Living the Christian Life in a Fallen World
Notes
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Introduction:
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Pray
1. Grow in Love Towards One Another (vv.9-11)
1. Grow in Love Towards One Another (vv.9-11)
God had already been teaching the Thessalonians to love one another through the experiences that they were going through
When you fight together in the trenches, you learn to love one another despite your differences
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
The Bible teaches us that as we grow in our walk with Jesus, we will grow in love towards one another.
Sometimes this growth occurs through the hardships that we face in this life. Whether it is through sickness or suffering, the struggles of life cause us to depend more deeply on one another and grow in our affections towards one another.
However, the pinnacle of human love is that of love between one believer and another. When we know that the love we have will transcend life in this world and continue on into eternity, it makes our love that much more special.
What are some ways that you have grown in love towards other people as a Chritian?
Have you learned to love those you don’t like?
Jesus prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” That is the standard we should live by!
2. Mind Your Own Business (v.11)
2. Mind Your Own Business (v.11)
Live quietly and mind your own affairs meant that they were not to try to go poking around other people’s business to stir up strife
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
Paul also had in mind those Christians that were not working. These people were waiting for the return of Christ and had also adapted the Greek work ethic that we will look at more closely in a moment. The result of their idleness was that they were free to meddle in other people’s affairs. Paul would tell them in his second letter to the Thessalonians,
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Illustration:
Social media keyboard warriors.
So many have free time to get involved in other people’s business online, even ones they have never met, in part because they are not getting to work in the Word. They aren’t reading their Bibles like they should, and praying. Instead they are too busy getting involved in other people’s business.
When you mind your own business, that doesn’t mean that you will not have any social problems or conflict either. It simply means that you are not trying to stir up issues just to go around and be a busy body, gossiping
Paul is also not saying that we should not try to help one another or hold each other accountable. Our goal is to first examine ourselves and make sure that we are not in the same sin and then to help one another out.
It also doesn’t mean that we cannot help one another if we have any sin. Just because we may struggle with sin in one particular area does not mean that we cannot help someone struggling in another area.
To live quietly also means not going around trying to find fault with everyone else or stir up controversy. In fact, Paul wrote to Titus to warn him not to fellowship or associate with someone who caused divisions
3. Work Hard as You Witness (v.12)
3. Work Hard as You Witness (v.12)
Greek culture looked down on hard labor
Paul commended it
Some of the Christians were being lazy and depending on the generosity of other believers to provide for their needs
Paul wants the believers to realize that how they live their lives has an affect on their witness
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Did you know that when you live off the generosity of others, rather than working hard, you are stealing from other people
God wants us to be able to participate in the blessing of hard work.
Illustration:
Satisfaction of having worked hard and completed a job. You are tired, but good tired.
We should also understand that when we work hard and have extra, we get the blessing of helping meet other people’s needs. That’s another level of satisfaction to know that you had a part in changing someone’s life.
Our Christian ethic affects our witness. The world is watching us and they will evaluate our message, our gospel witness, by how we live out what we preach