6 March 2022 AM – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Stress – Scott Childs
Introduction: Right now, our world is in distress. Ukraine is under attack by Russia. Every Christian in Ukraine is in distress. Floods over East are doing great damage. Covid is still threatening lives. Morality is crumbling. Our freedoms are under attack. These are distressful times!
Transition: Our text this morning is (1Thess 5:11) “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” I want us to pull this verse apart that we might learn our duties during distress.
1. The word “wherefore” points us to sobering motives for our duties
a. The Lord could return any time
1) Paul just addressed the Lord’s return (1Th 1:10; 4:13-18).
2) The Thessalonian believers were passionate about this.
3) The preceding context stirred their hearts (1Th 5:1-10).
4) I believe we are living in the end times. We are 2,000 years closer to Christ’s return than when Paul wrote this verse. The moral digression, spiritual coldness, crumbling democracies, the Covid pandemic and threatening world powers each turn our minds to the Lord’s soon return.
5) Maranatha! We need to be ready. It may be today!
b. There was growing persecution
1) The Thessalonian believers were suffering increasing persecution for their faith in Christ.
a) They had suffered much like the Jewish believers in Judea (1Th 2:14).
b) Paul had told them to expect persecution, (1Th 3:3-4).
2) Through the centuries since that day, millions of Christians have suffered for their faith and millions have died for Christ. Multitudes, even today in Communist and Muslim countries, are enduring untold hardships, persecution and even death for the cause of Christ.
3) Here in Australia, our Christian liberties and freedom of speech are being threatened. Covid mandates are oppressing. News headlines highlight the Russian attack on Ukraine. China is threatening Taiwan. The North Koreans have been testing missiles. There is talk of the possibility of WWIII.
4) From a human perspective, we live in dark, uncertain and frightening days. Like the Thessalonians, these are powerful motives for the duties set before us.
2. We have a duty to comfort one another
a. Comfort translates Parakaleo.
1) However, parakaleo means much more than just to “comfort”. It describes a call to one’s side for comfort, for exhortation or to beseech. Let us examine the implications of each meaning.
a) It is to call others to your side. While Paul was in prison in Rome, he called others to his side. (Acts 28:20) “For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.“
b) It is to comfort or encourage the struggling. (2Cor 1:4) “Who [God] comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Believers are to comfort each other with the hope of the approaching Rapture. (1Thess 4:18) “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“
c) It is to exhort or persuade others to live for the Lord. Paul had exhorted the Thessalonians. (1Thess 2:11) “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.” Christians need exhortation to contend for the faith. (Jude 1:3) “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.“
d) It is to beseech, pray or beg others to stay faithful. (Rom 12:1) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Eph 4:1) “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” (1Pet 2:11) “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;“
2) Day by day, we need these challenges.
b. This duty applies to each of us
1) Our duty is to call near, comfort, exhort, and beseech one another. God commands us to do this with each other. Instead of just talking about the weather, the family, the news, God commands us to talk about the faith we have in Christ.
2) Our conversations need to be God-centred, confronting, comforting, exhorting, and urging others to stand for the Lord. Speak calming words. Share nuggets from the Bible. Discuss Bible topics. Talk about what you learned from the sermon you just heard. Memorise a verse with a friend. Share prayer requests and pray together.
3) Why do we find this difficult?
a) Pride is a big problem – I do not like opening my heart. Fear is another – what will they think of me. Disinterest may play a part – it’s boring.
b) My guess the biggest reason is because we lack something worthwhile to say.
4) Before you can comfort, exhort or beseech others you must be living in the Word, growing spiritually, and overflowing. If that does not describe your walk with God, ask God to revive your heart. We have no time to lose.
3. We have a duty to edify one another
a. To edify is to build.
1) It is a construction word. It applies to building a new house from the foundation up or restoring, rebuilding and repairing one.
2) Spiritually, to edify is to build up another believer in his faith. It is promoting Christian growth in faith, trusting God, wisdom, holiness.
3) Edifying overlaps comforting. We can edify others by sharing together from the Bible. We do it by praying together. Study Bible doctrine with a friend. Our website has many study helps. We can even edify each other by witnessing together.
4) Spiritual edifying is the opposite of criticising the preaching or something you do not particularly like about our church. It is the opposite of complaining. It is the opposite of having a bad attitude. All those things tear down. They are destructive. (Phil 2:14) “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” (1Cor 10:23) “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.“
5) If someone comes to you with a criticism or complaint, stop him or her and change the conversation to edifying. David said, (Ps 101:5) “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.“
6) God commands us to be constructive!
b. This too is the duty of each of us
1) Where our text says “one another” it literally says, “one the one”, which seems to mean one-on-one.
2) This is a great challenge. I have a duty to edify you. You have a duty to edify me. We each have a duty to edify other believers one on one. (1Cor 8:1) “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.“
Conclusion: We have duties to perform. Our motivation is God’s command and our distressful world. We are in the last times! Every Christian has the duty to parakaleo – call others near, comfort, exhort and beseech them to trust God. Each has a second duty to edify – build up, be constructive. This is God’s formula for distressing times.
Have you been actively fulfilling these duties? If not, will you ask God to revive your heart and give you the grace you need?
If Christ has not yet saved your soul, you desperately need the comfort and peace God gives those who place their trust in Him. I would be happy to talk to you about this.
