Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-28 A string of pearls

I wonder if you’ve ever seen a wee girl being given a necklace making kit? In the kit, there’s some string, and then a big box of different sizes and shapes and colours and types of beads. Red ones, pink ones, blue ones, green ones, and all sorts of colours and shades. And then the wee girl sits down and picks one of those, and one of those, and one of those, and threads them all onto the string. There’s no pattern, rhyme or reason. They don’t all ‘go’ together; they’ve just been chosen at random. But she loves it, thinks it’s very stylish, and insists on wearing it. Or makes you wear it!

When I sat down to consider this final section of 1 Thessalonians, that was my initial thought. Is this all just random? Does it all fit together? It seems to be all over the place. Lots of random ideas jotted down in quick succession. It’s a bit like the student sitting an exam, running out of time, so rather than writing structured, well-argued paragraphs, they just jot down some bullet points, some notes to try to show their learning for a few extra marks.

It’s like when I used to write to penpals all over Europe. The special airmail paper was precious, and seemed expensive, so if you were coming near the end of a page you thought - will I cram everything in here and finish up? Is this what Paul was doing here? He’s coming to the end of the scroll and wanted to get in all his ideas? Is this a string of random beads, each interesting, but not really connected?

If you have a look in the pew Bible (p. 1188), you’ll see what the Bible publisher makes of this section. You see, often, Bible publishers add in headings in italics. They’re not part of the original text, they’re just there to hopefully help the reader understand what’s going on. Well here, the heading before verse 12 isn’t terribly helpful - final instructions. Or even worse, another version I looked at said ‘various exhortations.’

So what do we do with these verses? What is it all about? How do we make sense of them? There’s so much here that we could approach them in a couple of ways.

First of all, there’s the approach that says: ‘Wow!’ Look at this verse, and this verse, and this verse, and we could go for a really long and indepth sermon, bringing out the meaning and application of each individual verse. Now, even five minutes on each verse would take just 85 minutes, so I hope you’re sitting comfortably... No, don’t worry, we’ll not go down that way today.

Another possible approach is for us to look along the string of beads, and just pick one that we like, or that stands out for us, and forget about all the rest. And sometimes, that approach can be really helpful - and God is speaking to us about something in particular. I don’t expect you to remember everything I ever say in every sermon - so if there’s one nugget that speaks to you, hold on to it and focus on that!

But the more I thought about the passage, the more I realised that it’s not entirely random. God’s word is given to us for a purpose, and God worked through Paul to write down what God intended us to hear. This isn’t like twitter or a facebook feed, with lots of random ideas coming from lots of different places. This is a letter, written for a specific purpose. And these verses fit into the bigger picture.

You may remember that, ever since 3:13, Paul has been showing the Thessalonian Christians what it looks like to be sanctified, to be set apart, to become holy. He went indepth on sexual purity (saying no to lust and yes to love); he fixed our minds on the hope we have in Jesus to transform our grief and help us wait for the day of the Lord. And this last section shows us how we live out our becoming more holy in everyday life. Each of these verses is driving towards the destination of the prayer and promise of verses 23&24.

Here’s the prayer: ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’

As Paul directs our thoughts towards the coming of Jesus (as he’s done at the end of every chapter in the letter); that coming of Jesus that we especially look forward to in this season of Advent; we might think that it’ll be impossible for us to stand before him... how? Blameless. Maybe your heart accuses you. The devil accuses you. Is it really possible that we will be able to be blameless, whenever we still seem to prefer sin to righteousness, as this battle continues to war within us?

But we also have the promise. ‘The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.’ We have our part to play in choosing to obey God, but look who will bring it about. The one who called you will do it, because he is faithful.

God gives us the means to become holy in our everyday life - and God will do it. That’s what verses 12-22 are all about. They’re not random beads thrown together, rather it’s a string of pearls, describing the ways God has provided for our being made holy.

In verses 12-13, we see that God has given church leaders. ‘Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.’

Paul asks the church to respect leaders, working hard, overseeing the church, who admonish. Sometimes there are hard things to say, urging earnestly, so that we continue to grow. There is always more to do than time to do it. And we don’t always get it right. I need your patience and love. God gives church leaders to help us progress in holiness.

But alongside church leaders, God also provides every member of the church family. You see, it’s not just leaders who have a ministry. It’s not just people in dog collars who do ministry. It’s all of us. So, everyone, all the brothers, are urged to ‘warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.’ There’s wisdom in knowing who is who, and what to do with each type of person, but this is every member ministry. And there’s another type of every member ministry in verse 15 as well:

‘Make sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.’ We don’t pay back wrongs, but instead, we’re called to be kind - not just to each other, but also to everyone else. Are we known as kind people? Here in church, but also in our workplace and our homes?

Verses 16-18 shows us how to react to the events of life, in the way that God wants us to react. ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.’ This isn’t just telling us to think positive thoughts and everything will be ok. This is urging us to tune our thoughts towards heaven - rejoicing in God’s love and care for us, and in what he has done for us. Bringing every moment of our day to him - all our concerns, all our thoughts, and giving thanks to God, recognising that he is the good giver.

But did you see what Paul doesn’t say? he doesn’t say give thanks FOR all circumstances. Paul isn’t saying that we’re to thank God for a flat wheel, or a worrying diagnosis. He says give thanks IN all circumstances. When these things happen, are there things we can thank God for? It changes our perspective, it tunes us into what God is doing, as he works every detail for his glory and our good.

And to bring us along the way, God provides us with guides. ‘Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.’

The Holy Spirit is at work in our lives - he wants to help us to grow and develop in our Christian life, and to make us more like Jesus. So we shouldn’t quench the Spirit - so don’t pour cold water on what the Spirit is doing and leading you to do. Don’t despise prophecy - God’s word to you, listen carefully, test it, to make sure it’s what God is saying, and hold on to the good. It’s like the wee boy who brought a lollipop into school for the show and tell. The teacher asks him to put it down on the table and share with the class which Bible verse he was thinking about. But he refused to set it down, as he said: ‘hold on to the good.’ He wasn’t going to let go, and neither should we. Hold on to the good, and avoid every kind of evil.

These are the dance moves, the steps to take as we become holy, more and more, as we look to the day of Christ’s coming. Sometimes our steps can falter, sometimes we might step on toes, but together we can learn the steps, we can do this together, as we prepare for the wedding party of the Lamb, and we join the dance.

For the new believers in Thessalonica, just starting out in the Christian life, they must have wondered would they be able to keep the faith, in face of opposition and persecution. Would they make it to the coming of the Lord? Would they really be blameless?

God has called us. God is faithful. He has provided for us in the death and resurrection of his Son - which we celebrate at his table today. And he has provided the way to become holy in everyday life - it’s in the church, as we encourage and strengthen and support one another. And the God who calls us is faithful. He will surely do it.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 2nd December 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 The Day of the Lord

Today is an important day. Not only is it Remembrance Sunday, but it also falls on the centenary of the Armistice. One hundred years ago, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns fell silent, and the World War was finished. And so today is an important day, as we look back on that momentous day.

But we don’t just look back and remember past days - we also look forward to days that are coming in the future. This is the time of year when you start to get your new diary (has anyone got a 2019 diary yet?). And when you get your new diary, you go through it to write in all sorts of important days.

You write in your family birthdays, so that you don’t forget them. You might write in wedding anniversaries - not that you would forget that day! You might write in when your holidays are, looking forward to particular days. But there’s one day that we can’t write in. We know it will happen some day, we just don’t know when. We’re talking about the day of the Lord, when Jesus will return to the earth.

Last week, we were reminded of the hope that we have because of Jesus - that those who have died trusting in Jesus will be raised when Jesus returns. Today, we see what the day of the Lord means for those of us who are alive and waiting for him. So let’s look at what the Bible says about the return of the Lord Jesus:

‘Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.’ (1-2)

The return of Jesus is described as the day of the Lord. That’s a phrase that is used lots of times in the Old Testament, pointing to God’s victory over his enemies, bringing judgement to the earth and triumph for his people. But do you see how the DAY is described? It will come like a thief in the night.

Now, I hope this doesn’t happen, but imagine someone breaks into your house tonight. Do you think they would have texted to say they were planning to drop round tonight at 2.30am? Would they ring to check if it was ok to rob you? No, the thief in the night goes for surprise. It’s sudden, unexpected. You’re lying in bed, all is well, just turning over for your second sleep, when the window breaks and the burglar is in.

And the day of the Lord will be like that. Sudden, unexpected: ‘While people are saying, “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.’ (3)

Jesus’ return will be sudden. A pregnant woman might have the bag packed for the hospital, but she doesn’t know when those labour pains will kick in. And once they do, that’s it. You can’t say to the baby, ok, hang on a wee while, I want to finish watching this film!

