1 Thessalonians 5:12

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you. Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace among yourselves.

Now we exhort you, brethren: warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, and be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but follow after that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men. Amen. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good, and abstain from all appearance of evil.

Let's pray. Lord, as we just sang, You are holy, holy, holy. You have called us to be holy, Lord, to be set apart, to be sanctified. We thank You that You are the one that sanctifies us, Lord. You've given us here in Your Word these exhortations, these admonitions, on how we ought to live. I pray that You, by Your Spirit, would enable us to do so.

Jesus, You said that You would not leave us comfortless, but that You would send the Spirit of truth that would guide us in all truth and teach us all things. We pray, Holy Spirit, that You would teach us today and help us to apply the things that were taught here in this passage. For we ask it in Jesus' name. And all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

Paul, here in these remaining verses of 1 Thessalonians, is giving his closing exhortations to the church at Thessalonica. He says there in verse 12, "And we beseech you, brethren." Notice first, before we really even get very deep into this, that Paul says, "And we beseech you." We remember that Paul is joined in the city of Corinth with Silas and Timothy as he writes this letter to the church at Thessalonica.

A church that Paul had planted probably about six months before he sent this letter to them. Paul had only been in the city of Thessalonica for a short period of time, probably no more than a month. As he left, Timothy, his young disciple in the Lord, was left to tend to the church there in Thessalonica for a period of time. Paul's companion, his fellow laborer Silas, was left in the city of Berea. Now, the two of them, Silas and Timothy, have come to join Paul in Corinth, and they share with him all the different things that were happening in the churches.

Paul writes this letter to them with some very important exhortations and charges in these last verses. "Brethren, know them which labor among you," Paul says. Know those that labor among you. The minister, the ones laboring there among the body of Christ, are meant to be servants. The position of the minister is not to be a revered or royal position, wherein the person sits upon a throne and is ministered to or served.

Remember what Jesus told his disciples back in the Gospel of Matthew, in Matthew chapter 20. In verse 27, He said, "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many.

It's unfortunate that as you study through church history, you find that there came a point when the minister's position did become a position of reverence. It became a position that was looked up to, and we are even told in this passage to esteem those people very highly, to look up to them, to honor them, and to respect them. However, it is not that they are to be in a position where people bow down to them and kiss their ring.

I'll be honest; as we go through this passage this morning, there are a few things that are almost uncomfortable for me to teach. It might seem like I'm asking you to give me honor. But if you came and kissed my ring, I would be rather freaked out. We need to recognize this ordained position that God has created within the body of Christ.

We must also notice the way that Paul words this in this passage. He says, "Brethren, know them which labor among you." You see, those that are called out within the body of Christ to serve and minister in the day-to-day work of the ministry are essential.

We are serving alongside the rest of the body of Christ. Here at Calvary Chapel, we believe in what we might call the priesthood of all believers, that everybody within the body of Christ is called to serve the Lord. We are all called to do the work of the ministry.

As we saw earlier in Acts chapter 6 and chapter 7, there were certain things going on within the body of Christ, specifically in Acts chapter 6, regarding the needs of the widows. This responsibility was appointed to a group of men who tended to those needs daily. Yes, the whole of the body of Christ is to be endeavoring to do the work that God has called us to do here upon the earth, specifically in fulfilling the Great Commission. However, there are those who are set apart for the day-to-day work of the ministry.

Paul says to the church at Thessalonica, "I beseech you, brethren, that you would know who they are, to know those who labor among you." As I've been thinking about this passage for the last couple of weeks, I've been reminded on a number of occasions how difficult it is to get to know everybody within the body of Christ when we have a church of our size. As the church continues to grow, it becomes even more difficult to know those who labor among you, to know those who are working right next to you. Therefore, it is important for us to get to know each other and to seek opportunities to do so.

The body of Christ is a community of believers, and we are to function with one another. In fact, the Bible talks a lot about the idea of "one another" and community within the body. We are told in the book of Romans that we are to honor one another. Throughout many places in the New Testament, we are instructed to love one another, and that love is to be practically displayed in our lives through the way we interact with each other.

