God's Purpose For Our Lives

to you, to you all.

So let's read from 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 4:1

Chapter 4, verse 1.

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God.

And as in fact you are living,

now we ask and urge you in the Lord...

Sorry.

Now we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God's will that you should be sanctified,

that you should avoid sexual immorality,

that each of you should learn to control his own body

in a way that is holy and honourable,

not in passionate lust like the heathen who do not know God,

and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.

The Lord will punish men for all such sins,

as we have already told you and warned you.

For God did not call us to be impure,

but to live a holy life.

Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man,

but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Now about brotherly love,

we do not need to write to you,

for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia.

Yet we urge you, brothers,

to do so more and more.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,

to mind your own business,

and to work with your hands,

just as we told you,

so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders,

and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Amen.

Thanks, Nick.

I'll just ask Mike to come up now.

And before Mike speaks to us,

I just want to pray for him.

Mike, you're very, very welcome.

And we look forward to hearing what God is going to say

to us through you this morning.

Just before you start, we'll pray.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we just thank you for those you give to us

who are able to speak to us through your word, Lord,

about your word, and about what it has to say to us.

We pray that you would help us

as we listen to Mike this morning, Lord,

that you would teach us

and that you would show us

what it is you want us to learn from your word this morning.

We pray for Mike, Lord,

that you would anoint him with your Holy Spirit

and just help him as he speaks to us.

We ask these things, Lord Jesus, in your name.

Amen.

Thank you.

Well, it's nice to be here in my son's place.

It's normally the place that he occupies.

You'll know the difference between him and me.

I'm the one who still has some hair.

Well, we want to look together at God's word

and so we're going to be looking, as you've heard already,

at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 through verses 1 to 12.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

Do you believe that you can be perfect in this life?

Do you actually can arrive at a state of perfection?

Well, that's a question that has been debated

by Christians down through the years.

John Wesley thought it was possible.

George Whitefield believed it to be impossible.

I asked you this morning,

have you ever met a perfect person?

I think it was Spurgeon who said,

my experience of perfect people

has been most unfortunate.

And I think we understand exactly what he meant by that.

But where do we stand on the issue?

Do you believe in absolute perfection

in the here and now?

Well, what do the scriptures teach?

Well, I would suggest that the passage before us

will put to bed once and for all,

or it should do,

the idea that we can be perfect in this life.

There's always room for improvement.

There's always a need in each one of us

to increase in our holiness of life.

To please God, as Paul says in verse 1,

more and more.

He reminds them also of how they might love

the brothers locally and in all of Macedonia.

But he urges them to love them more and more

in verse 9.

So are we loving more and more?

Are we increasing in holiness?

Now we should want to increase in holiness

in light of the Lord's return.

As you know, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1,

1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

and indeed throughout the whole book,

you have this continual returning

to the theme of the Lord's return.

In verse 12 of the previous chapter,

as I gather you looked at last week,

we find the apostle saying,

May the Lord make your love increase

and overflow for each other

and for everyone else,

just as ours does for you.

May he strengthen your hearts

so that you may be blameless

and holy in the presence of God and Father

when our Lord Jesus Christ comes

with all his holy ones.

So we should want to increase

for this reason alone

that the Lord Jesus Christ

is coming back

to receive us to himself.

Now when we speak about holiness,

we're not speaking about a legalism,

the kind of legalism

that will lock up the budgie's swing

on a Sunday.

We're not calling that kind of legalism.

What we're speaking about tonight

is this morning

is not just morality.

The Pharisees were very moral,

but they were not right

in their relationship with God.

We want to be holy,

not just because the Lord is returning.

We want to please God.

We want to give glory to him.

We want to honor him

in the way we live.

And we want to be a witness

to a watching world

that we are different,

that there is something in us

that is not out there

in the world in which we live.

So let's look at this passage together.

And I want you to notice,

first of all,

that Paul does call for holy living

in verses 1 to 8.

And he calls us to be holy in the world.

To be holy in the world

in which we live.

As he called them

in that day and generation,

as he speaks to the Thessalonians,

that they too were to live

in the world

as holy people.

And how does he do this?

Well, first of all,

he reminds them

of past instructions.

He refers to those instructions

in verse 1.

We instructed you, he says,

how to live

in order to please God.

In verse 2 he says,

for you know

what instructions we gave you

by the authority

of the Lord Jesus.

What were those instructions?

Well, certainly we know

that Paul,

when he visited Thessalonica,

was able to give instructions.

It doesn't say a great deal

in the account of Paul's visit

in Acts chapter 17.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

Only that he was there

for a few Sabbaths.