The day of the Lord will be sudden. ‘They’ will be caught out, not expecting it. You see, Paul is writing to the Christians in Thessalonica. He writes about ‘they’ and ‘them’ - someone else, not the people reading the letter. They think they’re ok, but they’re not. No escape.

The day of the Lord is sudden, but for the Christian, it will not be surprising. We might not know the exact date. We can’t write it in our diary. We can’t put it on the calendar in the kitchen. But we know it is coming.

Do you see the contrast in verse 4? Verse 3 is all they and them, ‘But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.’ (4-5)

Has anyone ever been to a surprise party? I remember we had one when my granny was turning 80. Mum and dad had arranged it. All our family and granny’s friends were all in the function room, keeping quiet. Granny walked in, and got the shock of her life! It really was a surprise. She was in the dark, she didn’t know it was happening. but we knew!

And we, Paul says, aren’t in the dark about the day of the Lord. We know that Jesus is going to return. We’ll not be caught out, or shocked at the sudden surprise.

Do you see how Paul describes the Christians? ‘You are all sons of the light and sons of the day.’ We belong to the light, not the darkness. We are children of the day, we are connected to the day of the Lord. So for us, the day of the Lord will be sudden, but not surprising.

Have you heard the phrase where two things are as different as day and night? They’re so different, there’s no comparison, they’ve nothing in common. From verse 6, Paul continues the day and night theme. Here’s how the children of the day are to live. It’s completely different from those in darkness, because we are watching for the day.

Have you ever experienced jet lag? It’s when you fly far enough around the world to get into a different time zone. Your body thinks it’s midnight and needs to sleep, but it’s only 2pm in the afternoon. Or you waken at 3 am, thinking it’s morning time. Verse 6 is a bit like that. ‘So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. for those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.’

Those in darkness think it’s night, and do night time things - sleep or get drunk. But for the Christian, we are in the day time. How could we do night time things when the day is here? ‘But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.’ (8)

The night time can be a scary time. Paul says we’re to be alert, not distracted. We’re to guard our heart and our mind - the breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation guarding our head. This is God’s armour, the God-given protection we need for every day between this day and that day.

Perhaps you look at the world, and see the way things are going, and you wonder what this world is coming to? One hundred years on from the war to end all wars, and yet wars continue to be fought. The freedom fought for continues to need defending. The darkness seems to get darker. but God wants us to hold on, and keep alert. We already have the day of the Lord in our hearts, and the dawn will break. Jesus will return suddenly, and your endurance and hardship will be worth it.

The hope of salvation keeps us going. This is what we’re waiting for - what we can already be sure of. Verse 9: ‘For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.’

In Jesus, we already know the verdict. We know how the story ends. We can be sure that our destiny is not wrath, but salvation. Jesus died to make it happen. That’s how the helmet of the hope of salvation works. We know where we’re going. And that changes how we live each day. Even when we slip (and we all do), we have the assurance that Jesus died for us, and he has destined us for life with him.

We have a future with Jesus, secured by his blood, already in promise, and one day made final and complete. No wonder we watch and wait for that day with eager anticipation! We don’t know when it will be. We can’t write it in our diary that on a certain day, Jesus will return. But over the top of each day, we should write - maybe today. Today could be the day of the Lord.

The day of the Lord will be sudden but for the Christian it will not be surprising. So keep alert, watching for his arrival. And as we wait, we’re to encourage each other, and build each other up as we watch and wait for the return of Jesus.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 11th November 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 Good Grief

When I was growing up, my heart was set on becoming a journalist. So all my work experience was in local newspapers. My subjects for A-Level and my university were all geared towards journalism. And then, in the summer before I started university, God ambushed me with the call to ministry.

For the three years of my course, I was fighting against God’s call. And I had my reasons all stacked up. I didn’t think I would be able to preach (maybe you think that too!); I didn’t really like hospitals and medical stuff; and I definitely wouldn’t be able to be do funerals. As you can see, God won out in the end, and here I am. And when I was ordained as Curate, I had a few weeks to work with the rector before he headed off on holidays. We’d be able to do any funerals together. Well, there were none. And then the morning he was heading off on holiday, probably just as he was getting onto the plane, the local undertaker rang to say that I was about to do my first funeral.

When it comes to death and dying and what happens next, there are lots of questions. Questions that you might think, but have never said out loud. And as time goes on, and you encounter loss - whether sudden or expected - the questions are still there, and never really answered.

It seems that the Thessalonian Christians had questions too. You see, so far, we’ve heard all about the things that they knew. Last week, we saw that they knew how to live to please God, by loving one another. But there were some things they weren’t quite sure about. And it’s understandable. Paul and the team had only been in Thessalonica a short time. He had shared as much as he could, but he wasn’t able to tell them everything. That’s why he prays that he’ll be able to get back to see them. It’s why he sent Timothy to see them.

And now Timothy has returned to Paul, bringing the good news of their continuing faith, but also bringing news of their uncertainty about death. It seems that some of the Christians in Thessalonica had died in the short time since Paul’s visit. And that leads to the question - what happens to them when they die? Will they miss out on the excitement of the return of Jesus? Are they gone forever or will we see them again?

Those are the questions that Paul is answering as he writes this section of the letter. And in verse 13, we see his purpose in writing these verses: ‘Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.’

Paul’s purpose is to provide information, so that they won’t be ignorant (without knowledge); but more than that, he wants to provide inspiration. We don’t want you to be ignorant, so we’ll tell you what the story really is. And we don’t want you to grieve like other people, who have no hope.

He is’t saying that Christians shouldn’t grieve. He’s saying that we shouldn’t grieve like other people, who don’t have the hope that we do. We mourn and grieve - but we don’t do it in the same way as other people. The answer is to have ‘good grief’ or hope-filled grief.

Rather than speculating about what may or may not happen, Paul grounds everything that he says in objective fact. He points to what has already happened to the Lord Jesus: ‘We believe that Jesus died and rose again.’ (14) That shouldn’t come as a surprise to you - we say that every week in the creed, whichever creed we use. It’s the basis of our Holy Communion service, as we reflect on all that Jesus did - he died on the cross, and he rose again to new life.

This is what we believe as Christians. But it also leads us to believe something else: ‘and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.’ (14)

Because Jesus died and rose again, it means that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. Did you notice how Paul describes these believers? They have ‘fallen asleep’ - verse 13 and here in verse 14. To die as a Christian is like falling asleep - with the understanding that the one sleeping will waken again. And they have ‘fallen asleep in him.’ They are in Christ - united to him, with him - which is why God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. When the believer dies, their soul is immediately with the Lord in what we call heaven; their body is laid in the ground, sleeping, awaiting the resurrection to new life.

To be in Jesus is to be with Jesus - to go where he goes and to stay where he stays. It’s a bit like getting onto a bus. Where the driver takes the bus, you go too. Where he goes, you go. And the hope that we have is that Jesus is going to return.

Now, sometimes, we use that word hope in a wishful thinking, not sure if this really will happen kind of way. I hope it’s a nice day tomorrow. I hope my team win. I hope I get a space at the hospital car park. But the hope that we have - the hope of Jesus’ return to this earth - this isn’t like those wishful thinking, maybe possibly kind of hopes. No, this hope of Jesus’ return is absolutely certain. It’s sure enough to build your life upon. It means that you don’t have to grieve like people who have no hope.

And in verse 15, we see what our hope is. ‘According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.’ Those who have died, trusting in Christ, aren’t going to miss out; they’re not going to be second class citizens; they’re not going to be at the back of the queue. And we, who are left, who are alive when Jesus returns - we aren’t going to precede them.

So what will it be like? Verse 16 shows the events of that day: ‘For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.’ When Jesus returns, we’re not going to miss it - he will be accompanied by these sounds - a loud command, an archangel’s voice, and the trumpet of God. All announcing his return. All heralding his coming.

And what will happen when Jesus returns? ‘and the dead in Christ will rise first.’ (16). When Jesus returns, those who have died in Christ will rise from their graves. Do you remember when Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave in John 11, and he calls to him, ‘Lazarus, come out’? A famous preacher said that he used the name of Lazarus, otherwise everyone in the tomb would have arisen. But that’s what will happen on the last day, when Jesus returns.

Then, the next bit in verse 17. ‘After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.’

All believers, whether they have died or whether they are living, will meet the Lord. And it’s not just a passing glance, or a brief encounter - we will be with the Lord for ever. Maybe over the halfterm holiday, you’ve gone to visit family. You’ve spent a day or two with them, but the time comes when you have to return home again. School or work is back tomorrow. Or maybe over the summer holiday you spent the whole two months with family, and it was great, but even then, the time comes to leave them. When that day comes, when we see the Lord, we will be with him for ever. There’ll never come a time when we have to depart. We’ll never again be absent from him.

