Episodes

  • November 21st - 1 Thessalonians 5:14

    November 21st - 1 Thessalonians 5:14
    Nov 21 2024
    1 Thessalonians 5:14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. Although the leaders of the church in Thessalonica had a particular responsibility for caring for the people, Paul was clear that everyone had a part to play. As members of God’s family, everyone needs to be involved in what we would call pastoral care. This is far more than merely listening to one another’s woes and being kind to one another. Paul told his readers to warn the lazy. The verb ‘warn’ is sometimes translated ‘admonish’. Paul saw laziness as being so dangerous that direct action needed to be taken. It had to stop if the Church was to thrive. Some people had stopped working because of their belief that Jesus might return at any moment, and in so doing they had become a burden on others. While Paul was also convinced that the Lord might return at any moment, he strongly objected to anyone using it as an excuse to give up work. Paul also urged the Thessalonians to encourage the timid. This may refer not only to those who were naturally lacking in courage but also those who had become discouraged and worried through particular life experiences. We are called not merely called to be kind to such people but actually to give them courage so that they will be better able to face life’s challenges. He also told the church to take tender care of the weak. Undoubtedly, he was talking here about those who were spiritually weak and needed stronger Christians to hold them up. In all of this, Paul urged his readers to be patient with one another. Anyone who has been involved with a church will know how important patience is! We are all different from one another. We see things from varying angles and want to proceed at different speeds. It is great that we are different – but this is also very hard work. Only patience will see us through. The Greek word for patience literally means ‘big suffering’ or ‘long suffering’. It is a great privilege to support one another – but never be surprised when it is exhausting work. Question – In what way is God calling you to support your Christian brothers and sisters? Prayer – Lord God, thank you for calling us and equipping us to care for one another within the Church. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    4 mins
  • November 20th - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

    November 20th - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
    Nov 20 2024
    1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Dear brothers and sisters, honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. Leaders were appointed from the earliest days of the Church. Paul knew that it could only thrive if it had committed, loving, and wise leaders, so in every place he sought to appoint such people. When he referred to the Thessalonian leaders who “work hard among you” you can be sure that he was drawing on his own personal experiences. Paul not only devoted himself to the work of ministry but, in order not to place a burden on the churches, he also made a living as a tentmaker. Paul knew all about hard work, and he knew that this particular church was going to be a challenge. It seems that in Thessalonica there was a particular problem with those who had given up their work because of the possibility of the Lord’s imminent return. Paul was concerned that the leaders took action to address this, and that was never going to be easy. Every church needs leaders, and all leadership is a partnership. In order to thrive, it is vital that Christian leaders receive the “great respect and wholehearted love” to which Paul refers. Through the years I have seen excellent leaders struggle, and sometimes fail, simply because they were surrounded by an atmosphere of criticism and disrespect. They became so discouraged that they were unable to flourish. In other places I have seen churches encourage people into leadership positions that they never thought they could fulfil. But with love and encouragement they have thrived. Whether you are a leader or a follower you have a crucial part to play. At the heart of this will be love and respect - and the result will be the encouragement and strengthening of the Church. Question – In what way do you show love and respect to your leaders? Prayer – Lord God, thank you that you raise up people to be leaders in your Church. Help me always to give them love, encouragement and support. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • November 19th - 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

    November 19th - 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6
    Nov 19 2024
    1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 You are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. When I was in my teens, I did a fascinating six-week course at a local fire station. Because it was held over a number of weeks, I got to know the firefighters and became familiar with the atmosphere of the station. Most of the time it felt very relaxed, but it was also clear that they were ready at any moment to respond to a call. When the deafening bells sounded, they responded instantly. As they ran, they were putting on their jackets and within moments they were all on the fire engine and heading out of the station. It was an impressive performance and gave me a wonderful picture of what it means to be alert. That was precisely Paul’s message to the Thessalonian church. Jesus might return at any time and so they needed to ensure that they were always ready for it. Paul told his readers that they needed to have clear heads, and contrasted this with those who drink too much. Intoxicating drink is a challenge in every society, and it was clearly the case in Thessalonica. Everyone knew what a drunk person looked like and it was a warning to the church. A drunk person is always a pathetic sight because they are, to a greater or lesser extent, out of control. This is precisely the opposite of what his readers needed to be as Christians. They should be fully in control and properly equipped. Paul gave a quick summary of the spiritual equipment that they needed. They should be protected by the armour of faith and love and wearing, as their helmet, the confidence of salvation (v8). The church of Jesus Christ faces huge challenges in our day, and the only way that we will be able to serve God effectively is by being alert and clearheaded. Firefighters maintain their alertness by being continually tested and trained. I recall that they would often do training exercises to ensure that they knew how to use their breathing apparatus and respond to the wide range of fires that they might face. As Christians we also need to ensure that we are maintaining a high level of readiness so that we will serve God faithfully. Question Do you consider yourself to be alert and clearheaded? Prayer Loving Father, in the power of your Spirit help me to be fully ready to serve you. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    4 mins
  • November 18th - 1 Thessalonians 4:15,18

