1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 (Week Eight)

Good morning. What a beautiful morning to be in the house of God.

Just a footnote to pathway Joy is for dirt. All the books. She has all the books and if you are interested in being a part of that send you a quick text or an email.

And let her that you know, you're interested. We just need to make sure we have enough books for everybody. Before we start communion. I just want to focus on the needs of our church and continue to pray for Lucy McIntosh as she's going through a treatment the gal that I just prayed with. She's having issues with her knees. We just pray for her we pray for JTL. He says everyday is getting a little bit stronger a little bit better. So just continue to pray for him and pray for the others that

Are comfortable coming to Sunday morning? We pray that is say our share our services online at They might be blessed but one of these days we'll all be back together as a family.

This morning. This is we look at celebrating communion and I want to just challenges in the phrase that.

Cuz in an unworthy manner.

examination is not to determine if we're hit the worthiness because none of us are worthy. It means for careful self-reflection on the manner in which we take communion. The Lord's Supper is a holy meal. In which we met remember the life the death than the resurrection of Jesus. Dennis Ackerman got transfers to work of Calvary into our lives. This is also where the benefits of our victory over Satan in this world in the Forgiveness of our sins are proclaimed. We take what is Holi with unrepentant hearts, then we engage in the meal in an unworthy manner. The examinations means that we treat the Lord's Supper for what it is. a Connecting Point between us And Calvary, what a blessing. The sacrament is it is meant to bring life.

As we take it. As we take communion, let us think about the deep meaning and the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.

I'd like to see as we take the way for just to spend 30 seconds in our own hearts. And reflection with Jesus.

to look at Cheese's And what he did for us each individual and thank him for that. hedges

bring our faults in our needs to him. So let us take 30 seconds, and then we'll for take of the other way for and then we'll continue on.

And Jesus Took the the cop. This is the blood that was shed for you. This is a new. New Covenant I give to you do this remember to me like ways just take time to self meditate and just reflect on what that New Covenant has that we were blessed to have because what Jesus did for us on Calvary?

Thank you, Lord, Jesus for your sacrifice. We just thank you for your life that you gave but not only your life at your resurrection that we might have your spirit living with us and that we might be filled with your Holy Spirit and you might guide us. We just thank you for the privilege to know you on a personal level. We just pray that this week that we might focus on you and what you've done for us and we just pray this in your name. Amen.