This is good grief; or hope-filled grief. When a loved one dies, of course we miss them; of course we mourn for them. But as Christians, we have this cure and certain hope - we will see them again, and we will be with them again - because we will be with the Lord Jesus. For ever.

This is the Christian hope, rooted in the death and resurrection of Jesus - that we too will share in his resurrection, his victory over death. We will be with him.

And the application of this morning’s passage is straightforward. Sometimes, it can be hard to know what to do with a passage; what God is calling us to do in response to his word. This morning, though, it’s easy to know what to do. Paul tells us in verse 18. In light of all that we’ve heard, here’s how to do it: ‘Therefore encourage each other with these words.’

There is encouragement in these words, in this passage of Scripture. And so we can remind each other about the hope that we have in Jesus.

The grieving process can be different for everybody; some seem can mourn for a long time, others for a shorter time. But in the message of Jesus, we have the words to share, the hope to bring, the encouragement that we need to have hope-filled grief. And it’s this hope that means that I could deal with the medical stuff, and lead funeral services, and even try to preach. And it’s this hope that we can hold on to in difficult days, when we lose a loved one, or when we face our own death - as we’ll say later on in the Communion prayer:

Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 4th November 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 4: 1-12 Living a holy life

Have you ever been driving off the beaten track? There are no signposts; there’s grass up the middle of the road; and you come to a crossroads. You haven’t a clue where you are. You have to decide what to do, which way to go. How do you make your choice? Pick one at random? Take the one that looks the nicest? Follow your intuition?

That was my experience lots of times when I moved to County Fermanagh. There weren’t any road names; there were fewer signs; and there were lots of roads with grass up the middle of them. I managed to get lost many times!

It doesn’t really matter which way you go if you’re just out for a Sunday afternoon drive, just exploring, and you know that sooner or later you’ll get back to a main road with some kind of signpost. It does matter, though, if you’re on route to preach at a harvest service, or going to someone’s house for dinner. Then, you’re late, you’re lost, you need some direction. Where to turn?

As we travel through life, we’re faced with all sorts of decisions about all sorts of things. Where to live, whether to marry and if so, who to marry, what to work at, what to do with your money, and so on. How do we know which way to turn? Will we do what we want, what seems best, the path of least resistance and greatest happiness?

As Christians, though, we want to know what God’s will is for our life - what does God want us to do? Sometimes, younger Christians can get so worked up about knowing God’s will for every detail of their lives, and knowing everything now! In our Bible reading today, Paul tells us what God’s will is for our life. In this passage, it’s not complicated - but working it out might not always be easy.

So look at verse 3. ‘It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.’ God’s will is that we will be sanctified. But what does that mean? Sanctified (or sanctification) is one of those churchy words that sounds great, but we don’t really know what it’s saying. But it simply means to become (more) holy. And holy, or holy living, means being set apart for God.

I’ve mentioned this before, but just in case you haven’t heard it, the illustration of being holy is the spoon in the sugar bowl. That spoon is set apart and only to be used for lifting the sugar out of the bowl. You’re not allowed to use it to stir your tea and then put it back in the bowl. Because if you do, then you get the hard brown lumps of sugar. The sugar spoon is holy, set apart only for use in the sugar bowl.

In the same way, we are holy, set apart for God. There are lots of things we could do, but we’re set apart to only do the things God wants us to do. Back at the end of chapter 3, Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would ‘strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy...’ (3:13).

So now he gets to the heart of what that will look like. In verses 1-2, Paul reminds them that he had told them how to live to please God. Paul had been with the church in Thessalonica for a short time; he had given them some instructions, which they had been following, but now he urges them to do it more and more. He’s asking them and urging them to live out this holy, God-pleasing life, by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

But remember that this isn’t going to be a ten-step programme to make God accept you. This letter is written to Christians, to people who have already turned away from idols and turned to the living and true God. This is instruction on how to live when we are saved; not how to live to be saved.

So what does holiness look like? What is God’s will for our lives? It means saying ‘no’ to lust. Paul breaks it down into three parts, which follow on from each other. In verse 3, we see the first of them: ‘that you should avoid sexual immorality.’

Notice that it doesn't say 'avoid sex.' Sex is God's idea. His good gift, to be enjoyed within God's proper boundaries - within marriage - husband and wife, as we see in Genesis 1-2 and affirmed by the Lord Jesus in the gospels. It's not 'avoid sex' but 'avoid sexual immorality.'

The word Paul uses there is the word ‘porneia’ - from which we get the word pornography. It’s any sexual activity outside of marriage. Adultery, affairs, flings, whatever they might be called. But it’s not just actions and deeds - remember that Jesus also says in Matthew 5 that to look lustfully is to commit adultery in your heart. We're to avoid immorality in our minds as much as in our bodies.

Following on from that - and so that we avoid sexual immorality - ‘that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God’ (4-5). The world around us will be different; they don’t know God, and so they live out their passionate lust. Just watch some adverts to see that sex sells. But we are called to be different - to control our bodies in holiness and honour. You’re not responsible for what someone else does, but you are responsible for yourself. God wants us to be self-controlled (one of the fruit of the Spirit).

But notice that it may not be easy and won’t come naturally - Paul says we’re to learn to control our bodies. So learn how to take control - if there are certain situations or places, or books or magazines or TV programmes, or websites that cause you to stumble, then control yourself - get away from them. Cut them out. Ask for help.

Thirdly, in this section, holiness will mean ‘and that in this matter no-one should wrong his brother (or sister!) or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.’ (6)

We’re not to wrong our brothers or sisters in the church; not to exploit them, or take advantage of them. In fact, not to take advantage of anyone. Yet women, often, are being trafficked - brought to the UK, forced to work as prostitutes, in fear of their lives.

We are called to be different. That call is expressed in verse 7. ‘For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.’ (7-8).

God didn’t call us to live an impure live, to say yes to lustful passions. He has set us apart for himself. And these instructions - they aren’t something that Paul made up; they’re not something I’m making up. They are God’s instructions - the maker’s instructions. He has called us to live a holy life - and to do that, we need to say ‘no’ to lust.

At the same time, God wants us to say ‘yes’ to love. Look at verse 9: ‘Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.’

Last week it was the parent-teacher interviews in the Hardy. The parents would have heard how their son or daughter was getting on - what they were doing well in, and what they needed to ‘must do better.’ The Thessalonians were top of the class at loving each other in a brotherly kind of way. They had already begun to do this; but even then, they’re urged to do so ‘more and more.’

And we see what it will look like in practice to love one another - but it might not be what we expect. So, fill in the blank. To love one another you would... Here’s how Paul completes the sentence, in verse 11: ‘Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.’

We might think of ambitions as super-successful, out of this world kind of achievements. Paul says that our ambitions should be an ordinary kind of quiet life, getting on with our work rather than minding other peoples’ business.

It seems that some people were so eagerly waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus, that they were giving up work to sit around waiting for his return. They expected Jesus to return today, or maybe tomorrow, so they wanted to sit around waiting for him. Why bother working? That was my approach to homework and essays - why bother doing my homework tonight if Jesus comes tomorrow and it's never needed. But then I found myself writing essays the night before they were due!

That's what some in Thessalonica were doing - sitting around, not working, just waiting. And without work, they were living off the kindness of others. But Paul says that the loving thing is to get on with your own work (if you’re able). In this way, outsiders will respect you; and you won’t be dependent on others.

God’s will is that we say yes to brotherly love. So how can we grow in love for one another? What are the ways that we can love one another, so that the outsiders watching on will see and say ‘see how these Christians love one another.’

As I said earlier, God’s will for our life isn’t complicated, but working it out may not be easy. Perhaps as you’ve heard what God wants for you, you’ve realised that you’ve taken a wrong turn or two. The good news is that there is always a way back. Today you can turn around, and God will welcome you with his grace and his mercy. It’s not too late to get back on track.

This work of being sanctified is a long term project, not a quick fix. It's what the colleges talk about - life long learning. There'll be progress, then a stumble or a falling back. We'll be doing this for the rest of our lives, but keep going as you live out the calling to a holy life.

We started with the wee country roads with no signposts, wondering what way to turn. Going to a friend’s house, we might have their directions. And as we come to those decisions, big and small, in our daily life, as we choose which way to go, and what to do, we have God’s directions - the maker’s instructions. God’s will is for us to be holy. He is guiding us, restoring us, forgiving us, and encouraging us. As you trust in him your home in heaven is guaranteed. And he will bring us home, as we listen to him.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 28th October 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 2:17 - 3:13 Dealing with Afflictions

The bing-bong announcement comes over the loudspeaker in the shopping centre.’ Could the parents of Jimmy Jones please make their way to the security desk?’ Wee Jimmy had wandered off, got separated from his mum and dad, and is now in floods of tears. Or, as happened to a friend of mine, he went into the toilet, and his whole family hid on him. He thought he had been abandoned...

