Drew’s Blog - Drew Boswell

Generous Sermon Series “The Heart of Giving” Luke 20:45-21:4

Generous Sermon Series

“The Heart of Giving”

Luke 20:45-21:4

Introduction

In today’s passage Jesus is continuing his preaching ministry in the temple, and after a long and trying day Jesus wants his disciples to observe something. He is going to compare scribes who are looked at by society as being examples and persons to be looked up to (well-dressed, positions of power, respected when they enter into an area), against a widow (poor, low position in society, and for the most part invisible). But Jesus saw her. This is a story about being seen. Jesus is saying, “I know typically you pay attention and watch these guys, but today, I want you to see this person – watch her.”

Giving to Get Something (20:45-47)[1]

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”[2]

Earlier in the day while Jesus was teaching in the temple, scribes and the Saducees on separate occasions asked Him questions. In vv. 41-44 Jesus is pointing out that they do not interpret the Scriptures correctly, and here they are no responding to Scripture correctly (v. 45) tells us that once He had answered their questions, he warns the people about their pride. He makes comments about the scribes that where “in the hearing of all the people.”

Jesus is not saying all scribes are bad or wrong, but that they should “beware” of the scribes who have certain character flaws. When these flaws become too apparent, we must beware.

The scribes Jesus mentions are men who “like” . . . They coveted these marks of distinction.

1) “walk around in long robes” – this was the distinctive dress of the Jewish scholar. Ostentatious. “One could always recognize a scribe because he wore a white linen robe with a long fringe that reached to his feet.”[3] The robes also marked them as people who did not do physical labor, “his living would not be cumbered with such clothing.”[4]

These men made their living with their minds, and they wanted everyone to know it. Only those involved in physical labor when they passed didn’t have to stop what they were doing and recognize them.

2) “love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts” – People were to call them Rabbi, invite them to their social parties, giving them the place of honor at the left or right of the host. In the temple, there was a semicircular bench in front of the ark and faced the congregation. They sat with their back to the Torah.

Jesus even specifically warned about assuming the seat of honor, and how we should not do that in Luke 14:10-11 “But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

3) who devour widows’ houses – as part of their responsibility to oversee the affairs of widow’s estates, they would collect an exaggerated administrative fee.[5] As a leader there were a dozen ways they could devour a widows resources, “the widows saw themselves impoverished while their guardians grew fat.”[6]

For the most powerful to devour the most vulnerable was heinous to Jesus. They used their positions to improve their estate at the cost of those they were supposed to be helping and ministering to.

4) “for a pretense make long prayers” – When you combine excessive pride, with unrelenting greed, you cover that with as Hamlet said, “thou protest too much.” Their public prayers had to show they deserved to wear the robes, and cover the guilt of their conscience.[7]

“Such behavior represents the hypocrisy of the religious elite who were concerned only with external appearance and sought to look good in the eyes of others.”[8] James even warns those who desire to teach and lead in the church, James 3:1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” “Increased responsibility means increased accountability.”[9] Some people just want the position because of how other people will see them, the church must beware.

Jesus wanted the disciples to look at the giving of the scribes (even though they had power, riches, and fame), they took advantage of their position to take from (the widows) even though it was their job to help them.

Hosea 6:6 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” This passage tells us that our hearts is more important than the rituals of worship. The scribes and the Pharisees gave to get something (prestige, power, flattery, etc.)

Giving to Honor Someone (21:1-4)

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Where are the scribes and Pharisees, now? They have left the scene having been blasted by Jesus’ comments about them.

“Contributions for running the temple were placed in trumpet-shaped receptacles, thirteen of which were located on the court of women.” The chests had specific offerings that the contents of the chest were to go towards (doves, coins, etc.) Some were for required offerings by the worshippers, some were voluntary gifts.