It would see if that works. Hey, we're back on my have to take it down. Just a little bit, but we're getting there. Working all the Kinks Kinks out. Always with technology, but let's get the lights up here. I think we may be turn on my mind switch on the lights on on that side over there behind the door. Please don't keep you guys waiting to put you to sleep. Well today is the last day of our in our in our book of 1st Thessalonians are series of 1st Thessalonians, and if you have them with you, if not, you can pull out your Bible app. And I that's just the same as you get into God's word. We are going to be in chapter 5 verses 12 through 28 today. Having having a faith in Christ is not only unites us as Believers, but it also separates us spiritually from the world and Paul last week talks talked about that when he got into the subject of the day of the Lord. We see the day of the Lord you have the the contrast of those that are believers in those that are unbelievers and then the Judgment that comes with it. So today we see Paul transitions in begins to land the plane. So to speak as he gives us the grand finale display of encouragement fireworks in his last passages Saint Paul's New Testament writings. He often refers to the Brethren here. First of the Brethren about 60 times and 27 of those times were just in the first and second chapter of the first and second letters of Thessalonians alone, but his point in referring to the Brethren is to showcase at the local church is a family When Believers reject the local church, it becomes a sad day. They might do this for many reasons without having really try to work things out the important things realize that there's absolutely no perfect family. There's no perfect church family in order to grow and because if someone was on their own say a child is on his own her own she would suffer and die by herself. The child of God also needs to have the whole church family, which is the local church in order to grow and develop their spiritual gifts to thrive and a serve the Lord. every child of God grows a different pace no matter our age So Paul challenges all believers that in order to be able to get over the hurdle of a roadblock in a spiritual growth. You must go back to the basics. And so Paul goes back to the basics. So to speak in this last portion of scripture. So, how can we get out of our spiritual rut and what are some of the essential things for a thriving church family and how can churches grow into being more spiritual for the Gloria gone? Well, that's what Paul discusses in our passage today in Warren wiersbe breaks it down into four categories of the first is in verses 12 through 16 family leadership in verses 17 to 21. He discusses Family Worship. 2224 Godly living in a verses 25 to 28 Christian Fellowship. So it's getting to our passage this morning and then we'll pray. Now we asked you brothers and sisters to acknowledge those who work hard among you who care for you in the Lord and who is Manas you hold them in the highest regard and love because of their work live in peace with each other and we urge you brothers and sisters warn, those who are idle and disruptive encourage the disheartened help the weak be patient with everyone make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else Rejoice always pray continually give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ. Jesus. Do not quench the spirit do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all hold on to what is good reject every kind of evil. May God himself the God of Peace sanctify you through and through his fever. So we've been using met your whole Spirit soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ the one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers and sisters pray for us greet all God's people with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Father we thank you for this particular passage this morning as often times in the body of Christ. No matter what goes on around us on the outside. We can easily find ways to to tear the church apart from the inside within ourselves. And all too sadly all too often this happens throughout the world, but Lord, we just pray against that Lord we pray against any foothold the enemy might have where we pray for your will to be done in our church in the churches around Lord that that are following your word. I worry just pray that we will be at church that exemplifies what it is to to live for you two, are you to honor one another and as we get into this this passage Lord mayor of your spirit speak through Me Maybe your words and your truth and we just pray this in your name. Amen. So the first topic is family leadership so we can get into verses 12 through 16 so I can kind of far along in there. But but Paul Silas and Timothy as they're led by the Holy Spirit, they would go around different parts of the world really end. They would set up churches and when they said of churches and they felt like they were Strong enough in a way to stand on their own two feet. They would in this time in the process. They would train and equip Elders in church leaders to take their place and then in turn to train and equip the people in the church. So why did they do this but in so in order for the local churches that were planted to have leadership they couldn't just exist, but they needed to thrive and God's word and service together and without Church leadership in the correct. Mentally there was always chaos and Ascension spread in grocery gets even with men leading in in certain things. You can have the engine when you're not going the right direction, which we'll talk about in a minute but God instituted this and Paul and his fellow Travelers continue this through a process of prayer and training. It wasn't just a process where they just go into the wind and just kind of, you know not have any cares. It was a it was a prayer of it was a process of prayer and training it took time. There's no leader a family easily falls apart. I did some research this week according to town charts.com. Tehama County has the lowest percentage of families with with both husband and wife but we have the third highest birth rate in the North State. We have the highest rate of teenage pregnancies that 4% of all pregnancies in our County the second highest rate 50% of unwed births and about 95% of which are 20 to 34 years old and you know what the biggest issue that we have in our county is Is a fatherless issue? I'm going to jump out on a limb and I'm going to say that it's mostly the father's fault. because they get these women pregnant right at times and in a move on and they don't become involved and we know there's other factors, but this is a big one but in a Biblical marriage in God's design for marriage the husband and the wife should be a team and the father designed by God to be the head of the household and spiritual leader should be the mother should stay in love and respect behind the Father the husband and the children should obey the parents right in this is an in a perfect world. This is in God's Perfect Design for marriage, but what do we do? We messed it up right you messed it up.

This is the order that God lays out in his word when it's orders Disturbed then issues arise and statistics like to Hema County Red Bluff occur with a very low rates of birth to wedded couples and many verse where there is no father in the picture at all. Realize that nothing is going to be perfect in this life to Christ returns. We need to get back on track and and get to the model the biblical model for marriage in for families. And so we're going to look at that when it is modeled correct unbelievers begin to want that and they asked questions which leads to opportunities for us to share the gospel. So who is responsible for modeling these kinds of marriages?