The pain of separation might be particularly acute in a young child, but anyone can know that sense of separation, that loneliness. Maybe lying sick in bed while everyone is away out to work. The empty nest syndrome when the children grow up and leave home.

Do you remember back in Genesis 2, amidst everything that is good and very good, there is one thing that is not good. What was it? The fact that Adam was alone. That’s pointing to the union of man and wife in marriage, but it’s also pointing to the fact that we are social beings, made for relating to one another in community.

In our reading today, Paul is experiencing that sense of separation. He had spent three weeks in Thessalonica, preaching the gospel, planting the church, before he was driven out of town by the Jewish opposition. He had travelled on to Berea, then Athens, and is now probably in Corinth, but he was worried about his new Christians.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen how he became so attached to the Thessalonian Christians: gentle, like a mother caring for her little children (2:7), dealing with them as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging them... (2:11). So look at how he describes his absence from Thessalonica in verse 17:

‘But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought)...’ For Paul, it’s not that the Thessalonians are out of sight, out of mind; rather it’s that absence makes the heart grow fonder. And the phrase he uses, ‘torn away from you’ has, in its roots, the idea of being orphaned. If Paul was like a father and mother to these Christians, he feels the absence like an orphan.

Paul is showing that it’s not good for us to be alone - especially in our Christian walk. To be cut off from fellow believers is a painful reality - something the housebound mention regularly. They wish they could be here, if only they were able to. They echo those words of Paul in verse 17-18 - intense longing, made every effort, wanted to come to you. Yet even with his desire, he found his way blocked. ‘Satan stopped us.’

Have you felt this pain of separation from other Christians? Perhaps it comes on a Sunday we don’t make it to church. It doesn’t really feel like a Sunday! Or maybe it was an extended period of illness, when we weren’t able to be with other believers. Or we miss the singing or voice of someone who always sat beside us or behind us. (There’s great encouragement for each other as you take part in the singing, and praying, you know!). Perhaps we can gain a greater understanding for those who wish they were here, but now feel cut off, lonely and separated.

It got so bad for Paul, he could stand it no longer (3:1). He thought it was best to be without Timothy for a while, so that he could send him to be with them, to strengthen and encourage them. You see, Paul recognised the spiritual dangers of the pain of separation. We see them at the start of chapter 3.

Verse 3 shows that they could have been shaken by these trials, of opposition and persecution and suffering. They were new Christians, facing opposition, and on top of all that, they were separated from the only other Christians they knew.

Paul had promised that persecution would come, but it’s another thing to actually experience it. They had watched as the persecution drove Paul out of town. They were now facing the same opposition themselves. What would they do? Would they stand firm, or would they give up?

So Timothy is sent - to strengthen and encourage, but also to ‘find out about your faith.’ Paul’s great fear was that the tempter might have caused them to give up, and so his efforts would have been useless. So Timothy leaves, and Paul waits. Was it all in vain? As we wait for the answer, let’s consider who we, like Timothy, can go to - to bring strength and encouragement. Is there a neighbour we can look in on, and share a wee something from the service with? Or read the Bible with?

Eventually, the wait was over, and as soon as Timothy returns, Paul writes this letter. You see, in verse 6, the report was good - their faith and love continues! They too long to see Paul and the others again. They are continuing to believe, even in those difficult circumstances, through the pain of separation, because they found strength in the partnership demonstrated by Timothy. His visit and return sparks immense thankfulness and praise, with the mutual encouragement and strength and joy.

Paul has been encouraged in his distress and persecution (7), just as the Thessalonians were as well. The strength of Christian fellowship and partnership blesses and benefits everyone. That’s something that you find in pastoral work - when you think you’re there to bless someone else, often you find yourself blessed even more - as you see someone’s faith grow, or hear them pray. Paul puts it this way in verse 8: ‘For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.’

What are the encouragements you’ve found from being with and standing with other Christians? The cup of tea after church is a great way of getting to know one another, but could we take it a bit deeper - and talk about faith as well as football and the weather? Ask someone to pray for you (or with you) - and watch as God answers those prayers. Perhaps you’ve had an answer to prayer - share that encouragement with someone else, it’ll encourage them in their prayers too!

Paul is seeking to overcome the pain of separation, and so he prays day and night that he may see them again - so that he can supply what is lacking in their faith. He has more to tell them. And so he prays all the time that he’ll be able to see them face to face.

But it’s in the closing verses of chapter 3 that he tells them what it is he is praying. And this prayer sums up the whole letter. The first two bits round up what we’ve seen so far:

‘Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.’

If it’s Satan that has blocked their way (2:18), then they ask the Father and the Son to remove the roadblock. He prays that he will be able to see them again. But more than that, he prays that their love will be like his love. You can’t doubt Paul’s love for them - his nursing mother, father-like, orphaned love for them. He prays that they will love like this - love each other like this, and love everyone else like this. We’ve seen those things already in the letter.

But the last part of the prayer points us forward. Here’s what we’re coming to now; what the rest of the letter will be all about. ‘May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.’

The Christian life can often bring these times of separation. We’re isolated for various reasons, but the partnership of the church gives us strength for the road. Paul lifts our eyes from the here and now, and points us to the end. One day we won’t be on our own. One day we’ll know the fullness of joy, when Jesus comes with all his saints, when we are gathered with Jesus.

But between this day and that day, Paul prays that we will be strengthened in holiness, to be one of the saints, God’s holy people. Now that might sound very churchy, but as we’ll see, it’s very practical, and very down to earth - it’s about living in purity, in hope, and in everyday life.

The pain of separation may be real, with all its spiritual dangers. But God has given us the strength of partnership, as we come together, to encourage one another, to build one another up, and also as we pray for one another. So let’s pray now...

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 14th October 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 2: 9-16 Receiving God's Word

How many words do you hear or read in a day? A couple of thousand? A couple of million? Someone has reckoned that, between conversations, phone calls, TV, radio, newspapers, books, and the internet, you will hear or read around 100,000 words each day. That’s a lot to take in! But, when you think of it, you don’t give equal attention to every one of those 100,000 words.

Some words are more important than others. So, maybe you’ll turn on the radio for Good Morning Ulster, and then turn it off quickly when Stephen Nolan comes on. A chat with a friend is more important than the chatter on Coronation Street. You’ll stay on the phone when it’s a family member, but quickly hang up when someone rings about PPI or someone claiming to be from Microsoft wanting to talk about a problem with your computer.

The importance of the words depends on who is speaking. What we think about the person will affect how we listen. So, imagine the scene when Paul arrived in Thessalonica. He’s just got out of jail in Philippi, having been beaten. He’s walked the 100 miles, so he’s not in great shape, might not smell too good. You might not be inclined to listen to him.

But when the Thessalonians did listen to him, they discovered a remarkable thing. Paul was speaking the word of God to them. As Paul spoke and shared the gospel, they heard God’s word. Look at verse 13: ‘And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.’

They heard Paul speaking, but they accepted it for what it really was - not human words, manmade philosophy or made up stories - but God’s word. The God of the universe has spoken, and Paul was bringing a report of it.

Most days on the news, they’ll have, at some point, a report of what the Prime Minister has said. Probably about Brexit, or sometimes about something else as well. Theresa May said so and so about the NHS today... But this is so much more important. God has spoken. The God who created the universe by his powerful word, is speaking to us. This is God’s word. And it’s at work in you who believe.

Now if that’s the case, and this is indeed God’s word, then it must lead us to action. In our services, at the end of the readings, the reader says ‘This is the word of the Lord.’ And the response is ‘Thanks be to God.’ If that’s not just a bit of formal liturgy that we say without thinking, if we really are thankful for God’s word being read to us, then we must see that work out in our lives. As God’s word works in us who believe, we must see it worked out in our lives.

Paul shows us two things it calls us to do, even while circumstances are difficult: Having God’s word we practice it and plead for it, even while some prevent it.

So having God’s word, we practice it. This Thursday night at the Growth Group in the upper room, we’ll be looking at James’ letter, at the end of chapter 1 where he says this: ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.’ (James 1:22). You see, it’s not enough to read what God’s word says; it’s not enough to know what God’s word says; you need to do what God’s word says. And that’s what we are urged to do here, in 1 Thessalonians as well. Doing what God’s word says.

So look at verse 10. ‘You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.’ Paul and the other missionaries showed the Thessalonians how to do this - how to live out God’s word in practice. And what did it look like? Holy, righteous and blameless.

