WALK THIS WAY
1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-20
#1Thessalonians2
INTRODUCTION… FAMOUS SONGS MADE FOR ‘WALKING’ (p)
To start out this morning, we are going to have some fun and we are going to play a little ‘Name that Tune.’ I have 5 short snippets of the beginning of songs ranging from 10 seconds to 24 seconds and let’s see if we can name the tune. The songs start from 1963 then go to 1966 then two from 1986 and then one from 1997. The sound clip will play and then you say the name of the song and you get bonus points if you know the musician or group…
‘Walk Like A Man” (1963) Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (0:24)
“These Boots are Made for Walkin” (1966) Nancy Sinatra (0:14)
“Walk this Way” (1986) RunDMC with Aerosmith (0:10)
“Walk Like an Egyptian” (1986) The Bangles (0:11)
“Walkin’ on the Sun” (1997) Smash Mouth (0:14)
I happen to think that these songs are pretty recognizable even just based on the first ten seconds of the song. The tune is recognizable and you can pick out the name of the song and for some of them we even know the people who sang it. All of these songs happen to be about ‘walking’ in some form or fashion.
The way a person walks is also pretty recognizable I think. In a crowd, you might know a family member by the way they walk. We can definitely tell if a person has knee or hip problems based on how they walk. A person in a hurry walks in a particular way. Sometimes we can even tell if someone is confident or more cautious based on their walk.
In the New Testament, ‘walk’ is a term used to symbolize the manner of a person’s life with the Lord. I think ‘walking’ is used as a symbol because it is so recognizable and you can tell much from a person’s walk. It is a great metaphor for the Christian life and faith.
For example:
Luke 1:6 (ESV) about Zechariah and Elizabeth, “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”
Jesus said in John 8:12 (ESV): “Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” and later in John 11:9-10 (ESV) says, “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
Romans 6:4 (ESV) says: “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Galatians 5:16 (ESV) commands: “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Over and over and over again in the Bible we see this metaphor about walking and how it relates to our attitudes, our perspectives on life, and our actions as we live our lives. Again, I think this metaphor is used because the way a person walks tells a lot about them. Maybe they are a man, maybe they want to walk all over you, maybe they walk like an Egyptian, or maybe they are walking on the sun.
Let’s read what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2, specifically verses 12 and 13 as these are the verses that focus on walking with the Lord.
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-20 (ESV)
For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! 17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
PASSAGE OVERALL
Overall, this passage has a couple of sections to it. First, Paul defends himself and his motives in Thessalonica and asks them to remember his right motives and the proper way he shared the Gospel with them. We get the sense that some people in Thessalonica might be starting and sharing untrue rumors about him that he blew into town, fleeced them all for money, and then left. Second, he talks about walking with the Lord which is what we are going to focus on today. Then, lastly, he talks about the needed perseverance of the Thessalonians in the midst of hardships and persecutions.
TRANSITION
Before we focus in on verses 12-13, I’d like to share about verse 8.
VERSE 8
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 2:8
“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
I wanted you all to know that I am affectionately desirous for you that your faith in Jesus Christ is deep and wide. I very much love being the pastor of this church. It is my honor and pleasure and privilege to be your minister and I wanted you to know that. I do not take for granted the responsibility and weight of sharing the Gospel with you and the needed encouragement and conviction that sharing the Gospel means. You all have become and are still becoming “very dear to me.”
TRANSITION
The verses we will focus on today are verses 12-13 that zero in our attention on walking in a manner worthy of God.
WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF GOD
Paul says he exhorts and calls and invites them to walk in a manner worthy of God.
Paul says he encourages them to walk in a manner worthy of God.
Paul says he charges and urges and summons and absolutely witnesses for them to walk in a manner worthy of God.
Well I wish to do the same. I exhort, call, invite, encourage, charge, urge, summon, and am a witness to you today that we need to walk in a manner worthy of God. If you are a believer in Jesus, this is not an option. This is a way of life. Our lives should be a walk that is distinct and not only is our faith in Christ our identity, but also other people know about our faith.
‘Walk like a believer.’
‘You were made for walkin’ with Christ’
‘Walk this way’
‘Walk like a Christian’
‘Walk with the Son’
What does Paul say?
BE PART OF THE KINGDOM (VERSE 12)
After Paul exhorts and encourages and charges the Thessalonians, in the same verse he immediately talks about being part of the Kingdom. He says in verse 12 that God calls us into His “own Kingdom and glory.” Christians are part of God’s Kingdom. When we walk in a manner worthy of God, we are part of His Kingdom.
ILLUSTRATION… Groups I’ve Joined Younger Years (p)
I was thinking back this week on groups that I was a part of in my life and why I joined those groups and why I left those groups and the purpose of those groups. Each group had a particular purpose and why they exist.