    November 18th - 1 Thessalonians 4:15,18
    Nov 18 2024
    1 Thessalonians 4:15,18 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died…So encourage each other with these words. The Thessalonian church lived with the expectation that Jesus might return at any moment. This inevitably triggered lots of questions. It did so then and has done so ever since. The particular issue that Paul addressed in this chapter is what would happen to those who had already died. He made it clear that they will rise from their graves, while those who are still alive when Jesus returns will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then “we will be with the Lord forever” (v17). He doesn’t go into any more detail than that. The important point to recognise is that Paul saw his words as an encouragement. In truth, they didn’t need to know exactly what the programme or timetable of events for that day would look like, and neither do we. What we do need to know is that God has it all in hand, and he can be trusted to look after the future. I believe it is good for us to live with the daily recognition that today might be the day of the Lord’s return. This was deeply instilled in me as a child and, to be honest, I found it quite scary at the time. When I couldn’t find my mother, I would immediately assume that the Lord had returned, and I’d been left behind. But Paul’s intention was not to scare anyone. He wanted to give everyone the encouragement of knowing that the future was is utterly secure in God’s hands. I would love you to have that security today – whether the Lord returns later on today or in 1,000 years. Question How important is the return of Jesus in your daily life? Prayer Lord God, thank you that I need have no fear as I look to the future. I place myself and my future in your loving hands. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • November 17th - 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

    November 17th - 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
    Nov 17 2024
    1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. These are fascinating verses. Paul urged his hearers to strive eagerly to live quiet lives. The Greek literally means “seek restlessly to be still”! What on earth was he getting at? I believe he was saying that he wanted the Thessalonian Christians to have a quiet confidence as they threw themselves enthusiastically into their daily work. He wanted them to find peace in getting on with doing whatever the Lord had called them to do. It is clear that some people in the church had given up their jobs because they believed that the Lord might return at any moment. Paul was not at all happy with this. He urged them to get on with their work. He referred to them working with their hands, which suggests that the church was made up of slaves and manual labourers. The Greeks despised such work, but Paul was keen that they should know that if this was what God had called them to do, then they should put their hearts into it. It's very tempting to look down on our work. We see other people doing things that seem so much more significant and possibly much more interesting than what we do. Or perhaps we pine for our next holiday or the time when we can retire and leave it all behind us. Paul would encourage us to see the importance of whatever God has called us to do, and to be fully committed to it. He gave two reasons why this was important. Firstly, if we work hard we will gain the respect of those around us, and that will cause them to look to the God who inspires work. But secondly, through working hard, Paul says we will not be a burden on others. Clearly in Thessalonica there were those who were sponging off others, as they awaited the return of the Lord. The apostle was not happy with this and urged them to get to work. We all need to thank God for the gift of our daily work and to do it in a way that will glorify him. Question How do you view your daily work? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the work that you have called me to do. Help me to give my full self to it. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    4 mins
  • November 16th - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