When we receive God’s word, when we become a Christian, when we start to live it out - it will bring changes into our lives. There’ll be something different about us. We’ll become more like Jesus. But it only comes when you practice God’s word, doing what it says.

And what might that look like? In the morning (or the evening, or whenever you do it), you open your Bible. You read a chapter or a few verses, and as you do, you know what God wants you to do. Maybe it’s to grow in patience, or to love an enemy, or to trust God. It’s highly likely that something’s going to happen later in the day that gives you an opportunity to do just that. So you’ve heard God’s word, are you going to do what it says? You’ve chosen the wrong queue in the supermarket, the one that’s taking ages. Will you grow in patience or try to find a shorter queue? Will you put God’s word into practice?

Having the word of God we practice it, but we also plead for it. We see this in verses 11-12, where Paul and the others not only live out God’s word themselves, but they urge and encourage others to do the same - pleading for them to live out God’s word.

‘For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.’ (11-12)

Last week, we heard how Paul was like a mother to the Thessalonians, gentle among them (7). Now he shows he was also like a father to them, giving a lead and example, so that they too would live out God’s word.

Do you see the action words in verse 12? ‘Encouraging, comforting and urging...’ They’re all positive, constructive, upbuilding sort of words. It’s like a dad watching his son play football, cheering him on. Except, this is even more important than football. Because the encouragement here is to ‘live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.’

God’s word calls us into his kingdom and his glory. As we hear it we need to heed it, and be moulded and shaped by it. Paul’s summary here is ‘lives worthy of God’ but we’ll see what that looks like in greater detail in chapter 4. For now, though, it means a life reflecting his glory, living under his kingdom and rule - a life of worship of God, because we have heard and responded to his word.

But it doesn’t come naturally or easy. Spiritual growth is hard work - we need to work at it, together, as we urge and encourage and comfort each other to stick at it. We need to be people who cheerlead for each other in our successes (the pom poms are optional!), and comfort and encourage when we mess things up. We’re probably more aware of the ways in which we fail - so that fatherlike encouragement is so precious as we respond to and apply God’s word, and live out the call he has made on our lives.

This is why the growth groups are so important - providing opportunity to talk out our challenges, and to encourage and build up one another in a small group. So who are you receiving encouragement from? And who are you encouraging?

Having God’s word, we practice it and plead for it. It’s amazing that God has spoken, that we can hear it, and pass it on. But not everyone thinks that. Some people jump to the other conclusion, the one the Thessalonians had rejected in verse 12, that it’s all just made up, the word of men.

It’s a viewpoint that we hear all the time on TV documentaries and discussions programmes, and on Stephen Nolan’s radio show. People will try to rubbish or reject or deny the Bible as God’s word. They’re just ancient stories, they don’t really deal with the complexities of life in the 21st century. We’ve moved beyond that nonsense. And so on.

And there seems to be greater hostility to Christians in the western world these days. The question arises, will we be punished or persecuted for holding to God’s word? Will we be silenced? Are things getting worse and worse? Well, it seems that things are getting back to normal - not the way things should be, but the way things really are for our brothers and sisters around the world, and for the way things always were.

Having received God’s word for what it was, and having that word working in their lives, the Thessalonians were feeling the pressure rise. They were suffering for God’s word - just as Paul had (2:2). But that wasn’t unusual. This was how the very first churches had suffered as well. 14: ‘You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.’

The Jews were opposing the church, but they were actually opposing everyone, v15, ‘They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.’ The pressure is there - to shut up. To keep quiet and not share God’s word.

But those who look at Christians and think they’re an easy target could find they’re picking the wrong fight. It’s like the school bully who picks on the new kid in school, only to later discover that the new kid is the new principal’s daughter. To take on Christians who hold God’s word is to take on the God whose word they hold. They might be able to intimidate Christians, but God cannot be silenced.

That should be encouraging, as we seek to live lives worthy of God. It’s God’s word that we have received, God’s word that we are practicing, God’s word that we are pleading for. And it’ll be God’s word that counts on the last day, when the full measure of sin is judged, and God’s wrath is paid out for the unbeliever.

When you sit down to read your Bible, God is speaking. When we gather together on Sundays or in the midweek groups, and hear the Bible read and preached, God is speaking. What will you do with it? Paul urges us to receive God’s word, to practice it, and plead for it, even as some prevent it. Let’s live it out this week; and let’s encourage each other to live it out this week. For the glory of the God who calls us to his kingdom and glory. Amen.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 30th September 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 2: 1-9 Ministry Motives

I’m sure you know our church’s mission statement. And I’m sure that you could recite it without much trouble. But just in case you’re not sure, you’ll find it at the top of every notice sheet. It’s what St Matthew’s Church exists to do. It’s why we’re here, and what everything we do is driven towards. ‘St Matthew’s is a gospel-centred church reaching out to our community and our world with the love of Christ.’

The question I want to pose this morning is this one - how do we actually do that? What does it look like to reach out to our community? When it comes to the dreaded e word, evangelism, how can we play our part in reaching out with the love of Christ?

In our Bible reading this morning, we discover how Paul and his team did it in Thessalonica. And to help us do that, we’ll see that Paul addresses a misunderstanding; examines motives, and recalls the manner in which they did evangelism. Those three aspects - the misunderstanding, their motives, and their manner - will help us to see that sharing the gospel of God needs courage, conviction and compassion.

This letter that we’re studying was written by Paul to the church of the Thessalonians. Paul and the others had been in Thessalonica for just three weeks, proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, God’s promised king, before Paul was chased out of town. Some Jews and Gentiles had become Christians, had formed a church, but you can imagine how they were feeling now that Paul had gone.

Had they been taken in by him? Were they fools to have listened to him? Could they really continue to follow Paul’s teaching if he wasn’t going to come back to see them? And maybe as time goes on, they think, maybe it was all a big mistake. A misunderstanding. Perhaps Paul’s visit had been a failure, a damp squib.

But that’s exactly what Paul addresses in verse 1. He’s appealing to them to remember what happened: ‘You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.’ The very fact that he’s calling them brothers (and sisters - the Greek word means siblings) shows that he hadn’t failed. They had become brothers and sisters in the Christian family. They had become children of God the Father. His visit had been successful.

But in addressing this misunderstanding, of whether his visit was a failure or not, Paul shows us that sharing the gospel of God needs courage. You see, Acts 17 is the story of Paul in Thessalonica, and before 17 comes 16. Acts 16 is the story of Paul in Philippi, where they had been beaten and imprisoned for bringing freedom to a slave girl and proclaiming the Lord Jesus.

So if Paul had been through all that - what he refers to here as ‘we had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi’ - you might think that Paul would just stop talking about Jesus. He must have been tempted to be quiet, just to have an easy life. But Paul has the courage to share the good news. ‘But with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.’ (2)

It was only with God’s help that he would dare to speak up. But when he knew that God was with him, helping him, then he had the courage to speak boldly. So where might you need the courage to speak up? Let’s ask God that we will know his help, and that we will be courageous to speak up and share the gospel.

To share the gospel of God needs courage. But it needs even more than that. It also needs conviction. It may well be that some of the Thessalonians’ friends were questioning Paul’s motives. Why was it he was going from town to town? Was he out to fool people? Was he out for their money? The question of motives is what Paul moves on to from verse 3.

‘For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.’ (3)

Paul makes clear what his motives were not. He wasn’t coming to them in error, because he had got the wrong end of the stick, spreading lies. He wasn’t coming to them with impure motives, for evil purposes. And he wasn’t coming to them to try to trick them, or deceive them, or lead them astray.

So what was motivating him to come to Thessalonica and share the good news with them? ‘On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.’ (4)

Here’s Paul’s motive - he has been approved by God and entrusted with the gospel. Whenever you’re sending a letter, you have a couple of options. You either take it to the person yourself, or you entrust it to someone else to take it. Normally, if the letter is going far away, you’ll entrust it to Royal Mail. Postman Pat has been entrusted with the letter - it’s his job to carry it unchanged to the recipient. It’s not his job to open the letter and change it. He brings it as it is.

And so Paul and the others were entrusted with the gospel. They had to bring the message as it is - unchanged. Their motive is to please the one who has sent them, by delivering the true message. That’s what Paul says in verse 4. ‘We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.’

It would be so tempting to try to please people, to say what they want to hear; to play down or ignore the fact that God is a holy God, that he cannot abide our sin, that we can’t just do what we like and expect to enter heaven. If Paul had been out to please the people of Thessalonica, his message would have been entirely different. But Paul isn’t a people-pleaser. His motive is to please God, to do what God wants him to do, and to say what God wants him to say.

And there’s a challenge there for us. who are we trying to please with our words (or our absence of words)? What’s the motive behind your words?