As a small kid, I played little league baseball for half a season. I remember only a little bit, but I do recall standing in the outfield not knowing what was going on and picking flowers. I quit because I wanted to watch the new Pac-Man cartoon that came out in 1982. It was the first cartoon ever based on a video game so it was very important.
In elementary school, I was a cub scout. I am pretty sure my parents have my cub scout uniform in a closet and I completed tiger, wolf, bear… for some reason I think there is a bobcat in there somewhere… and I was about to join the Webelos, but we moved and I did not continue in scouting. I ended up in Jet Cadets in the place we moved to at the church we attended. You are looking at a Jet Cadet Admiral right here.
In junior high and a little bit into high school I competed in Bible Bowl at the church we attended. If you don’t know what Bible Bowl is, you go to a bowling rink and when you roll the bowling ball, you have to recite a Bible verse before the ball hits the pins. No… I am kidding… Bible Bowl is a Bible quiz team that has competitions. It’s like Jeopardy sorta with teams. I very much enjoyed the competition and the Bible memorizing and the traveling around to different Bible colleges we did.
As a junior and senior in high school, we moved to a new place and I joined the football team at Baumholder American High School and I was part of AJROTC and I got my first job with a company called AAFES and I was the yearbook editor and part of the school newspaper and spent one season on the basketball team playing left bench. All of those ended when high school ended.
Since we are thinking about church things and this is indeed a sermon… I was also thinking about the different churches I was a part of growing up. Every place my dad was stationed, we dug in and were part of a believing community because being part of a church is being part of the Kingdom of God.
In elementary school, we lived in Germany and went to the base chapel.
In middle school (junior high), we went to First Christian Church in Jonesboro Georgia.
In early high school, we went to Central Christian Church in O’Fallon, Illinois.
Late High School saw us back in Germany at the base chapel.
In college, I went to Sevier Heights Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee until I got into ministry.
As a kid and then as a young adult, I was part of these churches and participated actively and deeply in the life of the congregation as long as I lived there. Each of these churches and congregations are part of the Kingdom of God as a whole. They are part of the big ‘C’ Church.
Being part of the Kingdom of God is extremely important if you are a believer in Jesus. For a believer in Jesus Christ, being connected with Christ and being identified as a Christian means you are part of a church wherever you are living.
I did some research this past March and I asked you all… some of you here today… if being part of a church was a necessary part of being a Christian. 63 responded 100% that they are believers in Jesus. I asked the question: Does a person have to attend church regularly (3/4 Sundays) to be a faithful Christian? 56.5% said no. 43.5% said yes. More than half of you do not believe that church attendance is important in order to be a faithful Christian. May I be so bold as to say 56.5% of you are mistaken.
The Apostle Paul says elsewhere in the Bible to other Christians:
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12 (ESV)
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 12:14 (ESV)
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27 (ESV)
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
The Apostle Paul is exhorting and encouraging and charging these Thessalonians to be part of the Kingdom of God. Part of that is digging in and living life as part of the Bride of Christ… the Body of Christ… the Instrument of Mobilizing the Gospel on Earth… the Church! Walking in a way worthy of God and being part of the Kingdom of God means we lay aside our excuses and we walk worthy of God.
Being a Christian means we are joined together in the Body of Christ as one member among many. It’s important, but so many things can get in the way of being part of a church. We allow other priorities jump the line over being part of the Kingdom of God.
ILLUSTRATION… What gets in the way of church? (p)
What gets in the way of church?
Camping, Sports, Vacation, Work, Non-Christian family is in town, Grandchildren, Fun Days, Sleep and Rest, Showing Livestock, My doctor told me not to, My government told me not to, Political differences, Masks, Feelings of the children or the teenagers, I can do it anywhere, I’m dating this guy, I’m dating this girl, We got in too late last night, We were out of town on Thursday, I don’t find value in it, It’s boring, I don’t get what I need, My spouse has to work, I didn’t feel welcomed enough
They are all hypocritical, There isn’t enough for my kids, You said something I didn’t like, It’s too small, It’s too big, It’s my anniversary, My spouse doesn’t want to go, One person said that one thing, There’s no Spirit there, God wanted me elsewhere, It’s too early, My schedule is too packed, It’s too far to drive, I don’t feel comfortable, It’s too much to get ready, It’s old fashioned, It’s not really necessary, They don’t do it the way I like it, My seat was taken last time, You weren’t my choice, It’s my birthday.
I made none of those up. I’ve heard every single one.
We must set aside the things that hinder and run forward faithfully into the Kingdom of God. We must walk faithfully worthy of God. What does it mean to be part of the life of a congregation?
* We want to grow deep and wide in our faith in Jesus Christ and we pursue that individually at home and corporately with our church family.
* We want to share our faith with others as often as we can.
