1 Thessalonians: The Model Church

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Open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of First Thessalonians, First Thessalonians. The title of the message is “The Model Church,” the model church. Let me ask you a question: what does a good church look like? What does a good church look like? Are there certain characteristics that good churches have? Many families are constantly looking for this. And we intrinsically have our own lists made up in our minds of what makes a good church. If you have little children, you probably were thinking that maybe they have a good children's ministry that teaches the gospel week in and week out, with lots of activities. Definitely a nursery -- I remember when we could do either a children's ministry or a nursery; we went with nursery. If you have teenagers, you might have thought, “Well, it must have something for my teenagers.” Many families are actually directed by what church they go to based on the thought of their teenagers. If you're a senior, you probably thought, “Well, it must be accessible, can't be too loud, too soft. The lights can't be too bright, and it must be easy to get in and out of.”

Some of you, of course, and the leading thing that directs people to churches most of the time is if someone was polite and said hi to them. And a close second would be the music, of course. The 80’s and 90’s went through that whole thing. And we have our ideas of if we should sing hymns. And what hymns means, by the way, is always redefined. But if we should sing old hymns or tame contemporary hymns, or maybe you're looking for something that has neither of those two things. Music is definitely something that we think about when we think of a good church. And a lot of church pragmatics have jumped up over the years, and it's not too hard to find what makes a church fill with people.

But what is a good church? Does it have good teaching? What defines good teaching? Do the people who preach, do they have to be trained or can anyone get up and talk? Should it be expository preaching? If you know what that is -- that the meaning of the text is the meaning of your sermon. How about reformed expository preaching? How about the gospel presented every single Sunday in its entirety from the pulpit? I've had all of these things posed to me as questions to see if our church does this. You probably are wondering if there's people there your age, if there's a vibrant women's ministry, a good men's ministry, you know, where we come when we have good food, big burritos, lots of coffee, and we talk about the Bible. Well, the list, as you know, goes on and on and on. College ministry, you name it. We have long, long lists of what makes a good church.

But what was missing from that list? I would put forward that you can summarize what a good church is pretty succinctly: do they preach Christ and make disciples according to the Word of God? If so, you're probably at a good church. I think that is the main thing. We preach Christ and Christ crucified, Paul said. They didn't even have all these other ministries going on. Well, fortunately for us, the Bible tells us what a good church looks like. And quite frankly, the Thessalonian church was a model church. And the question for us is: what were they like? Well, I think there might be some surprises in there, and definitely some things that we would say, yes, every good church must have those. But what made them a good church? Well, let's find out.

Look in your Bibles at First Thessalonians. Let me tell you a little bit about them. We know that they were idol worshippers who came to faith in Jesus Christ. We learn that from chapter one, verses nine through ten. We learn that it was written about a year after Paul planted the church. So, this model church was made up of believers who were probably only saved less than a year. So, keep that in mind as you listen to this letter. It was also probably the first letter that Paul ever wrote as an apostle. It was probably written about AD 50 or so, which is roughly 20 years after our Lord Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.

So, what is this good church? Well, look in First Thessalonians chapter one, verse one. It says this: “Paul Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” The purpose of this letter is Paul writing to the Thessalonians. And we see that he wanted to encourage them. You'll see that he wanted to defend his position as an apostle and the way in which he talked to them. And you'll also see that he wanted to give them new teaching and instruction about the coming of our Lord. If you have your outline journal here, you'll see that in the chapter overview. In chapter one, Paul is just gushing with thanksgiving over these people. Chapters two and three is his ministry to the church. In chapters four and five, Paul gives them new teaching.

But what did the spiritual lives of this model church look like? And this is the first heading that we're going to talk about. If you look in verse two: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is what we want to be said of us, church. Grace Bible Church, this is the kind of church that we want to be, and these are the kinds of people that we want to be.

Notice in verse two, Paul was incredibly thankful for them. That whatever they said, however they lived, whatever situations they encountered, he was very, very thankful for them. And notice, he summarizes how they lived in verse three. He remembers their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. So, their work of faith, notice, faith, hope and love are mentioned in this church. And you'll maybe remember later, Paul would write in First Corinthians that faith, hope and love are the main things that remain on this earth. And here we see a demonstration of how that is lived out.

