1 THESSALONIANS: "Occupying until Christ Comes" LIVING TO PLEASE GOD 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. March 6, 2012

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1 Fellowship Bible Church 1 THESSALONIANS: "Occupying until Christ Comes" LIVING TO PLEASE GOD 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 March 6, 2012 HOW WE OUGHT TO WALK 1 Thess 4:1-12 (NKJV) 1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;; "we urge"- to entreat, to implore;; to plead or beseech, to be insistent "we...exhort"- to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation) :- beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), entreat, pray.strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary "...in the Lord Jesus"- "abound more and more"- to superabound (in quantity or quality), Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary "...received from us, how you ought to walk and to please God"- Heb 11:6 (NLT) And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. John 8:27-29 (NKJV) 28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself;; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 1

2 Acts 15:19-20 (NKJV) 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. GOD'S WILL IS THAT WE BE SANCTIFIED 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;; sanctification- literally a state of purity;; 2 Beloved, now we are children of God;; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV) honor- a value, i.e. money paid, or (concretely and collective) valuables;; by analogy esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself :- honour, precious, price, some.strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary abstain- to hold oneself off, i.e. refrain :- abstain.strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary sexual immorality- (porneuo);; harlotry (including adultery and incest);; figurative idolatry :- fornication.strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary Matt 5:27-28 (NLT) But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 2 Tim 2:21 (NKJV) Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 1 Cor 6:13b,18-20 (NKJV) 13b... Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price;; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 2

3 "...not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God." Romans 1:18,21,24-29 (NKJV) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness;; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evilmindedness;; they are whisperers,..." 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. "...no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter," "...the Lord is the avenger of all such," 1 Cor 5:1-6 (NKJV) 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. INCREASING IN BROTHERLY LOVE AND AGAPE-LOVE MORE AND MORE 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;; 2 Cor 8:1-2 (NLT) 1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 3

4 MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! 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. 2 Thess 3:6-12 (NLT) 6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle l received from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. (Gen 3:17-19) "...aspire to lead a quiet life" "...mind your own business" 2 Thess 3:11 1 Tim 5:13-14 (NLT)And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time 14 So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. Prov 10:19 (NLT) 19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. Prov 25:17 (NKJV) 17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you. "...work with your own hands" 2 Thess. 3:10-12 WHY, SHOULD WE LEAD QUIET LIVES, MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS AND WORK TO PROVIDE FOR OUR OWN? 1. "...that you may walk properly toward those who are outside," 2. "...and that you may lack nothing" 4

5 APPLICATION: Are you, am I ready and fit for the master's use? If so, then are we allowing Him make us more aware of the needs around us? Holiness that is not in put in motion by loving others is useless to God and to others. If we are not ready and fit for God's use;; why not? What is it that prevents us from being ready? Are we willing to let the Lord prepare us for usefulness? Me and my big mouth... It does not take long for conversation to turn ugly when the Lord is not kept the focus of our discussion. Today we use our cell phones, text messages and s to communicate quickly with our friends and family. We must always be mindful that we do not allow our ability to communicate so freely and quickly to be used by the enemy to sow trouble in families and the church. If we have been guilty of this, we must confess our sin to the Lord and trust Him to cleanse us of this habit. Sexual purity begins in our hearts. When we realize that as women we have the power to tempt another person to impure thoughts and actions, we need to take responsibility for that. To encourage our brother in the Lord to be interested in us beyond what is appropriate even if it is only to purposely or irresponsibly engage his admiration and imagination is to defraud his wife or future wife of what rightfully belongs to her. To do so defrauds our own spouse also. I don't think most Christian women realize the power they have to induce sinful thoughts in men. We ought to dress and behave in a manner that pleases the Lord, now I am not saying we need a dress code for clearly we are under grace not law. That means we are to be led of the Holy Spirit, not the spirit of this world when making wardrobe choices. Pleasing the Lord should always be the rule of thumb in such matters. Is There a Serpent in Your Garden? What do we do if our spouse wants to introduce sinful activity into our life, such as pornography? It is important to handle this situation with wise counsel. You are not alone in your pain there is help available for you. Please contact: The Family Ministry Office at FBC. A good web resource for those tempted by sexual immorality: 5