Sharing the gospel needs courage in opposition and conviction to share the good news faithfully. But these two together could lead to arrogance - that we have the truth. Some Christians may come across in that way, their manner suggests some sort of superiority. Paul was accused of flattery, of greed, and of seeking praise for himself. But Paul says he just wasn’t like that.

So what was the manner in which he shared the gospel? From verse 5 he says what he didn’t do: ‘You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed - God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.’ That’s what he was not. And then we see what he did do: ‘As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.’

Paul takes the image of the nursing mother, gently caring for her little children. This is how we’re to do mission - loving the people we’re talking to, caring for them. And caring about them so much that we don’t just shout the gospel at them from a distance.

‘We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.’ (8)

Now, for some, that might be the hardest step - to share ourselves; to grow closer together. But it comes from that compassion - caring for people leads to sharing with people. Take some time this week to think about three people you care for, who you would like to see come to faith in the Lord Jesus. Pray for them. Care for them, and then look for opportunities to share with them the good news about Jesus.

Paul mentions his toil and hardship - how they worked night and day in order to not be a burden on the Thessalonians. And the principle seems to be that people who aren’t believers shouldn’t have to pay to hear the good news. We should do all that we can to make it as easy for them to hear the gospel - out of our compassion for them.

This is why we support mission agencies, so that missionaries are provided to people and places where the gospel is not known, so that they can hear it for free. It’s why our parish organisations exist - indeed, it’s why this parish exists. Your contributions enable this church family to live out and share the good news here in this village and beyond. So your giving to church and mission is a sign of your compassion for the village, so that everyone will hear the good news of Jesus.

Our mission statement might look well on the top of the service sheet. And it might sound nice. But if it only ever stays there, then it’s ultimately worthless. We need to take it, and live it out, as we - you and me together - as we reach out to our community and our world with the love of Christ. And how will we do that?

Sharing the gospel of God needs courage in the face of opposition; it needs conviction to speak rightly and please God who has entrusted us with his gospel; and it needs compassion, as we share our lives and show that we care.

Are you up for the challenge? Let’s do it together.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 23rd September 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10 Model Christians

Over my working life, I’ve had a few different jobs. I’ve worked in a corner shop. I’ve worked in a shoe factory. Worked a couple of production line jobs. Worked with a victims’ support group. And I’ve been a minister for the past ten years. A few years’ ago, though, I could add another entry onto my CV, when, not once but twice, I did a little turn on the catwalk.

Yes, for two nights only, I was a catwalk fashion model. The local primary school (and later the Methodist church) were doing fundraisers and I got roped into modelling some clothes. Walk down the catwalk, stop, turn, and walk back and make sure you don’t trip! Several times each evening, while the compere described what I was wearing and where to buy it.

The idea of the fashion model is fairly easy to grasp. You wear some fancy clothes, so that others will say - yes, I like that shirt, or that dress or whatever. I want to have that, be like that. An example, a model.

So if we jump from fashion models to Christian models, who do you think of? Who are the Christians you look up to? Could you be a model for other Christians? Now, maybe when you hear the phrase ‘model Christians’ you are already shrinking in your seat, thinking that could never be you - not with the doubts you have or the sins you’re still dealing with or whatever. So what do you think a model Christian would look like? What would make someone a model Christian?

We’ll see in our reading this morning from 1 Thessalonians. You see, the Christians in Thessalonica were described in verse 7 in that very way. Do you see? ‘And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.’ So how did they come to be thought of so highly by Paul? What was it that made them model Christians? Could we also be model Christians throughout Armagh and beyond?

This morning we’re starting into Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, but we got the background story last week. Remember, Paul had been a missionary in Thessalonica for just about three weeks before he was chased out of town. He flees to Berea, then Athens, then Corinth. When he gets there, he writes this letter back to the church in Thessalonica. He didn’t get to tell them everything he wanted to (we’ll see that later in the letter, as he fills in some gaps); but even in that short time, they have become model Christians. They are recent converts, but they are an example to others.

It all starts in verse 6, where we’re told ‘You became imitators of us and of the Lord...’ You see, to be a Christian is to be a ‘little Christ’ - to be modelled on Christ, to become like him. This group of people are copying Christ (and the apostles), so they are a model to others. And we see this especially in how they received and believed the word of God. In a sense, that’s it. Nothing special or secretive - no ten top tips to becoming a model Christian. Model Christians have received and believed the word of God.

Down in verse 9, Paul mentions ‘what kind of reception you gave us.’ Everyone in the whole region knew about the Thessalonian’s reception of Paul and the others - it was a warm welcome. A joyful welcome. And that warmth was because of what the missionaries were bringing to them. You see, they received not just the missionaries, but they received the word of God. Look at verses 6-7. They imitated Paul and the others, and the Lord, because ‘in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.’

They received the word with the joy that comes by the Holy Spirit. Paul preached the gospel, the word of God, and they welcomed it. The church was mixed, there were Jews and Gentiles, but all received the word of God, in contrast to the jealous Jews that we saw last week.

But there’s one more thing about receiving the word of God. Something we’ve glossed over so far, but which is vital to grasp. You see, when we think of receiving the word of God, and hear how the Thessalonians are described as model believers, you might think to yourself - but it was easy for them! They’re in the Bible! It was easier and less complicated then than in our non-stop busy world.

But just think what they’ve been through. Paul covers it in two words in verse 6 - ‘severe suffering.’ Last week we saw the riot that started when the jealous Jews tried to get rid of Paul. And it’s the reason why the Thessalonians are model Christians - they received the word in spite of severe suffering. They were not fair weather believers. They were in at the deep end. One of the church leaders (Jason) had a criminal record, bailed by the city authorities. It’s not what we might expect to copy. Yet the Thessalonians received the word in spite of severe suffering with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

As Paul writes in verses 4-5, it’s a mark of their being loved and chosen by God - that they received the word in such circumstances and are still holding on - ‘our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction.’

Model Christians receive the word of God. So what steps are you taking to receive the word of God? Coming along to church is great, but it’s just the start. The All Togethers and Growth Groups will be ways to engage with the Bible. Or you could start up a daily reading plan. Or even, read one Psalm per day, as a way of getting going. So how are you receiving the word of God?

Model Christians receive the word of God. but more than that, they also believe the word of God. You see, just hearing God’s word read and preached, or reading the Bible every day won’t do much for you if you still don’t believe the word of God! So we see in the letter how the Christians in Thessalonica received AND believed the word of God.

Believing God’s word was revolutionary for them. Literally. Look at verse 9: Everyone in Macedonia and Achaia is talking about ‘how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God...’ What a turn around! Believing God’s word means turning away FROM dead and false idols, small g gods, and turning instead TO the living and true God.

They believe that God is, that he exists (the theme of tonight’s Cafe Church - come along to find out more tonight). But they also believe his word, about his Son, the Lord Jesus: ‘...and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.’

For such a short visit from Paul, they have certainly grasped and believed the key doctrines of the faith. In a little while we’ll say the Creed, and here we have a good part of it covered. They know that Jesus is God’s Son. They know that Jesus’ death rescues us from the coming wrath - because he died for our sins. They know that God raised him from the dead. And they know that Jesus will return from heaven. Are you convinced about all this? Is this what you believe?

It’s what the Thessalonians believed, and because of it, they were thoroughly converted. There was evidence of a changed life. Look at verses 2-3. Paul gives thanks to God for them, every time he prays for them, because he remembers ‘your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope.’ Faith, hope and love - these are the three essential Christian characteristics - and we’ll see them as we work our way through this letter. Are they evident in our lives, as believers?

The Thessalonians, having received and believed the word of God, were the talk of the town. In verse 8, Paul says ‘The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it...’

Churches can sometimes end up in the news and the gossip for the wrong reasons, but here, people are talking about the church for all the right reasons. Their faith has become famous. Wouldn’t it be great if people were talking about St Matthew’s like this? how we are a group of Christians who have turned from our idols and are serving the Lord in single-minded devotion?

Model Christians receive and believe the word of God. We’ve already thought about receiving the word, but what can we do to believe the word of God? Maybe this morning, you need to believe it for the first time. To turn from your idols and turn to the Lord as your Saviour. Or perhaps you take his promises seriously, and depend totally on them, no matter what comes. It might be that you develop a holy boldness to live for Christ even under persecution from family or friends.

Let’s seek to make sure that we receive and believe the word of God so that it really does change us. Then we will be model Christians, an example to others, known for our faith.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 9th September 2018.

Sermon: Acts 17: 1-15 Riots and Revivals

A former Archbishop of Canterbury once said this: ‘Everywhere the Apostle Paul went, there was a riot or a revival. Everywhere I go, they serve tea,‘ It’s entirely coincidental that we’ll be serving tea after the service today, but will there be a riot or a revival? We’ll wait to see!