“According to the Misnah, each of the chests bore inscriptions designating what the offerings were for: “New Shekel dues, old shekel dues, bird offerings, young birds for the whole offering, wood, frankincense, gold for the mercy seat, and on six of them ‘free-will offerings.’”[10]

When Mary went to the Temple after Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:22,24) this is where she would have gone to present her offering, and where she would have met Simeon.[11]

“An officer oversaw the collection and often counted what had been given. The coins the widow gave were the smallest ones made – each worth 1/100 of a denarious (about five-minutes of labor at minimum wage).”[12] The coins were called lepta, literally “peeled” or “fine.” The two lepta represented barely anything.

Bock says, “We tend to appreciate the amount of the gift, not necessarily the sacrifice that went into the giving.”[13]

How did Jesus know she was a widow? Just like the scribes wore their white robes, widows also wore distinctive mourning clothes. Hers were probably worn and tattered.

(v. 4) “For they all contributed out of their abundance” – Jesus is referencing everyone there in the temple.[14] Jesus is not saying that those who gave made a big deal of it, or that they did not give in such a way that was wrong. The contribution from abundance means that it will not be missed. Giving it to God, did not really cost them anything.[15]

But, only the widow gave in sacrificially. Luke (the author) uses a rare and archaic word for poor, “he saw a poor (penichra) widow”; it suggests one who has to labor hard with toil for a living (penurious). Luke’s word choice is telling us that this poor woman has to labor hard for whatever she has. While the scribes were devouring and taking, this woman has to labor hard.[16]

For the scribes and the rich it was their wealth that got in the way of their giving.[17] They had everything to lose, the widow had nothing to lose, so she gave it all. This is a mindset that we have to watch out for – the wealthier we become, the more likely we are to stop depending on God, and seeing our possessions as our own – everything has always and will always belong to Him, whether you have two pennies or two billion pennies.

Her loss, was used by God to bring honor to her. God does not waste our tears. In Psalm 42:7 “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.”

The giving that Jesus praises is the one where a person gave everything they had. So, is this teaching saying that Jesus wants me to give everything to God? Yes. Our hand should be open to God. God knows we have to have a place to sleep, a way to move around in our environment, we need to eat and drink, and we need clothing. Our kids need school supplies, and medicine when they get sick.

All of this comes out of our pockets – along with our expenses is our giving to the Lord at church. We are not a compartmentalized person; we should not have closed fists with God – we are always and completely a worshipper of God (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.) All of our possessions are to be used for the glory of God (the couch, our car, our home, and giving to the Lord). Our gifts, skills, talents are used throughout the entire week for the glory of God – We are a whole person.

If this widow had decided to keep her two widow’s mites – it would not have been missed. Her offering would not have changed the temple worship very much – but she would have lost her participation in the life of the temple. We are able to participate on the life of the church when we give. God doesn’t count the coins, He weighs the heart. Just like Jesus saw the widow, God sees us, in our entirety (a loves us anyway).

Two leptas was the smallest amount that could be given by law.[18] God allowed this woman to have something to give, so that she could participate in the time of worship. She could not give less, and she could not give more (it was the perfect amount for her) – it was all she had. It was enough to worship, but not enough to draw any kind of attention.

She was saying to God, “I love you. Here’s my heart, my life, I trust you with it all. It’s not much, but it’s all I have.” It is also a question of security. The rich people had kept and used a vast majority of their money – their giving to God did not really cost them anything in the future. Therefore, they didn’t really need God in the future. Their security was in themselves and their riches. For the widow, her security comes from God alone.

Giving is a way that God uses to teach us about ourselves, our desires, what we are willing to live without, our hearts, our relationship to Him, how we put God’s priorities first or our own, where does our security come from?

Whereas, the poor widow gave all she had now – and had to trust the Lord for her future.[19] Marshall says, “what matters is not the amount that one gives, but the amount that one keeps for oneself.”

There are some things we can hold on to from this passage:

The condition of our heart matters to God when we give. If I have credit card debt, the credit card doesn’t care about the condition of my heart, I need to pay my bill. That’s all they care about, give them the money owed. This is not true with God; He cares about the motive and the condition of our relationship with Him as we are giving.

