Trajectory or Tragedy
1 Thessalonians 4: “9 But as touching abrotherly love bye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves bbare taught of God cto love one another. 10 And indeed dye do it toward all the brethren which are in all eMacedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye fincrease more and more;[1]
I. Touching
A. Faithful
B. Forgetful
II. Taught
A. From
B. For
III. Toward
A. Family
B. Further
Introduction: Last Sunday we considered the first paragraph of 1 Thessalonians 4. Paul warned the church there in Thessalonica that people were confused about the things they thought they were called for. He refuted the ideas that were prevalent in that day.
Today things are not much different really. Society is amazed that there are people who would dare to question anything that can be dreamed up that contradicts the Bible. Those of us who understand that it’s better to contradict man than to contradict God are more in the minority now. The temptation to live apart from God’s truth and to follow the lust of man has always been prevalent in this world but now we have so many more platforms of disinformation.
We learned in last week’s text that lust is not what we are called for. In the focal text this week Paul changes paragraphs and now he is telling us the difference between lust of concupiscence and brotherly love. We are not supposed to be attracted to what others can do for us. We are supposed to look for ways to show others what it is to love as God loves.
It is fitting that this is the first Sunday following Veterans’ Day. “13 tGreater love hath no man than this, uthat a man lay down his life for his friends.” [2] That might be the words of a veteran. Yet these are the words of Jesus from John 15:13.
We consider these words as we consider what Veterans’ Day means to us. We consider these words as we stand with our hands over our hearts as we pledge allegiance to the flag that represents what others have given up so that we might have what we have today.
This is why we are here in church today. We consider what Jesus did for us that we could not do for ourselves and it causes us to want to live and love for others as He did. This is what we are called for. This is what veterans died for. This is what Jesus left heaven for and went to the cross for and ascended back to heaven for to show us the way to brotherly love.
That should be our destination. That’s where we should be going. That should be our heading. That should be our trajectory. Anything else is will end in tragedy.
Scripture: Today’s scripture is 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10. When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: Paul touched upon the truth of brotherly love. We can only touch the experience of God’s love. It is limitless. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember my brother Jack. I just know that when we get together with him in heaven that he will tell Rachael that she did well what he told her to do before he left this planet.
When those that reminded Jesus that His mother and brothers and sisters were outside, Jesus informed them there that anyone who believes and follows Jesus is His family. That one that diverted Jesus’ attention knew that there was a special bond of earthly family that is special beyond other relationships with people. Brotherly love is a special bond.
The Thessalonians didn’t need anyone to remind them about brotherly love. Paul knew that God had imprinted that truth in their hearts so all he could do and all that anyone can do is simply speak of the need for us to love each other as family members. We may drift apart for a while but the bond of faith that binds us cannot be forgotten.
There is nothing that anyone can do to teach anyone else what it is to love that way. You may lose patience with those who do anything they can do to receive the thing they think is their god. I certainly do especially during this time that we are in right now.
The media doesn’t touch on brotherly love very often. There was little coverage even Wednesday as the president laid the wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That is brotherly love. It is brotherly love between faithful disciples that binds us. It is faithful love for others that allows the soldier to lay down his/her life for those who are unable to fight for themselves. There is no selfishness in brotherly love.
Brotherly love is a two way street. It is not restricted but is open to flow freely without condition. It is for the person it is given to and it is from the one who gives it. Brotherly love does not depend on rules or regulations that attempt to constrain it.
We are taught of God to love one another because God loves us as no one else can love. God loves us and gives us absolute freedom to either return that love or not. His decision to love me is not based on what God expects to receive from me. It is a serving that is endless without restraint. “My cup runneth over.”
We are seeing so many things right now that divide us. There is really only one thing that cements us together. As we watch who in a store is wearing a mask or not there is that little aggravation in your mind that is judgmental. We consider who voted for whom and we decide whether we are free to speak to those who don’t think like we think. There are more conditions placed on relationships today than at any time I can remember.
How can this all be a good thing? “Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” There is nothing else in this world today that teaches that. Frankly there has never been anything else but now we are seeing more and more how futile it is to chase happiness while leaving God out of our life. Everything else is lustful wanting what we think will bring us contentment. There is only one thing. He will never change. He is teaching us! That is a wonderfully awesome thing to behold!