Over the autumn term, we’re going to be looking at Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians - written to the church in Thessalonica. But rather than diving straight into the letter, I thought it would be helpful to get the back story first. Where did the church of the Thessalonians come from? How did it get going? Who was in it, and around it? All that’s what we find in our reading from Acts 17, on page 1113.

And as you turn there, you discover that the Archbishop’s summary is fairly accurate. Except, it wasn’t one or the other, riot or revival - it’s both at the same time. Riot and revival. Or even, riot because of revival.

We find the revival first of all, in verses 1-4. Paul and Silas, fresh from a prison cell in Philippi, are on the move, spreading the good news of Jesus in response to his commission. They arrive in Thessalonica, where there’s a Jewish synagogue - the place of worship and prayer.

And so Paul follows his custom, he goes to the synagogue, in order to proclaim the good news about Jesus. He does that for three Sabbaths, three weeks in a row. Do you see how Luke describes what Paul was doing? Look at the verbs (What are verbs? The doing words - the boys and girls are back at school, so we’re going to go back to school too!) - ‘...he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.’ (2-3)

They would have known the Scriptures - what we know as the Old Testament - and so Paul reasons with them, engaging their minds. Christianity isn’t irrational, or unreasonable - you don’t leave your minds at the door or turn off your brain. It’s reasonable, rational, it makes sense. It’s why we’ll be engaging with big questions at Cafe Church - How can I believe that God exists? (next Sunday evening). And so Paul explains and proves that the Old Testament was all about how the Christ, the promised King, the anointed one, had to suffer and rise from the dead. (That’s what the risen Jesus was explaining to the disciples in Luke 24).

So as Paul established the foundations - what the Christ had to do - he also proclaims who the Christ is. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’ That’s how Luke summarises the three Sabbath’s worth of sermons. Jesus is the Christ, the one who had to suffer and rise from the dead - following God’s plan revealed in the Old Testament.

And we see the result of Paul’s message in verse 4. Revival breaks out, as people become Christians. ‘Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.’ They were persuaded, they were convinced, and so they commit, they join Paul and Silas. There’s revival.

[And it’s happening here too, as people come to faith...]

Revival, but with it comes a riot. And we see how that happens in verse 5. ‘But the Jews were jealous.’ They obviously didn’t like the fact that Paul had come to preach about Jesus, and some of their members were leaving them, joining Paul and Silas. So we see how they respond to the proclamation of Jesus as the Christ. Again, look at the verbs, the doing words from verse 5 on.

‘They rounded up some bad characters... formed a mob... started a riot... rushed to Jason’s house... dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials... shouting...’ Lots of action, as they rent-a-mob, start a riot, and then have the cheek to shout what they shout in verse 6.

‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them in to his house.’ Do you see the irony? Paul and Silas hadn’t formed a mob and started a riot. It was the Jews who are causing trouble! But such is their opposition to Jesus, that they will stop at nothing to stop to word being proclaimed.

That phrase about causing trouble literally means ‘they have turned the world upside down.’ And they’re right. The gospel message is revolutionary. It does turn things upside down - rather than God and everyone serving our needs and wants and desires, we put things in their proper place. God on the throne, and us his servants. But the message isn’t always welcome. It brings trouble and opposition from those who don’t want to know.

Yet even the opponents of the message, these rioters, even they proclaim the message - they share that there is another king, one called Jesus. And when the crowd and the officials hear this, they are thrown into turmoil. Why? Because for them, there was only one king - Caesar. To say there is another king, to say Jesus is Lord (rather than Caesar is Lord) is to be disloyal and even treasonous to the empire and the emperor.

Turmoil, but Jason and the others and bailed. We don’t know the names of the others - but we know that they all had a new identity when they received the message and joined Paul and Silas. Did you spot it in verse 6? Jason and some other brothers. When they received the message, they became part of God’s family, they are now known as brothers.

So as night falls, and they send Paul and Silas away on to Berea, what do you think these new brothers were thinking? Paul had been with them for just three weeks. He has now gone, and probably daren’t show his face again. You probably won’t see Paul again. You might not hear from him again. What do you make of all that has gone on? The joy of finding faith. The fear of facing the mob. The threat of being bailed. Would you forget all about Paul and his message? Shrug it off as a fun few weeks, but something to move on from? Or do you keep going? Meeting together as brothers and sisters. Remembering what you’ve been taught. Trying to learn and grow in your new faith? And how are you going to do that?

That’s the position the new believers find themselves in Thessalonica. Paul has gone. And, as the chapter goes on, the pattern repeats. Paul goes to the synagogue (again!). The revival as the Bereans hear, and study the Scriptures to check that Paul is speaking the truth. The ‘Many’ Jews as well as the prominent Greek women and many Greek men. All rejoicing in their new faith. Revival all over again.

But soon comes the riot. Not, as you might expect from Berea itself. But the same Jews from Thessalonica go a long way to be offended. They follow Paul the 45 miles to agitate the crowds and stir them up. Such is their opposition to the gospel that they will stop at nothing to stop it being proclaimed. So Paul moves on again, to Athens, with Silas and Timothy coming behind him. There’s no way back for Paul. He’s been moved on from Berea, so he definitely can’t go back to Thessalonica. But he can write to the little church. And it’s the letter that he writes to them that we’re going to be looking at this term. How will Paul encourage them? What do they need to be reminded of? And what do they need to be taught? We’ll see as we work our way through it from next week.

So that’s the background to 1 Thessalonians. The gospel comes to town and brings riot and revival. It was true in Thessalonica when Paul and Silas arrived there, and it’s still true today.

It’s why, when you invite someone to come along to church, some people will give it a go while others will refuse to come along. Or, if you mention that you’re a Christian to a colleague, you may not get a favourable reaction - or maybe even a complaint against you.

And the same reactions will happen inside us as well. When you hear God’s word, you are reacting and responding in one way or the other. Either you are being brought to life, being revived, as you rejoice in the gospel of Jesus and become a brother or sister. Or you are fighting it and opposing it, starting a riot within - and maybe even recruiting others to stand against it and cause trouble for the brothers.

Even this morning, you are either lining up with King Jesus, who suffered on the cross and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, or you are living up against him, trying to ignore him. Revival or riot. Both happening at the same time. Even in the same pew. Whichever it is, though, riot or revival, I’d be glad to talk to you about it - after the service over a cup of tea.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 2nd September 2018.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-28 Walking Worthy in Everyday Life

Have you ever seen a wee girl get a necklace making kit? There’s some string and then a big box of different sizes and shapes and colours of beads. Red ones, blue ones, green ones, every colour you could imagine. And then the wee girl sits down and picks one of those and one of those and one of the other, and threads them all onto the string. There’s no pattern, rhyme or reason. They don’t all ‘go’ together, it’s as if they’ve just been thrown together randomly. But she loves it, thinks it’s very stylish, and insists on wearing it. Or even worse, makes you wear it, because it was made especially for you!

When I sat down to study the final section of 1 Thessalonians, that was my initial thought. How does this all fit together? It seems to be all over the place. Lots of random ideas jotted down in quick succession. A bit like the student sitting exams, rapidly running out of time, so rather than writing structured, well-argued paragraphs, they just jot down some bullet points, some notes to try to demonstrate their learning to get a few extra marks. Or, if you were writing to a penpal and started into the second page of special airmail paper, so you want to use it to the full, so write a bit more to maximise your value for money. Was that what Paul was doing here? He was coming to the end of the scroll and wanted to get in all his ideas? Is this just a string of beads, each interesting, but not really connected or designed?

Now we don’t get to see it in the pew Bibles, but if you were to look at your Bible at home, you might see what the Bible publisher thinks of this section. Sometimes you get wee section headings (not part of the text, but added to help the reader understand what that bit is all about). The Bibles I looked at had, slightly unhelpfully, something like ‘Final instructions’ or ‘Various exhortations.’

So what do we do with these verses? What is it all about? How do we make sense of them? There’s so much in them that we could approach them in a couple of ways. First of all, there’s the approach that says Wow! look at this verse, and this one, and this one, and we could go for a really long and indepth sermon, bringing out the meaning and application of each individual verse - and, since I’m not around for a few weeks, we could have three or four weeks of sermons in one go. I can already see the horror in your eyes, the thought of the Sunday dinner being burnt to a cinder. So we’ll not go down that road today, even though there’s more than a month of Sunday sermons in these verses.

Another possible approach is for it all to just wash over us. There’s so much there that we can’t possibly take it in. It all sounds good, and that’s fine. But instead we focus on one wee bead we like and let the rest wash over us. And sometimes, if you read the Bible, it can be helpful for one verse or one idea to jump out and grab you, and to work on it.