The crowd goes silent the Church Believers. We are the ones to exemplify to model. What a Biblical marriage looks like. I'm done talking about it to the married couples right now. But if you're married you have responsibilities to your children and those around you. And are there good marriages and families? Right? There's good with that are that aren't saved unbelievers. There's some good marriage has some good people we went from Evil by the world standards. But they're still not living according to God's design for marriage. And parroting and therefore they wouldn't model the same rules that were intended for husbands and wives and of course their children and so it gets passed on so we have a recycling system that occurs and that's how you get the statistics of what's going on. So in those good marriages those of families that are not saved usually it's the children that run the home and everything revolves around the kids. There's almost always going to be no respect and most of the time at least one of the parents will be thrown the other parent under the bus in front of the kids. So the other kids will and turn like them and it's no wonder that we have over 60,000 guidance counselors and 7000 school psychologist in the American public system school system in reality to parents. When a volunteer at Salisbury High School, I noticed that most of the kids that I counseled the majority of the kids in the majority of issues stemmed back from broken relationship within their families. And you know, what's the number one issue was within their families their father. It goes back to the father. Their father wasn't present their fathers in jail their fathers on drugs or their fathers in alcohol or their father abused them. Sadly this is this is a statistic that we have to live with this reality of our fathers. I'm going to be the first to admit but a spiritual leaders in the head of household. We are going to blow it a lot of the time.

And if you're not willing to admit that you need to work on that, but we can get off track from what God has called us to be. I say all this to reiterate what Paul was doing in the local church as he was setting up a leadership for the local churches to thrive and have biblical and spiritual Direction. Send verses 12 through 13 as we get into our text Paul answers the question what responsibilities did the Brethren or Believers have to their spiritual leaders? And the first one is to accept them. God not only appointed these men, but he gave them Spiritual Authority to not be dictators right to not be take Taylor's but to lead by example. As they follow the lord we are to follow them. In marriages we're believing husband is not falling the Lord the wife is still obligated to love and respect your husband. However, must follow God's word in order to not be sucked into where her husband is and it can be the other way around right? She must do everything that she can do is specially and essentially through prayer and support of her local church to help her husband get back on track in order so he can be spiritually leading again. The husband must do the same for his wife to encourage her to love her to respect her to pray for her to support her. Parents must do the same for the children. This is the same model for the church family as a whole that were to help and encourage one another. So weird, except our spiritual leaders and follow them as they're leading by example in the second thing that Paul says is that weird to appreciate them and verse 12. He says acknowledge those who work among you should be a spiritual leader. It's a great responsibility, but it's not a hundred percent spawn all the time. Serving as a spiritual leader in a local church is not easy. You have to have patience you have to have thick skin. Any encouragement will be few the burdens will be fast. The issues will be big. I want a church family neglects to pray for their leaders and work alongside them and encourage them. It's very dangerous waters for the church. And this is what Paul is trying to get across and so the third one as easy as he's talking to these the congregation here in regard to the leaders of church leaders. He says you also must love and Obey them. That Paul makes mention of these leaders being over us and among us as we look at in verse 13. These are people who go through life there people who go through life situations with families and individuals not just some of the time but constantly it's the constant situation. Where were they call on you to it for prayer for encouragement or dish to bounce some ideas across they don't just sit on the sidelines but these are the ones who are calling and finding are ways to help them through tough times. There are calling on people and they're they're encouraging people in tough times. One of the biggest reasons for church splits and Red Bluff is famous for them is when the relationship between a church member and a church leader is strained. If a pastor or Elder gets out of bounds with his role and doesn't rely on the holy spirit for wisdom and guidance. His ministry is weakened and possibly destroyed. And I say this in four-wheel is a realization knowing that it could very well happen to anybody could very well happen to to me and that's why we need your prayers and encouragement all the more. Go to church member of band is Grace and love and I would even an accountability there is absolutely no hope for them to stick it out for the Long Haul in situations where things could be worked through. But we're also called to obey our church leaders as false as Hebrews 13:17 says have confidence in your leaders and submit to their Authority because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account do this so that their work will be a joy not a burden for that would be of no benefit to you. Some of the hardest times in my life was after hearing a sermon when I knew I needed to change and do something differently when I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit I needed to to correct some things in my life. That's not not fun being a position. I know sometimes I've had people come with me. So you follow me this week or were you were you stalking me on Facebook or something? And and I might do I have not been on Facebook for almost 2 months now, but but no, I'm not following you and I'm not I'm not getting into your life and in that way, but the way that God works in our lives through our spiritual leaders, it's happen to me growing up. It still happens to me as I listen to other pastures. I don't want to hear the truth from the sermon even though I knew what I needed to do. Nobody wants that but God put pastors you put Elders you put church leaders here for a reason and he knows what you need at exactly the perfect moment. So the results of a church family fall in respecting our leaders will be peace and Harmony and the opposite is is Gossip in dissension. If you hear gossip about your church leaders or others we could listen but where to stay clear of those people because in those people this very little discernment is very little prayer in their life and oftentimes, they don't mean goodbye it. Chipotle continues on in verse 14 to 16 here where it says in the urge you brothers and sisters warn, those who are idle and disruptive encourage the disheartened help the weak be patient with everyone make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and everyone else Rejoice always. As it gets into this passage is saying that the leaders can't do it all themselves. So basically grab a shovel and help dig the ditch. If you're alive today, and you're breathing in the pews, you have a responsibility. To not give up on helping your church leaders accomplish the mission that God gave you Church where to partner with our spiritual leaders and serving our gifting to encourage to build one another up especially in the most difficult times in life. Especially right now. It's going on everybody's going through hard times Ephesians 4:12. So is this where to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up This is what church leaders should do to help their members grow. But the other side of this is that members should get to a point where they moved from spectator and learner to do her.