But it's evident

that the work of God

took place.

We read in Acts 17

and verse 4

that the Jews

were persuaded.

Large numbers

of God-fearing Greeks

and not a few prominent women

came to believe,

came to understand

that the Lord Jesus Christ

had come into the world

to save sinners.

They entered into

a relationship with God

through the Lord Jesus.

And they were called

in this light

to live

holy lives.

Paul must have

instructed them then.

But Paul also

left people behind

in order that they

might be instructed

further

as to how

they ought

to live.

of course,

Paul would have

wanted to obey

the biblical mandate

to preach the gospel,

yes,

but also to

make disciples,

to instruct people

in the way.

Elsewhere,

Paul says,

I am free

from the blood

of all men

for I have not

shunned to declare

unto them

all the counsel

of God.

so instruction

would have

been given.

And Paul's

visit

and the visit

of others

and the talking

with others

instructed

the people.

They came

under deep

conviction.

We know that

from chapter 1

and verse 4

of Thessalonians.

We know that

they turned to God

from idols

as what chapter 1

and verse 9

tells us.

And we know

also

that they were

encouraged

and comforted

as they were

urged to live

lives

worthy of God

who had called

them into

his kingdom.

Chapter 2

and verses

12 and 13.

We know

also that

Timothy

was with them

in order to

strengthen

and encourage

them in

their faith.

So in various

ways,

they received

instruction

and Paul

reminds the

people

of the

instruction

that they

had received

regarding

living

holy lives

pleasing

unto God.

And we

have it.

It wasn't

just Paul's

instruction.

It wasn't

Timothy

and others

alone.

No,

it was God

speaking to

them.

It was the

Lord coming

to them

and speaking

to them

making it

very clear

how they

ought to

live.

As chapter

4 and

the latter

part of

verse 2

tells us,

by the

authority

of the

Lord Jesus

were these

instructions

given.

And in

verse 3

he says,

it is

God's

will

that you

should be

sanctified,

that you

should be

holy,

that you

should be

set apart

so the

reminder

that they

had.

And we

too need

to be

reminded

of what

we have

heard

in the

past.

Remember

the various

things that

you were

taught

perhaps

in Sunday

school,

or those

things that

you were

taught when

you first

became a

Christian,

instruction,

the

things that

you heard

last week,

the

instruction

that you

have

received.

It's good

to be

reminded of

past

instructions.

We should

all have

listening ears.

We should

all know

without a

shadow of

doubt that

God has

spoken to

us through

his word.

And it is

through his

word that

we become

the people

that we

ought to

be,

namely

holy

people.

Remember

the Lord

Jesus?

As he

prays for

his disciples

who are

living in

a real

world,

sanctify

them,

he says,

by the

truth.

Your

word is

truth.

The

instruction

that we

receive from

God's own

holy word,

as we're

reminded in

Hebrews 4

and verse

12,

is living

and is

active.

It's

sharper than

any

double-edged

sword.

It

penetrates

even to

the dividing

of soul

and spirit,

joints and

marrow.

It judges

the thoughts

and attitudes

of the

heart.

So

remember the

instructions

that you

have received

in the

past.

don't

let the

devil take

them away.

Don't

listen to

those new

ideas that

say it

doesn't matter

how you

live.

Instructions

are important

as they

come to

us from

the word

of God.

So Paul

calls for

holy living

by reminding

them of

past

instructions.

But he

also does

it in

another way,

by encouraging

them to

continue.

To continue

in the way

that they

were going.

Now he's

treating them

very gently.

Paul,

you cannot

accuse him

of not

having a

pastoral

concern.

He's like

a father

dealing with

his children.

As we

see from

chapter 2

and verse

11.

For you

know that

we doubt

with each

of you

as a

father

deals

with his

own

children

encouraging,

comforting,

and urging

you to

live lives

worthy of

God who

calls you

into his

kingdom

and glory.

He says

in chapter

2 and

verse 8,

we love

you so

much that

we were

delighted to

share with

you not

only the

gospel of

God,

but our

lives as

well,

because you

had become

so dear

to us.

And it's

because he

had this

intimate

relationship

with them,

this loving

relationship

with them,

he can

speak as

he does.

You were

living as

you should

do.

Now we

ask you to

do it

more and

more.

He wants

them to

overflow

in holiness.

He wants

them to

excel in

holiness.

He wants

them to

abound

in

pleasing

God.

There's a

tender

firmness

here as

he exhorts

them to

live

sanctified

lives.

