Text Message make sure we're on live or here. Beautiful. Well, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and devotions is where every day you and I we get together we have a little bit of coffee. We get into God's word and we grow in our love for the Lord together in this year, Lord willing 2022 We only got two days left to this week. Work Week we're going to end First Thessalonians I got some feedback from a few of you please feel free to shoot me a text message or write down in the comments what should we do next year? Do you want to start at Genesis? Do you want to just continue on and go into Second Thessalonians and see how far we can go? Why would you want to do one of the major prophets, Minor Prophets historical books, let me know what would you like to do next year 2023 It's right around the corner. So I need to figure this out within the next couple of days because I got to start working on it. So let me know down in the comments, what would you like to do next year I'm leaning towards starting in Genesis. Well, let's have some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you so much for this day. What a blessing it is to you to open our Bibles and read in a word that we can understand the language that we know and that all that is necessary for salvation is plainly taught to us. Lord, we pray that as we read your word, that your Holy Spirit would teach us open our eyes, soften our hearts that we would see here know and believe in Jesus's name, Amen. All right, we're at First Thessalonians chapter five, beginning of verse 12. First Thessalonians chapter five, beginning at verse 12. And I urge you, brethren to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake, be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort, the faint hearted, uphold the weak and be patient. See that no one renders evil for evil but always pursue what is good, both for yourself and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give things for this as the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit do not despise prophecies test all things hold fast. What is good abstain from every form of evil? Well, we need to ask ourselves a What's this about B? What's the best verse to summarize this and see, what are we called to do in response to these words, so Paul is wrapping up his letter here. We've only got one little section to do tomorrow. And as we look at this, we realize that he has some kind of final exhortations, the things that he needs to tell them things he wants to command them stuff. He wants to encourage them little pithy sayings, he's he's talked about how their relationship is in Jesus. How they're waiting for Jesus to return again, the hope that we have in Jesus, and now he wants to leave some with some practical things in their lives, how they can walk according to the Spirit. And so the first is regarding the church right specifically the leadership in the church there in Thessalonica. They in verses 12 through 13, I urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem very, very highly in love for their work sake. Be at peace amongst yourselves, right. There's there's this tension sometimes in the church between the leadership and the lady, and it shouldn't be right it shouldn't be the case the leadership ought to love because they are God's people, and they have been placed by God as the shepherds of God's people. And this isn't something that only here if you flip over and you went to the book of Hebrews, you would find in the book of Hebrews there, there is the idea that of honoring the elders in the church because they labor over your souls, but you could do it in a way where like the leaders are these these people here in the church, or there's a way in which there are some people man I am just absolute tickled and rejoice that I get to be their shepherd. Not everyone's like that right? There are some people that it's difficult to shepherd I know I'm difficult to shepherd I know my pastor had to tell me some hard things. And I still have men in my life who tell me hard things, thank the Lord for it. But the point is, is that respects those people who are laboring over you in the Lord right if they're worthy of respect. And so, one of the ways in which we live at peace in the church is recognizing the leadership of the church. Now, I'm not talking about a type of blind, dumb leadership that lets guys get off with you know, hurting people. And being all sorts of sorts of narcissistic and stuff like that and live a gross and moral lives and not being truth tellers, fattening themselves at the sake of the sheep. That's not what this is talking about, but in a general way. I do we honor those who labor over us. And then in verses 14 through really 14 through 18. This this is talking about how is that piece accomplished between people, or how is that piece accomplished? Well, verse 14, now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, right? So if you have people in the church who are unruly, out of control, they just don't, man they just not living lives according to the godliness of Christ. Speak up to love them. Yeah, I'm so thankful for people in my life who have told me Hey, you got to chill out buddy. This is not good. What you're doing. You need exercise some self control in this area. Do it in a loving way. Right? But confront those who are unruly in the church, who are always seeming to push boundaries and get in fights and are just generally not following what the Lord has said admonished them. It is takes courage and you could do it in a way in which you will win your brother or sister over and there's a way to do it in which you will just come off as a legalistic snob most people don't like being confronted. But confront people in love admonish them who are Anwar unruly, warn them and comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak. Do you see those in the church who are faint hearted and who are weak, uphold them, comfort them, go, give them a meal, just go sit with them, call them on the phone, shoot them a text message, send them a card, pray with and for them. There's a reality that in a lot of churches, people come to church and this idea is that somehow we this is where we put on our happy faces and everything is okay. Go for you. Two thirds of the Psalms and their