1. OK, I ADMIT IT, I LOVE AIRPORTS!
2. There is just something about airports that I really enjoy.
a. NOW it’s not driving around in circles waiting for someone to come outside and meet me.
b. And it’s not waiting for hours because of plane delays
c. But there is that glimpse into the lives of people, and their emotions that makes a trip to the airport refreshing.
There’s THE EXCITED: Folks on vacation, get-aways, home holidays
THE NERVOUS about boarding the plane.
THE JOYFUL as their children are coming home for the holidays.
• I remember one time we were there & we met up with 2 adults from an adoption agency.
• They were blessed with the joy of delivering 2 little babies from China to their new families.
AND THERE ARE THE ANGRY ONES as they face plane delays, luggage that’s too heavy, and just having a bad day.
BUT the most difficult ones to watch are THE GOODBYES.
• It’s very easy to spot a GOODBYE. Tears. Red puffy eyes.
• Long embraces… empty stares out the window.
• AND Even though we don’t know exactly why they are saying goodbye, or for how long that goodbye will last…
• It’s really not that hard to see them all over the place.
GOOD BYES ARE rarely easy, but are sometimes necessary.
• This morning Paul comes to another end as he signs off this letter to a beloved church he knew for only 3 weeks.
• Greatly encouraged by the report Timothy brought back, Paul set out to ENCOURAGE THEM, COMFORT THEM, CONFRONT FALSE TEACHERS, and to SETTLE THEIR CONFUSED HEARTS.
• As he signs off he does 2 things that were common for him:
• He EXHORTS THEM with various commands.
• HE ENCOURAGES THEM, reminding them of God’s faithfulness.
I. (5:16-22) Final Exhortations
1. (16-18) The Will of God.
a. Knowing the will of God is one of the most important things that a Christian should know.
b. What would God have me to do here?
c. What is the heart of God toward that person?
d. Should I? Is it wise? Is it God’s will?
NOTE: Finding the will of God has become rather mystical these days. Hmmm… I just sort launch out on my own and try to find it.
• The will of God is treated as if it is out of our reach.
• No less than 23 times do we find that phrase in the New Testament countless other times is it revealed.
• It’s not far out there…
There was a farmer who was wrestling with the will of God for his life. He thought he had a call to ministry but wasn’t sure.
One day as he was sitting under a tree he looked up and a sky writer had placed these 3 letters in the sky, “G…P…C”
That was it. He ran into the house and told his wife, that it’s honey. I have my answer. God said to GO PREACH CHRIST.
And he did, leaving his family behind, he went out to preach Christ.
Several months later he returned home to find his family gone, his farm owned by someone else, and discouragement.
So he sat down to pray asking God what happened? God began to speak to him.
Why did you leave to preach Christ, God asked?
The letters, the letters in the sky God. They were your message to GO PREACH CHRIST.
No, God said, they didn’t mean GO PREACH Christ, they meant GO PLANT CORN!
• So Paul uses this phrase, this is the WILL OF GOD for you.
2. (16) REJOICE: Rejoice Always.
a. God wants us to rejoice always.
b. Yes tough times come. Yes issues arise.
c. But this world is missing joy and the only place it truly can be found is in the believer’s life, trusting a faithful God!
d. Joy is one thing the Gospel produces.
e. A life connected to Jesus produces an inward settled peace, not because of what’s going on around you but often in spite of what’s going on around you!
f. Let’s flip over to 2 Corinthians 6.3-10
3. (17) PRAYER: Pray without Ceasing.
a. God wants us to be people of prayer… without ceasing!
b. Literally God is calling us to be ‘constantly’ in prayer.
c. Not mindless repetition:
Matthew 6:6-7 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
d. But always praying for everything all the time.
APP: One of the greatest things you can do is to cultivate a habit of prayer in all things, big & small, significant & insignificant.
Luke 18.1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
Rejoice, Pray, Now Praise!
4. (18) PRAISE: In Everything Give Thanks.
a. Prayerfulness will always lead to thankfulness.
b. No matter what struggles, what testings, how bad the ups and downs might be… thanksgiving is key!
c. It’s too bad our nation only celebrates Thanksgiving once a year as Paul indicates here that it’s daily, always.
Psalm 145.9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.
It’s true, tough times come: but the will of God is that the believer:
• REJOICE always, PRAY Always, and be THANKFUL in everything.
• V24 - God is faithful… He is the foundation for our response.
Deut. 7.9 "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Now together with Joy, Prayer, Praise, there is this wonderful work of the Holy Spirit moving through the believers.
• Paul says, don’t quench it.
5. (19-20) FLEXIBLE: Don’t Quench the Spirit / Prophecies
a. ‘Quench’ is lit. to put a blazing fire out, to extinguish it.
b. Fire is a common picture of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Remember on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers there in the upper room?