Until Paul give some specifics and helping and courage in difficult members in verse 14. So we're just going to get into it here. He uses some terms that that we see as Idle at we Rita's idle and disruptive. These are the church members who are mostly careless or out of line. If there's no rules or standards in a family, there's almost always going to be chaos and is almost always going to be confusion. I mean we have rules we have standards in the Knutson home and we have rules and standards and our core beliefs things that we hold to in in our FCC membership Covenant. So many people that wonder why do we why do we need to be a member? Why do we need to go through membership to be part of a church. Do you have to be a member to be part of a church? Absolutely not. But often they say why don't need to be a member to be a church and then to be able to get really involved in I would say no you don't but but most people don't mind signing up for gym. Most people don't mind sign up for a golf course or another club. I mean, this is we didn't and you know, I mean the Church formed inside idea right but I mean the world is just took it and ran with it. We have no problem signing up for four different clubs or activities. Don't those places have rules or expectations are standards or I mean don't you go to school have a job in a school where they have rules and standards and things like that. But we wonder why does a church have membership? This is ridiculous. How much more important is it for believer to understand the standards in the mission in the core beliefs of the church family not only that but agree with them and to live by them. That's that's exactly what the main reasons why we have church membership it so that we're all on the same page. Do we get that? We're all in the same same page. We want to be on a mission together. We want to know who is with us. We want to know how we can hold everyone not just to a bunch of rules and regulations but weekend we can hold them accountable to what they've signed in the Covenant realizing that they want to grow more and more that they want to be a part of this mission in these core beliefs that we hold two, but when church members go south and they cause dissension in trouble. We can take them back to the standards. We take him back to the core beliefs take him back to the mission of our church teaser get them back on track with where we're headed nicely or we can invite them to leave if they can't play nicely with the rest of the people in the church family, and I don't see that but there's times when when people just want nothing more than to cause dissension and you know, the other job of Elders and pastors is to to watch out for the wolves in sheep's clothing.

