LIVING THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER
1 THESS 4:1-8
INTRODUCTION: I am sure that we have all heard about the good life. Living the good life, or having the good life, or getting the good life. Problem with the good life is that good does not necessarily mean the same thing to everyone. For one the good life may be the possession of material things, yet different things are important to different people. I have often spoken to my wife about the engagement ring I gave her. I have wanted to replace it. Each time I have brought up the subject she has said no. Now to me this material thing is important, to her it is not, and I never knew why. So, this last time, I asked I got a glimmer as to why. Sherry told me that if it made me happy, I could replace the stone, BUT I would also have to have the one she has now replaced. Then she said, you know, Guy, one of the things a like about this ring is that I do not have to worry about it catching on things or scratching someone else. I do not have to turn it around to protect it. You can replace it if you want to, but I like this one. Well, I may get her another ring, but I will never replace the one she has.
To others the good life is not what we possess materially, but what we possess physically. How many of us would exchange valuables for good health and long life? Once again, good health to one is not good health to another.
Solomon says it this way, … ( I am reading from The Message)
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (MSG) I said to myself, "Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!" But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.
2 What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
3 With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth.
4 Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards,
5 designed gardens and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, 6 made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. 7 I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. 8 I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and—most exquisite of all pleasures— voluptuous maidens for my bed.
9 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all.
10 Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!
11 Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.
I would like to submit to you that for the believer, life is not a out living, or obtaining the good life, BUT about living the life God ordained for us.
So what kind of life should we be living for God. Here are a couple of thoughts!
I. LIVING THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER IS LIVING A PLEASING LIFE -- 1Thess 4:1-2
A. A Pleasing Life Is A Priority
1. The word how is the Greek word for “you must”
2. It is an imperative, a command – We are commanded to live a life pleasing to God.
B. Hearing brings responsibility
1. The Thessalonians had heard from Paul how they were to live
2. So now pleasing God is no longer an option.
3. We can no longer just have the desire to please God, we must have the duty to please Him as well
James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
C. Look at all the ways Paul communicates the need to live a life pleasing to God.
1. How (you must) – verse 1
2. Ask and urge you – verse 1
3. How we gave you (military term – orders) – verse 2
Now in all of this Paul is communicating to the church that they need to e doing what he had instructed them to do.
This brings up an interesting thought – as believers, we do not always need to be exposed to new truth. Most times we need to be exhorted to do the truth we already know!
The most successful athletes are the ones who always return to the basics. Sure they get into slumps, but they are up more than they are down!
God is able to work through obedient believers – those who follow Him
It is inconsistent to claim we love God and then not please Him.
It’s like the phrase I hear often in my office and most recently at a seminar I attended on counseling couple regarding infidelity. Here it is, “I love them, but I am not in love with them.” WHAT!!!!!!!!
II. A PLEASING LIFE IS A CONTROLLED LIFE -- 1 Thess 4:3-8
A. Control Through Sanctification
1. Sanctification is an ongoing process
2. Sanctification focuses on my old patterns and behaviors, changing them into His standards and will.
3. Sanctification is changing my life into His life – the good life to the great life!
What I have to understand is that this process is not going to be completed till Jesus comes! I can’t rush it, hurry it, adapt it, contain it, rework it, modernize it, re-energize it, condense it, or reformulate it!
B. Control Through Pursuit
My wife – God bless her has two favorite stores. The Christmas Tree Store (which is anything but), and Christopher and Banks. Now I like both, but given a choice, of which one to go with her, I will choose Christopher and Banks. Here is why. At times, Sherry epitomizes the slogan of the Christmas Tree Store, which is, “don’t you just love a bargain.” Now I do not know at which trip this will happen, but when it does, I cannot keep up. I stop to look at something, look up and she is G-O-N-E gone! I will not have to go into pursuit mode to find her. I will go up and down the aisles, call her name until I find her. Now some of you are probably saying, “Pastor, just call her on the cell phone.” Three problems; first, it is hardly EVER charged (so it is more of a paperweight than a cell phone). Second, if it is charged, it is not on ( we turned it off to save the battery). Third, if it is charged and is on it is located in a pocket on her handbag/backpack thing slung over her shoulder and difficult to get to. Trust me it is EASIER just to go up and down the aisle calling Sherry!
Christopher and Banks on the other hand is different. I go in, assist with flipping through the clothing racks with her, help her get the mountain of items to the dressing room. Once she is in there, I go over and get what, to me is probably one of the most comfortable chairs to sit in, bring it over to a spot in front of the dressing room, and sit. This way I can comment on the items she tries on and conserve energy for the Christmas Tree Store.
1. This is what Paul means when he says we should “learn to control” (v.4)
2. We should pursue and find the way to control and thus conduct ourselves in an honorable and holy way.
The word translated honorable or honor in the KJV is the Greek word time and it carries the thought of appraising and valuing our worth. We are to conduct our lives in a way that values our worth!
So, how much are you worth?
According to the Cadaver Calculator the average believer is worth $4,175.00. If we were just selling our elements, then we are worth $4.50. Working, the average college graduate can expect to earn 2.1 million between the ages of 25 and 65. Finally using the national debt as a gauge, each of us is already in the red $29,930.85 as of 11/03/2007.
a) So our worth is relative. No one has a lock on our worth, except God!
b) God’s value of us is absolute, complete, and final – the life of His Son.
So God asks us to live in a way that appraises the value of His Son!
3. When we live in this way, then we will not wrong our brother, but stay within the boundary of what is right!
C. God calls us to be holy in our lives
1. To accept His call concerning how to live is to accept God
2. To reject His call concerning how to live is to reject God
PLEASING GOD IS NOT AN OPTION
REJECTING GOD IS A CHOICE
Today as we approach communion, I want to ask you, Do you value your worth? Have you appraised your value in light of God’s value on your life.
This is what communion is all about:
• Availing ourselves of the opportunity to look at ourselves the way God looks at us
• accepting God’s offer of salvation,
• Acknowledging God’s provision in confession
• Advancing forward renewed in the conviction that we must and can live a life pleasing to God
AND IT ALL STARTS WITH ACCEPTING OUR WORTH.
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