In this passage and in other passages, we are told in Colossians chapter 3 that we are to admonish one another. We will look at what that means in just a moment. In the book of Hebrews, we are told to stir one another up. In 1 Corinthians, we are told to greet one another. In Galatians, we are instructed to serve one another. Additionally, in Galatians and Hebrews, we are told to provoke one another, to stir each other up to love and good deeds. We are to bear one another's burdens in Galatians chapter 6. We are to forbear one another, forgive one another, comfort one another, exhort one another, and consider one another.

Throughout the scriptures, we read about how we are to interact with one another within the body. As we interact with one another, we must seek to get to know each other.

Seek opportunities for fellowship. Let's be honest: the two minutes before announcements on a Sunday morning aren't sufficient to get to know one another, are they? We should seek opportunities to spend time with those in the body of Christ. After all, you are going to be spending eternity with them, so you might as well get to know them now.

Paul says, "Brethren, know them which labor among you." He is specifically speaking about those within the body who are leading and serving. He further develops this when he says, "Not only those that labor among you, but those that are over you in the Lord." As we do the work of the ministry, we must recognize that there are others laboring among us who are over us. The idea is that they are over us in rank. This hierarchy within the body of Christ is God-ordained. God has ordained servants to be over you and me. As we labor together, there is a chain of command, if you will.

That being the case, there will be some who are leading—those who are out in front and those who are over us. However, they are not to lord their authority over the church. Again, we can refer back to Matthew chapter 20, specifically the passage we looked at just a moment ago in verses 27 and 28. If we back up a few verses to verse 25, we find where Jesus said to His disciples, "You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you. But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister, or let him be your servant."

We ought to recognize, Paul says, and respect those who are over us in authority within the body of Christ. It is our tendency in our flesh to challenge and resist authority. How many of you recognize that in your flesh? We, especially in America, are very independent and do not like the idea of authority. Submission in our culture is a dirty word; we don't like it. However, it is outlined in Scripture that we believers are to recognize and respect the structure of authority that God has established, including the three different institutions that God created in this world.

In the family, in the church, and in society, the Bible reveals that we are to submit ourselves to those who are governing authorities over us, even if we don't agree with or like them. The only time we disobey, engaging in civil disobedience, is when what they are saying goes explicitly against the Word of God. Paul developed this idea rather fully at the end of the Book of Romans as he was writing to a church in the city of Rome, under the authority and leadership of one of the worst Caesars that Rome ever had, Caesar Nero.

Even Jesus supported this when he told those who questioned him in the latter chapters of Matthew about paying taxes. He said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's." Now, April 15th is coming up rather quickly; it's next Thursday, I believe. We all recognize this idea of paying taxes. How many of you like paying taxes? A few of you do. Wow, I'm surprised. We are called to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. It's a submission to authority.

That authority within the body of Christ is specifically exercised in this passage by admonishing one another. Paul said in verse 12, "Know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you." The word "admonish" means to reprove, to warn, or to exhort. The very same Greek word is used just a couple of verses later in verse 14, where Paul says, "Warn those that are unruly."

Not only do we often have difficulty submitting to authority, but we are especially annoyed by rebuke and admonition. The carnal man, the natural man, does not like to be rebuked. I don't think there's a single person here this morning who enjoys being rebuked for their behavior or their words. But within the body of Christ, it is going to happen. God has ordained this structure of authority, this hierarchy of leadership, and part of the job of the leader is to admonish and to warn.

You see, we are in the process of being sanctified this morning. It's God's desire that you and I would be transformed more and more into the image of His Son, that our lives would be exemplified by righteousness, and that we would shine brightly in a dark world. You've probably heard the song before.

It's sung many times at Harvest Crusades: "Come just as you are." How many of you have heard that song before? It is very true that we are to come to Christ just as we are. We don't have to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. However, after we have come to Him and placed our faith in Jesus, we must recognize that He is cleaning us up. We are to come just as we are, but He doesn't want us to stay that way.

This is not specifically talking about our outward appearance; it is about our thoughts, our deeds, and the way that we live. God is sanctifying us, and part of that sanctification process—indeed, a significant part of it—involves the admonition of more mature believers. The exhortation and chastening of more mature believers in Christ are essential. We are to submit ourselves, as Paul says, recognizing and respecting that order of authority. We must submit ourselves to that order of authority and obey the admonition. Our submission to God is practically seen in our submission to the authorities that God has set up, whether within the family, here in the church, or in the society in which we live. There are specific authority structures that God has created.