They were also elect. Notice in chapter one, verse four: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” This is not a choosing of Israel as a nation. This is a choosing of a people who are Gentiles. You are chosen; he has elected you. “Because our gospel [verse five] came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” They were not Israelites; they were Gentiles and elect by God, in all of these things. Everyone who comes to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is said to be chosen by God, chosen by God, and you can see their faith and their love and their hope demonstrated visibly in life. How did Paul know that they were chosen: because of their response to the gospel, because of the conviction that they had from the gospel, and notice that this conviction was visible. It was easy to see. It wasn't under the surface. It wasn't something that they had to dig for. It was evident to all who were watching them.

But why do we call them a model church? Well, quite simply, because Paul does. Look in verse seven of chapter one: “So that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.” You wonder, well, why didn't you just end the letter there? Right? Well, he's kind of saying, we all know how faithful and joyful and loving you are, and your example has gone forth all over the area for hundreds of miles. This is what we want to be like.

Some people claim to know God and to live for him. But others wonder if they're even saved, or they're even Christians. Not so with the Thessalonians. Their faith was evident -- like a light shining on a hill, a guiding light in the darkness. It guided others to faith in Christ. It pointed people to the truth of the gospel: that mankind is sinful in need of a Savior, that they need to confess their sins and turn from their sins to a living God who will save them from the wrath to come. That is the gospel that they shared. It was visible. And this happens to all believers, to all people who come to faith in Jesus Christ. They are visibly changed, and they are visibly made new. You don't have to wonder if they're saved, because they have come into contact with the living holy Almighty God. Notice, they were brand new Christians, brand new Christians, but their faith was renowned.

So, what did these new Christians look like and how did they live? Look in verse six. They imitated Paul, that is, their leaders. And they imitated the Lord. Their lives changed. Verse nine: they turned from idols to serve the true God. And verse 10: to wait for the return of Jesus Christ. All of those things, not any one of them separately, but all of those things together. Friends, we have turned from sin to serve Jesus Christ. That's what a model church is. It's made up of people who serve the Lord Jesus with their lives.

So, what was Paul's message? What did his message to this model church sound like? This is the second focus we want to think about as we consider the book of First Thessalonians. And here's where we begin to learn about a message that changes a church. Look in chapter two, verse four. Notice, you see Paul's focus there. It says, “not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts.” So, the first characteristic of a church is that there is someone there who is proclaiming a message, not to please the people in the church, but to please the One who is over the church. Right? Can I get an “amen” with that? That is where we're supposed to be. Right? And you live lives not to please me, or Adam, or anyone else who is a leader of a various ministry; you live lives to please God, whom you will stand before one day and give an account of your lives.

This brought them joy. This brought them comfort. You see, Paul got ran out of town pretty quickly. He was there for a very short time, but they learned much in a short time. And he was not there to, you know, get to know them and maybe in two or three years to share the gospel with them and, you know, have them over for eight dinners, and then maybe pray with him before the dinner. You know, he wasn't there to develop some super long-term friendship evangelism with them. He was there to proclaim that they were destined for hell, but Jesus Christ would forgive them and call them his children.

And did that offend them? Did that run them off? Was he doing so in a way that was abusive? Look in verse seven of chapter two: “We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” You see, those two things -- being gentle and sharing the reality of the gospel with people -- are not antithetical to each other. Sharing truth to someone is loving, even if they don't like you for it. He goes on to say that they weren't living as they should, and he actually admonished them. Look in chapter two, verses 11 and 12: “For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” Verse five says Paul used no flattery. He wasn't there for greed. Verse six: he wasn't seeking fame among them.

And all of this in a fatherly exhortation. Not in a, “let's just sit around and talk about how good we're already doing.” But, beloved, it's imperative that we see our need to become more like Jesus. It's imperative that we understand that we are not born “good” people, and we do not grow up “good” people. It's not that you can't ever do nice things for people. But the goodness that gets us into heaven is only via the grace of Jesus Christ. And we don't earn our salvation. We can't work towards it. But we have to understand that exhortation and encouragement are intrinsic to every biblical leader. And notice, it develops a love among the people. It develops a love among the people.

