate to INDIVIDUALS and how we relate to SOCIETY as a whole:

a.

To individuals

Listen carefully to what Paul says:

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.

In that case you would have to leave this world.

But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.

With such a man do not even eat.

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

Are you not to judge those inside?

God will judge those outside.

“Expel the wicked man from among you.”

What does this tell us?

That you treat INSIDER and OUTSIDERS differently!

~* “MIND your own BUSINESS” doesn’t apply to other CHRISTIANS!

But as for those who DON’T CLAIM JESUS as Lord, it is not our business if they live like a Christian, and frankly we don’t expect them to.

It is in God’s hands.

~* But there is one very important exception to this: When they make it your business by giving you PERMISSION.

People joke about me WITNESSING to STARBUCK’S customers, but I know how ineffective that would be, without PERMISSION.

Q HOW do we get permission?

By LIVING QUIETLY (next topic)!

b.

To society

It gets even more complicated dealing with society.

In some ways it was easier in Paul’s day – there was NO real possibility of AFFECTING CHANGE on society.

Here was his POLITICAL ADVICE:

1 Timothy 2:1-4 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

PRAY and LIVE QUIETLY – that is great political advice.

~* But in our day and age, we are able to INFLUENCE POLITICS THROUGH VOTING – that is what we celebrate on the 4th.

It is not only our RIGHT, it is our RESPONSIBILITY as Christians to give to the government what is due (Rom.

13:5-7).

To get specific and to really rile things up, in November you will be asked to vote on INITIATIVE 1192, which will define marriage as between one and one woman.

Q But how do Christians MIND our own BUSINESS while RESPONDING to this issue?