Paul continues in verse 13, saying, "And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace among yourselves." Not only are we to recognize and respect those who outrank us, so to speak, within the body of Christ, but we are also to esteem them. Paul emphasizes that we should esteem them very highly. The word "esteem" is synonymous with the word used in the first verse, where he says, "I beseech you, brethren, to know them that are among you." To know them means to respect or set yourself under them.

The idea is that we are to value the authority that God has placed in the body of Christ. Why? In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul reveals that these leaders ordained by God are placed there by the Lord. Verse 11 of Ephesians chapter 4 states, "And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." Verse 8 of Ephesians chapter 4 indicates that these leaders are gifts from the Lord, and as such, they ought to be valued. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 17, "Let the elders who rule well be esteemed or counted worthy of double honor."

Especially those who labor in the word and in doctrine. Again, I want to confess my discomfort in teaching this, because it may seem self-serving that I'm telling you, as your leader, that you should esteem your leader. However, I'm just teaching you what the Word says, and I want to acknowledge the discomfort I feel.

Paul also says that we are to esteem them for their work's sake. They do not deserve esteem because of the title they hold or the personality they carry, but because of the labor they do on behalf of God's people. They are to be esteemed because of their service, not because someone has placed a title upon them. The work that God has called these leaders to is not an easy one. Therefore, Paul exhorts the church to value, esteem, and respect them.

Notice what he says at the end of verse 13: "And be at peace among yourselves." This exhortation to be at peace is a call for the church to do their best to make the job of the minister easier. How so? The job of the minister is made much easier when they do not have to negotiate peace between different believers. The body of Christ is to be seeking peace with one another, as Paul says.

In Ephesians chapter 4, verse 3, Paul instructs the church that we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This speaks to individual believers. We, individually, should be seeking to be at peace with one another within the body of Christ.

Have any of you ever had a disagreement or an argument with another Christian? Most of you have. Maybe they took your parking space this morning, or they are sitting in your seat, and they should know that's your seat because you sit in it week after week. So, you're upset and angry with another brother or sister within the body of Christ.

It is often our tendency to deal with that through back channels. We tell the minister or those leaders over us that they really need to address this individual because they have a real problem. However, the Scriptures reveal that we are to deal with these issues ourselves, as stated in Matthew chapter 18. If it comes to a point where we cannot resolve it between ourselves, then we involve other believers within the body of Christ or the leadership within the body.

But we are told in Psalm 34, verse 14, where David says, "Seek peace and pursue it." The author of Hebrews states in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14, "Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." We are to seek peace in our lives. If you go to church, you go to bring your gift of worship to the Lord. If you remember that you have a problem with your brother, Jesus says, "Go and make it right, and then offer your gift to the Lord." He instructs us to be at peace among ourselves. This is one practical way that a believer can love and esteem their leaders.

The exhortations continue in verse 14, where Paul says, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none of you render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men. Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesying, prove all things, hold fast to that which is good, and abstain from all appearance of evil," Paul says.

Here in verses 14 through 22, Paul lays out a dozen or so sanctifying works that you and I ought to observe within the body of Christ. God is seeking to sanctify us, and we will see later on in this passage that God is the one who perfects that sanctifying work in us. He will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. However, we do have a responsibility, and these verses make that very clear.

What are the sanctifying works that Paul calls us to? In verse 14, he says, "Now we exhort you," again noting the word "we." We exhort you, brethren, to warn those that are unruly. Paul uses very military-like terms in this verse when he says to warn those that are unruly. To be unruly means to be out of step or out of rank. Imagine, if you will, that we as the body of Christ are all marching together, and we are to be in rank and in step as we move forward to the work that God has called us to. Within that march, there are those called upon by God to admonish and to warn.

They're kind of like the section leaders, in a sense, calling us to be in step with one another. But why should we be warned? What's the purpose of this warning? There are perhaps many reasons, and I can think of a few. One of them is to maintain unity within the body of Christ. To maintain unity and cohesion within the body, this warning is necessary.

We find that there are times when we fall out of step, perhaps without even realizing it, or because we're walking in the flesh. When we are out of step, a warning from our leaders is needed to help us maintain unity within the body. Furthermore, to maintain a strong witness in the world, sometimes a warning from the leaders within the body of Christ is necessary.

