Get Carried Away

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

These should be very comforting words: “Get carried away,” and yet, often the caution is exactly the opposite: “Hey, don’t get TOO carried away there!”

The admonition is to avoid becoming too fanatic, as if your fanaticism about a certain subject may be off-putting to those around you – especially whoever it may be who would instruct you to, “not get too carried away.”

Our relationship with Christ is one of the things the world teaches us we are not allowed to express outwardly, and this can range from friendly “advice” to outright persecution depending upon whose presence you may be in. An outwardly expressed, visible demonstration of a personal relationship with Christ is convicting to all those who see it, because it reminds them of things they do not wish to think about, namely eternity, eternal things, and eternal life.

Since every human being comes pre-wired with the ability to perceive and think about eternal things, (even without being taught anything on the subject,) a visible, outward love relationship with Christ is equally convicting in every culture. Jesus said it this way, “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.” (In essence, we are hated without cause, simply for having a visible love for Jesus.)

But one day, perhaps very soon and certainly without warning, it is that very visible, demonstrable love for Christ which will save you from the wrath of God to come upon the world. God is about to bring the world into judgment according to its sin. Only those who love Jesus and are born again by that love will be spared – and that means of separation from God’s judgment will be very sudden, in the “twinkling of an eye,” and, “like a thief in the night.” Now is the time to ‘get carried away’ by the love of Christ, so when He comes for His church, you will also be carried away to meet Jesus in the clouds. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come!

-  Pastor Bill

When the Music Stops

1 Thessalonians4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

When I was a kid, we used to play a game called ‘musical chairs’ at birthday parties and such. I’m sure you probably remember it also, but just in case – here’s the deal: Music would be played, and the kids would circle around a grouping of chairs. There would be one less chair than the number of kids in the game. The music would suddenly be stopped and the kids would rush to sit down. Since there was one less chair than the number of kids, the one kid left standing would be out.

The excitement was that as you circled the chairs, you knew the music was going to stop – but you never knew when. You didn’t want to be left standing, so you had to really pay attention at all times.

Paul is saying we need to pay attention to our lives because the music is going to stop. To pretend otherwise is just plain foolish. One of two scenarios is going to play out: Either Jesus is going to come back for His church and take us out of this world, (the Rapture,) or we are going to breathe our last on this earth. In either case, we have no prior knowledge of when the event will take place. The question is: When you meet Jesus, what will you be found doing?

-  Pastor Bill

Represent

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

In the U.S. we are used to the principle of representation, if for no other reason than our government structure. In its pure form, we elect a person to represent thousands of others. They ‘represent’ our views and our concerns to the totality of the governing body, and when they stop doing that we un-elect them.

This has not been true of the world for very much of its history, and was certainly not rue during the time of Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica. Throughout world history, despots have ruled in one form or another, either through power, (which has been true most of the time,) or through a form of benevolence, which has only been true in rare instances.

Imagine how blown away the Thessalonians must have been upon hearing their calling - now that they had become disciples of Jesus Christ. The Thessalonians lived in a world of Roman despotism, under Emperor Claudius, and then Nero. All they knew of governance was complete, total, silent submission. Anything else would result in death or severe persecution.

There was no participation in government. None.

Along comes Paul, the presenter of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Who is The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. King of Claudius even. Lord of Nero. And now Paul says, “I want you to represent The King of Kings to the world - to your world.” This gospel will so change your life, that when people look at you they will see Jesus Christ. He will be here in person in you. What a promotion this would have been to the life of the simple man. To represent Jesus to a lost and dying world. How could this be?

-  Pastor Bill

The Good Life

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

When people talk about living a “good life,” I suppose they may have differing views about exactly what a ‘good life’ might entail.

But Paul has no doubt about the subject, and he tells one and all how ‘the good life’ may be attained.

Do people really want a good life? If so, beyond question, here is how it may be had: Allow the love of Christ to flow through you.

This sounds really simple, and it is, but we sometimes struggle with implementation. One of the simplest descriptions I have heard of this life is, “to do the best you can.”

Oh, well now we’re back at what our parents used to tell us. “Try hard. Do your best. That’s all I ask.”

But that’s not it. It really has nothing to do with what you do or what you say. It is total dependency on something far greater. To be at our best we need to be at our least, to allow Christ to be at His most.

To be tenderly merciful is not possible in every case, unless you are in Christ – because He is ALWAYS tenderly merciful. When you are NOT tenderly merciful, you are not at your best. You see it, and so do others. Something is lacking – and that something is the mercy of Christ.

While I (me, myself, and I) may not like being that merciful, I am certainly glad He was that merciful to me. And tenderly so. Apart from that I probably wouldn’t be here, and I certainly wouldn’t be a pastor. Jesus says, in effect, “Pass it on.” To be a Christian who truly reflects Christ, I must be about the business of doing the very best thing I can do for a person in a given situation. This is the definition of Christian love. Christian love is not a feeling, it is action. Try putting that on. You can’t have a better life than that.

-  Pastor Bill

The Broken Body

Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

When Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room, following the Passover supper He took the bread and He held it before them. He then blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples while saying, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

What exactly did He mean by that – and why did He say it?

Of course we know, looking back over the centuries to the events that transpired after Jesus said what He said. We know the very next day Jesus’ body was indeed broken. We know His description of the bread matched what would take place in His life.

Spiritually, Jesus was foretelling the price required to pay for my sin. (The wages of sin is death. (Rom 6:23))

Isn’t it fascinating the price to pay for my broken body is His broken body? You see, when I sin, I break something. I don’t just break the natural law or the spiritual law, or break my conscience, I literally break my body. The adage is: “Sin kills,” and there is a reason for it: Sin does literally kill. Me. Eventually.

If I keep sinning, parts of me will die, and parts of those in my vicinity will die, and eventually I will die eternally – damned by my own sin. I have no one else to blame.

This is why Jesus’ message was a message of repentance. From the first time He spoke publicly to the end of His ministry Jesus preached repentance. Strictly put, to repent means to “turn around.” I was going one way, (a way of death,) and Christ urges me to turn around and head in the way of life. Only His way is the way to eternal life. His broken body palpably demonstrates the cost of the direction I am presently headed. I need to put that off, and put that away. Now.

-  Pastor Bill