The Believer's Testimony
I Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 38 viewsThe testimony we present to unbelievers will be heavily dependent upon our love for one another and how we conduct ourselves in daily life among them.
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Introduction
Paul continues to offer instruction to the believers at Thessalonica, now turning to their testimony among those outside of the church.
He details several important aspects of their lives as believers that may impact their testimony for Christ among the unbelievers around them.
The instruction that Paul gives will have a twofold result in that it will lead to a good testimony in their community as well as being beneficial to them personally so that their needs would be met.
He spoke to them concerning:
Brotherly Love
Brotherly Love
The believers in Thessalonica were excelling in this particular area, yet Paul still saw fit to encourage them to continue to increase in their love toward their fellow believers.
One of the most impactful areas of our personal testimony to the outside world is how we love one another.
- a deeper explanation of why we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ. - love for the brethren is an evidence of our salvation.
Paul knew the Thessalonian believers were aware of their responsibility to love one another for they had certainly been taught of God to do so.
When we come to understand the love of God it ought to naturally produce a love for the family of God.
- a deeper explanation of why we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ. - love for the brethren is an evidence of our salvation.
It is vitally important that we recognize fellow believers as members of the family of God, brothers and sisters whom we ought to love sincerely.
The Thessalonian believers were exercising this principle and not only towards them of their own congregation but in a broader sense they had exhibited love towards all the believers in Macedonia.
Much damage has been done to the testimony of Christ by believers who did not love one another. Over the years much of the in-fighting and contention among Christians has affected the perspective of those outside the church to the point that they have lost respect for Christianity.
This has been especially true of the independent fundamental baptist movement. How many times throughout history have there been public attacks and divisions among us.
Certainly there will be disagreements and differences among believers, but we ought to handle them with love and understanding rather than with hatefulness and anger.
Those outside the church observe the love (or the lack thereof) that we have for one another and this serves to give greater credibility to Christianity or to discredit it altogether.
This is why Paul writes to encourage, even the Thessalonian believers who are already practicing this brotherly love toward other believers, to increase more and more in this all important virtue.
Ambition (- background information)
Ambition (- background information)
Paul challenged the believers at Thessalonica to aspire to do what he had formerly commanded them to do. He gives three distinct instructions that he desires for them to recall.
He is basically encouraging them to forsake selfish ambition that would stir up strife and contention in favor of living a quiet life at peace with your station in life.
Paul instructs the believers to aspire:
to be quiet- this does not mean simply that they would not speak but rather that they would be at peace not stirring up strife or contention.
There are believers today who seem to feel it their duty to stir up trouble among believers. There are some who seem to make it their mission to be abrasive and bombastic.
Paul wrote to the church at Rome- - live peaceably with all men. Instead many believers today seem to prefer the opposite, to live in constant conflict and chaos.
So many today thrive on controversy but Paul instructed the believers to aspire to live quiet lives understanding that we do not have to lash out violently at those we disagree with. - in most cases it would be better to pray.
How much more respect might Christianity have today if men who disagreed had simply prayed for one another instead of attacking one another in the public forum of blogs, social media, etc...
We should be willing to boldly let the world know where we stand but we can do this without going on the offensive against those who do not take the same stand.
The testimony of many a good man has been damaged because he spoke out when he should have kept quiet.
to do your own business- in the language of today Paul was telling the believers to mind their own business.
There are many among Christianity who would do well to listen to Paul’s instruction. Too many are more than willing to meddle in the affairs of others.
We could spend a lifetime critiquing the lives and ministries of other believers, but what a waste of our time when we have such important business to attend to of our own.
It is our business to reach our community with the Word of God and to conduct ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.
It is not our business to criticize other ministries or believers. We must come to a point of understanding that they must stand before God with the decisions they make just as we will.
& - it is not our place to pass judgement for God will ultimately judge every believer by the standard of the Word of God.
It should not be our mission to destroy other ministries or to discredit other believers, instead we ought to strive to attend to the work that God has given us to do.
Much harm has been done to cause of Christ by believers who have made it their mission to criticize and attack every ministry or believer they do not agree with.
to work with your own hands- we should not be looking for a handout
There were believers in Thessalonica that had misconceptions about the return of Christ and had ceased to work expecting the church to meet their needs.
- if you will not work then do not expect to eat.
Every believer has a responsibility to work to provide. We ought not to expect to receive a handout to provide for our needs. There are those who have real needs but it is not the responsibility of the church to provide for the needs of someone who is not willing to work.
Throughout history Christians have been known for their work ethic and that should be true of believers today as well.
Even Paul did not expect the church to take care of his needs as he ministered among them, he would often work as a tentmaker to provide for his own needs.
A Christian who will not work or who has a poor work ethic is a poor testimony for Christ. We ought to be the best employees in our workplace because we understand that we are not working for our manager or our supervisor but for Christ. - as unto the Lord
All of these things work together to present an image Christianity to those outside of the church. Let us follow Paul’s instruction so that we are increasing the credibility of Christ rather than discrediting the Christian faith.
If we will aspire to live a quite life, tending to our own business, and working with our own hands we can also be sure that we will have no lack of those things which are necessary to life and godliness.