Next, I would say that this kind of warning comes because we want to effectively fulfill the commission that God has called us to. Therefore, we have to function as a body; we cannot do it individually. When the church separates and tries to accomplish the work of God with different factions, it becomes very hard to succeed. We ought to seek this kind of unity within the body, and sometimes a warning is necessary to achieve that.

Another reason that a warning is necessary is that you and I individually would walk properly in the Lord. Earlier in 1 Thessalonians, Paul called the church at Thessalonica to walk worthy of the Lord. He said the same thing to the church at Ephesus: walk worthy of the calling wherewith you have been called.

The church in Thessalonica seemed to have a real problem in this area of being unruly. When we get to 2 Thessalonians, which we will start next week, Paul is going to rebuke the church in Thessalonica because some within the body of Christ had kind of checked out. They were waiting for the return of the Lord, expecting that He could come at any time. As a result, some of them quit their jobs, stopped working, and relied on the charity of others within the body of Christ.

They were perfectly able to work, but they figured that the body of Christ was nice and loving, and they would take care of them. They were taking advantage of that, and Paul had to warn those in the body of Christ who were unruly. He would say, "Hey, those that do not work shall not eat." That's a pretty strong exhortation and warning as he called them to get back in step.

And so, not only is there the exhortation here to warn those that are unruly, but also to comfort the feeble-minded. As we are marching in this work that God has called us to, and as we seek to fulfill the commission that He has given, there are times when we are bombarded by difficulty, trials, and the work of the enemy in spiritual warfare. In those situations, we may find ourselves distressed and ready to fall by the wayside. Paul gives an exhortation that we should comfort the feeble-minded.

The word "comfort" in this context is "perikaleo" in Greek, which means to come alongside and exhort, to carry that person along, and to bear their burdens, as Paul would say in Galatians chapter 6. Not only are we to comfort the feeble-minded, but we are also to support the weak—those who cannot support themselves and those who have fallen by the wayside. The feeble-minded are those showing signs of getting ready to fall, while the weak are those who have completely fallen out of the race. We are to bear with the infirmities of the weak, as stated in Romans chapter 15, verse 1. We are to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, as mentioned in Galatians chapter 6.

We are to support those who are weak in their faith, weak in knowledge, and weak in their strength. The word "support" means to be a stay, someone upon whom another can lean and put all of their weight. Therefore, we are to warn the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, and be patient toward all men.

How many of you would be honest this morning in saying that this is a hard exhortation to fulfill? Notice that Paul does not say to be patient only with those in the body of Christ, allowing unruliness with those outside. No, we are to be patient with all men. The disorderly, the feeble-minded, and the weak will test our patience and try our temper, but God has called us to be patient with one another.

In exercising the fruit of the Spirit—self-control, gentleness, and meekness—we are to be patient with one another, to bear with the infirmities, to forbear one another, and to forgive one another. Furthermore, Paul exhorts that the church should not render evil for evil, but rather follow after that which is good. I have had more than one non-believer...

Exodus chapter 21 is often quoted, sometimes without the speaker even realizing it. People frequently reference the phrase "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" to support their desire for vengeance or retribution. How many of you have had someone quote that verse back to you in such a way?

While that is a very interesting passage, Paul instructs us not to render evil for evil. Those who use Exodus chapter 21 to justify their desire for vengeance have forgotten the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 5, verse 38, Jesus said, "You have heard that it has been said of old time, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say unto you, that you resist not the evil man; but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Many people misunderstand Exodus chapter 21, verse 24. God's words about "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" are a limitation, not a prescription. Prior to God giving that command, the carnal mind operated differently. If you knocked out my tooth, I would take all of your teeth and give you a black eye, and I might even kick you as well. There was no limitation before this command. If someone wronged you, the expectation was to wrong them back tenfold.

Thus, "an eye for an eye" is actually a limitation. It establishes equality; the poor man's eye is equally as valuable as the rich man's eye. God was calling for equal justice within the body of Christ and the world. The punishment must fit the crime.

Here, Paul emphasizes that we in the body of Christ are to be completely different. We are not to render evil for evil, but we are to pursue that which is good. What a witness this would be to unbelievers if they saw the church as a community that does not render evil for evil, but instead seeks good. Our flesh desires vengeance, but God's desire for us and for His body is to reflect His love and grace.

The representation of Christ here in the world is completely different. Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. In verse 16, he says, "Rejoice evermore." Would you say, "Rejoice evermore?" Rejoice evermore! You can make that your memory verse this week. Even if you have a difficult time with memory, this would be an easy one: 1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Rejoice evermore."