How did they respond to Paul's exhortation? Look in verse 13: “And we also thank God, [he's not done kind of oozing over them so much] we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God [which includes the encouragement, the exhortation, the charges, all of those things], which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you.” You see, these calls to follow Jesus and to leave the world behind, to leave the entanglements of sin behind, is what they needed. Can you think of any idols that trap people in our world today? Of course. Think of other people, right? What are idols that trap other people? Right? Greed, careers, success. I want to be heard. I want to be understood. Right? “I,” “I,” “I” -- It's all about us.

But Jesus says, no, it's all about him. And they accepted this. They accepted these things. And they were called a model church to all of the surrounding areas, because they were willing to grow. Friends, it is a blessing to you and I to be pruned, not to be a prune but to be pruned, and to grow in our example of Christ, to grow in our love for our Savior. You know, when you meet somebody who is just, they're just kind all the time. They are serving other people all the time. They never seem to be grumpy. It's just like, who is this person. And as you get to know them, they're just inspired by God that they are still breathing. And a lot of times, this is the blessing of our older saints who have gone through life. And they've seen, some of them, real war. They've seen real things that come and attack us, not just mean tweets. And they have learned how to be thankful in all things, to give thanks in all circumstances (which is what he ends the letter with in chapter five).

And if you want to see a portrait of someone who has the joy of the Lord, look at someone's life who has been through many, many trials, and they still have this joy about them. They're not overwhelmed by the world. They're not overwhelmed by sickness. They're not overwhelmed by tragedy. They're not overwhelmed by you name it. They're overwhelmed by Jesus. See, these people are learning to receive the word, because they know it's to their own benefit. And it's not just for leaders. It's not just for leaders. You should look in chapter five, verse 12. Turn just a few chapters. Chapter five, verse 12: “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you [so he reminds them of this throughout the letter], and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. [And then he says this] Be at peace among yourselves.”

So now he shifts from the thinking about leaders to the people who are in the church, to now, let's think about how we act among ourselves. And then he says this in verse 14: “We urge you, brothers [so now this is how the whole church is supposed to act], admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” If you want a one-summary verse of how to interact with any type of individual in the church, this is your favorite verse right here -- First Thessalonians 5:14. There are different kinds of people here. There are the idle, the lazy, and Paul is going to further clarify this in Second Thessalonians. But “the idle” doesn't necessarily mean someone who's doing nothing. It means someone who is busy at all the wrong things. Okay? So you can be idle, and not, you know, serving, and not giving, and all those kinds of things, which is true. But he's going to explain in the second book, the second letter he writes to them, that you can be idle simply by being busy with the wrong things. Those people you admonish.

The faint hearted, you do not admonish. When you come up to someone, and they're like, “Oh, I'm just so overwhelmed, and I just can't handle it,” and you yell, “Get over it!” That is not how you handle the faint hearted. And, you know, I'm really good at the first one, and I have to work on the next three here. They're just super encouraging. Some of you just ooze encouragement. And so, I just like to go stand by you, because I know I'm gonna get some of your encouragement on me. When you're faint hearted, you need to recognize that those people need to be encouraged. They need to have you put your arm around them and just say, “You know, I'm so thankful you're even just here. I'm so thankful to see you, to be around you, that God has put you in our church, and you are a huge blessing to everyone that you meet.” And you want to stop short of puffing them up, alright, so they're not tempted towards pride.

But it's okay to encourage people, to say, “Call me anytime.” And if it's, you know, late in the evening, call elder Adam. Right? But you want to encourage people. When they're weak, you want to help them. You want to come alongside them. You recognize that people go through different times in their life. If you are faint hearted today, if you are weak today, simply admitting that doesn't mean that you're a weak person all the time. It doesn't mean that you're faint hearted all the time. And in fact, if you want to be strengthened, one of the best ways to do that is to come alongside someone who is strong that day, and just share with them, “Hey, can we just pray?” If you want to share what's going on, share what's going on. But if you don't, just say, “I just need prayer. I'm not really ready to share what's happening, but I know you love me, and can you just pray for me?”

