CHRISTIAN CONDUCT - PART 3 - THE SHEEP'S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CHIEF SHEPHERD (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
INTRODUCTION:
In Paul’s concluding section of 1st Thessalonians, he exhorted the church on the subject of Christian conduct. These exhortations have been grouped into relationships that exist in the community of the church and how we are to conduct ourselves in those relationships. Paul began with the relationship that exists between the shepherd and the flock under his care and the responsibilities of the shepherd toward the sheep and the responsibility of the sheep toward the shepherd or shepherds. Next, he exhorted the Thessalonians on the inter-relationship of the sheep, or how we are to conduct ourselves toward others in the church, especially towards those troublesome sheep who are struggling. Paul’s tried and true method for dealing with struggling sheep was for stronger believers to come alongside them and admonish them, encourage them, support them, to be patient with them, and never repay evil with evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another, and for all people.
This morning we will look at a third relationship that exists in the church, and that is the relationship between the sheep and the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. What is our responsibility in our relationship to the Lord Jesus? This is the most important relationship that we have within the community of the church. If God’s flock is to be healthy, then the relationship between the sheep and the Chief or Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ must be right. For that to happen, each believer must know and understand their responsibility to worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, their King. Paul in these three short verses exhorts the flock in Thessalonica to strengthen their spiritual lives and fulfill the responsibilities that they have in their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul gives three exhortations or commands for us to obey. Notice I said these are exhortations or commands, not suggestions or good ideas. These are not Paul’s commands, but what God expects of His sheep. Let’s pray and then look at God’s Word.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18. Paul does not mince words here but get straight to the point on what are responsibilities are toward our Chief Shepherd. Please, if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
1st Thessalonians 5:16-18,
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NASB95)[1]
Paul in these three short verses exhorts us to rejoice constantly, pray constantly, and to give thanks constantly. Three commands that are our responsibilities to our Chief Shepherd.
CONSTANTLY REJOICING (1st Thessalonians 5:16)
Paul begins with our duty to rejoice always, this command may seem absurd and impossible to obey in light of life’s many difficulties, but since this is a command from God and not a suggestion, we as believers need to obey it. If we do not obey God’s command, then we are disregarding Scripture’s clear instruction and are acting in sinful disobedience. This is not the only place in Scripture where we are told to rejoice. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell us to rejoice in the good times and the bad. For example, the psalmist writes in Psalm 32:11, “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” (Psalm 32:11, NASB95)[2] and the prophet Habakkuk writes in Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18, NASB95)[3] Paul in our Scripture reading this morning exclaimed in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NASB95)[4] and the apostle Peter declared in 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” (1 Peter 4:12–13, NASB95)[5] This is just a sampling of places where we are told to rejoice. Paul understood the existence of negative human emotions like sorrow and distress, but he also knew that believers could rise above their sorrows with a continual focus on true joy. Such a focus is possible because true joy comes from our loving heavenly Father and not merely from an insignificant emotional response to positive circumstances. The believer’s joy and ability to rejoice always flows from what the believer knows to be true about God and about his eternal, saving relationship with Him, regardless of the circumstances. Supernatural joy is from the Holy Spirit and is produced in the life of the believer as a part of the fruit of the Spirit given to us in Galatians 5:22.
The phrase “rejoice always” translated literally means “at all times be rejoicing.” This phrase emphasizes that a truly rejoicing believer will always have a deep-rooted confidence in God’s everlasting love and His sovereign control on behalf of His own, and that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NASB95)[6] Because of this confidence in God there should be no event or circumstance in the Christian’s life, apart from sin, that can or should diminish his true joy.