Acts 2.2-3 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
• John the Baptist spoke of Jesus coming…
Matthew 3.11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
NOTE: Fire is something that is powerful and gives warmth & light.
• In its right context, fire is very valuable & enjoyable.
• There is a work that God wants to do in your midst, among the congregation and we are not to quench the Spirit.
• Surely in the confusion and the false teachers there, there was a quenching going on that was hindering the church.
SO THE QUESTION IS HOW does a person QUENCH the Spirit.
• Really, there are 2 BASIC WAYS.
#1 – Is what I call the WET BLANKET. As soon as the fire of the Spirit starts burning, someone wants to put it out.
In his book “Well Intentioned Dragons”, Marshall Shelley describes a wet blanket this way: The Wet Blanket. If you’ve heard the phrase “It’s no use trying,” you’ve probably spotted the Wet Blanket. These people have a negative disposition that’s contagious. They spread gloom, erase excitement, and bog down the ministry. Their motto: “Nothing ventured, nothing lost.” “We tried that before, and it didn’t work” is a familiar refrain.
In relation 2 spiritual gifts, we would call these folks cessationists.
• That is, the Holy Spirit can’t move that way today, because they believe that God doesn’t do that anymore, he ceased!
• Now a lot of caution is needed, because of rampant abuse, both then, and especially now.
• But caution need never turn into cessation!
APP: We need never be afraid of a GENUINE work of God’s Spirit.
• Whenever God is at work it’s not weird or bizarre, it’s awe inspiring! Like at the healing of the deaf-mute in the Decapolis.
Mark 7.36-37 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
There is another way the Spirit is quenched:
#2 – The THRILL SEEKERS. This is the other end of the spectrum.
• These are the ones that will take any behavior and stamp it with holy spirit approval, thus confusing the sheep.
• Things like barking like a dog, or roaring like a lion.
• There was the Holy Laughter movement, and gold dust groups.
God IS doing a work today on the earth and it surrounds not the hyped up miraculous signs, but the soul that is changed!
Flexible…
6. (20) LISTEN: Do not despise prophecies.
a. This refers to someone who speaks for God.
b. The word despise literally means “to count as nothing, to hold in contempt.”
c. Apparently they were NOT receiving the Word of God from men speaking the truth.
d. We can understand why… there were a lot of false teachers floating thought the church… even as they do today.
There are two types of prophecy mentioned in the Scriptures.
• First there is FORETELLING, the prophetic word where God outlines the future in striking detail.
• Then there is the FORTHTELLING, the word of God for today.
• We have the Word of God for today, it’s here in our hands.
• Anyone coming to you with a ‘word’ that contradicts the Scriptures can be dismissed as a false prophet!
Jude 1.3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Today false prophets are getting more clever… they will put up a web site or print a pamphlet and get automatic credibility.
• But nothing is known of their background, their motives, etc.
• So there is the need to receive those who have a word, but not without checking them out by the Word.
7. (21-23) DISCERNMENT: Test all things & Hold Fast
a. So on the one hand, stop quenching the Spirit but on the other had make sure you’re testing all things!
b. And holding fast that which is good, which passes!
c. The Bible never encourages a person to receive every single thing from anyone without checking it out first!
d. Bereans Great Example: Let’s flip back to Acts 17:10ff
NOTE: The word ‘test’ literally means to put something to the etest in order to approve it. Genuine? Hold on. If not, reject it.
• NOW, why should we test ALL things? – Turn to 1 John 4:1ff
NOTE: False teachers and teachings are all over the place.
• You don’t even have to go looking for them, they will come right up to your front door and ring your doorbell!
NOW: We see a pattern in the EC through the Book of Acts.
• As many were getting saved & the church grew there was great excitement & anticipation of God’s work in the world.
• Lives were changing, hearts were shifting, there was great joy!
But, with the great joy and progress of the church came problems.
• One of those problems was false doctrine entering the church.
• Satan, tried, unsuccessfully to CONQUER the church outwardly through persecution.
• When that didn’t work, he changed tactics by trying to CORRUPT the Church inwardly. -- If I can’t beat them, I’ll join them.
NOTE: Paul, as he was encouraging and exhorting the believers in Ephesus, had this to say:
Acts 20.29-31 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
• We shouldn’t be surprised by false teachers… just ready!
Final Exhortations…
II. (5:23-28) Final Encouragements
1. (22-24) He is faithful.
a. Paul signs off reminding them they are in the faithful hands of a faithful God.
b. He’s working in & through the whole them, not just in parts.
Phil. 1.4-6 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
2. (25-28) Pray & Greet & Share & Grace.
a. We come to the end of another great letter on a high note…
b. Pray for us. Tell everyone hi. Share this letter.
c. And trust in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
d. THE 20th book we finished together!