So what do we do with this that God is teaching us today? In verse ten Paul acknowledged that they and we do a pretty good job sometimes in showing affection towards those within our circle. They showed brotherly love towards those there in Macedonia; which Thessalonica was a part of. What were they showing to those beyond their inner circle?
They apparently treated each other like family but those who were outside of their way of thinking stayed further out of their attention. I can only speak of myself and my response to all the mess so I will. When I feel sure that someone thinks differently of a thing than I do, my first internal response is to hunker down and attempt to give myself more reason for my frame of mind. I give myself more ammunition for my being right and their being wrong. I reason that they must be wrong and bad because this that I know is fact and therefore this person is not worthy of my close attention. In the “who’s winning the goods or the bads” test, they are the bads so I leave them alone.
Paul commended the Thessalonians for loving each other with brotherly love but insisted that they must go further in their walk with God if they wanted to continue walking with God. He will take you to a place and along the way it will be a comfortable stride. If you are not careful to keep your eye upon Jesus though, God will often make a side step and you will be forced to either go with Him or be left there where you are. So what are we to do to keep in step?
Read on, “11 And that ye gstudy hto be quiet, and ito do kyour own business, and lto work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 mThat ye may walk mnhonestly toward othem that are without, and that ye may have lack ||of nothing.” [3]
Study to be quiet! Study what? What business? Certainly not the mess that they are shoving down our throats! Paul told Timothy shortly before Paul left this planet in 2 Timothy 2:”15 Study to shew thyself japproved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” [4] What is our business? Why are we here now for such a time as this? Is it so that we can tell others that they are wrong, or is it that they are going to the wrong place if they don’t repent? Be careful and mind your own business! They will not listen if we don’t mind the business we were left to do. Our business is to love others who are otherwise lost.
Prayer:
Invitation: The president was highly criticized for a statement that he made about the military. I will attempt to paraphrase what he stated. He just couldn’t see why anyone would go and do all that the military does for so little earthly reward. He was making a point that went over many people’s heads. It is amazing the way our military service and others respond when we call. It is amazing this thing called brotherly love. The president was trying to make others think more about that when he said what he said in this time of such selfishness in this world.
In David’s time even before he became king of Israel he went out and won a great battle. There were some who were unable to go and fight so David took the troops and brought back the things that were stolen by the invaders that he and his troops defeated. On their return, some of them decided that since they were the victors that they should receive the riches that they brought back. Here is what is recorded in 1 Samuel 30, “21 And David came to the rtwo hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the jbrook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he ||saluted them. 22 Then answered all the wicked men and smen of Belial, of †those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. 23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. 24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but tas his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be uthat tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25 And it was so from that day †forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.” [5]
It is supposed to be that way today. We are the victors over whatever this world might throw at us but we are to love beyond our greed. We are to share the love that Jesus has for us with those who otherwise might be left behind because of their weakness. Let us pray and respond as we sing…
a See Heb. 13:1.
b ch. 5:1.
bb John 6:45. See John 14:26.
c See John 13:34.
d So ch. 1:7.
e See Acts 16:12.
f ver. 1. ch. 3:12 in the Gk.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Th 4:9–10). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
t So Rom. 5:7, 8. Eph. 5:2.
u ch. 10:11 (Gk.), 15, 17, 18. 1 John 3:16.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 15:13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
g 2 Cor. 5:9 marg.
h See Prov. 17:14. So 2 Thess. 3:12.
i So 2 Thess. 3:11. 1 Pet. 4:15.
k See John 16:32.
l See Eph. 4:28. & ch. 2:9.
m Rom. 13:13. So 2 Cor. 8:21. Col. 4:5. ch. 5:22. 1 Pet. 2:12.
m Rom. 13:13. So 2 Cor. 8:21. Col. 4:5. ch. 5:22. 1 Pet. 2:12.
n 1 Cor. 14:40 (Gk.).
o See Mark 4:11.
|| Or, of no man.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Th 4:11–12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
j See Rom. 16:10.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Ti 2:15). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
r ver. 10.
j See Num. 13:23 marg.
|| Or, asked them how they did. See Judg. 18:15 marg.
s Deut. 13:13.
† Heb. men.
t Comp. Num. 31:27. Josh. 22:8. Ps. 68:12.
u ch. 25:13 (Heb.).
† Heb. and forward. So ch. 16:13.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Sa 30:21–25). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