Call also mentions in in verse 14 that we should help the disheartened and the week. The disheartened are those who are the quitters. I say this in the terms of that the easily give up when things get tough. They usually look on the down side of things and their pessimistic these people that need to be encouraged instead of scolded. We have to teach them that the trials and life are not there to Smite us, right, but they're there to the four more characters that we can become more christ-like. Dirty Crow us in our faith there not to make us weaker. Speaking of weakness Paul also leads into this word inventions that we need to help the week. When I get started talking about the the physically weak, but we're to hold fast to the people to these people and help them grow strong in the Lord so they don't remain weak in their face. They're the ones who live by the rules and regulations and never move past to get to the freedom that we have in Christ. They never realize that we have the ability to exercise our convictions to Grace in the in the church body. In Jesus in Paul's day. It was the Jews who wouldn't eat certain types of meat, right? We often heard Jesus scolding at times the Pharisees and the Sadducees the right reasons. They tried to hold these new Christians to a set of rules that that didn't apply to Christians because they're following the law Grace of falling Jesus. Everyone in the body of Christ mature is differently in the Lord and that perhaps maybe one of the hardest things for us to understand about one another. We have to be patient with every single person in the body because not everybody is on the same level and it's so important. There was a time when when when all of us were unaware of the of christianese or certain terms or or certain simple that we would call Simple truths in the Bible and often times. You hear messages that are preached with these these big words that even at times I have no idea what that even means feel like going to dictionary sometimes look these things up because as we teach it we need to teach it to the level that that not everybody actually knows these terms and that's okay because everybody learns on a different different level. We need to be patient with one another So continuing on verse 15 Paul says that where to watch the motives and make sure that we're serving in love and that we are quick to forgive one another. If I motive is to receive praise and appreciation while we're certainly going to be discouraged most of the time because it doesn't always happen. We're also to be joyful to Rejoice always Paul said again and later on full feed ins for 4 rejoice in the lord. Always I will say it again rejoice. I mean Joy really what Joy does it takes the burden out of serving? What was serving with the joy of the Lord it looks different and serving out of a of a burden, right? We see people as an opportunity to to build up and encourage versus projects or people that may may take up and suck our time. Mitch member of the church. They should contribute to this joy as a whole the partnership in the church body is essential for the church growth spurts growth and its health So the question is I guess now this point is our are you bearing are we burying our fair share of the burdens or we just a spectator in the church? The second one that Paul breaks down inverse of 17 to 21 as we get into is this this concept of Family Worship.

The ministry in the body of Christ Ministry in the body of Christ flows from worship. Otherwise, it's just busy work with actually no heart. So everything in the church Almond Street right should be worship. It's all response as Believers to worship God.

If we use a church if we're not worshipping together. If if if a church isn't worshiping together or Schmidt all this shouldn't call themselves The Church. Because it's the most important thing that they can do to worship. God is essential to bring glory to God and this isn't focusing on it's not fun. When we don't Focus On Christ. We don't focus on bringing glory to God we're going to easily become self-centered. We're going to easily become a church that is about feeding that entertainment Dragon right that you have to constantly have the next biggest thing in the the lights or whatever or or or the shows and performances and in your never ever ever going to satisfy that Dragon you won't I've I've been in large churches on staff largest church in the smaller church group in a small church, and it's so much easier to do things with less expectation of people that

You guys are you guys are patient. You guys have been patient with me for over 11 years, and I appreciate that.

So what is the worship Ministry of the church and Paul? He really he lays it out for us. What is the number one Ministry? I'm going to see if you know, what is the number one Ministry you can looking for a 17 ft attic?

Pray prayer is that cuz she cuz she has that simple as it. Is it expected of course, right? We're believers. Prayer is the absolute vital and should be the church's first line of defense first line of offense. It should be the first move before even take a step. It should be a first response in times of trouble and in a reaction and Times of joy. Praying without ceasing. It doesn't mean just a consulate Mumble prayers and I pray without ceasing I'm not doing that. I need to consult praying in my humble prayers and make things up and you know or whatever but but it doesn't mean that praying without ceasing. It means to have a long life of long for Life a long conversation with god. It's not just a bunch of short hang ups and callbacks. It's a constant conversation. Will you leave the the hook on a grown up my sister with the corded phone number those you could wrap around the other room my sister would it would like always always always take up the line and all you do is talk to my friend. I mean I talk to my friends like two seconds in this our conversation went with my friend, but we basically said hey you want to go fishing and we'll grab a bike. And so but my sister should be like talking talking talking talking talking on the phone, and she would you know, when you when people call you at the busy signal But as a as as we're praying we need to think like that, right we never wanted to have this long conversation with god in this case is good. The second one is praise in verse 18. What does it say here give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will. God's will for you in Christ. Jesus know when you read them in in God's word that something about God's will if this this is God's will probably important, right? This is God's will for you in Christ. Jesus three Joyce to pray to give. Thanks. These are important reaction that is vital to worship is Thanksgiving. I want talking about the the guys with the black hats in the shiny boots at you know, celebrating the turkey in that sort of stuff. I'm talking about having a life that is lived in gratitude and enjoy. In the Lord in season and out of season in every aspect of our life in as we grow in understanding application of God's word. We should grow in our praise and our Thanksgiving to God. Colossians 3:16 Paul says it this way let the message of Christ dwell among you rich Lil that word dwell in there. Let it dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms hymns and songs from the spirit singing to God with gratitude in your hearts that shows the diversity of Music in the church. If a congregation is growing in Grace, I believe we have your First Christian Church over the years members will want to learn new songs in order to give praise and worship to God. If the heart and the head are not connected then worship will become a point of contention versus contentment. So how does a church grow and Thrive together there in the word of God in the songs? They sing should reflect the word of God more than anything else, right? So how many how many you have actually started reading the book of Acts the challenge? We've been having sweet cool.