    November 16th - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
    Nov 16 2024
    1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honour— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Life in Thessalonica in the 1st century would have been massively different from our life today. And yet I have no doubt that if the apostle Paul were to write a letter to our churches he would address precisely this same issue – sexual purity. The Greeks were famous for their free attitude to sexual matters. Paul was concerned that the people in this church should not be damaged by the widespread sexual promiscuity that surrounded them. They needed to live holy lives. The word holy means set apart. God wants us to live life to the full without being damaged and cheapened by sin. Holy life is life as God intended. Life at its best. This teaching is often mocked by our critics, who would suggest that Christian sexual teaching is given to us by a kill-joy God who seeks to confine and limit human pleasure. The Bible is clear that the truth is the exact opposite. God made us and he created sexuality in order to enable us to find fulfilment. You have only to read the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament to recognise the high importance that God places on human sexuality. It is a beautiful gift from a loving heavenly Father who desires only the best for his children. Living a holy life is always difficult. We are not naturally holy, and we live in a deeply unholy society that will always be tempting us to slip up. Paul shared his teaching with the whole church because he knew that they would need to support one another in this. In the verses that follow he talked about the way in which they loved one another in the church, and he praised them for their love. But he urged them to love one another more deeply. He would, I am sure, say the same to us today and urge us to go out of our way to support one another in living holy lives in a society that will always make that a challenge. Question In what way do you need to be supported to live a holy life? Prayer Loving Father, I pray that your Holy Spirit will give me the strength and wisdom to live a holy life. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • November 15th - 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8

    November 15th - 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8
    Nov 15 2024
    1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 We have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. Paul knew that it was going to be really tough for the Thessalonian church. He had warned them that there would be great difficulties to come and had clearly been deeply concerned for them. He even stated that he wondered whether his time in Thessalonica might prove to have been a complete waste of time. So, he was absolutely delighted to hear the news from Timothy that the church was going well. They had not only stood firm in the face of persecution but were actually thriving. Living for Christ in the 21st century presents us with very different challenges from 1st-century Greece. However, what we have in common is that we are living in societies that are fundamentally opposed to our Christian values and objectives. This means that we need to find ways of creatively supporting one another as we strive to keep faithful to the Lord. Paul gives us a wonderful illustration of how this should be done. Even after he left the Thessalonians, he continued to have an ongoing pastoral concern for them. He sent Timothy on a special mission to find out how things were going and to give them encouragement. He then went to the trouble of writing this letter to give them even more encouragement! Churches, in my experience, are busy communities. The weekly notice sheets of the churches I have worked with over the years have often been exhausting to read! But all too often churches, amid their busyness, turn in on themselves. They become so busy with their activities that they have little energy to look out for other churches. I believe that God wants us to find ways of creatively supporting one another. I love it when I see thriving churches deliberately seeking to support churches where the going is tough. The truth is that we desperately need one another and Paul’s loving concern for the Thessalonians should be an inspiration to us all. Question Can you name one church that is in particular need of encouragement at the moment? How might you be able to give them that encouragement? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the gift of your Church and for every opportunity that we have to encourage one another. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • November 14th - 1 Thessalonians 2:4-5

    November 14th - 1 Thessalonians 2:4-5
    Nov 14 2024
    1 Thessalonians 2:4-5 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. Paul often faced accusations. He was accused of acting out of self-interest, of being deceitful and all manner of other things. He knew that the whole of his ministry and the progress of the Christian mission depended on his integrity and so he was always eager to rebut these accusations. But in facing up to his critics, Paul made it very clear in this passage that he had never aimed to please people. His absolute priority was to do what God wanted. It is very tempting for anyone in leadership to make pleasing people their goal. We all want to be liked and so we are naturally inclined to do those things that win people’s approval. This was a classic mark of the Pharisees, who so often focused their energies on impressing the people around them. In their praying, giving and fasting they went to extraordinary lengths to advertise what they were doing and to put on a good show. But the fact is that pleasing people is a hopeless cause. Even if you were really good at it, you would never be able to please all the people all the time. It just can’t be done and Paul knew it. Paul ensured that the focus of his life was on pleasing God and believed that, if he lived in the way that God wanted, then he could be confident in his relationships with people, however sharp their criticism. By living close to God, he knew that he would live in a way that was honest and honourable. His leadership might attract fierce criticism and painful rejection at times, but his focus was on the audience that really mattered – God himself. Question Reflect carefully: is pleasing God your priority? Prayer Lord God, help me to put you first in my life and not to give in to the pressure to please people. Amen
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins