1 Thessalonians 4 verses 9 to 12 Living to Please God Part 2

 

Introduction

As Believers, what matters more to us: building wealth or serving others?

More than ever, we live in a consumer culture. Here in the prosperous West, we are free to constantly shop around for a better lifestyle. Alongside this, individualism has grown, so that personal needs and wants often take priority over the common good. When these forces combine, we arrive at a situation where people are constantly asking, ‘what’s in it for me?’.

Like in so many other things, it appears that Believers have absorbed the values of the culture rather than a truly Gospel perspective. The Gospel says we love sacrificially and give generously because Christ gave Himself in love for us. The world around us says something drastically different.

It is easy to see how this thinking seeps into the church. Increasingly, we reflect the society around us as ‘getting’ becomes more important than ‘giving’.

Against this background, we need to listen carefully to the truth of God’s Word in today’s passage. Here Believers are again called to live in a way that pleases God- this time by showing love for others and working well in the world.

We can understand our passage by using these three headings:

 

 

Getting without giving

Loving without stopping

Contributing without hindering

Today we are challenged to consider the extent to which our actions may hinder the development of the Church and the growth of the Gospel. And we are encouraged to live a life pleasing to God by overflowing with love and working well for the glory of God.

 

So, firstly, we consider… Getting without giving

Sometimes the best way to understand a passage of Scripture is to ask, ‘Why is this text here?’ In other words, why did Paul think it necessary to include this brief section in his letter to the Believers in Thessalonica?

There was ‘clearly a problem’ that needed addressing. Through both encouragement and challenge, Paul, as a Gospel pastor, sought to help these Believers live more closely with God. But what was holding them back, and how does that help us understand this passage?

To understand this more clearly, we need to look beyond this passage to the rest of the letter-and also to Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. In Chapter 5 verse 14, we read:

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 

 

Then, in 2 Thessalonians 3 verses 6 to 15, Paul addresses idleness in the church directly. He commands Believers to work hard and provide for themselves rather than taking advantage of others. He instructs the congregation to correct those who refuse to work, aiming to correct their behaviour through ‘tough love’.

These verses alert us to the fact that something was not right among the Believers in Thessalonica. Most likely a small group within the Church family were refusing to work because of how they understood the teaching about Jesus’ return. And their idleness was causing issues for the Church in Thessalonica.

With good intentions- believing Jesus would return immediately and wanting to be ready for Him- these people chose to give up their work. They may at first have been involved in evangelism or preparing for Jesus’ return in some other way. Whatever the details, their well-intentioned actions soon became a disruptive influence within the Church community, as often happens when people have too much time on their hands.

This situation likely had two consequences. First, it was damaging the reputation of the Believers among those around them. Second, it was creating disharmony within the Church family, as this group became financially dependent on others in the congregation.

In other words, within the community of Believers there was developing a culture which involved ‘getting without giving’- this idle group receiving the aid of their fellow Believers without giving anything in return. And such a culture would be profoundly unhelpful both for the witness of the church and the functioning of the Church family.

Healthy relationships involve both giving and receiving. In normal circumstances, when that balance is lost, a relationship can become one-sided, draining, and even harmful.

A helpful illustration is the contrast between two lakes. The Dead Sea receives water from the River Jordan but has no outlet. The result is that the Dead Sea is full of salt and is lifeless. By contrast, water both flows in and out of the Sea of Galilee, creating a freshwater environment where fish can thrive.

Constantly receiving from others can become unhealthy; the normal pattern should be ongoing giving and receiving. Of course, there are many exceptions, especially when someone is ill, infirm, or facing particular needs. But in the ordinary life of the Church, Paul gives us an important principle: we love one another by giving and receiving appropriately.

In Thessalonica, however, some members of the Church family were failing to contribute to its life or to its mission in the wider community. Their behaviour was hindering both the Church and the Gospel, which is why Paul addressed the issue with both encouragement and challenge in 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 9 to 12.

 

And so, we turn to the verses in more details and see that the Christian life is about… Loving without stopping.

 

 

 

Although Paul needs to correct a group within the Church family, he does not want to discourage the majority. Instead, he begins by affirming that, overall, the church has a strong reputation for loving one another- both in Thessalonica and among God’s People throughout Macedonia.

So, in verses 9 and 10, we read of the Thessalonians’ love for one another:

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.  And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia…

The Thessalonians loved one another as family- brothers and sisters in Christ- because that is exactly what they were. Their love was evident, and it stood as an example for all Believers.

Notice that this love came from God. His love had reached down and transformed them, and His Spirit now lived within them, equipping and empowering them to love one another for His glory.

The Believers in Thessalonica had received Paul’s teaching as the very Word of God and followed it. Now there was clear evidence that God’s Spirit was at work, teaching them and producing the fruit of love in their lives. Once again, we see Word and Spirit working together in Believers to produce holiness.

However, Paul’s great desire is that they should overflow even more with love for one another and for everyone else; notice the second part of verse 10:

Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 

 

Paul therefore urges them to show even greater love. Just as God’s love had overflowed to them, and Paul’s pastoral concern overflowed for them, so their love should overflow to bless others, both inside and outside the Church family.

Notice how Paul describes Christian love. He does not see it as something achieved once and then completed, but as a fountain that keeps overflowing. A fountain does not flow for a while and then stop; it continually sends out water. In the same way, Paul longs for their love to keep overflowing and refreshing others.

 

But love must be expressed practically. So, how is overflowing love to be best expressed in the Thessalonian context? To answer this, we must consider… Contributing without hindering.

Paul concludes this section by instructing the Thessalonian Believers to contribute to the life and mission of the Church through their actions, they are to contribute to the work if the Gospel rather than hinder it.

J.B. Philips helpfully puts verses 11 and 12 like this:

…make it your ambition to have no ambition!

Be busy with your own affairs and do your work yourselves. The result will be a reputation for honesty in the world outside and an honourable independence.

Remember, Paul is speaking into a context where excitement about the imminent return of Jesus had caused some members to stop working. In their limited understanding of Jesus’ return (which Paul will address in the next part of the letter) they had decided they must give up their jobs to prepare for Jeus coming back again.

However, their initial good intentions had descended into sinful idleness. And they were now  behaving in ways that brought disruption to the church and was irritating their pagan neighbours.

Into this context Paul speaks with concern for unity in the Church and faithful witness outside it. Paul addresses all the Believers, and especially this idle, disruptive group.

He calls them to make it their ambition to have no ambition. Believers are to lead steady, peaceful lives without disrupting others- focusing on their responsibilities before God.

He also wants them to resist becoming busybodies. They are to mind their own business- to focus on their own God-given responsibilities rather than meddling with other people’s lives.

And they are to work hard. Christians are expected to be industrious, contributing members of their society; steady, productive work being a core part of Christian maturity.

In short, Paul tells the Believers not to meddle in other people’s affairs, but to work diligently in fulfilling their own responsibilities. Paul, like any Gospel pastor, wants the Believers to lead lives that enhance the reputation of the Church and the Gospel in their context. This is what pleases God: loving others and working well- living in a way that points to Jesus and His wonderful love.

And here again we see Paul’s pastoral heart. In giving these instructions, Paul sets a vision of human life and community transformed by the Gospel.

Believers, those who follow the One who became a carpenter, are those who work hard and who work well. Such faithful work will provide a witness to the wider community and could open doors for the Gospel.

And Believers work so that they might contribute to the needs of the whole Church family and advance the work of the Gospel. For the Believer, work is a gift to be used to please God and show His love to others.

 

Conclusion

 

In God’s Word today, we are challenged to consider the extent to which our actions may hinder the development of the Church and the growth of the Gospel. And we are encouraged to live a life pleasing to God by overflowing with love and working well for the glory of God.

So, as we close, let me leave you with a few ‘take aways’. And I want to do these in the form of questions for us to prayerfully consider…

First, in my career choices, what matters most: serving God and others, or being seen as successful by the world?

We may climb the corporate ladder, gain promotions and pay rises, and earn a reputation as experts in our field, yet ultimately find it all empty. If we sacrifice family life, mental health, spiritual growth, and church responsibilities for the sake of career success, we may be left with very little that truly matters.

Or, we could heed the truth of Colossians 3:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Here we see that as we apply the logic of the Gospel, we will find fullness in our work and bring glory to God. Through the lens of the Gospel our work becomes an opportunity to please God and serve those around us as we earn a decent living.

So let us see every day and every job as a means to glorify God. May we enjoy the opportunities He presents to us and the skills to make the most of those opportunities. And let us learn, again, the great dignity there is in working hard and working well in whatever we are called to do.

And let us never forget that in our work there is an opportunity to contribute to the needs of ourselves, our families, the Church Family and the world. In God’s eternal purposes the wage you earn can be used to impact souls across time and space.

Like so many things in life, we can look at our work and say, ‘what can I get out of it?’. Or, in faith, we can seek to give God glory by working for Him at whatever He gives us to do and wherever He calls us to do.

 

Secondly, what effect does my behaviour have on the health of my Church Family?

In Thessalonica, the idle group was placing an avoidable burden on the rest of the Church because they were unwilling to work. There will be times when we become a ‘blessed burden’ to others through circumstances beyond our control. And in such moments, it is the privilege of the Church Family to care, serve, and provide- in these moments the Church has the opportunity to display overflowing love in Christ.

But we must be careful to ensure that we are giving as well as getting and that we never become a hindrance to our Church Family or the work of the Gospel. So let us always look for opportunities to use our gifts, to serve our Church, and to honour our Loving Heavenly Father.

 

Thirdly, how does my behaviour affect the reputation of the Church and the Gospel among those outside the Christian community?

The Church in Thessalonica risked losing respect because of this idle group’s behaviour- their laziness and disruptive influence was an offence to the surrounding culture. Non-Christians will inevitably take offence at some aspects of our faith, especially the message of the Cross, but we must avoid causing unnecessary offence through poor choices or lifestyles that weaken the Gospel’s witness and damage the Church’s reputation. So, let us endeavour to live authentic, genuine, humble lives that seek the good of those around us and the glory of God.

 

Finally, to what extent do we need to be encouraged to exercise more and more love towards one another?

It is easy for our Christian love to stagnate. We may show steady love, kindness, and hospitality within familiar friendships, yet struggle to welcome newcomers or support Believers we scarcely know in times of crisis. The Thessalonians were already a loving church family, but Paul urged them to widen and deepen that love. Many of us may need the same encouragement.

 

 

Paul’s teaching in this passage is shaped by his concern for the health of the Church and the reputation of the Gospel. While we can be deeply concerned about our own wellbeing and reputation, Paul urges us to be passionate for the Church and the Gospel instead. How might our lives change if our daily choices were guided by these priorities rather than by selfish desires?

In all of this we must look to Christ…

 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Let us humble ourselves for our Humble King. Let us serve His eternal, glorious purposes in us and for us. Let us love our Loving Saviour and live sacrificially for the One who sacrificed Himself for us. And let us do all of this knowing that One Day we will share in His Glory for all eternity.