The giving that pleases God will cost you something. We must give in such a way that we go without something we would like to hang on to. 2 Samuel 24:24 “But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”

God is the one who grows His church – He takes what we give Him and He can do great things with tiny offerings given with the right heart. Hughes says, “If there is love in the sacrifice on the part of the giver, there will be spiritual power in the gift.”[20]

Once Jesus left the temple that day, he would never return. At this point He is destined toward the cross and crucifixion for the salvation of mankind. In that ultimate offering, He held nothing back. He gave it all.

________________________

[1] Mark 12:37ff.

[2] “Matthew 23:1-39 has a very full and rich description of this last phase of the debate in the temple where Jesus drew a full-length portrait of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes in their presence. It was the last solemn climax to this last public appearance of Christ in the temple when Jesus poured out the vials of his indignation as he had done before (Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:12; 15-18).” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 2 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Publishing, 1930) 255.

[3] R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word, Luke (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway, 2015) 715.

[4] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan; W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990) 321.

[5] George Arthur Buttrick, General Editor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 8 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1952) 359.

[6] W. N. Clarke, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1881) 298.

[7] See also, Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus.

[8] David Dockery, General Editor, The New American Commentary, Volume 24 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1992) 508.

[9] Hughes, 720.

[10] Hughes, 724.

[11] Alfred Edersheim, The Temple Its Ministry and Services (Peaboy, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 2002) 25.

[12] Darrel L. Bock, The NIV Application Commentary, Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1996) 526.

[13] Bock, 527.

[14] Robertson, 256. Constative second aorist active indicative, “covering the whole crowd, except for the widow.”

[15] Buttrick, 359.

[16] Ibid.

[17] E. J. Tinsley, The Cambridge Bible Commentary, The Gospel According to Luke (New York New York; Cambridge Press, 1965) 182.

[18] Herschel H. Hobbs, An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Book House, 1972) 290. “Schottgen on Mark 12:42, cites a Rabbinic rule that a single mite should not be given to the eleemosynart chest, from which he infers that the widow’s gift was the very smallest that was allowed.” (Clarke, 299).

[19] Clifton Allen, The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 9 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Publishing, 1970) 158.

[20] Hughes, 727.

Staffing Your Team: “When is the Right Time to Hire Staff?”

Hiring Church Staff

When is the right time to add staff to your team?

1) When no volunteer or team is able to do what needs to be done in a given area.

2) When what is required to be done is more than a single leader or team can reasonable do.

3) When leadership is needed in a given area and there is one to do it.

4) When there is an expectation that needs to be met so often that it is not reasonable for a volunteer.

“Parkinson’s Law” – when work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. People find a way to make jobs more complicated and time-consuming, which in the end requires more staff to get the same amount of work done. When there are transitions in leadership, there should be an analysis of the work required to the time you are asking the leader to complete it – is it reasonable, exaggerated, etc.?

5) When expertise is needed that is not found within the church body, and that expertise is needed on such a regular basis that it is reasonable to hire a person to do it.

Things to Consider for the Staff Position:

• The person will be asking three questions that need to be addressed.
1) What am I responsible for?
2) What decisions am I able to make on my own?
3) Whom do I report to for help?

• Staff should not do what volunteers can do. The goal of the leader is to put church members in place of ministry so they can grow in their faith, and experience the joy and blessing of service. This is also how we grow and mature in our walk with the Lord. If the leaders do everything, they limit the growth of the ministry, and rob members of these blessings.

• A team should always support the staff – no lone rangers. Sometimes. Staff are hired because no one can do what needs to be done, but the leader must immediately seek to build a team.

• Be careful not to load a new staff person with all the needs of the church. The example of deacons in Acts 6:2 was an effort to allow the elders to focus on their calling/ministry. The staff need to be able to focus, and should avoiding generalizing as much as possible.

• Church leaders should be equipping/teaching others on their team to do what they do. Ephesians 4:11-13 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, . . .”

• Hire leaders of ministry, not people to do the ministry themselves.

Should the church hire from within or hire from the outside?

• When your church culture is healthy, hiring from within will perpetuate that culture. Hiring from the outside will change the church culture.

https://seniorpastorcentral.com/2830/staff-churches-under-600/

I would suggest this article because he does a good job of describing when you should hire staff and the order they should be hired. It’s a good read if you are interested in this topic.