Are you

Christian here

this morning?

continue on.

Seek to

become more

Christ-like.

Live your

life in

the light

of the

Lord's

return.

Live as

pleasing

God.

Present

yourselves

daily as

those living

sacrifices.

I encourage

you if

you're a

Christian and

feeling the

way hard

this morning

to continue

on in

your Christian

pathway.

Continue

on to be

more like

him who

has called

you out

of darkness

into his

marvelous

light.

Paul calls

for holy

living by

reminding them

of past

instructions,

by encouraging

them to

continue.

But also

he does it

by calling

them to

be different.

What were

the people

of Thessalonica

like before

they heard

the gospel?

What was

their culture?

What was

their way

of life?

Well we

know that

Paul didn't

have a warm

welcome when

he arrived

in Thessalonica.

In

particular

the Jews

made it

very difficult

for him.

They caused

a riot

in the city.

It was

a difficult

time for

Paul there.

And that

was from

people who

claimed to

be God

fears.

How about

the rest of

the people

of Thessalonica?

Those who

weren't Jews?

Well certainly

we know that

idolatry was

present.

Which must

have meant

that there

were heathen

temples.

And heathen

temples often

involved

prostitution

both of

male and

female variety.

It was a

seaport.

It was a

place of

trade.

So there

would have

been various

vices there.

In other

words we're

talking about

a heathen

city where

people would

have lived

immoral lives.

What was

said about

the

Corinthians

could have

also been

said about

the Thessalonicas.

Thessalonians.

In 1

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter 6

and verse 9

Paul reminds

the Corinthians

of what they

used to be

like.

He says

you were

sexually

immoral.

Idolaters,

adulterers,

male prostitutes,

homosexual offenders,

thieves,

greedy,

drunkards,

slanderers,

swindlers.

That is what

you were he

says.

But you were

washed,

you were

sanctified,

you were

justified.

And it

could equally

have been

said of the

people of

Thessalonica.

You see

Paul wasn't

writing into

a vacuum.

He knows

what people

were like.

He knows

the temptations

that were all

around them.

And he

knows that

these Christians,

these comparatively

new Christians,

the world

would be

trying to

squeeze them

into its

mould.

So he

says to

them,

avoid

sexual

immorality.

Learn to

control your

own body

in a way

that is

holy and

honourable.

Not in

passionate

lusts,

no one

should

wrong

his

brother.

And I

think he's

warning there

against the

danger of

adultery.

Bring your

body into

submission.

Have you

been watching

the Olympic

Games?

I was

watching him

yesterday.

And I was

watching,

listening to

the interviews.

And sorry,

I know there's

an Australian

present this

morning,

an Australian

people,

I'm sorry

about this,

but they

were interviewing

the men

of the

four,

the

cockless

fours,

I think

is what

they're

called,

you know.

And they

managed to

beat Australia,

sorry about

that,

but you

know it

happens

sometimes.

And they

beat them.

And then they

were being

interviewed.

And one of

them said

this,

he says,

it's four

years of

daily

training.

Four years

of hard

work in

order to

win one

race.

Bring our

bodies into

subjection.

The hard

work, if you

like, of

sanctification.

we work

because God

is at work

within us.

Sometimes

when an

athlete is

training, he

has to go

through the

pain barrier.

He has to

discipline

himself in

order that he

may obtain

maximum

fitness.

And we

have to

train ourselves

through the

word of

God, through

fellowship.

And there

will be those

outward

circumstances.

that come

upon us.

So providence

sent from

God in

order that

we might

live holy

lives.

Set

yourselves

apart for

holy use.

Even as

an athlete

sets himself

apart in

order to

win an

earthly

crown.

You know

what used

to happen

in the

Old

Testament?

There were

those various

instruments

that were

used in

the temple.

They were

set apart

for holy

use.

They couldn't

be used

for anything

else because

they were

dedicated to

God.

We're to be

holy vessels

unto the

Lord.

We're not

allowed,

we must not

allow secular

influences in

upon our

lives.

We must be

different.

That is what

Paul called

the Thessalonians

to and that

is what he

calls us to

today.

You see,

what's our

world like?

What's our

culture like

today?

Well,

there's so

many similarities

aren't there

between the

modern world

and the

world of

Thessalonica.

We live in a

world of

sexual

immorality

and it's

right there

present with

us.

It's in our

front room

on some of

our television

programs.

It's there

on our

internets

and it's

the lifestyle

of so

many around

and about

us.

Adultery

is perfectly

legitimate

in the eyes

of so

many.