What are we rejoicing in, though? The world is always looking for a reason to rejoice. It is always searching for a reason to have a party. People will rejoice because of certain things. Perhaps if the Padres have a good season, some will rejoice. However, you probably won't be rejoicing at the end of the season. The world is looking for reasons to rejoice, and it will always latch on to temporal things, which will be fleeting. Those things will fall away. But we are to rejoice evermore.

How can we be those who rejoice evermore? We do so in a spiritual way, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, which arises from the view of the pardon we have received because of the blood of Christ and the justification we have received by His righteousness and atonement through His sacrifices. You and I ought to be those who rejoice evermore because we have been given a gift, a promise from God that will never fade away.

The joys and rejoicing of a sports team's win will fail; it will fall away. The joy and rejoicing of getting that new job will wane. Go down the list of all the different things— they will fade away, but not the joy and rejoicing in what God has done for you and me.

We are given the exhortation to rejoice evermore. Furthermore, in the next verse, we are told to pray without ceasing. Would you say, "Pray without ceasing?" There's your next memory verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." I encourage you to remember it, but I also encourage you to apply it. We should daily and often be found in an attitude of prayer before our Father, not only when we're partaking of a meal, but throughout the day.

We ought to be those who are in constant communication with our Father above. Jesus is a great example of this, but one of the problems we have is our cultural understanding of prayer. We have this mindset that prayer is done on our knees, with our hands folded, our heads bowed, and our eyes closed. While there is a time and a place for humbled prayer on our knees, we can pray at all times, and we should.

You can pray while you're walking around and doing your shopping at the grocery store. You can pray while you're driving down the street, either out loud or in your heart. We ought to be those who are in communication with the Lord often and regularly. When we are disconnected from the Lord in that way, several things happen. First, we fail to recognize that He is with us at all times. Second, we fail to realize that He offers help in our time of need. He desires that we come to Him with our prayers.

Paul continues and says, "Give thanks in all things. In everything, give thanks." Notice that Paul did not say, "Give thanks for all things." He said, "In everything, give thanks." There are things that come our way, things that enter our lives that are hard. These include the death of a loved one, a devastating medical problem, or the loss of a job. All of these things are difficult, and it would be hard if Paul had said to give thanks for all things. It would be challenging for us to give thanks for the loss of a family member. But he doesn't say that. He says, "In everything, give thanks."

I have found, and continue to find, that there is always something to be thankful for. Romans chapter 8, verse 28, tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. However, just because it says that all things work together for good does not mean that all things that come into our lives are temporally and experientially good. A few years ago,

I was traveling back from Germany and was going to stop in Louisiana to visit some friends. As I sat at the airport in Frankfurt, I was reading through a devotional that I like. The key verse in that devotional that day was Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good." I thanked the Lord as I got on that plane for that promise—that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.

As we neared Dulles International Airport in Washington, the pilot came over the loudspeaker and said, "We're very sorry to say that we're coming in about an hour late." He listed off all the flights that passengers would miss, and my flight number from Dulles to Louisiana was mentioned as one of them. This was about four days before Christmas, so you can imagine that traveling at that time is not the best.

We landed, and as I was getting off the plane and trying to gather my things, they routed me to where I could talk with a ticket agent to get another ticket. I thought, well, all things work together for good, right? When I reached the ticket counter, there was a line of about 100 people, and it took me another hour to get through. They informed me that the next flight wasn't for another five hours, and by that time, I was already rather tired. But I thought, well, you know, I guess, Lord, all things work together for good.

I finally did get to Louisiana. The next day, I rented a car and spent a few days there, driving to northern Louisiana to see some friends. On my way back down to New Orleans to fly home, it was raining like I had never seen before. As a Californian, I don't drive well in the rain. How many of you can agree with that? We're just not good drivers in the rain.

I was going about 50 miles an hour on the interstate when I hydroplaned. As I felt the back end of the truck lift up and it started to fishtail, I thought, wow, this isn't good. It's amazing how your brain processes things. It seems to happen very slowly, but your mind is racing through thoughts like, wow, all things work together for good, right?