Generous Sermon Series “Our Money is Directly Tied to our Heart” Malachi 3:1-12

https://youtu.be/gQc4g2kXYdY

Generous Sermon Series

“Our Money is Directly Tied to our Heart”

Malachi 3:1-12

Opening

One Sunday morning because the mother was sick she sent her son on to the country church without her. The said now “You go straight to church.” Before the small boy left his mother gave him two quarters. She said “One quarter is for you to get some ice cream on the way home and one quarter is for God.”

So putting the quarters in his pocket, he left for church. On the way he stopped momentarily at a bridge on leaned over the side to see the water. When he did this one of the quarters fell out of his pocket and fell into the river below. He jumped down and checked for the other quarter. Having found it he said “wheh I sure am glad I didn’t lose my quarter for ice cream!”

Often times we have the same attitude toward giving as the little boy. When we have gotten what we wanted we have nothing left to give. God is warning the Israelites through the prophet Malachi that they should prepare because a king was coming who would judge them on how they worshiped God, specifically on how they worshiped Him with their giving. This morning I want you to understand that this is not a message on tithing, but a message on how we are to worship and show loyalty to our Lord.

In terms of the number of verses on a topic, the subject of money and wealth is the second most dominant theme in the Bible, second only to idolatry. The Bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2000 verses on money and possessions. Jesus talked more on money than heaven and hell combined.

Why? Because we hold money very close to our hearts. God knows that money is the chief rival for our heart’s affection. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

This is an Old Testament passage, aren’t we under grace now? First tithing was done before Moses and the Law. In Genesis 4:1-8 Cain and Abel tithe off of their first fruits. In Genesis 14:20 Abraham tithes to Melchizedek, the priest of God. This was before the Law was given.

And in the New Testament Christ had the perfect opportunity to do away with the tithe when talking with the Pharisees. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Our Hearts as it Relates to Worship (vv. 1-5)

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.”

(v. 1) “my messenger” is a reference to John the Baptist. Jesus 400 years later referring to John the Baptist says in Matthew 11:10 “For this reason is he of whom it is written:‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

“prepare the way” It was custom of the Near Eastern kings to send messengers before them to remove obstacles to their visit. He would go through the towns and the people would fill in any holes In the road, clean up, etc…

God is giving the people a warning, to get their lives right, to repent and turn from their evil ways before the king comes in judgment. He had sent messengers like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. God had sent many messengers, but now the king was coming Himself.

“suddenly” does not mean immediately, but instantaneously and unannounced. When all things have been prepared Jesus will return to rule (Matt. 24:40-42).

We are now in between the messenger of the covenant, and His second coming in judgment. We are in a state of grace. It is a day for repentance (or turning from our sin) and salvation.

“whom you desire” is likely sarcastic. They are saying that they are seeking him but in reality this is shown to be false because of their actions. According to the prophet, the people were guilty of many serious sins. The priests were offering blemished animals in a formal but insincere religious ritualism. They were going through the motions.

Many were divorcing their wives to marry unbelieving women. Most had been disobeying God’s laws by withholding tithes of their harvest. And they were accusing God of loving them only halfheartedly and of being unjust in his dealings with them – because he had had not prospered them adequately.

In essence they were saying “God look at all this we are doing for you, what have you done for us lately? We believe that we should have much more material possessions for as much as we serve you.” (Do you see the irony? They were doing nothing that pleased Him.)

(v. 3) “a refiners fire” and “a launderer’s soup” — fire is a reference to burning off dross of silver or impurities and launderer’s soup is a reference to alkali that whitens fabrics. When a silver smith would work silver he would heat up the metal to a boiling point where the impurities would rise to the surface. He would then skim off the impurities. He would do this until all the impurities were gone and he could see a perfect reflection of himself in the silver.

If God is not pleased with our worship of Him he will heat up our lives to remove the impurities until he can see His Son in us. A launderer would use the harsh and abrasive alkali to whiten cloth. When we go to heaven we will wear white because we have been cleansed by Jesus’ death on the cross.

It is only when those who present the offering have been cleansed that the offering would be acceptable. This is also a reference to the motive behind the offerings. Simply presenting the offering to God is not enough. It must be done with a clean heart, a pure motive, and obedience to God.

Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”

The Pharisees would bring their tithe of everything down to the spices in their cabinets, but their motives were so that people would see them and say “wow aren’t they religious!” They did it for the glory it gave them from others.

“swiftly” Jesus second coming will happen suddenly in “the twinkling of an eye.” His judgment will be quick as well. He will testify against “I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, . . . and do not fear me” In other words those that do not respect or fear the Lord.

Malachi is saying that Jesus will return and He will sit in judgment of those who do not fear the Lord. The Israelites did not fear God because they gave with wrong motives, they gave their second best, and they were unconcerned about their sin. While the Lord is a God of wrath he is also a God of mercy, long-suffering and grace. The Lord’s response to the people’s rebellion and sin was to say that he does not change.

Our Hearts as it Relates to Money (vv. 6-12)

6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts”.

“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed Genesis 15:9 ff. God made a promise to Abraham and to his descendants that they would be His people. It is because of this promise that no matter what Abraham’s family did God would still keep his promise. It was because of this promise they had not been destroyed because of their sin long ago.

In theology this doctrine is called immutability. It means that, being perfect, God cannot and does not change. God cannot get any better nor can he get any worse, either would mean that he was not God to begin with. It is therefore we who change. It was because of this character of God that the people were not destroyed.

They thought that God was not being faithful to them, even tough it was them who had changed, showing disrespect and sin toward God. There is a pattern all throughout the Old Testament. God will bless the nation, and they love God. Over time they grow complacent and forget God and that it is He who had given them all that they had.

They then become involved in any number of sins and after warnings from various prophets they are judged by God. The people would then repent and turn back to God who would then forgive them and bless them, and they would follow His ways again.

“Return to me, and I will return to you,” The people have always had the option of returning to Him through repentance and renewed obedience. God’s people asked what have they done that they needed to return from. Did they not know what they were doing wrong? They ask “How are we to return, we haven’t done anything wrong?” “You are the one who has been unfaithful.”

God says that they were robbing Him “In tithes and offerings.”

A pig and a chicken were walking down the street one morning and they passed by a local club who were having a bacon and egg breakfast cook-off to raise money for their organization. The chicken said let’s go in and see if we can help. The pig said no way, you would be able to give, but I would really have to sacrifice.

Well, let’s see if we can tell the difference between giving and sacrifice.

What is a tithe? An offering? The meaning of the word ‘tithe’ is 10%. God says that we are to bring the whole 10% of their income into the storehouse. The storehouse was a section of the temple where the agrarian Israel would give their grain, animals, etc… It therefore is a reference to the Church. Tithes are to go to the local church. Offerings are what we give above and beyond the tithe.

The reason for the tithe is so that “there may be food in my house.” Ministries within the Church are dependent upon the faithful giving of each member. God has not designed any other way for fund raising other than the tithe and offerings. The financial stability of the church is dependent upon the member’s hearts being right with the Lord.

God promises that if we will tithe, we will be blessed. How are we blessed? (v. 11) “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.”

protection from destruction – plagues have throughout the Bible been a way that God would judge Israel. Lev. 26:24, 25; Deut. 28:21; Egypt 12:29, 30. When we choose to be disobedient we step out of God’s protective circle. But if we are obedient we remain within God’s protective graces.

A curse therefore may be that our possessions or what we depend on for our income may be destroyed. He would do this to strip us of what we idolize so that all that would be left is God – because He is faithful to discipline us as his children. Discipline hurts.

productivity in labor — “fields will not cast their fruit.” Our work will yield a harvest. When we are obedient to God our efforts will be multiplied because God is directing it instead of us.