To live

together

outside of

marriage is

perfectly

acceptable.

It's

alright to

bring children

up with no

regard for

Christian morals.

And because

it's all

around us,

we're not

shocked by

it anymore.

So Paul's

words are

relevant.

And never

think that we

cannot fall

into sin.

Many of us

have lived

long enough

to see

even strong

or seemingly

strong

Christians

fall.

And as

1 Corinthians

10 and

verse 12

says,

if you think

you are

standing firm,

be careful

that you

don't

fall.

Be

different

and ready

to be

different

whether you

find yourself

in school,

in university,

in an

apprenticeship,

in a job

situation,

whether you

find yourself

in a home

with an

unbelieving

partner.

Seek to

live to the

glory of

God.

Be

different.

The other

day I was

with my

wife in

a pet

shop

in

Middleton

and on

the door

of the

pet shop

there was

a parrot

and I

said to

the lady

in the

pet shop,

I said,

aren't you

afraid of it

going out

into the

road?

She said,

no,

it's afraid

of the

traffic,

it will

never go

far.

Lovely

little

parrot,

nice grey

parrot and

I thought,

when I went

out I put

my finger

up and

he very

gently

came on

to my

finger.

Looked

beautiful,

lovely.

And I

tried to

let him

go and

he wasn't

having it.

He caught

hold of

one finger,

I tried to

take him

off and

he caught

hold of

that.

And have

you ever

been bitten

by a

parrot?

It's not

very nice,

it's very

very painful

as a matter

of fact.

And it

ended up

with me

having to

go for

a tetanus

injection

into the

bargain.

You know,

I invited

him.

It looks

so nice.

And sin

sometimes

looks nice.

It isn't

always horrible.

It doesn't

always look

horrible.

But it

bites.

It

destroys.

Be

different.

And Paul

calls for

difference.

Don't be

like the

heathen.

Don't be

like those

around and

about you.

Be

Christ-like.

So,

he

encourages

them.

He

reminds

them of

past

instructions.

He

encourages

them to

continue.

He calls

them to

be

different.

But he

also

reminds

them that

they live

their lives

before the

Lord.

verse 1,

we ask

you and

urge you

in the

Lord Jesus.

Verse 2,

the instructions

we gave you

by the

authority

of the

Lord Jesus.

Verse 3,

it is

God's

will that

you should

be

sanctified.

failure to

live their

lives as

they should

could bring

the judgment

of God

upon them.

See what he

says in

verse 6

and 7,

the Lord

will punish

men for

all such

sins as

we have

already told

you and

warned you.

For God

did not

call us to

be impure,

but to

live a

holy life.

Therefore,

he who

rejects

this

instruction

does not

reject

man,

but God

who gives

you

his

Holy

Spirit.

It's

always good

to remind

ourselves

that we

live our

lives

before the

triune

God.

the Son

has saved

us through

his precious

blood.

His

perfect

righteousness

has been

given,

put to

our

account.

The

Father has

loved us

in Christ

and we're

now reconciled

to the

Father.

Every

Christian

knows the

work of

the Holy

Spirit

within

their lives.

And let

us remind

ourselves

this morning

that he

is the

Holy

Spirit.

It is the

Holy Spirit

who lives

in us.

It is by

the Holy

Spirit that

we have

been born

again into

the very

family of

God.

Our

very bodies

have become

the temple

of the

Holy Spirit.

We're

living in

the presence

of the

living God.

And as

we remind

ourselves of

this

relationship

we have

with

Father,

Son and

Holy

Spirit.

So we

are to

live holy

lives.

And the

evidence

that we

have this

relationship

will be

that we

will live

holy

lives.

Let us

not pretend

that we

are

Christians

if we're

living lives

of sin

and

wretchedness.

The

evidence

that we've

been born

again

is that

God lives

in us

and we

want to

be

holy.

holy.

But let

me say

this to

you this

morning.

If you've

failed,

and we

all fail

at times,

let us

remind

ourselves

that there

is one

to whom

we can

confess our

sins.

Doesn't

one John

remind us

that if we

confess our

sins,

he is

faithful and

just to

forgive us

our sins

and to

cleanse us

from all

unrighteousness.

So Paul

calls for

holy living

in the

world.

But secondly,

Paul calls

for holy

loving in

verses 9

and 10.

Now about

brotherly love

we do not

need to

write to

you,

for you

yourselves

have been

taught by

God to

love each

other,

and in

fact you

do love

all the

brothers

throughout

Macedonia.

Yet we

urge you

brothers to

do so

more and

more.