laments. Are This is a hard life. People die. Jobs are lost finances. Go a ride children leave the faith. What do you do? Your husband gets laid off your benefits at work or decrease? What do you do? We're the ultimate with each other care for one another love each other. Right? That's what this is talking about. Be patient with all have long suffering. You know, not everybody is as likable. And to be honest with you, I'm sure there's many people who don't like me. I know there's a whole bunch of people in the church who have don't like me and that's okay. Be patient with each other. suffer with each other be okay with each other's proclivities. The Lord is patient with you be patient with other people in the church. See that no one renders evil for evil but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all right, this is what Jesus was talking about with turning the other cheek or walking the extra mile. We're not vindictive, we don't render evil for evil, but in the Christian life, we're about forgiving people, leading them towards the hope that there is in Jesus Christ. Now remember, this a lot of this is coming off of this idea off of these ideas of comforting people being patient with people warning those who are unruly i but at the end of the day, when when you're suffered harm
Are you willing to steal love? Are you willing to still care are you willing to still watch over? And so in watch over our pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all? And then rejoice always. Now this is hard. Rejoice always does this mean put on a fake plastic smile and just act like everything is okay. No, that's not what this is talking about. But have a deep seated joy in your heart. You know, this is really hard. I'm just going to be honest with you. You know, last week I was sick as a dog. I mean, hurt to breathe 102 degree fever just horrible. And I remember thinking, How do I rejoice during this? Right? How do I get over this? How do I rejoice? And I remember as I was sitting there thinking, Lord, thank you. For Olivia who is watching over the children or thank you for the doctors. who are caring for me, thank you. For a friend who drove me up to the hospital. There were so many things to give things for in the midst of this. Thank the Lord rejoice always. It starts with cultivating this heart of gratitude and recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from God and so we rejoice even in the hardships even in the trials. Pray without ceasing. Does this mean that you don't do anything else? Well, no, he's just said you gotta work. Right? Work with labor with your own hands. But this means always having a heart that's quick to pray quick to pray with and for others quick to go to your heavenly Father. Quick to pray about the things in life quick to pray about what your spouse needs quick to pray with your children quick to pray when it comes to thanking the Lord. When you see a beautiful sunrise or you get to work safely or there's some type of financial blessing or you know, you find things to think the Lord about rejoice, always. He's given you so many good gifts. When's the last time you thanked him for toothpaste? Right? Not everybody has it? Do you think the Lord there's always something they have rejoice over. Pray without ceasing. Rejoice always in everything. Give thanks for this as the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. And then lastly, this last section 19 through 22 Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies, test all things and hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. This is what Paul was talking about. When he went to Berea. He went and he told them the prophecies he told them about Jesus Christ and the words that the Holy Spirit had given him. And they went and they searched the Scriptures to see if these things were true. And if they were true than they accepted them. This is not me going back on what I said about I'm tired of prophecy our stuff. They didn't we didn't do holdfast what is good test all things right. If the test keeps coming back negative don't believe it. Right? This is not what it's saying. It's saying is not saying you blindly follow all prophecies but where the Holy Spirit has breathed out his word. We listen to it. We trusted. It's been tested. It's been proven. It's been received. And so we hold fast to it. And so abstain from every form of evil in your own life. Do you work in your heart in such a way that you love the things that God loves and hates the things that God hates? This world is constantly trying to sell us a different view of what is good. What is wonderful there's one of the things that I really struggle with with our children is is storylines that are switching the bad guy and stories to be the good guy. It's difficult because you're sitting there thinking how do I explain to our children what's going on here? How do I show them who is good and who is evil? So they might learn the love what is good test in your own heart? Are you loving the things that God loves? The things that are good and right and pure and Justin holy, a have good rapport and praiseworthy or are you loving other things? Well, I think we've done just enough of see calling mixed in with all of this and be what's the best first good luck with that. These are a whole bunch of little sections here. I think I would probably if I was to underline anything, I would probably underline verse 20. to abstain from every form of evil. I would also be tempted to underline rejoice always pray without ceasing and everything gets things for this as well of God in Christ Jesus for you. That's what I would probably underline but let me know. What would you underline in your Bible? Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much that you have given us Your holy spirit that you've given us the apostles and the prophets. That you've given us a foundation to stand upon. We thank You for Your word. Lord, we pray that you would please work in our hearts that we would follow after you help us learn, to be peacemakers to be lovers of the truth to be those who are filled with thankfulness for Your glory in Jesus's name, Amen. Well, may the Lord bless you, and you walk in the joy and peace of Jesus Christ, and I'll see you tomorrow. Bye
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