A curse therefore would be that no matter how hard we toil we can never seem to get ahead. We sink deeper and deeper in debt. We become anxious and worried because we are depending on ourselves instead of trusting in God to provide.

popularity – when we are obedient to God will bless us because it is His desire that His name be lifted up. We can say when I added up all that I owe (to God and the world) and the money that I am taking in I would not have enough. God provided the money that I needed to do both. The blessing is that we will be able to be a witness of what God as done with our lives. There will also be joy in your household because of your relationship with the Lord.

A curse therefore would be that we have robbed ourselves of the blessing that comes from giving. We have no testimony of how God has done the impossible with our finances and lives. People will not call us blessed but instead will know that we have done it our way and in our own strength.

Still not convinced about this whole tithing thing? This is the only place in the Bible where man can test God. “Test me in this.”

Another reason God requires a whole tithe is that tithing ultimately is a test to determine if we trust God. It reveals the reality of whom we love more God or money.

1 Thessalonians Commentary And Book Suggestions

1 Thessalonians Sermon Series
Bibliography

Allen, Clifton J. The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 11. Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Bible Commentary, 1971.

Airhart, E. Arnold. Beacon Bible Commentary, Volume 9. Kansas City, Missouri; Beacon Hill Press, 1965.

Bruce, FF. Word Biblical Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Waco, Texas; Word Books, 1982.

Buttrick, George Arthur, Dictionary Editor. The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Volume 4. Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1962.

Buttrick, George Arthur, General Editor. The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 9. Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1955.

Gaebelein, Frank E. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 11. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1978.

Gupta, Nijay K. Critical Introductions to the New Testament, 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 2019.

Hendrickson, William. New Testament Commentary, Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Book House, 1987.

Holmes, Michael W. The NIV Application Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1998.

Morris, Leo. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1959.

Morris, Leon. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.

Phillips, John. Exploring 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kregel Publications, 2005.

Robertson, Archbald Thomas. Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 4. Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931.

Walvoord, John F. The Thessalonian Epistles. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Dunham Publication, 1968.

J. David, Williams. New International Biblical Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishers, 1992.

1 Thessalonians Sermon Series Standing Firm: Foundational Doctrine For New Believers “Standing Firm in Our Testimony” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

1 Thessalonians Sermon Series

Standing Firm: Foundational Doctrine For New Believers

Standing Firm in Our Testimony

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Introduction

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two steamboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other. Challenges were made and the race began.

Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the deep South. One boat began falling behind because it did not have enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped behind, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.[1]

God has entrusted cargo to us, too. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. When we forget what God has entrusted us to do – we sacrifice the end result for our distraction right now.

Prayer

Mutual Love Leads to Peace (vv. 12-13)

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

One thing that we see from other examples of where Paul went into a city for the express purpose of sharing the gospel, was that leaders would were established very early. They all received the teachings of Paul, Silas, and Timothy at the same time, and all were saved, at the most, three weeks. These new leaders did not have seminary educations or years of experience – they had all received Christ around the same time. But some, were shown to have the gift of leadership.[2]

In the church everyone is on the same level, but the Bible teaches that we all have separate gifts given to us by God, so each person is to serve according to the gift they have been given. Every team needs a Coach. Since the church is Thessalonica was very young, and Paul had to leave quickly (after three weeks) he knew leadership had to be established. Robertson says, “We need wise leadership today, but still more wise following. An army of captains and colonels never won a battle.”[3]

The church leader’s responsibility involves labor (doing something to the point of being tired and exhausted). An example is Moses “so wore himself out, that when he was finally persuaded to delegate some of his responsibilities, it took no less than seventy men to pick up the duties that he laid down (Exodus 18:13-26). In this book we see Paul himself often worked at his tent making all day and then evangelized and preached at night.”[4]

They are leaders “in the Lord” so their character is one of growing in the Lord and emphasizing that walk in their lives, they are people who do the difficult things, “admonish” is correction through instruction (no one like to tell someone they are off track or doing something sinful).

He encourages the young church to respect and esteem these leaders. That peace is held in place by mutual esteem and love that we all express for each other.

“He wants the officials to be highly regarded, and not dismissed as of no account. . . he wants them to be loved, and not thought of simply as the cold voice of authority.”[5] Paul also tells us why we should be respectful, and love them (love is a choice not a pit we fall into). It is not based on their personality, likeability, or what they have done for us – but “because of their work.”

