1 Thessalonians #08: an exposition of 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22. This message by pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 11, 2012.
Intro:
I’m sure we all understand that the church is not a building. The church is the body of Christ. It is a group of people who have come to faith in Christ and have joined together in a covenant relationship in order to live out the faith together. The church is not a social club or fraternal order. It is a spiritual community born of the Gospel, held together by a common commitment to Gospel truth and determined to proclaim and obey the Gospel together. “Well, thank you professor pastor…but what does that mean?” Just what constitutes a church? Is a church any gathering of believers? What are the marks of a church? More specifically what are the marks of a Gospel church? For some help with this question we turn to the fifth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian believers.
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
The apostle is writing to this young struggling church in the capital city of Macedonian in order to encourage and strengthen them in the faith. He is concerned for their welfare knowing they are under siege by the same crowd that ran him out of town and followed him to Berea in order to stir up strife there as well. His prayer is that they would stand firm holding to the faith they had received.
In the early chapters he rejoiced in the good report that they were in fact standing firm. He was certain they belonged to Christ because of the work of the Spirit when he was with them. News of their faith had become known throughout the region. He urged them to live in a manner that would be pleasing to God. And to live is such a way as to be a testimony and encouragement to outsiders.
At the end of chapter 4 and the opening of chapter 5 he spoke of the return of Christ and our sure and certain hope as the people of God. In chapter 4:13-18 He makes it clear that those who die in Christ are at no disadvantage. They have been with Christ from the moment of death and will come with Him when He returns. He speaks of that great day when the trumpet of God will sound and the graves will open and we who are alive will be “caught up” to be with Him in the air and thus we will always be with the Lord! What a glorious day. That is the hope of the church. That is why we pray, “Even so come Lord Jesus.”
In chapter 5:1-11 he speaks to those who want an end-time chart. Those who think, “If I just knew the schedule and the time I could be ready.” He said, “You have no need for me or anyone else to write to you in this regard. You yourselves know that it’s unknowable.” You know that His coming will be like a thief in the night…like a woman in labor. In other words His coming will be sudden and unavoidable. Being prepared isn’t about knowing details it is about knowing Him.
Now in his closing remarks he sets forth what may appear to be a “laundry list” of ideas but I want to suggest that he actually is describing the work of the church. This is what a Gospel community is about. This is what a Gospel church looks like.
3 marks of a Gospel church.
- A Gospel church holds to a biblical view of leadership. (5:12-13)
- A Gospel church engages in authentic fellowship. (5:14-15)
- A Gospel church practices biblical worship. (5:16-22)