06.26.2011 1 Thess 5 - Commands for being around People!

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We are going to be doing a book bag giveaway again this year. In the email newsletter, there will be a list of stuff to contribute – we’d like to have them out in early to mid-august. Tiffany will be helping to organize that – she does a great job – and she has a list of all the things the students need.
We have 2 more weeks of 1 Thess.
Lord, You are a great God and worthy of our praise – You enjoy – Your heart is moved when Your children come to worship and praise You. You are satisfied with our praise – to think that the Creator of the Universe longs to hear us to say thank You – and that You look down at us with love, longing for a relationship with us. Thank You that we have a relationship through Your Son, Jesus – Our sins were paid for at the cross and we come to You forgiven. May the words that You say speak to us, challenge, and encourage us.
The end of the letter is a lot of practical instruction. The first thing he does is to focus on relationships – it is a very relational book. First, relationship with one another and next week with our relationship with God.
1 Thess. 5: 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Paul starts with this phrase – brothers and sisters – brethren – and he uses it 18 times in these five chapters. It is all related to family – he is like a father/mother – and they are like children – and brothers and sisters – and in this together. Relationships are important to the community of God. Having right relationships is critical.
He begins with attitudes toward leadership and leaders.
Now we ask you…
He starts with a request in relationship to leadership. After this, he will follow with 14-15 commands – I counted it 3-4 times and kept coming up with a different number. He starts softer – and what he says about leadership in the church is in contrast to leadership in the world. And leadership is all about the relationship of the leader with those being led. It must begin with relationship. That is the New Testament – the Biblical perspective on leadership.
Acknowledge, recognize, respect – to KNOW – that is how it is translated everywhere else in the Bible- those who work hard. There are no officially ordained leaders, as far as we can tell. But there are those who are rising up and doing the work of leadership in the church – and he is encouraging them to recognize that.
Esteem them highly in love. Recognize/understand that there are those who are sacrificing to make the community work
We see Paul’s attitude toward leadership – and the attitude he wants the congregation to take. And now he says why – BECAUSE of their work. Not because of position or title, but because of the work they are doing. Doing the work in service, in the church, always comes before recognition. A person must commit themselves and give themselves FIRST to serving. Too often, people want the position before they do the work. God says to do the work first and then the position will follow. Jesus often said – don’t seek the title, seek the opportunity to serve.
Finally, when someone is recognized in leadership, the church is recognizing what is already taking place.
Those who have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you… - this goes back to the family metaphor – like fathers managing their household – we look at the word, charge – yeah, leaders want to be in charge – but as a parent – being in charge of the children doesn’t mean that you are simply making the rules. Yes, you need to make rules, or they will, but essentially, you are loving, caring, and nourishing the children. It is about giving yourself wholly in service for others. That is New Testament leadership.
He is contrasting this – the leaders had the wealth and status – there was an attitude of superiority in their culture. But that is not the case among leadership under Jesus – we are to be servants – and to avoid political maneuvering. That needs to be avoided. The foundation should be service and sacrifice.
Every community has people who initiate in leadership. There is a tendency, in every community for people to be unhappy with leaders. It happens at work, in school, on sports teams – even in the church – so Paul addresses it headlong. Leaders need to be servants – and the members need to esteem them.
Then he gives the first command – Be at peace among yourselves. And then he instructs the entire congregation – it is your responsibility to make sure there is peace and harmony in the church community – everyone is responsible for that – for harmony and unity in the church. Simple fact – every church community – there will be conflict – it is just reality. Where 2 or 3 are gathered in My name – I am in their midst – that is in the Bible – but it is also true that where 2 or 3 are gathered, there will be conflict!
We need to work together to make sure there is peace.
Romans – as far as it depends on you – be at peace with all men – with all people. Sometimes people just won’t have peace – but you need to do all that you can. As long as you can – be at peace. Our tendency is to just let it go and allow disharmony to fester – I’ll just ignore it – I’ll just put it away – but that is not what Paul says to do – seek peace and pursue it – let the peace of Christ RULE – but the tendency is toward conflict.