Leaders can do things that cause those they lead to lose respect for them, they can lead in such a way that make it hard to love them, they can admonish those they lead in such a way that they are not esteemed – But Paul is saying that if there is to be peace amongst them – then the church must follow the leadership.

The peace that we are to have among ourselves comes directly from leaders doing the work of leadership, and the church doing the work of the church. If the leaders lord[6] their positions over people the people won’t follow, then you are a leader of yourself.

The church is a volunteer army; how you run a company is vastly different than how you run the church. If, the followers won’t follow and everyone fights for their own ways and opinions, then there is no peace and nothing gets done.

(v. 13) “Be at peace among yourselves” – the among yourselves is Paul emphasizing both the leaders and followers doing what is needed to have peace in the church. Leaders be good leaders, the best leaders you know how to be. Church, do what you are commanded by Christ to do, be about the work of the church. Both make the effort to keep the peace.

There is a similar dynamic mentioned in Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Fathers have the authority over their children, but they should still be gentle, kind, and loving – there is a long-term goal of them following the Lord.

Another translation says, “exasperate” to, “irritate and frustrate (someone) intensely.” When the father uses his authority in a way that leads the children to be irritated, frustrated, and provoked – that anger leads to rebellion. At that point the long-term goal of them following the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” is not being accomplished.

The long-term goal of the leader of the church is that people will grow in their walk with the Lord, etc. but if they provoke the church to anger, then this long-range goal is not accomplished.

Be Patient with Other Believers (vv. 14-15)

14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

“Three groups seem to be reflected here: (1) those who had quit work, talking only of the Lord’s return, fanatics; (2) those who had lost heart because of some had died before that event; and (3) those who were morally weak, or those tempted toward immorality.”[7]

The “idle,” here refers to those who are disorderly, unbecoming behavior (after three weeks the early church already had people causing trouble and being disorderly). These are like soldiers who are out of step, the fanatics, meddlers, and loafers (4:11, 12; 5:12, 13; and cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10).

The “fainthearted” could refer to those who needed comfort and were troubled because of the loss of their friends who had died in Christ (4:13), or confused about the return of Christ (5:1-11). They could be encouraged by what Paul has taught them so far in this book. But these people seem to be easily discouraged.

“help the weak” may be referencing “shrinking away from persecution (3:3-5), yielding to temptation to immorality (4:3-8),” or as Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 8-10 could be referencing how they are exercising Christian liberty.[8]

(v. 15) In dealing with these challenging persons in the church, Paul says, “15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone” – When Paul says this, it is intended for the entire church to enforce – everyone should see that anyone repays evil, and all should seek to do good to people inside and outside the church. It is wrong to leave all this to pastors and elders.

Also, not only are believers not to repay evil for evil, but to look out for the good of the other person, to see how they may benefit them, to help them. The example we are to follow is Christ’s; “He loved Judas just as much as He loved John. He loved Pilate just as much as He loved Peter.

He loved the man who spat on in His face just as much as He loved the woman who washed his feet with her tears. He loved the dying thief who went to paradise, and He loved the dying thief who cursed Him.”[9] Jesus did no evil to anyone, He repaid no evil for the evil shown toward Him.

Watch Your Relationship with the Lord (vv. 16-22)

16 Rejoice always[10], 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

The spiritual temperature of the Christian is maintained at a proper level by finding things to rejoice about, continually praying, and finding opportunities to give thanks! Paul says that if we will have this type of attitude, then that “is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”

(v. 17) “pray without ceasing” – Doesn’t mean you are always talking. A way to think about this is to have a good friend in the room. When things need to be discussed, you talk, but the relationship sometimes is content to just be silent, yet you know that everything is good between the two of you.

Another example, is Nehemiah was given the opportunity to ask the Persian emperor for permission to go to the Promised Land to rebuild the walls in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:4-5 “Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” This was a short, “Lord help me” prayer.