As I drifted across the freeway and into oncoming traffic, I slammed into another vehicle. After I came to a stop, facing all those other cars coming at me, I did a quick once-over to check that everything was okay. Then the state trooper in Louisiana looked at me—a Californian with hair down to my shoulders and wearing sandals. He wanted to arrest me, but I was very thankful for the nice paramedic in the ambulance.

That said, we have to take him to the hospital. You can't arrest him. Thank you very much. She turned out to be a Christian, but I was wondering at that moment. I thought, "All things work together for good." You see, certain things come our way that are not experientially good.

Now, in that moment, as I was riding in the back of the ambulance, I did remember and was very thankful for how good God was. A few days before, as I was renting the car, the rental agent asked, "Would you like to buy this insurance for the vehicle?" Normally, I would say no, but for some reason, this thought went through my mind, and I said, "You know what? Yes, I would." So, I got the insurance, which took care of the vehicle. Still, I was wondering, "All things work together for good."

I was reminded two months later when I received a notice in the mail that I was being sued by the gentleman in Louisiana for the accident. I started to wonder, "Well, all things work together for good." You see, we must recognize and understand that God's ways are different from our ways, and God's good—the good that He intends—is more for our eternal good than our temporal good. God is more interested in our eternal good than our temporal good.

Now, we are often focused on right here, right now, and the event that's facing me may not feel good. But if we recognize that God has a plan and is doing something, and that all things do work together for good, then we can rejoice evermore. It will stir us to pray without ceasing.

Paul continues and says, "Quench not the Spirit." When the Spirit was poured out in Acts chapter 2, you may remember that there appeared above the heads of all the believers gathered there what the Scripture calls cloven tongues of fire. It was as if fire was upon all of the disciples gathered in that upper room. We don't fully understand what that means, but oftentimes the Scriptures represent the Holy Spirit as fire.

As such, we are not to quench, extinguish, or suppress the working of the Spirit of God in our lives. One such way that we are not to quench the Spirit is that we are not to despise prophecy. There, he says in verse 20, "Despise not prophesying." We are not to disregard the prophetic, which is a work by the Spirit of God, one of the gifts of the Spirit.

The gift of prophecy, as described in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, is something we are not to despise or disregard. We can say that both from the prophetic word we have in the Old Testament scriptures and from the applications God has for us here in the year 2010. However, not all prophecy is foretelling; most prophecy, I would say, is foretelling the mind and will of God—the Word of God. Therefore, we should not disregard the prophetic exhortation that comes from the preacher on Sunday or from others within the body of Christ as they bring exhortations to us. Disregarding these messages can quench the Spirit of God and suppress the work He desires to do.

Paul instructs us in verse 21 to prove all things. When someone brings what they believe to be a prophetic word to you, we have the authority in the scriptures to test what they say. We test their words by the Word of God. If their message does not align with scripture, we disregard it. However, if it is in line with what the scriptures say, we are to hold fast to that which is good. We must not quench the Spirit, disregard prophecy, or neglect to test those things. Instead, we should hold fast to what is good.

The last point Paul makes is to abstain from all appearance of evil. Notice that he does not simply say to abstain from evil; that is a given. We all recognize that we should depart from evil. However, he emphasizes abstaining from all appearance of evil, which is much more difficult. This means we need to actively consider our actions and where we are going. If we claim to be Christians and others are looking to us to walk and live a certain way, we must keep in mind that people are watching us. We are a living epistle to this world; people are reading us. Therefore, we must abstain from every appearance of evil.

What constitutes an appearance of evil? We could compile a long list of examples. Recently, I received an interesting story in an email that illustrates an appearance of evil.

Mildred, the church gossip and self-appointed monitor of the church morals, kept sticking her nose in other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extracurricular activities, but they feared her enough to maintain their silence. However, she made a mistake when she accused Frank, a new member of the church, of being an alcoholic because she had seen his old pickup parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She emphatically told Frank and several others that everyone seeing it would know what he was doing.

Frank, being a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny; he said nothing. Later that evening, Frank quietly parked his old pickup in front of Mildred's house and walked home. He left it there all night.

Gossip, the Scriptures reveal, is against the Lord. The actual Greek word translated as gossip is "diabolos"; it's the work of the enemy, the work of the devil. But that's not the best way to deal with gossip. We recognize that there was apparently an appearance of evil as he was parking his truck in front of the bar. There may be an appearance of evil there, but there was even more so an appearance of evil when he parked his truck right out in front of her house. Abstain from every appearance of evil.