But the more I worked on the passage, the more I realised that it’s not entirely random. God’s word is given to us for a purpose, and God worked through Paul to write down what he intended. This isn’t like a twitter or facebook feed, with lots of random ideas coming from lots of different places. This is a letter, written for a specific purpose. And these verses fit into the bigger picture.

We’ve seen that from 3:13, Paul has been showing the Thessalonians what it looks like to be sanctified, to be set apart, to become holy. He went into depth about sexual purity (saying no to lust and yes to love). he fixed our minds on the hope we have in Jesus to transform our grief and help us wait for the day of the Lord. And this last section shows us how we live out our becoming more holy in everyday life. Paul is driving towards the destination of the prayer and promise of v23-24.

Here’s the prayer: ‘May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ As Paul directs our thoughts towards the coming of Jesus, we might think that it’ll be impossible for us to stand before him blameless. Our hearts accuse us. The devil accuses us. How can we do it, when we much prefer sin to righteousness, as this battle continues to wage within us?

For that, we need the promise. ‘The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.’ We have our part to play in choosing to obey God, but look who will bring it about. The one who called you will do it, because he is faithful.

God has given us the means to become holy in our everyday life - and God will surely do it. That’s what verses 12-22 are all about. In the sermon notes, we have a series of triplets, a series of mini three-point sermons, of how God provides for our being made holy.

In the first place, God has given ‘those who labour among you. and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you.’ God gives church leaders to provide for our becoming holy. Paul says to respect them, to esteem them highly in love, and be at peace among yourselves.

But alongside church leaders, God also provides every member of the church family. You see, it’s not just leaders who have a ministry. It’s not just people in dog collars who do ministry. Its’ every one of us. So everyone is called to ‘admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak (and be patient with them all - not paying evil for evil, but doing good). There’s wisdom to know which is which, but this is every-member ministry, provided by God to build us up in holiness and obedience.

God provides another triplet to build us up and move us towards holiness - in line with his will. ‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.’ This isn’t just a think positive thoughts and everything will be ok. This is urging us to tune our thoughts toward heaven - rejoicing in God’s love and care for us, and in what he has done for us; bringing every moment of our day to him, all our concerns, all our thoughts; and giving thanks to God, recognising that he is the good giver. But did you see that it doesn’t say, give thanks for all circumstances. Paul isn’t saying to thank God for a flat wheel or a parking ticket or a worrying diagnosis. But when these things happen, are there things we can thank God for in those circumstances? It changes our perspective, it tunes us in to what God is doing, as he works every detail for his glory and our eternal good - our holiness.

And to guide us along the way, in the final triplet, he says to not quench the Spirit - don’t pour cold water on what the Spirit is doing and leading. Also, don’t despise prophecy - test everything, examine what you hear, and hold on to the good. When you hear something good, hold on to it, like the wee boy who brought a lollipop in to his show and tell class. The teacher asked him to set it on the table and share with the class which Bible verse he was thinking about. He refused to set it down - as he said: ‘hold fast to what is good.’ He wasn’t going to let go, and neither should we. Hold to the good, and abstain from evil.

These are the dance moves, the steps to take as we become holy, more and more, as we look to the day of Christ’s coming. Sometimes our steps can falter, sometimes we might step on toes, but together we can learn the steps, we can do this together as we prepare for the wedding party of the Lamb, and we join the dance. For the new believers in Thessalonica, just starting out, they must have wondered would they be able to keep the faith, in face of persecution. Would they make it to the coming of the Lord. Would they really be blameless?

God has called us. God is faithful. He has provided for us in the death and resurrection of his Son. He has provided the way to become holy in everyday life in the church. He will surely do it. So let’s pray.

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 12th July 2015.

Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 Walking Worthy for The Day

This week I did one of my traditional summer things. It had nothing to do with eating ice cream, although I do that in the summer. There were no walks along the beach. I did what I always do in the summer - ordered my new diary. I don’t go in for a calendar year diary (Jan-Dec) - I like the academic diary from August right through. When it comes, I’ll take some time to write in all the dates and events and meetings, to start planning out the new church year. Birthdays and anniversaries go in so they’re no forgotten. But there’s one day that I can’t put in. I don’t know when it is scheduled, but it will happen, according to God’s timing.

Last week, we were reminded of the hope that we have, that the dead in Christ will be raised when Christ returns. Today, Paul continues to think about the return of Jesus, only today, it’s what it means for those of us who are alive and waiting for him. So let’s look at what the Bible says about the return of the Lord Jesus.

‘Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.’ The return of Jesus is described as the day of the Lord. Paul picks up on the Old Testament promise of the Lord winning victory against his enemies and bringing judgement to the earth. It’s a vivid picture isn’t it? The DAY of the Lord will come like a thief in the NIGHT.

Now, I hope this doesn’t happen, but imagine someone breaks into your house tonight. Would they have texted to say they were planning to drop round tonight at 2.30am? Would they make a phone call to check it was ok to rob you? No, the thief in the night goes for surprise. It’s the sudden, unexpectedness he wants. And the day of the Lord will be just like that. Sudden, unexpected. You’re lying in bed, all is well, you’re turning over for your second sleep, when the window breaks and you don’t know where you are.

‘When they say, ‘There is peace and security’ then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape.’ Jesus’ return will be sudden. A pregnant woman might have a bag packed for the hospital, but she doesn’t know when those labour pains will kick in. And once they do, that’s it. You can’t say to the baby, oh, just hold on a wee minute, I’m finishing watching this movie or whatever...

The Day of the Lord will be sudden. ‘They’ will be caught out, not expecting it. Paul is writing to the Christians in Thessalonica. He writes about they and them - someone else, not the people reading the letter. Sudden destruction. But for the Christian, it will not be surprising. We might not know the exact date. We can’t write it in our diary. We can’t put it on the calendar in the kitchen. But we know it is coming.

Do you see the contrast in verse 4? They, them, ‘But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.’

When I was growing up, my granny was turning 80. Mum and dad had arranged a surprise party. All the family were gathered in the function room, keeping quiet. Granny walked in and got the shock of her life! It really was a surprise. But for mum and dad, they knew what was happening. Granny had been kept in the dark so that she got a nice surprise. Here, Paul says that we aren’t in the dark. We know the secret of the day of the Lord. We’ll not be caught out, shocked at the sudden surprise.

Do you see how Paul describes us as Christians? ‘For you are all children of light and children of the day.’ We belong to the light, not the darkness. We are children of the day, we are connected to the day of the Lord. For us, the day of the Lord will be sudden but not surprising. Have you heard the phrase where two things are as different as day and night? They’re so different, there’s no comparison.

In verse 6 Paul continues with this day and night theme. Here’s how the children of day are to live. It’s completely different from those in darkness, because we are watching for the day.

Have you ever experienced jet lag? It’s when you fly far enough around the world to get into a different time zone. Your body thinks it’s midnight and needs to sleep, but actually, it’s just 2pm in the afternoon. Verse 6 is a bit like that. ‘So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.’

Those in darkness think it’s night, and do night time things - sleep or get drunk. But for the Christian, we’re in the day time. How could we do night time things when the day is here and coming? Verse 8. ‘But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.’

The night time can be a scary time. Paul says we’re to be watchful, alert, not distracted. We’re to guard our heart and our mind - the breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation guarding our head. This is God’s armour, the God-given protection we need for every day between this and the day.

Perhaps you look at the world around, and see the way things are going, and you wonder what is this world coming to? The darkness seems to get darker. Things seem to be getting worse, not better. Paul says to hold on, to keep watching. We already have the day in our hearts, and the dawn will break. Jesus will return suddenly, and your endurance and your hardship will be worth it.

The hope of salvation keeps us going. This is what we’re waiting for, what we can already be sure of. Verse 9: ‘For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.’

In Jesus, we already know the verdict. We know how the story ends. We can be sure that our destiny is not wrath, but salvation. Jesus died to make it happen. That’s how the helmet of the hope of salvation works. We know where we’re going. And that changes how we live each day. Even when we slip (and we all do), we have the assurance that Jesus died for us, and he has destined us for life with him. As we come to the table, we recall Jesus’ life laid down for us to bring us to live with him.

A future with Jesus, secured by his blood, already in promise, and one day made final and complete. No wonder we watch and wait for that day with eager anticipation! We don’t know when it will be. We can’t write it in our diary, that on the 32nd October Jesus will return. But over the top of each day, we should write - maybe today. Today could be the day of the Lord.

The day of the Lord will be sudden, but for the Christian it will not be surprising. So be sober, watchful, as you wait for your salvation. And as Paul says in verse 11, encourage one another and build up one another.

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 5th July 2015.