Remember the church was experiencing persecution, and had lost loved ones because of this persecution. This is the opposite of what we see the Israelites doing in the book of Exodus, when they were murmuring (Exodus 16). So, in the darkest of times, “this is the will of God.”

The next section deals with balance. “Not quenching the Spirit” deals with spiritual gifts. Apparently, someone had been exercising their spiritual gifts in such a way that the leaders said, “nope, we are not going to allow that to happen,” therefore stopping someone from using their spiritual gifts and ministering to the church body. It was like throwing water on a ember.

It probably, had something to do with prophecies, “Those who were caught up in the idea of the Lord’s return evidently claimed a spirituality above that connected with preaching or prophesying”[11]

“Wherever God plants wheat, Satan sows his tares. Wherever God established His church, the devil erects a chapel. And so, too, wherever the Holy Spirit enables certain men to perform miracles of healing, the evil one distributes his “lying wonders.” And wherever the Paraclete brings a true prophet upon the scene, the deceiver presents his false prophet.”[12] You especially didn’t like the prophecy if you were a meddler, loafer, or a fanatic.

So, in order to make sure we don’t make a mistake we shut all prophesying down. Instead of just shutting things down, and therefore “quenching the Spirit,” the church should test everything (against the Scriptures). If it’s good then keep doing it, if it’s evil then abstain from it. They had to distinguish truth and error. Have fervor for the Lord, but also have common sense.

(v. 22) “Abstain from every form of evil.” – this is broad blanket verse that regardless of what it is in our life that may be contrary to the will of God, it should be taken out of our life.

Even with this short list (rejoicing, being thankful, praying, not repaying evil, etc.), it is impossible for the new believer to live the life that God requires in their own strength, Therefore, we must stay close to Jesus. John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

God is Faithful (vv. 23-24)

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Sanctify means “the realization or progressive attainment of likeness to God or to God’s intention for men. It may be regarded both as a status conferred by divine grace and as goal to be aimed at.”[13]

Paul is saying that God is working in the life of the believer so that they are becoming more like Christ (here and now), and that his process will be completed when Christ returns. It is God who sanctifies the whole person, and the believer has a part in working in partnership with God in the process.

“From Acts we learn that sanctification depends on reception of the Holy Spirit. This implies turning away from the world (Acts 2:40), and presupposes forgiveness of sin (2:38; 26:18). More positively, reception of the Spirit confers power to perform miracles (2:43; 3:6; 4:12-16, etc.), moral power (4:31-37), and generally the courage to witness to Christ (2:32-36; 4:31; 5:32).”[14]

We also see that sanctification is your entire being, “whole spirit and soul and body.”

Conclusion

The story is told that Andrew Jackson’s boyhood friends just couldn’t understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson’s friends said, “Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now.”

Another friend responded, “How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn’t they usually say three times and out?” “Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat—he would never stay ‘throwed.’ Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner.”

Picking up on that idea, someone has said, “The thing that counts is not how many times you are ‘throwed,’ but whether you are willing to stay ‘throwed.’”

The Christian life is a battle. Scripture often speaks of God’s children as soldiers, and we should not expect to have things always be calm and peaceful. The question is not whether we ever fail, but whether we get back up when we do. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”[15]

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[1] https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/steamboat-race

[2] John F. Walvoord, The Thessalonian Epistles (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Dunham Publication, 1968) 90.

[3] Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Commentary, Volume 9 (Kansas City, Missouri; Beacon 494.

[4] John Phillips, Exploring 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kregel Publications, 2005) 139.

[5] Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1959) 167.

[6] Matthew 20:25ff.

[7] Clifton Allen, The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 11 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1971) 284.

[8] Robert L. Thomas, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 11 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1978) 289. Also see Romans 14:1-15:6; 1 Corinthians 8-10.

[9] Phillips, 144.

[10] Shortest verse in the Bible, in the New Testament Greek, Walvood, 95.

[11] Allen, 284.

[12] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary, Exposition of 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Book House, 1987) 140.

[13] George Arthur Buttrick, Dictionary Editor, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible Volume 4 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1980) 211.

[14] Buttrick, Dictionary, 211.

[15] https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/get-up-again