There's so much encouragement that goes on in this godly church of the Thessalonians. And that's what we want to be like, friends. That's what we want to do: recognizing we all are different places at different times. And sometimes, you know, we need the two-by-four. And other times, you know, we just need someone to look us in the eye and say, “You know, I love you, and I'm praying for you.” And we need to recognize when people are in different places. What is astounding to me is that all these instructions are given to people who have only been saved about 12 months or less.

You think, “I can't be used of God. I barely even know what the Bible says.” Well, do you know how to be saved? Do you know how to share that with somebody? Do you know that when you were saved, that there was a loving God who saved you? Then share that with somebody. Do you know that God is faithful? Are there any stories in the Bible that you can think of that God is faithful, even one. Then just share that with somebody. Do you know that God wins in the end? Then just share that. There are so many ways, friends, that you can encourage other people that we can press on as a church -- not to be somebody that we're not -- but to be the people God has called us to be, and to be willing to change and to be willing to serve other people in a way that blesses them, to be different from the world. If they just think we're a nice family or a nice person, but they can't see the difference between us and the Mormons, or us and other groups, then we're not distinct enough.

Our neighbors in our towns need to know that we live for Jesus Christ, and that we will do anything for them, not looking for something in return. And when they see that it's been a long weekend, and Sunday comes, and we show up. And then, you know, we get home, and they have something going on, and we help them with that. And like, “Why do you constantly serve us?” “Well, it's because God told me to love you.” And you demonstrate, simply by serving your neighbor, the love of Jesus Christ to them. Our faith should be renowned. It should be contagious in a good way -- a good contagion that spreads all over the world and infects everybody. And there should be no one immune to it. Our Christianity should be like that.

I remember when I was in my 20s, and at a church, and I was trying to think through these things. And I was trying to think through: how am I supposed to share the gospel with people that don't want to hear it? They just say, “nice little Christian and go on your way” and how do I live for Jesus. And an associate pastor at the time just said, you know, we need to be contagious Christians -- that we act in such a way around other people that it affects them. You know, like a little child that sneezes on you; it affects you, right? You feel what's coming from them. The gospel is not just some tame thing that they can open or not, but when we live like what is important to you, they know it's Jesus.

What's important to you, between you and your neighbors, is that I show them the love of Jesus. What's important to you about education? That it teaches us a biblical worldview. What's important to you about your job? That my boss knows that I serve him, not because he's “Mr. Wonderful”, but because I love Jesus Christ. And I don't care if he ever pats me on the back. All my treasures are in Christ -- all my joys, all my, everything that I work for, I'm storing up my treasures in heaven. How many bosses have employees that never get a “thanks”, and they're the happiest ones? Right? I mean, if you want to make a difference, do you want to set yourself apart, give praise and glory to everyone else and never expect it in return. And they're going to ask you, “What makes you tick?” “What drives you in your life?” “They just gave the praise to this guy who is idle, who never does anything, and we all know you did it. Why doesn't that bother you?” “Because my praise comes from Jesus and Jesus alone.”

See, we need to learn to live in ways that not only every now and then share the gospel with people, but everything about us shares the gospel with people. This is the strong, model church that Paul is writing to, and it was a complete work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It was a complete work of the word of truth, that they received, that did this amazing work in them. This is what we should be like, Grace Bible Church. So far, in chapter one, Paul has gushed over them and their faith. Chapters two to three, you can learn about his explanations, his motives for ministry, and why he did the things that he did, and even the words and the disposition that he had -- you can learn that in chapters two to three. But like a good teacher, he doesn't stop there. That wasn't the coming-down-to-the-runway part of the sermon. We're still going.

