This final message from the first letter to the Thessalonian ends in a different fashion than the balance of the letter.
- We have looked at doctrinal issues that this young church had. Remember all the discussion the church had about holiness and encouraging the members to live worthy of the God who called us.
- We looked at personal issues they had. Remember the persecution they were going through and the hardships.
- And we’ve looked at theological questions that popped up. Remember the issue of what happens if Christ returns, and we are still here.
For 5 chapters the book has a fairly sequential structure and direction but at the end of this chapter we see Paul give what he calls final instructions to the young church.
- Your pastors are worthy of your respect. Yale and Cody are our pastors. They work/strive hard for the church. They pray for us. Encourage us. Admonish us. They push us to chase after Jesus. They study the scriptures, all 66 books, all 1189 chapters, all 31,102 verses, and all 807,000 words. That is a big task. They are family men, they are spiritual men, they are choice followers of Christ. I say to you today, that we should respect them, pray for them, help them, support them. They will make mistakes just like you and I make mistakes. If they stumble, we should brace them up. When they cry, we cry with them. When they rejoice, we rejoice with them. The last study I saw came from 2013 and it said (9 years ago) that 1700 pastors a month leave the ministry. Pastors feel stressed, they feel isolated, they carry all the responsibility of the church whether growing or declining on their shoulders. Paul tells us to acknowledge those who work hard among us and care for us.
- Rejoice always. Vs. 16 You say it’s hard to rejoice when we have pain, hurts, and suffering.
- Pray Always. Vs. 17 Never give up praying.
- Give thanks always. Vs. 18 Everything we have is from God and He deserves our gratefulness.
- Admonishments. Vs 19. Paul now turns to how to handle the teachings they receive. Don’t quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt, test them all. Hold onto what is good. Reject every kind of Evil.
- Sanctify Vs 23 To set apart, to declare holy, to consecrate.
