LIVING TO PLEASE GOD
1 Thessalonians
4:1-12
FIRST DESIRE: PLEASE GOD
Finally, then,
brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us
how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so
more and more.
A. The prime objective of believer in Christ Jesus is to
please God.
1. God will
always be pleased, when we are obedient to His commands and
follow His
directions.
2. The apostle
Paul urges us to live to please God.
B. Paul is not complaining, because he commend them for
doing just that.
1. Paul reminds
the Church not to be satisfied with where they are,
but continue
to excel in pleasing God.
2. God has
already done a good work in us by drawing us to Himself
and accepting
us into the body of Christ.
3. It is up to us
to work on ourselves to imitate Christ.
4. Paul says we
ought to do more and more,
5. There is no
end to more
STUDY THE WORD OF GOD WITH YOUR FAMILY
2 -3a. For you know
what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is
the will of God, your sanctification:
A. It is good to be reminded of what we have been taught about the Lord.
1. Each day we
need to be reminded of the will of God for our lives.
2. As parents, we
need to teach our children what God expects of them.
3. Our teaching
should agree with God's Word.
B. Sanctification means to be set apart by God for His
Glory.
1. Once we
accepted Christ as our personal Savior, the process of sanctification
began.
2. Sanctification
is a progressive process.
3. It is up to us
to want to please God.
4. If we want to
please God, we must devote ourselves to His Word to
determine what
He has command us to do.
LIVE TO BE AN EXAMPLE FOR JESUS
V:3b-6. that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each
one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the
passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress
and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all
these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
A. Self improvement requires a change in attitude and
habits.
1. Each of us know
what we are doing that does not please God.
2. We have to first examine ourselves.
3. Improvement in
the Christian Church starts with you.
B. We cannot follow the world around us.
1. We have to set
the example for the world to follow.
2. We follow
God's commands.
C. Paul list the sin
of not controlling one's self.
1. Abstain from
fornication.
a. Sex outside
marriage is prohibited.
b. A man or
woman must honor the marriage with
fidelity. Heb 13:4
c. A married
man or woman having sex outside the marriage is adultery.
d. Those who
are unmarriaged should refrain from
sex. 1 Cor 7:2
D. Self control can only be obtained through the power of
the Holy Spirit.
1. If we look
around us we will quickly discover that world is out of
control when it comes to sexual
relationships.
2. To be accepted
and not ridiculed by the world, we are pushed to
accept all
sorts of habits that are not pleasing to God.
3. In the media,
TV, internet, news papers and magazines the projection
of family opposes
God's will.
4. The make up of
marriage, the foundation of family has been changed
by popular
vote and put into law across the country and the world.
5. Even in some
Churches an alternate makeup of marriage is tolerated.
E. Concupiscence is the Greek word epithumia
which means longing for
that which is forbidden.
1. Our lustful
desires, if left unchecked will leads us in to actions that
opposes God's will.
2. The Church,
that is true believers cannot compromise on God's Word.
a. The
situation in the US
b. We live
in an environment where the Church has to be the
example
of Godliness and holiness for the world to follow.
CALLED BY
GOD TO BE LIKE JESUS
V:7-8. For God has not called us for impurity, but in
holiness. 8 Therefore whoever
disregards this,
disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
A. The Church should no better than the world because we
have the indwelling
of the Holy
Spirit.
1. It is the Holy
Spirit that guides us into all truths.
2. The law my
approve all kinds of relationships and actions, but we are under
commands of God,
which is a narrow road that leads to purity and holiness.
B If we follow the ways of the world then we set aside the
God of our life.
1. The one who does
not follow God's command, despises God.
2. When we are
disobedient, we are enemies to the cross.
3. The only way a
Christian can follow the world is to grieve the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30
LOVE MORE AND MORE
V:9-10. 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,
A. Jesus is the prime example of love. He gave us two great
commands
1. Matthew 22:37-38
Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest
commandment.
2. Matthew 22:39
The second is
like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.
B. Your neighbor is any one you meet. He/she could be your
enemy
1. Matthew 5:44
Love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
2. We have to be
kind to everyone no matter how they treat us.
3. We never know
who God has called to the body of Christ
before the
foundation of the earth. Ephesians 1:4
4. The Apostle
Paul was an enemy of the Church until Jesus
knocked him
off his high horse.
5. We can start
our love with our families, but we must move to
loving
everyone.
MIND YOU OWN BUSINESS AND WORK
V:11-12. 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 live properly before outsiders
and be dependent
on no one.
A. In order to live
quietly, you have to be content with what you have and who
you are.
1. We must learn
to be appreciative of every thing God is doing for us.
2. The best we
can do is handle our own affairs, and work to take care
of our
families.
3. We must depend
on God to provide a way for us to take care of our
needs.
4. God will give
us the desires of our hearts.
B. Living a Godly
life affects those out side the body of Christ.
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
For More Lessons follow me on facebook
and visit my blogs: remmitchell.com and
goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
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