So, what does a model church need taught? What does a model church need to hear? So, he's encouraged them, he’s explained his admonishing, he’s explained who he is, and they all believe in the same Jesus. Well, that's what brings us to the next couple of chapters. See, Paul knew that they needed to long for the return of Jesus. See, what makes us tired in life, a lot of times, is just the monotony of it. It's not that you can't put your shoes on and get dressed and get out the door -- it's that you did it yesterday and the 8,000 days before that, right? Well, maybe 1,000 days before that. Right? It's this constant, “Is anything changing?” “Is anything going to be different?” And then when something different comes, we go, “Oh, I don't like change.” Right? That's how we live. But the monotony of things doesn't ever settle in, it should grow our longing for Jesus. “Lord, can I see you today?” “Can I spend time with you today.”

And this isn't just something that he's talking about in chapters four and five. I kind of let the cat out of the bag in “How to Study the Bible” class earlier today. But he gives this all throughout this little book. Look in First Thessalonians 1:9 and notice, he's continually referring to the return of Christ. First Thessalonians 1:9, towards the end: “You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, [verse 10] and to wait for his Son from heaven [that's what they were actively doing], to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath of the come.” It's not just that we're waiting for him, it's that everything we think we deserve -- and we do deserve -- it's not going to be for us.

The eternal wrath of God is not on us. Why? Because Jesus has delivered us. Chapter two, verse 19: “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus that is coming? Is it not you?” It wasn't just that they needed to long for Jesus -- Paul, Timothy and Sylvanus -- they also were getting ready to see Jesus, when he returns at his coming. They wanted to be prepared and ready for him. And they were saying, “Look, our work here on earth is evident in you. You are the joy that we have when we stand before Jesus.” What does that mean? It means that they have put everything they have in this life into serving Jesus. And the Thessalonians are the evidence of that, this new church that sprang up from the gospel. Paul is saying, “You are our joy and our crown.”

Chapter three, verse 13, he says, “so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” Church, do you long for the return of Christ? And let me put this a different way, because normally what we think is, “Yes, I would much rather be with Jesus.” And what that means is: “I'm tired of this life.” But that's not biblically what it means to be ready to see Jesus. Right? Paul was referencing he was ready to see Jesus with joy, because of all the work he was doing. Not so that he could do less work, but so that he could be joyful in all the work that he had done. So, it's not that “I'm just so tired of this life. I'm worn down and worn out and tired of, you know, grumpy, angry people, and I'm ready to see Jesus.” That's not biblically what “being ready” is.

“Being ready” is preparing yourself, admonishing yourself with the word, growing in faith, letting the Holy Spirit help you understand the Bible, letting the peace of God dwell in you richly, letting the word of God dwell in you richly -- that is preparing yourself to see Jesus -- that we are growing in the image of God, so that when we stand before him, we can know with full assurance that God has been at work in us, all of our lives. Are you preparing yourself in that way to see Jesus? Are you ready? Do you have your sins confessed? Could we look at our lives and be encouraged that Jesus is going to have us give an account for everything we've said or done? Are we fully ready to see Jesus?

So, Paul, instead of just giving them a few verses, in chapter four, verse 13 and following, he gives them a little bit more. You see, they were grieving. Most commentators think this, verse 13 in chapter four, shows that they were grieving that some people had died, and they didn't want those people to miss the return of Christ. And so, Paul, out of love, teaches them something that they had not yet known. Notice, he says in verse 13: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep.” The Old Testament is full of the final return of Christ. But this passage, in 13 to 18, is something they had never heard of before. And it's possible that Paul didn't teach them that yet. And that's evident that he didn't teach them that, because they didn't know what was going to happen to those who had died.

So, he says, verse 13: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. [Verse 15] For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Now he clarifies what the coming of the Lord means in this context, verse 16] For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [Verse 18] Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

What's the point of this section? So they don't grieve as those who have no hope, and so that they will encourage each other with their end times views. Right? Is that what you feel when someone starts talking about end times? Do you feel encouraged in your soul? Do you feel vibrant and alive? And I love this topic, and I wish we would just talk about it all the time. Billy loves it. Right? I mean, this is what it's for. It's to encourage one another. It's not to debate and wrangle about all these words and everything. And it's to say that there is going to be a time when we will be caught up together, everyone who's died, who is in Christ, everyone who is now in Christ, will be raised together with Christ. I think this section is talking about the Rapture. But we don't have to be enemies if you don't. Do you understand that? We can look at theology and see what we believe by what the text says. But the point is to encourage one another.