Why does Paul list these exhortations here? God desires, as I mentioned earlier, to sanctify us. Notice what Paul says in verse 23: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly," that is, sanctify you completely. The God of peace sanctifies you completely.

How does God sanctify us? If you're taking notes, number one, He sanctifies us by the internal working of His Spirit. Secondly, God sanctifies us by the washing of the water by His word. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 26, says that God saved the church that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word. John 17, verse 17, Jesus said, "Sanctify them by Your word or by Your truth; Your word is truth."

So, God sanctifies us by the internal work of His Spirit, by the washing of the water by His word, and third, God sanctifies us by the admonition of the elders.

All these exhortations and admonitions from Paul are used by God to sanctify us. Perhaps there are things we would have never thought about until someone pointed them out. We may not have realized that what we were doing appeared to be evil, even if it was not inherently evil. We never considered the importance of not rendering evil for evil or pursuing things that are good until the admonition of a leader or the exhortation from another brother came our way.

The internal work of the Spirit, the washing of the water of the Word, and the admonition of the elders all play a role in our sanctification. In James chapter one and First Peter chapter one, we find another aspect: the refining by fiery trials. God sanctifies us through trials, as the testing of our faith produces patience. James writes, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations or trials, knowing this: that the testing of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work in you, that you may be entire, lacking nothing."

God desires to transform us more and more into the image of His Son. Paul goes on to say, "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." He adds, "Faithful is He that calls you; He will also do it." In Philippians chapter one, verse six, Paul expresses confidence in this very thing: "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Our sanctification is not wholly dependent upon us, but it does involve our response. We have a responsibility as Christians; we are called to rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, and to follow the directives outlined in First Thessalonians chapter five and other places. However, our full sanctification is more dependent upon Him than upon us, and I am so thankful for that. To be honest, I often feel like a failure, but I thank God that He will perfect that which He started.

One quick point to note is that Paul says, "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved." This lends support to the view that man is also a triune being.

We know that there is the Trinity of God, the triune nature of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, we see here a trichotomy in man, a triune nature in man. Man is spirit, soul, and body.

It is my belief that the real you, where your emotions, will, and intellect are housed, is your soul. Your soul interacts with this world through the body; it interacts with the physical world by the body. But your soul interacts with the spiritual world through the spirit. So, we are spirit, soul, and body.

The real question is: which part dictates what your soul will do? Are you more governed by your body, or are you more governed by your spirit? You see, when you become a Christian, you are more governed by your body. It's just the way it is; the flesh governs what you do. However, it is God's desire, through sanctification, that we would become those who are more governed by the spirit.

Here’s why: your body will die. When this fleshly body is dissolved and done away with, if your whole focus was on that life, that body, your spirit will be dead, and you will be in hell eternally. The sanctification process is readying us for eternity, moving us from being body-flesh dominated to being spiritually dominated. Faithful is He who calls you; He will also do it.

Brethren, Paul says in verse 25, "Pray for us." As Paul was serving and doing the work of the ministry, he, Silas, and Timothy say to the church at Thessalonica, "Brethren, pray for us." I would say to you as well: please pray for us, and I know that you do. We appreciate your prayers.

Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. There is not enough time to go into that, but underline the word "holy" there. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Notice that here, nearly 20 centuries later, we are still fulfilling Paul's charge in verse 27 that this holy epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. Two thousand years later, it continues. Paul ends with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as he had started in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, where he extended grace and peace to the church there. He finishes with grace and peace: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

You all, amen. It reminds us that our walk with the Lord begins by a work of grace, continues by a work of grace, and will end by the Lord's grace as well. Amen.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, I thank You for Your Word, and I ask, Lord, that You by Your Spirit would enable us to be able to do these things that Your Word says. Lord, help us when our flesh wants to fight and war with one another, that we would be at peace with one another.

Lord, I pray that You would strengthen us to be able to receive a warning, an exhortation, or a challenge from someone. Help us to be those who are looking for brothers and sisters who are falling by the wayside, that we might be a comfort and a support for them.

God, when we're tempted to seek retribution and vengeance, remind us that we're not to render evil for evil, but to follow after good. Lord, help us to be those that rejoice evermore. We're not just filled with joy when things are happening that are good, but we are able to rejoice even in difficult times.

God, would You perfect these things in our lives? Sanctify us wholly, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.