If you haven't done it just jump in there if you go into October, don't worry about it. But I encourage you get into the book of Acts read a chapter night. You know what I mean read. Do you know if you have to split up between two days whatever just gets written and read it you're going to enjoy it. We're going to get into the book of Acts next next week starting next week. I'm going to be in it for a long time. I'm sure we'll have breaks in between that but but we're excited to jump in the book of Acts Siri Paul's day in for this church in thessalonica as we talked about before they were traveling false prophets that were out to make money. We talked about a few weeks back the Believers at thessalonica. They were obviously skeptical as you can imagine right now these false prophets are trying to make money. And so instead of Discerning the truth. What does the believer started to do is basically push every word that a profit would come away and ignore it and they discounted everything that was said that wasn't a part of their own church. This was good and bad but Paul made mention of this to them because obviously God had sent some legit profits to him and they've rejected them right and they chose not to listen. Today to be clear. There are absolutely no new prophets. There's no new revelation from God's word. 1st John 2 2021 but you have an anointing from the Holy One and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth. But because you do not because you do know it and because know why comes from the truth when we become saved we have the Holy Spirit that resides in as permanently write the holy spirit is the guy that's in truth as we read and hear messages that are spoken to us. But apart from the Holy Spirit we cannot know truth. During Paul's day. There was no complete Bible. But now we do have a completed Bible. Right because it's a completed word. We don't add to it or speak New Revelations apart from it. What's already been spoken to? I mean read the last read the last part of Revelation, right? What does it tell us to add to God's word? It doesn't No, in fact there's big consequences for people that do that So because of the completed word, we don't add to it and speak New Revelations apart from what God has already spoken in it. So because it was completed work. There is no need for new prophets Ephesians to 9220 consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ. Jesus himself is a Chief Cornerstone. So those who witnessed the resurrected Lord those who were with him in his ministry. They witnessed the Miracles the later they perform Miracles and signs and wonders those were the people that were considered to be Apostles of Jesus true Apostles of Jesus. So today because we don't have those Apostles anymore there cannot be any there's only one prophetic Ministry in the church, which is now considered Under the Umbrella of teaching and preaching of God's word. I'm always leery when people come up to me and say I have a word from the Lord and I'm not against encouraging each other not against you know, somebody bring a Bible verse but when somebody tells me the Lord told me to do told you to tell me to do this. I don't actually do that right away because you have to spend time in prayer. You have to match that with God's word to see if it's actually true or was just something today earlier. They want to try to go on another treasure hunt or something. But we devoted a whole sermon series on rekindling our faith months back from 2nd Timothy 1 through 70. Remember that when we talked about rekindling our spiritual fire, so to speak to Paul he dives into how we should live in this world in light of our future hope and really that's that's why he's writing 1st Thessalonians, and that's why I later on he goes into great detail about more end times and 2nd Thessalonians. He wants the people the Believers here at that's when I said he wants you would want us today knowing what we know about the future to live differently now, This is the message of Paul's trying to get across. where to live Godly lives not as the next concept the third concept as you get into versus 22 to 24 Godly living NRA man in our goal as a church and individual is it to become more christ-like right in character in our in our living in the product of this is worship to God and really not even just the product of the start of all this is worship to God. There's a quote on a reach you in Warren wiersbe is book commentary on Thessalonians. Any he says this he's actually quoting William Temple Archbishop of Canterbury for to worship is to Quicken the conscience by the Holiness of God to feed the mind with the truth of God to purge the imagination by the beauty of God to open up the heart for the love of God and to devote the will to the purpose of God. That is worship. Hallways out the balance of the Christian Life in this way to one abstain first 22 if you want to follow along with me verse 22 says reject every kind of evil to abstain from all appearance of evil to abstain from it. What does abstain mean does it mean to partake in it? No, it means to completely stay away from it, right? The second is is that that God will sanctify you and this has been our team versus be throughout this whole series on 1st Thessalonians. Remember this verse pull up here will read it really going to 1st Thessalonians 5:23. We may God himself the God of Peace sanctify you through and through May your whole Spirit soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In regard to sanctification is really three forms that we have to keep in mind of sanctification. The first is positional sanctification, which means that we have once and for all been set apart for God. Right in that at the moment of our Salvation. Jesus has saved us from our past sins from the sins currently when we give our hearts to him. Then the second is practical sanctification, which is a daily deal dealing with our sensitive items fast daily daily daily dealing with our sins and growth toward holiness.