Then in verse 14 – he lists people whom it is hard to keep peace with. All communities have people who create conflicts – at some times – you will be one of those people. We are all, at some point, the person who creates the conflict. In many different translations, there are many different words used – and there is a reason for that – and it is because these are broad words.
Admonish the idlers – unruly, undisciplined, irresponsible – some might say – I am not idle – but you may be unruly, or undisciplined or irresponsible.
Encourage the faint-hearted – fearful, timid, doubting
Help the weak – and it might be those who are spiritually weak – or those who are struggling with some sin – but it is also those who might be physically or emotionally weak – but here is the point – people and their problems come in all shapes and sizes. And he says this-
Be patient with ALL of them.
I think he is saying - In any community, there will be plenty of people who test your patience – those whom you have a hard time getting along with. Everywhere you go – almost like a promise – there will be people in my life today that I have a hard time being patient with and getting along with.
Get this clear – accept this – you are one of those people to somebody. You are – and I am. And let me say – you are one of those people to MANY people. Here are some examples – People who MUST HAVE control of things – control freaks. Some of us have a hard time with people like that – some of us are like that.
People who are blunt and lack grace in communication
People who monopolize conversations.
Here is a different one – but just as true: People who don’t take care of themselves – who don’t try and put forth the effort. They can really test someone’s patience.
Someone who is irresponsible with money
People who make lists
People who bother them
Constant complainers –
People who are always cheery singing songs to troubled hearts.
You know who they are with you. The tendency is to think that our way is superior and they just need to change! We all need to change and grow. But Paul says to be patient with all of them. Patient – yes, they need to change – if you need to be patient with them, there is obviously a problem – but this is an imperative – learn to be patient with all in the church community. It is not easy – but something we must give ourselves to.
Because there is conflict in the church – we all need to be patient - and there is injury in any community – situation – family – in any situation – we will injure one another. If you get involved in a church, you will be injured – and you will injure people. All of these things are true – it is a reality – I have injured and you have injured. It is because we are broken, sinful, selfish people.
At our core – without Christ – when we don’t yield to Christ, we are selfish – and it hurts others. That is what self does. You see it in your marriage, with your children – and in the church.
Some ways we see this:
Broken promises. Sometimes they are simple promises – like, I’ll pray for you - sometimes it just means that the conversation has ended.
Sometimes we break big promises and it leaves mortal wounds. But even in breaking small promises, it leaves wounds. The issue is to recognize it – to make peace and reconcile. We don’t wallow around in guilt. Sometimes we think someone broke a promise – but they never made it – and we don’t have a right to think we are injured.
Through presumption comes nothing but strife and conflict. And often, the conflict comes when we think someone meant one thing – and they never meant anything of the sort. We have a responsibility to get to the truth – and if reconciliation is needed – to do it. Conflicts need to be addressed. We are conflict avoiders – and that doesn’t work in relationships, does it? You want to address it and get it resolved. You can’t just ignore it! You have to go and talk and clear it up.
Another way we do this – broken confidence. Sometimes we involve people in the conflict who have nothing to do with the conflict. We break confidence. Yes, there are times when a counselor is needed and you need to talk it out – but not at work when someone hurt so and so – and everyone talks about it.
See that no one repays evil for evil – but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Our tendency is to take revenge. But we are subtle. We don’t want it to look like we took revenge!
We need to learn to break through our fear and in humility and grace to approach the conflict and person whom we caused the conflict with. Humility and grace says, maybe I am wrong – maybe they did not mean what I thought they meant. And then grace – even if they did do it, I did the same thing or maybe worse before.
He closes it off – Do good to one another and to all. Jesus and Peter and others speak against taking revenge – Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord. But when there is a desire to seek revenge, we are to do good – to do good to the person who injured us.
Do Good, Bless, Pray for the person who injured you.
Bless – to speak well of – to ask for God’s blessing in their life.
Paul, as Jesus, calls them to an extremely high standard of peace and relational forgiveness – and we are called to the same thing.
IN relationships, we will fail – we will make mistakes. Help us to seek peace and pursue it. May that be our heart.