Living Well While Waiting

Alba 2-18-2024

LIVING WELL WHILE WAITING

I Thessalonians 5:12-22

A man named Ed Watt was visiting a local department store with his wife. And they had just purchased a piece of luggage and a cooler. As Ed browsed in the shoe department waiting for his wife to finish the rest of her shopping, a clerk asked if he could be of assistance.

“No, thank you," Ed replied. “I’m just waiting for my wife."

At that point, a man behind him said, "I’m waiting for my wife, too, but I never thought to bring lunch and an overnight bag."

Waiting for something that you know is going to happen, but you don't know just when, can be a difficult period in your life. So what do you do? Twiddle your thumbs? Do you not start to do something, afraid that there won't be enough time to finish it? It can be a quandary.

That was the problem for some in the church in Thessalonica. They were new Christians who were taught the gospel. They learned that Jesus had died on the cross to take the penalty for their sins. That He rose from the dead, and then ascended into heaven. And that He has promised to come back again!

But they didn't know when! They were a little bit like the man with a suitcase. They were packed up and ready to go. So they sat around waiting for Jesus to return.

The apostle Paul writes his first letter to them to correct their mistaken ideas, and to tell them that there are things the Lord wants us to be doing while they wait. So as he closes his letter he gives them a list of what they need to do so that they will be living well while waiting.

We find it here in I Thessalonians 5:12-22. Let's read:

“12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.”

That is a list of things to do that I think would keep them busy. But it is not just for them, it is for us as well. We also look forward to the return of Jesus for His own. But while we wait, we are to be actively living out the Christian life.

There are some words in these verses that stand out to me. It is that we should be at peace, be patient and be in prayer. Peace, patience and prayer. If we do just these things it will keep us busy being what we need to be as representatives of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to those who need Jesus.

1. Be at Peace (vs. 13). This command is in the context of our fellowship with one another and with those in spiritual leadership positions. A church that has problems in this area will not give a good or proper presentation of Christianity to a lost world. If there is constant squabbling and contention between members of the church and the leadership, such a church will not accomplish the goals God has for it.

Too many church members go home from their Sunday morning meeting and have “roast preacher” for dinner. I hate to admit it, but that happened at times in my home as I was growing up. So one might think it is surprising that from age eleven it was my plan to go into ministry.

Personally, I think it prepared me for some of the ups and downs of ministry. Overall, I am thankful that my years of serving churches has been blessed with many good things. But that kind of talk in a home could be at least one reason why children of church members eventually leave the church when they are on their own. Because why would the kids listen to the preacher preaching God’s Word when all they heard from their parents was criticism and cynicism about him every Sunday.

There are two temptations people have with leadership in the church. A person can be elevated above his status. And equally a leader can be shot down below his position. As Christians we are called to respect and esteem the leadership as laborers in the kingdom of God. The result of this will be peace, and not tension in the church.