This happens daily 2nd Corinthians 7:1 says therefore since we have these promises to your friend, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit perfecting Holiness out of reverence for God. The third form of sanctification phase is perfect sanctification. One day when we see Christ face-to-face, we will be like him eternally in a Perfection and we will be free from sin forevermore the good news. Yes 1st. John 3:2 what you guys write these down or memories versus because if as it as it relates to sanctification, we should know these as Believers and we should understand how to how to walk our friends and walk our family through the process of how God works in our eyes of sanctification is a process is the process of the Christian Life that will become more christ-like 1st. John 3:2 says his dear friends now call we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known but we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. So when do we become like Christ?

Right when we see him right when he appears at that moment.

Sanctification Chuck Swindoll says sanctification is God's work in us not our work for him.

Sanctification is God's work in us not our work for him. That's good. We set apart every aspect of Our Lives to him spiritual mental physical emotional in this verse verse 23 is referred in here refers to Spirit soul. And Body in Jesus said it this way Mark 12:30 and you may know this love the Lord your God with all of your heart with all of your soul with all of your you guys are treating this up on the screen and with all of your strength. So we have all that right physical mental emotional. spiritual lastly Paul concludes his letter with a call to Christian Fellowship in the body of Christ. So so he was fourth one Christian Fellowship verses 25 to 28. Let's read 2528 brothers and sisters pray for us espressos. Not! After that greet all God's people with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord that have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. After corporate worship is over and Believers. Don't just stop what they're doing, but they continue. to worship for ministering to one another and this is more than a more personal way. Right? So Sunday, maybe the the Catalyst and the Boost that you need for the week, but it's not calling you to stop on Sundays, you continue that encourage you in being the body of Christ in the worshiping throughout the week. The fellowship is part of worship and it continues throughout our entire lives. The Ultimate Experience of course and fellowship is is when we have the great reunions with all believers in heaven one day. Paul mentions prayer ingredient one another in prayer as we talked about earlier is an essential thing for all believers, which makes it even more vital for for a church and church leaders when they're dealing with tough situations or even when they're not doing it tough situations. We should always be in prayer. It's also vitals for Vital for mothers and fathers dealing with life's toughest situations in the life of their children. It's the same way. It's important for individuals to pray constantly for others and then their own life. It can be a big blessing for those that that that are single in a way that God has given them a big responsibility and some free time or the owners to pray and pray and pray. An intercession to pray for other people to encourage others. I've always appreciated the prayer life in our church that that we've been praying every Wednesday at from for 4 p.m. For a long time and encourage you to join in that we continue to do that. I know we have the prayer chain going on with a lot of people praying that way we have people that that reach out that we don't know about within the church. They're praying for other people went to church ceases to pray at church starts to become a dead Church. There's actually no hope for church. That's not praying. We are and we have always been a Praying church since I've been here and I know it has been before I got here. It's not only excellent, but it's essential in the life of the church. Not only way to pray one another but Paul tells us to show love and affection for one another. It's custom in any parts of the world to greet one another with a kiss right on the cheek seen that in like France or something on movies and and but it it's common other place in the world, but it's definitely not common in America, right? You might be labeled as a creeper or you know, I miss you go up and you just kissing people in the cheek butt in other parts of the world in tearing Paul's time in Jesus time. It was it was normal to kiss others on the cheek is still normal in those areas to kiss people on the cheek butt to go further than that pulse point was when you greet someone the holy kiss it's your greeting someone with unquestionable acceptance and love for one another regardless of race or status in society.