When we have a right understanding of biblical joy, we are provided with numerous reasons to rejoice. Let me list a few reasons that we have to rejoice always. First, we can rejoice always in gratefulness for God’s righteous character which even when we are in trouble or distress He demonstrates so faithfully to those who belong to Him. David declared in Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.” (Psalm 28:7, NASB95)[7] Second, we should rejoice always out of appreciation for Christ’s redemptive work, which comes to us from a gracious, merciful, loving, and compassionate God. Third, we can always rejoice in the ministry of the Holy Spirit on our behalf, His indwelling, His empowering, His guiding, and His intercession for us. Fourth, we who belong to Christ can rejoice always because of all the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…” (Ephesians 1:3, NASB95)[8] then Paul expounds on what those spiritual blessings are in the next eleven verses. Fifth, we should rejoice always in God’s providence as he directs everything for our benefit to bring us into conformity with His Son. Paul wrote in Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28–30, NASB95)[9] This verse leads us to the sixth reason we should rejoice always and that is because of our hope in God’s promise of future glory. Seventh, we should always rejoice over answered prayer. Jesus promised in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (John 16:24, NASB95)[10] An eighth reason to be always rejoicing is that God has given us His Word. The psalmist declared in Psalm 119:111, “I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart.” (Psalm 119:111, NASB95)[11] Ninth, we should rejoice always for the privilege of genuine fellowship. Paul in writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, wrote in 2nd Timothy 1:3-4, “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.” (2 Timothy 1:3–4, NASB95)[12] Tenth and finally, we should always rejoice at the proclamation of the gospel, just as the early church did. Luke wrote in Acts 15:3, “Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they [Paul, Barnabas, and those with them] were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.” (Acts 15:3, NASB95)[13]
The always rejoicing believer is more concerned about glorifying God than worrying about and fretting over temporal difficulties. The always rejoicing Christian thinks more about his spiritual blessings and future eternal glory than he does about any present pain or material poverty. Believers who live like this will fulfill the command to rejoice always.
CONSTANTLY PRAYING (1st Thessalonians 5:17)
Rejoicing sheep are also praying sheep. When we live our lives joyfully depending on God, we will not fail to realize our own inadequacy and will continually be seeking God’s guidance and strength in prayer, maintaining an attitude of prayer at all times. Again, Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing” is a command from God that we are to obey. Paul uses the most common Greek word for “pray” which includes all aspects of prayer: submission, confession, petition, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving. “Without ceasing” means “constant” but this does not mean that we are in some continuous activity of kneeling and interceding but as a way of life marked by a continual attitude of prayer.
Jesus Christ is our example of praying without ceasing, we witness His faithfulness in praying during His time on this earth. As the Son of God, He was in constant communion with His Father, and reading through the Gospels you find many examples of Lord’s consistent pray life, often spending the night praying, communing, conversing with His Father. Our Lord without doubt prayed with an intensity and fervor that we as His children know little or nothing about. The greatest example of this intensity and fervor is seen when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His substitutionary death on the cross. Luke 22:41-44 records, “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” (Luke 22:41–44, NASB95)[14] Three times He pleaded with His Father to spare Him from the cup of God’s wrath against sin, which He would have to bear on the cross in His death on behalf of sinners. This level of intense agony endured by our Lord is beyond anything Christians have to face, but it clearly illustrates what Paul meant when he exhorted the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing.
The emphasis of the importance of prayer is clearly seen throughout the New Testament. Paul had already declared to the Thessalonians in chapter 3, verse 10 the intense prayer they prayed for the Thessalonian church, he wrote, “…as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thessalonians 3:10, NASB95)[15] Paul speaks of the importance of prayer and prays in many of his other epistles.