Why was

there no

need to

write?

Well there

was no

need to

write because

the divine

teacher had

entered their

lives.

They have

been given

the Holy

Spirit,

and the

fruit of

the Spirit

is what?

Well amongst

other things

is love.

One of the

characteristics of

Christianity,

one could

argue the

principal

characteristic of

Christianity

is love.

What they

knew,

we know.

We don't

need to be

taught to

love one

another,

do we?

Or do we

need to be

taught?

are we

putting into

practice the

love that we

ought to

have, not

just for the

local believer,

which is the

hardest form of

love.

I love

everybody in

Africa.

I don't have

any problem.

You see, I'm

not rubbing

shoulders.

But to love

each other in

a local

sense.

the

Thessalonians

were

demonstrating

their love

by their

actions,

are we?

Now we

know this.

Do we

do it?

And are we

doing it

more and

more?

You see,

there's always

need for

improvement.

There's

need for

improvement in

the home.

There's

need for

improvement in

the church.

There's

need for

improvement

before a

watching world.

And we

may not

always find

it easy

to love

one another.

Sometimes

it's extremely

difficult.

Now you

may have

heard this

before,

but turn

to 1

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter

13

and verse

4.

Here is,

if you

like,

the test

card.

Now,

I don't

know if

there's

anybody

else as

old as

I am

here this

morning.

I think

there may

be one

or two.

But they

used to

have on

the television

many years

ago when

there wasn't

24-hour

television,

what they

called a

test card.

And it

used to

appear.

Even Ian

remembers it.

Ian,

you're getting

old.

And, you

know, it

was there.

And you

could adjust

your set

according to

the test

card.

Now, here's

the test

card for

each one

of us.

Go for

it to

verse 4

of 1

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter 13.

And instead

of using

the word

love, put

your own

name there.

Michael

Grant is

patient.

Don't say

anything,

Rosemary.

Michael

Grant is

kind.

Michael

Grant does

not envy.

Michael

Grant does

not boast.

trust.

Michael

Grant is

not proud.

Michael

Grant is

not rude.

Michael

Grant is

not self-seeking.

Michael

Grant is

not easily

angered.

Michael

Grant keeps

no record

of wrong.

Michael

Grant does

not delight

in evil.

Michael

Grant

rejoices

in the

truth.

Michael

Grant

always

protects.

Michael

Grant

always

trusts.

always

hopes.

Always

perseveres.

Michael

Grant

never

fails.

How often

do I

come

short

of that?

Of course

you can't

go on

to verse

13 but

now these

three remain

faith,

hope and

Michael

Grant

and the

greatest

of these.

But you

can't go

that far.

But you

know it's

a good

test case

to look

at that

and examine

our own

lives and

say well

we have

to love

more

and more.

We're not

there yet

are we?

And if

you think

you are

well come

and see

me afterwards

or let

me speak

to your

wife or

your

family.

So Paul

calls for

holy

loving

in the

church.

And the

final thing

he says

to us

is this

as he

calls for

holy

ambition.

make it

your

ambition

verse 11

to lead

a quiet

life.

To mind

your own

business

and to

work with

your hands

just as

we told

you.

So that

your daily

life may

win the

respect of

outsiders

and so

that you

will not

be dependent

on anyone.

You can't

accuse

the apostle

of not

being

practical.

He's

continually

in his

letters

reminding

his

readers

how they

should

live

in an

evil

world.

So it's

not surprising

that he

ends this

section with

three very

practical

points.

Make it

your

ambition

he says

make it

your

goal.

Make it

your goal

to lead

a quiet

life.

And that

doesn't mean

getting rid

of the

children.

children.

And it

doesn't

mean

hiding

yourself

away

in a

hermitage

or a

monastery.

But it

does mean

living a

life that

is calm.

I like the

authorised

version which

translates it

study it

says to

be quiet.

It's the

opposite of

being contentious.

It's the

opposite of

being full of

strife.

it's the

opposite of

running around

like a

headless

chicken.

Of having

a hasty

temper.

Study to

be quiet.

Live a

life that

is calm

in your

home,

in your

church,

in your

workplace.

Make it

your holy

ambition

to have

that

meekness

of spirit

that

characterised

the Lord

Jesus.

Of whom

we read

in 1 Peter

2 in

verse 23

that when

they hurled

their insults

at him

he did

not

retaliate.

When he

suffered

he made

no

threats.

And he

did this,

he was like

this,

when the

storm clouds

were

gathering,

when

Calvary

beckoned.

There was

this quiet

calm and

confidence

that God