They needed encouragement. They needed more teaching. They needed to understand that we don't grieve when people die, as others who have no hope. We're not worried about that. Why? Because, speaking of believers, we're going to be reunited. We don't have to be depressed forever. We don't have to be overwhelmed with grief and sadness. We can rejoice! Death is sad for us, not them. If they're in Christ, that's the happiest day of their life. Because that's the time when they stand, and they see Jesus. And they're with him forever. And no one's taking that away from them. And they don't have to pay rent or taxes anymore. Right? They can be with God Almighty. Let the questions begin for them, right? “How's this work?” “How's that work?” “When are you returning?” -- all that kind of stuff. They can see Jesus and talk to him.

Death is sad for those who are left behind. And like we said earlier, this isn't a “stop being like that” kind of thing. If someone's grieving over the loss of someone, they're probably faint hearted at that point. They're probably weak. So, you proceed gently. But if they're constantly grieving, like someone who doesn't know Jesus, there's a problem, and they need to be corrected and understand that being with Jesus is better for that person than being here with you. That's a real truth that changes our views and outlooks on life.

Then in chapter five, Paul goes on. Notice in chapter five, verses one and two: “Now concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. And you already know this, because you've already been taught this. You have no need for anything to be written to you about this. So, whatever that is, that has to be different than what was written in chapter four, verses 13 and following, the section that they didn't know about. “For God [in chapter five, verse nine], for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Friends, when we get instruction, a lot of times, we may have already heard some of those things. But we can't assume that we apply those things to the fullest extent that we're supposed to. So, Paul is saying you've already heard about these things -- about the day of the Lord, the coming wrath of God. He goes on in that chapter to say we're not destined for those things. So, encourage each other with these words, just as you are doing; you already knew about that, that salvation sets aside the full wrath of God. And you're already encouraging one another with these words but do so more and more. Let's gather our conversations from the myriad of things that are going on and focus them on a joy of the return of Christ, the joy of our salvation, that we don't have to live under the burden of sin.

When somebody says, “Hey, you've sinned against me,” you can be thankful that God gives you the strength to confess that sin, and to turn from it, and to repent, and that it's already fully paid for in Christ Jesus. That is encouraging. So, we understand that this model church was loving. They were faithful. They were changed. They were receptive to growing. And they longed for the return of Jesus Christ. Chapter five, verse 23, summarizes this, as we close. It says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I want to live like that. I want to live like that -- the peace of God and the application of his word, that I know I'm going to continue to grow.

And if you're thinking to yourself, “wow, I'm doing really well,” then you are the farthest away from where you need to be. If you're thinking to yourself, “This is a lot.” I mean, there's 15 commands there in the last few verses. Right? If you're thinking this is a lot, then verse 24, is for you. Chapter five, verse 24: “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Friends, this life that we live in pursuit of Christ is all done by the faithfulness of God and his power in our lives, and in that we can put our trust and our hope.

Let's pray. Dear Lord God, we want to be a model church. We want to live for your glory, Lord God, no matter what. Lord, above all things, help us to encourage one another with our understanding of Scripture. Lord, help us to walk arm in arm in this life. I’m so thankful, Lord God, for each and every person that you bring here week in and week out. That together, we can live for you. Maybe you're here today and you don't know Jesus, I pray that you would turn from sin, to receive salvation in Jesus Christ. I pray that you wouldn't wait another day, because you're not guaranteed another day. For those of you who know our Lord, let's take a moment and ask God to help us to live faithfully, trusting him for each and every day. Lord God, what a joy and blessing it is to be in the body of Christ. Lord God, I just thank you for all that you're doing in our church, and in this world, and the many hundreds of 1000s and millions of people who serve you. I pray, Lord, that we would all bring you praise and glory. Lord, we pray you would come soon. Amen.