The emphasis on prayer in Scripture must mean that there are many reasons for Christians to pray without ceasing. The first, and what should be the highest motive for prayer is to glorify our Lord. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9-10, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.’ ” (Matthew 6:9–10, NASB95)[16] Second, a desire to fellowship with our Lord and Savior should motivate us to pray. David declared in Psalm 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1–2, NASB95)[17] Third, believers pray that God might meet their daily needs, in that same model prayer in Matthew 6 Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in verse 11, “‘Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11, NASB95)[18] Fourth, we are to pray and ask for wisdom as we live in this sinful world. James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5, NASB95)[19] Fifth, the need for deliverance is another reason to pray and it motivates one to pray. Jonah is a great example of such motivation when he found himself in the belly of a great fish. Jonah 2:1-2 says, “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, ‘I called out of my distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.’ ” (Jonah 2:1–2, NASB95)[20] Sixth, we are motivated to pray to receive relief from fear and worry. From our Scripture reading this morning Paul encouraged the Philippians in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NASB95)[21] Seventh, we may pray out of gratitude for the blessings we receive from God’s hand. Eighth, we pray to be freed from the guilt of sin. David voiced this when he wrote in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.” (Psalm 32:5, NASB95)[22] Nineth, out of concern for the lost we should pray without ceasing for their salvation. And finally, and without doubt as important as any of the other reasons for us to pray, we should pray without ceasing for our own spiritual growth and for the spiritual growth of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul gives us an example of this in his prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-21 where he writes, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14–21, NASB95)[23]
CONSTANTLY THANKFUL (1st Thessalonians 5:18)
Paul’s final exhortation for us is to give thanks in everything. Being ungrateful is the very essence of the sinner’s heart. Paul in the book of Romans identified unbelievers as unthankful, he wrote in Romans 1:21, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21, NASB95)[24] But when God redeems a person, that person becomes a new creation in Christ and God produces a new heart that longs to obey Paul’s command and in everything give thanks. This exhortation by Paul leaves no excuse for believers to be ungrateful. “In everything” refers to all that occurs in life whether good or bad, no matter what you might be going through, in good times and in bad times, in everything we are to give thanks. Thankfulness should be a part of who we are in Christ, it is produced within us by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
To be a Christian and be unthankful is spiritually abnormal and I say this because to be unthankful disobeys many places in Scripture that instruct the believer to a life of thankfulness. We have already looked at Romans 8:28 this morning but in it is the overarching principle for thankfulness, Paul writes, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NASB95)[25] God’s providence, His blending of everything in life for the believer’s ultimate blessing should cause us to be thankful for everything in life, knowing that it fits into His eternal purpose for us.
When the early church met, one of the main purposes was to give thanks, Paul’s letters remind believers to be thankful and express their thankfulness thereby setting themselves apart and distinct from the ungrateful, unbelieving culture around them. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:3-4, “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” (Ephesians 5:3–4, NASB95)[26] Going down just a few verses in Ephesians 5 to verses 18-20 which clearly establishes that Christians should be known by their constant thankfulness. Paul writes, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” (Ephesians 5:18–20, NASB95)[27] Even in times of great anxiety, fear, worry, and stress, a prayerful attitude of thanksgiving should characterize true believers. Our Scripture reading says that this attitude will bring God’s peace, listen again to Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NASB95)[28]
Paul ends these three verses with this statement, “…for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18b, NASB95)[29] This phrase attaches to all three commands given in these verses. It is God’s will that all who are in Christ Jesus rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. The wonderful thing is that God not only commands that we do these expressions of righteousness, but He makes it possible for believers to express them in their lives as He works within us and He is pleased when we do them.
CONCLUSION:
Christian conduct is Paul’s concluding topic as he wraps up this first letter to the Thessalonians. He wants to make sure that they understand how they are to conduct themselves in the relationships which exist in the church. He began by speaking about the relationship between the leaders and the congregation, then he spoke about the relationship between the members of the church, specifically in regard to those sheep who were struggling in the congregation. This morning he began to look at our most important relationship within the church and that is our relationship with the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. If this relationship is not right, then the church cannot be healthy. Paul exhorted us to do three things to be in right relationship with the Lord Jesus, or to be in God’s will. We are to constantly rejoice, we are to constantly pray, and we are to constantly be thankful. These three we must do for they make up God’s will for us who are in Christ Jesus.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. (Emphasis mine)
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[19]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[20]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[21]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[22]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[23]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[24]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[25]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[26]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[27]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[28]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[29]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.