* We volunteer to serve in the church where we are gifted and needed.
* We tithe to the church and support with money the life of the church in which we are participating.
* We attend services, small groups, and other events regularly each week.
* We identify and agree with the doctrine and teachings of the church.
* We will not encourage others in the church in sinful lifestyles that draw them away from God.
* We have other people that care about us and our spiritual lives and allow them to correct us when we need correcting.
* We accept the leadership of church leaders in spiritual matters and in church matters.
If you believe that you can be a Christian without the Church, then you are not walking in a manner worthy of God because you are keeping the Kingdom at arm’s length. That is an unworthy walk.
You could be walking with God so much better.
You are limping in your relationship with Christ.
You are hamstrung in the power of the Spirit.
CHALLENGE AND TRANSITION
The Apostle Paul is desperate to help the Thessalonians in their faith and wants them to walk in a manner worthy of God. Part of that worthy walk is being an active deep part of the Kingdom of God. I want the same for you.
* We are coming out of COVID in many ways. Recommit and make the effort, make the spiritual appointment, make the act of the will to attend church 3 out of 4 Sundays.
* Join a Sunday School class or other small group to discuss the Bible and sharpen yourself and other people.
* Serve. Next Sunday we are having another Spiritual Gifts Seminar where you can learn and plug in. It is after church. Lunch is provided. We have many holes in serving because of COVID.
* Come to the fellowship events we are having to reconnect us after COVID. Fellowship and friendship are important!
* I know this sounds like heresy, but you could sit in different places in the sanctuary each week to meet new people and be very intentional about being friendly and talking with others.
* Open and read the emails the church sends out.
* Read the bulletin for announcements of ways you can get involved.
TRANSITION
I pray that makes sense to us as we think about these verses. As believers, we need to be part of His Kingdom of which the visible expression of that on the earth is the Church. Paul continues on in verse 13 and says that part of walking in a manner worthy of God means we accept the Word of God in our lives.
ACCEPT THE WORD OF GOD (VERSE 13)
RE-READ 1 THESSALONIANS 2:13
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
After Paul exhorts and encourages and charges the Thessalonians to walk in a manner worthy of God in being part of the Kingdom, he then extends that worthy walk to accepting the Word of God in our lives. For the Thessalonians, he reflects that in his brief time with them, they understood the message he brought and they understood that the message about Jesus was not based on human arguments or reasoning, but the message of Jesus is from God Himself. They accepted the Word of God and allowed it to be at work in their lives as believers.
Walking worthy of God means we accept His Word and allow it to be at work in us as believers. This is what the Apostle Paul says to us. How do we do that? How do we apply this truth? How do we allow the Word of God to be actively at work in us?
First, we must have faith that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible contains poems, history, stories, commands, reflections, songs, letters, visions, laws, principles, and dreams all inspired by the Holy Spirit and written down without error.
READ 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 (ESV)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Having faith in the Word of God as His breathed out words means that we understand and place the values, decisions, ways of living, and principles contained in the book at the highest priority for our lives because of the Source. These are the Words of God… therefore what is contained here is of utmost importance. It is of first importance and highest priority. For those walking worthy of God, we believe in His Word.
Second, we must humble ourselves under the teachings of Scripture. This is soul-important and probably the key for the whole thing. There are many ways of living presented to us in this life. Many paths. Many options. Many places from which we can get our identity and meaning and worth. Most of those are centered on self. For those walking worthy of God, we do not walk in self, but we walk under Scripture. We walk UNDER Scripture.
* We humble ourselves under what the Bible says and we on purpose obey what God teaches.
* We submit ourselves under God’s principles and pattern our life after what we find in the Bible.
* We stop living the way we want and we begin living the way God wants. That’s repentance.
* We navigate the demands of this life always with God as the #1 priority.
* We allow God to define truth, rightness, what is good and proper and we toss out other definitions.
Walking worthy of God means we do what Jesus tells us. He knows this is a struggle which is why He asks…
READ LUKE 6:46 (ESV)
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Third, we must be persistent in the Word. Walking worthy of God is not a one-time thing. Accepting the Word of God is not a once in a lifetime opportunity. Walking worthy of God is not a “I humble myself sometimes” deal. Accepting the Word of God is a daily persistent leaning into God and allowing His Word to work in our lives. Jesus did say…
READ LUKE 9:23 (ESV)
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Persistence in reading, meditating on, studying, and applying God’s Word is important in our life of faithfulness as we walk in faithfulness worthy of our God. Again, the Christian faith is not a one-time decision to be immersed into Christ and then you are ‘good to go’ for the rest of life.
Persistent discipleship needs to happen.
Perseverance in sanctification is part of us.
CONCLUSION
As we conclude this morning, I want to remind you of the words of the Apostle Paul:
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 2:11-13
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
PRAYER
